Leah woke to the loss of his body heat as Quil carefully climbed out of bed. She sat up, clutching the sheet over her breasts, and looked over at Quil in momentary confusion. He was pulling his pants on, and she groaned, heat flooding her cheeks as she remembered what they had done. Sleepily, she asked, "Are you leaving?"

Quil scoffed as he pulled up his zipper and walked to her side of the bed. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. He gave her a dazzling smile and said, "I'll be right back." He stepped out and came back into the room carrying a folded pile of clothes. Quil sat them on the end of the bed by her feet. "I guess Bella thought you might want something to wear," he said and pulled the door shut behind him.

Leah climbed out of bed and turned on the light, finding a black tank top and pajama bottoms with a random pattern. She slid into them quickly and crept into the kitchen. Her head pounded with the beginning of a hangover, and her stomach growling seemed to echo across the room. Leah cleaned up the mess she and Quil had left on the table before searching through the fridge. She happily snagged containers of leftovers and filled a plate to reheat for herself.

As he walked into the kitchen, Quil said, "Hell yes. Glad to see you eating something." After reheating her food, Quil followed suit and sat next to her at the island. They ate in comfortable silence for a long time, more than used to having meals alone together now. Leah pushed her plate away when finished and looked up to find Quil watching her in amusement.

As he took a bite, Leah whispered, "So, do you think anyone heard us?"

Quil coughed as he choked in surprise and laughed. He nodded in silence as he swallowed his food. "I … yeah, probably," he mumbled, and she cackled. He looked back toward her, grinning besottedly at the contented smile she wore. "Not regretting it are you?"

Leah asked, "Am I regretting letting you help convince me it wasn't a bad decision, you mean?" His eyes sparkled with mischief, and Quil turned away to take another bite. Leah watched him, surprised to find herself content, more at peace than she had been since Hodie left. Still grinning, Leah sighed and said, "No. I've never regretted having sex with you. Not once."

Quil winked at her and said, "Well, I'm glad for that."

Leah deadpanned, "Even though you promised two rounds." Quil gaped at her in surprise as she stood and put her plate in the dishwasher. Leah tiptoed down the hallway to use the bathroom while Quil finished up in the kitchen. Leah returned to the bedroom and crawled into bed. She sighed as she sunk into the mattress and quietly listened to Quil talking with Jacob in the kitchen.

Jake and Seth patrol this morning.

As if on cue, Leah heard a door open as Seth croaked out, "Morning, guys."

Leah reached for Quil's phone and hit the continue prompt on his playlist. She hoped that the clear display of affection between herself and Quil the night before had been enough to send the tick on his way. The thought of Hodie made her immediately feel guilty, and Leah took deep breaths to stay calm. She pulled the sheet over herself and curled up on her side, hoping Quil would come back to bed soon.
In Quil's arms, Leah knew she was safe.
In Quil's arms, Leah didn't have to feel guilty for a goddamn thing.

Leah stirred from sleep as a door clicked shut.

"Hey, Darlin."

Leah had feared she had forgotten the raspy sound of his voice. She scrambled out of bed and turned to face Hodie. What the fuck is he doing here?

"Miss me?" The Hodie of her nightmares glared at her, though he wore the smile she had fallen so hard for. Her wolf growled angrily inside her, confused by his presence and sensing her distress immediately.

How the hell can someone I know to be kind make me feel so fucking afraid? Leah silently cursed her jumbled memories and her inability to decipher them all. Her head swam with confusion and discomfort as her hangover settled in. A jolt of pain across her forehead made her stagger, and Hodie rushed forward to steady her, his grip hard around her shoulders.

She said, "I'm sorry. I'm not …" Leah paused, noting the slight chill of his hands. "Not fully healed," she finished tentatively. He let go of her and looked away, nodding. Her shoulders ached where he had held onto her. Am I awake? Am I dreaming? Leah wasn't sure. She wanted to step around him and turn the light on. The blue of his eyes was nearly black in the darkness, and Leah couldn't see them clearly. She began to tremble as he focused on something in the corner. Leah glanced down at Quil's discarded shoes and back at Hodie anxiously.

