I Like Me Better

by pantheradraconis

Bella, after graduating high school in Florida under the roof of her mother and stepdad, moves to Forks, WA for her first year of college. She arrives the summer before and spends most of her time at the res with her friends Jacob and Leah, learning about the wolves and taught to fear the cold ones.

9. Anti-Everything

Title: I Like Me Better

Author: Pantheradraconis

Rating: M

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie, Edward/Leah, Emmett/Angela

POV: Changes, 3rd Person

Summary: Bella, after graduating high school in Florida under the roof of her mother and stepdad, moves to Forks, WA for her first year of college. She arrives the summer before and spends most of her time at the res with her friends Jacob and Leah, learning about the wolves and taught to fear the cold ones. On her first day of classes at Peninsula College, Bella runs into the most gorgeous girl she's ever seen and immediately becomes infatuated with her.

Chapter 9: Anti-Everything

Leah

Sniffing the ground, the wolf digs her sharp claws into the dirt, marking it with her pheromones. The very soil is saturated in the scent of vampires, a mixture of blood, venom, and, strangely, crowberries. She searches the nearby ground and rummages for the strange berry but being so late in the season the berries are mostly squashed and rotting. The wolf huffs over the lost berries, missing the crunch and wondering if she can sniff out an animal to help temper her hunger.

Having followed her imprint the several thousand miles from her home, farther than she'd ever journeyed before, Leah felt lost and foreign. Alaska is beautiful in its own right and at least it isn't raining, but the smells are all wrong. The wolf grunts and stamps her feet, squashing a few berries under her paws. The sticky substance clings to her fur causing her to sigh; she lays down and begins licking the sour juices from between her claws.

A loud snap of a branch, the vibrations in the ground beneath her, and the undeniable stench of vampire assault the wolf's senses. She leaps from her spot on the ground, twisting her body fully around, and springing into action; her wolf senses have taken over. Without thinking, Leah moves to attack the vampire, an undistinguishable humanoid figure that moves out of range at just the last moment. The wolf doesn't hesitate as she lands on the other side of the evil creature; she runs a large circle, using the Alaskan wilderness to her advantage as she hides her slender frame in the thick foliage. Spotting the creature from the side, the wolf leaps off a large tree and jumps down onto the vampire, swiping at its arm and chomping her teeth towards its neck.

Instead of finding a mouthful of disgusting vampire flesh, the wolf gets a burst of electric shocks through her body, causing a strange jolt. She lands half on her side, tripping slightly before jumping back to her feet and running back into the foliage. What was that?

Shaking her head, Leah moves around to look at the vampire, who stands in a crouch. She's short, dressed in impeccable fashion much like the blonde sister of Edward. Leah tilts her head and finally acknowledges that this vampire is also blonde and her stance isn't one of attack but of defense. Leah allows her claw to scrap against a rock at her paws and the vampire quickly looks in her direction.

The wolf huffs, yellow eyes. Moving slowly, Leah walks out of the concealing brush, her head is held high and her body is tense but she attempts to show she is not going to attack.

The vampire laughs and slowly stands more upright. "Finally figured out who I am?" the creature speaks in a beautiful, melodic voice that makes the wolf's ears twinge.

Leah chomps her teeth together and slowly nods her head but she refuses to apologize in any way for her actions. Vampires shouldn't run up on unsuspecting wolves.

"My family told me to wait until Eddie boy was done talking with Tanya so he could introduce you to us properly," the vampire says, seeming to read Leah's mind. The wolf narrows her eyes but shakes the thought off. Edward had already explained that was an uncommon gift of his. "But I figured you'd be hungry sitting out here waiting while he talks on and on about his bloodlust."

This time Leah growls at the vampire.

"Look, I'm not trying to put him down for fighting against his nature," the vampire explains, holding up her hands in apology. "I'm pretty impressed he was able to leave that party. I'm just saying the kid has a habit of being longwinded. You know?"

Leah lifts her head slightly in thought. Edward never seemed to appear longwinded around her. Was there something about her that caused him not to talk as much? Did she make him uncomfortable? Was she doing something wrong?

"Anyway, here's a sandwich," the vampire picks up a plate behind her and places it back down in front of Leah. It has a large sandwich with several layers of meat slices piling up high. Leah takes a sniff and realizes it's venison. Or no, maybe it's caribou? "It's full to the brim of reindeer meat, which is the most common around these parts. Being a wolf, I figured you were a carnivore?"

