Disclaimer: In the Prologue

ALICE SEEING BELLA!

Sorry, just did that for your attention. To answer the question I've gotten from a few people...you'll just have to keep reading to find out. :)

Chapter 9:

I spent another hour at the café with Max, laughing and talking until my coffee was gone and he really had to get back to work. So, I handed him a tip and my phone number for us to keep in touch and left the café to walk for the book store.

As soon as I walked through the door, Jerry looked up from his dictionary and smiled at me. "Hey, girl, I was wondering when I would see you around again," he said.

I smiled. "Yeah, I was hanging out with my dad for a few days for some father-daughter time." I jerked my chin to the book in his hand. "What's the word of the day?" I asked.

He glanced down. "Jeremiad."

"What's it mean?"

"It's a prolonged lamentation or complaint; also a cautionary or angry harangue," he said.

I shrugged. "New one for the vocabulary, I guess."

He nodded. "Yeah, I don't understand some of the words in here, but oh well. I guess we can't take them out," he smiled.

I nodded and headed for the aisles. "That's true." I began to browse down the aisle, looking for any books that would show me any interest. My eyes gently skimmed over the titles and covers, seeing if any snapped my attention to them.

I stopped and reached forward when my eye finally landed on one. I picked the book up between my fingers and began to thumb through the pages, taking a glimpse through it before I read the back. I nodded and tucked it under my arm.

I began to move along when a hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder. I whirled around instinctively as my heart skipped a beat, surprised by the sudden touch. I blinked when I saw two golden eyes blinking back at me.

Eleazer raised his hands in surrender with a smile. "Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to startle you, Bella."

I took in a breath, slowing down my heart with my palm on my chest. I shook my head and gave a small smile. "Its fine, Eleazer, I was just taken by surprise is all," I said. I straightened myself. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, motioning around. "Just looking for a good book. I'm afraid I've read all of my own and I'd rather not risk missing on the best book of all time being here," he said.

I mentally groaned at myself. Good one, Bella, that was kind of obvious. Why don't you ask him why he only drinks blood and not V8 like you do every day?

He looked back to me and cocked his head. "I assume you are here for the same reason?" he asked.

I nodded, gripping the book under my arm slightly. "Yes, I've pretty much done the same with all of my books, and I'm afraid that the games Temple Run and Candy Crush can only go so far."

He chuckled. "Yes they do," he agreed. A book next to us suddenly caught his eye and he grabbed it off the shelf. He began to thumb through it with a hum as he asked, "Do you come in here often?"

I shrugged. "I suppose so. It depends on what my day looks like. Do you come here often?" I asked.

He nodded-seeming to have decided to take the book-and began to walk down the aisle. "I do come in when I have to. Jerry is a good man that I find I enjoy the company of at times. From what I heard, you're decent acquaintances with him?"

I nodded as I followed him down the aisle. "Yes, I've come in enough for us to be good acquaintances. We kind of have a whole routine with each other for when I come in."

He nodded. "I heard the word of the day. I do not believe I have or ever will use the word 'jeremiad' in my life," he said.

I chuckled. Unlike before, when I was talking with Tanya in the bookstore, I wasn't completely shocked by the Denali family's presence in town. I was able to actually make conversation with Eleazer and not have to be as guarded about my personal life-again, as.

I was certain they wouldn't tell the Cullens at the smallest slip I had. It wouldn't be like they would immediately think of me as the girl from Forks that they had no idea where she was. It was possible they would just think I was a normal human until they realized who I was by me telling them personally-if I ever told them.

I smiled. "I don't think anyone really would. Sometimes I wonder if people just wanted to sound smart so they 'came up' with a word that meant something random," I said.

He laughed. "That is a possible theory," he agreed. He stopped in front of a book and picked it up to read the back and then thumb through the pages. I found another book that I liked near it and picked it up as he said, "However, you can't forget how teenagers and young adults are coming up with words like 'selfie' or 'bae'."

I didn't know why, but the fact that I was hearing a vampire who was probably far older than the Cullens say "bae" and "selfie" was incredibly funny to me with how formal his sentence sounded. The two words seemed completely foreign in his sentence and even more in his mouth.

I bit my lip to hold in my laugh. "True," I agreed. "However, I am not one of those people so it is easy for me to forget."

"Of course," he smiled.

Liking the book I had picked up, I slipped it under my arm to join the other one while he set his down on the rack. He grabbed another near it and quickly placed it under his arm.

