So much had changed that night。 。 。 。 And now I could laugh。 It was the last night Jacob and I had had before
he’d learned the truth about his heritage。 The last human memory。 An oddly pleasant memory now。
“I miss that；” Jacob said。 “The way it used to be so easy 。 。 。 unplicated。 I’m glad I’ve got a good
memory。” He sighed。
He felt the sudden tension in my body as his words triggered a memory of my own。
“What is it？” he asked。
“About that good memory of yours 。 。 。” I pulled away from him so that I could read his face。 At the
moment； it was confused。 “Do you mind telling me what you were doing Monday morning？ You were thinking
something that bothered Edward。” Bothered wasn’t quite the word for it； but I wanted an answer； so I
thought it was best not to start out too severely。
Jacob’s face brightened with understanding； and he laughed。 “I was just thinking about you。 Didn’t like
that much； did he？”
“Me？ What about me？”
Jacob laughed； with a harder edge this time。 “I was remembering the way you looked that night Sam found
you — I’ve seen it in his head； and it’s like I was there； that memory has always haunted Sam； you know。
And then I remembered how you looked the first time you came to my place。 I bet you don’t even realize
what a mess you were then； Bella。 It was weeks before you started to look human again。 And I remembered
how you always used to have your arms wrapped around yourself； trying to hold yourself together。 。 。 。” Jacob
winced； and then shook his head。 “It’s hard for me to remember how sad you were； and it wasn’t my fault。 So
I figured it would be harder for him。 And I thought he ought to get a look at what he’d done。”
I smacked his shoulder。 It hurt my hand。 “Jacob Black； don’t you ever do that again！ Promise me you
won’t。”
“No way。 I haven’t had that much fun in months。”
“So help me； Jake —”
“Oh； get a grip； Bella。 When am I ever going to see him again？ Don’t worry about it。”
I got to my feet； and he caught my hand as I started to walk away。 I tried to tug free。
“I’m leaving； Jacob。”
“No； don’t go yet；” he protested； his hand tightening around mine。 “I’m sorry。 And 。 。 。 okay； I won’t do it
again。 Promise。”
I sighed。 “Thanks； Jake。”
“e on； we’ll go back to my house；” he said eagerly。
“Actually； I think I really do need to go。 Angela Weber is expecting me； and I know Alice is worried。 I
don’t want to upset her too much。”
“But you just got here！”
“It feels that way；” I agreed。 I glared up at the sun； somehow already directly overhead。 How had the time
passed so quickly？
His eyebrows pulled down over his eyes。 “I don’t know when I’ll see you again；” he said in a hurt voice。
“I’ll e back the next time he’s away；” I promised impulsively。
“Away？” Jacob rolled his eyes。 “That’s a nice way to describe what he’s doing。 Disgusting parasites。”
“If you can’t be nice； I won’t e back at all！” I threatened； trying to pull my hand free。 He refused to let
go。
“Aw； don’t be mad；” he said； grinning。 “Kneejerk reaction。”
“If I’m going to try to e back again； you’re going to have to get something straight； okay？”
He waited。
“See；” I explained。 “I don’t care who’s a vampire and who’s a werewolf。 That’s irrelevant。 You are
Jacob； and he is Edward； and I am Bella。 And nothing else matters。”
His eyes narrowed slightly。 “But I am a werewolf；” he said unwillingly。 “And he is a vampire；” he added
with obvious revulsion。
“And I’m a Virgo！” I shouted； exasperated。
He raised his eyebrows； measuring my expression with curious eyes。 Finally； he shrugged。
“If you can really see it that way 。 。 。”
“I can。 I do。”
“Okay。 Just Bella and Jacob。 None of those freaky Virgos here。” He smiled at me； the warm； familiar
smile that I had missed so much。 I felt the answering smile spread across my face。
“I’ve really missed you； Jake；” I admitted impulsively。
“Me； too；” his smile widened。 His eyes were happy and clear； free for once of the angry bitterness。 “More
than you know。 Will you e back soon？”
“As soon as I can；” I promised。
6。 SWITZERLAND
AS I DROVE HOME； I WASN’T PAYING MUCH ATTENTION TO the road that shimmered wetly in the sun。 I was
thinking about the flood of information Jacob had shared with me； trying to sort it out； to force it all to make
sense。 Despite the overload； I felt lighter。 Seeing Jacob smile； having all the secrets thrashed out 。 。 。 it didn’t
