Bella had been getting Emmett another beer from the bar when Alice marched up to her and grabbed her arm, pulling her away. Edward was in the bathroom.

"I need to wait for his drink," Bella protested.

"Emmett left," Alice announced flatly.

Bella didn't like her tone of voice, or the way she was leading her through the bar like a child. She twisted free of Alice's grasp and demanded to know what was going on.

"He saw you with Edward," Alice seethed, barely controlling the anger in her voice.

"Saw me with Edward?" Bella repeated. "What, at the bar?"

Alice nodded and turned around to keep walking, but this time Bella grabbed her arm. "Edward and I were talking about Emmett. I asked Edward if there was a way to cheer him up, since he's been so down the past few days. I didn't do anything wrong."

Alice's bitch face wavered, and a flash of something else – maybe guilt – flickered across it. "Well, it doesn't even matter. He's gone."

Someone bumped into Bella and shoved her against Alice. She opened her mouth to reply, but Jasper appeared behind Alice and nodded to the door. He held up both of their purses.

"Let's go," Bella growled, pushing Alice to Jasper. She didn't want to have this conversation in such a public place, anyway.

The night was cool, and it was a welcome change to the oppressive heat of the club. They walked in silence to Jasper's truck.

"How did Emmett get home?" Bella finally asked, unable to contain the questions any longer.

"I don't know," Jasper admitted. "I think he called a cab."

"I knew this was going to happen!" Alice snapped. "I just knew – and now everything is ruined. Now no one will be friends anymore."

Bella slipped into the back-seat, angry at Alice and especially angry at Emmett. He shouldn't have just left her. He should have told her he was upset over something.

She looked up and caught Jasper watching her in the rearview mirror.

"He thinks you're still hung up on Edward," he explained. His voice was soft and mild, not accusatory. Alice tried to say something but he looked at her and she stopped, shook her head and glared out the window.

"Why?" Bella asked, her voice just above a whisper. She hated having this conversation at all, but having it in front of Alice made her feel more vulnerable.

Jasper rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn't even started the car yet. "You talk about Edward in your sleep. And when I was getting your herbal thing earlier, I dropped your bag. We saw the picture."

"What picture?" Alice asked, suddenly interested again.

Bella felt sick. That stupid picture. She forgot to take it out of her bag. She forgot to take everything out of her bag; she had notes and receipts that dated back months.

"So why did he even come out?" Bella asked. "That was all before the bar. I asked him if he wanted to stay home but he said no."

"He was okay until he saw you flirting with Edward at the bar," Alice burst out. "All flushed and smiling and happy."

Each word was like a bullet, and Bella caught them right in her heart. Tears burned her eyes and she hated Alice in that moment. Her voice was but a whisper when she finally responded. "I turn pink when I drink. We were smiling because Edward was telling me funny stories about Emmett. And I was happy, because it is Emmett's birthday and we were out celebrating with our friends."

"Everyone knows you still have feelings for Edward," Alice said calmly, still staring at out the window. "What was the picture of? Did you finally make it to Edward's bed – "

"Alice," Jasper said sharply.

Bella froze in her seat, clutching her handbag so tightly that her fingers went numb. She stared at the back of Alice's head, wondering how her best friend in the entire world could say something so hateful. She knew Bella would never do that.

"I guess the part about celebrating with our friends was wrong," Bella croaked, trying to speak around the lump in her throat. "Because if you were really my friend, you would never even think that of me."

The words had their intended effect, and Alice's shoulders slumped a little. She twisted in her seat to look at Bella, her eyes wide and full of regret. "Bella, I – "

"Save it, Alice," Bella interrupted her. "Jasper, please take me home."

"Are you sure you want to go home?" he asked, his voice concerned. "You can stay with us."

A bubble of hysterical laughter found its way up her throat, but Bella smothered it down. She didn't want to be rude to Jasper; he was only trying to help her. "No, thank you. I want to be alone."