I looked on the opposite shelf and grabbed a book that had caught my eye. I began to thumb through it when he spoke up again, "So, how has your day been today, Bella?"

I shrugged. "Alright, I suppose. I spent the past several days just staying with Charlie. We thought we could use some bonding time," I said. Actually, we didn't want to fight again and spent time together to make sure we didn't. People didn't need to know that though. "It was kind of nice to get down to the café again."

He nodded. "Yes, that place is quite good," he agreed. I knew that he was just making conversation as he couldn't actually eat or drink anything there in the café. "I especially like the young man Max there. He's a respectable boy."

I nodded, smiling a little. "Yeah, he's a good guy," I agreed. I tucked the book under my arm and looked down at the stack I had. It was probably time for me to check-out. "How've you been, Eleazer?"

He shrugged and began to walk down the aisle as I followed towards the cash-register. "I've had a good day myself." He then smirked. "I do know, however, that Kate would like to make another bet against you to win her respect and dignity back. She's been looking all over for you."

I smiled. After even just a day with Kate, I could easily see her going around everywhere to try and find me for another bet. It was strange how open about her personality she was in a way. "I'm sorry I disappointed her, then."

He chuckled. "You probably did the wise thing of avoiding her."

I chuckled with him as we reached the counter. Jerry looked up from his dictionary at me and smiled. "Ready to check-out, Bella?" he asked, moving towards his computer.

I nodded, setting my books up on the counter. "Yes, please, Jerry," I said with a smile that he returned.

As Jerry began to ring up my books Eleazer spoke again, "I do believe that Tanya has been looking for you as well." I mentally flinched.

From in front of me, I could see Jerry pause for a moment before he continued. Hmm…he himself must have been surprised that Tanya was coming after the new girl in town. I raised my brow at Eleazer for elaboration.

He chuckled. "She has a question for you, I believe. It's probably nothing major, though," he said with a slight smirk.

"You don't know what it is?" I ask skeptically.

He shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not," he said.

Jerry set the books on the counter in a plastic bag. "Your total comes to fifteen dollars today even, Bella," he said, holding out his hand for the money.

I dug the bills out of my purse and handed him a twenty. He quickly switched out the money and handed me back my change. I smiled at him. "Thanks, Jerry."

He nodded. "Sure thing, girly-girl," he smiled. He then looked at Eleazer as I moved to the side. "So, how do you two know each other?" he asked as he began to ring up Eleazer's books.

I shrugged. "I met Tanya in here and I've just kind of met her family throughout the rest of the time I've been present," I said, adjusting the bag over my shoulder.

He nodded. "Oh, I see," he said. He then smiled at me. "That does explain why I heard someone suddenly shout 'bam' at the top of their lungs."

I chuckled. "That was Frank finding his book, actually."

"I guessed."

He finished with Eleazer's books and handed them to him in a bag. "Yours are the same price as Bella's: fifteen even."

Eleazer handed him a twenty and received his change as he gave a smile. "Thank you, Jerry," he said.

He nodded. "Of course," he said. He waved at us as we began to head for the door together. "You two have a good day, you hear?"

"You too, Jerry," I replied just before I slipped out. Eleazer called something similar behind me before he left the store and easily-with his vampire speed-came to my side.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day, Bella?"

I shrugged, casting him a glance from the corner of my eye. "I don't know," I said. "I suppose I'll walk back home and spend the rest of the day with Charlie. I hadn't really thought about it until now."

He nodded. "I see," he said. He jerked his head up the road. "I will actually be meeting Carmen in town and we thought about going into the city with the girls. If you wanted to, you could probably join us."

I mentally flinched again. Going into the city would mean I had to spend time with Tanya. I knew that her family was going to be with us and all, but if Tanya was actually coming after me like everyone said-I still wasn't a hundred percent ready to admit she was after me; what regular person would be?-then she might try to use it to her advantage.

However, with her family there, I might have been able to use them to my advantage. It would give me some excuses to not stand next to her or talk to her all the time. Plus, I could get another bet with Kate and burry her ego in the ground again.

Although, the con side to it was that if her family was aware of Tanya's possible-again I wasn't admitting it yet-attraction to me, then they might have been trying to push us together.

Surely it wouldn't be bad, though, right? They wouldn't just, you know, shove us into each other or something…right? Okay, maybe Kate would, but I doubted that Carmen or Eleazer would let her get away with it based on how they acted around me.

