AN: Thanks to ShearEnvy, as always, for the beta'ing. Thanks to BEQ for the WCing. Thanks to all of you for reading.

Chapter 21: Destiny

"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it." - Jean de La Fontaine

I stood in the center of the small, dingy motel room and stared at the hairy legs peeking out from the end of the bed. It felt like the walls were closing in on me, slowly but surely squeezing the air from my lungs. Yesterday's mascara badly smudged my eyes, making me appear as if I'd been repeatedly punched. I felt like it, too. I felt like I'd taken a right hook to the jaw before being kicked straight in the gut… beat down and too damn weary to fight back anymore.

I remembered dinner, recalling my outburst at the table when I lost my composure somewhere between drink number six and sixteen. I remembered confronting Edward, and remembered yelling at Jake. I remembered my mother showing up, and me taking Charlie's keys as I scurried to get out of there in a panic. And I even remembered Riley handcuffing me later…

But I certainly couldn't remember losing my fucking pants.

I looked down at myself again, surveying my bare legs as I swayed, still unsteady on my feet. My head was pounding fiercely and my vision was blurry, but as my eyes trailed back up to the shirt, I could faintly make out the words on the yellow logo: Forks Police Softball Team.

Softball team?

Glancing over my shoulder, I took in my reflection in the mirror behind me. The name Biers was written along the top of the shirt, the number '7' below it. Biers… Riley Biers. He used to play baseball with Edward. I last remembered being with him. Handcuffed.

Oh, shit. What –err, who- did I do?

I looked at my wrists, bruised and cut up from the restraints. I hadn't imagined it. That was for sure.

But did I really…? Could I have…?

I slowly took a few steps over to the bed and stared down at the pair of hairy legs sticking out from the floral comforter. Hesitantly, I reached down and poked one of the calves. "Riley?" I whispered, my stomach twisting. Please, God, don't let it be Riley.

The bed shifted, the person sitting up abruptly as he threw the blanket off of him. Startled, I took a frantic step back and tripped over something lying on the floor in the darkness. Crying out, I fell back on my ass with a thump.

I cringed as pain shot up my spine, and I glanced up at the bed to meet a set of brown eyes. They were familiar, but certainly not the ones I'd expected to see. "Jake?" I asked, stunned.

"This is two mornings in a row, Bella," he said, his voice stone-cold serious. "Two mornings in a row you've woken up beside me and called me another man's name. We're going to have to have a talk about this, whore. God knows I don't want to see you on an episode of Maury or, even worse, Jerry Springer. I'm afraid I couldn't love you anymore if that happened. There ain't no trash in my trailer, honey."

I gaped at him. "Where the hell did you come from?"

"Where did I come from?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at me. "Well, from what I gather, my slut of a mother banged half of Chicago and I'm the culmination of that."

"Chicago?" I asked, surprised. Those words caught me just as off guard as his presence. He'd never told me that before. "Is that really where you're from?"

His brow furrowed. "How do you call yourself my friend when you don't even know where I was born?"

"You never told me,!" I said defensively. "You've always refused to talk about your childhood or your family… except that you may or may not have killed your mother for calling you Jacob."

He cringed. "Don't call me that."

"What, Jacob?"

"Watch your mouth, trick," he said, narrowing his eyes at me. "And yes, if you must know, I was born and raised in Chicago… if you can call what my mother did to me 'raising'."

"What about your father?"

"Didn't I just say she screwed half of Chicago?" he asked. "I'd have better luck finding my father by running my DNA through CODIS than I do asking that whore who my daddy is."

"Have you ever asked? Maybe she knows."

"Of course I've asked. And if she knows, she sure as hell doesn't plan to share with me."

"Maybe it's a big secret," I suggested. "Maybe your dad was like, some big mobster or political figure. Maybe he's Bugsy Siegel or like, Jimmy Hoffa or something."

"Jesus, how old do you think I am?" he asked. "They were dead before I was born."

I shrugged. "Rod Blagojevich? I think I see some resemblance in the hair."

Jake flung a pillow at me. "You better watch yourself. You're already on thin ice. You keep it up, and I might regret coming back for you."

I climbed to my feet and stretched, trying to work the soreness out of my body, before sitting down on the bed beside him. "Why did you?" I asked curiously. "I mean, don't get me wrong –I'm glad you're here—but why are you? I was a total bitch to you."

"You can say that again."

I stared at him briefly, waiting for a response, before realizing he actually wanted me to say it again. I rolled my eyes. "I was a bitch."

Jake snickered. "Yeah, you were."

"You know I didn't mean it, right? I was just drunk."

He shook his head. "You did mean it, Bella. You meant every word. The alcohol just broke your filter."

"But-"

His hand shot out, covering my mouth before I could finish. "Just shut up. It's okay. Don't ruin the moment by backtracking. I sort of like the bitchy side of you, and I don't want you to make a bigger ass of yourself. You did a good enough job of that yesterday."

