A/N: Please review! I love hearing what you guys think! This chapter will have some squickyness if you're strictly a Jacob/Bella shipper. But it gets better, I promise! Now, onto the goods!

Edward pinches the bridge of his nose, as he always does when he is frustrated. He holds my partial list of boundaries in his hand.

I hadn't expected it to be such a big deal – but it was obviously bothering him.

"What's wrong?" I asked after several long moments.

"This list. It's impossible, Bella."

I crossed my arms defensively. "It's totally possible. And I'm not done with it either. Those were just the first three I thought of yesterday."

"Two of them, I can live with – despite them being ridiculous. But Alice watching for you – that's the deal breaker. I can't ask her not to. It's too dangerous."

"I don't need her keeping tabs on me," I argued.

He looked at me and handed back the paper. "No. This is non-negotiable. It is solely for your protection."

I might have believed that before yesterday and the little run-in at the store but I wasn't just going to let him dictate to me. "Edward – this is a condition of our being friends. It's important to me that you respect my wishes."

His eyes flashed angrily. "Stop being so childish. I am trying to indulge you with this, I really am, and I'm sorry but you will just have to get over this."

I felt like he had slapped me in the face. "Then leave."

"No, Bella. Kicking me out is not going to resolve this issue. I am telling you that I will not accept that term. It is your job now, to revise the list into something acceptable. That is called compromise – and that is a huge part of any friendship. Do you understand?"

"Don't talk to me like that. Since when are you my father?" I ask him angrily, furious with his condescending tone.

He shakes his head. "Sometimes it is all too clear how young you really are. I keep forgetting. Forgive me."

I slap him.

And then I scream.

"Bella – are you all right?"

I clutch my hand. "You marble bastard! Damn it – this is your fault."

He gently pulls my arm away from my body and winces when he sees my hand. "We need to take you in for an X-ray. It's likely broken."

"No shit! Will you at least drive me there?"

He rolls his eyes. "Well, naturally."

He scoops me up against my vehement protests and walks down the stairs with me cradled in his arms. I've never wanted to be as far away from him as I do right now. He places me gently in his Volvo and puts the seatbelt on for me.

I fume silently as he drives.

It is a tense silence all the way to the hospital.

We walk into the E.R. and the nurse pulls my file before I get up to the desk.

"Back again Ms. Swan? What is it this time?"

"I hurt my hand – um, accidentally shut the door to my truck on it."

"Okay – so they'll need to see you in Radiology. You know where it is. Do you want me to call your father?"

I shake my head. "No that's all right. I'll just tell him when I get home."

The nurse looks uncertain but waves Edward and I through.

"You don't need to stay," I hiss as we sit in the small waiting room in Radiology.

"Like I'm going to leave you like this," he retorts, looking at my hand. "Would you like me to get you a cold compress?"

Anything to get him away from me. "Yes."

"I'll be right back," he murmurs, standing up and leaving the room.

I sigh, wondering how I will explain this to Charlie. I start counting the cracks in the ceiling.

He returns in no time with the promised compress.

I place it on my injured hand, concentrating on everything but the statue next to me. I go back to counting cracks until I lose track and then follow the little lines on the tiles on the floor.

But his movements keep catching my eye. I watch as he switches position, coughs softly, and crosses his legs. Such human gestures – all fake. I wonder if he has to think about it, or if he just does it naturally. A woman sitting across from us keeps staring at him over the lip of her magazine with a dreamy expression.

It doesn't bother me like it would have before.

My phone buzzes, indicating a text message. I reach down with my good hand and look at my phone.

RAWR from your favorite neighborhood mechanic

I snicker and carefully reply. Hey Jake whatcha doin?

Prentending 2 do my hw, u?

I grimace, and decide to be honest. At the hospital, getting an x-ray.

R u ok? What happened?

I look at Edward and he looks down at the phone. "Are you planning on telling him?"

"I didn't realize you were being so nosy. Why, does it matter?"

Edward shifts in his seat but gives me a look. "No."

I roll my eyes and change positions so Edward can't see the screen. I hear him sigh softly but I don't care.

Edward and I got in a fight.

WTF? Did that bastard hurt you?

No I got mad and hit him…

OH. So you hurt your hand?

Yeah. Pretty dumb, huh?

Well yeah but its kinda bad ass. Next time just ask me to hit him 4 u. I'd be more than happy to.

Uh huh. Well my name just got called. G2G but talk later?

Take care honey.

I slide my phone back into my purse and walk over to the technician.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Edward asks.

I shake my head no. It's the last thing I want right now. I follow the technician who introduces herself as Anne as she leads me into a familiar room.

Two hours later I'm back at home with a lovely new cast on my hand and wrist.

Edward apologized profusely before dropping me off but it doesn't do much to make me feel any better, especially when he won't budge on the Alice issue.

