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The man called James held out his hand, as if meeting people on the beach in the middle of the night was normal. For some reason, I didn't want to snub him; it wasn't about not wanting to be rude, but more about going with the flow until I could decide how to get back to the car without him catching me. Reluctantly, I slid my hand into his, and as numb as my skin was from the wind, his fingers felt even colder.

"And your name?"

"Ann," I lied. Renée's middle name. Edward's mom's, too.

"Ann?" he repeated in a strange tone, then gave a slight scoff of a laugh as if the name amused him. I flinched as he hooked a finger under my chin, but didn't dare protest. "Ann… such a simple name. With a lovely face like yours, I would have expected Séraphine. Maybe Gabrielle."

Jesus, what a line. Maybe he wasn't dangerous at all. Maybe he was just an eHarmony failure for being such a mammoth creeper.

"One might even think of you as an Isabella."

I let out a shaky breath. It was just a coincidence. I had a popular name. "No," I said, swallowing my fear. "Just Ann."

It was hard to take my eyes off of him. As dark as it was, his eyes held a steadfast gaze, almost imprisoning. He seemed young enough, older than I was, but not by many years. I wanted to scoot away and give myself space, but then the cold tip of his finger moved from my chin to my neck, stopping and pressing into my skin.

"Your pulse is racing," James said curiously. "Are you nervous, Ann?"

"Is there a right answer to that?" I asked dumbly, frozen by his stare.

"I'm making you uncomfortable," he stated, as though I might not have realized it myself. He drew his hand back and grasped a handful of sand instead. "Pardon me, I was simply concerned. I never expected to find someone else out at this hour. Especially not a girl sobbing herself silly."

I slid my legs out from the parka, trying to adjust to a position that would allow me to easily stand. If I got the chance, I was going to run. "Oh, that," I played along. "Love hurts, I guess."

Shit. Why did I say that? I could have said I lost my damn dog or something.

"Indeed, it does." He sounded satirical, curling his lips like I was missing a joke. "Boy troubles?"

I nodded slowly, keeping my hands at the ready. Charlie always taught me to go for the throat, then the nose. Punch one, punch two, and then run and scream for help. Only I was in an isolated area and didn't have my cell phone. I needed to make it to the car or I was probably going to be cut up into little pieces of Bella and sprinkled over this guy's backyard.

"We have something in common, then," he continued, grinning.

"What's that?" I asked, waiting for the opportunity to catch him off guard. It was hard, though, since he barely took his eyes off of me.

His expression flickered from self-satisfied to steely. "I'm heartbroken, too."

Oh, are you really, Ted Bundy?

"I'm sorry," I said awkwardly, experimentally edging an inch or two away from him. He didn't react. "That's… unfortunate."

"I'm afraid so," he responded. Without looking, he picked up a lone splinter of driftwood and twirled it between his fingers. "You see, a long time ago, there was a girl who fascinated me. No one understood her—people can be so insolent, you know—but I adored her. I knew she could be something special."

I wished he would break his gaze, even for just one second. The longer he kept his eyes fixated on me, the deeper the strange feeling brewing in my stomach became—a mixture of discomfort and… intrigue. I didn't like it.

"What happened?" I had no fucking clue why I was still speaking to this guy.

"I made her mine, of course," James said, as if it was blatantly obvious. "Wouldn't you do the same? Go after what you want?"

I finally tore my stare away from him and looked down, clearing my throat. "Maybe," I said with a small shrug. "If I thought I had a chance."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that he was still watching me, and even though I tried to ignore it, I felt a strange compulsion to look at him again, like a persistent, gravitational pull. When I did, his eyes seemed to burn into mine.

"Ah, yes. Well, for a while, it did seem like we had a great chance. She was more than I'd hoped for in a mate."

Mate? Who said things like that anymore? Christ, I needed to focus. I needed to sock him in the face and run for my life.

"But all good things come to an end, as the proverb goes," he said, his voice on the edge of a snarl.

I swallowed and, despite the cold, started to sweat. "Uh-huh."

"She left me. After all I had done for her, all that I'd sacrificed for her… she simply chose someone else." The moonlight broke through the clouds for a moment, shining weakly over the beach, and his frown deepened into a glare, giving his face a haunting glow. "Do you agree that I have the right to be upset that she chose to be a whore?"

