Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.

A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.

Thank you to my reviewers.

Chapter 40

The week after our break up, Dillon called me every day with excuses and apologies. I really wasn't interested in anything he had to say. As far as I was concerned, we were over. I wasn't about to become one of those girls that went back to a cheating boyfriend. No matter how many times I told him this, he persisted with the phone calls and sending me gifts. His flowers usually went straight into the garbage disposal and the chocolates, well… Liz and I took care of them by way of consumption. At first, I wanted to throw them away until Liz explained that it would be madness to waste perfectly good chocolate. What we couldn't eat, we gave away to our neighbors. Whenever I saw him around campus, I avoided him like the plague. I never went into the Dining Hall by myself and he didn't dare approach me when I was sitting with the gang. I hoped he would eventually give up and leave me alone.

Amber kept a low profile after our fight. I gathered she was waiting for the bruising and swelling to go down. A few times I saw her around campus, wearing lots of makeup and a pair of giant shades to hide her black eye. She went around telling people that she got injured whilst trying to intervene in the fight between Taylor and Dillon. In Amber's version of the story, they were fighting over her. If she knew what was good for her, she'd stay far away from Taylor. But something told me she wouldn't do that. Amber Hodge was not the type to give up on a man she wanted. I wasn't about to let her drag him into her crap.

I called Leah and Angela, explaining what happened with Dillon. Leah didn't even attempt to hide her joy. Her exact words were, 'good riddance to bad rubbish'. She was overjoyed that our relationship was over, and that I beat the hell out of the chick he'd been cheating with. Angela was a bit more sympathetic, saying that she hoped I wouldn't be turned off the whole idea of dating because of Dillon. She didn't need to worry about that. Even though things ended badly with Dillon, I was still open to dating someone new. I refused to close myself off all because Dillon turned out to be a cheater.

At the same time, I wasn't in a hurry to date again. I mean, if someone great came along, then I wouldn't mind going out with him. But at that point in my life, I didn't feel like anything was missing. I had my friends, family and school and those were enough.

Charlie wasn't surprised to hear that Dillon cheated on me. He said that Dillon sounded like the kind of guy who liked have his cake and eat it too. I think he was mostly impressed that I didn't fall apart or get arrested for assault. Renee, on the other hand, was more heartbroken than I was. She was looking forward to me visiting and bringing my boyfriend along, sometime soon.

Taylor had been especially attentive toward me since my break up with Dillon. In fact, things were better than ever between us. We went right back to our affectionate, playful relationship. I had to admit that I really enjoyed having him all to myself and soaked up all his attention. We were constantly together except for those two nights out of the week when Taylor disappeared. It was nice that Taylor didn't feel the need to say I told you so. After all, he did try to warn me about trusting Dillon.

Our winter break was fast approaching and we were all sitting in the living room trying to figure out where we wanted to spend it. Zach planned to spend the holidays on the Makah Reservation with his sister, her husband and their two kids. The rest of us decided to rent a cabin in Vermont and spend our Christmas there.

Liz and Taylor had been bickering about something for the past two days. Well… Liz would usually be the one arguing, while Taylor would just stare back at her with no clear expression on his face. I wanted to know what they were fighting about but I didn't want to pry, figuring Liz would tell me when she was ready. Whatever it was though, Liz had no intention of giving up. She hounded Taylor constantly.

Taylor was sitting beside me on the couch with his arm draped loosely around my shoulder. I sat with the top half of my body practically moulded to his side, cradling a bowl of popcorn on my lap. Ryan watched our positions with inquisitive eyes and a growing grin on his face.

When Zach went into the kitchen to take a call from his sister, Liz turned her attention to Taylor. "So, I spoke to Dad this morning."

"That's nice," Taylor murmured nonchalantly, keeping his eyes focused on the TV.

His lack of emotion had Liz looking annoyed. "He wants us to come home for winter break."

"No." His hand tightened around my shoulder slightly.

"We're going." Liz persisted with a stubborn look in her eyes that I knew only too well. She would get her way, even if she had to bulldoze him.

"Why is it so important that we visit? Why now?" Taylor asked with a scowl.

"He's met someone and wants us to meet her," Liz explained.

"Why should we care? I don't see what the big deal is."

"You know this is a big step for him. This is the first relationship he's had since Mom left him."

Taylor snorted in disbelief, "Please. How do we know she's the first?" By the look on his face, I was able to denote that he didn't believe his own words. He was just being hardheaded.

"Because you know how it is for us," Liz snapped at him and Ryan squeezed her hand. I assumed that he was telling her to calm down. Her eyes softened and she continued in a softer tone. "This is a big deal for him, Taylor."

