A/N: This is a B&E story. But, this is just a set-up for later stuff. Promise.

Bella's POV

"The regular?" I asked Jacob as he climbed into his stool at the diner's countertop.

I had come to a small town close to my hometown of Forks, yet miles and miles away from Alice and Jasper's home of Chicago.

This was ordinary.

I'd set up and get familiar with a town, make nice to the people, occasionally make love to a man, and then split.

As of now, I was a waitress at a… lovely hole-in-the-wall.

Jacob was a regular here and he was nice enough.

He told me of his father's health problems and liking to stay close to him.

He showed way too much interest in me already, I should have dissuaded him. I knew he'd be hurt when I inevitably left, but… I stopped talking to Alice and Jasper, and Jake was easy-going.

He would listen, even if I didn't tell him anything yet.

He didn't know I was going to leave one day.

"Same as always, Bells." Jake replied with a smile and tossed his unopened menu at me. I swiftly caught it and gave it to Leah, the hostess, as I passed her and back to the kitchen to place his order.

I walked out a few minutes later with Jake's pancakes in hand and placed them in front of him. I saw Leah glare at me, but I couldn't be bothered with town politics so I just ignored it.

"I think you should come over tonight," Jake said to me. "We can watch a movie, or you know whatever."

"Like a date?" I asked blatantly while balancing another hot plate in my hand.

In small towns there wasn't much to do, really. So, going and watching a movie in someone's home could constitute a date.

"Yeah," Jake said. "Or not. Your choice."

"I don't know," I said now holding the plate in both hands. It was hard to start anything with anyone nice knowing I wouldn't stay.

And Jake was nice. He lived next door to me and would fix my locks or mow my lawn.

"Well, I'll be home either way," Jake said. "Stop by."

"Alright," I said before departing and delivering the plate to a woman in the corner.

I smiled at the woman and her eyes glared at me knowingly.

"Don't." She told me in a clipped tone.

"Um," I said taking a step back. "Excuse me?"

"I love Jake," she told me. "But, he's ridiculous if he thinks it's okay to go out with you when he is going to get married to someone else."

I blanched. I didn't leave my mark for a long lasting time, anywhere. Breaking up a marriage… that would leave a nice nasty scar. I wouldn't inflict that on anyone or anything.

"Huh?" I said doubly.

"He's going to marry Leah," she said. "So, don't get your hopes up."

"Are they… like, engaged?" I asked this mysterious woman with a long scar down her face.

"No. But, it's tradition."

"Alright, then." I took a step back. "Have a nice breakfast."

Thoroughly confused and angry, I left work early.

If I was starting to become a permanent here, I'd have to leave.

I opened up my cell phone and listened and deleted the messages from Alice.

I called my dad though.

Because he couldn't be left again.

I knew that.

So, I called him.
"Bella?" Charlie croaked.

"Hey Charlie," I said walking home. "How's Forks?"

"It's alright," he answered slowly. "Where are you these days?"

"Around," I said cryptically. Truthfully, I was much too close to Charlie. If he knew where he was he'd make me come over and I avoid that house like the plague.

"Are you okay? Alice keeps calling and worrying me up that you're…"

" – I'm fine, Dad. Alice and I just had an argument awhile ago."

"Uh huh," Charlie said. "I'm sure she'd like to hear from you."

"Well," I said turning the corner on the street, "since you talk to her so often, give her my love. I've got to go now. Bye."

"Love you, Bella."

I hung up quickly and walked up to my small yellow home.

It was situated catty-cornered and was basically in the woods. Jake's home was next to it with a shed on his property for working on cars and such.

I walked up to my front door and opened it without the key.

There was no point in locking my door in this town. I wondered though, if I should lock someone out tonight.

But, of course, I didn't.

I was sitting on the sofa and eating popcorn. The door rattled open and Jake walked inside with a tub of ice cream.

"Hey, you," I said pausing my movie. "Wasn't I supposed to come to you?"

Jake shrugged, "I knew you weren't coming. I needed some company."

I moved my feet off the sofa to make room for Jake as he took a seat and produced two spoons out of his grocery bag. I took one as Jake opened the lid and we dug in.

"Why weren't you at work before? I went there to get food to go and they said you took off…"

"Um," I said.

"What?"

"Never mind."

"Bella."

"Jake."

"What's bugging you?" Jake asked nonchalantly.

"Are you," I paused. I tried to regain a composure. "Are you… engaged?"

Jake's brows creased and he looked up at the ceiling, "What?"

"I… I don't…" I was at a loss for words and felt stupid for even asking. I should have just left.

"What gave you the impression I was heading down the aisle?"

"Just forget it."

"No."

"Please?" I asked.

Jake took the tub of ice cream and raised it above his head.

"Hey!" I yelled.

"No ice cream until you tell me."

"I have money; I'll just go out and get some…"

Jake let out a long sigh figuring something out, "Did Emily tell you something?"

"I don't know any Emily from around here."

"She's got a long scar down her face because… well, never mind. Was it her?"

I didn't answer so he took that as a yes.

He lowered his arms and offered me the ice cream. I didn't take any.

"She has it all twisted, Bell –"

" – it's okay, Jake."

"No. You think I was going to… use you? I wasn't, you know."

"I don't care." If he were to use me it would have been better. Then we'd be using one another.

"I care." He replied locking his jaw. "Everyone in this damn town expects me to marry Leah because our grandfathers were both alphas together or some shit."

"Jake…"

"Have you ever just wanted to leave?" Jake asked me and didn't wait for my answer. "Because I have. These people don't get that they make it impossible for me to just be me. I don't love Leah."

