After a shower, several clothing changes, and painstakingly applied makeup, Leah finally arrived. She stomped into the hotel room without knocking, looking drop-dead gorgeous in a navy blue sundress, full makeup, and her hair freshly cut swing bob that just barely brushed her shoulders. She wore thin, strappy black sandals, showing off the bright pink nail polish on her toes.
Mid-curl with a flat iron in hand, Bella gaped at her step-sister in surprise, then smiled. "You look incredible."
Leah grinned. "You too, Swan. The guys are gonna go crazy over how different you look."
She silently appreciated her off-white peasant-style dress. The sleeves were short but ruffled, and the bodice somewhat low-cut. A periwinkle sash tied around her waist, just under her breasts. The lower portion belled out from the waist and stopped mid-thigh. A sheer layer of fabric covering the skirt and very short sleeves gave it a soft, romantic feel. Her swimming suit was a simple, pale lavender bikini, undetectable under the thin off-white fabric. She'd paired them with soft silver wedge sandals that laced halfway up her calves.
Leah fingered one of Bella's freshly curled ringlets and said, "You look like you stepped out of a fairytale, Swan."
'I guess that fits,' she thought sarcastically. She was about to spend the afternoon with supernatural creatures. You couldn't get much more fairytale-like than that.
After stuffing everything she might need - including towels, spare clothing, a small first aid kit, two unopened bottles of her favorite Merlot, Tylenol, and a couple of wine glasses courtesy of the mini-bar in her room - into a large carry-on bag, they were on their way.
Despite her nervousness, it was sunny out, and Bella reveled in the warmth as she climbed out of the car at First Beach. It would have been sweltering hot in Florida, something Jack had never been fond of. She seriously considered inviting him to fly out, knowing he'd appreciate the weather and scenery here if nothing else.
Before leaving the parking lot, Bella called Leah over and made her pose for a picture. Leah rolled her eyes but complied, forcing herself to smile as she posed. A quick selfie of them together was next. As they began walking toward the beach, Bella sent the pictures to Jack with the text, 'Meet my stepsister, Leah.'
To both of their surprise, Jack sent a picture of himself shirtless, laying in bed with one muscular arm above his head, a lit cigarette in his mouth, and the text, 'Hello, Leah!'
Leah gaped at his picture and then sputtered as her cheeks and ears turned pink. " That's Jack? Your best friend? He looks like Paul Rudd's much hotter brother or something."
Bella laughed as she carefully side-stepped a piece of driftwood and nodded. "He's attractive. He knows it, too. Don't let his comedian-ish personality fool you."
Leah asked, "And you haven't hit that, why?"
Bella scrunched up her nose in distaste. "He's like a big brother or something. No way. We are so ridiculously comfortable with each other. Like, no chemistry there at all. Besides, he's so not my type."
Leah chuckled under her breath and confessed, "I kind of got the impression he was gay when I heard him talk the other day."
Bella grinned. "Jack is… different. Unique, I guess you could say. He's more like you with his outspokenness, but his lifestyle is a little flashy. He's one of those guys that can fit in anywhere. Courtroom to Karaoke Bar, he's charming enough to get all the attention. At least for a short time, you know?"
"You probably should've brought him with you," Leah teased. "This chick could use a good time."
Bella cackled in disbelief, shaking her head as she shoved her phone back into her bag. Bella let herself appreciate the familiar scenery as they walked, taking deep breaths of the fresh sea air. She had many fond memories of this beach and hoped that today went well.
After rounding a slight corner, the familiar section the pack favored appeared. The bonfire sat unlit, though a small fire was burning in a different section, surrounded by the familiar pieces of driftwood that visitors had used as benches for years.
Despite the immediately visible changes in everyone and the more-than-tripled number of people gathered, Bella felt like she was stepping back in time. Suddenly, she was eighteen again, timidly approaching the massive young men who would fight so hard to protect her. Her steps faltered as she hesitated to move forward.
Leah turned and stood directly before her, blocking her view of the crowd ahead. "Bella? You okay? You look like you're going to faint."
"Y-yeah," Bella said. "Just anxious." She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly as Leah rubbed her arms, attempting to comfort her. After a few consecutive, deep breaths, Bella felt calm enough to move forward.
Leah grinned and teased, "Better? Your color is coming back."
"Yeah," Bella said with a nod. "Let's do this shit."
Leah laughed as she stepped out of the way, and both looked toward the crowd. Every person, including Charlie, stared in their direction in utter silence.
Billy sat beside Charlie and Sue, grinning. He looked genuinely happy to see her, his eyes shining in disbelief. Her presence confused some people, and many didn't recognize or know her at all. Those who once knew her semi-well stood or moved together, either in shock or preparing to greet her.
