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It was a Sunday evening and Jacob had no plans but watch the Knicks game on TV. He was eating popcorn and drinking soda, enjoying the house all by himself while Billy was with Old Quil.
Then a sudden ring phone broke his perfect moment.
He got on his feet and, with a slow sigh, answered the phone.
“Hello?”
“Jake!” It was Bella. She sounded all happy and bright just by hearing the sound of his voice. “I miss you so much! How are you?”
It’s been a while since the last time she called, about a month ago, and one year and seven months since she left.
“I’m pretty good, yeah. I was watching the Knicks game. And you? How’ve you been?”
“Pretty damn good”, she said much more enthusiastic than him. “And the pack? Seth, Quil, Embry… Leah?”
Jacob didn’t miss the way she slowed and deepened the voice when Leah’s name came out. He couldn’t tell why, but Bella sound suspicious while saying that name.
“You know, Bells. They’re living their lives. Seth, Quil and Embry have jobs now, and they sometimes help me at the garage.” He stopped for a moment before talking about Leah. “And Leah is studying Arts and Communication at the Community College in Port Angeles. She’s happy.”
“I’m really glad for her, for them!” She corrected herself quickly, but not quick enough — Jacob was already wary. “So… Is something nice going on with you right now?”
He didn’t know what she was searching for, so he lightly answered “No, nothing special.”
“Haven’t you met Ms. Black yet?”
Jacob definitely didn’t see that question coming. Bella have never ever asked him something like that. Not while she was at Forks and certainly not in her brief time in Europe.
“No, Bells, I’m not actually searching for her. Am I missing something here?”
“No, of course not. I just wanted to know if my beloved best friend is happy and settled.”
“In my own way, I’m happy, don’t worry.”
They talked for about five minutes more before Jacob hung up the phone. The game was interesting, but he suddenly couldn’t pay attention anymore. The screen was boring him.
He got up and put his sneakers on. He went out without think exactly where he wanted to go, so it was a surprise to stop right in front of the Clearwater’s porch. Jacob just knocked at the door and waited for a few seconds before Leah opened it. Her hair was loose and still humid, her skin face seemed a little red and her fresh smell hit him like a gale.
“Hey, what are you doing here?”
“I was bored. What are you doing?”
“Reading. You want something?”
He didn’t know how to answer that, so she made another question instead, “Where’s Seth?”
“He’s hiking with Quil. They made some kind of bet I didn’t pay attention on. You wanna come in?”
Jacob nodded and entered the house when she cleared the entrance. Now, he could smell something coming from the oven.
“We’ll have cake in less than ten minutes”, she said while sitting on the couch. “You can sit, Jacob. I’m not biting you or something.”
“You said you were reading…” He started after taking his place on the opposite side.
“Yeah, The Secret Garden”, she handed him the book. “But it was before the phone rang and Esme started talking non-stop.”
“Esme called you?” His tone came out a little bit higher than he expected.
“Is there a problem?” Leah’s left eyebrow lifted.
“Since when you’re friends?”
“Does it even matter?”
“Well, yeah?” He sighed. “I don’t remember you being gentle with her.”
“We spoke all the time. Well, right after I passed the I-hate-you phase. You know, she is much better than all that moron bloodsuckers together.”
He laughed. In a weird kind of way, Leah was right. Jacob still couldn’t think of Bella as the same bunch of bloodsuckers as the Cullen coven, so she was, for him, outside of Leah’s definition.
“Bella called too, just about fifteen minutes ago, I guess.”
“Oh, really?” She rolled her eyes, as if Jacob was saying something current.
“Yeah, she was acting weird, you know? She kept asking me questions about what’s going on with me, if there’s something special on…”
He saw Leah’s eyebrows furrow. She looked like an investigator.
“Esme sounded suspicious too. She was nice, wanted to hear about my current human life, even asked if I made new friends at College.”
“Seems like they had a caring rush or something”, he smiled. “Both of them can be very maternal.”
“It’s probably nothing”, Leah concluded.
But, of course, they were both watchful now.
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Vänersborg, Sweden
“I still can’t believe it!” Alice kept saying the same thing for minutes. “It’s unbelievable!”
“Yeah, we already know that”, Emmett said in a listless tone.
“If you say it again, I’m gonna call that bitch and ruin your mischievous plans for her and that dog”, Rose threatened.
“Don’t say such a thing, dear!” Esme reprehended her. “You know I love Leah as much as I love all of you.”
Rosalie sighed and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“Alice’s excitement is completely justifiable, however.” Edward defended his sister. “She has never seen their future before. As long as we knew, she was incapable of seeing anything wolf-related.”
“But they’re not changing since we left”, Bella pointed. “It’s just a theory, but I think they’re pretty human now.”
“It’s still a mystery”, added Carlisle. “I always thought Alice’s inability to see their future was related to their genes, but now… I may agree with you, Bella. It seems like the close to human existence they are, the more accessible they are to Alice’s powers.”
“It’s amazing!” Alice was smiling like a five-year-old after meeting Santa for the first time. “They’re going to be together soon, I can see the future right now, in this very moment. They’re getting more and more entangled. Every look, every laugh they share, every meal… they’re getting closer and closer, like magnets.”
“But it seems like they’re in denial or something”, said Esme with a distant look.
“As long as I can see, they just didn’t realize it yet”, explained Alice. “It’s literally like our noses. They’re right in front of us every time of every day, but we don’t pay attention. Except that, one day”, her voice became dreamy, like she was telling a fairy tale, “you just realize it’s been right there. And then… you can’t stop seeing it anymore. Never. You’ll see it every day, even if you don’t want to. Every day. Forever.”