Okay, guys. Need to clear something up quick. I know I don't always update very quickly, and I apologize for that. You know I update as soon as I can. But some of you seemed to be confused due to my AN from last time. I never said that I would stop writing/updating this story if I didn't get more reviews. I just said that I used the amount of reviews to gauge how well the story is being received and if it's maintaining interest throughout, and if there's a drop in reviews after a while, it could be because there's a loss of interest, or it could mean that I may need to improve in certain aspects of my writing. I also love getting the reviews, because it also lets me know what you guys think of the story, and each chapter individually. Just because I didn't update quickly, doesn't mean I don't plan to continue. I'm very anxious to continue with this story, because I'm waiting for certain things to happen in the next few upcoming chapters.
To everyone who reviewed last time...you are a-m-a-z-i-n-g! Thank you so much! Each and every review means so much to me.
With that said...here's the next chapter!
Beta'd by Feenrai, who beta'd this chapter very quickly so that you guys wouldn't have to wait even longer for it, so thank you, Feenrai! =)
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
Previously: [in EPOV]
My heart soared, realizing that this was the first time she had initiated any physical contact between us, aside from asking me to try and stroke her hair. She had managed to take a step forward, by being brave enough to grab my hand without any prompting.
I couldn't help the large smile that appeared on my face. I leaned down to whisper to her yet again. "I'm so proud of you," I murmured.
I saw her lips twitch up into a slight smile, before I froze, along with every other family member.
I could hear the distinct footfalls of animals. Wolves, specifically. And obviously, so could my family, as they all tensed. But what they didn't hear were the thoughts that accompanied the offending foot falls:
Outside, you blood sucking leech. We need to talk to you.
Chapter 17
Edward and his family all froze. I suddenly felt the tension and trepidation radiating from each and every one of them -- and I don't think it was due to Jasper.
After that, everything just seemed to become a flurry of movement. Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle and Esme all suddenly appeared in the foyer, having run at full vampire speed.
Alice and Edward, who had stepped an arm's length away from me, while still lightly holding my hand, seemed to be having a silent conversation. Everyone, myself included, looked at the two of them anxiously, waiting to find out more information.
A few seconds later I saw Edward and Alice's lips both moving slightly, but I heard no sound; however, they had apparently spoken, since I noticed the other family members nodding in their direction.
I huffed in irritation, and tried not to let my own sense of trepidation and anxiety take over due to their behavior. They obviously knew something I didn't, and it was rattling them. However, I knew that Edward is sometimes prone to overreacting, so I tried not to let myself succumb to the fear of this unknown.
But still, as they continued to silently speak low enough for me to be unable to hear them, I became frustrated and increasingly anxious. "What's going on?" I demanded, giving a slight tug to Edward's hand to help gain his attention, and try to receive an answer.
Their eyes all flashed to me for a moment, before going back to their conversation for a second. Then Edward was suddenly at my side, along with Esme.
"We need to go outside, but Esme will stay inside with you, love," Edward explained. He was trying to make his voice sound calm -- soothing. But I could detect the anxiety that he was trying to hide from me.
"What's going on?" I demanded again, but this time louder. I didn't like them not telling me anything, and simply leaving me in the dark, where I would only begin to assume the worst.
Edward paused, and didn't dare breathe, by the looks of it. After a moment, he exhaled loudly, before slowly turning to face me, his shoulders set and he appeared determined. "The wolves are here."
"What?!" I asked frantically, as a shudder went through me. I used every ounce of control I could muster in order to stay somewhat calm.
"Calm down, love, please. They're just outside. They want to speak with me. Stay inside with Esme, and I'll be back inside shortly," he murmured tensely.
"Is Jacob with them?" I needed to know. Because I knew I couldn't stand to face him again. Not right now. But I was also scared of letting the Cullens go outside to deal with the wolves-- who knew what would happen. All of this was my fault -- that the treaty was being questioned and threatened, and what was once a somewhat calm co-existence, was now fast turning into a war because of me. I didn't want to be responsible for anyone else getting hurt.
"Not from what I can tell," Edward answered.
I noticed that all of the other Cullens had disappeared, with the exception of Esme, who still stood beside me.
"Then I'm going out there with you," I told him. But even to my own ears, my voice was shaky and nervous. I tried to draw in a large breath, hoping it would calm my nerves; especially since I could feel myself beginning to tremble.
