Alice, can I talk to you?

2

"Bella, I just want you to see why I'm worried-"

"Edward, you think I'm not scared?! I am, believe me I am. I don't want to fight with you, but if you won't accept what I want, then I don't know what to do."

He stood up, and I looked at him. Yeah, this isn't going to work out. At all. But, what about all of this?

"Bella, I can see that this is never going to work out. I'm sorry."

He got up and just walked out.

So, I won't listen to him and he leaves me?

The door opened and Alice walked in. She sat next to me, and I started getting upset.

"He........ He just left me. I wouldn't let him talk me into something I didn't want to do and he left me."

"Ssh. It's OK. You've got the rest of us, it'll be OK."

This is why I love spending time with Alice. She always knew what to say.

"B...... But-"

"No, Bella, we're all here for you. And even though I would love to find Eddie and remove something vital, I won't, you're more important."

She wrapped her arm around my shoulders, squeezing my shoulders.

"I just ............. I know he's scared. We all are. But, just leaving me like that, I just don't get it."

"I know, but he might come around. You can talk to me, you know that, right?"

Of course I knew that. I knew I could talk to her. I could talk to any of them about anything. But, I preferred talking to her, or Rosalie about stuff like this.

"Of course, I know that pixie."

I sat up and before I could ask, Alice put a pillow behind me.

"Thanks."

I lay back, and she moved a little closer. This wasn't unusual, us lying like this.

"Do you need anything else?"

"Apart from wanting to strangle Edward? No, I'm OK. Hey, could you give me that?"

I looked at my drink on the nightstand and she gave it to me. I drank some and put it down next to me.

"Hey, are you sure you're OK, being around me like this?"

Alice shook her head, smiling.

"Don't worry, it's OK. It may bother Jasper, but I'm OK. I really didn't care as long as we figured out how to help in some way."

I nodded, and remembered our conversation from before Edward interrupted us.

"Yeah. What was that about before though? With Jasper?"

Alice sighed, sitting up.

"It's just a little difficult. I was with him when you were talking to Edward. He's doing OK, we talked about it, and I told him what you said. He feels a little better about it now."

I was happy, knowing that it was a little better between them.

"That's good, isn't it?"

Alice smiled, looking at me.

"Yeah, it is. Well, it's late. You get some rest, I'll see you in the morning."

She gave me a hug, and I had the feeling there was something there wasn't telling me about what had happened with Jasper. But, I didn't push it. She would tell me when she was ready.