Chapter 2: Just Let Go

Bella's POV

"I'm so glad you're going to take off that hideous men's shirt you always wear at the beach, Bella" Kim commented as she, Leah, and I languidly made our way across the frozen sand of First Beach and neared our rowdy group of male friends who where just a few yards away. Kim flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder and eyed me approvingly. "It's about time you let the girls out to play; they need some oxygen from time to time you know. I mean dang girl, if I had your knockers, there'd be no way I'd still be a virgin right now."

Throwing her an exasperated look, I unconsciously crossed my arms around my chest and drew in a deep breath as an uneasy wave of nausea steamrolled over my stomach. I took a reluctant glance down at myself. Yeah, so what if I was wearing my signature XXL Men's Navy Blue (always solid and non transparent) T shirt over my way too skimpy and way too revealing black two piece bathing suit that my mother had shipped to me last year after I had informed her that I outgrew all of my one pieces and needed to restock?

And someone please remind me again why I was so incredibly shocked when I opened up the huge box of what I was expecting to be occupied by one or two safe, solid colored one-pieces, only to find the box filled to the brim with a festive variety of multicolored string bikinis accompanied with these enormous oversized sunglasses, a miniature fan, and some SPF 65 sunscreen for the bleak Washington sun? Outraged upon the shipment's arrival, I almost pounded out an email to Renee that read something along the lines of, Thanks so much for all the beach equipment mom, but I think you meant to send all this stuff to your other daughter, I dunno, a secret love child maybe? You know, the one that lives in Miami and tans like a Playboy Bunny? I, on the other hand, am still waiting on my one-piece and maybe a nice summer umbrella, so try not to mix up Washington and Florida on the address part again 'kay? Awesome. Love, Bella.

I would have just marched down to Port Angeles myself and scavenged for a tasteful one-piece that respected all of my assets, but the girls literally would not let me leave La Push to make such a trip. Kim would sternly reason that my body was made for bathing suits like bikinis and such while Leah would flatly state that she couldn't be seen at the beach with a "skinny girl in a one-piece." I've never been entirely sure why that was, but every time I asked she'd just shrugged and say it was based on principle.

So how did I combat all of these overpowering forces that seemed almost desperate to pressureme into an outfit in which I was entirely too uncomfortable to sport? Well, say hello to by large friend Big Fat Dark T Shirt. He, along with about ten other companions who mirror his appearance more or less, have successfully concealed the horrors of the overtly scandalous string bikinis my mother and friends insist on by proving to be a more than appropriate alternative of attire when hanging out at the beach with the boys.

That is, until I agreed to the Yes Game.

Damn.

"For real though," Leah chimed in while gazing at me with her signature Know-it-all smirk from behind her dark sunglasses. "It looks like Bee here has learned to grow some balls after all. Listen, I can understand you wanting to take a walk on the wild side by diving off one of the highest, most unstable and dangerously deteriorated cliff with the boys, but actually wearing a bathing suit? At a beach of all places? Where people can actually see you? That is what is blowing my mind right now. What on earth has gotten into you?"

I let out a loud scoff and whipped my hand against Leah's toned arm to demonstrate my annoyance with her and Kim's antics. Unfortunately, this reactionary move only encouraged the two further.

"Seriously! Bella hasn't shown her cleavage to her shower, much less anyone else," Kim crackled, apparently determined to pick up where Leah left off. "Shit Bell, are you sure you want to do this? If you're exposing your arms and your legs to the sun everyday and they're still as white as they are, I can't imagine what your tits are going to look like after they're unleashed from their century long banishment!"

As Leah tried, and failed, to contain her laughter, I just shook my head with a tight lipped smile and kept on charging forward. Little did they know how very much aware I was of the truth behind each and every one of their joking jabs. The words were burning to escape my throat. "I made a bet to Jake! It's not my decision I swear!" But I'm no wuss when it comes to a challenge, especially if it pertains to my alleged lack of "funness," so I pursed my lips shut.

"Okay, okay enough Kim," Leah exhaled after her sputtering fit. "We don't want Bella to change her mind now do we?"

Kim's eyes widened and her smile faltered. "Oh, no way. You know we're kidding around right Bee? We're just in total shock and happiness that you're finally going to show off that hot bod of yours. Look at us, we don't even know how to react."

"Don't worry I know," I stated calmly. Jared waved at me from further along the beach and I waved back with a strained smile. With a large gulp I decided to calm my nerves and wipe out any fearful panic that lurked just below the surface of my cool.

Just then, two muscled arms had wrapped around my shoulders from behind and a head full of shaggy brown hair popped up next to the side of my head. I knew instantly it was Quil. "Hey perfect," he sang in my ear with a dazzling sweetness. I laughed and allowed a big smile to stretch across my face.

"Hey hot stuff," I responded quickly, as always, feeding into our feigned flirty banter. Quil chuckled deeply in my ear then slowly slid his arms away from around me until his hands rested on my shoulder blades where he began to massage.

"You're so tense," Quil assessed from behind while propelling me forward. "Being so flawless on a daily basis must be such hard work."

I giggled at his words while simultaneously trying not to sigh in pleasure. Quil was a really good massager.

"Well I have to keep up with you somehow. If I start slacking in that department you're not going to want to be around me anymore –which would just crush me," I replied emphatically, causing Leah and Kim to cough and sputter in disgust. Everyone hated it when Quil and I got like this around each other, which was quite often. We both relished in their revulsion and continued on with our Soap Opera worthy dialogs as if no one was in the room, or in this case, on the beach.

"You two make me want to puke," Leah complained with a grimace on her face.

Kim shook her head in agreement and announced, "Honestly, just fuck already and get it over with!" This of course, caused Leah to crack up. In my entire 16 years of life, I've never met anyone quite like Kim. This grounded, yet utterly adorable girly girl possessed enough love in her heart to humble the devil and enough vulgarity in her vocabulary to supply said devil with for a year. Leah strictly chose to be blunt and harsh with everything she said whereas Kim…well Kim spoke without a filter, causing her to unapologetically blurt out whatever was on her mind whether it is profound, or completely inappropriate.

"Who should fuck and get it over with?" A new, unmistakable voice boomed from in front of us. I looked up to find Jake staring back at the four of us ponderously.

