"You're shedding on the furniture again," I teased Jacob, brushing the stray hairs of the couch arm with one hand and setting the bowel of chips I'd just refilled in the kitchen on the coffee table Jacob grinned up at me from where he was sprawled across the couch, his long legs dangling across the other side of the couch.
"Woof" he replied with a cheeky grin, his walnut brown eyes glinting with laughter. I shook my head mockingly at the terribleness of his joke. Jacob took the opportunity to pounce, an arm encircling my waist and flipping me over the couch arm. Startled, I let out a sharp screech, which became edged with laughter as I landed heavily on him.
Laying on top of him I playfully elbowed him in the stomach in mock protest. Not that he had much of a stomach; it was all abs, one of the many perks of being a werewolf. I rolled of Jacob, to grab a handful of chips and the remote, a smile on my face. We were in my lounge room watching a marathon of B grade horror flicks, in celebration of the end of another school semester. Pulling me back across the couch into his body, Jacob pressed a light kiss on the edge of my smile and stole half the chips out of my hand.
"Hey," I protested, rolling my eyes and giving him another jab in the abdomen. The feeling of his lips, still lingering on the edge of mine.
It had been like this for a few weeks now, the exchanging of playful kisses. Easy and light. We'd yet to define exactly what was going on between us, but I knew it was up to be to determine. The problem is that I don't know what I want. I didn't think I could commit to a proper commitment, not again. Not after him. Yet at the same time I was reluctant to let go of what was happening with Jacob.
Jacob is warm and kind. He can make me laugh and feel almost dizzy with happiness. I know it's selfish of me to string him along, when I'm not a complete person. Not really, it was almost like there was a giant hole in me. Jacob deserves better, yet I can't bring myself to put a stop to this thing we have.
Jacob wrapped an arm easily around my small frame, securing me into him and pressed play on the remote still in my hand. I felt safe encircled in his arms.
Jacob had been vague with the details, when he'd told me of Victoria's demise. I had to admit I hadn't really pried into the matter, relieved that the situation was over. The general gist was that Sam had decided to try and peacefully negotiate with Victoria. Turns out Victoria's gift of eluding the werewolves disappeared when they meant her no harm.
Unfortunately for Victoria she didn't have the sense not to insult the Quileute werewolves. Jacob wouldn't tell me what she said, but I do know that Paul was the one who shifted in anger, followed quickly by his pack mates who than tore the vampire to ribbons. I was guessing it was something that involved Rachel, Jacobs sister and the girl Paul had imprinted on.
I was distracted from my thoughts by a werewolf ripping a man in half, an excess of blood spurting from the remains of the man's body. The werewolf snarled, teeth glinting in the moonlight and dripping with blood.
"That has to be the ugliest werewolf I've ever seen." I commented.
"Kind of looks like Paul," Jacob chuckled. I could feel the vibration of his laugh down my spine.
I twisted round in Jacobs's grip of me so I could look up at his face. "I don't know," I teased, "reminds me a little of you. Round the eyes I think."
Jacob laughed, "So who's the hottest werewolf than?" Jacob asked, twirling a finger round the end of my hair.
I cocked my head back in fake contemplation, "Hmm, well Embry's kind of cute."
I let out a sharp shriek of laughter as Jacob rolled me off the couch and started tickling me. His enormous body pinning me down. "Sorry, what was that?" I squirmed under his fingers, laughing so hard I felt breathless.
"Okay, Jake" I half screeched, still squirming underneath him, "I take it back."
"And who's the cutest werewolf," Jacob asked, smirking from on top of me.
"You are." I managed at last, my abdomens felt like they were aflame from laughing so hard.
"Don't you forget it," Jacob gloated from atop of me, a giant smirk spreading across his face. I focused on getting my breath back for a moment, still pinned under Jacob's enormous body. I placed a hand on Jacob's chest, to push him off me, faltering slightly when I realised I could feel his heart beat. Our gazes locked, my hand still lingering on his chest. Slowly, as if approaching a wild animal that was ready to bolt, Jacob leaned down to wards me.
Panic hit me, I had no idea what to do. Almost instinctively I leaned slightly forwards, thoughts of how this was a bad idea tumbling through my head. The thoughts fled when our lips touched. Jacob's hands tangling in my hair, gently tugging.
A few moments in, my hand started cramping, from where it was still pressed between Jacob's chest and mine. I slid it out from between our bodies, Jacob taking the opportunity to press further into me. Awkwardly, I wrapped my arm around his neck, not entirely sure what I should do with it. I had next to no experience with this.
The front door openings, made me flinch back, separating my face from Jacob's. Jacob's face was flushed, lips slightly swollen from the make out session. Crap, crap, double crap, I thought panicked. Pushing Jacob of me I stood up, too quickly and stumbled over my own feet knocking painfully into the coffee table.
Flickers of pain shoot up my leg. The chip bowel on the table overturning and spilling chips across the table's surface. I let out a groan of pain and frustration.
Charlie ducked his head into the lounge room, a moment latter to see Jacob casually brushing the spilt chips back into the bowel and me sitting on the couch rubbing my sore leg.
"Everything okay in here?" Charlie asked, surveying the room and the two of us. My face felt flushed and I was sure Charlie knew exactly what had just happened moments ago just by looking at my face.
Jacob however looked perfectly at ease, shrugging slightly at Charlie's question. "Just the usual, Bella tripping over nothing. Me cleaning up after her." He replied with a mocking slight. I gave him a swift kick with my uninjured leg.
"Also, Bells beating me," he laughed jumping back from my reach.
Charlie gave a little grunt a nod, gave the room one last glance over and disappeared into the kitchen. The sound of the kitchen door opening, soon following.
Jacob flopped into the spot next to me on the couch and we watched the rest of the movie in silence. I was incredibly conscience of the fact that our thighs were touching from the knee up from where we were sitting on the couch. I was also painfully aware that Charlie was meters away from us in the kitchen.
When the movie was over, I walked Jacob to his car our hands entwined. He gave me a gently kiss on the lips that seemed to linger when our lips parted. "I'll call you tomorrow," he promised before getting in the Rabbit and driving off.
I stood in the driveway, the chill of night air seeping through my cotton t-shirt waving him off.
"You know, I think its great that you and Jake are so close," Charlie said, slowly and carefully over dinner, an open beer in hand. "I just think you should, make sure you spend time with your other friends."
I glanced up at Charlie, from my bowel of pasta. I didn't think it would be wise to tell him, that I didn't really have any other friends that Jacob. "Um sure," I replied instead, "I'll call Angela after dinner and we'll do something."
"Good," Charlie grunted returning to his pasta.
I took my time doing the dishes after dinner, trying to think of what to say to the tall reserved girl. Of the cafeteria crowd, I was closest to her, yet we didn't really talk much. I knew she was dating Ben Cheney, and that her dad was a Lutheran minister but that was really it. I felt a pang of guilt, and my obliviousness to my own friends.
I forced myself to pick up the landline on the kitchen wall and dial Angela's home number. Angela answered the phone on the fifth ring, surprisingly she seemed delighted at my call which was far more than I deserved.
"Jess and I were thinking of road tripping to Seattle for a day. You should come with us."
"Sure, sounds great," I said genuinely enthusiastic.
"Fabulous. When are you free?"
After a few moments of chitchat I hanged up, in high spirits. Angela had promised to call Jess and we'd leave some time next week for the three hour trip. I found myself genuinely looking forward to spending more time with Angela in Seattle.