Author's Note: When I get into a story, I can't stop writing. Enjoy the quick updates while they last. Once I'm back at work things will be a little slower. Enjoy! Reviews are much appreciated. ;)

Chapter Two

"I'll be fighting for her, too. You should know that. I'm not taking anything for granted, and I'll be fighting twice as hard as you will".

-Edward Cullen, Eclipse

Alice and I stared at each other for a few moments. So this was it. I'd made up my mind. The choice I'd made clearly surprised Alice, but it surprised me too. I'd chose Jacob.—sweet, beautiful, human Jacob—over Edward. Edward was undoubtedly the love of my life. But Jacob was…Jacob. I wanted him. I wanted to grow old with him. I wanted a life with him. I could see that now.

"Oh, Alice," I said, clutching at the girl who would always be my sister. "I'm sorry, so sorry. I love him so much Alice, but Jacob…."

"Bella, breathe," Alice demanded, cutting me off. "Bella, you're like a sister to me. Not because you were going to marry my brother and become my sister, but because I love you like a sister. Unconditionally. Even if you are in love with a dog."

"But Edward…." I began.

She cut me off again. "Yes, Edward's going to be devastated. But you made the choice that's best for you, and I forgive you for not choosing Edward."

"You mean it?" I asked her, surprised. I had half-expected Alice would hate me if I didn't choose her brother. I'd expected her to want to hurt me for hurting her brother as badly as I wanted to hurt myself.

"I mean it." Alice replied. "You know, those boys aren't the only two people who care enough to want you to be happy."

"Thanks Alice," I told her, not feeling the happiness she kept talking about. Sure, I wanted Jacob, but that didn't mean I was okay with the fact that I was giving up Edward. Or the fact that I was about to hurt him worse than I could imagine.

Again I started crying. It seemed all I was capable of doing today. "How am I going to tell him?" I asked Alice, distantly wondering if she'd understand me through the sobbing.

Alice began rubbing my back. "First, you're going to stop crying," she told me. "Edward will only accept your choice if it's going to make you happy. Will Jacob make you happy?"

I thought about her question for a moment, making sure I'd made the right choice, before nodding.

"Good. Then you're going to go to my house and find Edward. Meanwhile, I'm going to go hunting." The confused look I was giving her must have prompted her to explain. "It won't help any for Edward to read my thoughts before you tell him. I can't go home yet."

I nodded again, agreeing with her logic. "Remember," she was saying, "Everything is going to work out. I know it sucks, choosing between two people you love and hurting one, but it had to happen eventually. You were hurting both of them more when you didn't know what you wanted."

I nodded again, incapable of finding words. Alice kissed me on the cheek, squeezed my hand, then turned and climbed out the window.

The drive to the Cullens was the hardest trip I'd ever made. It was harder than the ride to Arizona with Alice and Jasper to escape James. It was harder than the flight to Italy to save Edward. It was even harder than the trip to Jacob's the night before to end things with him, because this time I knew it was my final decision. This time I knew I had to hurt Edward.

When I got out of the truck, Edward was waiting for me on the porch. He was an expert at reading my expression. He must have seen on my face what I had to say to him. I saw his expression shift first to understanding and then to pain. This time, either he didn't try to cover it up, or he tried but it was too hard.

"I'm so, so sorry," I said, my voice cracking on the last word. I'd promised myself I would get through this without crying and I was going to try my hardest to keep that promise. "I love you, Edward. Truly, completely and irrevocably. Please try to understand that."

Edward nodded. The pain that had been evident in his eyes was masked now. I was amazed at how quickly he could hide his emotions for my sake. I was also awed that he still tried to make me feel better regardless of what I was doing to him. "I know," he said in a flat voice. "But you love him too. I do understand."

"It's not that you…not that you weren't worth the sacrifice or something," I began rambling, almost pleading with him to hear me out. "I would have given it all up—Charlie, Renee, a family, even my soul if what you believe is true—to be with you. If there was any way for things to work out without anyone getting hurt you know I'd have chosen it. But…." I trailed off.

"But there isn't a way," he finished for me. He nodded again, understandingly. I wished he'd stop that. I wished he'd stop being understanding. I wished he would yell at me, tell me how horrible I was.

Instead, he continued to be far too kind. "If he's what you want, what will make you happy, then I want you to be with him. He'll take care of you. He'll give you a life. Most importantly, you won't have to become a monster to be with him."

"Edward," I broke in, "You know that's not how I feel. It's not what you are it's not—"

"I know, Bella," Edward interrupted me. "Just tell me he'll make you happy and I'll let you go. I just need to know you're happy."

