A/N: So I did some research on the Oneida tribe in New York state and the legends I found and wrote about are their actual legends. I did not make that stuff up. And it fit my story and purposes so well it's like I was meant to write it. I don't know what that means, but I LOVE it! Just taught my AP kids about Tecumseh and his brother, Tenskwatawa. More of that legend may pop up later.

My beta is MarinaNamaste. She's an Awesome Aussie. Check out her stories. She really knows how to make some lemonade. Check out her one-shots. They're awesome!


"Jake? What time are you heading to the beach?" my dad bellowed from the small cramped living room and through the front door. He may be in a wheel chair, but his voice is like the wind whose fingers permeate every crack and hole. I huffed my way back up the hill from my little shed garage because I didn't want all of La Push to hear our conversation and shit. I went in the front door, but left it open. It was a semi-dry day and we were airing out the little shit-hole house we lived in.

"I was going to go down around five. We loaded all the stuff in Paul's truck and Sam and some of the other guys are going to set everything up," I recited the plan we concocted last night at the diner.

"Why aren't you helping set things up?" Billy asked. I knew what he was getting at. He wanted me to take some responsibility and step up. But I didn't want it yet. Sam was more than willing to head things up this year and I was hoping he wanted the gig for the next five or six years so I could head off to college and then come back and settle down.

"Because Sam knows what he's doing and I want to hang out with Ness." There was no point trying to lie to the geezer. He could spot my half-truths a mile away. Surprisingly, his lips bent up in a small smile. He really liked Nessie. That was important to me because I didn't think he'd like anyone as much as he liked Bella. He was mad at me for a week when Bella dumped me. He said maybe I should have thought more before getting involved with his best friend's daughter and then messing it up. I know he really just missed Bella being around. She gave the place a feminine touch. "I want to show her a good time and I can't do that if I have to worry about all the little details," I explained.

"Son," he started, but I cut him off. I knew what he was going to say. Tribe responsibility and all that blah, blah, blah shit. I just wanted a few years to myself. Just a few. I figured I could sort my shit out and come back settled.

"Dad, Sam needs to do this for a few years. He wants to do it for a few years. I want to go to college. And I want to come back home and do everything you want me to do. I want those things, too. But there's no point in taking over this year just to be gone for the next four or five." He frowned, but I could tell he heard me. He was digesting it. It was hard for him because my sisters hadn't come back yet. "Besides, we want to make a good impression on our exchange student, don't we? So she can take good reports back to the reservations back east." I smiled and nodded. My dad called it my shit-eating smile.

This could actually go my way. If I was going to take on this ceremonial gig as Chief one day, then I had to be the face of the tribe and leave the 'details' to others who were capable. If I was worried about the structure of the bonfire, or the amount of food being offered, then who would show our lovely exchange student a good time and tell her all the tribal legends that explain why we hold such a celebration. I knew I was going out on a limb with that kind of justification, but good leaders know how to delegate. And I was delegating.

"So, you're calling this delegation?" he asked. How the fuck did he always know what I was thinking?

"Well," I stammered in my surprise, "yes, I am. Sam and I discussed it last night."

"I gotcha son," he relented and then smiled. "When do I get to see Ness again," he asked with a glint in his eye. She was a little spitfire and I know he liked all the trouble she gave him.

"She should be here in a little while. We were going to study before the bonfire," I said.

Again, he didn't believe me. "Yeah, study." His fingers made little air quotation marks and he smirked.

"What? We are," I insisted. We weren't going to study. Why did I even try?

"Well you better get some kissing in soon, because Charlie tells me that Bella is coming to the bonfire tonight. You won't be gettin' any for a while after that," he chuckled to himself.

"What do you mean?" I asked. What the hell was he talking about?

"I mean, you invited your ex-girlfriend—who's a paleface—to a tribal function that will be attended by your new girlfriend," he said. I just stared at him and he started back like I was missing something obvious.

"And?" I asked after a few awkward seconds of this.

"Your new girlfriend is going to be pissed, Jake. Tell me you're not this dumb," he finished in that dead pan tone he used when I was missing something I should know.