Leah snapped her thumb over at Quil and me and grumbled. "Those two love birds. They're nauseating us all with their nonstop flirting."

"Someone's jealous," I mused, smirking at Leah's incredulous expression. As tough as she was, she was so easy to tease.

"As if," she scoffed before grabbing Kim's hand and turning to leave. "Have fun on your death jump girly," she threw snarkily over her shoulder. "So can't wait to hear all about it at your funeral." With a flickering wave and a wicked wink, Leah stalked off with Kim in tow leaving me with the two boys.

"Hmm," Quil buzzed from behind. "I'm not entirely sure who one that round."

I smirked. "With Leah, the battle is never over."

Adjusting his hold on me, Quil dropped one of his messaging hands from my shoulder and slid his arm across the top of my back, resting it there heavily. "I'll never understand you girls," he sighed, casting a bemused look down at me.

I nudged him and snorted. "What do you mean? You and the guys tease each other ten times worse than us girls do."

Quil's gray eyes alighted and he shook his head in disagreement. "We do not."

"You so do too."

"Do not."

"Do too!"

"Do Not!"

"Do too!"

"Do N—"

"Okay okay, the girls are worse," I relented breathily. Quil grinned down at me, victorious. He squeezed my shoulder before letting me go with a satisfied grunt.

"Nah, you're right. Guys are brutal. Chicks fights are a walk in the park," he finally admitted.

My eyes widened and I huffed. "Then why did you—"

"Cause I like ruffling your adorable little feathers Bellie," he quickly interrupted before reaching out and, quite predictably, ruffling my hair with one of his large hands.

When I playfully stuck my tongue out at Quil, my eyes involuntarily swayed over to Jake who was still standing in front of us, still as stone, and watching the silly interaction with an off putting scrutiny. His slightly narrowed eyes flickered darkly between Quil and me, and his eyebrows were lightly furrowed; creating an expression of calculation and disturbance—an expression that did not sit well with me.

So, I spoke up. "Is something wrong Jake?" His gaze continued to flit from Quil, to me, to Quil again, to me… finally resting there. Jake blinked a couple times before clearing his throat deeply and responding.

"No," he stated rather gruffly. Noticing this, Jake shook his head and coughed in his fist. "I mean, nothing's wrong. It's just…" He looked next to me again. At Quil. His attention snapped back to my face in the next instant. "Nothing. Are you ready Bells?"

"Ready for what?" I peeped, still perplexed by his behavior.

"To go cliff diving?" He responded slowly. "That's why you're here isn't it?" A small Jacob-like smile quirked his lips.

I was so close to Quil that I could feel the vibrations of his chuckles next to me. "Be patient with Bella, Jake. Being near me makes her a little foggy headed. It's normal."

"I'm quite alright actually," I cut in quickly before Jake could respond. "And yes, to answer your question, I'm ready. As ready as I'll ever be anyway. We set to go?"

Visibly relaxing, Jake reached for my hand and snatched me away from Quil's side. I couldn't help but to melt into a comfortable happiness when his large hand enveloped my tiny one in his warm, secure grasp.

"Oh yeah. Embry was looking for you earlier," Jake said fleetingly while turning his back against Quil, and dragging me along with him, to begin our walk up the steep cliff. "He said you'd help him find towels or something like that. I dunno."

"Shit. 'Forgot," Quil hissed from behind us. Jake had already pulled me quite a bit away from him. "Don't worry, I'll be up there soon too sweetheart!" He called out, now sounding relatively far away.

"Okay!" I called back with a quick turn.

"Actually I was talking to Jake," he responded loudly before winking at me devilishly and taking off in the opposite direction.

I coughed out a laugh and swung myself forward, and in doing so, I felt my hands slip out of Jake's. Apparently, this hadn't gone unnoticed because he cast another puzzled glance down at me as we walked. "What? Now that you've got Quil you can't hold my hand anymore?"

Throwing him an annoyed glare, I grabbed his limp hand up from his side and forced it around my shoulder. Snuggling into the familiar space between his arm and his torso, I lovingly peeped up at him through my long eyelashes, pouted my lips and declared, "Nonsense."

With his lips twitching, my best friend fought the gratified grin that urged to stretch across the expanse of his handsome face, but he lost the battle and he smiled down at me with all the glorious radiance that was my Jacob. "Thatta Girl," he said, obviously appeased, and then pulled me in closer to his side as we trudged up the cliff.

At that moment, my heart warmed as it impounded with the unique fullness that only occurred within my body when Jacob was in my vicinity. Over the countless years of our friendship, my body had grown so accustomed to his hold—even his simple touch—that walking in such a way proved to be no obstacle at all. We were always touching, Jake and I, so being with him was just another simple factor of life, only, now we weren't the flat chested, lanky armed, braces wearing, short little kids we used to be. Especially not Jake. I hadn't even been the one to find out he was, well as the girls say, hot, until I started hearing the giddy whispers of all the other freshmen girls in my grade and older three years ago when we started high school. To be completely honest I was shocked that people were finally beginning to realize how beautiful Jake was, for I had known it all my life. His clear, dark skin had been an object of my zealous envy for years and his smile, you know, the one that could make you forgive even the most sadistic murderer alive? Yeah, that smile had been melting my insides since before I could say the words "mama". Jacob was tall now, confident and strong, but the fundamental aspects of himself, the ones that I loved so much, have totally remained the same. Even through his most awkward stages I have adored my Jake, and more impressively, he stuck through mine—which believe me were far, far worse.

From the outside people always assumed that we were together. Like, together together, but that was simply not the case with us. I loved Jake with my whole heart, but we just weren't like that. And I would never say my love for him was like a sister's for her brother because it wasn't like that either. I despised labels with a passion 'cause it seemed to me that people were always so eager to slap one on to everyone and everything just to make them feel at ease. My relationship with Jacob was something that didn't need to be defined, dissected, and judged upon by frivolous outsiders. As long as I loved him and he loved me, that was all that mattered.

