A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. I had a horrible time…

The teachers loaded us, with two projects, one major and one minor, to hand up next year and many, many worksheets. Also, poor thing my grandfather had just suffered a stroke and is in the hospital and I'm visiting him as often as possible, I hope you understand.

So, I'm going to pay you back with one big, fat juicy chapter. Enjoy!

Lana POV

I woke up at the very edge of a forest, hidden behind a fallen tree with the potion and its antidote in my pockets. Thank goodness that somebody had delivered me there, or else I would never have found my way out of the forest. Perhaps it was Jane…? No, I had seen her flying out of the forest, was it possible that she could run so fast…?

Carefully, I picked myself up and then stumbled clumsily out of the forest, where I found my dark blue Audi parked at the nearest spot. Somebody must have helped me, and for that I was more grateful than ever. But if I didn't know who that person was, how could I thank him or her? Although I'd really like to think that it was Jake who had done all this…

I wasn't sure that I could drive in a state like this, but I needed to anyway. There was nobody around to help me. Somehow I managed to get myself back home. Mom was already in, but Dad was still at work. I smelled the telltale aroma the minute I stepped into the house. Mmm…Mom was baking her famous chocolate-chip muffins again. However, first things first, and I had to make an important decision first.

I barely greeted Mom before racing up the stairs to my own bedroom, which was at the furthest end of the second-floor corridor and with a connecting door to my elder sister, Lorraine's room. Lorraine was already twenty and studying at the university many, many miles away. Since Lorraine lived so far from her university, she'd decided to stay at the hostel in the university, and wouldn't be back until next June. Though I knew that Lorraine couldn't possibly come into my room from hers, I locked the door that connected our rooms and locked the main door to my room as well, in case Mom should come in.

I placed the two vials side by side on my wooden desk and stared at them, hugging my knees as I sat on the bed and rocking back and forth, deep in thought.

It felt as though there were two voices in my head, one the White Angel and the other the Dark Devil. The White Angel told me to dispose of the two vials in the river, whilst the Dark Devil told me that Renesmee would get her well-deserved fate when I got Jacob for myself. It made me have no peace, no rest, and it wasn't like I could do anything when the two were arguing non-stop inside my head.

And the Dark Devil was winning.

I knew it was just an illusion of mind, and that in reality I was controlling both the White Angel and the Dark Devil. But why did all those wicked little thoughts come to me? I was going to weigh the pros and cons of both options when my rocking stopped.

After all, there was really no harm in using that potion, right? And, if I was just trying to comfort myself, perhaps Jane would know the way she had known all about my situation. Then she could tell Chelsea the potion-brewer and Mistress of Feelings, and Chelsea probably wouldn't feel so bad. There had to be some good in every bad option, just like turning yourself on the wrong path, like a blessing in disguise. No, like there was a silver lining to every cloud.

The next day at school, I was proud of myself for thinking of wearing jeans with extra-deep pockets so that I could better keep/hide the potion. I'd left the antidote at home, at the very bottom of my walk-in closet, in the bottommost locked drawer, so it was safe. I didn't think I'd need the antidote anytime soon. I definitely didn't think that I'd get tired of Jake so quickly.

I walked casually, with my book bag slung over my shoulder, poised with careful styling. I needed to look my best when I appeared in front of Jake.

As usual, I found him with his dear Nessie, fondling in the school carpark. Nessie's chocolate-brown eyes grew wide when she saw me. She quickly whispered something to Jake. Then they were both silent when I approached.

"Lana?" Renesmee said coolly as I closed within hearing distance. "Are you on a mission to keep on pestering Jacob with your unrequited love? Obviously you're in love with him, but he's my boyfriend now. Perhaps another time, when-"

"When what?" I cut her off mid-sentence. I'd had quite enough. All my doubts about using the potion faded and subsequently vanished. They were the least of my concerns now. "When Jake's already lost interest in you? And it's incredibly rude to intrude in others' private love life, did you know that? Your parents probably didn't teach you any manners, but I wouldn't blame them. Actually you're quite impossible to teach. No, if you were really wondering, I'm not on a mission. I'm not a spy, unlike some people, if you're clever enough you'll know who I mean. I have eyes, okay? I'm not blind. And so obviously I can see that you and Jake are a hot item now. And, unlike some people, I'm not impossible to teach. I've been taught not to intrude in others' love life before. Making it simpler for you, that is, conclusion: I'm not in love with Jake. You are. I have my own life. You have yours. So there."