"Nessie's fine with it. It was her suggestion," I squeaked. Shit. I hated that. I cleared my throat to reset my "rumbling bass" that Nessie's told me she loves so much. "I've told her about Bella and she wants to meet my best friend," I explained.

"You better talk to her about it then. She may have suggested it but, in my experience, girls often change their minds about what they want once they get it," he opined. That hit a nerve. Bella had dumped me for Edward. She changed her mind. I could see his point. But, Nessie was completely honest and completely open.

"Nessie's not like that," I finally said. Though he did have me a little worried.

"Okay, son. I'd still have a talk with her before Bella gets here, just in case. Learn from this old buzzard's mistakes," he said.

"What? You invited an ex to something mom was at?" I asked, hoping to get him talking about the good old days. He didn't look so melancholy when he actually talked about mom and the past. A little gleam actually returned when he did.

"No. I just made assumptions about how your mom was feeling that landed me in a whole lot of hot water," he chuckled again. "Don't assume you know how a woman feels. It changes too fast." I knew that last bit from my own shitty experience. It was fast.

"Okay dad, I'll talk to her," I agreed. I didn't want to fuck this up with Nessie. She was too…perfect. I mean, she had her flaws and shit, but she was perfect for me. We fit together. She pushed me to be better; to run faster; to jump higher. She made me all philosophical and shit. I felt smart around her—like I could change the world. I wanted to change the world. I wanted to change my little part of the world here on the rez. I wanted to make it a better place to be, with more opportunities. Her voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"Jake?" I turned my head around to see that beautiful face staring at me from the open doorway. The light from the unusual sunshine shone through her long skirt and peasant top and revealed her slim but curvy figure. Fuck me, she was beautiful. Her dark auburn waves were wound in two long, loose braids that hung over her shoulders with stray pieces that framed her face. "You okay?" she asked as she pulled the strawberry tootsie pop out of her mouth and smiled. I grinned back at her.

"Fantastic! Just thinkin' 'bout you and shit," I said, crossing the room in three steps and sweeping her up into my arms. I didn't want to lie. She made me want to tell her everything. She dropped her bag and squealed in delight as I swung her around. I wanted to kiss her, but my dad was just staring at us from his chair in the corner of the room chuckling to himself again.

"Billy!" she squealed into my ear when she finally noticed him. She patted on my shoulder, cuing me to put her down. I obeyed and she popped that strawberry sucker back into her mouth and skipped over to give him a hug. I have never wanted to be a piece of candy before in my life. I did now. "How you doin' Earnhardt?" She started calling him NASCAR drivers' names since she saw him coasting down the hill to the Clearwater's house.

"I'm trying to maintain my composure, Nessie. It's good to see you. How are you doing?" he asked and almost blushed under her attention.

She was fussing with some dirt that was on the hand rails of his chair. "I'm good. Been busy with the reflective journal I'm supposed to be keeping as part of the exchange program. I finally got permission to turn it into a blog. They're actually going to grade my blog. That takes a load off my mind." She pulled her lollipop out her mouth again and smiled, satisfied with her own little academic victory.

"So it doesn't bother you that Jacob invited his ex-girlfriend to the bonfire tonight?" What. The. Fuck? No beating around the bush for my dad, is there? My heart almost stopped once I realized what he asked her.

"Heck no!" Nessie said not even pausing to think about it. "I'm actually perplexed by her," Nessie called from the kitchen where she'd gone to get a damp cloth to clean my dad's fucking chair. I was falling for her hard. She walked back by me holding the last bit of the tootsie pop up to my lips. I opened my mouth to accept her gift. There was something sexy as shit about that.

"How so?" dad asked. I was still marveling at the care she was giving my dad. It's like she didn't even give it a second thought. Hell, I didn't. I wouldn't have noticed the little mud splatters on his chair, but Nessie did. And it was just natural for her to go take care of it.

"Well," she peeked up at me and smiled, "she's bright enough and entertaining enough to hold Jacob's interest," she said, as she finished wiping off the hand rails. I bit into the tootsie pop and chewed the chocolate center, "but stupid enough to dump him for someone else."

She took the cloth back into the kitchen and came out a few seconds later where she then wrapped her arms around my waist which was reassuring after such a statement. I pulled her in tight. "I also want to meet this man—" she looked at me, "Edward's his name?" I nodded. She looked back at Billy. "I want to meet the man who has sunshine shining out his ass."