"That's exactly what Emmett said," he replied sadly.

Bella didn't know how to respond to that, so she didn't. She stared out of the window, ignoring Alice when she called her name. Jasper pulled up to her apartment building. Before she could say thank you and bolt, he was out of the car and coming around to her side.

Alice tried to get out, too, but he told her to wait inside. She scowled but he stared at her, and it was like they were having a silent conversation. She sighed, gave Bella one more long, remorseful look, and ducked back into the car.

"Thank you for the ride," Bella said stiffly.

Jasper sighed and held out his arm. "Come on, Bella."

She didn't want to cry again, and she knew that if she spoke the tears would fall. So she took his arm and he walked her up the path.

"Give him a day or two to cool down," he murmured. "You know how much he loves you. He's been stressed out lately."

"I thought we fixed that," she whispered.

"It's not just about you," Jasper replied kindly. "He's always down around his birthday."

"Why?" she asked, curiosity temporarily distracting her from the blinding pain in her chest. Did she ever remember him being sad on his birthday before? Bella wracked her brain. No, he always seemed incredibly drunk and happy.

"His family," Jasper shrugged, and that was that. She could tell by his tone that he wouldn't discuss anything more. She realized suddenly that she knew nearly nothing about Emmett's family. His dad was a mystery he wouldn't talk about, and his mother was never even mentioned.

"You'll be okay?" he asked when they reached the door.

Bella nodded and dug out her keys.

"Listen…" he began awkwardly. "Alice means well. She just doesn't want anyone to get hurt."

"Too late for that," Bella said, her anger spiking again.

Jasper nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I know. Night, Bella."

Bella shut and locked her door. She kicked off her heels and tore off her clothing as she walked to the bathroom. A scalding hot shower washed away the grime of the bar, but not the sorrow that lay heavy in her heart. She wanted to go to Emmett.

She wanted to curl up next to him in bed, but if she went over to his house that wasn't how it would play out. They would have to talk first, and talking hurt. Especially right now.

Bella crawled into her bed, hating the empty space next to her. She was used to Emmett's hulking body sprawled across it, eating up all the extra space.

She felt hollow on the inside, and her stomach felt heavy and sick. She would give him alone time, but tomorrow morning, she was going to his place and they would have it out. After that, they would cuddle and she would ask him to cook dinner. Maybe they could have Seth over again.

Her plans comforted her only marginally, but it was enough for Bella to slip into an uneasy sleep.

She meant to wake up early and be at Emmett's by nine, because she knew he had practice that afternoon. The pounding on her door that finally woke her up occurred well after nine, closer to ten.

Bella staggered out of bed, appalled at her cotton mouth and general feeling of disgustingness. She pulled a hoodie on and dashed to the front door, hoping it wasn't Alice.

It was Emmett. He looked exactly how she felt, and held in his arms a nondescript brown box. She recognized the pink shorts that peeked out of the top of the box, and her heart began pounding.

"What is that?" she asked, her voice rising in panic. She knew what that was. They were her belongings, the things that were supposed to live at Emmett's house. He was bringing back all her things, and that could only mean one thing.

"Are you serious?" Bella demanded. "We didn't even fight! You just left!"

He sighed and looked at the wall, obviously about to give her the break up speech. She took small satisfaction in the fact that he looked miserable. "Bella, if something doesn't make you happy, it's not worth it."

"But I am happy," she protested. Her sudden, fierce anger was beginning to slip now that she realized he was serious. "We are happy. Nothing happened last night, Emmett."

"I know," he said gently. He stepped around her and placed the box down in the foyer. "But I've got to get out of this before it does." He gave her a small, rueful smile. "Don't think my heart could take it."

"It's nice to see you have so much faith in me," Bella replied acidly. "You and Alice both. Edward just needs to look at me the right way and my clothes will come flying off, right?"

