I woke up on Friday morning with a sense of relief in my bones.
Charlie washed away any worries I'd had about moving here. He put me above himself, it was the first time anyone had done that for me.
Last night when we got back, I went to get a peppermint tea before bed and the amount of my favorite foods that had been stuffed into the cupboards and fridge threatened to explode on to me. I had to blink away the emotion prickling in my eyes.
It was easier to get out of bed that morning. It was Friday, I was about to have two days off. Could there be a better feeling?
Angela and I had spent the night dissecting my conversation in the woods with Jasper. I didn't go into detail about him almost giving away another secret. For some reason, I wanted to keep that to myself. So instead I told her that he thought I'd realized he had a crush on me.
I really hoped he didn't mind me saying that. I'd have to warn him today. I would die if Angela said to him in their history class.
The important part to tell Angela was that he swore it wasn't Edward and he was in Alaska Still, we would need to see that for ourselves.
When I got out of my truck in the lot, it took all but ten seconds to find something to make my day improve to greater heights.
My eyes lowered as I took him in, feeling something inside of me awakening. He was just standing there, leaning against the Volvo reading a book. My mind was running through all sorts of fantasies. My favorite one started off with me grabbing his belt buckle and pulling him off into the forest. If there's a God...
Angela gripped my arms and shook me a little. "Damn, snap out of it," she giggled. Her straight hair was pulled back off her face and she had glittery earrings on show. She was feeling Friday too.
I played it up for her, fanning myself for good measure and leaning my body against the truck. I added a very obvious leer up and down his body, whistling in appreciation.
Angela giggled, shaking my arm. "He isn't a piece of meat. Control yourself."
His eyes snapped up and met mine, a predatory look in them. Well that's how it made me feel anyway – like prey. I immediately halted my ogling, feeling blood rush to my face. My arms swung uselessly at my sides, all signs of sass disappearing.
"Oh, boy. You really got caught out," she giggled. "Let's get to class."
I pouted at her. "Oh but, please," I begged, nodding in Jasper's direction.
"Today is Angela day. Sorry," she said, holding on to my arm.
I nodded my head in agreement. It had been about me all week.
&TL&
I kept my back to the Cullens table at lunch. Knowing who was sitting there made me feel self conscious about eating, and I was starving.
Jess was nattering in my ear about Edward's hair but I barely took her in, my chicken wrap was my main priority.
"Oh, my god," Angela squeaked.
I immediately reached my hand across the table towards her in concern. When her eyes met mine there was pity mixed with steely determination.
It took me a few seconds to put two and two together. I twisted my head to look at the Cullens table.
There he was, plain as day, the man I had been accusing since day one.
Edward Cullen.
Fear trickled down my spine. I had my chance but now I wasn't sure if I wanted it.
Jess was looking back and forth between us. "Don't tell me you guys have a crush on him, too?" Her hair seemed to frizz impossibly higher towards the ceiling.
"No, Jess, we've just wondered where he's been," Angela said. Her eyes hadn't moved from their table.
"But Bella barely met him?"
Angela sighed. "Sorry, I meant I had been wondering. He took my Biology book last day I was in by accident," she swallowed, staring at Jess until she seemed placated.
She gave in with a sulk, even though the last day Edward was in he didn't make it to Biology.
I glanced back at their table. Edward attempted a small smile, but he looked pained. It made me wince. I guess part of me expected him to come in with excuses but I could see the hatred so clearly in his eyes. Jasper told me it wasn't him, but how could I think otherwise?
He scraped his chair back.
No.
His eyebrows were crunched together as his face turned determined. He was making long strides toward us.
I spun back to Angela. "Don't leave me alone with him, please!" I begged. Something moved in my stomach. Angela looked panicked.
"Bella, Angela, could I talk to you both, please?" His soft voice sounded so innocent.
Angela nodded gently, sympathy in her features. She's such a sucker. Just a second ago she was panicking, now she looked like she wanted to wrap him in cotton wool.
Edward's head was facing the floor, his bronze locks hanging over his eyes. I wanted to see those weird golden orbs.
Go ahead, Edward, remind me why you deserve this.
I took a deep breath, getting up from my chair. I held my arm out for him to lead the way. Never let the enemy walk behind you. My dad taught me that.
We walked into the hallway outside of the cafeteria. My heart was pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it.
Edward stood with his back to us before spinning around. I grabbed Angela's arm, yelping, feeling my back hit the wall. We cowered together, her sympathy for him evaporating.
The blood was pumping thick through my veins. I could feel every pulse, in my belly, to my head and right through to my feet.
Edward had opened his mouth to speak but whatever was going to come out was stopped in its tracks. His face went perfectly smooth, no fake expression of apology, just blank. The only change was the concentration of his eyes, the black orbs followed every infinitesimal move I made.
He took one step forward, giving me a serene, inviting smile. I pushed myself further into the wall, searching for a way to escape with Angela. His presence was so large it was hard to see past him.
"Edward," Angela said in a shaky whisper, "what's going on?"
He barely acknowledged her, his eyes were focused on my necklace.
