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

A/N: Flying solo folks.

Thank you to my reviewers.

Chapter 60

For the second time tonight, the air was knocked from my lungs after being thrown across the room. A stab of shock went through me as I sat up, staring at the large figure, crouched by the door.

In a quick, almost fluid motion, the beast stood and I followed suit, scrambling to my feet. My eyes began to register what my brain was struggling to comprehend.

He was… bigger.

Slack-jawed, I gawked at Taylor's mutated body. Long, black hair flowed down his back and over broadened shoulders, shielding his face from view. Pointed elflike ears poked out the sides of his head. His body had grown; arms and legs were powerfully built and tipped with incredibly sharp, deadly claws. Grey sweat pants clung to his well-muscled thighs. Despite the terrifying power emanating from the demon, it still looked human. Well… most of him anyway.

Taylor's body had been demolished and rebuilt to be the perfect vampire killing machine.

A menacing growl resonated throughout the room and my blood ran cold.

His head tilted to the side and predatory eyes gleamed from behind his long curtain of hair. I felt the weight of his stare examining my body, assessing me as if I was potential prey.

Fear squeezed my throat when I realized that there was no escape. I was trapped.

"Human." His growly voice was the sound of two voices speaking as one. I was able to recognize the voice that belonged to Taylor. The other voice was filled with rage and danger. It was the latter voice that had my internal alarm bells going off like crazy.

Dumbfounded, I stared at him, completely shocked that he could talk. I remembered Taylor said that his guardian never spoke, but would only communicate with him through its emotions.

Leaning toward me slightly, he sniffed the air between us.

"Human." The word sounded as though it had been forced through his vocal cords. Clearly, speaking did not come naturally to him.

The large muscles in his chest expanded when he leaned forward and inhaled again. His body stiffened and he recoiled with a feral growl. I felt his fury growing.

Immediately, I knew I was in some serious trouble.

The feeling multiplied when, without warning, I was lifted into the air and held immobile by an invisible force. I felt a burst of panic when another terrifying growl tore from his chest. Too late I realized that the guardian wasn't saying the word human, it was asking if I was human because it couldn't tell from my smell for some unknown reason.

Before I could open my mouth, the creature rose off the ground and lunged. One large hand caught me by the throat as I hovered in the air and squeezed. I couldn't breathe. In full blown panic, I clawed at his hand and felt it tighten unbearably. My lungs burned, screaming for air. No matter how hard I kicked and thrashed around, I couldn't get free.

His lips drew back in a snarl, revealing fangs and two rows of sharp teeth.

My vision blurred. Dark spots swam before my eyes and eventually my struggles began to weaken. I felt myself slipping away.

The burning fury in his eyes seemed to clear and he placed his nose close to my neck and inhaled again. He withdrew with a confused frown on his face.

The room dimmed dangerously and he released me just as I was about to pass out.

I fell to the floor, coughing and gasping for air. When I came to my senses, I was curled into a ball with my hands wrapped around my throbbing neck. I felt faint from having been deprived of air for so long. Swallowing hurt, but that was nothing when compared to what I felt, knowing that Taylor's guardian just tried to kill me. Taylor was right about his demon being homicidal, and I was stupid enough to get myself trapped in a room with it.

What I didn't understand was why? Why did he attack–

A clawed hand grabbed my shoulder and with a hard jerk, I found myself sprawled on my back. He snatched my hand away from my throat and yanked until I was sitting upright. I stiffened when he brought that hand up to his face and inhaled.

He sniffed a scar that I had all but forgotten about. The scar that had been left after James bit me.

Pain sliced through me when he drove his fangs into the scar. Unlike the high I experienced the first time Taylor bit me, this one hurt like hell. Withdrawing his fangs, he ignored the ineffectual pounding on his back, and lowered his mouth to suck my blood.

The son of a bitch is drinking me!

A second later, I was bewildered when he raised his head and spat the blood on the floor. Lowering his head, he scented the wound once more. He growled again, this time in frustration before suctioning the cut once again. He repeated his former actions, spitting out my blood in a manner that communicated his disgust. When he was finished he released me, watching silently as I scrambled away from him with my bleeding hand clutched to my chest.

