Jacob throws me my hearing aid.

I catch it in the air. It's a natural reflexive movement. Speaking is not. There are no words to choke on. My head is clogged, filled with thoughts that drown in dirty water.

"That thing was ringing like crazy while we ripped Kamiko apart," Quil complains. He puts a hand to his head. "She almost got away because we were all so distracted."

"She's gone now," Embry says.

"We literally tore her a new asshole," Quil groans, hitting his head with the base of his palm. "It kills."

"We did not literally do that," Embry rolls his eyes, and I only let myself glance at him. All of my attention is on Jacob.

I let them round up in the kitchen. They begin to pull out, bread, meat, and cheese. They are making sandwiches. I'm no stranger to hunger, especially not after violence. I nearly died though, and they are acting like nothing is happening. It's dark out now, a bit late for dinner, but they are endlessly hungry. I've let them consume me, feast on me until they've stripped all of me from my bones.

I need to get out of here.

Heading into the bedroom, my mind is still empty. I quickly pack my fall wardrobe. The t-shirts won't be useful in the coming months, and hopefully, with something on my resume, I'll be able to find a job far away from here. I'm 18 now, so I could park myself in my home town and the people who raised me couldn't drag me back.

My fist curls around my broken hearing aid. Eventually, I'll be able to save up to fix my hearing aid. In the two months that I've been here, I've saved enough to cover first and last months' rent in a new city while I look for a job, or live in a motel, or something. Anything that isn't here. I've started over before. I can do it again. Even with just one ear.

When I exit the room, everyone stares at me. I make my way towards the door, and for once, even Quil seems to be without words.

I walk past them and their eyes follow me. A fawn at the hands of wolves. It could only end in my consumption.

After I shut the door behind me, I stand and look at the two cars in the driveway. One is Embry's, and I assumed Jacob drove the other before his condition. However, he's not blind. He's never been blind. He faked it, with some sort of light-filtering contacts I assume. Why didn't I notice how suspicious his sudden blindness was?

As I pull out my phone to call a cab that will drop me off at the bus stop, Jacob exits the house. I close the flip phone, turning to stare at him.

"I didn't take you as the kind to run away without saying a word," he says.

My whole life, I was taught to use my body. Books were secondary, I probably read at a third grader's level. All of my skills have taught me how to be a killer, an investigator, to find secrets where people are trying to hide them.

I turn my back to him, to avoid slapping him across the face, "you don't know me."

"I'd like to know you," he says. "You're probably confused-"

"You pretended to be blind because you knew I was your imprint, somehow, and the ruse is up," I tell him.

He sighs, stepping around to get in front of me, "Alice had a vision."

Alice has been stepping on the heels of my shoes at every step.

"Cedar is going to bring back the rest of the convent to hunt you down," I tell him. "I'll be gone."

"Don't leave," he says.

Every part of my face contorts. I step closer to him until I'm staring down at him from below his chest, "excuse me?

"I know you don't need me, but I need you," he tries to take my hand, but I yank myself away. He respects it, letting me have my space.

"You're a complete asshole, Jacob Black," I tell him.

"At least wait until you get a replacement hearing aid," he begs. "Let me ask the Cullens again."

I lift my hands to my head, pressing my fingertips against my forehead. The audacity of this man is staggering. I sit down on the dirt driveway and put my head against my knees. I want to scream. I want the sound to rip out of me. Fawns are quiet animals. I don't know what sound they make, but I sure as all Hell will make a sound.

I wonder who would hear the roar I make first. Would it be Cedar, who has known me my whole life and can predict my every move, or Jacob, who has only just seen me for the first time today?

"And you're going to try to win me over while I stay?" I ask. "Is that the plan?"

"Well, yeah," he admits. "That is the plan."

I cannot stand him, but I've never been able to stand him. Faking a disability is crossing a line. I trusted him. The only reason I even approached him was that I thought he could get me. Someone robbed of a sense that everyone else deems so important. He tricked me into falling for him. Every step of the way was a lie.

However, it would be nice to have a hearing aid before I'm on the road. This one is much more broken than last time. It might take a few days more to repair, or require a new one altogether. I don't know that I can last here this long.

"I'm not doing it for you," I seeth. "I'll stay because I want to hear properly again."

He offers me a hand to help me up and I stand up on my own, walking into the house. Quil and Embry look at me. Taking my backpack off, I watch as they divert their eyes. I ruffle through it and produce my hearing aid. Though I want to slam it on the counter, I don't want to cause it any more damage. So, after placing it down, I leave the room and head into my bedroom.

I lock myself inside. The events of the last two hours are too much to handle. I think of Cedar, who is expecting me to come to him, and marry him, and do all these things that I wouldn't mind doing if he weren't in a delusional cult. I think of Quil, who laughs loudly and lies quickly. I think of Embry, and how he always has been looking at me like he is waiting to apologize. I do not think of Jacob Black. Actively. Every time he pops into my head I think of how angry I am at everyone else.

Outside, I hear a car start and drive off, presumably to bring my hearing aid to the Cullens. I wonder if it's Jacob driving. Quil and Embry said he liked motorcycles and cars, and learning the mechanics of how things work. If only he had traded that property into understanding people.

No, I will not be mad. In fact, I will not think about him.

"Fawn," a voice calls from outside my room, muffled. It's Quil. I can't make out the rest of what he is saying. The ear with my hearing aid in lies against the bed.

I pull my head up off the sheet of the mattress, "what?"

There are more muffled voices, and I roll my eyes, eventually making my way over to the door.

Quil stands on the other side. Embry practically hides behind him.

"We were asking if you wanted to watch us cliff dive," Quil winks at me and then he coughs when I don't smile.

They went cliff-diving earlier today. I remember because I wasn't allowed to come after my stunt last night. I see the olive branch before me.

"We're not playing normal," I tell them. "I'm not quite nearly as mad at you as I am at him, but you enabled him."

"We fought with him on it," Embry pipes in.

Quil nods, "he's always been difficult with imprinting. We couldn't disobey him, because he's the Alpha."

I doubt they would have anyway, "you guys go have your fun. I'm not going."

"Nah," Quil says. "Let's do something here instead."

It seems they are insistent on not leaving me to my peace.

There is scraping at the front door, as keys unlock it. In walks Jacob Black. He looks at me, his eyes locked tight.

"Let's play a drinking game," I turn to the others. "Quil, you mentioned a voting game?"

~~~~~

This one is a bit shorter, but I have nothing left to say. I'm thrilled for it nonetheless. Fawn is snapping. I think it's fair enough.

Where do you think she'll go?