~A/N I'm excited to bring the next few chapters for you guys.

Chapter 6

Bella

The pain in my side caused me to wince. Jacob noticed immediately. "Bells, are you okay?"

I tried to catch my breath. Then I thought about the Quil story again and another round of laughter commenced. My muscles relaxed and stopped rebelling against this foreign reaction. I'm guessing laughter wasn't involved in my coma years. My caring physical therapist assistant apologized again. I managed to stall my giggles to explain what was wrong.

"I'm fine. I think that's what people call laughing until it hurts. Are you sure this Quil person is real? He sounds made up."

"Oh, he's real alright. Seriously, he's lucky he didn't get us arrested that night. I didn't hesitate to name drop Charlie to those county sheriff deputies. They gave us five minutes to clean up the mess off the highway. We were lucky it wasn't a high traffic hour and he didn't cause property damage."

"Why did he think rolling down that hill in a barrel was a good idea?"

"He didn't think, that's why." Jacob added. The detail that Quil had been naked as the day he was born during this dare made me think the wolf was still a real possibility. The guys I recalled barely wore clothes, felt like they were invincible, and were impulsive.

"He sounds great. All your friends do." A sense of loneliness lingered in the aftermath of some of Jacob's stories. We had completed my third full week of therapy. Everyone promised my muscles would remember as soon as they were all fully awake, and I'd make quick progress. The experts were right. The only thing I lacked now was strength and stamina, but if my memory was finally correct, those two things were never my best attributes, even before the accident. Jacob offered to introduce me to some of the guys and Leah, but I decided in the beginning I didn't want visitors other than Mom and Dad. My memories and alternate reality confused me enough. Not wanting to see anyone else was more fear of the unknown than anything else.

No messages from Edward or any of his family ever arrived. I gave up trying to find supernatural solutions to escape my hospital bed. The rehab staff convinced me I could find my way out on my own. My team assured me I would be released when I got better and achieved my goals. Then I would find my husband, but I had a few other things to sort out first. My parents' happiness was at the top of my list, but I needed confirmation Jake was truly okay before I left this realm. The fact that he was such an integral part of my healing when no whisper of the supernatural existed might have some deeper purpose than I understood.

Jacob spent more time with me than any of the other staff. He knew Dad his whole life, so I convinced myself his commitment to me was loyalty and nothing personal between us. It often felt like he knew me in ways that he shouldn't. I needed to accept whatever happened to me had nothing to do with this version of Jacob. Of course, when he discussed the pack/his friends, I knew a lot about them already. But some of my previous memories had faded. Sometimes, I would be so sure of something and blurt it out, but those things confused Jake.

The first time I heard him talk about Sam and Leah like they were a couple, I corrected him. "You mean Emily."

His brow crinkled. "Emily? Who's that? No, Bells, remember I told you Sam is engaged to Leah. They've been together forever."

That revelation made me think about imprinting, and I wondered why Sam had never imprinted on Emily. What if it was going to happen in the future? Leah would be devastated if they'd been together for so many more years. She and I were never close, but I felt sad for her if this was her fate with Sam.

Jacob had a lightbulb moment. "Oh, you mean Emily Young, Leah and Seth's cousin, but that can't be. How would you know about her? She doesn't come around much anymore after getting a job in Alaska."

"Maybe I'm confused with another Emily." I lied. "How's Sue?" I suddenly remembered how much time she'd been spending around Dad when I married Edward. Mom probably scared her away, since she was so needy.

"Sue's good. She's expanded the reservation's medical clinic and is helping a lot more people. Harry's great, too. So, you remember them? That's amazing if you do."

"Wait. Did I miss something? You said that Harry's great. But he tragically passed away, right?"

Hearing about my belief Harry was dead caused Jacob to chuckle. "No way, not with Sue taking care of him. A few years back, he got a lecture from a doctor about his diet and lifestyle habits. Sue took the news seriously. Those two are fitter than most thirty-year-olds."

Jacob's revelations caused a fresh round of conflicting emotions. I was happy for Sue and Harry and their kids. But I worried about Charlie a little more. He worked doubly hard to take care of me and Mom. She didn't seem completely stable after her disappointing second marriage. I felt more determined to reach my release date, so I could figure out what was truly going on with my parents. When they visited, they didn't lie to me, but I felt like they sugarcoated everything to protect me.

Since we finished our therapy session and Jacob was extra talkative, I decided to learn more about this possible pack. Maybe the whole reason Emily never imprinted on Sam was because I'd been wrong that Jacob was truly a shapeshifter. "So, are any of your other friends married or serious?"

"None of us are married. Seth has been dating the same girl for almost a year. You might remember her from Forks, Angela Weber." I almost choked on my soda. That cougar. I can't believe my classmate went after Seth Clearwater.

Jacob chuckled. "Not sure if that's a yes or no."

"Yes, I do. I'm just surprised because of the age difference."

Jake shrugged. "He's legal now. That's all Sue cared about when they announced their relationship. She ignored they were on the down low for a few months. Besides, Seth's mature for his age. No one really pays attention to their age difference. The Webers love him."

"Mature, huh? Is that a common trait among your friends?"

Jake eyed me curiously. He touched my forehead with the back of his hand. "Are you feeling okay? I just told you a thirty-minute story about Quil almost getting us all arrested two months ago. Maturity is a matter of opinion."

We laughed again together. In my mind, I thought about the others before asking about them individually. I didn't have many memories of Collin and Brady, but I needed to know for sure how Embry, Jared, and Paul were in this timeline. Jacob was surprised again by how quickly I recited all their names. "They're all happy being confirmed bachelors." Jacob smirked, then added, "and that's me using a euphemism for their wild ways with women."

More differences were confirmed, but I continued to fish for information, "How are your sisters? Rebecca and Rachel, right?"

"Wow, Bells. Your mind is working overtime today. Yep, that's them. They're great. Rebecca is married and living in Hawaii." There was finally something that stayed the same.

"What about Rachel? Does she visit often? What does she think of Paul?" I fired off questions without pause.

Jacob's expression proved my enthusiasm baffled him again. "Um, she lives in Portland, so yeah, she visits often now that she has her degree. Weird that you asked about her and Paul. She acted a little interested in him last year, and he behaved like his normal egotistical self. He attempted his standard pickup routine with Rach, and she kicked him in the crotch. I was so relieved. I'm certain that I don't want any of my buddies near my sister." He added with emphasis, "especially him."

"Oh," I sighed. More confirmation imprinting wasn't real. Jacob was totally free in this world. He was good at his job and sounded involved with his family and friends, but he hadn't mentioned a girlfriend. Again, I thought about how he was extra nice to me, but there really wasn't an explanation for that. I had to use my dad as an excuse again.

Jacob admitted a few times, I was his last appointment of the day. "Would you like to go for a walk outside?" I ate some of my meals outside in the common area recently, but I had done no long-distance walking yet. Jacob's boss, Tim, told me to expect that on the next re-evaluation. "I can bring the wheelchair since you've already worked hard today, but it's a pleasant afternoon and we won't have too many more warm days before winter hits." Jacob's smile widened. "Since your memories are improving. Do you remember what people say about the sun?"

"Um, I'm not sure." Thinking about the word sun while Jacob talked to me increased the warmth inside my veins.

"The sun has healing powers, Bells," he said.

Without thinking, my hand reached up so that I could drag my fingers across Jacob's face. "I remember now. You were my sun." We both froze because of my bold, unexplained move, but I made things even worse with what came out of mouth next, "in another life."

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