Yep. I was in love.

"You're taking this rather flippantly, Ness. Are you sure you'll feel the same way when she's actually there?" Billy asked. He really was concerned and shit. I didn't know whether feel good that he cared so much or offended that he thought I'd fuck things up again.

"Dad!" I chided. "Lay off." Did he think I couldn't handle this myself? Well, probably not. I did fuck up the whole Bella thing. I told her I loved her way too early. And I really wasn't in love with her; I loved the way I felt when I was with her. And when we fucked. But when I was finally honest with myself—after all the Edward shit—I wasn't in love with her.

"It's okay, Jake," Nessie soothed me by reaching up and touching my cheek, "he's making a valid point." I could smell her sweet, sexy, strawberry breath and it made me smile all over again. She turned back to Billy. "I don't know. We'll see. But I won't take it out on Jake. This was my idea," she looked back at me, "not his."

"Alright," my dad was wheeling himself back to the front porch, "I'm off to the Clearwater's. They'll take me over to the beach, so I'll just meet you two there." He smirked at me before he rolled down the ramp. So much for Nessie's cleaning job. He was deliberately leaving us alone in the house. He wanted us to talk, I guess. I wanted to do something else with my mouth though. I must have been smirking as I led her to the couch.

"Jacob Black, what are you thinking?" she batted her eyelids at me. She wanted my mouth to do the same thing I did. So I pulled her onto my lap and kissed her. She still tasted all like strawberry and shit.

"There's the rest of my tootsie pop," she murmured after coaxing my tongue with hers. She was rather tall, which I wasn't really used to, but also very flexible so her legs folded up nicely as she straddled my lap and kissed me with the same fervor I showed to her.

"I'm thinking my dad left us alone for a reason," her lips were moving down my neck where she sucked hard. I know what John Melloncamp was talking about when he told his baby to make it hurt so good. She was giving me a hickey and I didn't even want to stop her. "I think we're supposed to talk."

She sat back onto my knees and grinned. "You think so?" I couldn't help but grin back at her. But I had to be serious for a moment. She felt it and her grin faded to a small smile that made the edges of her full lips curve up.

"Do you remember the first time that we kissed?" I asked her. It hadn't been that long ago. I wondered how I could feel so strongly about her already.

"Ah, yeah. It was only three weeks ago," she pretended to look at her watch. "Three weeks and fourteen hours and almost fifteen minutes." Wow. She was accurate and shit. Could she feel as strongly about me? I was totally not used to reciprocated feelings. I kissed her lightly to show my appreciation.

"Well, I want you to know that I kissed you because I felt like," I searched for words, "like, if I didn't…my life would be missing something. I was drawn to you. It was almost like I couldn't breathe right if I weren't sitting right next to you." She tilted her head as she listened. "I hope that doesn't sound corny."

"No," she whispered like she agreed, "but I feel like there's a 'but' coming." I saw a look of fear creep over her face.

"No!" I shook her hips and pulled her hands up to my chest. "No buts. I want to make a comparison so you don't get jealous tonight. Can you listen to everything I'm going to say?" The fear on her face left and a slight smile played across her lips.

"I'll give it a try." Her complexion was so clear like smooth caramel from the inside of a Cadbury's Caramello. You know the ones from England and shit? That shit is tasty, just like her. Her steady gaze offered me trust with those hazel eyes that looked almost surreal with her dark skin. It was beautiful.

"When I kissed Bella for the first time, it was a decision we both made. It wasn't an impulse. We'd grown up together and then we were going through puberty together. We kissed because we were both curious. We did…everything we did because we were curious. Then I thought my curiosity was something more." Her hands were still clutched in mine and I was afraid to let go of them before I finished. "I thought I was in love with her. Then she dumped me for Edward and I was heartbroken, because I thought I knew what love was and that he couldn't possibly love her the way I loved her and she obviously was confused…" I trailed off at my own epiphany.

"Is this going to get better for me soon?" she asked in a calm but controlled voice while she shook my hand to bring me back to her. I nodded my head.