I sighed, running my hands down my sweaty face in frustration. My palms were sore, everything still aching. What the hell had happened? "I really wish I could remember more of it. I mean, how did you find me? How did we get here?"

Jake glanced around the motel room and grimaced. "God, that's a good question. There was no way I was taking you back home tonight… you were in no condition to face your family… and this rat hole was the only place with a vacancy I could find. Seems the Cullen family have every other place booked up because of some absurd wedding they're throwing. Selfish twits. Even had the damn Holiday Inn filled."

"The wedding," I whispered, nearly forgetting all about it in my hungover state. It was today. "Is it, uh…? I mean, are they…?"

I couldn't get the question out, but I didn't need to. Jake knew what I was asking, and the frown on his face was answer enough for me. The wedding was still happening. Edward was marrying her. Regardless of everything, the show was still going on as scheduled.

"Esme called me when Riley picked you up," he said, pausing briefly as he stared at me. "Speaking of which, I can't believe you called me his name. Did you seriously think he's the one you woke up beside?"

I shrugged. "Well, I mean, I kinda woke up in a strange place with no pants, and I'm wearing Riley's shirt, so I guess I just though…"

"You kinky little slut," he said, laughing. "You thought you went from handcuffed in the back of his cruiser to naked in a cheap motel room with him? You may have potential after all. I've seen you flirt your way out of a ticket, Bella, but that's a little hardcore."

My cheeks grew warm with blush. "I'm glad it wasn't him."

"Yeah, me, too," he said. "That would mean you've been with more guys this week than me, and that's just not something I'm ready to accept."

"Whatever," I grumbled. "You get laid every day."

His expression straightened, his amusement turning to seriousness. "Not anymore. I've realized it's time for me to settle down."

I gawked at him. "You? Settle down?"

"Yep," he said. "Don't act so shocked. While you were a bitch yesterday, you were also right. We all have to grow up sometime, and it's about time I make the transition."

"But—"

"And frankly, you'd know all of that already if you'd just listened to me," he continued. "I told you to read my column this week, but clearly you didn't."

"But—"

"Bella, honey, you have to stop saying that word," he said, cutting me off yet again before I could even try to argue with him. "In fact, I never want to hear it again unless we're talking about the body part. Actually, no, not even the body part. You're not seven. Just use ass."

He grabbed a pair of jeans from the floor on the other side of the bed, and I watched as he slipped them on over his boxers. "I wish I had pants," I muttered. "Where are mine, by the way? And how did I get Riley's shirt? Where are my clothes?"

"Apparently you were soaked from the rain when you got to the station, so he let you change into a t-shirt and sweatpants he had in a gym bag."

"Uh, okay," I said, staring at my legs, "but what happened to the pants?"

He laughed. "Your guess is as good as mine. We were on the way home and you demanded I pull over so you could pee. You disappeared into the woods and came back ten minutes later with bloody palms, scratches all over your legs, and no pants. I wasn't even going to ask what happened. Some stories are better left untold. There's no telling what goes on in the woods outside of Forks."

I shook my head. "I can't believe I did all that… any of that."

"Me, either," he said. "Grand theft auto, driving under the influence, speeding, resisting arrest… that certainly puts a measly library fire to shame, doesn't it?"

Having Jake spell it out for me was like a slap to the face. I'd done that… all of that. Holy shit. "My father's never going to speak to me again."

"Oh, he will," he said, slipping his shirt on before running his fingers through his hair to tame it. "He's your father, he'll forgive you. That's what real parents are like… that's the kind of parents you have."

"Parent," I said. "Meaning one."

"No-parents, plural," he stressed. "You've made your mother out to be this outrageous monster, and that's not the woman I saw yesterday. She was genuinely concerned about you."

"She's a drunk," I said. "She abandoned me."

"Oh, cry me a river, Britney," he said, "because JT's tired of hearing your bullshit. I wish my mother would've left me… I'd respect her a hell of a lot more than I do now if she would've. And frankly, you were the one who was drunk yesterday, not her. You're the one who can't remember half of what you did last night. I think your mom deserves a little bit of slack. People make mistakes. God knows you've made plenty lately. I'm sure you don't want us to hold them over your head forever."

As much as I didn't want him to be right, I knew he was. I sat silently, refusing to speak. I wasn't ready to concede yet. It was too early, and I was too grumpy.

"Anyway, let's get out of here," he said, glancing around the room.

"Where are we going?" I asked. "Seattle?"

He shook his head. "Later, maybe, but we have a wedding to get to now."

"No way," I said with disbelief. "I can't go."

"Yes, you can," he said. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you love him? Above it all, despite everything else, isn't he still your friend? Don't you want to support him? Don't you want him to be happy?"

"Yes."

"Alright then. Stop being so damn selfish and come on, because I'm not letting you leave without saying your peace. You'll just regret it, and the last thing I want is to have to listen to you whine for another ten years about that boy." He paused, laughing to himself. "Besides, you have a dress at the house with your name on it. I've been waiting for weeks to see you in that wretched thing."

