"YOU LIKE THAT BOY JACOB, DON'T YOU?"

Anna fixed her gaze on her friend's deep green eyes. The question had caught her off guard. What did Jacob have to do with their conversation? Weren't they out shopping for a gift for Julia's mother's birthday? She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before furrowing her brow and finally managing to articulate the sentence.

"Of course not."

"Yes," Julia contradicted, a smile expanding on her face. "I know you enough. Since you got here you've mentioned him about ten times..."

"Four times..."

"Which for you is equal to about ten times," Julia continued speaking. "I don't remember hearing you talk about someone with so much interest since you had a crush on that british guy for like a week until he threw up on your feet at Mandy's party."

Anna rolled her eyes, deciding to ignore that unfortunate memory. "I don't like Jacob. He's nice and yes, I find him attractive," she shrugged. "But that doesn't mean anything. He's just... A friend."

"Oh please, you don't have friends," the blonde said, not trying to sound mean, but pointing out a fact. Anna had always talked about her preference for solitude, with Julia being the exception to the rule. Julia loved to remind her that she had been the only one able to break through the "icy walls of her heart," or whatever she called them.

"Maybe I do now," Anna replied defiantly, more to not give her perceptive friend the satisfaction of being right.

The truth was that she didn't know whether to consider Jacob in the category of friend or not. In her mind, it was something confusing. Yes, she liked Jacob. In the short time they had spent together, she had felt comfortable in his presence, even if her heart seemed to skip a beat every time he smiled at her. But was that enough to consider him a something more than friend? Besides, she also didn't know if he saw her that way. Perhaps to him, she was merely the daughter of a friend of his father, someone he was compelled to spend time with.

"Yeah, yeah... Whatever you say," Julia laughed. "But if you like him, you should totally go for it," she added, now more serious. "I've never seen you talking so excitedly about someone before, maybe this is a good thing."

"You're not listen—"

"Oh look! That's the dress I told you about," Julia exclaimed, abruptly changing the subject. Anna bit the inside of her cheek to avoid answering. She hated being contradicted and even more so, not being listened to. But she didn't want to continue with the topic. Talks about feelings weren't her strong suit.

Despite the cold, the day in Seattle was sunny, which Anna found herself grateful for after weeks of the wet and cloudy weather in Forks.

An hour later, they returned to the house, where everything was already set up for Julia's mom's birthday party. Her friend had a big, very big family. Lots of siblings, cousins, uncles, and grandparents. And Julia loved each and every one of them fiercely. And Anna understood that. Even if her family was much smaller than her blonde friend's, there was nothing in the world that Anna wouldn't do for her mother or Charlie. Of course, Julia also fell into that category.

Did Bella fall into that category? She had been thinking about it. Her bond with Bella wasn't as strong or deep as the one she had with Julia, for example. But she couldn't deny that lately she had been feeling a wave of emotions towards her cousin that could only be identified as protectiveness and concern. Maybe it was because of the state of the older Swan or maybe because Anna really wanted to help Charlie in some way. Either way, Bella counted as something, Anna was sure of that.

Her weekend in Seattle passed faster than she would have liked. Even though she hated goodbyes and how everyone always made a big fuss about them, she couldn't help but melt into the enveloping arms of her friend, who promised to visit Forks soon.

Anna found it strange to think about it. She had always tought that someone as bubbly as Julia belonged to a place that exuded warmth and cheerfulness, with sunny skies and colorful flowers blooming all around.

She just couldn't picture Julia in the gray and rainy atmosphere of her little town.

⸻

"Would you like to go to the movies with me?"

Bella nervously bit her lip, feeling her cousin's deep gaze on her from the passenger seat. Of course, Anna had never been part of the plan. Like Angela, Bella had immediately dismissed her. She was too observant, too intuitive. Bella was sure that Anna must already know everything going on in town just by sitting and observing. She was quiet, yes, but her big chocolate eyes never seemed to rest, following every movement around her.

And even though Anna hadn't shown any intention of giving her a lecture abour her depression and the need to seek help, as everyone else around her had already done, she didn't want to risk that luck.

