A/N: The response to the last few chapters has been awesome! Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing my favorite story to write:) I'm glad you're just as into it as I am.

I've had a couple people be like "This is rated M. Where's the beef?" I wanna say, it'll happen, folks. Just be patient. These crazy kids are more fucked up than I'd originally thought, so they're taking their sweet ass time giving us what we all want to happen. I plead for your patience and I would also like to remind you that the build up will make it so much more gratifying when it actually happens, yknow?:) I hope you agree with me!

As usual, if you review, you'll get a preview of the next chapter. FF has been strange this weekend, though, so I haven't been able to reply to reviews. Boo, I say! Hopefully it'll get fixed soon.

Thanks to Adrena!

This chapter starts with a brand new POV. I hope you enjoy. I'm so stoked for this:)

Charlie POV

I handed Billy his beer and carried mine over to the ratty old recliner in the corner of his living room. After I sat down, I kicked back and rested my feet on the foot rest. Billy and I were relaxing, just watching the game and ignoring the Renee-sized elephant in the room when Billy's son Jacob came slamming into the house with a furious expression on his face.

Leah was following not far behind, and she wore an equally livid look. Billy muted the television and greeted Jacob, but the young man brushed off his father's words and turned on me. "Just what the fuck do you think you're doing?" he demanded angrily.

"Jacob, son-" Billy began, obviously trying to calm him down.

Jacob spun around and glared at his father. "No. Just shut up. I'm fucking tired of this. You said you were going to do something about this moping piece of shit, but you haven't, and I'm fucking tired of this. Bella's all messed up in her head because Charlie over here can't get his shit together, and I'm done."

I shot up in my chair, furious at the implication in his words. "Now, listen here, Jacob-" I seethed, only to be cut off.

"No, you listen! This is an intervention. Bella is your only kid. She was fucking torn up when Renee left, but she wouldn't be nearly this bad if it weren't for you just up and fucking disappearing from her life! Have you even seen her since that heartless bitch took off? I bet not, because then you would have seen how fucking destroyed she is! She hacked off all her motherfucking hair and she hardly eats, and she's barely there anymore. And here you are, just sitting here with a beer and the game as if everything is fucking okay, but everything is not fucking okay, you selfish dick!" Jake was shouting, his face mottled red under his russet skin. His hands were clenched into huge fists at his sides, and he was looming over my chair, shaking like a rabid dog on a flimsy leash.

I felt shame; shame that my daughter's friends knew more about what was going on with her than I, her father, did. I felt like punching the fucking wall for Renee leaving us like this. I felt disgust at not being able to give Bella the comfort she apparently needed more than I'd believed.

Bella was like me in so many ways: she was always reserved and placid, her feelings never very strong. In a way, I was glad, because if she'd been more like Renee, I would have had a constant drama queen on my hands. It was exhausting to even consider having one Renee in my house, let alone two.

I watched Leah put a calming hand on Jacob's arm, but he pulled away from her and bent low over me, looking more menacing than I'd ever seen him. "How could you let that crazy bitch tell Bella all that shit? Are you really such a pussy that you couldn't stand up to Renee and send her ass packing?"

I saw Billy pull himself up straight in his wheelchair and glower at his son. "Jacob, that's enough. I didn't raise you to talk to your elders like this." His voice was firm and authoritative, brooking no argument.

Leah's grip could not be denied now as she pulled him away from me. Her eyes met mine and she looked less angry and more saddened now. I was confused and I needed some fucking answers. I knew between the two of them, Leah would be able to tell me better. "What's he talking about?" I asked, gesturing toward Jacob.

Leah heaved a sigh and plopped down on a chair she pulled over from the kitchen. "Look, Charlie, this is probably going against Bella's wishes, but I feel like you should know."

Jacob stormed into the kitchen and I heard a huge crash. Leah's head snapped up and she shot a furious look toward the kitchen. "Jake, for fuck's sake! Chill the fuck out before you make an even bigger tool out of yourself than you already have!" she shouted.