I completely avoided looking in a mirror as I stood in the bathroom at the Cullen house, tugging on the frilly dress as I tried to get it on right. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, a heavy weight dragging me down.

After a moment, there was a soft knock on the door. The knob turned and it slowly opened, Esme timidly peeking her head in. "Knock, knock."

I forced a small smile. "Hey."

"Can I join you?"

"Uh, sure."

She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She motioned for me to sit down as she grabbed a brush and started running it through my hair. "You okay, sweetheart?"

"Yes," I said quietly, although I wasn't. She knew that, though. She always knew me well. "Just feeling ridiculous being here. I don't even know if I'm welcome."

"Of course you're welcome," she said. "It'll mean a lot to Edward to have you here."

"Maybe, but I'm not so sure Tanya will agree."

Esme smiled softly. "It's a touchy situation. I'm sure it'll all work out, though. Just hang in there, kiddo."

I had no idea what to say to that, so I said nothing. I had a hard time believing it would all work out at this point. I would be lucky to walk away with any dignity intact at all, much less any friendship with Edward.

She helped me get ready before leaving to head to the church and I stood there for a moment, taking a few deep breaths, before stepping out of the bathroom. Jake stood in the hallway, casually leaning against the wall as he waited. His eyes darted to me, his bored expression suddenly lighting up. I stood still, feeling absolutely ridiculous, as he burst into laughter.

"Oh God, Bella, I have got to get a picture of this," he said, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone.

I rolled my eyes and tried to snatch it away from him, but it was senseless. He easily overpowered me in my condition. I gave in after nearly messing up my freshly fixed hair and glared at him as he snapped a few pictures.

"This is precious, Pinky-Dinky-Doo," he said, continuing to laugh so hard that his eyes glassed over with tears. "I couldn't have picked a more horrendous dress. She definitely hates you."

"Tell me something I don't know," I grumbled. He snapped a few more and I stuck my tongue out at him as he put his phone back away.

"Alright, let's get going," he said, motioning for me to follow him. I did so quietly, slipping on a pair of heels before leaving the house. I rode in the passenger seat of Jake's car to the church, my stomach churning when I saw everyone that had gathered. Friends, cousins, uncles, aunts, neighbors, old classmates, and coworkers were all packed into the church, awaiting the start of the wedding. They were all here to wish them well, to celebrate Edward and Tanya's union, when it was the last thing I wanted to happen.

Jake, unsurprisingly, seemed to sense how I was feeling. He helped me out of the car and took my arm, linking mine with his. "You know, boo, you do look beautiful."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying. Beauty is more than just a dress, honey. Even dressed as a piece of used bubble gum, you're radiant. You're a great catch, Bella. A man would be lucky to have you."

I glanced at him, his voice completely serious, and smiled. "Ditto, Jake."

He walked me up the steps, and we both paused in front of the big double doors leading into the church.

"How about we make a pact?" I suggested. "In ten years if we're both still single, we'll just give up and get married."

He laughed. "Me and you?"

"Yes."

"In case you haven't noticed, Bella, I sort of swing the other way."

"So?" I said. "It would be better than being alone."

"Maybe so, but I can't do that to you," he said. "Besides, last time I checked, you already had a marriage pact with someone else."

I frowned. "Yeah, well, he's getting married."

"Sure, but he isn't married yet."

I opened my mouth to respond, but didn't have a chance to. The doors burst open, nearly hitting us, and I looked with shock as Esme and Carlisle appeared. They both seemed a bit panicked, their expressions making my heart rate spike. They hesitated when they saw us standing there.

"What's going on?" I asked. Something was clearly wrong.

Esme raised her eyebrows hopefully. "Have you seen Edward?"

I froze, shocked, while Carlisle sighed. "I had a feeling this would happen. He was nowhere to be found this morning, but I was hoping he'd meet us at the church."

Before I could say anything, Jake reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. "Go find him," he said, sticking them in my palm. "I'm pretty sure you're the only one who can."

The breeze was warm, the scent of salt water thick in the air. I could hear the waves crashing against the shore as seagulls squawked in the distance. First Beach was fairly vacant, a few stray people in the distance out in the water, but there was only one person hanging out on the shore.

Edward was alone, sitting in the sand just about a foot from the water. His hair was chaotic and clearly hadn't been brushed, his hands anxiously running through it as I watched him. He was wearing a pair of dingy jeans and a black shirt, and although I couldn't see the front of it from where I stood, I had a sneaking suspicion it was his favorite Led Zeppelin one. It was threadbare and old, one that had clearly been loved to death.

He started out at the water, his legs spread out in front of him. I considered leaving, not wanting to disturb him if he wanted to be alone, but my feet seemed to have a mind of their own. They carried me toward him, one hesitant step at a time, my bare feet sinking into the warm sand until I was close enough for him to sense my presence. He glanced back at me briefly and did a double take, his forehead creasing as he stared at me. He remained still for a moment, completely statuesque, before a loud laugh erupted from his chest.

