I've missed updating so much. Now that I'm back in college, I've been so busy—but it's also really exciting. I'm taking a full course load this semester and so far, my lowest grade is a 94% (thank God!). If you guys didn't already know, I actually stopped going to college a few years ago because of my depression. It got pretty severe and because of that, I didn't really see the point of continuing with my education. Now, however, I want to learn as much as possible. I'm so happy I didn't do anything too rash back then and I'm still here today. As cheesy as it sounds, fanfiction really changed my life—it always makes me so happy! I've been so sad being away from this. Hopefully from now on, I can find the time and motivation to update all the time. I've been working on a few pieces here and there, but I haven't posted anything because I want to finish what I already have up first. I also have been working on another book which is super exciting. Writing is such a fun hobby to get my mind off of things so I really want to thank you all for your support. I really hope I can go to the next meetup in Austin this year so I can hang out with you guys! I know my fellow fic writer friend Ciara is going and I really want to meet her so I hope I can save up enough money and next semester's textbooks aren't too expensive. Seriously, I'm so excited to get back into writing now that I've gotten an idea of how to balance my school schedule and my job with my hobbies! Love you guys! Please enjoy these updates.

Sorry if there are any mistakes!

Chapter 6:

His gazes roamed over me in a way which made my entire body want to curl up into itself. Michael, who smacked his lips and whipped the perspiration from his flushed cheeks every time he spoke stood inches away as we traversed through the shopping center. My sisters—who had laughed at the thought of abandoning me—laughed to themselves a few feet away, sending snickers over their shoulders as their eyes danced between us. Rose, on the other hand, showed a bit of remorse behind her wickedly amused eyes, making me roll my own as I stared back at her.

"These are the best days—nice and sunny," Michael mused, smiling up at the sky in a way which caused all the lines beneath his chin to pucker together.

Alone with me finally and he wants to talk about the weather?

"It's something—"

"Carmen Denali always says that these are the days best spent outside and I couldn't agree more," he interrupted, acting as if he hadn't heard a word I had uttered.

Shrugging, I fell back a step, tired of watching his expression as he fumbled over the "great" Carmen Denali. The way his lips shook as he spoke her name—it seemed as if he could get off right in front of me. I doubted he would ever find another woman he could speak of the same way he spoke of her.

"She sounds like a wise woman."

"Of course, of course. I wish I could have half the—"

"Bella! Come look! Want to go in here?" Alice hollered, pointing toward a hipster shop with a grin.

Alice, enthusiastic about blowing through her small allowance then bolted into the store, nearly knocking over a woman and her younger daughter in the process. With eyes widening, my steps quickened, abandoning my companion in his daydream as I chased after my sisters. Alice didn't need to get kicked out of another store around town. Her behavior, while sometimes charming, tended to get on people's nerves. She would laugh it off, never caring what others thought—which, was something I admired about her at times. Other times, however, I wanted to explain the world didn't revolve around her. I knew she was young—only fifteen—and I knew I was probably just as annoying at that age. Who wasn't? I wasn't as loud, however, or as vibrant whenever I left my house. I had spent years pent up in my room, avoiding everyone as I become lost in the worlds manifested in different books.

"Alice do you really want to blow all of your money in one day?" I asked, breathless as I finally managed to catch up with them.

Three heads turned my way, all smiling to various degrees. The youngest smiled at me before dashing toward the sale section—the only spot she could realistically afford—and the second youngest's, Bree, eyes darted around for a moment before chasing after her sister, leaving me with the oldest of the three, Leah, who, like usual, looked like she wanted to be anywhere other than here.

"I think I'll go to the bookstore next door …" Leah began, fidgeting in her Mary Janes as she looked at her toes. "Do you think they'll be a while?"

"I don't know." I smiled, eyes darting toward Rose before answering, "Probably."

Leah peered over my shoulder for a moment, hesitant, before her eyes returned to me. "Do you think … Do you think Michael would want to go to the bookstore, too?"

"Michael?" I blanched. "I don't know … Do you want him to go, or something?"

She flushed, biting down on her lip before her eyes darted to her toes again. "I don't know. I just thought he might want to. I doubt he would like any of the stuff here. The guy's section … doesn't seem like his style."

The way she stumbled over her words made my brows raise. Could she possibly like him? HIM? The man that makes my skin crawl …

"Maybe you should stay here, Leah. If he doesn't like the store, I'm sure he'll say something."

