XIX. Rough time.

I walked up to the Cullen house with dread filling my chest. The garage door was open and I could see Alice sitting on the hood of her yellow Porch, stroking it with a sulking look on her face.

I had a blank expression on my face. I had cried out all my tears in the passenger side of Sam's truck. I clenched my jaw before silently walking into the garage. Alice sighed a little too dramatically. "I haven't even had the chance to drive it yet." She muttered softly.

I blankly stared at Alice, slowly shaking my head. "He's not taking your car, Alice." I replied in a low voice.

Alice's eyes shot towards me. She knew I was the last one who'd be scared of going toe-to-toe with Edwards. She silently stared at me, her eyes flicking around my face. "You were crying on your drive home." She muttered softly. "Why?" she asked as she raised her eyebrows.

My face remained blank as I let out a soft breath. "Doesn't matter." I muttered softly as I shook my head. Without another word, I walked through the garage and went up to Edward's bedroom.

I stood by the large windows, staring down at the forest through the open glass door. I felt Edward's anger simmer within my chest before I even saw or heard him. When the door creaked open and he stepped into the room, I felt tense.

I looked at him over my shoulder. He looked just as tense and pissed off as I did. I sighed and my gaze turned back to the forest. Edward was the first to break the silence. "I assume you are as angry with me as I am with you?" he asked in a low voice.

"I think you assumed right." I muttered before turning around to face him, crossing my arms over my chest. "You're not taking away Alice's car." I told him firmly as I shook my head.

"We had an agreement, she gets the car if she keeps you here, safe." He replied sharply before shaking his head. "She didn't."

"It wasn't a question." I replied with just as sharpness to my voice. Edward's jaw clenched as he stared at me with a slight scowl. "I'm telling you, you're not taking away her car." I insisted with more firmness in my voice.

Edward was silent for a second. He picked his battles and decided that wasn't one he was going to pick. He huffed softly. "What were you thinking, going to him again?" he asked in a low voice.

"I was thinking that I'm a big girl, capable of making my own decisions." I replied as I clenched my jaw.

Edward silently stared at me for a second again, observing my face before a frown tugged at his lips. "Why were you crying on your way back?" he asked as he took a small step closer to me. "And don't tell me it doesn't matter either." he warned, referring to what I told Alice.

"I had a fight with Jacob." I mumbled softly as my gaze fell down to my feet. I leaned against one of the large windows, letting out a soft sigh. "You'd be happy to know I'm probably not welcome on the reservation anymore." I informed him.

"You think it makes me happy to see you upset?" He asked as his frown deepened and his eyebrows furrowed. I looked at him, giving him an apologetic look for making it sound that way. He observed me again before speaking. "What did that mongrel do?" he asked in a low voice. "I swear Ana if he laid a finger on you-"

"He didn't hurt me." I replied, cutting him off before he could finish this threat. I sighed and rolled my eyes to the side. "Not physically." I mumbled softly.

"Not physically?" He repeated as his eyebrows furrowed and he took a few more steps closer, until he was stood just a mere inch away from me.

"Turns our words almost sting more than a slap to the face." I whispered, pursing my lips as my gaze returned down to my feet.

Edward reached out, gently cupping my face between his icy cold hands "Ana, talk to me." He pleaded softly as he looked down at me. I silently looked up at him as his thumb brushed carefully across my cheek. "Tell me, please."

I sighed softly, knowing I was going to piss off my boyfriend with what I had to say. "I told him what I wanted." I mumbled softly as I pursed my lips. "He said he'd rather see me dead, than like one of you." I told him softly as my gaze diverted.

Edward tensed, his eyes growing darker as he pulled away from me. His jaw clenched as he inhaled sharply. "He said that to you?" he asked in a low voice and my gaze shot back towards him again.

Edward turned towards the door and my eyes slightly widened. "Edward, stop!" I demanded as I grabbed his hand but he yanked away from me, fuming as he paced like a caged animal.

