Hey folks. Thanks so much for all of your feedback and enthusiasm for this story.
This chapter - it might make a couple of you mad. It was one of the first chapters I wrote for this story, however - it was always meant to be in here. Also, I've finished this edit and am posting while half asleep, so if you see mistakes, my apologies.
Please bear with me, loves - and enjoy. Ps. Don't forget to leave your thoughts below :)

(BPOV)

It felt as if the ride home from the resort took twice as long to travel. Every second of Quil's off-key singing and dirty jokes had almost been worth suffering as she pulled into the driveway. She was surprised to see Paul waiting, leaning against the tailgate of his truck.

"Hey," she called out as she climbed out from behind the wheel. Bella barely had time to shut the driver-side door before Paul swept her up in a hug and sighed. "I didn't expect you to be here. Don't you work on Mondays?"

"I work and patrol, but it is September, and my lawncare season will end soon. Then it will just be home repair and snow removal for the winter." He frowned as he looked out across the slightly overgrown yard. "Jacob doesn't help matters."

Bella chuckled as she nodded and asked, "Do you mow for Billy this week?"

"I do," he said. "I get to spend time with my new baby."

"New baby, huh?" Her left eyebrow went up as Bella teased, "What would the new baby be, exactly?"

"My new lawn mower." Paul pretended to sniffle as he looked away and clutched his chest proudly. "Ah. She's beautiful." He grinned at Bella as she giggled. Paul moaned, cupping her cheek in his palm. "That's a sound I like to hear." His grin widened as she blushed, and Bella shook her head as she hugged him closer.

She confessed, "I missed you. I know you can't stay long, but I'm happy you came by."

"Me, too," Paul said and slid his hands down her back. "Did anything interesting transpire this weekend?"

"Yeah, actually. I realized something important."

He asked, "What was that?" His eyes sparkled with mischief as she stepped back to meet his gaze. "Was it that you thought I'm irresistible and could not wait to see me?"

Bella cackled and rolled her eyes. "Alex confessed that he lied to me about knowing Edward before meeting me."

Paul scowled. "I'm afraid to ask how that went," he admitted.

Gesturing between them, Bella said, "Remembering how our argument went helped, believe it or not. It kept me calm enough to get the full story without overreacting. I learned a lesson from our fight last Thursday, and I hope it will help us communicate better in the future." Nervously, she added, "If that makes sense."

Paul nodded. "It makes sense, Babe. I know there is still shit to talk about, but I'm happy to hear you use Us and Future in the same sentence. I was afraid I ruined everything before we ever had a chance."

Tentatively, Bella asked, "You want to have a future with me, Paul?"

His arms slid around her back as he pulled her in for one more hug and said, "Yeah, Bells. I never wanted to think about the future with someone before you, either. I'm learning new things, too."

She tilted her head to meet his lips for a kiss. Paul chuckled at the disappointment on her face as he brushed his lips against hers and quickly pulled away.

"I gotta get to work," he said and lightly patted her butt.

Bella blushed and watched him walk to his truck with butterflies in her chest. "You should call me after you patrol tonight. If you are not too tired, anyway."

"Sounds good."

Bella stared after him as he opened the driver-side door, all height, muscle, and heat that she could still feel where his hands had been. The sexy smile he gave her as he climbed into the truck made her weak in the knees.

Bella turned to retrieve her luggage and barely kept from tripping over her own feet as she walked toward the house.

(JPOV)

Jacob sat on the couch after hanging up with Reagan. She had formed a habit of talking to him while she drove home from work at night. Jacob didn't mind it, however. He was always glad to talk to Reagan. No amount of time with her felt like long enough.

He sighed as he laid back on the couch, content in his relationship and the progress made. Jacob was happy to have Bella home safe and sound, too.

Bella had jumped directly into her usual routine upon returning. She cooked up a storm after unpacking, hoping to spend the next day entirely focused on work. Numerous ready-to-eat dishes filled their refrigerator, and Jacob seriously contemplated raiding the fresh batch of chicken salad before Billy came home to annihilate it. His father was at Sue's house, per usual, and although it was early, Bella had already gone to bed.