make things perfect； but it made them better。 I was right to have gone。 Jacob needed me。 And obviously； I
thought as I squinted into the glare； there was no danger。
It came out of nowhere。 One minute there was nothing but bright highway in my rearview mirror。 The next
minute； the sun was glinting off a silver Volvo right on my tail。
“Aw； crap；” I whimpered。
I considered pulling over。 But I was too much of a coward to face him right away。 I’d been counting on
some prep time 。 。 。 and having Charlie nearby as a buffer。 At least that would force him to keep his voice
down。
The Volvo followed inches behind me。 I kept my eyes on the road ahead。
Chicken through and through； I drove straight to Angela’s without once meeting the gaze I could feel
burning a hole in my mirror。
He followed me until I pulled to the curb in front of the Webers’ house。 He didn’t stop； and I didn’t look
up as he passed。 I didn’t want to see the expression on his face。 I ran up the short concrete walk to Angela’s
door as soon as he was out of sight。
Ben answered the door before I could finish knocking； like he’d been standing right behind it。
“Hey； Bella！” he said； surprised。
“Hi； Ben。 Er； is Angela here？” I wondered if Angela had forgotten our plans； and cringed at the thought of
going home early。
“Sure；” Ben said just as Angela called； “Bella！” and appeared at the top of the stairs。
Ben peered around me as we both heard the sound of a car on the road； the sound didn’t scare me — this
engine stuttered to a stop； followed by the loud pop of a backfire。 Nothing like the purr of the Volvo。 This
must be the visitor Ben had been waiting for。
“Austin’s here；” Ben said as Angela reached his side。
A horn honked on the street。
“I’ll see you later；” Ben promised。 “Miss you already。”
He threw his arm around Angela’s neck and pulled her face down to his height so that he could kiss her
enthusiastically。 After a second of this； Austin honked again。
“’Bye； Ang！ Love you！” Ben shouted as he dashed past me。
Angela swayed； her face slightly pink； then recovered herself and waved until Ben and Austin were out of
sight。 Then she turned to me and grinned ruefully。
“Thank you for doing this； Bella；” she said。 “From the bottom of my heart。 Not only are you saving my
hands from permanent injury； you also just spared me two long hours of a plotless； badly dubbed martial arts
film。” She sighed in relief。
“Happy to be of service。” I was feeling a bit less panicked； able to breathe a little more evenly。 It felt so
ordinary here。 Angela’s easy human dramas were oddly reassuring。 It was nice to know that life was normal
somewhere。
I followed Angela up the stairs to her room。 She kicked toys out of the way as she went。 The house was
unusually quiet。
“Where’s your family？”
“My parents took the twins to a birthday party in Port Angeles。 I can’t believe you’re really going to help
me with this。 Ben’s pretending he has tendonitis。” She made a face。
“I don’t mind at all；” I said； and then I walked into Angela’s room and saw the stacks of waiting
envelopes。
“Oh！” I gasped。 Angela turned to look at me； apologies in her eyes。 I could see why she’d been putting
this off； and why Ben had weaseled out。
“I thought you were exaggerating；” I admitted。
“I wish。 Are you sure you want to do this？”
“Put me to work。 I’ve got all day。”
Angela divided a pile in half and put her mother’s address book between us on her desk。 For a while we
concentrated； and there was just the sound of our pens scratching quietly across the paper。
“What’s Edward doing tonight？” she asked after a few minutes。
My pen dug into the envelope I was working on。 “Emmet’s home for the weekend。 They’re supposed to
be hiking。”
“You say that like you’re not sure。”
I shrugged。
“You’re lucky Edward has his brothers for all the hiking and camping。 I don’t know what I’d do if Ben
didn’t have Austin for the guy stuff。”
“Yeah； the outdoors thing is not really for me。 And there’s no way I’d ever be able to keep up。”
Angela laughed。 “I prefer the indoors myself。”
She focused on her pile for a minute。 I wrote out four more addresses。 There was never any pressure to
fill a pause with meaningless chatter around Angela。 Like Charlie； she was fortable with silence。
But； like Charlie； she was also too observant sometimes。
“Is something wrong？” she asked in a low voice now。 “You seem 。 。 。 anxious。”
I smiled sheepishly。 “Is it that obvious？