Hodie asked, "Where is your friend?"

Leah stared at him suspiciously for a second. I know damn well Hodie would have said Quil's name. The fear she felt a moment before disappeared under a flood of anger. Her wolf snapped in a warning as Leah tried to hold back her tremors. Louder than necessary, she asked, "Who? Quil?" God, I hope he heard me.

Hodie said, "Didn't take long for you to move on, did it?"

Leah said, "It's what you expected, isn't it?"

Confusion flitted across his face before returning to the unsettling yet still somehow dazzling smile. "It's what I suspected," he said.

Leah raised her voice as she said, "This isn't the time or place for this discussion." The doorknob rattled as someone tried to come into the room. It was then that Leah realized the click that woke her had been the lock.

Quil's voice called out, "Leelee? You okay?"

She yelled, "No!" Leah swallowed nervously, unwilling to move from where she stood. She said, "Unlock the door, Hodie."

"No problem," he snipped and stepped backward toward the door. He stepped to the side and reached over to turn the lock as he leaned back against the wall. The door swung open, and Quil entered the room, watching Leah cautiously. Leah was sure the fear she felt was written on her face as he approached her, not noticing Hodie behind him in the dark. Hodie's hand snatched out and clamped onto the back of Quil's neck. He cried out in pain as the pressure of Hodie's hand brought Quil to his knees. His fingers dug into Quil's flesh as blood began to trickle from under them.

Leah swung at Hodie and yelled, "Let go!" Her fist ached with the blow she landed against his cheek. He let go of Quil, who slumped forward to the floor and did not move.

Leah screamed, "What the hell did you do?"

He reached for her, his bloody fingertips wetting the sides of her face as he cupped her chin in his too-strong grip.

Where the hell is everyone? Surely if Quil had heard her, Jacob and Seth had. The sound of their laughter filtered into the room from the kitchen, and Leah screamed for them. She glanced down to check on Quil, and he was gone.

Now Leah knew that she was dreaming. He couldn't possibly have just disappeared, could he? A memory of the real Hodie only increased her panic. People die or disappear ... Her scream pierced the air as she screamed for Quil, and she knew it was impossible to have not been heard. She looked back at the monster in front of her and tried to pry his hand from her face.

He said, "When I come back here again, you better avoid me like the plague. Stick with your fucking mutt and stay away from me." After he let go, Leah could feel the bruises forming on her cheeks where his fingers had pressed hard against her flesh. He silently left the room, and Leah dropped to her knees, sobbing.

Leah sat up in the bed as the door banged against the wall. For a moment, she was confused, wondering how she got off of the floor and back onto the bed. As the light came on, Leah looked toward the doorway, blurry-eyed. Quil looked almost panicked as Jacob and Seth stared in from behind him.

Her head was pounding as she covered her face with her hands and fought to catch her breath. Her cheeks still hurt from the Leech's grip, and Leah pulled her hands away cautiously. Rather than Quil's blood, it was the tears she had physically wept during her nightmare that coated her cheeks and palms. Was I dreaming? Am I dreaming? A frustrated sob escaped her as her tears resumed. Quil carefully sat next to her on the bed as Jacob and Seth retreated to give them privacy.

Tentatively, Leah looked up at Quil and whispered, "Am I awake now? Please, Quil, tell me I'm awake."

His face fell with worry as his heart broke for her. He whispered, "You're awake now, sweetheart. Do you want to talk about it?"

Leah shook her head no and attempted to wipe the tears from her face. She leaned forward to rest her forehead on her knees, unsure of what to think. Will this shit ever stop?

Quil reached out to touch her face, and she instinctively jerked from his grasp. Leah gasped as she realized what she had done and shuddered, fighting back another pitiful sob. Somehow she had been reduced from the bravest female she knew to someone who flinched from the touch of a loved one. At that moment, she despised herself and who she had become. Where was her drive, her fire? Where had it gone?

"It's okay, Leelee," Quil soothed as he scrutinized her face. "How did this happen?"

