So I suddenly had inspiration. Why not? Life is full of surprises.

I shamefully returned home. It was already night. I was expecting to find Jacob angrily tapping the kitchen table, but to my surprise he was nowhere to be seen. So I got off easy for what I had just done. Thinking about the previous events of the day, I wasn't exactly sure what I did wrong. It could have been the fact that I left Billy's house without helping him clean up or it might as well be the fact that I shared a not so friendly moment with another man; to be more precise with Jacob's son. I tiredly pressed my back against the wall. After our little fight I went running until I thought I lost my way.

I remembered that Jacob left with Leah. Maybe they got into a physical fight and he got injured. Somehow I wasn't anxious at all about him being with her. I was more anxious about the fact that Beau ran off and we didn't get the chance to talk about our little quarrel, if you could call it that. It worried me that it wasn't a regular fight. Regular fights didn't include shoulder biting. Our fight was bordering on erotic and he felt that.

I find it bizarre that I am more attracted to Beau than I ever was to Jacob. They're both werewolves and they look alike so why am I acting like this? Why isn't Jacob enough? I crawled to my bedroom and pulled on my sleeping gown without taking a shower. That night I didn't sleep. I wasn't exactly sure why. I couldn't tell if it was just one of those regular sleepless nights or was the Beau issue keeping me up. I tried focusing on my dress, my family, my wedding, but nothing worked. That was wrong. Maybe I'm simply rushing into things.

Jacob came back early that morning. I closed my eyes thinking that he would come up and cuddle with me. When an hour passed and there was still no sound, I ventured downstairs. I found him calmly sitting at the kitchen table fumbling with his fingers.

"Jake?" I propped myself against the doorframe.

"Hey," he weakly smiled.

He was shirtless and barefooted while his jeans had holes in them. He was sad. Something was bothering him, or exactly someone. The Leah Clearwater issue was finally starting to get to him. He was starting to crack. Normally, I would have gone up to him and hug his stiff shoulders trying to sooth him with my gentle hands, but I felt dirty after what I had just done the previous night. I carefully tiptoed around the room and took a seat in front of him. He didn't even eat.

"What's up?" I smiled.

He sighed. "Listen, Nessie," he started. "I think I'm going to stay at Billy's for a while."

I suddenly stiffened. "Something happened? Is he okay?"

"He's fine," he replied. "It's just that…things are sort of complicated right now and I really need some time alone to figure out next what is best for us," he tried smiling.

My eyebrows furrowed. I wasn't quite grasping this. Jacob never ever wanted to be away from me. He said that he would rather die than not see my smile every day for at least a minute. I was starting to dislike this Leah character. She was starting to get on my nerves for a lot of reasons. I was in no position to complain since I wasn't quite innocent either.

"Okay," I replied.

He stretched over and grabbed my hand. "Thanks." He didn't even ask me whether I was sure it was okay.

He got up and yawned while stretching his arms.

"So I take it that it didn't go well with Leah?" I asked.

He bitterly laughed. "Leah Clearwater…" and he ran upstairs to pack some new clothes.

I pouted and then I suddenly remembered. "Jake!"

"Yeah?" he came back from upstairs.

"You can't go just yet," I said.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because Bella and Edward are going to come for dinner," I replied.

"What?" he raised an eyebrow.

"You know that Edward has been difficult, but Bella finally convinced him to loosen up and the idea of me moving is starting to grow on him. Still, he would like to do a traditional daughter's parents come for dinner kind of thing," I explained. And it was true. Bella gave me a phone call a couple of days ago and she was quite excited about it that I couldn't say know.

Jacob thought for a moment before lowering his head. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to do this alone."

That left me speechless.

"See you soon," he gently kissed my forehead and left.

I bit my lower lip and looked around me. It was a sunny morning outside and I was all alone.

Since I had no one to cook for, I decided to dedicate my newfound alone time to reading hip women's magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Vogue. I also checked out the wedding decorations catalogue Alice sent me, but soon got bored with it. That evening, Bella gave me a call.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hi, honey" she said.

"Hey, Bella, how are you?"

"I'm fine. I just called to check if we're still on for tomorrow," she continued.

"Sure," I unenthusiastically picked the remote.

"And how's Jake?" she asked.

