Believe it or not, I actually finished this chapter ahead of schedule, but when I got on to post it, Fanfiction would not let me sign in, so unfortunately, that meant you all had to wait. I blame the Internet.

Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.

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Chapter Thirteen

Bella felt like an alien in her own high school.

Of course, when a girl spends more of her time outside school walls hiding from vampires and hosting parties for werewolf packs, it's bound to make normal, every-day social situations a bit more of a challenge. Like sitting in her Advanced Placement Biology class, for example.

It didn't help that it was a beautiful day outside. The sun was gleaming through the window and illuminating her desk perfectly, mocking her. Mr. Banner had a window open right next to her, so her lungs were sucking in as much fresh air as she could before the hour was over. A cheery bird was obviously happy to finally have a nice day to perform his song for everyone because he certainly was going to town.

It was the first sunny day in weeks, and Bella was stuck inside studying cell diagrams and plasma.

Not that she was paying any attention to Mr. Banner's lecture. No – her mind was outside, wandering to the woods that stood about half a mile away from the school where she knew at least one werewolf was standing, watching over her. Bella's body may as well have been outside, stumbling around the trees, because she sure as hell wasn't concentrating. Sure, every now and then, he'd say a word that rhymed with her name, and that was enough to yank Bella's mind into the room – like salmonella.

When he called on a girl behind her named Arabella, Bella had enough of a heart attack to keep herself focused on the class. There was nothing that humiliated her more than being called on by the teacher who knew that she didn't have the answer because she hadn't been paying attention.

Unfortunately, her attention barely lasted until lunchtime. She sat silently at the table, nibbling at her chicken salad sandwich, while Jessica Stanley chatted nonstop in her ear about how successful her relationship with Mike Newton was so far. Angela Weber, sitting on her other side, carried on most of the conversation for Bella. Angela was a true friend; she seemed to sense that Bella was distracted and didn't hesitate to keep Jessica from questioning her about it.

Bella couldn't stop thinking about Sam.

Or, more specifically, Sam fighting vampires who wanted to kill her.

The thought squeezed Bella's stomach into a knot. If there was anything she couldn't stand, it was the thought of Sam being in danger. And Bella's being stuck in this stupid school all day long meant she had no idea what was going on outside. For all she knew, the pack was chasing down a bloodsucking demon as she sat idle in the Forks High School cafeteria.

Bella was beginning to realize she'd really taken the impromptu school cancellations for granted.

Jessica tapped Bella on the shoulder. "So, they're having a huge sale at Tina's in Port Angeles this Saturday."

Bella looked up from her half-eaten apple and blinked. "Oh, really?" She tried to sound interested, but she was her tone gave away the fact that she hadn't been listening for a good ten minutes.

If it did, Jessica continued as if she hadn't noticed. "I think we should all go out there and check out the sundresses." She sighed. "They always have the cutest sundresses."

Angela leaned forward and peered at Jessica around Bella's shoulder. "Jessica, it's September. And we live in Washington. Sundress weather is pretty much over. We should be looking at boots and sweaters."

Bella nodded. "I actually do need new sweaters! My dad decided he wanted to help me with the laundry." She shook her head at the memory of pulling the shriveled-up, shrunken mess of fabric out of the dryer. Her sweaters were made for the washer, not the dryer, and needed to be hung up on a line outside to air-dry. Not that Charlie was aware of that. "They're hopelessly ruined."

Jessica let out a grunt of annoyance, then shot a quick glance at Mike to make sure he hadn't heard her very unladylike behavior. After seeing him completely engrossed in his conversation with Eric, she bit her lip in relief. "I know it's not sundress season. You have to buy them now so you have them for next year!"

Bella wrinkled her nose. "I'm not really sure I have the extra money to buy things I'm not going to wear for six months," she said. "I need to buy the clothes I need for this season before I worry about next season."