I saw Billy's lips twitch as Leah turned back to me, looking concerned now. "So I don't know how it's been between you and Renee, but when she decided to leave, she told Bella some fucked up shit."

I blinked as if waking up for the first time in, oh, twenty-one years. "What'd she say?" I asked cautiously, already fearing what I'd hear.

Leah slumped down and avoided eye contact with me. "Well, she pretty much told Bella that you knocked her up and that Bella was a mistake, and that she'd never wanted to be a mom. She-"

I stood up, feeling the horror and fury spill through me. "She what?" I shouted.

Leah looked apprehensive now. "Listen, I just thought you should know. She fucking ripped Bella up when she told her she'd never wanted her and that she hated her life in Forks."

I was in shock, but I knew underneath that, I felt a surge of violence such as I'd never experienced before. I felt sick when I recalled Bella's phone call to the bar last night, and how I'd scolded her for speaking of Renee with such disrespect. I'd never heard Bella sound so angry and now I understood why.

I set my beer down and thanked Leah softly before I left and drove home with my head so full of frustration and confusion and yes, fucking pain over what I'd just learned.

From the beginning, I'd always known Renee was a free spirit. Her carefree attitude and thirst for adventure had been what drew me to her in the first place, but it was how she made me feel that made me want her to stay. When we got pregnant, I was terrified...after all, I was only a stupid kid at the time, but I'd believed that it was a sign that Renee and I were meant to stay together.

As her pregnancy progressed, I found myself amazed with the changes in her body and all the incredible little things, like hearing Bella's heartbeat at the first doctor's appointment. I was completely floored the first time I felt Bella kicking against my hand, and I knew then what true and unconditional love felt like.

When Renee got closer to giving birth, she became distant and easily depressed. We would fight about the smallest things, and she was always mad about something or other. I'd been busting my ass to get through the police academy at the time, because I wanted to have a stable income to provide for my new family, but Renee hated my choice of profession. She fought against me, interrupting my studies to demand things, and I always gave in because I wanted to make sure she and Bella were taken care of.

The night Bella was born, I held her so gently in my arms, terrified that I would hurt her. As I looked down at her tiny precious little face, I realized that she was now the most important thing in my life. I would do anything for her to make sure she was always happy and healthy and taken care of.

Renee didn't seem to feel the same way.

As the days went on, Renee's selfishness and self-absorption became glaringly obvious. I would return home from work to find both of them crying and exhausted, and I'd spend the rest of the night trying to calm them down. I was the one to rock Bella to sleep or go to her in the night when she woke up, and Renee remained distant and disinterested in both Bella and me.

Fortunately, things had changed when Bella started preschool. Renee had more time for herself, and more energy to engage in the world around her. I worked such long hours that I was usually gone from early morning until late in the evening, but I'd assumed that Renee was coming to terms with her role as a mother. The years had slipped by and while we'd grown apart as husband and wife, everything had seemed to be comfortable in terms of taking care of Bella.

Things began to change when I became the police chief. I was gone a lot and I was always stressed out, but I knew Bella loved Renee and I thought Renee felt the same way about her daughter.

I was wrong, apparently.

I knew about Renee's affairs. I had always known. I couldn't honestly blame her, because we hadn't really been together for years by the time Bella was in high school. I didn't say anything about it, though, because I didn't want to rock the boat. Bella was a happy, healthy teenager and I didn't want to see her torn between us if Renee and I were to get a divorce.

As Bella's interests grew and took her further away from home, Renee's hobbies and affairs increased. I promised myself not to say anything unless she risked Bella finding out. Renee took all kinds of classes and I knew that was probably where she was picking up her lovers.

My stomach twisted in fury and disgust as I thought about Leah and Jacob's revelations. How could I have been so fucking stupid and blind about what was going on right under my nose?

I realized now that I was a coward for not leaving Renee and taking Bella with me. Maybe if I had, we would have been better off.

I had to find out where Renee was, but that wouldn't be too difficult. I was going to talk to that selfish waste of a mother and make sure she never got the chance to hurt my baby girl ever again.