— Besides, if Jake ever had feelings for me, like those kinds of feelings for me (which would be preposterous of him since we're best friends but I'm just sayin') wouldn't he have…you know, asked me out already? Or at least made a move? 'Cause it's kind of been 16—almost 17 years now and there have been plenty of opportunities for him to take that next step. But he never did. So. Yeah. "Best friends" was the only thing that was close enough to describing us, so if you want to slap on that oh so desired label, go on right ahead because in truth, he was my best friend in the whole wide world and I didn't give a flying crap who accepted it or not.

"What are you grinning about down there, short stuff?" Jacob asked with a raised eyebrow. The sunshine hit his gorgeous face, illuminating those impossibly dark brown eyes of his. Mhm. My best friend was beautiful.

"Just thinking about…nothing," I replied wistfully. Jake gave me a weird look. "Really it's nothing. I'm letting my mind wander right now."

"I love it when you zone out," he laughed. "You just look so…cute."

"Shut up," I admonished light heartedly. "Me zoning out is not cute and you know it."

"Whatever you say Bells." His eyes burned with humor and enchantment. Jake was never one to try and hide how happy he was when we were together. Shame in that respect was something we had both quickly discarded as the years drew on 'cause I guess we both found that putting up pretenses was such a waste of energy.

I beamed up at him and sighed contently, "Come over tomorrow night."

Jake gave me a sideways glance. "As if I need an invitation." I grinned. When I wasn't already at the reservation, I was at home with Jake, who stopped by sporadically whenever he pleased.

"I know, but I just want to make sure you come. I got this movie from the library that we have to watch."

Jake immediately groaned. "Oh no, please tell me it's not a—"

"Shakespeare play? Yes. But wait listen—"

Jake cut me off. "I don't want to hear it Bella! How many renditions of Hamlet or A Midsummer's Night Dream are you going to make me sit through in a lifetime?"

"Please?" I begged, squeezing his hand that dangled from over my shoulder. "I'm doing this stupid Yes Game, the least you can do is—"

"I don't even get to be a part of the Yes Game!" he complained, actually sounding pained. "There's nothing in this for me."

"That's why you proposed it isn't it? Just so there'd be something in this for you," I accused. I dramatically unraveled myself from his hold, not that I was really upset or anything. I was just hoping I could guilt him into watching the damned movie with me.

Jacob's eyes widened and I wondered if he felt the cold chill of our bodies separating like I did. I sure hoped so.

"No, I. Well I mean," he scrambled for the right words but ultimately failed. "Damn it," he finally grumbled.

Victorious, I added a little pep in my step. "It's a production of Othello, but it's a hard core biker version. It was definitely my lucky day; I can't believe I came across it."

Defeated, Jacob shook his head at me with a bemused expression but then reached out to rejoin our hands. Just as I was about to take him up on his offer, my foot slammed against something hard and I went sailing for the ground. And when I say ground, I mean the wet mud, rocks, and brownish green slime that covered the forest floor.

"Ouch," I cried with a huff when I had successfully belly flopped in the gooey mud.

"Shit Bells," Jake exclaimed from behind me and quickly lifted me off the ground by grabbing my waist and breezily setting me on my feet.

Dizzy from all the sudden movement, I clutched on to Jake's arm for a moment to steady myself. When my vision came to, I saw Jake staring back at me with his charcoal black iris's darting back and forth between my clear brown ones.

"Are you—" he started, but I interrupted him with an irritated groan.

"Jake…"

He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Okay," he relented. He straightened up with one last cautionary glance my way. He was well aware of how much I hated it when people fussed over me after one of my daily tumbles so he dropped the matter quickly.

"Please, make a snide remark about how I can't walk on my own two feet without you holding me for three seconds, and we'll be on our way," I bit bitterly. Jake just laughed at the embarrassment in my voice and hugged me under his arm again.

"I couldn't have said it better myself Bells."

"Awesome." I playfully punched his side.

"But, you should know…you got mud all over your shirt."

What? I swiftly glanced down at my—oh my God he wasn't kidding. Brown goo dripped from my beloved XXL men's shirt and even some had skinned my knees.

"A three year old walks with more consistency than I do!" I whined, stepping away from Jake so I didn't get any mud on him too. My clumsiness was my hugest fault by far; it was so bad I was certain I should be eligible for a handicap placard to place on my car because even the simple task of crossing a parking lot proved to be a huge safety hazard for both me and anyone else within a 1.5 mile radius.

Jacob was the only one who knew how frustrated my disability got me. "Common B, it's not that bad."

"Not that bad? It looks like someone smeared baby poo all over me," I hissed.

Jacob was silent for an extended period of time. I glanced up at him to see a concentrated look on his face and that his mouth was twitching slightly. I knew that look all too well. It meant he had something to tell me.

"What?" I asked, quickly getting over the state of my shirt. "What is it?"

Jake cast a guarded look down at me. "I—I heard what you and Quil were talking about earlier," he finally spilled.

My mind raced. "Quil and I talked a lot today. When?"

"After lunch. When I dropped you off to your class," he edged.

"Okay…what did we talk about?"

"You guys were talking about cliff diving. And how—and how he wanted you to—to…"

The light bulb flickered on in my head. "Oh. He wanted me to take my shirt off."

Jake's eyes nearly bulged out of his head and he was sent into a coughing frenzy. "What? N-no! No, wait, h—he said he wanted you to…oh. Right, for swimm—yeah okay. Yeah."

I had to admit, his reaction stung. Was the idea of me taking of my shirt and revealing by bathing suit so preposterous? What, did it gross him out? Even though in the back of my mind I knew I was being absurd, I still couldn't help but feel a little rejected.

"Oh, um yeah. He said I'd fall faster if I took it off, so I agreed. You know, the whole Yes Game thing," I felt a ramble coming on. "But I was planning to take it off right before the jump then slip it back on right after. I mean, I only need it off for the diving right? No big deal. You know how I get so…cold. I like the shirt. Keeps me warm."

"Oh course," Jake supplied quickly. He and I both knew that last part was a lie. My cheeks burned. Why were we talking about this anyway?

"And that's why—I mean I know you love your shirt and everything but since you're already going to take it off…" he stared at me meaningfully. I didn't offer up any help."And it's all dirty now…" he hedged. "And we still have a ways to walk…"

"I should just take it off now huh?"