"Why not let her go with him?" Rose interrupted, smiling at our younger sister. "It's not like Michael is a threat." She snorted, staring back at the shorter, round man. What a marshmallow.

"Come on, Rose. Why—" Hearing Alice's rambunctious laughter derailed my train of thought. Rolling my eyes at the volume of her voice, I sauntered toward the clearance section, eyes widening as I found a man standing a foot before her, playing with the edges of the sweater she was clutched to.

He was handsome—more than handsome. With broad shoulders, a muscular build, and a striking face, I couldn't turn away from him. He captivated me where I stood. Then, he looked at me. There was a kindness in his dark, brown eyes. Something that warmed me instantly. Is he even real? Stepping forward, I felt like I was floating—tumbling into something new. Then, he smiled, thawing out every inch of me.

"If it's on sale, then it's mine. I just need to transfer some money—"

Her words paused as I reached her. Looking at me nervously, her hands stumbled over the garment in her hand, fidgeting as if she was debating whether or not she should shove it back on the rack. Biting down on the inside of her cheek, she smiled at me, a little skittish as she took a step toward the handsome stranger.

"Was my sister … bothering you?" I asked, pulling my gaze from him to raise a brow at her.

"No—no." His voice was rich. It was just like I had imagined it. "I was shopping for a cousin and she just happened to want the same sweater that I was going to gift. But it's no trouble," he finished, waving his hand dismissively.

"Alice …"

"What?" she asked, giggling as her eyes flashed between us. Her cheeks were flushed and her pulse vibrated in her neck as it always did when she was excited. Her eyes hovered over my expression for a moment before they met with the handsome stranger's eyes and stayed glued there. "If you really want it, you can—"

"You go ahead. It was meant for you, wasn't it?" He smirked and then, his eyes turned to me. They hovered there for a moment and I found myself leaning in, wanting to be nearer.

For a moment, I didn't know myself. I couldn't remember the last time I felt this way toward anyone—an instant spark; a connection that captured my attention. He had barely spoken a word and yet, I felt my entire body leaning into him. Rose hovered near me, noticing the signs as I noticed them myself. I felt her smiling as she looked at me. Her amusement seeped through her pores. I knew my sister better than anyone and now, she wanted to laugh—rarely, had she seen me so flustered. I pulled at the hem of my dress, balling up the fabric in my palms as I tried to meditate for a moment. I wanted to say something clever. Something witty. Of course, nothing like that came out of my mouth. Instead, I stumbled over words, rambled through sentences as I apologized for my sister. I only paused when the stranger began to laugh. Then, my face flushed and I took a step back. He watched my movement and took a step forward.

"It's no problem. Really. Like I said before, she was meant to have it. Honestly, I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm terrible when it comes to shopping. I just fumble around in department stores, usually. Waiting to run across someone who is kind enough to help me …" He smiled again and I blushed, continuing to play with the hem of my dress—continuing to find myself flustered and unrecognizable.

"You're not good at shopping?"

"Shopping? I'm okay, I guess. Shopping for women, I'm totally lost. I'm lost when it comes to women in general, I think."

"Lost? You don't strike me as a man who would be lost."

He smirked at this, chuckling to himself for a moment before responding. "You'd be surprised. I don't have much experience when it comes to women. I've been in the army, traveling around, surrounded by men since I was eighteen. And even when I'm around women, especially women as pretty as you and your sisters, I don't know what to say. I usually just embarrass myself."

"Well, you're not embarrassing yourself right now," Alice chimed in, grinning as she stepped closer and leaned her head against his shoulder. He stepped away, embarrassed, which made her eyes dance and her lips smirk. She always loved a "challenge"—so much so, that it made me cringe. She never knew when to quit. "You seem very experienced to me."

"Well," he said awkwardly, stepping away from our group and smiling, "I guess I've gotten better."

Bree, always wanting to follow her younger sister's lead, chimed in, too. "Being cute helps."

He laughed; a bit nervous as his eyes darted to meet mine. "I don't think I've been called 'cute' before." He grinned at me. "I don't think a lot of men enjoy being called 'cute.' "

"My sisters"—Alice and Bree began to giggle as Leah looked as if she wanted to sink into the floor—"just like to tease. I'm sorry. They're just teenagers." Shooting them a pointed look, I added, "Annoying teenagers."

