Warning: This story deals with domestic violence and the struggles to recover. If you have problems with this issue please don't read this.

Disclaimer: Ms Meyers owns Twilight and all its characters.

Big thanks to my Beta Taloolah and a big welcome to my new Beta Pyejammies. Strangely enough both my beta's are from the UK and both are teachers. You girls are awesome; I appreciate all the work you do for me, helping me make my stuff presentable.

Extra A/N at the end of chapter.

The Truth About Jake

Jake's POV

After the wedding talk fiasco, things had gone back to being relatively normal between Edward and myself. I say relative because he seemed to be a little off at times. It wasn't unusual for him to drift off during a conversation when something was bothering him, but it was unusual for him to take so long to tell me what was up.

It had been two days and still not a word about what was upsetting him and I was clueless. So I just tried my best to cheer him up whenever he would sit with a frown on his face staring out the window, him mind going a mile a minute. I wondered if it was nerves, since his mood seemed to get worse the closer it got to Seth arriving for dinner.

Just in case that was still an issue for him, I would make sure that the topics steered clear of any of Seth's reminiscing about our past. That was the plan, but it's always amazing how things never go to plan.

Seth arrived not long after Alice and Jasper, with Jasper glued to Edward's side, a small frown on his face. He was whispering furiously to Edward causing Edward to frown slightly and shake his head. I was about to go find out what was going on, when Seth came up and clasped a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey J, how are you? You look tense." He said, concern lacing his voice. I glanced over at Edward whose frown became more prominent when he noticed Seth's hand on me. I shifted slightly to dislodge it and smiled slightly in apology at the look on Seth's face.

God this was going to be a long night.

"Everything's fine Seth," I replied, leading him over to Edward and Jasper. Once at Edward's side I wrapped my arms around him from behind and felt him relax into my embrace.

"Hey Seth," Edward said his voice soft and he glanced up at Seth through his lashes. A look I knew to be nerves on his part. The problem was Edward looked damn sexy doing that and I groaned softly.

Since Seth didn't understand this about Edward, not really knowing him besides what he had heard from Alice, his eyebrows furrowed together as he watched Edward. "Are you flirting with me in front of Jake, Edward?" Seth chuckled uncomfortably and Edward's face colored, but before he could reply Jasper jumped in, anger coloring his tone.

"Of course he isn't Seth, he's just nervous around you. What are you thinking trying to embarrass..." Jasper's rant was cut off by Alice who flitted to his side and grasped his hand in hers.

"Jasper, I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding, Seth doesn't know Edward like we do. Isn't that right Seth?" Seth looked at Alice gratefully and apologized quickly to Edward.

"It's okay Seth you aren't the first to think that, I don't understand why, though," Edward had burrowed closer into my chest as he spoke to Seth, his body shaking slightly.

"It's because you look so damn adorable and seductive when you peak out from under your lashes baby, that's all." I chuckled nervously and kissed his cheek before adding, "Who's hungry?"

Jasper was still staring at Seth, his face a hard mask. He was always so protective of Edward, but since his fuck up the other day, he has been even worse. Edward moved away from me and grabbed Jasper's hand and pulled him out of the room, calling out a 'be right back' over his shoulder.

I moved everyone into the kitchen and told them I had to use the bathroom, following the path Jasper and Edward took. As I went to open the bathroom door Jasper' voice came floating out of our bedroom.

"It's not a good idea Edward, you should just talk to Jake about it. I don't like you putting yourself out like that. It can only cause you more pain." Edward's sigh was loud and I could just imagine him shaking his head and scowling.

"I have to be sure Jasper, you know that. I've been thinking about this for days now. Something just isn't right, you said so yourself, and the only way I can get to the truth of the matter..." I burst through the door cutting off Edward's sentence. My fists were clenched at my side and I was trying to get myself under control.

Did Edward really think I would leave him for Seth? Is that what was going on here? After all this time, and all the times he told me he trusted me, didn't he mean it? I took in a few deep breaths as Edward and Jasper watched me, their faces showing their concern for what I may have heard.

"What the hell is going on in here?" My voice shook slightly as I tried to keep my anger in check.

"Tell him Edward." Jasper said, pushing him forward slightly and then excusing himself from the room. I paced wildly after Jasper left, my head shaking back and forth.

"Don't you trust me, Edward? You said you did, was that all lies? How many lies have you told me?" I couldn't hold it in, I was furious at the thought that our whole relationship was a lie.

