Jacob's Rabbit rolled into my driveway right after lunch on Saturday. The sun was high in the sky and the clouds were white and fluffy — a perfectly beautiful late April day. I came to the porch and saw him bounding excitedly across the yard, looking at that moment like the younger Jacob I had grown close to. I giggled as he swept me up in his giant arms and swung me around happily. My mood, already high because of the weather, became even brighter with Jacob's infectious enthusiasm.

"Today is just for us," he whispered, setting me down and kissing my ear. "No homework, no leeches…"

"Jake," I disliked his choice of words, but couldn't keep the grin off my face at his glee.

Charlie came to the doorway and coughed. My eyes darted to him but Jacob never released his hold around my waist. He tried to look stern, but was obviously pleased by my happy attitude. "What time are you going to be home, Bells? I know you have the morning shift at Newtons…"

"I'll probably have her back after dinner, Charlie," Jacob said. "Wouldn't want her to neglect her responsibilities!" He and my dad smirked at one another and I rolled my eyes at the two of them before Charlie turned to head back inside.

"Let's get going, Jake," I said, tugging his arm, eager to see what he had planned. Surprises from Jacob were the best surprises of all, and I couldn't wait.

"Hold on," he said. "You need to grab your swimsuit before we leave."

My eyes brightened even more. "My swimsuit?" Visions of natural hot springs danced in my head. "Be right back!" I dashed inside and up to my room. Pausing for a moment in front of the drawer where I kept my suits, I contemplated which one to bring before settling on a brown one-piece with a few gold embellishments. I liked the way it looked on my pale skin. I made a quick stop in the bathroom for some necessary supplies — my period was almost over, but I didn't want to risk anything in a swimsuit. Quickly, I pulled on the suit and my shorts and t-shirt and bounded down the stairs, excited for the day ahead. Practically skipping out the front door, I threw a quick, "Bye, Dad!" toward Charlie and leapt into Jacob's arms for another hug before we got into the Rabbit and took off.

"You're in a good mood," he observed as we made our way to La Push.

I smiled widely at him. "It's going to be a good day," I declared. "It's sunny, it's the weekend, and I'm here with you." I reached for his hand and he gave it a squeeze. "I love you, Jacob." His lips lifted in a smile of his own.

"I'm a lucky guy." He glanced over at me for a moment and tucked my hair behind my ear. His warm fingers trailed down my neck and arm and gathered my hand again. "I hope you have fun today. Wanna know what we're doing?" I nodded enthusiastically and he smirked, mischief alight in his dark brown eyes. "I'm not that easy, Bells. Information like this demands payment first." He leaned toward me and let go of my fingers to tap his cheek, asking for a kiss. I obliged and Jacob feigned a swoon. "Next time I'll ask for more," he declared, entwining his fingers in mine once again. "Anyway, about today…we're going to go cliff diving with some of the other guys and their girls." He was excited. "Sam thought it would be good for the morale of the pack to do something together. And you're part of us, Bells. Everyone will be so glad to see you. It's been too long since we've all been together."

A thrill of nerves shot down my spine at the thought of jumping from the La Push cliffs again. Last time hadn't gone very well. Jacob seemed to read the concern on my face.

"Bella…you'll be with me this time. I'll keep you safe. It will be fun…you'll see."

I took a deep, ragged breath and smiled back at him. "Let's do it."

***

Most of the pack were already gathered on the wide rock that made up the highest ledge of the reservation's jumping cliffs. I was surprised to see Emily and Kim, ready in their suits. I also saw Quil sitting off to the side, playing peek-a-boo with a toddler. A...toddler? The sight made me stop in my tracks and throw a questioning look to Jacob. His face reddened and he lowered his voice.

"Remember how Quil imprinted a few weeks ago?"

I nodded, peeking around Jacob's muscular form at the pretty little girl. "Does she have a child or something?"

He looked uncomfortable. "Not exactly." He pulled me back away from the crowd a few more feet. "We never dreamed this would happen," he muttered before saying, "The little girl is Claire. She's Quil's imprint."

My jaw dropped open and my stomach lurched. "What?" I half whispered, half hissed. "Jake, she's just a baby! That's…that's sick!"

Jacob shook his head vigorously. "No, you don't understand. It's not like that. She's his world, but it's not a romantic thing at all. I've seen inside his head…I know how it is for him."

"Not romantic?"

"No. Quil loves her, but he doesn't see her in that way. She's just a kid to him too. Just very, very special."

