A/N Sorry it took so long, but this chapter was a beast to write, and long as hell. I don't love it, but I don't hate it. I won't bias you anymore before you read it, so go ahead...

Chapter 8

Friday was hectic, to put it mildly, and unfortunately for Jasper, Rosalie more or less kicked him out of the house so she could enjoy Emmett's day off, which is why he was laughing while watching me run around the house like a headless chicken.

Besides having to set up the evening for Alice and I, Edward had asked me to send him a copy of his passport and deal with the mess of getting an expedited one produced, since he'd apparently lost his. I couldn't very well tell him I didn't have time because I was setting up a date, but it was pushing me to the edge of my sanity.

"Bells!" Jasper called from his seat on the couch as I raced back through the living room on my way to the office. The tickets I needed were sold out, so I had been on and off the phone with David, our financial advisor who had connections in the theatre. He had finally come through and was sending me the information in an email.

"BELLS!" Jasper yelled louder. When I continued to ignore him he took a more direct approach, following me into the office and sitting right on my lap. Besides being crushed under his weight, he was also blocking my view of the computer screen.

"Ugh! Get off Jazz! You weigh a ton!" I grunted, trying to shove him off me. My efforts had no impact on him whatsoever.

"Aww, Bells, you hurt my feelings. You know I'm sensitive about my weight." He said with a mock pout.

"Jasper!" I whined, still futilely trying to shove him off me. He just turned so he was sideways and could see my face

"Uh uh uh, not until you tell me what's got you so riled up. I've been here for two hours and all I've gotten is a grunted hello! I feel neglected." He said, exaggerating his frown further, turning his head towards the computer screen. "Ah, but I may have found my first clue. What's this?"

"I don't know! Since you're blocking my view!" I growled and thankfully, Jasper stood up, moving to stand behind me and continue reading. I grinned as I took in the email. It was perfect.

"Hmm, so you have two tickets to a show tomorrow night, yet I know Edward to be out of the country until next week. Do I dare infer that you may be taking a certain young lady out on a date?" Jasper asked, a smirk in place as he raised an eyebrow at me mischievously.

"No, I…" I stumbled over my words. I hadn't really thought of this as a date, but I guess that's what it was. Somehow, labeling it that made it seem more like cheating, despite my already having slept with the girl.

"Bella, relax." Jasper cut in quickly, sensing my change in mood. He had always been good at reading me. "I'm sure Alice will appreciate your thoughtfulness, and some time with her, without sex, may help you work out your feelings a little more."

He was right, and that was part of my reasoning for doing this, even though it had started as something of a gift for Alice. I still wasn't completely sure that it wasn't just glorified lust invading me and causing my heart to go haywire. I was secretly hoping that I may see past my attraction to Alice and pick up on some terrible personality trait of hers, so that I can put this all behind me. I severally doubted that would happen, since in all the time I spent with Alice, she's never been anything but perfect in my eyes, but I could still hope. Otherwise, I had no idea how to proceed with my revelation the other day. So I like Alice. I'm married to Edward. I'm not about to throw away my marriage on a whim.

"Jasper, do you think I'm being stupid?" I asked, after a comfortable silence. He looked at me strangely for a minute before moving to sit on the edge of the desk in front of me.

"What do you mean?"

I sighed and shrugged, slumping slightly in my chair.

"I don't know. This whole thing. I mean…GOD! I'm married for heaven's sake! And here I am going on a date with a girl whose still in high school…my husband is gone half the time…I don't know what I'm doing? Tell me what to do!" I ranted, my voice becoming louder at the end. Jasper grabbed the hands I was gesturing with, folding them together with his in front of me. He didn't respond right away, but took a deep breath and I mirrored it subconsciously.

"Bella." He started, his voice low and soft. He waited until I finally lifted my head found his eyes. "Sometimes, we love what's comfortable." I opened my mouth to ask if he was talking about Edward, but he smiled and put a finger to my lips to silence me. "And sometimes, we're comfortable, because we're in love." My blank stare must have cued him into my lack of understanding. "Look, I can't tell you what to do here Bella. Only you know how you really feel. But I will say that I want you to be happy. I don't want you to do something just because you feel obligated. As horrible as it seems, Bella, don't think about Edward or Alice when you make this decision. Choose what you want do, and we'll work it out afterwards."

