Chapter Summary:
Bells is ballsy. Leah is kind. Sam is an asshole, and Embry is... different.
That's it. That's the chapter. LOL. Enjoy.
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Less than ten minutes later, they were on the beach, avoiding the surf as the water lapped over the pebble-filled earth. The clouds had cleared somewhat, and Bella was glad she decided to ditch class for the rest of the day. Leah's long black hair fluttered in the breeze like a curtain as she listened and laughed over Bella's outburst.
Attempting to be serious, Leah said, "That is priceless. So, these guys? Do they fuck with you often?"
Bella sighed and said, "Well, they were the first friends I made when I moved here. Once I got with my ex, they didn't really like it."
"So, they were jealous?" Keeping her eyes on the ground, Leah kicked a large pebble out of her path.
"Ern… yeah, I suppose."
Bella had never considered it in those exact terms. Somehow, Bella had always equated their newfound animosity to their previous dislike of the Cullens. Even though she knew Mike and Tyler had flirted with her before then, she never considered jealousy an issue.
Everything was fine until Phoenix… After that, the Cullens had monopolized her time. Bella rarely saw anyone else. She believed her old friends, believing him snobbish, simply hated Edward and, therefore, her by extension.
Leah said, "You're a pretty girl, Swan. It's not exactly shocking that a couple dudes would be jealous when you got with someone they already hated."
Bella blinked in surprise. This beautiful creature beside her should be on a runway and was calling Bella pretty? Bella's cheeks grew warm as she blushed. Geez, Bella. Maybe Edward was right, and she didn't see herself accurately. "I guess I'm not as observant as I should be."
As she realized Leah had lagged a few paces, Bella turned back to check on her.
Staring out across the water, Leah asked, "What makes you say something like that? I watched you help the guys with their homework, you know? You seemed pretty damn observant to me. Smart people are sort of observant by definition, aren't they?"
Bella said, "I'm not sure attentive and observant are quite the same thing."
"See?" Leah smirked. "You're smart, Swan. Attentive is the perfect word, but it might as well not even exist in my brain. So, why did you think they turned on you if not for jealousy?"
Bella snorted and said, "I just assumed they turned on me because they didn't like… Edward. The guys liking me seemed like a whole different issue. I just never thought about it in terms of jealousy. Edward always said I was…"
"Don't finish that sentence, Bella," Leah said as she turned toward her. "You are… you… who I don't know well yet, but … I don't care what your ex says you are. I'm not everything Sam thinks I am, and I'm sure you're not everything Cullen thought you were, either. I'd like to get to know you, not Dickward's preconceived opinions."
Bella nodded, unsure how to respond to that. How would Leah get to know the actual Bella while knowing nothing she'd been through? Bella's relationship with Edward seemed to have been the pinnacle of her brief existence. He changed everything.
The guys don't know everything that happened, but they know me well enough. Then again, Bella wasn't the person she was a few months ago. Perhaps Leah was right. The problem was that Bella didn't know herself, either. She was still trying to figure that out.
They resumed walking, and both looked up at the sound of laughter. Leah froze mid-step and visibly paled as she spotted the figures ahead. "God, speak of the fucking devil," she grumbled and turned around. "Come on, Swan. We gotta get out of here."
Bella's feet froze where they were as she watched the four massive, shirtless men heading their way. Her boys had told her about Sam and his disciples, but he was the only one she recognized until they drew closer. While the two that flanked him were unfamiliar, the fourth boy hesitated, giving her a sheepish grin.
"Embry?" His name left her mouth in a whisper, but Bella watched him react as if he heard her perfectly.
"Swan," Leah hissed, already a dozen yards away. Bella turned toward her in alarm and watched as Leah finally spotted Embry. Her mouth fell open in surprise before her cheeks reddened in anger. "EMBRY CALL, YOU FUCKING TRAITOR!"
Bella turned back toward Embry and watched him cringe under Leah's murderous glare.
Glancing over his altered frame, Bella noted the new bulk of muscle to match the several inches he gained in height. Most shocking of his appearance was the loss of his hair. Embry had always kept his hair long, never bothering to tie it back like Jacob did to keep it out of the way. Now, it was short, buzzed nearly to the scalp. His jaw had widened, and his face looked thinner and older. Even his hands looked bigger. Bella wouldn't have recognized him were he not one of her best friends.
As the four came closer, Leah hissed, "I swear, Swan, I'll steal your truck and leave you here." She turned her back on the rest of them and strode toward the parking lot.
"Well, that's an odd fucking development," one said and laughed. Bella recognized the braying laugh and gasped. God, that's Paul. Her childhood beach bully. Wonderfuckingful.
"You didn't tell me Leah was friends with Isabella," Sam grumbled as if Bella wasn't standing nearby.
"It's new," Embry said, finally meeting Bella's eyes. Sam stopped walking, and the other three stopped beside him, keeping their odd diamond-shaped group formation.
Bella asked, "Embry? Shouldn't you be in school?"
Sam's deep voice dripped with condescension as he asked, "What business is it of yours?"
Bella turned to glare at the muscular giant. At least six-foot-four, Sam leaned toward her to meet her gaze, looming over her like Bella was a petulant child who needed reprimanding.
As her temper licked her spine, Bella straightened her back and hissed, "I wasn't fucking talking to you, Sam."
As Paul snickered, Sam took a step toward her. "You need to watch your mouth, little girl."
Bella snorted and schooled her features, reminding herself to calm down. She'd already had enough fighting for the day. "You know what, Sam? Thank you for saving me in the woods. I appreciated that. I did."
