Author's Note: And…I'm back. READ THIS! And I'm dedicating this chapter to a very wonderful fan of mine, someone who has stuck with me for a very long time now. Happy birthday, Danniestarr! May you have many, many more, and enjoy this chapter that you wanted!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.


Chapter 63

"E-Edward," I stuttered, completely taken aback. "H-how did you-"

His face was hard and cold. His green eyes were icy. I'd never seen him so angry before in my entire life. How in the world had he known about this? I hadn't told anyone.

Before I could finish asking my question, he snatched my passport and ticket from my hand and began dragging me away.

"No!" I protested, trying to pull away. "What are you doing? Let me go!"

He was too strong. I couldn't move my hand that he gripped so tightly. Helpless, I had no choice but to follow Edward out of the airport.

"Edward Cullen!"

He let me go and turned to face me. "Where the hell do you think you're going?" he asked me icily.

I refused to back down. "Home," I replied, my chin coming up stubbornly.

"New York is your home," he hissed.

"No," I said defiantly. "New York became my worst nightmare ever since you started cheating on me with that bitch!"

He refused to get hurt this time. I could see that my words had had no effect on him whatsoever. "Did you really think I was going to let you go so easily?"

"I expect you to."

"Isabella Swan!" he yelled, causing curious stares to turn to us. "Are you going to run away from your troubles again?"

I recoiled at that. He'd hit a nerve. "I was-"

"Are you never going to face them again?" he demanded. "No, look at me!" he ordered when I looked away. "Face me. I'm why you're leaving. So just keep doing your revenge like you were planning to. Why are you leaving so suddenly?"

"Because I'm tired!" I shouted. Something broke inside me, and I started crying. "I'm tired of all this! I just want to be some place where nothing can bother me. Where my family can't beg me to take you back, where I can't see Tanya Denali ever again, and where I can't see you!"

The tears flowed down my cheeks freely as I let go of all my fears, frustration, and anger for the first time in years. I didn't care that people were listening in on us curiously.

Edward's face softened ever so slightly as I said those last few words. And then, he sighed deeply before pulling me into his arms and holding me tight.

"No!" I said, struggling to get him away. "Get away! Let me go, you cheating, annoying-"

He held on tight, and I couldn't move a centimeter. In the end, I just stood there while he hugged me as though he never wanted to let me go ever again. I sobbed my heart out, knowing that I was never going to get on that plane. I wondered if I was ever going to see Los Angeles again.

Edward's Point of View

I locked Bella in the car, stationed a bodyguard I'd brought with me to watch her in case she ran away again, and went back inside to retrieve her suitcase.

They didn't want to help me get it back, but I bribed them, and in the end, they delayed the plane and someone went inside to find the correct luggage.

Bella ignored me pointedly when I returned. She had stopped crying and was now sulking quietly. She glared out the window viciously, looking as if she was ready to kill.

I nodded toward the bodyguard, and he went back to his own car to return to the company while I pulled out and drove out of the airport.

We drove in silence for a while.

I was still angry with her for deciding that she could just leave so easily while I couldn't ever escape from this stupid mistake I'd made against her. Couldn't she just understand that I had to have her by my side, not just because I still loved her, but also because she would help me to keep from going insane over the guilt? She held me together.

I wondered what she was thinking about. Was she perhaps ranting silently, cursing at my perfectly timed arrival? Or was she worrying that she'd ditched work today, being the responsible person that she was?

"How did you know?" Bella asked in a dead, monotone voice.

That startled me. It was completely different and unexpected compared to what I'd been guessing. "Know…?" I trailed off confusedly.

She sighed. "How did you know I was planning to leave the state?"

Oh. "I have my sources, Bella."

"What kind of sources?" she pressed.

I let out a slow sigh. "I had the airport monitor your passport. You were free to leave the state for a while now, but you just had to get past me knowing that you booked a flight." I couldn't help but smirk slightly in triumph.

She made a disbelieving sound. "Even though I'm hating you like crazy right now, I'm impressed at how good your connections are."

She lapsed back into stony silence, sulking.

"Is your anger all out now?" I asked softly, stopping at a traffic light. I glanced at her.

"No."

I couldn't help but laugh quietly. She sounded like the five-year old I'd once known, pouty and stubborn. I wished we could go back to that time. I wished that she had never developed a crush on me, and I wished that I'd never returned those feelings.

When she spoke again, her voice was laced with careful anxiety. "Does anyone…know?"

"That you were trying to run away again?" I said calmly, and she looked sulky again. "Yes."

She gasped, and she forgot momentarily that she was annoyed with me. "Who?" It was clear she was thinking about her protective, capably temperamental brother.

My lips twitched in amusement and guilt. "Jasper."

She looked horrified. "Edward!"

