This came to me as an OS (in the middle of my other story) and of course demanded more words than I was planning to write. So here's some lemony, angsty (but mostly fluffy) Jacoby goodness for all the wolf lovers out there. As always, Stephanie Meyer owns these characters, I'm just playing with them.
Bella was lying in her bed, working on her English paper when her phone vibrated. It was about 1:30 AM, so it couldn't have been her long distance boyfriend, Edward - he'd gone to sleep a couple of hours ago. She checked her phone.
Hey Bella! You in Seattle?
It was from Jake, her best friend from high school. She smiled and texted him back.
I am!
It didn't take long for his response.
Where are you?
Bella laughed, delighted to hear from him again. It had been far too long since they'd talked.
Haha, I'm writing a paper! Are you here for the weekend?
Just til tomorrow :( you should come see me!
Bella rolled her eyes. This was so Jake. She tried to respond positively so as not to hurt his feelings. She did want to see him, but it was a little late tonight.
I wish I'd known earlier that you were around, I'd have come by. Where are you staying? When are you leaving tomorrow?
Come see meeeeee!
Ok, so he was drunk. She laughed, unable to be annoyed with one of her favorite people in the world.
Is Lizzie with you? I still haven't met her! And I want to see you, but I really have to finish this paper.
No! She's in Florida! You'll meet her soon. Promise.
Haha good, I better.
You're my main girl. Of course you'll meet her.
Bella, smiling hugely, melted at this message, remembering just how much she missed her Jake.
And you've always been my main boy! I haven't seen you in FOREVER! how is your life?
Good. I really miss you. You're my favorite Bella in the world.
Bella laughed, knowing she was most likely the only Bella he knew.
I really miss you too dude!
She was excited to hear from him again. She knew she wasn't great at keeping in touch, especially since she started dating Edward. She got so wrapped up in him, she sometimes forgot to pay attention to her other friends.
Well, we should get together.
We should. I wish you weren't leaving tomorrow
Me too :( come stay here!
Lol stay where? Where are you?
At Quil's! University Way!
Tell Quil hi for me, will ya? I haven't seen him in a while either.
So...you're not gonna come stay with me?
Bella's heart sank. She could see how his face would look, eyebrows creased, crestfallen. She could practically hear him saying it. Shit.
You know I wish I could, but I really have to finish this paper for my class tomorrow. Plus it's like 2 AM!
She tacked on a "haha" at the end, so he knew she wasn't really mad.
You are a real bum. Come on...You're not gonna finish that paper tonight. You might as well just come stay with me! I'm not going to see you forever!
She felt his words chipping away at her excuses, and he must have known that she would, because he added:
This is a once in a lifetime chance!
It would be a while before she'd be able to see him again, not until summer at least...
I'll help you with the paper if you come stay with me.
Bella would have laughed if she hadn't been so torn. This was an absolute lie - she knew there'd be absolutely no paper-writing once she got to Quil's place. Frustrated, she sent back:
omg Jake, don't do this, you're weakening my resolve
What does that mean?
Yep, he was most definitely trashed.
It means you're convincing me but it's so late and I can't walk over there right now, this is crazy! When are you leaving tomorrow?
I'll come get you
She paused for a second, thinking. When she didn't respond right away, he sent:
What do you think?
Damn, he was persistent. She tried a new tactic.
You never told me when you're leaving tomorrow
I'm leaving at like 4 tomorrow. Do you want me to come get you?
Relieved now, she laughed. 4 o'clock gave them plenty of time to hang out.
Haha dude I can't right now, it's way too late, I'll come over right after class tomorrow. Promise.
That was a much better idea. Plus, she could probably use a shower.
Oh come on. Come over now! I'll come meet you. I'll keep you warm tonight!
So, it was gonna be one of those nights. Bella frowned. She knew he was probably just joking around with her, for old time's sake, but it made her uncomfortable. They had a long history of sexual tension, but things never seemed to work out. She was genuinely happy with Edward, and she didn't want to have an awkward conversation tonight. So she made a joke instead.
