Full Moon

I woke up on the couch, the low murmur of voices coming from the kitchen. I strained to listen. 

"So it's just you visiting?" Charlie asked. He offered Alice coffee, which she politely declined. 

"Still just me."

There was a long pause. 

"Is he coming back?" Charlie sounded as if he was talking his way through a minefield. 

"I don't know," Alice said in a small voice. "He doesn't speak to me much." 

When Charlie spoke again, his voice was like concrete. "He can't come back." 

Alice didn't say anything. 

"She's finally starting to get better. Really, truly better. The best I've ever seen her. She was catatonic for months, Alice. Months. You couldn't talk to her. She'd flinch at every noise, wouldn't even respond to you. She barely ate."

His voice broke. "Every single night for four months, I woke up to her screaming. You'd think I would get used to it, but every night I would panic. Grab my gun in case someone broke in. Had to hide my gun, actually. And all the sharp knives, only let her use the dull ones. I monitored the medicine cabinet. But at least if she was suicidal, she would feel something. It was like a ghost was haunting her body. A slow, shambling corpse." 

"I'm sorry, Charlie," Alice apologized.

"It's not your fault, Alice. You were always a good friend to her. Eventually, I realized she was avoiding anything that reminded her of him. She threw out all of her CDs, ripped the stereo out of her car. She didn't read anymore. Stopped hanging out with her friends, didn't return their calls." 

I could tell he was smiling in the next sentence. "And now she smiles. Has color in her cheeks when she comes home. She laughs again. Goes out with her friends constantly, has to leave notes so I'm not hunting her down. She eats full meals, and snacks. She sleeps most nights. And it's because of Julie." 

He paused. "She's a good kid, that Jules. It makes sense why they get along. Julie had to take care of her Father physically the same way Bella has taken care of her Mother emotionally... I don't know what's going on with them. Whether it's romantic or not, I'm happy for them either way, but it's good. And I need him to stay the hell away from Bella so she can continue being good. I can't risk losing her again, Alice. I lost her to Renée for most of her childhood. I lost her when she ran away because of that stupid damn fight they had, nearly got her killed. I lost her when he abandoned her. And I can't lose her again. She's not well when he's here. He's not good for her."

Alice's voice was quiet but steady, and icy edge to it. "I wouldn't assume he's doing so well either, Charlie." 

"Good. He doesn't deserve to, for all he's put her through." 

It was silent for a long few minutes after that. I eventually made a show of stretching and yawning, sitting up to show I was awake. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. 

Charlie set a plate of food down in front of me and gave me a shoulder rub. "I'm headed to the Clearwater's, help out where I can. We're going to set up the funeral for tomorrow. You two stay safe."

"We will," I promised.

I started on the breakfast he made; simple, eggs and bacon with toast. Alice sat beside me, eyeing me as I ate. 

"I'll need to hunt today," she sighed. "I shouldn't have waited this long." 

I looked at her eyes. They'd darkened since the day prior. They were bordering on black, just a shade or two off. 

"Oh." I would have to adjust to that for the day. "I guess I can clean up or something while you go hunt." 

"I can wait until you're done with breakfast, before I go after mine." Alice gave me a sterling smile. 

I smiled back. "It is nice seeing you, Alice. Even if it's just for the day. Maybe..." I focused on breathing evenly. "Maybe we can keep in contact. You could call, or email. Or write letters. Since you don't see Edward much, he shouldn't care, right? Just because it didn't work out with him, doesn't mean we can't still be friends. And we'd be far enough away that I wouldn't be in danger." 

Alice smiled patiently. "I'll think it over, Bella. Truly. It is nice having you around. I've always considered you a sister." 

I finished my breakfast and got ready for the day, changing into a simple button-down shirt and jeans. The doorbell rang as I finished brushing my teeth. 

"Well that's aggravating," Alice said from the doorway. "I have a fairly good guess as to who's at the door."

"Guess?" I scoffed. "Since when do you have to guess anything?"

"Based upon my error yesterday, and the fact that I cannot see who it is now, my fair guess is that it's likely your friend Julie or one of her... pack."

"You can't see her?" 

She tsked irritably. "Apparently so." Alice smiled adoringly at me. "I need to hunt, and you need to talk to your Julie privately. It won't be a smart idea to keep us in the same room." 

"Okay," I said.. "But you're coming back?" 

"I won't abandon you," she promised. She got on her tip-toes to give me a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back in a few hours with a full stomach. Be safe." 