"I'm sorry," I said, sounding guilty now as I urged the car forward when the light turned green. "He happened to call me when I was driving to the airport to stop you. Apparently, he decided to visit me in my office and when I wasn't there, he thought I was with you." I paused, and added softly, "He was watching us last night, after you ran out of the house. With Alice."

She let out a muted hiss. "And so you told him? Do you realize you've thrown me to the wolves?"

I glanced at her before staring out the windshield carefully as I added, "He's waiting for us at my office."

She shot me a sharp look. "Hell, no. You're not going to your office right now. You're taking me home."

I winced. "Sorry, Bella. At this moment, I'm more scared of Jasper than I am of you. He was at my office this morning for a reason, and it was to punch the lights out of me for trying to make a move on you last night."

She rolled her eyes. "So, what? You're going to hand me over to him like a good little boy?"

I was silent before I answered. "I don't want to antagonize him any further. If I want another chance with you, your permission is not the only one that's required."

That shut her up. She huffed, annoyed, and she gave me the silent treatment all the way to my office.

Bella's Point of View

I had to admit, I was freaked out. The one person I feared the most was Jasper Whitlock. He had the power to give me advice when I needed it. But he also had the right to punish me. And I was certain that I'd get a two-hour lecture about this.

I just couldn't face him. I realized that my decision had been rash and inappropriate for my age when I should've talked it through and thought about it carefully. I would rather deal with Edward than face him. That's how reluctant I was to see my brother at the moment.

When Edward parked and cut off the engine, I didn't take in the tall, sophisticated building that should've impressed me. I didn't even take off my seatbelt and sat frozen in my seat.

Edward opened my door like a gentleman and waited. "Bella?"

"You can close the door and drive me right back home, Edward Cullen," I said, trying to sound firm and angry, but even I heard the tremor in my voice.

Edward sighed. "You might as well get this over with."

I glanced to my left and saw Jasper's familiar car. I whimpered subconsciously. I jumped when Edward's phone rang, a little too loudly, I thought.

Edward looked grim as he answered. "Jasper."

I widened my eyes at him meaningfully. If he told my brother that we'd arrived…

"We're in the parking lot."

Damn it! "Damn you, Edward Cullen," I mumbled to myself, but I think he caught it.

"She's refusing to get out of the car," Edward said, smiling in amusement now. Was this a joke to him? Did he want me to get killed?

I flinched when I heard yelling on the other end. Edward's smile didn't vanish, however, so I knew that whatever Jasper had screamed at him had amused him more.

"Do you want to bring her in yourself?" Edward asked sarcastically. "She's not some doll. I can't do that."

I frowned at him in confusion. What?

"And if she gets even more angry with me, it's not like you're going to rescue me," Edward added, scowling now.

I thought I heard a faint, "Just bring her up!" before Edward sighed and hung up.

I glared at him, daring him to touch me. He looked torn. I felt bad that he both Jasper and I were tormenting him to take a side, but my safety was more important at the moment. "Don't you dare, Edward Cullen. I swear, I will never speak to you again, and that's not an exaggeration. I'm seriously going back to Los Angeles and never come back here again."

Edward was staring at something straight ahead of him as he tried to decide. I didn't know what went through his mind, but he ducked inside the car and unbuckled my seatbelt.

"Edward!" I was shocked when his arms snaked around me, and suddenly, he was carrying me, bridal-style. "Put me down right now, or I'm reporting you to the police for sexual harassment."

He ignored me. He somehow closed his door and even locked it. He marched through the building, and I stopped yelling at him because people were looking at us curiously.

Finally, he set me down on some floor we'd arrived on, and I immediately took another step back from him, giving him a distrustful look. "I hate you."

"That's good," he said mildly. "Hate is a passionate emotion. It means you still think about me."

"I'll give you a passionate punch," I said innocently. "How's that?"

He gave me a look that somehow looked…seductive. Was he trying to flirt with me? After weeks of no action, he was finally going to do something about me? Wow, just…wow.

"Look who we have here," a male voice interrupted, sounding amused. "Edward, who is that gorgeous young lady beside you?"

My eyes tore away from Edward's to a tall man that was just as good-looking as Edward was. He was staring at me in fascination, his eyes flickering up and down as he took everything in.

I blushed, still uncomfortable at how men seemed to take a romantic interest in me. I tried to stare him down. He looked dazed instead of being intimidated. What the heck?

"Go away, Brian," Edward said, scowling so heavily at him that even his colleague was surprised.

"Whoa!" Brian said, laughing. "I'm sorry. Is the lady already taken? I thought you were trying to get your ex back. Or have you decided that she's not going to take you back?"

Edward groaned softly while I stared at Brian in some surprise. And I was even more startled when an old lady tripped lightly and joined the tall guy. "Well, now, I know that face."