I was confused. "You mean that imprinting isn't necessarily a romantic connection?" Jacob shook his head, watching Quil "steal" Claire's nose while she squealed. I felt immediate, overwhelming relief. "Jake, that's great!"

"What?"

I couldn't stop the broad smile from stretching across my face. "All this time I've been worrying that you could imprint with someone, and that it would mean the end of us…and turns out that might not even be an issue!"

Jacob's face fell as I moved to hug him. "Bella," he started, holding me at arms' length. "Bella, we're not entirely sure how it will all play out. It might not be romantic now, because Claire doesn't need that from Quil. Right now he's like a big brother, a caretaker for her. But when she's older, that need might change and if it does, Quil will do anything for her."

I still didn't understand completely. "So, it's up to the imprint then?"

"In a way," he explained softly. "At least, that's what we think. But he will be her perfect match…and offers unwavering love and adoration. Why wouldn't she choose him in the end? It would be difficult to walk away from that devotion. He was made just for her, just as she was for him."

"Oh," I said simply. "I see." At that moment, Leah walked past us and my heart sank even more when I saw her eyes, fixed on Sam and Emily, and her sad frown. My day was quickly turning from a sunny, carefree experience to one filled with a familiar worry. "But you don't know for sure?"

"No," he admitted. "We never realized that one of us might imprint on a freakin' kid. I guess there's a lot to the imprinting impulse that we don't understand."

I didn't want that uncertainty to give me any inkling of hope. Instead, I glanced at Leah, sitting by herself off to the side, and fought back the tremble on my lip.

"Bells?" Jacob's voice broke me from my self-wallowing. "You okay?"

I wrapped my arms around his middle and pressed against him. I needed the contact, not wanting to ever let him go. "I have you, Jake," I said softly. "Of course I'm okay." He sensed my neediness and returned my embrace firmly.

A soft hand grabbed mine and tugged me away from Jacob's arms. It was Kim.

"Bella!" she exclaimed. "It's been too long!" I was surprised when she hugged me. Emily was right behind her, a grin brightening the unscarred side of her face. "I don't think I've seen you since the night the Cullens came back."

"Wow, that long, huh?" I said, amazed that she was right. Between the preparations for the battle and the tense emotional rollercoaster following Embry's death, I had not seen my Quileute friend in weeks.

"I missed you," she said, giving me another squeeze.

"I…I did too," I responded, meaning it. Jacob was right when he said that I was a part of them. Kim, and Emily behind her, felt like family…like sisters. My fellow wolf girls.

Paul was setting up some speakers in the hatch of his old station wagon. Some generic top-40 blared from them. Kim looked over my shoulder with a grin and I found myself whirled away again, this time in Jared's unfamiliar embrace. I gasped lightly as he wrapped his arm around my waist and shimmied me left and right. It took me a moment to realize he was trying to dance with me. Behind me, Kim's delighted laughter sounded in my ears. We continued our movement, but my two left feet made me look slightly ridiculous. I also felt awkward in Jared's arms.

"Let a real man show you how it's done," Jacob's husky voice was near my ear. He stole me from his friend, who, without missing a beat, grabbed his girlfriend's hand and pulled her in for some dancing of their own. I felt silly swaying with Jacob on top of a rocky cliff with all of his friends around — not only only because of the people around, but because I couldn't dance.

At least, I always thought I couldn't dance.

"You're driving me crazy with the way you're moving your hips," Jacob hissed with his lips on my earlobe. "So sexy…"

"Really?" I was genuinely surprised, but continued to try to feel the beat of the song and move accordingly.

"I didn't know you could dance." He pulled my hips closer to him and we moved together. Our legs fit like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and Jacob's massive frame tucked around me comfortably. It almost reminded me of how well we fit while making love. The thought made my cheeks glow red, but looking around at the other joyous couples, I realized that they were all having as much fun as me — this was an amusing, distracting thing to do.

I laughed suddenly, my discomfort melting away. I was dancing…and having fun. In my life journey of self-discovery, this was a breakthrough. I wrapped my arms around Jacob's neck and pressed against him, still swaying.

"I never knew I could dance either."

Jacob's laugh was throaty. "It's pretty fun, right? You just never had the right partner." My thoughts turned momentarily to my last dance partner. Edward had been a wonderful dancer, and we had fun moving together too, but it was different. Intense, and lacking the fun that I was having right now. Edward never could let himself relax and truly be unabashedly joyful. He was always so concentrated on not killing me.

Another song came on and a few of the couples stopped dancing to get ready for the plunge into the water. I wasn't ready to let Jacob go, so I clung tightly to him and raised my hands over my head, moving back and forth. I thought I heard him moan slightly in my ear, and suddenly I liked dancing even more.

