Disclaimer: I don't own twilight or its characters

November 14, 1941…

Bella

Alice wrapped her arms around me and bright me back inside, our roommates stepping back as we walked through. She brought me back to our bedroom and shut the door behind us, and wrapped a blanket around me, rubbing her hands up and down my arms to give me some warmth.

"Izzy, what happened?"

I scoffed through my tears, shaking my head.

"He came to tell me he was in love with me," I said and wiped my nose with the back of my hand. "He asked me to give him a chance after everything he's done. I'm so upset that he'd even think there was a chance I could have feelings for him!"

Alice pulled my hair behind my ear.

"What did he do to make you feel this way?" She asked.

"I'm surprised you didn't hear it, we weren't exactly quiet."

"I want to hear it from you, Iz."

I turned to my sister, taking her hands in mine.

"His father was close to Jacob Black and his family, kind of in the same way ours is close to Jane Vulturi and her son. After he died, he left Jacob a house and an allowance for his mother, but Mr. Cullen refused to honor his father's wishes and never gave it to him," I explained. "He left Jacob and his family in the ruin, and was even bold enough to shut the door in Jacob's face when he came to ask for help when his mother fell ill."

I used the blanket I was wrapped in and wiped my tears away, feeling my emotions bottled up in my throat. I looked at my sister, unsure about how to tell her the next part.

"Alice…" I paused, taking a breath. "He found out from Jessica about your plan of finding a husband to escape our life with our father. He told Jasper it was better if he ended your relationship and convinced him that he should request a transfer."

Alice did not react immediately. She stayed silent for a long time, looking down at our joined hands as she digested what I had just told her. When she looked up, she squared her shoulders and let out a breath I didn't know she was holding.

"What did he say when you made those accusations?"

"He didn't deny that he convinced Jasper to break up with you. However, he got extremely angry when I brought up Jacob Black."

"Izzy, judging by what I heard, you both got carried away by your own pride. You accused him, but you never let him defend his honor and after your accusations he got mad too." She tugged my hair behind my ear on the other side and cupped my cheek. "I don't blame him for the Jasper situation, but I'm sure there's an explanation for the Jacob thing."

"You don't blame him? Alice, he interfered in your relationship. How could you say you don't blame him?"

"Because any sensible person would come to the same conclusions as he did if he thought I was taking advantage of his friend," she said, sternly. "I know you want to defend me, Isabella, but the truth is, this is nobody's fault but mine. I was childish enough to make those bold comments and they came back to me. Plus, Jasper wasn't honest when he came to break up with me. If he truly thought I was using him, he never said that was the reason why he broke up with me or gave me a chance to explain. So no, I don't blame him for that.

"But when it comes to Jacob Black, there has to be another side. I don't think he was prepared for you to throw all of these allegations against him when he was on his way here to express his feelings for you."

"He doesn't have any feelings," I said, stubbornly.

"He does for you. We all know him to be a quiet and reserved kind of person who thought love was a waste of time, so just imagine how much strength it took him to put all those beliefs aside and come here to tell you how he feels?" She caressed my hair. "You can't condemn him unless you know the full story."

I knew she was right. I knew it deep down and that realization brought guilt with it. All I could see was the look in his eyes when I kept throwing accusations at him. All I heard was that stutter in his voice when he said he loved me, and all I did was shatter any of his hopes that things between us could change.

The guilt kept building and building, and I couldn't do anything but cry.

After I showered and changed, I spent the rest of the day laying in bed, crying myself to sleep. Alice was kind enough to leave me be and requested to the rest of the house that I was left alone for the rest of the day.

The very next morning, I sat on my bed, my legs curled against my chest as I took in the view outside my window. It was a beautiful day today. The sun was finally out after an entire day of raining and the sky looked bright and beautiful.

I couldn't sleep all night. It was impossible. My mind kept going over what happened the day before, replaying the whole interaction with him. I thought about it so much to the point I started feeling nauseous.

Alice walked into our bedroom with a white envelope in her hands. I watched her as she walked toward me and stood next to my bed.

"This is for you," she said, handing me the letter.

"Mail doesn't come on Sundays," I said, my voice hoarse.

"Edward dropped it by."

I shook my head. "I... I don't want to read it. Just give it back, I don't want to read it."