My eyes widened. In simple terms, his words were just a story. But hearing this kind of resentment from a stranger's mouth in the middle of the night was far above and beyond the most bizarre conversation I'd ever had. My mouth was like a fish's, grappling not for oxygen, but for something intelligent to say. I'd majored in English but minored in psychology; this guy was most likely out for blood—a woman's blood. He was estranged and scorned by an ex-lover. If I didn't get away, I was probably going to have some kind of killer's symbol carved into my chest before sleeping with the fishes.

I was on the verge of panicking, but suddenly, I had my window. James turned his head toward the ocean again, and without hesitating, I let my fist fly. In a flash, he grabbed my wrist, twisting it to the point of sharp pain and pulling me across his lap so that we were eye to eye.

"Here's the thing, Ann." He held me firmly, squeezing my wrist tighter until I gasped. "Love will make you do crazy things, as I'm sure you've figured out by now. This boy who broke your heart—you would do anything for him, wouldn't you?" he said close to my neck. "Anything to have him back, am I right?"

I was certain he could feel the pounding of my heart vibrating through my body. My breath was coming in little gasps that I couldn't control and I felt dizzy. I knew I should have been terrified. I should have screamed, pleaded, kicked, and squirmed in protest, but I didn't.

"Yes," I whispered.

He drew in a strong breath through his nose and exhaled, his hands shaking in an almost rhythmic tremor. His head was so close to mine, perfectly aligned as if to kiss me. A scent of spicy pine replaced the salty air and overtook my senses. Rational thought seemed to slip from my mind. It felt impossible to breathe. It was the strangest feeling.

"Would you kill for him?"

Him.

Edward.

The thought of his name gave me a slight burst of clarity: I was going to die and leave him behind. Whether he really loved me or not, it would destroy him. I shouldn't have left, shouldn't have been so stupid to run off in the dark. I'd left him with the worst words ever and they were going to be the last he would ever hear from me.

"Please, let me go," I whimpered. My attempt was pitiful and I still couldn't bring myself to move, to fight back. Either he was that strong or I was going into shock.

James was still piercing me with his glare and I waited, waited for the moment when he'd brandish a knife and start hacking into me, or strangle me right there with the sound of the surf and what sounded like distant thunder covering my struggle. At this angle, his eyes almost seemed devilishly red, like a monster out of a dream.

But then, those eyes narrowed away from me and he turned, whipping his head over his shoulder. His grip altered quickly: tight, loose, tight, loose. He gazed back at me, nostrils flaring. "Isn't this your lucky day?"

"Hey!"

The voice came out of nowhere. My heart skipped and I closed my eyes, wondering if it could be possible that Edward had found me. Before I could think of what to do next, I was crashing hard into the ground, having been tossed to the side. I spit grainy, damp sand from my lips and scrambled to my feet, backing away in disorientation.

"Bella! Come here!"

Sand was in my eyes, too, and with the added darkness, I had no idea where 'here' was.

"Bella?" James repeated, smirking with a laugh. We were only separated at arms-length, now. "Oh, someone wasn't being honest. And after I opened my heart to you, I'm repaid with lies?"

"Get away from her," the voice demanded harshly.

Not Edward's voice, but it was someone I knew. I moved immediately toward the other figure on the beach, still half-blind, but suddenly euphoric that I might, in fact, live. "Jake?"

"Over here," he said firmly, reaching out his hand. Gasping a relieved breath, I ran as fast as my oversized boots would allow me, sprinting into Jacob's arms. "Are you all right?" he asked me quietly, though still not taking his eyes off of James.

"Yeah," I said breathlessly, feeling a surge of adrenaline.

My God. I had almost been fish food.

Jacob stepped in front of me and blocked my view, and I instinctively held onto his waist. "It seems like you're not from the area," he called out, his voice angry. "If you were, you might have realized there are a few rules to follow. Being here? Strike one."

I pressed my head against Jacob's shirt and shuddered at the wind and the situation. I wanted to pull him away before something terrible happened. What if James tried to attack him, next? I was more terrified now than I had been in that man's arms. It made no sense.

"Approaching her?" Jacob continued. "Strike two."

"Jacob, let's just go," I pleaded, tensing as I heard another rumbling sound in the distance. Was that thunder again? It almost seemed to be coming from the waves, not the sky. As if the ocean was growling.

"Don't make there be a strike three."

I rubbed my eyes, blinking from the sting, and couldn't help peering from around Jacob's back. James seemed far away, now; he was turned toward a darker part of the beach where boulders were piled.

