Bella figured it out soon enough. She walked into Emily's house, visibly shaken, a couple days after Kari's outburst. Kari offered a tight smile from where she was on the couch. "Bella."
Bella blinked. "Wait, did you know?"
Kari pretended to think. "I found out a week ago."
"Oh."
Though Kari's wounds were healing, she was still hesitant about moving. The thought of ripping them open again scared her, especially after what she'd gone through after Embry had calmed her down. She shuttered at the thought and stood carefully from the couch. Emily was in the kitchen making breakfast. She whacked Jared's hand with a wood spoon. "Save some for your brothers! And ladies first."
Kari giggled as Bella stared, wide-eyed, at the giant muffins on the table. She plucked a blueberry one from the pile. "Muffin, Bella?"
"Thanks," Bella mumbled. Kari ignored the way Bella eyed her. She shirt she was wearing had no sleeves, and the back was cut in such a way as to expose her bandages. It was easier to tend to them that way.
Sam came in then, followed by Paul and Jacob laughing and joking. Bella perked up immediately. "Are you okay?"
"Relax," Jacob said easily. "I'm fine."
They heard someone mutter a curse under their breath and Kari rolled her eyes. Another bet. She noted the pink line on Paul's arm that was fading slowly. They exchanged a wary glance, still uneasy around each other. Paul rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Bella. "Sorry."
"He's a hothead," Kari said with a teasing smile. "Don't take it personally."
She noticed Bella look away sharply when Sam showered Emily with kisses. "Em, do you mind if I go for a walk today? I'll stay with Jacob and Bella, and come right back if I get tired."
Emily debated, looking up at Sam, before nodding. "Be careful, and take a jacket with you."
Jacob took Bella's hand, which Kari pointedly tried to ignore, and the three of them left the house. When they were out of earshot, Bella spoke up. "Sam did that?"
Jacob nodded solemnly. "He feels horrible about it and tries to make up for it every day."
Bella turned to look at Kari, her eyes wary as she spoke. "What happened to you?"
Kari shrugged with one shoulder. She was picking at her muffin, putting small bites into her mouth. "I pissed off a werewolf. You really shouldn't be standing so close."
Bella blanched, her feet gluing to the rocks. Kari and Jacob turned to look at her. "Which one?"
"Paul. The hothead," Kari said casually. "It looks worse than it feels."
If Bella noticed Kari avoiding Jacob's eyes, she said nothing about it. "How bad is it?"
"Emily's scars go down her arm," Kari said. "Mine go from my left shoulder to my right hip. I was further away though, so Paul didn't do much damage. I kind of snapped a few days ago and reopened them, which is why it looks so bad."
"I can't imagine," Bella whispered.
"Battle scars for the win," Kari said sarcastically. "Am I right?"
Bella looked down, subconsciously tracing the crescent-shaped scar on her hand. Jacob blinked as he put it together. "Wait... a bloodsucker did that to you?"
Bella nodded. "Spring break last year. I was with- them. A tracker caught my scent and came after me."
"You didn't fall through a window," Jacob realized. He looked down at her. "But how-?"
"He saved me," Bella said. Her arms wrapped around her torso as if she were in pain. "Edward."
"You don't have to talk about it," Jacob told her quietly. "Sorry I brought it up."
"You shouldn't let it get to you like that," Kari said bluntly. Bella had been depressed and having nightmares for months. She had to get over the fact that Edward left her. She had to know it was better for her, given Edward and his family were all vampires. "He left and he's not coming back. Jacob might not want to see it, or maybe he's just blind, but you can't use him anymore. Jake's a great guy and all you do is hurt him."
Bella froze in her spot, almost doubling over and hugging herself tighter. Her eyes were screwed shut. Jacob glared over her head at Kari, but Kari couldn't have cared less. Jacob's voice was hard when he spoke up. "You should get back, Karina. You're still healing."
Kari glared. "Don't come crying to me when she breaks your heart."