Jacob jumped as a gust of wind slammed the house, and lightning crackled outside. Rain began hammering the roof as lightning struck nearby.

The fucking rainstorms this year are insane, he thought as he rushed to check to deadbolt on the back door.

Bella's shriek made his heart skip a beat as the suddenly illuminated house rumbled around them. Without thinking, Jacob shoved open her bedroom door. He chuckled as she shrieked again, covering her bare chest with the sheet.

She grumbled, "Jacob!" He had seen her naked countless times, and her sudden modesty was almost comical.

Everything he felt changed on a dime as her scent hit him like a freight train. Wolf instantly surged to the surface as it recognized the lust rolling off its mate in waves.

Jacob suddenly understood her reason for going to bed early while he was still distracted. Her skin was flushed in a sheen of sweat, and her breath rolled out in shallow pants. Bella bit down on her bottom lip to keep from shrieking a third time as lightning cracked the sky, followed by a long roll of thunder.

They were plunged into darkness as the lights flickered and went out. Clutching the top sheet, Bella flopped back on the bed in frustration, oblivious to the trembling that had taken hold of her best friend.

She muttered, "I'm fine, Jake." Her reassurance did not affect him in the least.

It was not her fear of the storm that kept him frozen in her doorway. The wolf needed her. It clawed at him to get to her, urging him forward. Jacob gripped her door frame to keep himself from moving any closer as he tried to slow his breath.

Tentatively, she asked, "Jake? Are you okay?"

"I …" Jacob could not seem to formulate any words. His shaft prodded painfully against his zipper, the trembling of his body only heightening the sensation.

On the inside, he was caught in a brutal battle with the wolf, and it refused to back down.

Bella scrambled across the room, clutching her sheet around her naked form. The white fabric against her creamy, pale skin taunted him as much as her scent. Her long soft curls fluttered around her as she moved, shuffling through packages and sliding batteries into their appropriate places. Bella turned on a votive light and stood it on her dresser.

"Better," she said proudly, though the small light barely lit up that corner of the room. "I found those at the dollar store." Bella put a couple more of them together and shifted the sheet around herself as she walked toward Jacob.

He kept a hold of the doorframe, unsure of himself as the wolf tore at him, demanding to give into both of their needs.

Her smile fell as she took in the desperation on his face and stepped back. "Are you okay? You never answered." Holding the lights up, she gasped as he met her gaze.

His vision hovered in between human and wolf as Jacob struggled to keep control. Glancing down at his tense, shaking limbs, Bella took another step back.

God, Bells, don't antagonize him. The wolf loved the chase, and she was usually playful with him about it. Running away in fear, whether legitimate or feigned, would only entice him further. He was hanging on by a thread.

Jacob knew Bella recognized the need in him. It was this way every time he saw her when she came home to visit. Their habits had not mattered when they were both single, but Jacob had fallen for Reagan hard. The wolf cared about Rae too, but she wasn't his imprint.

Bella was better at hiding it than Jacob, but they had both been fighting the pull since he had gotten home that afternoon. With the wolf so close to the surface, Jacob was losing the battle. Jacob was well aware that she was likely thinking about Paul when he barged in, but the wolf didn't give a damn about that either.

The lust she had felt a few minutes before still lingered, hitting him again as she shifted the sheet. The rest of his resolve crumbled as the wolf surged forward. Jacob let go of the door frame and had his arms around her in one stride.

Jacob lifted her by the waist and turned to press her back against the bedroom wall, groaning as he stared down at her barely-covered breasts. He was unsure who was trembling harder as each shook, and the battery-operated lights slipped from her fingers.

Bella's hands cupped his jaw, her thumbs pressing his chin upward. Staring into his eyes nervously, she said, "Jakey, I know you're in there."

He snarled. Wolf refused to be ignored, hurt by the subtle rejection.

Her tone became gentle and affectionate as she said, "Wolf, I like you too, sweetheart, but we can't do this."

Mine! He let out a low growl, pressing his chest against hers. He lowered his right hand to yank the sheet to her waist, baring her legs.

Jacob grabbed the back of her thigh and slowly slid his hand up to cup her bare ass. He squeezed her flesh firmly and buried his face against her neck with a moan.

