Chapter three; Explanations

It didn't take long for Alice to arrive. Before I knew it, I was climbing into the silver Volvo that starred in equal amounts of fantasies and nightmares. Within seconds we were speeding across town. When I looked at her face, Alice was the most sombre I had ever seen her. I was too tired to go through the niceties, so I cut to the chase.

'Do you know what happened today, Alice?' at first she didn't answer, and then, almost hesitantly, whispered a 'Yes.' I laughed, slightly on the hysterical side.

'Well, that saves time for me.' She tensed for a moment, looking like she was about to cry, then all the words she had been holding back came at once.

'Oh Bella, I'm so sorry! I should never have let him leave, and now you're a vampire, and us leaving was all a waste of time, and you and Edward got your hearts broken for nothing! I'm so sorry, I didn't even say goodbye.' I just looked at her, unable to form a rational response through my hazy state. Slowly, her words began to sink in, trickling through my groggy filter until the meaning became clear.

'What? Edward got his heart broken? You were right on the first bit, but definitely not the second, Alice. Why would he get his heart broken? He was the one that left.'

'What do you mean?' she frowned at me, desperately confused. As was I.

'He left, Alice. He didn't want me anymore. Makes sense, I suppose, I was just a little girl, a human, a distraction.' Alice had gone from confused to suspicious now.

'What did he tell you, Bella?' her voice was dark.

'He didn't want me anymore. Didn't love me.' He face and body suddenly went rigid, her eyes blazing with anger.

'That…that…that bastard!' the words exploded out of her, and I jumped a little at the profanity. Her teeth bared in anger, hissing, she swung the car around, turning back the other way.

'Alice? Where are we going?' I asked her; desperate to know why she was so enraged at her brother.

'Back to our place.' She answered, her voice still flaming. 'I am going to have little talk with Edward, and you are going to stay in the car. Then we are going to plan a little revenge for my dear brother.' Hearing her speak like that, I almost felt a bit scared for Edward. He wouldn't know what hit him.

We pulled up outside the Cullen place, a sleek tower of high tech flats built for luxury living. Alice parked the car in the underground parking lot, the we rode the elevator up to her family's part of the building. I didn't know whether I felt excited or nervous. I decided on both, in the end. The elevator pinged open, and I stepped into a large room, spacious, with huge windows down the opposite wall, giving a spectacular view of the city at night, and three cream couches, with a gargantuan plasma TV facing them. The overall impression was one of wealthiness combined with comfort. But I wasn't here to enjoy all the mod cons.

'Edward!' Alice called, and though it wasn't loud there was a menacing edge to it that commanded attention. Five vampires were almost immediately standing before us, with wary but excited expressions on their faces. Slowly, a door down the corridor that extended to the right of me opened, and Edward stepped out. He did a double take when he saw Alice's furious expression, and me standing behind her. His entire face lit up for just a second, and I guess Alice saw something, because she suddenly growled.

'Don't even think about, Edward. You lost that right over a year ago, when you lied to her.' Emmett's head was swinging between Edward standing in the corridor and me and Alice to his right.

'Edward, Alice, what's going on?' Esme asked, her motherly voice breaking the tense silence that had erupted. Carlisle spoke to.

'Yes, son, what does Alice mean that you lied?' I suddenly realised that Alice had deliberately spoken aloud, when she could have just thought at Edward, because she wanted these questions to be asked. Edward looked frantic, looking round desperately trying to find somebody that would help him win the argument. He found none. He sighed, shoulders drooping, eyes hitting the floor in shame. I felt my anger at him go up a notch at his apparent embarrassment of having to admit whatever he was going to say.

'I…I lied to Bella when we left.' He directed his confession to the carpet he was standing on. 'I told her I didn't want her anymore. I lied to her.' Numerous shocked gasps filled the room, the loudest of which was mine. My world span at a dizzying angle, my feet miraculously staying on the ground.

'Why?' Esme whispered. 'Why did you do that, Edward?'

'I thought it would make it…easier. That she could let go sooner. A clean break. And it was pointless, because it didn't keep her safe at all.' Some point during that, I regained use of my voice.

