surround　the　table—which　looked　tiny　and　in　danger　of　being　crushed　by　them—and　devoured　the
  buffet…sized　pan　of　eggs　Emily　placed　in　their　midst　in　record　time。　Emily　ate　leaning　against　the　counter
  like　me—avoiding　the　bedlam　at　the　table—and　watched　them　with　affectionate　eyes。　Her　expression
  clearly　stated　that　this　was　her　family。
  All　in　all；　it　wasn't　exactly　what　I'd　been　expecting　from　a　pack　of　werewolves。
  I　spent　the　day　in　La　Push；　the　majority　of　it　in　Billy's　house。　He　left　a　message　on　Charlie's　phone　and　at
  the　station；　and　Charlie　showed　up　around　dinnertime　with　two　pizzas。　It　was　good　he　brought　two
  larges；　Jacob　ate　one　all　by　himself。
  I　saw　Charlie　eyeing　the　two　of　us　suspiciously　all　night；　especially　the　much…changed　Jacob。　He　asked
  about　the　hair；　Jacob　shrugged　and　told　him　it　was　just　more　convenient。
  I　knew　that　as　soon　as　Charlie　and　I　were　headed　home；　Jacob　would　take　off—off　to　run　around　as　a
  wolf；　as　he　had　done　intermittently　through　the　entire　day。　He　and　his　brothers　of　sorts　kept　up　a　constant
  watch；　looking　for　some　sign　of　Victoria's　return。　But　since　they'd　chased　her　away　from　the　hot　springs
  last　night—chased　her　halfway　to　Canada；　according　to　Jacob—she'd　yet　to　make　another　foray。
  I　had　no　hope　at　all　that　she　might　just　give　up。　I　didn't　have　that　kind　of　luck。
  Jacob　walked　me　to　my　truck　after　dinner　and　lingered　by　the　window；　waiting　for　Charlie　to　drive　away
  first。
  〃Don't　be　afraid　tonight；〃　Jacob　said；　while　Charlie　pretended　to　be　having　trouble　with　his　seat　belt。
  〃We'll　be　out　there；　watching。〃
  〃I　won't　worry　about　myself；〃　I　promised。
  〃You're　silly。　Hunting　vampires　is　fun。　It's　the　best　part　of　this　whole　mess。〃
  I　shook　my　head。　〃If　I'm　silly；　then　you're　dangerously　unbalanced。〃
  He　chuckled。　〃Get　some　rest；　Bella；　honey。　You　look　exhausted。〃
  〃I'lltry。〃
  Charlie　honked　his　horn　impatiently。
  〃See　you　tomorrow；〃　Jacob　said。　〃Come　down　first　thing。〃
  〃Iwill。〃
  Charlie　followed　me　home。　I　paid　scant　attention　to　the　lights　in　my　rearview　mirror。　Instead；　I　wondered
  where　Sam　and　Jared　and　Embry　and　Paul　were；　out　running　in　the　night。　I　wondered　if　Jacob　had　joined
  them　yet。
  When　we　got　home；　I　hurried　for　the　stairs；　but　Charlie　was　right　behind　me。
  〃What's　going　on；　Bella？〃　he　demanded　before　I　could　escape。　〃I　thought　Jacob　was　part　of　a　gang　and
  you　two　were　fighting。〃
  〃We　made　up。〃
  〃And　the　gang？〃
  〃I　don't　know—who　can　understand　teenage　boys？　They're　a　mystery。　But　I　met　Sam　Uley　and　his
  fiancee；　Emily。　The　seemed　pretty　nice　to　me。〃　I　shrugged。　〃Must　have　all　been　a　misunderstanding。〃
  His　face　changed。　〃I　hadn't　heard　that　he　and　Emily　had　made　it　official。　That's　nice。　Poor　girl。〃
  〃Do　you　know　what　happened　to　her？〃
  〃Mauled　by　a　bear；　up　north；　during　salmon　spawning　season—horrible　accident　It　was　more　than　a　year
  ago　now。　I　heard　Sam　was　really　messed　up　over　it。〃
  〃That's　horrible；〃　I　echoed。　More　than　a　year　ago。　I'd　bet　that　meant　it　had　happened　when　there　was　just