Bella sucked in a sharp breath as he lifted her higher, pulling her leg up to encircle his waist.

Despite the racing of her heart and the need he could feel seeping from her, she tried to make him see reason. "We can't. We swore, remember?"

The voice that croaked out of him was one she had only heard a handful of times as the wolf held control. "Need." He thrust against her, and the denim covering his fly rubbed across her sex.

"Jake!" She pressed her shoulders to the wall and tried to use her lower body to push him backward. It only accomplished the opposite effect as he thrust back, grinding harder. His lips clamped against hers, pushing them apart so he could slide his tongue into her mouth. Her taste had him growling again as she instinctively kissed him back. Her long, sharp nails dug into his shoulders, and he pulled her other leg around his waist.

Jacob could feel her relaxing against him as the rest of her resolve slid away. Bella sunk into him once he had invaded her mouth, kissing her into compliance with a wild abandon that swept her away. One of her hands slid into his hair, and the wolf nearly howled in triumph as she exposed her neck in submission.

Moving entirely on instinct, he reached between them to unbutton his jeans. They slid down his thighs as he unzipped them, letting his erection spring free.

The back of her head thumped against the wall as she pulled away to look at him. "There's no fighting it this time, is there?"

"No," the wolf growled, the sheer determination in his response sounding almost foreign.

Jacob ached to quench the need for her that thrummed through his limbs like fire and could feel the imprint meeting the same pulsing need through her now. He scraped his teeth along the side of her neck and slid his bare shaft against her core as she moaned and tightened her grip around his shoulders.

He lifted her a bit higher, allowing the head of his member to press against her opening. Slowly, he lowered her, sucking air in through clenched teeth as he sheathed himself inside of her. Jacob threw his head back and moaned as he waited, allowing her warm, silky wet channel to adjust.

Bella clutched onto his shoulders for dear life as he began moving. The noises coming from her alternated between pleasure and pain as he gradually increased his movements. He pulled his mouth away from her neck to watch her face, selfishly needing to see the coming orgasm building behind her dilated pupils.

Her back was soon slick with sweat, and Bella slipped downward, scraping her flesh along the wall. The position change made her clit grind against him as he pistoned into her, and her back was quickly forgotten.

Bella cried out with every hard, rapid thrust. Her whimpers became pleasure-filled screams, drowned only by the storm overhead as lightning lit up the room. When her legs began to quiver, Jacob knew Bella was close. Her mouth gaped open, and her voice sounded high-pitched and strangled as she came.

Jacob thrust harder as she clenched and pulsed around him with the aftershock of her orgasm. He practically roared as he fell over the edge, seeing stars and spilling inside her.

He leaned forward afterward, pressing his forehead to the wall above her head as they both tried to catch their breath.

Fully satisfied, the wolf finally retreated, leaving Jacob emotional as he gained control, slowly slid out of her, and lowered her feet to the floor.

"God damn it, Bella. I'm sorry," Jacob choked out as he buttoned and zipped his jeans. His eyes welled with tears, ashamed of the wolf's greedy possessiveness and his own inability to entirely control the smug bastard.

"Hey," Bella cooed dazedly and adjusted the sheet to cover herself again. She wrapped her other arm around his waist as he pulled her against his chest, embracing her. Bella was unsteady, her voice barely above a whisper as she said, "It's okay, Jake."

"Bells, I just attacked you, damn it." Somehow he felt sickened by his own actions and violated all at the same time. He loved Bella; She was his best friend. The feeling of being trapped and the guilt he was drowning in only made him resent their situation further.

She looked up into his face, slowly catching her bearings. "No, you didn't," she consoled him. "The wolf took over and wanted its mate. I don't blame you for that. He always relents for me eventually if I'm insistent. He would never truly hurt me. You know that. It's just as difficult for me to stop it as you sometimes. At least you have the excuse of being overpowered by something else. This is not your fault alone, okay?"

A tear slipped down his cheek as Jacob groaned, "The imprint fucks with you, too. I know. It doesn't make what just happened any better. God, Bella. What the hell am I going to tell Reagan? I can't keep this shit from her anymore."

There was a pit in his chest like Jacob had never known. He wanted to be angry, but the smug satisfaction of the wolf was like a sedative, calming his body despite the turmoil in his mind.