"Leave," Jacob said fiercely. "Now."

I buried my face in Jacob's back again. I had to give it to him—he was brave. But that still didn't mean this asshole was going to go quietly.

"My mistake," I heard James say in an almost suspicious tone. "It won't happen again."

Or… maybe he would go. Weird. This was too easy.

I anxiously bunched my freezing fingers, waiting for them both to start fighting, to knock each other to the ground in some kind of male-dominance rage. There was only silence.

"Stay close to me," Jacob said in a low voice. "We're going to walk up to the street."

I complied, wrapping my hands around one of his and gluing myself to his side. He turned, suddenly, and took off in a brisk walk toward the parking lot. Once again, I looked back, afraid James was following us.

He simply waved his hand, giving a hostile laugh. "Nice to meet you, Bella."

Jacob walked faster, practically dragging me, and I whipped my head forward again, concentrating on my steps and trying not to fall. "I…" I gripped Jacob's shirt and sniffled, cold and confused. "Thank you. You—"

"What were you thinking, huh?" he demanded angrily, keeping his arm firmly around my shoulders and directing me toward Edward's car. "Why are you out here? At night, of all times?"

"I—I was just—"

"Do you know how dangerous that was?" He ran a hand over his face and turned to me with a blazing glare. "I mean, are you stupid? You could have been hurt. You could have been worse."

I took a short breath, feeling a prickle of tears behind my eyes. "I didn't plan on running into a psychopath, okay?"

"Still," he said, looking from left to right and back to the beach. "You shouldn't have been here."

"I guess I am stupid, then," I grumbled. "Call me crazy, but I didn't think this beach was off-limits."

"Yeah, you have no idea," he muttered when he broke his gaze from the water. "Come on. I'm taking you to my place."

"But I drove—"

"No!" he growled under his breath, pulling me away from the Volvo. "Come with me. Hurry up."

I yanked my hand away. I'd been yelled at all night. I wasn't in the mood to take it anymore. "Yeah, no thank you. I'll go back to the—"

"God damn it, Bella, I'm serious," he hissed in a whisper. "Just give me your keys, then. I'm driving you."

I knew he had probably just saved my life, but seeing him act like an angry parent made me want to hit him. Like I really wanted to have a damsel-in-distress moment after all that had happened. Biting my lip and huffing my breath through my nose, I finally gave in. I reached into the parka's pocket and handed him the spare key.

"Thank you," he said brusquely, proceeding to steer me to the passenger door and practically push me inside. He was in the front seat in a flash and started the engine, nearly spinning out as we sped out of the lot.

"You don't have to be so angry," I told him, feeling babyish as I spoke the phrase.

He sighed heavily, adjusting the rearview mirror. "Sorry. I'm worked up."

Weren't we all?

I watched as he pulled a phone from his pocket and dialed a number with one hand. "Hey," he said into the receiver, sounding just as annoyed as he'd just been with me. "No, everything's fine. Yes. No. No. Are you serious? What do you think I am, an idiot?"

I turned on the heat, shivering, and watched Jacob scowl as he listened to the other line.

"Why, what the hell is he doing?" he continued, shooting a pointed look at me. I raised my eyebrows and he looked away, remaining quiet as he listened to the other end.

"Oh, well isn't that fascinating," he finally scoffed. "Listen, if he happens to make it back to you, just make sure you do your part. We've got our own problems. Call me when you have good news for once, will you?"

With that, he hung up and shoved the phone back into his pocket. "Leech," he muttered. At my bewildered look, he added, "Term of endearment."

Whatever the hell that meant.

"If who makes it back to… where?" I asked, completely out of the loop. "Did you mean him—that guy?"

"The less you know, the better."

Silent minutes passed as we rode. Jacob, as well as I, frequently glanced in the car's mirrors, as if making sure no one was following us. I didn't see any other headlights, so that comforted me a little. I wasn't sure where we were going and since the weight of the past few hours was starting to settle on my shoulders, I simply shut my eyes and rested my head against the seat.

"That coat's hideous," Jacob commented after a while.

I glared at him. "Your face is."

A few seconds passed in silence before he sputtered, breaking into a loud laugh. I lost my frown for a moment, finding a sort of relief in the sound, and he said, "Maybe I should take you over to the elementary school instead of my house."

A joke. Thank God.