"They're not too bad."

We smiled at each other and the moment became heavy. Our eyes connected and suddenly, I felt like one of the heroines from the many paperback romance novels I had clustered around my bed. With a flushed face and shifting feet, I wondered if I had ever felt like this before around a man. I felt eyes all over my body, shooting from all different directions, and my flush deepened. We were being watched. We were being watched and, for a moment, I didn't even care. I wanted to soak in the feelings I wasn't used to.

Rose coughed and my eyelids fluttered. Quickly, I descended back down to reality and took a moment to clearly look at the man across from me. His tanned skin was flushed and his eyes were wide and expressive. I'm sure my expression matched his. Biting down on the inside of my cheek, I tried not to smile too broadly. I tried not to look too flustered and unhinged. However, I was certain that was impossible now. When you're moved like this, you lose all control. You slip into something different and unrecognizable.

How could I become so invested so quickly? I don't even know his name. And here I am … falling to pieces.

"I'm Bella." The words rushed out, slurring together. I paused for a moment, taking a breath before continuing. "Sorry, I didn't introduce myself sooner. I'm Bella and this is my sister Rose, my sister Leah, my sister Bree, and, my youngest sister, Alice."

I cringed at the sound of my voice, wishing I could come across as graceful rather than a bumbling mess. He didn't seem to mind, though. He flashed me a bright smile before his eyes moved across our little group. He nodded at each sister, silently acknowledging them, before turning his gaze back to me.

"You guys are great. I wish I had siblings …" he trailed off, shaking his head.

"You don't have anyone?" Alice asked, concerned as she continued to press toward him.

Another awkward chuckle escaped him as he noticed the distance between him and the younger girl. He took another step away, obviously hoping she wouldn't follow. To my surprise, she didn't. Instead, she swayed on her feet and stared longingly at him. Something that would be embarrassing to watch if I hadn't done it myself moments before. Who knew Alice and I could ever have something in common.

"Well, I had a family I was sort of close to growing up but we grew apart. I guess we don't have anything in common anymore."

"That's a shame," I mused. "It's nice to have someone who knows you well."

"Well, he did. I had a man who I once thought of as my brother but—" his words stopped and he smiled, melancholy as he shook his head. "Well, let's not get into that. I'm Jacob, by the way. I'm glad I ran into you all today. It feels like I'm having a strange streak of luck."

"Luck?" I asked, finding myself gravitating toward him.

"I just got a promotion and now I'm running into a hoard of beautiful women." He grinned at me, never breaking eye contact. "I would consider that pretty lucky."

"You should stick with us today, then. We were just—"

"Oh, Bella, there you are! I was looking for you," Michael said as he rushed into the sales room, being the bucket of cold water which I needed but definitely didn't want.

"Hey … we missed you," I responded with forced enthusiasm.

I heard Jacob chuckle beneath his breath, causing my eyes to dart toward him. We shared a smile. Eye contact had a way of feeling more intimate than anything else. Once it was shared between two people, there was a new understanding—a new feeling of closeness. It didn't matter if you knew someone for five minutes or five years—there was an intimacy about sharing a few seconds together.

"I was wondering around the store. I guess I didn't hear your voices." Michael spoke, but no one listened. I guess he was used to this behavior because he continued on as if everyone was intrigued. I continued to watch Jacob as Michael rambled. So much so, I felt sort of guilty for the clueless man at my side. Michael was boisterous and out of touch enough to make Jacob cringe. Despite this, he never moved away. We continued to gravitate toward each other, ignoring the annoyance together.

"Michael," I said, interrupting him before he could get too much deeper into his topic. Every topic seemed like something he was completely clueless about. "I think Leah really wanted your help finding a few books in the store next door. She doesn't know what to read next."

"Why don't you go with her, Bella? You do own a bookstore," Rose interrupted, teasing Leah and me.

"She wants your help specifically, Michael," I pressed. Michael, being Michael, straightened up at this, smiling to himself as his imagination seemed to run wild. I'm so sure he's praising himself again. Like he needs more praise. If only we could all have his sort of confidence. If we could all be so deluded.

"I'd be glad to help your sister."