He took another step. The doors barreled open, Emmett strode out looking furious, grabbing Edward's arms from behind. Jasper was in front of me in a flash, making me jump out of my skin. He turned his back to me. I couldn't see past his large shoulders, but I could hear strange noises almost like fabric ripping and animals screeching. I whimpered behind him, grabbing Angela's hand.
The sounds got further and further away. Jasper grabbed my shoulders. "I'm sorry," he said in a whisper, contrasting with his steely features.
"What the hell was that?" My voice was thick with choked sobs.
Angela was staring at Jasper like she'd seem him in a new light, and whatever that light was, she didn't like.
"You promised me it isn't Edward."
"It isn't," he stressed.
"How can you say that? You literally had to drag him away."
"Edward hasn't been well, Bella. It isn't my story to tell." He gave me meaningful eyes, like he was trying to remind me of something.
It clicked through my foggy mind. This was something to do with his secret. I glanced at Angela, wondering had she picked up on it. She was frowning at the floor.
"What do you mean he's not well? He just had the cold," she asked.
Jasper swallowed. "He's been having a rough time. It was too soon for him to come back to school, we didn't realize."
Angela's face softened. "It's not your fault, Jasper. It's up to your parents to decide. I hope Edward's OK." She nibbled on her fingernail. "Are you sure it's not him sending Bella threats?"
"I swear to you, it's not him. I can't prove it to you, but trust me, I know."
He'd sold her a version of the story, but I wanted the real thing.
&TL&
Angela and I had almost forgotten we'd agreed to go to La Push beach with Mike and Tyler. When she heard Ben wasn't going to be there, she lost all interest, but I still managed to drag her along.
There were a bunch of girls I hadn't spoke to yet and as soon as they saw us, they jogged over.
"Are you dating Jasper Hale?" The blonde one asked, her straight hair sweeping with the wind.
"Um, no?" I said.
They looked at each other and scoffed. The blonde spoke again, "He had his arm around you the other day?"
"We're friends," I shrugged. Sometimes. "He didn't have his arm around me, he caught me when I fell."
They looked disappointed at my answer. "Whatever," she said, and they walked back to Tyler's van.
"Who even is that?" I asked Angela.
"Lauren Mallory," she stated, rolling her eyes. "Just ignore her, she's been after Jasper since they moved here. She's also after Tyler, so just be careful. She can be territorial," she nodded her head once, firmly. "Like a dog."
"Great! Just what I need today."
Angela chuckled and wrapped her arm around me. "Maybe, they'll think we're dating now."
"You wish, hun."
&TL&
The beach was beautiful. I couldn't deny that. The company however… could be improved.
The morning clouds had dissipated allowing the sun to sprinkle across the ocean, its glare dancing in our eyes. It was still early, the sun hadn't risen to its highest position, creating long shadows from the trees littering the coast. A boat was bobbing gently in the distance, close to the large stand-alone cliff spiking out of the sea.
Five boys were already sitting around a campfire. All of them had short dark hair and deep tans. Angela glanced up, shooting me a wink.
Jacob Black looked towards us and caught my eye. Again, he had the same steely expression he wore at my house, he didn't smile or even show any recognition at my presence.
"Oh, great," I whispered. Angela shot me a confused glance. I shook my head to let her know I would explain later. "Um, hey Jacob," I said, with a nervous laugh.
He nodded his head once. I wasn't sure if it was in acknowledgment or resignation. Air filled my lungs as I prepared to sigh; it seemed a nod was all I was going to get until:
"Hey, Bella," he smiled. I blinked at him. "Come join us." He waved Angela and I over.
I looked at Angela in shock, although she didn't know my reasoning behind it. She skipped over, already eyeing up who she was going to sit between.
"Hi Bella. Jake told us about you. You're Charlie's daughter?" A young tanned boy smiled. I returned his smile with a small one of my own and nodded. "I'm Embry." He stuck his hand out and I had to amble towards them to come close enough to shake it. "Take a seat."
I sat between him and Jacob and introductions were passed around. The other boys were Quil, Paul and Jared. Angela sat between the former two, giggles included.
Jacob was stoking the fire. I was surreptitiously watching him when I saw Quil gently kick him on the leg. Jacob cleared his throat, "So, Bella, how're you liking the Pacific Northwest?"
Could this get any more awkward? He clearly didn't want to talk to me. In fact, I was sure I could see sweat beading on his forehead from the effort it took to pretend to like me.
"It's fine," I replied. "Pretty boring, not much going on." That was my second lie of the day.
"Things will start to get more interesting soon," Jacob said with a sneer on his lips. I recoiled, unsure of what I did to make him dislike me so much.
Quil cleared his throat. "Sorry Bella, it's nothing personal. It's tribe stuff between us and people in your town."
"Tribe stuff? Why does that make me the pariah while Angela gets drooled over?"
Angela was looking at me with wide eyes. She flicked back and forth towards Jacob and I, picking up on the tone the conversation had turned to.
One of the boys, Jared, I think, snorted with laughter. "Come over here and we'll drool over you too."
Rowdy, boyish laughter broke out. Even Jacob joined in. I tried to smile, but it felt forced. What could people in my town have to do with tribe stuff? Did someone kill a bear or a wolf or something?