"Jesus, look at that ugly dress."

Groaning, I looked down at the Pepto Bismol bottle of a dress. "Not you, too."

He laughed some more. "I need a picture of that."

I rolled my eyes, plopping down beside him in the sand. "Don't worry, Jake took a few. He'll be happy to share them."

"Did he really?" he asked, shaking his head. "The two of you have an, uh... odd relationship."

"You're telling me. Although we don't really have a relationship. Well, not in the sense I think you think we do." I paused, sighing. Why did it have to feel so damn awkward? "I mean, he's not really my, you know... boyfriend. I'm not really his type."

"I know," Edward said quietly.

"You know?" I asked, surprised. How the hell did he know?

"Yeah, I know," he said. "I saw him with Newton yesterday."

I gaped at him. "What do you mean you saw him with Newton?"

"I mean I saw him with Newton," he said shrugging. "I needed to clear my head after I went to your place and saw he was there. I wanted to talk to you about what happened between us, but him showing up threw me off. I went for a walk, ended up out near the grocery store, and he was there in the parking lot with Newton. He grabbed a hold of him, and I thought they were fighting, but yeah... they definitely weren't."

He shuddered, and I stared at him with disbelief. Jake and Michael Newton? What the fuck? "Wow. Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah, definitely," he said. "He shoved his tongue down his throat right there in the parking lot. Even grabbed his ass."

My mouth hung open. "What a whore."

Edward laughed. "That's exactly what I thought. I couldn't even look at you yesterday after that. All I kept thinking was, 'how am I going to tell her he's really gay?' I thought I was going to have to break the news to you."

"I've known since the day I met him."

"Yeah, well, I didn't think you knew," he said. "I didn't think you'd blatantly lie to me about him."

I frowned, guilt tugging at my gut. "I'm sorry. I just... you saw him in my room and assumed that we were together, so we kind of just rolled with it. It was stupid, I know."

Edward said nothing in response to that. He turned back out to the water, watching the waves as they crashed on the shore.

I couldn't handle the silence. "So, uh... you missed your wedding."

"I skipped it," he said quietly. "There's a difference."

"True."

Everything grew quiet again. I didn't like the awkward tension. I started to speak again, wishing it would go away, but Edward beat me to it this time.

"It's not mine," he said.

"What's not yours?"

"The baby," he clarified. "Tanya's baby. She was pregnant when I met her. When she came to the hospital, she was already pregnant."

I gaped at him. "Seriously?"

"Yes. We thought she was losing it when she had the car accident and it hit me hard. All I could think about was that day... you know, when my dad told us..." Edward paused to take a deep breath. "It reminded me of how I felt that day, and I was determined not to make her have to feel like I felt. I was protective. I attached myself to her, and it all kind of spiraled from there."

I was stunned. The baby wasn't his, and he knew about it the whole time. "Well, whose baby is it?"

He shrugged. "Someone she met at her work when she was dancing."

Work. The Body Shop. She was a fucking stripper. "Wow."

"I was trying to get a second chance," he said, shaking his head. "I was trying to relive the past, redo it, get it right. I know you probably think Tanya was using me to take care of her and someone else's baby, but I was using her just as much. I was using her to forget you. I was using her to replace you. I couldn't have it with you, so I was determined to get it with her."

"Why aren't you there then?" I asked. "Why aren't you marrying her?"

He sighed. "Because if I loved her, I wouldn't have slept with you. I cheated on her right before the wedding. I'm not ready to be anyone's husband, much less anyone's father. And I won't be ready until I stop trying to be someone I'm not."

Another awkward silence crept in, this one deeper and more intense. There was passion behind his words, anger and frustration at the situation. After a few minutes he exhaled loudly and turned to me, holding out his hand. "I'm Edward."

My brow furrowed. "I know who you are."

"No, you said last night that you don't recognize me, so I'm telling you who I am."

"I recognize you now," I said, looking at his clothes and smiling. I'd been right. Led Zeppelin. "You're the Edward I remember."

He groaned. "Just humor me, please."

I felt silly as I shook his hand. I went to pull away, but he kept a hold of me.

"I'm an outdoorsy kind of guy," he continued. "I played baseball in high school and for a while in college before my studies got to be too much and I had to give it up. I'm a doctor, and I thought I'd enjoy it, but helping people isn't all that it's cracked up to be. You work a lot of hours as an intern for not much pay. I miss having a social life... having fun, going out, being with friends. I miss music. I love classic rock, and before you scrunch up your nose at it, know that I play the guitar. All chicks dig guys that play guitar. It's your kryptonite."

I laughed. "However will I be able to resist you now?"

He smirked. "You won't... not once you hear me play, anyway." His grip on me loosened as his thumb started softly stroking the back of my hand. "I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy. I hate having to dress up, although I do admit to liking my boat shoes."

