Everyone brings some kind of dish. Macaroni and cheese, casseroles, a ham, pasta salad, potato salad, bottles of wine/alcohol-a little bit of everything! I stand back quietly in a corner just watching.

"What are you doing?" Seth asks after he walks by me then doubles back.

"People watching." I don't look at him.

"She's not here."

I look at him, "Who?"

He raises his eyebrows, "Who do you think."

"Good, my message sunk in." I smile.

"What message?"

"Nevermind." I laugh a little.

"But Jake sent her home. I overheard him yelling at her and she left with Edward at the border." He yelled at her? I'm feeling oddly satisfied. "Last I heard he was looking for you too."

"He can look all he wants, I don't care right now." I say looking at the ground. It feels weird to say this about him. What I secretly wanted more than anything right now is to be in his arms again like this morning. I sigh and look up, Jacob's standing there. By the look on his face he heard what I said. Shit. Seth fidgets a little then just awkwardly walks away. "I suppose you heard that?"

"I did."

"What do you want me to say here, Jake? I've been so up and down today I-"

"Shh…" He puts a hand on my arm and rubs it. "You don't need to say anything; today's been stressful enough on you without me fucking adding to it." He looks around, "You want to get out of here?" He nods towards the door.

"What?"

"I'll take you someplace quiet and we can just be us without all of this." He steps closer to me and runs the back of his fingers up and down my arm giving me chills, he smiles, "The way we were earlier was nice, was't it?"

"It was." I say quietly.

"Let's go continue where we left off." There's something about the look on his face that's pull me in, "You look so beautiful today."

"Hey." Leah interrupts, "Really…Jake?" She looks at him, "Stop hitting on her; at her dad's funeral no less. Have you no shame?"

He lightly chuckles, "I-I..." He shrugs.

"Yeah, right, okay." She pushes me upstairs into her room and closes the door.

"You found it!" I smile and grab the bottle of vodka off of her dresser.

"No I snuck that one up. I haven't been able to look yet."

I take a sip from the bottle, "You better find it if you want something to drink." I smile and raise it again, but she takes it a drinks some. I sit on her bed, she pulls over her desk chair, turns it around and straddles it backwards. "You've saved me so many times today." I take another big sip. "Why?"

"You're my sister." I hand her the bottle she drinks and hands it back.

"But we've never been sisstserly." I slur.

"Never been what?"

"Sisters! This, this is the most time I've ever spent with you. Have you spent more time with me? I don't think so."

"That's because I knew you'd leave again." She gets up and goes in her closet. She rips out clothes throwing them back at me.

"Hey! Hey!" I yell.

"Muh bad." She stumbles up and drags them off of my and to the floor. She drags a bottle of something across the floor and goes back to her seat.

"What'd did you do? You started without me?" I ask hurt looking at the half full bottle, "But I'm your sister."

"It helps me sleep." She opens it, "Damn!" She breathes out after she swallows some.

"What is it?"

"Whiskey."

"When did I leave?"

"Want some?"

"Why the hell not." I grab it and give her the vodka.

"When we were little." She points at me with her right index finger as she drinks from the bottle. "We hung out then you just freaking left me."

"No, I didn't now you. I never knew you." I take another sip.

"Yes we did. I knew you. Dad brought you around."

"No, you're drunk." She laughs.

She lowers her voice, "Mayyyybeee."

"Come on."

"Hm?"

"Come on we need to go." I fall off of her bed and laugh harder than I ever have, "Shh! Help me." She helps me stand.

"Stop being drunk."

"Hey I'm younger. This is peer pressure, okay." She sets the bottles on her dresser.

"Younger my ass, get down there." She opens the door and swats at my butt on my way out. I almost fall down the top step, but I grip the banister for dear life, she laughs at me again.

"Jacob!" I fall into him at the bottom of the stairs.

"Why do I smell liquor?"

"I had some rum c-c-cake sorry. Rum cake."

"Spit it out!" Leah slaps my back.

"I'm good." I laugh.

"You two are bombed." He laughs. "You need some food. Your mom's going to kill you guys. Go sit down I'll make you a plate."

"Don't make me anything." Leah pokes his shoulder.

"I'm trying to help you."