"It's not my coat. I took it from the lost and found bin."

"Isabella Swan," he said in mock-reprimand, "you've resorted to stealing some poor woman's parka? With pussy cats, no less."

"Oh, shut up," I huffed. "You just wanted to say the P-word."

He gave me wisecracking grin. "Parka?"

Despite my depleted energy, I actually managed a smile.

"But seriously, Bells, it doesn't make sense," he said, his voice growing gentle. "Why were you out on the beach at three in the morning by yourself, wearing someone else's coat? Don't get me started on those boots."

I put my hands up to the heating vents to thaw out a bit. "Because I left my coat in Edward's room after we broke up. And I didn't feel like sticking around the lodge."

The car rode over a large bump and I could hear little pebbles smack the underside. That was how it felt to say it aloud, like a heavy thump that was followed by little, echoing stings.

"Shit," he said, surprised. "You guys broke up?"

"Yeah." I tried not to sound so pathetic, like a melodramatic kindergartner who got pushed on the playground. "It wasn't really said in those words, but he made it pretty clear that he wants nothing to do with me. That I was just a distraction to him."

"He said that?"

I nodded glumly. "And then I hit him, so I'm guessing that sealed the deal."

"Good for you," Jacob muttered, giving another glance at the rearview mirror. "I'd kind of like to hit him, myself."

"Well, I felt like shit after doing it. He's been through so much, but after what he said… I just don't know. Maybe we just had bad timing."

Honestly, I didn't really believe that. Our timing had been life-altering. Edward and I had crossed each other's paths when we'd both needed it the most. He'd said it before and so had I.

"Even so. Talk about harsh words," said Jacob.

"He wasn't the only one. I had some, too." I turned toward the window, biting my lip to keep from tearing up. "He'll probably be gone in the morning."

I heard Jacob cluck his tongue. "But, uh, this is his car, right?"

"Oh. Yeah. I kind of took it without permission," I admitted. Jacob shook his head, chuckling. "What? I left my keys in his room, too."

"Well, I doubt he's going anywhere without his car, Bells."

I shrugged lazily before realizing I had no idea where we were going. Outside, we were passing trees, trees, and more trees. "Where are we?"

"My house." As he spoke, he slowed the car and the headlights lit a small mailbox in front of a wide, gravel drive. A red-slated house stood in the space, surrounded by an array of bushes and leaves. Surprisingly, the lights were still on considering the early-morning hour. "I just want to make sure he's gone before I take you anywhere."

"Edward?" I asked, puzzled.

"That guy. James."

I unbuckled my seatbelt and stared at him. "How do you know his name?"

He sighed and turned off the ignition. "Look, I'll tell you more inside. Just—come on."

Jacob waited while I brushed excess sand off of my clothes and led me to the door. His house was warm, full of a woodsy, smoky scent, which was due to a dying fire crackling inside a stone inglenook. The layout was small but comfortable, adorned with colorful rugs, scattered books and papers, and Native American décor.

He took my coat and hung it on a wooden stand, then walked into a little kitchen alcove. "Want something to drink? I have Coke, OJ…"

Even after being in a heated car, I was freezing. "Do you have any tea?"

He smiled at that and reached for a container on the counter. "Leah keeps some. Special Quileute tribal blend." He shook the container at me. "Do you think you can handle it?"

I looked up from the floor, having bent over to untie my heavy, sand-caked boots. "Is that code for 'you might get high'?"

Jacob just laughed and filled a kettle with water. "Make yourself at home."

After I had gratefully pulled my numb feet out of the boots, I timidly entered the living room and took a seat on one of the sofas. Normally, I would have sat up straight to be polite, but I was too cold. I crisscrossed my legs right on the cushion and trapped the tips of my feet under the crooks of my knees.

"You guys like wolves?" I asked, noting the numerous framed photos and paintings of large, dusky-coated wolves hanging on the wall. The paintings had the impression of the classic animal, but the photos were amazingly lifelike.

In the kitchen, I could hear Jacob clunking a few things around in the fridge. "Haven't you heard, Bella?" he called out with an air of amusement. "Our people were raised by them."

I snorted, absentmindedly tugging at my shirt, trying to warm up. After a few minutes, I heard a whistle and Jacob came in about a minute later, handing me a steaming mug.

"Billy must have just left," he noted, nodding to the barely-smoldering hearth. "I figured he wouldn't stay put."

