Bella looked up as a lawn chair was placed next to Billy. She grinned up at Jacob in thanks as he, with a gesture she'd not seen in a decade, gently patted the backrest, indicating for her to sit.

She sat with Billy as everyone else went back about their business, ignoring it as others occasionally stopped to stare at her. They were much more obvious about it than any of them realized. The children played relentlessly, wrestling and chasing each other through the space, keeping a wide arc from the carefully covered folding tables laden with dishes.

She was eventually lured toward the low-burning fire. Angela, Emily, and Leah sat on one side, leaving a slight gap between them and Amy. Bella noticed Leah had carried her bag of stuff from where she'd forgotten it upon arriving and grinned. Bella had already glimpsed several others with cans of beer and wine coolers. She removed one of her bottles of Merlot and wagged her eyebrows at Leah as she shoved it into one of the beer coolers to chill as they laughed.

Startled laughter erupted through the crowd as Sam nearly singed himself using too much lighter fluid on a portable grill. A few minutes later, the tale-tell smell of burning charcoal filled the air.

Amy scooted toward Leah to make room for Bella, then adjusted the nursing blanket draped over one shoulder, hiding the newborn cradled to her chest.

"Hungry little Hank," Leah teased, tickling the infant's sock-covered foot.

Amy laughed as he squirmed in her arms and dove her hand under the blanket to help her son latch back on. "Gosh, Leah. Let him reach at least six months before you pick on the kid."

Leah laughed, shaking her head as she joked, "Gotta start them quickly in this family, or they'll grow up soft."

Angela rubbed her enormous belly and teased, "Tell me about it. Besides, it's not like they don't break dance on our bladders for nine months. A few toe tickles won't hurt him any."

Bella looked over at Emily, who stared back at her curiously with a familiar mischievous smile plastered on her face.

"What?"

Emily chuckled. "So, what's going on with you two?"

Confused by who she meant, Bella asked, "Who?"

Leah turned to frown at Bella and said, "You know who, Swan. Why didn't you tell me you spent the night over there?"

Oh. Him. Duh. "I got drunk, okay? He insisted on driving me to the hotel from the bar, and I passed out in the car. I woke up in his spare bedroom. Nothing happened."

"You drank tequila, didn't you?"

"He sent me tequila from across the bar, and yes. I drank it. Just one, but apparently it was enough. I could still taste it when I woke up. I'm sticking to my damn wine from now on."

Leah and Emily laughed, but Angela looked skeptical. "So, I talked to Mike this morning."

Bella groaned, knowing precisely where that was leading. To her surprise, Angela laughed. "So you're going on a date, huh?"

Leah asked, "Wait. What?"

Bella said, "Again. I was drunk when I agreed to that, but yes. I'll probably go. We had fun the other night. It's just one date, anyway. I'm still going back to Florida in a week."

Leah shook her head but remained silent as the others glanced between them curiously.

Feeling someone else staring, Bella looked toward the food tables where Quil, Sam, and Paul seemed to have a serious discussion, occasionally looking her way. Bella could only assume they were having a similar conversation, discussing where Bella had spent the night, if not the odd lingering chemistry between her and her husband.

"Nothing, my ass," Angela teased under her breath, pulling Bella's attention back to the group of women sitting beside her.

Bella forced a smile for her old friend and asked, "So, what kind of stuff did you want to talk about the other day? You said there was a lot."

Angela blinked in surprise and glanced toward the others. "Um, I'm sure you'd much rather it was a private conversation, Bells."

Bella sighed. "If there's one thing I've remembered clearly since coming home, it's that there is rarely any privacy among this group. So, you might as well ask me whatever you can while we're here."

Angela winced as she readjusted her sitting position, cradling her belly. "Oh-kay…"

"Wait." Bella gestured with one hand as she took a deep breath to brace herself. God only knew what they were going to ask. "First, is Billy telling stories tonight, and will I have to answer questions from people when he does? Because I have to be honest here, guys. I don't remember some things. I repressed a lot of awful shit, so I don't know if I can answer everything."

Keeping her eyes on the crowd, Leah said, "Yeah, probably. I think you remember more than you want to admit, though."

Bella leaned away curiously. "Why?"

"You told me a lot of shit while you were drunk, Bella. Remember? Conscious Bella might not remember much, but Tequila Bella remembers fucking everything."

Amy teased, "Well, maybe Tequila Bella and Sober Bella are two different people."

Leah snorted. "They kind of are."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Lee. Maybe someone needs to get me some Tequila before the interrogation."

Not noticing her father walking up to them, Bella jumped when Charlie said, "That would be a confession under duress, and we can't do that." He cackled as her hand flew to her chest, making the others laugh around her, and Henry started crying.

Charlie frowned at the noise. "Amy, quit pinching my grandson."

Amy reached beneath the blanket to cover herself and carefully stood to hand him to Charlie. "Here, Grandpa. It's your turn. He seems to enjoy hanging out with you old men, anyway."

"Old?!" Charlie sputtered, looking down at Henry, who'd instantly gone quiet in Charlie's arms. "Did you hear that, Harry? She called me old."