I paused. "He's fine."

"Will he be joining us?"

"Bella," I sighed. "Have you been speaking with Alice?"

"Alice knows this is important for Edward so she decided to give me a head's up. She said that she saw Jacob moving in with Billy."

"It's only temporary," I quickly answered.

"Why?"

"Mom! He's got a lot of things going on and he just needs time, you know. To work things out," I explained.

"Aren't you supposed to work things out together?"

"It seems that now he needs some alone time. Nothing I can do about it."

"So should we still come over?"

"Sure," I answered.

My mother seemed unsure.

"For Christ's sake, Bella, we're a modern couple. Plus, Edward just wants to see the place just to make sure it's not a hellhole. He might even be delighted that Jacob is not here."

"If you say so…"

"I know so," I replied. "So I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, honey. Bye, I love you!"

With that I shut the phone and pushed it as far away as possible frowning at my loneliness. I needed Beau right now. We needed to talk right now. I shook my head. I wasn't going to make the first move. If he wanted to act so mysterious than so be it. On TV there was The Young and The Restless. I watched it until late at night trying to block away any other negative thoughts.

The following day I cleaned the house twice just to make sure that Edward would be completely satisfied. I even did the attic where there was nothing really to clean aside from some boxes filled with handmade items. As usual, Edward and Bella were extremely punctual and at seven o'clock they were on my doorstep.

"Welcome," I peeked behind the door.

"Hey, honey" Bella gave me a hug while Edward kept his hands tucked behind his back.

"Glad you could make it, Edward," I charmingly smiled.

He cleared his voice. "I brought you and Jacob a bottle of wine."

"Thank you."

"Which reminds me, where is he?"

"Um, Jacob won't be able to make it tonight," I casually said as I went into the kitchen.

I heard them whispering to each other.

"So, why don't we go inside the living room," I guided them through the house.

"This is lovely," Bella said.

"So why exactly isn't he home?" Edward asked after looking around.

I rolled my eyes. "He's with Billy."

"Ah, something happened?"

"No," I frowned. "He's just staying there for a while."

"So he moved out?" he cooked an eyebrow.

"No," I scorned him.

"Interesting," he smirked.

Bella briefly elbowed him and he behaved throughout the rest of the evening. We had an amiable conversation about the wedding and our family's past activities. It was comforting to have them with me. I managed not to think about Beau until the end of the night. Edward must have been extra attentive to my thinking thread because he immediately stiffened when he caught images of him.

We were in the hallway and they were getting their coats on when he's look darkened.

"Could you please wait in the car?" he whispered to Bella to which she obliged after giving me a goodnight kiss. Normally she wouldn't have done that. Me mother was renowned for her curiosity and stubbornness, but she greatly respected my relationship with Edward.

As soon as she was out of hearing range, Edward directly asked me. "What are you doing?"

It would have been stupid to play dumb with him so I just looked away. "I don't know. I'm going through a rough time."

"Do you have any idea what your actions might lead to?"

He was getting a bit too theatrical for my taste.

"Have you no respect for the holly institution of matrimony?" he asked.

He was way too old fashion, I thought to myself.

"Don't give me that kind of talk!"

"It's none of your business, Edward!" I snapped. "You should try to keep out of my mind!"

"This never would have happened if you were still living with us," he growled.

"Hey, I'm an adult! So I would appreciate if you respected my decisions."

"You have no idea what you're saying," he scoffed.

"Well, if you have a problem with it, leave!" I showed him the door.

"You're walking on thin ice, Renesme," he looked at me.

"I don't care! For once in this lifetime, just le me make my own mistakes."

"I'm just looking out for you," he tried soothing me.

"Don't. I'm not a child anymore. Deal with it," I dryly said.

The conversation was way too aggressive. I rarely had fights with my father. I didn't like it, but he was just too damn stubborn.

"Fine," he said.

"Fine!"

"Fine!" he stomped out.

"Fine!" I slammed the door behind him.

I stopped gasping by the time I couldn't hear his silent car any longer. I looked in the mirror and saw my father's disgusted eyes scolding at me. Was I really that disgusting? He was right about one thing. I had no idea what I was getting into.

Next chapter, Beau and Renesme finally talk, Jake decides to come home and there's a fair? Pretty much, yeah.