Alice headed toward the back of the house; probably to escape from a window. I opened the front door.

Julie's eyes were guarded, yet wounded. "Bella. Hi." 

"Hi," I looked at my feet shyly. "Are you okay enough for me to hug you?" 

She nodded, arms held out. I stepped into them, burying my face into her shirt. I missed her. I was starting to feel clingy. I felt her lips on the top of my head, kissing softly. 

"You stink," Julie pointed out fondly. 

"You both smell great to me," I said irritably. "Are you going to be okay coming inside?" 

"I won't hurt you," she promised.

I took her hand, leading the way to the kitchen. Alice was there the least of the entire downstairs area. Julie's face was twisted into a grimace. 

"Hurts," she said softly. "Breathing so much of it in at once." 

"We could go back outside," I offered. 

"No, it's okay." She breathed in deeply, a slight tremor running through her body. Her eyes held mine. She exhaled slowly. Julie focused on breathing evenly for a minute or two.

"Are you meditating?" I asked with a smile. 

"It's more of just basic breathing exercises, but I figure I'll adjust the longer I breathe it in." Her hand held mine, her thumb rubbing the back of my hand lovingly. "Can I ask why she's here?"

"Alice is the one who could see the future. She saw me jumping off of the cliff, but never saw me resurface. Turns out, you're a blind spot in her vision. So she thought I had died. She wanted to check."

"Is she coming back to stay?" 

"Probably not, she seems intent on leaving soon. She hasn't made any indication of permanence."

Julie nodded slowly. "Okay. And it's just her?"

I finally saw it, the little glint in her eyes. 

 "Are you... jealous?" I asked. I couldn't help but grin. 

"No," Julie answered too quickly. A blush started to stain her cheeks. 

"You are, aren't you?" 

"For me, there wasn't anyone else before you," she grumbled, avoiding my eyes. "I did watch you date him and then be horribly depressed by the break-up. So maybe I'd be a touch insecure if he decided to show up." 

I moved closer to her. I was starting to feel that hunger again. That full-body craving I had around Jules. To consume her. 

"You don't have anything to worry about," I promised. My voice was low.

She could sense it, apparently. She watched me through half-lidded eyes. 

"Charlie is onto us," I said in a joking tone. I then offered, "Alice won't be back for a few hours."

"Bella," she whispered. My hand released from hers. My fingers traced along the back of her hand, up her wrist. "I might hurt you. I'ma bit... sensitive... right now." 

"You won't. Besides, given my track record, I think I'm attracted to people who can kill me."

Jules chuckled, her eyes meeting mine. Her hand turned over, lacing our fingers. I frowned, my eyebrows knit together. 

"What?" 

"I can't kiss you." I made a show of getting on my tip toes, still unable to reach her face. "You're too tall." 

She smiled and released my hand to thread her fingers into my jean's belt loops, hands firm on my hips. She lifted me onto the counter, bringing me at least a few inches closer to her. 

"Easier?" She asked. I nodded. "Slow," she reminded me. 

I nodded again, perhaps a bit too eagerly. "Just focus on me." 

She fought a smile, failed, and brought her face close. "Kwop kilawtley."

"What's that mean?" I asked.

"Just something in Quileute," she said with another smile. 

The first kiss, per her request, was slow and soft. Her hands were cupping my face gently, like I was made of glass. 

"Still safe?" I asked when she broke the kiss. 

She chuckled, nodding, her lips connecting to mine again. 

The second kiss was less slow. My lips parted under hers, my hands winding around her neck to bring her closer. As a credit to her strength, Julie's hands gripped the counter on their side of me. 

I nipped at her bottom lip when we broke apart again. Her eyes were shining and bright, pupils blown. 

"Still safe?" I asked. My hands moved from behind her neck to her shoulders before slowly trailing to the collar of her shirt. 

"Still safe," she murmured. 

"Keep going?"

She nodded. 

I yanked her back down to me by the front of her shirt, feeling her smile against my mouth before focusing again. My legs wrapped around her waist. 

Jules, in an attempt to be respectful, didn't let her hands roam far. Any time she got too excited, she'd grip the counter again while I was actively trying to fuse our bodies together. Her hands went to my thighs, my hips, not the places I really needed her.

My lips left hers, trailing kisses down her neck. Her hands were on my ribs, under my shirt, her fingers just tracing the bottom of my bra. Her head rested on my shoulder, her mouth making little sounds I greatly enjoyed. 