Wide-eyed, Leah asked, "There are marks?"

He grumbled, "It looks like someone tried to squeeze the shit out of your face." He frowned as he carefully touched one of the sore places above her jaw bone, and Leah winced.

Leah said, "He did. H-Hodie. It was a nightmare. It had to be, right? You're here."

His voice was full of concern as he asked, "What do you mean by that, Leah?"

Leah said, "It was Hodie this time. The Leech. He hurt you." Leah reached her hands up to cup the sides of Quil's face. She guided him to turn his head so she could check his neck for marks and asked, "Are you okay?"

He forced a small smile at her. "I'm just fine, sweetheart," Quil said and tucked her hair behind her ear. Quil leaned in and kissed her forehead tenderly. Leah's hands slid up around the back of his neck, silently double-checking that he wasn't injured in any way.

Leah said, "I don't understand. If I was hurt from what happened in the dream, shouldn't you have been, too? Are you sure?" God, Leah, you sound absolutely fucking insane.

Quil chuckled and pulled her hands away, holding them between them. "I promise, I'm fine. I am worried about your face, though," Quil said. "Maybe you should tell me all of it."

Leah said, "I don't want to talk about it, Quil." She did the most immediate thing she could think of to distract herself and pulled him towards her, pressing her lips to his. Quil returned her kiss, though his face remained riddled with worry and suspicion when he pulled away.

Her hands slid up into his dark curls as Leah whispered, "Make it go away." She stared into his soft green eyes, silently begging him to just love her. "I don't want to think about it anymore." Leah didn't want to feel afraid. She missed her former self - the Leah who felt tough, sexy, and fearless. The Leah that had not been traumatized by a manipulative tick.

Quil slowly stood and walked over to lock the door before climbing back onto his side of her bed. Leah immediately turned toward him, and he shook his head at her.

Quil said, "Lay on your stomach."

Leah did as he asked, and Quil straddled her legs. She moaned as his warm hands began to massage her flesh. Quil used his thumbs to rub her tight neck muscles before focusing on her shoulders and working his way down her back. He worked on every knot, caressing every curve as she slowly relaxed underneath him. Leah lifted her chest enough to pull off the tank top and tossed it to the floor. Quil chuckled and tugged at the waistband of her pajama bottoms. She lifted her hips as he pulled them off of her and sighed. His hands made her shiver as they reached the swell of her ass and glided to her thighs. He slid them under her, and she whimpered as they brushed against her sex. Quil lowered his mouth to her back, leaving a trail of hot kisses down her spine and left ass cheek. Leah gasped as he lifted her hips and brought his mouth to her sex. Quil slid his tongue languidly along her folds and all the way back to her tailbone.

Quil moaned and said, "Fuck, Leah, you always taste so fucking good." He lifted her hips higher, and she gasped as he buried his face between her legs from behind. Leah pulled her knees forward to support herself and moaned as Quil slid his fingers into her wet and warm core. Leah gripped the headboard and buried her face in a pillow to muffle her cries. Quil removed his hand and mouth from her body to flip over onto his back. He gripped her inner thighs and lifted her, placing his head back between her legs. Quil lowered her sex over his mouth, and Leah let go of the headboard to sit up, straddling his face. His hands kneaded her hips as he devoured her. The intense heat and pressure of his mouth soon had her squirming as she fought to keep from grinding against his face. Leah scraped her nails up her stomach toward her breasts and cupped them in her palms. Eyes closed and head tilted back in pleasure, Leah's whimpers increased in volume as she stimulated her nipples, inching closer to release.

