Charlie left not long after finishing breakfast, intending to visit Harry at the hospital before going fishing for a few hours. Bella suspected he wanted some time alone with his thoughts and couldn't blame him for it.
She filled her gas tank and went to the grocery store for her chicken stew ingredients, eventually overloading her small grocery cart with favorite snacks and items to make quick, easy meals for Jacob and Billy. If Jacob was actually ill, Bella expected Billy would need convenience without Jacob's constant help. She bought Clorox wipes and Lysol, hoping they could cover anything contagious so Billy wouldn't get sick, too. She even grabbed a few favorites to drop off for Quil, unsure if she'd see him as often with Jacob sick.
Once home, she got the stew going, then finished her laundry and picked up around the house until it finished cooking. She carefully transferred stew into a container, leaving half of it in a crock pot on low for Charlie, and drove to Jacob's.
It surprised Bella to find Sam Uley's truck in the driveway when she arrived. Despite her promises, she fought against the urge to defend Embry the moment Sam stepped outside and firmly shut the front door behind him. She climbed out of her truck and moved to the opposite side before reaching for the container of stew carefully balanced in the passenger seat.
As he approached, Sam hollered, "Why are you here, Bella?"
Bella turned to glare at him and scoffed. "Why are you here, Sam? Last time I checked, I'm the one that actually spends time here." She turned her back toward him again as she reached for one of the grocery bags on the floorboard.
Sam said, "Jacob is ill. You really shouldn't be here right now... for your own good, you know?"
Bella barked out a laugh and shook her head. "Sam, if you're going to bitch about what I already know, then make yourself useful and help me carry this shit inside so I can leave Jake to rest. Otherwise, you're welcome to fuck off."
His scowl deepened, but instead of replying, He reached past her into the truck for the rest of the bags. She told him to leave the bag containing items for Quil, intending to drop them off before going home. Sam silently followed her to the front door and, despite his full arms, even opened the door for her.
Billy looked up at them in surprise as she walked inside and asked, "Sam?"
"She's just dropping off food for you and Jake," Sam said, sounding far more respectful than he'd ever spoken to Bella.
"I brought Grandma Helen's chicken stew and some other simple things for you to put together since Jacob isn't feeling well," Bella said as she stepped into the kitchen and placed the container on the table.
"I appreciate that, Bella, but you shouldn't be here right now," Billy said.
She wasn't used to the coldness in his voice, and once again, the feeling of dread washed over her as she heard Jacob groan from down the hall. The pain-filled noise flooded her with worry. Enough so that it tempted her to rush toward Jacob's bedroom and check on him. She hadn't realized she had begun walking that way until a heavy, feverish hand landed on her shoulder to stop her.
From behind her, sounding far more alarmed than angry, Sam hissed, "Don't, Bella."
She shook his hand away as she turned toward Billy and asked, "What's wrong with him?"
Instead of Billy responding, Sam calmly explained, "Jacob's under quarantine. He's got mono, Bella."
She snorted. "You can't be serious?" If Jacob had mono, surely Bella would, too. Besides, Jacob and Quil had both shown signs of illness for weeks, and she had been around them countless times.
Without looking at her, Billy said, "I don't know how you don't have it, Bella. We had to take Jacob to the ER last night. I was waiting on test results when you called this morning."
"Oh," she said, deflating somewhat. That explained why Billy had been so abrupt on the phone. "Well, it's a good thing I only expected to drop these off, then. He was feeling like shit when I left here last night, so I just wanted to make sure you were both good to go."
Bella pulled the Lysol and Clorox wipes from one of the grocery bags and waved them at Billy. "These should help keep from spreading any germs."
Billy's face softened with affection as he finally looked up at her. "Thank you, Bella. You're very thoughtful…"
Bella glanced toward Sam, who observed her carefully as he stood too close. His body heat seemed to radiate from him. She found it strangely comforting and irritating simultaneously and moved away from his hulking form. He watched her curiously, his face expressionless despite the intensity of his penetrating gaze. It gave her the creeps.
No wonder he freaks Jacob out so much. Bella couldn't help but wonder what Leah had loved so much about Sam. He wasn't unattractive physically, but his attitude sucked.
Keeping her gaze locked on Sam's, Bella said, "Billy? Mono can take a few weeks to get rid of, right? Is it okay if I call to check on Jacob in a few days?"
"Sure, sure," Billy said, absently staring at the television screen.
She was unsure she believed their story. Even if Jacob had mono, Sam and Billy were being weirdly… territorial, somehow. Her instincts screamed they were lying.