He looked pained. "That's not what I meant. I know you wouldn't do anything with him…but it kills me to know that you still have feelings for him. It's not fair for either of us, and it'll only get worse. I don't want to resent my best friend, or you. I love you."

"Obviously not, or you wouldn't be doing this," she snapped. "I don't have feelings for Edward. I think you should all just let me decide what I'm feeling and stay out of it."

"Baby, maybe it's just not clear to you yet," he said softly, reaching out to touch her cheek.

His fingers scorched her skin and Bella resisted the urge to wrench away from him. She was so angry. Her insides boiled with the injustice of his words. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"I know what I want, and it's you," Bella protested. The defeated expression on his face wasn't softening, wasn't cracking. She felt another wave of panic. "Emmett, please don't do this."

He grabbed her, moving so quickly that she didn't realize what was happening until she was crushed against his chest. His arms hugged her tightly and Bella sagged in relief. She returned the hug, feeling almost weak in the knees.

"I love you so much," he whispered in her ear, and his voice cracked.

A cold dread weighed down her heart and the relief slowly disappeared as she realized what was happening. This wasn't a make-up hug; this was good-bye.

"Don't," she whispered tearfully, tightening her hold on him. "Don't do this."

He began to pull away and Bella felt her heart clench. His cheek brushed hers and she felt wetness. Were those her tears or his? She tried to look but Emmett turned away.

"Take care of yourself," he said gruffly, facing the door. "And if you ever need anything…"

Then he was gone.

Shock kept her rooted to the floor.

Her voice didn't work, and she couldn't call after him. And when the front door shut, it was like all the energy in her body was just sapped out of her. Bella stumbled back to her bedroom.

It wasn't until hours later, when the afternoon sunlight was streaming through her windows, did she truly realize what happened.

Then the tears came, and she cried so hard that she began coughing. The coughing turned into heaving, and she had to run to the toilet.

The sense of hopelessness was paralyzing. She wanted to call Alice, but the Alice she wanted to speak to no longer existed. The Alice she loved would have come over with ice cream and they'd watch movies together until they were both all cried out.

The only Alice that she could call would tell her that she deserved this pain.

Bella curled up into a ball in the middle of her bed and wept miserably.

Jasper let himself into Emmett's house and shut the door behind him. He called Emmett six times and the fucker hadn't even picked up, so he had no qualms about just walking in. It had been two days since his birthday and Jasper was getting worried. He slipped the key back into his pocket.

"Emmett?" he called.

All the lights were off, but the television was on. Emmett was on the couch, out cold, with dozens of beer cans littering the floor in front of him.

Jasper wrinkled his nose in disgust. Poor guy was definitely going to be hurting. "Emmett? Come on, get up."

"Get out," Emmett mumbled, rolling over and covering his eyes.

"Get up," Jasper repeated. He turned the television off and eyed the couch, wondering if he could tip it. Nah, Emmett was too heavy.

Jasper spotted a water bottle on the mantle. He snatched it and promptly poured the contents onto Emmett's face.

"What the fuck!" Emmett shouted, rolling off the bed. He crouched on the floor, glaring at Jasper, but Jasper didn't miss the way he held onto the coffee table.

"Alice made food," Jasper told him, gesturing to the bag he had placed on the table. "Take a shower. Then you're going to eat and we're going for a run."

Emmett pulled himself to his feet and Jasper mentally cancelled their run. He was pretty sure Emmett was still drunk.

"I don't wanna shower. Let's just eat," Emmett said, his voice gravelly.

"Yeah, I'm hungry, too," Jasper agreed. "But you smell like shit, and I'd like to smell the food when I eat, not you."

Emmett shot him another death stare, but turned around and went down the hallway. A few seconds later Jasper heard the shower turn on.

He went into Emmett's room and opened his dresser, pulling out a t-shirt, jeans and boxers. He opened the bathroom door and tossed them inside without looking.