I heard the soft pop as Renesmee's mouth popped open at my words, and Jake tried to comfort her. Said Renesmee: "I don't need comforting, Jake. I'm fine. I'm really not affected by this kind of people."

All I noticed was the wind blowing my hair back from my face as I strode off. Huh. Perhaps I'd have to give the potion to Jake at another time.

I went to my classes punctually today, not in the mood for skipping. In Chemistry, Mr Aitensedore questioned me and Jake about our absence yesterday. Before I could say anything, Jake told him that I was feeling dizzy and he'd brought me home to rest. And, that by the time he'd gotten back to school, Chemistry period was already over. Mr Aitensedore had a strangely thoughtful look on his face as he turned and left. Behind his back Jake winked at me, and I suppressed laughter but instead grinned back at him. Just when the period was over, Jake was making a beeline for the door and I was still packing, but as he rushed past me it was not only the wind whooshing that I felt. His arm had merely brushed my elbow as he'd gone past, but that accidental touch, little as it was, had already been enough to send a shiver up my spine and set my skin tingling with the remnants of that magical sensation. Clearly, Renesmee didn't know how impossibly lucky she was.

As I walked slowly out of the classroom, something glittering on the floor caught my eye. I bent down and looked at the white mobile phone with streaks of boldly outlined red. It was the black screen shining that had been the glitter I saw. Hang on a sec…I recognized this phone, it was Renesmee's! This was too good an opportunity to miss. Oh of course I would return the phone to her…at some point.

But not now.

I flicked the top of the phone open, and the black screen faded, changing from navy blue to purple and then finally white. I saw Renesmee's wallpaper, a photo of her and Jake, when they were slightly younger. Renesmee was seated casually on a heart-shaped seat formed by three branches of a tree, while Jake was standing behind the tree with his head out and both of Renesmee's hands in one of his.

I quickly figured out how to use her phone, and went to the messaging section. There I located her inbox, which was, of course, filled with messages from Jake, as well as some from her family and Lizzie, Bethany and Kara. One particular message from Jake, however, received special attention:

Sweetheart, how are you? It's been a long time since we've met each other out on a proper date. Why not make it soon? How about this Saturday at the Pop Hall Café? Will you be free then? Always love you =)

So I looked for Nessie's reply to Jake's message in the outbox section:

A date with Jake? I wouldn't miss it for the world, not even if Dad forbids me, which he probably wouldn't, anyway…I'm free on Saturday. You got the right day, Jake. I'm going out with Lizzie, Bethany and Kara on Sunday. Pop Hall Café has many outlets. I'll meet you at the one in Port Angeles, you know that one. At 3.30pm, just in time for tea, you know what I mean. Hopefully the weather will be nice because I'm looking forward to sitting on the 2nd-floor seats, those near the café garden, out in the open. Love ya too!

Jake replied her one last time:

Sure. And the weather will hold for us, Ness, you bet it will. I'm sorry I have to cut this short but at 7.30pm I have a meeting with Sam and the guys, so I'll have to go at 6.30pm. Maybe we could take the whole day out next time. Really sorry, I hope you'll understand! That's a meeting I can't cancel. Even the Elders, all of them, are coming. I don't know what it's about, at least not yet. Not even Sam knows. Only Dad and the Elders know.

A plan started to form in my mind. Then I checked the message details, just in case it was another Saturday. But, luckily, no. Jake had sent the "date message" this Tuesday, and so the Saturday he'd meant was obviously this Saturday.

I jogged down the steps to the cafeteria, where Jake would probably be meeting Nessie for lunch. Again, they were wary as I approached, but Nessie's surprise was genuine when she saw her phone in my hand. She was suspicious, though, as to whether I'd read any of her "private information" in there, and of course I assured her and reassured her that I wasn't the kind of spy who would do anything just for some extra juicy gossip info to spread around the school. Of course, knowing Renesmee she wouldn't let the matters rest and her suspicions would be even more confirmed if she saw me at the Pop Hall Café on Saturday.

Who cared about what she was thinking?

On Friday, I drove to Port Angeles after school, after calling Mom to tell her that I'd be late for dinner. Once there, I sought out the Pop Hall Café, as Renesmee had mentioned in her text, and found the owner, Lydia Kanchesne.

"Miss…Kanchesne?" I asked uncertainly when a waitress escorted me to her office. "May I?"