But I knew this was what I had to do. Rosalie had told me I needed to do some things on my own. And I think this was one of those things. I knew Jacob wasn't out there, and surely, seeing him again would still turn me into a sobbing, frightened mess. But the rest of the pack was out there, wanting to talk to the Cullens. And now that the treaty was threatened and questioned, there was always the risk of one of the pack members lashing out. I refused to stand back and not even be there. I wouldn't let anyone else get hurt because of me.
"No." Edward's jaw was locked tight, and completely rigid, along with his body.
"Yes. I can stand behind you and your family," I told him, my voice still shaking, but now filled with determination. "Esme can stay beside me."
"Edward," Esme murmured. "Maybe this is something she needs to do."
He looked up for a second, catching her eye, before letting his gaze fall back down. It was clear there was more that she was conveying to him through her thoughts. His brows creased, and he pinched the bridge of his nose, before he finally looked up at me, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He gave me a single nod. As he turned to walk away, waiting for Esme and I to follow, I heard him muttering under his breath, though all I could make out was "stubborn" and "safety".
When we reached the back doors, Edward turned around to face Esme and I, but his eyes locked on me. They were full of anxiety, determination, fear and protectiveness, and overwhelming love. It was staggering.
"Stay behind us, Bella. Please. I mean it. I don't like the idea of you being out there, but if it's something you need to do, or something you're insisting upon....then please, at least just stay behind us, and stay close beside Esme," he pleaded with me.
"Okay," I promised. "I will."
He then turned his attention to Esme. "Don't let her out of your sight for even a second. Should anything happen, or should things become too dangerous, bring her inside --" he saw me opening my mouth to protest, and quickly proceeded before I could get a word out. "Regardless of what she says."
Esme nodded, and with that, Edward opened the door, leading us outside, where the rest of his family already stood facing the woods, where I could see multiple pairs of large, glowing eyes as the light glinted off of them.
I inhaled an uneven breath, close to a gasp as they began to walk towards us, out from the trees.
The Cullens -- minus Esme -- all stood in a line, almost shoulder to shoulder, in a similar fashion to the way the wolves positioned themselves as they walked out of the woods. But Esme stood a few steps behind her husband and children, closely by my side.
As she heard my gasping breath and shaky exhale, her hand came up in an offering. I almost wanted to smile at the tenderness and love that the simple gesture from her made me feel. But since I couldn't find my voice, and didn't feel now was an appropriate time to be speaking my thanks, I simply placed my hand in hers, and squeezed it gently in silent appreciation.
But when my eyes turned back in the direction of the uninvited visitors, I saw their eyes practically glaring at the people who stood before me.
Of course, the conversation was silent, only soon to be vocalized by Edward reading their thoughts.
I could see Sam standing front and center, with Paul, Quil and Embry all flanking him, along with a few of the other wolves, who I didn't get a close enough glimpse of to determine who they were.
As Sam's large furry black head tilted to the side, as if in question, I saw Edward's body visibly stiffen.
"He wants to know why Bella would accuse Jacob of something like this," he muttered disbelievingly, his head turned only infinitesimally in Carlisle's direction, who was standing to his left, as he spoke in a low voice.
I strained my ears to hear everything that was being said, due to the hushed tones he was using to repeat Sam's words.
"You honestly think she would make it up?" Edward snarled in the pack's direction. I could see Rosalie slightly shake her head, and I imagined she must be rolling her eyes.
After a pause, Edward spoke again in a detached tone. "He says what he thinks is that Emmett went after Jacob, and that Jacob," he paused, spitting the next word out, "loves Bella and wouldn't do anything to cause her harm," he growled fiercely.
Emmett suddenly crossed his arms, his posture defiant and defensive. I could see the large muscles in his back move and stretch, becoming more prominent in his movements. He was intimidating, even just seeing him from behind.
Before Edward could bite out a retort, no doubt fueled by his rapidly growing rage, Carlisle's calming voice captured everyone's attention.
"Has Jacob phased within the past week or so?"
After a moment, Edward voiced Sam's thoughts with a shake of his head. "No."
Again, Carlisle's tone was calm, eerily so, given how hostile everyone else seemed to be--both the pack and the Cullens. "Then I suggest you speak to him before approaching us next time. Once he has phased you will see his thoughts -- you will see what happened." I shuddered at the memory of the rape, and just like that, I was no longer somewhat calm; I was now visibly trembling.