God, what the hell is his deal?

I literally put my neck on the line to be here for Taylor and this was the thanks I got. Ending up as a choke and chew toy for some crazy ass demon was so not a part of my plan.

Breathing heavily, I examined the two small holes in my hand. The scar that had always been slightly cool to the touch, now felt as warm as the skin surrounding it. I threw a contemplative glance at the creature as he sat, peering at me through his newly grown locks. I had so many questions. Had there been traces of leftover venom in my system all this time? Had the scent of James' venom altered my scent all these years? Was that what set him off?

Having lost interest in me, the guardian rose up off the floor and glided over to Taylor's dresser. Words couldn't describe how freaky it was to see him floating through the air. One by one he picked up various items, examining them with a critical eye. Each item received a quizzical sniff before he uncaringly tossed them over his shoulder. When the surfaced had been cleared, he went on to open drawers and explore the clothes inside them. The end result was Taylor's things being thrown all over the room.

My anxiety kicked up a notch when he started to drift over in my direction, but my annoyance flared when he floated by without so much of a glance. So much for being curious about me. After being choked and bitten, I'd been discarded like Taylor's ruined lampshade. It was a blow to the ego to realize that he found Taylor's sock drawer more interesting than me.

While he was distracted, I glanced at the door, and contemplated making an escape. Fearful that any flight attempts would make him angry, I quickly dismissed those thoughts. My only choices were to wait to be rescued or for Taylor to reawaken and regain control of his body. With Liz and Ryan still out on their date and Zach passed out on the couch, I didn't think that a rescue would be likely.

I recalled Taylor using meditation and hot showers to calm himself. The odds of me getting him to sit still to meditate were nonexistent. And I couldn't help but think that spraying him with hot water would only succeed in pissing him off. So my best chance would be to do what Zach did when he was stuck in his room while Taylor's beast roamed their apartment. Stay put and pray for daylight or that the guardian would tire himself out. Whichever came first.

Clearly this was like one big fieldtrip for him. Whether it was shoes, clothes or electronics, he was curious about any and everything he came into contact with. He headed toward Taylor's nightstand where a not so secret chocolate stash was being kept. I immediately noticed a change in his demeanor when he opened the drawer and came across food. Apparently both the man and the beast shared a large sweet tooth.

The draken bit into a chocolate bar with frenzied excitement. Without thinking about it, I decided to stop him when I noticed he was also eating the wrapper. Despite the many changes made to Taylor's body, I was sure digesting plastic wasn't one of them.

"Don't eat the–"

His head jerked up at the sound of my voice and I cursed myself for my stupidity. Why the hell would I want to remind him of my presence?

My pulse raced as he made his way over to me, this time on foot. He seated himself close to me and I flattened myself against the wall, anticipating another attack. He lowered his face to mine and I shut my eyes, my heart pounding a mile a minute.

Warm breath fanned my face before something soft and wet caressed my cheek. My eyes shot open in shock as he pulled back, before settling into a more comfortable position on the floor.

He licked me?

Dazed, I brought a hand to my cheek.

I was startled when something landed in my lap.

It was his mangled chocolate bar.

Why did I get the feeling that this was some sort of peace offering?

If Taylor could feel his guardian's emotions then it had to work vice versa. Living inside a host that despised him couldn't have been easy. His demon probably felt unloved and unwanted. Having felt that way about myself after Edward left, I actually began to sympathize with the draken beast. Was I crazy to feel sympathy for a creature that almost killed me? Probably. Still, the more I studied him, the more I realized that he wasn't a monster, just an uncivilized caveman. Because Taylor had been so successful at keeping him caged, he had no experience with people.

Minutes rolled by as we sat still, staring at each other, until I became annoyed with my cowardice. I wasn't some frail, wilting flower who fainted at the sight of anything supernatural. I used to hang out with vampires and werewolves on a daily basis. How would I convince Taylor that I'd truly accepted him, if I wimped out now? Come tomorrow, Taylor would know that I could deal with all of him, even the scary parts.