"Izzy, this could make a difference and help you sort out what you feel," she insisted. I continued to shake my head, looking away from her. "Would you stop acting like a child!"

I ignored her.

"Fine, if you don't want to read it then I will."

"Alice, don't!" I pleaded, reaching for the letter, but she stepped out of my grasp and ripped the envelope open.

Alice gave me a glare before reading the letter out loud.

Dear Isabella,

I want to assure you that the purpose of this letter is not to repeat the feelings that were so disgusting to you. But if you will give me a chance, I would like the opportunity to calmly address the two offenses you've laid against me.

I've known Jacob Black since we were boys. We were best friends growing up, as hard to believe that is. Our fathers' fought the war together and upon William Black's death, my father took responsibility over Jacob, his sister and his mother. He paid off the home where they lived, and established a trust fund for both Rachel and Jacob for them to continue their studies. It was my father's wishes, or perhaps a better word would be condition, that Jacob used the trust fund money to go to law school and work at my father's firm.

My father died when we were both fifteen years old. They remained in the home which my father had paid for and their allowances were never severed. Upon graduation, Jacob demanded access to the money in the trust fund, which was given and which he gambled away within months. He gambled the money from the allowances his mother and sister had saved, as well as the deeds to his mother's house that I had given to him, thinking they'd be in good hands. As a result, his mother lost her home and his sister had to quit school in order to work to put a roof over their head. I had no idea these were their living conditions until one day I ran into Rachel at a diner in Chicago where she worked and she told me what happened. She hadn't heard from Jacob for six months at that point.

Knowing my father always wanted his best friend's family to be looked after, I got them situated in a new home and made sure Rachel had everything she needed to go back to school.

When Jacob heard of what I'd done, he wrote to me with a made up tale about how he was extorted and was forced to give up everything they had. I knew this was a lie since most of our high school friends were the ones he frequently gambled with. He wrote to me asking for more money, supposedly to get back on his feet, but I refused.

In exchange, he tried to seduce my younger sister, going to her school to see her and make her fall in love with him so he could convince her to run away with him. He thought if he put her reputation at risk, we'd have no choice but to have them marry, but I was not going to allow that to happen. After I put a stop to his scheme, he went around town saying I cut him off from money that was rightfully his, smearing my name before enlisting in the Navy once he had gone penniless.

I had no idea Jacob Black was in Pearl Harbor until I was stationed here as well, and he's made it his life's mission to smear my name across town. It has never bothered me what people thought about me. Well, not until now.

If you find this information hard to believe, you can talk to Emmett. He's been a friend of mine since we were in school and was there for most of these events. He has no reason to lie for me.

Regarding Jasper and your sister, I truly believed my friend was being taken advantage of and acted out of protectiveness rather than deceitfulness. You're right that I should've addressed these allegations with your sister once I heard it from Jessica, but I will admit I let my anger cloud my judgment. You have to believe me, I was only trying to protect my friend.

Please, accept my apologies for any harm done to your sister. It was done unconsciously.

That's everything I have to say and I hope with this you can understand why and how everything happened.

I will not bother you anymore, Bella.

I hope for the best for you and your sister,

Mr. Cullen.

Alice puts the letter down and looks at me, waiting for me to say something. Anything. But I can't because the guilt that had washed over me was almost debilitating.

"I know what you're thinking," Alice said, taking me out of my trance. "But you're not getting your answers until you ask, and perhaps you're going to the one who will have to apologize to Edward. Proud people never win."

"I know," I whispered, looking down at my hands. "Can I have the letter? I would like to read it myself."

Alice nodded and handed me the letter. "If you need anything, I'll be in the living room."

Alice left the room, gently closing the door behind her. I spent the rest of the day reading the letter over and over again, trying to find something wrong with it. A hint or something that could tell me it was a lie, but I found nothing. Not even grammar issues.

The guilt I had only worsened the more I kept rereading the letter. I had made my own conclusions about Edward Cullen out of… what? Pride? Because he hurt my feelings that first night we met? Had I really allowed my pride to blind me so much I was willing to take Jacob's word for what he told me about Edward Cullen and made him up to be a monster in my head?

God, I was the worst person on the planet. And I couldn't allow myself to wallow in my self loathing because I put myself in this place. I did this. Now I had to live with the consequences.

A week later I was sitting at the register in the hospital filling out some paperwork when the sound of hurried steps caught my and Jessica's attention.

