When we get home the days are silent. The air in Forks is bitter and wet. I've finally saved up enough money to find an apartment in town, but I'm not sure that I want to stay here. Quil and Embry have been home more, and while they invite me to play games with them, my heart's not in it. Jacob spends all his time locked in the garage or in his room, hiding away from me. The quiet bothers me. It spoils in the air, leaving my lungs rotting.

I convince the boys to go surfing with me, which I'm decently good at given my good sense of balance, but it's not the same without Jacob. He refuses to come. He refuses to do much of anything.

One night, he finally shuffles down the stairs. He's been much more of a bramble than a man lately. Still and prickly. He sits at the table and begins to eat some of the turkey that we have prepared.

I clear my throat, "are Emily and Sam back from their honeymoon yet?"

"Should be," Embry says. "It's been a few weeks. Why?"

"I need more friends in town," I tell them. "Alice is nice and all, but she gives me the willies."

"Of course she does, she's a vampire!" Quil laughs. "I refuse to be anywhere near them unless absolutely necessary."

"Well, they pay for the phone I have, so it's not like I have much of a choice," I point out. I can't switch the bill to my name until I have an identity, which I could probably change on my birthday in a few days. Then again, I would have to reintroduce myself, and I'm not ready to do that.

Even if it's not on paper, my name is Fawn Dubois. I quite like it.

"Anyway, do any of you have Emily's number?" I continue.

A beat of silence passes. It makes my stomach churn upside-down, like a loop on a roller-coaster that I've never been on.

Jacob sighs. He produces his phone and passes it to me. "Number should be in my contacts."

I pull out our phones and finally take in Emily's number. Now that I have it, I'm prepped to go out with her. Maybe with the little bit of cash that I have, I'll be able to buy some nicer clothes.

"Thanks," it's all I can manage because it's the most he has said to me in days.

We eat our dinner in silence, and afterwards, I text Emily. I ask her if she'd like to grab a coffee or something tomorrow. She agrees.

I don't sleep soundly. I haven't been able to for the last few days. My thoughts are plagued with the idea of myself and Cedar, being attacked by Kamiko. By the time morning comes, I need more than a little bit of coffee. I need it to pump into my veins and bring me back to life.

Eating breakfast alone isn't as miserable as I thought it would be. I'm awake before anyone else, which is unusual. Embry and Quil are both late risers, but by now they usually have begun making breakfast. It's not that it's abnormal, but even though I have known so few people my whole life, the opportunities to be alone have been few and far between. Outside of sleeping, I could probably count on one hand the times I was isolated before my escape.

It feels weird to call it an escape. They were right all along. Vampires are real. However, they are still completely deluded; they could never capture and kill a vampire. From what I've heard, a pack of supernatural people is required to take one out. My group stands no chance.

When there is a knock at the door, I go to answer it. Emily is on the other side, with her car parked in the driveway. "Ready to go?"

I nod.

Together, we pile into her car. I wince a little bit from the injury I acquired at the Cullens' house most recently, but Emily doesn't pay it much mind. Once inside, we begin to drive off to a coffee shop.

"How was your honeymoon?" I ask.

She smiles, "beautiful. We went to Hawaii. It's still warm this time of year."

"I'm sorry I couldn't stick out the rest of your wedding," I tell her.

Her smile falters, "I'm just glad no one got hurt. That bloodsucker almost ruined my wedding. Sam told me you found out."

"Can I ask for your advice?" I begin, looking at her.

"Of course," she says, glancing over at me.

"You cannot tell Sam though," I tell her.

She bites her lip, "well, it depends on what the secret is. I tell Sam almost everything."

"It has to do with imprinting," I tell her.

Emily's eyes crinkle, squinting forward. She taps a rhythm on the steering wheel with the tips of her fingers. Hair falls over her cheek, covering the scars that dominate her face. She tries to smile but doesn't quite.

"You've heard about that, huh?" Emily asks.

"One of the first things I found out about shape-shifters," I tell her.

"So, what about them?" she asks.

We pull into the café, and she pauses. After she turns the key into the off position, she shifts so that we are both facing each other.

"I know about Jacob," I tell her. "I figured it out."