The first step would be attempting to communicate with him.

"Um… hello." My voice wavered and my throat ached. He cocked his head to the side, giving no indication that he understood what I was saying. "Can you understand me?"

When no answer came, I was left wondering if he only knew one word. Taylor had once explained to me that in addition to maintaining control of his body, he'd also barred his guardian from having complete access to his mind. Maybe the demon didn't have access to the part of Taylor's brain that controlled speech.

The realization that he couldn't speak made me a little sad. How was his guardian supposed to get used to people if Taylor kept it locked away all the time? I bet no one ever showed him any bit of kindness.

An idea struck and I decided to follow the impulse. "You know what? I think you should have a name. How about…"

He was definitely not an Ethan or a Tom.

I gazed at him steadily until my eyes landed on his mouth and it hit me. I had the perfect name.

"Fang. I'm going to call you Fang. Do you like that name?" I asked, hoping for some sort of response.

He didn't respond, but angled his head to the side again. I suspected he was wondering what the hell I was squawking about.

In the drawn out silence, we gazed at each other and I wondered what he saw when he looked at me. Even sitting down, he was taller than me. His large frame seemed to fill up the entire room. Despite his harmless stance, his aura exuded danger and unimaginable power. I'd already gotten a taste of the violence he was capable of and didn't really want a repeat.

But I'd come too far to turn back now. Fang had to get used to my presence.

With his eyes trained on my every moment, I slowly lifted a hand. My hand paused in midair when his nostrils flared, taking in my smell like a wild animal. When it appeared that he was not going to bite me, I gently brushed aside the long strands of hair that covered his face. At my touch, the tension seemed to drain from his body, and a knot of emotion welled in my throat. Other than the snake eyes and scary teeth, it was still the face I'd come to love so much, Taylor's face.

Feeling brave, I let my fingers trail across his brow and along his strong jaw line. Not wanting to cut myself, I avoided coming into contact with his sharp fangs. There was a dark substance on his lip that might have been blood, chocolate or a combination of both. I suppressed the temptation to reach out and wipe it away. I wasn't that brave.

When he remained unaffected by my explorations, I cautiously reached for his pointy ears. My fingers slid along Fang's ear, from base to pointy tip. It felt like any normal ear would. He released a shuddering breath when I pinched his earlobe, noticing the way his breath hitched. I was momentarily confused by his reaction until I remembered how much Taylor loved it when I played with his earlobe. Maybe Fang liked it too.

I gasped and released a shaky laugh when his ear twitched beneath my fingers.

Emboldened by his stillness, I let my hand slide along his jaw and down his throat. Rock hard chest muscles flexed beneath my probing fingertips and I felt his heart pounding in an erratic rhythm under my palms. Was he anxious, afraid? The closed expression on his face gave me no inkling. His skin felt tougher, reinforced somehow. I ran my hands over his sinewy biceps, marveling at his newly developed physique. Through regular laps in the pool, Taylor managed to maintain his athletic build. But the hulking mass before me was ridiculous. Not an ounce of fat anywhere.

I started when soft strands of his hair curled around my fingers.

His hair was moving on its own!

Upon closer inspection, his hair moved, writhing slowly like a pile of snakes. Each strand appeared to be silky soft and mildly abrasive to the touch. I laughed when more strands joined the others, tickling my palm. More tendrils curled around my fingers, moving lazily like a contented cat. I darted a glance at his face. The corners of his mouth turned up in something that resembled a smile.

This was all so damn weird. Taylor was MIA and his ancestral guardian was traipsing around in his body. Not to mention the claws and medusa like hair… This was a lot of information to absorb in such a small space of time.

I moved my hand away and his hair slid loose. Though some strands were a bit more stubborn and tried to hold on for an extra second or two.

What was I supposed to do now? How were we supposed to communicate with each other?

I was taken by surprise when Fang moved closer and grasped my face. He was surprisingly careful with his claws. His eyes blazed with an unfathomable emotion as he anxiously searched my face. As for what he was searching for? I didn't know. The achingly familiar way he looked at me made my pulse quicken.

