Chapter 1

BPOV

Where can he be? It was just after nine and Jake still wasn't home yet. It was unnerving to me that he was still at work at this time of night when the shop closed at six. I knew they were a little swamped since Embry had taken leave for the arrival of his new daughter and Jacob and Quil were trying to carry his load, as well as their own, but really how many cars needed to be fixed in a small town like Forks? I looked out the window to watch as sheets of rain beat against the window pane while I awaited his arrival.

Well, so much for our movie night. I got up from the chair by the window after a few minutes and let out a deep sigh. I decided I would take a bubble bath so my night wouldn't turn out to be such a total disaster.

I'll try again next week, I thought to myself as I turned the water on and poured in a little of my cherry blossom bubble bath I had picked up last week in Silverdale. The steam was a very welcomed cloak creeping over my body and filling my lungs while I undressed. It was a comforting experience. I threw my clothes in the hamper and grabbed my iPod off of the counter while making my way over to the tub. I tentatively stepped into the almost too hot water and felt my muscles immediately start to relax as I slinked my way down under the blanket of bubbles.

Hmm..this is nice I thought to myself while listening to Wedding Dress by Matt Nathanson. I had always dreamed of dancing to that song with Jake on our wedding day, whenever that would be. I then let my mind wander to the possibilities of what our future would hold for us.

I must have dosed off not long after that because I was woken up by Jake pounding on the door of the bathroom, yelling my name, his voice heavy and slurred from his drunken state.

"Bells, are you okay in there? Didn't drown, did you?" he asked opening the door slightly to peek in the room. His short cropped hair was disheveled in such a way he looked like he had been rolling around rough housing with the boys again.

"No I'm fine. I was just getting out," I told him as I pulled my ear buds from my ears and grabbed the towel from the towel bar.

I stepped out onto the rug and started drying my legs as Jake just stood in the door way watching me with what seemed like....impatience? I pulled the drain from the tub and finished drying the rest of my body and finally wrapping the towel securely around my body.

"Well it took you long enough, I've been needing in there to take a leak and get a quick shower before heading to sleep." Jacob said as he pushed the door the rest of the way open.

"Well I'm done so it's all yours now. I'm just going to go get dressed for bed. I'll see you in there?" I didn't mean to form the last part as a question. It just came out that way.

"Yeah. Sure, sure. Now can I have a moment alone so I can take a piss?" He asked as he shoved past me to the toilet. Just as he walked past me, the air shifting behind him, I caught a whiff of something different. There was definitely the oil and grime smell he wore every night when he came home from the shop, but something was off. There was a faint floral scent added in with the grime. I let out a deep breath and closed the door slowly behind me as I exited the bathroom.

I made my way to our room and over to my dresser to grab some panties and a camisole to sleep in. I put them on, then grabbed my brush and started yanking through the tangles of my hair. I went back to the bathroom to retrieve my deodorant and body spray. Jake was already in the shower and was singing Sex on Fire rather loudly so I hoped he wouldn't notice me sneaking in there. I grabbed my things and was exiting the restroom when I noticed a scrap of paper on the floor next to his jeans. I picked it up to throw it away but realized there was something written on it. It was a phone number with a lipstick kiss around it. Oh, how original I thought as I flipped it over looking for a name but found none.

"Jacob," I said, my voice shaking slightly.

"Yeah?" he asked sardonically.

"Whose phone number is this with a kiss on it?" I asked, my voice faltering a little in the middle.

And for once I found Jacob Black at a loss of words.

JPOV

Holy Hell. I couldn't believe Bella had found the scrap of paper Leah had written her number on for me. I knew what she was playing at when she gave it to me, but the thought of playing 'nurse and patient', as she called it, was just down right sickening to me.

Everyone from the reservation had already taken a round at that, all except for me that is, and I wasn't about to become another notch in her bed post.

~o0o~

We were all at the hospital because Jenni, Embry's wife, was having some sort of pre-baby stuff going on and thought it was time. I had forgot to call Bella in my rush to get to the hospital to be there for Embry while he paced back and forth in the small waiting room.

The new gyno doctor had just come out and wanted to talk to Embry alone so I walked down to the vending machine to grab some chips and a soda. I was just about to put the coins into the coke machine when I heard the annoying wench's voice.

"Ooh, if it isn't the godly Jacob Black." Leah said as she walked up behind me and slid her hand around my waste.

"Knock it off Leah. What are you doing here?" I asked as I pushed her hand off of me.

"You didn't hear? I finished college and got a job here at the hospital working in OB as the nurse in the nursery." she said with great enthusiasm.

How anyone would let this chick touch their kid with those hands is beyond me I thought to myself finally retrieving my coke from the machine.

"Yeah, well that's great Leah. See ya 'round." I said as I started to walk off towards the maternity wing again.

"Oh Jacob, how's your Bella doing? Tell her I said hi, would ya?" she asked, her voice turning to acid at Bella's name.

"Leah, we're not going to talk about my Bella, ok? So just drop it." I said as I continued walking towards the big double doors blocking the view of the father's waiting room.

Leah and Bella had never gotten along ever since the first time I took Bella out back in high school. Bella was hell bent on beating the crap out of Leah for trying to kiss me at the prom but I told her it wasn't worth it and she was too beautiful that night to stoop to that skank's level. She let it go at the time but never did care to be around her after that. I probably should of let her go after Leah, maybe she would have stopped her advances then and there. I just didn't want Bella to ruin the beautiful dress she had saved for for so long. And between you and me, I've seen Leah fight growing up. I couldn't leave Bella with the possibility of getting man handled by her.

