You're all too nice.

There'll be another update on Saturday.

And thanks in advance for reading.

Bella's POV

Newton's sporting good store's sign was lop-sided and ridiculous.

I hated this new place.

But I'd never lived in Seattle.

This could just be another place to put a check mark next to.

I'd been living here for awhile and yet, it wasn't right.

With Jake, I felt right… to a fault.

Jake.

Gah, if I could take all of that back I would. It was so much more confusing and difficult than ever. I didn't know why leaving was so hard. But worse, I didn't know why it was harder to not go back.

And usually when I go away, it's easy.

Last time was hard.

I didn't want that to happen again.

I entered the sporting good store and tousled my apron off the hooks by the front door. Once it was securely over my head and tied behind my back, I proceeded into the store.

Jessica was already there sipping a coffee, leaning against the counter. Mike was behind the counter with a shit-eating grin across his face.

"Hey, guys." I said as I took a sip from Jess' coffee mug.

She made a face at me, jokingly.

"You shouldn't be drinking that, anyway." Mike nudged her shoulder.

She instantly looked up and locked her eyes with him, sending some secret message that only married couples can send to one another.

They'd been married for a few years and opened up this place together.

Jess looked away from Mike. "Are you coming to dinner, Bella?"

"I don't see why not," I replied. A group of us would go out for dinner every once in awhile. They were all mainly couples, but they didn't seem to mind the extra person.

"Cool," Mike answered getting up from his seat behind the counter. "Jess, you should take the counter today. Bella, you don't mind doing re-stock?"

I saw Jessica roll her eyes, but there was a hint of sparkle in her eyes that if you looked close enough, you could see it.

"Nope," I said walking to the back as Mike kissed Jessica's cheek and helped her get to the seat.

Well he's being overly cautious with her these days.

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"Want to switch?" Jess asked. "I'm beyond bored up front."

I closed the cardboard box that was now empty and looked back to Jessica.

"Will Mike be mad?" I asked. "He seemed pretty… weird before."

"It's nothing," Jess said too quickly.

I raised an eyebrow.

"I have such a big mouth," Jess bubbled excitedly. "It's a good thing, I swear."

I smiled at her. "When will I find out?"

"Soon," she said. "Tonight, actually."

"I can't wait," I replied.

"Oh, I'd tell you… but, Mike would kill me…"

"It's no problem," I said taking Jessica's spot behind the counter.

"Oh I know," Jessica said. "To hold you over until then… do you remember my childhood friend Lauren?"

I nodded my head, interested with her gossip.

"Her second husband, he was caught… with her nanny! Can you believe it? I mean, couldn't the guy get a little more original?"

I was amused. Not because some woman named Lauren had a cheating husband, but because Jessica could laugh and make jokes about a marriage falling apart and be concerned about the originality of the separation.

People.

"Bella?" Mike asked coming in from the employee room. He looked in Jessica's direction and became puzzled at the change of our positions.

"Yeah?" I asked pulling him out of his reverie.

"Your phone's been going off the hook for the past hour."

"Just hang it up," I replied with a flip of my hand.

Mike headed back into the employee room and Jessica looked at me for an explanation.

But I didn't know who it could be this time.

Alice. Jasper. Charlie…. Jake.

I didn't know.

It'd be easier if they just let me be.

Didn't they know that?

"If you want to talk," Jessica said, "I'm here."

"I know," I sighed.

"Ex?" Jessica guessed.

"Something like that," I replied because no matter what, Jessica wouldn't be anything more than someone I'd hang out with for a month before ditching for the next town.

And I hated doing that to her, too.

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"....it's funny, actually." Ben said taking a sip of his wine.

"Sure," I said to him.

Ben and I were stuck sitting in the corner of the restaurant while everyone else went to go dance.

He was visiting for the weekend at his cousin Tyler's house.

He worked for some company, somewhere as a computer technician.

And he was oh so lucky to get stuck sitting next to me as the only singles.

But he didn't make any passes at me and for that I was grateful.

He pushed the rims of his dark-rimmed glasses back and I saw that he was handsome. In a geeky way.

"Can you pass me Jess' drink?" I asked and Ben slid Jess' full red wine glass over to me.

"She talks so much she didn't even have time to take a drink," Ben mused.

I smiled because he's nice and he's stuck with me and yet he doesn't look completely miserable.

"So how long have you been living here?" Ben asked.

"Not long," I said vaguely and inwardly cringing at the idea of small-talk.

"I grew up here," Ben said. "It just wasn't right for me, I wanted to go meet new people. Funny how you always end up right back home."

I was going to disagree with him, but I didn't really have it in me.

"Hey," Jess said sliding into her seat. Mike was next to her, as always.

"You drank your wine?" Mike accused Jess.

She sighed, "No. I haven't. Please."

"Sorry," he said to her. "Just being…"

"They've always been like this," Ben informed me.

I laughed as I looked back and forth between Mike and Jess.

I was then envious however, they had it so easy.

They've been matched since they were little kids and neither one had the bad gene of leaving. They'd grow old together.

The rest of the name-less group arrived at our table.

Tyler said something crude and something along the lines that Ben and I should hook up. Ben rolled his eyes at me and instantly I liked Ben much better.

He was a true gentleman.

"We have an announcement," Jess said tapping her knife to Mike's wine glass.

"Watch the sharp edges," Mike cautioned.

"Mike," Jessica warned and turned to the rest of us. "We're expecting!"

Everyone cheered and clapped and kissed Jess and Mike.

But I was confused. Like an idiot.

"What're they expecting?" I asked Ben.

His brows creased and he let out a laugh. "A baby. They're expecting a baby, Bella."

"Oh." I said and I saw Jess look my way so I grabbed her hand and said, "You're going to make a lovely mother."

"You think?" She asked me.

"Yeah," I said nodding my head.

"I just hope I'm half the mother my mom was," Jess said hopefully with her eyes sparkling. Mike put an arm around her.

"You will be," I said confidently while releasing my grasp on her.

I lifted myself from the chair and politely excused myself.

I exited the restaurant and cursed the stupid heels I was wearing. I wanted to run.

I was going to run.

Away from here.

I always freaking do.

Once all of my belongings were placed back in my suitcases I went to the train station and sat in there for an immeasurably long time.

A homeless man offered me a piece of his sandwich.

I declined and then laughed when I realized that I was homeless, too. By choice.

This is all my choice.

I could choose to stay somewhere.

It wouldn't be easy.

It'd take a lot of work to plant my feet on solid ground.

I could get there, though.

With a little help and inspiration.

I was now off to see Alice and Jasper, again.