Stroking a thumb over my cheek, Fang continued to watch me with unwavering focus. He moved his fingers all over my face. Forehead, nose, lips, ears; no part of my face went unexplored.

I flinched when a clawed finger got too close to my eye and croaked, "Hey, watch it. I can't just go out and buy another eye."

Radiating curiosity, his hand stretched out to tentatively stroke my hair. Probably wondering why mine didn't move on its own like his did. Large hands drifted lightly over the swell of my breasts before giving them an unexpected squeeze.

Face burning with embarrassment, I sucked in a breath. "Hey!"

With lightning fast reflexes, he moved his hands away before I could smack them. I glared at him with an indignant huff, but instead of looking contrite, he appeared to be amused by my reaction.

"Pervert," I muttered and watched as his smile widened, revealing his fangs.

That was the moment I felt the first stirrings of attraction for Fang. Of course it didn't help that he looked so much like Taylor.

He must have seen something in my face because his smile faded. My pulse jumped as he slowly bent down, bringing his face within inches of mine. He closed his eyes, inhaling my scent deeply as if it was something to be savored.

A dangerous thrill of sensation shot through me as he dipped his head and nuzzled my throat. I gasped in surprise when he sank his fangs deeply into my neck. A heady wave of euphoria washed over me. Taylor had promised no more biting, but Fang and I had no such agreement.

When I came to my senses, I found myself sitting in his lap, straddling him. I didn't even notice when he moved me. He took one of his sharp claws and drew it across his chest, cutting himself. Gently, he cupped my neck and forced my lips to the bleeding wound. The coppery taste of blood jolted me out of my haze and I tried to pull my mouth away. What the hell?

Fang's grip held firm throughout my struggles and my stomach threatened to lurch. I decided to try a different tactic, using pain to persuade him to let me go. He let out a small gasp when I bit down hard and I experienced a surge of triumph. My plan backfired when more warm blood rushed into my mouth.

Something shifted inside me.

One minute I was on the verge of throwing up and then the next, I was clinging to him like a lifeboat. The taste of his blood had gone from metallic to honeyed sweetness. A delicious warmth unfurled in my stomach and branched out, making my limbs tingle. My legs curled around his waist as a shocking rapture swept through my veins.

Deep in the corner of my mind, a part of me knew that my actions were gross and downright unsanitary. Still, I couldn't make myself stop.

I was intoxicated, drunk on the thrill of his rich elixir. I had to have more.

When he was sure I wouldn't try to escape the tight enclosure of his arms, the grip on my neck slackened. His long hair snaked over his shoulders, stroking my body. He swept his tongue across the puncture marks on my neck, before biting down again.

I was lost in a whirlwind of sensation and I was in heaven...

The early morning light drew me from my sleep. My eyes remained closed as my body began to stir. My limbs ached, body protesting when I shifted to a more comfortable position. Still feeling the fatigue of insufficient sleep, I began to drift off again.

My eyes flew open when the covers were rudely yanked off my body. I struggled to blink away my disorientation, trying to figure out how I ended up in Taylor's bed. Then like a freight train, my memory came rushing back; sneaking into Taylor's room, almost getting myself killed and the blood…

And then I noticed the person standing next to the bed with the covers in his hand.

"You're back." I sat upright, the beginnings of a smile died on my lips when I took in his dark expression.

I'd seen Taylor angry before, but nothing prepared me for the cold fury I was facing now.

A sinking sense of dread invaded my stomach.

Anger contorted his features as his eyes roamed up and down my body. It took a few tries before Taylor was able to speak and when he did, his voice sounded strained. "Why?"

I assumed he was asking why I didn't listen to him when he told me to leave, but I was wrong. Holding up my hands, I was all set to plead my case. "Look, I know you're mad at me for following you back here, but I did it because I lov–"

"Why are you naked?" His words were ground out between gritted teeth.

Looking down at myself, I finally noticed that I wasn't wearing any clothes. Said clothes were lying in a shredded heap across the room. There was a series of red scratches all over my body, in addition to the bruises all over my hips and thighs. I looked at him and saw that he was naked too.