She glanced up at Sam and whispered, "Maybe I should go get tested, huh? People can carry mono without symptoms."
Bella finally started pulling other items from the bags, and Sam reached out to stop her by gently taking hold of her left hand. He nearly whispered, "Don't worry about that. I'll put those up for Billy. You should go... "
When she only glared at him in response, he insisted, "It's for your own good, Bella. Please trust me."
Bella yanked her hand from his grasp and stepped back as she whispered, "I don't trust you, Sam. And if you have any ideas about trying to keep me from Jake, you better fucking think again. I don't know what you're up to, but you already took Embry from us."
Sam barked out a bitter laugh, his eyes narrowing at her as he challenged, "You think you know everything, don't you?"
"I know you've been nothing but an asshole every time we've crossed paths, Sam. That's enough for me."
Rather than waiting for his response, Bella stepped toward the hallway and yelled, "Jacob? I'll check on you soon. Feel better!" Lowering her voice enough to know Jacob could still hear from his room, she challenged, "I'd come kiss you goodbye, but Sam won't let me."
Sam's eyes widened in surprise before narrowing at her again as he withdrew his trembling hand from where it still hovered over the grocery bags.
Bella whispered, "One of you better call me if Jacob and Billy need help, food, or whatever. I don't care if you like me or not, Sam. My best friend will not do without when I can help it. Got it?"
To her surprise, his expression softened somewhat as he took slow, deep breaths - but it was fleeting. As his nostrils flared, Sam's eyes narrowed again as though he'd realized something significant. Whatever that was, he had no intention of sharing, glaring at her instead.
Bella walked around him and through the living room without so much as a 'kiss my ass' for Sam or Billy. Despite any worry for Jacob, she'd done nothing to deserve either of them treating her so coldly. If she were being honest, she'd have admitted it hurt her feelings. Billy was like a second father to her and had never treated her with anything but affection before. He'd done nothing to reprimand Sam's attitude or repeatedly uninvited touch. It felt like a betrayal.
She slammed the front door behind her and jogged to her truck, wanting to be out of sight before the angry tears welling behind her lashes spilled. Bella headed toward Quil's, needing rather than just wanting to see him now. Someone had to tell him Jacob was sick.
Just like Embry had supposedly been sick in the beginning… No, Bella didn't like this situation at all.
Heading toward Quil's seemed a good thing as she found him walking toward home with his shoulders slumped in defeat. The heavy shudder that ran through him as she pulled to a stop beside him instantly made her forget her own troubled thoughts. He turned his head as he stopped walking to look over at her sadly. His face was red, his cheeks drenched in angry tears. His face looked so young and innocent at that moment, oddly contrasting with the mature, muscular bodily form he inhabited. Bella beckoned for him to climb into her truck, and he obeyed without protest.
She guessed, "Embry?" Quil nodded, and she asked, "Did you talk?"
Quil shook his head no, and Bella reached for his hand. He grasped hers and glared out the windshield. She pulled back onto the street and continued driving toward his house.
Bella didn't know what to think. Embry had been so upset about not blowing Quil off, yet he'd ignored him again. Couldn't he see how much it was hurting Quil? How absolutely brokenhearted Quil was?
Still clutching her hand, Quil wrapped his free arm around his abdomen, staring out the windshield with a pain-filled expression like a silent automaton. It was reminiscent of the state Bella frequently found herself in after Edward left her.
Something clicked for her then as she thought about multiple incidents at once:
"It's like I've lost my right arm or something…"
"Especially Quil. You don't know how much…"
"You should," Quil mocked Embry after inviting Leah back to Jacob's.
Quil stood behind Bella with one hand over her mouth, glaring toward the kitchen and the distinctive sound of Leah and Embry kissing.
Oh. My. God. Bella unintentionally squeezed Quil's hand hard as it all became clear - Quil was well and truly brokenhearted. He's in love with Embry.
God, how could she - everyone - have been so blind? Bella wondered how long Quil had known his true feelings or if he had acknowledged them to himself. She glanced toward him to find him staring at her and slowly released her tight grip on his hand.
"It will get easier," she whispered sympathetically.
She let go of Quil's hand to shift gears, and Quil gripped the seat next to his thigh as a sob escaped him. Bella threw the truck back into second and slammed on the gas pedal, passing Quil's driveway as she headed for the beach instead. It was where Jacob always took her to cheer her up, and she hoped it worked for Quil, too.