Kari grumbled to herself, not caring if Jacob heard her cursing his name under her breath, and made her way back down the beach. She kicked a rock, realizing too late it was stuck in the sand, and held her breath on a particularly nasty word. She could tell it was broken. The pain was different from when she'd sprain her ankle. "Hell..."
She wobbled on one foot, ignoring the slight pain in her back as she held her bad foot, and yelped in surprise when a warm hand caught her elbow. Embry stood next to her silently, helping her keep balance.
"Are you following me?" she growled with narrowed eyes.
Embry shrugged. "I wanted to be sure you were okay. Sam's still with Emily. He doesn't know I'm out here."
Kari let out a sigh and allowed him to help her to a boulder. She sat, letting out a pained breath. "It's nice to know I still have one friend. Jacob's too busy with Bella and Quil won't come around at all."
"He's still scared of Sam," Embry said. "He's upset you and Jake got roped in."
"I didn't get roped in," Kari told him. "I got mauled."
Embry winced at the word. "He doesn't know that."
"He's blissfully ignorant," Kari amended. She looked down the beach at where Bella and Jacob were now sitting. "I wish I was. If Jacob picked Sam over me, I could handle that. It really sucks to see him pick another girl. Emily told me about imprints, and how it works. Jacob didn't imprint on her. I would know if he did. I'd feel it."
"Sometimes people drift apart," Embry supplied in a soft tone. He almost sounded sad. "But sometimes they come together. I don't think I've spent so much time with you before."
Kari couldn't help giggling. She elbowed his arm. "Maybe not alone. Jake or Quil are usually with us. It's crazy to see how things are changing, and we aren't even done with high school."
"How's your foot?" Embry asked.
Kari shrugged. "I think I broke a couple toes. I can feel them throbbing."
"We should have someone look at it," Embry said.
Kari wasn't paying attention to his words. Her eyes were on her best friend down the beach. "This won't end well. Please tell me I'm not the only one who sees it."
"I know," Embry said. He placed a hand on her knee. "But we can't do anything. Jacob has to figure it out on his own."
Kari heaved a sigh, absently placing a hand on Embry's and linking their fingers. "I can't watch this anymore, Em. Take me home?"
"Sure," Embry agreed. He stood and helped her to her feet. He paused. "When you say home...?"
Kari leaned forward and pressed her head to his shoulder. "I practically live at Emily's now. I haven't seen my mom in a week."
As if it were a natural reflex, Embry swung Kari into his arms in a smooth, gentle motion. Kari rested her head on his shoulder as he started walking. "So where do you want to go?"
"Emily's is fine," she said quietly. Her eyes closed, the rocking from Embry carrying her was lulling her to sleep. She yawned softly. "Doesn't your mom know some first aid?"
Embry smiled. "Yeah. I'll call from Emily's and see if she can come take a look at your toes. There's not much she can do if it is broken, though. She's better with the more superficial stuff."
"Hmm..." Kari hummed. She was soaking in the warmth from Embry's body. Though she knew they weren't on the beach anymore- his strides were more even than they had been on the sand and rocks- she was still cold from the slight wind that broke through her sweater. She could imagine curling up to him all night, staying warm as she slept. She was too deep into her dreamlike state to wonder at the strange thought.
"I don't think she's been sleeping very well," a voice said quietly. "She didn't even walk a mile earlier. Is that normal?"
"I slept a lot while I was healing, too," a female voice answered. "It's been a long week for her."
Kari felt a shift under her and recognized her head was resting on someone's lap. She felt a hand combing softly through her hair and hummed in appreciation. Too soon she realized she should wake up. "What time is it?"
"Did we wake you up?" the first voice sounded worried. It took a moment before she recognized it as Embry. "We tried to stay quiet."
Kari opened her eyes, blinking when she realized how close Embry's face was. "No. I didn't realize I fell asleep, sorry. Did you call your mom?"
"Tiffany just left," Emily said. She was sitting in a chair close to them, a coffee mug in her hands. "She said you have two broken toes. There's not much we can do other than let you rest more."