By the time Emmett dragged himself out of the bathroom, Jasper had the food laid out on the kitchen table. Emmett sank into the chair opposite him and stared at his plate.

"So. You're alive," Jasper said.

Emmett looked up at him morosely.

"I called you, like, fifty times," Jasper griped.

"I broke my phone," Emmett sighed. "Or I think I did. Threw it against the wall. It's in a bunch of pieces. Probably broken."

Jasper helped himself to some baked ziti. Alice was still feeling guilty, so she overcompensated by making all of Emmett's comfort foods. "So why'd you throw your phone?"

"Bella called."

Jasper stifled a sigh; this was like pulling teeth. "And what did Bella say that made you throw your phone?"

Emmett finally picked up his fork. He jabbed the hefty slab of cheesy ziti on his plate. "She wanted to see me. To get back together."

The fork froze inches from Jasper's mouth. "You broke up with her?"

Emmett nodded.

Jasper, still stunned, set his fork down. "But, why? I thought – I mean, you love her. You really love her."

He shrugged. "She doesn't feel the same way about me. What's the point of getting deeper into it? So it kills me when it finally ends?"

"Who says it will end?" Jasper argued. He pushed back his chair and stood up, pacing the kitchen. "This is just unbelievable. You bitch and moan about her for years – seriously, Em – years. And now you finally have her and you just let her go?"

"Sit down. You're making me nauseous," Emmett pleaded.

Jasper pulled his cell out of his pocket and placed it on the table. "Here. Call her. Tell her you made a huge mistake."

"I didn't make a mistake," Emmett grumbled. "I brought her stuff back to her Saturday morning. I told her how I felt. And now we're done."

"What did she say when she called?" Jasper asked helplessly.

Emmett paused, and Jasper was relieved to see the pain he felt as he remembered. He was acting far too blasé, but the pain showed he cared.

"She cried. She said she was sorry and she would do anything," he said shortly.

The words acted like a second splash of cold water, and Emmett straightened in his seat. He looked solemn now, and almost sober. He took a small bite of food and chewed it for an inordinate amount of time while Jasper processed the new information.

"So you set her free," Jasper said.

"Yeah," Emmett nodded.

"And that was the right thing to do?"

"Of course," Emmett scowled. "It's easier for both of us now. And then…you know, she can do whatever she needs."

"Right," Jasper drawled. "Cuz Bella shacking up with Edward isn't going to bother you at all, right?"

"Go fuck yourself," Emmett growled.

Jasper laughed. The poor guy was deluding himself. He had to make him realize that, and the sooner the better. "Seriously, though. How are you going to handle it if Bella and Edward – "

"Stop!" Emmett said forcefully. "Just stop. I know it's pathetic, okay? I love her, always have, probably always will. What I feel for her, she feels for Edward. It was a mistake to get involved with Bella. I know that. I knew that going in, and I still did it. Just let me get over it in my own way."

Jasper felt his gut tighten uncomfortably. "I don't think it's over between you two. You don't give Bella enough credit. If you man up and go after her, I think everything will be fine."

"Well, thank you Dr. Hale," he replied sarcastically. "But that's not what I want. Now drop it, or show yourself out."

Jasper nodded and picked at his food, allowing Emmett to do the same. The air between them was tense and awkward, but he didn't want to leave Emmett alone. He fired off a text message to Alice and then plopped down on the couch to watch a game.

Emmett stopped drinking and began guzzling water, which made Jasper feel a lot better. He could trust him to take care of himself now, at least on the most basic level.

Emotionally, well, they were going to have to work on that. Regardless of Emmett's defense, breaking up with Bella had been the wrong thing to do. He already was in too deep. Being away from her would just cause Emmett more pain.

And Bella? After the ride home Friday night, Jasper was hesitant to even text her. Alice, of course, was a wreck. She spent Saturday alternating between sulking and crying. Her guilt was enormous, and she kept dropping hints that she wanted to go to Bella's. He kept telling her outright that he thought that was a bad idea.