As they neared the crowd, a child yelled Bella's name from her far right. She recognized the voice immediately and turned toward it. Tiny arms suddenly wrapped around her legs as Bella looked into Jamie's smiling face.
Maybe the kid didn't hate what he knew about her so far, after all. She laughed and instinctively bent down to lift him. Jamie squealed as his arms snaked around her neck. Meanwhile, the familiar faces surrounding her continued to gape in surprise.
"Well," another familiar, much deeper voice said behind her.
Jacob. Bella stared into Jamie's big, gray eyes and sighed as she apprehensively turned to face her former best friend.
Jacob Black loomed over her, staring down in disbelief. A smile slowly split his bewildered face as he shook his head. Her name slipped between his lips like a sigh, and Bella's eyes immediately welled with tears. Jacob wasn't angry. He looked overjoyed to see her. She watched his hands clench nervously and could tell he was itching to touch her.
Her husband smirked as he stepped forward beside Jacob and held his hands out for his son. "Come here, buddy. Your uncle Jake wants to hug the nice lady."
"Bella, Dad!" Jamie corrected him.
She scoffed as she handed him to his father. With Jamie out of her arms, Jacob swooped in to wrap his long arms around her waist. She shrieked as he lifted her and hugged her to his chest just as effortlessly as when they were kids. Jacob's body heat radiated into her skin, bringing blood to her cheeks and a long-lost sense of comfort unlike any she'd ever known.
A little more of Bella's careful facade crumbled as long-buried memories of Jacob flooded her mind. His laugh and sunshine smile. Jacob's natural gentleness and laid-back demeanor before phasing into a wolf. The pain on his face when she told him that her feelings for him weren't enough for her.
How could he still care so much for her after all she'd selfishly put him through? Jacob had nearly died for her once. What was that, if not love? And she'd stomped on it.
Being back in her best friend's arms made her feel almost whole for the first time in years. He'd always been a missing piece of her heart, even if she couldn't love him how he'd once wanted her to.
Bella clung tighter to Jacob and burst into tears. His chest shook somewhat as he chuckled, waiting for her to loosen her grip before carefully placing her on her feet. They both grinned and sniffled as she tilted her head back to examine his face. Tears trailed down his cheeks, and he made no move to wipe them away or hide them from the crowd.
Bella reached up to cup his cheeks as his hands moved to her upper back. Her voice, thick with emotion, choked out, "It's so good to see you. I never expected you'd be happy to see me."
Jacob scoffed. "Dumbass."
Bella chuckled and nodded. "I certainly can be."
Jacob stepped back and held out his arm as a tall, full-figured woman stepped closer and slid under it against his side. She had a pretty heart-shaped face, light brown eyes, a button nose, and full lips. Her waist-length black hair was braided to the side, hanging over one shoulder. Her flowy top and tight jeans flattered her curves, camouflaging the slightly rounded pudge of her belly. She seemed nervous as she looked from Bella to Jacob.
Despite not knowing her name yet, Bella held her hand out to the woman who was clearly Jacob's wife and possibly pregnant with number four - but she didn't want to be rude and assume. "Hi. Nice to meet you, finally."
As she timidly reached to shake Bella's hand, Jacob said, "Sanna, this is Bella Swan."
Those gathered around who already knew her chuckled as a few strangers gasped, clearly recognizing who she was, at least by name. Her cheeks instantly heated, and she wondered if she would be listening to tales of her own sordid past tonight.
As soon as Bella let go of Sanna's hand, those who knew her rushed in to greet her. They talked over each other as she was passed between them, including those she'd already seen. Quil and Angela. Seth and Amy. Embry and even Paul hugged her, welcoming her home. She didn't have time to examine her feelings as her husband hugged her, still holding Jamie, before she was greeted by the next person.
Bella couldn't help but laugh as she wound up face-to-face with Colin and Brady as they greeted her while quietly poking fun at Devon, who sat scowling alone near the back of the crowd.
Sam and Emily were last, hugging her simultaneously as Emily gushed over how much she'd changed. Bella kept her promise to Leah and flirtatiously patted Sam's cheek, telling him he was more handsome than ever. Despite towering over her, he beamed under the praise, swelling with pride as he grinned at his wife. Emily's eyes sparkled with mischief as Bella gave Leah a conspiratorial wink.
Bella hugged Emily again, whom she had genuinely missed, and pressed a hard kiss against her ruined cheek. She hadn't aged a day, and the redness of her scars had faded considerably. To Bella, Emily had always looked exotic, her scars adding to her beauty. They were like symbols of her strength and many sacrifices, made for a love she never wanted but couldn't live without. Bella had once been that brave, too, but most of her scars had helped build the wall in her mind.