It'd been the worst week of my life, but I was trying my best to get by. True to his word, I hadn't seen or heard from Mr. Cullen all week. I threw myself into my work, trying to keep myself busy so as to not think about him or anything that happened a week ago. Luckily, the girls did not touch the subject with me and no one was really mad at Jessica for telling Edward about Alice. She was just another girl in love trying to win a man's favor.

The day after he came by the house to drop off the letter, news of Jacob Black's dissertation was all everyone around town could talk about. Officials were looking for him. I knew deep down he couldn't have left because his mother was ill, if she even was. Mr. Cullen made no mention of it in his letter.

When I looked up, I saw Emmett and Seth running toward my desk. Seth was falling behind given he still had his arm in a cast and had to be careful.

"What are you doing here? Is anyone hurt?" I asked, standing from my desk.

"No, we… we came to talk with you," Emmett said between heavy breaths. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and leaned on one elbow on my desk, blowing out a breath. "Damn, this hospital is far away."

"You have to listen to us," Seth said, stopping next to Emmett and was just as breathless as he was. "It's about my cousin."

"Oh, I-"

"I think I'll make myself scarce," Jessica said, grabbing her clipboard and walking away.

"Look, I appreciate you guys coming-"

"No, no, you have to listen." Seth smacked his good hand on my desk. "I'm not here to ask you to give my cousin a chance, but I am here to clear his name. I am done with Jacob Black painting him as something he isn't when he's the one who not only abandoned his sick mother, but also the Navy."

"You have to listen," Emmett said. "It's the least you can do."

His words struck hard.

I nodded with a sigh. "Okay, go ahead."

"What exactly did Jacob tell you?" Seth asked.

"Well, he told me a lot of things, but the main ones were that your cousin refused to give him part of the inheritance his father left him and shut the door in his face when Jacob went to ask for help when his mother fell ill."

Both Emmett and Seth made the same look of incredulity.

"The fucking audacity," Emmett hissed. "Jacob didn't even know his mother was sick until Edward saw him here. I was there when he approached Jacob to tell him that she was ill and all Jacob did was walk away. Edward has paid for all of her treatments."

"Yes and according to Kate, the fucking coward didn't so much as give her a call or write her a letter since he found out," Seth said. "What else?"

"He said he overheard him bragging about convincing Jasper to break up with Alice."

"When did he tell you that?" Emmett asked.

"A week ago," I answered. "Before…"

Both men nodded in acknowledgement. They knew what happened after and all my shame came flooding back.

"He heard something then," Seth said. "Listen, what he told you he heard was not that. Not even close. Edward was telling us about how he tried to convince Jasper to stay in Pearl Harbor and that just because he broke up with your sister, it didn't mean he had to leave."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Because we were right there when he said it," Emmett said. "His supposed bragging was him just telling us that. He never bragged about anything. And we know that is the conversation Jacob overheard because it happened the day before he left the Navy and we saw him leave the bar we were at. We didn't think much of it until now."

I sat back down on my chair. Dammit, I was truly the stupidest woman on this earth.

"Isabella."

I looked up at Seth.

"We think Jacob must've known Edward had feelings for you, that's why he told you all those lies, especially on the day he was planning to leave the Navy. The asshole just wanted one last jab at Edward before he left and he succeeded."

It made sense. If Jacob truly hated Mr. Cullen so much, he wouldn't leave without making sure I loathed him more than I did then. I was just a pawn in his game of trying to get back at Edward and I allowed him to use me as such.

"H-how is he?" I asked, my voice quivering a little.

Emmett and Seth exchanged a look before looking back at me.

"He's Edward," Emmett said. "If he's hurting, he won't show it."

That certainly didn't help.

"Iz," Seth whispered. "Edward isn't a bad person. Proud? Yes. Stupid? Fuck yes, he is, but he isn't a bad person, and I couldn't allow you to go on thinking he was. He's the best person I've ever known. I just hope you had the chance to get to know him."

"I doubt he would give me the chance after what I did to him."

"You don't know Edward the way we do," Emmett said. "He might surprise you."

Author's Note:

What did you guys think about Edward's letter?

But at least Iz realizes she did wrong in judging Edward so much.

Chapter Ten Preview -

"Isabella, I don't want your apologies."