'Maybe if you had seen that earlier, this wouldn't be a problem for you. And that's all it is. Your problem, because I'm happy enough with what I've got now, and more than happy with Alex and been a vampire. So if you want me back, fight for it. I don't give in easily anymore.' Edward looked shocked; he had never seen me truly angry before, and it was far more impressive now that I was a vampire. Behind Edward's back, I saw Rosalie grin and give me the thumbs up. I ignored that for the time been. My attention suddenly snapped back to Edward as he retorted to my outburst.

'What, compete with your idiot of a boyfriend? Not likely.' He shot back. 'he's so stupid he changed you at first glance, the probably had you afterwards.' Esme gasped at her son's language, and I saw Jasper wince as my anger levels went through the roof. My body was shaking from it. I looked him straight in the eyes, and for a moment I think it dawned on him what I was about to do. I lurched forward, swinging my leg outward, and it collided solidly with Edward's groin, sending him through the wall of what I presumed was his bedroom.

'Well at least he didn't run off at the first chance he got.' I hissed at him as he was lying on the floor amongst the rubble, curled into the foetal position. I glanced at the damage for a moment, and the grabbed Alice's hand and pulled her towards the door. On impulse, I turned and glared at Edward with every ounce of anger I had for him in my eyes. He cowered into the floor.

'Oh, and by the way, I'm not paying for the wall.' Then I strode out of the door, my head held high and proud.

***

'Edward!' I heard Alice's voice ring through the house and instantly knew I was in trouble. For what, I didn't know. My plan to kiss Bella had gone both very well and spectacularly badly at the same time. She had given in to me, but in the end had pushed me away and walked off. I suppose it held a certain ironic symmetry to what I had done to her. When we had first met, I had spent weeks trying to avoid her, but eventually given in to the love I felt for her. But I had ended it all, ended both hers and my happiness by telling her I didn't love her, and leaving her alone in the woods. Only it seemed she had managed quite well afterwards, finding herself a new boyfriend and been changed shortly afterwards. She had finally got what she had wanted; immortality with a man who loved her wholeheartedly. Only that man wasn't me.

I slowly opened my door and stepped out into the corridor, and looked for where Alice was. And there behind her, looking like an angel, was Bella, her gorgeous face impassive, the topaz depths unreadable. For a moment all my doubts lifted, and seeing her, here, in my house, I wanted to run over to her and kiss her all over again. But apparently, Alice didn't like that.

'Don't even think about, Edward. You lost that right over a year ago, when you lied to her.' She spat at me. I vaguely realised that there was an audience beside her; the rest of my family had come to watch this scene.

'Edward, Alice, what's going on?' Esme questioned, her voice uncertain. Carlisle looked confused, and voiced it.

'Yes, son, what does Alice mean that you lied?' I glanced at alice, realising that she wanted my family to know this, and for me to have to admit it. I panicked, dropping my eyes to the floor, ashamed and angry simultaneously.

'I…I lied to Bella when we left.' I lacked the courage to look anyone in the yes as I confessed. 'I told her I didn't want her anymore. I lied to her.' Everyone gasped, shocked, and their thought went spinning in confusion.

What? How stupid is that? The idiot! :Jasper.

No wonder Bella has a new boyfriend! Honestly, how stupid can you get? : Emmett.

And I thought Bella had a problem. Can you hear me, Edward? Because if you can, you don't deserve Bella, after what you've done! : Rosalie.

How could he have done this to himself, to her? : Carlisle.

Oh Bella…I should have thought…her boyfriend, of course… : Esme. Alice's thoughts were still so angry they were beyond coherent thoughts.

'Why?' Esme whispered. 'Why did you do that, Edward?' her question sent a wave of guilt through me, and my head bowed even lower in shame. I was barely able to reply.

'I thought it would make it…easier. That she could let go sooner. A clean break. And it was pointless, because it didn't keep her safe at all.' My voice became angry towards the end, angry at myself, because I had hurt Bella again in leaving, and broken my own heart, and now she didn't love me at all. She suddenly spoke from behind Alice, and for the first time I noticed how the change had altered her emotionally, too. When she accused me, she no longer looked or sounded like a angry kitten, but the full-blown, furious tigress.

'Maybe if you had seen that earlier, this wouldn't be a problem for you. And that's all it is. Your problem, because I'm happy enough with what I've got now, and more than happy with Alex and been a vampire. So if you want me back, fight for it. I don't give in easily anymore.' I was shocked; whatever I had been expecting from her, it had not been that. She wanted me to fight? Well, damn it, I would fight, and if determination is anything to go on, I would win. Her anger was impressive and scary now that she was a vampire, and I felt myself tensing up for a fight instinctively.