I bit at her neck, just a little love bite.

"You can leave a mark," she gasped against my shoulder. 

I paused. "On your neck?" 

She was blushing. I could tell in her voice. "Bruises heal quick for me. Less than an hour." 

I pressed my lips to her neck again, smiling as she shivered and grabbed at my hips to pull me closer. 

"I've never done it before," I mused. "I'll try though."

I sucked lightly, taking Julie's strained breathing as a positive sign. The mark was tiny, barely the size of a dime. 

"Can I try again?" I asked. 

Julie laughed. "Sure, love. Leave as many as you want." 

I ended up leaving five. The nastiest was from where I used teeth. Julie's hands had moved to my thighs, her thumbs rubbing little circles on my inner thighs while her fingers dug into the outer portion. 

"You could leave some on me," I volunteered. 

Jules smiled patiently. "You don't heal as fast as I do, love. Your bruises last for weeks." 

"I know." My hands went to the front of my shirt, unbuttoning it slowly. My hands were shaking. "So leave it in a spot nobody will see." 

I wished I'd worn a better bra, but this hadn't been an expectation for the day. Luckily, the clasp was in the front. I undid it easily, sitting back. 

Julie looked stunned. She hesitated for a moment, her hands slowly moving up to my waist. 

"Just so you know," she said in an embarassed tone. "I don't know what the hell I'm doing." 

I smiled, giggling at her. "I don't either." 

She grinned, hovering over my lips. Her hands trailed onto my bare skin, the touch nearly burning me, as her fingers splayed over my ribs. 

"So I'm going to listen to the sounds you make. And if you make a happy sound, like this," she ducked to plant a kiss on my neck, noting my sharp inhale, "then I'll keep going. And if you stop making sounds, I'll pause to check on you, or do something different. But if you want me to stop, just tell me and I will."

I nodded. Her mouth continued on my neck, light kisses before trailing down. Her lips grazed along my collarbone. I kept my hands gripping the counter-top instead of grabbing her head and showing her exactly where I wanted her. Jules seemed to be having too much fun torturing me. 

She finally went to work on my chest, her teeth nipping as her mouth sucked. Her hands went to my breasts, softly playing with my nipples. Everything was so sensitive to her touch. 

I hated the sounds I was making. Soft little mews and gasps. My hips kept flexing and I was embarassed. My cheeks burned. 

Her mouth left my sternum to go to my breast, her tongue tracing my nipple. 

"Julie," I gasped.

"When is Charlie supposed to be back?" She suddenly asked. She moved back. Her face hovered over mine. 

"Not sure. Why do you ask?" 

"I'm fairly certain that if he walks in and sees any of this, all sense of discretion will be gone." Her fingers traced the collarbone, trailing down to the marks she'd left. Her eyes were hungry.

My cheeks felt like they were on fire. "Won't you hear his car?"

"I can't focus on much else besides you."

I couldn't possibly try to blush any harder. "We could go to my room " I suggested. 

Julie's eyes were bright. She gave me another kiss, groaning as my legs wrapped around her hips again. My arms tied around her neck. 

"That sounds like an even more dangerous idea," she murmured against my lips. 

Coyly, I said, "I'll let you leave marks on my thighs." 

Julie picked me up. I squealed, my limbs tightening around her. We didn't stop kissing as she carried me up the stairs, kicking my bedroom door shut behind her. 

"Lock it," I reminded her. 

She groaned and pressed me against the door, one hand roaming my body while the other locked the door. 

When she was done, she laid me on the bed, hovering over me possessively. Her kisses were getting needier, clumsier, messier. They trailed down my neck, between my breasts, down to my waist. She gave me a little nip on my hip before sitting back. Her eyes were glittering. 

"You know that requires you taking off your pants, right?" She asked with a grin. 

I was blushing and nodding. 

"It's okay if you're not comfortable--"

"It's not that. What if..." I felt my face get impossibly darker. "What if I smell bad? Or if I don't taste good?"

"Bella, you are the single most attractive person I've ever seen. My entire world orbits around you. If you're not comfortable, that's okay, we don't have to do anything. But don't you dare think it's due to an imaginary flaw you have." 

"My underwear isn't cute," I said quietly. "I wasn't expecting this today." 

She grinned. "Well now I'm curious." One hand lingered on my thigh while the other hovered over the button and zipper of my jeans. "Can these come off?" 

