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!"

"Unfair," Edward grumbled.

"What?" Alice asked, looking at him.

"She's breaking my rules and putting herself in danger...driving me insane, but I can't break any rules myself," Edward said. "Unfair."

"Well, you breaking the rules does mean all out war with the wolves," Alice reminded him.

"So..? It's still unfair," Edward grumbled.

"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 could see where this is confusing," Jasper laughed. "It must be difficult when you're technically both right about this matter."

"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.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Edward said, pouting.

"That you're really thickheaded," Rosalie answered with a smirk. "Never changing."

"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.

"Great...I didn't even get to hunt," Edward groaned.

"Maybe that means you'll be having another hunting trip soon..." Emmett smirked. "And Bella will try to get away again..."

Edward just glared at him.

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."

"Yeah... like that's going to happen," Emmett snorted.

"It's like she doesn't know you at all," Jasper said. "Far below her normal standard of predicting your reactions."

"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."

"It's going to be great when she gets here," Emmett laughed. "No one fights with Eddy like that."

"And no one has a chance of being right when Edward is so stubbornly against something," Alice added also smiling.

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?"

"How could she think that you wouldn't be jealous?" Emmett laughed.

"Because she knows there is no reason for him to be jealous," Esme answered, smiling.

He raised one eyebrow. "Do I?"

"Be serious."

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