Chapter 2: Friendly Persuasion

Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight

I waited in the Taj for the sound of the truck as it rolled to a stop outside. Right then, my stomach clenched and all the words that I practiced to say to her suddenly vanished. Jeez, guess I'd havta wing it. The look on my face must've spoken volumes tho', 'cuz when Bella stepped over the threshold, she frowned at me and said, "Something the matter?"

"What? No, why would you think that?"

"Well, for one thing you seem a little scared. I've never seen you like this before."

"I'm not scared … I'm just … okay, so maybe just a little."

Bella peered around the garage nervously. I caught the gist of her glance, and quickly added, "Hey, no—nothin' like that. No freaky monsters lurkin' about."

She leaned back on the door of the Rabbit; her eyes narrowed. "So, what is it then?"

Of all the days to start talkin'! I could barely get a full sentence outta her these past weeks, and now she starts with the chatter?

I sucked in a lungful of oil-scented air and said, "Let's go sit on the couch. I've got to ask you something."

Following me to the miserable excuse for a couch, she primly deposited herself at one end, leavin' a huge gap between us. I sighed, but chose to ignore that slight.

Gazin' into those deep chocolate eyes, I hesitated for a moment, dazed by them. I cleared my throat and swiftly beat around the bush. Not really my style, but I needed her to let the whole scenario sink in bit by bit.

"Do you ever watch Hawaii 5-O?"

She jerked slightly, no doubt clearly wondering where I was headed with this line of questioning. "Why would you ask me something like that?"

"Just humor me, Bells. I will have a point ... eventually."

"This doesn't even make any sense," she muttered.

My nervous energy decided to erupt at that moment, and my right knee unconsciously began to bounce. "C'mon, Bella, answer the question. I'm waiting."

"All right, you don't have to be so pushy. For your information, no, I hate that program."

Throwing her hands up in the air, she fired back, "What does this have to do with anything, anyway?"

Crap! That shot my whole line of persuasive reasoning right outta the water. Cool your jets, girl, I'm gettin' there. Slowly, but surely ... waaay too slowly. "Ooookaaaaay … let's try this then. Haven't you ever thumbed through a travel magazine and thought, Wow, I'd love to go to Hawaii."

"That's a pipe dream, Jake; so no, I don't even think about it."

I stood up then, flabbergasted. "Jeez, Bells, how could you not dream about seeing paradise? What a sad life."

She looked down, fidgetin' with her hands. I wanted to rip out my tongue for sayin' that, even tho' it was the truth.

"Sorry, I thought you'd get all excited about going."

Her head lifted, her eyes meeting mine once more. "Going where? What are you trying to say, that you want to take me to Hawaii?"

"Yeah."

Clicking her tongue, she chastised, "Not funny, Jacob."

"Maybe not funny, but the honest to god truth."

"You're going to Hawaii … right!" she hissed sarcastically. "And how do you propose to finance this trip? By selling the motorcycles?"

"I don't have to. Embry won an all-expense paid vacation."

Bella's mouth dropped open at that bombshell. She blinked, and was silent for a second or two. She slouched against the frayed upholstery and finally told me, "And you want to take me there?"

Shrugging, I replied, "Sure, sure. So will you come with me?"

It was her turn to stand up. "Absolutely not."

I got off the couch to meet her. "And why not, pray tell?

"You should bring Billy or Rachel. They're your family."

"I can't bring my dad; it's for couples only … anyway, I don't wanna bring someone else, I wanna bring you."

"Why?"

I spouted, "You can't be that stupid. If you don't know by now, you never will."

Her lips drew into a tight line, and her cheeks turned flamin' red. Yeah, she knew all right—boy did she ever. But I knew something too. There was a place in her heart just for me, if she'd only let down that freakin' wall.

Bella turned away from me, and commented, "Can we change the subject now? Maybe we could go for a walk?"

"Yeah, to a cold, log strewn, ugly stretch of shore. C'mon, Bells."

# # # # #

I couldn't believe he wanted to take me with him. While it was a sweet gesture, I felt I wasn't worthy enough. He had family that were more deserving. And oh my gosh, his hint at being in love with me, even though it was no secret, had me blushing clear to my hair roots. And … if I went on this trip, what would prevent him from taking advantage of the situation? Jacob was pretty affectionate, and he had a hard time hiding the fact. Not that it was a bad thing, but I was just not ready for any kind of relationship. He was my friend—period. I had nothing more to give him. My emotional bank was running on empty, and he was well aware of it.

Guilt still pierced me. The look on his face when I refused his proposition, made me cringe. Once again, I was bruising his ever-guileless heart, not to mention throwing away a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Islands. He probably thought I had taken leave of my senses.

Dad greeted me with a big smile on his face which faded when he spotted the expression on mine. "You're home early. You and Jacob have a fight or something?"

"Not exactly."

"I hate to pry, but you look a bit distressed."

Hanging my coat on the peg in the hallway, I groaned, "Jake wants me to accompany him to Hawaii. Embry got lucky and won a trip."

