"Jacob
This Mess We're In – Chapter Two
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story, nor do I own Twilight or New moon!
"Jacob?" I said, looking up. Guilt surged over me – I had promised him we would do this together. I paused, taking him in. He was shirtless, which was odd for him, and I could of sworn he had grown a lot since I last saw him. How was that even possible? It had only been a few weeks. I decided to put it down to hormones or something, boys went through growth spurts, after all. At least, I thought they did.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him, tearing my eyes away.
He laughed, pushing my hair out of my face. I looked away, slightly uncomfortable. The idea of Edward being here was still fresh in my mind, and I felt unloyal letting Jacob touch my face. It was a weird thought, especially since I knew that Edward didn't want me. Still, I wanted him and so I would stay true. In a sense, anyway. I scolded myself inwardly. Edward didn't deserve my loyalty; despite the fact I wish he needed it. I wish he needed me. Unfortunately, he didn't. But I would remain loveless. I would never love anyone more than I loved him, even if it did mean I'd die alone, surrounded by cats, at the age of eighty three. Well, that was my theory anyway.
"I could ask you the same question," Jacobs' gruff voice broke my train of thought. I looked up at him, his smile was familiar and comforting – yet something about it was wrong. It didn't quite reach his eyes. In fact, it didn't look like a smile at all. I stepped back, slightly frightened by the idea that Jacob was faking a smile. I'd always loved his smiles, they almost made me feel warm inside, like I used to be. I tilted my head sideways, trying to work out what he was thinking. It seemed like his mind was elsewhere, almost as if he was having a private conversation inside his own head. I wondered who he was pretending to have it with.
I smiled weakly at him, backing off a bit to give him the message. Hopefully he caught it, because I don't know how I would ever hurt him. What was I even thinking about anyway? Frustrated, I ran my hand over my face, trying to get rid of the tracks my tears had left. I knew he had seen me crying, but I didn't like the idea of looking vulnerable. I didn't want to look like I needed protection; after all, that was why Edward left me, wasn't it? Again, a surge of pain shook through my body, and before I knew it I was sitting on the floor. I must have looked like an idiot.
"This was a mistake," Jake informed me. He knew me too well; as it was obvious he understood why I came here. Well, he obviously didn't know I thought that Edward was here – that was a silly notion, and I could feel myself blushing at the realization that I ever thought that – but he had the general idea. I sighed, leaning against him as he sat down beside me. His skin felt warm against my bare arms, almost nice. He slung it casually over my shoulders, in what I hoped was an attempt to stop my apparent shaking. I'd forgotten all about that. In all my sobbing and distress, I couldn't feel the cold.
Slowly, I ran my hands through my hair, and then placing them over my face. He was right, this had been a mistake. It had brought me no comfort, nor had it brought back Edward. The only thing the entire journey had brought me was pain, and a thousand memories that made the wounds Edward had given me feel raw and new all over again. I mumbled my response into my hands, unable to look at my friend.
"Sorry," I muttered in Jakes general direction.
"Don't b-" Jake began to say, but he suddenly stopped. I looked up, he had gone rigid, and was staring at a spot in the shrubbery. I frowned, trying to work out what he had seen, yet I saw no movement. "D- Do you smell that?" Jake whispered gruffly. I shook my head, completely dumbfounded. I couldn't smell anything other than the damp scent of the woods. A frown had stretched across his face, and his hand had begun to twitch. He got up, pulling me to my feet; his whole arm was shaking now. I was starting to get scared. What was going on? Why was he shaking like that? I looked at him for comfort, but in his eyes I only found terror. They'd changed - it was as if there was a monster inside him, and you could see it through his big black pupils.
"Bella" he whispered in my ear, still looking at the bush. He was transfixed on it, and I was craning my neck trying to see what he could see. I squinted – I could of sworn I saw a flash of red, but it was probably my imagination. My paranoia. It had to be my Paranoia!
"When I tell you to run, leave, and don't look back – no matter what." I nodded, backing away carefully. His shaking was getting worse, his whole body shuddering wildly, and I was terrified.
"RUN!" he yelled, leaping towards the bush. I ran as fast as I could, never looking back, never stopping when I stumbled. Still, no matter how fast I ran, I couldn't escape what was waiting for me through the dense shrubbery.