"Bella," Jacob said suddenly, pulling me back enough to peer into my eyes, "The res prom is in three weeks…would you want to come with me?"

I gasped with wide eyes. My first instinct was to say no. I had always avoided school dances like the plague, and only went to my last prom because I was tricked into it. But Jacob's warm eyes were on me, and we were having such fun dancing, and I realized that no one was tricking me into anything this time. It was my choice.

"Of course, Jake," I said, reaching up to meet his lips. "I'd love to."

"Fantastic," he exclaimed, picking me up and twirling me while I shrieked gleefully in his ear. His fingers brushed the sensitive skin on my lower back as he recaptured my mouth against his and I giggled into his kiss. He grinned back and tickled me again as our embrace dissolved into muffled squeals and shouted laughter as we poked and teased each other. I noticed that several of the others were looking at us, and for once I didn't care. I pressed my mouth against the side of his neck and he stopped his twirling and set me down gently. "Now, I want to see you in that swimsuit," he smirked.

"Oh, go jump off a cliff, Jake," I grinned back, the earlier imprinting angst forgotten. The day had gotten much brighter all of a sudden.

***

The drop down to the ocean looked much farther than it had the last time I stood up on this cliff. For the last five minutes or so, the group of us had huddled up here, inching nearer and nearer to the edge, building our nerve. Well, the newcomers were building our nerve. The pack members were trying to convince us that it was safe, fun…that leaping from a rock and falling fifty feet was nothing at all. Jacob walked me to the edge so I could peer over the place where I had previously jumped with no hesitation. Although at that time, I was desperate and slightly foolish. Now I was just quaking with adrenaline.

I suppressed a full-body shudder and pressed against Jacob's side, uncertain. A few feet away from me, Kim was having a mild freak-out moment and Jared was trying to convince her that she'd be just fine. Emily also looked uncertain, clinging to Sam much more intently than usual as they stared over the edge into the waves below.

"You scared?" Jacob's voice was teasing in my ear, at the same time Kim's frantic protests reached new volume.

"I'm not a fucking werewolf, Jared. I don't spontaneously heal from shit, so leave me the hell alone!" The group snickered a bit while Jared pleaded with his girlfriend. She shook her head forcefully. "I'll go when I'm good and ready, and don't you fucking force me." I thought I heard her cough "asshole," but I wasn't sure. Her language made me blush slightly, but her lively attitude reminded me of Rosalie, and it was funny to see Jared being as whipped as Emmett. My two families had more in common than they realized.

The unattached pack members were starting to lose their patience with the rest of us. Brady sighed aloud and Seth paced. Paul became agitated, as usual.

"You pussies go ahead and wait for your girls, but I'm jumping," Paul declared, ripping his shirt off, which I was surprised was still on in the first place. Jacob tensed at the light insult, and I squeezed his hand and nodded at him when he gazed down at me. His eyes flickered with surprise, then understanding.

Before Paul could set his clothing down and make the jump, Jacob and I sprinted, hand-in-hand, to the edge of the cliff and leapt together, fingers grasping each other desperately. I screamed in fright and exhilaration as we plunged down into the grey, white-capped swells, never relinquishing our grip.

The water was shockingly cold compared to the relatively warm air. Once we were underwater, Jacob linked his arm around my waist and propelled us to the surface with powerful strokes. I clung to his warmth as we broke the surface, gasping and laughing. His arms circled me and held me tightly against his hot skin as his strong legs kicked to keep us afloat.

I wrapped my legs around him for leverage and was surprised when he responded with a forceful kiss. My surprise immediately faded to yearning, growing stronger when his hands slid under my bottom and his fingers grazed my folds through my suit. I wriggled a bit, seeking more friction, and Jacob moved his lips to my ear. The chilly water was no longer a factor — my skin flushed hot in the cool waves, especially when I felt his length press against my leg. I couldn't stop the soft cry that issued from my lips.

I whispered, "Oh, God…Jake…we can't," even though I wanted to throw all decorum out of the window and make love to him right there in the ocean, with no thought to who might see. "We can't," I cried again softly, but it sounded more like a cry of pleasure than an actual request to stop. "Not right now…but…oh, God...Jacob, mmm." My words gave way as my moan escaped my lips. I was losing my willpower quickly.