As neutral as Jasper was trying to be, I couldn't help but feel that he was pushing me just slightly towards Alice. Maybe that's what I wanted to see.

"Mrs. Cullen, Mr. Hale?" Gemma knocked lightly on the frame as she stood in the doorway. "Lunch is ready." She said quietly, turning quickly to retreat from the room.

"Wait! Gemma!" I called, jumping up. Seeing her reminded me that I needed to talk to her about tomorrow. She stopped, turning back to me, her expression anxious.

"Yes, Mrs. Cullen?" She asked, her head bowed towards her feet. I turned to look back at Jasper who was watching the scene in amusement.

"Umm, right, uh I want you to take tomorrow off." I said, devoid of any eloquence or tact.

"Oh!" She looked up at me briefly in surprise before looking back down at her feet. "I, well, normally I take off Tuesdays, but I guess I could switch…"

"Oh, no! No, no, no. I didn't mean instead of Tuesday." I quickly reassured her, noticing her discomfort at the day change. "I'll still pay you for tomorrow, but I'm having a friend over and I'd like to cook the meal myself."

"Oh, okay. But, you don't have to pay me…' She started, before I interrupted again.

"Don't worry about it. There's no reason you should miss out on pay just because of me." I said, waving off her concern. She looked confused, but nodded her head.

"Okay, Mrs. Cullen." She finally agreed, turning to leave again, but I stopped her again.

"Oh, and please call me Bella." I said, giving her what I hoped was a friendly smile. The corners of her lips twitched upwards and she met my eyes.

"Okay, Bella." With that she loped off towards the kitchen again, a noticeable lightness in her step that I hadn't seen before.

I turned back aground to see Jasper grinning at me.

"You sure do have a way with the young ladies, Bella." He snickered and I glared at him, trying to hide my own amusement.

"Oh shut up."

So this was it. I had spent the last hour and a half making spaghetti and meatballs because somewhere in the back of my brain I vaguely remembered Alice saying that baseballs and meatballs were the only two kinds of balls she liked. Now I was wondering if maybe I should have made something a bit more special and my pacing grew faster, heels clicking across the floor impatiently as I smoothed out my dress for the hundredth time. It was fairly warm out tonight, so I had opted for a white sundress with light blue flowers on it.

I froze as I heard the familiar sound of an engine pulling up outside my home and a door opening and closing. Unlike so many times before, I didn't run to the door. I couldn't move at all. Panic started to surge through me as I reflected on whether this whole plan had been a huge mistake.

The doorbell ringing snapped me out of my stupor and I slowly made my way over. I pulled the large oak door open to reveal the small girl who had been starring in my dreams lately, and couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

"Hello." She said happily, smiling at me. I moved towards her, expecting the normal greeting, only to be left wanting, as she glided passed me without a kiss. I frowned at the cold shoulder, but couldn't really blame her. "Are you…cooking?" She asked, turning to me in shock.

I nodded, blushing slightly under her gaze and gestured to the dining room.

"I thought maybe we could have dinner first." I said, watching anxiously as Alice's brow furrowed slightly in confusion.

"O-kay." She said, leading the way, while I quickly ran to the kitchen to collect our plates. When I returned to the dining room she had taken an end seat, so I put down her plate and chose one adjoining hers. Her eyes lit up when she saw the food and grinned. "How did you know this was my favorite?" She asked, already digging into her serving, before I could answer.

"I thought I remembered you mentioning it." I said, trying not to laugh as I watched her eagerly slurp up a string of pasta, collecting sauce around her mouth. Her tongue darted out to gather the bit left behind and I found myself wiggling slightly in my seat. I don't know what it is about that tongue…well actually, yes I do. It's magic.

We finished the meal in relative silence, Alice too busy eating and me unsure of what to say. Unfortunately, without the distraction of food, it quickly became awkward and strained.

"So…." I began, desperately hoping for some unknown saving grace. Alice stood, grabbing my attention and I mimicked her actions.

"We both know why I'm here Bella. It's not like we haven't done it before, so why don't we just get down to it." She said smirking as she stalked towards me like a cat, pulling the sweatshirt she wore over her head. Underneath she was wearing another long sleeved t-shirt and despite my pounding heart, I was cognizant enough to find this fact strange when it was pretty warm outside. I guess she was small. Maybe she got cold easily.

"Umm, Alice." I said, taking a few steps backwards, glancing at the clock. The show was in two hours.