So no, initially Anna wasn't planned for the girls' night. But Charlie had asked... No, begged her to go out with Anna. Mostly because her father seemed to trust his niece more than his own daughter. And that was fine, Bella supposed, after all, Anna wasn't the one who woke him up with nightmares at night. Nor was she the one who had appeared alone in the middle of the woods. And a few other things that Bella preferred not to remember.

So if her father wanted her to go out, she would. If he also wanted her to bring Anna with her, sure, she would do that too. She would do anything to make Charlie forget the ridiculous idea of sending her back to Jacksonville.

And anyway, Jessica would be there and would probably do all the conversation, preventing any kind of deep talk.

"What?" Anna couldn't help but let it slip from her mouth. She quickly composed her expression, trying to erase any traces of surprise.

"A movie," Bella repeated, giving her a quick glance. "With me. A friend will come too, Jessica," she paused, thinking about her next words. "I thought we could have a kind of... Girls' night."

"That's... Nice, thank you for inviting me. But..." Anna bit her lip with guilt. "I have work today. You know, at Billy's sister's store."

"Oh, right," Bella nodded. Honestly, no, she didn't know. And if Charlie ever mentioned it to her, she didn't remember it. "Well, maybe next time." There was no way Charlie would be mad about it, it wasn't her fault after all.

"Sure," Anna agreed as they were alredy reaching her house. "What about tomorrow? We could do something else. I like hiking," she added once Bella had parked. She didn't want to sound like she didn't want to hang out with her at all.

"I have work tomorrow," Bella explained with the same guilty expression she had put on a few seconds ago.

"Oh, well..." Anna pressed her lips into a thin line, unsure of what to say. "We'll see... Then."

"Sure."

Anna nodded and got out of the car, waving goodbye to Bella with a small smile before entering her house.

As soon as she closed the door and saw through the window Bella's truck returning to the road, she furrowed her brow. Girls' night? Anna didn't buy it. She had had enough time to observe Bella and determine that even without the depression, she didn't seem like a "girls' night" kind of girl. Inevitably, the plan felt strange. Sure, it was just a movie. But as far as Anna knew, Bella hadn't made plans or seen her friends in months. So why now? What had changed overnight?

She sighed. She just hoped that whatever was going through her cousin's mind, it was something positive.

The store hadn't been very busy that day, which had given her time to do her homework. Even Colin had decided to follow her lead and get some work done, occasionally asking for help on some topics that Anna had already seen in previous years.

"This is good," she praised, after reading his assignment. "Like, really good. You hit your head or something?" she teased.

"What can I say? I'm smart," he replied with a smirk. "Though I did hit my head on the way here..." he shook it off. Anna laughed. "No, but seriously!" he exclaimed. "I'm smart, right?"

Anna raised her eyebrow observing the boy, a little worried about his suddenly seriousness. "Of course you're smart Colin, why do you ask?"

"I heard my cousin say that you like smart people."

Anna rolled her eyes. "So that's what this is all about... Wait, your cousin?"

"Jacob," Anna stopped in her tracks and stared at the boy intently. Of course, Jacob was Colin's cousin. But that wasn't the surprise. "So, if you like smart people, and I'm smart, that means..."

"No Colin, I'm not dating you," she laughed as she heard the boy curse under his breath. "So..." she continued, trying to make her tone not sound interested as she really was. "What did Jacob say?"

Colin shrugged. "Just that. And that you're out of Quil's league."

Anna frowned. "Quil?" she repeated trying to form in her head the conversation Colin apparently overheard.

"Yeah, Quil likes you," he said as if it was nothing. Anna opened her mouth in a perfect "o". "But don't worry, Quil likes any girl he meets."

Anna laughed remembering the story of Quil and her cousin at the prom. Yes, she could completely understand what Colin was saying.

"Anyway," the boy continued. "Jacob told him that you're out of his league and that you probably like smart people," Anna smiled as she imagined the situation. "Then Embry agreed. That's all."