"Yes. When I met you it was all different, Ness. I didn't want to kiss you because I was curious about kissing. I wanted to kiss you because if I didn't I would regret it for the rest of my life. I wanted to get to know you because not doing so seemed like the single most idiotic notion every conceived. I had to be near you. I had to touch you. God, I sound like a fucking psycho stalker." I was fucking this up.

But I wasn't. Those hazel eyes softened and that beautiful caramel colored nose nuzzled mine. Then she kissed me.

"No you don't. I had the same feeling about you." Nessie slid down my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me close for what seemed like an eternity. She laid her head on my shoulder and I played with the braids that hung down her back. My heart almost exploded. I don't think she was aware of the gift she'd just given me. Without even realizing it, she basically told me that I wasn't alone in my feelings. This was so much more than I had ever had. It was so much better. For the time, there was no nookie; there was no funny business. We were just happy and content to sit and think about things. She finally picked her head up and cast those hazel eyes on me again.

"So what I hear you saying," Ness said in her best analyst voice, "is that your physical relationship with Bella was done out of adolescent curiosity, but with me it's something more. Is that correct?" We'd watched a few episodes of Dr. Phil together and made fun of the way Dr. Phil always restated what he perceived the true issue to be.

"Yes," I answered while I pulled her lips back to mine, "and that," kiss, "there is no need," kiss, "to be jealous of her at all," kiss, "ever." Long kiss. This girl knows her shit. She didn't talk about her past, I know it was some serious shit—it's one of the reasons she's here—but that girl can use her tongue. I wondered what else she was good at. I knew that strawberry was my new favorite flavor.

"But you're still best friends?" she asked while I moved my lips down her neck. I wasn't going to mark her though. I needed more proof that her skin wasn't actually caramel, because it looked good enough to eat.

"When Edward, the overbearing prick-wad allows her to talk to people other than him." My hands found the soft skin on her back under her peasant shirt. Her back arched with pleasure. She was graceful like a dancer as she sighed and moved under my palms.

"How does this feel different?" she breathed out. She was enjoying the direction my hands had taken.

"I just can't get enough of you," I buried my face in the crook of her neck as she wrapped her arms around my neck and her fingers wound in my hair, "but just this could be enough, too." Again we just sat for an immeasurable moment. I couldn't bring myself to tell her I loved her and fuck everything up again.

"I won't get jealous," she sighed contentedly. "I know your heart is true and you would never do anything to hurt me." I just held on to her for a while longer. She was so special. She just fell into my life less than a month ago. Everyone was shit-eating jealous that I snagged her so quickly. But it was like I told her, I had little choice. Destiny is a powerful force.

"I won't give you any reason to doubt me," was all I could manage to return. I felt so much and was trying to control it.

The bonfire was kicking. Sam and Paul did an excellent job getting everything set up and hopping. Their girlfriends, Emily and Leah, took care of the food. Leah'd dated Sam for years and there was a big blow up when he suddenly eloped with her cousin Emily one weekend. No one talked about it. But since Leah hooked up with Paul, things were much more civilized at tribal functions. Leah had an unknown power over Paul that even he couldn't explain. I think I was beginning to understand how he felt.

Our talk this afternoon seemed to bring Nessie and me even closer. We'd only gotten to second base before we decided we needed to head to the beach, but neither one of us could keep our hands off each other the rest of the evening. She was either sitting on my lap, or leaning on my shoulder, or I had my arm around her.

"Hey Black," Quil taunted from the log next to us, "I see Nessie's been marking her territory." He pointed to the red mark on my neck. I bet the fucker was just jealous.

"I thought it'd be the only way I could keep you away from him," Nessie said without batting an eyelash. The whole pack of guys roared at her quip and Quil muttered something under his breath. Don't mess with my chica, she can definitely hold her own.

Bella and Edward showed up right before the tribal bard, Ted Nightsong, began the histories and I could see Edward making furtive glances at my girl. He was perched on a log right behind Bella who was sitting at Billy's knee. She always sat there because she liked his commentary, and she stared intently into the fire. She was dressed in some outfit you would see people who were pretending to go to the beach wearing in a magazine. She obviously hadn't picked it out, because she wasn't wearing her converse. I only noticed because she looked uncomfortable. She had never been uncomfortable down here on the rez. I didn't like that she had to pretend so much for him.