"You don't love me either," I replied.

"I could, if they let me."

"It wouldn't be a good idea."

"It'd be something real, for once."

"You're real. Leah's real. Go to her."

"I don't want to."

"I'm not worth it."

He didn't care about it as he crashed our lips together.

He's not getting married.

He's just a bachelor.

I had to keep reminding myself of these things.

He wanted me.

He didn't care.

I allowed myself to think that as the night progressed.

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"I think you should be with me forever," Jake said playfully.

It had been a few weeks. We were an odd couple, at best.

Yet, we were a couple.

We basically lived together and we slept together and that was good enough for me.

But he was a tie, and one day I'd have to break it.

I wasn't ready for 'serious' yet. I knew, because I hadn't even told him of my past or my running away.

I rolled over in the bed and slid closer to him.

In the night we always drifted apart.

"My dad's coming over today," Jake said. "He wants to meet you. You don't have to, but…"

I took a deep breath, not really wanting to meet him. "That's fine."

"Ya sure?"

"Absolutely."

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I walked into Jake's home with a pie in hand.

I was wearing my only half-decent clothes. I could hear loud laughter inside the home and I wanted to run back to my house and not break the laughter.

"Bella?" Jake called and I walked past his living room and into the kitchen.

"Hey," I said and placed the pie down on the counter.

Billy, Jake's father, looked at me scrutinizing too hard and he shook my hand with a smile and shook his head of his scrutinizing eyes.

Weiiirrrrd.

"You should go get the chief," Billy said to Jake.

"Sure," Jake said. "Billy brought his friend."

"Oh." I said uncomfortable and wishing I didn't agree to this.

Jake peered his head out the door and yelled something. A moment later my father was standing in Jake's kitchen.

Both of us stared at each other wide-eyed.

"You've been living there," Charlie said slowly pointing in the direction of my house. "For all this time and never once stopped by?"

I gulped, "I didn't realize I was so close to Forks."

"Bull shit."

"Hey, hey," Jake interjected and coaxed Charlie to sit down at his table.

"So that's where I knew you from," Billy said breaking the silence. "Sorry for staring like that."

"No problem," I said quietly.

Charlie huffed and puffed, but didn't make a scene throughout dinner.

"I'd like a moment with my daughter," Charlie said later on.

"Sure, sure," Jake said getting up and wheeling his father out of the kitchen.

And instantly I hated that Jake didn't know me well enough.

I hated he didn't ask me first if I wanted to be alone.

"What are you doing here?" Charlie asked. He knew of my living arrangements and he didn't argue with me for fear of me not coming back to see him.

"What do you mean?"

"I like Billy and Jake's a good guy."

"I think so too."

"But you'll leave," Charlie huffed angrily. "You're going to leave Jacob."

"Wait a minute –"

"You just gave him the look, don't deny it. You're too easy to read. It was the same look Renee gave me before leaving. Thank God you two don't have any kids or marriage…"

"How can you tell by 'a look'?"

"I just can. I know you don't stay places. I can't believe you drag poor men into this mess."

"I didn't drag Jake anywhere!"

"You're just like Renee!"

"Stop it," Jake growled at the doorway.

But I didn't want Charlie to stop it. I wanted him to continue yelling at me, I wanted to know exactly what he thought of me.

Jake put a hand on my shoulder, trying to convey – comfort? Sympathy? Anger?

Charlie lifted his hands palm up and huffed, "Sorry, Jake. Didn't mean to make a scene."

"I think you should apologize to Bella."

"Jake –" I interrupted.

"No, it's okay. I am sorry." Charlie replied heavily and I knew he wasn't being honest.

Charlie left with Billy and I walked back to my place.

I had just had my nightmare confirmed by the man who knew Renee the best – I was just like her.

Charlie had the right to his outburst.

He knew I wasn't going to stick around.

It had been too long already.

If I planned on being with someone, someday then I'd need to pick it up and start exploring until I had no desire to leave my home.

I had a desire to leave.

And I hated it.

Because then I'd have to hurt Jake and I wasn't ready for that.

I lied on my bed in Jake's big red sweatshirt.

Jake must have came in because all of a sudden he was next to me spooning me like we've barely done before.

"You're going, huh?" Jake asked breathily.

I nodded shakily and let the tears fall. I never had a problem leaving behind, and yet this time…

"You don't have to be like her."

But, I did. It all came back to genetics.

I shook my head.

"Why?" Jake asked quietly.

And then it dawned on me that Jake shouldn't have known about Renee at all… thanks, Charlie. I'm sure he called.

"One day," I told him because he should know, "I'm going to have a family. I don't want to leave them."

"You're my family," Jake said into my hair.

"Oh, Jake." I turned and put my face into his chest.

"This isn't enough?" Jake guessed.

"It's so much more than enough," I sighed. "I just… I'm screwed up."

"No, your logic is screwed up," Jake said.

I shrugged.

"I'll always be here," Jake said.

"No, no, no." I said looking him in the eyes. "You. Move. On."

"I think I love you," he said.

I suppressed a groan. "No, Jake. Please, marry Leah."

"You don't want that."

"I just want you to be happy."

Tears were unleashed and I cried into his chest.

I shouldn't have done this.

I shouldn't have stayed so long.

Staying just hurts people.

Maybe it's better if I just don't hold on to anything.

That way there'll be no damage done.

No one to hold on to me.

I awoke in the morning cuddled up to Jake, for once we were on the same page.

He knew I was going. I knew I was going.

We knew I wouldn't be back.

I kissed his forehead and grabbed my things before slowly retreating out of his life and out of yet another town.