She would have moved past Edward in time *if* Alice never returned. Why? Because she thought Edward didn't want her. Edward didn't croak… he didn't get kidnapped… he didn't move to an out-of-state college. HE LEFT HER.

Bella's time with Jake was allowing her to become a whole person again. Her dad, her school friends, no one even came close to Jacob's progress with her. She was almost to the point where she was going to let herself be with Jake. It didn't take her long to even reach that point… because Jacob *is* that soulmate in a world without Edward.

She “uses” him because he is so good at being her personal sun… and it's partly *because* of Jacob that she wouldn't kill herself over Edward. She didn't cliffdive to kill herself, she did it because it was something reckless to hear Edward's voice. She fought to reach the surface, she didn't just let the tide take her willingly. When she was on the brink of death she was only accepting it because she didn't have a choice, she knew she was drowning. After this jump… she's in the truck with Jacob and he has his arm around her. Does Edward's voice say “Don't get too close to him” ?? No. He says “Be happy.” This is her hallucinating heart speaking to her in his voice. Her HEART was telling her to be happy, even without Edward. Which is why she stiffened up then, because it freaked her out. A happy life without Edward? She thought it was impossible. But little by little Jacob was proving her wrong… he was helping her to help herself. She was indeed living without Edward… in fact she was learning to be happy again. Her hallucinations weren't yelling at her anymore for being stupid… they were encouraging her to be happy. She was on the mend. She was finally moving on.

Edward on the other hand would be losing out on his soulmate… so do I like this scenario of Edward staying away and Jake and Bella being happy together? No. I want all three of them to be happy, and there is only one way for that to happen, and it does.

When Edward comes back in New Moon there is no hope for her… she knows Edward's true feelings and why he left. *THEN* is when she knows she truly can't live without Edward. The only window of time Jake had to win her over was in New Moon before Alice came back. But Alice ruined it so… lol. It's a good thing her and Jake didn't get in any deeper because Jacob's pain would have been ten times worse.

The Bella that fell in love with Jake was a Bella that didn't have Edward. When Edward comes back she cannot force herself to give Jacob up in Eclipse, even though Edward wants her to let him go. She had the choice to dilute Jacob's feelings easier in time (she knew how Jacob felt, even in New Moon) but she didn't. She pursued their friendship even further, again, KNOWING that Jacob is in love with her. It wa selfish of her, but she wasn't *trying* to hurt anyone, therefore I can't fault her. Stephenie Meyer says Bella didn't give Jacob up because she was in love with him as well and denied it. Denying it made it easier to live with. In the end all three of them hurt each other in different ways, they're all victims and perpetrators.

Two soulmates for two different lives.. if Edward were out of the picture Jacob would be hers. That's what Stephenie is trying to show the reader when Bella kisses him and sees the potential life she was giving up. Never once does she ever consider Jacob *over* Edward… EVER.

I still think Jacob suffered the most overall, though. I really like the kid, so I can't help but have immense compassion for him.

The only time I've cried is like you–at the end of Eclipse. I cried at work all night long off and on. It was pretty pathetic… but I felt Jacob's pain in Eclipse and I felt it in Breaking Dawn too. The kid is the most real person in the whole story to me. My compassion lies with him much more often than Bella or Edward.

It's not that Jacob needs her to choose him for his own needs. He loves her and of course he wants to win out over Edward but above all else Jake wants Bella to choose him so she will live out her human life and not become a vampire. In his eyes becoming a vampire is a fate worse than death and he tells her this. He's a werewolf, he instinctively hates vampires—how would you feel if the the girl you fell in love with when her leech abandoned her still chose him in the end despite knowing she loves you as well? Have compassion, people. I mean my god. They were all at fault at one point or another, they are all victims at one point or another. Jacob should not take the brunt of any blame here. His motivations were driven by true love, he has a strong spirit and I love that about him.