Chapter 23: Chapter 23

"I saw Bella today." Jake's face bore a large smile. "She came over and hung out for a few hours."

"Really?" Juliet raised an eyebrow, taking her eyes off the painting in front of her. Jake had come out into the backyard of Sam and Emily's where Juliet was working, waiting for Leah to get back. "I...I thought..."

"Nah, we worked it out." Jake shook his head. "Her bloodsucker is out of town hunting so she snuck down to see me. It was really nice."

"And she's okay?" Juliet asked after a few moments. She honestly had been feeling guilty lately about not speaking to Bella, though she didn't know if she would ever get the chance without Edward being there.

"Yeah, she's fine." He nodded. "She told me what happened when she went to Italy-apparently that one that can see the future can't see us, how great is that? Anyway, he'd been hiding what happened on Saturday from her so I told her. Can't believe he'd do that, we all know that thing is after her." Juliet swallowed and looked at the ground. "Sorry." He cringed.

"No, it's okay." She waved her hand. "I need to get used to hearing it, I need to know what's going on." She sighed. Paul had been so angry when they came back on Saturday. Apparently one of the Cullen's had crossed the treaty line while tracking Victoria and Paul went on the defensive. Carlisle and one of the other ones had stepped forward and calmed things down, but it didn't fail to make Juliet anxious. It was no secret Paul was ready to burst at a moments notice if something set him off, and the thought of him getting in a fight with a vampire put Juliet on edge. Even with their accelerated healing rate, she knew a vampire could do weeks worth of damage. "Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"Am I a bad person, for not talking to Bella?" She almost didn't want to hear his answer. On one hand, Jake was her friend and she figured he'd sugarcoat his answer, on the other, he was in love with Bella-and that was not lost on her.

"No." He shook his head. "Not at all, Jules." She sighed.

"Then why do I feel like it?" She looked back up at him. "I mean, I'm sure he's told her why I left by now, but still."

"Actually, he hasn't." Juliet raised her eyebrows. "She asked about you, okay? She told me what you told Charlie about leaving, he hasn't told her." She sighed.

"What did you say?" He could tell what she was really asking, did you tell her about Leah?

"I just said that you were doing good." He said. "And that you'd been busy with work a lot, but you came around Sam and Emily's a couple times a week to hang." Juliet frowned. "I didn't want to lie, but I'm not telling her anything else. That's up to you, Jules."

"Thanks." She looked back at her painting, biting her lip. "Do you think she's home by now?"

"Nah, she said she was going to some girl's house." He shook his head. "Angela Weber, or something. I dunno why." Juliet nodded, vaguely remembering the name as one of Bella's school friends. "Are you gonna talk to her?"

"If I can get her alone, yeah." She nodded. "I'm not saying a word if the bloodsuckers around."

"Hey, actually." He perked up. "She told me something interesting, besides the fact that the fortune-telling one can't see us. Apparently, he can't read her thoughts like he can with everyone else."

"Really?" She raised her eyebrows, and he nodded. "Huh. Weird."

——————

It was another, thankfully, warm and sunny day. Juliet was laying in the grass, a book raised above her face. Embry, Quil and Jared were playing football-well, more like hurling the ball at each other's faces as hard as they could. Emily was inside cooking up a storm with Jared's new girlfriend, and imprint, Kim. Juliet thought she was nice enough, she'd never really talked to her when they were in school together but that was more the fault of Juliet being anti-social than anything else. Leah was at work, Jake was at home with Billy, Seth was with Sue, Sam and Paul were running patrols, and for once, everything felt calm.

Juliet glanced at her watch, and her heart dropped. She'd promised Leah that she would call Bella today, and now Leah would be off work in half an hour and she still hadn't. She set her book down on her chest, staring up at the clouds and moved lazily across the sky. Sighing again, she pushed herself up, marked her spot in her book, and walked into the house.

"Hey Em, could I use your phone?" She asked as she set her book on the table. "I uh...I gotta call Bella."

"Of course." Emily nodded, taking it off the receiver and holding it out. "You can go in our room, if you want some privacy."

"Thanks." Juliet shot her a small smile. She moved into Sam and Emily's room, shutting the door softly and sitting on the end of the bed. She stared down at the phone for a few minutes before taking a deep breath and punching in the home phone number.

"Hello?" Bella answered after a few rings, meaning she'd probably already been in the kitchen.

"Hey, Bella." Juliet breathed.

"Oh uh, hi Juliet." Bella's voice was stiff. "Charlie's out fishing with Deputy Mark right now..."

"I was actually calling to talk to you." Juliet didn't know why it felt so hard to get her words out, as if she was talking to a complete stranger. "If you're not busy, that is."