Leah watches the vampire carefully while the blonde stares back slightly hesitantly. Leah sniffs the sandwich once more before sliding the plate back with her behind the brush.

"Right, I'll just leave you to that, then."

Silence. The scraping of claws on a plate. Loud chewing noises. The plate pushed back through the brush. Silence.

"Do you want another one?"

Silence.

"I'll go make you another one."

Silence.

Leah checks through the brush and notes the vampire is gone but she knows the strange blonde will be back soon. Are all the Cullens this strange? How many are in this coven? She decides to run the parameter again, checking through the different scents and taking count. She was pretty sure it was six but one was faint, as if it hadn't been around lately. Scanning the forest line, her sight takes in the lodge-like mansion the vampires claim as home. The wolf shakes her head, her entire clan could fit inside that massive building. Sure, the high peaks and mixture of stone and wood was aesthetically pleasing but why did vampires require such large homes?

A movement at a window causes the wolf to move closer to the building, hoping to see her imprint. As the figure comes into view she notes long, blonde-colored hair and wonders if it's the same vampire who made the sandwich. Why would she be upstairs though?

"I brought you another sandwich!" The vampire calls out suddenly from behind Leah.

The wolf jumps and twirls around, growling maliciously.

"Did I really just surprise you? I told you I'd be right back!"

Leah continues to growl at the blonde before slowly turning her large wolf head toward the mansion. The blonde is still standing at the window. Are they a coven of identical bloodsuckers?

The vampire takes a step closer to the growling wolf and turns her head toward the mansion, attempting to make out what the wolf is looking at.

"Where are you looking…" the vampire begins to say before noticing the other vampire in the window. "Oh! That's Irina. She's being all cryptic and moody. She's been that way since Laurent left."

Leah growls and snaps her teeth, hoping it will prompt the vampire to move further back.

"Oh! You're still hungry!"

Leah groans at the misunderstanding.

"I brought you two sandwiches this time, both topped high with meat." The vampire places the plate between them and takes a seat on the ground. "Laurent was with the traveling coven that attacked Angela in your neck of the woods."

The wolf growls low, remembering the hunter the vampire is speaking about. Figuring she wasn't going to get out of the conversation any time soon, and the last sandwich was really delicious, Leah moves the plate farther away and begins chomping through the meal. The blonde continues to blather on about the details of the bloodsucking monsters and their pointless existence.

"He disagreed with the way his coven leader was handling the situation and was intrigued by how close the Cullen's were. He talked with Esme and Carlisle at great length, giving them all the details about James to give them the upper hand and eventually take him down. He also gave details about James' mate - I think her name is Victoria but I'm not positive - and then he came up here to learn about our vegetarian diet."

The blonde bloodsucker leans back on her hands, swaying her body slightly. She appears so at ease it makes Leah grumble in annoyance. The wolf finishes off her second sandwich in only two bites thinking how proud her brothers would be. She wonders how closely they're listening in on this conversation.

Just picking up the vampire details, Jared thinks over the telepathic link.

I'm just wishing that blonde wasn't a bloodsucker, Quil replies with a bit of a whine.

Keep it in your pants, Quil, Jared replies.

I'm not wearing pants.

Shaking her head, Leah goes back to ignoring the two wolves as they run their laps. She wonders briefly what time it must be. She and Edward traveled all through the night but it doesn't feel like the sun is rising any time soon.

"So those two fell for each other and had to be banished to the west wing," The blonde bloodsucker was saying. Leah wonders briefly if she missed much but then figures she doesn't really care. "Things were going great until Laurent got a phone call. Next thing you know, he's being all cryptic and saying he needs to go visit a friend. Irina tries to go with him but we all know he's going to visit Victoria. Either way, there's nothing we can do about that. Hopefully, he'll come back and we can all move on, but as for right now Irina is in this mood."

The blonde thrust one arm out in front of her as if to say that the other vampire standing in the window is doing something of note. Leah looks up at the window but just sees the other vampire flipping off this one.

A thumping noise comes from the home causing Leah to tense. She searches the windows and doors, finally spotting a far side door near the attached garages. Walking out are two dark-haired vampires with olive-toned skin. She lifts the side of her lip and growls.