Jake let out a relieved breath. "Might as well right?"

"Totally. Definitely." I awkwardly stammered.

It wasn't until we had slowed down to a stop that I stupidly realized Jake was waiting for me to take off the godforsaken shirt. What was wrong with me? Why was I freaking out over a bathing suit? Bella, you're not that special. The thought smacked me in the face with a harsh blow. The fuss I was making over this...it was embarrassing. So freaking what if I was wearing a bathing suit that exposed my chest and body? I wasn't the first girl in a bikini the guys have ever seen!This was the point of the Yes Game wasn't it? To get out of my comfort zone and live a little?

Rather than slapping myself across the face multiple times like my fingers itched to do, I faced Jake with a determined, strong willed stance and shook off the remaining butterflies that fluttered skittishly in my stomach. "Why didn't I do this earlier?" I stated with forced humor. "I'm so stupid sometimes. Hold on just a sec." Poor Jake offered me a strained smile. He undoubtedly felt bad for me, thinking about what an insecure little girl I've been over the years. I couldn't believe how long I've been humiliating myself with these idiotic swimming shirts! Fuck this! The new Bella, the Yes Bella, doesn't give a mother fucking flying rat's ass about what anyone thinks of her. Not anymore.

On that empowering note, I stepped back and slowly raised the shirt over my hips, my torso, and then finally my chest, careful not to get any of the mud in my hair. Just as I had the shirt over my head, it snagged onto my tiny earring and refused to budge. Awesome. I gave the shirt an ineffective yank and puffed in frustration. The fabric twisted around the earring made it so it was impossible for me to pull it over my head without elaborate force. I tugged and jerked at my shirt with insistent repetition but only felt the shirt free from my head a tiny bit with each yank. Surprised Jacob hadn't come to my rescue at this point—what was he doing just standing there anyway? Usually he'd be at my side by now— I ripped the shirt off from over my head and felt my earring painlessly fly out along with it. My cry of relief morphed into a cry of terror as I hazardously stumbled back after having lost my balance. Surprise, surprise.

Catch me dammit! I was well within Jake's reach as I stumbled around but he stood there immobile, watching me nearly tumble on my ass for the second time that millisecond. Luckily my hand grasped on to a nearby tree and I was able to steady myself.

"Jeez," I gasped, clutching on to the wide trunk and breathing deeply in my chest. "Thanks for the help Jake."

When my eyesight refocused and my brain discontinued its racing, my vision cleared up and I was able to really see Jacob for the first time.

And the sight lurched my stomach into an explosion of rabid fireflies.

Jacob's ridged stance was the first to strike me. His large hands twitched unconsciously at his sides while his broad chest rose and fell in correlation with his deep, controlled breaths.

And he was looking at me. Staring. At all of me at once. Jake's expression was one of shell shock; his mouth was slightly open, visibly drying out before my eyes and his piercing gaze was unseeing, yet all seeing at the same time. If that made sense. Did it make sense? None of it did to me. My own shallow breath was caught up in my over exposed chest.

The only thing with overt movement on Jacob's body was his throbbing Adam's apple which bobbed profusely up and down his strained, tanned neck.

I couldn't pretend to be ignorant. I couldn't shy away from the truth. Jake was checking me out. By the looks of it, he liked what he saw.

I waited for the embarrassment to well up inside of me. I internally tapped my foot in impatience for that stupid red blush to rise up my neck and overtake my face. I paused for the urge to throw my huge T-shirt back over my body, and then cower away from my best friend's chill inducing gaze. But it never came. The shame, the insecurity. It never came.

Something else did come though. Something I couldn't identify just yet. But that uncharacteristic Something caused me to smile, broad and amused, Confident. That Something thrust me toward the speechless Jacob and released the words I didn't know I had in me.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" I raised a wicked eyebrow at him while suppressing the surprised shriek that welled up my throat. Did I really just say that?

Yeah. I guess I did.

Jacob nodded his head, but continued to stare back at me blankly.

"Common," I said, linking my arm through his strong, limp one. "We don't want the others to jump without us, do we Jake?"

"No," Jacob finally vocalized. He blinked a couple times, shook his head, and ran his free hand slowly down his face as if he was waking up from a deep, deep sleep. "Fuck."

"What?" I asked innocently as I dragged him up the steeper part of the hill.

"It's just," he began, his voice finally sounding more like his and less like a ghost's. He allowed himself a lingering sideways glance my way. "I've never seen you in a bikini before. Bells, you should… wear them more often. You look…you look—"

"Where the hell are those two?" Paul's distinct voice interrupted from behind the final, thinning line of trees.

"Prolly makin' out," Jared remarked from the same hidden area. We were only a few steps away from them.

"As if Jake had the balls," Paul threw back, causing everyone there to laugh. Jacob stiffened beside me and I fought the urge to start cracking up too.

"Bella this was a bad idea," Jacob said quickly, stopping just before we reached our friends past the trees.

My eyebrows furrowed. "Wait, what? Why? We just got here!"

"Maybe another day," he said hurriedly. Jacob grabbed my hand, ready to take off, but Seth's voice caused him to freeze in his tracks.

"Wait, I think I just heard them. Let me go check." As the sound of Seth's footsteps pattered closer and closer to we're we stood, I could literally feel the massaging vibrations of Jacob's agitated groan that rumbled deep in his chest.

It didn't take long for Seth to appear. "There you two are!" The young boy exclaimed. His youthful eyes danced on Jake at first, but then they drifted down to me where they widened in surprise and lowered down to my…well you know.

"Move out of the way midget," Jake commanded gruffly with obvious irritation scratching at his voice.

"Wah?" Seth croaked unintelligibly, never once taking his eyes off of me.

Jacob quite possibly growled as he released my hand and stocked over to Seth. Jake nearly knocked the poor boy over but before he could, Jake grabbed a hold of Seth's shoulder and leaned in to hiss something into his ear.

After throwing Seth an apologetic look, I scurried after Jake and we reached the edge of the cliff together.

Paul and the guys weren't facing us when we came through, but Seth's shaky introduction was quick to change that.

"Uh guys," he announced meekly from behind. "Jake and Bella are here."

