The phone rang, bursting my ear drum with its loud screech. I ran to pick it up before the person on the other line got impatient and gave up ringing altogether. Jacob was about to pick the phone up, but I decided it could be something important, considering Charlie was at the funeral and so I quickly slid my hand under his before he managed to pick the receiver up.

"Hello?" silence... I had never received one of these silent calls in the history of my time living in Forks, but I had hated when it happened in Phoenix. "Hello?" I said again, hoping that the person on the other line simply hadn't heard me speak the first time. Click. All there was now was a long beep, notifying me that the person on the other line had hung up. I looked at the receiver, contemplated for a moment, and simply gave up thinking altogether, placing the receiver back on the hook.

"So, how long are you planning on keeping her here then?"

"I guess you're referring to Alice?"

"Well, who else would I be talking about, you know that those filthy bloodsuckers are my only enemies."

"Jake, a little respect would be nice."

"Sorry, it's just, I don't know why you have to have her stay here. I mean things were going great between us... and now that she's back, well they're all gonna come back sooner or later, and everything we had will vanish."

"SHE, has a name, and I'm glad you think so highly of my participation in our relationship. What, do you think that you're the only one who wants to keep this relationship going? Just because I'm friends with vampires doesn't mean I can't stay friends with you, at least, it shouldn't mean that. I know that the rest of them aren't coming back, especially not, not, him. He doesn't want me anymore and well Alice came because she saw me jump and obviously feared for my safety, the sweet thing that she is." I was very nearly in tears, I could feel sobs coming on, and I started trembling.

I didn't want Jacob to see me crying over him it would only make him feel worse for bringing the topic up, but I knew it had to be noted. I knew that Edward would never come back, but if he did, if there was just a slight possibility that he was considering it, I knew that I would run back into his arms and stay there encircled by them forever. Jacob would probably suffer, and I felt horrible but I stopped thinking about that before the tears actually came on.

I looked up, and Jacob was staring right at me, eyes wide, probably scared that he had brought me to tears. I knew that at that moment, I could very easily reach up and kiss him, and it would make both of us happy. But I had false hope in my system that maybe, just maybe, he would have reconsidered his feelings for me, and would accept me as the clumsy klutz danger magnet I was.

"Bells, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring this up so openly, I know how upset you get." He was now hugging me, cradling me in his arms, and it was then that I realised even if Edward did come back, I could never throw away the sunshine of my life. I would never forget how he stitched me back together when I was close to waste material, how he fixed the motorbikes without any questioning 

about why I wanted them fixed or how or where I got them from. Everything was so effortless around him, and standing there in his arms, it felt so right.

"Bella?" I could hear Alice's sweet musical voice linger softly from the stairs. I turned around to find her standing on the bottom step, eyes wide.

"Yes Alice?" I sounded somewhat annoyed, even though that is not at all how I intended it to come out. Alice probably noticed the irritation in my tone and decided it was best to leave me for Jake to handle, she probably thought she wasn't worthy enough to mangle in my emotions anymore. That was not at all how I felt, I would have been happy for Alice to come over and hug me right now, but she obviously thought that there was a little more going on between Jacob and I, other than a simple hug.

"Oh, I just wanted to tell you that I'm going to go hunting. I'll be back in a short while, and well I know you absolutely hate doing this, but do you mind if well, you go shopping with me? I'm in dire need of new clothes, I couldn't bring any of my good clothes with me and well, everything I did bring is last season. I also thought you'd like a couple new pairs of jeans and a few new tops, I have no one else to go shopping with..." She looked so cute when she was uncomfortable, I knew she didn't much like talking in front of Jacob, after all he was her mortal enemy.

I cut her off abruptly.

"Alice, I'll go with you, it's ok. Have fun hunting and if I'm not home when you get back, then you'll probably be able to track me by my scent. I won't go over the treaty line in case something urgent comes up."

Alice smiled a small smile, nodded her little head and ran out the door at vampire speed. I hoped that she had slowed down before she got out of the house in case that on some rare occasion there were people outside my house.

I took one swift look around the kitchen and looked back at Jacob, who was now staring out the window. "Jake, can we forget about this conversation?"

He turned his head back to look at me and placed his index finger and thumb under my chin, tilting my face up so that I had nowhere to look but in his eyes. "Bella, I promised that I would always be there for you, and I'm not breaking that promise. I don't care if you run back to him if he ever shows up here again, I'll always be your friend." I looked deep into his eyes and smiled, I knew he was telling the truth.

"Thanks Jake." I hugged him again.

"So Bella, we have about an hour, and I'm not running with the pack today, I know that there are limited entertainment facilities available in Forks. Even if there are, I don't really know about them, so the choice is up to you, whata you wanna do?"

I looked out the window and swept my gaze quickly across the driveway, catching a glimpse of shiny paint.

"Jake...I think I feel like riding a bike."



At that he laughed, grasped my hand in his and walked me out the door towards my truck where the bike was hidden.