Bella's Point of View

Late night conversations, that stretched into the early hours of the morning, hushed words and an empathetic voice, constantly replayed in my mind as I was discharged from the hospital. Thankfully, I was getting out before school started the following day. I didn't want to end up falling behind on my studies. I had to keep my concentration on what was important. Although the events over the last few hours had my thoughts a jumbled mess. Edward Cullen. He was so much more than met the eyes. An intellectual, kind-hearted person. Someone I, admittedly, was beginning to really enjoy being around.

My heart twisted tightly in my chest, almost leaving me breathless. Just by the mere thought of seeing him. But I haven't had the chance to see him since early this morning. He had to leave to prepare for class tomorrow. The goodbye was brief, but I clung to his words. Foolishly. I had no business giving him a second thought.

Instead, I had to mentally prepare myself to see Rene. She would be arriving soon to pick me up. With my injuries, I wouldn't be able to drive for a while. So, unfortunately I had to fill her in on everything that happened. Rene was rightfully upset. As usual, she was overly concerned.

I felt bad for putting her through all this, especially when she was going through so much herself.

My nurse had insisted on pushing me in a wheelchair, down to the parking garage, where Rene was waiting in the car. It was embarrassing, but necessary. My leg still hurt pretty badly, walking around would have been a challenge. It wasn't the first time I've broken a bone, I've always been a bit of a klutz, even as a child. But I don't recall it hurting so badly.

Rene quickly made her way over to us as we approached the car. Shakily she opened the passenger side door, her eyes were red and puffy. Anxiety and concern was clear on her face as she watched me.

"Isabella Marie, why didn't you call me sooner. Are you alright?" Her voice sounded strained.

"I'm perfectly fine, it was just a little fall. No big deal at all. I didn't want to ruin your weekend." I gave her the biggest smile I could muster. But as the nurse helped me to my feet, there was a sharp pain that shot down my leg. I bit down on my lip, holding back any sign of my discomfort.

Rene didn't seem to notice, but the nurse gave me an apathetic look as she helped me get into the car. "Make sure you pick up your pain medications, it's going to be a difficult few weeks. Don't ignore the pain." The kind nurse spoke.

"Thank you, I will do that, you have been great."

With a slight pause, the nurse took a step forward. "Please let doctor Cullen know that." A suggestive smile creeping onto her face.

Suddenly a sour feeling struck me. I swallowed back my initial annoyance and offered her a faint smile. "I'll do that, thanks again."

Edward was a widely admired person in that hospital. I noticed several of the females desperate for his affection. It wasn't surprising, he was the picture of perfection. But that didn't mean that I liked the idea of it. I wasn't able to explain why. It shouldn't matter to me. I've already come to the conclusion that Edward wasn't a romantic option for me. He was my teacher. That's all.

Rene closed the door behind me, to stay outside to speak with the nurse for a moment. I glanced in the rearview mirror, taking note of the empty car seat. My thoughts turned to Mia as an ache pulled at my chest. I missed my daughter. I didn't have a chance to say goodbye to her properly. And I haven't heard from Jacob since I've been in the hospital. I wasn't even sure if he was still around, or if he took Mia back to La Push.

Once Rene got back into the car, she gently squeezed my shoulder, dabbing at a few of the tears that had slipped down her cheeks. "Bella, if something like this happens again, please don't leave me in the dark. You have no idea how worried you made me." Her voice was gentle.

"I'm sorry mom, it was just… an awful night…"

"Did this happen… because of Jacob?"

I shook my head with a sigh. "I mean… he didn't push me off a cliff, if that's what you're asking." I teased, attempting to lighten the mood.

Rene cracked a smile, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. A tiny chuckle fell from her thin lips. "You know that's not what I meant."

As we began down the road, it started to rain. The familiar thudding of rain drops came down against the passenger side window. It put me at ease, for a moment. But also reminded me of Charlie, of Forks and of course, Jacob.

"It wasn't Jacob's fault that this happened… I should have known better to go out on those hiking trails so late in the day. It got dark, I got lost, took the wrong step…and just… fell." I replayed the night in my head, but the details were a little clouded. It had been so fast and so much happened. The only thing that really stood out… was Edward. His strange behavior. And the fact that I was certain Jacob and Edward were hiding something from me. Not to mention, Jacob's over-the-top aggression towards both Edward and his father. He acted like he truly despised them. But they claim to barely know each other. So where did all this hatred come from?

Rene huffed, shaking her head. "That man is trouble. He always finds ways of putting you in harm's way. Thank goodness Mia is alright." She didn't hide the fact that she wasn't a fan of Jacob.