My eyes darted to Leah, who was flushed and nervous. She had never really showed any interest in men in the past. She had always been too wrapped up in her studies and attempts at being musical. Although she annoyed me at times—she was more judgmental than anyone her age—I appreciated the fact that she tried to be different. She didn't want to blend in with her sisters. She always wanted to prove herself. And she was smart—far more than anyone gave her credit for. She was smart and giving when she wanted to be. At eighteen, she was awkward and still didn't know herself. She fumbled through sentences and blushed more than anyone I had ever seen. Somehow, I knew she would find herself one day. And when she did, she would be quite the force to be reckoned with.

Stepping forward, Leah moved beside Michael, avoiding his gaze as she smiled at the ground. He looked at me once more, seemingly proud of himself as he guided my sister out of the shop. Rose giggled to herself before stepping away, too.

"I'm going to look around. I'll leave you guys to it." Her eyes darted between Jacob and me before she added, "Come one Alice—Bree—I'll get you something, too. I know you're both low on cash and I just got a bonus check."

"Really?" Alice asked, perking up as she dropped the sweater back on the sales table. Pulling on Bree's hand, she casted a look over her shoulder. Jacob met her gaze before almost rolling his eyes at her exuberance. "We'll see you around, Jacob. Don't be a stranger."

Once they were out of ear shot Jacob smiled at me, bumping his shoulder against mine as we stared after the trio. "They're really … something." He chuckled.

"Rose is great but the rest of my sisters … I guess I'm not being fair. They're younger than me and God knows I was probably just as annoying when I was that age."

"Were you really?"

Sighing, I admitted. "No. I was probably too serious. I read all the time and studied. I was boring."

"You don't seem boring to me."

"Really? I think I'm just as boring now as I've always been."

"No. Definitely not boring."

Seconds passed as we stayed silent, smiling at each other as we swayed back and forth on our feet. I felt like I was a teenager again. Or at least, this was how I imagined a teenager in love would feel. I had never experienced love, or even a crush, when I was younger. I had been too wrapped up in everything which was fictional. Fiction was the escaped I always wanted from everything else. I could picture myself in different scenarios without having to ever feel hurt. Having emotions in real life had always been daunting to me. This new development was making my heart race.

"Want to check out the other shops with me? I still need to find something for my cousin. She's probably around your age, I think. You'd be a big help."

"Sure." My response was so quick that my blush deepened. When had I ever been so eager about anything? "I'll help however I can." God, I sound lame.

He didn't seem to mind how needy I sounded. He smiled at me, dreamy as he gently guided me out of the small shop. Normally, I wouldn't walk off with a stranger—I had seen too many episodes of Dateline NBC for that—but something about Jacob made me feel like I could trust him. Strangely, I felt like I had known him for a long time.

"Have you always lived here?" I asked as we walked. My lips felt frozen as I spoke but I ignored the chilly weather, thankful to be walking with him.

"No, not always. My family moved around a bit before we settled down. I had been really young so I don't remember a lot of it. My mother died when I was a baby and after that, it was just me and my dad. Us against the world." He laughed quietly to himself. His eyes were sad as he spoke. "My dad worked for a family who lived around here—in the more expensive side of town. We stayed with them and that family quickly became like my family. There was a boy around my age and we played together all the time. He was—Well, he was like my brother, I guess. We knew everything about each other. We always stood up for each other no matter what."

I brushed my fingers along his arm, alarmed by the sound of sadness in his tone. The corners of his mouth twitched and he smiled, looking at me with eyes that were soft and grateful. While I barely knew him at all, I sensed his smile was fake. He didn't want to appear weak. What man did? Showing emotions to someone you barely knew was always daunting.

"You make it sound like … Well, you make it sound like something changed?"

"Something did change. He changed. After his father died … he was like a different person. I guess that's to be expected. Maybe I'm being too hard on him."

"Maybe you're not."

"Death changes people, though. You never know how people will react when they lose someone close. It really changed him. We used to laugh together, spend all of our time—"

His lips stopped moving, as did the rest of him. I nearly ran into him, missing him slightly as I stumbled to a stop at his side. He stared ahead with wide eyes and a guarded expression. My gaze hovered over his face, concerned, before I finally tore my eyes away to catch a glimpse of what he was staring at. Edward stood a few feet away with an expression just as guarded. His eyes were dark as they roamed between us. His jaw was clenched, causing his cheeks to appear even more prominent. His entire being seemed to grow. He was barely taller than Jacob but due to his heavy presence, he seemed to loom over him. So focused on his demeanor, it took me a few moments to realize Emmett was standing beside him.