I turned my attention back to Nessie who was also paying rapt attention. Part of her assignment was to compare and contrast the history of different tribes in the Pacific Northwest. She could always ask dad to repeat any of the details, but she'd said there was nothing like hearing Nightsong's tale the way he was trained to tell it. I just held her close and watched her absorb it all.

We were roasting s'mores after the tales were told when Bella and Edward finally approached us. They arrived too late to make introductions before and I thought it best for the uptight prick to approach us on his own terms.

"Hey Jake," Bella said with a warm smile but with worried eyes, "thanks for inviting us." She gave me a short and distant hug. I appreciated that seeing as I told Nessie earlier I wouldn't give her any reason to doubt me.

"Not at all, Bells," I returned. "You know you're always welcome here. You Swans are part of the tribe." I didn't include Edward, but I did look at him. "Bells, Edward, I want you to meet Renesmee." I peered over at her as she stepped forward. Edward spoke first.

"Renesmee," he said, "what an interesting name." She just peered at him for a moment, trying to figure out what he meant by that. I could see her sizing him up but it was hidden by a little smirk.

"Yes," she responded, "most people call me Nessie." She looked over at Bella and her smile widened. "Bella, it is a pleasure to meet you. Jake speaks very highly of you." She pulled Bells into a hug who, just a little surprised, hugged her back. Over Nessie's shoulder I could see Bella smiling at me. It was an approving smile and sort of a quick 'way to go'. This made me happy. Bella was happy for me and I could feel it through her gaze. Edward's hold on her couldn't stop the magic of our friendship and our ability to communicate without actually talking.

"It's nice to meet you too," Bella said when Ness finally released her. "Jake was so excited when we agreed to come and I figured you must be something special." Nessie melted into my side as my arm snaked around her waist. She towered over Bella's petite little frame, but she was still a good six inches shorter than me. She'd wrapped herself up in one of my hoodies after the sun went down and I could still feel her shivering next to me. "You're an exchange student I hear," Bella continued.

"Yes," she looked over at me. She quirked an eyebrow that said, good boy, you have talked about me to her. I hoped that earned me a few brownie points. I could think of quite a few exceptional things Ness could do to show her appreciation too.

"I told her a little bit about you. I was excited to share." I wanted to kiss her so badly, but I didn't think it was appropriate. Edward already looked like something rotten had been rubbed under his nose.

"Well, I've basically finished my high school credits, but I get some dual college credits if I keep a comparative journal on tribal customs in this area. La Push has a great collection in its library and has easy access to a number of other reservations while being remote enough to give me a feel for true reservation life." My girl was talking shop. I knew Bella could keep up. If she wasn't so fucking pale, most people would think she was Quileute because she's spent so much time here her whole life.

"So did you find any comparisons?" Bella asked truly interested.

"Well, where I come from in Oneida, we have a legends explaining how our clans were chosen. Our people are matrilineal so it's passed through the women and I'm of the wolf clan," my girl blushed and her eyes darted towards me. "So I found the story of the spirit warriors fascinating. I'm going to have to do about three blog entries just to do all my thoughts justice. I'm so excited," she gushed.

My heart flipped a little when she said she was from the wolf clan. It was like we were made for each other. Like custom-crafted and shit. It almost made me believe in the old imprinting legends. I winked at her and turned my attention back to Edward who was shuffling is feet like he had somewhere better to be.

"So, Edward," I tried to make conversation while the girls were talking about things that appeared to bore him, "what'd you think of the stories?" He stopped shuffling his feet.

"I actually found them very interesting. It explains all the wood carvings of wolves in all your old buildings downtown," he said.

"When have you been in the ceremonial buildings?" I was shocked. Most palefaces, and Edward was indeed very pale, had never had been too interested to go into those places. They come to La Push for the beach or the bars. Plus, it was mainly used for council meeting and the free yearly health examinations.

"My dad was called out do tend to some of your elders when we first moved here. I was just assisting him," he looked over at Bella who was talking animatedly to Nessie. "It was actually the first time I ever laid eyes on Bella. I watched you two walk across the street from the upstairs window of the main building." His eyes stayed on her and he didn't look back at me. So fucking weird; that was fucking creepy as shit. I didn't want Bella back as a girlfriend, but I was concerned about her as my friend.