The next day, I brought the rented truck to a stop in front of the sprawling ranch house that was the base for Awakenings, the New Age retreat in Arizona. I shut the engine off and climbed out, feeling the determination settle into my bones. The stairs on the front of the house led to a large wraparound porch, and I crossed it and knocked on the front door.

A petite woman with strawberry blond hair answered the door. She was dressed in a pair of gauzy white pants and a loose green peasant blouse. She gave me an open and welcoming smile, but it did little to calm the sizzling rage in my veins. "Welcome to Awakenings, I'm Tanya. How may I help you?" she greeted.

"Yeah, I'm here to see Renee Swan," I replied, trying not to let my anger show through.

The woman led me to a small parlor off the front of the house and asked me to wait while she went to get Renee. I took a seat and looked around the room, trying to calm the fury that still hadn't abated from the day before. I was looking forward to telling Renee exactly what I thought of her.

I heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs to my left, and I turned to watch my ex-wife coming toward me. "Charlie? What are you doing here?" she asked, looking confused and a little bit nervous.

She came to a stop across the room from where I sat, and I shot up out of my seat. "I think you know why I'm here, Renee," I replied with a deceptively calm tone.

Her eyes widened and she looked around nervously, but I didn't see anybody, and apparently neither did she. "What is this about?" she asked with a small tremor in her voice.

I could see the guilt at the edges of her expression, and I knew that I had her. "Did you tell Bella that she was a fucking mistake?" I demanded furiously.

She gasped and gulped at my anger. "I..I...well, no...I mean, not in so many words..." she stammered as she raised her hand to cover her throat, as if she were afraid I was going to fly across the room and go for her throat.

Wouldn't be a bad idea, but it wouldn't solve anything, either.

I settled for stepping closer to her until she had her back against the wall. This anger felt good; it felt cleansing and powerful. I embraced it as I stared her down. "Listen to me, Renee. If I ever hear of you contacting Bella again, I swear to god I will bring a world of pain down on you." The grave promise rang clear in my words, and I watched her tremble.

"You and I both know you'd never touch me, Charlie," she said in a shaky, pleading voice.

I backed up a bit and gave her a cool look. "No, of course I wouldn't, but there are plenty of other ways to make your life hell if you dare to hurt my baby again. The papers are signed, and we are free of you. Don't even think of asking for anything, because we've already given you far more than you deserve."

She straightened away from the wall and tugged nervously on her blouse. "I can't believe you're talking to me like this, Charles. I was your wife and the mother of your child for over twenty years!" she trilled indignantly.

My smile was savage and mirthless. "A 'wife' who passes through more hands than a library book is hardly worthy of the word. And you're right, she's my child. If you'd just kept your thoughts to yourself and left without airing your dirty laundry to Bella, then I would have just let it go. I probably would have even given you alimony, but you can kiss that goodbye now."

She gaped at me in shock. "But I thought-" she protested, only to be cut off.

"Yes, well, that's what you get for thinking. You fucked up, Renee. Accept it. You won't be getting anything from me now, and I'll make damn sure of it. I know people, and I'm not afraid to use those connections to make sure that you suffer just as much as you've caused Bella and I to suffer."

With that, I stepped away from her shocked face and made my way to the door. This hadn't taken very long, but it was entirely worth the trip. I halted at the door and turned to give her one last look over my shoulder. "Stay away from Forks, stay away from me, and stay the fuck away from Bella."

Without another word, I walked out and closed the door with a controlled click behind me.

EPOV

The hotel alarm clock blared in my ear and I rolled over miserably. I was exhausted from the long day yesterday, and I wasn't looking really looking forward to spending an entire weekend chaperoning this group of high school kids giddy at the prospect of being away from home.

As soon as our group had arrived at the hotel, I was swarmed by giggling, flirting teenage girls. I'd tried to be distant and professional, but eventually, I was forced to fabricate a girlfriend to get them off my back. I hated lying, but I also didn't want an ugly scene.

