Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

Prologue: Confession

It was late and the lights were all off, save a few, when I pulled into the parking lot. I saw his car tucked off to the side of the lot and sighed in relief. Somehow I just knew he'd come here.

The front door was locked, so I went around the back. I pulled my sweater around my body to fight off the chill I felt, both from the cool night air and my nerves. Something was off with him, and I wanted to find out what it was.

"Hello?" I yelled into the empty space. "Edward?"

I walked in, my heels clicking in an echo around the room as I closed the door behind me. While the oil paintings and sculptures that occupied this space provided serenity and calm during the daytime, at night they made me feel watched.

I climbed the stairs and walked the narrow hallway to his office. The light was on and cast a glow into the hallway.

His back was to me as I walked up, and his feet were propped up casually on his desk. He had to have heard me coming given the echo of my shoes, but he said nothing. I stood at the doorway, waiting for an invitation to come in, but it never came.

He poured neat scotch into a short, engraved crystal glass and set the half empty bottle loudly back down on the desk, taking a huge swig out of the glass.

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked. At least he was talking. It was a start.

Edward's reaction earlier had surprised and annoyed me, and as always, I found myself uncertain and desperate for answers. I was often in the dark with him - something that infuriated and intrigued me in equal parts.

"I don't understand," I said softly, walking into the room. "Did I do something wrong?"

He turned and looked at me, and if looks could kill, I would have been dust. "Did you do something wrong?" He huffed and turned back around, shuddering slightly as he emptied his glass.

"Won't you at least talk to me?" I didn't understand what I had done this time to get him so angry with me.

He stood and walked closer to me; his balance was tenuous. He kept moving closer, and I moved back unconsciously until I was flush against the wall. His body was close, too close. I held my breath.

His thumb came up and grazed my cheek, his face serious and stoic, but still, he said nothing. His breath was hot on my cheek, and I shivered under his touch.

"Where's Peter?" He wouldn't look me in the eyes.

"At home."

He nodded and walked back to his chair, sitting down again. My hand came up and ghosted over my cheek where his fingers had been.

"Shouldn't you be with him?" Between his tender touch moments before and his unmistakable vitriol, the puzzle was coming together. This was not about our friendship.

I began to speak again, not liking the thickness of the silence between us. "He's packing. He's leaving tomorrow." It wasn't a lie, nor was it the entire truth. I knew I needed to tell him, but I couldn't form the words.

"Well, what a shame," he spat.

I walked over and knelt in front of him, my hands on his thighs. "It's not like that. He's not who I want."

I tried desperately to get him to look at me, but he averted his gaze, looking deep in thought.

I hung my head and repeated my words. "He's not who I want."

"Who do you want, Bella?" Edward asked flatly.

I was afraid to speak. I was afraid of saying the wrong thing and making a fool of myself, but it was time to finally get my questions answered. If there was one thing I'd learned in the last year, and even more so in the last few hours, it was that not going after what I wanted was not an option.

A/N: So, what did you think? Leave me a review and let me know. I read and respond to every one! Seriously, I squeal like a fangurl when my Inbox fills up with reviews and alerts. You have no idea!

My plan is to update this twice a week if my schedule permits. At the very least it will be once a week. We'll see how it goes. I'm thinking Tuesdays and Fridays.

Check my profile for pictures. This week, just some scenery and my fuckawesome banner by Mehek18 to set the tone. Each chapter, I'll post more.

Thanks to my betas, Viola Cornuta and TwiHeart, for their advice. You should know that every time I have to publish something new, I'm a total basket case. It's really nerve-wracking (as any author can tell you), and these guys help talk me down. Really – I can be a nervous mess. (Another reason why I love your reviews so much!)

Also, much love to my pre-readers: Sunfeathers, Dana1779 and ellierk, whose reaction to this chapter made me want to jump up and down on my bed like my 3 year old! *muah*

Until Friday…