A missing piece in between New Moon and Eclipse. How does Bella write her note to Jake? And what does Jacob think of it?

Dear Jacob,

I'd like to explain

Wrong! My head shouted at me again. Why was I being so formal? This is Jacob, I said to myself severely. This is my best friend. I should be able to write him one tiny little letter.

Ha. If only it were that simple. I looked around the table, at the little balls of crumpled paper strewn everywhere. I had been going at this for over hour, ever since Edward had dropped me off from work. But I still couldn't get one word of this stupid note to sound right!

"Stupid werewolf" I muttered. If he would just answer my calls, I wouldn't have to be doing this. Why is he so stubborn?

This was no good. I needed a distraction, and fast, if I wanted to keep my sanity intact. Well, as intact as it usually is.

As if he could really read my mind, I heard a knock on the door. His signature knock. Tap tap, tap tap pause pause tap. I practically toppled over the table and all of my homework with it in my enthusiasm to greet him.

The note could wait. For now, my destiny was waiting for me at the door with beautiful tawny eyes, and I intended to take full advantage of that.

Midnight. I can't believe Charlie is still awake at midnight! Does he really think I'd sneak off to see Edward behind his back? The thought made me furious. Of course, what we did every night wasn't too far off from that, but nothing ever happened then that didn't happen right in front of his eyes. Edward was so persistent with his rules.

I scanned the room, looking for something to do. It was times like these where a shadow of the hole in my chest started to appear again. Computer? Too slow. Maybe I'd try to do some homework. Calculus maybe. My grade had been suffering severely ever since Edward came back.

Plodding over to my desk, I noticed the notebook I had been trying to write to Jake in earlier. I sighed. Might as well get it over. Edward wouldn't be coming until at least 10 minutes after Charlie fell asleep. Which could be a while.

I flipped past the cover, past the little drawings of liquid golden eyes and russet tails I had drawn one particularly dull afternoon while Edward was hunting. I clicked my pen open, then closed, then open again.

Jacob,

A blank.

I almost screamed. This was going to be so much harder than I had thought.

I reread her note once more.

Jacob,

Why won't you talk to me? I know you're mad, but I miss you. So what if the Cullens are back? I need my friend too.

Please, just write me back. Or better yet, call me.

Your best friend (no matter what),

Bella

I couldn't believe it. Bella had given Charlie a note, to give to Billy, to give to me. What are we in, grade school? To be fair, I hadn't replied to her any of the other ways she'd tried to contact me with. But you'd think she'd get the picture. How hard is mortal enemies to comprehend, anyways?

I did like the idea of best friends no matter what, though. I can't deny that I miss her. A lot. I'm just starting to realize what she went through when that leech left. I feel like she took a piece of me with her that day, when she followed the little bloodsucker to Italy. Just thinking about it made me ache.

I slammed my fist on the table. She makes it so damn hard! I just want to live my life, preferably with the girl I love, free of vampires.

My hands were shaking. I figured I'd better get outside, to just phase. Maybe someone else was running. Or maybe I'd get lucky, and come across that foul red-head who is compromising Bella's safety. I just couldn't sit here anymore, rereading Bella's note for the millionth time.

Right before I phased, I had one last human thought: what am I going to write back to Bella?