"Jake no, I swear that's not it at all..."

"Then what the hell is going on? What truth are you talking about Edward, because I have never been anything but completely honest with you and for you to think that I would be holding back..." I cut myself off as my voice started to rise. I was so angry that he would think such a thing of me. I loved him. Didn't he love me anymore? I deflated at the thought.

"Edward," I swallowed the lump forming in my throat as I turned to face him, "don't you love me? Do you want out?" My words seemed to come out in a choked whisper and I dropped my head trying to hide the moisture in my eyes. I was always worried this would happen, that Edward would get better and decide he wanted to see what else was out there for him. It was one of my deepest fears.

"WHAT?" Edward screamed, snapping me out of my thoughts. "No Jake, for fucks sake, no. I love you, more than anything. Fuck I should have listened to Jasper, this is all so fucking wrong." Edward started pacing himself, his hands in his hair as he pulled viciously at it. I sighed in relief and went to his side, my anger starting to boil up again, knowing that he still loved me but was keeping something from me.

"Then tell me what the fuck is going on," I snapped. Not even bothering to hide my anger at him. He was driving me bat shit crazy at the moment and for the first time since we got together I was truly pissed off at him and I was not holding back in the least. A small part of me was concerned he would pass out or freak out from me yelling, but at that moment I didn't give a shit. I was angry at him for putting me through an emotional roller coaster and not telling me what the fuck was going on when he had yet again gone to Jasper.

"I mean, seriously Edward, are you with me or Jasper, because, if this is something about us, then you should be talking to me about it, right? Not leaving me trying to guess and making me think you wanted to end this. Seriously Edward, what the hell were you thinking? We made a promise in the beginning that we would be honest with each other, was that all bullshit too?" My voice must have been really loud cause Jasper came storming back into the room and stood between me and Edward.

"What the fuck are you doing Jake? Do you think yelling at him is going to help..." Edward came to stand between us, and he had a smile on his face. What the hell was going on? Jasper must have understood because he slapped himself in the head and smiled at Edward.

"Guess that's something I will have to get use to eh?" Jasper laughed and left the room again, grinning from ear to ear.

I was so fucking confused. "Edward?" I asked tentatively as he turned towards me, smiling wider. "What the hell? Why are you smiling?" I was exasperated and threw my hands up in the air, causing Edward to flinch back slightly and lose his smile.

He dropped his head and mumbled, "Guess I wasn't ready for that part." Which confused me even more.

"What part, what the hell are you talking about." I frowned and walked over the the bed, plopping myself down and placing my face in my hands.

Edward sighed loudly and then I felt his hands on my knees, I peaked through my fingers and saw him kneeling in front of me, a frown on his face.

"I just...you see...God it sounds so stupid." He took another deep breath and continued on. "I...well...shit, Jake, I don't know much about relationships at all and well when I thought you, well you know what happened the other day and I blamed you for something you didn't even do. You apologized to me, when I just thought anyone else would have yelled at me for being so stupid. So then I thought you were just coddling me and treating me like a child and I started to wonder if what we had was normal." He took a deep breath and looked at me with pleading eyes.

"I've never had normal so I was completely sure that you treated me like I would break and that we couldn't have a normal relationship like that, but I wasn't sure if it was cause of what happened to me, and you just thought I was too weak to deal with normal or if you were always like this with everyone. So I was going to ask Seth if you ever yelled at him while you two were together. Jasper told me to speak to you about it, but when every I tried it out in my head it just sounded stupid. So I didn't want to say anything if there wasn't anything to say..." He cut himself off and looked down at his hands tracing patterns on my denim covered knees.

"Jesus Christ Edward, seriously?" My voice was soft and my mind was ticking over. "What kind of logic was that? "

"You never raise your voice at me Jake, EVER. No matter how many times I fuck up you take on the responsibility for yourself and make out like I did nothing wrong." Edward sounded just as exasperated as I felt. And I chuckled, which then turned into a full out laugh. I just couldn't stop as Edward knelt there looking at me like I had lost my mind. Once I finally got myself under control I pulled him to his feet, got up and walked to the door.

"Jake, wait.." Edward's voice was panicked behind me but I just pulled the door open and called out down the hall.

"Seth, can you come here for a minute please?" Seth came to the door a few seconds later, a worried look on his face.

"Look, I'm sorry if I'm causing conflict, I can leave..." I laughed again, could this night get any more surreal.