She shrugs, taking in a deep breath. "You're going to have to be more specific than that."

"I'm his imprint," I say, waiting for her response. Her nose twitches, but her eyes remain still and on me. "He hasn't told me yet, but I know he knows."

"Jacob's never been good at keeping his feelings hidden," she points out.

Breathing keeps me steady. As if I'm holding on to a lifejacket in a storm, I feel a pull towards Emily. Maybe it's because it seems she's been sucked into the same crazy thing as me, maybe it's because she's beautiful, or maybe it's her kindness. Regardless, I can see the lighthouse above me in the storm. I could swim to it if I wanted to try.

"I don't think I should tell him I know," I admit. It feels like lying though, and I'm trying to stop lying to them. All my secrets were pitifully obvious to them.

"I wouldn't recommend it," she admits. "Jacob needs to be ready to tell you. Sam would be on his case about it, but Jacob's his own Alpha. Nobody tells the Alpha what to do. Except for his imprint of course."

She opens the car door, and we walk into the café. We're only briefly inside, each paying for our own coffees before we head out the door. I don't like the taste, it's bitter and awful. I wasn't allowed it in the convent because I was told it would stunt my growth. Low and behold, I turned out short anyway.

Inside, we chat about Emily's honeymoon. It sounds wonderful. I thought the beaches of La Push were magical, but the waters of Hawaii sound somehow even more amazing. Emily and Sam had a good time, and that's what matters.

Once we make it back to the car, Emily turns to me.

"Quil's the only one in your pack who has imprinted," Emily says. "You know, since Jacob technically hasn't-"

"Technically?" I ask, the word jumbling out of my mouth.

Emily blinks, "well, he needs to see you to do it."

He knew it from the sound of my voice alone, and I thought that was it. It wasn't though, which I guess is what Quil said. You see a girl, and everything changes, and Jacob hasn't seen me.

"Don't worry about it," Claire smiles. "There are about twelve of us imprints in total, since everyone in Sam's pack has imprinted. Even the youngest ones. We try to hang out on Tuesdays. You should come... once Jacob has fessed up."

I nod, "that sounds wonderful."

"It's quite fun," Emily points out. "The nicest part is that we get to eat food without all the men hogging it. They eat so much. Not that I mind cooking, but it's nice not to take the last few crumbs."

I giggle, shaking my head. "Those boys sure to pack it back."

She laughs along with me. We continue to drink our coffee, in the parking lot, and I try to fill my mouth with as much as possible to prevent the silence from taking over my senses.

"Are you going to tell Sam?" I finally ask.

She puts her coffee in the cupholder, swallowing and shaking her head. "No. He might tell Jacob, and there's no use getting Jacob all worked up over it."

With that, she turns back on the car and throws it into drive. We head out of the parking lot, and the road jostles us a bit. I'm thankful I don't spill my coffee, since I still have so few clothes that I wear outside of work. With it getting even colder, I am going to need to buy a few sweaters.

"Do you want to go shopping for fall and winter clothes with me next week?" I ask.

She grins, "that sounds lovely."

The drive back feels shorter than the drive there. She pulls us into the parking lot and drops me off. I get out of the car, and with a quick wave, she's off.

Entering the house, Quil and Embry rush up to me.

"The Clearwaters are throwing a party on Saturday," the words rush out of Quil's mouth.

"Both packs are coming," Embry offers as well.

"Jacob's even coming," Quil points out. "Will you be DD?"

"I don't know how to drive," I say, frowning. "I'll pay for a cab though."

Quil pumps his fist and high-fives Embry, "we're in baby! Claire's coming to town too. It'll be perfect."

"Man, I share a room with you," Embry groans.

I'll offer up my bed later. As I roll my eyes at their antics, I look over at Jacob, who is sitting on the couch. He's wearing his glasses, so his eyes are impossible to see.

He puts down the cup in his hand, gets up, and walks away.

Now, I'm more confused than ever.

~~~~~

Well, so this is the plan now. I'm excited. This book feels so short to me, but it's actually just a reasonable length. My other books are too long. Oh well. I'm excited! Hope to see you soon!