A/N: Here is chapter 24 - Remember I speak Spanish, so I'm sorry for the mistakes this might have. It's a long chapter so maybe I deserve some comments :P

Enjoy, people!

Chapter 24

We were already sitting in a corner of the place, trying to avoid the strong light of cheap illumination that would only make this a little more uncomfortable. Though the table was big, it seemed too small. I felt almost suffocated in this place.

The red and white checked tablecloth went pretty well with the plant in the middle of it as decoration, the woody chairs and the quiet Italian music sounding from the speakers. If it wouldn't be for the reason I was here tonight, I would have said that Marcus' Pizza was one of my favorite restaurants – not that I knew too many, either. But it had this combination… it was cheap but at the same time it was really well achieved, I could almost feel in Rome right now… or in Volterra.

The table was rounded, so we could practically see each other perfectly. Great. I had Jasper at my left and Rosalie at my right. Then beside Rosalie Emmett was sat, then Edward that was also almost in front of me and then JessicASS.

By the way, did I mention her red dress almost covered only her private parts? And I guess she did that for the only reason that if not she would go in jail, I'm sure if it was up to her, she would have come exactly as her mother brought her to this world. Rosalie was really pretty, as usual. She had a simple, golden dress that went perfectly with her goddess blond hair.

Everyone's faces were odd. As if we were out of place. Well – at least Edward and I looked like that. He was tense but in an unusual way. As if his senses were sharper than ever, as if he was completely aware of everything going on around him.

"So, let's order?" Emmett said when everyone was just too quiet. We all nodded in unison, but we were still too uncomfortable to start a conversation.

I really wasn't hungry; my stomach was shut for the nervousness I felt. But I didn't want to sound like a whining little girl or an 'Oh, there is nothing diet here,' teenage girl. So I bit my tongue and looked for a simple pizza on the menu – a margarita.

The waitress came to our table some minutes later and started to ask which our orders were. Almost all of us kept it simple, a pizza and a soda. I said almost, because JessicASS was as complicated with food as I thought she would be.

"Umm, I'd like… umm," She had been like that for almost five minutes now. We were all staring at her with annoyed faces, and the waitress was about to eat her in one bite.

"Jess, can you decide already? She's waiting…" Edward intervened. I could sense that tone in his, the one that seemed relaxed but was truly hiding the impatience and annoyance he really felt.

Jessica glared at him. "Well, Edward, I really don't want to get all fat for just one night, alright? Summer isn't finished yet, and I still need to take care of my body." Then she got closed to his ear, but the tone of her voice seemed too loud to be a whisper. "Besides, I think you'd prefer my body as this and not all fatty like others, or wouldn't you?" I swear she glared at me at the end, as if the 'all fatty like others' was me.

Edward widened his eyes and turned red. His eyes suddenly posed in the table as if he were ashamed. And I suddenly felt this huge necessity to punch her hard in the face. To destroy that perfect nose she had. There was this feeling that was coming from no reasonable place, this completely animal instinct that overpowered my body all of a sudden. Wow, I guess I was a little bit violent these days… Considering the fact that yesterday I punched Jacob. But this was different, I couldn't really identify the motor behind my angriness, but it was definitely not the same of Jacob's.

I took a deep breath and clenched my fists to dissipate the rage. But it was still too much.

"Can you please decide, Jessicas—a? PLEASE? It's not like you are deciding your wedding dress or anything, it's just food!" I snapped. Everyone stared at me with confused eyes, Jasper's ones were a bit skeptical too. I thought I saw Edward's lips turning into a smile, but I couldn't really say – I was still too shocked for my own reaction.

And JessicASS? – Well, she could have fried my brain with the look she was giving me.

"Well, Bella, don't worry, I already know how my dress is going to be, right baby?" She intertwined her fingers in Edward's hair in a possessive way. And my stomach felt sick.

"Umm, please, Jessica. If you aren't going to order I'll just tell her to leave, she's waiting." Edward mumbled back. He seemed uncomfortable, his lips in a thin line.