"Don't worry, Bells, I'm not going to do anything here," he growled back. "I know you don't like an audience, but God, I want you. I can't believe you jumped like that…it was…" He paused to nuzzle his hot nose and lips into my ear, sending chills of a different kind down my spine. "It was so fucking hot." I moaned again, quieter this time, at his profanity. He glanced behind me and began towing us toward the shore as yells and squeals told me that more people were jumping behind us.

"It's been so long," I murmured in his ear, clinging to his back as he shouldered the effort to get us ashore. I tried to concentrate on the chilly ocean water, allowing it to stifle the heat that I felt in my belly and legs. Besides, as much as I wanted him at that moment, I couldn't forget my current inconvenience. "But it's not a good time for that…uh…maybe in a few days…," All thoughts of sex and pleasure immediately fell away, and I was suddenly mortified for nearly blurting out my current menstrual situation to him.

He immediately understood and the moment became instantly embarrassing for both of us.

"Oh! Umm, I guess that's good, though…right?" He was, at that moment, the awkward novice I often forgot he was. I was glad that my front was facing his back as he swam, because neither of us could have born this conversation face-to-face. "I mean, I should probably know when that happens every month, anyway…that we can't…that you're not…" With disbelief, my ears heard him choke, "pregnant."

My breath hissed between my teeth. I didn't want to have this conversation, but it did remind me that I should probably go see a doctor sometime soon. Jacob and I had been careful, but I knew I should probably look into something more effective.

"Can we not talk about this?" I pleaded quietly as we reached the shore, embarrassed. Jacob wrapped me against his torso, blocking me from the wind that would be chilly on my wet skin. I rubbed my nose against the planes of his chest, darting my lips forward to press tiny kisses on his burning skin. He chuckled at my discomfort.

"It's so cute when you turn red like that," Jacob said through his smile, grinning more when I grimaced.

"Yeah, everyone's obsessed with my blush," I muttered, thinking back to afternoons at the Cullens' — Emmett sharing raunchy jokes to see how much color would rush to my cheeks, Edward admonishing him and Jasper fidgeting uncomfortably from the blood pooling in my face. The memory erased my grimace and I couldn't help smiling. "I think I'm hard-wired all wrong. I cry when I'm angry and I have a disproportionate amount of blood behind my cheeks. I'm a mess."

"Well, I think you're pretty awesome, beautiful." Jacob's voice lowered. "And even though I love it when you turn red, but I think I like it better when you're pink."

"Pink?" I didn't know what he meant.

He glanced behind him to see how far away his packmates were from us. Lowering his voice even more, he growled, "When we're together...when you come, your skin flushes pink all over. It's the most gorgeous color I've ever seen."

Again, I felt the heat in my cheeks and ears, and Jacob chuckled as he held me tighter and leaned down to kiss the fresh blush that now decorated my soft flesh.

***

Several hours later, the group of wolf-boys and their partners lounged on towels on the warm sand. I was incredibly comfortable, and perfectly tired from several jumps off the cliff. The April air was cool, but the sun shined hot with a rare absence of clouds. Plus, there was the added heat of Jacob's body, curled against my side as I soaked in the sunny rays.

Several other La Push teenagers had joined us on the beach, including Jacob's sister Rachel, who had finished a few major class projects and had a week off before final exams. Paul was laughing at Seth's awkward attempts to flirt with her, while Jacob rolled his eyes at the whole thing.

"Even if Seth weren't way too young for her, she was telling me and Dad all about this new guy she's seeing," Jacob muttered. "Sounds like a loser, but whatever."

I smirked. "You're a bit overprotective of your sister. I bet the new boyfriend is just fine…you're just a typical brother." Jacob grunted, and I had to laugh.

Our bellies were full of pizza provided by Sam — boxes littered the spaces between the drowsing couples, and occasionally a member of the pack would sit up and grab another slice.

Jacob's fingers grazed up and down my arm as he whispered funny little endearments in my ear, making me giggle and sigh. The moment was as close to bliss as I had ever experienced. I didn't notice the murmurings of the other couples scattered around — my eyes were only for the beautiful man next to me.

I rolled to my side to face him and reached up with one hand to run my fingers through his hair, rubbing his scalp. A soft thrumming sound emanated from his chest and he closed his eyes against my touch. "Love you," I whispered, leaning forward to kiss him quickly.

"Mmm, you too," his voice was husky and sleepy. He seemed ready for a nap.

A hum came from my folded clothes. Damn phone, I cursed internally. I had just gotten it a few weeks ago with some money from my job at Newton's, but it was already annoying me. The vibrations were consistent, and with a groan, I rolled away from Jacob's warmth and reached for it. Alice. Of course.

