CHAPTER 8

BELLA POV

Angela and I haul absolute ass around the room as she gets dressed, then we run through the entrance of the apartment, ready to rush outside to Edward and Peter.

I don't know what my mother told Angela, or what she said would be the consequences if we don't in fact get home in 20 minutes, but I really don't plan on finding out.

"Hey, guys, we need to–"

Everything comes to a skidding halt, and my words die in my throat when I see Peter and Edward standing by Edward's car and speaking to Jared's little brother, Jacob. Nearby, his two best friends linger like wannabe bodyguards.

At the sight of them, I immediately feel sick. And despite being out in open space, the surrounding air thickens like there are walls closing in on me.

"Bella!" Jacob cheers the minute he sees me.

His eyes and smile are bright as he takes a step toward me, then he immediately stops, probably realizing that he doesn't know where we stand right now.

Well, the feeling is mutual.

I've known Jacob personally for around two years now, and even when he was thirteen, he was massive, as tall as he is wide and warm and sweet in a way his older brother never was.

I'm an only child, so I don't have much personal experience, but it always seemed younger siblings adored the older ones in an almost unwavering way. Jacob was never like that with Jared. I never understood why. It was always like he knew something the rest of us didn't.

Maybe he did.

And now, he would have to live forever with the knowledge that his brother was a monster. And the stigma of getting rejected by people because of it.

With this subconscious thought, I take the extra step forward and wrap my arms around his waist, relishing in a hug I didn't even realize I'd needed until now.

I don't know how long we stand that way, with me fighting tears that had sprung to my eyes when a throat clears behind us.

We break apart to face the group.

Taking them all in, Edward is slightly glaring at Jacob and I. Jacob's friends have disappeared. Peter is focused on his phone, and Angela is staring at me, frowning.

"Sorry, B," she starts, "But we don't have long to beat your mom home."

"Right." I nod and take a step away from Jacob, but he grabs my hand, pulling me back toward him.

"Can I talk to you before you go?" he asks.

A million things run through my mind as far as what he might want to talk to me about—none of which I want to discuss. But there's a desperation in his big brown eyes that has always made it hard for me to say no to him.

"Umm sure."

"Bella," Angela warns, with reason.

"Give me a second," I ask Jacob, then turn to Edward and ask him to unlock his car door.

He hesitates for a second, but when he concedes and opens the door for me, I rush over to the backseat and pull my keys outside of the side pocket of my bag.

"Here." I hand the keys to Angela. "Get home. If my mom comes home before me, tell her I ran to the store and I'll be right back."

She nods and gives me a quick hug before turning to Peter, who is talking very closely with Edward. Too close and too low for me to even bother trying to make out what they're saying.

"I'll make sure you get home," Jacob offers.

I nod, walking away with him. Whatever Edward and Peter are discussing is the least of my worries right now. Just as long as they get Angela home safely and as soon as possible.

"I heard Jared's been trying to call you," Jacob jumps right in and even though we took several steps away from the group, I still look over my shoulder to see if anyone is within earshot.

We're too far now for them to have possibly heard his question, but all three are staring at me, waiting. Maybe concerned.

I take a deep breath and face back front.

While everyone's been wondering if I heard from Jared, it makes sense that his brother wouldn't need to wonder and would have firsthand knowledge of the fact. I'm thankful that he doesn't ask me if I've answered his calls.

"I thought about calling you," he continues, a little sadly. "But I wasn't sure if you wanted to hear from any of us."

"Yeah." I acknowledge what he said, but offer nothing more. I don't know that I would have wanted to hear from him before this moment, either. I'm still not all that sure I even want to be talking to him right now if I'm being honest, but something tells me we both need this.

We continue walking down the block, not saying much before he stops, and I follow his lead by halting my steps as well.

"Can I ask you something?" He flicks my shoulder.

"Ow!" I flinch away like it hurt even though it felt like almost nothing, enjoying the brief moment of familiarity. We used to joke around like that all the time.

We both laugh, but it quickly dies down.

"So, let's hear it," I say, curious about what he'd wanted to ask me.

"How are you doing?"

I pause. "I'm sorry?"

"How are you?" He says more seriously, his eyes getting harder than I'd ever seen before. "And for real. 'Cause I know, I'm pissed and annoyed and I don't think anyone has bothered to ask me how I'm dealing with having a rapist for a brother."

It legit feels like the wind just got knocked out of me.

We'd all been skirting around it, but here was Jacob calling it for what it was.

I don't know how to feel, don't know what I'm supposed to feel.

I wasn't there, and even though Edward claims to have been hanging out with Jared and this Lauren chick the night she said he assaulted her; unless he was literally in the room with the two of them, he doesn't know shit either.

And none of that matters now anyway when as of a few days ago, she wasn't the only one making accusations against Jared.

This was all a goddamn nightmare.

"He's always been a dog and a player." Jacob rolls his eyes. "Which I hated him for, especially with everything our dad put my mom through. But this is way different."

There's a lot swirling through my mind at his words. Jared has always been a dog and a player?

Since when?

"One girl crying rape might be a fluke, but four..."

"Four?" I nearly scream. I thought it was two. Which is two too many, anyway.

"I know you've forgiven him for so much shit, but Bella..."

"Forgiven him?" I'm shaking my head slowly, confused, and almost clueless. Me and Jared never so much as had a real fight. This dog and player he was talking about wasn't my boyfriend.

What the hell was happening?

"Yeah, I mean, you forgave him for Jessica. I never thought..."

"What the fuck did you just say?" I interrupt him for the fifth or so time.

His eyes widen and I think he's caught up to the fact that I have no idea what he's talking about.

Suddenly, nothing else matters other than him clarifying what the hell he means about forgiving Jared for Jessica.

"Are you telling me they hooked up or something?"

My heart is racing, and my legs are shaking as Jacob's mouth opens and closes like a fish. But before he could answer me, a female voice I hadn't even realized I'd been dreading for weeks now calls out to me.

"Bella?"

Can this day possibly get any worse?

I gulp, almost too scared to turn around.

Meanwhile, next to me, Jacob groans and then plasters on a fake smile. "Hey, mom."

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