"Do you have lettuce, for any chance?" She shrieked to the waitress with a petulant voice.

The waitress almost glared at her. "Yes, we have lettuce."

"Good, I want that." She grinned in the same petulant way and rolled her eyes. The waitress stared at her in disbelief for some seconds, and then walked inside the kitchen, her head shaking from side to side.

Jasper's hand suddenly took mine beyond the table, and started rubbing its back. I blushed just for the single act of his hand in mine… and everyone so close. I stared at his eyes and he was staring back, his look playful.

"So, Bella," Rosalie suddenly said, making me give a little jump in response.

"Mhm?" I shook my hands off Jasper's and again the color invaded my system. I heard Jasper sigh at my side.

"I was wondering how you met my brother because you're in every one of our conversations for some thing or the other, but I can't ever make him talk about you two." She giggled and arched an eyebrow as expecting an answer.

Of course I blushed again, I blushed more than a tomato would if it was summer and he would have been in the beach almost all the day. I blushed way more than that.

But it was Jasper who answered. "Rosalie!" He mumbled to her with a nervous voice.

"What, bro? Just keeping it real," She grinned back.

I heard Edward snorting and we all turned our heads to him. "What?" Rosalie frowned.

He looked lost for a second and then he composed. "Umm, nothing, nothing… I was just remembering how they met. Well, they had already met before, but Jasper never really looked at her because he was too busy with Lauren or some girl. Right?" Edward turned his eyes to Jasper, and there was something in their depths… some kind of suppressed angriness that was starting to reach the top.

For a second I stayed frozen listening to Edward's last reply in my head again, and again. But it wasn't the thing about Jasper that mattered the most, it wasn't the fact that he was with another girl before me – or a lot more. It was the fact that Edward was bringing it now. Bringing it when it truly wasn't necessary, as if he was trying to make clear some invisible point only he knew.

I broke free of my trance when Jasper talked – well, sort of growled. "Yes, but it was before I knew her… I don't want to be with any other girl right now." He finished softly and smiled at me.

I heard Edward snorting again and then muttering something like 'Whatever,'. Where was this childish behavior coming from?

"So," Rosalie said again, her tone more impatient. "How was it?"
Emmett was just too close to her, too dazed to say anything. That was something new; Emmett quiet?

I took a deep breath. "We were in this bonfire with Edward, and then we were sitting in a log with Edward, and then Jasper came to talk to Edward and I. And then Edward went to look for Jessicas---a, and Jasper stayed with me, and well… we started talking and all." I breathed again, all the air had been out with my long, almost without sense, previous statement.

Rosalie made a face. "Seems like Edward was the shiny star, huh?"

But before anyone could say anything else, the waitress was bringing our order. I didn't know what was going through everybody's mind, but in my case – I was relieved dinner came. Because Rosalie's last comment let me frozen.

We ate almost in quiet again, just some comments from here, some replies from there…

Emmett was still too dazed by Rosalie's presence. He was grinning from ear to ear, as close as he could be to her and the way he ate was like one of a gentleman. Sure not how Emmett would have eaten in any other case. Also his clothes; he had a black shirt that gave him this air of graciousness. It was nice to see Emmett like this, so determined to have Rosalie's attention – but he was doing it in the good way. I could see Rosalie trying to 'not making it easy for him,' as Alice once told me. Her posture was rigid, but there was this smile playing with her lips the whole time, that just gave her away.

I finished my second slice of pizza and lifted my eyes to see the others. Jessica was so funny looking at our yummy pizzas with eyes full of desire and then looking to her poor lettuce with disgust. HA! That's what you get for being a b*tch. Then there was Jasper, at my side, he was closer from me than necessary. And there was something weird in his posture, as if he wanted to show some possession… like I was his?

Edward seemed so thoughtful as he ate his favorite pizza; pizza with pepperoni. I stared at him puzzled, because his expression didn't show the childish face he always had when he was eating it. He was almost grimacing… a painful smile was sculpted in his lips.