"You didn't happen to hear from Jacob and Mia? Have you?"

Rene tensed, her hands gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. "Yes, well, he did stop by… with an unpleasant woman."

Amelia. Of course she would be around.

"Did they say anything… I mean… did they already take Mia?"

"No, they haven't left," Rene's expression turned a little more grim. "They wanted to speak with you first. We are meeting up with them back at the apartment."

"What could they possibly want to say?" I muttered, turning my gaze back out the window. I really didn't want to see Amelia. But at least I could get the chance to see Mia, before they go.

"They weren't really willing to give me any details. To be honest, I don't trust either one of them. There is just something… about that woman…"

It was a little surprising to see Rene being so observant. But it wasn't hard to notice how awful of a person Amelia was. I would never understand why Jacob had to imprint on such a witch. It had taken me a long time to come to terms with Jacob ending our relationship. And the fact that it was over because of such a cruel person, made it even harder.

"Jacob is just Jacob, he would never hurt anyone. And his girlfriend, Amelia… I don't trust her either. But I don't think Jacob would allow her to do any harm."

Rene nodded, appearing absentminded. We drove to the closest pharmacy to pick up a few medications that the doctor had prescribed me, for pain management. Then, we made our way back to the apartment. It was a long drive, I ended up dozing off a few times, but the aching in my leg prevented me from getting any real rest.

And as we pulled into the parking lot, Jacob and Mia were waiting out front. Mia was clutching onto a little umbrella and stomping around in the puddles, appearing in high spirits. Jacob stood by her side, rigid, with a somber expression. The moment he spotted our car, he ushered Mia to him, and walked her over to the car. Rene had already gotten out and made her way to my door, carefully opening it.

Rain instantly pelted down against my skin. The feeling stung, but I ignored it. Mia's vibrant smile was the only thing I could focus on. She let Jacob's hand go and quickly stumbled over to me.

"Momma," She jumped into my arms.

The feeling was bitter sweet agony. The pain it caused, almost brought tears to my eyes. But I clutched onto her tightly. The feeling of being reunited with Mia, gave me a sense of relief. I felt the tension leave my body. I could breathe again.

"Oh, careful honey, your momma isn't feeling so good. We have to be gentle with her." Rene said gently stroking the top of Mia's head.

Mia pouted, giving me one more squeeze, before Rene pulled her away.

Jacob offered me a hint of a smile. "Let me help." He offered his hand out to me.

Hesitantly, I took his hand and carefully eased myself out of the car. It was still painful, but at least he was able to keep me stable on my feet. Rene watched between the two of us closely. It was clear that she didn't like Jacob being around, but thankfully, she played nice and didn't make any comments.

"Thanks…" I muttered.

"There are a lot of stairs, I'm going to have to carry you." He continued, glancing at me, then away.

I absolutely hated it, but there was no way I would be able to make all these stairs. It would take an hour. And it would be painful. I'd rather just get it over with. I can tolerate a few seconds of being uncomfortably close to Jacob.

"Fine, let's just make it quick." I muttered.

Jacob nodded, wordlessly lifting me up into his arms. He was always so warm to the touch, it usually brought some form of comfort to me. But for the first time, being in Jacob's arms felt… empty. It had no effect. It didn't bring me pain, or joy. I felt nothing. It was a small step in the right direction. It was a relief, finally, the broken heart he had created was on the mend. Eventually, our past may become just another chapter of my life.

Rene followed us up the stairs, Mia in her arms. It didn't take long to reach the top. But as we approached the hallway of our apartment, I took note of the one-and-only, Amelia. Standing nearly a foot shorter than me, even in her expensive-looking heels. Gorgeous strawberry blonde curls, flawless pale skin, dotted with freckles. An intimidating glare on her face, that only deepened as she saw me in Jacob's arms.

Jacob rolled his eyes, taking note of Amelia's fury, before carefully setting me down on my feet. Rene quickly went to my side, helping to support me.

"I'm sorry about this Bella, I know that you didn't want to see her…" Jacob paused for a second, as if searching for the right words. "This won't take long, I just wanted to speak with you privately, before we head back to La Push."

I shrugged my shoulders, refusing to give Amelia another look. Being around her made me nervous. She was unpredictable and not in the least bit shy of showing how much she hates me.

"Well, let's get it over with then."

Jacob nodded, before looking to Rene. "Can you please watch over Mia, until we are finished?"

Rene raised a brow. "Of course, take your time." She glanced over to Amelia for a second, before looking back down to Mia. "I think we will take a walk."

