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Phone Call

"Bella!" he called.

Nope. Not falling for it. I continued to push ahead, flying through the forest as fast as my supercharged legs would push me. Edward was the one who had come up with the racing idea. He was used to being the fastest; it wasn't my fault that my strength added so much extra distance to my strides, even if his were faster.

"Bella, really. I have to tell you something." His distant voice rang out comically behind me, echoing in an odd way, presumably due to the speeds at which we were traveling.

"I can hear you from here!" I shouted triumphantly, leaping over the mountain lion that stared curiously as I flew over it. Usually he would have been dinner, but I was already sated.

"Maybe I want to whisper it into your delicate little ear!"

I spat out my laugh. "Bullshit, Edward!" I pushed harder.

"What language!" he growled. I could tell by the sound of his voice that he was gaining on me. "Do you have any idea what will happen to you once I catch you, Bella? What the whole forest will hear?"

"If you catch me," I muttered to myself, experimenting with his annoyingly fast strides. Maybe if I emulated him I would be faster. I concentrated on pushing my legs out in front of me faster; on trying to get more traction. The sound of my feet against the ground barely changed, but I felt as though I had a little more force at my disposal when I pushed off. Still, the pattering sound of quick steps – steps that were still just fractionally quicker than my own – became more and more audible behind me. I was losing my lead. At this point I could still win, but only just.

I felt myself scowl, feeling annoyed and a bit defeated. My days of effortlessly being the strongest and fastest in the Cullen house were coming to a close. Soon I'd be no match for Emmett, and soon I'd be praying I was on Edward's team in baseball just like everyone else, afraid to compete against him.

A few seconds later the inevitable lake came into view. The makeshift finish line being the ground on the far side, I knew it would be more prudent to race around it. But it felt so good to be moving so fast. So exhilarating! And after all, I only had a few more months of this kind of speed…

I couldn't help myself. I dove.

Though I'd gone straight to the bottom, I kicked furiously, determined to come out the other side before Edward managed to close the distance. I was actually still moving quickly, even in the water, so I was particularly disappointed when I felt a pair of strong hands find my arms and pull me out.

"You just couldn't resist could you?" Edward smirked. I spat the water in my mouth at him like a fountain. He laughed.

"No!" I pouted, shaking my wet hair at him. "It looked fun."

"Was it?" he encouraged.

I grinned.

He was going to kiss me. I could always tell. Or maybe I was only recognizing the way I felt myself, because I was definitely going to go for his lips if he didn't come for mine first. His eyes seemed to sparkle as he kept them fixed on me. I smiled even wider. Slowly, he began to move in…

Beep beep…beep beep!

He paused, raising one curious eyebrow at the sound coming from my pocket.

"I'm surprised your Blackberry still works after it went swimming with the fishes."

"Fishes?" I teased, even as I moved to take out my phone. "You of all people should know better than to say fishes."

"It's correct!"

"It is not!"

"Not for multiple fish, but for multiple schools of…what is it, Bella?"

I turned my phone around so that he could see the number that I didn't recognize.

"Who would have my number but you guys and Charlie? The school?"

He shook his head. "That isn't a Forks area code. It's…you should answer it." His mouth was tight, his eyes hard and impatient.

Cautiously, I answered. "Hello?"

"Bella?"

Without thinking, I smiled. "Jacob! How did you get this number?"

"Charlie gave it to me. I came by with Billy earlier and he said you were at the Cullen house. You're close with that girl I saw you with at the bookstore, huh?"

"Yeah, Alice. She's great. You're lucky my phone still even works, I almost killed it swi – " Edward cut me off with a look before I slipped. "…when I dropped it…in the tub," I corrected.

"Still clumsy, I see. Well Bella, listen, I just wanted to tell you that we're coming up for the game next week. So don't go out, okay? Maybe we can hangout like old times."

"You want to play in the mud with me, Jacob?" The funniest expression crossed Edward's features and before I could stop it, I was hysterical.

Luckily Jacob was laughing too. "Next week, Bella. Tuesday. See you then?"

"Sure, okay. See you then, Jake."

"Okay. Have fun at the Cullen house, putting on make-up or whatever you do with your friend." His voice was absolutely dripping with sarcasm.

"Goodbye, Jacob," I said pointedly, grinning as I hit the END button.

I pushed my Blackberry back into my pocket, surprised when I looked back to Edward and found his expression to be more serious than I'd expected.

"What's wrong?" I asked, wringing out my wet curls and running my fingers through them.

"You're going to Charlie's, then. Next week." Neither had been a question. I nodded. "And Jacob's father will be there for certain?"

"Of course." I studied his expression. "You're worried about the wolf thing?"

"The wolf thing?" Edward shook his head at me, simultaneously rolling his eyes. "Bella I accept your nonchalance about most things, but this? You do realize what would happen if that gene was active in the tribe, don't you? The treaty would be broken and we would be at war. Lives could be lost."

"But the gene isn't active anymore! You and Carlisle said it yourselves. What's the worst case scenario here, Edward? Some tribe elder, or even Jacob's dad, recognizes me as a vampire – then what? There are no wolves."

Edward sighed heavily. "Will you do one thing for me, at least?"

"Anything." My response had been automatic. He smiled.

"The show you put on for Charlie, the clumsiness, the bad coordination – make sure you stay in character for Jacob and especially for his father. I would even keep a distance if I were you. Fabricate some excuse to stay in your room – homework, or something – so that only Jacob sees you."

It sounded like a lot. "But I would usually have done my homework on the living room floor, even with guests over."

"You're not so old that you can't change your preferences, Bella."

I started to protest again when I noticed the set of Edward's face. There was that look he always got when he was trying to convince me of something, but there was more to it, and whatever was making up the more, I didn't like it. I recognized the way he held his mouth just now; the set of his brow. He was worried more than he was letting on, and even what he was letting on was more worry than I was comfortable with. In my mind, my protest changed into a question. A cleverly worded retort that would force him to reveal the true reason for all these precautions; had he and Carlisle only been playing it up at the meeting to keep the family relaxed? Was there a chance the gene hadn't died out after all? But just as the question became fully formed in my head, something changed in Edward's expression. Only for a moment, but in that moment he had been pleading with me.

"Okay," I said, instead of the witty question I'd composed. "I'll be careful."

"That's all I ask, love," Edward replied. His tone was too casual, which I knew meant he was working to keep it that way. I sighed. "No need for us to get careless, is there?"

I nodded in agreement, though I doubted the precautions were necessary. I trusted Carlisle. He wouldn't keep valuable information from the family – information that could mean the difference between peace and war – especially after all that had happened with James. This was just Edward being overprotective; over thinking things, as usual.

I promised him again that I would be on my best – or, depending how you looked at it, my worst – behavior at Charlie's, and that I'd try and avoid Jacob's father. Sadly, the serious turn of our outing had overshadowed the outcome of our race, and Edward didn't seem to be in the mood for a rematch, suggesting we go back to the house instead. The run home had been stripped clean of all the playful banter of our earlier run. I approached our property with a heavy feeling in my chest, walking quietly up to my room upon entering and sitting down in my rocking chair. We'd been having so much fun before. Why did everything always have to come with a meeting; a cover story, an act? A week from now, I was going to sit quietly in Charlie's living room, while everyone present ignored me for the drama of the football game.

Honestly, what was the worst that could happen?