I cringed. "They're ugly."

"They're comfortable," he said. "And that's what I like-comfort. I'm not perfect. I've made a lot of mistakes, but I know who I am, and I want you to know, too."

"Nice to meet you, Edward," I said. "I'm Bella."

"Bella," he said. My tummy fluttered at the sound of my name on his tongue. "Tell me about Bella."

"Uh, well, the first thing you should know about Bella is that she's an amazing cook," I said. "She makes a mean chocolate cake with the easy bake oven."

"Hmmmm," he mumbled, eyeing me intently. "Sounds... delicious."

"I've been told it is," I replied, "Or at least my best friend, Edward, said so."

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "I don't recall ever saying that, Bella, and like I said before-I remember everything."

His gaze was intense, and I felt my cheeks flush as I looked away from him. I ran my hand through the sand beside me on the ground, picking up a handful and letting it filter through my fingers. I wasn't sure what he expected me to say or what he wanted to hear, but I was resolved at that moment that I couldn't pretend to be someone I wasn't anymore. I had to open up to him, spill my soul and let the cards fall where they may. It was the only way he and I would be able to salvage anything, whether it be a friendship or something more.

"So I bombed the chocolate cake," I said, "but I was only seven at the time, and it was all I could manage to throw together. My mother... well, she wasn't really around, so I didn't really have one that could help me with those things. I had to learn on my own, and I guess you can say I'm still learning. I'm still making mistakes, except now, instead of feeding my best friend bad food, I make an ass of myself at the dinner rehearsal for his wedding. Me. The girl who stood by your side and supported you through thick and thin."

"That's not you," he said. "That's not Bella. That's Swan. Can you still not see the difference? Swan was my best friend, and I'll always be grateful for her, but I've realized you're not her anymore. You're not my best friend."

I gaped at him, those words stinging. "I'm not?"

"No," he said. "I don't know if I have a best friend, but I guess Emmett's the closest to it if I do. But you... you're not Swan. You can't be Swan anymore. You're Bella. Your best friend is a guy named Jake. That's who I want to know."

My brow furrowed. "Jake? You want to know Jake?"

He sighed dramatically, running his hands through his hair. "Bella. I want to know Bella."

"Oh." I was a little taken aback. Who was I? It was hard to say. "Well, Bella's a food critic that still dreams about having her own cookbook. She hates wearing dresses and high heels and make-up, but she does it because she has a best friend-" I stalled a bit at that phrase. "-who insists on trying to make her fashionable. She hates the color pink and thinks this dress is the most hideous thing ever made. If it was Bella's wedding, we'd have none of this. There would be no frilly dress, no church, no big spectacle. But it's not hers. There's a part of her, though, a part that scares her, that wishes it was. She wishes she were the one getting married, because you're not the only one that's ready, Edward. She's ready, too. It took her a long time to realize it. And the fact of the matter is, Bella has only ever loved one man. That's it... just one. She's loved him her whole life, and she still loves him."

I looked at him, tears burning my eyes as a lump formed in my throat. His eyes were boring into me, his face expressionless. "Has she told him?"

I shook my head. "No, because it terrifies the shit out of her. What if he doesn't love her? What if he can't anymore? Then what? What's she supposed to do then?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "I guess she won't know unless she asks."

I wanted to smack him for his nonchalance, but I knew why he was doing it. I was constantly pushing him away, and I needed to finally let him in instead.

"It's the whole reason I came here," I said, a tear breaking free and slipping down my cheek. "I couldn't let you... I mean, I couldn't just stay away. I had to try. I had to come here and tell you."

"So tell me."

"I love you," I blurted out. "I always have, and I don't want to lose you. I don't want you to walk away. I need you in my life. I want you to be with me, not her. I want you to love me. I want you to pick me, Edward."

He reached out, brushing away my tears with his fingertips. "I have picked you," he said quietly. "I've always picked you."

"How do you figure?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but I had no idea what to say. He was here, but what did that even mean?

"You were wrong last night," he said, shaking his head. "You said you waited for me and I never came, but I did. Right here, exactly where we are. I came to you. Do you remember that?"

I stood on the shore of First Beach, staring out at the water as the waves crashed against the sand. A storm was rolling in, the mid-afternoon sky appearing closer to dusk as the wind started whipping and blowing hair into my face from my sloppy ponytail. I'd rolled out of bed this morning and threw on some clothes, barely giving myself a look in the mirror before leaving the house.

It had been weeks since Charlie asked me what I was going to do with my life, weeks since I'd seen my mother or talked to Edward. I'd kept to myself, trying to decide where to go from here. What do you do when you wake up one day, and the world around you is nothing more than a blank canvas? Do you paint a path, a brilliant picture of a future you never dreamed possible, or do you just stay there where there's nothing anymore?

Go, or stay. I hadn't yet made up my mind.

