A/N: Hello all!

I apologize for how long this has taken. But--I am very satisfied with how this chapter turned out and I hope you will be as well.

Please take the time to review, guys, especially if you like it. The more encouragement and constructive criticism I get, the faster a new chapter will pop out of the oven!

Enjoy.

Chapter 16: The Fury of a Twice-Broken Heart

Bella's POV

We stared at each other for breathless moments that felt like hours. Neither of us dared to break the shocked gaze we had locked on one another with a breath, a blink, or a word.

I wasn't sure if I was glad or horrified that he was here. Either way, I was astonished. I had so many questions, but I couldn't make my mouth move to form the words.

My entire body was frozen, as if I was a stupid, clumsy ice cube. If I possibly managed to move, I knew I would do something humiliating like fall over. I was uncoordinated, teenage Bella all over again.

My limbs were rigid and my fingers were tight and unmoving. All I could do was stand there openmouthed, struggling to break the tense silence and failing.

It had been too long for a thirsty vampire, although it had only been minutes. Too much silent time had passed for me to ignore the meal that I knew Edward was hiding behind his back.

It was tempting my teeth, my tongue, and my nostrils, my throat, my stomach, and my intestines. Even my fingers and toes and hair and eyeballs longed for that animal. It took every ounce of willpower and decency I had in me to fight off the too-eager desire.

I could see it in his eyes too: the longing for its blood. He was holding the animal in his bare hands, how could he stand it? Couldn't he feel its pulse thumping noisily under his touch, the blood calling his name?

I could hear it singing to me. Bella! Its force was irresistible, as if it were a huge magnet and I metallic. I would have reached to snatch it right then and there, had its whimper not startled me.

Edward gave me a—frightened?—glance. Then he turned toward it sharply, and from what I could see, hit it firmly to knock it out. He turned back around; still hiding whatever it was behind him with a sheepish, apologetic grin.

"I do beg your pardon," he drawled in that smooth, rich voice of his, with a smile I knew was false. At least, I hoped it was. Did he think this was a joke? What was he doing here? His apology seemed to suggest a certain politeness, as if he had only just met me. It was infuriating. Didn't he remember his old lover, whom he'd supposedly been mourning for? I knew I shouldn't care, but I wanted him to.

Well, two could play at that game. "Oh, no problem at all," I laughed carelessly. I squinted at him as if recalling a lost memory. "You look familiar, have we met before?"

He stared at me. That'll make him think twice. "Um—" He ran his hands nervously through his already-mussed hair. "—You look familiar too. Perhaps we have." He raised an eyebrow.

I smiled icily. "I'm Isabella. Nice to meet you."

He grinned shakily and offered his hand. "Edward." I looked at his hand and acted the part of disgust. How I wanted to touch him again! But I held myself back. I had gained some strength over the past few years he'd been gone.

Edward dropped his head and emitted a barely-audible sigh, even to my superhuman ears. I felt a small twinge of guilt. I knew he did know perfectly well who I was. But why was he pretending not to?

He lifted his head slowly. "Isabella…you're a stunning girl." He tried to smile, but only succeeded in looking pained.

"Er—thank you?" I replied. What was he up to?

He sucked air through his teeth. "Bella…" His gaze contained an unbearably fiery longing that made me want to do two things: curl up in the safety of his chest, and run away.

But instead, my eyes narrowed. He did know me. And, no doubt, he was about to beg for my heart again. "Edward." The word was curt and bitter.

He gave me a sad little smile. It disgusted me. He seemed to be wallowing in self-pity. "If you only knew how lonely I've been…" Edward sank down to his knees, still keeping a quivering hand on the animal behind him. "…Without you." He gave me a pleading look.

I glared and attempted to keep my voice steady. "Oh, so you want me back now? For the third time?"

"Bella," he pleaded, "I never meant to hurt you."

That's what made me snap. I was suddenly on my feet, yelling. "Hurt me? You think you hurt me? Oh, no." I leaned in close to him, and positioned my mouth above my ear, as if about to tell him a secret. Then I whispered loudly, "You destroyed me."

He fell back in shock, on top of his meal. It gave out another soft squeal but he muffled the sound. "No, Bella, no! You have it wrong!" There was a horrified look in his eyes.

I was sure my own eyes were as crazed as I was feeling. I was dizzy and uncomfortably exhilarated. "You…destroyed me!" I screamed again, only now realizing exactly how badly I had been affected. I heard my voice ricochet noisily off the trees and echo back to our ears and whimpered reflexively.

Edward sat there, stunned. His eyes were shut tightly and his fingers clenched into fists. His entire body was shaking uncontrollably. It took me a moment to realize what was happening: Edward Cullen was crying in the only way vampires could.

I had seen Esme do it before, and I had also experienced the feeling. It was so terribly painful. In your sobbing you had a desperate wish to be human again, so that the tears you just couldn't force out of your granite eyes would come then, easy and wet. You wanted your emotions to flood out of your body. It was the only real way to rid yourself of them, to ease the pain and sorrow. The only way to get over it.

Seeing him doubled up this way, and knowing what it felt like, I felt an overwhelming rush of unwanted sympathy flooding through my body, from the tips of my toes to the top of my bowed head. I almost apologized.

Instead, I restrained my empathy and laughed humorlessly. "You enjoyed it, didn't you." It wasn't a question. "All of it."

Edward was puzzled. His shoulders stopped shuddering and he looked up. "Enjoyed what, Bella?"

"What you did to me," I said flatly. "Seeing me crawl after you, hearing me pledge my love to you. Tricking me into wanting you, loving you, needing you." He tried to interrupt, but I continued. "You were like a drug to me, Edward. Remember, that day in the meadow? You said I was like your brand of heroin. You had it wrong. You were my heroin; you were my mind, body, and soul. I needed you, Edward. And after all that, after all we'd been through, you left me. The first time, it was so easy to forgive you. More than easy. I barely considered the enormous pain you had put me through. Do you know why?"

"Because you loved me," Edward almost sobbed, "And I love you, Bella. I told you how much that hurt me as well! I didn't know then that my leaving you could have proved so painful for you! I never, ever enjoyed it! Please, Bella—"

I held up a hand. "And, no matter how much you say you loved me, you left me yet again. Even after seeing what you put me through the first time." I shook my head mutely. There was no more to say.

"Bella, I love you! Don't you feel anything towards me?" Edward's eyes pleaded with me. I felt the tiniest bit of satisfaction, seeing him desperate for my acceptance of him, as I had always been for him. The irony was bittersweet.

"This isn't a question of loving you, Edward," I sighed. "Because even if I did, I still would never forgive you."

He paled, if such a thing was possible for a vampire. Yet his expression was grudgingly accepting. "My hopes shouldn't have been so high. I understand, Bella. I don't deserve you." His eyes lingered wonderingly over my face one more time, and then he turned away to his meal. I was glad; I wouldn't have been able to take much more of this conversation.

"Could—" My lips trembled. "Could I have some of that?" Now that Edward was no longer distracting me, the scent of his animal had become even more unbelievably tempting. I had never been so drawn to the blood of any creature, even a human, before. I subconsciously edged closer.

Edward turned his head sharply and shielded his dinner from me. "I don't think you want to." His cautionary smile didn't reach his eyes.

I frowned and forgot my previous quarrel with him for a moment. "Why not?"

His eyes darted nervously and he swallowed hard. Then he slowly backed away from the beast he was so eager to hide from me.

I nearly went into shock for the second time that day when I saw what Edward had been planning to feed on. There, cowering and quavering in fear, was a young male. A teenage human boy.