Omg Jake I can't, I'm sorry! Keep me warm tomorrow, k? I'll come right over after class.
Bella...you're killin me. I NEED you to come cuddle with me tonight!
God she missed him. This really wasn't fair.
I'd like nothing more than to be your cuddlebuddy tonight but for real I HAVE to turn in this paper tomorrow
That was kind of an exaggeration - she just had to pick the topic she'd be writing on, but she really wanted to see him tomorrow instead. She really needed a shower - her hair looked awful - and shaving seemed like a pretty good idea, too. It was winter, and she had a long distance boyfriend. Leg hair tended to fall by the wayside.
Just like old friends. I promise I'll help you with your paper. Just come stay with me tonight. It's been too long since I've seen you.
Damn it.
Shit dude, you're killin me.
I'll keep it up all night unless you come here.
She laughed and then sighed, knowing he was right. Fine.
If I say yes you'll come get me?
He responded in record time.
I'm serious...yes, I'll come get you.
He must be serious, then. It was at least a 15 minute walk to Quil's, and it couldn't be more than 25 degrees out.
She stripped down and grabbed her phone and a towel, texting him back,
give me 20 minutes
She ran to the shower and turned it on. She checked her phone again while she waited for the water to warm up. Jacob texted and asked for her address, which she quickly gave to him before jumping in the shower, going straight for her razor. She showered like a madwoman, shampooing her hair and shaving as quickly as possible. She got out, toweled off, and ran back to her room. She had just yanked on her jeans and a green tank top when her phone buzzed again.
I'm here
Crap! Her head was still soaking wet. Squeezing it in a towel, she quickly fumbled for her socks and boots, almost tripping as she lunged for a sweatshirt, and ran downstairs to let him in.
She opened the door and peered around, looking for him. "Jake?"
His head poked around the corner of the porch. "Bella! Do you live in a sorority house?"
Bella sighed but couldn't keep the smile off her face as her best friend ran to greet her, sweeping her up in a bone-crushing hug. She rolled her eyes and said, "Don't remind me. Come on, I need to get my backpack."
She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the cold, only to be greeted by three very drunk and very sloppy girls who had just gotten back from a night out. One of them grinned up at Jacob and pointed to her knee.
"I shkinned my kneee..." she slurred at him.
Bella rolled her eyes, but kept her mouth shut. She grabbed Jake by the hand and led him in the other direction, faintly annoyed by the way they gawked at him. "Come on, Jake. Let's take these stairs."
Jake turned around, looking questioningly at the three drunk girls as they giggled over another girl on the front staircase, who was lying on her back and babbling incoherently. "Um, do they need help?"
Bella just kept walking. "They'll be fine," she said, rolling her eyes again. "How are you? I haven't seen you in so long. How have you been?" She tried to keep his face in sight as she walked up the stairs, a dangerous task for her, even stone cold sober as she was.
Jake laughed. "Keep your eyes in front of you, will ya? It's already 3 AM, we don't have time for a hospital visit."
They walked into her room, and he sat down on the chair at her desk as she quickly toweled her hair. "So, what are you doing up here? Just visiting for the night?"
"Yeah, I'm on spring break and I just decided to head up here for the night at the last minute. Quil and I met up with Jared, Sam, and his girlfriend Emily for dinner."
"And you're staying at Quil's?" she asked, grabbing at various notebooks she might need, while simultaneously trying to dry her hair with her towel as much as was possible.
"Yeah, Quil's is the only place I have a bed. He lives in an apartment with his brother, but his brother's back at the rez for the weekend, so there's an empty bed. Got everything?"
Bella checked her backpack: phone, books, toothbrush, keys. She had everything. "Yep. Let's go."
They started off on the walk to Quil's through the dark quiet night. Jake looked at her and smiled. "So...you're in a sorority?" he asked, quizzically.
She blushed. "Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking..." she trailed off.
Jake raised an eyebrow. "What were you thinking?"