He deflated somewhat, stepping back in surprise. It only lasted a moment, however.
"That being said, whatever this shit is you guys have going on? I don't care. I really don't. What I do care about is that it now affects Embry. Do you know I tutor him? That he's one of my best friends? What I have to talk to Embry about is none of your business, Sam."
Sam scowled, his lips pursing in a tight line, as straight as Bella's spine as she glared him down despite her much slighter stature. Embry chuckled as he watched her championing for him.
She glared at her friend and ignored Sam as she asked, "How did your presentation go on Monday?"
He rolled his eyes and asked, "Why aren't you in school today, Bells?"
Bella's cheeks instantly flushed as she realized how hypocritical she was being. So what if Embry skipped a day? Considering his current company, it was probably the least of her worries over her friend.
"Uh, I kind of blew up on Newton and Tyler. Caused a scene. It was a whole thing," she admitted.
The boy she didn't recognize snickered and said, " You? I'd have liked to see that."
"What for, Jared?" Paul scoffed. "I'm sure the little princess here throws plenty of fits."
"She really doesn't," Embry snapped. Paul scowled. Despite Sam's warning glare, Embry moved around Jared to pull Bella into a hug.
She stood on her tiptoes to hug him tight and whispered, "Embry, what the hell? What are you doing with these guys?"
The shake of his head was barely noticeable, but the sadness in his eyes and tight lips were enough. Whatever he was doing, he couldn't tell her. Pulling away, he said, "I'm probably not going to be around much for a while, okay? Will you trust me when I say everything is okay?"
Bella glanced at Sam, Paul, and Jared's matching glares and narrowed her eyes at them suspiciously. The thought of not seeing Embry for a while bothered her. He was a significant part of her routine, and Bella wasn't sure how to feel about losing his presence when she hung out with the others. Whatever had happened to Embry had changed things for them all.
How will Embry's mother handle the changes in her son? Tiffany wasn't the most understanding mother in the best of times, frequently locking him out of their home for the slightest offense.
Turning back to him worriedly, she said, "Text me, okay? Let me know if you're okay once in a while? And my door is always open if you need somewhere to go."
"That won't be necessary," Sam grumbled.
Keeping her eyes on Embry, Bella said, "Still wasn't talking to you, Sam ."
Embry's smile was both grateful and apologetic as he ignored Sam's resulting scowl and the other boys' snickering. "Thank you, Bells," he said before hugging her one last time. Her brow furrowed as she registered how warm he felt. Did he have a fever?
Before she could ask, Embry said. "I'll see ya around, okay? Take care of yourself."
"Yeah," Bella said, disappointed. "Same to you."
Lost in her newfound worry for her friend, she walked toward the parking lot, where a fuming Leah waited by her truck. Before Bella could get a word out, the fury fled Leah's face, and she strode straight toward her. The last thing she expected was for the other girl to hug her. Bella returned the embrace but felt confused as they pulled apart.
How could Embry take up with Sam's gang without considering who he was leaving behind? Bella immediately thought of Quil, realizing how devastated he would be. She didn't comprehend she'd been crying until Leah gently wiped her tears away with her thumb.
Despite her calm expression, Leah still sounded pissed, asking, "What the hell did they say to you?"
"Embry said goodbye, more or less. He's with them now… whatever they're doing. He said he won't be around for a while, but it felt like a goodbye, Leah."
Leah's jaw dropped open as she blinked in surprise. Though she turned away quickly, Bella saw the other girl's eyes well with tears. Leah said, "I hate Sam Uley. He fucking takes everything from me."
"I'm so sorry," Bella said, unsure what else to say as her heart sank for her new friend.
"Don't apologize," Leah grumbled. "It's not your fault Sam's a bastard. It has nothing to do with you."
She reached for Bella's hand and squeezed it, silently reminding Bella that she wasn't angry at her. Bella threaded her fingers through Leah's warmer ones, finding comfort in the familiar feeling. Her hand frequently got held in Jacob's the same way.
Bella teared up again as she thought of Jacob and Quil, knowing they were probably worried about Embry's whereabouts today. Someone had to warn them that Sam sucked Embry into his group and the drastic changes in him. Only his warm brown eyes seemed the same.
How could someone change that much in a week? She simply couldn't wrap her head around it.
"Leah…" Bella looked back toward where the group of men remained, wrestling and laughing as if she and Leah weren't within sight. "What is going on with them? Are the rumors true? Are these guys on steroids?"
"I don't know how even steroids could make Embry change so much this quickly," Leah said, shaking her head. "Apparently, he and Quil had some big argument, and he's avoided everyone since last weekend. We haven't seen him, and no one would answer the phone. Everyone assumed he was sick or something. None of this makes sense to me."
"I didn't know anything about it. I should get to Billy's," Bella said, letting go of Leah's hand. "Jacob and Quil will be there soon, and someone needs to warn them about Embry."
Leah nodded. "Yeah, we should do that."
Bella smiled at her new friend, grateful for the support. The guys would be upset and might not want her to stay once she told them. It went without saying that their best friend was more important to Jacob and Quil than homework. They would likely seek him out immediately, and Bella would have nothing to do except go home. She wasn't about to watch her boys fight with each other for real.
She sighed as she finally walked to her driver's side door and unlocked it. Leah moved to the passenger door as Bella climbed in and leaned across the seat to let her in. They drove out of the parking lot silently, each dreading the coming conversation.
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