We silently swept up the remains of the crystal lamp from the hardwood floor. The word slut echoed through my head as I worked. I went into the kitchen while he dealt with the broken pieces of his coffee table. I moistened a paper towel and returned to him, delicately wiping at the drying blood on his lip and chin. Slut. Slut. Slut. Edward's green eyes were pensive as he looked down at me.

"Um, Edward…maybe I should go stay with Alice and Jasper…" I said, purposely not meeting his eyes.

"What? Why?" He asked, pulling away from my hand.

"I don't want to come between you and Emmett…"

"What did you think was going to happen? You thought he was going to throw us a party? Were you expecting him to offer his congratulations?"

"I don't know what I was expecting…" I admitted quietly.

"Damn it, Izzy…" he mumbled, running his hands through his messy locks.

"He called me a slut, Edward…I…"

"Fuck, Izzy! That asshole came here after he found out you'd been attacked to ask about his legal position! He was worried about protecting his ass! Why the fuck do you care what he thinks?" He roared, his eyes blazing with anger. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Izzy, I'm sorry for yelling." He said with a frustrated sigh, reaching out to me. I stepped back.

"I'm going to pack up my stuff and get a taxi." I told him. I turned and started toward his bedroom.

"Wait, Izzy. What are you saying?" he inquired. I knew what he was asking, but I didn't have an answer for him.

"I don't know…" was my paltry response. His cell phone began to ring and I used that distraction as my escape. I called Alice to make sure she was home.

"Izzy?"

"Hey Alice. Are you home? Is it okay if I come and stay with you guys for a while?" I asked, sitting on the messy, unmade bed. I tried not to think about the fact that just a few hours earlier, he had made me feel like the most desired woman on the planet.

"Sure, hon. No problem. Is everything okay?"

"I'll talk to you when I get there. I should be there in about an hour." I said quickly.

"Okay…" I knew that Alice was going to bombard me with questions as soon as I walked into the door. I still hadn't told her about sleeping with Edward while I was still with Emmett. I hung up with Alice and began to pack my things. I could hear the rise and fall of Edward's angry voice through the door. I tried not to listen, but I heard him say 'Dad' a couple times, so I knew that he was talking to Dr. Cullen and from his tone I could tell it wasn't a pleasant conversation.

I wheeled my suitcase into the hallway with my duffel back slung over my good arm, trying to slip out quietly- but no such luck.

"Dad, I have to talk to you about this later." He said into his cell phone, as he peered at me from the kitchen bar, holding his hand up silently to stop me from walking out of the door. He listened for a few seconds, said okay and then disconnected the call.

"Izzy, I don't feel comfortable with you getting a taxi alone." He walked over and stood a few feet in front of me with his arms crossed.

"I'm just going straight to Alice's…" I explained.

"I'll drive you. I just want you to be safe."

I nodded in acquiescence, unable to pull a valid argument quickly enough from my muddled brain.

"Let me just put on some clothes." He said before disappearing into his bedroom. He was out a minute later, dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and Converse sneakers. His hair was still in its usual disarray and I wanted to tease him about it and then bury my hands in it and kiss him senseless, but I didn't. We walked to his car in silence.

The ride to Alice's took forever, of course. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon at the end of August- traffic was horrific. But being in the car with Edward, not speaking to him, and lost in my own confusing thoughts made it exquisite torture. Edward didn't even glance at me, but stared straight ahead, occasionally humming along with songs that played from his iPod through the car's speakers. I called Alice when we got close to her apartment so that she could meet me out in front of her building. She was standing on the sidewalk when we turned onto her street and Edward stopped the car in front of her.

"Thanks." I said uncertainly, not sure of what else to say as I opened the car door.

"Yup." He opened his door and walked to the trunk, pulling out my suitcase and bags. Alice rushed over to help. After an awkward good-bye, Edward pulled off, leaving Alice and I on the sidewalk.

"What the hell happened?" Alice asked as we walked into her building. "A few days ago he was spending the night in your hospital room and telling us that his apartment building was the safest place for you, today he dropped you off and peeled off, barely saying goodbye. Fill me in!"

"Alice, I'll tell you, but no judgment, okay?" I said while Alice opened her apartment door. Alice and Jasper's apartment was full of light and color; there were funky paintings on the walls and psychedelic throw pillows on the chairs and sofas. Her artistry shined throughout every room.

"No judgment." She agreed as she rolled my suitcase into their second bedroom. They mostly used it for storage, but there was a futon and television in there as well. "Let's sit down in the living room. Are you hungry?"

I nodded, realizing that I had never gotten around to eating breakfast. Alice made sandwiches and I told her my sordid tale. True to her word, she was quiet and didn't make a single judgmental comment. Until the very end.

"So after all of that, you decided that today was a good time to worry about the dynamic of their relationship."

"Alice!"

"What?" she cried, her eyes wide. "I'm not being judgmental. I'm just saying he went to bat for you, got into a physical altercation with his only brother and then you decide to walk away."

"It's better this way."

Alice snorted. She made a motion of zipping her lip and picked up our empty plates.

"Let's go shopping!" she exclaimed, shifting gears quickly. Alice was nothing if not consistent. Shopping was always her cure-all for everything. I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and then couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

~SD~

Monday morning I was sitting at Alice and Jasper's kitchen table with my laptop working on a grant project. Alice was at work and Jasper was still in bed, trying to bank as much rest as he could before school began. My cell phone rang noisily in the still room, startling me and breaking my intense focus.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, Iz! I miss seeing your face here in the office." Tyler's exuberant voice met my ears and I couldn't help but smile.

"I miss you, too." I admitted. Tyler knew that I had been attacked by someone who had been stalking me, but I hadn't shared the details with him about who the attacker was or what specifically had happened during the attack.

"I bet you don't miss your sour-faced boss…" he whispered conspiratorially. I laughed out loud. Tyler hated Victoria; he thought she was too grim and demanding. He often said she needed a good dick to fuck a smile onto her face. Yeah, Tyler was a piece of work.

"Are you still mad because she told you that personal calls are limited to your lunch break?"

"Yes, I'm still mad! I can multitask! Stupid bitch…" he mumbled.

"Well, I'm glad to see that nothing has changed since I've been gone."

"Izzy, I called to tell you something." He said, his tone becoming more serious.

"What?" I asked, panicked. Had I missed an assignment for work?

"A bouquet of roses came for you a little while ago. I signed for them."

"Where are they now?" I asked, my heartbeat quickening.

"Right here on my desk."

"Is there a card attached?"

"Yes."

"Open it." I demanded. I heard paper tearing and then Tyler gasped.

"What does it say?" I asked with a shaky voice.

"It says 'I'm not finished with you yet. I will see you soon. P.S. Next time, I won't be gentle.'"

"Oh, God!" I cried, my hands trembling.

"Izzy…the roses are black."