Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews. Nikki :)

Part Two

Bella stared at Jacob in shock. She couldn't quite believe he was standing before her. It was all so surreal. He couldn't be here surely? It wasn't possible. He was back home in La Push with his family, she must be hallucinating. It wasn't until he spoke that she had to believe it was really him.

"Long time, no see."

"Long time, no see?" Bella echoed him. She continued to stare at him, her brown eyes taking in how much he still resembled the boy she once knew physically, but looking into his eyes she could see a hardness there she didn't recall seeing before. He was studying her too, she noticed. His dark eyes roamed her body, not bothering to hide the fact about what he was doing.

"You look well. Your hair?" Jacob reached out to touch her but Bella shrank back from him.

"I cut it shorter." She snapped.

"I can see. It suits you." His hand dropped to his side again. Their was a brief flash of hurt in his eyes that she had recoiled from him, but he hid it quickly behind a stoical mask. Once again Bella thought he resembled Sam when he shut down his emotions like that.

"How the hell did you find me, Jacob?" Bella used the full version of his name. It didn't seem right to call him Jake. Their closeness had dissolved the moment she had fled Forks and never looked back.

"Find you? I wasn't seeking you out, Bella." Jacob said coolly. "I'm taking some time out. I've been on the road for a few weeks now. I happened to park up just across the diner and I smelt your scent. I couldn't believe it. I thought it was my imagination or something."

"No." Bella didn't know what to say. Seeing him standing before her as large as life had thrown her. She wasn't sure how to react. She had forgotten just how tall Jacob was. He seemed more toned then ever too. His muscles bulged under the tight t-shirt he was wearing.

"You work here?" Jacob glanced around the diner, a frown marring his forehead.

"Yes. What's wrong with that?" Bella retorted, stung by the criticism she could hear in his tone.

"You spent four years studying for a degree and this is what you end doing, waitressing in a downbeat diner? What was the point, Bella?"

"There is nothing wrong with working here. It's only temporary. I plan to be back on the road again when I have saved a bit more money." Bella pulled the pencil from behind her ear and her notebook out of her apron pocket. "Now can I get you anything?"

Jacob snorted derisively. "Is this how it's going to be is it? Acting as if we are total strangers?"

"We are strangers, Jacob." Bella felt weary all of a sudden. "Now are you staying to eat or what?"

Jacob glared at her for a long moment before shrugging. "Pancakes. You know how I like them." With those words he marched over to a booth and sat down, his face an impassive mask once again.

Gregory waltzed into the diner with more supplies. He hailed Bella, who was now run off her feet with the early morning customers. "Hey Bella. I have more rolls."

"Oh Greg you are a lifesaver." She beamed at him with relief as she took one of the boxes from his hands.

"Now I've got these I'll help you." Gregory smiled at her as he placed the other boxes behind the counter, pulled on a spare apron, and tied it around his waist. He rolled up his shirtsleeves and followed Bella as she began to lay the fresh rolls out on the counter.

"You look harassed." Gregory pointed out as Bella blew a stray lock of hair out of her eyes and began to butter up some of the rolls.

"I'm okay, just busy." Gregory noticed her glancing over toward a booth that held a single, very well built Native American. He was drinking some coffee and glaring over at her.

"Trouble?" Gregory whispered to Bella. "Do you want me to have a word? I don't recognize him."

"No, he's fine." Bella patted him on the arm.

Gregory glanced toward the Native American. His eyes had narrowed and he seemed pissed about something. He noticed Bella take her hand away from him at once. "What is his problem?"

"He hasn't got one. Ignore him." Bella was called away suddenly to serve another customer.

Gregory shot an annoyed look toward the other guy, but his eyes were following Bella's every move. Gregory was beginning to think that the Native American was going to cause trouble. He obviously had a thing for Bella. A lot of the regular guys who came in daily had tried to score a date with her but she had so far rebuffed them all. He had managed to get some free tickets to the local dance and he hoped to persuade her to go with him. Gregory thought she liked him. She smiled at him a lot anyway. He planned to wait until the early breakfast rush had died down then he would ask her.