Jasper's hand in my leg made me turn my eyes to him; he was staring back with that same possessive look in his eyes. I tried to smile, but I didn't feel comfortable so close to him in here. It didn't seem like he was caressing me, it seemed as if he wanted to prove something.

"I've missed you," he whispered in my ear. "I'm praying that they want to go to somewhere so we can have some time alone." His hand was still in my thigh, making a pattern of circles over my blue dress.

I gulped nervously. The time when he kissed me and it wasn't his lips I felt, appeared strongly behind my eyes. "Well, Jasper… this is a triple date. We are supposed to hang out all together." I tried to say as composed as possible, and casually I took the hand that was still in my dress in mine.

He bended down to my ear again. "I know, but that doesn't mean I don't want to be alone with you." He kissed my cheek lightly. "By the way, you look beautiful. But can I tell you something?"

I frowned, but nodded anyway.

"I think green suits you better." He grinned and pecked my cheek one more time.

"Really?" I gave a glance to my dress. "I really prefer blue, you know? I really think it goes much better with my skin and my eyes…" But this wasn't my words the ones I was stating. I remembered well the time Edward told me this same speech some years ago in a school dance. I had a beautiful blue dress. We were dancing and in some moment he bended down to reach my ear and told me that blue looked beautiful in me; because it went perfectly with my skin and my brown eyes. I smiled unconsciously as I remembered.

Edward chuckled. Our eyes were suddenly in him. "What?" Emmett asked.

"Nothing, nothing," He shook his head. "Just---nothing,"

With that we kept on eating. Well- I was still chewing my third slice and my stomach was now also twisting with nervousness for what Jasper told me before.

Jasper was already done with his pizza, he was fast. His elbows were now resting in the table. I looked up to his eyes and realized they were posed on my cleavage, in an unconscious way. When I was about to clear my throat so he would notice, Edward's voice sounded, skeptically.

"What are you looking at?" All our eyes were automatically posed in him. He was frowning, his features rigid.

"Excuse me?" Jasper said to him, with not a nice face, when Edward wouldn't stop staring at him.

He suddenly went out of his strange trance. "Umm, nothing, I was talking to that little boy over there," He pointed to a baby that wouldn't be more than five months old and repeated, "What are you looking at?"

We all stared at him in disbelief. I guess he was more loco than I'd thought.

After that everyone seemed more relaxed. Maybe the pizza had made its thing and we felt more comfortable. We sure felt fuller.

JessicASS was now almost in Edward's place, her arms all over his shoulders, her mouth too close from his own. And that weird sickness in my stomach appeared again. My eyes instantly looked away, finding anything but them.

And Jasper's hand found my leg once again, but this time I let him. I didn't care; I was just feeling too weird. As if I was here physically but not mentally…

But there was just one thing that caught my eye when I decided to peep at Edward and his hideous girlfriend – he had this same uncomfortable face that I was sure was resembling to my own. His eyes were partially closed, his features were tight and his mouth was in that thin line that was so common in him when something felt wrong.

My trail of thought was lost when I felt something soft in my chin. It took me only some seconds to realize that that soft feeling were Jasper's lips stroking my skin. I closed my eyes – but it wasn't for pleasure, it was because I didn't want to see what surrounded me. There was something inside me that wanted to do anything but look at this table. Was really the table I didn't want to look at right now?

Jasper's kisses went strongly as he was reaching the corner of my lips. I giggled, uncomfortable. And reflexively pulled away.

"What?" He scowled, annoyed, as he stared deeply into my eyes. "Can't I kiss you?"

"Y-yes, you can…" I tried to sound as convincible as possible. And then without thinking it rationally, I turned my eyes to Edward. And what was he doing? Staring back, intently, his eyes dark.

"Great," He whispered in my ear. "Because I really want to kiss you." And with that, his eager fingers requested my mouth. Our lips had touched only some times, when we both jumped at the sound of a chair scraping with the floor, producing a shrieking sound.