Bella shrugged. "I don't know. Mike was in a frat, I wanted to hang out with Mike, sooo... you know. Ironic, because now they're getting kicked off campus for hazing."
"I saw Mike today. Or…yesterday."
"Oh," she said, keeping her voice even. "That's cool."
Jacob laughed. "Not really. I was a real asshole to him, just because of you," he said with a smile.
"Aw, Jake," she said, grabbing onto his arm, linking hers with his. "Well, thanks."
"Of course. C'mon, Bella. You think I wouldn't have your back?"
She shoved ineffectually against his arm, and they both laughed. They spent the rest of the walk laughing and catching up, and soon they made it to Quil's apartment building. They all sat on the couch together for a bit, talking and watching basketball.
"So what have you been up to?" she asked Jake. "What do you do every day?"
"Well," he smirked at her, "I'm a psychology major. I go to classes, I play basketball for UCLA, and I go to the gym. That's basically what I do every day. What doyou do every day?"
"Well, Rosalie has been dragging me to yoga every day. I don't really like it, but she is kicking my ass back into shape. I hang out with her, go to class...and that's about it, I guess. I go back and forth from here to Stanford every other month to see Edward, and he comes here every other month."
"Damn, Stanford. And I thought UCLA was hard," chuckled Jacob. "How's he liking med school?"
"He really likes it," Bella said, smiling. "Of course, he's a genius, so he's a little more relaxed than your average Stanford med student. He's one of those people who have never gotten a B. It's like he was made for med school." The conversation meandered back to high school, and soon they were reminiscing and swapping stories.
After a particularly incriminating story about Jared and Kim, Bella yawned. "Oh man, I can't believe how late it is," she remarked lazily, looking at the clock. It was 4 AM, but she didn't feel tired at all - she was too excited to see Jake. ''I never up stay up this late!"
"I really need to go to sleep. I'm exhausted," said Quil, as he rose from the couch. "Jake, my brother's room is right there," he said, pointing to the door on his right. "Bella, you're more than welcome to stay if you want. My home is your home."
Bella smiled. "Thanks, Quil."
"See you in the morning, guys," Quil yawned again, trudging sleepily into his room.
Bella made for the couch, when Jake caught her around the waist. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked.
She tried to ignore the zing of electricity generated by his touch. "Um, making myself a bed?"
Jake shook his head, pulling her into Quil's brother's bedroom with him and closing the door. "We have more catching up to do, and way more snuggling." He sat her down on the bed and began taking his shoes off. "That pillow seems big enough, I think we can share."
Bella sighed and sat on the bed, kicking off her own shoes. She and Jake had fallen asleep together all the time in high school, and nothing had ever happened. She wasn't too worried about that, but she did feel a little guilty. Surely, there'd be no chance of this happening if Edward was here. She knew he wouldn't be happy if he knew, but she put the thought out of her head. Edward had always been a little possessive, but she knew nothing would happen. This was fine. This would be fine.
She grabbed a blanket and wrapped herself in it and sat against the wall, making herself comfortable on the small bed. Jacob walked over to the door. "Ok if I turn off the light?"
"Sure," she said, wedging herself into the corner of the bed and the wall, making herself as small as possible, just so there wouldn't be any awkward accidental touching.
Jake starting unbuckling his jeans and Bella drew the blanket closer around her. "Uh, Jake? What are you doing?"
"Taking off my jeans?" He looked at her, surprised. "I'm not gonna sleep in my jeans, Bella." He shook his head, as if she was the crazy one. "You could take off yours too," he said, smirking. "I won't try anything," he said, with a mischievous look on his face.
Yeah right, she thought. "I seriously doubt that," she said, trying to give him a stern look. "Besides, I...can't," she said, blushing hotly. "What would I wear?"
"Sure you can," he said, as he sat on the bed. "Just sleep in your underwear."
"I actually can't," she said. Did she really just say that? She couldn't believe she was about to admit this to Jacob.
"Why not?" he asked. When she didn't answer, he said, "Hello, earth to Bella - why not? It's no big deal," he shrugged.
