"Tonight!" I exclaim, staring at the phone receiver in shock. "Jake I don't know if can come tonight. Edward gave me an ultimatum last week about making short notice decisions like I did. I have no way of telling him if I go right now."

"I'm sorry, Bella. I forgot to tell you the other day. Emily asked me to but she asked while I was working and it totally slipped my mind." He sounded genuinely apologetic. "And forget about Cullen. He's not your father. Charlie knows you're gonna be down here tonight 'cause my dad called yesterday and told him."

"He didn't…" I groaned. This was so not okay. Why hadn't Charlie mentioned it to me or something? "Jake, I want to go but I just really can't. You can't drop something like this on me last minute."

"So what did he say?"

"Who?"

"Edward. You said he gave you an ultimatum. Are you alright?"

I chewed on my lip and pulled at the cuffs of my flannel. "I'm fine." I lied. Really, I was. Besides some more bruises, there was nothing wrong. But they were obviously made by hands. My fingertips fit perfectly in some of the smaller parts of the bruises, and they'd yet to completely fade. I was kind of glad it didn't get too hot here, otherwise I'd be dying from a heat stroke. "He just doesn't like when I don't tell him where I'm going. It doesn't matter. The point is that I just can't."

"But Emily was really excited to see you again."

I felt like he was just trying to guilt trip me now. "Jacob."

"Isabella."

I sighed, about to repeat myself for the hundredth time since answering the phone, before I heard three quick knocks on the front door.

"Hold on, I think I heard knocking."

"If you hang up, I'm coming to get you."

"Jeez, chill, Jake. I'm not hanging up. Give me a second." I set the phone down on the counter and limped towards the front door. I opened it and frowned when I saw no one there, leaning outside and looking around. Before I shut the door, I looked down, and gasped in shock. A very colorful, very ostentatious bouquet was sitting on the porch with a small card tied to the crystal vase. I picked it up carefully, shocked by the weight of it, and set it on the counter.

"Still there?" I asked as I picked up the phone, picking through the flowers.

"Yup. So what happened?"

"Uh, I just got a ton of flowers delivered to my door." I said, staring at the card I'd yet to read. "It looks expensive."

"Ooh, who's it from?"

I peeked at the card. It was his handwriting, but it wasn't signed. "I'm not sure, there's no name."

"They're probably apology flowers or something." Jake said dismissively. "That big of a fight, huh? Guess he realized you were right and he was wrong and wanted to make up for it."

I snorted. Yeah right. "Well, I'll see you later, Jake."

"Does that mean— "

"Yes. Come get me in about an hour. I need to find some things to wear over the weekend and take a shower. When you get here you can stay for lunch, if you like."

"I won't say no to that!" He said excitedly. "See you in an hour Bells!"

"See you." I say as I hang up the phone. I stand there for a minute, staring at the card, contemplating on whether or not I wanted to open it and see what it said. I wasn't sure if I did. Because Jake was probably right. This was Edward saying sorry without actually having to allow the words to come out of his mouth. I rolled my eyes, cut the card off the vase, and tossed it in the garbage.

I didn't care. At least, I didn't care at this very moment. Because the fact remained that Edward wasn't going to tell me who I could and couldn't visit anymore. If I wanted to go down to the reservation and spend a few nights with Emily, I was going to. I wasn't a child. I had taken care of my mom for as long as I could remember. I don't even recall getting the chance to be a child. I had to grow up because my mother had never learned how.

I was seething. But I didn't want to throw away the flowers. Despite not reading the note and still being upset with him, I really did like them. I'm sure they were ridiculously expensive, because Edward would have nothing less, but they were beautiful, and the kitchen already smelled of flowers. They hadn't been in the house for longer than five minutes. I carried them over to the kitchen table and set them in the center, adjusting them until I was happy, and then hobbled up the stairs to wander around my room and find clothes to wash. I hadn't done laundry since I'd left Emily's the last time, almost a week and a half ago. I knew I needed to, I just hadn't felt like it. Summer always drains me of energy.

Once the laundry is started, I find a pair of shorts and a tank top, along with one of my dad's old flannels to wear after a quick shower. After I get dressed, I wrap my hair in a towel and slowly make my way back to the kitchen to fix sandwiches. It was quick and easy, and I could wrap up a few for Charlie for whenever he got home. It wouldn't be a great dinner, but it would be something. He'd probably just end up ordering pizza. Sometimes I wondered how he got by without me. At least in the kitchen.

I was probably elbow deep in sandwiches when I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in, it's unlocked." I shouted, finishing up the seventh sandwich. That's all I was going to make for now. I'd only eat one, but Jake would happily eat them all while we waited for my clothes to dry.

"Hey, Bells!" Jake grinned as he came into the kitchen, his eyes flickering briefly in the direction of the flowers before returning to me, his nose crinkling slightly. "That bad, huh?"