I need more. She ached to have Quil inside of her, to be pleasured to the point of pain. Leah wanted the room around them to disappear, to forget that there was anything except now. Quil looked confused for a moment as she reached down to pull his hands from her hips and moved off of him. Leah said, "I need you to fuck me now." Quil chuckled as he sat up and quickly removed his pants. He tossed them to the floor before guiding her toward him as he positioned himself on his knees behind her. Quil rubbed his cock through her wet folds before pushing the head inside. Leah moaned with anticipation as his thick cock stretched her

Quil slowly slid his nails down her back as he groaned out, "You're so fucking sexy." Leah scoffed, and a warning growl escaped him. The vibration of it shot through her sex, her nipples instantly puckering again. Quil's hands ran up her sides as he began with shallow thrusts, making her whimper each time he pushed a little deeper. She trembled as heat coursed through her, wanting more. Leah rocked back against him hard as he thrust forward, and she clenched her teeth to keep from yelling. Quil was buried to the hilt inside of her, panting as he waited for her to move first. Leah rocked back against him again and he grunted as he plunged into her. He set a steady, rapid pace and grabbed onto her shoulder for balance. Instinctively, Leah clasped his hand and slid it to the front of her throat. He hesitated for a moment before wrapping his large hand around her neck. Leah arched her back, and Quil moaned as the sensation changed.

Leah's heart raced, huffing as the feeling of Quil's thick member nearly overwhelmed her. "It's too much," she panted, desperately needing release. Quil held onto her throat as she kneeled upright and pulled her back against his chest. He slid his other hand to her sex and began circling her clit with his middle finger.

For a moment, Hodie flashed through her mind, holding her in this exact position. Quil tightened his grip on her neck and pinched her clit, rolling the bud between his thumb and forefinger. The memory of Hodie fled her mind as she exploded around Quil's cock. Her tight walls clenched him, unwilling to let go. Quil clamped his mouth down on her neck and sucked to keep from crying out as he came inside of her. She could feel the intensity of his release filling her as she tried to catch her breath. After he carefully pulled out of her, both collapsed on the bed in an exhausted heap. Each reached for the other again simultaneously, pulling each other close. Leah laid silently in his arms, ignoring her guilt for doing what Hodie feared she would do and the limbo she had now thrown herself into.

The warning in her dream had been understood. It wanted her away from Hodie at all costs. The man who was dozing off with his arms around her understood more than anyone else possibly could. She had lost her imprint, and Quil didn't want his. They were stuck in this limbo together.

Hodie is safer without me. I'm safer without him. Again, she told herself that the scary memories of Hodie could not possibly be true. Leah looked over Quil's face guiltily one more time before closing her eyes. Hodie deserves better anyway. Leah didn't know how to stop loving either of them. Leah only hoped that in the end, she wouldn't lose them both, too.

Leah woke again later, alone in her bed. She listened to the sounds of the house, finding it silent. Being Black Friday, she wasn't surprised and assumed someone was guarding nearby. Leah pulled her clothing back on and hurried to the bathroom. After what felt like the longest piss on the planet, Leah took a quick shower. She went to Jake and Bella's room to snag clean clothing and dressed quickly. Leah stood in the bathroom, tying the top half of her hair up into a bun. Her hair had not been cut in months and almost reached her shoulders for the first time in years. The peaceful silence of the house was broken as Sarah's shrieking filled the air. The sound made Leah wince as pain shot across her forehead. Her wolf snapped at her angrily as her stomach rolled with nausea.

I know, I know, Leah thought with aggravation. Sorry for the hangover.

Jacob's heavy footsteps were discernible as he hurried to the nursery. Leah walked out into the hallway as he hurried back toward her, wide-eyed. His voice shook as he asked, "Did you hear that?"

Leah asked, "Yeah, why? Where is Sarah?"

The anger in his voice grew thicker as he said, "At the store with Bells and Quil."

Leah grabbed Jacob's arm and tugged him toward the kitchen. "We have to get outside," Leah hissed. "It's in the house."

Jacob yelled, "What the fuck is this thing? Fucking invisible?"

They burst through the screen door to the backyard, and Jacob immediately phased. He howled for their pack angrily as Leah shook beside him. Her wolf snarled inside of her protectively, snapping at her to stay calm, to be careful. The warning confused her as the wolf blatantly refused to phase.