I forced down the sigh that was building up in my chest. Max did say that I should let the Denalis into my life even if I had a bad past with their cousins. If he trusted them, and they had his back, maybe I should too. They were liked by several of the people in town including Brigit in the music store, Max and Jerry. The Denalis were smart and they wouldn't do anything dumb it seemed. I could let them in, right?

Slowly, I turned to face Eleazer and gave a small smile. "Sure," I agreed. "I'll have to tell Charlie, though."

He nodded with a bright smile. "Of course," he said. "I'll tell Carmen that you're coming while you call your father."

I nodded and pulled out my phone as he pulled out his and dialed Charlie's cell. I put my phone to my ear and listened as it continued to ring nonstop.

Then, he finally answered, "Hey, Bells. Sorry it took so long, but I was doing the dishes."

I nodded. "It's fine, Dad," I assured with a smile. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going into the city with the Denalis. I ran into Eleazer in town and he invited me to come along."

He hummed on the other side of the phone and I could sense his unease. "I see," he said. "Are you going to be fine there? Do you need money?" I could practically hear the unspoken part, Do you want a gun?

I shook my head. "No, I'll be fine and I have enough money."

He hummed again, seeming to contemplate letting me go with the Denalis or not before, "Alright. I hope you have fun, Bella. Do you know when you'll be back? Or if you and I should meet up there for lunch?"

I thought for a moment. "I don't know what time I'll be back home, but I guess you and I might be able to meet for lunch. I guess it'll depend on the schedule."

"Tell me when you know for sure."

"I will."

"Alright, have fun then. Love you, Bella."

"Love you too, Dad." I hung up the phone and turned to find Eleazer still on his. He was nodding, seeming to agree to something that Carmen was saying over the line.

To keep myself from eavesdropping, I placed my phone in my purse and moved some stuff aside to make room for the bag in my hand. I rolled up the plastic bag around the books and then stuffed it into my purse after my phone, and I was once again grateful that I had good space in my purse.

As I zipped up my purse, I heard Eleazer wrap-up his conversation before he hung up and turned to me. He smiled and began to walk down the sidewalk. "We'll meet her down at the music store. The girls should meet us down there a few minutes after."

I nodded and followed close behind. "Alright, sounds good to me," I said. "Oh, and my dad wanted to know if we were going to be eating while we were out."

He paused for a moment, as he thought about if he should say they would be or not. He must not have been entirely sure how long we would be out in the city either. He shrugged, "We might, but it will depend on how everything works out, I suppose."

I nodded. "That's what I told him, pretty much."

"Probably not a bad idea."

We made small talk the rest of the way down to the music store. It was a nice conversation, too, just learning a little bit more about each other. For example, I learned that Eleazer had met Carmen in Spain-probably where they were originally from-and they both fell in love.

It was a nice story, really. It was interesting to hear how they had "flirted" with each other. And then he pulled a Kate and went, "And the sex." He seemed not to have thought before he said it because he was about to pull the comment back when I started laughing.

I was so used to hearing the Pack talk about sex and some of the women they had slept with. While they never mentioned names, they were pretty proud of how good a girl was in bed sometimes and it was hilarious to hear Eleazer talk like a hormonal teenager.

He ended up laughing with me, but still apologized. He claimed that it was just kind of easy to forget his manners sometimes. I just waved it off and told him I was used to it.

We got to the music store about ten minutes after we left the bookstore. Carmen was waiting for us outside of her car as she leaned against the door. When she saw us, she smiled and said, "Hello, Bella. It's good to see you again."

"You too, Carmen," I replied, giving her a friendly smile. Then, pulling a Kate myself, I said, "So, Eleazer has commented how satisfied he is with your sex life, I was wondering what your take on it was."

Eleazer looked at me flabbergasted that I had outed him before Carmen began laughing. She threw her head back and laughed hard. She laughed for a good two minutes while I grinned, until she finally calmed down. She walked to her mate still chuckling and kissed his cheek. "I was satisfied myself."

Eleazer relaxed and smiled-apparently he lost his embarrassment as soon as Carmen joined the conversation. "I aim to please."

She smirked. "You sure do, Eleazer," she said, her voice dropping a little to be a teasing husk.

Now, two years ago I would've been blushing at the scene and trying to act like I wasn't paying attention, but after two years of the boys and their imprints I was unfazed. I just chuckled a little at the couple instead.