"Just come in here for a second Seth could ya?" Seth nodded and entered the room and I closed the door behind him.

"What's up?" Seth asked his eyes shifting from my laughing face to Edward's confused expression.

"I just need you to tell Edward how often I got angry or yelled at you during our relationship if you wouldn't mind." Seth frowned, his lips pursed into a thin white line as he tried to understand what was going on here.

"Umm, shit, well we were together a long while and I think you yelled a total of like five times, in all that time." Seth turned to Edward before he continued. "Jake hardly ever loses his temper, he is too easy going. Things just don't seem to bother him like they would normal people." Seth laughed as he said,normal, "Used to drive me bat shit crazy that's for sure, but it's just the way he was, even as a kid he was mellow and gentle. I asked his dad once, and he just said that, that was just Jake's nature, he was a lover not a fighter. It took a lot to get him upset, and it was usually only when he was defending someone he loved that he would really loose his shit." Seth sighed and then continued, "I was actually a little worried when I heard him yelling before, it's really out of character for him, so you must have really pissed him off Edward."

"Thanks, Seth," Edward said, his face burning a bright red as he dropped down onto the bed.

"Yeah, thanks man, can you tell the others we will be out soon? Sorry about this, but we wont be long." I said and lead Seth to the door.

"Sure, glad to be of service." Seth muttered as he walked out, and I closed the door behind him.

"So," I said, walking over to Edward and sitting down beside him, throwing my hand over his shoulder, "does that answer all your questions or should I bring Seth back so you can ask more?" I couldn't hide the laughter in my voice, I just found the whole thing to be utterly ridiculous, but it gave me another peak into how Edward's mind worked.

"Sorry," Edward muttered, "I guess you just don't yell a lot, I feel like such an idiot right now."

"I'm not going to say it's fine, Edward, 'cause it's not. If you have something on your mind, that's making you act like a totally jackass, just come talk to me about it. And as you can tell from just now, if you piss me off I will yell. Though I will try to remember not to flail my hands around in front of you." My voice turned serious at the last part, I was still a little miffed at myself for doing that, but he just got me so fucking annoyed, I wasn't thinking straight.

Edward laughed and turned to face me, a small smile on his face, "You called me a jackass." He chuckled again.

"Well, yes, you were acting like one. And over something so utterly stupid. God Edward, I don't think I have ever been more exasperated with a person in my life. I was pissed off, relieved, pissed off again and then highly amused. Jackass." I added at the end and laughed again.

"As much as I'm sorry for how this turned out, I'm not sorry it came out. At least now I know you treat me like an equal. That I can do stuff to set you off and you won't hold back." He shifted uncomfortably for a moment before looking up at me again. "But I think I prefer not to set you off again, at least not for a long while, that was pretty scary near the end there Jake." Edward gulped and then curled into my side.

I wasn't sure what to say to that, and didn't know whether to be relieved he could tell me he was scared or upset that I had been the one to scare him. So I just pulled him close and kissed his head before whispering, "I would never hurt you Edward." Edward pulled back sharply his eyes narrowed as he looked at me frowning.

"You don't think I know that. My God Jake if I had an ounce of fear towards you I would have passed out the minute your hands went up in the air." He scoffed indignantly at my apparent idiocy. "Jackass." He added laughing slightly.

"Ha, ha, very funny. I've got myself a comedian, a totally insane comedian, but a funny man none the less." Edward pushed me back onto the bed and straddled my lap.

"And don't you forget it." He mumbled around a mouth full of my ear. I moaned quietly and shoved his shoulders slightly.

"You had better cut that out too, Mister, we have a house full of guests we are being very rude to and need to get back to." Edward pouted slightly but got up. Chuckling I added, "You might just find yourself cut off for a week after that." He rounded on me, arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed into slits.

"You wouldn't dare." He challenged.

"Oh, wouldn't I?" I laughed and left the room, leaving a bewildered looking Edward behind me.

Serves himself right I thought as I rejoined the others, Edward followed not long after, a pout still in place on his very kissable lips.

A/N Things are a little crazy right now but I will update as frequently as I can. Not too much longer to go with this fic, though I'm not completely sure how many chapters are left. Again I would like to welcome my new Beta Pyejammies, she is awesome. Also sorry for the smaller chapter this time around, hopefully they wont be this small again. Thanks for reading and reviewing, I read them all and love them all and answer as many as I can when time allows. Thanks for sticking with me.