Chapter 6

A/N: Alright Guys, I hope I justified all the changes and

updates and I hope I didn't lose any readers along the

way, don't forget to review I love hearing feedback and

appreciation. After this I will try to update more

frequently so please stick around I promise it will be

worth it

Bella POV

The weight in my lower abdomen was undeniable now. It wasn't just

a flutter or a vague sense of fullness anymore. It was a distinct

pressure, a gentle nudge that sometimes felt like a tiny kick. It was

real. This life growing inside me was real. The realization sent a fresh

wave of panic through me, a cold dread that settled deep in my

bones. Everything was so new, so terrifying. I would find myself

staring at my reflection in the mirror, my eyes drawn to the subtle

curve of my stomach, a curve that was becoming increasingly

difficult to hide. I was 16 weeks along, and the baggy clothes I had

been relying on were starting to feel inadequate.

Working at the bookstore in Port Angeles had become my refuge, a

small pocket of normalcy in a life that felt anything but normal. The

smell of old paper and the quiet murmur of browsing customers

were oddly comforting. The job also provided a much-needed

source of income, a small contribution to the daunting task of

preparing for a baby. I still hadn't told Charlie. The words seemed to

catch in my throat every time I tried, choked by a mixture of guilt and

fear.

But the biggest weight on my heart was Jacob. The silence between

us had stretched into weeks, an agonizing void that echoed with

unspoken words. I hadn't heard from him since that dismissive text,

and the thought of him, of what he must be thinking, was a constant

torment. I knew I couldn't put it off any longer. I had to tell him. He

deserved to know.

The drive to La Push was agonizing. Every mile that passed brought

me closer to the inevitable confrontation, closer to facing the

consequences of my actions. I parked in front of Jacob's house, my

hands trembling as I turned off the engine. Taking a deep breath, I

stepped out of the truck, my heart pounding in my chest.

As I approached the house, I saw Ana through the window. A pang of

nausea hit me, a sharp twist of jealousy that made my stomach

churn. The thought of her being there, constantly by Jacob's side,

was like a physical blow. I forced myself to ignore the feeling,

focusing on the task at hand.

I knocked on the door, my knuckles rapping against the weathered

wood. Ana opened it, her expression guarded.

"Bella," she said, her voice flat.

"Hi, Ana," I managed, my voice barely above a whisper. "Is Jacob

here? I need to talk to him."

Ana shook her head. "He's not here."

My heart sank. "Do you know where he is?"

"No," she replied, her eyes avoiding mine.

Desperation clawed at me. "Can I…can I talk to Billy, then?"

Ana hesitated for a moment, then stepped aside, allowing me to

enter. The house felt empty; the air heavy with a sense of absence.

Billy wheeled himself into the living room, his face etched with

worry. The sight of him, so obviously distressed, sent a wave of

panic through me.

"Bella," he said, his voice low and grave.

"Billy, is Jacob, okay?" I asked, my voice trembling. The look on his

face was enough to confirm my worst fears.

He sighed; his gaze filled with a deep sadness. "Bella, I…I don't

know where he is."

My breath caught in my throat. "What do you mean? Has something

happened?"

"He hasn't been home in weeks," Billy said, his voice barely a

whisper. "He…he was pretty beat up about you."

The words hit me like a physical blow. Weeks? He'd been gone for

weeks? The guilt washed over me, a crushing weight that threatened

to suffocate me. Even when I wasn't trying to hurt him, I still

managed to cause him so much pain.

"I…I didn't know," I stammered, tears welling in my eyes. "I just…I

needed to talk to him."

"He's been…gone," Billy repeated, his eyes filled with worry. "He's

been hurting, Bella. Real bad."

I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. They streamed down my

face, hot and fast. I had come here hoping to find Jacob, hoping to

explain everything, but now…now I didn't even know where he was.

"Please," I choked out, wiping at my tears with the back of my hand.

"Please, if you see him, tell him I was here. Tell him I need to talk to

him."

Billy nodded slowly, his eyes filled with a mixture of pity and

understanding. I turned and fled, stumbling back to my truck, the

sobs wracking my body. The drive home was a blur of tears and

regret. I had come to La Push hoping to find some kind of resolution,

but I had only found more pain.

Jacob POV

The forest was my sanctuary, my refuge from the pain that gnawed

at me from the inside out. In my wolf form, the physical world was

sharper, clearer. The scent of damp earth, the rustle of leaves, the

distant call of an owl – these were the things that anchored me, that

kept me from completely losing myself in the darkness of my

thoughts.

I ran for days, weeks blurring into a continuous cycle of hunting,

sleeping, and running. I avoided the familiar trails, venturing deep

into the uncharted territories of the Olympic Peninsula, seeking

solitude in the dense undergrowth and towering trees.

The pack mind was a constant presence, a subtle hum of worry and

concern. Embry, Quil, and even Leah tried to reach me, their

thoughts laced with anxiety. They urged me to come home, telling

me they needed their Alpha. But I couldn't face them. I couldn't face

the pity in their eyes, the unspoken questions about Bella.