Pulling at the grass beneath her, the blonde vampire looks up and says, "That's Eleazar and Carmen. They're going out hunting so please try not to kill them. Woah, woah, they're hunting rabbits, little wolf. Well, no, they're probably going to be hunting grizzly bears, but I promise you they won't be hunting anything you need to worry about. We even promised Edward to never hunt wolves again."

Leah stops her growling and turns her head in a tilt to look at the vampire. Edward asked his family not to hunt wolves? She wanted to ask for more details but she felt a pull and knew her imprint was looking for her. Behind the two bloodsuckers planning to hunt, exits her beloved. Beloved? Leah shakes her head, her imprint. Edward.

The vampire looks across the field and sees Leah, who immediately starts walking toward him.

"I hope Kate didn't bother you too much," Edward says in his silky smooth voice.

Kate?

Edward looks over the wolf's shoulder at the blonde bloodsucker. "Did you forget to introduce yourself?"

"I told her my name!" Kate cries emphatically. "I told her all of our names and why Irina is in a mood and why Laurent left and why…"

This one talks a lot, Leah thinks, slightly louder than Kate speaks.

Edward laughs and winks at the wolf.

"Are you tired, Leah?"

What time is it?

"Nearly 8 AM. We've been here for a few hours. I need to hunt so I figure I'll go with Carmen and Eleazar," he points at the two dark-haired vampires, who wave gently, "but if you're comfortable enough…"

I'll join you.

Edward smiles softly. "There's a river a few miles from here where grizzly's like to try and catch trout. We're going to see if we can catch a few there."

I like trout.

Edward laughs and it makes Leah's heart sing. His laugh is so beautiful and pure; how is he labeled a monster? She briefly remembers the pain that awoke her last night from a dead sleep, the pull through their imprint-bond that let her know the agony he was in, the torture he was fighting. She quickly and carefully changed her thoughts, a talent she has perfected living in the pack, and moves to follow behind the vampires.

As the two strange bloodsuckers take lead, Leah feels the urge to overtake the undead creatures. She gnaws at the air and shakes her head back and forth.

I cannot chase them, Leah explains to Edward. I need you to take lead.

Understanding immediately, Edward takes off at a great speed, turning off to the side of Carmen and Eleazar. Shouting, he dares Leah, "Catch me if you can, slowpoke!"

The jest works and Leah immediately focuses on Edward alone, her imprint that she must best.

You are about to regret your words, She laughs as her paws dig into the ground, increasing her pace exponentially.

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you from all the way back there!"

All the way back where?

"What the?"

Leah barks out a laugh as she leaps past Edward, increasing her speed even greater. There may not be many joys in her life since she became a wolf, but running will always be one.

Catching up, Edward laughs, "You are amazing!"

What was that? Leah asks, increasing her speed even more. I can't hear you from all the way back there!

Edward laughs and chases after her. The two pursue each other for another hour before Leah finally starts to feel the fatigue in her legs. Her imprint uses the excuse that he needs to slow down and begin his true hunt, but they both know he's giving her the win. Leah is just as impressed by his speed as he is by hers. Perhaps she has finally found someone that can keep up with her?

The wolf watches in fascination as Edward, Carmen, and Eleazar each catch their own large animal. Edward drains a grizzly, Carmen downs two caribou, and Eleazar manages to take down a puma that was hunting the caribou. As the three clean themselves up in the river, Leah notices that Edward is keeping his distance. She allows him the space he requires and the three return to the large mansion in the late morning. Leah is barely staying on her feet but being back in the home of vampires has got her hair on edge.

"You need to rest," Edward says when Carmen and Eleazar enter the house. "Come inside and sleep in one of the beds."

I can't.

"It's fine really; they have plenty of guests beds here. And I'll stay with you, so you know you'll be safe." Edward rubs the back of his neck. "I mean, I'll stay in the room. I won't bother you. You can, that is, you'll have the bed to yourself."

Leah immediately thinks of how pleasant it would be to fall asleep in Edward's cold arms, the thought flashing across her eyes like she's broadcasting it. She's pretty sure if Edward could blush, he would.

"I think so too," Edward admits in a small voice.

Leah barks a laugh and shakes her big head.

