Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga.(:

SPOV

"You know what?" I stayed in my seat as everyone else got out of the car. Brady turned around to frown at me, Jessie glared. "I think I'm going to stay here. You guys can go." I smiled. Jessie narrowed her eyes at me, advancing towards me.

"Oh no, you are coming inside." She unbuckled my seat belt and tried to drag me out of the car.

I shook my head stubbornly, gripping the seat. Brent sighed, playing with his keys.

"Skylar? I thought you wanted to do this?" I stared helplessly at Brady.

"No. Jessie wanted me to do this. I just want him to leave." Jessie pulled again and I went flying out of the car. She slammed the door shut before I had time to pick myself off the ground.

"I wanted you to do this, because I know it will help you. Now come." I sighed, but let her help me up.

"Jess, if something bad happens..." She rolled her eyes, pulling me towards the front door.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It'll all be my fault. I know. We've done this before." She rang the doorbell. Brady raised an eyebrow at me.

"Don't ask." Brady shrugged and didn't ask, surprisingly enough.

"Yes? Oh, hi Skylar, Brady, Brent." Emily frowned at Jessie. "Who's this?"

"Hey Em, this is Jessie, friend from Australia." Emily grinned.

"Nice to meet you, I'm E-"

"Yeah, Emily, I got it. Nice to meet you too. Don't mean to be rude or

anything, but is Mr. Bronson here?" Emily stared dumbfounded at my best friend.

"Jessie! I'm sorry Emily; she's just a bit...I don't even know how to explain her." Emily shook her head.

"That's okay, Leah used to be something just like her. He's out back with Sam." She moved out of the way so the four of us could step in.

"I'm really sorry about her, really. She's just excited." I apologized again to Emily. She laughed.

"Really, it's fine! Now please go stop her before she says something to Sam." I looked around me, and sure enough, Jessie was gone.

"Right, thanks Em." She nodded and I left to find Jessie. I could feel more than hear my brother and Brady following.

"Jessie." She was already at the back door, trying to get past Sam. He looked up when he heard my voice.

"Is she yours?" I winced, but nodded.

"I am not an object mister! I am not hers nor anyone else's!" Jessie started pounding on Sam's chest, still muttering to herself. He looked at me pointedly.

"Now that sounds familiar." I jumped as Brady whispered in my ear. "How unoriginal." He shook his head at me before going to pick up Jessie around the waist. She was still punching the air until Brady set her down beside me.

Jessie cleared her throat, smoothing down her shirt.

"Jess, what are you doing?" She glanced at me.

"Excuse me, Mr. Muscle, could you please get out of my way?" I sighed; pushing Jessie into Brady's waiting arms. "Hey! What did I do? Sky, tell your boyfriend to let go!" I shook my head.

"Sorry Sam, we just wanted to speak to my dad, if that's okay." His eyes narrowed at me, then at Jessie.

"Fine, you have ten minutes." He moved away from the door, but I stayed where I was.

I knew I had to go out there, but my legs had other plans.

I turned the other way, and started walking back towards the front door. I could hear Jessie calling after me, but I ignored her. I couldn't do it.

I made it outside and to the car before I realized I didn't have the keys. Déjà vu washed over me as I started walking down the street.

"Skylar?" I kept walking.

"I can't do it. I won't do it." Brady grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

"And I won't make you." He turned me around so I was facing him, but I kept my face hidden. I felt like such a coward. Once again, I had run away from my problems.

"Skylar, I should take you home, if you're not going to talk to him." I nodded, still looking down.

"Jessie's going to be mad," I muttered.

"Brent's trying to calm her down." I scoffed. Right, like that would work. Jessie did not like my brother.

"Yeah, trying." Brady stopped. I stopped too and looked up at him, confused.

"You and Jessie, you're best friends, right?" I nodded. "You told her about your dad." I nodded again and Brady continued walking.

"Why?" He didn't answer. "Brady?"

"She's trying to help you just like the rest of us. You've been with her for longer than you've been with any of us here. Including your brother. If she can't help you, I don't know who can Skylar, we all love you, and we want to help. So why do I keep getting this weird feeling that you're trying to shut us out?" Brady didn't seem angry with me, just frustrated and confused.

"I told you." I looked away from his troubled eyes at the sidewalk in front of me. "I'm not used to people actually caring. It's a reflex to shut everyone out. Jessie was the only person I kind of let in, and when I had to leave her, I decided that the only person I could trust was myself." I kept my eyes on the cement, knowing that I had probably hurt Brady's feelings.

He didn't answer, confirming my assumptions. But he kept walking with me. We walked all the way back to my house in silence. It wasn't until we reached the front door that Brady spoke again.

"You don't have to hide anymore. We actually, genuinely care about you." He took my hands in his. "I care about you. I want to help. But I can only do that if you open up to me. There's only so much I can do when I'm locked on the outside." I looked away again and Brady let my hands fall out of his. I wouldn't. There was no way I would let him know about all the baggage I came with.

"Thanks for walking me home Brady." I opened the door.

"Skylar." He followed me inside and into the living room. Seth and Leah were playing checkers. Kole was listening to his iPod, playing air guitar.

