It'd been a long time before Edward had seen or even heard Jacob Black but he'd might as well have been with him every second of the day. Of course now, he could only smell him. A dank, musky salty scent that made his nose want to shrivel up at a mere whiff.
A wretched scent mingled with one he'd adore a thousand times over...and her berry scented body wash. It both appeased and perturbed him that she'd spend at least forty minutes in her shower every few nights dousing herself in strong perfumed products.
He never missed the new light in her eyes or the radiant glow that oozed out her pores naturally after her visits to the reservation—blessing him with full smiles and colored cheeks. Something he'd personally strive to draw from her for months. It was something that simultaneously made him want to sing and cry if he could.
Because despite her best efforts, weeks later Bella was unable to hide how Jacob Black's scent had progressively become dominant and profound. There was an unmistakable melding of two natural scents, one mild, sweet...innocent and one primal, raw and unrefined.
Edward didn't know whether to be wholly heartbroken or aberrantly relieved when she looks him directly in his bag free, honeyed eyes one morning with illuminated hickory ones and not a single flicker of regret crossed them. He'd only see new found defiance and subtle recognition.