"Bella! What are you doing here?" Emmett boomed, stepping forward to engulf me in a quick hug.

"I'm shopping with my sisters." I couldn't help but smile at him. Emmett was a ball of positive energy.

"Nice!" He peered over my shoulder before looking around.

Softening, my smile grew. "Rose is shopping with our other sisters. She's basically babysitting them so I'm sure she'd be psyched to see you."

"We have to get going," Edward interrupted in a harsh monotone.

"Come on. Let's just visit for a second—"

"Nice seeing you again," Edward interrupted before throwing a pointed look at his friend.

I rolled my eyes, unable to help myself. "Nice seeing you again." He makes it sound like I'm sitting here pulling teeth. He couldn't sound enthusiastic about something if he tried. "Nice seeing you guys again, too." My eyes roamed to Jacob, finding him just as guarded as he was moments before. He was staring at Edward. Blatantly staring at him. His brows drew together and his expression tightened. Forcing myself to look away, I turned to Edward, judging his expression, too. They knew each other. They knew each other really well. "I wish you didn't have to go so soon," I continued in a daze, too troubled by what I was seeing to really focus.

Emmett, beside himself, stepped back and rejoined his friend, appearing just as lost as I felt. "Tell Rose I said hi." His gaze continued to shoot between Edward and me, obviously trying to understand his friend's odd reaction. "I need to text her. I really want to see her again."

"Haven't you texted her all morning?"

He flushed at my question as his shoulders dropped a little. "Yeah but seeing her is different."

"I'll tell her." Edward turned on his heel and walked away without saying another word. I watched after him silently for a moment before I turned my attention back to Emmett. He seemed lost, staring after his friend too before he turned back to me with an apologetic gaze. "See you around, Emmett." I tried to sound friendly, not wanting to seem phased by his asshole friend.

"Yeah. See you." He forced a smile before rushing after his friend.

"That was weird," I commented, turning back to Jacob.

He was silent for a moment, not knowing what to say as he stared at the space in which Edward had occupied moments before.

"That was him," he uttered, still staring at the empty concrete.

"Who?"

"The guy I grew up with. That was him."

My eyes widened before I took a step toward him, resting my hand on his shoulder as I wanted to provide him with whatever comfort I could. "Edward … was your friend?" My mind couldn't commute. I couldn't imagine Edward having anyone. His relationship with Emmett was also a mystery to me. I couldn't comprehend someone wanting to spend time with him. Who could possibly tolerate someone so insufferable?

"Used to be my friend. Used to be. Now … Now, we're like strangers. Maybe worse than that, I don't know. Something in him changed, though. He wasn't always like this. He used to be cool. We used to be so similar. Seeing him now … it's a shock, for sure."

"I can't imagine him ever being cool. I haven't known him very long, but already I think he's like the biggest asshole I've ever met."

Jacob laughed at this, throwing his head back and relaxing. "He really is, isn't he? God, he didn't used to be that way at all. He used to be really cool and down to earth. It was pretty impressive, actually. Someone so privileged being so humble and easy to talk to. If you had met him back then, you probably would have never been able to guess how rich he was. Most of the time, he looked and acted just like everyone else. His sister was cool back then, too …" he trailed off, shaking his head at the memory.

"I forgot he had a sister. I wonder what he's like as an older brother." I shuddered at the idea of being that close to him.

"He's a good brother." Jacob shrugged, smiling softly at me. "Even I can admit that. He's really good to Renesmee. He's always looked out for her. She must be … I think she's like seventeen now. He's kind of controlling over her but their parents are dead. I guess it makes sense."

"I didn't know …"

"Still, being an orphan isn't an excuse to be an asshole. He's just a controlling person. It's his way or no way. I'm an orphan, too. You'd think we'd get along. When my dad died, his dad became like a father to me. Edward really became like a brother. His father always took care of me and made sure I never wanted for anything. When he passed away, he left me a third of his money in the will and guess what Edward did?"

I shook my head, unable and unwilling to guess.

"He sued. I ended up getting nothing. Not a penny. I was heartbroken. Not because of the money, though. The money didn't matter. It was just that—well, it's like the money was all I had left of him. He felt like my dad and when he died, it was like that relationship never existed. It was as if he hadn't cared for me as his own son. Edward didn't need the money. He was successful in his own right and had his own share. His sister had plenty, too. I guess they're just … God, I don't know if they're greedy or if they just wanted to watch me suffer. I had cried to him. I hated crying and I had gone to Edward's office one day and cried my eyes out. It had been embarrassing. I'm embarrassed right now even talking about it."