"Your dad's awake at this hour?"

"Everyone around here is. It's been a real mess today," he said, walking over and tossing a log into the fireplace.

I sipped some tea and looked away, suddenly unable to stop picturing Edward tending to the fireplace in his room, followed by all of the things we'd done in front of that fire. The memories, the I love you's…

'Love? Let's not fool ourselves. We don't love each other.'

Tensing, I shifted uncomfortably and tried not to choke as I accidentally swallowed too much tea. I couldn't think about that. "Why, what's wrong?"

Jacob straightened, brushing off his hands. "One of our friends, Paul—his girlfriend died today."

That snapped me out of it. I gripped the mug a little tighter. "God. What happened?"

Jacob's eyes seemed to darken. "Freak accident. Just—a terrible accident. Some people blamed him and he took off. Now half the rez is out searching for him."

"That's really awful," I said softly, shivering as another wave of cold crept up on me despite the warm room.

"Here." Jacob reached behind me and pulled an afghan from the top of the couch, wrapping it around my shoulders. "You know, you're lucky we even found you."

"Thanks. We?"

He looked away, shrugging. "Well, me. A few friends and I were looking for Paul, and then I got a call to circle back and check the beach."

"Is that who you called in the car? One of your friends?"

"I wouldn't exactly call her a friend," he said, chuckling darkly. "More like a co-worker who didn't do her job correctly."

"You did seem pretty mad," I agreed. I would have prodded for more information, but remembering how well that had worked for me earlier, I decided to keep my mouth shut. Sort of. "So… want to explain who James is?"

He plunked down on the other end of the couch and sighed, looking disgruntled. "A cretin."

After a few moments, I raised my eyebrows. "That's it?"

"Basically," Jacob said, rubbing his neck. "I hadn't seen him until tonight, but I've been told about him. He's been in the area for a little while now. And let's just say I don't appreciate his kind hanging around our home. I mean, look at what he did to you."

"He's crazy, then?"

"And dangerous," he added. He shook his head, cracking a wry smile. "Trust me, Bella, even if I spelled out the details for you, you wouldn't believe me."

"It sounded like he was out for revenge," I said reluctantly, James' incensed face still fresh in my mind. "He said he had his heart broken. Playing off the whole 'my ex is with another guy, so now they both must die' thing."

Jacob snorted and mumbled to himself. Before I could ask him to repeat his words, he said, "Don't worry. I know it sounds pretty secretive, but a few of my buddies are making sure he gets out of town."

"How do you know?" Jacob gave me a tired look and I shrugged my shoulders. "It's just… we were alone on the beach, weren't we? How will they find him? I mean, do you think we should call the police or something?"

I was surprised it had taken me so long to think of doing so. And I called myself a Police Chief's daughter.

"The police can't do much. Trust me."

"What about charging him with stalking? Do you have any idea who the girl is? The one he was talking about? Because if he's been in the area—"

Jacob sighed in agitation, tossing his arm over his eyes. "Bella, it's complicated, okay? We're taking care of it."

"Who's we, the mafia?" I sat forward. "What if I wanted to go to the police and report what just happened to me? Would you stop me?"

"No, of course not. I just… I think it would be better if…" There was a puzzling sort of conflict that slowly crept across his face. "I'll just have to ask you to trust me. Will you?"

I couldn't really see the wrong in warning the authorities that a crazy man was in town, but Jacob seemed adamant—plus, a pressing ache of fatigue had settled behind my eyes and my defense suddenly shut off like the flick of a switch. I was too tired to keep fighting or guessing.

"Fine. Yes. But if you expect me to sit here and think it's normal that your friends are following this supposedly dangerous man instead of the cops, then sorry, but I don't."

I sat back against the sofa cushions and drank a bit more tea and Jacob grumbled under his breath.

"Man, this really is a bad day for everyone, huh?" he vented aloud. "After you left the coffee shop, things just spiraled." He let his breath out in a slow exhale and stretched his arms before tucking them behind his head. I supposed he wasn't one to stay grouchy for long because, out of the blue, he gave me a halfhearted grin. "I guess you did rub off on me after all, huh?"

I narrowed my eyes, confused, until I remembered that earlier I'd been joking with him to keep his distance since I was so bummed. Now, he was teasing me and though I tried to laugh, it was too weak to pass as real. The mug felt heavy in my hands and I set it to the side, tugging the blanket tighter over my shoulders.