"And that's what's upsetting you? I should think you'd jump at the chance to go. Just think of it, a vacation from your problems for a while."

"You mean you'd actually allow me to go?"

"Jacob's my best friend's son, and he's a good, responsible kid."

"I get that, Dad, but he's a teenaged boy. Would you trust him to behave himself?"

Charlie followed me to the kitchen. "You forget that you too are still a teenager, and yet I trust you. Anyway, Jacob knows I'd skin him alive if he crossed the line with my daughter."

"Well, I told him, I wouldn't go."

Now, Bells, don't be so hasty about your decision. Give it time to think it over."

"You sound like you're all for it."

Charlie leaned on a chair back, a twinkle in his eye. "I am. I think it's a great idea. You have to admit, you haven't been yourself lately. I'd go so far as to say, you've been downright depressed, and I was really worried about that. The only time you seem to brighten up is when you're with that teenaged boy, as you put it."

"All right, I'll think about it.

"Can you get down the salad bowl for me? It's in the right-hand cupboard. "

"Sure, kitten. Anything else you need?"

"No, I've got this. Go read your newspaper. Dinner will be ready in half an hour."

# # # # #

"Yeah, Moron, that's what I said. She doesn't wanna go."

Embry shook his head, and took another handful from a bag of Cheetos. "She's gotta be nuts."

I grabbed the bag from him, and placed it back in front of me at the kitchen table. "Don't say that about her."

"Sorry, but ya gotta admit … a free pass to paradise and she's fluffin' it off?"

"Bella thinks I should bring a family member instead, but I'm sure it's 'cuz she's afraid to be alone with me."

Embry swallowed a big hunk of his hotdog, and lettin' out a soft chuckle, pointed out, "She's got ya there, pal."

"Give me a freakin' break. It's not like that. I wouldn't push my luck."

"What luck?"

I gave him the better-shut-up-if-ya-know-what's-good-for-ya look, and he took the cue.

"Okay, so movin' on ... What are we gonna do? Time is marchin', my man. You thinkin' about taking Rachel?"

Ugh, just that image of draggin' my sister with me, was enough to give me a complex. "Jeez, that's like being stuck with your ugly cousin at Prom 'cuz you couldn't get a damn date with anyone else."

Wagging a finger at him, I said, "Don't say it. I'll think of somethin'. Rachel is not setting foot on the Hawaiian shore. Give me some time to work on Bells."

Wolfin' down the rest of our lunch, we went outside, ready to meet up with the rest of the pack for patrol duty.

That night, I thought of a great idea. Knowing that Bella couldn't stand the guilt of hurting me, I came up with some nails for that coffin. Yeah!

Bella sat on her usual observation deck—aka, the ol' orange crate—and I plunked down across from her, my butt situated sideways on the front seat of the Rabbit, my legs hangin' out with one foot resting over the other. I never once mentioned the trip. Let her start the conversation for once.

And she did. "So, did Rachel say she'd go with you to the Islands?"

"No."

"I can't believe she didn't want to."

"She didn't get a chance to say one way or the other."

"Why not?"

I let my head and shoulders droop. "'Cuz I didn't bother to ask her—that's why. It would be too humiliating."

"Well who did you ask then?"

"No one."

That little frown line between her eyebrows, popped out on her head. "But I thought you said, it had to be couples."

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, how are you going to go if you don't have a girl with you?"

"Exactly."

"What?"

"I'm not going. Tonight, I'm telling Embry to give his ticket to Quil. Maybe he can find a date."

"No! You were looking forward to this trip. You can't give it up just like that."

"I told you that I didn't wanna go with anyone else, so the trip is off."

"Jacob Black, I won't let you do that."

Yes—I amazed myself once again. I should've been ashamed at manipulating her like I was, but she needed sun and air and a quiet beach, and I was … rationalizing my bad behavior. In my defense tho', Charlie was with me on this too.

She breathed out a great whoosh of air, and blurted, "Is it too late for me to change my mind?"

Jeez, I had all I could do to keep from jumpin' off my seat and shoutin' hallelujah. I looked up, flashing her my puppy-dog eyes. "Do you really mean it?"

"Of course I mean it. Why else would I say that? When do we leave?"

"In ten days."

My heart was poundin' so hard, I was surprised she couldn't hear it. Hawaii here we come.

# # # # #

I just could not in good conscience allow him to turn down the opportunity to visit Hawaii. For Pete's sake, he had a sister there that he hadn't seen in years. Besides, Jacob lived in such poverty; this was one bright spot in his life, and who was I to stand in the way of it? The boy had no mother to love and nurture him. He alone, took care of his invalid father, worked on cars and bikes for extra cash, and was cursed to roam the forest for days on end sniffing out vampires. And did he whine about his lot in life—no. I'd never even heard one single word of complaint fall from his lips ... never. He was a saint.

To accompany him on this vacation was the least I could do under the circumstances. Who knows, maybe it would do me some good in the long run too. I could forget about Edward while splashing in the waves at Sunset Beach.