Paul turned around. "Well it's about goddamned ti…" he trailed off softly when his attention caught on to us. Curious over Paul's uncharacteristic loss of words, the rest of the guys—Jared, Collin and Brady, twirled around to catch sight of the disturbance. In other words, me.

"My motherfucking word," someone cried, though, I'm not entirely sure who. The hollow sound of a low, shaky breath floated in the air between all of us and I watched unmoving as all ten ogling eyes trailed unabashedly up and down my neverbeforeseen figure.

Remember that Something I mentioned before? That Something I could feel well up inside of me, but couldn't quite identify? Well with all eyes on me like this, the feeling was surging from within me again…and I couldn't have felt more alive. Was this what if felt like to be fawned over? And by the look in their eyes…lusted over? Lord knows I never thought I'd ever want to be lusted over—especially not by the guys I've known my entire life—but you know what? It felt good. Like, really good.

I could get used to this.

At once, Jacob's large hand wrapped around my thin waist and pulled me into his side so that he towered over me like a guard dog, ready pounce at the slightest threat of danger.

"Alright, alright enough! Let's jump already," Jake commanded sternly. I didn't have to look up to know he was casting a warning glare at each and everyone one of our male friends. Why did he even bother?

Interestingly enough, it wasn't Jacob's threatening declaration that snapped the guys out of their stupor, it was a loud wolf whistle that blew low and strong from behind us that captured the attention of even the most dumbfounded.

I twirled around to find a wicked grin stretched across Quil's face as he stood there with Embry—who openly (and open mouthed) stared at my ass.

"Nice Bella, nice," Quil leered hungrily. He unabashedly racked his gray orbs up and down my figure with the approving nod of his head. "I'm a mother fuckin' genius."

"If you had anything to do with this," Jared drawled, blankly nodding his head in my direction. "Then you mother fuckin' are." The rest of the guys grunted in agreement, acting as if I wasn't standing right there listening to their every mumbled word. Being the center of attention in this way wasn't half as bad as I always imagined. Could this be why girls like Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory dressed so whoreishly and threw themselves at any and every walking being with a muscled arm and a dick?

Almost as wide eyed as the guys themselves, I surveyed the crew discreetly with amused, dancing eyes until my attention was ripped away by none other than—

"'Ey Bella," Paul called out in his low signature I'm-the-sexiest-thing-you've-ever-seen voice. As soon as I glanced his way I found him eyeing me with the unmistakable look of intrigue written all over his smug face. When our gaze's met, the smallest smirk I've ever seen tugged fiendishly at his lips before he reached down to grasp the hem of his tight white T-shirt and achingly peeled it over his head—thus revealing his…well, immaculate set of eight pack abs. Yes that's right, eight pack abs.

I gasped—not at his body, for I have seen it numerous times—but at his…directness, I guess. With dark eyes he openly checked me out again and then strode up to me with that growing smirk still painted on his cocky mouth.

The closer Paul came to me, the harder Jacobs hand squeezed into my waist.

"Yes Paul?" I responded daintily. Jacob's breath vibrated in a steady buzz next to me.

Paul was in front of me now, knees bent as he leaned in before me face to face. Unflinching, I stared back at his truly lovely face. I know, lovely shouldn't be an adjective used when describing anything about Paul, but in the end a fact was a fact. For such a manly man, Paul possessed the most delicate features, featured envied by most girls—from his mile long eyelashes to those dark and perfectly shaped eyebrows above his endless, sparkling eyes. His flawlessly shaped lips were hard to ignore and the only thing that saved him from being one of the most beautiful women known to man was his dramatic bone structure that cut strong lines across his face where his cheek bones and jaw line were.

Paul's tongue wetted his lips just inches in front of my face. "You ready to get wet, little girl?"

Though my heart skipped at his challenging presence, I held a steady eye and voice. "Most definitely." I leaned farther away to get a better view of him. "What are you standing there for? Are you going to show me what you got or what?"

It was like my words were the hammer that broke the spell that had fallen over the entire area. Suddenly, Jared, Brady, Quil and the rest of them were howling, wooting, and scuffling around the cliff, creating a busy movement around me that was nonexistent just moments before.

Paul's face immediately lit up in amusement and he backed up slowly, making sure every muscle in his body was emphasized for everyone to see. "Oh don't you worry, babe." He cast me one last smoldering look before he whipped his head to the left. "Jared!" He barked while taking a few large strides backwards.

Jared, now also shirtless, wheeled around to face his closest friend. "Yeah?"

"Let's show Bellie-Wellie how us men do things around here."

Jared barked a laugh and started backing up alongside Paul. "Sure thing boss. Watch closely sugar." Jared threw the last part to me. When they had reached the furthest point from the cliff, the two boys crouched down at the same exact time.

"What are they doing?" I whispered.

"Jumping," Jacob replied rather curtly. I gave him a weird look to which he responded with a pained expression.

"Something wrong?" I asked, and he instantly grimaced—his lips doing what I suppose he wanted to come out as a smile.

"No, nothing at all," he recovered miserably, forcing his "smile" to stretch even further across his tanned face. "Just, distracted a little. Glad you're here, of course. Um, watch, I think they're going to jump." He nodded his head toward the trees and hesitantly, my eyes followed.

"Three, two one, go!" Paul and Jared had counted down at the same time, and then sprinted towards the cliff at speeds that were surely unnatural for a couple of boys their age. As if acting on a shared impulse, the rest of my friends ran up to the edge of the cliff right when Paul and Jared launched themselves off. Even I tore myself away from Jake's side to witness the boys dive ten billion feet to their watery grave. When I had reached the edge of the cliff, I felt something tug at my waist, but I didn't bother looking back to see who had because I was instantaneously enthralled by the sight under me. Paul and Jared were performing synchronized back flips in mid air even as gravity pulled them down to the raging ocean that crashed below. My friends erupted in cheers from all around me while I watched Jared and Paul complete five outstanding flips in the air before messily crashing, back and legs first, into the deep blue ocean.

Before I could blink, I was forcibly yanked back by my waist and soon my back was pressed against a solid form that could only be the chest of one of these rowdy Quileutes.

"Jeez girl, you're gunna fall off the edge before we had any time to play with you!" Quil crackled in my ear.