"No, I'm um...I'm not busy." Bella sounded surprised. "What's up?" Juliet sighed.

"I don't really know how to start, if I'm honest." Juliet chuckled at herself.

"Just...just start with whatever's hardest." Bella said. "That's what mom always tells me to do, anyway." Juliet nodded. The problem was, everything she wanted to say seemed like the hardest.

"I know that Edward's a vampire." She spoke. "And Jake is a werewolf, and everyone else that I know is a werewolf too."

"How?" Juliet couldn't quite figure out how Bella was feeling. Her voice was so strange all of a sudden.

"I uh...I kinda got imprinted on." Juliet had been wrong. Her revelation about Edward was by far not the hardest thing she'd have to say. She almost wished as if she hadn't called Bella at all.

"Which one?" To Juliet's surprise, Bella's voice was eager. "I bet it's Embry, you two would be cute together."

"God Bella, don't make me throw up." Juliet snorted.

"Paul, then? He's kind of a jerk but I'm sure there's something there to work with."

"Not even close, I'd rather die." Juliet laughed.

"Well it can't be Sam. It's obviously not Jake. Not Quil, not Jared." Juliet was surprised at just how much Bella seemed to know. Her knowing about Jared imprinting didn't surprise her, she'd figured Jake had told Bella. Quil, on the other hand, was a much more touchy subject. Then again, Jake had a hard time keeping his mouth shut most of the time. "Tell me."

"It's um..." Juliet's lightened mood had disappeared. "It's Leah." The silence was heavy.

"Leah Clearwater?" Bella's voice had returned to strange. "Leah Clearwater imprinted on you?"

"Yeah." Juliet's hand tightened around the edge of the bed anxiously. "That's...part of the reason I moved. So we could be...you know, together."

"Together..." Bella spoke slow. "Together as in living together....?"

"Together as in...together." Juliet couldn't really call what she and Leah had a relationship. It was, but it was also never made some official thing. There wasn't any labels, they were just...together.

"Oh."

"Yeah." Juliet wanted her to just say something. Anything.

"What was the other reason you moved?" Anything but that.

"Are you alone?" Juliet asked. "Or is he there?"

"Edward's here, yes." Bella's voice had stiffened. "Why?"

"He can hear me." Juliet stated. She was well aware of the hearing abilities of vampires. When Quil and Seth joined the pack, Juliet had been around as Sam explained everything to them. She'd learned quite a bit.

"Yes, he can. Why?" She repeated.

"Vampires are dangerous, Bella." Juliet decided to throw all caution to the wind. She'd decided in her mind that Bella already hated her for being with Leah, so there wasn't really anything left to lose. "You shouldn't be with him."

"You, too?" Bella's voice was bitter. "Are you kidding me? Did Jake put you up to this?"

"What? No." Juliet's face scrunched up. "Why would Jake do that? Of course he didn't." She shook her head lightly. "I'm talking for myself, Bella. As your twin sister, I can't just let you-"

"Oh, so I can't date Edward but you can date a werewolf?" Bella's voice rang with anger. "Edward's not dangerous."

"Are you kidding me?" Juliet gawked. "Do you even hear yourself, Bella? They feed on humans."

"The Cullen's are different." Bella defended.

"Yeah, for how long?" Juliet's thoughts now flowed freely from her mouth. "How long until one of them decides that they don't want to eat just animals anymore? How long until one of them smells blood and loses control? Huh? And what about Charlie. Putting him in danger like that." Juliet scoffed. "Putting me in danger too, mind you, before I finally got the hell out of there." Bella didn't speak, so Juliet continued. "How long until your precious bloodsucker decides that your blood smells too good for him to resist?"

"The Cullen's aren't like that." Bella asserted. "Edward isn't like that! He would never just attack me!" Her voice had raised to a shout. "Besides, didn't Jake already tell you? He's turning me after graduation!" Juliet froze.

"What?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I've already asked him." Bella's voice was bitter. "And if he won't do it, Carlisle will. He said he would."

"But graduation is-"

"Three weeks away." Bella interrupted. "Was there anything else you needed, Juliet?"

"Bella, you can't-" Juliet's voice was weak now.

"I'll take that as a no." Bella said. "Goodbye." The line went dead. Juliet sat frozen, the phone eventually slipping out of her hand and clattering on the floor. After a few seconds, the door opened slowly.

"Jules, is everything okay?" Emily poked her head in. If Juliet hadn't been in a state of shock, she would've been annoyed that Emily had obviously been listening to her conversation. "Juliet?" She moved inside now, and Kim appeared in the doorway. Emily kneeled down in front of Juliet, concern written over the undamaged half of her face. "Juliet, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Three weeks." Juliet whispered, looking down into Emily's worried eyes. "He's going to turn her in three weeks."