"Oh, Skylar. You're back already?" Seth frowned at me. I nodded. "Is everything okay?" I nodded again. Kole took off his headphones and frowned at me.

"You sure? You look..." His voice trailed off and his eyes wandered to Brady behind me. I didn't have to turn around to know that Brady was probably telling Kole to shut it.

"We'll go now," Leah said quickly, getting up. Seth cleaned up the checkers game before following his sister out.

"I will talk to you later. That or I'll have to ask Jessie, your choice." I winced as Kole walked by me. Jessie. I had forgotten all about her. Where was she going to stay?

"I'll take her stuff upstairs." I nodded as Brady read my mind yet again.

"Mum?" I went into the kitchen. All the lights were off, but the backdoor was open. Mum wasn't supposed to be outside.

"Skylar!" I didn't stop to think. I just ran out into the yard.

Mum was stood like a statue in the middle of the yard. Frozen in fear.

"Mum?" She shook her head at me.

"Don't come any closer. Is Brady with you?"

"He's upstairs," I whispered, my mum's fear rubbing off on me.

"Go get him. Now." I turned to go back inside, but the door was locked.

"I don't have a key." I glanced around me, slowly starting to back towards mum.

Something was here.

BPOV

Why wouldn't she talk to me? Every time I tried to say something. She literally withdrew away from me and further into herself.

I dumped Jessie's bag in front of the guest room. Jessie was going to be a handful having around. I was just happy Seth didn't end up imprinting on her. That would not have been fun.

But other than her annoyingly outspoken personality, Jessie seemed like a pretty good person. And she was a great friend to Skylar. And yet, Sky wouldn't even let Jessie help. Not one of us could get through to her. Not even me! And here I was thinking she was opening up to me when there were still so many things I didn't know.

I didn't realize I had walked all the way back downstairs until I ran into the back door.

I took a step back, glaring at the door. Since when was the back door ever locked?

I squinted through the glass into the yard. Why was Skylar out there? Why was Mrs. B out there? Wasn't she supposed to be sick?

I unlocked the door and walked out. I was about ten feet away from them when I finally noticed their expressions.

"Skylar?" She looked up at me and her eyes filled with relief. I loved it when she looked at me like that. At least I was doing something right.

"What's wrong?" She helped her mom up before walking over to me, glancing over her shoulder every five seconds.

"I don't know. My mum was out here. She told me to get you, but the door was locked." Now I looked over her shoulder.

Someone was out there.

JPOV

Skylar was going to be in so much trouble when I got a hold of her. How many times would she do this before she realized running away solved nothing?

The annoying part was that she wasn't a coward. I knew she wasn't.

Go surfing at ten at night. She's all for it. Help me sneak into a twenty-one and over club only and she'll run right over.

Go home to an abusive father everyday for eleven years. She never looked for an alternative.

But talk to that same man with two huge dudes as back up? She runs away.

I huffed in frustration, making Brent look over at me.

Oh yeah, one other reason Skylar was going to get it. She left me with her annoyingly buff brother. She knew I didn't like him and yet, here I was. She also knew that if she left, that werewolf boyfriend of hers would leave too.

I glared out the window, refusing to look at Brent. I couldn't believe I agreed to let him drive me back. I could have walked. I mean how big could this town be? I'd get there eventually...

"Why don't you like me?" I kept glaring out the window, tapping my fingers on the door in the most annoying manner I could think of.

I ignored him completely.

"Jessie?' I started humming.

Skylar was going to be in so much trouble.

"I'm your best friend's brother, if you're not going to like me; you at least need a reason." I huffed again, crossing my arms.

"You took her away from me," I finally admitted. He didn't answer, so I went back to my tapping and humming.

"It was for her safety." I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever, just drive."

"You know it was for her own good. If we had left her with him-"

"Well that doesn't really matter now, does it? He still ended up following her out here. And as far as I'm concerned, giving her the good life and then having it crash and burn around her is worse than anything that could have happened in Sydney." I cut him off, my anger getting the better of me. I really had to get a better hold on that.

Brent stared at me with a shocked expression. It took me a few seconds to realize he wasn't driving anymore. We were at his house already.

I got out of the car, slamming the door behind me.

"Stupid best friend's brother," I muttered to myself, standing outside the door. It was locked and I really doubted Sky would appreciate me breaking in.

"You're right, but what are we supposed to do now?" He opened the door and I stormed inside.

"Skylar!" No answer. If she was trying to avoid me... "Skylar Bronson, you get out here right now!" I opened the back door and froze. Brady, Sky and Mrs. Bronson were all huddled together in the middle of the yard.

Brady was shaking so hard, I could tell from all the way out here. But he was holding on to Skylar too.

"Brent!" I ran back inside the house.

Yes, I didn't like him, but right now, I needed his help.

Whatever was keeping them out there must be dangerous if Brady wouldn't risk fighting it.

And if my hunch was correct, Brent was their only hope.

Yay ! This is probably going to be my last chapter for a while... School starts Tuesday for me, which is very sucky, I know. But that's life...

Anyway, I hope you guys liked the chapter ! Not too much of a cliffhanger, right? And I'm sorry we haven't heard from Mr. Bronson yet, we will next chapter, promise. (:

Review ?(: