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I didn’t know what to say to that。
He smiled at my expression。 “I guess that you could call it a very educational experience。”
The wind tore through the clearing then； lashing my hair around my face and making me shiver。
“All right；” he said； reaching into his pack again。 “You’ve done your part。” He pulled out my heavy winter
jacket and held it out for me to slide my arms in。 “Now it’s out of our hands。 Let’s go camping！”
I laughed at the mock enthusiasm in his voice。
He took my bandaged hand — the other was in worse shape； still in the brace — and started toward the
other side of the clearing。
“Where are we meeting Jacob？” I asked。
“Right here。” He gestured to the trees in front of us just as Jacob stepped warily from their shadows。
It shouldn’t have surprised me to see him human。 I wasn’t sure why I’d been looking for the big red
brown wolf。
Jacob seemed bigger again — no doubt a product of my expectations； I must have unconsciously been
hoping to see the smaller Jacob from my memory； the easygoing friend who hadn’t made everything so
difficult。 He had his arms folded across his bare chest； a jacket clutched in one fist。 His face was
expressionless as he watched us。
Edward’s lips pulled down at the corners。 “There had to have been a better way to do this。”
“Too late now；” I muttered glumly。
He sighed。
“Hey； Jake；” I greeted him when we got closer。
“Hi； Bella。”
“Hello； Jacob；” Edward said。
Jacob ignored the pleasantry； all business。 “Where do I take her？”
Edward pulled a map from a side pocket on the pack and offered it to him。 Jacob unfolded it。
“We’re here now；” Edward said； reaching over to touch the right spot。 Jacob recoiled from his hand
automatically； and then steadied himself。 Edward pretended not to notice。
“And you’re taking her up here；” Edward continued； tracing a serpentine pattern around the elevation lines
on the paper。 “Roughly nine miles。”
Jacob nodded once。
“When you’re about a mile away； you should cross my path。 That will lead you in。 Do you need the map？”
“No； thanks。 I know this area pretty well。 I think I know where I’m going。”
Jacob seemed to have to work harder than Edward to keep the tone polite。
“I’ll take a longer route；” Edward said。 “And I’ll see you in a few hours。”
Edward stared at me unhappily。 He didn’t like this part of the plan。
“See you；” I murmured。
Edward faded into the trees； heading in the opposite direction。
As soon as he was gone； Jacob turned cheerful。
“What’s up； Bella？” he asked with a big grin。
I rolled my eyes。 “Same old； same old。”
“Yeah；” he agreed。 “Bunch of vampires trying to kill you。 The usual。”
“The usual。”
“Well；” he said as he shrugged into his jacket to free his arms。 “Let’s get going。”
Making a face； I took a small step closer to him。
He bent down and swept his arm behind my knees； knocking them out from under me。 His other arm
caught me before my head hit the ground。
“Jerk；” I muttered。
Jacob chuckled； already running through the trees。 He kept a steady pace； a brisk jog that a fit human
could keep up with 。 。 。 across a level plane 。 。 。 if they weren’t burdened with a hundredplus pounds as he
was。
“You don’t have to run。 You’ll get tired。”
“Running doesn’t make me tired；” he said。 His breathing was even — like the fixed tempo of a
marathoner。 “Besides； it will be colder soon。 I hope he gets the camp set up before we get there。”
I tapped my finger against the thick padding of his parka。 “I thought you didn’t get cold now。”
“I don’t。 I brought this for you； just in case you weren’t prepared。” He looked at my jacket； almost as if
he were disappointed that I was。 “I don’t like the way the weather feels。 It’s making me edgy。 Notice how we
haven’t seen any animals？”
“Um； not really。”
“I guess you wouldn’t。 Your senses are too dull。”
I let that pass。 “Alice was worried about the storm； too。”
“It takes a lot to silence the forest this way。 You picked a hell of a night for a camping trip。”
“It wasn’t entirely my idea。”
The pathless way he took began to climb more and more steeply； but it didn’t slow him down。 He leapt
easily from rock to rock； not seeming to need his hands at all。 His perfect balance reminded me of a mountain
goat。
“What’s with the addition to your bracelet？” he asked。
I looked down； and realized that the crystal heart was facing up on my wrist。
I shrugged guiltily。 “Another graduation present。”
He snorted。 “A rock。 Figures。”
A rock？ I was suddenly reminded of Alice’s unfinished sentence outside the garage。 I stared at the bright
white crystal and tried to remember what Alice had been saying before 。 。 。 about diamonds。 Could she have
been trying to say he’s already got one on you？ As in； I was already wearing one diamond from Edward？
No； that was impossible。 The heart would have to be five carats or something crazy like that！ Edward
wouldn’t —
“So it’s been a while since you came down to La Push；” Jacob said； interrupting my disturbing
conjectures。
“I’ve been busy；” I told him。 “And 。 。 。 I probably wouldn’t have visited； anyway。”
He grimaced。 “I thought you were supposed to be the forgiving one； and I was the grudgeholder。”
I shrugged。
“Been thinking about that last time a lot； have you？”
“Nope。”
He laughed。 “Either you’re lying； or you are the stubbornest person alive。”
“I don’t know about the second part； but I’m not lying。”
I didn’t like having this conversation under the present conditions — with his toowarm arms wrapped
tightly around me and nothing at all I could do about it。 His face was closer than I wanted it to be。 I wished I
could take a step back。
“A smart person looks at all sides of a decision。”
“I have；” I retorted。
“If you haven’t thought at all about our 。 。 。 er； conversation the last time you came over； then that’s not
true。”
“That conversation isn’t relevant to my decision。”
“Some people will go to any lengths to delude themselves。”
“I’ve noticed that werewolves in particular are prone to that mistake — do you think it’s a geic thing？”
“Does that mean that he’s a better kisser that I am？” Jacob asked； suddenly glum。
“I really couldn’t say； Jake。 Edward is the only person I’ve ever kissed。”
“Besides me。”
“But I don’t count that as a kiss； Jacob。 I think of it more as an assault。”
“Ouch！ That’s cold。”
I shrugged。 I wasn’t going to take it back。
“I did apologize about that；” he reminded me。
“And I forgave you 。 。 。 mostly。 It doesn’t change the way I remember it。”
He muttered something unintelligible。
It was quiet then for a while； there was just the sound of his measured breathing and the wind roaring high
above us in the treetops。 A cliff face rose sheer beside us； bare； rough gray stone。 We followed the base as it
curved upward out of the forest。
“I still think it’s pretty irresponsible；” Jacob suddenly said。
“Whatever you’re talking about； you’re wrong。”
“Think about it； Bella。 According to you； you’ve kissed just one person — who isn’t even really a person
— in your whole life； and you’re calling it quits？ How do you know that’s what you want？ Shouldn’t you play
the field a little？”
I kept my voice cool。 “I know exactly what I want。”
“Then it couldn’t hurt to double check。 Maybe you should try kissing someone else — just for
parison’s sake 。 。 。 since what happened the other day doesn’t count。 You could kiss me； for example。 I
don’t mind if you want to use me to experiment。”
He pulled me tighter against his chest； so that my face was closer to his。 He was smiling at his joke； but I
wasn’t taking any chances。
“Don’t mess with me； Jake。 I swear I won’t stop him if he wants to break your jaw。”
The panicky edge to my voice made him smile wider。 “If you ask me to kiss you； he won’t have any
reason to get upset。 He said that was fine。”
“Don’t hold your breath； Jake — no； wait； I changed my mind。 Go right ahead。 Just hold your breath until
I ask you to kiss me。”
“You’re in a bad