Warmth flooded my cheeks and I quickly snatched the covers out of his grip, bringing it up to my chest. For the first time in our relationship, I was embarrassed to be naked in front of him.

"It's not what you think," I forced myself to say. But I knew that the tremor in my voice and the burning in my cheeks were enough to reveal my lie. Not to mention the telltale soreness between my legs. It was pretty much exactly what he thought.

A range of emotion flittered across his face; anger, betrayal and hurt.

"How could you do that with that–thing?"

I opened my mouth but the words wouldn't come out. How could I explain what happened when I didn't really understand it myself? One minute I was touching his face and the next, he was slicing through my bra with his claws and I let him.

When Taylor turned away from me in disgust, I dropped the sheet and grabbed his arm. "Just let me explain–"

With a furious snarl, Taylor spun around, his beastly eyes on display and sharp fangs extended murderously. "Do not touch me!"

I instinctively recoiled in fear and after one tense second Taylor stalked off to the dresser. I flinched when he snatched a t-shirt off the floor before yanking it over his head.

As he jerked on his clothes, I noticed something. Several items – shoes, clothes, even books – seemed to defy gravity and float aimlessly through the air. In his fury, he didn't have control of his telekinetic abilities. Now was definitely not a good time to talk to him.

He stormed out of the room and all of the floating objects fell to the floor. The slamming of the front door signaled his exit from the apartment.

I sat on the bed in shock, staring at the bedroom door until Liz came barreling through it moments later. "What the hell, Izzy? I ran into Taylor on my way here and he hissed at me. What the hell is going on?"

Just then we heard the squeal of car tires, and made it to the window just in time to see Taylor's car speeding away from our building… away from me.

After a shower and a change of clothes, I walked into the living room only to be ambushed by questions.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"How could you do something so insane?"

"Do you have some kind of death wish?"

"What happened to your neck?" Zach narrowed his eyes in scrutiny.

"It's nothing… just a misunderstanding." I wasn't about to tell them that Taylor's guardian had mistaken me for a vampire.

I settled on the couch and felt the dull ache of a headache coming on.

Great. Just what I needed.

"Okay. Obviously something happened last night. Liz found you wearing a sheet, so I'm just going to come right out and ask." Ryan shifted awkwardly in his seat. "Was it… consensual?"

It took a few seconds before I processed what he was asking me. When I did, my mouth fell open. "What? No! Fang would never–"

"Wait a minute. Fang?" Ryan interrupted with an incredulous look on his face.

"It's what I named him," I admitted in chagrin.

Zach and Ryan were staring at me like I just sprouted another head.

Thankfully, Liz chose not to comment on that little revelation. "Okay, Izzy. Why don't you tell us what happened last night?"

So I told them everything from me hiding in the closet to him biting me. I glossed over the being mistaken for a vampire and the sex parts. Liz's face paled when she heard about Fang making me drink his blood. And Zach was downright horrified.

"So you snuck into Taylor's room while his guardian was fighting for control." Liz shook her head slowly. "Oh, Izzy, that was such a bad plan."

I know that now.

"You said his guardian was harmless." Okay, so I twisted her words a little, but I was feeling a little defensive and tired of them looking at me like I was crazy.

Liz wouldn't let me get away with misquoting her. "No, I said it wasn't a monster. Taylor has an aggressive guardian which makes him too dangerous and unpredictable to be around when he's like that. He could've easily killed you last night, Izzy."

"Well, he didn't," I retorted.

"Good thing you're not a vampire or else we wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation right now."

"Yeah," I murmured, fingering the bite mark on my hand.

Ryan noticed. "I can't believe he bit you." He leaned in and touched my throat. "And those marks look bad."

He wasn't exaggerating. Before coming out of the bedroom, I'd caught a glance at my neck in the mirror and it wasn't pretty. There were black and blue bruises all over my throat from when Fang grabbed me. With my pale skin, the marks stood out even more. No wonder Taylor freaked out when he saw me this morning.

I didn't care about the marks. Taylor was my main concern. "Have you heard anything from him?" I turned to Liz.

