As much as I wish I were Stephanie Meyer, and that I owned Twilight, I sadly am not. However, Twilight does own me and I am quite happy with that. I stopped working on my other FF because I don't really know where I want to go with it. But this one, however, came to me one day and I started writing tonight. I'm not sure if it will be BXJ or BXE yet; it may be a lot of back and forth because I feel like Bella does that anyway. AH and I have rated it M because I have a dirty mind and that may come through in later chapters. Please R&R! Thanks

"I can't do this anymore! I can't live like this!" I looked in to his deep brown eyes and started to break. If I didn't leave now, I never would and then I'd be stuck here with him forever. It wasn't that I didn't love Jacob, I do, I always will, but at some point he had to grow up, get a job and stop relying on me to pay all of our bills. Until Jacob learned that we would keep getting in to this same argument about money and I would keep crying myself to sleep at Charlie's house in my old bed. I had to get out before it was too late.

"Bells, please listen to me! I've been trying to get a job, but the way the economy is these days it's really hard!" He was pleading both with his voice and with his eyes. "It's not like I'm not trying!" But he wasn't trying, he had been offered jobs by Charlie, filing paperwork at the precinct, which he turned down because he isn't the "office type", the local mechanic offered him a job as an intern and said that he would pay him sixteen dollars and hour, and he turned that down because two years ago he broke his wrist and he claims it has not healed yet. It was becoming unbearable. Everyone wanted to help Jacob out and he wanted no part of it.

With tear filled eyes I looked down to my left hand and began to take off the promise ring that Jake gave me for our two year anniversary. "Every promise… you ever made… you broke it. I gave you everything I had Jake. Everything. And you won't even accept a job offer because you're too lazy!" My voice cracked as I began twirling the ring around. His eyes looked down to my hands and I knew he realized what was happening.

"Please, Bella, don't do this…." Jake's voice started shaking and I could tell he was on the verge of tears. I backed up to the door and braced myself against it, looking up at his eyes as he stood six feet in front of me. The eyes I once looked in to and saw my future, now held nothing for me. I stood there for what seemed like hours searching his face for anything that resembled the Jacob I once knew and I thought back to the day we met.

Three Years Earlier

"Mike, I am going crazy here! We haven't had a customer in at least three hours, can we PLEASE close up already!" I had been working for Newton's Automotive Supply for a little over six months and for the past three months business had been pretty bad. It was too slow today to even make enough money for my paycheck and I felt bad that we were still open, knowing that the Newton's were losing money because of it.

"I can't close down without talking to my dad first, Bella. You know that! I'll give him a call and see if we can close down early. I'm going to take a fifteen minute break and give him a call, after that you are free to go home. I don't think I'll need you here to clean up or anything tonight." Mike flashed what I guessed was supposed to be a reassuring and slightly flirtatious smile at me, "Unless, of course, you want to stay and keep me company." He winked as he walked off. I was SO ready to be out of here and away from Mike. At least when Tyler was working he wasn't constantly hitting on me.

As soon as Mike went for his break a group of guys walked in, and I guessed by the way they looked they had come from the Quillette reservation just outside of town. I had never seen any of them before but almost immediately after they walked through the door I noticed him. He was nearly a foot taller than me, at least 6'3" and unlike his friends his hair was long, it reached his collar bone, black and silky, I could almost imagine myself running my fingers through it. "I'll just be a few minutes guys; I have to see if they have my parts in!" He called back to his friends who had begun wandering through the store. If I didn't know any better I could have sworn they were going to rob me, but this was a small town and everyone knew my father was the police chief, in fact, everyone knew EVERYONE in Forks.

The boy approached me at the register. "Hey, I have some parts that were supposed to be ordered for me about two weeks ago. I just wanted to check and see if they were in yet." He was so beautiful I think I forgot how to speak. I had to mentally slap myself just to muster up something to say back to him. Be professional, Bella. Remember you're at work.

"Name?" I smiled back at him coyly. I'd never been so attracted to anyone in my entire life and I had never had to flirt with anyone, ever.

"Jacob Black." He ran his fingers through his long, dark hair and once again I pictured myself doing just that to him. Dammit Bella, snap out of it and do your job! I typed his name in to the screen to pull up his order, his parts were in so now I'd have to run to the store room and Mike was no where to be found. It's not customary to leave the front unattended but like I said before, everyone knows everyone in Forks, and now I had his name so surely Charlie would be able to track him down if he stole anything from Newton's. "Well, Jacob, it seems as if your parts are in but they are in the store room right now. I'll have to run back and grab them. Can I trust you boys to stay here and not make any trouble for me while I am gone?" I smiled at him in the most flirtatious manner I could muster.

