"Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were stars—points of light and reason… And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn't see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything."
Bella Swann's eyes snapped open, her heart was beating at what seemed to be 100mph. Her eyes focused to the dark all she'd woken to was a room of emptiness. It was just a dream. She flipped over the pillow to the cool side and let her head fall back into the cold caress of the soft fabric. It reminded her of the world she has once longed to live in.
"Morning sunshine." Jacob Black was leaning against Bella's beaten chevy. This was the normal greeting for Bella now on Saturday mornings.
It was the middle of the summer holidays and it was a momentous occasion for everyone in Forks. It wasn't raining, and there was not a cloud in sight.
"Wanna take her for a spin?" He asked, the keys daggling from one hand; he was opening the passenger door with the other.
"What makes you think my truck is a female." Bella raised her eyebrow in general questioning, but, to Jacob, this made her look sexier than normal. Even though Bella had never been very feminine she could still make Jacob hot under the collar.
"Well I... I ... Just." Jacob stammered as Bella came forward closing the space between them to just a few feet.
"You just what?" She moved so they were just inches away from each other. She stood on her toes up against him; trying to look more intimidating. There faces were just inches away from each other. Bella bit her lip, this was what she always tended to do when she wanted Jacobs attention. By the look on his face, there was no need; he was already paying her full attention. Even though the keys were still in Jacobs hand, Bella had already got a motor racing. Jacob was frozen to the spot, one hand glued to the door handle the other still suspended in mid air, keys swaying in the light breeze.
"Well... Most are are f..f..fe..."
"Female?" Bella purposely looked straight into Jacobs dark brown eyes, his eyes shot to his shoes. Bella smiled as she reached over and across his body, she pecked his nose and in a flash the trucks keys were in her hand. Quick as lightning she'd bolted around the truck and dived in the drivers side. Jacob still frozen to the spot in shock began to defrost, he let go of the passenger handle and leisurely walked around at open driver's door. He walked well out of the way of the door, just in case someone got any funny ideas.
He put his arm on the truck and leaned inside the cabin. This scene mimicked a guy chatting up a girl at a bar. Any passerby could mistake it as young love, but unknown to passersby, Jacob's arm was ready to be used as a springboard. Bella liked to slam doors on him. Even with his healing capabilities, it hurt.
"Who said I'd let you drive?" Bella smiled as she put the key in the ignition, double pumping the clutch at the same time. The truck reluctantly awoke from it's slumber coughing and sputtering like a tobacco chewing old man.
Jacob the truck rocked as he got in, when the suspension balanced out again the leant slightly towards the passengers side. Jacob grunted as he slammed the old rusty door shut.
Bella hissed in anger, but Jacob's face was like thunder so she decided to give him a break, light-heartedly she joked.
"That's a bannable offense. I should ban you from this truck. But I won't because I'm nice like that; you should really think about losing a couple of pounds though your not good for the suspension."
"Bella," Jacob's head snapped round obviously offended by the weight jibe. "I fixed this hunk o' junk for you. I should get to undo my own work." He then muttered under his breath. "Next time, I'll break the door off, then let see what happens."
"Jacob Black!" She exclaimed melodramatically. "Do not call my truck a hunk o' junk! She has feelings!"
"Thought you said it wasn't female."
"I never, you assumed she was. Anyway," She snapped her head around just like Jacob had. "If that's how you treat females. By breaking their parts off I feel sorry for the poor girl who gets stuck with you!"
"Ah, but I-" The truck began to choke violently breaking their little fight. Bella hit Jacob hard as she could repeatedly on the arm.
"See what you've done! You've upset her! Apologise!"
"It's a machine!" He exclaimed his arm shot out to the direction of the engine.
"Right now Jacob Black or I swear to God you will never come within another inch of this truck or me again!"
"But I'm your mechanic." He pouted and fluttered his eyes.
The truck shook aggressively speaking on Bella's behalf as if trying to force Jacob say sorry.
"Apologise Jake, she's gonna choke up!"
"Okay, Okay. I'm sorry. There are you happy?" The truck immediately quit choking instead began to purr once more in acceptance of Jacob's apology.
"Wasn't so hard now was it?" Bella used a patronising tone just to wind Jacob up even more. She checked her mirrors, like the responsible driver she was, rammed the gearstick in reverse then pulled out of the drive. just as Charlie's cruiser pulled up and came to a hault as far away from Bella's swinging out space as possible, she was as clumsy in the car as she was on her feet.
Bella backed out fully and looked at Charlie through the mirror he gave her a nod of acknowledgement.
With that Bella smashed the truck into gear, pushed down hard on the accelerator and her truck began to plod along the road at seemingly slow pace. The conversation between her and Jacob was non-existent, with his ego flattened by a team effort of Bella and her truck he was in a state of sulking.
Bella sighed. "Are you gonna at least try and make a conversation with me? Or should I just put the radio on?" Jacob answered my huffing and staring out the window, like the typically moody teen he was. Bella reached over and flicked the power button. The lights switched on and illuminated the scratches on the dashboard where someone had franticly yanked out the stereo.
A warping sensation came over Bella as she was pulled back through time. She was the audience to her own undoing.
The huge room brightly decorated with various ribbons, balloons and sparkles. The perfect, happy family crowded round in a circle. A birthday celebration silver paper sprawled all over the floor. The presents, paper cut, the blood, Jasper. Edward.
Next second she was watching herself in the woods. The cold wind cutting at her bare cheeks, the pain tearing at her insides, the tears.
Flashes of images appeared before her very eyes taking her concentration off the road and into the images of the love she lost.