Damn, high school girls could be persistent!

I groaned and rolled out of the bed, hoping that hitting the floor would wake me up. I dropped on the ground with a loud grunt and rubbed at my gritty eyes. I was too tired for sightseeing and tourists and the ridiculously humid heat I knew would be waiting for me once I was up for the day.

With great resentment, I dressed in another long-sleeved button up and long pants to cover up all my tattoos. The gray shirt was plain and the dark jeans were more casual than I usually wore in front of people like Professor Allan, but I figured it would look suspicious or strange if I dressed professionally for the entire trip.

I grabbed my key card and stepped into my sneakers before heading out to meet the group down in the hotel lobby. I passed Bella's door and figured she was already downstairs, but I heard it open and I turned around to see her looking just as tired as I felt. "Morning," I greeted her.

She looked up at me and rolled her eyes. "This is not my idea of a good morning. I wonder if we'll be able to find somewhere to eat. I'm freaking starving after having nothing but fruit and salad yesterday," she grumbled.

I felt her pain. Dinner last night had been a very bare-bones affair indeed. Such was the life of a vegan in an omnivore's world, but it would have been nice to eat something more satisfying today.

This was the first time Bella had really commiserated with me on our similarities instead of putting all the attention on our differences, and I found myself relaxing in her presence a little bit more than I ever had before.

"I'm willing to bet there's a place close by that will cater to our needs," I replied reassuringly. "I found a couple places not too far from here last night, so maybe we can convince Allan to stop at one." I found myself holding my hand out toward her, but quickly snatched it back when I realized what I was doing.

Touching Bella would be a very bad idea this morning.

She smiled beatifically. "Ugh, that sounds good. I'm so freaking hungry."

Last night when I went to her hotel room, things had gotten a little out of hand for me. I wanted to believe that the hug and the resulting closeness was the beginning of a good friendship, but both my heart and my pants knew it was a different story. Bella was a beautiful girl, and her vulnerability last night had only brought that out even more.

Sitting on that big bed with her did things to me, things that I could barely sort out even today. Her presence soothed something in me, but it also caused an unfamiliar tension. Holding her had been a wonderful experience that allowed me to relax the inner control I always had on myself, but touching her also brought out conflicting feelings in me that could no longer be denied.

I wanted her so much, but that wasn't exactly something new, much to my dismay. I'd been fighting my attraction for her since the very beginning, but it was getting harder to ignore or dismiss. I had to fight myself consistently to keep from touching her or worse, kissing her.

These new feelings in me was alarming and I was terrified of what it meant. It wasn't something I could ignore or wish away, and even if I could, I suddenly wasn't entirely sure I wanted it to go away. I hadn't dated anyone since I was at Stanford, and it'd been so long since I'd let anybody get close to me.

I needed her, and it was insane.

I was insane to need her, to feel like she understood me. I wanted her, but that was entirely different from what I felt when I watched her crying and ranting against her mother last night. I knew she was messed up, but so was I...and for the first time, I felt like maybe I could reach out to someone else, and they could reach out to me.

I knew when she kissed me last night that I could have kissed her back. Heck, my entire body thought that would have been a really good idea, but my brain and my heart had held me back. I wanted to be with Bella, but I also didn't want to start something when we both had so much shit going on in our lives. Relationships like that never seemed to work out.

Wait, what? A relationship? With Bella? Are you insane?

Bella smiled shyly before turning to walk down the hallway in front of me. As I watched her go, I tried to remember all the reasons why being with Bella would be a horrible idea. I reminded myself that Bella and I may have a lot in common on certain issues, but there were many issues in which we didn't see eye-to-eye. To engage in a relationship with her would mean a lot of arguing and I just didn't know if I could be with someone who didn't understand and accept all of me.

As we reached the lobby, I was forced to push my thoughts aside as Professor Allan turned around and spotted us. He was surrounded by a group of fourteen students, ten of which were girls. I groaned when I saw some of them perk up and preen when they saw me.

This was going to be a long day.