I heard Leah running down the hall way to catch up to me and just as I turned around to tell her to go bother some other tool, she jumped up to wrap her arms around my neck. I immediately grabbed her wrists and pushed her away but not before she stuck a piece of paper down the front of my shirt.

"Call me when you're sick of the pale face and need Nurse Leah to make you feel better." she said over her shoulder as she walked through the double doors and into the nursery.

"Damn, dude go wash that filth off." Quil said as I walked into the waiting room. "I can't believe you let her even get that close to you. Pray you didn't catch some kind of flesh eating virus from that thing that you can't get rid of."

I just glared at him as I took a seat and flipped through the channels looking for something to watch. Just as I found a game on ESPN Embry walked back through the door with Sam, Paul and Jared.

"Hey guys, you'll never believe who was hugged all up on the rez's most disgusting." Quil blurted out before anyone could say anything.

"Who?" they all asked in unison.

"Well he's in this room and it's not me and it wasn't any of you...so..." he lingered on the end.

"Aww Jake, that's gross."

"Man, Bella's gonna kill you."

"That's a fight I want some popcorn for."

"Oh shut the hell up guys. I wasn't hugged up on Leah. She stopped me at the coke machine and then followed me back down here and threw herself on me when I wasn't looking." I explained while I rolled my eyes at them.

They all stared at me in disbelief as if I were trying to pull my brains out of my nose. I knew as soon as I said it, it sounded horrible.

"Right. And I turn into a werewolf when the moon comes out." Paul said.

"Well, okay then. We're gonna head down to La Push and have a couple of beers, do you all want to come?" Jared asked trying to detour the conversation.

I looked down and at my watch and saw that it was seven thirty. Bella won't mind a couple of beers with the guys I thought and nodded my head yes.

"Sure, I'll be right behind you guys. I just want to call and check on Claire real quick. She wasn't feeling well this morning when I left for work and I want to let her know where I'm going." Quil said as he stood and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

The rest of us headed out of the waiting room and down the corridor to the exit when I realized Embry wasn't walking with us.

"Hey Em, you coming or not, dude?" I asked stopping to turn and look at him.

"Nah, you guys go on. I'm gonna stay here and see what else the doctor has to say about when she can come back home. He said earlier they were going to keep her on the monitor to make sure the contractions were really just a false alarm and then she should be free to go. I'll catch you next time though." Embry replied as he let out a deep breath and ran his fingers threw his hair walking back to the double doors.

We turned and continued down to the exit and right to the parking lot. "Hey Jake, you think I can catch a ride?" Sam asked. "Sure man." I told him reaching across the truck and unlocking the door for him.

He climbed in and we headed down to La Push enjoying a conversation about nothing in particular. We talked about the shop and about Emily and the kids.

We reached the beach when the rain started pouring and decided to move our little shin-dig to Quil's house. It was just after ten when I remembered Bella had wanted to have a movie night tonight and thought it best to head home to see if I could salvage this evening with her.

~o0o~

"Bella let me explain." I said as I tried to rinse off quickly and get out of the shower.

"Save your words Jake, I don't need your pathetic explanation as to why you have some other women's number in you pocket. Do I look like I just fell from the stupid tree? " she yelled at me as she turned to walk out of the bathroom.

"Bella, just wait you don't understand." I stammered trying to wrap the towel around me and untangle myself from the shower curtain. I thought the shower had eased some of my drunkenness but apparently not, I realized as i did a face plant right in front of the toilet.

I picked myself up and ran half naked into my room where I found Bella throwing some jeans and a hoodie on over her 'night clothes'.

"Dammit Bella, just let me explain. We were at the hospital and I was getting a coke and then...ugh...and then she.....yuck.....and I never-"

"Save it Jacob. I don't need you to go any further. I know exactly whose number this is. It's Leah's isn't it?" she asked tears brimming in her eyes.

"Yes, but Bella it wasn't like that-"

"Damn you Jacob Black. I told you to save it. I don't want to hear another word from you about your little whore okay? Just leave me the hell alone." She yelled as she sat on the edge of the bed and hung her head into her hands.

"Bells, I'm sorry. Just..how did you know it was Leah's?" I asked curiously at this new found revelation.

"Everybody knows that two bit whore got a job there working in the nursery. I can't believe I was stupid enough to think you were different from all of your friends. I guess boys really do like to share everything." She said as tears trailed down her cheeks.

I wanted to go to her and wipe them away. I wanted to explain to her it wasn't what she thought. I wanted to hold her in my arms and make her see that I wasn't like the rest of them that passed Leah around like a rag doll. I just couldn't make myself move to the other side of the room to do these things.

"You need to leave." Bella said while getting up and going over to my dresser. She opened the drawer and started throwing my clothes all over the room.

"What?" Oh great response oh mighty Jacob. That was it. That was my great reply to Bella. To say I was a little dumbfounded by all the events that were taking place right now would be an understatement. Man I wish this beer had worn off already. I can't seem to wrap my head around anything right now.

"You heard me! Get out!" she yelled at me. She stopped throwing my things and turned to look at me, more tears streaming down her face.

"But Bella just listen to me. I didn't do anything wrong.I swear on-" this was frustrating. I didn't have a single leg to stand on in this conversation. She wouldn't let me finish anything I was saying and in all honesty, I didn't do anything.

"Don't you dare say you swear on your mother's grave Jacob. Don't you dare say that." she huffed and headed for the door. I blocked her way wanting to know where she was going.

"Well if you're not leaving, then I am." and with that Bella walked out of the house slamming the door behind her, leaving me to contemplate what the hell just happened.