Jacob had convinced himself that if he was patient enough, if he showed her how much better life could be without Edward Cullen, she'd eventually realize that the person she'd needed had been right in front of her all along.

Then his life had become considerably more complicated. The fever. The transformation. The pack. The secrets. The realization that he was no longer entirely human. And somehow, through all of it, Bella had remained a constant.

Tonight, however, Sam had insisted that Jacob come to the bonfire. Apparently, spending every waking moment worrying about Bella wasn't a particularly healthy way to spend his summer. Quil and Embry had agreed, mostly because they enjoyed annoying him.

Then someone caught his attention.

It wasn't dramatic at first. Just a movement beyond the circle of firelight, someone approaching the gathering. Jacob glanced over casually, expecting another familiar face from the community.

And then he saw her.

Everything stopped. The conversations, the crackling fire, Quil's obnoxious commentary. They all seemed to disappear beneath the sudden, overwhelming certainty settling into Jacob's chest. His heart gave one hard, unfamiliar thud.

There was no confusion. No hesitation. No possibility that he had misunderstood. The world had just rearranged itself around one person.

And somewhere in the back of his mind, one inconvenient thought managed to surface. Bella. He had spent the entire summer trying to make Bella Swan fall in love with him. Now, apparently, the universe had other plans.