"He said, regardless, he doesn't think Jacob would be capable of something such as this," Edward said in a complete monotone.
I stood there, growing angry at the fact that everyone else, aside from the Cullens, and Charlie, seemed to believe that Jacob wouldn't be capable of this. I knew, first hand, that he was capable of it. I knew that he was capable of raping me. I could feel it every second of every day, I thought about it almost every waking moment, and even in my dreams. I know what he's capable of, and yet, everyone else seems so willing to believe him--the attacker.
I let go of Esme's hand, and quickly pushed my way forward, to wedge myself in the space between Edward and Alice, who stood on his other side.
I didn't stop to look at Edward's reaction when I did this, nor would I have let him stop me. The truth was already out -- people already knew. There was no reason to hold it back, and allow the pack to believe that I'm some kind of a liar. I had somewhat been friends with them, too, at one point. And yet, everyone is so quick to discredit me, and to believe Jacob. I wanted to make them see.
I pulled down the left shoulder of my coat, leaving the large bruises on my upper arm visible below the sleeve of my t-shirt.
"He did this!" I yelled, my voice cracking. "He raped me! You may not think he's capable of that, but I know that he is. You're not the one who has to live with it -- the memory of it every single day of your life from now on!" I practically screamed, my breathing harsh from emotions. I was about to continue, when I felt someone's hand on my bare arm, and I immediately flinched, pulling away quickly.
"Bella," Edward whispered, his expression pained. "Don't. Please, let us handle this. I don't want things to be worse for you."
At this point, from the suddenness of the unexpected touch, and the strong emotions coursing through me due to my outburst, I realized I didn't have the energy or emotional stability to even try to continue. So I simply turned around, and there Esme stood, almost directly behind me with a gentle smile on her face. She held out her hand, which I took, hoping to use her hand to help steady myself.
Esme and I resumed our previous positions behind the others, before Edward spoke again, but this time for everyone to hear.
"He still claims Jacob would never do such a thing. He claims that's more something that our kind would do. He's also pointing out that the 'big blood-sucking brute' attacked Jacob," he paraphrased for Sam. I could hear the familiar hints of anger lining Edward's usually smooth voice, before Carlisle's voice filtered through the air next.
"Emmett was out of line, yes. He should not have gone after Jacob. However, as you can see, Bella has sustained some injuries that were caused by Jacob. Even if you are hesitant to believe the full extent of the truth, you can still see the bruises marring her skin -- proof of the truth. Jacob harmed her, and Emmett acted in response to that. He's protective of those he loves, and he felt it was justified --"
Emmett interrupted him loudly, effectively cutting him off. "It was deserved. He deserved a whole lot more than that!"
Carlisle turned in his largest son's direction, shooting him a look that quickly caused Emmett to quiet, and stand stock still with his arms still crossed defiantly in front of his chest.
"He's mentioning how Emmett violated the treaty by doing so. That he harmed a human -- a pack member, no less," Edward explained.
"I don't condone violence, but as I said, it was in reaction to Jacob's actions towards Bella. I don't feel Emmett's actions violate the treaty in any way," Carlisle spoke calmly, his posture strong and professional. "I'm asking that you speak to Jacob first, that you discover his thoughts on the event, and then return and we can discuss this further. Because I don't feel it will do anyone any good to continue this conversation until you are fully aware of Jacob's recollection of the event. You know what we believe, and know as the truth, but you, however, are hesitant to believe that. So, please...speak to Jacob once he's phased," he finished, his tone now slightly more strained, as he clasped his hands in front of his body.
I could only see him from behind, but I heard Edward growl, low and menacing. However, I was not afraid of him, or of his anger as I would be with Emmett's. Instinctually, I knew that none of the Cullen men would harm me in that way. But still, Emmett was rather intimidating due to his size, and at the moment, I didn't have enough trust or security to allow any of them -- with the exception of Edward -- to touch me at all. I barely allowed the Cullen women to touch me in any way, either.
"Go!" Edward bellowed, his voce pure fury as he took a step forward towards the pack. "Go! Speak to the mongrel! Until you have, don't return!" he growled, as the wolves snarled loudly, the sound loud and rumbling.
All members of the Cullen family turned in Edward's direction, silently asking with their eyes what had been said to set him off, but he firmly shook his head, not willing to repeat it.