I nodded shyly. She undid them easily. 

"Lift your hips for me, love," she politely commanded. 

I did as told, the jeans coming off of me. I felt exposed. Julie was still fully clothed. She hadn't asked for any reciprocation. I was still in my underwear, the unclasped bra, and the unbuttoned shirt. 

"These are cute," she objected, her fingers tipping under the waist band of my panties. 

"They don't even match my bra," I whined. I hadn't shaved my legs. I was stubbly. 

She smiled and planted kisses on my thighs before getting to work leaving her love marks. The sounds I made were embarassing, but Julie seemed to love them. My hips kept flexing expectantly. Everything she did just felt good. She was rough but considerate about it. Always the perfect amount. So much for her not knowing what she was doing.

About twelve lovely bruises later, Jules sat up. She was very apparently pleased with herself. She had the most content grin, like the cat that ate the cream. 

She felt emboldened enough to brush her fingers across my underwear. "Can these come off, too?" 

"I feel like we're at a bit of a power imbalance," I commented, sitting up. 

Her brows wrinkled together, confused. "How so?" 

"You're wearing too many clothes. It's too much," I complained. My hands went to the bottom of her tank top. 

"You want me naked?" She asked. As if the idea surprised her.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"I want to make you feel good, even if it isn't reciprocated. Just making you happy is enough," she said simply.

I could feel my entire face turning red. Jules looked at me curiously. "Why are you blushing?" She asked with a grin. 

"I've never..." I couldn't say the words. I looked at her expectantly.

"Had sex? I know. We're finally on an even playing field there." 

"Not just that. I haven't..." This is painful. 

Jules was patient, but after a full minute of silence, she resigned to guessing. "Is it along the lines of sex?" 

I nodded. "I'm just not going to look at you while I say it." I turned to look at the wall. "It was really hard for me to be physical with him. If he so much as let his teeth touch me, I'd become a vampire. His spit would turn me."

"I know, Bella." 

Feeling like I may very well burst into flames, I nodded slowly. "So I'm not much more experienced than you, really." 

"Why does that embarass you so much?" She asked. 

"I'm shy when it comes to sex... or anything, really. I'm inexperienced. But... I want to... try... I just don't know if I can." 

Julie's brows raised. "Bella, touching you is divine, but that's not all I enjoy about you. I'm perfectly content just holding your hand and talking about your day. We don't ever have to do anything you're not comfortable with. I don't want to push you." 

"That's not what I meant." 

Jules looked at me, confused. 

I took another deep breath and released it slowly. I leaned forward at a snail's pace, giving her plenty of time to stop me. Her eyes darted between my eyes and my lips, breathing unevenly, before they closed entirely.

Gently, I pressed my lips to hers. It was only a moment before I paused and leaned back slightly. Her eyes searched mine. 

"Your lips are warm," I said softly. 

She chuckled, low in her throat. The crooked grin she gave me felt devastating. "Wolf thing," she whispered back. 

It was embarassing, borderline humiliating, that I didn't know what to do. But while I may not have known, I felt like I could fumble my way through it with Jules.

I started by tugging upward enough that she lifted her arms. I pulled the tank top off, tossing it on my desk. 

"You're still wearing a shirt," she pointed out. Her fingers drifted to the partially bruised strip of skin from my neck to my navel.

"Barely," I grumbled. I shugged off my shirt, tossing it to the floor. 

Her fingers went to my bra strap. "This next?" She asked hopefully. 

I eyed her bra. "Is that one you got with me?" I asked. It was gorgeous; a deep maroon color that looked beautiful against her skin. Lacey. 

She smiled, blushing, and nodded. "Matching underwear, too."

Julie stood, rolling her basketball shorts easily down her legs. She gave me a self-conscious look before joining me back on the bed. 

It should be illegal to be so beautiful. It physically pained me to look at her.

"That is so unfair," I groaned. "You knew you were going to see me today. I didn't get that same courtesy." 

"Sorry," Jules said with a cute smile. She let her shoulders drop, the bra straps falling down. "I'll take off mine if you take off yours. Even?" 

I nodded, almost shy, and shrugged the bra off when the phone rang. The shrill sound made me jump, glaring at the technology accusingly. 

Julie paused, her gaze darting between me and the phone, before sighing. "I'm already regretting this." 

"Just in case," I said in a small voice. "With the funeral..."

