Hopeless Devotion ~ A Jasper Hale Story

Chapter Six ~ Snap Decision

Jacob greeted us with a bright smile, like nothing was wrong. Like the world wasn't tilted sideways and he hadn't ripped Bella apart last month with his silence and cold shoulders.

"Hey, Bella. Tiff." His grin was wide—boyish, easy, a little too practiced.

Bella offered a hesitant smile. "Hey, Jake."

I just raised a brow. "You're in a good mood."

He shrugged. "Sun's out. Bike's running. You came to visit. What's not to smile about?"

I let my silence speak for me. He didn't flinch.

He led us down toward the beach like it was any other day—like there weren't ghosts trailing behind us, like every word didn't have a shadow. The ocean was a restless silver-gray, and so was I.

When we reached a cluster of driftwood logs, Jacob finally let the cheerful act drop. His shoulders sagged slightly as he sat, raking his fingers through his hair.

"Okay," he said, quieter now. "You want to know what happened with Paul and Emmett."

Bella nodded.

Jacob stared out at the waves for a long moment before speaking. "We were tracking Victoria along the edge of the border. She was playing with us—darting just close enough to keep us off balance. Emmett got too close. She crossed onto our land, and Paul cut him off."

"She was using the boundary to play you against each other," I said flatly.

He nodded. "Yeah. Paul intercepted Emmett. Things got loud—growling, posturing. It almost went sideways."

"Almost?" Bella asked carefully.

"Sam pulled them apart. No one got hurt, but it rattled the pack. Sam's pissed. Says Emmett's too reckless and Paul's too easy to provoke."

"And what do you think?" I asked, studying him.

Jacob hesitated. "I think Sam's angry because he feels betrayed."

"By Emmett?" Bella asked.

He glanced at her. "No. By you."

Bella blinked. "Me?"

"He thought you'd be on his side. That you'd hate them as much as he does."

The silence after that was cold and sharp. Bella looked like she'd been slapped. I watched her carefully but held my tongue—for now.

"I need a minute," I muttered, standing. "I'm gonna find Leah."

Jacob gave a nod, not looking up.

Leah met me with her usual arms-crossed, don't-you-dare-feel-bad-for-me stance. But once I started venting about the supernatural soap opera unfolding around us, she softened—just enough.

"Imprinting?" I snapped, pacing in the sand. "Soulmates without consent?"

"It's not always romantic," Leah muttered. "But yeah. It's messed up."

"And none of you age?"

She looked away. "Not as long as we phase."

"Great," I muttered. "So Bella wants to stop aging, and I'm stuck in a town full of eternal teenagers."

"Welcome to hell," Leah said dryly.

We laughed, brittle and sharp.

Then my phone buzzed. Bella.

"Come get me," she said, voice tight.

"Where are you?"

"Angela's."