I felt Nessie's hand slide up my chest and rest over my heart. She just patted it a few times and kept talking to Bella like nothing had happened. She must have felt me tense beside her and she was reassuring me. I'd known this girl for a month and she already knew me as well as Bella did. Better.

"Well, Bella and I were just coming over to tell you thank you for inviting us and that we were headed out in a few minutes," Edward said with a tight smile. I watched his eyes finally move from Bella to Nessie's hand on my heart, up to the mark on my neck, and then come to rest on my face. Bella cleared her throat. We all looked at her.

"No," Bella corrected, "we were going to go talk to the Clearwaters and then Billy again."

Oh, shit. Edward was in trouble. She had her stubborn I'm-not-taking-your-shit look on her face. But Edward looked at her like she was a stranger.

"But Bella, we agreed that it would be rude to leave Emmett and Jasper alone at my house for much longer," his tone was pleading and just a little whiny. How did she stand his shit?

"Emmett McCarthy?" I asked. There weren't many people with that name and Emmett was the shit. I loved hanging out with that dude. Charlie brought him down after he had gotten in some trouble up in Forks and we'd worked on some cars together. He'd done me a solid by taking over the care and maintenance of Charlie's cruiser.

"Yeah. Why?" Edward's tone was just a little condescending.

"I know Emmett. He's the shit!" I said. "Love that guy! Tell him I say hi." The look on Edward's face was priceless. It's like he wanted to believe me but just couldn't.

"Emmett and Jazz will be fine at your house. I told you that this is an annual affair that I haven't missed my entire life. I thought we decided that we could stay a bit longer." Bella's tone was sarcastic. Edward clearly had not seen this side of Bella or he didn't know how to handle her. I felt just a little sorry for the guy.

No I didn't.

"Can I talk to you privately for a moment," Edward asked Bella in a loud whisper. What a fucking douche bag.

"Bella, why don't you take him to our log? That's far enough away from prying eyes and ears," I suggested. I don't know how Edward took that—me calling it our log—but I wanted him to stew on it. Bella nodded her head, grabbed Edward's hand, and literally dragged him off into the darkness.

"What a fucking douchebag," Nessie said. God, I loved her even more. "I get it. Bella I like—him not so much." I tilted my head down and just kissed her hard.

"You I like. And yes, he's a major douchebag," I said when our lips separated with a smack.

"Have you ever taken me to the log?" Nessie asked with a smile. I grabbed her hand and pulled her in the same direction Bella and Edward walked. The beach was a big place with many places to go. I wanted to show her how much I appreciated her.

"No. Because I am not a douchebag. Who takes his new girlfriend to the special place of his old girlfriend?" I knew there were some spots on the beach on the way to the log that were shrouded by large rocks. I thought maybe I could get close to third base on the same day I make it to second.

"I'm glad you think that way," she said wrapping both her arms around my waist as we walked. "You're my Thunder Boy," she said almost too quiet for me to hear over the thunder of the surf.

"Your what?" I asked her. She smiled to herself and seemed to make a decision. She let go of my waist, stood up straight and gathered my hands into hers. She was only a few inches shorter than me so gazing into those beautiful eyes of hers with the moon shining off them and shit—well it just blew me away.

"Our people have a legend about a girl who was taken up in a mist to the land of the Thunder people. The son of the chief fell in love with her one day while they were all working in a field. While she was there, she lived happily with him and among his people." Her hand came up and cradled my cheek and her eyes were filled with such sincerity. "And even though she missed her family, she stayed with him for a year because she loved him, too." My heart thudded in my chest. Had this beautiful, amazing woman just told me that she loved me? She had. She basically said it first.

"Oh, Ness," I breathed out. We'd reached a little outcropping of large boulders. The full moon gave me enough light to see that she was a little embarrassed by her declaration.

"I'm sorry if that was a little sudden," she mumbled. I lifted her chin to look at me. She still smelled of strawberries; she always smelled of strawberries. It was another part of her culture and heritage. The moon illuminated her big eyes and our lips were an inch apart.