Bella offered, "We can tell her together, okay? I'll have to tell Paul, too. This isn't all on you."

Both were startled at the sadness in his voice as someone said, "No, it certainly isn't."

For an instant, fear flitted across Bella's face, only to be replaced by despair. They turned toward the door as Jacob stammered, "Wha-what are you doing here?"

Instead of Paul responding, a female voice hissed, "I could ask the same fucking question."

Jacob's eyes went wide as Reagan stepped around Paul and glared at them furiously. Tears soaked her cheeks, dripping from her chin as she pointed at Jacob. "You fucking lied to me. You pr-" She paused, choking back a sob. "You promised me you weren't still fucking her, Jake. You promised!"

For the first time in his life, as he absorbed the utter devastation in her face, Jacob Black hated himself with every fiber of his whole being.

He rushed toward Reagan, pleading, "I wasn't, Rae. This is the first time it has happened since before our first date. I swear to God."

Paul stared at Bella silently, looking absolutely crushed. She couldn't focus on that, however, when Reagan pushed past Jacob to shove her.

"And you!" Reagan leaned over her, but Bella did not flinch away. She had faced bigger and meaner than Reagan.

Jacob could feel the numbing disbelief Bella was swaddled in as she tried to organize her overwhelmed mind.

This isn't good. An overwhelmed Bella did impulsive things. She clutched her stomach as guilt-ridden nausea passed between them like a swinging pendulum.

"We can explain things to you if you will let us," Bella said, trembling as she blinked back tears.

Reagan scoffed, backing away as she said, "You don't even have an apology, do you? Why would you pretend to be my friend if you want Jacob yourself?"

Paul snorted at the accusation, and for a second, Jacob was relieved. Paul spent every single day inside the pack mind. He understood. Jacob knew he would not have to fight his brother - at least not for this reason.

Bella said, "I am sorry your feelings are hurt. I genuinely like you, Reagan. I never pretended anything. Jacob and I don't want to be together. None of this was intentional, but once you understand what is happening..."

Cutting Bella off, Reagan spat, "I don't give a fuck what either of you has to say." She spun on the heel of her pump, leaving a noticeable rivet in the hardwood floor, and attempted to stomp past Jacob.

"Rae, please just fucking sit down and let me explain some shit," Jacob pleaded. "I should have told you everything, but I thought we had our shit together. I truly did."

"Oh, I see." Reagan fixed her accusatory glare on Jacob and said, "So, you thought you had a solid plan where I would never find out?"

Looking greener by the minute, Bella said, "You have every right to be pissed, but you just heard us both say we planned to be honest. "

Reagan noticed Paul had not taken his eyes off Bella once. She scowled at him and asked, "Did you know about this bullshit?"

"Yeah," Paul said calmly, attempting to mask the sadness in his voice. "I knew."

Even if he accepted what just happened, that doesn't mean he is not hurt. Jacob rubbed his face with his hands and sighed defeatedly.

Paul said, "I was under the impression that it had stopped, but I guess not."

Jacob yelled, "It did, goddamn it!" He shoved his hand in his hair and tugged in aggravation. It stuck up in every direction when he let go, making him appear half-crazed in his anger.

Bella walked to her closet and pulled on a tank top.

"Please, don't bother," Reagan snapped at her. "I'm leaving."

Paul turned his back to give Bella privacy, simultaneously blocking Reagan from leaving. He said, "You really should hear them out. You don't understand how much you mean to Jake. Truly, Reagan, you don't."

Gesturing toward Bella, Reagan asked him, "How can you be so calm? Aren't you in-fucking-love with her or something?"

Paul remained silent, but the look he gave Bella at that moment said everything he could not. Jacob had never seen his brother's heart so exposed, and fileted in half, to boot.

Now wearing leggings and socks, Bella squeezed through the thin gap between Paul and the door frame before darting toward the bathroom.

Reagan tried to push past Paul, and he reached out to grab her forearm, tugging her back. "Come with me, and we can talk," he said patiently as the sound of Bella retching filled the house.

Reagan looked at Paul like a bug on the verge of being squished.