I paused for a moment, silent. How could I be happy when I was hurting Edward? He tried not to let it show, and was amazingly good at it, but I could see how I was hurting him. But I had chose Jacob because he was what I wanted. So there was the answer to Edward's question, I supposed. "He'll make me happy," I whispered hesitantly. "But Edward…" I began, but was once again cut off.

"Bella, it's okay. Stop beating yourself up over me. If he's going to make you happy, be happy." Edward rested his hand on my arm, comforting. "Just know that I'll always be there, if you change your mind or…or anything."

I nodded, unable to speak. I didn't trust myself to be able to keep my voice from wavering.

"And Bella?" he asked. I met his gaze. "Look after yourself, okay?" I nodded again. "I love you."

"I love you too, Edward," I told him, praying he'd know I meant it. He bent down and kissed my forehead before releasing my arm. My legs were shaking as much as my resolve as I walked back to my truck and climbed in. He watched me, standing exactly where I'd left him, as I drove away. It took all my self control not to turn back and return to him. No, I reminded myself. I'd made my choice. The right choice. I'd chosen Jacob.

When I arrived at Jacob's house I had pulled myself together as best I could. He'd told me the night before that he needed sometime, but I hoped that if he learned I'd gone back on the choice I'd made last night, he'd want to see me. Hesitantly, I got out of my truck, walked to the door, and knocked.

"Bella," Billy said as he opened the door. The shock was evident in his voice. He must have guessed what had occurred in my conversation with Jacob the night before. "I wasn't exactly expecting to see you here," he admitted. "I'm not sure Jake's really, um, up for visitors." He looked uncomfortable. I could tell he was trying to protect his son, who didn't want to see me.

If I could just talk to Jake for a minute, I was sure he would understand. I was sure he would forgive me for the previous night. Or, I hoped he would at least. "Billy, it's very important that I talk to Jake," I begged. "Please? Just for a minute?"

Something in my expression must have made Billy give in. He nodded his head, and rolled out of my way. "I can't promise he's awake, but you can try."

I gave my thanks to Billy before walking over to the door to Jacob's room. I steeled myself outside the door for a moment before pushing it open. "Jake?" I whispered, not wanting to wake him if he was asleep.

Jake's eyes opened and I was certain he'd not been sleeping. "Bella?" He asked. "What are you doing here?" He didn't sound angry. Not really. Just curious.

I walked over towards his bed and very carefully sat down, trying not to shake him in anyway. I decided to start at the beginning in order to explain. "When I left here last night, it was so incredibly hard. I cried for hours upon hours. I was a complete and total mess." Jake cringed and I wasn't sure if it was because of his pain or because of what I was telling him. "Edward witnessed it all, and this morning when I had stopped, he asked me if I was sure I'd made the right decision. When he asked me that is when I realized that I wasn't sure I'd made the right choice."

I glanced at his face, looking for a reaction to what I was saying before continuing. "You see, all this time I've been so certain that Edward was the one I wasn't willing to give up. I'd thought that I could give up anything, everything, as long as I had Edward. But that's not true. There's one thing I'm not willing to give up—you. When I realized that, I realized that I had chosen wrong. I've spent all morning thinking about this, and I'm sure I've made the right choice now. If you'll take me back, that is, I choose you, Jake."

Jacob looked at me with a blank expression that I couldn't read. "I don't know, Bells. You really hurt me last night…."

"I know Jake, I'm so sorry," I was pleading with him. "I made a mistake. Please, please give me a second chance Jake. Please?"

Jacob let a grin flash across his face. "I just wanted to see you beg," he informed me.

"Jacob!" I resisted the urge to smack him in his fragile state. "That is so not funny!"

"I thought it was," he replied. "Besides, it did make you smile." I realized he was right. I was surprised he had been able to make me smile so quickly after what I'd been for this morning. But then, he was Jacob; he was always able to make me smile. That was one of the reasons I had chosen him.

"So…," Jacob was saying. "You're serious? It's going to be you and me, Bells? Just you and me?" I could tell Jacob was trying to sound nonchalant, but the boy couldn't keep a grin off his face.

Fortunately, his grin was contagious. "Yeah Jake—you and me."

"I always knew you'd see the light," Jake informed me, his grin turning cocky. I rolled my eyes, but couldn't stop smiling long enough to reprimand him. "Get over here," he directed. He held open his good arm and I curled up against him as best I could without jostling him.

He kissed me then, passionately. He wrapped his uninjured hand in my hair and kissed me fiercely, unworried about hurting me or losing control. It felt good, so good, to be kissing Jake, to be with Jake like this. There was no worrying about giving him the wrong idea, there was no guilt over loving him…there was just me and him.