Emmett then stepped forward as well, willing to back Edward up and ultimately preparing for the worst. Carlisle placed his hand on Edward's shoulder, effectively stopping him from further approaching the pack.
The wolves began to retreat back into the woods, their tails swishing angrily from side to side, as they all seemed to glare in mine and the Cullen's direction one last time before disappearing from sight.
I could feel my shoulders slump, as the threat of the wolves was no longer there. I let out a long, shaky breath, before Edward turned around, his mouth set into a thin, grim line with his eyes down cast as he, along with the other Cullens, made their way over to Esme and I.
"Are you alright, love?" Edward asked, now standing directly in front of me. I could see the familiar tint of concern flicker within his eyes, despite his anger.
I contemplated his question, unsure of what the proper answer was. Was I alright? Was I okay? I had spent the night fearfully gripping my blanket, terrified of sleep and the nightmares it brought with it, and completely riddled with anxiety at being away from Edward. I had gone from somewhat content, or maybe even marginally...happy, at getting to see Edward this morning after being away from him all night. From there, it turned into panic and fear when the pack showed up, and morphed into anger at their disbelief. But as I stood here now, after the emotional whirlwind I had been on in the last few hours, I was beginning to feel drained, and confused, and entirely overwhelmed.
Before I could figure out how to honestly answer him, I began to cry.
"Bella!" Edward exclaimed anxiously, as his hands lifted and flitted in reaction to my tears, only to stop dead in his tracks, dropping his arms back down to his sides. "What is it? What's wrong? Please, tell me," he pleaded with a pained expression.
"I just...I just need a minute," I gasped. I felt Esme's hand tighten around mine.
"Perhaps she's just overwhelmed. It's been a rough few hours for her. Let's just all go inside, shall we?" Esme spoke, her tone light, and comforting, and motherly.
We all did as she suggested, Emmett and Rosalie heading inside, as Rose cast me a sympathetic glance over her shoulder as she went. The rest of the Cullens followed suit, and Edward stayed by my side, as Esme held my hand, leading me inside.
The other Cullens had dispersed once inside, leaving Esme, Edward and I standing alone in the kitchen. I was fine with the privacy, as I felt foolish for my tears.
"Tell me what's wrong, please," Edward murmured, both his voice and expression completely anxious.
"Overwhelmed," I gasped, trying to get myself to calm down. But I couldn't ignore the fact that so many people, like the pack had, regardless of the fact that they knew me -- wouldn't even believe the truth. They would believe the accused over me. So far, the only people I had on my side were the Cullens, Charlie and hopefully the rest of the police department.
"Come here, dear," Esme said softly. She grasped my hand tighter, pulling me closer towards her. I immediately tensed up, unsure of her intentions. I didn't think I could handle much more right now. Everything was just too much right now, and I didn't think I could handle her trying to touch me more than she already was.
But she continued to draw me closer, before pulling me against her chest, as her arms hesitantly wrapped around me, crushing me to her. Every muscle locked, and I drew in a sharp intake of breath, before I stopped breathing all together at the contact.
I was afraid to move, afraid to speak, for fear of screaming, or freaking out more than I already was. I could feel the panic. The panic at being touched, at being this close to someone. As I continued to cry, I bit my lip to keep any sounds from escaping, and I fought with myself to stay still, and not pull away.
After a moment, with the air in the kitchen silent and thick with tension -- at least to me, I finally exhaled a long, disjointed breath. And when I did, despite my erratic breathing, I realized that Esme's touch, her comfort, and her hug, weren't as frightening as I thought they would be. I could feel the comfort within her touch, even though I still wasn't completely comfortable—not by a long shot. But, I could feel the love in her embrace, the tenderness of her touch, and I knew she wouldn't hurt me.
I thought about what Rosalie had said, about needing to do things on my own, to help myself get better. And obviously, I would need to get used to being touched again. To learn to not panic at even the slightest touch or embrace. And once I fought through my initial panic, I had been able to feel the comfort involved in the embrace.
So with unsure limbs, afraid of my reaction to even more contact, I brought my arms up, and wrapped them around Esme. My breathing was still shallow, and I continued to cry, but I didn't panic any further.
Her embrace felt warm, despite her cold skin, and loving, and motherly. That only made my cry harder, as I realized that I could still somewhat find comfort in being hugged and held sometimes, even if I still couldn't allow Edward or any other male to touch me.
