Twilight Midnight Moon

Chapter 10: Torn Between Worlds

The drive back to La Push was quiet, the engine’s steady hum the only sound breaking the silence of the night. I kept replaying the scene at Forks High in my head—Bella’s nervous laugh, Edward’s cold stare, and the way the air seemed to thicken when I warned her about the Cullens.

Part of me felt ridiculous. What was I doing, telling Bella about legends and “cold ones” like some kind of superstitious kid? She wasn’t going to take me seriously. Hell, I wasn’t even sure I believed it myself. But then I’d see Edward in my mind again—too perfect, too still, too... unnatural. And I’d remember the stories, the ones Dad told me over and over again.

I could almost hear his voice now, the way he’d talk about the old legends, about how our tribe had been protectors, how we were meant to keep people safe from the “cold ones.” It used to feel like just a bunch of bedtime stories, but not anymore. Not since Bella had started hanging around the Cullens.

There was something off about them, something I couldn’t ignore. And seeing her with him tonight only made it worse.

By the time I pulled into the driveway at home, my head was spinning with thoughts I couldn’t shake. Dad was still up, sitting in his usual spot in the living room, watching some late-night TV. As I walked in, he looked over, his face lighting up in that way it did when he was trying to seem casual but was actually really curious.

“So,” he said, muting the TV, “how’d it go?”

I shrugged, dropping my keys on the counter. “I told her what you wanted me to say.”

“And?”

“She laughed.” I sighed, flopping onto the couch across from him. “I don’t think she took it seriously. She was with Edward Cullen.”

Dad’s face darkened at the mention of the name. “I see.”

“Look, Dad,” I said, leaning forward, “I don’t know what you expect. Bella’s not going to believe me. She’s... into this guy. I could see it in her eyes. She’s not going to listen to some story about cold ones, no matter how much you believe in it.”

Dad was quiet for a moment, his eyes narrowing in thought. “It’s not just a story, Jacob. You know that.”

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the frustration build. “Yeah, but it feels like it sometimes. I mean, I’m just supposed to warn her and then what? Walk away like nothing’s going on? What if you’re right and these Cullens are dangerous? What am I supposed to do about it?”

Dad’s gaze softened, and he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. “You’re doing what you can. The rest... well, that’s up to Bella now. She has to make her own choices.”

I didn’t reply. I wasn’t sure what to say. A part of me wanted to let it go, to pretend like this whole thing wasn’t my problem. But another part of me—something deep inside—knew that I couldn’t just walk away. Not if there was a chance Bella was in danger.

“I gave her the dreamcatcher,” I said after a moment, changing the subject.

Dad smiled, his eyes warming. “Good. That’ll protect her, even if she doesn’t realize it yet.”

I wasn’t so sure. A dreamcatcher was a nice gesture, but it didn’t feel like enough—not when it came to the Cullens. Still, I was glad Bella liked it. Maybe it would remind her to be careful. Maybe it would make her think twice.

“Thanks, Jake,” Dad said quietly, breaking the silence. “For doing this. I know it wasn’t easy.”

I nodded, but the weight of everything still hung heavy in the room. I wasn’t sure what was coming, but I had a feeling that this was only the beginning.

The next day at school, I tried to distract myself with the usual routine. Quil and Embry helped with that, cracking jokes and messing around in the halls, but my mind kept drifting back to Bella and the Cullens. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was coming, something bigger than I could understand.

By lunchtime, I was barely paying attention to the conversation. Embry was going on about some movie he’d seen over the weekend, while Quil argued about which actor was better. I was just pushing my food around on the tray, lost in thought, when Quil snapped his fingers in front of my face.

“Earth to Jacob. You with us, man?”

“Huh?” I blinked, looking up at him. “Yeah, sorry. Just... thinking.”

“About what?” Embry asked, raising an eyebrow.

I hesitated. I hadn’t told them about the whole thing with Bella and the Cullens. They knew about the legends, of course, but we didn’t talk about it much. It wasn’t exactly light conversation, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to drag them into it.

“Nothing important,” I lied. “Just... stuff with my dad.”

Embry and Quil exchanged glances but didn’t push it. They knew better than to pry when I wasn’t in the mood. We finished lunch in the usual way, joking around and talking about everything but school. It was a welcome distraction, but the unease never really left.

After school, I headed back to the garage, hoping that working on the Rabbit would clear my head. The sound of the engine, the feel of the tools in my hands—it was usually enough to calm me down, to make everything else fade into the background. But today, even that wasn’t enough.

I kept thinking about Bella, about how she looked at Edward, how she laughed when I tried to warn her. I kept thinking about the way Edward had looked at me, like he knew something I didn’t, like he was playing some kind of game and I was just a pawn in it.

I didn’t like feeling helpless, but that’s exactly how I felt right now. Like no matter what I did, it wouldn’t be enough. The Cullens were too strong, too different, and I was just... me. Some kid from La Push who could fix cars and tell stories about wolves and cold ones.

But something was coming. I could feel it. And when it did, I wasn’t sure if I’d be ready.