I know, I know...I have not updated any of my stories in forever and I am so sorry; it is just so hard to find time to sit down and write these days. I promise I will finish all of my stories at some point. As always, thank you for all the reviews. Now, enjoy...

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Sighing, I lifted my eyes from my textbook to watch Matt. His fingers were tapping the table in time with the music playing in the Diner. He had lines on his forehead that only ever appeared when he was stressed, and a pen tucked behind his ear. At one point in our relationship I would have found his stressful habits cute, but as time went on they bugged me more and more.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Matt?"

Instantly, his eyes darted from the piece of paper in front of him to my face. I forced myself to smile.

"Could you please stop tapping?" I looked pointedly at his hand lying on the table, "It's a little distracting."

I knew that I sounded like the biggest bitch in the world. He wasn't doing anything wrong. It was an unusually hot day in Forks, my legs were sticking to the seat I was sitting on and I could feel a bead of sweat slipping down the side of my neck into my shirt. The heat was making every little thing annoy me. Or at least; that what I was telling myself.

"Oh," Matt grinned, "I didn't even realise I was doing that. It's just this damn trig; I don't understand any of it."

He was lying. Matt was great at trig. Matt was a genius when it came to numbers. He would have the exact money ready whenever we went to the supermarket, and he was always the first to answer in class. Despite his ability though, Matt always felt the need to downplay his talent. In Forks, everybody was normal. The geniuses left the moment they had the chance, and Matt didn't want to leave. He didn't want to come across as big-headed or obnoxious so instead he just pretended to be normal. It was another thing that bugged me.

"You'll be fine when it comes to the exam," I said instead, "You might even surprise yourself."

"Yeah," he reached across the table and squeezed my hand in his, "I might go get us a coffee?"

"That sounds perfect. I'll have-"

"I'll be right back." I followed his line of his sight. He had spotted one of his friends from school. Matt was friends with everyone; he was so incredibly easy to get along with, I envied his ability to break an awkward silence with laughter.

Shutting my textbook, I pushed the hair away from my eyes and watched Matt as he approached the counter. He hadn't even asked me what I want to drink, he just expected me to want the same thing as always. Maybe I wanted to try something different. I craved something different. Perhaps that why my mind had been filled with Brady.

At completely inappropriate times – when Matt was telling me about his day, or leaning in for a kiss goodnight – I would think about the way Brady had pulled me to his side and put his arm around me. I would think about the way his laugh sounded when Colin said something hilarious. I thought about the warmth that had spread throughout me when Brady had put his hand on my back to help me out of the truck. I thought about him far too often. Matt caught my eyes from across the room, almost as if he could hear my thought. I lowered my eyes.

"Jade?"

I looked up immediately. Louise stood in front of me; her hair was piled on top of her head in her signature bun and she was wearing her favourite sweatpants. She looked even worse that I felt.

"Can I sit?"

Technically, we still weren't speaking, but I nodded my head anyway. It is incredibly hard to let go of a friendship that had been at the centre of my life for as long as I could remember. Across the room, Matt paused in his conversation to give me the thumbs up. He wanted me to be happy.

I had agreed to marry Matt, which also meant that I had agreed to stay in Forks for the rest of my life. I tried not to think about it too much, but when I did, my head would ache and I would start to feel panic build in my chest. Forks with a friend was bad enough, but Forks alone was like hell on earth.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you really just going to provide me with one word answers?"

"Are you going to bring up my Mom again?"

Louise sat back slightly as if my words had physically hurt her. She grabbed onto my hand before I had time to pull away. Matt's smile had turned into a frown as he continued to watch us from across the room.

"I am not going to apologise for that," the determination in Louise's voice took me off guard, "You are one of the most important people in my life. I love you to pieces, and I just want to protect you. I know sometimes I overstep the mark, but I am always thinking about you."

I shook my head as I glanced out of the window. The sky was clouding over and I could sense a storm brewing in the air. I had known the unatural warmth was never going to last.

"I don't need you to protect me Louise," I untangled my hand from hers, "I need you to be you. I need you to be my best friend again."

I needed her to laugh with me. I needed her to sit in my back garden and drink 'borrowed' wine with me. I needed her to talk about boys with me, and comment on my lack of fashion sense. She was the only one who had ever understood my drive for adventure, my need to be free of the constraints of Forks.

"I'll try." Her eyes were glistening as she continued to stare at me.

"It's not easy for me," she continued so quietly that I had to lean forward to hear her speak, "You are going to ace these finals..you could go anywhere in the world if you wanted."

"That's bullshit. I have Matt and the house and-"

"Exactly! You have the kind of future that most girls would kill for."

"But I'm not most girls."

"I know. But maybe you should try to be."