"Shh...there, there, dear. Everything's going to be okay," Esme whispered in my ear, as her hand started to rub gentle circles on my back. "You're so strong, Bella. One of the strongest people I've ever met. You will get through this. We'll all help you. You're going to be okay, and we won't let anyone hurt you. It's going to be okay," she soothed.
After a few moments, I managed to get both my breathing and my tears under control. I slowly pulled out of Esme's arms, and quickly wiped the shed tears from my cheeks as my eyes met with Edward's.
He stood beside Esme, fidgeting nervously, as he gazed at me anxiously. I wasn't sure if he was anxious due to my unexpected breakdown, or because he expected me to react differently to Esme's hug. Honestly, I was surprised with myself that I had been able to hug someone without having a complete panic attack. I was proud of myself for getting through it, for not just instantly recoiling.
It brought a real smile to my face, which seemed to make Edward exhale a breath of relief.
"Are you okay, love?" he asked softly, his eyes searching every inch of my face.
I simply nodded, before Esme announced that she would give us some time alone. Before turning to leave the kitchen, she grabbed my hand once again, giving it a squeeze, before smiling at me and leaving the room. I actually smiled back.
"I'm okay," I assured Edward, still seeing the worry in his eyes. "I just -- it was a lot to take in," I explained. "Do you think they'll realize the truth once they...once they talk to Jacob?"
"They should. Unless they're all truly blind, it would be hard not to see the truth. Everything's going to work out, Bella. I promise you. Neither Jacob, nor any of those dogs, for that matter, will ever hurt you again -- I'll make sure of it," he vowed.
Even though I believed he would protect me and do everything he could to bring justice to the situation, I knew that it wouldn't make my fears disappear.
But before I could respond, Emmett came barreling into the kitchen, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Yeah, Bella -- don't worry. We won't let anyone hurt you again. If anyone tries," he paused, his boyishly dimpled grin becoming even wider before he raised his right arm, and flexed his bulging muscles. He used his left hand to emphatically point at the large muscles in his upper arm. "I'll protect you with these bad boys." He kissed his bicep, and winked at me, his grin never ceasing, as his dimples became more pronounced with the extra large grin.
I laughed. I couldn't hold it back, and for the first time since the rape, I felt laughter bubbling up from within me, filling the air with its lightness.
It felt good to laugh. It felt good to have emotions other than just sadness and fear, and more than ever right now, I was truly grateful for Emmett's ridiculous sense of humor.
I glanced around the room, seeing Edward with a large smile on his face as well, as he eyed me with surprise. Under normal circumstances, he would have probably just rolled his eyes at Emmett's antics, but I'm sure it was my reaction that was saving Emmett from a sarcastic retort from Edward.
"Thanks, Em," I giggled. "For everything."
"It's my pleasure. I couldn't have anyone going around and hurting my soon to be little sister, now could I?" he questioned, with a gentle smile and the shake of his head. I smiled softly in return, before he grew serious. "I do mean it, though, Bella. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you," he elaborated.
"I know," I told him with a smile. And with that, he quietly walked out of the room, a stark contrast to how he had entered it.
When I turned to Edward again, he was gazing at me searchingly, his eyes never leaving me. Being around Edward tended to help soothe my frayed nerves, and right now, he was entirely too far away. I didn't like the distance that still stood between us, so I held out my hand, imploring him to come closer, to close the distance between us. And thankfully, he did. A second later, his hand was firmly wrapped around me, giving me both a sense of comfort and security, along with discomfort at the touch.
"Do you really think Jacob will be found guilty?" I asked quietly, as the question had been gnawing away at me in the back of my mind. I couldn't help but worry that maybe not everyone would believe me, and that Jacob would be found innocent.
"We'll make sure of it," Edward promised, as he slowly and hesitantly brought our intertwined hands up, and flipped them over, before placing a small kiss to the inside of my wrist. I felt the instinct to flinch back, but I held myself back, instead tensing completely, and unmoving for a moment.
He paused, staring up at me from beneath his lashes as he gauged my reaction, and I gave him a faint smile to show that I was okay.
"I'm so proud of you for last night and today, Bella. You went out there and faced the wolves, you stood up for yourself by speaking up and showing them your bruises. You've been amazing today," he breathed, his eyes filled with nothing but love.