I couldn't help but agree with Liz. Twenty years was a long time to be alone. I remembered Liz told me that he never divorced their mother, even after she left him. He must have really loved her. But I couldn't help but wonder what Liz meant when she said Taylor knew how it was for them. What did that mean? I recalled Edward telling me that Taylor's family in Spain was the ones with abilities. If that was true, why didn't their Dad date for twenty years if he was the normal human one?

Taylor hesitated beside me, before giving in reluctantly. "Fine."

So, it was agreed that we would spend Christmas at the cabin then ring in the New Year in Boston.

Alice informed me that she and the Cullens were spending their winter break in Paris. They finally listened to my pleas not to send me any gifts. Instead, they began to sneak money into my bank account, bits at a time. As if I wouldn't notice that my balance increasing by ten thousand dollars every so often.

Since Zach was headed home for Christmas, we decided to give each other our gifts early. Once again, we did the Secret Santa gift exchange. Liz got my name and I got Zach's. Liz chose to be mysterious with my gift, saying that she would give me my gift after we returned home from Boston and I couldn't refuse it.

I had trouble deciding on what to get Zach as a present until I had the most wonderful/evil idea. Leah had the entire house to herself ever since Sue and Seth moved in with Charlie, and thus I knew she would be spending the majority of winter break alone. So two days after classes ended, I sent a crated Suzie Q and an excited, eternally grateful Zach off to Washington with Leah's address. She would either kick my ass or thank me. I was hoping for the latter.

Merry Christmas, Leah!

Days later, I was sitting in the cozy warmth of Ryan's SUV, waiting for Liz and the guys to come downstairs. We were about to embark on a three hour drive to our cabin in Vermont. Looking out the window, I made out Ryan's large figure as he crossed the parking lot with Liz's suitcases. This was his second outing to the car as she packed a lot of clothes for our trip. After loading the suitcases in the back, Ryan opened the door and hopped into the backseat next to me.

I was confused because he was supposed to be our driver. Ryan didn't like anyone else driving his car.

What is he doing in the back seat?

Ryan blew into his hands, trying to warm up, and I shot him an inquiring gaze. He grinned mischievously and I grew a tad nervous.

What's he up to?

"So, you and Taylor are getting along pretty well these days, huh?" He asked, nudging me with his elbow.

"Um, yeah. What are you getting at?" I questioned slowly, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. Ryan penetrating gaze was making me anxious.

"Nothing. Just noticing how much time you two are spending together, that's all." When my eyes narrowed with suspicion, Ryan quickly added, "It's just that, to the outside world you two look like a couple."

"We do?"

Ryan looked astounded that I clearly hadn't realized it before myself. "Well, yeah. You two are practically joined at the hip, you understand each other…" Ryan's voice trailed off as he tried to find the right words. For a few seconds, he paused then settled on, "You guys just fit."

As Ryan was talking, a frown was slowly forming on my face. What the hell is this? "Well, I don't care what it looks like to the outside world, we're not a couple," I told him firmly, favoring him with a dark look. In other words, back off!

Ryan received my message loud and clear and gave me a look that said, I will, for now.

"I'm just saying." Ryan eased himself back in his seat with a sigh and ran a hand through his already rumpled hair.

"Well stop," I murmured quietly, before glancing out the window. Taylor and I were in a good place. Why on earth would I want to jeopardize one of the most healthy, stable relationships I'd been able to maintain with a man since Jacob?

My eyes suddenly fell on Taylor and Liz as they emerged from the apartment building, walking in the direction of the parking lot. Taylor barely looked encumbered as he carried both mine and his suitcases, while Liz was rambling on about something. For a brief period, I wondered if he was having the same conversation that I'd just had with Ryan. From where I sat, I was able to make out Liz's motor mouth, moving a mile minute as she tried to keep up with Taylor's long strides.

It was on this thought that a foul stench hit my nose.

It smells like-

Did Ryan just-

My head snapped in his direction, and Ryan smiled cheekily, "Sorry."

"Ew! Ryan! That is so nasty." Holding my nose, I rolled down the window and stuck my body halfway out of it. I inhaled deeply, sucking in the cold, untainted air.

Taylor and Liz were standing close to the car, watching me with amused curiosity. Taylor took one step closer in my direction.

"Why are you hanging out-" Taylor halted abruptly in his questioning then took a quick step backward, wrinkling his nose. Obviously, he smelled Ryan's latest indiscretion.

Before I could say anything, Ryan spoke up laughingly, "Man, Izzy's been letting it rip in the car."

Oh my God!

I gasped in mortification and tried to defend myself. "It's wasn't me!"