In the end, my efforts to stop her were futile as she pinned me to the wall, her lips moving to cover my neck in kisses while her fingers danced up and down my arms. I sighed when her hands reached my hair, combing themselves through it. I leaned down to catch her mouth, but small hands gripped my breasts, causing any thoughts in my brain to cease.

"Alice." I moaned, holding her tightly to me by the hips, her warm little body driving me crazy.

Her hands flitted to the zipper of my dress, moving it down, before she swiftly removed the straps from my shoulders. By the time the material landed on the floor, Alice was already pushing me onto the table, my legs wrapping around her waist as she continued to ravage my collarbone and chest with kisses. Her touches and kisses were wonderful, as usual, but something was different. It didn't…feel right. The more I allowed myself to think about it, the more I noticed her affections were… off. It felt too planned and stiff, like she was holding back. Then there was the lack of kisses, which hadn't escaped my notice, but I'd forced any thoughts of it out of my head, until now. Was this some kind of punishment?

I decided to test my theory and threaded my fingers through her soft hair, pulling her head up to mine carefully and moving to cover her lips with my own, but at the last minute she turned her head, just letting me catch her cheek. Her rejection caused a pain in my chest and the mood was abruptly gone.

"Wait." I said, the lust in my brain completely suppressed by confusion and hurt. But she ignored me, continuing her excursion south. "Alice, wait. Stop!" I said, grabbing her arms to push her away from me slightly and I flinched when she hissed in pain, wrenching out of my hold.

"What Bella? Isn't this what you wanted?" She growled in a tone that should have been intimidating, but I was too absorbed in other priorities to truly absorb what or how she spoke. I watched as her hand moved to rub her arm, my eyes narrowing.

"What's wrong with your arm?" I asked sternly, brooking no argument. Her fury turned to uncertainty as she assessed my look. Apparently, she saw something quite worrisome because she looked down to her shoes, and answered so quietly I barely heard.

"Nothing."

I snorted, grabbing her wrist with one hand and pulling up the sleeve with my other. I couldn't help the gasp that left me when I took in the bruise on her arm. Though, mostly healed now, to a green and yellow state, a handprint was still discernible and caused a bubbling rage to grow inside me.

"That bastard!" I snarled, pulling myself off the table, ignoring the shock on Alice's face. Whether it was due to my fury or language, I didn't know and didn't care. How dare he hurt her!

The hatred I felt for the man who did this was incomparable with anything I'd felt before. I wasn't normally a violent person, but I wanted nothing more than to smash my fist into his face. How could he hurt this beautiful little girl? This amazing, wonderful person who…was staring at my heaving breasts while I paced back and forth fuming. Okay so maybe she wasn't a little girl.

"Bella." Alice's soft voice called to me and I relaxed involuntarily, just a bit, at hearing it. It wasn't the casual indifferent tone she'd used to greet me or the more recently harsh one. This was my Alice's voice. I stopped just a bit in front of her. She'd pulled her sleeve back in place and was blushing. The rose on her cheeks made her look so young, like a doll, and without thinking I reached up and cupped her face, letting my thumb stroke over the heated skin. "I'm okay." She whispered, though something in her eyes made me pause. She looked…ashamed?

"Alice, he shouldn't have done that." To me the statement was obvious, but surprisingly, Alice shook her head.

"I slept with his wife, Bella. I didn't get any less than I deserved." Her voice heavy with guilt. "I mean, wouldn't you be upset if I slept with Edward?" She asked, staring up at me with teary eyes.

"Yes." I didn't know how else to respond, but honestly. She didn't need to know that I would be more upset about her sleeping with someone else than Edward. But of course, this was already the case and a fact I desperately tried to avoid remembering. She moved to look away from me, but I caught her chin in my hand, gently pulling eyes back to me. "Hey, this isn't your fault." She scoffed, rolling her eyes and I couldn't help smiling a little. "Okay, maybe some of the blame's on you, but it takes two to tango, Alice." I said, trying to ease the seriousness a little and make her smile. My efforts weren't completely in vane, when I saw her lips twitch just slightly upwards. "Every woman you go to knows what they're doing and chooses to do it anyway. If anything we're more at fault because we're older and should know better." I finished, frowning at my own words, because as much as I'd like to deny it, I am part of that group and I should know better.

We were silent, both seemingly contemplating my words. Alice was watching me with an odd expression on her face, somewhere between bemusement and hope.