The air was hot and sticky when we went outside to climb on the bus. Allan took the front seat behind the driver and Bella and I sat close behind him. We were sitting together without any conscious decision to do so, but I found that it felt nice to be this close to her after last night. She was really easy to be with when she let her guard down and dropped the sarcasm and anger.

Professor Allan didn't know I was vegan, but he had to know Bella was, so I reached out to tap his shoulder. "Hey, Mr. Allan, I was wondering if we can stop somewhere for Bella to get some food."

He turned and looked slightly surprised. "Oh, that's right. I'm sorry, Bella, I forgot you have special needs."

Way to make her sound like being a vegan is a disability.

Bella's eyebrows shot up and I saw her look like she was about to school him, but I met her eyes and shook my head slightly to let her know I'd handle this. "Actually, I wouldn't consider it a 'special need.' She just wants something more filling than salad, is all. There's a couple places close to here that would suffice, so it shouldn't take long."

He nodded and glanced at Bella again before turning back around. I saw her staring at me out of the corner of my eye, so I turned and looked at her. "What?" I asked, recognizing the defensiveness in my voice.

She just smirked and shook her head. "Nothing."

I got up to give the driver directions to the Java Green Cafe since it was the closest. When I got back to my seat, Bella looked at me as if she couldn't figure me out, so I just grinned and shrugged. "I'm hungry," I said simply.

She grinned. "How are you gonna handle an entire day of this ridiculous heat with those long sleeves?" she asked curiously.

I looked at what she was wearing and sighed in envy. Her tank top exposed the tattoos on her arms, but then, she didn't need to hide them because her father didn't want anyone to know she had them. Her black Dickies capri pants were tight, but they still looked a heck of a lot cooler than my heavy jeans. "I'm going to suffer in silence like the stoic guy I am," I joked sarcastically.

She snickered and I turned to look out the window. Thankfully, the bus had air conditioning, but I knew that once we had to get off and walk around, I'd be miserable. I decided to pick up some extra bottles of water at the restaurant to keep me cool.

Once we got to the cafe, I told Allan I was going to go with Bella to keep her company. We were ordering our food to go, so it wouldn't take very long. The professor announced he was going to get some donuts for everyone, and there was a collective cheer from all the students. I followed Bella off the bus and pointed to where we were headed, and she smiled gratefully.

After we ordered our food, we sat down and waited. Our stomachs were growling, and Bella looked self-conscious about it. I laughed when her stomach gave a particularly voracious growl and said, "Wow, Bella, I didn't think vegans ate grizzly bears. I think he's still alive."

She snorted and slapped my hand where it rested on the tabletop. The contact caused a zing of awareness to shoot through my veins, and I was stunned for a brief moment. It was something I would have to get used to, but I found I quite liked it. I hadn't really been interested in anyone since before my mother's death, so I considered this a good sign, even if it was with Bella.

I frowned at that thought, but our food was up, so I pushed it away and grabbed our to go boxes. Bella stopped to get some napkins and utensils, and then we went back out to the bus. The kids were sitting there eating donuts and chatting excitedly about the places we were going today. I dropped down into my seat and Bella sat next to me. I handed her food over and she chuckled when my stomach gave a plaintive howl at the sight of the sandwich in front of me. "This looks awesome. Thanks, Edward."

I picked up my sandwich and raised an eyebrow at her. I got why she was putting emphasis on my name, but instead of saying anything else, she just winked at me.

It was kind of adorable, really. I found I was glad.

The professor turned around and looked surprised that I had food, too. "Oh, are you a vegetarian too?" he asked me, looking surprised.

I saw Bella glance at me quickly before she swallowed and answered for me. "Edward was just being considerate. He didn't want me to feel awkward, I guess."

"Oh, well that's nice of you, Edward. How is it?" he asked, regarding our sandwiches with a mixture of curiosity and ill-hidden distaste. People like Allan really didn't get veganism. I had to fight the urge to snort and shake my head.

