Bella stepped inside, kicking the door closed behind her with her heel. The house was warm and smelled like burnt garlic.
Charlie sat at the table, looking up from his newspaper when he saw Bella.
"You're home," he said.
"Yep."
He hesitated, then cleared his throat. "Your mom called again."
Bella groaned softly and dropped her backpack by the door. "Let me guess. She wants me to move back to Phoenix."
Charlie shrugged awkwardly. "She might've mentioned that."
Bella leaned against the counter and stared at Charlie.
"She's worried," he said defensively. "You did almost get pancaked by a van."
Bella rolled her eyes. "It slid on ice."
Charlie pointed the spatula at her. "Still counts."
She smiled faintly.
"Relax. I'll watch out more."
Charlie nodded slowly, relief creeping into his expression.
"Alright," he said. "Just... maybe stay away from moving vehicles."
Bella grabbed a soda from the fridge and walked away.
"I'll add that to my daily goals."
The cafeteria was loud — trays clattering, chairs scraping, everyone talking over each other.
Bella sat at the table with Jessica, Mike, Eric, and Angela, half listening while she poked at her food.
Across the room, the Cullens sat together.
Althea leaned back in her chair beside Jasper, one elbow resting on the table. Rosalie and Emmett were arguing about something that seemed entirely unimportant.
Jasper tilted his head slightly.
"You're distracted," he murmured to Althea.
She followed his gaze across the room.
Bella Swan.
Watching them again.
Rosalie noticed too and scoffed quietly. "Again?"
Althea shrugged faintly. "Curiosity."
"Annoying curiosity," Rosalie corrected.
Meanwhile at Bella's table—
Mike leaned forward excitedly.
"So we're all going to La Push this weekend."
"La Push, baby!" Eric sang.
"La Push!" Mike echoed.
Bella blinked. "La Push?"
Jessica grinned. "It's a beach on the reservation."
"La Push, baby," Eric repeated.
Bella sighed. "If you keep saying that, I'm not going."
Jessica pointed at her dramatically. "You have to go now."
Eric nodded. "Yeah. There's surfing."
Then he added quickly, "I mean... I don't just surf the internet."
YOU ARE READING
Eclipsed Secrets // Jasper Hale
ParanormalAlthea Ross, a gorgeous woman who has lived long enough to know the world, but still she doesn't know who SHE truly is. What happened to her? Will she be able to hold her secret? While living on she encounters a family that will change everything...