Angela nodded her agreement, and Jessica rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You two can go to the winter section, and when summer comes and I have a lot of cute sundresses and you're spending all your money on ones that aren't nearly as cute as mine, you'll be sorry you didn't listen to me."

We can't all have rich fathers who give us a three-digit number as a monthly allowance, Bella thought. One glance at Angela told her she was thinking the same thing.

"So are we going or not?" Jessica demanded.

Bella's thoughts drifted to Sam. She wasn't about to go and ask him for permission to go out with her friends, because she didn't need it. But was going out to Port Angeles at night while there were evil vampires roaming around trying to kill her a wise move? She needed to at least ask him if he thought she would be safe. Perhaps he could come with her . . . "I'll have to check with Charlie tonight," she said aloud.

Jessica nodded and turned to Angela, who shrugged. "I guess I'll ask my parents, too."

Satisfied, Jessica's face brightened into a smile and she clapped her hands enthusiastically.

When the final bell rang at the end of Seventh Hour, Quil was waiting for Bella in the student parking lot. He was leaning casually against the hood of her truck, his hands stuffed into his pockets. His hair was blown in odd directions, hinting that he'd been phased as he ran over there. He was fully clothed – to Bella's surprise – but his tank top didn't leave much to the imagination. Bella had to chuckle a little as group after group of teenage girls that gawked and flirted with him as they passed by on the sidewalk. He offered them kind smiles and gentle head nods. To the girls he was particularly interested in, he winked.

Bella said goodbye to Angela and waved to Mike and Eric across the lot as she went her own way. "You're pretty smooth with the ladies," she called as she got closer to Quil.

Quil grinned sheepishly. "I'm not trying to be."

Bella smiled. "That's exactly why all those girls are interested," she said, gesturing in the girls' direction. "You're not hitting on them, and you're not acting like an asshole who thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread."

Quil made a face. "That's not a phrase that most modern-day seventeen-year-old girls say."

"I've never been much of a modern teenage girl," Bella mumbled, rolling her eyes. "You're just being yourself, Quil. Girls like an honest, kind, genuine guy. And you're hot, so that's just icing on the cake."

She stepped down over the curb and nudged him out of her way with her elbow. She opened the door and pretended she didn't hear its loud squeal of protest. Once she was settled behind the wheel, she looked at him. "What are you doing here, anyway? Don't you go to school? Like ever?"

Quil smirked. "Don't be jealous." He launched himself over to the other side of her truck, sliding his butt across its hood. A few guys walking past stopped to salute him. He was inside the truck before any of them could really get his attention. "I turn into a giant wolf and run around the woods at all hours of the night. I think I deserve lenient school hours. And I'm here on Sam's orders – to bring you to our pack gathering on the Rez."

Bella shook her head. "You don't even see it, do you? You impress people. You're a people person." She nodded towards the boys who were still shooting impressed glances towards them. "Those guys wish they could do what you just did and look as cool doing it."

Quil shrugged and changed the subject. "C'mon, if we don't get going, Sam will have my head."

"Why didn't Sam just tell me where to meet you all instead of sending you all the way out here to get me?" Bella asked. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and checked for messages from him, but the only thing that lit up her screen was a text from Charlie asking about dinner. She slid it into her purse and started the truck.

"We're not meeting anywhere you've been before. You need directions," Quil responded. He reached out and immediately began to fiddle with the radio stations and the volume. Bella almost commented, but decided she needed to pick her battles wisely.

"Then where are we going?"

"Just go like you're going to Jake's house."

Bella bit her lip. "Why didn't Sam say anything about this meeting to me this morning?" She pictured his face that morning as she'd told him goodbye, remembering the steamy kiss he'd given her as she walked out the door. She'd hoped he would call her at lunch, but her cell had remained perfectly silent the entire meal. The entire school day was just far too long for her to be away from him, and she was longing to run her fingers through his hair again.

She shook her head of the thoughts and focused on exiting the school parking lot.