The tension eased between everyone but Jacob and I. I could feel a thick cloud between us forcing unnatural eye contact and quick looks of confusion. Everyone else was chatting and laughing, Angela was having the time of her life.
Eventually, he cracked. I heard a long release of breath beside me, catching my attention. I looked up and Jacob was peering down at me, his lips in a tight line as though contemplating something. "Come with me," he said.
I pointed at myself, raising my eyebrows.
"Yes, you," he snickered.
I pushed myself up from the log, feeling uneasy. His behavior was unpredictable and I didn't think I should be alone with him, but I felt like I was going to get answers for something. My intuition was tingling.
Angela didn't seem to mind that I was going alone with him, so she mustn't have thought he was that much of a threat.
"Where are we going?" I asked apprehensively.
He nodded towards a tree with large, dried limbs like a spider. "We'll talk over there."
I turned back to make sure Angela would be able to see us from where we sat. Just in case.
We walked together slowly, the sand was thick and dry making it difficult to walk through gracefully. When we got to the tree I perched myself on one of the higher limbs while Jacob sat on the lower one. It made me feel better sitting that little bit higher.
"I'm sorry I haven't been that welcoming to you," he said quickly and quietly.
I stared down at him for a few seconds in confusion. "Well, why haven't you?"
He cleared his throat. "What do you know about the Quileute legends?"
"Not much. My dad used to talk about it when I was little when we came to the reservation. I'm guessing your dad told him all he knows."
He nodded. "It's quite an interesting tale. Basically, legend says the tribesmen are descended from wolves." He eyed me quickly. "Do you like horror movies?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess so. What has this got to do with anything?"
"I'm getting there," he snapped impatiently.
I blinked at him. His rudeness was so abrupt.
"Can you tell me in a horror movie, what is the wolf's biggest enemy?"
I laughed under my breath. "Really?" He nodded. "OK, uh, wolf as in werewolf?" He nodded again. "A vampire?"
"Bingo!" he said, clicking his fingers.
"Right, well that explains everything." I dropped my eyes to the sand.
"I don't hate you, Bella. There are just people in your town that..." He didn't seem to know how to finish, his eyes flashing with guilt.
This was fun and all, but was I really going to believe Jacob dragged me over here to tell me about wolves and vampires?
I threw my head back and growled. "If you don't spit it out I'm going back to the group."
His cheeks were going patchy and his hands were flailing around trying to find the words for him. "You don't understand how hard it is for me to say it. You just need to be careful. There are people in your town who aren't who they say they are."
"Oh, yeah? Like who?"
"Think about it, Bella," he pleaded. "There are people who just don't… look right,"
I knew immediately who he was talking about. Of course I did. The Cullens. I swallowed thickly, looking off into the distance watching the boat bob in the early morning sun, contemplating what he was trying to say.
Were they vampires? Was that even something I could believe in? I know it, deep in my heart, that those kids aren't normal, but vampires?
"You know who I mean. I can see you've figured it out. I just want you to be careful."
I laughed spitefully. "You've been nothing but unwelcoming to me, even in my own home. Now you're telling me tales about the only people who have been nice to me? For my own good? Why don't you treat other people in my town like this?"
His face crunched up in disgust. "I knew you were friends with them. I could smell them all around your house."
My blood turned cold. "What?"
"Nothing," he said, quietly, "just a hunch."
"What do you mean by that? You don't actually think you're a wolf, do you?"
He looked sulky. "I didn't say I was a wolf. You merely guessed it. Can we make that clear?" he said, a bit louder than normal. I turned back towards the group, they were staring over with a mixture of concern and anger on their faces.
I shrugged. "OK, Jacob Black. You've really made me feel better about this whole situation." I got up to walk away.
"Bella, wait!" He grabbed my arm. "You're telling me there's nothing odd about them you can't explain? Have you ever seen them eat?"
I scoffed. "Of course I've seen them eat..." He wasn't buying it.
"How do they feel to the touch?" I remembered Jasper's knuckles against my stomach, Emmett's arm around my shoulders. "Do they appear stronger or quicker than what would be considered normal?" I thought about how fast Jasper approached me in the forest, how they never seem to be out of breath in gym class.
"This proves nothing," I spat. Although everything was just a nail in the coffin. I just didn't want him to know that. "You're not a friend to me, why are you telling me this?"
"I am a friend to you, Bella. You'll see in time I'm doing this because I care about your dad and you."
What were his motives? He didn't care about me he was a liar. I wracked my brain as to why he would try and turn me against the Cullens. He was going out of his way to make them seem like the bad guys when I'd already been over it with them.
They were nothing but helpful and nice to me. If anything, Jacob had motive enough to be the one threatening me.
That's when it hit me.
It was Jacob.
Eeeek. Apologies for the late update. It's been a weird few months, what I thought was bad chicken turned out to be a food intolerance hehe, maybe I'll make Bella hate wheat? (Still ate pancakes on pancake Tuesday)
I've been putting this off, but I'm ready to go again. I understand if you need a read through or you've given up. If you're still with me, throw me some theories and let me know where you think this is going, because it is goooooing!