Silence Is a Virtue

Though Edward and I were happy together, more so than we'd ever been, there were still those with doubts. And this pained me.

Alice was my best friend, practically my sister. She knew more about me than my own brother, and I knew she only had my best interests in mind. So I couldn't help but wonder - why exactly didn't she like Edward?

Edward was the only person who understood why I did the things I did. Often, people would question me as to why I made a particular decision, but Edward never felt the need. Though he couldn't communicate with me as easily as others, it seems he could think of a question then - as odd as it sounds - peer into my mind and find the answer. Edward knew me.

An understanding like that can't be ignored, or so it seemed to me. Yet Alice still had a horrible feeling about my future with Edward. I tried to persuade her more than once, but every time her answer was the same.

"Sorry, Bella, but it's just a feeling. I can't trust him. Something horrible is going to happen because of him."

This disagreement was driving a wedge between us, and I hated it. Why couldn't she accept the fact that I loved Edward, no matter how much bad luck he drew to me?

It wasn't only my boyfriend that Alice didn't trust. I met Jacob Black one boring weekend when Edward was hiking with his father, about a fortnight after we got together. There was a horrific storm raging over Forks, and in my panic to get off the road and back home, I took a wrong turn and ended up in La Push. A simple mistake, easy to correct. However, the storm was worse over the tiny coastline, and the rain became so heavy that I had to pull over.

I sat in my brother's truck, shaking slightly. I hated storms. The sight of lightning sent shivers down my spine, and the sudden crash of thunder always made me jump. Being outside in a storm didn't help my fear, either. I was trembling uncontrollably, and as I glanced in the rearview mirror nervously I caught sight of my complexion - I was white.

I closed my eyes and leant forwards, resting my head on the wheel, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself down. The thunder screamed at me again, and I jumped, my trembling hands flying up to cover my eyes.

I heard a faint tapping on the window beside me, and I reluctantly pulled my hands away. There was a group of boys outside, all soaking wet and laughing, their russet-coloured skin slightly paler beneath the harsh clouds. One was cupping his hands against the glass, peering at me, his expression anxious.

"Hey, you alright in there?" he called. He was younger than me, but some of the boys he was with were clearly the same age, if not older.

I made to open the door and he stepped away.

"Y-yeah, don't worry about it. Fear of storms, and all that." my voice was trembling, too. I sounded awful. The boy squinted at me for a moment, and the boys behind him watched him questioningly.

"Bella? Charlie's kid?" he said, shouting over the thunder. I jumped again, then nodded and gulped, trying to clear the lump in my throat.

"Y-yeah." Realisation hit me as hard as the lightning above me. "Oh, Jacob!"

"Yeah!" he grinned. The other boys lost interest and wandered away, messing around in the rain. "Come on, my house is right here - I'll get you out of the rain."

He helped me out of the car and put his arm around me protectively, leading me towards one of the nearest houses.

As I looked at the little house, I was hit with a swarm of memories. I had come here often as a child to play with Jake and his two older sisters. Of course I remembered him, how could I not? He was my best friend, once.