"I swear I'm going to rip his tongue right out of his mouth!" He yelled as he grabbed a glass from a table next to the bed, flinging it across the room. I flinched as it smashed against the door.

"You're not going to do anything!" I told him firmly and he turned to face me, his breathing ragged as he tried to calm himself. "You're also never going to do this again!" I demanded as I waved my hand through the air.

"It was for your protection!" He told me firmly as he pointed a sharp finger in my direction. "Clearly I just chose the wrong people to do it." He spoke loud as he looked towards the door over his shoulder, wanting his mother and sisters to hear him.

"Edward, you are never going to do this again." I repeated myself sharply. "I'm being serious." I told him softly as I stepped closer to him. "This is taking it too far."I insisted with a shake of my head before shrugging my shoulders. "And clearly it doesn't help either way."

Edward reached out with one hand, gently cupping my cheek as he let out a soft sigh. "I just wish for once, you could listen to me." he told me softly as a frown tugged at his lips.

"I do listen to you, I just don't agree with what you're saying." I argued softly as I reached up to the hand on my cheek, holding onto his wrist.

"What am I supposed to do the day one of them does hurt you?" He asked me softly as his frown deepened and I could feel his inner turmoil in my own chest.

I silently stared up at him, letting out a sigh. I bit down on my bottom lip before deciding to speak up. "I don't want to be mean...I love you and I love your family." I began softly as I lowered my gaze. "But you're being hypocritical on that." I told him and he tensed up, knowing exactly what I meant. "It's why you broke your promise and left, right?" I muttered as I met his gaze again.

Edward's gaze fell to the floor as he let out a soft sigh. "You're right." he whispered as his thumb rubbed soft circles across my cheek. "My problem with the wolves, it's my own. Not yours. And it's not fair of me to force that problem onto you." he said as he hesitantly met my gaze. "I trust your judgment, I do. So if you say it's safe, then I believe you."

"Really?" I asked softly, my voice filled with hope as I looked up at him.

"Yes." he confirmed with a nod of his head before leaning forward, pressing a feather-light cold kiss to my forehead. "I'm not willing to let this drive a wedge between us, Ana." he whispered as he moved to rest his forehead against mine. "Not more than it already has."

My heart sank at his last comment. I pulled my head back to look at him, my eyebrows furrowing. "No, there's no wedge between us." I told him as I shook my head. "We had a rough time, we had a few disagreements. It's normal." I said as I reached up, cupping his cold cheeks with my hands. "I guess not even soul-mates can escape the every now and then argument."

"I suppose not." he replied softly as a small huff of amusement slipped from his lips. He silently looked at me for a second, his eyebrows furrowing. "I hope you can forgive how overbearing I have been." he muttered softly. "Thank you for putting your foot down each time, putting me back in my place."

I smiled as I raised my eyebrows. "You're thanking me for that?" I asked as a soft chuckle slipped from my lips.

Edward grinned as a chuckle slipped from his own lips as well. "It's a healthy dose of what I needed." he told me softly, his eyes crinkling as his grin grew.

"That we can agree on." I told him jokingly as I reached down and patted his chest.

"Come on, you seem to have had an eventful day." He muttered softly as he kissed my forehead again before nudging me towards the bed. "You need sleep." he insisted. He pulled the blankets back and I climbed in as he tucked me in before sitting on a chair next to the bed.

"I talked with Rosalie." I told him as I lay on my side, looking up at him, my lips pursed. "I think we're kinda okay now." I mumbled softly as I raised my eyebrows.

"She thinks so too." Edward replied as he nodded his head in agreement.

I thought back to my conversation with Rosalie as I stared up at Edward, my hand resting against my side. "What else did you hear her think of?" I asked him softly and his gaze diverted down to his lap. "Edward..."

Edward's gaze flicked back towards mine and he let out a soft sigh. "Of the life you're giving up for me." he replied softly.