"Aw, Bella," Jacob said, his brow creasing in concern. "I'm sorry. I'm kidding. I suck at this."

"Not your fault, Jake, it's just true," I said, attempting to smile.

"Come on, now, you know that doesn't make sense." He sat up straight, resting his elbows on his knees. "Do you want to talk about what happened? With Edward, I mean? I'm assuming he didn't just end things out of nowhere, right?" I waved my hand but he quickly added, "Hey, stop—don't even try to tell me you're okay. It's gutting you, I can tell."

Well, so much for a poker face. I huddled into the arm of the sofa, my cheeks growing warm. Maybe it was because I was emotionally wrecked or the fact that Jacob had saved me from a madman, but the floodgates opened and I spilled.

"No, it wasn't out of nowhere. It was like a domino effect. Things just… fell apart. Like I said, he had a really terrible day, and then tonight—" I massaged a dull pain between my eyes and took a breath. "He has these nightmares sometimes. Tonight was one of those nights. He was inconsolable. I just—I don't know, wanted to help, but he wouldn't listen to anything I said. Everything that came out of my mouth upset him. Even when I said I loved him. If anything, that's what set him off. I guess I should have backed off and given him more space."

Jacob looked reflective, studying me with heartfelt eyes. "He lost his parents, right?"

I felt my eyes grow as wide as quarters. "How did you—"

"Charlie mentioned it to Billy," he said softly, diverting his eyes for a moment. "I happened to find out."

I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Edward's secrets weren't anyone else's to spread around like goddamn peanut butter.

"Well, it wasn't like we were all gossiping if that's what you're thinking," Jacob said. "That day I met you guys on the beach, I told my dad I ran into you. He and your dad had talked earlier that morning, and he mentioned a little of what Charlie told him. I think your dad was just worried and wanted someone to know who you were out here with."

At my protective expression, he sighed and stood up, walked over, and sat next to me. "Anyway, that's beside the point. But listen… I know what it's like to lose a parent. My mom died when I was a kid, remember?"

Nodding silently, I reached out and squeezed his hand. I hadn't been in Forks that summer, but I remembered Charlie's phone call to tell me that Mrs. Black had been killed in a car accident.

"I was angry for a long time," he continued. "Billy and I used to fight like animals. We threw things, punched walls. It takes time to get over losing someone. And a few years back, Leah's dad passed away. We loved each other then, too, but she was at my throat half the time. Everyone handles pain differently. But now that I think about it, it's easy to channel everything into anger and point it at other people. Especially those you really care about. Maybe it has something to do with the probability that they'll forgive you for it."

I carefully took in his words and rested my head on his shoulder. It made sense. I'd tried telling myself that earlier, as well, but was too upset to convince myself. "I can understand that. He was upset about his mom. He'd forgotten today was her birthday," I murmured, and he hummed thoughtfully.

"But that's not the reason we ended things. He said our relationship was a distraction—that I was—and nothing more." I played with my fingernails, grimacing at the sand that was stuck underneath.

Jacob patted my hair, letting out another sigh. "I don't know, Bells. Sounds like he's full of it. You really believe he meant that?"

"Not at first," I said jadedly. "But he seemed so… done. I could see it in his eyes. He was ready to leave and told me to go. I was just a thing to him instead of someone he loved. I don't know how else to take that."

It was silly, the sliver of false hope in the corner of my mind that still pulsed with determination, telling me this was all just a bad dream. It was like ice held over a licking flame, melting away in swift drops, which landed on my childish ego and stung like acid.

"I'm so stupid," I continued wearily. "I should have just acted like an adult and gone to bed. But no, I actually snatched his car and ran away like the crybaby I am, and almost got dismembered by a lunatic because of it. Like that really made anything better."

"Yeah, well," Jacob said quietly, putting his arm around me and allowing me to lean on his side. "Love makes you do crazy shit."

I swallowed, feeling the urge to sob again. "I don't want to go back. I just want to go home."

Jacob patted my arm and I closed my eyes and held my breath, but doing so didn't stop the two in-perfect-unison tears from rolling down my cheeks and dripping onto my shirt. I wanted to apologize to Jake for the Midol-like girl drama that was taking place in his nice, cozy home, but I was exhausted. I kept quiet and so did he, and I could hear a clock ticking, the wood crackling. I could feel him breathe and my head was heavy, and everything was warm and soft, and eventually, dark.

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