"Don't want it. Don't need it." She smiles and goes over towards the food.

"I'll be right back." I take a seat on the couch. When he gets back to me he has two plates and hands me one. I pick at it a little, but don't eat it all.

"Here eat this." I hand him the rest of my plate. "Charlie's pretty helpful." I nod towards him and Sue.

"Yeah he and Harry were close."

"I guess they're just one giant lovable family, huh?"

"Would you just stop." I look at him, "I told her to go home, you can't be mad at me for her being here."

"Never said I was mad at you because of that."

"Ah, but you are mad at me?" Am I? I can't remember.

"We can talk Wednesday about it all."

"I don't want to wait until then and in front of a stranger."

"Well I'm busy today and tomorrow, Tuesday I'm working. There's only Wednesday."

"You'll be busy all day tomorrow?"

"Probably. It depends on how long dinner takes and then if he asks me back to his house or if-"

He interrupts me, "Wait, what? "You're going on a date tomorrow?" Damnit! Why did that come out?

"Yes."

"Wow that was quick." He shakes his head.

"You're one to talk, you went out on a date first."

"What, that night with Bella?"

"Yeah."

"That was not a date! And that's why you're doing this? To get even?"

"No Tyler asked me out, it's not like I approached him. It's just dinner."

"Your date is with Tyler?" He's shaking a little.

"Well, yeah." He gets up quickly and walks out the front door. And…cue a migraine.

"Everything alright?" My mom asks sitting next to me.

"Just peachy."

"Come here." She pulls at my shoulders until I'm leaning against her with my head on her shoulder, she kisses my forehead. "Why did Jacob leave?"

"We got into a little fight." Understatement of the year.

"Today's been a long day. Whatever happened between you two, just leave it alone today."

"Okay." I sigh.

"And just so you know, I'm ignoring the fact that your breath reeks of alcohol." I look at her.

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me. You've had a hell of a day already and the last thing you need is me yelling at you." She gives my arm a squeeze and goes in the kitchen.

After everyone leaves, including my mom I help Sue clean up. Seth's passed out on the couch and Leah's somewhere.

"Take whatever you want home."

"I don't need much, especially compared to Leah and Seth." I laugh, she chuckles. It's nice to see her smile.

"Oh boy…" she sighs.

"What?"

"I'm just tired. I have to shower and get to bed for work tomorrow."

"Take tomorrow off."

"I couldn't do that."

"Why not? You're in as much pain as anyone else. You deserve time to yourself."

"Who would run things?"

"We got it!" I smile, "I'm staying at a friend's house tonight so I'll be in the area and can come in early. I'm sure I can talk to Emily and see if she could help out a little more."

"I don't want to inconvenience you guys."

"You are definitely not an inconvenience! And…I'm not taking no for an answer." I smile. "Go take a nice long shower and I'll clean up everything for you."

"Your father was right, you're an angel." She tears up and gives me a hug then goes upstairs. I put everything in tupperware containers and strategically find places for the majority of it in the fridge.

"Hey, where've you been?" Leah's standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Just out for a walk." She sits at the table, I sit across from her.

"So mom's taking the day off tomorrow."

"Seriously?" she raises her eyebrows, "That doesn't sound like her."

"I'm making her. So I need you to call Emily and ask her if she can go in early with me so we can prep for the day."

"Sure, not a problem…" She's looking down at the table.

"Is anything else wrong?"

She looks up at me and looks like she's going to cry, "I ran into Jake on my walk."

"What happened?"

"He started venting to me and Sveta I'm so sorry about the collage."

"Oh, it's okay."

"No it's not. I honestly wasn't even thinking. Seth and I pulled out the boxes of family photos and just picked some of our favorites. It never occurred to me that we were missing anyone."

"It's fine, I wouldn't have even had anything to give you anyway."

She nods, "Jake told me that too. I know that I can never make that up to you, but you have to know how sorry I am."

"Really it's fine." She shakes her head.

"I can see it's not fine, you're mad and that's understandable."

"I'm mad at him more than anyone." Not a total lie.

"Jake said something else too."

"He's just a little chatter box, huh, what was it?"