"No. He's not answering his phone." She smiled sadly. "Just give it some time, Izzy. He'll come back after he calms down."

I nodded, wanting to believe her but a small part of me was already beginning to doubt.

Two days passed and we heard nothing from Taylor.

I made the conscious decision not to call Taylor. He made the decision to leave. No one could make him come back if he didn't want to. If he wanted to talk to me, he would have to call me himself. Even though I was sick with worry, I didn't let myself fall apart. I attended classes as usual, wearing turtlenecks and scarves to hide the marks. Under the watchful gazes of my friends, I did my assignments and baked whenever I had the free time. Still my baking time was anything but therapeutic. Not with Zach waiting to swoop in the second my baking turned into another psychotic episode.

When I was all baked out, I'd crawl into bed and hug Taylor's pillow to my chest. It was the not knowing that drove me crazy. The nonstop worrying whether he was okay or not. It was torture having to constantly wonder if he was ever coming back. Taylor had money. He could use it to disappear forever. I tried my best to keep my fears from getting the best of me but it was hard. The nights were especially long. After months of sharing a bed, I couldn't get used to sleeping alone. Whatever sleep I managed to get was haunted by dreams of Taylor. The dreams, where I couldn't find him anywhere, were the worst. Even in the sleep I couldn't escape the aching sense of loss I felt. I missed him.

Over those two days, Liz and Ryan had begun to act strangely. They'd suddenly stop speaking whenever I entered the room. At night, I'd hear them whispering to each other outside my door. Liz would alternate between leaving swear-filled messages on Taylor's voicemail and sneaking almost fearful looks in my direction.

I thought I might have been imagining things until Zach commented on their weird behavior.

On the third day, I rushed home from class and headed straight for Taylor's room, only to be disappointed again. His room was exactly as I'd left it. Nothing had been touched. He was still gone.

The pain in my heart was all too familiar. How often would I repeat this scene before I realized the obvious? Taylor wasn't coming back and I'd been left yet again.

Blinking back the tears, I whispered to myself. "Don't you dare cry."

The walk back to my apartment was a blur. I rounded the corner and stopped dead in my tracks.

Taylor was sitting on my bed, dressed in clothes I'd never seen before.

For a moment, my heart leapt until I realized what was happening to me. Taylor wasn't really here and it had finally happened. I'd lost my mind.

When Edward disappeared on me, I heard his voice all the time. But with Taylor, my insanity had reached new heights. I'd begun to hallucinate as a result of having my heart broken again.

Fake Taylor stood, staring at me with those sad green eyes. "I'm sorry."

The sound of his voice was like a knife to the heart. Not only was I having hallucinations, my madness came with sound too.

I planned to nip this in the bud by checking myself into the nearest psychiatric clinic I could find. Maybe that's what I should've done when I'd first started hearing voices.

With averted eyes, I walked over to my closet and took out my suitcase.

"Talk to me."

Nope. Only crazy people went around talking to apparitions. And I was only a little bit crazy. There was still hope. I wasn't completely off my rocker… yet.

"What are you doing with that suitcase?" Fake Taylor asked anxiously.

Determined to ignore the apparition, I pressed my lips together and started shoving clothes into the suitcase.

"Look, I know I shouldn't have left like I did. I freaked out… and–would you please say something?" He said as I returned from my closet carrying another arm full of clothes.

I dumped my things into the suitcase without answering. I was prepared to ignore Fake Taylor as I lugged my suitcase to the car. I would continue to ignore him as I dialed Liz and told her where I was headed. Oh, Fake Taylor would probably kick up a fuss when he heard too, but I planned to turn a deaf ear. I was prepared to do all of this until… he touched my shoulder.

I froze. My breath came in short pants as he slowly turned me around to face him. Taylor had come back. He was real and I wasn't seeing things.

Did I throw myself into his arms and profess my undying love? No.

Instead, I hauled off and punched him in the face.

Ignoring the pain in my knuckles, I threw myself at him, wildly raining blows all over him. "That's what you do… Just disappear for days. You don't even call!" I'd never been so furious with him.

Throughout my tirade, Taylor struggled to secure a grip on my flailing hands. He finally managed to wrestle me down to the ground, restraining both hands high above my head. After a few moments of useless struggling, I laid still, listening to the sounds of our ragged breathing.

Suddenly, my eyes began to sting and then it was like a dam broke. All of the fear and anxiety I'd been carrying around with me over the past few days emerged, and I couldn't stop crying. No matter how much I'd changed, deep inside I still felt like the ugly puppy that gets abandoned at the side of the road. For the rest of my life, the fear of being abandoned would always be with me.

Over my sobbing, Taylor murmured I'm sorry over and over in my ear.

When my sobbing subsided, Taylor loosened his grip on my wrists when he was sure I wouldn't try to hit him again.

"I thought you weren't coming back." I sniffled, looking up at him accusingly.

"I almost didn't." He used his thumb to wipe my tears, making me self-conscious. I probably looked like a hot mess right now. "You sleep like the dead."

"What?" The change in topic was so unexpected.

"When I came to and saw you lying on the bed with those marks around your neck… You were so still that I thought you were dead. I…" Taylor trailed off, unable to even voice the words.

"You thought you killed me," I finished for him and he nodded.

He tugged on the collar of my sweater until my neck was exposed. His eyes filled with remorse and he traced the bruises with his fingertips. "I almost did."

"But you didn't." I reached up and curled my fingers around his. One of us had to address the elephant in the room. "Taylor, about what happened that night…"

How could I tell him what happened with Fang without hurting him? How could I say that nothing I did with Fang felt wrong? Would he understand?

"Yeah, we need to talk about what happened." Taylor helped me sit up and then took my hands in his. "There's something you should know…"

His lips continued to move and my mouth fell open.

Son of a bitch!

We spent our spring break in Florida as planned and had a great time, for the most part anyway. I enjoyed getting to spend some much needed time with Renee. Being around her reminded me of just how much I'd missed her quirkiness and spontaneity. She was so happy I'd gotten over that 'awful Dillon' and had moved on to Mr. Hunky Green Eyes (her pet name for Taylor).

Taylor and I used our time in Florida to repair the parts of our relationship that had been damaged by his disappearance. Although we still had trust issues to address, we had far bigger fish to fry. Taylor's revelation had changed everything for all of us, and left me struggling to adjust. Despite everyone being supportive, I knew that my life would never be the same again.

Zach decided not to come with us to Florida, choosing instead to spend his spring break at Leah's house. He was kind enough to let her in on his plans to visit long in advance. At least Leah wouldn't be calling me up with threats to kick my ass because Zach showed up unannounced again.

My last conversation with Alice left me with an odd taste in my mouth. After I called and gave her an update on my life, her tone changed abruptly. I thought she'd had a vision about the Volturi, until she reassured me that it wasn't about them. Still she refused to tell me what it was about. Then she wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise, insisting that everything was fine before rushing me off the phone.

The current state of my relationship with Angela or lack thereof, was one dark spot in my life. She was no longer speaking to me.

We were a week into the spring semester, and things were finally beginning to settle into a routine.

Taylor and I were in my room, getting dressed when I sank onto the bed with a weary sigh.

As usual, he noticed my distraction and immediately guessed the cause. "You're thinking about Angela, aren't you?"

My first instinct was to lie, but when he raised an eyebrow, I confessed, "Yeah."

"I thought we agreed you weren't going to stress yourself out about this?" His green eyes brimmed with concern.

"I can't help it. She still won't take my calls."

"Give her some time to cool down. She'll come around." Taylor crossed the distance between us and sat down next to me.

Taylor's sounded optimistic, but I remembered the furious look on Angela's face. "She threw me out of her apartment, Taylor." He smiled sympathetically and rubbed my shoulder. "You were right, I shouldn't have said anything."

Why did I have to open my big mouth? Taylor told me to stay out of it but I couldn't.

"No, you did the right thing. Angela had a right to know the truth about Trent."

"A lot of good it did me. She wouldn't even believe me."