"It was sudden, but the feeling is mutual, Ness." I hadn't planned saying it so soon, but she did it first. "I'm so in love with you." Her eyes flitted between my eyes and my lips and they were filled with relief.

"God I love you, too." And my lips sealed her declaration as I inhaled the breath that carried it.

Before long we were hidden from view and I had her slim, toned body pressed up against a large smooth rock. The electricity that had been building all night through our small touches sparked with each kiss, brush of a tongue, and grinding hips. We hadn't been at it too long, two wanting bodies pressed together with nothing more than some thin cotton between us, when we heard Bella's voice coming towards us.

"Forget it Edward. I think we need some time apart."

Nessie and I peeked out from our secluded spot. We needed to catch our breath anyway. "What do we do?" Nessie whispered. It felt wrong to watch this private moment, but I was glad to see my friend sticking up for herself. Nessie just gazed back towards Bells and Edward and pounding of the surf did little to conceal their words. My silence was her answer and we both just waited in the shadows.

"What are you talking about? It's being here, isn't it? It's being around him? You always get so defiant when you're around him. That why I hate it so much," he admitted.

"Edward, that is who I am." Bella's shoulders sagged in defeat. "I have my own thoughts and feelings and all being around Jacob does is make me remember that."

"Bella, what are you talking about? I listen to your thoughts and feelings," he said to her like she was a five year old. Edward's arms were outstretched and pleading her to join with them. It kind of made me sick. But Bells was holding her own.

"No, Edward. You want me to say what you want to hear. You don't know what I really think." She shook her head as if finally deciding something. "I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend to be something I'm not. It's so exhausting. It's killing me," she whimpered in a defeated voice.

"Bella," he stepped towards her, "I just want you to be you."

"No Edward, you don't. The condition for coming here tonight was that Alice had to dress me." She gestured to her clothes. "This is not me. Everyone on this beach tonight knew that. You won't even let me eat the food I like, Edward. You don't want me. You want me to fit the picture you have in your head." Her hand flew up and tapped against her head to illustrate her point. "I've been so dazzled by you and your infatuation with me, I've changed into what I thought you wanted me to be. But I'm not a mind reader and I can't do it anymore."

Again, Edward reached out to her and she backed away from his touch. It was like she was scared of it. Not like, he'd hurt her and shit, but like he'd suck her in. She was crying and she almost looked broken.

"Bella…" Edward began but trailed off, not knowing how to respond to that. It looked like she hit the nail on the head and Edward knew it.

"Edward, you go on home. I'll just ride home with my dad or one of the guys will take me." She sat down in the sand and he took one more step towards her.

"Are you sure that's safe?" Edward asked. That seemed to be the last straw for her. Bella stood up, squared her shoulders and spoke in a voice I had only heard on a very few and special occasions. She. Was. Pissed.

"Is what safe, Edward? Riding home with my father who the chief of police? Being in a car with people I've known since birth?" Edward's mouth opened and then shut again. "What's not safe, Edward, is this…this…thing we have, where I'm too afraid to say or do anything wrong. I. Am. Tired, Edward. So, so tired. I need a break. From you." She wiped a tear from her eye. "I love you with all my heart. But you've taken everything I have and expected more. I don't have anything left," Bella's voice was a broken croak when she finished and she just turned around and headed back to the log.

A tendon in Edward's neck had been pulsing through most of Bella's break up. He watched her walk away and then turned and walked in the other direction towards the bonfire. The prick wasn't even going to find out if she was okay.

"Ness…" I looked over at her. She looked just as shocked as I felt.

"Go, Jake. She needs you," her hazel eyes were clear and bright. They were pained as well.

"Ness, I can't if you think—"

"Jake, I think you need to help that woman who just found her backbone by ripping out her own heart. Go to your friend. I'll go hang out with Seth." She smirked at me. We both knew Seth had a big crush on her.

"What did I do to deserve you?" I asked and then kissed her sweetly.

"You rumbled, my Thunder Boy."


A/N: So, what do you think of Jake? Ness? Bella? Who gave two cheers? Who thinks Eddie needs to pull his head out of his ass?

Leave me some love.

Next up: Emmett