"Because...I don't wear any?" she said, covering her face.
"Are you serious?"
"Obviously I'm serious. I don't know, remember Paul?" Jacob nodded. Paul was a year older than them and had come down from the Makah rez to stay with Jared the summer before they started high school. Bella had always had a crush on Paul, and he and Bella had dated for the summer. "Remember how much I liked him? God, I thought he was so cool," she giggled. "Well, one day he made some comment about 'freeballin,' and how it was so much better, so... I decided to try it. And, I don't know, I kind of just...never stopped."
"Wow. I can't believe I'm just finding out that my best friend doesn't wear underwear. It's kind of hot."
Bella cringed. "Oh, stop it. It's not like, all the time, I mean... I always wear underwear if I'm wearing a skirt or something. You have to do that," she babbled.
"You don't have to," her grinned at her.
She punched him in the arm. "Oh yeah, but that's only if you're extra classy," she snorted.
"I can't believe you're not wearing underwear," he said, surprised. "I'm kind of turned on right now."
"Cut it out, Jake!" she said, punching him again, and then covered her face with her hands. "I can't believe I just told you that," she mumbled into her hands. What had gotten into her? "This is so embarrassing!" She flopped down onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow.
"Calm down Bells," Jacob said, laughing. "You're fine, I was just kidding around." He lied down too, and situated himself so that he was sharing the pillow with Bella, putting their faces in close proximity. "So," he asked seriously, "How are you really?"
She softened. This was why she had come over. "I'm ok, I guess. I don't know. I definitely don't miss high school, because of those bitchy girls, but... I guess I kind of do miss high school in a weird way. It sounds weird, but I haven't made any friends like you, you know? No one has really come close to our pack of friends in high school."
"Yeah." He fidgeted. "Uh, Bella? Can we like, adjust?" Unlike Bella, whose arms were tucked into her chest, Jacob's large arms had nowhere to go, and he was trying awkwardly to drape them around her.
"Yeah, sure," she agreed. He extended his arms, and she fit herself into them, her head on his chest. She immediately relaxed. This was much better. Sure, they were much closer, but she felt better with their faces farther away. This felt like Bella and Jake, like a big hug, wrapped securely in his arms. She exhaled, the tension leaving her shoulders, and nuzzled into his soft t-shirt. "It's not that I don't have friends, I do. It's just...I don't know. Not the same. Like, I practically never get to see Alice, because she's in Boston. But when I do, we stay up all night, talking until we lose our voices, and it's like no time has passed at all. I've never felt that way with anyone here, you know?"
"I know exactly what you mean. I just visited Embry in Indiana last weekend, and it was the same way, like no time had passed." He rubbed his thumb in small circles on her lower back, moving his hand under her tank top.
"I don't like anyone I live with, except like 2 or 3 people," Bella admitted.
"Yeah, what's that about, Bells? You live in a sorority?"
Bella rolled her eyes. "I know. Would you ever expect that from me?"
"No," Jacob answered immediately. "It sounds like the kind of thing you'd hate."
Bella laughed, saying, "It is exactly the kind of thing I hate. 'Oh my god,'" she squealed, bringing her voice a few octaves up, "'Can I pleeeeease be your friend? Look how cute I am! Let me parade around in front of all these girls so that they can pick me to be their friend, pick me! Pick me!' Ugh. It's disgusting. Why do I want to be your friend? Why would I care that much? I don't even know these people, and I don't owe them anything. The whole thing just seems so...desperate."
"But you did it."
Bella cringed. "Yeah, I did. I'm a total hypocrite. I was desperate, just not in the same way...I was desperate for Mike. I was such an idiot."
"You were not an idiot," Jacob disagreed. "He was horrible to you, and he messed with your head. I could mess with his head if you wanted..."
Bella choked out a laugh, saying, "If I'm staying out of the hospital, you're staying out of jail, ok?"
"Ok," agreed Jacob with a smile.
They were quiet for a moment. "This is perfect," said Jacob. "Just some good friend-on-friend cuddling."