  one　werewolf　in　La　Push。　I　shuddered　at　the　thought　of　how　Sam　must　have　felt　every　time　he　looked　at
  Emily's　face。
  That　night；　I　lay　awake　for　a　long　time　trying　to　sort　through　the　day。　I　worked　my　way　backward
  through　dinner　with　Billy；　Jacob；　and　C　harlie；　to　the　long　afternoon　in　the　Blacks'　house；　waiting
  anxiously　to　hear　something　from　Jacob；　to　Emily's　kitchen；　to　the　horror　of　the　werewolf　fight；　to　talking
  with　Jacob　on　the　beach。
  I　thought　about　what　Jacob　had　said　early　this　morning；　about　hypocrisy。　I　thought　about　that　for　a　long
  time。　I　didn't　like　to　think　that　I　was　a　hypocrite；　only　what　was　the　point　of　lying　to　myself？
  I　curled　into　a　tight　ball。　No；　Edward　wasn't　a　killer。　Even　in　his　darker　past；　he'd　never　been　a　murderer
  of　innocents；　at　least。
  But　what　if　he　had　been？　What　if；　during　the　time　I　that　I'd　known　him；　he'd　been　just　like　any　other
  vampire？　What　if　people　had　been　disappearing　from　the　woods；　just　like　now？　Would　that　have　kept
  me　away　from　him？
  I　shook　my　head　sadly。　Love　is　irrational；　I　reminded　myself。　The　more　you　loved　someone；　the　less
  sense　anything　made。
  I　rolled　over　and　tried　to　think　of　something　else—and　I　thought　of　Jacob　and　his　brothers；　out　running　in
  the　darkness。　I　fell　asleep　imagining　the　wolves；　invisible　in　the　night；　guarding　me　from　danger。　When　I
  dreamed；　I　stood　in　the　forest　again；　but　I　didn't　wander。　I　was　holding　Emily's　scarred　hand　as　we　faced
  into　the　shadows　and　waited　anxiously　for　our　werewolves　to　come　home。
  15　PRESSURE
  IT　WAS　SPRING　BREAK　IN　FORKS　AGAIN。　WHEN　I　WOKE　UP　on　Monday　morning；　I　lay　in
  bed　for　a　few　seconds　absorbing　that。　Last　spring　break；　I'd　been　hunted　by　a　vampire；　too。　I　hoped　this
  wasn't　some　kind　of　tradition　forming。
  Already　I　was　falling　into　the　pattern　of　things　in　La　Push。　I'd　spent　Sunday　mostly　on　the　beach；　while
  Charlie　hung　out　with　Billy　at　the　Blacks'　house。　I　was　supposed　to　be　with　Jacob；　but　Jacob　had　other
  things　to　do；　so　I　wandered　alone；　keeping　the　secret　from　Charlie。
  When　Jacob　dropped　in　to　check　on　me；　he　apologized　for　ditching　me　so　much。　He　told　me　his
  schedule　wasn't　always　this　crazy；　but　until　Victoria　was　stopped；　the　wolves　were　on　red　alert。
  When　we　walked　along　the　beach　now；　he　always　held　my　hand。
  This　made　me　brood　over　what　Jared　had　said；　about　Jacob　involving　his　〃girlfriend。〃　I　supposed　that　that
  was　exactly　what　it　looked　like　from　the　outside。　As　long　as　Jake　and　I　knew　how　it　really　was；　I
  shouldn't　let　those　kinds　of　assumptions　bother　me。　And　maybe　they　wouldn't；　if　I　hadn't　known　that
  Jacob　would　have　loved　for　things　to　be　what　they　appeared。　But　his　hand　felt　nice　as　it　warmed　mine；
  and　I　didn't　protest。
  I　worked　Tuesday　afternoon—Jacob　followed　me　on　his　bike　to　make　sure　I　arrived　safely—and　Mike
  noticed。
  〃Are　you　dating　that　kid　from　La　Push？　The　sophomore？〃　He　asked；　poorly　disguising　the　resentment　in
  his　tone。
  I　shrugged。　〃Not　in　the　technical　sense　of　the　word。　I　do　spent　most　of　my　time　with　Jacob；　though。　He's