"Because we only just decided to have the meeting this afternoon when we were changing shifts for patrol," he told her. He settled on a station and leaned back in his seat, watching out the window. "And it's not really a meeting so much as a get together. It's pleasure, not business."

Bella's eyebrows rose. "Oh, really?" Her mind went reeling. Had something changed with the vampire situation that made it less dire, less hazardous? What had she missed while she was stuck in school?

"We've all been working ourselves to the point of exhaustion and worrying twenty-four-seven. Paul suggested that we have a little fun this evening, and we all thought it was a great idea." He shrugged. "We're still going to have someone on patrol, but we're gonna swap out a few times so we all get a break. Seth's out there right now."

They rode in silence for a few minutes, until Quil spoke up again. "Park at Jake's. We can walk from there."

Bella nodded. "I don't suppose you'll tell me –"

"Nope." Quil simpered. "Sam's surprise, not mine."

Bella pouted and parked next to Jacob's Rabbit. "Don't you know me at all, Quil?" she complained. "I hate surprises!"

"I think you'll like this one."

Quil lead Bella to a path through the woods. It wasn't a marked path per se; it appeared to have been formed by the boys repeatedly walking over the grass and trampling it down to the mud. They walked in silence, Quil keeping a no-touching distance between them, for about a minute before Bella heard the tell-tale sounds of a pack gathering – hoots and hollers, laughs and claps.

Bella felt her eyebrows pull together in confusion when she heard someone let out a loud "Woo-hoo!" It was traveling away from her somehow, getting quieter as he continued. Bella shot a questioning look at Quil, but he didn't give anything away.

Finally, the trees opened up to an open circle, where the pack had gathered. It was a cliff that overlooked the Pacific Ocean and La Push Beach. Bella had never seen the land from that point of view, but she was impressed with the true natural beauty of the Reservation.

It was certainly a party.

The boys were rambunctiously running about, as usual. The first two she saw were Paul and Embry, who were wrestling just outside the tree line. Embry appeared to be losing. Badly. So Quil immediately left Bella's side to go help his best friend.

Jared and Kim were lounging in the grass a safe distance away. He was leaning back on his elbows so she could rest against his chest. She reached her lips up to press them lovingly against his jaw. He grinned down at her and wrapped her tighter in his arms. Bella wondered if she and Sam looked as cute as those two did.

There was a make-shift table that was really a tree stub holding multiple bags of chips and bowls with various kinds of dips. Next to it was a cooler full of drinks, both alcoholic and not.

It had a breathtaking view. The sky was a gorgeous blue color and the few clouds that inhabited it were fluffy and classic. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping all around them. It was a perfect day for an outside party.

"Bella!" Jacob tried to call her attention, but when Bella turned her head to look at him, her eyes landed on Sam and she couldn't look away.

He was standing right next to Jake, but the light of the sun was only touching him. The sunshine hit his face perfectly, brightening his eyes and illuminating his skin. He wore no shirt, Bella noticed happily. His bare abs were glistening and his hair was damp, sticking up in random places. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his shorts, which were also damp.

Bella looked up to find him watching her, a happy smile on his face. When she blinked at him, he opened his arms wide like he was waiting for her to step into them.

She ran.

He was laughing by the time she threw her arms around his neck. He pressed his lips to her temple. "Hi, baby," he murmured. "Did you miss me as much as I missed you?"

"Yes," Bella said desperately into his throat. "More than I expected. I worried about you all day long, with those vampires and –"

"Hey, hey, no vampire talk," Jacob said somewhere to her left. "This is our stay-cation. We're off duty, so now talk of werewolves and vampires and zombies, okay?"

Bella shot him a glare. "Zombies. Right."

"I'm fine, Bella," Sam promised her, ignoring his Beta. "The leeches won't ever come out in the day. They wouldn't risk exposure." That did little to calm Bella's nerves, but she didn't say so. He bent to murmur in her ear. "Quil didn't tell you what we're doing here, did he?" The roughness of his voice sent shivers down her spine.