That's not the problem, She starts to explain. When you had your… problem… last night. I was asleep. So when I felt that imprint pull, it woke me up, but it was so strong that I didn't really have time to react.

"I'm so sorry I did that to you," Edward starts to apologize but Leah quickly stops him.

I don't have any clothes, She thinks in quick, uncomfortable words. I actually woke up as a wolf and I knew I had to react, so I just took off. So, I don't have anything to change into. That's why I haven't phased back.

"Oh," Edward says sharply. "Well, I'm sure that…"

I'm the same height as you, Leah reminds Edward, quickly. So far every single one of these bloodsuckers I've seen is quite a bit shorter.

Edward laughs a little uncomfortably, "I was going to say that I've got some clothes here that you could borrow."

Leah nods and slowly follows Edward into the house. Being a wolf in an enclosed space feels strange and wrong, and Leah has to constantly convince herself not to turn tail and escape out a window. She trails behind Edward as he walks through large rooms and tight hallways, up stairs, and around corners. If Leah had to trace her way back out of the house, she's sure she'd get lost. Finally, he stops in front of a door and reaches out for the doorknob.

"This is my room, for when I stay here," He says quietly as he opens the door.

The large wolf steps in first, her head looking around at the barely decorated space. There are exactly three framed photos on the walls, each containing a signed program from a musician with a large portrait and ticket stubs. Leah doesn't recognize any of them. There is a small writing desk with a lamp and extremely comfortable-looking chair as well as a small expensive-looking bean bag off to one side. On the other side lies a large king-size bed that calls to Leah. She debates curling up on the comfortable-looking surface in her wolf form but Edward catches her attention again.

"These should fit you," Her imprint says while holding up a pair of sweat pants and a large t-shirt. "I'll step out and grab some water for you from the kitchen. I'll be back in a bit."

Edward escapes from the room before Leah can think of any response. She looks at the clothes which lie neatly on the writing desk next to a stack of books that she's pretty sure are older than her grandfather. Sighing, Leah stretches her front paws out, leans forward, stretches her back paws out, and steps forward as a tall naked woman. Cracking her neck to each side and shaking out her shoulders, Leah groans at the painful transition. Normally, Leah is quite comfortable naked but the idea of being in a house full of vampires already has her feeling exposed. She slips the t-shirt over her head and stops to smell the soft fabric. There is a faint reminder of Edward in the fabric but it smells more like the cedar dresser he pulled it out of.

"Hey Eddie," The blonde vampire says, opening the door wide and looking into the room. "I found some clothes for your girlfriend."

Leah turns around to look at the bloodsucker who ignores the half-naked woman and searches the rest of the room.

"Where's Eddie?"

"He went to get water in the kitchen," Leah replies.

"Ok," The blonde shrugs. "I'm Kate, remember?"

"Vaguely," Leah replies. "Is that lingerie?"

"Of course!"

"Kate!" Edward yells from down the hall. "What are you doing? And what are those?!"

"I was just…"

"No, no, no!" Edward exclaims getting closer. "Stop thinking. Just stop thinking."

"Well, it's more than what she's wearing right now…" Kate starts to say and Leah hears Edward's footsteps falter before stopping altogether.

"Then why do you have the door open?" He asks in exasperation.

Leah laughs and turns to grab the sweatpants off the desk. She quickly pulls them on and steps toward the door, poking her head out into the hallway to see Edward awkwardly holding four bottles of water in his arms while silently yelling at the bloodsucker.

"Leah! Hi!" He says in surprise. "Water?"

Leah laughs and steps forward. Edward closes his eyes but then realizes that Leah wouldn't have stepped out into the hallway naked, so he opens one eye slowly. The tall shifter grabs a water bottle and walks back into the bedroom.

"Are you two really still at this innocent phase?" Kate asks. "I thought you said you were soulmates destined to be together. Why are you waiting if that's the case? If my soulmate showed up today I'd be in their bed tonight! Hell, I probably wouldn't even wait that long!"

Edward promptly closes the door and Leah realizes Kate's voice is cut off entirely. She raises an eyebrow in question while taking a large gulp of water.

"Soundproof rooms."

"I wish wolves believed in that kind of privacy."

Smiling, the bronze-haired vampire puts the other three water bottles down on the desk and turns toward the bed.