She was covering for me, and while it made my heart warm, it also made me feel bad. Not only was I lying to myself, but I was lying to the people around me. Somewhere along the way, Bella had apparently decided she needed to protect me.

"Wow, Bella, you were right! This is really good," I said with a grin as I swallowed a big bite. I knew I was playing it up for the professor's benefit, but it was my way of trying to let Bella know that I appreciated her effort to protect me from his scrutiny.

She grinned back at me and the professor turned around to face the front once more. We ate in silence but I thought about what just happened, so when I was done eating, I turned to Bella. I bent my head so only she could hear me. "I think I owe you an apology."

Bella looked surprised. "For what?" she whispered.

"For making you keep my secret. I mean, my friends know that I'm different when I'm at school and around my father's friends, but you're the only other person who knows both sides of me," I explained ruefully.

She looked up at me and a question passed through her big brown eyes. "It's okay," she finally replied.

I relaxed my shoulders. "You can tell your friends, if you want. I know they're probably really confused about what happened that night at the show..."

Bella looked like she was considering this. "Okay, I'll tell them, but I'll ask them to keep it to themselves. They're really loyal, so I know they won't say anything if I ask them not to."

I was touched that Bella would be that considerate of me, even though it made me feel like a total wimp at the idea of her protecting my secret. I should just man up and let the truth come out.

Somewhere between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, I made up my mind and began working out the details of what I needed to do.

It was time to make this decision and see it through, once and for all.

BPOV

When we got back to the hotel, I was exhausted. It was hard work keeping a bunch of teenagers together in a group, and there were quite a few spoiled girls in our group who were used to getting their way.

It was pretty clear that a few of them were set on pursuing Edward, and I would have felt bad for him if I didn't feel the infuriating jealousy in the pit of my stomach every time one of them would flirt or touch him in any way.

I kept my silence, though, because I didn't think Edward wanted me to defend his honor by clawing out some poor seventeen-year-old girl's eyes. Grr.

Professor Allan made the day educational and enjoyable, but I was ready to drop dead from fatigue and hunger. Our big breakfast had worn off by lunchtime, and Edward and I were forced to settle for another salad at lunch.

The students were heading upstairs and I turned to say goodnight to Edward. He was on the phone with someone, so I gave him a little wave and nod before heading for the elevators. I was resigned to another plain baked potato with steamed vegetables, so it surprised me when Edward ran to catch up with me. "Hey, did you want to get some dinner? My friend is coming to pick me up, and I figured you might be hungry too."

He looked embarrassed, but I couldn't figure out why. "That would be awesome," I replied, relieved. I definitely wanted to get some quality food, but I was also really curious to see what Edward was like around people who knew him.

"Okay, great. I'll let her know," he said as he flipped his phone open and typed out a text message.

Her? My mind instantly conjured up a scenario in which I had just become the third wheel on a date between Edward and his long distance lover. Awesome.

Fuck. Maybe that's why he didn't encourage the kiss last night. That was beyond embarrassing.

I mumbled something about going upstairs to freshen up, and he nodded and followed me into the elevator. I cursed myself for not being able to handle this with calm acceptance. It was better to find out right now if he was unavailable so that I could stop dreaming about licking his ink-covered skin every night. I braced myself for disappointment and forced myself to sound casual. "So, um, is your...friend...from DC?"

He looked up from his phone briefly. "Oh, no, she lives in Forks. She's just here for the summer to visit her dad," he replied distractedly.

I hated that my stomach plunged. I didn't like the hollow feeling in my heart, either. "Oh, I see. How long have you two known each other?" I asked, obviously a glutton for punishment.

He clicked his phone shut and looked at me with a vague smile. "For a few years, ever since she started going to my church."

Great, so she probably knew everything about him already. I was beginning to feel the disappointment turning into despair, but I knew I had to hold this shit together because fuck, I still needed to eat.

I nodded to let him know I heard him and turned to stare blindly at the metal doors of the elevator. Once we reached our floor, I hurried out and practically dove into my room to calm the fuck down so I wouldn't let him see how much this horrible news affected me.

About fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on the door and I braced myself to answer it. Edward was wearing an Earth Crisis t-shirt with a lightweight black jacket over it so that his tattoos were still covered. He looked so fucking good that it made my chest ache. He smiled and gestured for me to follow him.

Down in the lobby, I saw a petite girl with short black hair with red streaks running through it. Her bangs were short and with her pale porcelain skin, she looked just like Audrey Hepburn...only more punked out. She wore a black xSidetrackedx t-shirt with a pair of dark skinny jeans and black canvas hightops. She looked beautiful and confident, but when she saw me, her face changed.

She was giving me the hairy eye.

Edward reached her and swung her up for a big bear hug, and I averted my eyes when she kissed his cheek. It wasn't any of my business, but if I'd been away from Edward for an entire summer, I wouldn't have been content with a kiss on the cheek.

Hell, I probably wouldn't be content until he was naked on top of me and I...

Ugh.

The jealousy was burning in the fiery pit of hell that my stomach had become, and I wanted nothing more in that moment than to escape back up to my hotel room. I could subsist on salad and fruit for the rest of the weekend if I really had to.

"Bella, this is Alice. Alice, meet Bella," Edward said as he introduced us.

"Nice to meet you," Alice greeted in a voice that was somewhat cool and distant.

I nodded my head nervously. The last thing I wanted to do was get in a cat fight with this girl; she may be small, but she looked fierce. "Um, yeah, nice to meet you, too."

"So where did you wanna go?" Edward asked her.

She regarded me silently before answering him. "I thought we could go to Asylum. They're not completely vegan, but they have lots of stuff we can eat and the atmosphere is really chill."

"Sounds good," he said.

We headed out and I trailed behind them, wondering how much more awkward this could get. I hugged my coat close to myself and struggled to play it cool and calm, just like Alice. I didn't know why she would be so unhappy to hang out with me, but then I supposed if I'd been away from my boyfriend, I wouldn't really want to share him either.

I sighed and resolved to just put up with it, because I was stuck now. If I really wanted to change and stop being so angry all the time, I needed to start exercising some control over my temper. I should stay calm and let Alice's bitchiness just slide off me.

We climbed into her car and I noted how sleek and expensive it was, even though I had no idea what it was. I sat silently in the small backseat and allowed them to talk and catch up.

Edward tried to draw me into the conversation on several occasions, but I resisted and soon we were at the restaurant. Once we were seated, we ordered our food and I tried to remain as unobtrusive as possible.

"Jasper's about ready to quit his job so he can come out here," Edward said with a laugh.

Alice's face crumpled a little. "I'd probably let him. I miss him so much," she sighed.

Wait, what? I racked my brain, trying to make sense of this. Suddenly, it clicked. I recalled seeing Jasper shirtless at Veg Fest when OCS played. He had the huge 'Alice' tattoo on his back.

Edward must have seen my confusion. "Alice is engaged to Jasper, my bass player," he explained.

"Oh, yeah, I remember now," I replied, recalling the phone call I'd witnessed at Warped Tour. I felt like such an idiot for not putting two and two together, but at least that meant that Edward wasn't going to dump me off at the hotel so he could play doctor with Alice.

Edward sat forward in his seat to remove his jacket, and I felt the drool begin to pool in my mouth as his toned and inked arms were revealed to me, up close and personal. I found myself wishing desperately that we were closer so that I could "accidentally" touch him.

I realized I was staring at Edward like a starving woman when I heard Alice clear her throat. She was giving me a strange look. "I have to use the bathroom. Bella?" She stood and looked at me expectantly.

Edward regarded Alice with a furrowed brow, as if her behavior was confusing to him. I had to admit that now that I knew she wasn't acting this way out of jealousy or possessiveness, I was also confused. What could her problem be with me?

I followed her to the bathroom and stood by the sinks while she did her business. I waited for the other shoe to drop while she washed her hands and fluffed her hair in the mirror. Finally, she sighed and turned to me. "I'm sorry for being rude. Honestly, I didn't expect Edward to bring you tonight."

