----*----

"Eliza-May."

"Jacob Antony."

"How have you been?"

"Tolerable, you?"

"All right."

"Hey, Jake," Bella rushed into the room. "Ready to study?"

Jake lifted up his textbook. "Ready as I'll ever be." He pretended that the book was too heavy. "Ugh."

I shook my head and went upstairs. I didn't want to study with them.

What was he thinking? Flirting with my sister as if I wasn't there. As if he never thought we had something. How could he go from jealous to over me in a few weeks? And what would happen to Bella? Would he break her heart?

She wouldn't be able survive if he did.

She didn't want Jacob anyway. All she wants is him. Jacob would probably just be a temporary replacement. Someone to hold the edges of the wound. He would need to be with her constantly, or she'd fall apart.

----*----

I nearly threw my book across the room. Why was I letting him risk my sister's wellbeing? Why didn't I just tell him I broke up with Titus? Then he'd back off, right?

I told him I wasn't interested. That he was like a brother to me. That I loved Titus. That I had moved on. So he did too.

The problem was that I lied. I didn't realize it at the time, but Jake wasn't the only one that was jealous.

Great. What was I thinking? I slapped my forehead. I put Bella in another situation where she could be hurt. That wasn't what I wanted at all. She was fragile, breakable. She always seemed to be on the edge of going back to how she was after he left.

"What am I going to do now?" I muttered, sitting down on Bella's bed. I hadn't felt that hopeless since I found out I was pregnant three years before. I really didn't see in similarities in the situations. This one was far worse, yet somehow my subconscious made a connection. Sighing, I stood again and threw my cell phone at the wall.

Then, it rang. Great, who'd want talk to me? "Hello?"

"Hi, Liza, it's Mike Newton."

"Oh hey, Newton." Why was he calling? I thought. He's crushing on Bells. "How do you know my number?"

"Jess."

"Oh." That answer really didn't surprise me. She had every student at Forks High's numbers. "So, what's up, Newton?" I didn't really want to talk to Newton at all. I tried to put across an air of apathy. "Not that I care."

"I was wondering; what are you doing tomorrow? It's Saturday."

"My homework. Don't you have to work or something?"

"No, I have the day off. Do you want to go to Port Angeles?"

I looked toward the door, expecting something (although I wasn't sure what). "I guess so. What should I wear?"

"Oh, um, I guess, something, um, normal?" His volume lowered with nervousness.

It sounded like he wasn't expecting me to say 'Yes'. "See you tomorrow," with that, I hung up, put my phone back in my pocket, and went downstairs. I went to the kitchen and grabbed an apple.

"Hey, Liza," my sister said, just as happy as she was before I went upstairs. Jacob sat beside her, his geometry book open.

"Hi, Bells." I sat down, and bit into the fruit. "Oh, hey, Black. Didn't know you were still here." The lie came easily. My ability to sound apathetic surprised me. Man, I'm good, I thought, taking another bite.

"What has you smiley, Eliza?" he said, looking up from his current problem. "You're glowing."

"What?" My mouth was still full. I held up a finger. "Un momento."(One minute) Did I seem happy to him? Because I didn't feel happy. I felt like shit. And what did he mean by 'glowing'? Usually people only when you're pregnant and I'd already ruled that one out. At least I hope I'd had.

"Glowing?" Bella gasped. "Liza you're not—" Of course, she'd jump to that conclusion. Most people would. Personally, that's the last thing that would make me glow.

I swallowed. "You're right Isabella, I'm not. As for your question, Black," I leaned back in my seat. "I have a date tomorrow."

"With who?" He leaned back as well. "Not that I care." He was just as good at seeming apathetic as I was. Too bad his words meant that he was.

"Mike Newton." I really wanted to call his bluff but it would involve ruining my façade. "Why did you ask if you don't care?" I settled for a calmer approach.

"Thought Bella would want to know," he shrugged, still. So, you broke up with Lyons?"

"Duh. Glad you don't take me for a slut, Black." With that, I went back to our room.

----*----

"What happened?" Bella asked when we were alone. "You guys used to really like each other."

"You sound like Jess."

"Liza—"

"No, Bella." I stood, angrily. "I don't want to explain my relationship with Jacob. It's hard enough to deal with him without you butting in!"

"Liza, I thought we could talk about things."

"We can't talk about anything, Bella! You can't even say his name! 'Talk about things', my rear."

"What? Eliza-May how can you say something like that?"

I sat down in the old rocking chair. I knew what I had to say, even if it hurt her. "You're heartbroken; I get that, but come on! It's not like he's going to remember you in another fifty years! It'll be like we never existed!" I took a deep breath. "He wanted to love me instead, Izzy, but he couldn't!" Bella just sat there, blinking. It was infuriating. I stood again and pulled open our bedroom door. "He tried to kiss me a few days before he left!" I slammed it shut, my face covered with tears. I slid down the door, and put my face in my hands.

Why did I do that? I started to sob, my chest quivering. I'm going to regret this. Suddenly, a sharp, burning pain came across my lower abdomen. I screamed, "DADDY!"

"May, what's wrong?" Charlie slid down beside me. "What hurts?"

----*----

"Well, Miss Swan," Dr. Snow said slowly, "I'm not sure how to say this, but do you want your father in the room?" He stood at the foot of bed. His knuckles were white because of how hard he was holding his clip board.

"What do you mean?" I questioned, "What's wrong with me?" I just laid there, holding my stomach. The pain had finally stopped. "Why am I so sick?"

"There's really nothing wrong, it's just that this is a sensitive subject. I don't want this to hurt your relationship." He looked at Charlie. "Unless there's some reason she can't keep this a secret, Chief Swan."

"No." Charlie looked at me, his eyes wide and on the verge of tears. "It's up to you, May baby. I love you, just remember that."

Hoping I wouldn't regret it, I took a deep breath. "Shoot, Doc."

The passing second seemed like forever. "Congratulations," the doctor replied. "You're pregnant."