"She's in denial now, but eventually she'll see that you were right about Trent. When she does, she's going to need you." Taylor mused.

As much as she'd be hurt, I hoped that Angela would learn the truth about Trent sooner rather than later. I needed her friendship now more than ever.

His fingers were warm as he slipped his hand in mine and laced them together. With a hint of mischievousness in his eyes, he brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. We smiled at each other, completely unaware of the forces threatening to tear us apart.

Looking back, we were so young and naïve. What utter fools we were for believing that we could have it all. We should have known better. I should have known better.

Taylor stood up and held out his hand. He frowned when I reached for his hand and missed. His hand was further away than I'd first thought. Annoying things like that had been happening to me a lot lately.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I refused to let any weirdness ruin our day. We had somewhere to be and I didn't want us to be late.

In the living room, we came across our friends watching TV and eating nachos.

"You guys heading out now?" Zach looked up from brushing the crumbs off his pants.

"Yeah."

"Hey, don't forget to text and let me know how everything went, okay?" Liz smiled supportively and I nodded.

Taylor and I were on our way to see a new doctor this morning, and everybody knew I was more than a little nervous.

Taylor led me over to the front door but before he could open it, we heard a knock. With a puzzled look, he opened up the door and to our complete surprise; Alice and Carlisle were standing there.

"Carlisle? Alice, what are you guys doing here?" My surprised smile faded at their somber expressions.

"Hello, Bella. Can we come in?" Carlisle asked and then proceeded to do just that without our permission. The door closed quietly behind them.

My anxiety skyrocketed and I gripped Taylor's hand tighter. Something was wrong. I could feel it. "Alice, what's going on?" When she looked away, I prodded, "Alice?"

My friends came up behind us. "Is everything all right, you guys?" Liz grasped my free hand. Whatever she was sensing from the Cullens must've scared her.

Carlisle kept his face impassive, though I detected a flicker of apprehension in his eyes. "Maybe you should sit down."

"I don't want to sit down. I want to know what's going on." My vision suddenly blurred and I began to feel strange all over. I was becoming more agitated by the second.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this Bella but–"

"It's happening, Carlisle!" Alice shouted.

I wanted to ask what was happening but I couldn't speak, couldn't move. The room tilted as I fell to the floor. There was a flurry of commotion and I heard the alarmed voices of my friends in the background. Everybody seemed so far away.

Carlisle began to bark out orders.

"Alice, protect her head!" Alice moved fast, too fast. Dimly, I worried that my friends would see.

"Get her on her side now!" Cold hands gripped my shoulders, my eyes rolled back and I blacked out.

To be continued...

A/N: Yay! The final chapter folks and I'm so excited. If you hear a crazy lady laughing at the top of her lungs, don't worry. It's only me!

I just want to thank you guys for sticking with me and reviewing. This story wasn't supposed to be so long but I underestimated how long it'd take to change Bella Swan. I wanted her change to be gradual and not overnight. And I never expected Taylor to take over my story so much. Also thanks for your encouragement. It helped whenever I thought about giving up.

Now, this story ends at start the spring semester of Bella's junior year. The sequel picks up when Bella returns to Forks, about one year and some months later.

A few things, the new story will be entitled My So-Called Mortal Life and will be written in third person. I'll be relieved to get out of Bella's head. Don't take this story off your story alerts yet. I'll post a notice here when the sequel is up. Or you can add me to your author alerts.

Back to the Story:

Were you scared or charmed by Fang?

Should Taylor have gotten upset with Bella when he found out what happened between her and Fang?

Did you think that Taylor was ever coming back?

What was Taylor's big revelation?

Why aren't Bella and Angela friends anymore?

What's up with Alice and Carlisle's sudden visit?

And what the hell is wrong with Bella?

A/N: Here your final chance to review and let me know what you'd like to see in the sequel. Are you hoping for a Izzy/Taylor ending or are you rooting for a Bella/Jake ending?

OFF TOPIC, I saw Hunger Games a few days ago and it was good. But why oh why do I always fall for the underdog (Gale) in every story I read. Ugh! It never fails.