I briefly closed my eyes as I let out a deep sigh."Edward-" I muttered and he quickly cut me off as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry I can't give you all those things." He told me softly, his voice sad and sincere and I could feel his heart ache simmering inside my own chest.

"You give me you." I replied softly as I reached out and took his cold hand. "That's enough for me." I assured him softly.

The months went on. Christmas came and then New Year's came. A hard year had finally come to pass. It was a new year, with new possibilities. It would be my last year as a human. Soon, a new life would come, and my old one would also come to pass. Every step closer to graduation filled me with sadness. I looked at those around me, those I would soon lose and it made my heart hurt in a way I've never felt. I was already longing, already morning, the things and people I had not yet lost.

And at the same time, my heart was yearning for my new life, my new experiences, my new family. For the forever I would have with Edward. It filled me with a sense of excitement and curiosity, with happiness.

Soon February came, and my coldness towards Jacob had not yet come to pass. I had not seen or spoken to him since that day he told me he'd rather see me dead than a vampire. Edward was rather satisfied by this, and my mother was rather upset.

Sadly enough, I felt impassive some days. My friendship with Jacob felt like it was beyond any repair. We would never be what we once were. Just like the hard year, my friendship with Jacob had also come to pass.

He wasn't the friend I could count on anymore. He wasn't the same friend I made all that time back. Perhaps like everything else, the people me and Jacob were in the beginning, had also come to pass.

One morning I was in my bedroom, getting ready for the day. I was rummaging through my closet and drawers, searching for my black long-sleeved turtle neck. My eyebrows furrowed as I found the item of clothing nowhere.

I left my bedroom and stood at the top of the stairs. "Mom, did you start the wash?" I called out to my mother who was making coffee in the kitchen.

"Um, no," She called out back to me from the kitchen. "Did you want me to?" She asked after a second of silence.

"No, I got it." I called out again. I turned to my room but then turned back around again. "Were you looking for something in my room?" I asked her.

"No. Why?" She called out as she moved around the kitchen.

"I can't find a shirt " I replied as I let out a soft sigh, eyebrows furrowing as I nibbled on the inside of my cheek, trying to remember when I last had the shirt.

"I haven't been in there."My mom called out to me and I sighed again. I went back into my room, pulling on a tight, light blue long-sleeved shirt. I finished by doing my hair and some light makeup before heading downstairs. My mom looked over at me as I entered the kitchen. "Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked.

"Not yet." I replied with a shake of my head as I sat down at the kitchen island. "I think Alice might have it." I muttered as my mom placed a cup of coffee in front of me, along with a bowl of cereal.

"Which shirt is it?" She asked as she leaned against the kitchen counter and sipped on her coffee.

"My black turtle neck." I replied as I took a few bites of my cereal, a frown tugging at my lips.

"Oh no, I haven't seen it." My mom replied as she shook her head. She sipped on her coffee, silently staring at me for a second before putting her mug on the counter, and pursing her lips. "Billy says you and Jake are still not on speaking terms."

I tensed up as I stared down at the half-eaten bowl of cereal. "You and Billy gossip like old woman in a nursing home." I muttered as a deep sigh slipped from my lips and I gave her a side-eyed look.

My mom silently stared at me for a second before sighing deeply. "What happened?" she asked, a question she's been asking for months now.

"Jake was being a jerk." I replied dismissively as I shrugged my shoulders. A variation of the answers I'd been giving her for the past few months.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She propped and I simply shook my head as I stared down at my bowl. It wasn't like I could tell her much even if I wanted to. "It's been months, Ana." She sighed softly.

"Can we not?" I pleaded softly as I looked up at her, a deep frown tugging at my lips.

My mom pursed her lips when she saw the pleading look in my eyes. She silently nodded her head. "Of course." She replied softly. She stepped closer, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay though?" she asked.

"Yeah." I lied softly as I simply nodded my head, my eyes diverting down to my bowl again.