Promises, Promises

Chapter One

"I broke my promise not to hurt you, I know. But I'm trying to keep it now. I need you to understand... even if you don't want to see me when you find out—"

"Find what out?" A pause. "What's wrong?"

"I can't do it."

"Yes, you can. I'll help you. We can... we can leave. Leave home, leave Sam."

"It's not something I can run away from. I would run with you, though. If I could." Jacob stopped, and when he spoke again, his voice was full of sudden hope. "Wait. Wait, I already— I told you. You know this. You can guess."

Bella sighed. "I don't want to play games with you—"

"You have to! I can't tell you, but if you remember— it was that day I ran into you at the beach. I told you a story— come on! I told you a story... about?"

I could tell she was reaching. "About... 'The Cold Ones'?"

My heart stopped when she said that.

"You said it was a stupid tribal myth."

"Was it? Are the Cold Ones a myth?" He asked pointedly, and even I could tell what he was alluding to.

Bella didn't answer.

"What else did I say?"

"That... the tribe made a treaty with them. They can't come onto your land and...."

I waited for her to finish with bated breath, curiosity consuming me. I hadn't been there. I didn't know. But she was, and she did, and if she couldn't remember—

"I don't know, I don't remember."

Damn it.

"Try, Bella."

I could practically hear her shaking her head with how exasperated she was. "You have to give me more. Tell me where to look. Is there something I should see—"

"No, that's too dangerous—"

"I'll take the risk. Jacob, show me."

He paused, hesitated, clearly not wanting to tell her, but we both knew he couldn't refuse here. "Where was the last place you saw me... the way I used to be?"

"The motorcycles— that clearing in the woods," she answered, without hesitation.

I pulled away from my hiding spot just outside her door, creeping back down the hallway to my room. I'd heard all I needed to. When Bella left, when she went to the clearing, I would be there, too. I'd managed to find out about the vampires without her help, without anyone's help. I wouldn't let her keep whatever Jacob's secret was from me, as well.