“Despite my best efforts I’ve seen you naked before – doesn’t do much for me so no worries.”

I tried to be diplomatic, but mostly I just lied a lot.

I, the soul called Wanderer, love you, human Ian. And that will never change, no matter what I might become.

A hundred yards away, Mike Newton was lowering Bella’s limp body to the sidewalk. She slumped unresponsively against the wet concrete, her skin chalky as a corpse. I almost took the door off the car.

Don’t worry, Mel. Miracles don’t work that way. I’ll never lose you. I’ll never let you get away from me.

I belong wherever I want to be.

I didn’t realize I was crying until it was time to say the blinding words. ‘I do,’ I managed to choke out in a nearly unintelligible whisper… When it was his turn to speak, the words rang clear and victorious. ‘I do,’ he vowed.

It’s not the face, but the expressions on it. It’s not the voice, but what you say. It’s not how you look in that body, but the thing you do with it. You are beautiful.

I love you, I said in a low, intense voice. I will always love you, no matter what happens now.

I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don’t exist, not irritating me to death.

I thought I’d explained it clearly before. Bella, I can’t live in a world where you don’t exist.

Stop being so optimistic. It’s getting on my nerves.

You and I won’t lose each other, I will always find you again. No matter how well you hide. I’m unstoppable.

I’d rather know what you’re thinking – even if what you’re thinking is insane.

In the dead silence, all the details suddenly fell into place for me with a burst of intuition. Something Edward didn’t want me to know. Something that Jacob wouldn’t have kept from me, It was never going to end, was it?

And it was different because I’d already lost her so many times, so many ways, in my head. And different because she was never really mine to lose. And different because this wasn’t my fault.

Just because I’m resisting the wine doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the bouquet.