"Come on in," a thin voice immediately called back.

Entering the office and closing the frosted glass door behind me, I saw a woman in her late 20s sitting at her desk. Her eyes were a startling ice-blue, and her hair was pale blond and tied into a chignon at the nape of her neck. She looked…altogether, very pale. Her skin was paler than any human I'd ever seen, yet not as perfectly white as Renesmee and the Cullens'. She had absolutely no spots at all, and not even the slightest hint of a tan. Lydia had that perfect posture that could only have been so perfect through years of ballet dancing. She was considerably quite tall, I guess, her thin cherry-red lips parting to reveal two rows of flawlessly straight, snow-white teeth. Her skin looked powdery and fragile, her nose was pointed and her icy eyes were sharp, aware and intelligent.

"Yes. What is your business here?" Miss Kanchesne stated, her eyes piercing. She looked the right kind of people who you could never lie to because they saw through all your lies, somehow, and the kind of woman who always supported the side of justice and was the general public's idea of the "cold but clever heroine" thing.

"I need to…to discuss something with you first, Miss…Kanchesne..." It was impossible to stutter in her presence, with her sharp senses following your every move.

Miss Kanchesne paused. "Just call me Lydia. It's fine. Go on."

I took a deep breath and told her part of my story.

"Ah, I see…" Lydia sighed very, very deeply and stood up, her blue eyes melting to become somewhat softer. She seemed to be thinking about something that happened once upon a time. Only her body, physically, was here. The rest of her, her mind, her heart, and her soul were all far away, travelling in time, perhaps…You could just tell by that dreamy look in her eyes. "Unrequited love…" She didn't say the words like Renesmee had. Nessie had said them spitefully, coldly. She said them in a half-daydream state, and I wouldn't mind betting that she'd once had her turn on this, too.

"So, you see," I said, clicking open my mobile and showing Lydia a photo of Jake and Nessie posing together, "when they come, I need to act like a waitress." Of course I couldn't tell Lydia about Jane's part and the part where the love potion came in, so I changed the story a little bit. "And…I'll tell him something that just might change things between us…or so I hope, anyway. Is that alright with you…Lydia?"

"Oh, er, yes, yes…" Lydia seemed flustered, something that I'd thought would never happen. Even if she felt so, I thought she'd be the kind of person who'd hide it, hide everything… The Lydia now and the Lydia that I'd first met when I came in, just a couple of minutes ago seemed a totally different person. "Of course, just let me give you the spare waitress's uniform…" Lydia hesitated, and then added, "Are you sure that you can be a waitress? I mean, in such short notice, and Saturday is only two days away…"

"Don't worry," I assured Lydia. "I've been a waitress before, when I was sixteen. I'm only seventeen now, and the memory's still quite fresh in my mind. Although I have to admit, I didn't like that job a lot and ended up quitting in the course of six months…yeah."

"People do all sorts of things for the ones they love," Lydia said, snapping back into her daydream mode. I said a quick goodbye before quietly slipping out the door. If Lydia was having a daydream about her long-lost beloved, then I certainly didn't want to be the one who interrupted that daydream. If Lydia could fall in love, that guy must certainly have great qualities…or maybe her type of guy was the kind who taught Physics or who was a heavyweight boxing sensation or…I had the feeling that I wouldn't want to know. After all, I do have Jacob, and although Renesmee currently had him, I wasn't sure if she would still have him for long.

Thanks Jane, thanks Chelsea…!

I absolutely couldn't wait for Saturday. The only fact that peeved me was that Renesmee had the idea that I liked Jake more than as a friend, and although of course I would deny that idea, I could tell that Renesmee wasn't going to let herself be convinced willingly anytime soon. She was going to be even more suspicious on Saturday if I showed up at the Pop Hall Café, especially disguised as a waitress. She'd make Jake change her mind. And knowing how crazy Jake was for her, I wouldn't doubt that he would listen to her. Now my only question was, would the potion work as well as Jane had described?

Time flew past me, as though in a blur. Although today was already Friday and only one more day from Saturday, I'd expected time to go much more slowly because the day had been dragging on in my anticipation for the upcoming event. Saturday, or "Showdown Day", as I'd secretly named it, was here.

I remembered that I'd read Renesmee's text, and the date was at 3.30pm. So I reported to Lydia's office early to prepare for this, er, once-in-a-lifetime…chance?