There was a shuffling behind me, followed by a quiet cough that alerted me to the fact that I wasn't alone anymore. I turned around, my stomach twisting when I saw him standing a mere few feet from me. He looked as if he, too, had just rolled out of bed, his clothes wrinkled and hair disheveled. There were bags under his eyes, purplish smudges that I longed to smooth away with my fingertips.

Edward said nothing, just stared at me, and I could do nothing but stare right back. I had no idea what to say, why he was there or what he wanted.

After an eternity-filled minute, he ran his hand through his hair. "Hey."

"Hey."

After torturous weeks of nothing, the silence between us having torn me apart, when I finally see him that's all we have. Hey.

He sighed and strolled toward me, a frown tugging his lips. "I went to your house and Charlie told me you were probably down here. Said you've been down here a lot lately."

I stared at him with surprise. I'd been coming to La Push nearly every afternoon now and had no idea anyone knew. I didn't think my father even noticed I was gone. "Yeah, I, uh… I come here to think."

He nodded. "I used to do the same thing. It's peaceful."

"Yeah, it is."

The air around us was so awkward it made my skin crawl. This wasn't us… this wasn't how it was supposed to be.

"I didn't mean to interrupt or anything," he said, sighing. "I was packing and I—"

"Packing?" I blurted out, caught off guard. He was packing?

"Yeah. I'm supposed to leave tonight so I can check into my dorm in the morning."

I was a bit taken aback. Time had completely flown by, and it was hard to believe summer was already coming to an end. "So you're going to Harvard?"

"Uh, yeah," he said. "I accepted the baseball scholarship. Figured it would be good for me."

"It will," I said. "What about music, though?"

He shrugged. "Music will always be a part of my life. I'll still play."

"You better. You're too talented not to."

His frown slipped, a smile tugging the corner of his lips. "You think so?"

"You know I do," I said. "You're so good at practically everything… I don't want you to ever give up on yourself."

I felt tears prickling my eyes as I said that, but I fought them back. I couldn't cry. Not now.

"You, either," he said. "I've always told you that you're smart… you're too good for Forks. Too good for it all."

I didn't feel too good for it, but I smiled at his words. They were nice to hear. "Thanks."

"I mean it," he said seriously. "Don't waste your life away because you're too afraid to go for what you want. I know you have dreams. Get in your truck and follow them. Get out of here. Go after what you want."

"I will," I whispered.

Edward held his hand out to me, sticking his pinky finger out. "You promise?"

I hesitated, but linked my pinky with his. "I promise."

He let go. "And you can't break your promise or something horrible will happen."

"Like what?"

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe you'll get locked in a port-a-potty or fall into a sewer."

I grimaced. "Gross."

Edward laughed, his shoulders relaxing. The tension was receding, the awkwardness gone. "Yeah, so don't break your promise."

"I won't."

"Good." He was quiet for a moment before sighing. "Well, I just wanted to see you before I left. I should probably go and, you know... finish packing."

"Yeah," I said. "You probably should."

He stared at me, like he had something else he wanted to say, but he just turned after a few seconds and started walking away. "Bye, Swan."

"Bye," I whispered, my knees nearly buckling as I watched him walk away. I lost the fight against my tears as he got into his Camaro and started it up, giving me a wave before driving away. I waved back and smiled, although I felt like I was dying inside. He was leaving. I had to let him go.

I stood there for awhile, crying all alone on the beach, before wiping my tears and heading for my truck. I climbed into the driver's seat and headed out onto the highway, driving straight to Port Angeles to register for classes.

I knew I had to go now. After all, I'd promised.

"You didn't come for me," I said, shaking my head as I stared out at the water. "You came to say goodbye."

"No, I didn't," he said. "I came to see if you'd ask me to stay."

I glanced at him, thinking back to that day and that look he'd given me before he walked away. I'd thought it was a look that meant he was moving on when it was a look that was begging me to stop him. "And I didn't."

"No, you didn't," he said. "But it's because you weren't ready. We weren't ready."

"But we are now."

He nodded. "We are."

I had no idea where the conversation was going, what was going to happen from here, but there was a twisting deep inside of me that made my hope swell. "What do we do now?"

He sighed and climbed to his feet, brushing the sand from his pants. Reaching his hand out, he helped me up. "Well, I need to have a talk with Tanya, and you should probably go face your parents."

I cringed at that idea. The last thing I wanted to do was face my father after what I'd done. "Do we have to? Can't we just get in our cars and drive away?"

He chuckled. "I'm afraid not."

Edward and I quietly strolled over to our vehicles. I opened the driver's side door and glanced down at the seat, seeing the ring box sitting there. "Oh, here," I said, picking it up and holding it out to him. "You'll probably want this."

He looked at it and shook his head. "Keep it."

My brow furrowed. What the fuck? "What do you mean 'keep it'?"

"I mean keep the ring," he said. "Hold on to it. I never planned to give it to Tanya, anyway."

