Y/N returns to La Push, expecting to reunite with her childhood best friend, Jacob Black—but he’s distant, too caught up in Bella to notice her. Hurt and confused, she tries to move on, until Jacob’s packmates hint at the truth: he might have imprinted on her. Torn between what he thought he wanted and what feels right, Jacob finally stops running and faces the inevitable—Y/N was always meant to be his.
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The air in La Push was thick with salt, the waves crashing against the shore in a steady rhythm. It had been years since you set foot here, but the familiar scent of pine and ocean spray immediately brought back memories of childhood summers spent racing Jacob Black along the beach.
You had been inseparable once. Two wild-hearted kids with scraped knees and big dreams, but time had a way of pulling people apart. And now, standing in front of Billy Black’s house, you weren’t sure if things would ever be the same.
The screen door creaked open, and there he was—Jacob Black, taller, broader, with his signature easygoing grin. But there was something different in his eyes, something distant.
“Y/N?” His voice was laced with disbelief, and for a moment, his expression softened. “No way. What are you doing here?”
“I figured it was time to come home,” you said, shifting your weight awkwardly. “I missed this place.”
His lips twitched in what should have been a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. “Yeah? Well, La Push hasn’t changed much.” He leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest. “Still the same small town with the same small-town drama.”
You knew what he meant. Bella. You had heard all about his infatuation with her from your old friends. And yet, standing here, you had hoped—naively—that Jacob would still look at you like he used to, like you were important.
But he didn’t. Not anymore.
Days passed, and Jacob made himself scarce. It stung more than you wanted to admit. He had always been your best friend, but now, it was like you were nothing more than a ghost of his past.
You saw him with Bella, saw the way his entire world seemed to orbit around her. It hurt, but what hurt even more was how he barely acknowledged your existence anymore.
You tried to push it aside. You hung out with Embry and Quil, pretending it didn’t bother you, but they noticed.
“You’re not imagining it,” Embry said one night as you all sat around a bonfire. “Jacob’s been...off since you got back.”
“Yeah, dude’s acting weird,” Quil agreed. “It’s like he’s avoiding you on purpose.”
You scoffed. “Great. Good to know I’m not crazy.”
Embry and Quil exchanged a look, and then Embry leaned in, his voice quieter. “You know, sometimes...imprinting messes with a guy’s head.
You frowned. “Imprinting?”
Quil sighed. “It’s a wolf thing. When we imprint, it’s like—there’s no choice. That person becomes our everything.”
Something inside you twisted. “And you think Jacob—”
“We don’t know,” Embry admitted. “But it’d explain why he’s acting so weird around you.”
The thought was almost laughable. Jacob was obsessed with Bella. He had made that painfully clear. But then again, the way he had been avoiding you, the way his hands would clench whenever you were near—it didn’t make sense.
Not until the night everything changed.
You were walking home alone from the bonfire when you heard footsteps behind you. Instinctively, you turned, your heart racing, but it was just Jacob.
For the first time in weeks, he wasn’t running away.
“Hey,” he said, his voice hoarse.
“Hey.” You crossed your arms. “So, you do remember I exist?”
He flinched. “That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?” You exhaled sharply. “You’ve been ignoring me since I got back, Jake. I thought we were friends.”
Something flickered across his face—guilt, maybe, or something deeper. “We are.”
He hesitated, dragging a hand through his hair. “I don’t know how to explain it.”
He let out a breath. “When you came back, everything shifted. I—I didn’t understand it at first, but every time I look at you, it’s like...” He trailed off, his jaw clenching.
“Like what?” you pressed.
He stepped closer, his warmth radiating in the cool night air. “Like the world makes sense again.”
Your breath caught. “Jacob—”
“I was fighting it,” he admitted. “Because I thought—hell, I thought it was supposed to be Bella. But it’s not. It never was.”
His words hung between you, heavy with meaning.
“I think,” he swallowed hard, “I think you’re my imprint, Y/N.”
Your heart pounded. “And that scared you?”
He let out a dry laugh. “Terrified me. I thought if I ignored it, it’d go away. But it didn’t. It just made everything worse.”
You searched his face, the raw emotion in his eyes. “So what now?”
He reached for your hand, his fingers warm against yours. His thumb traced gentle circles against your skin, sending shivers up your spine. “Now...I stop running.”
A shaky breath left your lips as he cupped your cheek, his touch hesitant but desperate. “I want to make this right,” he whispered. “I don’t want to fight it anymore.”
You didn’t realize how close you had gotten until you could feel his breath against your lips. His hands, rough and warm, slid down your arms, gripping your waist like you were something precious. He didn’t kiss you—not yet—but the tension between you was thick, electric.
“Then don’t,” you murmured.
His forehead pressed against yours, his body trembling slightly as he finally let go of his hesitation. “I won’t.”
And for the first time since you’d come home, Jacob stayed.
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