"I'm tired of resting," Kari protested. Embry helped her when she tried to sit up. "That's all I've been doing for a week. Is Jacob back?"
Nobody said anything, which was an answer in and of itself. Embry moved the hair from her face and rubbed her good shoulder. "Sorry. He's still with Bella."
Kari feigned indifference. "It's whatever. Clearly, he's found a new best friend. I don't need him, anyway."
"Kari-"
Kari gave Embry a look that told him the conversation was over. Embry said nothing, running his fingers through her hair absently once more. Typically Kari would've protested. She didn't like the guys acting like she was any different than them. But somehow it felt right. She shook off the feeling and looked up when Sam came in wearing just shorts. Embry's hand dropped to rest on the back of the couch behind Kari.
"You're up."
"How long was I asleep?"
Sam shrugged. "A few hours. I just didn't expect you awake. Emily was about where you were in her healing process when she slept all the time."
Kari saw how it pained Sam to talk about what happened to Emily. She didn't know how to comfort her brother and changed the subject instead. "Sam, I wanted to ask you and Emily something."
Sam pressed a kiss to the top of Emily's head, leaning on the back of the chair she was sitting in. Emily smiled as if she knew what Kari was about to ask them. "What can we do?"
"I was wondering..." Kari paused. "Technically I guess I should just be asking you, Emily. I've been here for the last week, and my mom is hardly ever home anyway since she decided she wanted to work at the hospital. So, uh... I guess I was wondering if you would mind if I moved into the guest room? Just until the summer. I'll go back home for my senior year. I was just thinking it might be easier, having another girl around to help me. You know, since I'm still healing and all. I totally understand if you don't-"
Emily giggled and Sam smiled at his sister. "Karina, breathe. Of course you can stay here. Sam and I were talking about it last night and we thought it would be safer to have you here."
Kari offered up a confused look. "Safer?"
Sam's jaw clenched momentarily. "We caught a trail not too far from here. I don't want you leaving the reservation until we take care of it."
Though Kari's natural reaction was to go against her brother's wishes, she nodded in understanding. She'd already gotten into enough trouble with pissing off Paul. "Fine. Sure."
"You both have homework to do," Emily said. She stood from the chair. "Embry or Paul will take it back for you."
"I can't go to school?" she asked flatly.
"You're still healing," Embry said. "It's easier to help you if we don't have to search."
Kari rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
"Embry, go run the perimeter. Seth needs a break."
Embry gently moved Kari over a bit and stood up. He looked hesitant to leave, which Kari didn't understand. She knew he wanted to help her, but they'd never been as close as Kari had been with Jacob. Embry was always the strong, silent type. Sam gave him a stern look and he left quickly. Emily laughed to herself as she moved to the kitchen. Kari decided to work on her homework out of boredom until Jacob showed up later in the day. He sat on the couch heavier than necessary, flashing an apologetic smile when Kari hissed.
"Sorry. I forgot," he said.
Kari mumbled something under her breath about how he wouldn't have forgotten if it was Bella. She closed the textbook on her lap. "I broke two toes today."
Jacob furrowed his brow. "What?"
"I kicked a rock," she added. "I'm not exactly happy with you."
"Bella's having a hard time," Jacob said automatically. "She needs a friend right now."
"She's not the one who got mauled," Kari muttered.
"Are you serious?" Jacob asked. He sat up. "You're both hurting, just in different ways. You have Sam and the pack looking after you and helping you. Bella doesn't have anyone."
"Maybe if she didn't push away all her friends she would still have them," Kari shot back. "I'm surprised Mike even agreed to go to that movie. No wonder the others bailed. She's a zombie, Jake. She's hurt over someone who clearly doesn't want her anymore and she's hurting you with every minute you're together. Everyone can see it."
"Bella doesn't mean to," Jacob defended. "She's getting through it."
Kari rolled her eyes and stood. Though she hurt, she gritted her teeth against the pain and stomped up the stairs to the guest room.