I guessed things were going to get worse like Jake had said. 

I woke up that morning to find him gone, a note left on his pillow saying that he was busy today and had made plans that he couldn't get out of, that he was sorry and wished he could stay. I screwed it up and threw it in the trash, rolling my eyes as I did so. He could have just told me last night. 

Considering that my only job was to make sure Bella was safe and to take my mind off of Embry, I decided to be a creeper and follow her today. Though that turned out bad when I followed her truck, and she ended up at Jake's house. Just my luck.  

It was then I realised that she was his previously made plans, and he had ditched me this morning without a goodbye for her. Maybe last night he meant that he would make things worse for me...  

Anyway, I watched as they loaded their death machines up onto Bella's truck, Jake lifting them with ease. I realised that she was doing this to get back at Edward. He told her not to do anything reckless and here she was, learning to ride a motorbike. She felt that defying him would make him come back and stop her.  

So, this morning's course of events had led me to running alongside Bella's truck, hidden by the trees as I listened in to Bella and Jake's conversation. Invading privacy, yeah, I know, but I couldn't help it. "If I told you, I couldn't fix these bikes, what would you have said?" Jake asked, I could tell by his voice that he was trying to figure something out. 

"Are you doubting your mad skills?" Bella answered his question with a question, doubtfulness in her voice. 

"No, definitely not." He boasted, chuckling lightly. "They'll run fine, it's just... Err... Maybe if I was smart, I would've dragged out the rebuild a bit." 

Oh... So, he was low key telling her he liked her. Good to know. I'll just ignore the stabbing pain in my heart right now. Stupid really, when I'm meant to be trying with Ryan again. 

"If you told me, you couldn't fix these bikes, I would say that that's... really too bad but we're just gonna have to find something else to do." Bella answered and Jake let out a relived laugh, happy with her answer. "Is that Sam Uley?" Bella asked and I shot my head to the left seeing the whole crew standing by the cliffs. 

The wind was blowing across the coast towards me, bringing the boys' weird scents with them. They weren't like normal human scents, each individual but with a strange earthy, dirt smell mixed in with them, kind of like animals.  

"Yep, him and his cult." Jake told her just as I watched my brother and Paul push Jared over the edge. 

I hope he drowns. He can take Sam down with him too. 

"Oh my god." Bella mumbled as she skidded to halt on the side of the road. She quickly climbed out of her car and jogged over to the look out. "Did you see that?"  

Jake climbed out after her, laughing. "They're not really fighting Bella, they're cliff diving. Scary as hell but a total rush." He explained just as Paul jumped over the edge. 

"Rush?" Bella repeated the words, and I closed my eyes in annoyance. Please tell me she's not that stupid.  

"Most of us jump from lower down. We'll leave the showing off to Sam and his disciples." He mocked glaring at them as I felt my heart pang with hurt. 

"Is there some kind of beef with them or something?" Bella asked as she crossed back over the road. "Jesse, he's one of them, isn't he?"   

"I don't know, they just think they run this place. And yeah, that's Jesse." He said as Jesse jumped. "Embry used to call them hall monitors on steroids with us, now look at him." Jake said watching them, his voice laced with hurt.    

"That's Embry?" Bella asked, joining Jake's side at the front of the truck as Embry jumped as well.  

"Yeah." Jake confirmed. 

"What happened to him?" She asked intrigued. 

"He missed some school and all of a sudden started following Sam around like a little puppy. He spoke to Aria yesterday, saying that he wanted nothing to do with her, made her cry. Same thing with Jesse, Paul and Jared. They all completely dropped her. Quil and I included." Jake explained and I held my breath to stop the tears from falling. "Sam keeps giving me this look, like he's waiting for me or something. It's kinda starting to freak me out." I'd seen Sam give Jake this look but I didn't realise it was more than once. He probably didn't tell me because he didn't want me to worry.  

"Well, you should just avoid him." Bella offered not really understanding the seriousness of the situation.  