Bella smiled. She couldn't disagree. "Remember the time you came to my house, and my dad tried to cook us salmon?"
Jacob laughed. "I felt like I was on a first date. He kept trying to make us food, and you were like, 'No, Dad, we're fine-'"
"-and then he almost burnt down the house anyway? That was so awkward," Bella added, and the both laughed.
"We've known each other for over half our lives, you know that? It's so weird to think about."
"I know! I can't believe it. You were the only person I knew at Forks when I started, from fishing with our dads since we were like, 11, and now I'm almost 21. God, I had the biggest crush on you back then," she admitted thoughtlessly. Apparently, her mental filter had gone on vacation for the night.
"You did? Why didn't you say anything?"
Bella laughed. "Jake, are you kidding? You were so cool, and you barely knew who I was."
"Well then how was I supposed to know that you liked me?"
"Jake!" Bella hid her face. "Everyone knew. I loved you. I was new and no one even knew me, but everyone knew I liked you. It wasn't exactly a secret. I mean, everyone liked you, so it's not like that was news to anyone."
Jacob was quiet for a minute. "Why didn't anything ever happen between us?"
Bella paused, thoughtful. "Well, I never had enough confidence to talk to you in middle school, and then in high school, I met Mike." She shrugged. "Sooo then I had a boyfriend for 4 years."
"Fuckin Mike," Jacob said with a scowl.
"Yeah, I really bet on the wrong horse there, huh?" she murmured. "And then when I was finally single, you were attached. We just had bad timing," she admitted, more to herself than anything.
Jacob moved his arm higher up her back, to her waist, and tightened his hold. "We coulda been good, Bells."
She sighed, knowing she should stay away from this topic, but gave in anyway. "I know, Jake."
We would have been perfect. We..."
"What?"
Jake paused, evaluating. "Your life...our lives...would be so different..." he trailed off.
"I know. Do you ever wonder where we'd be now if things had gone differently?"
Jacob winced, unseen by Bella. "I try not to."
"I almost went to USC, you know."
"What?" Jake exploded.
"Yeah. They gave me some money, but it was still cheaper to stay in-state. I thought about it, because you had already committed to UCLA, and I thought to myself, 'Well, I won't know anyone really, but Jake would be close by,' and I was seriously considering it."
"Bella..." said Jacob, sounding pained. "If we'd been together, I'd definitely be at U-dub instead. I think to myself all the time how I should've gone here instead. I miss it here. I miss you."
Bella's breath caught. What about Lizzie? she thought to herself. If he came here, he never would have met her. How could he want that? But she didn't say anything. They were quiet for a moment. "It would have been so easy," said Bella quietly. "As easy as breathing. Like this - I haven't seen you in almost a year, but this feels totally normal."
"It feels like we did this yesterday, like we do this every day," Jake interrupted. "Promise we'll do this every time I visit?"
"Of course," Bella agreed readily. "Of course we will." It seemed perfectly natural.
"We should probably just get married one day." Bella burst out laughing, but Jacob continued. "I'm serious, Bells. Think about it, chances are Lizzie and I aren't gonna get married, and it's not like you're gonna marry this Edward guy, right?" Bella blushed in the darkness. She had thought about it. "We'll get married, and then we can do this every day. We'll have a fantastic honeymoon."
"Oh," said Bella, smirking. "And where will we go?"
"Hawaii. I'm thinking two weeks."
"Mm, sounds good to me."
"We'll have a little villa on the beach..." he trailed off.
"Sounds like you have it all worked out."
"I do."
They were quiet again. "What are you thinking about?" Jacob didn't answer. "Jake?"
"I...I was wondering…if," he said, looking down at her, "it'd be a really bad thing," he continued, meeting her eyes, "if I"-he licked his lips nervously- "made a move on you right now."
A/N: Ok so I'm ending it there because I want your reviews and your enthusiasm! Thank you so so SO much to my incredible beta/pre-reader/all-around rock star jakejunkie, who made this story what it is.