I laugh. "No… he's just…" I grimace, trying to find the right words. But since I can't, at least not for Jacob's sake, I shrug. He laughs and sits down at the table, pushing the flowers as far away as he can without throwing them off the table.

"They stink." He grimaced. "They're strong as hell."

"Really? I love the way they smell." I sat the sandwiches on the table and took the flowers, setting them on the furthest counter. "Maybe you just have a ridiculously keen nose."

He shrugged, already half done with his first sandwich. "Probably. It's so weird."

By the time I sit down and take a bite, he's already almost done with his second. We sit in silence for a few minutes while we eat. I half expect Edward to just walk in, but he would probably see Jake's car out front or something and leave, or maybe go up to my room and wait. Actually, it was kind of sunny out today so he might not even come over. It's days like this that he was probably out with his family today, hunting. That's usually what they did when the sun was out. It was so rare for Forks to see the sun. They should make it some sort of holiday at this point.

"So we're just going to have a bonfire tonight." Jake said suddenly. I turned my attention to him. "We normally have a bonfire once a month, because that's about how often we can drag everyone together. But Emily wants you to stay for another girls' weekend. Kim is excited to see you, too. They really like you, Bells. I think that it's so cool everyone on the Rez likes you. Or mostly everyone."

His grimace catches more of my attention than his praise. "Why do you say mostly everyone?"

He sighs. "Just forget about it, Bells. You can't please everyone."

"It's Paul, isn't it?"

He doesn't say anything.

"I don't get it. What did I even do to him?" I cross my arms over my chest, fuming. "It's not fair. He doesn't even know me, but as soon as he lays eyes on me, I get this unwarranted attitude. And I sort of talked to him my last night in La Push, but the conversation was less than two minutes if you don't count the stretched periods of silence when he was probably figuring out something not outright hostile to say to me. I'm so done with it."

Jacob stared at me in shock. "Bella, I don't think I've ever seen you really mad."

"I am mad!" I push myself up from the table, grab the empty plate that once held sandwiches, and limped over to the sink to wash it. "Because it's just not fair. He hasn't even given me the chance to make a good impression. He just hates me for no reason."

"Oh, come on, Bells. Just let it go." Jacob stands up and leans against the counter next to me. "He's like that with a lot of people, I guess."

"Name one."

"What?"

"Name someone else he's this hostile towards."

Jake frowned. "Bella—"

"You can't, can you?"

"You're getting riled up over nothing."

I sigh and lean forward, holding my face in my hands. "I know… I just… I don't understand. And that's what upsets me the most. I didn't do anything. That I know of, at least. I just want him to tell me what I did to offend him and I'll fix it."

After a few minutes, I stand up straight and move towards the laundry room. "I better get my stuff packed so we can go. Can you go up to my room and get my bag? It should be laying on my bed already. I don't feel like braving the stairs again today."

"Sure, sure. Anything else?"

I shrug. "Not that I can think of."

He's already run to my room, grabbed my bag, and come back by the time I'm halfway to the laundry room. Jake just laughs, scoops me up, and carries me in that direction, helping me stuff my bag full of clothes. I don't even protest when he picks me up to carry me back to the kitchen. I take the little notepad on the counter and write a note for Charlie.

Dad,

I made some sandwiches for you when you get home. I went with Jake for a bonfire tonight on the Rez and I'll be staying another few nights with Emily. I'll call you later. Love you.

Bella

I hang the note up on the fridge and look around, making sure I'm not forgetting anything. I nod to myself, unwrap the towel from my head, and throw my hair up in a bun. "Alright, let's go."

(IMPORTANT) AN: yes, bella left for the rez in a tank top and shorts. no. i dont care. haha. anyway, i know i said i would try and update weekly, but it seems as though i'll update whenever i feel like it, being that i've updated twice today already. but the weekly thing still stands. even if writers block is killing me, i'll try and put out at least one chapter per week. that is my solemn oath to everyone. because i am determined to finish this story. hopefully it will set a precedent for me to actually finish literally anything else i do in life. ha!

as a side note, i know the timeline is soooooo off. i thought i was doing good with it, but apparently im not. im realizing my flaws as i go. so im going to lay it out here!

This was intended to take place in-between Twilight and New Moon, and still does. Whenever Bella referred to not seeing Jake for about a year, give or take, we'll just say it refers to not seeing him throughout Twilight and a bit of the summer. Close enough to be a year, right? Because I don't think I said exactly a year or anything. Bella always says "like a year" so we're good. I'm good. You're good. We're all good. Also, I get her injuries may have healed mostly by now, and they have, I guess. But I'm dragging it out. I'm milking it for all it's worth. Jake hasn't phased yet, but will soon. The Cullens' still leave for the same reasons, Bella just gets over it faster because of her La Push family. And yeah, so that's it. I don't wanna spoil too much.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Much love. -s