Leah's thoughts were the most persistent, a steady stream of

concern and advice. She believed I should talk to Bella, that there

was some misunderstanding that needed to be cleared up. But I

knew better. There was no misunderstanding. The message was

clear. She didn't want me.

"Jake," Leah's voice echoed in my mind one night as I lay curled

beneath a giant cedar, the rain pattering softly on my fur. "You need

to come home. You can't keep running like this."

"There's nothing for me there," I responded, my thoughts heavy with

despair.

"There's your pack," Embry's voice chimed in. "We need you, man."

"And there's Bella," Leah added, her voice softer. "Maybe…maybe

you should talk to her. Maybe there's something you don't

understand."

I let out a low growl, a sound filled with pain and frustration.

"There's nothing to understand," I thought back, my voice laced

with bitterness. "She made her choice. She doesn't want me. It's

that simple."

"It's not that simple, Jake," Leah insisted. "You two…you're

imprinted. That means something. It has to."

"It means nothing if she doesn't want it," I retorted, my thoughts

laced with a deep sadness. "I finally understand. I'm not good

enough. I never was."

The conversation ended there, leaving me alone with my thoughts,

the rain continuing its relentless rhythm. I curled tighter into myself,

the cold seeping into my bones, mirroring the chill in my heart. The

pain was a constant companion, a dull ache that never truly went

away. It wasn't just the text message itself, but the dismissive

nature of it, the weeks of avoidance that had preceded it. It all

pointed to one undeniable truth: Bella no longer wanted me in her

life. And that was a truth I couldn't outrun, no matter how far I went.

Bella POV

The drive back to Forks was a blur of rain-streaked windows and

choked sobs. The image of Billy's face, etched with worry and

sadness, haunted me. Jacob was gone. Not just physically absent,

but gone in a way that felt deeper, more profound. The realization

that he had been suffering alone for weeks, believing that I didn't

want him, was a crushing weight on my soul. I had come to La Push

hoping to find some solace, some way to bridge the chasm between

us, but I had only succeeded in widening it.

I pulled into the driveway, the familiar sight of Charlie's house doing

nothing to ease the turmoil inside me. I stumbled out of the truck,

my legs feeling weak and unsteady. The rain had stopped, leaving

the air heavy with the scent of wet earth and pine needles. The sky

was a bruised purple, the last remnants of daylight fading into the

twilight.

I entered the house, the quiet hum of the television filling the living

room. Charlie was in his usual armchair, his eyes glued to the

football game on the screen. He looked up as I entered, his brow

furrowing as he took in my tear-streaked face.

"Bella? What's wrong?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. He

muted the television, his attention fully focused on me. "Was

everything okay in La Push?"

The dam inside me broke. The tears that I had been desperately

trying to hold back came flooding out, hot and fast. I couldn't speak,

couldn't form the words to explain the mess I had made of

everything. I just stood there, shaking my head, the sobs wracking

my body.

Charlie was out of his chair in an instant, his arms wrapping around

me in a comforting embrace. "Hey, hey, it's okay," he murmured,

his voice soothing. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out."

I clung to him, burying my face in his shoulder, the familiar scent of

his flannel shirt a small comfort in the midst of my despair.

"I'm…I'm a screw up, Dad," I choked out, the words tumbling out in

a rush. "I've messed everything up."

He held me tighter, his hand gently stroking my hair. "You're not a

screw up, Bella," he said firmly. "You're far from it. Now, tell me

what's going on."

I pulled back slightly, my eyes meeting his. The words were still hard

to say, but I knew I couldn't keep it from him any longer. "I'm…I'm

pregnant," I whispered, the words barely audible.

The silence that followed felt deafening. I braced myself for his

reaction, for the disappointment, the anger, the inevitable

questions. But instead, he simply pulled me back into his embrace,

holding me close.

"Oh, Bella," he murmured, his voice filled with a mixture of surprise

and tenderness. "How far along are you?"

"Sixteen weeks," I replied, my voice muffled against his shirt.

He held me for a long moment, saying nothing. The silence wasn't

accusatory or judgmental, but simply…there. It was a silence that

allowed me to breathe, to gather the shattered pieces of myself. He

didn't ask who the father was, didn't demand explanations. He

simply held me, offering the unconditional love and support that I

desperately needed.

The relief that washed over me was immense. I had been so terrified

of telling him, so afraid of his reaction. But he had simply accepted

it, had offered me comfort instead of condemnation. In that

moment, surrounded by his love, I felt a flicker of hope, a small

spark of resilience in the face of everything that had happened.

"Everything's going to be alright, Bells," he murmured, his voice

rough with emotion. "We'll figure this out together."

I nodded, tears still streaming down my face, but a small smile

tugging at the corners of my mouth. For the first time in weeks, I felt

a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, I wasn't completely alone in

this.