A car suddenly pulled to a stop on the curb not far from me. I jerked my head around, and before I could blink the passenger door was being thrown open and I was tackled by Kate. I grunted as her hard body hit mine, wrapping my arms around her for support instinctively.

Damn, that actually hurt a little.

"Best Friend Bella!" she called. Her arms tightened around me just a fraction. "Where have you been, girl?"

I grunted, "Just some time at home with Charlie."

She pulled back with a wicked grin. "Oh." She gave my arm a punch. "I've been looking everywhere for you! I want to get even for that bet you 'won'. I just know you cheated."

Irina snorted. "You always say that when you lose, Kate."

"Because it's true."

Tanya rolled her eyes as she came to my side. "Or, you just don't think before you act like Bella does, obviously," she said. Kate scowled at her sister, but Tanya paid no attention to her as she smiled brightly at me and encased me in a hug. "Hello, Bella."

Her voice was like silk, smooth and laced with just a hint of seduction. It made my force down a moan at the sound as I wrapped my arms around her to return the hug-mostly because Kate had hugged me, and I didn't want to appear rude.

"Hello, Tanya," I greeted. I knew that my voice didn't sound as smooth as hers as I wasn't a vampire, but I could feel her shiver against me, just slightly. It was almost like her muscles were moving, but her body skin to-like when someone only felt their muscles twitch, but wasn't shaking.

She pulled back from the hug after a moment, drawing her cheek across mine in the process that immediately set up red flags for me. She smiled when she pulled away, not fully removing her arms from me. "How have you been, Bella?"

I shrugged, pulling the rest of the way out of her arms and her smile weakened a little. "I've been pretty good, I suppose. I was lazy for the past few days, so that's always nice, though I had to make up for it by walking from my house to the café."

Irina snorted. "At least you've been moving. Kate here just sits on the couch and doesn't do anything to make up for it," she said, whacking the back of her hand on her sister's arm.

Kate scoffed. "Excuse you, but I do walk."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"When?"

"When I have to change the movie."

"You are pathetic," Irina said, rolling her eyes.

Kate just stuck her tongue out at her sister in a way that made me giggle. The two of them together was quite a scene to watch and it reminded me of the Pack back home. It was kind of like having a taste of home with me even though I was miles upon miles away from it.

Tanya leaned towards me. "Are you sure you can survive a day in the city with them?" she teased in my ear, smirking at her sisters. As they were vampires, they could obviously hear her, but they couldn't do anything about it since they still thought I was the clueless human as to what they were. It made her smirk grow even more.

I nodded. "I'll be fine," I smiled. "However, if Carmen and Eleazer end up ripping their clothes off and jump each other I don't know if I'll survive."

Tanya and Kate immediately snorted. Eleazer looked glad that he was a vampire so no one could see how much he wanted to blush at the moment. Irina was smirking along with Carmen-which I found a little surprising.

Tanya smiled brightly with a low chuckle in her chest in reply. "I don't know if I will either."

Kate muttered something under her breath I didn't catch, but Irina elbowed her in the ribs as Tanya threw her a glare over her shoulder. Huh, must have been a vampire joke or something.

Carmen then smiled and took the lead. "Well, let's get going, shall we?" she asked, motioning with her head to the two cars.

We nodded and Kate darted for the car. "Shotgun!" she called. She jumped into the front seat and shut the car door behind her as Irina rolled her eyes and went to the driver's side. I moved to the back with Tanya when I realized she was following me.

I looked at her a little confused when she smiled and pulled the door open for me. She dipped her head a little in a teasing smile. "My lady," she said, motioning with her hand towards the car.

I chuckled. "Thank you, madam," I played along and slid in. I moved all the way to the other side of the car, making sure there was going to be space between Tanya and me.

She, however, had other thoughts as she slid in after me and closed the door. "Of course," she replied with a smile, moving to be in the middle seat so she was next to me. And I mean not just next to me, but I mean right next to me for our entire sides to be plastered together.

My first reaction was to groan, but I barely pulled it back in time for my second reaction to take over: stiffening. My body went rigid for a moment, trying to process the cold body practically squishing me against the car door.

I took in a deep breath to keep myself calm while I slowly let my body relax. Tanya, having felt my body relax suddenly, thought it was a sign and she reached over to take my hand in hers. I pulled mine away just in time to rub them together like I was cold and stuffed them between my thighs, keeping them away from her.

From the corner of my eye I could barely see her frown. This was going to be a long, long trip into the city.