He could tell, just by watching them, that Bella and Alice's relationship had been strained the past few weeks. Alice felt the need to protect everyone from everything, and she invariably stepped on toes. Emmett hid his feelings for Bella relatively well, but living with Jasper, Alice had slowly been made aware of how deep they ran.

That was admirable, except for the fact that Bella was her best friend. The way she treated Bella on the ride home was inexcusable, and as soon as he was back in the car he told her so. She argued and then became a crying, snotting mess.

She wanted him to turn around and drop her off at Bella's, but he remembered the look in her eyes. Bella needed time to cool off. She and Emmett both did. And then he would start the long, arduous process of putting them back together, and making sure Alice didn't get too involved.

His phone buzzed and it was Alice, wondering if she should go over to Bella's and check on her. He figured if Bella was as bad off as Emmett, she needed a bit of company.

An hour later, after he and Emmett had another helping of ziti and were starting to joke around, his phone buzzed again. This time it was ringing. He excused himself and went out into the hall.

"Hey Ali," he said quietly.

She sniffled loudly. "I went there and she wouldn't let me in. I kept banging on the door until she opened it and she said to leave her alone."

"I'm sorry, baby," he replied, his heart twisting.

"She hates me," Alice sobbed.

"Bella could never hate you," Jasper assured her. "Give her another day to come around."

"I guess that means no one is coming for dinner tonight," she whispered. "Except maybe Edward."

Sunday dinner at their place was a tradition. It was rarely missed by anyone in their group, and it was the highlight of Alice's week.

"I'll call Edward and cancel. Why don't we have a special dinner? Just the two of us?"

"I guess that could be nice," she agreed, her voice still thick with tears. "Do you want anything special?"

"Just you," he teased.

"Okay," she laughed. "I love you."

"Love you, too," he replied.

Before going back into Emmett's living room, he sent Edward a message letting him know dinner was cancelled and giving him a brief description of the weekend's events.

Emmett looked up as he came into the room, and his dark, haunted eyes silently asked if he had been talking to Bella. Jasper pretended he didn't notice and sat back down in his spot.

"Did I miss anything?" he asked.

"Not much," Emmett replied sadly.

Bella liked to clean when she was stressed out. If her life was messy, then her apartment was sparkling. She finished the living room and her bedroom, and was just beginning to run out of steam before Alice's little visit.

After Alice's visit, the kitchen and bathroom were scrubbed into oblivion. Exhausted, and reeking like cleaning supplies, she dropped onto her couch. She kicked her shoes off and relaxed, letting her aching muscles take a break.

Then someone began knocking on her door.

Alice, again.

Anger boiled up inside of her again, and Bella stood up, storming over to the front door. She had it. She was done with this.

Bella ripped the door open, shooting off, "What do you want?"

Edward bit his lip and looked terribly uncomfortable. "Sorry, I'll go. I didn't mean – "

"Sorry, Edward," she frowned. "I thought you were – I thought you were someone else."

He cleared his throat and she felt embarrassed to be caught in her ragged clothes, now dirty and ruined from her vicious cleaning.

"Jasper told me what happened. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he said shyly.

Part of her wanted to shoo him away from her apartment before Edward could do any more damage to her life, intentional or not. The rest of her told her to take a good look at her life – she didn't have her boyfriend anymore and she was running short on friends.

"I don't have to stay," Edward shook his head. "It was stupid. I should've just called."

"What's that?" she asked, looking at the grocery bag in his hand.

He smiled and held up the bag. "I thought if you were up for it, I'd give you a cooking lesson."

Bella laughed, and for a moment the knot in her chest loosened. She stepped aside and let him into her home. Just for a little while, she told herself, because as long as Edward was here, his stupid jokes and easy smile would shield her from the pain.

;(

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thank you to everyone to donated to the FGB Eclipse...yu guys are awesome!

LUNA