Charlie is upset when he sees the cast but not terribly surprised. He doesn't even yell at me for his healthy new snacks.

I go upstairs and drop into my bed completely drained.

I don't bother changing clothes. I just curl in on myself and try to sleep. But sleep is elusive.

Eventually I get up and walk over to the window. I raise the sash and a blast of cold hair hits my face. In some ways, the cold is so comforting to me – at least it is to my body, now that I've been with Edward.

I cradle my cast to my chest and run my finger up and down the rough surface. Even though I'm so angry with him, and I definitely don't want to see him right now, there is a part of me that craves his presence, like I'm some kind of junkie and he's the quick fix. It's sick really. I don't understand why I want him so damn much. Why someone so infuriating is always on the edges of my mind.

I sit down in my rocker with my back to the window. I sit and rock, and think.

With Edward – its never been natural. It's always been this craving that I don't understand. Something about him, his smell or his looks, or his damned eyes just makes me weak and stupid. Being near him makes me forget myself – my mind doesn't work right, even if I really try to make sense of things and be logical.

I'd always thought that this instinct, or urge, or whatever it is, was romantic. It gave me a sense of purpose, of feeling special. It was like star crossed lovers, the unlikely pair, being brought together again and again by fate. I'd always felt that Edward was my destiny – the only one for me. I'd been willing to give up everything for him, even my life.

But it isn't right. It's unnatural. It shouldn't be like this.

There is no equality when it comes to Edward. I'm less – I'll always be less. He'll always be perfectly perfect even when he's not. Even when I know he's done something bad, and I push him away, there's a part of me that can't stand up to the pressure – that needs him even though he's all wrong for me.

That's the truth. The ugly, blatant truth. He's wrong for me. And it doesn't matter.

Because I'm so fucking weak.

I hate myself for feeling this way.

His hands dropping down lightly on my shoulders causes me to jump. I hadn't heard him enter the room.

It's wrong.

"Isabella," he whispers and pulls my hair back, tilting my neck to the side, placing freezing kisses along the skin.

"What are you doing here?" I whisper, my heart thumping erratically.

"I couldn't stay away from you," he murmurs.

I close my eyes and try to fight off the sensations that make me want to give in, to let him stay.

"I want to give you everything you want, everything. Just let me back in," he says quietly, suggestively.

Even though I'm terrified there's a small part of me (damn it!) that's thrilled. His voice is like liquid honey. "Be specific," I manage to say.

"What is it that you crave above all else? I will make it happen."

I can't keep the blush from creeping up my face. He knows what I've wanted from him – for awhile now. "You told me you can't."

He breathes quietly for a moment. "I may not be able to go as far as you like, but I can try."

His hands, so innocently resting on my shoulders begin to move sensually, and his fingers creep down onto the top of my breasts.

I can scarcely breathe. His scent is swirling all around me and I try to remember why this is wrong – why this shouldn't be happening, but I can't. I feel detached from reality.

I moan when his fingers brush across my nipples, turning them into stiff little peaks. He licks my earlobe and I gasp, closing my eyes.

I feel like a melting puddle, all loose and incoherent.

His hands are lower now and so close to where I want them to be, when a current of fresh air blows into my room and his scent, which had encircled me, lifted for a second.

"No!" I gasp, and launch myself from the chair, turning to face him. "Please go, Edward."

He stares at me, surprised. Then he takes a few steps forward.

"No! No! Look, you need to go," I whisper furiously as I hold my good hand out in front of me as a shield. I'm terrified of what I'll do if he gets close. I don't understand why I let him touch me at all. Why he's able to just make me a puppet. But it scares me.

He drops the polite mask he was wearing and I can suddenly see the predator in him as he stalks forward and pushes me back against the wall. I'm stunned. His body is pressed against mine and he kisses me roughly.

"Open your mouth," he orders as his lips assault mine.

I stay as still as a statue and try to not breathe. I won't respond! It's something about his scent that makes me insane. I can't breathe it in. I can't.

I try to get out of his arms but it's like trying to move a giant boulder. He is immovable.

And I suddenly realize how very tiny and human I am. I go limp. And I need air.

I gasp and suck in huge lungfuls of air and everything gets very dim. We're on the bed but I don't know how or why, I'm so dizzy, and I feel drunk, and suddenly he's there and nothing makes sense. He's above me and even though I feel like I want this, I know deep down I don't. Not really. This is wrong.

For the first time ever, when I look up at him into his now burning black eyes, I suddenly see a vision of Jacob. And I realize how different it would be with him, how natural, and real. Something inside breaks loose.

And I cry. Because Jake would never treat me like this. He wouldn't use some chemical cheat to get me to bend to his will. He wouldn't manipulate me like a marionette.

Edward stops kissing me and slowly some sense returns to him.

It does to me as well. "Get the fuck off of me."