I can't protect myself this way. Leah had not phased in a month, and she cried out from the pain that shot through her body as her tremors began. The wolf snapped its teeth at her angrily, fighting against the shift it once welcomed. Leah dropped down on all fours and cried out from the pain. Jacob howled again anxiously as he glanced over at Leah with worry. Leah curled up on the ground and took deep breaths as she tried to calm down. Jacob moved to her side and whined softly, keeping his eyes trained on the house.

Her voice shaking in disbelief, Leah said, "It won't let me, Jake. The wolf won't let me phase. It doesn't want to." Jacob glanced at her, clearly perturbed by this information. Leah covered her mouth as her stomach rolled and tried to suppress a gag. The wolf was angry with her now, clawing at her with aggravation as she leaned against Jacob's side. She flinched as Sam, Paul, and Jared crashed through the trees and into the backyard surrounding them.

Paul phased and pulled his shorts on before walking over to crouch at Leah's opposite side. He asked, "Are you okay?" He jerked back for a moment, and anger settled across his face as he took in the fading bruises on her cheeks. "Who fucked your face up, Leah?"

Leah attempted to stand with his help and grumbled, "Not now, Paul." She felt faint, her limbs weak and unsteady. Leah wobbled and gripped his arm for balance.

Paul grumbled, "I swear to God, Leah, if you haven't eaten today, I'll kick your ass later." He patiently walked her over to sit at the picnic table. Jared, Sam, and Jacob had slowly circled the house, searching for how the tick had gotten in. None could find a possible route nor any evidence of its presence. Finally, Jacob phased back. He and Paul stomped into the house and searched thoroughly. When they came back outside, Jacob threw his hands up in exasperation.

Jacob walked over to sit next to Leah and said, "This no scent bullshit is really fucking frustrating."

Paul came back outside with a turkey leg in one hand and a soda in the other. He plopped down on the other side of the table as Sam and Jared phased back. "This fucker has to be super fast," Sam grumbled as they joined them at the table. "This is the second time today he's been a problem?"

Leah looked at Jacob suspiciously, assuming he had told Sam she had a nightmare that morning. "Yes," she said. "I dreamed the tick was Hodie this morning. He attacked Quil, and when I woke up, Quil, Seth, and Jacob were all standing there staring at me."

Jacob looked over at her sadly and said, "You screamed again, Leelee. Scared the shit out of Seth, too."

Leah said, "Poor Seth. He's witnessed so many of my worst moments. Poor kid is probably traumatized."

His mouth full, Paul mumbled, "I'm pretty sure we have all been traumatized." He took a drink of his soda to wash it down and continued, "By this life. By each other. We are all a fucking mess."

Angrily, Jacob spat, "I hate that this fucker has been in my house twice. Especially when the house was locked up."

Guiltily, Leah said, "Jake, I'm so sorry. I …"

He cut her off quickly and said, "No, Lee. Don't blame yourself for this bullshit. We all knew something like this could happen, and what this tick does is his decision. It's no fault of yours."

Leah said, "I know that, but it doesn't make me being here any less dangerous. I couldn't even phase to protect myself!" Leah buried her face in her hands and sighed. Jacob laid his arm around her shoulder as the others instinctively leaned in, eyeing each other suspiciously.

Jacob's tone was much calmer as he said, "I couldn't understand that. You looked like it was your first attempt to phase or some shit."

She nodded and said, "That's what it fucking felt like." Leah huffed and laid her hands back on the table.

Sam's voice was thick with concern as he asked, "How long has it been since you last phased, Leelee?"

Leah said, "I haven't phased since the night Hodie left. It's been almost a month. I had phased very few times for a couple of weeks before that, too. I haven't even really wanted to. Ever since the vamp attacked me, the urge is just … gone."

Jared asked, "Do you still feel the wolf?"

Leah said, "Yeah. All the time. It just lays there, like it's curled up in a ball inside of me. It only makes itself known when I'm in danger of doing something it doesn't think is safe. Then it just gives me fucking attitude." The others laughed collectively, understanding what she meant.

Jared said, "So, you tried to phase earlier, and the wolf fought you on it?"

Leah chuckled and said, "Yeah, pretty much."