I was relieved to hear that Rene was getting some distance from Amelia. I didn't want Mia around her.

Before leaving, Rene gave my shoulder another squeeze, before letting me go, Mia in hand.

Jacob turned to Amelia now. "It's best if you go as well. Wait for me in the car." His tone lacked any emotion, he barely looked in her direction.

This seemed to upset Amelia instantly. "And leave you alone with her? I don't think so." She folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm not asking Amelia." Jacob narrowed his eyes. "NOW." His tone turned completely hostile. The abrupt switch in demeanor took me by surprise. Amelia shrunk back, looking surprised and hurt.

Without another word, she walked away, raising her hand up, to give us both the middle-finger, before disappearing down the stairs. She was mad. But obviously, Jacob's outburst had rattled her.

I raised a brow, as I watched Jacob fume. His body had begun to tremble. When he was like this… I knew there was something seriously upsetting him. He was in some kind of inner turmoil. I didn't see him like this often. But when I did, I stayed away. Until the problem is resolved. Unfortunately, there was no way to avoid this.

Jacob held his hand out, once the shaking had stopped. "Here, I'll help you get inside."

At this point, I was a little worried about being alone with him, when he was in this mood. I didn't think Jacob would be capable of hurting me. But that didn't stop me from being concerned. He was angry. I just prayed that he could keep his composure.

Slowly, I reached out and allowed him to help me inside the apartment. We walked inside slowly and took a seat in the living room. Jacob placed me on the couch, while he moved to the opposite side of the room, to lean against the wall.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked after a brief pause.

Jacob cleared his throat. "About what happened yesterday, I'm really sorry I put you in that position. It's completely my fault that you got hurt."

I shook my head. "No, it's not your fault. You know that I've never been the most graceful. It was just an accident, Jacob. No reason to get so upset."

"That isn't why I'm upset."

"Then what is the problem? I've never seen you… like this."

"The problem is, the Cullen's live in this area. Which means, you and Mia, can't live here anymore. It isn't safe for either of you."

"Why do you say that? How do you know the Cullen's?"

"That's not important, I'm telling you this, because I care for you and our daughter. And I'm putting my foot down. The two of you are coming home." Jacob said with an edge to his tone.

I could see that he was beginning to get mad again. There was a very slight tremble, starting in his arms. This was my warning, to proceed with caution. As much as I wanted to get mad and instantly refuse his request, I knew this would only lead to an escalation. I had to be mindful.

"Jacob, you can't ask me to give up on my goals and my ambitions, without giving me any reason why. Or explaining yourself."

"I did give you a reason, the Cullen's are dangerous."

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe that. I've met a few of them, they seem really kind. I mean, most of them appear to be in the medical field. Successful and brilliant. Nothing about them seems dangerous."

"It's all a lie. A cover. They aren't who you think they are Bella. Take my word on this. I've never lied to you."

"I'm not saying you are lying to me." I said gently. "But if you really want me to take you seriously and consider what you are saying… you need to be more open with your details. I want to know how you know the Cullen's. And why do you think they are dangerous?"

Jacob sighed heavily, rubbing at his face in frustration. "If I could tell you, I would. But… it's not my place to say. All I can say is there is a treaty between the pack and the Cullen's. And because of the treaty, I can't give you any further details."

I raised a brow. I hadn't expected to hear that. The Cullen's knew about the existence of werewolves. Did that mean they were wolves as well? Are they some kind of enemy pack? That would explain why Jacob was so adamant about them being dangerous.

"Well, if that's the case, I think, respectfully, I'm going to take my chances. I appreciate your concern. But this is my life Jacob. You don't have control over it."

"Well, I do have some control over my daughter's life. So, if you really don't want to leave. Fine. But I will not allow Mia to remain here." Jacob snapped, turning completely away from me. His arms folded across his chest.

Now I was pissed. I struggled to regain my composure. But at this moment, I was ready to blow up. Get in his face. Make it clear that my daughter wasn't going to be taken from me without a fight. Instead of opening my mouth, I bit my lip, forcing myself to not react, until I was calm.

For a while, neither one of us spoke. An awkward silence fell between us. I was searching for what to say, while battling my anger. The pain of my daughter possibly being taken from me, was intense. More than the throbbing pain in my leg. I wouldn't stand for this. I wouldn't let Jacob get away with this.

"You would actually threaten to take her away from me." I growled quietly. I didn't look at him. I was afraid the look on his face would set me off further.

There was an audible wince, before Jacob replied. "I'm not threatening you. I just want you to take what I'm saying seriously. I want you to understand how dire this situation is."

