✓ | PRIMAL, jacob black ²

chapter thirty eight

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

The unease that had been gripping Aniya all day lingered through the remainder of her classes, her mind constantly drifting back to the unsettling feelings she couldn't shake. At lunch, she sat at the table with the rest of the group, trying to focus on the conversation around her, but the tension inside her only seemed to grow.

"Aniya, you okay?" Paul asked, his mouth full of food, but Jared immediately swatted his hand, clearly irritated.

"Dude, speak without food in your mouth," he scolded.

Jacob turned to her, concern clear in his eyes. "You barely touched your food. Are you feeling sick?" he asked, his voice soft with worry.

Aniya gave a quick shake of her head, waving her hand dismissively. "No, just..." She bit her lip, trying to hide the fact that her headache was becoming more intense by the second. "I only got a few hours of sleep last night."

"Ooooh?" Maya teased, wiggling her eyebrows playfully. "Is it because of Jake?"

The entire table erupted into laughter, but Aniya just gave a small, tired smile, not really in the mood for the teasing. Jacob, however, seemed to shrink under the attention. "Oh my god," he groaned, raising a hand to his face, embarrassed. "You people are unbelievable."

"You love us," Embry chimed in, patting Jacob's arm affectionately, only to get it swatted away in annoyance. "Aniya! Control your man!" he whined, leaning toward Juliet with exaggerated mockery. "Abusive that one," he added with a grin, making Aniya roll her eyes, though she couldn't help but smile at the banter.

For a moment, her headache seemed to disappear as the laughter around her lifted her spirits. "So, are we still going to the beach?" she asked, trying to focus on something else.

"If the sun shines..." Quil trailed off, quickly checking his phone and grinning. "Zahra said her mom confirmed it's going to be sunny, so we are in luck!"

"Awesome!" Aniya perked up, finally feeling a bit of excitement bubble up inside her. "Do you think Sam and Leah will come?" Juliet asked, looking over at Seth.

"Probably, but maybe not," Seth responded, a slight frown tugging at his lips. "They've been fighting a lot lately." Maya reached over, gently taking his hand, and offering him a reassuring smile.

Leah deserves better, Aniya thought, though she didn't dare voice it. The thought came out of nowhere, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Leah deserved more than the constant tension that seemed to surround her and Sam.

"Well, I hope they settle their differences," Paul shrugged, his carefree attitude returning. "I just want to have a good time at the beach."

"You only say that because you hope my sister comes," Jacob teased, making Paul choke on his food.

"What? No," Paul sputtered, trying to save face, but the teasing continued.

Aniya grinned, leaning on her palm. "Still trying to woo her, huh? How long has it been now?" she asked, turning to Jacob.

"Two years," Jacob smirked, his expression full of amusement.

"Oh man, you're committed," Jared chimed in, giving Paul a playful shove.

Paul shot back, "Right, says the one still trying to win over Rachel."

"Can we not talk about my sisters and your attempts at courting them?" Jacob groaned, but his words only made the group laugh harder.

Maya grinned, teasing him further. "Yeah, you're the last to talk about courting. It took you five years to finally get Aniya to agree to date you."

"Ooh, they got you there," Aniya teased, patting Jacob's shoulder. "I played hard to get."

The laughter subsided, and Jacob quickly shifted the conversation. "Okay! Let's go back to the subject of the beach. Are we going to meet the Cullens there too?"

"Yeah, they'll be there," Embry nodded, returning to his meal. "I think Edward has a new girlfriend, so he's bringing her along."

"Well, the more the merrier," Seth said, his mood lightening. He smiled, no longer as down as he had been earlier. He was grateful that the group had steered the conversation away from his sister, and he could feel his worries easing.

As the conversation continued around her, Aniya tried to force herself to relax and enjoy the lively chatter of her friends. The teasing, the jokes, the talk of the beach — it all felt so normal, so easy. But no matter how hard she tried to push it aside, that lingering sense of unease refused to leave her. It gnawed at the back of her mind, like an uninvited guest she couldn't shake.

She wasn't sure what it was exactly, but it felt as though something was off, like the calm before a storm. The weight of it pressed down on her chest, and even though she smiled and nodded along with the others, her thoughts remained distant. Why do I feel like something is going to happen? she wondered. She glanced around, noticing the familiar faces, and the carefree atmosphere, but a small knot twisted in her stomach.

The beach trip was supposed to be a fun, carefree escape from everything, but the feeling in her gut told her otherwise. She couldn't quite place why, but something told her that the day wouldn't end as peacefully as it had begun. Maybe it was the way the conversation kept drifting back to the Cullens, or how the tension between Sam and Leah seemed to grow with each passing day. Or perhaps it was just her instincts, warning her that things weren't going to stay the same.

Still, she didn't want to ruin the mood. She plastered a smile on her face, joining in on the laughter as they talked about the beach and what to expect. Yet, deep down, Aniya couldn't shake the feeling that her life was about to take a turn, and it was something she wasn't prepared for.

She looked over at Jacob, his carefree expression the same as always, but even he seemed a little different to her today. The connection they shared always made her feel grounded, but today, there was a faint distance between them, like an invisible thread that had frayed just a bit too much. She pushed the thought away, trying to focus on the conversation again.

But that sense of impending change, of something looming just beyond her reach, stayed with her. And she couldn't help but feel that the beach trip would only be the beginning of something much bigger.