"What?" I finally asked, when I could no longer take her burning gaze. I felt exposed, like she was seeing through me, and it made me incredibly uneasy. She tilted her head just slightly to the side like a curious puppy and smiled.

"Why were you so angry about my arm? I thought you didn't care about me." She said, her smile fading a bit and I pulled her into a hug on instinct.

"Of course I care about you! I care very much about you!" I said, pulling back to see her face, but leaving my arms around her.

"But you said…you said you wanted to be like all the others. You just wanted me as a…a play thing." She whispered, her eyes tearing again and making me feel horrible.

"Oh, no! I never wanted that." I argued, but she pulled away, pointing her finger at me.

"YES YOU DID!" She insisted somewhat angrily.

"Yes, I said I wanted to be like the others, but I never thought of you as a play thing." I explained, disgusted at the thought. Alice was a person, not some sex toy. "I would never think that."

Alice's face softened and she moved back into my arms, clutching to me like a scared child.

"You mean it?" She asked

"Of course. You are so very special to me Alice. I'm only just now starting to realize just how important you are in my life." I whispered to her as I leaned down to let my head rest on her shoulder. I could feel her grinning into my own and I was just about to pull back and try my luck for a kiss again when the clock in the hall chimed, alerting me to the time. "Oh no! We have to hurry!" I said, grabbing Alice's hand and dragging her towards the stairs, ignoring her inquisition at our sudden movement.

"Bella? What's going on?" Alice finally became so frustrated she dug her feet into the carpet halfway down the upstairs hall.

"The car will be here soon and we need to get dressed." I explained, looking from her outfit to my own, belatedly realizing that I was still only in my underwear and blushing furiously. Alice's characteristic smirk was back as she also took in my appearance, but her curiosity won out.

"Car?"

My embarrassment was soon forgotten as my excitement took over and I turned back to her grinning. "Yes! I'm taking you out!" I said, laughing as her eyes widened. She was so stunned that she offered no resistance to my renewed tugging towards the bedroom.

Laid out on the bed was a knee length yellow gown that Rose had helped me pick out for Alice. I watched nervously as she moved to it slowly, letting the backs of her fingers trail over the fabric.

"It's gorgeous." She whispered and I beamed at my success. "But where are we going?" She asked, turning back to me. Now it was my turn to smirk.

"That is a surprise. Now go get dressed." I said playfully slapping her butt insistently towards the bathroom. She giggled, scurrying out of the room. My heart lifted at the sound. I finally had my Alice back!

By the time she reappeared I was dressed and ready to go, wearing a deep green dress. It fell just above the floor and hung straight down from the tight bodice. When Rosalie suggested that a size smaller would flatter my chest more, I was apprehensive, but looking at Alice's face now, I would definitely have to buy Rose a very expensive gift.

"Oh my God." Alice breathed, her eyes glued to my body and making me feel like a goddess.

"You like it?" I asked, innocently.

"Mmmm, yes." She said lustfully as she sashayed over to me, trailing a finger down my collarbone to where the dress pushed up my breasts teasingly. I shivered at the touch and drew her to me. I wanted so badly to kiss her then, but was afraid I might be pushing it too soon. So, instead, I drew back, taking in the beauty before me.

Alice looked so pure and innocent in the light yellow gown. It flared out at the waist and twirled gently around her as she moved. The straps on her dress made it slightly more modest than my own, but that didn't detract from the lust her form caused in me.

"You look amazing." I told her, but truthfully it felt like too much of an understatement. Alice was staring into my eyes looking oddly shy. It's odd how the more I got to know her, the more timid she became. She bit her lip nervously and my stomach fluttered. She made me feel like a teenager with a crush.

I had just gotten up my nerve to lean towards her inviting lips when the doorbell rang.

"Fuck." I cursed under my breath, more than a little irritated with the timing.

"Oh my. Bella's not so innocent anymore, is she? I've taught you well." Alice grinned smugly at me.

"Mhmm." I agreed, smirking. Then with a confidence I didn't know I had I leaned in, letting my lips ghost over her ear and whispered the word that always drove her crazy when I said it. "Pussy."

She moaned, much to my satisfaction, and her whole body shivered. Her eyes were glazed over with lust as I pulled back, taking her hand. "Come on." I said, pulling her still entranced body behind me.

