He couldn't give up. Couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't. He'd known it all along, even when he'd decided to escape. He'd been an idiot to think that he could escape anything that even remotely touched Bella Swan. His heart wouldn't allow it, even though he was sick of pining for her like some pathetic puppy. She didn't love him like he loved her. Why couldn't he just accept that? Why wasn't it good enough? Why had she made him love her when she could never feel the same way in return?
He couldn't say that he regretted it, the time they'd spent together when that leech had done them all a favor and disappeared, but he could rightfully say that he wanted to stop thinking about it. He wanted to stop recalling the events of that time back to his mind. He wanted to forget how they'd spent nearly every day together, and she'd almost started looking at him with that same light in her eyes that always shone for the bloodsucker.
Maybe he'd just imagined that too.
Did it matter? He was here now. He'd come back, though he'd meant to disappear for good when he'd ran away. He wouldn't say that it wasn't tempting to turn and go again now when he could possibly be setting himself up for yet another tumble when Bella rejected him again, but he couldn't get himself to move in the opposite direction. Despite how nice it'd been to live as a wolf, primitive and free. Or mostly free. Free from everything except his thoughts of Bella.
Jacob gritted his teeth and glared at his feet. One more step, and he'd be inside the boundaries of Forks. He'd be that much closer to the ceremony, that much closer to seeing Bella stroll down the most important aisle of her life into the arms of a monster. It disgusted him already, and he hadn't even seen it yet.
He didn't want to ever see it. Maybe that was why he couldn't take that one last, fate-sealing step forward. But he had to. He had to try and save Bella one last time. That ring on her finger would mean game over. He couldn't be sure if she'd wait until the wedding was over, or if she'd jump head first right after the "I dos" into a soul-less existence. If he knew Bella at all, he could already expect the worst. She had a bad habit of doing whatever directly contrasted with safety. He couldn't count on her to do the smart thing, and he didn't know how long he could expect that idiot Cullen to keep her heart beat pumping.
How far along were they already? What part of the ceremony were the oblivious citizens of Forks witnessing at this exact moment? The morons! How could they possibly sink to celebrating something that was so obviously wrong and unnatural? If they had any idea what this wedding meant… If Charlie had any idea…
Jacob's stomach turned with disgust, and he sneered. Maybe he should jump the gun and blab the whole thing to Police Chief Swan now. Maybe that was the only way to save Bella, because he knew, despite his futile hopes, that there was no way Bella was suddenly going to look at him with stars in her eyes and leave the leech. A pang of hurt rippled up Jacob's spine, and he shuddered.
He had to do what he could. Preparing himself for the worst, Jacob took that last step over the boundary line of Forks and started to jog.
~!~!~!~
He'd known he was too late before he'd gotten there. Known it, but hadn't accepted it. Now, however, experiencing that failure was even worse than he'd expected. Half-concealed by the cropping of trees, Jacob stood and watched his only flicker of hope blow weakly out. Out from the house came the wedding guests, people he knew respect, admired, and loved, and out from the house came Bella. Bella, a person he'd known, admired, and loved so much that it hurt, ached in every joint of his body.
His breath caught treacherously as he saw her, the image in the wedding gown, the princess that had finally gotten her fairytale. With Edward. Jacob's heart clenched unmercifully as his gaze landed on Edward's face. He didn't see the love there, didn't see the adoration, all he could imagine was the triumph, the smug smirk that lurked somewhere beneath, because he knew without a doubt now that Bella was his forever. He had the ring to prove it.
Jacob felt the slow, hot burn begin inside of him. He felt the heat of it pulsating in his chest, throbbing so hard he was surprised he didn't burst. He saw the red that began to rim his vision, felt how it wanted to consume him. His rage was bubbling to the surface, and, if he didn't contain it, there was no telling what he'd do if he phased now with all his friends and family near. With Bella near. With Edward Cullen near.
Jacob's dark eyes reflected his sorrow and anger, and they remained locked on the bride and groom, the happy, unnatural couple.
Game over. He'd lost.