"I officially hate phones. I'm unhooking your landlines after this, I swear." She darted to give me a lingering kiss before reaching over to pick up the phone. "Swan residence." Her fingers traced along my thigh. I recognized the shape of a heart, letters. Maybe she was putting our initials together. 

I couldn't hear the voice on the other end clearly, just enough to know it was a man. I was more focused on Julie touching me.

"No, I'm sorry, he's not here right now." 

My brows wrinkled at her. Someone asking for Charlie? 

"He's planning a funeral," she said in a small voice. "I don't know when he'll be back." 

The other caller seemed to hang up. Julie shook her head. "It was one of them. The Cullens. A guy. Not sure which one." 

"Wanting to talk to Charlie? Why?" 

"No clue." Her eyebrows dimpled together. She looked longingly over me before groaning. "But I'm going to assume your future-seeing friend will be heading back to tell us why. Come on, let's get dressed." 

"Do we have to?" I asked. "It might be nothing." 

"I don't want to risk her barging in on this, demanding answers." Julie gave me an appraising look. Her eyes were still hungry. 

I sat up on my knees, still mostly naked and begging. "We at least have a few minutes," I offered. 

Julie looked like she was in pain again. She moved to mirror me, her hands encompassing my ribs as her face bent down to meet mine. My arms wrapped around her shoulders. Her kiss was ferocious, borderline feral, before she broke away to kiss along my jawline. I felt her lips at my ear. 

"I'm not stopping because I want to."

Then her lips here on my neck, on my collarbone, always moving to kiss another free spot. Her knee moved apart my thighs, landing me perfectly on her upper thigh. I wheezed at the contact, my hips grinding automatically. Her hands moved to steady me, helping my rhythm. 

Why did that feel so good?

"I'm stopping because what I want to do to you won't just take a few minutes." 

I couldn't focus on her words, but I liked the way her voice sounded right now. Low, verging on a growl. Only for me. All I could focus on was the building sensation from grinding on her bare thigh. The feeling of her mouth on my breast, the press of her teeth. The feeling of her skin under my nails, the red marks I left on her back. The way her muscles moved. Everything was starting to feel tighter, warmer. 

"Jules," I gasped out. 

"And I especially don't want her to hear any of this," she continued. 

The sounds I made were somewhere between moans and gasps. I couldn't get enough air. Everything was constricting. All I could focus on was Julie. She overwhelmed any sense I had. How she felt, how she sounded, how she smelled, how she looked, how she tasted--

"Kiss me," I choked out. 

Her lips met mine instantly, our mouths locking. I needed her more than I needed to breathe. One of her hands moved to my breast, the other still helping my hips grind against her. My hands were tangled in her hair.

I broke off the kiss to let out a moan that almost sounded like choking. My face was twisted. I've never had something feel so good that it hurts.

"We should stop," Julie murmured. Her voice was in my ear, breathing fanning across my face. I swear I could hear her smiling. 

"Please don't stop," I begged. "Julie."

I heard her chuckle low in my ear before her mouth went to my neck, sucking softly. 

My face went to her shoulder, my mouth opening instantly. I couldn't help but bite her as I finished, nearly screaming into her skin. I swear I tasted blood. Everything dissolved for a few long moments, my world turning into just a pinprick. 

My thrusts against her slowed down until they ceased all together. The world slowly came back together. My vision returned. I felt a touch less disoriented but my bones were still mush. 

I felt her pepper kisses on my neck and shoulder. My breathing slowly calmed down. I was shaking like a leaf. Julie hugged me close, her touch gentle. My hold on her was the only thing keeping me tethered to Earth at this point. Everything seemed hazy. 

"You feel better?" She asked. 

I nodded, my face buried into her neck. My cheeks were bright red. They might not ever go back to their original color. My entire face was burning. 

"Are you embarassed?" She asked. 

I nodded again. I still couldn't talk. My voice was locked in my throat. I felt tears pricking in the corner of my eyes. 

"You shouldn't be," Jules said fondly. She peeled my face away from her. Eyeing my tears, her expression grew concerned. "What's wrong?" 

"I want more," I murmured. The tears broke over my cheeks. "I don't even care if Alice comes back." 

That took her by surprise. Jules burst into laughter, grinning ear to ear. "Oh. I was worried that you-- Nevermind. We really do need to get dressed. And maybe open a window." 

"Does it smell bad?" I asked. My cheeks flushed. 

"No, love," Jules said softly. She gave me a soft kiss that lingered. "It's just so goddamn heady in here that I can taste you." 