Jacob groaned as Paul chuckled. Paul had always gotten a kick out of tough women and could calm them quickly with his flirtatious charm. For once, Jacob was grateful for Paul's well-practiced expertise with women. Jacob would do anything to get Reagan to listen at that moment.

Paul sighed and gently rubbed her upper arm as he said, "I'm serious. Come outside with me. Sit in the truck, and I can explain shit since you are too mad to talk to them. You can say anything you fucking want to me, okay? I won't repeat it, and I won't judge."

Reagan appeared doubtful as she carefully pulled her arm away.

Looking only at her, Paul pleaded, "At the very least, come talk to me until you calm down. You shouldn't drive while you are this pissed off, anyway. I promise you can leave whenever you want …after you calm down a bit."

Reagan reached up to wipe away a stray tear and asked, "Why do you care?"

Paul said, "If something happened to you, Jake would blame himself for the rest of his life. He's my brother. I can't let that happen. Besides, from what they both say about you, you are a good person with a bright mind and a kind heart. You shouldn't risk your life just because you are angry."

Reagan scoffed and said, "You don't even know me."

"No, but I know Jacob. I know how he thinks of you," Paul said, meeting her gaze to drive his words home. He gave her the sweetest smile he could manage and suggested, "Come on. Let's go sit where you can yell if you want to. My truck is a beast. The storm won't touch us there. We can even go have a drink if you need it."

Reagan hesitated and looked away. Jacob knew she was considering the offer as she scowled, mentally warring with herself. Despite her anger, Reagan looked over at Jacob for reassurance. He merely nodded and glanced down at his father's umbrella by the door, silently encouraging her to go with Paul.

Paul's sincerity seemed to sway her as he reached down for the umbrella and handed it to her.

Tentatively, she took it from him and turned to glare at Jacob. For a moment, her furious mask slipped, and her bottom lip trembled. Jacob whimpered out loud before dropping to the floor on his ass in a heap.

"Rae, I love you," Jacob said.

Reagan appeared shocked by the revelation. He watched a flurry of emotions cross her features. He prayed the more positive ones overruled the negative somehow.

To his disappointment, Reagan seemed to finally settle on disbelief. She gaped at him then in silence, slowly shaking her head.

Ignoring the incredulous glare on Paul's face, Jacob said, "I've wanted to say it for weeks, but I never knew how to get it out."

"Your timing is impeccable," Reagan said and harrumphed bitterly.

Jacob's heart sank at her response. This isn't how this shit was supposed to go. "I should have just told you," Jacob said. "Everything. From the fucking start."

"You're right," Reagan yelled at him. "Something tells me I would have wasted a lot less time."

Her words cut like a knife, and for the first time in his life, Jacob understood the gaping hole Bella felt in her chest after Edward left her behind. He had never felt so worthless.

"Wasted time?" Jacob yelled back, becoming angrier in his pain. "I'm a fucking waste of time for you? I fucked up. I know I did, but you might understand if you knew everything. Whether you forgive me or not, I would fucking never call my time with you wasted, Rae."

His body shook as he fought the urge to phase and take off in his anger. Instead, Jacob stood and stomped to his bedroom. There, he slammed the door shut and broke down into gut-wrenching sobs.

Less than an hour ago, Jacob was the happiest he had ever been. He had a good conversation with Rae on the phone, and Bella was home safe after a weekend she desperately needed. Now, he managed to hurt the woman he loved, his best friend, and his packmate, all in the same ten minutes.

What a way to royally fuck your life up in one go. And to think, people did this kind of shit to each other on purpose. He couldn't fathom it.

Snapping angrily at his wolf counterpart, he asked, Do you understand what we did? We completely fucked up this time, Wolf.

Hell, Jacob couldn't lay all of the blame on the wolf. Things had been coming to a head between him and Bella for weeks. Jacob would be a goddamned liar if he claimed he didn't miss the sex as much as she did at times. Especially when the imprint effect left them damn near euphoric during and after. When she got turned on, the change in her scent might as well be an instant dose of viagra.

The difference between Jacob and Wolf was that the wolf only cared about its basic instincts and primal needs. Jacob was left to handle the sense of morality, guilt, backlash, and regret alone.