"Hey Bella!" she chirped cheerfully. "I haven't been able to see you all afternoon, so I'm assuming you're with Jacob…"

"I am," I said, sounding more surly than I meant to.

"Oh, I didn't…did I interrupt something?"

"What? God…no, Alice…jeez," I hissed quietly, hearing the low titters of some of the pack members whose super hearing made this phone call anything but private.

"Oh, great," she said, barely pausing before she launched into her reason for calling. "Edward and I want to know if you can come for dinner tomorrow. We'll be feeding you, not the other way around, of course." She laughed at her own joke as Jacob tensed next to me.

I squeezed his hand. "That should be okay, Alice. Should I expect you guys at my house or do you want me to come over there?"

"Think your truck can make it?" I heard Edward call out with a laugh in the background as Alice shushed him.

"Hey, don't hate the truck," I said, knowing he would hear.

"You can drive," Alice said. "Is three okay? I need your help with something before dinner."

"Three's great…see you then."

I snapped the phone shut and turned to my boyfriend, who had relaxed a bit, but I could still tell was struggling. I kissed his temple. He still didn't budge. I knew it was time for the inevitable conversation I had been avoiding.

"Want to go talk?" He nodded and we stood together. I wrapped my towel around my shoulders but kept my feet bare, and we began a stroll down the beach.

Neither one of us talked as we put distance between ourselves and the group. I pressed against Jacob's side, holding his arm and warming my cheek against his skin. He sighed and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, holding me against his heat even more as we walked.

A familiar white piece of driftwood materialized in front of us. Our tree. We made our way to it and sat in total silence, as he waited for me to begin. I was nervous that he wouldn't understand, so I hesitated. Edward had always tried to control the situation when I made decisions he didn't like, and I prayed Jacob wouldn't do the same. Because I was sure he wouldn't like what I was about to say…

"I've decided something," I said, my voice sounding much more confident than I felt.

"Have you?" Jacob gritted his teeth, but his lips curled up in an amused grin.

I nodded. "It makes no sense for me to hold on to this anger toward Edward. He's a part of me…he was the first moment I laid eyes on him." Jacob's eyes flickered shut, and I reached out to grasp his hand. "I suppose I should thank him for hurting me the way he did."

"Why's that?" Jacob said, his voice strained.

I squeezed his hand. "If he never would have left, I don't think I ever would have opened my eyes to see what was right in front of me the whole time. I never would have truly seen you, Jake." Jacob seemed to relax, and I continued. "But now he's back, and I…no, we can't ignore that. That's why I wanted to talk to you."

"Edward's never going to be out of our lives," he realized with a grim look etched on his face. "You don't want him to be."

Jacob's perception surprised me, and I could only confirm his words with a nod of my head.

"What do you expect me to say?" Jacob said, softly. "Do you think I'm going to tell you to stay away from him? Am I supposed to get jealous? Should I demand that you break all ties with him?" I sat, stunned, not knowing how to react. Jacob's face relaxed and he gathered my hand again from where it had dropped on my lap. "Tell me this, Bella…do you love me?"

My eyes flew to meet his. "Yes…of course I do, Jake! How could you think…" He shushed me.

"Are you in love with me?" His eyes searched mine for a hint of denial. Speechless, I nodded emphatically.

"Do you love Edward?"

I froze. I knew I had to answer in the affirmative, but I feared Jacob's response. I hoped he would understand.

"Yes."

Jacob shifted on the driftwood, looking slightly unsure as he steeled himself for his next question.

"Are you in love with him?"

I crouched off the stump and settled between Jacob's knees, enveloped in his warm limbs and gazing into his face. Firmly, I declared, "No. Not anymore. Not ever again. He'll only ever be a friend to me now." I pressed my face against his chest, reveling in the sound of Jacob's strong heart beating beneath my ear. "You're who I choose, Jake. You're the one I want to be with."

His strong arms suddenly encased me, holding me tighter against his beating heart, which had picked up the tempo. "Say that again," he whispered, begging me quietly.

"You're the one I want, Jake. Forever."

"Bella," his voice wavered as if he were crying, and he grasped my shoulders and pulled me up to him, meeting my lips with urgency. I pushed my swimsuit-clad figure against him, feeling acutely every spot where my bare skin met his. I was aware that we were out in the open, but I didn't care. I had made my declaration, and Jacob's response was worth it.

A soft cry issued from his lips as he tasted me. I responded with a low sigh and eagerly met his tongue with my own explorations.

"Again," he murmured warm, sweet breath against my skin.

"Only you, Jake…I only want you."