Bella shook her head.

Sam's face broke into a cheeky grin. "C'mon, I'll show you." He entwined their hands and pulled her along behind him.

Bella sent Jacob a confused glance over her shoulder, but he just gave her a knowing smile.

Sam towed them directly towards the cliff. As they got close enough for Bella to see the water, he rested his hands on her hips, almost as if he was making sure she didn't fall over the edge.

Please. As if she was going to get close enough that something like that could actually happen.

"Hey, Seth," Sam called. "C'mere and show Bella our favorite pass-time."

"Don't let them talk you into anything, Bella," Kim yelled from Jared's lap. "Don't do anything you don't want to do!"

"What's she talking about?" Bella demanded, watching Seth warily as he pranced over to them. He squinted at the cliff's edge and gave Bella a wink.

Bella screamed when he catapulted himself off of the edge without a moment of hesitation.

And then he was gone.

Over the edge, falling, falling, falling down into the water with a howl of laughter.

Sam pressed his chest into Bella's back and held her hips when she tried to get closer to peer over and watch. She whipped her head around to pierce Sam with her wide-eyed panic. "What the hell?" she squeaked.

Sam threw his head back and laughed. "It's perfectly safe, I promise. We've been doing it ever since we were kids. You know – BW."

Bella lifted her chin.

"Before the Wolf," Jacob explained, popping up beside her. "C'mon, Bella – don't think and overanalyze like you always do. Just walk up to the edge and jump!"

Collin and Brady appeared to her right side, shoving each other playfully towards the edge. When they got close enough, Collin lunged forward and sent Brady tumbling over the edge. He paused a moment before he followed himself with much more grace than his best friend.

Bella squealed. "Oh, my God," she gasped, peaking over the edge. She watched their bodies get smaller and smaller before a giant splash of water exploded around them.

"Why on earth are you doing this?" Bella yelled.

Sam nudged his nose affectionately against her jaw as he hugged her from behind. "Believe it or not, it's fun. And it's completely safe, Bella. You know I wouldn't ever let you be in any danger, let alone put you in danger myself." He kissed her. "This is something that the entire pack enjoys, and we need some relaxation time. It'll be good for us."

Bella glanced at the cliff again. "I don't have to jump, do I? I mean, it's all fine and dandy if the supernatural werewolves want to jump over a cliff, but I am a very small, very human girl who doesn't want to die anytime soon."

Sam winked at her. "You're right about you being small and human, that's for sure. And no, you don't have to jump." He looked down at the ground sheepishly. "I was just hoping you'd do it with me."

"With you?"

Sam nodded.

"And it's safe?"

He frowned. "Bella, you know I would never let you get hurt."

She reached up to run her fingers through is damp, shaggy hair. "You've already jumped a few times, haven't you?"

He nodded, eyes twinkling in delight. "The water is the perfect temperature because it rained last night. Rain always makes the water warmer." He glanced out into the distance at the shining sun. "It's a perfect day for cliff diving."

"Cliff diving," she moaned. "Oh, my God. I can't believe I'm letting you talk me into this."

"I'm not talking you into anything," he reminded her. "You're talking yourself into it."

Bella bit her lip. "Okay," she relented. "I guess I could . . . try it, just once, but if I don't like it, I'm not doing it a second time."

Sam's face broke into a giant smile and started nudging her forward.

"Wait, wait," she hollered. "I don't have my swim suit!" She was still wearing her school clothes, obviously, having not had time to go home yet. She'd worn a pair of jean capris and a cotton tank top that she really didn't want to get ruined by the salt water that foamed below them. "I can't jump and ruin these clothes."

Sam stared at her thoughtfully. "I didn't think about that," he mumbled, suddenly disappointed. Seeing the frown on his perfect face made Bella's heart sink; she wanted to make him happy. She felt like whatever would make him happy would make her happy. She'd spoken with Kim about that, and they'd decided it was another imprint thing.

