THE FIFTEENTH TIME

I don't know why I'm surprised when Seth calls me four days later. News travels fast in small towns.

The air is brisk and chilly today; rain mists sideways across the roadway. I answer his call on my walk to work.

"Hey, Seth, what's up?" I try to keep my voice upbeat instead of suspicious.

"Hey Bells!" His voice is sunlight streaming through the rain clouds. Seth has always been the brightest and best of us.

His sunny disposition rubs off on me; erases some of the suspicion that clouds my mind. "How's senior year going?"

"Pretty good. I got my grade up in pre-calc this quarter and Sam says I'm getting faster." Seth loves being a shapeshifter; I'm shocked it took him this long to start bragging to me about something related to it.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, we raced on the last patrol we did and I beat him." He sounds smug.

"Damn, little bro. Any news while you're out on patrol?"

"Nah... nothing since Victoria."

My heart clenches tight in my chest. I pick up my pace in an attempt to push the memories away. "And how's Leah?" My voice cracks.

"She's much happier since she stopped shifting. I don't get it, but whatever. She never liked it." I can picture him shrugging.

"Leah, am I right?" I joke. I'm trying hard to dispel the tension inside of me. He chuckles. "Look, Seth, no matter how much I love hearing from you, I know why you called. Was it Billy or Sam?"

He sighs. "Jake, actually."

I stop in the middle of a crosswalk. Someone honks at me. I concentrate on making my feet move. A cold, bitter wind blows against my back as a shiver snakes up my spine.

"Huh," is all I can say. Do I miss my best friend? Sort of. I miss the boy before the shape shifting who rebuilt and then ride motorcycles with me. Who would drink lukewarm soda and eat off-brand chips with me. I don't really miss the way he got sort of bossy when he joined the pack. Or the way he pressured me to fit into the mold of his girlfriend when I wasn't ready.

"I know, it's stupid. I trust you. He just wants to make sure you're okay."

"I'm okay."

"And still human," he mutters.

White hot rage builds in my chest. "Yup."

"I'm sorry, Bells." He sounds like it. But knowing he lived with Leah, I'm sure he's used to women snapping at him.

"I know it wasn't you, Seth." It takes work to moderate my voice. "You can tell Jake I'm fine and that I can handle myself and make my own decisions."

"Phew, yeah."

"Look, I'm outside of my work and I gotta go. I'll see you the next time I'm back in Forks? We can go catch a movie or go for a hike or something?"

"Yeah," he's upbeat again. "I'd like that."

When I hang up on him a moment later and stomp into work, I'm annoyed that old men gossip like high school cheerleaders. I'm also annoyed that it seems like Edward and I can't just date without a myriad of other people's opinions. I just want us to finally have some time to date like a normal couple. Without someone trying to kill me, that is.

The next week passes. Between starting up classes and work again, I don't really see Edward - Shakespeare, obviously, and for a dinner date that included me eating and him paying (in which I did not yell at him).

We maintain our cool exteriors in class. Beyond actually talking to each other, Aaron is none the wiser to our reconciliation. This is just how I would prefer it - we were too hot and heavy last time - though, I do love it when Edward holds my hand on the way across campus to the science building.

On Friday, I receive a text from him while I'm at the library reading ahead in the syllabus for our Shakespeare class.

E: When can I see you?

I smile because I do miss him, but I also know the co-dependency we had four years ago was unhealthy. I can't help but wonder sometimes if that's just what being mated is, though. I'm not sure how long Alice and Jasper could be away from each other; it felt like beyond the few times I was forced to go shopping with Alice, they were attached at the hip, always touching. Carlisle and Esme seemed a little less, but they've been together longer. I never really saw Rosalie with Emmett, given that she hated my guts.

Still weird to think about her showing up to tell me to get back with her brother.

Either way, I'm a human (for now) and should be doing human things. Like keeping good grades. I type out an answer. I'll be home in an hour or so.

His reply comes instantaneously. I picture him in a nondescript motel room, obsessively checking his phone for my response.

E: Any way that can be sooner?

I start packing up with a doofy smile on my face.

B: give me thirty minutes.