"It's comfortable," He says, gesturing to the bed. "You can nap and I'll stay right here. So if you need anything, just say my name."

Leah looks at the bed, then looks back at Edward who pulls the desk chair out. She tries to find the right words but can't seem to form them. She steps toward the tall vampire and grabs his arm before he sits down.

"Is everything ok…" Edward starts to ask but he sees the want in Leah's eyes.

"Will you hold me?" She finally asks. Although, in the end, she's not sure if the words were spoken out loud or not.

Edward nods and the two climb into bed. Edward's arms wrapped around Leah's body, holding her heat against his cool, mixing into a perfect temperature. Leah drifts off into sleep and Edward listens contently to her dreams.

Emmett

"You better get that part in stock or it'll be the last part you ever sell!" Rosalie's phone flies through the air and crashes against the garage wall; shattering into pieces across the floor. It was the third phone she's broken this week.

The first one was after she heard about Edward's reaction to Bella's blood; the second one was after the fourth message left unanswered by Bella over the course of the last several days (not to mention the small brunette going out of her way to avoid the blonde at school - which none of the Cullens would dare to mention). If things continue in this manner, Emmett wouldn't be surprised if Rosalie's prized Firebird restoration would end up needing significant body remodeling, if not several new parts.

A pile of dust settles on the floor, having shortly before been three metal screws, and Emmett makes a decision.

"I'm going out."

"Don't let the door hit in you the ass…"

Emmett leaves the garage before the rest of Rosalie's sentence can escape her lips but he's pretty sure she doesn't notice. Climbing up into his Jeep, Alice jumps into the passenger seat and turns to face him.

"Are you sure you want to get involved?" The small vampire asks.

"Is there any catastrophic reason why I shouldn't?"

The pixie-haired brunette shrugs, "None that I can see. But Bella does flicker in and out like a light bulb sometimes."

Emmett laughs, "That's probably just Rosalie being incapable of sticking with her decisions."

The two smile at one another and Alice opens the door.

"Don't want to come for the ride?"

"Sorry, Em, but it's date night and I've got to pick out an outfit!"

"But you already know what you're going to…"

"Silly brother, I won't know until I've decided!"

Emmett blinks several times while watching his sister hop out of the car and run up to the front door of the house. Shaking his head, he puts the Jeep into gear and peels out of the driveway. The cool October air would freeze a normal human but Emmett figures his leather jacket gives just enough excuse not to have the hardtop or doors added to his Jeep. He knows he'll have to put them back on before returning to school next week if he wants to keep the strange looks at bay but for now, he enjoys the wind wiping at his hard cheeks. Once he enters town, he slows down a little on the tightly populated roads as he searches for Bella's street. He knows it's one of these…

Spotting the old, rusted-out truck in the driveway, Emmett pulls up to the house and parks along the road. He looks at the Chevy, wondering how long it'll be before Rosalie starts trading out parts. He then wonders how long it'll take Bella to notice the new parts.

He looks up at the house and tries to pick out which window is Bella's but it looks like the front bedroom belongs to Charlie. Downstairs, he spots a large living room with the TV playing some show about ghost hauntings, and to the other side is the kitchen where he sees Bella standing in front of the sink washing some dishes. Listening carefully, he notes she's the only one home.

"That's enough reconnaissance for now," Emmett nods to himself, proud he took the time to look the house over. "And Jasper thinks I don't look before I move." He shakes his head, smiles, and walks up to the front door.

Knocking three times loudly, he hears the kitchen sink turn off, hands dried, and steps walking to the front door. Bella opens the door and her heartbeat immediately jumps to three times its regular pace. Emmett is caught off guard. She's never had that reaction to him before, did he get that much more handsome?

"Hey BellaBear," He says, lifting his hand to wave. The short girl flinches, actually flinches. In fact, is she cowering?

"Emmett!" Bella all but screams before clearing her throat. "Uh, what, um, what are you doing here?" She looks to either side of him, searching the street past him. "Are you here alone?"

"Yeah…"

"What can I do for you?" She asks, basically closing the door so he can't step inside.

"Bella… What is…" And that's when Emmett smells it. "Wait, what is that smell?"

"Smell? What smell?" Bella asks, legitimately confused. She lets go of the door, pulls her shirt collar to her nose, and smells. "Do I smell?"

