A/N: Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, to those of you who took the time to read and write a review. It means so much to me that people are showing their appreciation of the story. If I feel like people aren't interested anymore, I may decide to can it. Soooooo...here's a nice looooooooooooong chapter. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, etc. of the book Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse. The original characters and plot are the property of the brilliant Stephenie Meyer.

"You're mad," Jacob accused Bella while handing her a soda and sitting down in the

driver's side of his nearly finished Volkswagon next to Bella, who was seated comfortably in the

passenger side.

Bella sighed and took the soda.

"No, not mad. Just...confused, I guess," she said shaking her head.

"About what?" Jacob asked taking a large gulp of his drink.

"Alice Cullen came to talk to me before I came," Bella said.

Jacob stayed silent. The name triggered an unfamiliar hot rage in him.

"I don't really know why. I mean, she kind of sort of apologized, I guess, but I don't know. I got the feeling

that she was keeping something from me," Bella muttered.

"Like what?" Jacob asked, his tone slightly guarded.

"I don't know. Maybe something...about..."

"Edward," Jacob said flatly.

Bella winced slightly as the hole in her heart throbbed at the mention of his name.

"Sometimes people keep secrets from the people they...care about. Not because they want to hurt them, but

because they're afraid," Jacob's tone suddenly changed to understanding.

Bella turned to Jacob, slightly confused. Why on earth would he be defending Alice's actions?

"I just hope everything is okay," Bella averted her eyes from Jacob so as not to see his reaction.

"I didn't see or speak to you for nearly 4 months, Bella," Jacob said after several minutes of silence.

"Because of what he did to you. You know that Charlie told Billy everything right?"

Bella groaned.

"It's not like that, Bella. They weren't like gossiping old ladies or anything. Charlie was just really scared. So

was I," Jacob said quietly.

"It's not right, you know? To be so disconnected from everything and everyone. And then to care what

happens to him, after he told you he didn't want you anymore..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, and tried to keep her mind from going back to that fateful day. She couldn't

bring herself to argue with Jacob because she knew he was right.

Bella was forced to relive the memories that had so intricately burned themselves into her, scorching her very

flesh.

Her efforts to keep the memory caged were for nothing. It broke free, summoning tears with it as it flew to

the front of her mind, clear as day.

'I can't pretend anymore,' Edward's velvet voice had chided.

She had trained herself so well, or so she thought, to not let herself breakdown in front of anyone; it was

something she did in private, where she could muffle her cries of agony with her pillow, and no one would

ever know.

"Bella?" Jacob asked softly.

She tried wiping the tears furiously from her face, but they were freely cascading down her cheeks now, too

powerful for her to fight.

"Hey, it's okay," He said, reaching over and wrapping his arms around her.

"I shouldn't have said those things, I didn't realize you were still...I'm sorry," he said stroking her hair.

"No, I'm sorry," she choked between sobs.

"I don't know what happened to me," she whispered against Jacob's neck.

His body shivered involuntarily from her proximity.

"When Edward left," she forced herself to speak his name, "he might as well have taken my soul with him.

Everyday he's been gone, I've felt like I've been sleeping with my eyes open," she said, finally gaining control

over her voice and tears.

Jacob clenched his jaw in anger.

"And this is love," He said, barely audible, through gritted teeth.

"It will get better, I promise," he assured her.

Bella pulled away from him and looked into his eyes.

"So far it has," she said.

"Everyday it gets easier, because of you. Thank you for rescuing me. For making me feel human again."

He blushed slightly and took her hand in his, and kissed it.

They stayed silent for a few moments.

"I like this," Bella said.

"What?" Jacob asked, startled when she interrupted his thoughts.

"You and me just hanging out in your car, being two normal teenagers," she said as she tilted her head back

against the seat, and closed her eyes to the setting sun.

Jacob stiffened and swallowed hard at the word.

'Normal,' he thought to himself. 'You have no idea how true I wish that was, Bella.'

"I like it too," he said at last.

"Alice, you're not telling me something," Jasper told her when they were in the privacy of her room again.

"Edward is coming home," she said abruptly.

"I had a vision this morning. I'm so sorry that I lied and didn't tell you."

Jasper shook his head to dismiss her unnecessary apology.

"When?" he asked.

"I can't be certain," she scrunched her eyebrows together in frustration.

"It could be this week or next month," Alice said bringing her hand to her temple to curb the throb of mental

exhaustion and uncertainty.

Jasper turned to her suddenly.

"You went to tell Bella," he said, his voice thick with disapproval.

Alice closed her eyes and sighed.

"What if he's coming back for her?" Alice said, trying to justify her decision to Jasper.

"And what if he's not?" Jasper retorted.

"It's his life, Alice. We can't go meddling in his affairs."

"I thought you'd say that," Alice said, smiling softly, "and that's why I couldn't tell her. Besides, one thing I

am certain of is that I'm one of the last people in the world she wants to talk to right now."

Jasper took one of her hands in his and kissed it.

"Just give her time," he said.

Alice nodded.

"It's the right thing to do. She'll see that eventually," he assured her.

January melted into February and now, spring danced delicately into March, gently kissing all living things

with its incandescence. Spring Break was just one week away. Though it had once seemed impossible to

Bella before, time did pass. Even though each tick of the clock brought her farther and farther away from

Edward.

With Jacob there to quell the tide of loneliness and hopelessness, she didn't feel so numb. She

hadn't cried herself to sleep in weeks, and the hole in her heart seemed to be trying to mend itself, though

achingly so. Jacob was her own personal sun; the only thing keeping her anchored to reality, and she was

more grateful to him for that than anything else.

Alice was casually flipping through a fashion magazine when Jasper walked in her room. Dawn was still

hours away.

"The others have already left. Emmett was a bit...impatient," he said smiling.

"So what's it going to be this time? Bears? We haven't had bears in a while and I've had a terrible craving

lately," he asked.

Alice shook her head, laughing quietly.

"Mountain Lions. There's been a bit of a problem with overpopulation and some attacks on humans in the

past few weeks," she said.

Jasper scrunched his face in dislike.

"I'm so sorry," she added sarcastically.

"That's quite alright," he said slyly as he pounced lithely onto the couch next to her.

"Maybe I'll just stay here and nibble on you instead," he growled softly.

"You wouldn't," she teased.

"Oh, wouldn't I," he said as he ran his nose along her neck and snapped his teeth at her playfully.

She giggled and growled back at him.

"Please, don't let me interrupt."

Alice and Jasper looked up in surprise to see Edward leaning casually against the doorframe of Alice's

bedroom.

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