"Lucky for you," Kim called as she skipped over to them with Jared in tow, "I thought ahead for you." She thrusted a pink and purple swim suit into Bella's hands. "You can borrow one of mine, since your imprint wasn't nice enough to give you a warning to bring one. We look about the same size, so you should be good."

"Thank you," Bella said, and then she realized something. "Wait a minute. You got to know what we were doing on the cliff and I had to wait until I got here to find out?" Bella complained. She shot Sam an annoyed look.

He just grinned patiently. "That was Jared's choice. I wanted to surprise you."

"But you know I don't like surprises," Bella reminded him, confused as to why he would think a surprise for a girl who liked to plan her entire life out would be a good idea.

He nodded. "I know that. But I'm trying to break you out of your habits." He made a general gesture to the air around them. "And look at you! You were faced with the unexpected, and you didn't even throw a fit."

Bella, to be honest, hadn't realized that. She smiled. Sam was definitely changing her for the better. "I guess so," she mumbled.

"So how does this work? What do we do?" Bella asked. After a nice, leisurely walk with Sam back to Jacob's house so she could change into her borrowed bathing suit, she was once again perched at the edge of the cliff.

Bella never thought she'd say that and have it not be a metaphor, but there she was, squinting down at the crashing waves far, far below her. She bit her lip. "It looks . . . kinda violent down there," she pointed out hesitantly.

Sam shrugged. "It's a little rough, but that's why I'm jumping before you. I'll be able to grab you and make sure you don't get pulled under too far."
"That's a possibility?" she squeaked.

Jacob scoffed. "C'mon, Bells. Don't back out now." He stood next to her with his arms crossed over his bare chest, an intimidating presence.

Bella sighed. "Alright. Let's do this."

"You're good?" Sam checked. "You're okay with this?" His wide, excited eyes made up his entire face.

Bella reached up to brush her thumb against his jaw affectionately. She looked up at him shyly from under her eyelashes. "I can't disappoint such a face."

"Jacob will tell you when to jump," he told her. He glanced up at Jake to confirm, who nodded in agreement. Sam leaned down to press a kiss to Bella's lips. Before Bella could really respond, his tongue was pushing past her lips and tangling with hers. His hands pressed against both of her cheeks, trapping her face in his grip. It was passionate and sexy, and Bella knew exactly why; Sam knew he was leaving his mate with his Beta on the edge of a cliff, and he was marking his territory.

When he pulled back, he pressed one more kiss to her forehead.

And then he disappeared.

Bella swallowed back a squeal.

Jacob threw his arm over her shoulder, enveloping her in his warmth. It was a little too warm out for an embrace, but she couldn't exactly complain. After all, she'd just spent a huge amount of time in Sam's arms, and the two men were obviously the same temperature. She didn't want to hurt Jake's feelings.

"So, you and Sam, huh?" he began conversationally.

Bella blinked. "Yeah, I guess so. It's weird, isn't it?" She shook her head. "I mean, you just introduced us like, a month ago. And now . . ." We're in love, she thought but couldn't say.

Jacob filled in the blank, though. He nodded. "I'm happy for you guys," he admitted. He wouldn't look down to meet Bella's gaze, so she could tell he wasn't comfortable with their topic of conversation, but they both knew they needed to talk and get everything out in the open. "An imprint is a big deal. Being the Alpha's imprint is an even bigger deal. You'll be safe now – he can protect you from things you can't protect yourself from." He grinned. "And by that, I mean he can send us – the rest of the pack – to protect you. But either way, you're safe. And you deserve the position."

"The position," Bella repeated bitterly. "I don't think everyone on the Rez feels that way."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about Harry Clearwater. He's got about as much control over this pack than that tree Paul is pissing on right now." He gestured to his pack mate, who indeed was peeing very publicly against a tree. Paul's back was to them, but he obviously could still hear Jacob's comment. He lifted his free hand to flash his middle finger at Jacob without turning around. Jacob laughed. "Back at you, bastard!"