"Thank you," I whispered shyly, as I looked down to avoid any eye contact.
"Would you like to go upstairs?" he questioned. I nodded in answer.
But again, we were interrupted as Alice danced into the room, her spiky hair swishing around her face as she came to a stop in front of us.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly.
Instead of repeating over and over again that I was, indeed, okay, which made me restrain from rolling my eyes, I nodded instead.
"Good. Especially since...well, I saw that Charlie wants you to go home. He's waiting for you. There's a bit of a surprise waiting for you, as well," she explained cryptically.
"What kind of surprise?" I was instantly suspicious. At this rate, there couldn't be many good surprises. But Alice didn't sound distressed, or anxious about whatever surprise it was.
"You'll see," she smiled.
I looked over to Edward, but he, too, was smiling, obviously in on this apparent so-called surprise.
"Would someone please tell me what's going on? You know I hate surprises," I huffed.
"It's nothing bad, love. Don't worry," Edward murmured, though his smile was still secretive. "Why don't I take you home and you can see for yourself?"
"Okay," I said slowly and apprehensively. In light of everything that's happened recently, I was very hesitant to believe that this could be a good surprise. But Edward and Alice wouldn't be smiling unless it was something good, right?
I sighed, giving up on trying to guess, knowing that it would only make me crazy.
Edward turned, about to lead me out the door when Alice stopped him.
She stepped closer to me as her gaze settled on mine, her eyes asking and unsure. As I saw her arms begin to lift -- again -- I was unsure about how much more I could possibly take, but her voice stopped me from stepping away.
"Please? I've already seen it. It'll be okay," she whispered. Her eyes seemed so large and child-like, almost pleading with me to allow her to hug me. If she were able to produce tears, I imagined that her eyes would be filled with them right now.
I stood perfectly still, waiting for her to continue. Slowly she did, until her arms were wrapped around my neck as she stood on the tips of her toes. I inhaled deeply, before letting the air out slowly, trying to keep myself as calm as possible. Still, again, I could feel myself not wanting to accept the touch, the embrace, but I could also feel the aspects of comfort in it as well.
I had missed Alice. Missed her exuberance, and closeness, as I could tell she had been more held off and restrained since the rape. She was one to show excitement, to offer hugs generously for random things.
"I missed you," she breathed.
"I missed you, too, Alice," I whispered.
She quickly pulled back after a few seconds, her face lit up in a beautiful smile. "You guys should get going. Charlie's waiting for you," she informed us. "I'll come visit you later today, Bella."
When Edward and I made it back to Charlie's, there was no other cars in front of the house, except for my truck and Charlie's cruiser. No one else was here -- unless Charlie had picked them up.
I wasn't sure what to expect, so I could feel my breathing become a little more unsteady, as we got out of the Volvo and made our way inside. As soon as I stepped in the door, I saw three large duffel bags sitting just inside the door. I looked at them curiously, unsure of who they would belong to.
"Bells? Is that you, honey?" Charlie called from the living room.
"Yeah, Dad, it's me."
"Come on into the living room, would you, please?" he asked.
I glanced questioningly at Edward, who made sure to remain stoic, not giving me any clues or hints. I huffed in slight annoyance at his lack of cooperation with my quest for clues.
I took his hand, leading him into the living room with me, as I didn't want to face whatever was waiting for me alone. But as soon as I got to the entrance of the room, I stopped in my tracks, because there -- sitting on the couch -- was Renee.
"Mom?" I gasped.
See, twitter girls? I told you Renee would be in the story, lol. Obviously, despite the wolves presence, who showed up without any definite information, and nothing but hear-say information, Bella still managed to take a step forward by standing up for herself, and getting hugged.
Next up: Is Bella happy to see Renee, or displeased with the fact that she's there? And will her presence help or hinder Bella? What if Renee makes a demand on Bella that's impossible for her to meet, and could shatter her to the core? [Don't worry, Edward will be involved next chapter, too, lol, along with Alice]
Another thing...in the next couple of days, I'll be posting a new story called Never Say Never. I won't be neglecting Fix You at all, I promise -- don't worry. I'm very excited about this new story, so please, if you're interested, add me to author alerts so you'll know when it's been posted =).
Fix You's twitter: _fix_you_
personal twitter: frosted_stars
Please review, and be my guest to guess what Renee's demand will be! Let me know what you thought, and let me know that you're still interested by leaving a review!