Well, anyway, Lydia recognized me straightaway and gestured for me to follow her. She led me into a much smaller room at the back of her office, and then produced a black apron printed with the Pop Hall Café logo and a white cap embroidered with the words "PHC". I'd come prepared, wearing the plain white T-shirt and jeans I saw all waitresses wearing underneath their black aprons. It was the traditional Pop Hall Café uniform and I'd left thinking that they'd have something more modern and stylish, the last time I'd been here.

I quickly put on the apron and fitted the cap neatly around my hair, though I had to adjust my ponytail slightly before I did so. I checked my watch, and the luminous green hands pointed to 3.00pm. Aha, thirty minutes before they arrived…if they were punctual, that is. I'm sure they would. They wouldn't miss a date with each other.

The minutes ticked by. I saw Jake and Nessie walking, hand in hand, up the curb where they stopped in front of the café.

A waitress named Gisele seated them, but I heard Nessie requesting for a two-person seat on the upper floor, with no shade. Gisele's eyes scanned the top floor. Nessie pointed out spare seats to her. Gisele then nodded, and led them right to the upper storey, where I peeped and saw them seated comfortably there, chatting casually. Occasionally, when he thought nobody was looking, Jake would steal a quick kiss with Nessie. Yes, nobody was watching them, nobody except for me.

It was time to make my move.

I walked straight up to the second floor, where I spotted the couple almost immediately. I waited silently in a corner before I saw Jake raising his arm in the air.

I went up to them and saw Nessie's accusing glare at me, but I ignored that. I smiled sweetly at both of them and asked in what I hoped was an equally sweet voice, "What may I get you?"

"Aren't you Lana Bernhardt?" Jake asked when he saw me standing there with a notepad and a pen, ready and waiting to take him and his date's order.

"Yes," I replied, trying to play it cool. "Often I come here to make a few bucks. Isn't it a small world?"

"You had to be looking at my phone before you returned it," Renesmee told me, her expression flickering back and forth. Anger. Shock. Anger. Pain. Anger. Shock. Well, it was mostly anger, and I can understand why.

"Can't I come to the Pop Hall Café? Can't I come to Port Angeles? Excuse me but there is something called a coincidence and it's not like your family owns the whole place!" I retorted.

"Calm down," Jake muttered, definitely not happy.

"Okay, it's not school here, it's public, and it's a café. What do you wish to order?" I asked, almost impatiently.

"I'll have a chocolate milkshake," Nessie told me. "Um…just give me a cup of coffee, with extra milk, thanks," Jake said, and flashed me a quick smile. I jotted everything down on my pad and turned to the kitchen. As I was walking, I heard faintly the voices of Renesmee and Jake behind me.

"You can't go anywhere without bumping into her," Renesmee complained.

"Oh, come on," Jake said in a somewhat soothing tone. "There are such things as coincidences, you know." I heard Renesmee huff once.

When their order was ready, I placed the coffee cup and the glass of milkshake on one of the café's gray trays, and took it to the corner where I quickly grabbed the potion from my pocket and yanked it open. I poured the red liquid into Jake's coffee, feeling the same White Angel flinch in my heart, and felt a little guilty for doing so, but then the Dark Devil reassured me that nothing bad would happen, no consequences except for Renesmee's broken heart maybe, so I just took the tray to the table.

When the drinks arrived, Jake immediately offered Nessie some of his coffee. I gasped in shock, luckily they didn't hear me. And what had been blessing me, Nessie refused, thank goodness…

Jake took a sip of his coffee and his head jerked, his eyes widened as though just waking up from a daydream and snapping back into reality. He coughed and coughed. Nessie's own eyes grew wide and reached over to pat his back, growing concerned.

"I'm cough…fine, Nessie, cough…" Jake coughed out. Finally he stopped coughing. When he started to drink his coffee again, he didn't cough, and Nessie's eyes dropped and went back to her milkshake.

The moment they left the café, I went to Lydia's office and stripped off my waitress's apron and cap, and drove home. I couldn't help thinking about the way Jake had said goodbye to me when he and Nessie left. Would the potion kick in so quickly? And, I can tell you, Nessie sure didn't look very happy about the little goodbye. Jake had a peculiar look in his eyes that had never been there before, not even when he looked at Nessie, and that look was made out of part love, part admiration, part worry, and something else…?