"Don't worry, Izzy. We know Ryan's work when we smell it." Liz rolled her eyes in disgust. She wasn't lying about that. Ryan was famous for having the ability to clear a room in three seconds flat.

After standing in the cold for five minutes, waiting for the car to air out, Taylor loaded the suitcases before climbing into the seat beside me. With Ryan in the driver's seat and Liz riding shotgun, we pulled out of the parking lot and began our long drive up to Vermont.

We ended up taking four hours to get to the cabin because we stopped at a local store on the outskirts of Vermont to do some grocery shopping. The final stretch of our drive took us up the winding road of a mountain, then into the Pinehurst Resort. Ryan hopped out of the car before entering the office to collect the keys to our cabin. Afterward, we drove down a snow covered pathway to our allotted driveway.

Without a doubt, two of the main attractions of the Pinehurst Resort were its sense of tranquility and large, rustic cabins. The resort cabins were spaced far apart to preserve the peace and privacy of its guests. Despite its air of isolation, there were restaurants, shops and a ski lodge nearby. Just in-case a guest got tired of being alone.

Our cabin stood in the middle of a small clearing, surrounded by large pine trees. We climbed out of the SUV, carrying our suitcases up four steps then across the front porch at the entrance of the cabin. Once inside, we were hit with the warm, inviting scent of the crackling fireplace. The living room furniture was made out of mahogany and the room had large windows that extended to the kitchen, which provided a striking view of the woods. The upstairs portion of the cabin held three bedrooms, each containing a queen size bed. As there was only one bathroom, we would all have to share.

Liz and Ryan disappeared into their room after we finished putting the groceries away. I didn't expect to see them for the next hour or two. I stood in front of the large window, staring unseeingly at the trees. My mind kept replaying the discussion I'd had with Ryan earlier.

Taylor's voice broke through my musings. "What's wrong?"

I turned away from the window to see Taylor, standing in the center of the room, near the fire place. "Nothing," I murmured.

All of a sudden, my mind began to envision Taylor lying in front of the fireplace, wrapped in nothing but a bearskin rug. As the fantasy continued, Taylor smiled wickedly, beckoning me to join him. The mirage ended and I observed Taylor's lips, lifting in a slow smile as he observed my crimson cheeks.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" He raised an amused eyebrow.

Just thinking about you naked in fur.

"No reason. I'm going for a walk," I spoke quickly. A walk sounded great right about now. It would help me get my thoughts in order plus, it would place some much needed distance between me and that sexy rug in front of the fireplace.

Taylor picked up my parka from the couch and brought it over to me. I turned around and he held it out while I slipped one arm in after the other. With my jacket on, Taylor spun me around then proceeded to zip up my jacket.

"Don't be too long. The sun is about to set," Taylor murmured, handing me my mittens.

"I won't. If I'm not back in ten minutes, send the army after me," I joked lightly. I peered through my eyelashes at Taylor to find him staring down at me with one of his intense expressions on his face. That look alone was enough to send my heart into overdrive.

Pulling myself out of his arms, his hands slid away from me, and I repeated, "I won't be long." I opened the door then quickly closed it shut behind me, without giving him a chance to respond. I needed to think and had to do it away from Taylor. He was just too damn distracting.

Outside on the porch, the cold winter air stung my face and hands. I slipped on my mittens, tugged the fur hood onto my head before jogging down the steps. Wrapping my arms around my chest, I crossed the driveway and entered the sparse tree line.

The snow crunched beneath my black, winter boots and the air smelled damp. Golden rays peeked through the trees as I glance up at the partially cloudy sky. I walked with no real idea of where I was headed; stopping occasionally to make sure I could still see the cabin from where I was. It wasn't snowing but a snow storm was predicted for later on that night. It would be the perfect weather for sitting by a roaring fireplace with someone special.

Stuffing my hands in my pocket, I slowed my steps to a lazy stroll, staring at the snow covered floor in front of me. Once again my mind drifted back to Ryan's words to me in the car. I knew him and Liz were secretly hoping that Taylor and I would get together, but they didn't know about the tornadoes that tended to follow my relationships around.

It wasn't that I didn't care about him. The problem was that I cared too much. Edward was right; Taylor Reed was a dangerous man, just not as a result of his powers. He was menacing because he made me want to try. Lately, my mind had been wandering a dangerous path, wondering if he just might be worth the risk.

I suddenly remembered something Alice said when I'd first moved into the apartment. She said that I would meet him later. By him, did she mean Taylor? Then I recalled her recent text messages, telling me to kiss him. Did she have a vision about us? Did she see us happy together? I knew her visions were based on decisions and therefore, subject to change, so they couldn't fully be trusted. Alice said that I hadn't made the decision to be happy yet, but was it really that simple? I was wise enough to know that the answer to that question was no.