"Oh." I finally noticed the indent of my teeth in her shoulder. There were a few flecks of blood. "I am so sorry." 

She looked at it, smiling. "Don't worry about it, I liked it. Let's get you dressed." She reached for my bra, slipping it over my shoulders and clipping it easily into place.

"I need new underwear," I pointed out, embrassed. The pair I'd been wearing were drenched.

My bones were starting to harden, but stepping out of the bed proved to be an issue. My legs gave out on me and I fell backwards. Julie grinned, as if she were proud of herself. 

We kept pausing between every article of clothing to kiss, but eventually we headed downstairs. Julie stood in the far corner of the living room, siting that the farther away she was from Alice, the better.

It still took several minutes for Alice to appear. She must have been far away when she'd been hunting. 

Alice, of course, just seemed to appear in the room at once. She looked distraught, her words rushing out. The glare she shot Julie was one of hatred. "You told my brother that Bella was dead?" 

I jumped to Julie's defense. "That's not what happened--" 

"I said he was planning a funeral, which he is." 

"Then why is he planning to kill himself right now?" Alice snarled. She looked at me, desperate. "Edward's going to the Volturi." 

I remembered Edward speaking of them, the strange vampire rulers in Italy. They kept the laws; no changing children, no noticeable murders. 

"Why would he do that?" I asked. 

"He's going to ask them to kill him. He knows they're the easiest ones to ask. We have to go."

"We?" Julie echoed. 

"Go where?" I asked. 

"To Italy. I'm packing your bag. Do you have a passport?" Alice asked. 

"Yeah, top left desk drawer," I said absently. "But why do I have to go?" 

"If he sees me, he'll know I'm trying to stop him. It won't prove you're alive; he'll think I'm lying. But he can't see you coming." Alice looked around frantically. 

"Bella," Julie said cautiously. "I don't like this." 

"Let me be perfectly clear here, either she comes with me or he dies," Alice snarled. "If we leave now, we can meet him before he gets to Volterra. Bella won't be in any danger from other vampires. But we have to leave now." 

Alice promised this before disappearing upstairs, presumably to pack my bags. 

Julie looked at me. Her face was desperate. "Bella." 

"I can't let him die, Jules," I said softly. "Alice wouldn't ask me to hop on a plane if she saw a way around it." 

I moved over to her corner of the living room, hugging her close. She was trembling. Her arms wrapped around me tightly. 

"It's not your fault," she said in a broken voice. "It's not your mess to clean up. And I can't go with you."

"You don't have a passport?" I asked. 

"I can't be stuck on a plane with a vampire and a bunch of bystanders," she admitted. "I've only been shifting for a month. I'm still learning to stay under control. And you don't know how many vampires will be there." 

"Alice will protect me," I promised. "She just said we won't have to deal with the Volturi. I'll be safe, Jules." 

Julie looked devastated. "You believe her?" 

"She wouldn't lie to me," I promised. 

Julie still looked distraught. Her voice was empty. "I can't protect you." 

The words were more for her than me. I saw the pain in her eyes, how those words killed her. She looked like she was going to cry. 

"I'm going to be okay," I promised. "Just a quick trip. I'll make sure he doesn't die, and I'll be right back. Safe and sound. Two, three days tops."

She didn't look consoled at all. "I don't trust him around you." 

I smiled slightly and grabbed for her hand, kissing the palm. "I don't want him to die over a stupid mistake. But that doesn't mean I still want to be with him. There's only you, Jules." 

She nodded slightly. Her eyes looked behind me, Alice running around outside. Maybe she'd jumped from my window to load my stuff into the car. 

"You have to go," she said numbly. 

This was all happening too fast. I needed more time with her. 

Julie followed me outside, keeping a distance from the vehicle. Her stare was ice toward it, but thawed as she looked down at me. She bent. 

Her lips were by my ear, a whisper for just me and not the vampire in the Mercedes. "I love you, Bella. And I'm not telling you that to try to get you to stay. I just needed you to know it." 

Alice honked the horn of the Mercedes. I flinched, my entire train of thought derailing. 

I hugged Julie close, kissing her cheek. "I'll be back soon." 

I felt like an idiot, as Alice zoomed away. Julie was gone in an instant, probably into the woods. I hadn't told Jules. I hadn't let her know.

I love you.

Her words replayed in my mind, over and over as I gazed across the mossy green landscape flying by us.

I love you, too.