I figured that, as it has been almost a year since I have updated, I should give you what I have. I've had this section of the chapter for ages, but I got writer's block and though I should add more. I know it's short, but at least it's something, and maybe once I get my life back under control, I can update more frequently and with longer chapters.

Be sure to review, and there may be errors in this chapter, as it was read over while I was in a drug-induced haze (I just had my wisdom teeth removed. Fun).

For those that don't remember what has happened (I don't blame you, it's been awhile), here's a synopsis.

Bella and Edward talked after her lemonade "exploded" in the cafeteria, Bella assuring Edward that she was dangerous, but Edward managed to convince her that they should talk again. Bella agreed under the condition that the Cullens didn't find out and that they would only talk at the secluded tables outside and away from the other students.

That night, Bella and Jasper went hunting, and completely lost it over a human hiker that just happened to be nearby. They fought, but came to their senses eventually without killing anyone. They returned to the house and while Jasper immediately went to Alice for comfort, Bella decided to go for a ride on her motorcycle, ending up in Seattle.

Bella meets Nessie and her mother, Alison, at a coffee shop, who Bella could tell were fleeing from an abusive father/husband. Bella gets a gut feeling from her power that something bad is about to happen to them and follows them on her bike when they leave the café. While Bella is following them, a semi-driver loses control at an intersection and hits the Toyota that Alison and Nessie are in, killing Alison instantly and leaving Nessie injured. Bella loses control and bites Nessie, nearly killing her, and when she almost regains control, Bella accidently crushes Nessie, killing her. Bella then flees to the Denali coven, too ashamed to face Carlisle, who later comes and comforts Bella while they are in Alaska.

Chapter Thirteen:

Stay Away

"Bella."

It was cold, or at least it should have been. Carlisle's voice was as smooth as honey and warm, kind the entire three days we had been in Denali. I had slipped away last night during one of the few times Carlisle had left me in order to talk to Carmen and Eleazar.

Lying down in the snow, I let the white flakes drift over me, slowly burying my body in beautiful white fluff. I couldn't see Carlisle through the white packed in around me, but I was sure he could see me. The Bella-sized mound of snow probably gave me away.

I felt and heard him approach, his shoes causing the snow to crunch and send vibrations that went through my body. He stopped next to my sprawled out form.

"Bella, it's time to go."

I didn't care, it was peaceful here and there was nothing to go back to. My eyes were still orangey-red and would be some form of orange for quite awhile before the evidence of my sin faded away. It would go away if I didn't feed for two weeks, but it was too dangerous for me to forgo sustenance for so long, due to my limited control.

I had come to the realization that Edward wouldn't want to see me, anyway, if he knew the truth, so the suspicious color of my eyes wouldn't matter anymore. It broke my heart that I would have to lie to him again, but there was nothing else for me to do.

It left me with no other option. I would stay away from him, and this time I would actually do it. No letting him convince me otherwise. No letting Jasper convince me otherwise. I would leave Edward alone. The incident with Nessie proved just how weak I really was, and all it would take for me to lose control would be Edward getting a small cut. It could be a paper cut that barely bled, but it would be enough to send me over the edge. I wasn't safe.

Carlisle knelt down over me, pushing the snow over me aside until it was completely off my face. I opened my eyes to find his golden orbs gazing down at me, a sad smile upon his face. "Bella."

"Do we have to go back?" I asked, knowing that it was in vain. Of course we would have to go back to Forks. Carlisle missed his family and his wife, and the humans would be suspicious of my disappearance if I didn't make a public appearance soon.

Carlisle simply nodded, finding my hands easily in the snow and pulling me up to my feet. He put his arm around me, patting my shoulder comfortingly as he led me to his Mercedes, placing me in the passenger's seat before heading around the front of the car to climb into the driver's side.

The Denali coven had already said goodbye to us, so they were not on the porch to see us off. I sighed, leaning my head back against the headrest as I waited for Carlisle to start the car.

The silence seemed to echo in the empty space between us, and I knew Carlisle was waiting for something, but I wasn't quite sure what. I don't think he knew either.

"I heard something interesting, before I came up here," Carlisle murmured, and I saw that he was staring out the windshield at the forest surrounding the Denali's house. "When we received the phone call from Tanya about—what had happened," he visibly winced, not wanted to say the obvious, "Jasper seemed to think that it had something to do with Charlie Swan's son. Edward, I think is his name."