Sincerely, Bella looked over the 'wolf girl,' the only woman who truly understood her at one time. "God, Em. You're still so damn beautiful. I really missed you."
Emily smiled as her eyes welled with tears. "I missed you, too."
Sam's voice dripped with regret as he said, "Bella? If I knew we made you refuse to come home and you didn't feel safe here anymore…"
Bella turned to glare at Leah.
Leah shrugged as she said, "I told 'em off, okay? They deserved it. Turns out, I didn't have to say very much. They all felt like jackasses for it."
Bella shook her head as she took hold of one of Sam's massive hands and squeezed it. "It was part of it, but far from the only reason. I honestly thought the pack just hated me after everything. I made a lot of very selfish choices. I wasn't exactly innocent. You had every right to be angry with my decisions because they affected your lives, too. I'm really sorry for that, for what it's worth. Maybe you were right to run me off. I didn't think I deserved the right to come back here."
Suddenly, Seth, Jacob, and Quil whipped their heads toward the others behind them and growled. She assumed some of the younger wolves had made a snide comment or two. Bella bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing as Jamie mimicked them, doing his best to look tough.
For the newer wolves, Bella added, "I don't blame anyone who hates anything I did. There were things I accepted blame for to protect other people. Some things got decided for me, but a few of the worst mistakes were my decision. I was very fortunate to live through most of them."
To her surprise, her husband said, "We don't hate you, Bella. Some people felt hurt or angry for a long time. That's true… But…"
Sam interrupted him, saying, "We took our feelings about our lives and the Cullens out on you. All of us. I won't lie and tell you that some people don't still feel bitter, and maybe that's our fault, too. But those who actually knew you back then don't hate you. Not one of us."
"And we're sorry," her husband said, nodding. "I, especially, treated you like shit too many times."
Jacob finally spoke up and said, "Some things were my fault, too, Bells. Any anger still tiding over into the younger wolves came from the bitterness I carried around for a few years… and I wasn't the nicest guy around here for a while. I blamed you for a long time, but most of that blame was undeserved. I needed the time to admit to my poor decisions before I could understand how trapped you were, even if you couldn't tell us the truth. Finding out you got forced into marrying the guy in the first place made a lot of shit make sense, though. I wish you'd have told me the truth back then, Bells."
Bella glanced toward Seth and Leah and teased, "Did you guys tell them everything I told you, or..?"
She wanted to be annoyed. Surprisingly, she felt relieved and almost ashamed for not trying to reconcile with them sooner. But then, she looked at her husband and the son who'd changed him so much and wondered if the timing hadn't been right, regardless.
Jamie remained in his father's arms, carefully observing, clearly puzzled but curious by the conversation. He glanced toward Bella and grinned, and she couldn't help but smile back. He held his arms out to her, wanting her to hold him again, and she smiled as she willingly, instinctively reached for him. She tried not to react to the wary look on his father's face as she hauled Jamie onto her hip - or the curious looks the three were getting from everyone else.
She glanced around those surrounding her and spotted Billy, patiently waiting his turn to talk to her. Bella lightly tickled Jamie's side to see if he'd laugh and grinned as he giggled, squirming in her arms.
"Okay, Jamie. I have to talk to Billy, so I will give you back to Daddy. Okay?"
"Okay!" Jamie obediently turned and reached for his father, nearly leaping from her arms to his.
Her husband laughed at the frightened look on her face as he caught him, as though Jamie had done it a thousand times before. "I told ya." He winked at her. "Everything's a race with this guy. Keeps me on my toes twenty-four-seven."
Bella laughed as she headed toward Billy but was grateful her back was to everyone else as Jamie practically yelled, "Daddy, can Bella sleep at our house again?"
She had to ignore anything else said behind her as she leaned down to hug Billy. His right arm stayed limp at his side, but his left wound around her to hug her tight as she said, "Hi, Billy."
His eyes shone with tears as she pulled away, and she crouched in front of him, taking hold of both hands. She could feel his fingers twitch in his right hand as he tried to squeeze both of hers back.
"Still the handsomest guy around here, Billy," she teased. "Giving these kids a run for their money."
He chuckled. "Ah, Bella. It's good to see you. It's been too long."
"I know," she said, looking away guiltily. "I hope you'll forgive me for it." She glanced toward Charlie and held his stare for a moment.
"Not much to forgive, Bella. You did what you thought you had to do. You've always been that way, trying to protect someone else." Billy pointedly glanced behind her, and she didn't have to look to know he was implying Jacob. Seemingly, nothing she'd said in front of her family got withheld from Billy and the pack.
She wondered if it would change the narrative about her in their legends. Would they still be discussing her poor decisions in a hundred years? She hoped not.