Go Bella! She damn well deserved to have a go at him, the jackass. Rosalie's thoughts surprised me; she had never seemed to be in Bella's favour before. Great, just one more person who now hated me even more. Though in this case, it was slightly less justified than Bella's anger, even if it was only a new development in an old grudge. At the reference to her boyfriend, anger sudden;y flared up inside me, and though it was anger at myself, I couldn't control myself, venting it on the one person who I felt the most strongly about; Bella.

'What, compete with your idiot of a boyfriend? Not likely.' I spat. 'He's so stupid he changed you at first glance, the probably had you afterwards.' Esme gasped, and I read from Jasper's mind that he was having a hard time dealing with the emotions in the room at the moment. The only thing keeping him here was in case he was needed to break up a possible fight. Bella's eyes snapped up to mine, her body shaking with rage, and for a small moment I had a small vision of my own.

Oh God, No. before I could stop her, her foot came swinging up, and smacked me right where it hurts, sending me crashing through my own bedroom wall, dust swirling around me as I curled up in pain amongst the mess. Standing over me, looking like some glorious and frightening goddess of punishment stood Bella, fury still plain in her features.

'Well at least he didn't run off at the first chance he got.' She hissed, and I shrank away from her at the tone she was using, bracing myself from another, completely justified attack. She shot me one more enraged glare before taking Alice by her wrist and hauling her out the door. Just as she reached it she turned, hair flying out from her face, eyes spitting fire.

'Oh, and by the way, I'm not paying for the wall.' I heard a small choke of laughter from Rosalie, and then my one and only love strode out the door, proud, beautiful and defiant.

Almost the second she was out of earshot, laughter erupted around the room, with only Esme and Carlisle remaining serious, though a small smile played across my father's face.

'Man,' laughed Emmett, doubled over with hilarity. 'You got owned. She's definitely improved with age.' He pretended to wipe a tear from his eye, though of course he couldn't cry at all. Jasper, standing next to him was in absolute hysterics, pumped full of everyone else's mirth. He was convulsing so badly it looked like he was in actual pain from it.

'I have to say, I was wrong about her.' Rosalie giggled. 'it's good to know she's finally got out of the Mary Sue persona and actually grown a backbone.' I growled at her, but in the position I was lying in it probably only made me look ridiculous. I pulled myself up out of my sitting position and brushed some of the dust from my jeans. Slowly, but with the occasional snicker, the laughter was dying down. I reached for the landline phone, dialled directories, and asked for the nearest DIY store.

I was still fuming as I got behind the wheel of the silver Volvo, with Alice climbing into the passenger seat beside me. Without so much as a thought in my head, I was off, racing down the now empty streets of the city, out of town. I only came to myself when I automatically pulled up out side a house, stopping the car in a small space between two cheap super-minis.

'Bella,' Alice's voice was slightly timid, most likely from my outburst earlier. 'Where are we?' I glanced out the window, analysing the house we were parked next to.

'Nina's place, I think. Come on, lets go inside.' I opened the car door, hearing Alice doing the same behind me, and walked to the front door. I raised my fist and knocked loudly, knowing that Nina would be awake inside. She pulled the door open, invited us in, and before I knew it I had fessed up the whole situation to Nina. She looked thoughtful. Grinning wickedly, I turned to my other best friend, sitting next to me on the scarlet leather couch, her spiky black hair looking messier than normal.

'So, what was that you were saying about revenge before, Alice?' a slow smile lit up her tiny face, and for a moment I felt afraid of her again, all devious 4'10" of her. How jasper managed with that I didn't know.

'Oh yes,' she drawled slyly. 'Revenge.' We spent the rest of the night plotting.

'Come on Edward, you must have some better ideas that that.' Jasper commented, slightly exasperated.

'Sorry.' I said grumpily. 'I don't. Anyway, Emmett seems to be the professional in these things.' I turned to my burly brother. He was grinning from ear to ear.

'Well, I do have a few ideas…' I leaned closer.

Hello! Thank you to all the people who have read my stories, and extra big thanks to those that have reviewed. I don't know if Bella should go with Alex or Edward, so I'm leaving it up to you, the readers and the stars of my life. Just send in a review (you can do this if you're not a member, too) with either Alex or Edward in it.