WHEN THE STARS FORGET US - EMBRY CALL

31. behind the counter

( when the stars forget us! )
↳ chapter thirty-one ↲

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❝ YOU WERE LYING TO ME
THIS ENTIRE TIME!  ❞
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     TALIA HAD BEEN DEEP in sleep, finally resting soundly for the first time since Laurent. Knowing he was dead, knowing he could never hurt her or Bella again—it brought a peace she hadn't felt in a long time. But that peace was shattered when Bella came barging into her room.

     "Talia, wake up," Bella's frantic voice cut through the stillness.

     Talia jolted upright, heart hammering in her chest, her brain sluggish from being yanked out of sleep. "What? What's wrong?"

     Bella stood at the edge of the bed, her face pale, her breathing uneven. "I— I had a nightmare," she rushed out.

     Talia, still trying to blink the sleep from her eyes, ran a hand down her face. "Bella, Jesus, you scared the crap out of me," she groaned. But when she looked closer, really looked at her, she noticed how shaken Bella was. That sent a chill down her spine. "What happened?" Talia asked, suddenly more awake.

    Bella took a deep breath, sitting at the edge of the bed. "It felt so real, T," she whispered. "I was in the woods, sitting in the dirt. And I saw him."

     Talia didn't need to ask who. She already knew who she was referring to. Edward.

     "I told him I was scared," Bella continued, voice trembling. "And he said, You should be. Then," Bella went on, "Jacob appeared. But— but it was weird, like he was glitching in and out. And then I saw Charlie—" her voice cracked, "—on the ground. Dead. And above him was this wolf. Its snout was bloody, like—like it ate him."

     Bella buried her face in her hands, taking a shaky breath. "Conversations I had with Jacob were like replaying during my nightmare." Talia's stomach twisted violently. She was wide awake now, blinking rapidly as Bella sat there, clearly spiraling. Bella lifted her head, eyes wide with realization. "I think I know what's wrong with Jacob."

     Talia froze. "What?" she forced out, hoping Bella wasn't about to say what she thought she was about to say.

     Bella swallowed. "A wolf," she whispered. "Jacob is a wolf."

     Talia had no idea what to say, how to react. How the hell did she figure it out? She forced herself to breathe, scrambling to think of something—anything—to say. "Are you sure?" she asked, trying to sound skeptical. "Jacob?"

     Bella shook her head. "No— I mean, not entirely. But it makes sense."

     Talia stared at Bella, willing herself to stay calm, to keep her expression neutral. "A wolf?" she repeated, as if the idea was completely foreign to her. "Jacob?"