  my　best　friend。〃
  Mike's　eyes　narrowed　shrewdly。　〃Don't　kid　yourself；　Bella。　The　guy's　head　over　heels　for　you。〃
  〃I　know；〃　I　sighed。　〃Life　is　complicated。〃
  〃And　girls　are　cruel；〃　Mike　said　under　his　breath。
  I　supposed　that　was　an　easy　assumption　to　make；　too。
  That　night；　Sam　and　Emily　joined　Charlie　and　me　for　dessert　at　Billy's　house。　Emily　brought　a　cake　that
  would　have　won　over　a　harder　man　than　Charlie。　I　could　see；　as　the　conversation　flowed　naturally
  through　a　range　of　casual　subjects；　that　any　worries　Charlie　might　have　harbored　about　gangs　in　La　Push
  were　being　dissolved。
  Jake　and　I　skipped　out　early；　to　get　some　privacy。　We　went　out　to　his　garage　and　sat　in　the　Rabbit。
  Jacob　leaned　his　head　back；　his　face　drawn　with　exhaustion。
  〃You　need　some　sleep；　Jake。〃
  〃I'll　get　around　to　it。〃
  He　reached　over　and　took　my　hand。　His　skin　was　blazing　on　mine。
  〃Is　that　one　of　those　wolf　things？〃　I　asked　him。　〃The　heat；　I　mean。〃
  〃Yeah。　We　run　a　little　warmer　than　the　normal　people。　About　one…oh…eight；　one…oh…nine。　I　never　get　cold
  anymore。　I　could　stand　like　this〃—he　gestured　to　his　bare　torso—〃in　a　snowstorm　and　it　wouldn't　bother
  me。　The　flakes　would　turn　to　rain　where　I　stood。〃
  〃And　you　all　heal　fast—that's　a　wolf　thing；　too？〃
  〃Yeah；　wanna　see？　It's　pretty　cool。〃　His　eyes　flipped　open　and　he　grinned。　He　reached　around　me　to　the
  glove　compartment　and　dug　around　for　a　minute。　His　hand　came　out　with　a　pocketknife。
  〃No；　I　do　not　want　to　see！〃　I　shouted　as　soon　as　I　realized　what　he　was　thinking。　〃Put　that　away！〃
  Jacob　chuckled；　but　shoved　the　knife　back　where　it　belonged。　〃Fine。　It's　a　good　thing　we　heal；　though。
  You　can't　go　see　just　any　doctor　when　you're　running　a　temperature　that　should　mean　you're　dead。〃
  〃No；　I　guess　not。〃　I　thought　about　that　for　a　minute。　〃…　And　being　so　big—that's　part　of　it？　Is　that　why
  you're　all　worried　about　Quil？〃
  〃That　and　the　fact　that　Quil's　grandfather　says　the　kid　could　fry　an　egg　on　his　forehead。〃　Jacob's　face
  turned　hopeless。　〃It　won't　be　long　now。　There's　no　exact　age…　it　just　builds　and　builds　and　then
  suddenly—〃　He　broke　off；　and　it　was　a　moment　before　he　could　speak　again。　〃Sometimes；　if　you　get
  really　upset　or　something；　that　can　trigger　it　early。　But　I　wasn't　upset　about　anything—I　was　happy。〃　He
  laughed　bitterly。　〃Because　of　you；　mostly。　That's　why　it　didn't　happen　to　me　sooner。　Instead　it　just　kept
  on　building　up　inside　me—I　was　like　a　time　bomb。　You　know　what　set　me　off？　I　got　back　from　that
  movie　and　Billy　said　I　looked　weird。　That　was　all；　but　I　just　snapped。　And　then　I—I　exploded。　I　almost
  ripped　his　face　off—my　own　father！〃　He　shuddered；　and　his　face　paled。
  〃Is　it　really　bad；　Jake？〃　I　asked　anxiously；　wishing　I　had　some　way　to　help　him。　〃Are　you　miserable？〃
  〃No；　I'm　not　miserable；〃　he　told　me。　〃Not　anymore。　Not　now　that　you　know。　That　was　hard；　before。〃　He
  leaned　over　so　that　his　cheek　was　resting　on　top　of　my　head。
  He　was　quiet　for　a　mome