"Absolutely, I think you'll find I am a very good boy… when I want to be." He winked at me and I could feel that familiar blush rise to my face.

"Well, Mister Black, I'll be right back then." I walked to the store room and tried to regain my breath. No one had EVER made me feel this way before. Sure I'd been embarrassed, and many times I had flirted to get my way but I had never wanted so badly to touch someone, to flirt with someone just because I thought they were unbelievably gorgeous before. I searched the shelves and found the boxes that had his name on them and returned to the front counter. Jacob's friends had joined him at the counter now and I rounded the corner back to them. "Here you go! It's going to be Fifty four even." He turned to face me and flashed a gorgeous smile my way. He pulled out his card and handed it to me.

"You know, Bella. I like when you give me numbers, perhaps I could get yours?" He winked at me and all of his friends started smirking. I could feel myself blush as I swiped his card.

"You think you're rather smooth, don't you Mister Black? Coming in here and asking for my number like you probably do to every female working in a man's world. Some other time, maybe. Not today." I pulled the store copy of the receipt from the printer and handed it to him, "Sign, please." He looked utterly defeated and leaned down to sign the receipt.

"Sorry, dude. That was harsh, we'll meet you outside." One of the guys said smacking him on the back as the other two boys walked out the front door of the store, he followed. Jacob leaned down to sign the store copy and I pulled off his copy and scribbled my number on to it before he looked up.

"Oh, I don't need my copy, thanks." He pushed the signed receipt towards me and picked up the box.

"I think you may want this one," I pushed the receipt towards him and turned back towards the break room where Mike was now coming from.

"Bella, it's all taken care of, you head home, I'll close up!" I leaned down to grab my purse and I heard the jingle of the door being opened. Goodbye, Jacob. I thought as I picked up my cell phone, which was now lit up from an incoming call. "Hello?" I answered not expecting what was on the other end.

"That was a mean joke to play on such an innocent boy, Bella." Jacob.

"I don't know what you mean. Who is this?" Act oblivious, make him work for it.

"I'm just saying I think you should make it up to me somehow. Putting me down in front of my friends has really hurt my self esteem. And since you're now heading toward the door, how about you and I go get dinner?"

I walked out the front door of Newton's, about to respond when a tall, dark and handsome man stepped in front of me. "So, how about it?" He smiled down at me and I couldn't resist.

"Alright, I suppose that WAS mean. But don't think that just because I'm giving in to this that I want anything more than one date with you, Mister Black. I'm only doing this so your friends over there don't think you'd get turned down by the same girl in one day." I smiled back up at him and he held out his arm to me.

"Shall we, Bella?" I took his arm and he led me down to diner that I often had dinner with Charlie at. Then, Jacob Black and I had our first official date, while all of his friends watched from a table in the back of the café that they obviously thought I couldn't see.

Back to the present

"Jake, I love you. I can't do this. Nothing I say makes you motivated to go out there and get a job. I can't will you to help pay the bills, I can't work more hours because I need to go to class, too and I can't ask for another raise because sooner or later you have to realize that it takes two people to make a home, not just one who pays for all the food, the rent, the cell phones, the cable, and the electricity! I can't, Jake. I'm not strong enough any more." I slid the ring off of my finger and set in on the side table by the door. "I'm so sorry." I opened the door and dragged my suitcase full of clothes out on to the patio. I shut the door behind me and headed for my car.

I sat in the driver's seat of my car, hoping Jake wouldn't chase after me, and that I could have a moment of peace before facing Charlie, again. I closed my eyes as silent tears started falling from my eyes. Sooner or later Jacob Black would realize just what he had lost. Sooner or later he would realize that he had to stop acting like a child and take responsibility for us. Hopefully he would realize it sooner, because later may be too late. With that, I turned the key and started my car. I backed out of my parking space at the apartment complex and headed down the street. As much as my mind urged me not to, my heart made me look in the rear view mirror to see a tall, dark haired boy standing in my parking stop, urging me to come back and make things right again. But things cannot be right again. Things will not be right again, sooner or later Jacob Black would realize that.