Ok so once again I don't own Twilight. Reviews are appreciated, so thanks to everyone who already has. If you want something in it, just put it in the review and I'll see if I can incorporate it. Hope you enjoy the next chapter.

**Ashley's POV**

After we raced home from school, Bella and I told Jason and Lucy about the Cullens. Well, mostly I told. Bella was still upset. She'd opened up and relaxed a bit during lunch but had regressed by math. Something had happened in her biology class but I didn't bring it up so not to hurt her.

Lucy became concerned quickly while I resumed the fuming I had from before. I didn't understand this guy. He was one of us. We mate for life. Just because she was a human at the time, it shouldn't change that. That's why Bella still felt like this about him. His feelings shouldn't have changed but I was mad he did this to her. Just accept the fact you love her and come back to her.

And he did. I had tuned out of the conversation, but I quickly tuned back in when he burst through our door. He was exactly like I remembered him, good-looking though not my taste. The only difference was the expression on his face and the anguish in his eyes. Yes, he looked different then he did 150 years ago when I hunted with him for about a week. I'd heard about his family's lifestyle and accepted it when I joined Bella and Lucy. It wasn't so bad and I enjoyed the rewards that came with it. But now, I looked into the black eyes of Edward once again and I knew I was right. He hadn't stopped loving her.

By now, Bella had reacted. She'd fled. Edward's shoulders dropped and he let her go. He turned, saw me. "Ashley," he nodded.

"Edward," I nodded back and he slowly, slow down even for a human, walked back out the door. "Luce, find out where the Cullens live. I'll be right back," I said and raced out the still open door. Lucy and I both knew where Bella'd go. She had found it the day we got here and had come here each day for the whole week. It was a meadow.

**Bella's POV**

I reached the meadow and crumpled in the middle. My body wasn't tired, but my mind was. Too much had happened today. I had only been there a few minutes when I heard someone coming. I sniffed and recognized Ashley's scent. I went back to just laying there, trying not to think.

She sped into the meadow but then began to walk slowly up to me. She knelt, probably just to be closer. "Bella, there's something I need to tell you." She paused.

"Just say it. Nothing more can happen to me today. Nothing more can hurt me today." She nodded.

"I met Edward once, before you were even born. Even then, a time he wasn't happy, he never looked like he did when he looked at you five minutes ago. The anguish of the pain he's caused you, written so clearly on his face. I also know the nature of our kind. We're like swans. We mate for life. He found his mate. He'll never change to another.

I just stared up. 'So he'd moved on, like he said he…wait, what?' "What?" I finally voiced.

"When he fell in love with you, he found his mate. His only mate," she emphasized the word only.

I sat up automatically. "Then why did he say those things? Can you answer that?" I practically begged her. I needed to understand. Even with such a precise mind, I couldn't wrap my head around this idea.

"No, I can't," I was disappointed and sighed. "But I have a guess." I perked back up. "He was always a kind person. He didn't like hunting and killing people. I knew him during the short time he ever did. But, he was almost ready to go back to his father, Carlisle, and those were evil people and he still didn't like hurting them. You, who he fell in love with, to hurt you, would destroy him. And according to you, he was, in a way, responsible for pain toward you multiple times. He wanted to protect you."

"Then why'd he tell me he didn't love me?" I asked angrily. I knew this was unfair to Ashley, but I couldn't help it.

"So you'd let him go. So you'd move on and stop getting hurt from us being around you," said a voice as another person stepped into the clearing.