Pov Bella Swan
The trip to Jacksonville ended quietly. It was good to see Mom and check in, and make sure she was settling into her new life with Phil. She looked happy, sun-kissed, and relaxed in a way that made me feel both relieved and strangely distant. Like I was already fading from her world.
I tried not to dwell on it, but the ticking clock wasn't lost on me. Every moment felt like it might be the last time I saw her as... me. And that thought clung to the edge of everything we did.
Still, I was glad Edward came with me. It made things easier—less awkward, less lonely. I was surprised when he suggested the trip.
My first instinct was panic. I thought maybe something had happened—maybe the change had to happen sooner than planned, and this was just a cover. A goodbye disguised as a vacation.
But he'd smiled, soft and reassuring, and told me it wasn't like that. He said he thought it would be nice for me to see my mom, and that he wanted to meet her properly. And he was right—it was nice. Strange, surreal, but nice. Watching the two people I loved most try to make sense of each other was oddly comforting.
But then, on the last day, something shifted.
Edward got a call. He stepped outside to take it, and I watched him through the window—his posture tense, jaw tight, eyes shadowed. When he came back in, he brushed it off. Said it was nothing. Changed the subject so fast I barely had time to ask.
We were still with Mom and Phil, so I let it go. But later that night, when I asked again, he shut me down. Gently, but firmly. Like a door closing.
I wish he'd be more honest with me. I know I'm not one of them—not yet—but I'm not breakable. Not in the way they think. Keeping secrets doesn't protect me; it just makes me feel like I'm standing in the dark while everyone else moves around with flashlights.
So I did what I always do when Edward goes cryptic: I texted Alice.
"Hey, Alice. Is everything okay? I know something's going on, but Edward won't tell me."
She replied instantly, like she'd been waiting.
"Oh, everything's fine! How's the trip going?"
Classic deflection. I could practically hear her chirpy tone through the screen.
I sighed. "Come on, Alice. Just tell me something."
There was a pause. Longer than I expected.
Then: "I'm sorry. You'll have to ask Edward."
And just like that, the wall went up again.
I stared at the screen, frustration simmering. This family and their secrets are going to be the death of me.
I open the door to find him sitting on the bed in my room. I sat next to him. "Edward, I know that something is going on. Please don't leave me in the dark." I look into his eyes, waiting.
He sighed, " I can't hide anything from you, can I?" he said, taking my hand.
Another sigh. This one is deeper. He looked away, jaw tight. "We have a guest at home. You won't be able to stay at my place for a while."
I felt my stomach drop. "And by guest... You mean?"
He hesitated.
"A vampire," I said, voice barely above a whisper. "Not the vegetarian kind?"
He nodded once, eyes dark. "Yes."
A cold wave of anxiety washed over me, sharp and immediate. My fingers curled into the blanket beneath me. "Oh."
He reached for my hand again, holding it firmly. "Don't worry. We'll keep you safe. No matter what."
"Now that your curiosity is satisfied, you should go to bed. We have an early flight in the morning." He said, ending the conversation.
When we got home, things continued to be odd. Charlie was fine. The house was quiet as usual. But Edward had been banned from setting foot inside the moment I got back. The silence between them hung heavy in the air. I understood, of course. I'd scared Charlie badly, and Edward respected his boundaries for the most part. Still, it felt like punishment for both of us.
At least I was still allowed to go to the reservation. That was something. But Jacob wouldn't answer his phone. Not once. I called and called, each ring stretching my nerves thinner.
Eventually, I got Billy on the line. His voice was tired, like he hadn't slept in days.
He told me Jacob had been staying at the Cullen house for the past week. And that he'd left his phone behind, which explained the radio silence. But it didn't explain why.
Jacob. At the Cullen house. Voluntarily.
I tried to press Billy for more, but he shut me down gently. Said I should talk to Jacob myself—or Edward. Before hanging up, he asked me to tell Jacob something if I saw him: that he was always welcome home. That he still loved him.
That broke something in me.
I tried calling again. Nothing.
The worry clawed at me. Jacob wasn't just a friend—he had been my anchor, my warmth, my reminder that there was still a reason to go on in all this madness. And now he was at the Cullen house, with a dangerous vampire guest no less, and no one would tell me why.
I asked Edward about it the next day. He told me not to worry. Saying it was temporary. And that the situation was "delicate" and "personal."
I asked how long. He shrugged, saying Until he is ready.
Whatever that could mean.
I sat in my room, staring at my phone, willing it to ring. My thoughts were too loud. What could possibly make Jacob stay there? What could be so serious that he'd choose to be surrounded by vampires, especially ones he didn't trust or like, for that matter? Then return home to his father.
I paced. I chewed my lip. And then I made a decision.
Screw being safe.
I grabbed my keys and headed for the door. I knew there was a dangerous vampire at the Cullen house. I knew Edward would be furious. I knew I was probably being stupid.
But I also knew Jacob was in trouble. And I refuse to abandon him. When he needs it the most.
Some things are worth the risk.