"Quil!" I squealed giddily, wiggling my way out of his grasp. I twirled around to face him. "I was fine."

"Yeah right," he scoffed. "What would you do without me? If it wasn't for me you'd be swimming with the fishes by now."

"I'll be doing that eventually wont I?" I sassed back. "That's kind of what happens when you cliff dive, you end up in the water. You know Quilly, if you wanted a hug you could have just asked for one."

Quil quirked an eyebrow and smiled down at me broadly. "You know what? You're right. What was I thinking?" He reached out for my arm but I dodged his advance.

"Nope, you ruined it. No more hugs for you," I sang tauntingly. Quil's eyes alighted and he grabbed for me again and again but I only giggled and continuously evaded him.

"Hey dick! Get away from Bella!" Embry yelled when he caught on to what was happening.

I squeaked for his help. It was hard dodging Quil when the cliff offered such little space to run around. "Please, Embry! Save me!" In a flash Embry had taken off in our direction and all of the sudden someone had taken my arm and thrust me backwards. Embry pummeled straight into Quil in the exact spot I was standing just moments before and tackled him with sickening force. The blow was so harsh and impact filled it sent Quil and Embry flying through the air and crashing down to the ground just at the edge of the cliff.

"No!" I screamed, petrified, but it was too late. Quil and Embry had rolled right off the edge of the cliff and were sailing down dangerously close to the gagged side of steep hill.

The hand that had saved me from possibly getting entangled in that messy predicament yanked me back just when my body rushed forward to make sure the boys were okay. "Bells its fine," Jacob urged. "They do that every single time."

I whisked around and allowed my eyes searched his frantically but I only saw truth in his face, so I managed an exhale and stopped struggling against his hold. "They do? Are you sure?"

"Every time. Without fail. It gets old actually." Jacob offered me a reassuring smile before tugging me towards the edge. "Come on, I'll prove it to you." We walked to the side of the massive drop in front of us and I peered down while Jake cautiously held on to my arm. It wasn't until I could see four tiny dots bobbing up and down in the water—Paul, Jared, Quil and Embry presumably—that I allowed myself to completely relax.

"Oh thank God." I sighed. Jacob smiled, really smiled for the first time in a while, and ruffled my hair.

"I can't believe you're actually going to do this."

I cast a glare at him. "Thanks to you and this stupid game you got me to agree to, I really don't have a choice."

The heartwarming sound of Jacob's laughter filled the air. "There you go, that's the spirit."

"Hey Bella! Watch us!" Seth and Brady were standing at the edge now, peering back at us with expectant looks in their eyes. Well, Brady was staring at my legs, but whatever.

"Sure thing," I promised, saluting them with a grin. The both of them faced forward and dived off the cliff without any hesitation. "I wish I was that confident," I commented after they disappeared out of sight.

"Actually," Jacob said, suddenly serious. "I don't think I've ever seen you more confident." His gaze traveled downwards for only a millisecond, but I caught the action nonetheless.

"No, I meant about diving," I corrected slowly. Jacob's eyes widened and he took a step back.

"Oh, yeah, yeah. That's what I was talking about. Of course."

I grinned and shook my head. "You doing this thing with me or what?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Jacob reached out and wrapped his familiar hand around mine. "You're going to do great. Don't be scared, okay? Just let go."

I stared into his eyes and nodded blankly. Just let go. Just let go. "Just let go. Got it."

"Yeah?" he said, walking me closer to the edge. Then he looked at me sharply."Wait, I'm not saying you should let go of my hand."

"No, I get it," I clarified. "I'm ready."

"Okay." He grinned. "I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks," I smiled back.

"Just stay with me, try to keep yourself vertical, and make sure to start swimming upwards as soon as you're able to after you've hit the water."

"Got it, got it, and got it. Now let's jump before I lose my nerve."

"Yes ma'am. On the count of three start running."

"Alright," I breathed, concentrating.

Jake hesitated for another second. "I'm sorry," he sputtered. "I seriously can't get over this. You're actually going to cliff dive with me?"

"I said before I lose my nerve Jacob," I growled through clenched teeth.

He laughed. "You're right, you're right I'm sorry. On the count of three. One…"

"Two…" I added shakily.

He squeezed my hand. "Three!" We yelled together just before sprinting off of the cliff hand in hand.

Over ninety-nine percent of our momentum was courtesy of Jake, who was practically dragging me in mid air across the expanse of the cliff, so I barely noticed when my feet (which had barely hit the ground anyway) were no longer hovering over solid land.

That is, until we started falling.

I felt the tremendous drop in my stomach before anything else. I shut my eyes closed and squeezed Jake's hand with a strength that must have been quite excruciating for even him as we descended rapidly down the never ending cliff. On the dizzying way down, an obnoxious screeching noise rang irritably in my ear and it took a few seconds for me to realize that noise was actually me. Me screaming my head off as we fell down the cliff at approximately thousand miles per hour.

Even as the wind slapped my whole entire body with its whip like force, I wrenched my eyes open mid jump and was completely astounded by what I such a rapid descent I was utterly dumbstruck by the beauty that surrounded me at that very moment. The horizon line between the ocean and the sky was painted beautifully before my eyes and the magnificence of the sight was heightened by the pulsating adrenaline that pumped aggressively through my veins. My hair whipped wildly around my face and shoulders and I could feel my nerves explode in my stomach, giving me an uncomfortable exhilaration that was impossible to adequately describe. This euphoria filled my body and supplied me with a sense of boldness I never thought would ever develop at a time like this, but nevertheless I feeling quite invincible, I purposefully yanked my hand away from Jacob's grasp which caused me to fall at a much slower pace than him, even if it was just for a short time.

I felt the smile plastered across my open mouthed face as I hit the surface of the frigid water, and as I limply sank down to the depths of the ocean, I knowingly ignored the early advice Jake had given me to begin swimming upwards as soon as I hit my landing. Instead, I enjoyed the electrifying shock of frozen water that nipped at my skin, and relished the way the powerful tide currents surged me back and forth, up and down along with the sea's natural flow.