"I don't understand Jacob. You can do as you wish. But I can't make my own choices? And if I don't agree with you, you will take away the only piece of happiness I have left in this world? Haven't you hurt me enough?"

I looked at him now, taking note of the agony in his expression. There was no hint of anger left in him. His eyes casted downwards, to his feet. "I know this is all my fault. If I wouldn't have imprinted, you would have never left and put yourself in this danger."

"Let's not drudge up the past. It will do us no good. I'm moving on with my life Jacob. So, you feel this is dangerous. You don't like the Cullen family. Fine. But I don't agree with you. I will not leave. And you will not take Mia away from me."

"Stubborn as always. I don't know why I even tried convincing you any different." Jacob muttered with a dark look. "If you insist on staying, things need to change."

"What do you mean by change?"

"I can't leave you here unprotected while the Cullen's live this close by. So, I'll be making preparations to make the move here."

I felt my jaw drop. "That sounds a little dramatic, don't you think? What about the pack? You are the alpha, you can't just abandon them."

"They will manage, I'll turn the pack over to my second in command. This takes priority. I won't let you or Mia be in danger."

I shook my head. "It's ridiculous. You can't just…" I was at a complete loss for words. I felt tears come to my eyes. For a moment, I felt overwhelmed. I didn't want this. I didn't want Jacob to follow me around the world, acting as some kind of bodyguard. This had been my chance to distance myself. How could I possibly move on, with him so close by. I'm sure Amelia would be tagging along as well.

"It's my choice Bella. I understand you don't want me around, you have a brand new life to start here. I respect your choice. I promise that I won't interfere. I just want to be close by, so if you do end up needing me, I won't be thousands of miles away from you and my daughter. I'll only come around to have my time with Mia. You won't even know I'm here." He said, offering me a weak smile.

"And what about Amelia? I'm sure she won't be keen on this idea." I said shifting my sights off of him.

"I couldn't care less. She either comes with me, or she can go back to La Push. It doesn't matter to me."

"We both know that isn't true."

"That's just it, you don't seem to understand. I'm not romantically bound to Amelia. I don't have feelings for her. I don't feel the pull. In fact, I have nothing but contempt for her." Jacob paused, letting out a long sigh. "This bond is completely sexually motivated. I can't explain it. It's like the beast inside of me, takes complete control over my lust. Emotions aren't involved, just sex."

His words didn't affect me, like they had in the past. There was just the faintest pinch of pain to my chest. Just a ghost of the agony that statement would have caused.

"That doesn't change anything," I muttered. "You are with her now. And I am not going to wait around for things to change. If this is truly what you want to do, I won't stand in your way. But… I don't want to see you. I don't want you to contact me, unless it's in regards to Mia."

A flicker of pain crossed Jacob's face, but he remained calm. He simply nodded his head. "Fine, I'll need to head back to La Push to get everything in order and begin the move. I'd like to take Mia with me, if that's alright. My dad really wants to see her and Charlie does as well."

"Alright, when will the two of you be back?"

Jacob crossed the room now, standing directly in front of me. "Two, or three days. I don't want to leave you alone too long. I'll make sure to be back as soon as possible." His hand came out towards me, but I shifted away from him.

He let his hand drop down to his side. "Sorry, I… I'm just sorry. About all of this."

"Are we done with this conversation? I'd like to see my daughter, before you leave with her." I was completely over this little chat. I wasn't happy with Jake at the moment. He had actually attempted to manipulate me into doing what he wanted. He threatened to take Mia from me. There was no going back, or taking those words back. He said them. And I don't think I had the capacity of forgiving him. Not today. Not as long as he was hiding things from me.

Maybe I should speak with Edward. Maybe he would offer me a straight answer. The La Push wolf pack had a treaty with the Cullen's. This didn't tell me much. But it did raise more questions. Does that mean the Cullen's are wolves as well? Some kind of enemy pack? What made them dangerous? Sure, I know wolves can be very dangerous, especially if they lose control and phase. But there was something more to all this. Jacob hated them. There had to be history. Why was he unwilling to bring it up? Why wasn't he allowed to tell me about it?

"Yeah, that's all I wanted to say, I'm going to start making the arrangements, I'll come back around later, to pick up Mia. So you can have some time with her." He said, heading towards the door.

"Alright,"

Jacob finally made his way out the door, leaving me alone to my thoughts. The room fell completely quiet, only the sounds of the rain beating against the windows could be heard. I closed my eyes, taking note of the growing ache in my head. This whole thing had taken a sizable toll. I was exhausted. And annoyed. Just when I thought I could start over, Jacob had to come back into the picture. Would I ever be free of his constant presence?