"Excuse me," Edward hissed standing, and stormed into the bathroom that was some feet away.

Something tiny broke inside me. I didn't know what, I didn't why… but it did. Jasper sighed heavily at my side as I was too concentrated on looking to a blank spot and didn't turn my head to him to continue. I really couldn't continue. Because it didn't feel right. And because I was sure that if I'd have had more time like that… I'd have sure feel other lips again…

"What's wrong with him?" Rosalie asked Emmett.

"I really don't know, I've never seen him like this." Emmett shrugged. He posed his eyes in mine intently for some seconds, and then looked back at Rosalie with that same goofy smile.

"I guess I have to go look for him," Jessica rolled her eyes.

"He's in the men's room, you can't go in there." I snapped before even thinking it.

She glared at me one more time. "I can do whatever I want, whenever I want because he's my boyfriend!" She shrieked, her eyes filled with angriness. And again I had to breathe deeply so I wouldn't deform her too perfect face.

Emmett interrupted then. "Jessica, Bella is right… I mean he went to the bathroom, maybe the pepperoni was off and he is now---"

"Emmett!" Jessica cut him off, disgusted. "We got the picture."

"Sorry," Emmett mumbled and stared at Rosalie that was laughing at him sweetly, his own lips arching up in a bright smile with this.

The urge to go and see what was it with Edward was overpowering my senses completely. Because something inside me was telling me that it wasn't about the pepperoni. I somehow knew that it wasn't just a coincidence that it was the same time when he excused himself for going to the bathroom and when Jasper's lips where were they where. Just one question was filling all my brain, WHY?

When I thought I was going loca, Edward appeared again. His features more relaxed now, but it only seemed a mask – it didn't feel genuine.

"That bad, huh?" Emmett chuckled and stared at his little brother. "I won't ever eat pepperoni again."

Edward glared at him and sat in the chair, arms crossed over his chest in a defensive way. Jessica didn't delay in going to her previous posture, trying to have as much of Edward's body as possible. And that same rage blinded my brown eyes; I was almost fuming without reason at all.

"Angela sent a message to Jasper and I, yesterday," Rosalie said. "She invited us to her birthday party on Monday."

"Oh, you are going?" Emmett said excited. "I'm going too!"

"We are all going," Jessica rolled her eyes. "But I have my aunt's birthday the same day. So I guess I'll be first going to that one and then to Angela's one," She said as if she was so important to have more than one party in one day. LIKE ANYONE EVEN CARED!

Emmett sighed in a romantic way then. "So, you are a model," he grinned to Rosalie.

"Yes," She giggled back.

"So you do bathing suits advertising campaign or something?" He almost drooled over when he said this, his eyes sparkling.

Rosalie hit his arm in a teasing way. "Shut up, I'm not going to talk to you about that."

"Why not? I'd love to hear it," Emmett raised his eyebrows and finished the little gap between their lips.

Just then something flashed in the air and before I could even flicker, I saw Emmett's mouth pasted to the flowerpot of the plant that was resting in the middle of the table just seconds ago.

"Why did you do that?" Emmett mumbled through the flowerpot as we all started laughing. Well, JessicASS laughter was so faked that I don't know if I could call it laughter.

Rosalie put it down and stared to the front with a superior face. It was obvious she was enjoying herself though; the constant smile would say it itself. "Emmett Cullen, I'm a serious girl. You can't kiss me whenever you want." She teased.

Emmett whispered something in her ear. And then Rosalie grinned and nodded.

"We are gonna go for a walk," He said, too excited as he stood up and gave his hand to her. She took it and with that they walked to the exit, a loud guffaw escaping both thoraxes at the same time.

Why, WHY? The only people that actually talked were now nowhere near us. And the tension was just too glaring. We were completely mute and stiff as we stare at anywhere but each other's eyes.

"So, Bella," Jessica squealed. "Is your dad still alone?"

I glared at her, my eyes suddenly blurred – but this time with tears. She knew this was a touchy subject.

