What If?

Chapter Cover

"I hate her, Alice....I hate her..." I said quietly into the phone that night as I lay on my roof, looking up at the stars and trying to force back tears, thinking of how, just a little while back, Bella was my closest friend outside of the pack.

"No you don't, Kotah...You just WANT to hate her," Alice said, voice full of that Alice wisdom that I had gotten so used to. "For understandable reasons. I'd hate her too if she acted that way towards me."

"You're to nice to hate anyone, Alice."

"So are you."

She giggled that bell-like giggle and I couldn't help but smile upon hearing it, rolling my eyes softly as I pushed myself into a sitting position, leaning against the side of the house.

"She's terrible to me, Alice... and all I did was tell the truth..."

"And it was right of you to tell the truth," she assured, making her voice sound both caring and understanding and I could just imagine her hugging me if we had been in the same room while having the conversation. "It would have hurt Edward a lot more if he'd have found out by himself. And actually, I really want to hate her right now too for hurting him as bad as she did."

I bit my lip, "I know... He doesn't deserve that."

She giggled, "No he doesn't." And I could tell that there was more that she wanted to tell me, causing me to let out a breath.

"What is it, now?"

"You liiikkkeee himmm!" she giggled out, and I let out a breath, knowing I'd probably walked right into that one.

"Oh hush, Alice," I said, feeling glad that it was both night and we were only on the phone, because I could feel the heat radiating from my cheeks upon that statement, and I knew that they knew that.

"You know it's true, and I know it's true, we ALL know it's true," she giggled, causing me to sigh softly, and I looked at my feet, biting my lip.

"Yea, yea..."

"Oh don't sound so put down, you don't know HOW anything is going to work out yet."

And by the sound of her voice, I could tell that she most likely had seen it. by this point in time. But before I could say anything, I heard a voice from the door.

"Kotah?"

I looked towards the window and froze, my eyes widening upon seeing Jacob sticking his head out of the window, his brown eyes looking skeptical.

"Do you have any idea what time it is...?"

"Uhm, yea, hold on," I turned back to the phone. "Busted...talk to you later, Ali, love you!"

I then quickly shut the phone and turned back to my brother, who was looking at me sternly before he moved out of my way and motioned for me to come inside.

I did as told, biting my lip, afraid of how he was going to react upon finding me on the roof at such a late hour, on the phone, no less.

But all he said was, "That voice sounded familiar, Dakotah..." His tone was dead quiet and serious, causing me to bite my lip, turning away from him and preparing my bed to lay down.

"I dunno why...maybe you heard me on the phone with her before..." I fake shrugged, pulling back the blankets and keeping my eyes off of him so he couldn't see the lies in my eyes. He probably knew exactly who it was that I was talking too, and I was terrified to turn and face him.

"Who was that?"

"Ali," I said instantly, keeping my eyes away from him, shrugging once more as I went into my closet to find some pj's and closing the door partway so that he couldn't see me as I changed.

"Ali who?"

"Ali..Bennett, I believe was her last name, yea, Bennett..." I nodded even though he couldn't see it.

I heard him sigh a sigh that made it feel as though someone was gripping my heart tightly, and I bit my tongue as he said, "I hope you're not lying to me, Dakotah....I trust that you wouldn't lie to me about something like this..."

And when I peeked out of the closet, he was gone.