With a grunt, I picked myself up from the couch, wobbling through the living room and into the kitchen. I clutched onto anything within reach, to help propel myself forward. It was painful, but I managed.

It was nearing dinner time, so I wanted to start making something. Cooking has become a type of therapy for me. It took my thoughts off of things that bothered me. I could just focus on one thing.

About thirty minutes passed, before Rene and Mia came strolling into the apartment. I had managed to thaw out some steak and was in the midst of peeling potatoes when they entered.

"Bella, what are you doing, you shouldn't be pushing yourself. You need to rest." Rene said with a look of concern. Mia bounced over to me with a bright smile, clutching a teddy bear in her arms.

"Momma, look." She gestured to her bear.

"That's so cute, did daddy give you that?"

Mia nodded, hugging the bear a little tighter.

I then looked at Rene, giving her a sheepish smile. "It's fine, I wanted to start dinner before it gets any later."

Rene moved to grab the peeler from my hands. She sat down next to me at the table and began to peel some of the potatoes. "For goodness sakes child. Let me help out."

"You don't have to, I have it under control mom." I protested.

Rene shook her head. "I want to. You really worry me, you know that? Let me be a mother to you. Let me take care of you, for a change."

I relented, it was more energy to fight with Rene, then just to let her help. Even though I hated the feeling of being helpless. I wanted to be strong, stand on my own two feet.

"Well, thanks mom."

She nodded, remaining a little silent as we prepared dinner together. Mia went to the living room to watch some of her favorite shows. I heard her giggling and clapping, along with the cheesy songs and nursery rhymes.

Once the steak was on the stove and the potatoes were boiling, Rene took this opportunity to start her questioning.

"So, what did Jacob need to talk about?" She tried to sound nonchalant, as she began brewing a pot of coffee.

"Well, he plans on moving here. He wanted to give me a heads up." I wasn't sure how much of the conversation I should tell Rene about. She wasn't aware that Jake was a werewolf, she knew nothing of the supernatural world. And I didn't plan on changing that. Life was already complicated.

Rene raised a brow, a frown coming to her face. "Why in the hell would he move here?" She shook her head in visible disapproval. "Is he stalking you now?"

"No nothing like that," I paused, searching my brain for a believable explanation. "He worries about Mia, when she is here with us. And he is so far away, he is worried that if something happens, he won't be able to get to us in time." It wasn't a complete lie. I just didn't want to bring in the mystery of the Cullen's into this.

Rene snorted. "The only time something bad happens, is when Jacob is around. Someone ends up hurt."

She wasn't wrong. Jacob always seemed to bring bad luck with him. Each and every time we had ever been alone together, I would end up getting injured. Of course each incident was always my own clumsiness. Jacob leads a very active lifestyle, hiking, camping, fishing, cliff jumping. When we were dating, I did my best to involve myself in everything that he was interested in, which usually ended up in bumps and bruises.

"He just wants to be in Mia's life more, he wants to be available if she needs him. He promised that he would stay out of my life, he would only come into contact with me, if it has to do with Mia. So, it's fine."

"I don't know honey, it's pretty clear that he still has feelings for you. And that girlfriend of his… he treats like a stranger…"

"Doesn't matter, I don't feel that way for him anymore. I'm just going to move forward and try not to think about it."

Rene nodded silently, before turning to continue helping me cook dinner. It didn't take long to get everything finished. Steak, mashed potatoes and broccoli. It was the staple dinner that I usually made for Charlie. I wasn't sure why I had decided on this for dinner. But it felt right. There was a part of me that really wanted to speak with Charlie. It's been such a long time since we have talked. Maybe I will call him tonight. I missed him. I missed Forks. Things were hard here and it was getting harder each day. Especially with Jacob moving into town.

Rene helped make a plate for Mia, cutting up a piece of steak for her into little pieces. Mia sat at the table with an eager smile, already starting to chow down on the mash potatoes. She was an easy enough kid to please. There wasn't much food that she didn't like. She even liked broccoli.

We sat down to a quiet meal, I let my thoughts wander back to Edward Cullen. I wondered how he was doing, or what he may be up to this evening. There was a light fluttering in my chest as I recalled every detail of his handsome face.

I wasn't sure what my future looked like. But there was one thing for certain. I would get to the bottom of this mystery between Jacob and Edward.

Sorry it has taken so long for an update. I have been really busy with my little girl. New mom, new job, life is tough right now, when it comes to having free time. But I'll put forth more of an attempt to update this story. Thank you to everyone waiting for this update! I really appreciate it.