He was making no sense to me. "What? Why?"

Shaking his head, Edward cocked an eyebrow at me. "For someone that wore it for a day, you sure didn't really look at it, did you?"

I gaped at him. He knew I wore it? "How do you…?"

"I know you," he said. "That girl you described out there on the beach… I know her like the back of my hand. I knew the moment I gave her the ring she'd put it on. She might not like makeup or dresses, but I remember her once describing a ring to me that she would want. I knew she wouldn't be able to resist it."

He got into his Volvo and drove away before I could even get my jaw to close. I climbed into the car and opened the ring box, pulling out the ring. It was fairly simple, and yet absolutely beautiful. I held it up to the light and froze when I noticed the writing on the inside of the band, the breath leaving me as I read the words.

I've loved you forever, in lifetimes before…

I smiled. He'd quoted Nsync lyrics. He did know me.

I stuck the ring back in the box and placed it in the center console before driving to Charlie's. His cruiser was back in the driveway and I tensed as I parked behind it and climbed out, slowly making my way to the house. I hesitated on the porch, taking a deep breath, and glanced next door at Edward's Volvo which was already there. I could only imagine what he was going through right then, and that thought gave me the courage to open the front door.

For Charlie was scary, but he was nowhere near as frightening as I had a feeling Tanya could be.

The moment I stepped inside, my eyes fell on my father sitting in his favorite recliner. My mother was sitting on the couch, her expression guarded as she eyed me. I felt those familiar feelings of resentment stirring up inside of me at the sight of her, but instead of lashing out, I did my best to push them away. Time for a clean slate. Time for a fresh start.

If Edward could be big enough to try to do it, why couldn't I?

"I'm your daughter," I said with a slight tremble in my voice, hoping I didn't live to regret this. "And you're my mother, but I don't know you."

"I know," she said, "and that's completely my fault."

"It is, but I get that you were sick," I said. "I just want to know if you're still sick."

"You want to know if I'm still drinking?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at me.

"Yes."

She shook her head. "Not anymore."

"How long have you been sober?"

"A year," she said. "You told me to come back when I've been sober for a year."

It was a long time ago that I'd uttered those words, but I clearly remembered telling her that. She'd listened to me.

"Your father helped me," she said. "He got me help. He found a great rehab program, and since I've been out he's helped me get my life together. He helped pay for an apartment until I could find a job."

I sighed, closing my eyes. Now I knew why Charlie was struggling for cash. "Are you working?"

"Yes," she said. "I started a job last week."

I glanced over at my father, a bit angry he'd sacrifice so much for her, and was surprised to see pride shining from his eyes as he gazed at my mother. It confused me for a moment, but then I remembered those words he'd said to me all those years ago. There's no statute of limitations on love, Bella. When you love someone, you wait for them. You give them all the time they need. Or, well… at least I do. I think it's only right.

He'd given her years… he had waited for years. I certainly knew what that felt like.

"We can try to build a relationship," I said. "If that's what you want, I'm okay with it. We can try to get to know each other. I guess I… I'd like to know who you really are."

She smiled. "I'd love it, Isabella."

I sighed at the sound of my name. I couldn't deny it still hurt to hear it. "Well, I need to go get out of this dress."

I started for the stairs, wanting to get out of that room, but my father's booming voice stopped me in my tracks. "Now you hold on a minute, you stop right there, young lady."

Glancing back at him, I saw the pride was gone from his eyes. Charlie was glaring at me. He meant business.

"What?" I asked timidly.

"You know what," he said sternly. "Sit your ass down. We're going to talk about what you did."

Suddenly, I was eighteen again, feeling the guilt from setting the library on fire.

The Cullen's house was dark and vacant. No lights, no cars, no people. They were gone, and although I knew Esme and Carlisle would be back, the sight of it so empty made my chest feel the same way. It was like a part of me had been ripped out, a part that left with him.

I headed inside and went right for the kitchen, where Charlie was sitting at the table reading his paper. It was dinner time, and I knew he'd probably expected me back sooner to cook for him. I dropped a folder down on the table in front of him before heading for the fridge and starting to pull out stuff to make sandwiches.

"What's this?" Charlie asked, putting his paper aside to pick up the folder.

"School stuff," I replied. "Registration, class schedules, supplies lists."

"School?" he asked, surprised. "You're going to college?"

"Yes," I said quietly. "I'll need to stay here for awhile until I can afford to move to Port Angeles, if that's okay."

"Of course it's okay," he said. "You can stay as long as you want."

"Thanks, but it won't be for long," I said. "I think I'm okay going out on my own."

Charlie stared at me as I set a ham and cheese sandwich down in front of him. I was much too mentally and emotionally exhausted to actually cook anything.

"I'm proud of you, Bells," he said, smiling. "I think you'll be just fine. Edward will, too. You'll both be okay."

I nodded. "Yeah, I think so, too."

