me at work, so I went down to La 
Push." 

There wasn't enough surprise in his face. Billy had already talked to him. 

"How's Jacob?" Charlie asked, attempting to sound indifferent. 

"Good," I said, just as casual. 

"You get over to the Webers'?" 

"Yep. We got all her announcements addressed." 

"That's nice." Charlie smiled a wide smile. He was strangely focused, considering that there 
was a game on. "I'm glad you spent some time with your friends today." 

"Me, too." 

I ambled toward the kitchen, looking for busy work. Unfortunately, Charlie had already 
cleaned up his lunch. I stood there for a few minutes, staring at the bright patch of light the 
sun made on the floor. But I knew I couldn't delay this forever. 
"I'm going to go study," I announced glumly as I headed up the stairs. 

"See you later," Charlie called after me. 

If I survive, I thought to myself. 

I shut my bedroom door carefully before I turned to face my room. 

Of course he was there. He stood against the wall across from me, in the shadow beside the 
open window. His face was hard and his posture tense. He glared at me wordlessly. 

I cringed, waiting for the torrent, but it didn't come. He just continued to glare, possibly too 
angry to speak. 

"Hi," I finally said. 

His face could have been carved from stone. I counted to a hundred in my head, but there 
was no change. 

"Er . . . so, I'm still alive," I began. 

A growl rumbled low in his chest, but his expression didn't change. 

"No harm done," I insisted with a shrug. 

 

He moved. His eyes closed, and he pinched the bridge of his nose between the fingers of his 
right hand. 

"Bella," he whispered. "Do you have any idea how close I came to crossing the line today? 
To breaking the treaty and coming after you? Do you know what that would have meant?" 

I gasped and his eyes opened. They were as cold and hard as night. 

"You can't!" I said too loudly. I worked to modulate the volume of my voice so Charlie 
wouldn't hear, but I wanted to shout the words. "Edward, they'd use any excuse for a fight. 
They'd love that. You can't ever break the rules!" 

"Maybe they aren't the only ones who would enjoy a fight." 

"Don't you start," I snapped. "You made the treaty - you stick to it." 

"If he'd hurt you -" 

"Enough!" I cut him off. "There's nothing to worry about. Jacob isn't dangerous." 

"Bella." He rolled his eyes. "You aren't exactly the best judge of what is or isn't dangerous." 

"I know I don't have to worry about Jake. And neither do you." 

He ground his teeth together. His hands were balled up in fists at his sides. He was still 
standing against the wall, and I hated the space between us. 

I took a deep breath, and crossed the room. He didn't move when I wrapped my arms around 
him. Next to the warmth of the last of the afternoon sun streaming through the window, his 
skin felt especially icy. He seemed like ice, too, frozen the way he was. 

"I'm sorry I made you anxious," I muttered. 

He sighed, and relaxed a little. His arms wound around my waist. 

"Anxious is a bit of an understatement," he murmured. "It was a very long day." 

"You weren't supposed to know about it," I reminded him. "I thought you'd be hunting 
longer." 

I looked up at his face, at his defensive eyes; I hadn't noticed in the stress of the moment, but 
they were too dark. The rings under them were deep purple. I frowned in disapproval. 

"When Alice saw you disappear, I came back," he explained. 

"You shouldn't have done that. Now you'll have to go away again." My frown intensified. 

"I can wait." 

 

"That's ridiculous. I mean, I know she couldn't see me with Jacob, but you should have 
known -" 

"But I didn't," he broke in. "And you can't expect me to let you -" 

"Oh, yes, I can," I interrupted him. "That's exactly what I expect -" 

"This won't happen again." 

"That's right! Because you're not going to overreact next time." 

"Because there isn't going to be a next time." 

"I understand when you have to leave, even if I don't like it -" 

"That's not the same. I'm not risking my life." 

"Neither am I." 

"Werewolves constitute a risk." 

"I disagree." 

"I'm not negotiating this, Bella." 

"Neither am I." 

His hands were in fists again. I could feel them against my back. 

The words popped out thoughtlessly. "Is this really just about my safety?" 

"What do you mean?" he demanded. 

"You aren't . . ." Angela's theory seemed sillier now than before. It was hard to finish the 
thought. "I mean, you know better than to be jealous, right?" 

He raised one eyebrow. "Do I?" 

"Be serious." 

"Easily - there's nothing remotely humorous about this." 

I frowned suspiciously. "Or . . . is this something else altogether? Some 
vampires-and-werewolves-are-always-enemies nonsense? Is this just a testosterone-fueled -" 

His eyes blazed. "This is only about you. All I care is that you're safe." 

