I went home to find the car still there. When I walked in the house Mark was sitting on the couch, with the T.V. on a sports channel, eating his omelet.
"Back already?" he asked.
"Yes," I answered absently. He noticed the preoccupied look on my face and didn't ask any more questions. I sat next to him on the couch and stared at the wall while I thought.
"Mark?" I asked suddenly.
"Bella?"
"Do you love me?"
"What kind of a question is that?" he asked.
"Just answer it," I pleaded. He seemed to realize that I needed to know his answer for something, so he thought for a few seconds before answering.
"I love you like I would love my sister, if I had one," he finally answered. "I love you like an overprotective big brother would, only sometimes, like during certain evening activities," he waggled his eyebrows suggestively, "I love you like my wife. But most of the time, I just think of you as my best friend." He looked at me worriedly then, as if he was expecting me to tell him that was the wrong answer. He got even more worried when I didn't respond immediately, and asked, "Are you mad now?"
"No," I assured him, "I'm just thinking."
"About Edward?" he asked.
"And you," I added.
"Do you love me?" he asked.
"I love you like a best friend and brother," I answered, "And sometimes, like my husband."
"But we'd both be better off if we found somebody else," Mark concluded.
I sighed. "Probably."
"Then maybe it's time to make that decision," he suggested kindly.
"Maybe," I agreed.
"I guess this means I'm going back to college on my own," Mark observed.
"No, I'll probably come with you," I said. "Unless good ol' Doctor Cullen and family can come up with some way to make me like them, I still have to finish college. I'll be coming back-" I cut myself off then as a crazy idea came to me, and Mark saw the excited look on my face.
"Did you get an idea about how you can get past the treaty?" He asked warily.
"Maybe," I answered excitedly. "I'll have to go talk to Carlisle, but I think I just found a way around the treaty!" I threw my arms around Mark's neck, and he hugged me back.
"Go over there again now," he suggested. "I think I'll go say hi to Angela."
"Oh, I need to call her," I said.
"Why?" he asked.
"I told her that she would be the second person to know that you and I broke up," I answered with a grin. "You would be the first, she would be the second, and Edward would be the third, although Edward probably already knows because of Alice."
"Well, I'll let you call her, and then I want to talk to her once you're done announcing that I'm available."
"Thank you," I said seriously. "Thank you for everything you've done for me. I couldn't ask for a better friend."
"You've done as much for me as I have for you," Mark said dismissively. "We moved on together, and now we're moving on again, though I think you're moving back."
"We'll have to keep in touch, no matter what happens," I told him.
"We will," Mark promised. "Now go call Angela, I want to celebrate my newly found single status."
I laughed and raced into the kitchen so I could dial the phone.