Later that night, I was sitting on the front porch of Charlie's house, clutching the newspaper from the day before. Curiously, I flipped to the page with the Truth be Told column, expecting the typical, jaded, sarcastic answers to reader's questions, but instead found myself staring at a few paragraphs of text. My eyes scanned them, and I smiled as I read his words:

I've dished out a lot of advice these past few years in this very spot—some serious, some sarcastic—but I've always done my best to be honest with you, my readers. The truth sometimes hurts, and I have prided myself on always giving you that, but I've come to the realization that I haven't always known what I was talking about. Yes, I, the infamous Truth be Told, have been wrong.

Shocked, aren't you? Trust me—I am, too.

It all started with a girl and a boy, as these things usually do. Throw in a new love interest, an overbearing best friend, and a letter from a concerned parent and what we end up with is a mind-blowing realization: I don't know everything.

You see, recently I took on the task of helping a friend win back a guy, despite the fact that he'd moved on. I approached it as a game, a series of tasks to do to achieve her goal. It was like an obstacle course, and I was telling her how to navigate her way to the end. But one thing I failed to realize was that when it comes to love, there are no set rules. Love doesn't follow instructions. Love defies logic. Love contradicts, love hurts, love destroys, love heals… love invades. You can't rule love… love rules you.

But I didn't know that, because I'd never been in love… until recently, anyway. I met someone;, someone who turned my world upside down in just one day and made me question everything I thought I knew. I always thought my life was complete, that I was happy, but he showed me differently. And now, after all is said and done, I realize that while I was telling my friend what to do, instead I should've been listening to her. She knows what it means to be in love. She knows how it feels. She knows there are no rules.

It wasn't until I read the letter from the concerned parent that I understood this. It said, 'Truth be Told, What happens when two people who love each other are too terrified to admit their feelings? Sincerely, Concerned Parent.' The old me would've said something along the lines of "they die alone", but that's not me anymore. No, I understand love now, and I know you have to trust in it. You have to believe that what's meant to be will be.

And I believe.

So this is me, Truth be Told, telling you that I've been wrong. Love is real, and it's out there, waiting for you. You just have to trust that.

And that's my answer, Concerned Parent. What happens when two people who love each other are too terrified to admit their feelings? You just have to trust that love will make itself known, and that this boy and girl will come to their senses before it's too late.

Smiling, I set the paper aside as Edward's Volvo came driving down the street. It pulled into the driveway next door and Edward climbed out from the driver's seat. He headed toward the house but froze when he glanced over and saw me. He hesitated for a moment before strolling over and wordlessly taking a seat beside me on the porch.

"How'd it go?" I ask quietly.

He sighed. "Well, I survived. And I got them all on a plane back east, so I guess it was a success."

"That rough?"

He shook his head. "Rough doesn't even begin to cover it. I'm just glad it's over."

"Me, too."

He glanced at me, raising an eyebrow. "How'd you make out?"

I shrugged. "It wasn't so bad. Charlie yelled a bit… well, okay, he yelled a lot… but I think he was just glad no one got hurt. It turned into more of an intervention than anything. Apparently my out of control behavior scared him."

"Scared me, too," he said. "You can't be doing that shit anymore, Bella. Talk to me before you snap like that. It's just me… just Edward."

"I will," I said. "I've learned my lesson."

He smiled, holding his hand out to me. "Promise?"

I returned his smile, hooking my pinky with his. "I promise."

We sat there for a moment, locked in a pinky promise, before he slowly started leaning toward me. My breath hitched as my eyes fluttered closed, my chest burning with excitement and anxiety as he kissed me. It was soft and sweet, like so many other kisses we'd shared, but it felt new. It felt like he was kissing me for the first time.

His tongue swept across my bottom lip, asking for entrance. I obliged, opening my mouth to him, and he started to deepen the kiss when someone dramatically cleared their throat. I pulled away from Edward quickly, startled, and saw Jake standing a few feet away.

"You dirty, dirty girl," he said. "Making out with the boy next door on your daddy's front porch under the moonlight. For someone that doesn't know shit about chick-flicks, you sure do cliché good."

I rolled my eyes. "Like you have room to talk… the gay best friend? Seriously? Does it get more cliché than that?"

He laughed. "Oh, so I'm allowed out of the closet again?"

"Yes," I replied. "He knows the truth."

"Good thing," he said, strolling over to us. I groaned, stunned as he shoved me aside and squeezed his way between Edward and me. "I'd hate to think you were cheating on me."

"No, we're definitely over," I said. "In fact I should probably introduce you for real now. Jake, this is Edward, the boy I've loved. Edward, this is Jake, my friend that gave me the courage to come here after you."

"Nice to meet you," Edward said politely, holding out his hand to Jake.

Jake ignored it, cocking an eyebrow at him instead. "Tell me something, Dr. Cullen... what exactly are your intentions with my Bella-bear?"

By the time you get to this point, the epilogue will be up... ;)