"I try." Jake said quietly as Bella's gaze fell back to the cliffs just as Sam jumped. 

* * *

They drove to some abandoned road after watching the boys cliff dive, I remained concealed behind a tree close enough to hear, but far away enough that they wouldn't see me even though I could see them.  

I watched as Jake unloaded the bikes with ease, Bella standing by ready to be shown how to ride them. She looked nervous and unsure; Jake believed she actually had an interest though I knew the real purpose of her sudden investment.  

"Okay." Bella mumbled before climbing onto the motorcycle, her palms shaking slightly. 

"You look scared." Jake pointed out. 

"I'm not." Liar. 

"Alright." Jake smirked knowing she was lying too. He began to show her the parts of the motorcycle, telling her what's what so she knew how to ride it. The bike then purred to life, Bella's nerves setting in. "Ready?" He asked and she didn't respond. "Now slowly release the clutch."  

She seemed distant and suddenly burst forward breaking her from her daze. She's going to get herself killed. "Woah... You alright?" Jake asked slowly. 

"I'm gonna go again." She said restarting the bike. It suddenly roared to life, and she took off down the road as Jake watched on nervously. I followed her, staying hidden of course, but I felt helpless as she began to lose control. Looking around herself panicking, her control over the bike failing until she was thrown from it, rolling across the ground into a huge rock sticking out of the ground on the other side of the road. I contemplated on running out to her but that would be revealing myself to Jake. All I could do was watch.  

He climbed onto the second bike and got over to her as she began to sit up. She had a gash on her forehead and blood was already sliding down her face. "I wanna go again." She said attempting to stand, the metallic smell of her blood filling my nose. 

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Jake asked sternly, falling to the floor beside her. 

"I wanna go again." She repeated trying to stand. 

"No! Forget it. No more bikes." He said staring at her forehead. "Man, your head." She reached up to touch it, the pain only just revealing itself.  

"Oww." She brought her hand down to her eyes and she was shocked to see blood. "Oh my god, I'm sorry." 

"You're apologising for bleeding?" Jake asked. I guess it was kind of a habit for her. 

"Yeah, I guess I am." She realised her mistake, another reminder of the Cullens not being here. 

"It's just blood Bella. No big deal." He rose from his crouching position, bringing his shirt over his head so his chest remained bare. Despite him being shirtless last night, I didn't really get to see it because it was dark. But now, in full daylight, I could see it all. He was so toned and solid, he looked even bigger than Jesse. 

He used his shirt to dab the blood falling from the cut on Bella's forehead. They stayed silent for a moment, Jake was watching what he was doing trying not to hurt her further whilst Bella stared at Jacob, almost as if she was in a trance. "What are you staring at?" He asked her. 

"You're sorta beautiful." She mumbled. 

Edward. She had said that to Edward. He had shown me how she had reacted to her finding out. He loved her unconditionally and he only left to save her, of course, she didn't know that. But she could've used different wording, beautiful was Edward's word.  

She was fine with Jake. I needed to get away for a moment, so I decided to just run. Be away from everything for a while. I had no place in mind, but I shortly arrived at the Cullen's house. It looked eery and cold. Not filled with the usual warmth the family provided. 

Wow. That's ironic. 

I could feel the sadness overtaking me, though that quickly disappeared when I smelt the scent of a new vampire, something I had never come across before other than the Cullens'. It surrounded the house, as I followed it seemed as though it hadn't been in the house or broken in, but it was definitely searching for something.  

I used the key that I had been given and entered the house just to make sure. Everything was the way they left it; their scents still lingered around the house. I walked up the stairs towards the kitchen, my hand running along every surface until I got there. 

Despite knowing them properly for only a few days, I was able to witness the kitchen only being used for my needs, the few times out of all the years they had lived here. Esme was thrilled to have a new 'child' and to be able to cook for them. I was glad I was thought of as a new daughter or sister. It was like I actually had a family that wanted me, if only it was for a few days. 

