Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the reviews! Sorry for any delay on any of my stories. I had papers and projects due this past week and I have final exams next week, so updates will get more frequent after next Friday. Not much action in this chapter, really it is all about Bella and how she is processing everything.

DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer, along with Little, Brown and Company, owns all the rights to the Twilight Saga. I own nothing and profit nothing from this story.

The next morning I left for work still agitated from the day before. I was still trying to process the fact that Sam was a werewolf, or shape shifter or whatever. I accepted that vampires were real easily enough. But I was having a slightly harder time wrapping my head around shape shifters. I think it was because vampires looked pretty much like they did as humans, just paler and more beautiful and then of course the eyes. I just couldn't imagine Sam turning into a wolf. That seemed a little too farfetched if you asked me. I think it was something that I wouldn't fully grasp until I saw it with my own eyes. A man turning into an animal didn't make since scientifically possible at all.

I wanted to ask Sam about it, but I thought better of it. We had just met and I'm sure that he didn't go around telling just anyone that little fact about himself. I wanted to wait until he felt the need to tell me. It wasn't technically any of my business and I wouldn't bother him with my curiosity. But there was another thing that held my wonder. What did Edward mean by that we have a bond or connection? And did Sam really care for me as much as Edward made it sound like. I knew that I felt a need to have in my life, and that I found him insanely attractive, and he seemed like a wonderful person, but what did all that mean? If I didn't know better I would say that I had a crush on Sam. This was completely absurd, because I was completely in love with Edward. Right? Edward was my future. I needed him. The thought of him leaving was heart breaking. But the thought of not having Sam in my life was just as hurtful. But I couldn't be with two people, so what did that mean? I had too many questions and no one to answer them.

I got to work and avoided Mike by working in the stock room taking inventory. Unfortunately, that only took up the first two hours of my six hour shift. He kept going on and on about some movie about aliens playing in Port Angeles. I really didn't care about aliens. I had real mythical creatures I was dealing with on a regular basis. Little did Mike know that he didn't have to look far to get his make believe action fix. I declined the offer, once again, to the movie. I wondered what it would take to get Mike to forget about me. I thought it would take a lot, like maybe a wedding ring or a personal threat with a deadly weapon. Two complete opposites but both would draw the line very clearly for the poor boy. I really didn't want it to come to either of those options though.

I was ecstatic when Mrs. Newton let me go home early due to it being a slow day. Driving home, I was hoping that Sam was still at my house, but I didn't get my hopes up too far. I pulled into the empty drive and reluctantly got out. I walked up on the freshly painted porch and let myself in, but not before noticing something stuck under the door. I knelt down and grabbed the piece of paper. It was a handwritten not.

Bella,

I finished up the work I had to do on the house today, so I won't be returning tomorrow. I know I promised you a day of cliff diving, don't think I forgot. Below is my number, call me and we can arrange a time and place to meet up this weekend.

(360) 374-9653

Yours truly,

Sam

I wanted nothing more than to call him that instant. But I didn't want to look overeager. And why should I, I was a girl with a boyfriend, with a soul mate. Edward had said it yesterday, we were meant for one another. Part of me thought I should ignore these feelings I was having for Sam and avoid him from now on. Forget that he ever existed. But felt like a sin of the worst kind. The other part, the stronger part, thought I should see where these feelings went. I still had time before Charlie would be home and dinner needed to be made.

Watching television seemed dull, so I went up stairs and stared at my bookshelf. I wasn't in the mood for Brontë or Austen. Scanning the shelf, I saw a thin, yellow paperback. I almost missed it. Tuck Everlasting. It was written by Natalie Babbitt. Hmm, I haven't read this one in a few years. I picked up the small book and headed outside. I lay down and began to read it; the story suddenly came back to me. It was about a very young girl, named Winnie Foster, who came across a family that stayed forever young. They weren't vampires by any means, just drinking from a certain spring kept them ageless. She becomes very close with the youngest of the Tuck family, Jesse. He will forever be seventeen and wants Winnie to drink from the spring once she is seventeen, too. He wants to spend forever with her. Through her time with the family, she sees how immortality does have its costs. You lose everyone around you but those in your immediate family who are also immortal. You have to be on the move every few years before anyone becomes suspicious. You never have a real life of settling down and living. Even though the Jesse wishes for Winnie to drink from the spring in a few years after she has aged a bit more, Winnie decides against it. She lives her life and finds her happily ever after.

I finished the book pretty quickly, I was a fast reader and it was only 130 pages. I went inside and started on dinner. Charlie and I ate in almost silence. I complained of a head ache and went up stairs to bed early. I fell asleep while still pondering the similarities of my life to that of Winnie Foster.

I awoke the next morning not wanting to go to work again. The only good thing was that Mike was off. Thank goodness. I didn't think I could take another day with him, or rather half day. I got off work at noon. I got ready and went down stairs for breakfast. Charlie was reading the paper.

"Good morning, Bells."

"Morning, Dad." I sat down with my bowl of cereal.

"So, you get off early today, right?"

"Yep."

"Well, I was think-" The phone started ringing. "I wonder who that could be." I got up and answered it before he could.

"Hello," I said into the phone.

"Bella, I just wanted to inform you that we will be going hunting today and tonight."

"Okay, Edward."

"And just so we're clear, I won't be too far away if Alice's visions or lack of, suggest I need to come home."

"I am just going to work today, Edward. No need to worry."

"Then I will presume that you will be telling Charlie no when he asks if you are going to La Push today."