Watching Alice react like that to me was empowering and I couldn't help the grin on my face as I glanced behind me several times to see Alice still dazed and taking in my body hungrily.

By the time we reached the foyer, Alice had snapped out of it and was practically skipping at my side out the front door. Our driver looked at me curiously as Alice slipped into the car ahead of me while he held the door open. I blushed, looking away and quickly following her into the backseat. Alice had already put up the divider between us and the driver and jumped me as soon as I settled into the car.

"That was very naughty of you Bella." She breathed, straddling my lap. "Now I'm all hot and wet with no relief in sight." She pouted, resting her forehead against mine. It was as if the past week had never happened. But if she was fine, then I certainly wasn't going to dwell on it, especially not when she started to subtly grind herself into my lap. There was still a thirty minute drive to the theatre, more than enough time for me to prove to Alice she was more than a play thing.

"Who said there would be no relief?" I whispered, arching my eyebrow suggestively and grinning when I saw Alice gape at me. She hadn't expected me to return her teasing.

Moving her off my lap, I laid her down on the seat in front of me, pulling my gown up so I could move easier as I hovered above her.

"Bella?" She gasped in surprise, arching into me as I brought my lips to her neck and up her jaw, ending with a kiss at the corner of her mouth. My hands slid up her thighs, parting them gently so I could settle between them. All the while, Alice just watched on in awe.

"Wh-what are you doing?" She finally managed to get out, when I slid the straps off her shoulders, pulling down the top of her dress just enough for her perky breasts to jump free. I barely heard her question, as I drooled over the sight of her pink buds, calling me to suck on them. My head dropped to her chest, and I captured one of the temptresses in my mouth, letting my tongue swirl around it. It felt like forever since I'd been able to touch her like this, to taste her at all. My heart was beating wildly in my chest as she squirmed beneath me. I loved it. This feeling of being in control, of giving her even a small bit of the pleasure back that she always gives me. It's not as if I'd never done it before, but she always made sure I had come first… several times. Not tonight. Tonight was my turn to take care of her.

"Bel-ungh!" She moaned as I bit down a bit on the tender flesh in my mouth. I smiled and continued, greedily covering every bit of skin I could reach with my lips. I could feel the heat from between her legs through my dress on my stomach and I drew her knees up, trailing kisses down her thigh on my way to my destination. "Oh! Oh, please, yes!" She cried, her fingers tangling in my hair. It was a good thing I brought a hairbrush, I thought errantly as I finally arrived at her panty clad mound. The sweet smell of her body mixed with a slightly musky one from her sex caused my head to spin with lust.

I noticed a darkened spot on her white lace panties and I smirked. I had caused that. She was aroused because of me! My flattened tongue pressed against it and we both moaned.

"Bella! Stop teasing!" Alice groaned, pulling slightly harder on my hair in frustration. I grinned, but didn't waste any more time, carefully pulling down the fabric between us and staring in wonder at the rosy folds before me. "Yes! Touch me Bella! Touch my pussy!" She practically screamed, pulling me against her harder. I had never seen her this out of control before. Her head thrashed wildly and she bucked her hips as I let a finger explore her, finally finding purchase in her throbbing excitement. My mouth moved to her clit and I sucked on it happily, although it was somewhat difficult with her moving so much.

Within a couple minutes, I watched through my lashes as her eyes squeezed shut and she tensed before a furious tremble seized her body. She called out my name blissfully while I eagerly cleaned her up and replaced her lace panties before sliding back up her shaky form. I wiggled my way between her and the back of the seat so I could lay at her side and watch her face come down from the high I gave her.

With a satisfied moan she finally opened her eyes and met mine. "What was that for?" She asked breathlessly, giving me a sleepy smile.

"Because I wanted to." I whispered back, leaning down to kiss her forehead lovingly. She looked so peaceful and content that I couldn't help snuggling into her with a smile.

We remained like that for the rest of the ride, but when the car stopped, Alice's eager curiosity returned and she bounced outside as soon as the door opened. I followed right after and frowned at the smirk on our driver's face. He needed no explanation as I handed him a hundred dollar bill with a look that said, 'not a word.' He nodded, and turned back to the front seat with a chuckle.

I joined Alice's side, who stopped and was staring up at the outside of the theatre.