Emmett takes a step forward, ignoring the way Bella recoils, and takes a whiff of the human girl. "You do a bit but it's not…" He takes a bigger sniff of the air. "It's coming more from upstairs."

Ignoring Bella's protests, Emmett walks into the house and up the stairs; he follows his nose down the small hallway, past the bathroom, and into a bedroom in the back of the house. Based on the purple comforter, two band posters, and several novels from the 1800s, Emmett assumes this to be Bella's bedroom. He takes two big sniffs and coughs.

"It absolutely reeks in here!"

"What is with you all and the smell!" Bella asks, exasperated. "I don't smell anything! I've cleaned all my laundry, vacuumed, I even have a candle lit!" She points at a candle on her desk that's labeled Huckleberry Sugar Blossom.

Emmett shakes his head, "Nothing can overpower the stench of a wolf." He turns to look Bella in the face and squints thoughtfully, leaning down so he's closer to her level. "Are you friends with Leah?"

"Leah?" Bella asks, confused and uncomfortable. "Leah? Huh? What?"

Taking another quick whiff of Bella and the room, Emmett shakes his head. "It's not Leah though, and besides, she's in Alaska with Edward."

"Alaska?!" Bella shouts. "Wait just a damn minute. Edward? Edward is Edward?!"

"I don't follow."

"Leah's Edward is Rosalie's brother?!"
"No one told you?" Emmett laughs and takes a seat on the bed, it groans in response to his weight.

While Bella begins pacing back and forth, muttering to herself, Emmett looks around the room with a more careful eye, inspecting the details of the young college girl. Behind him, he can feel the draft of the slightly opened window and wonders why the human girl keeps her room so cold. Trying not to stare at the teen, he looks over near her desk. In an overstuffed backpack are several books and notes about sociology, Spanish, and statistics. Her laptop is closed and charging on the desk, a heavily damaged copy of Wuthering Heights leans against it. On the wall behind her desk are a few photos of what Emmett assumes is Bella's mother and stepfather, as well as some of the Reservation wolves. The burly vampire stands up from the bed and walks over the photo, plucking it off the wall.

He turns back to Bella, ignoring how small she looks standing near the edge of her bed, and points to the absurdly large teenage boys (and Leah).

"Which one does your room smell like?"

"Uh…" Bella groans. "I don't know if…"

A rush of hot air pushes through the window and Emmett is confronted with a humanistic growl.

"What is he doing here?"

Emmett looks down at the photo and back up at the large boy. He then looks over at Bella and points at the photo. "So, this one?"

"Uh… Jake?" Bella squeaks.

Emmett winks at the brunette and turns back to the wolf, "Hi Jake! I'm Emmett." He reaches his hand out to shake but all he gets in response is a glare. "Not one for formalities?"

"Why are you here?" Jake asks in a low, cold voice.

The burly vampire nods his head, impressed by the young wolf and his composure.

"I'm here to talk to Bella," Emmett says, pointing at the only human in the room.

"She doesn't want to talk to you," Jake says slowly.

"Actually…" Bella cuts in awkwardly.

Emmett nods at the brunette before looking back at the wolf teen. "It sounds like she does. It appears she's been left with only partial information."

"She doesn't need to be hanging around with the likes of you, bloodsucker!" Jake shouts, finally losing his cool.

Emmett remains stoic, crossing his arms in defense. "You know I mean her no harm."

"You filthy leech…"

Taking a step forward, Emmett places a cold hand against Jake's shoulder and quietly says, "Bella holds the same safety to us as Leah does."

Jake begins shaking; shaking and barking as if he can't hold his teeth inside his mouth. He tosses his head left and right, gripping his fists so tight it almost looks like he'll break his own fingers. But before Emmett can ask if he needs to leave, Jake's body settles back to normal. The tall wolf closes his dark eyes, breaths in deeply, holds it for a shockingly long time, and then slowly opens his eyes as he lets go of this breath. Then he falls to the bed.

"That was exhausting," Jake shakes his head with a small smile.

"Maybe next time you should use the front door," Emmett quips, taking a seat in the desk chair.

"I use the front door."

"No, you don't."

"How would you know?"

"The whole downstairs smells normal."