So Embry had also been in the conversation. She laughed at the mere thought of Quil's offended expression. In the short time she had known them, Quil was the one who made her laugh the most with his big mouth and sarcastic remarks. He was also quite dramatic, which reminded her a lot of Julia.

Embry, on the other hand, was quieter, shyer. Anna had only exchanged a few words with him, but she had noticed that of the two boys, he seemed to be closer to Jacob.

He also seemed to be the most attentive. Anna had observed small details that had led her to this conclusion. For example, when walking, he made sure that no one was left behind. He also made sure that everyone had their soda can before starting to drink, and every time someone addressed him, he held their gaze and his body turned completely to pay attention, which was nice.

Yeah, he was nice overall.

The following Saturday, the store opened for a short period of time. Connie had some business to attend to out of town, so she decided to close everything and give Anna the rest of the day off.

Though grateful, the girl thought that she really had nothing to do that day. Her homework was done, her mother wouldn't be back from the hospital until late, and Bella had already told her that she would be working that afternoon.

But suddenly, it hit her. She was already in La Push, after all. And the conversation she had had with Julia during her visit to Seattle had been on her mind for days. She knew the diretions to the Black house too...

But what would be the reason for her visit?

She thought as she walked. She couldn't just show up at his door without a reason. It could look desperate and she didn't want that. But at the same time, she couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to see him, to talk to him, to see his smile again.

Hey, can't get you out of my mind. By any chance do you feel the same way?

It sounded so pathetic. God, she was pathetic.

She felt a wave of anxiety wash over her. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. This is exactly why she hated emotions.

Stupid emotions. Stupid crush. Stupid Julia who always managed to get the truth out of her mind. Stupid Jacob Black for being so unbelievably beautiful and...

"Anna?" the door opened. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi Jake."

Breath.

"I got off work early, you know, with Connie, and I thought I'd stop by and visit. I never got a chance to talk to Billy again since he practically got me the job."

Yeah. It sounded convincing enough. She mentally congratulated herself.

Jacob looked at her as if he was still processing the information. But then a smile appeared on his face. Anna exhaled the air she didn't even know she was holding. "Of course, come in."

Jacob led the way to the living room where his father was reading a book. The man smiled at the sight of her, but couldn't help but look just as confused as his son when he saw her at his front door.

It looked like Jacob had been there with him too, because his backpack and some school books were spread all over the floor of the small room.

"It's good to see you Anna," the man wheeled himself forward. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about my dinner."

She laughed softly. "Not at all. I was just telling Jacob that I thought I'd stop by for a visit because I got off work early..." she swallowed dryly, thinking about what to say. "So... How's everything?"

Billy Black watched her for a few seconds, his serene but yet equally perceptive gaze seeming to pierce her soul. Then, as if he had realized something, the man chuckled softly. Jacob and Anna looked at each other, not understanding what was happening.

"Everything's fine, kid, I was just relaxing with an old book and Jacob was catching up with school...'" the boy rolled his eyes. "Actually I think it's good that you came, maybe you can help him. I always heard your mom say you're brilliant."

Anna's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She tried to laugh to hide the awkwardness. "No... I mean, I'm just responsible..."

Billy smiled knowingly at her response. "Well, responsibility and brilliance often go hand in hand, don't they?" he asked rhetorically. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

With Billy's exit, Anna and Jacob were left alone in the living room. There was an awkward silence between them as they avoided each other's gaze. Anna swore she was internally screaming with cringe. Was she so obvious that even Billy had realized her true reasons for being there?

"So..." she finally spoke, trying to break the tension. "Anything specific you're struggling with?"

Jacob sighed and slumped down on the couch. "What do you know about math?"

In the next hour that followed, they worked on algebra problems and calculus equations. Anna tried to explain as best she could some of the concepts she remembered, while Jacob scribbled down notes. As they worked, the Swan girl found herself relaxing despite the awkward moments at the beginning.

"You're good at explaining," the boy complimented her. "You should be a teacher or somethig like that."

She smiled at him. Completely ignoring the reasonable part of her that screamed at her for focus, she couldn't help but notice the way his eyes would scrunch up in concentration when he was trying to understand a concept, or the way he would bite his lip when he was deep in thought.