"Jessica," Edward muttered to her. "Don't."

"Why, Edward? I'm asking in a friendly way. Because I know he has been so lonely since… well, since so many years…" I just wanted to kill her. My eyes were almost full of water and tears were going to spill in any second. I felt Jasper's hand in my back.

Edward stared at her in disbelief. "Just stop, alright?" He almost yelled at her.

She glared back, her eyes suddenly really angry. So much that I thought she was going to punch him, or me. But instead she stood up loudly and entered the bathroom.

We stayed quiet then, too shocked to say anything. Besides, the lump was still in my throat and I was afraid of what would happen if I talked.

Suddenly a sound coming from Jasper's pocket broke that impossible, thick silence. Jasper took it with shaky hands and sighed when he stared to the screen.

"I'll be right back," He called as he stood from the chair and started walking towards the exit. "Hello, dad?" And with that he was lost through the door.

I was staring to the table, my system still perplexed. But anyway I could see a figure standing up and then walking slowly to my side.

"I'm sorry," He breathed as he sat beside me. I could feel his breathing close.

I shook my head, my eyes still in the table. "It's not you fault that your girlfriend as a complete b*tch."

He chuckled lightly. "I didn't know you thought that,"

"Would it make a difference if you knew?" My eyes irrationally turned to his.

"It would make a difference if I told you there is something in Jasper I don't like?" He arched an eyebrow.

I tried to shrug, but that same feeling in the pit of my stomach overcame me again. The stupid feeling I could only feel when he was just too close to me.

I stared at him for some seconds as he sighed and looked to the front. But this time I really stared at him, staring to the amazing little details his face held. For example the almost invisible brown mole he had in the corner of his upper lip. I had never noticed it before… Or the fact that his eyes had in the iris some grey spots that made its emerald green eyes unique. My eyes continued their way to his neck, where little moles gave him a sweet look in contrast to his well formed neck.

My eyes kept going down until they posed in his chest. This was the first time I was actually staring at his chest with these eyes. I stayed hypnotized as I realized how well his grey shirt hugged his Michelangelo's like muscles of-----

"Bell? BELL? You still with me?" My best friend shook me lightly making me lost in my pervert trail of thought that I was having towards him? Yes, towards my best friend.

I blushed in a completely new range of red as I realized he knew where I was staring only seconds ago. "Umm, sorry, I was thinking…" I looked at the front, ashamed to look at him and see his disgusted eyes as I was sure he would have when he'd realize what I was looking at.

But instead he came closer and sighed. "You know, I don't agree with Jasper," I frowned; I had completely forgotten Jasper for some seconds. He shook his head and continued, "You look pretty in any color, but blue is the one that goes better with your skin and brown eyes." He chuckled. His eyes rounded as if to give me the hint that he remembered that I quoted his words before.

I laughed back and blushed a bit. "Yeah, one silly boy once told me that same thing, you know?"

"Oh, he did?" He continued the joke. "He must have been so clever,"

"Nah," I made a face. "He was so stupid, he still is, though." I laughed. And then his hands find my waist as he tickled me. But there wasn't the normal feeling that I common felt when someone tickled me… they were also tickles, what I felt, but not just those ones.

We stay quiet for some seconds when I remembered. An unconscious smile playing with my lips. "I didn't have the time to tell you something,"

His eyes suddenly sparkled and a smile played with his lips in that second. "What?"

"I'm going to Dartmouth!" I almost shouted. My voice sounded so loud that a couple in the table beside us stared at me with surprise. "Sorry," I mumbled back and grinned nervously.

Then my eyes found Edward one more time, just to wish they hadn't. Though his lips were curled up in a smile, I could see the deep sorrow in the depths of his eyes. "What? How?"

"Well, it might sound crazy but my mother gave me the money. Well, not my mother, of course. But Charlie had an envelope that I supposed she should have sent to him before she died. In that envelope, Charlie gave me this morning, there was this amazing letter… and then the number of a Bank account and some information that trust me, it said I could go to Dartmouth!" I grinned at him. "So I'm going, I'm going! Isn't it awesome?!"