"Huh," Jake laughs. "I guess it's been a while since I've bothered. The window is just so convenient."

"It's a little creepy, though," Emmett says, shaking his head.

"EXCUSE ME!" Bella screams from the other side of the bedroom causing both guys to look over at her.

"I'll be honest, Bells," Jake says slowly. "I forgot you were here."

Emmett burst out laughing.

It was several hours into the night and a few large pizza deliveries devoured by Jake, when Bella was finally dwindling down on her list of questions. The three of them sat in a large circle on Bella's bedroom floor after she explained to Charlie a strange sociology project she was working on. If her dad had spent even a molecule of time thinking over her explanation of Emmett and Jake's involvement, he would have realized how bad of a liar his daughter was, but lucky the Chief had had a long day at work and was just thankful for his own pizza.

"So it's because they're vegetarian that the wolves are okay with the Cullens?" Bella asks for what seems like the tenth time. Emmett would be fine with just saying yes but Jake had to make it completely clear that the wolves were not okay with the vampires and neither should Bella be.

"Our ancestors made a treaty with Carlisle because they were vegetarians," Jake groans. "We just don't kill them. Not killing them is not the same as being okay with them."

"Right but Edward is different?"

"Technically," Jake says slowly.

"Because he's the pale face," Bella says, remembering their talk at the reservation several weeks ago. It had felt so cryptic when Leah first admitted she imprinted but now Bella was beginning to understand why Sam had such a bad reaction. "But not a pale face like me."

Jake grins, downing the last piece of pizza in two bites. "Not like you."

"So you already knew that Leah had imprinted on Edward?" Emmett asked, pushing the smelly pizza box further away from his vicinity.

"I knew that Leah imprinted on an Edward," Bella clarified. "Neither Jake, Leah, nor Rosalie informed me of any overlap."

"You can't really blame Rosalie for that one," Emmett notes. "We can't exactly go around telling

Quileute imprint stories."

"Rosalie certainly had a few of her own secrets she should have shared though," Jake says snootily.

"Oh? So you tell people you're a wolf on your second date?"

"It's not the same."

"Probably not," Emmett agrees. "But that doesn't make it any easier for us."

"Maybe you should just stick to your own kind."

"It would be easier, that's true. But when has logic ever decided who you crush on?"

Jake rolls his eyes and Emmett smirks, winking at Bella.

"All I'm saying," The vampire continues. "Is that Rosalie would have told Bella in due time, obviously. But it's not something you can just bring up out of nowhere. Either way, things are out in the air now, so what's wrong?" He tilts his head at Bella, asking the girl straight on for the first time. "Are you planning on giving Rosalie another chance?"

Bella leans back on her hands and blows a lock of hair out of her face. From downstairs, Charlie calls up saying it's nearly midnight and the boys need to go home. He even goes on to say that includes Jake before either Bella or Jake can say anything. As the three make their way downstairs, Jake carrying all of the pizza boxes to the trash outside, Emmett turns to Bella to say goodnight.

"Maybe it's time to say goodbye, but maybe it's time for one more chance. If the only thing holding you back is a little supernatural mystery, then text me and ask any and all questions you want, ok?" Emmett passes over Bella's phone, which he had sneaked and put his number in.

The brunette looks down at the entry and smiles. "Okay, MonkeyMan. I'll think about it."

"And one last thing…" Emmet says, giving Bella a very serious look. "Reach out to Angela. She may have a perspective for you."

"Oh!"

I hate every second you're not with me/I hate when we have to say goodbye/You're the only one who makes me feel things/'Cause I usually feel nothing inside…/'Cause I'm anti-everything, but I love you/I'm fucking miserable till you walk into the room, yeah/I talk a lot of shit, but swear you'll get used to it/'Cause I'm anti-everything but, everything but you/Everything but you" Anti-Everything by Lost Kings f Loren Gray

A/N I guess this counts as a little bit of proof that I don't spend all my time sitting around and twiddling my thumbs, eh? But yeah, Leah was pretty hard for me to write this time around, so it took longer than I wanted it to. But, y'all know I've never been fast with my updates. I hope you're still enjoying it! Let me know what you think about Leah's section and whether I did alright with her wolf senses and alertness. There is still a lot more to tell with their story and I'm excited to mix in some with Angela in the next chapter!