Fiction Title: Second Best
Chapter Title: Unexplained Anger
Author: Krissy
When I arrived home, Jake wasn't there. I was alone again; just the way I wanted it. I put the groceries away, humming along with my favorite song as I did so. I stuffed the bags into the closet and went into the office, turning on the computer Charlie and Billy got us as a wedding present. They went splits on it like an old married couple, a fact that Jake and I still made fun of every chance we got.
I checked my e-mail and saw there was a couple from my mom. I hadn't checked my e-mail in about a week, there had been too much else occupying my time. By now she was surely getting anxious. Even though I'm twenty-two years old now, live on my own, and have a werewolf as a guardian. Not that she knows anything about that last part.
After I replied to my mom, basically telling her to chill and then updating her with much detail on exactly why I hadn't been replying to her e-mails right away, I got off the computer and went into our bedroom, kicking off my shoes and laying down. I felt exhausted and I didn't know why. I hadn't done anything physically demanding, except you know, fall down at the market. Either way, I must have really been tired because the next thing I knew, Jake's hot lips were pressed against my forehead.
I gasped and my eyes shot open. I tossed my arms around his neck and hugged him tight, sitting up carefully. "Hey, where were you?" I asked, realizing that I had been worried sick about him.
"Sam wanted me to take a shift, I figured you wouldn't mind since you were gone, sorry babe," he laughed at me, hugging me back.
"Leave a note next time. What if I come back before you do? I'll be all worried again," I grinned, and got off the bed, wandering over to the window, looking out over the beach.
"Will do ma'am," Jake laughed again, coming up behind me and following my gaze to the driftwood, our special place. He and I had the meadow, and Jake and I had that spot on the beach. It was where he proposed, where I first tricked the Quileute legends out of him, and where I confirmed that he was a werewolf.
"Want to go for a walk?" I asked, not looking away from the gorgeous view. It was just about sunset, so everything was starting to get an orange tint to it.
Jake nodded. "Let's go," he said softly, taking my small hand in his large ones, leading me out of the house and to the beach.
We walked in comfortable silence; neither of us feeling compelled to talk. When we reached our spot, I sat on the trunk, and he sat next to me in the sand. I looked up at our house, and admired it. That is until the picture of the most gorgeous house I'd ever seen in my entire life popped into my head. This is when I again realized that I had settled for the second best. I wanted to live in the Cullen's beautiful house more than anything. To share that gorgeous room with him; to fall asleep in his stone cold arms every night.
I shook my head quickly, wanting those thoughts out of my head. I had been slipping up a lot lately. I let myself think about him to much. I glanced at Jacob and realized he had the same empty look on his face as in the kitchen this morning.
"Are you okay Jake?" I asked gently, reaching down and placing my hand on his shoulder, concern ringing in my voice.
Jake nodded once, and then turned to look at me. "I'm going to be running a lot of shifts for the next little while, Sam's worried," he said, giving me a small smile, trying to make it seem like nothing.
"Worried about what?" I asked him, briefly remembering the voice I had heard in the market, my heart ringing with hope again.
Jake winced. "When he and Jared were out last night they caught the scent of bloodsuckers. They said it seemed kind of familiar, but they couldn't place it. That's why they sent me out this morning, to see if I recognized it," he explained, glancing up at me.
My imagination was getting carried away already. I was having visions of being back with Alice, Emmett mocking me when I fell down again. The only one I wouldn't let myself see was about him.
"Did you recognize it?" I asked, and I don't know, I guess my excitement must have been more obvious on my face than I thought it was.
Jake's expression hardened, and his eyes went blank again. "No, I didn't."
I looked at him with confusion in my eyes, moving down onto the sand next to him. "Jake? What's wrong?" I asked, running my fingers through his hair. Untangling a few snarls as I went. He didn't seem to notice.
"Nothing Bells. Nothing at all," he mumbled, staring at the setting sun. "Is there something that you'd like to tell me?" he mumbled, suddenly turning his gaze on me.
There was no love in his eyes, no sign of my Jake at all. Just the Jake from four years ago, right after he first found out he was a werewolf. Sam's Jake; I still felt hostility towards Sam for taking Jake away from me so long ago.
As I started thinking about Sam, Emily, Jared, Embry, and the rest of the pack; whom I thought of as my family, my mind drifted back towards the Cullen's again. The pack was my second choice family. I loved being a 'wolf girl' but I'd rather be a vampire girl any day.
I realized Jake was still waiting for an answer from me, and I ended my train of thought immediately. "No… nothing at all, I'm just worried about you," I mumbled, curling up to his side.
I felt him relax some, and he wrapped his arms around me, looking at the sunset again. It was almost dark by this point. "I love you Bells, don't go back to him," he whispered, so softly that I wasn't even sure that I had heard him.
I was too scared to ask him what he meant by that, so I just stayed put, closing my eyes.