I wasn't planning on it, so I guess that will be my answer."

"Good, see you tomorrow. Esme would like you to come over for dinner. She'll make your favorite."

"Sounds nice, tell I would love that."

"Tomorrow, then?" Edward said unsure of him self. I wasn't going to take my frustration with him out on Esme. If she would like to have me over, then I would oblige.

"Yes, see you then. Tell the family to have fun."

"I will." I heard the click and hung up the phone. I guess he was just as unhappy with me as I was with him. Oh well. I had better things to worry about.

"What did he want?" Charlie never did hide his dislike of Edward.

"He and his family are taking a spontaneous camping trip today and tonight. I'm going over for dinner tomorrow after they get back."

"Hmm. Guess that means you're free after work then."

"For what?"

"Well, Billy said that Jacob was asking about you. Wondering when you would come back down and hang out."

"Oh, well, I don't know."

"Also, I found this out back," Charlie said pulling something up from the ground by his chair. It was a work belt. Sam's work belt. "I thought while you were down there you could return this to Sam."

"Oh, well, I don't know if I'll be up to it." More like I didn't know if my truck would be up to it once Alice saw my decision.

"Well, why don't you put it in your truck just in case?"

"Sure." There was nothing wrong with that. I was just following what Charlie wanted. I wasn't going to go down there.

I took the tool belt and threw it on the passenger seat and headed to Newton's. It was a pretty busy day and the shift went by quickly. I climbed in the truck and looked over at the tool belt. It seemed like such a normal thing, but I couldn't picture Edward wearing one. Sam looked great with his hung low on his hips. But Edward seemed to clean and pristine to do any manual labor or wear a tool belt. I was having weird thoughts so I shook them away and thought of something else.

My mind wandered back to the book I read the previous day. If I spent eternity with Edward, then I would never get to see Jacob, Sam, or any others in Forks or La Push again. That was not a good thought. But that was the future and I was in the present, so I needed to embrace life while I had it. I needed to spend time with those I would lose. I needed to go to La Push. My mind was apparently behind my subconscious because I was already half way to La Push when I made the decision. Well, that could work in my favor. I looked behind me and saw nothing so I pushed the truck as fast as she could handle. I let out a sigh of relief when I passed the first homes leading to La Push. I didn't know where this magical boundary line was, but I was pretty confident I had passed it.

I headed to the Black's house once I taken a deep breathe in and congratulated myself on my success. I hadn't the slightest clue where Sam's house was and his number was on his note which was somewhere in the pages of Tuck Everlasting. When I arrived at the old red house I saw movement inside. Good, some is home. Let's hope it's just Billy. I didn't think Jacob would be too thrilled to hear that I was hear looking for directions to Sam's house. As I got out of the truck the front door opened and Billy rolled out.

"Nice to see you, Bella."

"You too, Billy."

"What can I do for you today? Jake's not here, he went down to the beach with some friends."

"Oh, okay. Well, I actually had another reason for coming too."

"Okay, let's hear it."

"I was wondering if you could tell me how to get to Sam Uley's house," I said looking at my shoe. I don't know why I felt so nervous asking. I heard a small chuckle come from Billy. I looked up to see that he looked pretty amused.

"Sam, huh?"

"Um, yeah, he left his tool belt at the house, and Dad wanted me to return it to him."

"Okay, well, I'll give you the directions, they aren't too hard. But, I have to tell you that he won't be home."

"Oh," I said trying to not only hide but to understand the great sadness and disappointment that washed through me. "I can just drop it off, I guess. Or, maybe you could pass it along."

"How about you try this, you go on down to First Beach, find Jacob and his friends. Jake will be ecstatic to see you. Hang out with them for a little while, and I'll make sure that Sam finds you before too long. He lives right down the street from the public access to the beach." That actually didn't sound like too bad of a plan. I could hang out with Jacob; I knew it would mean a lot to him. I really didn't want to hurt him if he found out that I came to La Push and didn't even see him. Plus, it was a perfect reason to wait until I could give the tool belt to Sam himself.

"Sounds perfect, Billy. Thanks for the suggestion. So, Sam will find me at the beach, then?"

"Yep, I guarantee it," he said with a sly smile. I didn't know why, but it seemed like Billy was always up to no good lately. That's when it hit me. He was an Elder. He had Jacob warn me about Edward. He knew what Edward was. He probably knew what Sam was.

"Hey, Billy, do think Sam is a good guy?"

"I think he is one of the best out there, Bella. He's given up a lot for this tribe. He is a very loyal and dedicated soul. One would be lucky to have Sam Uley in their life. Why do you ask?"

"I just got the exact same impression. I was just wondering if I was right."

"You should follow your instincts and your heart, Bella. Sometimes our mind can play tricks on us, or others can play deceive us and fool our hearts." I nodded not completely understanding him. I knew the ultimate message. Break up with Edward, forget the Cullen's.

Author's Note: The ever mysterious Billy…hmm. Wonder if Bella will take his advice. Next chapter will have some Jacob time and maybe Sam. We'll see. I may get caught up in Jacob time and Sam time will have to wait another chapter. Review and let me know what you think.

Plus, I will give a big shout out next chapter for anyone that guesses my secret 'wolf' mention in this chapter. It's hidden somewhere, so go look.

Also, I wanted to give a shout out to Lorelei Eve for submitting a nomination to The Eddie and Bellie Awards for a couple of my stories! I don't know if they'll make it to the voting ballots, but thank you for taking the time to send it in. It means an awful lot to me.