"Why not?" I asked, curious but also offended.

She turned and looked at me in the mirror. "Because the last I heard, you hated him and wanted nothing to do with him."

I blushed uncomfortably and refused to meet her eyes. "That's...not true," I whispered.

Alice spun around and popped up to sit on the counter. "At the risk of sounding like a nosy bitch, I have to ask: what's going on between the two of you?"

I sighed and looked around the bathroom to avoid looking at her shrewd eyes. Keeping a tether on my temper was becoming difficult, but I could see that she was just trying to protect her friend, the way Leah protected me. "Nothing. I don't know. I wasn't very nice to him in the beginning, but I feel bad about that now."

"Do you?" she asked. Her voice wasn't harsh, exactly, but I was surprised at her questioning me.

"Of course," I replied coolly. I was beginning to get annoyed now. The old Bella would have immediately jumped down her throat, but the new Bella was struggling to maintain her composure.

She bit her lip as if she was considering something. Finally, she looked down at her lap and spoke. "It may be none of my business, but I feel the need to say this anyway. You and Edward didn't get off to the best start, and that makes me worry. Ever since he met you, his moods have been...volatile. Jasper told me about the last show."

"That was awhile ago. Things are different now," I told her. I didn't know why we were still talking about this, honestly. Edward wasn't interested in me like that, and I knew after witnessing what a good person he really was that I frankly did not deserve him. Her warning only served to remind me that I should probably just keep my distance, because nothing good could come of my crush on him.

"I know, but it still worries me. Edward hasn't been interested in dating since before Elizabeth died, and I'd hate to see him open up to the wrong person. If another relationship blows up in his face, it could destroy him."

The wrong person? Ouch!

I struggled to maintain my outer calm. Alice was sorely testing my restraint.

I was angry, but I wasn't sure what I could say. It wasn't like Edward and I had something going on, so I couldn't tell her to butt out. I also couldn't lie and say I didn't have feelings for him. I felt a surge of self-pity clawing at my insides.

In the end, I settled for an attempt at a half-truth. "Well, you don't have to worry about that, k? Even if I was interested in Edward, that doesn't mean he's interested in me. It's highly unlikely that we'd ever get together, let alone close enough to where it could affect him," I grumbled haughtily.

Alice's eyebrow shot up and she gave me a condescending look. "Don't you see? You've already affected him. It's only a matter of time, now."

Her cryptic words left me feeling conflicted and confused as she slipped off the counter and walked to the bathroom door. I saw myself in the mirror standing there like an idiot with my mouth agape, but I couldn't seem to form a coherent comeback.

Alice paused at the door and turned to regard me once more. "Edward has a lot of extremely loyal friends, Bella. If you're good to him, then we'll have your back, too...but if you fuck up and hurt him, then we'll be your worst nightmare. Do not fuck with him. Understand?"

The warning in Alice's tone was clear, but I finally could not ignore the need to defend myself. "Listen, I know why you're doing this. I'd do the same fucking thing if I were you, but please believe me when I say it's not necessary. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice."

I was breathing hard with the effort to keep myself calm. I'd do the same thing if anyone tried to hurt Edward now.

That one truth was the thing that saved me from going off on her for assuming things. It was likely that she only knew about the shit that had happened in the beginning, so that was all she had to go on. Looking back, it would be difficult to believe that I wasn't some sketchy bitch bent on ruining Edward's life.

However, that didn't mean I had to take this lying down. Alice was looking me right in the eye, and I met her gaze clearly and confidently before I spoke. "You have nothing to worry about."

She examined my expression and once she was satisfied, she pushed the door open and strolled out as if nothing had just happened.

A/N: Holy crap! I love Charlie and I hope Alice gave everyone a kick in the pants. Don't worry, things will work out.

The chapters will be packed with stuff, at least for a while, because I want to get the story moving. The progress will start really picking up momentum now, so don't worry...things will start coming together. Stick with it and be patient and I assure you, it'll be worth it;)

So what'd you think? I must know!