Sam said, "There has to be a reason. Something that hasn't healed right yet."

Leah complained, "Yeah, my crazy fucking brain. I'm really not myself, guys. I fucking hate it."

Paul said, "You know, Bella's personality changed after her last concussion, too."

Jacob chuckled and said, "That's actually true. Her temper got way worse for a little while."

"As if I don't remember," Leah laughed as she thought of the night Bella had told her off with the entire family there to witness it.

Paul snickered and said, "She slapped me way before that concussion."

"No one has ever needed a concussion to slap you, Paul," Sam blurted out, and Jared barked out a loud laugh.

Paul asked, "By the way, Leah? I still want to know who fucked up your face again." Sam looked over at her, frowning as he scrutinized the bruises.

Leah said. "I dreamed the vamp was squeezing my face, threatening me. He must have gotten into the room at some point." He had to have touched me somehow, she thought. The bruises and confusion always coincided with physical touch.

Jacob sighed and said, "I wanna know how he got in my house."

Sam said, "It was chaos here just yesterday. What if he snuck in as someone we all know and hid here? He might have been in the house all damn night, Jake."

Sarcastically, Jacob said, "Fucking great."

Sam is right. He could have been in the house with us all night. Leah thought about all of the people that had been there the night before and shuddered. But, we went to the bar … Leah asked, "What about the bar, Paul?"

Jacob turned to glare at Paul. "Yeah, Paul," he said incredulously, "He was there at the bar, right? How the hell did he get back inside my house when he was at the bar?"

Paul grinned, appearing very, very guilty. Jared cackled, already anticipating some sort of confession, and Sam had to bite back his own laughter. Paul looked up as a car pulled into the drive and sighed with obvious relief. "I'll go help Bella with stuff," he volunteered and stood.

Jacob grabbed Paul's shoulder and pushed him back down in his seat. "Guys, would you give Bells a hand," Jacob asked, still staring at Paul. "Tell Quil to come here." Sam and Jared both laughed outright as they did as asked.

Once they were almost to the car, Jacob said, "So, Paul? The stranger with no scent at the bar. Had to be the bloodsucker, right?"

Keeping his head down, Paul glanced up at Leah mischievously and asked, "So did you get some last night, or what?" Leah's jaw dropped at the question. She could feel the color flooding her cheeks as Paul burst out laughing. Jacob shook his head and sighed heavily in aggravation.

Quil jogged to the table and sat next to Leah. He asked, "What happened?"

Jacob said, "It was here at the house. Probably locked inside the house with us all night, hiding."

Quil scowled and asked, "What about the …" Leah cackled, cutting Quil off as Paul rolled his eyes.

"That's what we're about to find out," Jacob said as he turned back to Paul.

Paul said, "Okay. I lied about the Leech."

Sam and Jared paused in their tracks to glance at each other in amusement. "Guys, a little help," Bella said as she lugged Sarah past them to the door.

Jacob smirked and said, "Spill it, Paul."

Paul admitted, "The stranger was just some random person. Totally human." Jacob glared at him angrily as Leah gaped in surprise.

Quil asked, "Why the hell would you lie about that?"

Paul leaned away from Jacob as he finally let go of Paul's shoulder. "To create a little tension. You two needed a fucking push," Paul said, pointing at Leah and Quil. Leah could feel the color flooding her face again as she covered it with her hands and chuckled. Jacob, Jared, and Sam were rolling with laughter as Bella scowled at them from the door.

Quil smirked and said, "You're a dick, dude."

Proudly, Paul leaned back toward the others and bragged, "Bro, I'm a dedicated wingman." Back within arms reach, Jacob playfully slapped the back of his head and laughed.

While Leah was glad that all was currently well among her family, her presence remained a danger. Again the fear of bringing a monster to Bells or Sarah terrified her. Leah stood and sighed. She said, "Well, I'm going to go grab my shit. I'm going home."

Jacob reached for her hand and said, "Wait, what? This is your home, Leah."