Bella shook her head. "You guys are horrible."

Jacob sobered and stared down at her earnestly. He pulled her closer into his side so he could rest his chin on the top of her head. "But in all seriousness, I think you really are perfect for each other. I didn't – um – think that at the beginning." He looked sheepishly down at his shoes. "But I'm sure you knew I . . . um . . . sort of had a thing for you for a while."

Bella thought about playing dumb, but decided she needed to be adult about this. "Yeah, Jake. I know. And I want you to know that you'll always be my best friend. My being with Sam doesn't change that at all."

"Other than the fact that you're my Alpha's mate and I have to watch my every move with you because he'll snap me in half if he doesn't like something I do."

Bella bit her lip. "Yeah, there's that."

Jake stared out into the sun, squinting. "I just wanted you to know that we're cool, and your being with him doesn't bother me anymore. I accepted it, and I'm happy for you. I can see that you love him already, after such a short time, and I'm glad he makes you happy. You deserve that, Bella. You should be with someone who makes you as happy as I just saw you." He leaned down like he was going to kiss her forehead like he'd always done before he'd introduced her to the pack, but halfway through the action, he seemed to realize that perhaps kissing her would be a bad idea and pulled back. "You're like my little sister now, Bells."

Bella raised an eyebrow at him. "But I'm two years older than you." She was being playful and lighthearted with him, but deep down, she was relieved. She'd been wondering what Jacob truly thought of her being with Sam, and it was a weight lifted from her shoulders to know that her best friend was pleased with her new relationship.

Jacob smirked. "I say 'little' to refer to your size, not your age, genius. I'm looking down at you right now, aren't I? You're way small, Bella."

"That's not very nice to point out."

"You'll get over it." He stepped back and nodded towards the cliff. "You'd better get jumping. He'll be getting antsy down there, and if I know him, he'll be up here in two minutes if you don't get down there soon."

Bella tried to see Sam treading water down below. She saw the general shape of his body but the cliff was too high up to see the expression on his face. Bella looked at Jacob once more. "I'm glad we're good, Jake. And I hope you find someone who makes you happy, too."

He hesitated. "Seeing how great things are going for you, Sam, Jared, and Kim kind of made me want to hold off on relationships for a while. I want to give myself some time to find my own imprint." He shrugged. "I know not every wolf in history has imprinted, but I don't want to be in a relationship when that happens. Not like Sam, you know? I'm sure that caused some tension for the two of you."

Bella's heart stopped. "What?"

His brow furrowed. "You know – with Leah."

"Sam said they just went on one date," Bella whispered.

"Well, they only went out once," he told her, "but before that, Sam hung out at her house a lot. You know – at night."

Oh my God. He'd had sex with her. Sam had slept with Leah.

Jacob didn't come right out and say it, but she knew that's what he was implying. Sam and Leah had been friends with benefits.

"Oh my God," she gasped, feeling all of the life drain out of her body. She stumbled, suddenly unbalanced, and Jacob's arms shot out to catch her. "Oh, my God," she repeated.

"Bella?" Jake asked, panicked. "What's wrong?" He didn't know what he'd just revealed to her.

"Oh, my God." Bella swallowed deeply. "He's been with her! He slept with her?" She felt tears start to prickle her eyes.

Understanding dawned in Jacob's eyes. "Oh, no," he murmured, "you didn't know?"

Bella sobbed and grasped onto his shoulders for support. "H-he just . . . t-told me that they went o-out to dinner one time but he never wanted to date her."

"Jacob."

They both turned to look at Embry and Quil, who were standing side by side with their arms crossed over their chests – an offensive stance. Embry's voice was a reprimand for Jake. Their message was clear – Jacob was to let the subject drop. It was probably a previous order from their Alpha that Jacob had just broken.

Bella hadn't noticed, but the entire group was now silent and staring at them, probably shocked at the turn the conversation had taken. Jared had Kim wrapped tightly in his arms again. Paul was finished soiling the tree and was watching them intently.