On the countertop I found an envelope, my name elegantly written across the paper. I sat at one of the stools and opened the letter to begin reading.

Aria,
I knew that you would be coming here when you were facing some troubles. I saw that you are finding difficulties in every aspect of your life. But you are strong and must continue to stay strong no matter what.
Jacob is right you know; things will only get worse before they can get better. Just remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
We won't be gone forever, and we shall see you again in the future.
Alice xx

I read over the letter again and again, she had proved Jake's words were right but that did mean that things will get better eventually and that I have to stay strong. I can do that, but what else is going to have to go wrong in my life for that to happen. 

I folded my letter putting it in my back pocket before locking the house up again. I also wandered around the house a few times, ensuring my scent would linger in case the other vampire was to return.

On the way home I figured that I should tell Jesse that there was a new vampire around. He could tell whoever he wanted to, telling him also gave me a reason to talk to him. I could tell Dad and Jesse were home when I neared the house, I could smell them. Over Jesse's usual smell was dirt and sweat. There were downfalls to my new sense of smell. 

Before I even entered the house, I could hear Dad and Jesse were having a hushed disagreement. Jesse's voice much angrier than Dad's. 

"A bear attack? Really? Are people even going to believe that?" Jesse sighed in annoyance, breathing out deeply. 

"They'll have to believe it son, what else could it be?" Dad said forcefully, the hint that it could be something else lacing his words. 

"I don't know..." It was silent for a few moments before Jesse's voice filled the air again. "Where is Emily now?" 

Something happened to Emily, I'd say it's bad karma for getting with Sam and hurting her own cousin. No wait, getting attacked by a bear is a little too much. 

"She's with Sue, I'm about to go over there now. Just stay out of trouble. I don't need to worry about you too." I couldn't help but think he meant me. He obviously wasn't that scared of me to be worrying about me as well.  

"Fine, I'll wait for Tori to get home." So, I'm still invisible.  

I waited until Dad left to go into the house, I wasn't going to tell Jesse I had heard their conversation, i didn't want to give him another reason to hate me. 

"Jesse?" I said once I had found him in the living room watching tv. He didn't answer me. "Look I know you're not meant to talk to me, or you're not allowed to, but you need to know this." Without looking at me he shut the TV off. I walked around the couch, so I was standing in front of him. "Please can you just look at me?" He slowly raised his eyes to meet mine and all I could see was guilt.   

"What is it Ari?" I smiled softly at the name. 

"I went to the Cullen house. There...err... There was a new scent, one I didn't recognise. It wasn't the one that bit me either." Edward had taken me to the place I was bitten to allow me to know what Victoria smelt like just in case she was close by.  

"You didn't recognise it?" He asked and I shook my head. "In what direction did it head?" He asked. 

"It led east, away from the house. It went back from the way it came from." I told him and he nodded. Silence settled upon the house again. "Did you have fun cliff diving today? I've never done it from that high up." 

"What, were you stalking me?" He spat, the sharpness back on his tongue. 

"God no, I'd die before having to follow Sam and Jared around thank you." I watched him visibly tense at me saying die, he already thought I was dead. 

"So, what were you doing?" He asked, his voice softer than before.  

"I was following Bella, making sure she was safe. She and Jake were going motorcycle riding, and we all saw you along the way, of course they didn't know I was watching too." I rolled my eyes at the thought of Bella and motorcycles; she was so incredibly stupid. 

"How'd you feel about her and Jake?" Was Jesse really asking me personal questions? 

"Erm okay I guess, can't really tell them to stop hanging out. She's helping him." I explained with a shrug, and he nodded. 

"Okay. I have to go tell the others about the new vampire. Please if you come across it again tell me." He said standing leaving the room and heading for the back door. "Thanks Blue." He smiled before shutting the door and leaving. 

I couldn't help but let out a little squeal of happiness. My brother actually spoke to and smiled at me; he even used my nickname. Maybe this is the start of finding my light at the end of the tunnel.