A/N: Awww, you had to know I wouldn't keep you waiting long. Especially not after all those wonderful reviews. This chapter is… much unexpected. You won't believe what happens… it's traumatic, that's for sure. But don't worry, there is much, much more drama to come. REVIEW! Chapter title borrowed from Carrie Underwood's "Just a Dream", which I am listening to right now.

Part Fourteen

Now I'll Never Know

Jacob dropped me on the ground, shoving the gun back into the pocket of his ripped shorts. "You got lucky this time, Cullen. But I'll be back. For Bella. You'd better be re… WHAT THE-"

Jake slumped to the ground, blood erupting from the wound in his back. Emmett stood behind him, a resentful look etched on his face. It left nothing to be pondered; he was dead, or he should have been.

I watched in a daze, Edward's arms surrounding me, as the paramedics wheeled him away on the yellow gurney. Amazingly, his chest still rose and fell with every breath, and that in itself was miraculous. He looked up at me pathetically, no longer drunk, and whispered, "You owe me, Bella Swan."

"Don't listen to him, Bells," Edward cooed, holding me tighter, the wet grass seeping through my thin house shoes. "You don't owe him anything. He brought this upon himself." But as the off white doors of the ambulance closed behind what was once my very best friend, I couldn't blame anyone but myself.

My legs were weak. I could no longer stand, nor could I bring myself to sit. I leaned against Edward's chest, feeling like I should cry, but the tears would not come. I'd just lost my best friend. He had, at best, five days left, the doctors told us. I asked Edward to pinch me, hoping with all my heart that this was a dream. I knew it was not.

"Come on inside, love," Edward begged yet again. "It's could. I don't want you to get sick." The offer was tempting, but I would not allow myself to feel any comfort, not while Jacob was suffering. I shook my head. "Well at least sit," he said, motioning to a green-and-white lawn chair on the patio.

Against my better judgment, I refused this as well, instead lying down on the wet grass, yearning to ooze into the earth. Moments later, I felt Edward lie down next to me. My tears mingled with the misty morning air, as he and I had been outside for hours. "I love you," he whispered, brushing a piece of hair out of my eyes as he rolled over to look me in the eyes.

"Kiss me?" I asked. He nodded, pressing his lips against mine with a tenderness I'd never felt before in my life. I needed that. After all I'd been through, I needed to know that Edward was nothing like Jacob; He was not demanding, but gentle. He was not needy, but patient.

I blushed, withholding a giggle as he draped his arm over my stomach. "Edward?"

"Yes, love?" Never would I tire of hearing those words from him.

"I love you, too. Thank you for… putting up with me," I said.

"My pleasure," he answered, grinning sideways. "Now are you going to come inside, of am I going to have to drag you, Bells?"

"Depends," I said, smiling for the first time in what seemed like years.

"That's it," he grinned, picking me up bridal style. "You've always got to do it the hard way, haven't you?"

"You know it."

TNEBDTNEBDTNEBDTNEBDTNEBDTNEBDTNEBDTNEBDTNEBDTNEBDTNEB

"What were you thinking, Emmett?" Edward demanded. "You shot him, for crying out loud!"

"It wasn't my fault!" came the muffled reply. "He hurt Bella, Edward! He would have shot her again!"

"Where did you get that gun anyway?"

Finding it almost impossible to hear any more of the conversation from the upstairs bedroom, I quickly slipped into a pair of Soffee shorts and a yellow T-shirt and made my way downstairs, fast I could with my incapability.

"I… I found it… in Carlisle's room…" Emmett was saying.

"Put it back, now!" Edward ordered. "We'll talk about this later, when the police get here."

"Police?" I spoke up, limping cautiously over to him. "Why… when are they… coming?"

"Actually…" Edward said, scratching the back of his neck nervously, as if avoiding something. "I was hoping you'd sleep a while longer. I don't want to worry you, but the guys down at the station want to ask us a couple of questions. Standard stuff about the recent… occurrences."

I nodded my understanding. "When?"

"I'm not exactly sure…"

The doorbell rang. I was beginning to dread that sound.

A/N: Just a quick update. The next chapter will be BIG, I assure you. So REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Some people say not to get your hopes up, but I say aim high! So how about we shoot for… eight review for this chapter? Can you do that for me? Please, if you have read this chapter, review. Especially if you want a quick update. : ) Much love,

C.J.