He looked at me and I looked back. My heart broke as I took in his tired eyes and hopeless expression. How could a human do this to another human? How could they leave them so broken and alone? How could Edward be so heartless?

"Don't be embarrassed. It's all right to feel."

"I know, I know. I just feel like I should be stronger than this by now. You'd think after being through so much—"

"You are strong. You're dealing with it, right. I know we just met, but anyone could tell that much."

He smiled at this, brushing against me as he rocked back and forth on his feet. "Thanks. I needed to hear that." Chuckling to himself, seeming embarrassed, he shook his head. "You really are something, you know that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're pretty amazing. Most people wouldn't be able to meet Edward's gaze like that. So many people are afraid of him, I think. It wasn't always like that, of course. But the man he is today … I don't know. He just really intimidates people. No one really likes him. He has his staff and a few friends, but outside of that, he has no one. Honestly, I think his friendships are even pretty shallow. It's like mutually convenient for them to all get together. If he was poor with that personality, he wouldn't make it."

"Some people don't care about money. I don't. That's why I can see him for who he really is."

"Yeah." Jacob smiled. "You're different. A lot of women would have left me to chase after him, I'm sure."

I snorted. "I can't imagine that. I've met him a few times and like I said before, he's an asshole. Totally insufferable. Sure, he's attractive, I guess. I can say that objectively. And sure, he's successful. But his personality … He's just so ugly inside. I've never seen someone so privileged and filled with so much pride."

Jacob laughed at this. "God, you seem to know him a lot better than I thought. My apologizes."

"My sister is dating his best friend. The one I just talked to. Emmett's wonderful. Honestly, I don't understand their friendship. They both seem like complete opposites."

"Edward can be kind when he wants to be. When it benefits him." Jacob paused, turning to face me. "Can I be honest with you?"

"Of course."

"It's just … I mean, I'm not telling you what to do or anything—"

"Just say it. I don't mind."

"You should stay away from him. He's not a nice guy. Really. He screws people over constantly."

"I wasn't planning on spending any time with him. Like I said, I think he's insufferable."

"Good." Jacob smiled, relaxing at my reassurance. "I just think you're a great girl and I don't want to see you hurt. He's self-serving. He lies about everything—"

"Can we not talk about him anymore?" I interrupted. "I'd rather hear about you. You're a lot more interesting to me."

Jacob smirked. His cockiness made my heart speed up. It was something I didn't know I was attracted to. He was so soft and self-conscious some moments, and so sure of himself the next. I wanted to know every inch of him. Blushing, I dropped my gaze. Surprising me, he reached out and gently grasped my chin with his fingers, tilting my head up until I met his gaze.

"Actually, I've got to get going. I didn't realize what time it was. I guess I just got lost in our conversation. Want me to walk you back to your sisters?"

"No, no. You go ahead. I guess I got kind of lost, too."

He smiled at this, playfully bumping against me. "Hey, give me your phone."

"What for?"

He laughed. "What for? I want to program in my number. If that's cool?"

God, I'm an idiot. Smooth, Bella. Really smooth.

"Sorry," I mumbled before I fumbled through my purse. Finding my smartphone, I unlocked it and opened my contacts before passing it to him with a nervous hand. "Here you go."

He quickly programmed his number and then shot a quick text. Peering up at me, he gave me a flirty smile before handing me my phone back.

"Let's keep in touch," he said, stepping back with a grin. "I think you're interesting. Beautiful and interesting."

Before I could say anything else, he took off down the street, swaggering down the sidewalk before disappearing into the park garage at the end of the block. Smiling to myself, I unlocked my phone and opened his message.

Hey, beautiful. I hope we can keep in touch. Talking with you really makes me forget about everything else.

I stared at the message for a few minutes before dropping my phone back into my purse. For the first time in my life, my heart raced for a man and I had no idea how to deal with it.

A/N: UUUUGGGGHHHHHH. This was so painful to write. I know it sounds silly, but I HATE writing Bella and Jacob scenes. They're so difficult and I spent this entire chapter wanting to get back to Edward. Thankfully, he'll be the main part of the next chapter. See you all next update!