Ten o'clock rolled around and the crowd thinned out. Bella sighed with relief. Only two more hours and her shift would be over. If only Jacob would take the hint and leave. He had already ordered more food and was blatantly staring at her, making her feel self conscious and out of control. She had already dropped two plates and a mug. Gregory was annoying her too. He kept hovering around her protectively, obviously thinking that Jacob was a threat in some way. As if he could compete. Jacob would squash him like a bug. Bella put those traitorous thoughts aside. Gregory was nice. Not to her taste, but he was easy to work with and efficient at his job.

Bella turned away from the dishwasher where she had just loaded up some more cutlery, when she bumped straight into Gregory, who had been standing behind her. "Oh god, sorry." She apologized.

Gregory smiled at her. "No harm done." He placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her, but left them there, his fingers stroking her through her uniform. "I was just wondering..."

"You can let go now." Bella said tersely.

Gregory ignored her. He edged closer, invading her personal space. "Don't stress, Bella. It's just me. I have some tickets for a dance tonight. I thought..."

"She told you to fucking let her go." A deep voice made Gregory spin round, his hands automatically dropping from Bella's shoulders.

"What is it to you?" Gregory stared at the tall Native American. His hands were curled into fists and he had a fierce glint in his eyes.

"Jacob, don't you dare." Bella said warningly.

"He was touching you." Jacob growled. He shoved Gregory back harder then he intended. Gregory fell back against the dishwasher and crashed to the ground.

Bella glared at Jacob and bent down to help Gregory up. He batted her hands away and smoothed his hair down when he got to his feet. "What is he, a rabid ex?"

"You place your filthy paws on her again and I'll..." Bella grabbed hold of Jacob's arm and began to push him toward the doors of the diner. He shot Gregory one last glare and allowed her to pull him outside.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Bella hissed at him once they were out in the open air. The sun was beating down on her and she felt hot and sweaty. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

"He was touching you. I could tell you didn't want it." Jacob shrugged nonchalantly, once again his expression impassive. The flash of anger Bella had seen when he had shoved Gregory was hidden.

"I can handle myself, Jacob." Bella copied his cool tone. "That is what you always seem to forget. I don't need your protection or your interference."

Jacob crossed his arms defensively in front of him. "Really? I recall having to save your ass plenty of times."

"Which I was very grateful for at the time." Bella pointed out. "But that is all in the past. What we shared is in the past. I have a normal life now. No worries, no vengeful supernatural creatures after my blood. I can go where I want and do what I want. No one is controlling my decisions anymore, only me."

"I never controlled you." Jacob's stoical mask slipped at her accusation. "That was the bloodsucker's way of doing things, not mine."

"Really?" Bella said heatedly. "You were always interfering. I told you time after time what I wanted and how I felt, but no, the great Jacob Black thought he knew better. You were as controlling in your own way as Edward. You had no right to stop the wedding. None."

"So it comes down to that again, does it?" Jacob sneered. "The fucking freak show of a wedding. If I hadn't interfered you would be a dead person by now; a bloodsucking leech like him. You wouldn't be here now, living your life the way you want. So don't preach to me, darlin' about interfering or controlling you."

"You just don't get it, do you?" Bella's anger dissipated as exhaustion took over. "You claimed you knew me, but I don't think you ever did. I have nothing more to say to you, Jacob. We are done here." Bella turned away and went back inside the diner leaving Jacob staring after her, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Bella finished her shift and washed up. Gregory had avoided her since his run in with Jacob and she was glad of it. She had decided that this was going to be her final shift. She had hoped to stay another month and make some more money, but things were tense now and she was itching to move on. She would try and eke out her savings until she reached another small town and found a temporary job. She hung up her apron and changed into her jeans and t-shirt. She penned a short letter of resignation to the owner of the diner and collected her last pay check. Bella didn't bother to say goodbye to Gregory, she would never be seeing him again.