I wasn't the same weak, weepy girl that I used to be. But, shit- I wasn't made of steel either. Just the thought of opening myself up like that again was enough to make me want to run off screaming into the night.

In the distance ahead, I spotted the setting sun through the trees and headed in that direction. After ducking beneath a low hanging branch, I arrived at the edge of a cliff. In an attempt to see how far down the cliff went, I got at close to the edge as I dared and peeped over it. All I saw more trees blanketed with snow and quickly took a step backward. I wasn't able to see the bottom as it was obscured by jagged rocks. I turned my gaze toward the dying rays of the sun as it slowly descended in the sky.

My body jerked in alarm as I heard a twig snap behind me. I gasped and whirl around just in time to spot Taylor emerging from the trees. He was wearing the hooded, grey winter jacket I'd bought him for his birthday.

Willing my heart to calm down, I placed a hand on my chest. "Jeez, Taylor. Way to freak me out."

A small smile graced his lips. "Sorry. It's been twenty minutes, so I came to find you."

My personal, one man army.

Twenty minutes? I didn't realize I'd been gone for so long. It was so cute the way he worried about me. "How did you find me?"

"I just followed the footsteps in the snow." Taylor replied with his eyes solely fixed on me. He seemed to have something he wanted to say to me. So I remained still, waiting to hear what it was.

"That night at the vacation house… It wasn't a dream, was it?" Taylor queried with the barest hint of a frown on his brows.

The abrupt change in topic surprised me but instantly, I knew what he was referring to. I suppose this conversation had been a long time coming.

My eyes glanced away from Taylor for a moment before I answered truthfully. "No, it wasn't."

From the look on his face, I gathered that he was already knew that. But, for some reason felt he needed me to confirm it. "Maybe we should talk about it."

"There's nothing to discuss, Taylor. You were drunk, we both were." Despite my dismissing tone, my stomach was knotted with anxiety.

The frown on his brows became more pronounced and his mouth hardened into the thin, stubborn line that I was very familiar with. He wasn't willing to let me off the hook so easily. "So that's it? You're just going to brush it off as a drunken mistake?" Taylor asked disbelievingly.

I shrugged my shoulders helplessly. "What else can we do?"

"We can stop beating around the bush and talk about what's been happening between us for years." The snow crunched under his hiking boots as he advanced one step in my direction and I fought the urge to take a step backward. I was acutely aware of my precarious position near the edge of the cliff.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Taylor." This conversation was beginning to scare me. Especially since I really didn't have any answers to give him.

A cold wind blew and I shivered, wrapping my arms around my chest in an attempt to stay warm. Taylor's eyes shifted from my face to my arms. "We'll talk about this at the cabin. Let's head back. It's starting to get-" Taylor suddenly stopped talking. A scowl marred his face and his eyes darted from side to side.

What's he doing? He cocked his head to the side, trying to listen to something.

After a second of silence, I heard it too.

It was the distinct sound of crumbling stone. It seemed as if time slowed and everything happened in slow motion. Our eyes locked and widened in realization, moments before the ground shifted under my feet. Taylor ran toward me, screaming my name, but it was too late. I was already falling over the edge and he disappeared from my sight.

Frigid wind whipped past my face as the hood of my jacket slipped off my head. My hair escaped, swept around my head, blinding my vision. The terror I experienced was so great, that I couldn't even scream.

I was going to die.

I was about to die alone.

Then strong arms wrapped around me and I was pulled to a warm, protective chest. I inhaled deeply, breathing in a masculine scent.

It was Taylor!

The idiot jumped after me!

"Hold on." Taylor tightened his grip on me before the strangest thing happened. It felt like we were somehow slowing down. But as soon as I'd registered that thought, we slammed into a jagged rock. I heard Taylor groan and our bodies began to pick up speed again.

I closed my eyes, convinced that these were our final moments together. At that instant, the only feeling I felt was relief, relief that I wasn't going to die alone. We hit more rocks; our bodies tumbled and twisted painfully in the air. Pain exploded in my head and my consciousness floated away. My body relaxed and I let the darkness claim me, accepting the end.

A/N: So Dillon's not giving up, eh?

I wonder what Leah's reaction will be when Zach and Suzie Q show up at her door.

Ryan is such a guy. Any woman with a husband or boyfriend, you know what I mean.

Coming up next:Bella and Taylor's lives hang in the balance.

Will they come out unscathed?

The cold won't be their only enemy in the fight to survive as something dangerous find them.

Monday or Thursday... Your call peeps.