Okay, I decided after a good fifteen seconds underwater, time to resurface. I spread my arms out and began kicking my feet, but to my surprise the wild ocean current wasn't having any of that. More determined this time I put better effort into my movements but the tide kept pulling at me, dragging me left, right, down, and basically everywhere but up. Uh oh, this could be bad. The small issue of not being able to breathe for more than twenty seconds now had developed into a fast growing problem and I began fruitlessly thrashing in every direction—that is, until one of my wild, flailing arms was caught by a large, unmistakable hand and was steadily dragged towards a seemingly random direction.

My head finally broke the surface of the water and immediately I heard shouts and hollers from the original daredevils themselves. When I tore my eyes open I was welcomed by the shiny drenched faces of Jake, Quil, Embry, Paul, Jared, Seth, and Brady who were cheering loudly for me and the fact that my suicide jump was successful—or unsuccessful depending on how you look at it.

I was out of breath and exhausted, yes, but I still insisted on swimming myself back to shore even after the numerous piggy back ride offers I got from the guys. On the entire way back, Jacob swam next to me with adamant vigilance which proved to be handy after my head kept slipping underwater whenever a wave rolled over to us.

My heart was nearly pounding out of my chest when Jake and I eventually made it to the shore and I was sure I'd collapse right then and there on the sand but somehow I managed to stay on my own two feet.

"Bella you did it!" Jacob exclaimed as soon as we could both stand calf-deep in the water. He dove down and wrapped his arms around me, squeezing whatever was left of my breath straight out of my lungs. "You were amazing," he continued softer in my ear. I squeezed him back with all the energy I could muster.

I could only cough happily in response but I think Jake knew I was grateful for his praise.

"You liked it then? Would you do it again?" He asked me eagerly, setting me back down in the shallow pool of water. Jake's already wet eyes sparkled in hope as he gazed down at me expectantly.

"I loved it," I replied truthfully. "Sorry for letting go of your hand by the way. And thanks for saving my drowning butt there at the end."

"No worries," he sighed contently, throwing his wet arm across his favorite spot over my shoulders. "You were easy to find and as light as a feather. I'm impressed that you let go actually. You've been surprising me all day Swan."

"Oh yeah?" I hedged. Without thinking I stopped to face him. "What do you think of these surprises?" Placing my hands on my hips I felt exposed. The true nature of wearing a bikini so blatantly in front of him struck me at once, but I wasn't embarrassed. Instead, I was nervous.

Jacob halted in his tracks, his smile faded into extinction and his arm slipped away from my shoulder. "What do I think?" His voice sounded unsure.

I took a bold step closer to him, feeling hope well up inside of me as I stared searchingly into his eyes. Shit, I hated it when I felt like this; when I got all hopeful for things to happen in my life that just weren't meant to…things like Jacob and I being together.

Yeah okay, I said it.

In the past I've allowed myself to develop a full blown crush on Jacob a total for three times. Once when we were nine, another time when we were thirteen, and finally, for about a month last year. Each time I held this crush, I imagined he'd take advantage of the countless hours we spent alone together, like whenever we were curled up on his couch in the basement watching old movies together or when we'd walk hand in hand on the moonlit beach like we did every single night last summer almost without fail.

I guess the big question was: what in the world was holding Jacob back from liking me liking me? God, I sounded like a five year old, but my thoughts always remained the same. He spent all this time with me, claimed he adored every trait about me, was constantly touching me whether it be a hand hold or an arm over the shoulder…what the hell was missing in this equation?

I stood before him dripping wet and vulnerable; my fists were mindlessly clenching and unclenching as I waited for his response.

I loved Jacob with all of my heart and I'd always love Jacob no matter what happened between us, but damn it, I needed to know if he found me even the least bit attractive, especially now. I mean come on, my tits were barely concealed in this goddamned bikini which, might I mention, was able to grasp the attention of every other male I had come across that evening. If Jacob denied me now, now that I had shed the last of my insecurities and allowed myself to fully embrace who I was without shame, well, at least I would never again have to wonder if my impulses for him were shared in the least.

Jacob cleared his throat. "Well, you seem different," he began. "I could tell you were a little nervous up there but as soon as we jumped it was like a whole new you."

"Yeah?"

"Definitely. And you know, you're actually wearing a bathing suit today," he hedged. His voice was calm but his Adams apple was giving him away. "Which I know was the work of Quil, obviously, but still, you look…I mean, it's…"

"It's what?" Does he like it? Does he find me attractive in it?

"It's…different." He allowed. "You look..." I held my breath for his next words. Pretty? Cute? Sexy even? "Cold." He finished definitely.

"Cold?" I echoed without thinking.

"Yeah, now I can see why you always wear those shirts. It's pretty chilly out here, it is Washington after all."

I let out a silent breath and nodded my head softly in complete understanding. It was stupid to think a measly bathing suit would change the way Jacob felt about me after all of these years. Interestingly enough, I felt relief wash over me and settle my nerves. For the first time in a while I actually felt at peace with myself and my relationship with Jacob. No more stressing and no more speculating. We were best friends and that's all there was to it. Now that I thought of it, complicating our friendship was the last thing I wanted to do so I wasn't going to regard the solid relationship we did have as insufficient any longer. From here on out I'd stow away my former illusions I held about our friendship and focus on building the platonic bond we already had going for us.

I grinned widely up at my friend and reached for his hand. "Actually, I like wearing the bathing suit. I think I'm done swimming with the shirts from now on."

"Jacob! Bella! Come on, we're setting up volleyball game. You guys are in right?" Jared's voice pulled our attention away from one another.

"Sure, sure," Jacob agreed for the both of us. We began walking toward the volleyball "court" where the guys were finishing setting up the net in the sand.

"Oh man, you know what? I forgot my shirt up near the cliff," I moaned. "Let me run and go get it, I'll be right back."

"Oh no way, I'm coming with you," Jacob countered quickly. I slipped my hand out of his and began walking towards the hill. "No don't worry, I can get it myself. I kind of need some time to think anyway."

Jacob pursed his lips defiantly before relenting. "Alright. Only if you're sure."

"I'm sure," I laughed. "If I don't return in fifteen minutes come searching for me with a pack of rescue dogs and a first aid kit."