She wasn't trying to be mean; I knew that. She was being realistic; something that I often shied away from. My days were consumed by thoughts of blue oceans, of tall mountains and historic buildings. Instead, I should have been focusing on trig, and marriage preparations and my future. My real future. My whole life was mapped out for me. Maybe it was time for me to give up on the dreams, and settle for the reality.

Life wouldn't be so bad; Louise would live next door to me, our children would grow up playing with each other on First Beach while Louise filled me in on the daily gossip. I would go home to a loving husband. I might even get a dog. It was the kind of life my Mom would have dreamt of for me. It was a life that she had never quite managed to accomplish, but it was being handed to me on a plate. It would have been selfish of me to run away.

I took a deep breath.

"You need to help me."

Louise's eyes narrowed and I saw her gulp as she looked around the Diner. The girl behind the counter was blushing as Matt spoke to her. Everyone truly loved him. I was a lucky girl. I forced myself to remember that.

"I am not helping you break off the engagement. I will not break that boy's heart. No way in hell will I-"

"Louise!" I cut her off. My heart squeezed tightly in my chest. My whole body ached with the realisation that my best friend thought I could be that heartless.

"I need your help with planning the wedding." The words sounded forced, but Louise let out a delighted squeal none the less. The boys at the table next to us merely rolled their eyes. Everyone in Forks was used to Louise's antics; she was often the talk of the town.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she clapped her hands, "This will be the best wedding ever! And it will convince you that you're making the right decision."

Outwardly I smiled and nodded as Louise continued to throw out her ideas about dresses and whatnot, while inwardly I once again pushed away the nagging feeling that I was doing the wrong thing. I was going to get married and have the best day of my life. Nothing would ruin it.

"Jade?"

Except that.

My heart began beating erratically in my chest and Louise stopped mid rant to look at the man towering beside us. He semed to have appeared from nowhere.

"Brady?" My eyes immediately flashed to Matt who was still on the opposite side of the Diner, "What are you doing here?"

Brady had his signature grin on his face as he flopped into the booth beside me as if it was the most natural thing in the world. My body shuffled automatically away from him despite my urge to cuddle into his side as I had done in the previous week. I had missed him.

"Yes," Louise's voice was cold as she noted Brady's close proximity to me, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to hand in your car keys. Everything is all fixed, and I touched up the paintwork for you too. I was on the way to your house, but decided to stop in here for a bite to eat." He was still grinning from ear to ear as he catalogued my every feature; my every blemish and flaw. His gaze made me feel like I was on fire. Everything about him was so carefree and relaxed; he was so easy to be around. I felt as if I had known him for years, and not just a couple of weeks. He made me feel desired.

"What happened to your car?" My eyes reluctantly swivelled to meet Louise's.

"I was in an accident the other night and-"

"You were in an accident and you didn't call me? What the hell?"

"Louise, we weren't talking, and I-"

"I don't care! Sometimes you just have to swallow your pride and call a friend. I can't believe you were in an accident and didn't tell me. Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?"

"I'm fine honestly. I-"

Brady was watching Louise and I argue with a frown on his face. He looked as though he wanted to jump in and say something but was restraining himself, and I liked him even more for it. For some strange reason I wanted him to like her, I wanted him to get on with her like he did with me; even though she got on my nerves at times. I realised then that I wanted to be his friend. I couldn't bear the thought of him leaving the Diner and never seeing him again. I was pathetic.

"Are you two arguing again?"

My head immediately snapped up to see Matt standing where Brady had been moments before with two lattes in his hands. He shook his head as he reached down to place them on the table.

I was suddenly hyper aware of Brady's arm resting on the seat behind me, and the way that his knee jostled mine every time I moved an inch. Brady just looked confused as he looked at the lattes, and then Matt.

Matt had never looked small to me before. Even when Brady sat down he looked more intimidating and manly than Matt could ever dream of being. I felt ashamed for even letting the thought cross my mind but I imagined how much warmer I would be in Brady's arms at night, than Matt's.

I felt sick.

"N-no," Louise's voice was hesitant and she kept her eyes on the lattes as she spoke, "Us argue? Never. Are you all set for trig?" She was trying to distract him. I loved her in that moment. Brady's knee knocked against mine again and I attempted to shuffle further away; I was practically hugging the wall.

"Almost," Matt was looking at me in concern as he answered Louise's question, "Who's the guy?"

Brady looked offended at being called 'the guy' while I prayed that I would suddenly just disappear. My worst fears were coming true; Matt and Brady were in the same room and everything that I had been hiding was about to be revealed.

"The mechanic," Louise offered, "The one that fixed your car."

"His car?" Brady looked confused as he turned to look at me, "He's the friend?"

Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Friend?" Matt laughed over enthusiastically while Louise closed her eyes, "I'm her fiancée."

Everything suddenly went silent.

Thoughts?