That night, after dinner, I went up to my room, making an excuse to my parents that I wanted to have an early night and that I was tired. What would Nessie make of the love potion? She'd be sure to suspect something after all she'd done about me liking Jake, checking her mobile phone, and me denying everything. And, surely, if she and Jake had been such a hot item before, wouldn't she think it so strange that Jake (well, he will, hopefully…) start to love me so quickly? I knew that Nessie was a smart girl, and that she was good at analyzing things and figuring things out. But would she guess what had happened to me in the forest? After all, the encounter with Jane and all, it seemed weird to me too.

Well, maybe I did feel guilty about doing this. It was probably wrong enough; if there was such a thing as a Jury of Love I would surely have been convicted of murder. If the rumor that Jake and Nessie couldn't live without each other was true, then…

Stop thinking about this, Lana Casslyn Bernhardt, I told myself. You've finally achieved all that you've ever wanted for your life, especially in love, so why are you feeling guilty about doing something to keep someone as yours when that special someone should have been yours long ago?

Because I was doing so, quite illegally.

If you got what you wanted, but knowing you had ruined somebody else in the process, would it make you happy? If that person you had ruined was the key to unlocking your beloved's heart? Would you let him go? Would you let them reunite, and see them smile and kiss in front of you when you know that if it weren't for you, they wouldn't be here now? Was it worth it for everybody else to be happy when the only person who wasn't was you?

I couldn't decide.

I was still thinking about this when my mobile phone rang. I checked the 'Incoming' Status before answering. It was Jake. My heart leaped for a moment, but then things settled down when the White Angel brought me to the fact that he wasn't calling me naturally. The White Angel was really starting to annoy me; it was getting on my nerves. And, anyway, did Jake even have my number before that…?

I sighed and pressed the green 'Answer' button.

Jake: Hey, Lana…It's me.

Lana: Yeah. So, what'd you call me for?

Jake: Umm. I was wondering if you'd like to have a little night walk with me. At the Cloverdale Gardens. Sorry if this is too sudden for you. I mean, I'll understand if you already have plans tonight and-

Lana: No problem. What time will that be?

Jake: Around nine. You know where the Cloverdale Gardens are don't you?

Lana: Uh, sure. I'll meet you at the front entrance of the Cloverdale Gardens, okay? You know, the main entrance, the one with the rose-lined canopy?

Jake: Mm-hmm. See you there…I'm really looking forward to a night alone outside with you, Lana. At night, the Cloverdale Gardens won't be too crowded. It'll be romantic. Nice, huh?

Lana: Cool. Bye…

Jake: Wait. You know…I love you, right?

Lana (the White Angel is bothering AGAIN): Um…yeah. I love you too. Bye.

Jake: Bye, and see you soon… click

With a sigh, I hung up, too. I can't believe that I'm sighing about this when Jake has just asked me out at night, without Nessie. It only took one final bit of effort when I kicked the White Angel straight out of my heart. I didn't want to deal with multiple feelings and perspectives anymore. Believe me, it was tiring. I wanted to be in complete ecstasy, knowing that Jacob Black would forever be mine and that there would not be any Renesmee Cullen trying to disrupt my love life. Jake would be totally over her by now, or so I hoped anyway. I couldn't think of any other reason, too, why he'd ask me out.

I didn't have anything better to do, so I just sprawled out on my bed and played games on my mobile until eight, when I carefully placed my phone on my desk and slipped into my walk-in closet to select some decent clothing.

After ten minutes, I emerged, with casual-enough jeans with deliberately ripped spots slung over my arm. I also wanted to wear black tights underneath the jeans so that where the jeans were ripped, the utter blackness of the tights would show through. I matched these with a tight sleeveless yellow top that people usually wore for a stroll outside, jogging, or to the gym. I topped it all off with a pair of chunky black strapped sandals and classic silver diamond-drop earrings. I put all the necessary things into a black "pouch" bag with golden rings and zips. Then I applied some Strawberry Sparkles lip gloss, eyeliner and mascara to enhance the effect. I didn't think I would need blusher and eyeshadow at night. After a final check in the mirror to ensure that my lips were shiny and full, my eyelashes dark and long, and finally my eyes dark and deep, I left for Cloverdale Gardens. I had curled my hair slightly and it hung a little off my shoulders, the ends curled but the initiated hairs not. My hair had also needed a touch of hairspray, but otherwise it was glossy and fresh from the lavender-rose-shampoo I'd done from my bath earlier.

When I got to the Cloverdale Gardens, I stopped near the front entrance and pressed the luminous light-up button on my watch. The face lit up and I saw clearly that it was already nine. Then I spotted Jake half-jogging towards me, and my own face lit up, just as the watch's face blanked back into darkness like it was unhappy to see Jake. I almost laughed out loud at the possibility.

"Hi, Lanie…" Jake murmured adoringly as he stroked my hair. He took my hand, kissed it gently and led me into the Cloverdale Gardens, also known as the Lovers' Park. "You look so beautiful tonight."

My hand was still tingling from his light kiss, and I was glad he didn't notice when he held my hand because that would have spoiled the romantic moment, although I knew that the "tingling" was just an "inside" feeling. "Lanie?" I asked him. "Is that the new nickname for Lana?"

"Well…yes, I think so," Jake said, chuckling lowly.

I tensed. "Does Nessie know you're here?"

Jake chuckled again. "Who cares a heck about Nessie…?"

I was stunned into silence.

He continued, then. "Well, maybe other people care. Lizzie, Bethany, Kara, her family the Cullens…yeah, but not me. Not anymore. In fact, now I care about you, Lana, you and only you. You ARE my life now, and I don't think I've ever set eyes on a girl more beautiful and better than you are. I don't think I can live without you, so please, please Lana, please say you'll never leave me?"

I've never met with such a request before and I must say I was flattered. Although I still couldn't help thinking that this was only an effect of the love potion, it was still pretty much worth considering even knowing the fact that once you gave him the antidote he would go back to Nessie and say the same thing. Well, since the love potion was still under effect and I'd thought he would be heartbroken if I refused his promise, I decided to agree to it. Under normal circumstances I would have agreed straightaway but this was…like, what, abnormal?

"Yes, Jake…" I whispered breathlessly although physically I was perfectly fine. I spoke as though I'd just returned from a 6.4-mile run, or a marathon, whatever. "I won't…won't ever leave you."

Jake smiled, and the soft silver glow of the moon and the late streetlights touched his hair and features, lighting up his already perfect face and making my heart skip a beat. "I won't leave you, too." He took one of my hands in one of his and his other hand reached around to cup my cheek.

"You're beautiful, Lana," he whispered. "Absolutely beautiful." His hand dropped from my cheek and led me to one of the many loveseats in Cloverdale Gardens. This one was mauve, and it had two satin navy cushions.

Jacob cuddled me tightly, whispering words of undying love in my ear. Sometimes he kissed my hair gently, sometimes he stroked my cheekbones, and I felt that every inch of my body was touched by an inch of his.

"Lana Bernhardt…you won't leave me…not ever…how nice to know that…" Jake sighed and traced his right index finger around the outline of my lips.

Nessie POV

I didn't understand. I didn't know how it was possible that Jake could start with that Lana Bernhardt girl so quickly, and she was human. He'd dumped me over the phone yesterday, and I hadn't stopped crying ever since. I mean, I was his imprint, right? So it couldn't have been pure love for Lana that had made him break up with me. He was just friends with Lana the day before he broke up with me, how could anything have happened so quickly? And he'd spoken those painful words like he was disgusted with me, those words were so final. Just like when Dad had left Mom, but eventually they'd gotten back together, hadn't they? I had to keep in my strong belief that Jacob Black would come back to me. Eventually. But how long would that be? I wasn't sure how long I could survive in this torture. I loved him. Lana doesn't! She doesn't even know what true love is.

I've asked Aunt Alice to look into Lana's future for any possible clues, but she can't see Lana because she says that Jake is blocking her view of Lana. She can't see me, either, because I'm a half-breed and all.

Right now I was in my room, staring blankly at a photo of Jake and me on my desk. Jake held me close while we stood in front of a background of an enormous Christmas tree, and I was sucking on a miniature candy cane. I was younger, then, and we were just best friends then, nothing more. Now, though, everything had changed.

I'd asked Mom to use her mental shield to shield my mind from Dad's mind-reading ability. I knew it was hard enough for everybody to look at my pained expression and know that they couldn't do anything to help me. I didn't anyone to know what was going on in my head, particularly my parents-my own father. It would make things even worse if Dad could feel the pain that was burning inside my mind and the thoughts I was having.

I took a deep breath and thought, like, for the millionth time that day, of Jake's possible reasons for doing this to me. Lana Bernhardt had seriously pissed me off, and for this she was going to pay.