Under her breath, Amy muttered, "My son will not know his actual name. I swear…"

Henry cooed back at him, and Charlie grinned. "You said it, little guy."

Charlie put Henry on his shoulder and gently patted his back. After an exceptionally loud burp escaped him, Charlie tucked him in the crook of his arm. "Wow. Sounds like his Grandpa Harry. Did he get any on me?"

Amy laughed as she shook her head no and brushed his tiny cheek. Bella could only smile at them. Her father was a wonderful grandfather. And he was positively adorable about it.

Charlie killed the moment. "I heard what you were talking about walking over here. Billy asked me if you'd be up for talking about some things with the younger wolves. I told him I doubted it, but… If you're willing to do it?"

Bella sighed and nodded. "What I can remember, yes. I will not talk about why I left Edward, though. That shit is private, and it's going to stay that way."

"Maybe you should tell them."

Bella gasped and jumped again at her husband's voice as he approached them from behind. She had been so focused on her father that she hadn't noticed him walking over. She wanted to smile as she looked up at him, but it instantly annoyed her.

"You have got to stop sneaking up on me like that!"

He laughed. It was then that Bella realized her husband had discarded his shirt somewhere. Her mind blanked as she looked over his many tattoos, the patch of hair in the center of his chest, and the trail of hair that followed down hard abs all the way to his…

"Earth to Bella," Leah whispered, nudging her with her elbow.

Bella blinked and shook her head as she hissed, "What?" She looked back up at his cocky grin and silently cursed herself as heat filled her cheeks.

Despite the humor in his eyes, he schooled his features, softened his tone, and asked, "Did you hear what I said, Bella?"

She scoffed. "No, my brain instantly focused on being startled."

Leah muttered, "Your brain instantly focused on…"

Bella elbowed Leah back to shut her up. "I'm sorry. No. What did you say?"

"That maybe you should tell them."

About what? It took her a second to recall what they'd been discussing before Tall Dark And Tattooed made her jump. She froze as she realized what he was talking about, instantly hurt by the suggestion despite how illogical that might be. It felt like a betrayal that the one person she recalled ever telling the truth about it would suggest talking about it again.

Memories of their weekend together slammed her, seeping into her vision like flashbacks as she recalled glimpses of events over those two days with him. They kept running into one another all night. Sending each other drinks from across the room.

Eventually, he asked her to hang out with him as her friends headed to bed, encouraging her to go. They'd made the mistake of switching to Tequila, and the deeper conversations began. Bella had felt like an utter fool as she spilled her guts about her honeymoon from hell to the last person she expected to confide in.

He'd been surprisingly sympathetic and understanding, comforting her as she turned into a blubbering mess beside him. She was never sure how his comforting embrace turned into passionate kissing - but the next thing she knew, Bella had led him to her room. He'd lifted her, carrying her over the threshold to her hotel room door, promising and delivering the passionate night her honeymoon should have been. That was the first night they spent together.

The details had eluded her for so long that their sudden resurface was disorienting. Bella looked up at the others around her and took a deep breath. She couldn't explore those memories right now and wasn't sure she wanted to.

"You know why I don't talk about it," she nearly whispered, trying to reel in her emotions.

He crouched beside her to take one of her hands in his and said, "I'm not asking you to go into details, Bella. But, you could help some people here understand why you didn't immediately come home."

"I think everyone already understands that," she said, scowling. "Or did you blank out that whole conversation earlier?"

He angrily scowled back at her and whispered, "You and I both know there's more to it than that."

"Yes. And those reasons are private. Unless you want me to disclose all of it. Should I just mention every reason I finally came home, too? Do you think everyone needs to know those details?"

Letting go of her hand, he stood. "If you think I'm going to have this fight with you all over again, you're nuts. "

Of course. This was what had started the fight at the hotel. He wanted Bella to come home with him, but she refused. The pack was still bitter with her then. He'd offered to have her back, to face them with her, but Jacob still hadn't moved on. Neither wanted to hurt him, and Bella hadn't wanted to be hurt.

Then, once the fighting started, they'd found they were as passionate in an argument as they'd been in their marriage bed. Terms of endearment turned to insults on a dime, and accusations flew as each said things they didn't mean.

And then, like now, he'd demanded that she come home to tell them everything she'd had to hide. Instead, she packed her bags and left him there, rejected and alone.

She'd been on autopilot ever since, fearing the what-ifs and avoiding her pain entirely by distracting herself with work and brief relationships she never wanted. Hell. She even had a male best friend, Jack, who called her 'Honey.'

She felt as if everything she hadn't wanted to happen while here was happening. Her facade was unraveling, her secrets slowly being revealed, exposing her as the selfish bitch she'd always been.

"How much do they already know?"

He scoffed and turned to walk away. "Nothing that hasn't come directly from you."

Bella watched him instantly shift from angry to grinning as Jamie ran toward him. He lifted his son and tossed him in the air. Jamie squealed with delight as his father caught him effortlessly and carried him away to talk to Quil.

As she finally looked away from him, she realized everyone else around had silently fixated on her.

Again, Angela asked, "Nothing, huh?"

Bella sighed but said nothing as she stood and walked toward the cooler to retrieve her Merlot.