"I…umm, got us tickets." I said, hesitantly when she turned a disbelieving face towards me. Her lack of reaction was worrying. "The group that normally does shows for the Olivier in London is on a special tour right now." She still didn't respond, but her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "They're putting on Much Ado About Nothing. It's my favorite Shakespeare play and I wanted to share it with you…Alice? Are you ok…" The rest of my question was cut off as the pair of lips I'd been missing captured mine in a slow and gentle kiss. Her soft lips felt like pillows against my own and I wrapped my arms around her waist, unconcerned with any audience we might have. It was heaven to have my Alice back completely.

"Thank you." She said softly when she finally withdrew from the kiss. I didn't even have time to acknowledge it before she was dragging me towards the entrance with a squeal of excitement.

The show was amazing, as expected, and made even better because of how much Alice enjoyed it. I watched, enthralled as her eyes lit up, taking in every scene intently, and giggling at Beatrice and Benedick. She was completely enraptured by the show, and I by her. It was obvious to me how much she loved the theater and I made a note to ask her whether she planned to continue acting after high school.

I got my chance on the way home as we settled back into the car. Alice curled into my side, with my arm around her waist.

"So did you like the show?" I asked, easing my way into a conversation. Alice smiled up at me.

"It was perfect. The actors were so good. Plus I love that play anyway. Beatrice is so sassy; she's one of my favorite characters." She babbled happily.

"You're a good actress too. Are you going to go to school for that?" She frowned unexpectedly and I desperately wished I could take back my question.

"I wanted to. I actually got a full scholarship to the acting program at Fordham."

"That's great! Are you going?" I thought I already knew the answer to that based on her unhappy expression, but decided to ask anyway, hoping for some details.

"My parents don't think it's a viable career choice." She stated softly.

"What? That's crazy! Haven't they seen you act? You're amazing!" I exclaimed in disbelief, but the answer to my question was obvious when Alice turned her head away to look out the window.

"Forget about your parents Alice. One day they're going to realize how stupid they've been, but don't let them ruin your dreams." I said, brushing away her tears when she turned back to face me. I didn't like to see Alice so sad and it caused an anger to swell within me for her undeserving parents.

"What was your dream?"

Her question caught me off guard and I tensed slightly, making Alice look up at me curiously.

"Bella?" She urged quietly.

"I wanted to open a gallery." I finally supplied.

"Really?" Alice asked, sitting up straighter and turning to me, a genuine smile back on her face. "So you like art?" I nodded.

"I was an art history major."

"Cool! So why didn't you then?" This time I was the one who turned to look out the window, too ashamed to meet her eyes. It was a question I had asked myself several times over the years. Honestly, I never really knew the answer and still don't. At first I was just between jobs. I had finished my internship and had interviews at several places, but Edward had begun working for his father and we were thrust into a world of social elites and events. I suppose I just got caught up in it all and before I knew it, Edward just expected I would stay home, so I did.

"Bella?" Alice's voice brought me out of my thoughts and I turned to see her frowning at me.

"Huh?"

"My history teacher was telling us the other day about a Monet exhibit. I was thinking maybe we could go. You could be my personal tour guide." She said, smiling at me a little nervously. "What do you think?"

"I'd love to."

Alice beamed, bouncing into my lap and kissing me chastely on the lips.

A moment later we arrived at my house and Alice pulled me inside and upstairs. I knew what was coming and wasn't disappointed. As soon as we reached my bedroom, Alice was upon me, leading me towards the bed as she hurriedly removed my dress.

"No, Alice." I told her gently, stopping her from going any further. She pouted adorably and crossed her arms.

"Why not?" She huffed and I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped me. Pulling back the duvet, I carefully removed her dress before leading her by the hand under the covers with me.

When I finally had her wrapped in my arms, I whispered in her ear.

"Tonight was just for you, sweetie. Seeing you happy is enough for me." I nuzzled my cheek against her neck as she sighed, snuggling further into me. It wasn't long before I heard her deep, even breathing telling me she was asleep and I was left alone with my thoughts, not exactly my favorite place to be right now.

After tonight it was clear to me that I cared for Alice more than I realized. In addition to that, she probably knows that I have feelings for her now. But I'm still married and I still love Edward. I can't see myself living without either of them. So where does that leave me?

I sighed, giving up on sleep for the moment. I kissed Alice's head once more and slipped out of bed. On my way into the kitchen, the blinking answering machine caught my eye and I pushed play while I got a glass of water.

"Hello Bella. It's your mother. I'm coming for a visit."

A/N And the verdict is?