The sun was still beating down when she emerged from the diner. Bella swiped her brow again and began to walk toward her truck. The black paint of the expensive vehicle glinted in the bright light. It had been a wedding present from Rosalie of all people. When Bella had left after the cancelled wedding ceremony Rosalie had urged her to take the truck with her blessing. It was the only thing from the Cullen's that Bella had kept. She opened the driver's door and climbed inside. Already her eyes were on the horizon as she switched on the engine and it sprung smoothly to life.

Bella tried to force the image of Jacob from her mind. His sudden reappearance in her life had brought up old feelings and resentments. She wished that she had handled things differently. But it was too late now. Jacob had always managed to get under her skin and today had been no different. She had to keep moving. It had been a mistake to stay in one place too long. She was about to pull away when someone banged on the passenger door of the truck, startling her. Bella turned to look and saw Jacob standing on the side walk gesturing for her to get out.

"Dammit." Bella cursed as she wound the window down. "What do you want?"

"To talk." Jacob said shortly. "Can we go to your place?"

"This is my place." Bella gestured to her truck.

"We'll talk here then." Jacob wrenched open the passenger door and climbed in. He glanced around the interior admiringly. "Nice ride."

"Present from Rosalie."

"Blondie? I thought she hated your guts." Jacob was inspecting the console, pushing buttons and fiddling with the expensive sound system.

"She was happy that I never married Edward." Bella watched him for a moment. He looked like a kid with a new toy. She had forgotten how much he loved engines. She realized she had no idea what he had done for the past four years. Was he working as a mechanic like he had always wanted? Or had real life got in the way of even that modest dream. The cloak of anger that he had surrounded himself with seemed to have been dropped for the moment and he looked more like her Jacob. My Jacob, Bella shook herself. He had never been that, ever.

"I bet she was." Jacob stopped his investigations and finally looked at her. His dark eyes were softer now, he seemed to be trying to reign in his resentment.

"I haven't got much time, Jacob." Bella gripped the steering wheel tightly in her hands. "I want to be on the road within the next hour."

"You're leaving? What about the job?" Jacob said in surprise.

"I quit."

"Why?"

"It was too awkward. I was getting itchy feet anyway." Bella was getting uncomfortable under Jacob's intense gaze. She fidgeted a little. "What do you want to say?"

"I wanted to sort things out between us. Talk properly."

"What for, Jacob? Isn't it better to move on with our lives and not go over old ground which will only hurt us both?"

"When did you become such a bitch, Bella?" Jacob replied harshly.

Bella shot him a dirty look. "I have always been a bitch, you just wouldn't see it."

"Maybe you're right." Jacob retorted angrily. "I don't know why I bother time after time. You must get a real kick out of treating the ones who love you like shit, don't you? Well fuck you." He pushed on the passenger door and jumped out onto the side walk. "Have a nice life, Bella." He slammed the door shut and began to stalk away.

Bella bit her bottom lip until it began to bleed. His words had cut through her like a knife, mainly because they were all true. She switched on the engine again and pulled away from the curb. She was going to drive away in the opposite direction when she glanced in her wing mirror and saw him striding down the side walk, he didn't once look behind him.

"Damn you, Jacob Black." Bella cursed as she swung the truck around and began to drive after him. She pulled up next to him and called his name.

Jacob stopped and twisted round to look at her. "I thought you were leaving?" He spat sarcastically.

"You wanted to talk." Bella said stiffly. "So get in and we'll talk. I need to eat before I hit the road anyway."

Jacob glared at her for a moment before climbing back into the truck. "You're paying." He muttered.

Bella felt a smirk cross her lips as she glanced at him. "Not on your life, Black. We go halves."

Jacob shrugged again. He stared stonily ahead as Bella began to drive toward the nearest take away.

A/N-thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think? Are Jake and Bella's reactions to each other believable? Nikki :)