The wind was sharp off the waves, tugging strands of Bella's hair loose from her ponytail as she stepped closer to Aiden. He was standing alone near a driftwood log, the hem of his hoodie flapping gently against the wind, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.
"Thought you were still supposed to be resting," she said lightly, glancing at him.
Aiden shrugged, his posture relaxed, but his eyes distant. "Resting's overrated."
Bella hesitated, then asked, "You're healing fast."
"Guess I bounce back."
There was something in his tone—flat, almost disinterested—but it only made her more curious. She shifted her weight, brushing a hair from her face.
"I keep thinking about the crash," she said quietly. "Tyler's van. The way it came at me."
Aiden didn't respond at first. His gaze stayed locked on the sea.
"I saw Edward," she continued, her voice low. "One second he was across the lot… the next, he was beside me. He stopped the van. With his hand."
Now he turned to her, finally. His eyes—dark, unreadable—settled on her face.
"You sure you weren't in shock?" he asked, voice casual.
"I know what I saw."
"Sometimes the brain fills in blanks it doesn't understand."
"You were there," she pressed. "You got hit."
He looked away again. "Yeah."
"Did you see it? Him?"
Aiden exhaled through his nose. "All I saw was metal and pavement."
Bella stared at him, frustrated. Not angry—just grasping for truth, and finding shadows.
"Do you think I'm crazy?" she asked finally.
Aiden's mouth curved slightly—not quite a smile. "No. I think you want answers. I just don't have them."
She was about to ask more when she heard laughter—Jacob's, warm and easy, rolling across the sand as he approached with Embry and Quil. Bella turned automatically, the tension fading from her shoulders at the sight of her childhood friend.
Aiden scanned the shoreline as three figures approached, moving with a natural ease that belonged here—sons of the Quileute land, as Bella stood right beside him doing the same thing. Both quiet as the soaked in nature.
A boy with a tall frame, steady despite the gusts, walked to them. His dark hair was tangled by the wind. Behind him, as another boy's quick grin flashed beneath his hood, the other just adjusted the strap of his surfboard, eyes sharp and watchful.
Jacob's voice cut through the storm. "!BELLA!"
"Jake!" Bella called out, her voice carrying easily. She smiled back, quickening her pace. "Jake. You're here early."
"Oh, and this is Aiden," she said, reminding them that Aiden was still there.
Jacob nodded as he pointed to his friends. "Embry Call, Quil Ateara V. They've been riding these waves since they could walk."
They both nodded before heading out to the beach.
"Nice meeting y'all, but I'm heading back," Aiden said before heading back down the beach. Bella wanted to stop him, but let it go as she did. Choosing not towalkg with Jacob down the beach.
When Aiden came back, Angela was adjusting her camera strap on her shoulder, glancing over at Aiden with a half-smile. "So, I'm thinking about asking Ben to the dance," she said, trying to sound casual.
Aiden didn't look up from the waves for a moment. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. But honestly? I'm kinda worried about Jessica." She hesitated, then added, "She asked you first, right? And you shut her down."
Aiden's jaw tightened just a little, but his voice was even. "I said what I meant."
Angela bit her lip, searching his face. "I get it. But Jessica... she didn't take it well. Now she's probably going to ask Mike, and you know how that'll go."
Aiden's eyes met hers finally, cool and distant. "People gotta make their own choices."
She nodded, but there was a flicker of sympathy in her green eyes. "Yeah, but it sucks watching someone get shut out. Especially when it's messy like that."
Aiden shrugged. "Doesn't change anything for me."
Angela looked away toward the surfers getting ready. "Well... I'm still gonna ask Ben. Even if it's complicated."
He gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. "Good luck."