The sorrow was now reaching the top. "Wow, Bell, yeah… that's… that's awesome, I'm so glad for you." He tried to cheer, but his voice was almost faltering. Before I could said anything like 'Tell that to your face,' he had took me in his arms and put me in his lap.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and without even thinking it; I placed my head in his shoulder, smelling this unique scent only his neck had… I closed my eyes as I let myself flow in this weird moment. His cheek was pressed to my own as his hand was stroking my back going up and then down, and then up again…

My stomach was almost dancing inside me; I could feel this feeling in the pit of my stomach stronger than ever. My heart was also doing its weird party beating really fast. And it increased even more as I felt his own heart pounding with violence.

For some reason my breathing was going faster than usual, and I could feel his thorax moving up and down faster too. For one completely strange and yet perfect second, I could only see him. As if the whole world had crumbled and there was just Edward and I in this too private moment for a restaurant.

I felt his lips in my hair…

And then someone clearing his throat made us both jumped abruptly. Startled and accelerated, I turned my eyes to where the sound was coming – just to see Jasper almost fuming.

In less than possible we both jumped to our feet, too nervous for some reason I maybe knew.

"What's going on here?" Jasper's tone was skeptical. His eyes going from Edward to me again and again.

Edward cleared his throat, but his voice came in a husky way nevertheless. "Umm, we were—"

"We were hugging because I just told him I was going to Dartmouth," My own voice came in a distorted way too.

Jasper's eyes widened. "Really? That's so good," He grinned and walked to me to give me a hug. "Congratulations, Bella." He took my face in his hands and kissed me in the lips. His hands grasping my hair in a possessive way. A way I didn't like.

Before I could even react I heard the sound of glass shattering close enough to make Jasper stop.

We both stared at Edward that was again too rigid. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. Beside his feet was a glass totally shattered. I mentally thanked him.

Jasper sighed heavily, his eyes now posed intently in Edward's. "Cullen if you have a problem----"

But JessicASS coming from the bathroom cut him off. Well, maybe her hideous voice was. "Is that Alec, over there?"

I gave a glance to where Jessica was pointing and then to Edward. Edward's features have given a 180º turned now as he stared with the same impossible angriness at Alec.

He was already exiting the place with two other boys, laughing as if nothing had happened. For some seconds I wanted to go myself to that spot and erase his grin with my fist.

Edward's sure steps to the exit made me get out of my thought. Oh no, no, no, NO!

In a rush I started walking myself, trying to reach him. But he was really fast, he was already outside. Suddenly the sentence he'd repeated so many times yesterday, resounded strongly in my brain, making me shudder. 'I swear I'll kill him.'

With that I was almost running to the exit, making my best not to meet the floor with my shaky legs. I could feel two persons following right behind.

"Edward! Please STOP!" I shouted when I put a foot outside the place. Edward didn't turn to face me; he was now almost reaching Alec. And this time I wasn't fast enough to go and restrain him myself, and I frankly didn't have the physical strength. I ran nevertheless, making my best to reach the place as fast as possible.

I saw Alec turning around and staring at him with confusion. Some seconds later I guess it suddenly hit him, because his face showed scare. A lot of scare. And again I found myself wishing for a moment that he would get what he deserved.

"Stay away, Bella," I heard Jasper cautioning as he flashed through me and reached Edward's spot. Much faster than me. I could hear another person running behind me, and for her stupid shouts, I knew it was JessicASS.

"You son of a b*tch! How the hell did you think you could do that to my sister?!" Edward growled to Alec, pushing him with a fast movement. Alec seemed so little now and Edward so big. So strong.

Luckily Jasper reached the place on time to restrain Edward before anything else could happen, his arms were now in Edward's shoulders - forming a big lock around him. Edward was trying to pull away from it, his movements harsh.

"Easy, Edward, easy!" Jasper shouted at him, tightening the grip.