I had no way of denying it now. Carlisle knew that there was something going on between Edward and myself, and he was giving me a chance to come clean with him now, or else be wrung out to dry at a later date. I glanced out the passenger window, not wanting to look my sire in the eyes.

After another long silence, he asked, "Is there something you would like to tell me, Bella?"

"Not really," I whispered. "But I have no choice, do I?" I sensed that Carlisle shook his head in response.

"I have it under control," I said, still not looking at him. "I'm going to go back and not talk to him ever again, unless absolutely necessary. We don't need to move yet. He doesn't know anything about what we are. I promise. Just don't let Rosalie kill him."

I said the last part almost inaudibly, but I knew Carlisle had heard me and knew what I was talking about. We both knew what Rosalie would do if our existence was threatened. She would do anything to keep Emmett safe, and if that meant killing one inconsequential human to keep the Volturi from annihilating us, so be it.

I glanced over in time to see Carlisle nod to himself, though he still didn't start the car. "Does he mean something to you?"

We both knew I was lying when I answered. "No, he doesn't mean anything at all."

I had returned to school today after several more days of isolation in my room at the house, knowing that eventually I had to return to the human world.

I had hunted until I felt bloated with blood, gorged myself in hope that it would somehow, miraculously, force the orange out of my eyes, but it hadn't worked. They were still a horrifying burnt amber in color, which I knew Edward would notice but wouldn't say anything about. He knew something was different about me, but couldn't bring himself to confront me about it.

Once I forced him away, he would be free to move on and live a happy life, while I watched from the sidelines, never changing, always fifteen. He would live a joyful life without me.

If only I could convince him of as much.

"Edward, we can't talk to each other anymore. I'm dangerous, and there are better people out there for you to be associating with than me."

He just shook his head, pacing.

"Look Edward, I'm sorry if I upset you by not coming to talk to you, but—"

Edward shook his head again, running his hands through his beautiful hair again. "It's not that—well, part of it is, but that's not the point. No, it's just…have you ever lost a family member before?"

The question was unexpected, and I answered without thinking. "Yes. My whole family."

Edward nodded to himself, probably having realized that was what he was told when he asked about the Cullens. "Well, this morning Charlie told me that my cousin, Alison, and her daughter died last week in a car crash."

I would have paled if I was human. My head was spinning and my ears were ringing. I was terrified and ready to run. But I had to make sure. "Really?" I managed to force out, wincing internally, both at my weak voice and poor word choice. "I'm sorry," I told him, giving him a sad smile. He just nodded distractedly

"Yeah, I guess Alison was running away from her husband and was coming to stay with us. Charlie only heard about it yesterday from his sister when she called to tell us the news. She drove all the way from Oregon with her daughter and was in Seattle when it happened."

"How old were they?" He had no idea why I was really asking these questions, but I had no doubt in my mind that it was I that had killed them, not some car crash.

"Alison was twenty-six and Nessie was five."

I blanched, wanting to cry, both for Nessie and Edward, who I had hurt so much through this act, though he did not know it. "I'm sorry. It was an accident though. The semi-driver couldn't stop with the ice on the road," I tried to reassure.

Edward looked up, eyes wide. "I never said anything about a semi-driver." He started to stand, eyes wide and suspicious. "Bella, how did you know—?"

I immediately backtracked, ready to flee. "I'm sorry, but Edward, I have to go. It's not safe for me to be around you. I'm sorry about Nessie and Alison. Good day." And then I was gone, running back into the school and knowing that I had just potentially given Edward ammunition against me and let him know that maybe, just maybe, I knew more about the accident than I was supposed to.

I mentally kicked myself all the way to Biology, not caring that I was early. Why was I suddenly so careless? Had it been a different time, a different place, hell a different person, I would never have slipped up like that. It had to be because I was still traumatized by what I did to Nessie.

Too soon, students started filtering into the classroom, chatting animatedly and sitting down at their desks. At some point, Edward walked in and sat next to me at our communal desk. I was almost positive that he tried to talk to me, but I was so deep in my own world that I barely heard him and chose to ignore him instead. Best to be blunt, I decided, and not give him any ideas. I would not slip this time. I would not.