The rest of the house was silent now except for the storm and the occasional sound of Bella sniffling. When the front door slammed shut, Jacob emerged from his room. He hoped Paul was talking to Rae in his truck like he offered and that she would not attempt to drive home upset in the storm. Even if she did think their time together was a waste, Jacob never would.

Jacob peeked out the front window to see if they had left. He could barely see Paul and Raegan sitting in her car rather than his truck. It looked like they were arguing as she gestured with her hands wildly.

The sound of something thumping grabbed his attention, and Jacob walked to Bella's bedroom door. She had picked up the lights and set them around the room to see clearly. Her duffle bags were already halfway packed as she pulled clothing off hangers in the closet.

Jacob asked, "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm moving out, Jake," she said and sniffled as she shoved more clothing into her bags. "Charlie stays with Sue all the time anyway. I'm gonna ask him to let me rent the house in Forks."

Jacob struggled to catch his breath as panic bloomed inside his chest. He swallowed as he fought through the nausea that threatened to overwhelm him. "Bells, why the hell would you do that?"

"Because if you're going to have a fighting fucking chance at a real relationship, we can't live together. We can't risk this shit happening again, and right now, I'm … just too close. I'm sorry." Bella broke down, leaning over her luggage defeatedly as she began repeating, "I'm sorry. I can't do this shit anymore. I'm so sorry."

"God damn it," Jacob yelled, startling her enough to make her gasp through her sobbing, choking her. She immediately began coughing, and Jacob yanked her into his embrace. He pulled Bella with him as he sat on the floor, hugging her.

"I'm sorry," Bella repeated as she buried her face against his neck. Both ignored the sound as the front door opened, and the others walked toward her bedroom door.

"I don't want you to go," Jacob said. "There has to be a way."

"I know," Bella said, hugging him tighter. "But Reagan is never going to trust us, now. She's good for you, and I don't want you to lose her."

"I haven't decided yet whether or not he still has me," Reagan said as she leaned against the doorframe.

Jacob sighed as Bella let go of him and stood to continue her packing. Reagan scowled at the luggage and asked, "What are you doing, Bella?"

"I'm moving out," Bella said. "I will be out of the fucking way. You guys can work this shit out, and you won't have to worry about me being a distraction."

Jacob growled and snapped, "Bells, stop!"

"Both of you need to fucking stop," Paul said clearly. "Everyone needs to chill the fuck out. You're all making my wolf antsy as fuck."

"Paul!" Jacob and Bella shouted at the same time.

"He told me," Reagan said bluntly. There was no emotion behind her words, but disbelief was plain on her face. "I thought he was bullshitting me, but your reactions just then were slightly validating."

Jacob silently reached over and thumped Bella on the back so she would breathe. She took a deep breath as color flooded her face. She dropped her eyes to the floor and went back to packing.

Paul scoffed and grabbed her by the waist from behind, pulling her away from her luggage. Instead of fighting him like she would have Jacob, Paul grunted as Bella went limp as a noodle, forcing him to practically drag her from the room.

Jacob couldn't help but laugh at her childish antics. He caught Reagan watching him, trying to bite back a smile. His heart soared with hope, and some of his tension fell away. He moved his shoulders around to help loosen them and gestured toward the living room where Paul had Bella trapped on his lap. She had not made a peep or protest, merely scowling at the floor with her arms crossed over her chest.

To Jacob's surprise, Reagan sat next to Paul and Bella, eyeing the other woman carefully.

Bella finally began to squirm under her scrutiny. "If everyone is going to just stare at me, I would rather go back to packing," Bella grumbled as she tried to pry Paul's arms off of her.

Paul asked, "Babe, will you just sit and chill for a fucking minute?"

Bella turned on his lap to face him angrily. She said, "You told her everything, right?" Paul nodded his head once. Bella asked, "Then why are we sitting here? Nothing has changed, and I need to-"

Paul cut her off by pressing his lips to hers. When she pulled away in surprise, he grabbed the back of her head with one hand and pulled her mouth back to his.

Jacob shook with silent laughter as Bella's eyes fluttered shut, and she sunk into the kiss.