"Let off me, Jasper. Just—let off me!" Edward kept on growling.

Alec seemed completely frozen is his spot. As if suddenly he had forgotten he had legs that he could use to run away. But his two 'friends' didn't seem to forget though, they were already running. Leaving Alec alone.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't know what—"

"What you were doing?! You didn't know you were leaving her alone in the pouring rain? You didn't know you would have gone really far if she wouldn't have slapped you? You didn't know you were saying her she didn't worth anything? Huh? YOU DIDN'T?!"

I had already reached the spot, breathing hard for the excess of running. I was going to speak, to tell him to stop it, when Jasper talked first.

"He did that to your sister?" Jasper asked him, perplexed.

"Yeah," Edward growled.

"What a b*st*rd! Go ahead man, I didn't know that." Jasper released him. "I've got your back." He clenched his fists. WAS HE KIDDING ME?

"Thanks," Edward said to him, I could sense the truthfulness of his word. Edward's fist was already clenched too, his eyes programmed to kill.

"Oh my God, no!" Jessica suddenly shouted at my side. "PLEASE, NO! NO, NO! AH—"

"My God, Jessica! Could you please shut up?" I snapped at her, clenching my fists myself.

She glared at me with petulancy. "I'm out of here," and before anyone could say anything, she started running to her car. That b*tch! The only thing she was born for was to be annoying?! Argh, I detested her!

Edward shook his head in disbelief. But then he was as stiff as before. His eyes already murdering Alec, his fist already going up. And I was scared; not only for Alec, but for Edward. I knew he would regret everything tomorrow if he actually hit him. He had never been violent, though some present actions proved me wrong. But I knew he didn't really want to hit that boy.

So I stormed to his side and put my body between Alec's one and his one. With every second passing by I was even surer of what I was doing.

"What are you doing?!" Edward almost choked, putting his fist down. "I could have hit you!"

"But you didn't," I breathed and stared deeply into his eyes. "And you won't hit him, either. Because he's really not worth it!"

Edward eyes were still in that same mode, but now they were softer. "Please, Bella, step aside."

"I won't! Edward, you don't want to hit him! I know you don't, I know you!" I pleaded to him. Irrationally taking his face in my hands and staring deeply into those unbelievable emerald green eyes.

I could see Jasper's skeptical gaze at me. But I didn't care; I only wanted to get Edward away from there.

Edward closed his eyes. "But aren't you mad at him, with everything he's done to Alice? Don't you wanna kill him?"

"Well, I do! But I also know it won't do anything good. You are just going to show him what you hate." He stared at me with puzzled eyes.

I breathed deeply and went closer to him. "E, if you do this, you are going to show him all the violence he showed to Alice. You are going to do nothing else than that."

He shook his head, but somehow when he opened his eyes again, they weren't as sure as before. "I'm going to do justice,"

I shook my head. "No, real justice will be done when Alice finds that one that will love her just like she will, when she's happy. That's when real justice will be done. Not now."

I released his face and stepped aside, after all it was him the one who had to decide. He stared at the frightened boy for some seconds and then shaking his head and closing his eyes, he spoke almost as a weak whisper.

"Just go away, but don't you ever go somewhere near her because I promise I'll find you then." He growled at the end, his voice menacing.

"Yeah, I'll go with you," Jasper added and crossed his arms over his chest.

Alec gulped and nodded. "I won't. I'm really sorry." He almost choked.

"Just go," Edward sighed, defeated.

He nodded again and ran away, not before giving me a grateful look.

There we stayed the three of us, still too tensed for the heated situation.

"Hey, thanks," Edward muttered to Jasper when we were already walking to the restaurant once again. We were still too quiet.

Jasper shrugged. "Don't worry; I probably would have reacted in the same way if it was about my sister." With a sympathetic smile he went inside and started walking to our table.

Edward held the door for me catching my wrist when I passed through the door and bringing me closer to him.

"Hey, and… thank you, really. You couldn't know me better," he grinned and gave me a soft kiss on my cheek.