I blinked. Edward looked embarrassed. "Rachel, please."

Rachel chuckled lightly as she swooped forward with surprising speed. I was taken aback when she suddenly had my hand in hers. "Pleasure to meet you, young lady."

I tried to smile, but felt like it came out more like a grimace. "Thank you." I looked at Edward for explanation.

He cleared his throat. "Bella, this is Rachel Perkins, our secretary. She's like a grandmother to everyone here. And, uh, Brian Hudson, my colleague."

"What a beautiful name," Brian said smoothly, flirtatiously. "And a beautiful face. Can I change your mind about Edward? How about you go on a date with me instead?"

I resisted the urge to gag. Sure, he was handsome, but he was no different than those creepy men that had thrown themselves at me.

Edward looked ready to kill someone. "Hudson, don't try me."

Brian barked out laughing. "Aw, come on, Eddie. Don't be so serious."

"And if you want to date my sister, you'll have to go through me." Jasper appeared from nowhere, it seemed, and he looked cross. "Do you have the confidence that Edward had? Which, he wrecked, of course," he added, mumbling to himself.

I panicked. I quickly pushed Edward in front of me to hide myself, not thinking. I bit my lip, praying that he would go easy on me.

Edward glanced behind him awkwardly. He turned back quickly when I frowned up at him.

Brian sounded confused. "Confidence that Edward had?"

"Yes, you idiot," Rachel snapped, and I heard a loud slap and a sharp, "Ow!" from Brian. "She's obviously his ex-wife, you dimwitted boy!"

"What?" Brian sounded like he was being strangled. "Are you serious? That gorgeous lady? No way. Edward, you were insane to cheat on her."

Another sharp slap, and a yell this time. "Rachel Perkins, if you don't stop hitting me-"

"Get away, get away!" Rachel barked, and she chased him away, leaving the three of us in an awkward atmosphere.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the outburst.

"Isabella Marie Swan," Jasper sighed wearily.

I gulped. When he pronounced my full name, I knew I was in trouble, whether he was shouting at me or not.

"Stop hiding behind him," Jasper snapped, and I flinched. "Come out. You know you're in big trouble, young lady."

I tugged at Edward's dark blue cardigan sweater, begging for help. I would deal with my ex later. Right now, I just needed to survive my brother's wrath.

"Jasper-" Edward began, but Jasper cut him off.

"Shut up, Cullen," he snapped. "You're getting it too, I promise. I saw you last night."

"Shit," I murmured. Then, louder, I said, "If you're going to shout at me, just do it now. Pretend Edward's me and just yell at him."

"What?" Edward choked.

"No, Isabella," Jasper said sharply, making me grimace. "Get out here now, where I can see you."

After a moment of hesitation, I came out from behind Edward, but made no move to come closer. "Look, Jasper, I know what you're going to say, and I'm really, really sorry I didn't tell you or anyone else I was leaving-"

His arms were crossed, and he silenced me with a look. "You were going to run away? Again?"

I flinched. His words hurt. When Jasper spoke about that incident, it affected me more than when any other person talked about it. I'd seen his pain when I had been in the hospital. He had probably been hurting just as much as Edward and I had been.

"Were you going to play the coward again?" Jasper continued. "You know that running away from your problems is never going to help you, Bella. They'll just keep growing bigger, just like the troubles that welcomed you home when you came back. And now?" He made a disbelieving sound. "I can't believe you even had the nerve to try to run away. There's one thing I'm glad Edward did, and it's that he kept an eye on you. I should've done that."

Edward looked awkward, standing next to me as brother scolded sister. He was looking apologetic toward me. He would so get it later.

"I'm sorry, Jasper," I whispered, tears forming in my eyes. "Really. I won't do it again. I promise I'll talk to you if I want to go home."

Jasper sighed. "This is your home, Bella. You'll see that soon." He held out his arms. "Come here."

Tears dripping, I walked forward and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry."

"I'm glad he stopped you from leaving," he mumbled. "Don't scare me like that again."

I nodded.

He let me go. "I want you to go wait outside. No, better yet, take my keys and go sit in my car. If you can move your suitcase from Edward's car, then do it. Just wait for me." His eyes turned to Edward. "I want to have a brief talk with Edward before we leave."

Edward didn't look resigned or anything. In fact, he looked quite determined and stubborn, as though he was ready for whatever Jasper was about to say to him.

Knowing that it was better to push it, I took the keys that Jasper offered me and walked back to the elevator doors.

As I passed Edward, I purposely brushed past him gently, just enough that I could briefly feel his warmth. I still hated him for doing what he had done to me, but something in me had finally given up and agreed that I couldn't live without him.


AN: So…what'd you think? Leave me reviews, please!