Paul pulled away and chuckled as a dazed Bella slowly opened her eyes. Paul said, "Well, what do you know? It really works."

"Shut up," Bella huffed as Paul tugged at her waist, repositioning her on his lap.

"Behave yourself, woman. For fuck's sake," he teased.

Bella's lip trembled as she asked, "Don't you fucking hate me by now?"

"No, Baby," Paul said. "You're one of my best fucking friends, and I don't hate you. I don't even want to." He brushed a stray curl from her face and kissed her temple.

Bella leaned back against his chest and looked up at Jacob in misery. It didn't matter if anyone else in the room hated Bella or not. She hated herself, regardless. It made Jacob feel like shit. He felt like he had failed her somewhere along the way. Maybe that was his punishment for fighting the imprint in the first place, regardless of how they both felt. He almost envied Sam at that moment for choosing not to fight it. Sam allowed himself to love Emily, even if he would always be in love with Leah. Jacob and Bella had made their decision together, however. They knew it wouldn't be easy.

Jacob said, "Bells, this was my fault. I went after you."

"The wolf went after me, Jacob," Bella said. "We went through this already."

"Yeah, ya did," Paul grumbled and laughed. "Overhearing that whole bit made explaining shit to Reagan a lot easier, actually." Turning to Jacob, he added, "Seeing that psycho, yellow-eyed look on your face kinda helped, too."

Jacob groaned, hating that she had managed to see him so out of control. He said, "I know this is a shitty question, but I have to ask. Everything was so … intense that I didn't even hear you guys come into the house. When did you both come in?"

Never mind that Reagan was supposed to be driving home at the time. It finally dawned on him that Reagan had planned to surprise him by coming to see him, and the guilt slammed him all over again. He sat on the floor at her feet and reached for her hand. She didn't pull away, but she didn't clasp his back, either.

He said, "Rae, baby, I truly am sorry. I know it sounds like bullshit, but I tried not to even go in that fucking room."

"Uh," Paul interrupted, "To answer your question, Jake? We got here at the same time, and, um …"

Jacob's jaw nearly dropped as Paul Lahote actually blushed.

Paul continued, "I heard Bells trying to talk the wolf down as I followed Reagan inside."

"So pretty much through the whole incident," Bella mumbled guiltily.

Paul said, "To be honest, babe, the wolf didn't give either of you much of a fucking choice, did he?"

"God, I'm so fucking sorry," Jacob repeated as he let go of Reagan and buried his face back into his hands. "To all of you."

"I believe you," Reagan said quietly, not looking at him.

Paul said, "I don't know what the fuck you're sorry to me about. Yeah, I care about Bella, but we are not technically a couple. I literally get to see inside your head, Jake. I know you didn't lie to me, and you have both been open with me about the imprint bullshit. Was it painful to witness? Yeah, but it's also something I know about all too well. When I first found out about the imprint, I didn't care what you two did together. Honestly, I still don't. I would rather not be a witness to it. I don't have an imprint, but my wolf is a fucking dick, too. It took me three years to stop exploding into a furball when I got pissed off. You and Bells have been fighting your wolf for weeks, and he's not used to that boundary yet."

Jacob smirked at Paul and asked, "Who are you, and where is Paul?"

Bella said, "I told you there is more to Paul than he lets you all believe." She unconsciously snuggled him tighter and sniffled.

Reagan said, "I just … I'm trying to wrap my head around it all, Jake. I'm starting to wonder if I actually wrecked my car, and this is some weird fucking fever dream."

Bella snorted and said, "I remember that feeling. When I moved away, it was hard to convince myself I hadn't dreamed it all. Then I moved back. It was like culture shock all over again."

Reagan asked, "So vampires are fucking real? Seriously?"

Bella and Jacob both nodded. Bella said, "Vamps. Werewolves. Shapeshifters. Spirits. They are all real. You already know we grew up together, but the day Jacob phased in front of me for the first time, I thought for sure that I was dead, and it was some crazy alternate reality."

Reagan finally looked at Jacob and asked, "Can I see it? Your wolf?"

He looked around the room nervously and said, "I gotta go outside for this. He's too big for the house and tends to break shit."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Reagan said as she stood to follow him out into the rain.