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𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐛 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. He practically lit up when Mia mentioned that Bella would be joining them to work on the bikes. The way he grinned—wide and boyish, like a golden retriever that just got a treat—made Mia roll her eyes, but not without a small smile tugging at her lips. She spotted Bella's truck pulling in and nudged Jacob, who nearly tripped over himself rushing out to greet her.
Bella looked just like she had the night before—tired, hollow around the eyes, like she hadn't slept in days. But when she stepped out of the truck and Jacob swooped in for a hug, she gave him a small, soft smile. Mia caught the moment from where she sat in the shed, pretending to focus on a wrench she wasn't using. The way Bella leaned into Jacob's arms for that heartbeat of time—it stirred something in her. Sadness, maybe. Pity.
The trio wasted no time dragging out the battered bikes Jacob had been working on for weeks. There was still tension in the air—Mia and Bella weren't quite friends yet, just orbiting each other in shared proximity. Polite smiles. Measured conversation. A weird space between strangers and something else.
Jacob knelt beside one of the bikes, muttering to himself as he fine-tuned the engine. Mia, leaning against the shed's door frame, absentmindedly picked at her nails, pretending not to eavesdrop.
"Yo, Jake! You in there?"
The sudden voice made Bella flinch, but Jacob waved a hand, unfazed. "It's just Quil," he said as the other boy strolled in without waiting for an invite.
"Bella, this is Quil Ateara. Quil, Bella." Jacob gestured lazily.
Quil offered a crooked grin. "So you're the Bella."
Mia snorted. She already knew Quil from school. What started as awkward small talk quickly spiraled into teasing. The boys slipped into their usual rhythm, and soon Quil was jabbing Jacob with an elbow, grinning like a maniac. "Didn't you say this girl was your girlfriend once?"
Jacob flushed. "Shut up, dude."
Laughter echoed through the shed as the two boys wrestled like puppies, knocking over a bucket in the process. Mia and Bella exchanged amused glances, sharing a rare, quiet truce. But then Jacob picked up a wrench—a heavy one. Mia's posture shifted instantly.
"Jacob, drop it!" she snapped, her tone sharp, more serious than playful.
He froze, surprised by her sudden command. "Don't yell at me like I'm a dog."