The black fire in his eyes was impossible to doubt. 

 

"Okay," I sighed. "I believe that. But I want you to know something - when it comes to all 
this enemies nonsense, I'm out. I am a neutral country. I am Switzerland. I refuse to be 
affected by territorial disputes between mythical creatures. Jacob is family. You are . . . well, 
not exactly the love of my life, because I expect to love you for much longer than that. The 
love of my existence. I don't care who's a werewolf and who's a vampire. If Angela turns out 
to be a witch, she can join the party, too." 

He stared at me silently through narrowed eyes. 

"Switzerland," I repeated again for emphasis. 

He frowned at me, and then sighed. "Bella . . . ," he began, but he paused, and his nose 
wrinkled in disgust. 

"What now?" 

"Well . . . don't be offended, but you smell like a dog," he told me. 

And then he smiled crookedly, so I knew the fight was over. For now. 

Edward had to make up for the missed hunting trip, and so he was leaving Friday night with 
Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle to hit some reserve in Northern California with a mountain lion 
problem. 

We'd come to no agreement on the werewolf issue, but I didn't feel guilty calling Jake - 
during my brief window of opportunity when Edward took the Volvo home before climbing 
back in through my window - to let him know I'd be coming over on Saturday again. It 
wasn't sneaking around. Edward knew how I felt. And if he broke my truck again, then I'd 
have Jacob pick me up. Forks was neutral, just like Switzerland - just like me. 

So when I got off work Thursday and it was Alice rather than Edward waiting for me in the 
Volvo, I was not suspicious at first. The passenger door was open, and music I didn't 
recognize was shaking the frame when the bass played. 

"Hey, Alice," I shouted over the wailing as I climbed in. "Where's your brother?" 

She was singing along to the song, her voice an octave higher than the melody, weaving 
through it with a complicated harmony. She nodded at me, ignoring my question as she 
concentrated on the music. 

I shut my door and put my hands over my ears. She grinned, and turned the volume down 
until it was just background. Then she hit the locks and the gas in the same second. 

"What's going on?" I asked, starting to feel uneasy. "Where is Edward?" 

She shrugged. "They left early." 

 

"Oh." I tried to control the absurd disappointment. If he left early, that meant he'd be back 
sooner, I reminded myself. 

"All the boys went, and we're having a slumber party!" she announced in a trilling, singsong 
voice. 

"A slumber party?" I repeated, the suspicion finally settling in. 

"Aren't you excited?" she crowed. 

I met her animated gaze for a long second. 

"You're kidnapping me, aren't you?" 

She laughed and nodded. "Till Saturday. Esme cleared it with Charlie; you're staying with me 
two nights, and I will drive you to and from school tomorrow." 

I turned my face to the window, my teeth grinding together. 

"Sorry," Alice said, not sounding in the least bit penitent. "He paid me off." 

"How?" I hissed through my teeth. 

"The Porsche. It's exactly like the one I stole in Italy." She sighed happily. "I'm not supposed 
to drive it around Forks, but if you want, we could see how long it takes to get from here to 
L.A. - I bet I could have you back by midnight." 

I took a deep breath. "I think I'll pass," I sighed, repressing a shudder. 

We wound, always too fast, down the long drive. Alice pulled around to the garage, and I 
quickly looked over the cars. Emmett's big jeep was there, with a shiny canary yellow 
Porsche between it and Rosalie's red convertible. 

Alice hopped out gracefully and went to stroke her hand along the length of her bribe. 
"Pretty, isn't it?" 

"Pretty over-the-top," I grumbled, incredulous. "He gave you that just for two days of holding 
me hostage?" 

Alice made a face. 

A second later, comprehension came and I gasped in horror. "It's for every time he's gone, 
isn't it?" 

She nodded. 

I slammed my door and stomped toward the house. She danced along next to me, still 
unrepentant. 

 

"Alice, don't you think this is just a little bit controlling? Just a tiny bit psychotic, maybe?" 

"Not really." She sniffed. "You don't seem to grasp how dangerous a young werewolf can be. 
Especially when I can't see them. Edward has no way to know if you're safe. You shouldn't 
be so reckless." 

My voice turned acidic. "Yes, because a vampire slumber party is the pinnacle of safety 
conscious behavior." 

Alice laughed. "I'll give you a pedicure and everything," she promised. 

It wasn't so bad, except for the fact that I was being held against my will. Esme brought 
Italian food - the good stuff, all the way from Port Angeles - and Alice was prepared with my 
favorite mo