Jacob chuckled and with one last lingering look, he waved me off. I took off for the hill, allowing my mind to wander aimlessly for a few peaceful moments.

After about five minutes of walking, I heard the a muffled sound of people talking off to my right so I stopped and strained my eyes to hopefully catch a glimpse of who might be there. A burst of guyish laughter exploded from where the voices had come from and I whipped my head around to find a group of three or four people walking through the forest. It wasn't until I spotted the flash of a familiar navy blue colored cloth hanging over one of the guys's shoulders that I moved again.

"Hey! Hey, can you stop for a second sir?" I called out, carefully avoiding the protruding tree roots on the ground as I neared the strangers. The last guy stopped and turned his head towards me. I couldn't make out his face but I was close enough to see that he was, in fact, carrying my mud stained T-shirt over his shoulder. "Hi, sorry, I think you have my shirt," I explained hurriedly as I came closer to him. The guy turned his head and nodded for his friends to carry on without him.

"I'll catch up in a second," he murmured to them before shifting his crystal blue eyes in my direction. I stopped in my tracks immediately.

"Mike?" I choked out, staring back at the tall, blonde, muscled football player who was now staring back at me with a mirrored shock.

"Bella?" He asked, still apparently unsure of my identity. "Bella Swan?"

"Yeah," I clarified. "What are you doing here? And what are you doing with my shirt?"

Mike looked like he was caught off guard. Probably 'cause he had staring at my breasts at the moment. "Oh this thing? It's yours?" He grabbed the shirt from his shoulder and held it out in front of him. "Yeah I just found it on the ground. 'Figured some sucker left it so I planned to—er, uh, find her and return it." After he caught himself he leered at me as if he actually believed I'd swoon for his heroism. I grabbed the shirt from his grasp and gave him a knowing look.

"Of course you were."

His eyebrows rose challengingly." What? You don't believe me?"

"Quite honestly, I'm surprised you even remember me. You do know who I am right?"

A crooked smile found its way on Mike's thin lips. "Of course I know who you are," he replied, walking closer to me. "You're Bella Swan, the girl who ignored me biology last year whenever I tried talking to you."

I quirked my head to the side curiously. "What do you mean? I never ignored you." I could barely remember Mike being in my class last year actually, but somehow I figured that wouldn't be a smart thing to mention.

"Uh, huh," he mumbled, his eyes took a lingering sweep down my body. "Yeah, there's no chance in hell you were in my class and I didn't talk to you. Or try to at least." His ocean blue eyes found my face again. "I remember clearly now. I tried to get at you hard in the beginning of the year, but that kid transferred in our class and you dropped me faster than I could blink."

Instead of denying it straight away, I took a minute to think back to last year. I vaguely remembered Mike hitting on me in the beginning of the year, but I remained polite yet distant during our interactions—it was a tactic I used on pretty much every guy (besides Quil of course) who worked up the guts to flirt with me. I wasn't a lesbian or anything; I just haven't been interested in dating much, which I guess is pretty unusual for a girl my age.

"You must be talking about Jake," I supplied, remembering that he had transferred in my class during the first semester. The day Jacob transferred in, Mike had been sitting next to me like he insisted on doing throughout the year so by the time our next bio class rolled around, Jake had come to class early to snag the spot next to me and would throw Mike triumphant looks from across the room whenever he thought I wasn't looking. "But still, I thought we talked sometimes?" I offered pathetically.

"Yeah, when that boyfriend of yours wasn't breathing down your neck," His gaze traveled deliberately down my legs. "Not that I can blame him. Not at all."

"Jacob is not my boyfriend," I snapped, distracted by his assumption. "We're just friends. Best friends."

"You guys aren't dating?" he inquired incredulous. "Yeah right. Every time I see you, you're always with that kid."

"We'll we're not together," I stated firmly.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

His blue orbs glistened. "If you aren't lying to me then prove it."

"Prove it? Well, you can talk to him if you like, he's down at the shore," I said, motioning my hand behind me.

"Nah, I can think of a better way for you to prove it" he said in a low voice, taking another step closer to me. "Let me take you out Bella."

My breath caught in my throat. Take me out? "Like, on a date?" I practically whispered.

"Yes," he confirmed with a cocky glint in his eye. "Go on a date with me."

"Oh, um…"

Mike bent down and took a hold of my chin. If I ever had a type, I never thought Mike would be it but I had to admit he was a good looking guy, especially in that footballish, All American Boy way. "Let me take you out on the best date of your life Bella Swan. You're too sexy to be home alone on a Saturday night."

Mike Newton's self assurance was so oddly alluring that I found myself drawn to his crude directness. "Who says I don't have plans this Saturday night?" I shot back cutely. I bit my lip and held his gaze.

"I never said that. In fact, I know you have plans Saturday night. You'll be out with me, having the time of your life."

I let out a soft chuckle and stopped to think about it. Maybe it would be good for me to get out of the house and experience someone and something else besides the rez and my usual crew. Maybe it was time for me to branch out and let go. Hey, I got the bikini on, why not take things a step further?

"So what do you say?" He pushed. His resolve wavered a bit after I hadn't replied immediately, and I could see he was beginning to fear rejection.

Then I got thinking again, I mean, this was Mike Newton I was dealing with after all, cocky captain of the football team and on again off again boyfriend of the dreaded Lauren Mallory. Was he someone I really wanted to get myself involved with? I tried not to judge people I didn't know well, but I never in a million years saw myself agreeing to go on a date with anyone at my high school, not to mention Mike freaking Newton.

But then again, I never thought I'd ever strut around a public place in a bikini, or cliff dive, come to think of it….

And then I remembered. I had no choice in the matter. The freaking Yes Game.

"Alright Mike," I stated with as much resolve I could muster up. "I'll do it."

Mike's whole face lit up like a light bulb and he straightened out. "You will? You'll go on a date with me? Tomorrow night?"

I couldn't help but let out an incredulous laugh as I nodded my head and graciously agreed. "Yes. Yes I will."

Guess whose back? :D No more school, no more tests, just FF! If you want me to continue with this story, review! This is a story for my readers, so please, if you wanna, tell me what you want Bella to do! Let's make this thing as fun as possible!

But u gotta review first!