Leah said, "Not right now, it isn't. Until this fucker is gone for good, home is going to be wherever I can keep people the safest. I love you guys, but the risk is too much." Leah turned and hurried toward the house to gather her belongings and leave. She snuggled Sarah for a few minutes, hugged Bella as she apologized for any messes, and hurried out to her car. Leah called Rose to tell her that she was heading back to their guesthouse when there was a knock on the passenger side window. She unlocked the doors, and Quil climbed in quickly. He sat quietly as she finished her call. The second Leah put her phone down in the console, Quil grabbed her hand and held it tight. Leah forced a smile at him and said, "Thank you, Quil. For everything." He smirked and winked at her before looking out the windshield, remaining silent.

They rode to Port Angeles in silence. Leah spent the ride contemplating too many possible outcomes to her situation and chewing her top lip with worry. By the time they got into town, her stomach was growling. She swung through a drive-through pizza joint before going back to the house. It was dark when they arrived and Quil entered first to check things out. When he waved for her to come inside, Leah climbed out of the car and grabbed her belongings. Her dress from the wedding was rumpled as hell and would need to be dry-cleaned. She hung it carefully and began doing laundry before sitting down with Quil to eat.

He asked, "Do you feel better? Now that you're here?"

Leah admitted, "I'm more comfortable back home, but I'm less worried here. It mimicked Sarah's voice today while you guys were gone."

Quil looked up in wide-eyed alarm. "That's fucked up," he grumbled before shoving half of a slice in his mouth.

Leah said, "It threatened me in the dream. He said when Hodie comes back here that I should stick to my mutt and avoid Hodie, pretty much at all costs."

Quil scoffed and said, "When he comes back. He knows something we don't, I guess?"

Leah said, "Yeah, maybe." Hodie thinks I'm dead, though. Why the hell would he come back? She couldn't help the sadness behind the thought and tried her best to not let it show.

Quil asked, "Do you plan to listen?"

Leah narrowed her eyes at him, almost instantly on edge. Although she knew Quil couldn't help the underlying jealousy in his words, they angered her.

Less than twenty-four hours ago, he was willing to accept whatever I could give him. He fucking knows how confused I am right now. For the third time that day, her sadness overtook her. The pizza in her stomach suddenly felt like a ball of lead, heavy, foreign, sinking endlessly in a pool of grease and guilt. Her chair tipped backward as she got up and ran for the bathroom. Her knees banged painfully against the marble flooring in front of the toilet as Leah vomited what little she had eaten. She dry heaved a few times before nausea finally faded. The vomiting had left her feeling weak again and out of breath. Her stomach cramped as she flushed the toilet and moved over to sit on the side of the tub. Leah looked up as someone knocked on the door frame, expecting to find Quil. Instead, Rose stood there wearing a polite grin, and Leah sighed.

Rose asked, "You alright?"

Leah answered, "Just stress, I think." She went to the sink to brush her teeth.

Rose walked in and touched the small bun in Leah's hair. "That's cute," she said, poorly hiding her obvious concern. "Is throwing up from stress normal for you?"

"No," Leah said and rinsed the toothpaste from her mouth. "At least it didn't use to be. Then again, not much has been normal since I got hurt."

Rose said, "Trauma can do that, Babe. Can I ask you something personal, though?" Leah nodded for Rose to continue, and she asked, "Are you practicing safe sex at all?"

Leah cringed for a moment as she thought about what she and Quil had done. God, he's such a skirt chaser, too. Lord only knows who all he has been with since we ended things. Leah shook her head no and sighed. "I know, it's stupid," Leah said as she cleaned up her mess. "I need to be more careful."

Rose admitted, "Well, I just wondered because I can smell him on you. In you, actually. I'm assuming drunk wedding sex?"

Leah nodded and laughed. "So cliche," she groaned, and Rose rolled her eyes.

Rose said, "I happen to be a big fan of the kind of magic that weddings create. Anyway, are you on birth control at all?"

Bitterly, Leah said, "No. I stopped having periods when I started phasing."

Rose's face fell sympathetically, and she nodded. "I'm sorry for that," she said. "I shouldn't have asked."

