I stepped from my third shower of the day still feeling unclean and confused about my current situation. I knew it was wrong to lead him on when I didn't feel the same. But I also knew that the months of turning Jacob Black down hadn't helped in the slightest. It was four and a half months after my beloved had up and left when I finally gave in to the not so subtle hints coming from not only Jacob but his father Billy and Charlie. And so here I was, nearly three months into a completely one sided relationship, scrubbing uselessly at the purple marks marring the pale skin of my neck. With a heavy sigh, I flung her towel over the corner of the door and pulled on my favorite pair of dark grey yoga pants and a dark blue cami before heading down the hall to I room.

Flicking on the stereo, I went back to listening to the CD Angela loaned me yesterday. I was roughly pulling a brush through my wet hair when a song came on that voiced perfectly how I felt when I was with Jacob. I hit pause when the phone rang and I jogged down the stairs, already knowing who it was and what he wanted. I was talking before I even had the phone to my ear.

"I'm not ready yet, so either drive up here and get me now, or wait for me to get there on my own time."

"What do you mean you're not ready yet, Bells? I dropped you off at home almost forty five minutes ago."

"I know, but Jake. Forty five minutes is barely a shower. I've still got to finish my hair, find actual clothes to wear and make Charlie's dinner before I can even think about leaving. You know that. What's with you today? You're seriously impatient."

"Bella, honey. It's a bonfire on the cliffs. You don't need your hair done and nice clothes for that. And we both know Charlie can fend for himself for one night. He knows how to call for pizza, doesn't he? I'll be there in twenty. Be ready to go or I'm coming in to get you."

And with that the line went dead, probably in the hopes that I would stop fighting and get ready to be Jacob's perfect stepford girlfriend. Again. I was so tired of being his trophy around his friends. I sighed again before slowly climbing the stairs again. I turned the CD on again as soon as I entered my room and continued to listen to Katy Perry, starting the song over again. The lyrics really fit the seriously messed up situation I found myself in after…he…left.

Comparisons are easily done, once you've had a taste of perfection.

Seriously. I it was pretty common knowledge that Jacob didn't come close to him.

You said move on, where do I go? I guess second best is all I will know.

Well, if that wasn't written by someone who had met Edward… I sighed again before pulling off my comfy pants and wiggling into my cutoff denim skirt and pulling my favorite Jack Skellington hoodie on over my cami. I was pulling the laces to my Converse All-Stars tight when I heard the front door slam behind Charlie. I plucked the CD from the player, slipped it into a slip case and slid that into my back pocket. I grabbed my keys and left my room.

"Hey, Dad," I called as I bounced down the steps. "What do you feel like for dinner?"

"Oh, I'm not hungry just now, Bella."

I skidded to a stop when I got my reply. That definitely wasn't Charlie's voice.