"Is that Bella's truck?"

Jacob's voice brought her out of her thoughts. She followed his gaze out the window and checked that indeed that was Bella's truck.

She frowned in wonder as she watched her cousin get out of it. "What is she..."

She didn't have time to finish speaking before Jacob swiftly stood up, a big, excited grin spreading across his face. She glanced through the glass and saw the boy found her cousin halfway, wrapping her in a hug.

Something in her stomach hurt.

"Anna? What are you doing here?"

Something didn't seem right in her, Anna thought. Although she had already become accustomed to Bella's usual expression of emptiness in her eyes, today there was something strange that the younger one couldn't decipher.

"Just paying a visit. You?"

"Oh, I just wanted to see Jacob—I haven't seen him in forever."

Anna didn't lose sight of how the eyes of the mentioned brightened at her cousin's comment. She bit her cheek.

"Cool."

"So Bella," Jacob spoke. "What do you want to do?"

"Whatever you were doing before I interrupted."

"Well we were...

"Doing homework but we were almost done so... What do you want to do now?"

Anna raised an eyebrow. Lie, they hadn't even started on the real homework.

Bella alternated glances between the two teenagers, seeming uncertain about what to say, which confirmed what the younger Swan suspected: something was definitely not right with her cousin. The tension in her shoulders and her insecurity gave her away.

Finally, after what seemed like an internal struggle in her mind, she asked:

"Jake, how much do you know about motorcycles?"

⸻

Charlie would kill them.

First Bella, of course. Then her for being there too. But it wouldn't end with him, then she would have to go home where Darlene would kill her too.

"I don't understand how this is your idea of fun."

The two ruined motorcycles remained on the ground, with Jacob on top of them, observing which parts were still useful and which ones needed to be replaced

Bella deliberately avoided making eye contact with Anna, an indication that she knew she was engaged in something questionable. No, her cousin shouldn't have been part of the plan. But what could she do? She didn't even know that the girl was going to be at Jacob's house. And she had come this far... She needed this. She needed to be reckless and stupid, to numb the pain somehow.

She finally found the courage to look her in the eye. "I think it's... Exciting."

Anna scoffed, shaking her head. That was bullshit. She knew people's body language too well to not notice when they were lying. She wondered what could have happened overnight that made Bella suddenly make such a careless, and so out of her character, decision. Then she remembered the day before, when the older invited her to a 'girl's night'. She didn't know exactly, but she was sure something had happened since then.

"I think it's going to be dope," Jacob grinned enthusiastically.

Of course. It hadn't been more than an hour when Anna had already concluded that if Bella asked Jacob to jump off a cliff, he would probably do it.

This made her wonder how close they were.

The familiarity with which they spoke to each other, the way they seemed so comfortable with one another. It all made her wonder how much she had missed while being in Seattle. Especially because as kids, it had always been her and Jacob. Hell, her mother often joked about it.

So, at what point had Bella become so prominent?

They went back inside once they had agreed on the next meetings to fix the motorcycles and left everything perfectly hidden so that no one would come snooping.

Anna listened and watched everything as if it were a situation separate from her. And in reality, it was. She had felt more like a witness than a participant. And at the end of the day, there were only two motorcycles, one for Bella and one for Jacob.

After saying goodbye to Billy and agreeing with Jacob to have another study session, the two girls left the Black's house. Bella offered to give her a ride home since they were both heading in the same direction.

But Anna knew the real reason behind it.

"You can't tell Charlie," was the first thing the girl said to her after a few short minutes of silence. "He'd go crazy."

"Because he cares for you."

"I know."

Do you?

Anna sighed, trying to find words that didn't sound like a sermon. "Look Bella... I don't know what you're going through, I can't read your mind," her cousin shifted uncomfortably. "But I know loss, I know pain, and I know the consequences of not being able to handle that well," she had seen it, she had lived it. "So just... Be careful with the decisions you make, because what may seem right to you now, what seems to free you in some way, may end up hurting others. Especially Charlie."