Leah said, "Good friends ask questions. I appreciate that you care."

Rose grinned at Leah affectionately. "I do care," Rose admitted. "I know how it feels to love two people at once."

Surprised, Leah asked, "Do you?"

Rose smirked and asked, "Did you think Emmett was my only relationship?" She cocked her head, looking deep in thought as she said, "You could choose them both, you know? It is possible if everyone is willing to put in the work."

Leah laughed and said, "They're both jealous as hell." The idea seemed preposterous. "I don't think that would ever work."

Rose said, "I don't know. But, maybe you should think about it. Let me know if you need anything or just want to talk." In a flash, she was gone, leaving Leah bewildered. The more she learned about Rose, the more she liked her. Leah could understand why Rose had fallen for Emmett. Hodie had his good looks, charm, and kind nature. They had a similar gait and sense of humor. Making these comparisons led to others, and she became lost in thought. A sudden sharp pain jolted across her forehead, and Leah had to sit again. Memories of Hodie began to click into place, chasing the fog from her mind. Leah was instantly taken back to the moment he left her, correcting the nightmare version of the scene. She replayed it in her mind with absolute clarity, the lingering fear his memory had caused for her now gone altogether.

What had been said or thought that had unlocked the real memory? Without the fear and anxiety overshadowing them, the depth of her heartache and guilt slammed her. What the hell am I doing anymore? Am I going to just hide here forever? Keep missing my family? Letting Quil baby my ass like he's my boyfriend while he gets nothing but heartache from me? Leah was furious with herself. Leah grabbed a trash bag and began packing a good deal of the clothing they had been gifted and anything they might immediately need. Leah lugged the items into her car and went back inside to finish the laundry she had already started.

Quil came inside a moment later, scowling. He snapped, *Why the hell would you go outside alone? What the hell are you doing?"

Leah began transferring items to the dryer and said, "I'm not doing this anymore. Something clicked, Quil. I still don't have everything, but I remember more now. I want my fucking life back."

He smirked and said, "You sound pissed."

"I am pissed," Leah exclaimed. It felt fucking good. "This bastard fucked my head up and made me do what it makes Hodie do; Run. I'm done running. I want my fucking family and my job."

"Good," Quil said, and Leah glared at him. "Welcome back. Nice to see you, sweetheart." He gave her a dazzling smile that instantly made her weak.

Leah chuckled, and the tension began to leave her. As usual, Quil managed to piss her off and calm her all in one fleeting second. He walked over and yanked her to his chest. Leah hugged him back and sighed as he kissed her forehead.

Quil asked, "So, what is the plan?"

Leah said, "I'm going to ask Jake and Bella to rent me that room."

Quil laughed and said, "I think that was already the plan."

She added, "Until I have a house built."

Quil scoffed and asked, "You really want to build a house there? Live next to your boss?"

Leah said, "Yeah, I kinda do. It would be safer than in their house, but I want to be near my sister. It is also somewhere I could have some backup immediately when necessary, especially if I can't fucking phase anymore."

"What?!" Confused, Quil pulled away to look at her.

Fuck. Quil missed that whole portion of the conversation today. Leah sat at the table with him and told him about her failed attempt that afternoon. Her inability to phase worried him and confused him almost as much as it did her. Leah sought out her cell to call Jacob about coming back to the house. He and Bella welcomed her to their home happily. Jacob admitted preferring she be home anyway, especially now that they knew that Leah could not phase for whatever reason. He and the rest of the pack had already discussed the situation and everyone believed it was safer for her to be at home. So far, the vamp had only targeted Leah, despite having every opportunity to target whomever he wanted. Leah hoped that believing she had chosen Quil would be enough to keep it away.

Leah hit the intercom button to call Rose over and explained what happened. She mentioned her hope to buy the property behind Jacob's and build a house. Rose was thrilled with the idea and promised to discuss it further another day. Once the laundry was finished, Rose told Leah she would clean up what was left and set them on their way. She sped toward La Push, eager to be where she finally realized she belonged.