Bella couldn't even think about jumping of a freaking cliff into his waiting arms. The thought made her sick. So she acted on instinct and straightened, hastily wiping the tears from her face. "I'm going home," she said defiantly. "Walk me to my truck?"

Jacob's eyes widened. Bella realized she'd just asked him to openly defy his Alpha. But Bella had been told over and over again that she had power, too – and now she was going to use it. "You wouldn't want me to trip and get injured on my way, would you? Or get lost?"

Jacob bit his lip. "Bella – I didn't know he never told you," he whispered.

"I know," she breathed, "but I'm glad you told me. Someone should have – I deserve to know that." She pulled on Jacob's hand. "C'mon – I just need to go home right now." She sniffled, feeling hot tears still trickling down her cheeks even though her sobs had stopped.

"Wait, Bella." It was Paul who stood in their way. "You can't just leave. Wait for Sam to come back."

Bella marched herself right up to the governing werewolf and crossed her arms defiantly across her chest. She glared at him, piercing him with her unyielding gaze. "You will not keep me from doing what I want to do. I am an imprint, not a slave. Samuel Uley does not own me and he never will. I make my own choices and I will not listen to you."

Paul stared blankly at her for a moment, thinking, before ultimately deciding that she was right – he really couldn't keep her there. He stepped aside without an argument – surprisingly enough – and Bella and Jacob walked right past him.

"Can I give you your suit back another day?" she asked Kim as she passed.

Kim, whose eyes were full of sympathy and sorrow, nodded reached out to pat Bella's arm supportively. "Of course. Just text me or something, and we can get together and hang out."

Bella nodded. She glanced at Jared. "I'm sorry I'm leaving you all to deal with the wrath I know he'll unleash on you, but I just – I can't . . . I need to –"

Jared nodded. "I know. We'll be fine."

With that, Bella let Jake lead her to the path that would return her to her truck. She managed to keep the tears at bay until she unlocked the door. She pulled her shorts and tank top on over the swim suit.

Jacob hesitated as she climbed into the driver's seat. "You're okay to drive, Bella?"

She nodded weakly.

"Bella – don't shut him out," Jacob pleaded. "I realize that he should have told you he's . . . been with Leah, but you can't leave him because of that. Believe me. I've seen inside his head. I know exactly how he thinks about you, and about Leah. I wouldn't be telling you this if I didn't think he truly loves you." He pleaded with her with his eyes. "He does, Bella. He loves you more than anything. He hadn't been with her at all since the day he first met you."

Bella was crying again, but Jake didn't touch her. Deep down, he knew she needed to comfort herself. Bella was retreating back into the shell Sam had worked so hard to break her out of. "I love him, too, Jacob. That's not going to change. But he made a mistake, and he has to learn from it. This might not be a normal relationship, but he is certainly going to treat it that way." She lifted her chin. "He has to respect me if this is going to work. He has to learn that."

"Are you leaving him?"

"No," she whispered. "I'm not. That would hurt us both." She shook her head. "But I can't just . . . pretend it's nothing that he's slept with her. Because it's not – not when her father is trying to desperately to get them together. And he lied to me. He told me nothing had ever happened between them, and obviously that's not true."

"What do I tell him when he realizes you're gone?"

She gave a humorless laugh. "Tell him he screwed up. And he'd better come groveling."

Yikes. I have to be honest, that chapter ending hurt me a little. But every relationship has its ups and downs, and Bella and Sam are no different. Keep in mind that I do promise a happy ending.

So what did you think? Were you expecting that? Was it a shock? Are you angry? Sad? What did you think of Bella's reaction? Give me your thoughts!

Thank you all once again for the wonderful reviews! Please, please, please keep them coming! I run on your feedback.

ATTENTION: I'm still looking for someone to create a banner for this story and my others. If you are interested, send me a PM. Thank you!

See you in Chapter Fourteen.