Author's note : Trigger warning, this chapter contains mature content.

Nessie's POV

The final stretch of my summer raced by, disappearing too quickly. September, usually a favorite of mine, always marked my birthday and the thrill of a new school year. But this time around, as September loomed closer, I couldn't shake the gloomy feeling in my chest. Forks and La Push had woven themselves into the fabric of my heart, and my impending departure left a lump in my throat. The salty breeze at Quileute's beach, the fishing trips with Charlie, the camaraderie with the pack—every little detail already lingered in my memories. I even anticipated missing the familiar creak of the rusted door at my parent's cottage, an annoying yet oddly comforting sound.

However, what I'd miss most were my friends. We were hanging out on the beach with the pack, watching the sunset go down. A big bonfire party with the whole tribe had been planned in a few days, the night before my departure. Tonight, however, it was just us. A sigh escaped me as I leaned my head onto Jake's our half circle, Kaya nestled in Seth's lap, and on my left, Embry and Leah squabbled over a bag of chips. A few meters away, Quil sprinted back to join us after seeing Claire home. Collapsing in the middle, he melodramatically rested his head in his hands.

"Guys, I've got a major problem," Quil declared. "Claire keeps trying to…well…seduce me. I don't know how much longer I can resist!"

Laughter erupted among us.

"How is this a problem? It's your time to shine, my man!" howled Embry. Quil shot him a dirty glare.

"Have you guys talked about it?" I asked him, trying to understand his comical distress.

"Yeah… She says she's ready…but it's too soon! She's only 16!"

"I mean… I was only 15 when me and Sam first slept together," Leah shared with a roll of her eyes, prompting a knowing chuckle from the others.

"18," chimed Embry and Jake in unison.

"17. But I don't think there's a right age. If you guys care for each other and are both ready…." said Kaya with a thoughtful expression.

Quil nodded slowly, mulling over what we had just said. He finally gave us a smirk.

" I guess you guys are , I might be the oldest virgin in pack's history. What about you, Ness, how old were you?"

" Not sure I can help you here, age doesn't apply to me in the same sense. But it was a little over a year ago, March of last year."

Jake gave me a dubious look. "Wait…At the bonfire party, didn't you say March was the last time you had slept with somebody, too?"

'"Someone's been keeping tabs on my sex life, haven't you?" I teased Jake, hoping to embarrass and distract him. It worked; he blushed, and the group laughed at his obvious discomfort. Yet, Leah wasn't so easily deterred.

"Wait… are you telling us that you've only had sex that one time, like in total?" Damn me and my big mouth! I shrugged, attempting to play it off casually. "Yeah, I guess."

"What's the story there?"

"None of your business." I stuck my tongue out at Leah.

"Oh come on, we're friends! We all know everyone's story except yours."

"Actually, I don't think I know Embry's or Jake's," said Kaya, coming to my rescue with a knowing smile. Amidst our group of loud,vibrant personalities, she always brought a touch of calmer understanding.

"I don't think I've heard the guy's either, actually. I wasn't phasing at the time," Seth added. After my had family left Forks 12 years ago, Seth had taken a few years off phasing to age a bit.

"Fine. I'll go first. But you're next!" Jake declared, winking at me. His confident tone sparked a mix of curiosity and apprehension in me as the conversation shifted.

Jake's story unfolded like a classic college narrative: a spontaneous hookup at a frat party. He had ended up dating the girl for a little while in sophomore year. While he handed over the narrative to Embry, my attention wavered. Nervously anticipating my turn, my heartbeat quickened, knowing that the wolves could sense it as keenly as I did. Their attentive gazes intensified the intrigue. As the focus shifted towards me, their expectations palpable, my throat went dry.

"Eugh." A brilliant contribution, Nessie. Way to smoothly redirect the conversation.

"What, is it super embarrassing?" Seth asked, his excitement now reaching tangible levels.

"Maybe a little. But mostly, it's just a depressing story. I don't want to put a damper on tonight."

Jake turned to me, panic flashing in his eyes. "Ness, he didn't… I mean, it was consensual, right?"

I hurried to reassure him. "Oh, no, nothing like that." It seemed wiser to lay out the details before anyone jumped to conclusions worse than what had actually happened.

"So… It happened with my ex, Felix. He's a vampire, part of the Volturi. They're like the royal family in our world." Leah made a fake gagging noise that brought a chuckle from me. "They live in Italy. I met him while I was on summer vacation there, and then we did the long-distance thing when I went back to school, seeing each other during breaks and such. It was a pretty good relationship." I added, a bitter smile crossing my face at the memories. "For spring break, he came to visit me, and well, we had been dating for about 9 months. I decided it was time, if you know what I mean."

I hesitated, glancing uncertainly at Jacob, unsure how to continue the narrative. My heart quickened as I threaded on delicate ground. "Do you remember my mom's wedding night, um, when you and her had a fight when you learned she was planning on … a traditional honeymoon? You got upset, saying how vampires can't control themselves, and you were worried she would get killed?"

Jacob slowly nodded, his brows furrowing as he began to see where I was heading with this.

" Well, um, yeah. Basically, when Felix and I finally did it, he…lost control. He was going way too fast, way too hard, holding on to me with too much force…It really hurt, it was too much.I begged him to stop."

"Did he? How did it end?" ask Kaya softly.

"I'm not sure.. At one point, he grabbed my hips too strongly, and um , the bones broke. I passed out". My voice cracked. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, forcing a small smile on my face. "Anyways, yeah, that's that. It was a long time ago".

"JAKE!" Leah's voice sliced through the air, jolting me as she shoved me aside. My eyes snapped open just in time to see Jake exploding in his wolf form a few meters away, then bolting off into the distance.

"Damn," I muttered, turning back to the group. "I shouldn't have brought that up. Sorry, guys."

Seth's hand landed gently on my shoulder. "No, Ness, I think it's good you shared this. You shount keep those stories inside".

I offered him a grateful smile, but my attention was still on Jake's departure. "Should I go after him? Or give him some space to cool off?"

"Give him time," Leah advised. "He won't be back to his senses anytime soon."

Nodding, I reached for the bag of chips, grateful for the distraction. As I settled back into the group, I couldn't help but feel thankful for my friends. The conversation effortlessly shifted to lighter topics, and the rest of the evening was filled with laughter and warmth.

As the night dwindled, so did our gathering. With hugs, we parted ways. Before leaving, I asked Leah to pass on the message to Jake that I would call him tomorrow. I made my way home, blasting loud music to keep my mind preoccupied. Once I arrived, I went straight to take a boiling shower, letting the hot water cleanse both body and mind, washing away the remnants of the day.