Jessica’s face had tightened so much that it might be tearing at the seams. Beside her, Angela was trying her best to keep her eyes on her watercress sandwich.

Bella hesitated.

It occurred to me then what those violent thoughts of mine against Mike Newton earlier today meant. They meant that I was jealous.

Jealous. Ridiculous, right? Sure, she might say no to Mike Newton but if she said yes then it was still none of my business. And there was nothing that I could do about it either. He was human. He was normal. And even if it wasn’t exactly Mike Newton, one day Bella would accept another human boy’s invitation.

That was how it was supposed to be.

Knowing this and still, I couldn’t find the will to drop down from the oak.

“Mike, I appreciate that, and thank your parents for me, but I’m busy tonight.” If I had a heart it would have sped radically whence I heard her speak.

“I’m going out with my parents.” Bella rushed through the conclusion of her obvious lie.

Mike’s face crumbled, as expected. His thoughts flew to me, which I did not expect.

“Going out with her parents? I wonder if that bastard Cullen is the guest of honor.”

I suppressed a low growl that had been building up in my chest. Why would he think I was involved in her rejection? Could it be that he considered my little rescue at the dance as a possible threat to his plans? I looked further into his mind and found that it was just that.

“I see.” Mike mumbled. “Okay. Maybe another time.”

Bella nodded. “I appreciate your consideration.” But she did not agree to another time.

Mike nodded and said good-bye to the girls, heading for his bicycle lying on the grass.

It had been a very confusing day. I could not make sense of it at all.

First, I’d wanted to smash Mike Newton’s head against a wall merely because he had been thinking about Isabella Swan. Then, I sneak off to Bella’s school to watch and listen to her conversations. Next I find out that the rage I had been feeling was actually jealousy. And now I was hanging onto the railing of her balcony. Yet, when I got a grip on myself it was too late. I was already standing on the balcony, peering into her bedroom from the glass door.