“We’re going to be late,” Edward whispered in my ear, looking up at my eyes.

I quickly slipped some new shorts on (Alice did all the shopping for us, always), buttoning my shirt at the same time. Outside, Jasper and Emmett were talking in loud voices about their next hunting trip. I wasn’t planning to attend this one, since I had already gone a few weeks ago.

“Ready” I looked up at Edward who was waiting for me at the door.

“Why exactly are we doing this again?”

Edward pulled me closer to him, chuckling “The Quileutes asked us to come over for the … meeting”

I remembered the pact that Carlisle had agreed with both Jacob’s and Sam’s pack a few days ago. We were now “friends” and whenever one of us was in trouble we were to help each other out. It will help in the long run Carlisle had said, anyways, why can’t we work together?

We couldn’t. I wasn’t very sure why I felt this way. Why did I hate Jacob so much? Why did I avoid him at all costs? I treated him as if he were just another of Nessie’s friends. Why? I racked my brain, trying to understand the situation.

Was it because he had imprinted on my very own daughter, on my own, darling Nessie? No, there was more than that. Maybe it’s just because he is a stupid, foolish jerk a voice inside my head told me Duh. I tried to stop it from talking. Or maybe, it continued, it’s because you love him, more than a brother, and want him too, like Edward. No, that was certainly not true. I loved Edward. He was my one and only. He was my other half. My husband I thought, smiling at the words.

“What are you thinking about, Bella?”

Edwards’s alluringly soft voice came from somewhere else completely. I realized that in my thinking I had been grabbing too tight onto the kitchen counter, and it had a small dent in it. Being a vampire really was tough work. Ever since I had been transformed, I had had to keep a low temper and control my strength.

“Nothing” I answered, almost immediately.

Edward stared at me, disbelieving.