"He wasn't meeting Bella for a date." I lean back a little, "They met so he could tell her not to show up to the funeral today. He told her that it wasn't her place to be there and that it would just cause problems for us all, especially you because he knows you want to kill her. She wasn't planning on coming, but dad and Charlie were really good friends. There was no way she could get out of coming with her dad. She tried explaining that to him at dinner, but he told her she better make something up and not dare show her face."

"He told you all this?"

"Yes, he was telling the truth."

"Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent." I look down at the table and twiddle my thumbs. "What?"

I look up, "He's mad at me."

"For what?"

"I have a date with Tyler tomorrow night."

"Really?" She smiles.

"Well, I thought he was on a date with Bella that one night and then after what happened at work I told him that, that was it for us. That he was free to see other people-even though I thought he had already started-because I was completely done with him. I didn't say yes to Tyler because Jacob doesn't like him. I said yes because he's attractive and I need to get over Jacob some way."

"He's irate about that."

"I don't understand why though."

"You don't understand why?" Seth grumbles as he drags his feet in and over to the fridge, "He freaking loves you, it's not obvious why he's mad you're dating another man?"

"No that's reasonable, but he's too mad. They have no prior history, no altercations; it's not like they're enemies. It doesn't make sense to me."

"That's not how he sees it." He puts a plate of food in the microwave and turns around, resting against the counter, "This guy stole the love of his life away from him. As far as Jacob is concerned, this guy's the only thing standing in the way of his happiness and he's gonna do what he has to, to get you back and protect you."

"What do you mean protect me? What's he planning to do?"

"He wouldn't tell me." He pulls his plate out and grabs a fork, "Just know that nothing's final in his eyes. He thinks he can still win you back." He takes his food back into the living room.

"Where were you guys talking?" I stand.

"I don't know."

"I need to go find him and talk to him."

"That might not be the best idea right now."

"I don't want him doing anything stupid!"

"Nothing's going to happen tonight. If anything he'll just be at home drinking, he'll be fine."

"No he won't."

"Don't worry about him, you need some sleep if you're setting up tomorrow. I'll make up the couch."

"No I need to get back and feed my friend's cat. She's been gone all day and probably won't be home for a few more hours."

"Are you okay to drive?"

"Oh yeah, it's been a few hours since I've had anything to drink, I'm fine."

"Okay. I'll tell Emily to meet us at 6."

"Okay." I stand, "Thank you Leah." She smiles and hugs me.

"It's what sisters are for." I can't remember another time that she's ever called us sisters, I squeeze her tighter then we separate.

I park in my usual spot and freeze before I close my door. There's a man standing in front of the door to the building. I close my door and lock the car. As I walk closer to the person a few features stand out. Red eyes. Pronounced cheek bones. His slim frame. If something happens, I think I can take him. He's standing in front of the door, I can't get in.

"Excuse me."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Excuse me?"

He looks me up and down, "You're dressed in all black. The universal sign of a funeral or viewing."

"Wrong, I just like black."

"And it likes you too. Black is a nice color on you." My eyebrows furrow, "I'm Riley, by the way."

"Do you live here?"

"No. I was waiting for someone."

We stare at each other, "Well if you'll excuse me." I look from him to the door back to him, "I'd like to go inside now."

"I didn't get your name."

Think of a name. A woman's name. What's a woman's name?! Okay any name! "Alex."

"Alex..." He steps aside, "Have a good night, Alex." I stick my key in the door and turn it, "I like Sveta better."

"What?" I turn around, he's gone. I look back and forth a few times, there's no one.

I feed Sprinkles when I get in and change into something comfortable.

What. Just. Happened? Did he know me? How could he have known me? Riley. I'll definitely remember that name. Should I ask Seth or Jacob if they recognize the name? No not right now. Why hadn't Jacob just told me that he was meeting Bella to tell her not to come? Is that the truth? Has something happened between him and Tyler that he's not telling me about? There has to be something, but what? What could have possibly happened and why won't he just tell me? Should I ask Tyler? No, I definitely should not bring up Jacob on our first date. It will be a Jacob free zone! Too many freaking questions! There's no way I'll be able to sleep tonight. Riley could come back, there's definitely something weird about him. There's something about his eyes; red eyes...