A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long to get this up; I had to rewrite it. The first draft as I'll now call it was good but fall of flaws and whilst I know this isn't flawless, it's a lot better. Disclaimers, warnings and the summary are all up in the first chapter. The word count is wrong now because chapter 2 is longer than originally planned. However, here we have it; Like Your Own Sun, chapter 2. This is the second and final chapter LYOS; enjoy! :)
Jacob tensed beside Bella as the smell got even worse, and as soon as Bella turned on the light switch, he found the reason why.
"Edward?" Bella gasped. The vampire was stood leaning against the stairs, as if trying to appear nonchalant, but Jacob could see his tense stature. He was impeccably dressed as always; dark jeans, slate coloured button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and dark shoes, but the leech himself looked awful. His usually perfectly coiffed hair was an untidy mop which had clearly had hands running through it, and there were dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't slept for days. Jacob nearly chuckled at the irony.
"Bella," Edward replied, his voice rough, as he took a step forward. It was then that he seemed to notice Jacob, as his eyes flashed down to their clasped hands, his body tensing again. Realisation struck his face. "Bella, I-"
"What do you want, Edward? Why are you here?" Bella asked. Jacob was shocked at the strength in her voice. The person that had snatched her heart out of her chest, ripped it to shreds and then forced all the tiny shards back into her body, was standing only a handful of feet away from her, and her voice didn't waver. At this, he felt a sense of pride blossoming in his chest as well as a stab of smugness towards Edward. Dismissing Bella's questions, Edward addressed Jacob.
"Can I speak with Bella alone for a minute, please?" he asked. Jacob felt that smugness soar and roll off of himself in waves as the bloodsucker felt the need to ask his permission. Damn straight.
"No," Bella said defensively. "Anything you need to say to me can be said in front of him. I won't let you manipulate -"
"Bells, it's fine." Jacob cut her off, ignoring her incredulous expression as her face swung round to look at him. "I'll be right in the sitting room, eavesdropping." He smiled, at least the bloodsucker could imagine it was a private conversation.
"Actually, Jacob, would you mind if we took the sitting room? I'd like to be sitting down when Bella tells me she's moved on from me." Edward asked quietly, the pain of his loss evident in his eyes. Jacob's face scrunched up slightly in confusion, because surely…
"Yes, I can hear the details in your head, but I'd like to hear it from her; if that's okay." Jacob could see the vampire's composure slipping. As much as he wanted to pull Bella away from him, to drive her straight back to La Push, the bigger person in him obliged with a silent nod. He pulled Bella into a tight hug and kissed the top of her head, taking a second to breathe in the warm scent of her.
"I'll be right in here, okay," he murmured before releasing her. He glanced over at Edward to give him a pointed look and saw his face twisted in pain. Good, he thought sadistically. By the time Bella looked up at him, Edward had rearranged his features into a tight smile.
"After you," he offered, gesturing into the living room and Jacob watched as the foul creature followed Bella into the sitting room. He leant against the wall opposite the archway, ready to watch every movement, and listen to every single word, from both of them.
Bella sat down first, not willing to break the silence between them. She worried the hem of the jacket she was wearing, Jacob's jacket, as Edward stared intently at her, refusing to meet his gaze. Finally, it was the vampire that broke the silence stretching between them.
"What are you thinking?" He asked softly. Bella's head snapped up at this, at the silky smooth voice he used, out of shock more than anything.
"Actually, I was wondering why you're here. What have you come back for?" she answered. She wouldn't give in to him, not after everything. "You said it would be like you had never existed, so Edward, what are you doing here?" she barely even registered that after all those months of pining and living as a shell of herself she was able to say his name without internally wincing. Jacob really had filled that void. Edward, shifted as if he was uncomfortable – one of the many human traits he had coerced into his personality since being with Bella - he hadn't expected this reaction, Bella's question thoroughly unnerved him. Having said that, although he didn't expect her to welcome him with open arms, he had underestimated the threat of the pack of wolves which had been forming in the distance. He hadn't expected them to attack so close to his heart.
"Alice saw you jump off that cliff and she didn't see you come back up. I just needed to know…" he tapered off as he reached out to touch her hand. Bella flinched, drawing her hand back. She could've swore she heard Jacob growl in the background. She almost wanted to shake her head fondly.
"Well," Bella paused as she cleared her throat. "I'm fine. You can go now." Her gaze dropped to her sleeve once more, she didn't want to see whatever emotions would be flickering in eyes; hurt, relief, whatever. She was finally happy with Jacob but her love for Edward hadn't just diminished overnight, and it wouldn't. Bella knew it would take a long time to stop double-taking whenever she saw a particularly pale person in the street, or when she saw a Volvo streaking past on the highway, but she'd make damn sure that she'd try; both for her and for Jacob. Either way, she didn't want whatever emotion on Edward's face to give her any room for doubt.
"Are you sure, Bella?" Edward's voice was tight as he asked, filled with hurt. Bella's resistance was futile as she lifted her head pained expression across his face was worse than she had imagined. But this was his fault. He had pushed her away, he had left without her, he had said he didn't love her anymore.
"Yes," she stated quietly but firmly, "definitely." Despite her declaration, Edward reached out again, further this time, but was halted in his tracks by a big, tan hand suddenly blocking his way.
"I think you should leave," Jacob all but growled. His breathing was laboured as if he was waging a war against his one instinct that told him to attack and his other instinct that told him not to hurt Bella. The girl in question physically shrank back behind Jacob, shielding herself from Edward; she was done with him.
Edward admitted defeat at this and turned to leave. Upon reaching the door he paused for a fraction of a second, and before his rational mind could correct him, he tried one more time.
"Bella, do you know what he could do to you if he lost his temper?" He asked her, his voice still tight.
"Edward," she sighed as if he was lecturing her. "It's not anything worse than what you could have done to me. Besides, he'd never hurt me. I want to be with him. I am with him. So please, just go." She insisted, carefully avoiding the fact that Jacob's posture had fallen into one of a loose fighting stance. If Edward didn't leave soon, things were bound to get ugly. However as soon as she had finished the train of thought, Edward was no longer standing there. It was as if he'd vanished into thin air. The tell-tale sound of a car engine and the tyres squealing as the driver over-revved said otherwise. Edward had left. He was out of her life for good.
Once Jacob was satisfied that the leech had left, he relaxed out of his crouch.
"Bells, are you okay?" He asked her, eyes flickering around her face frantically as if looking for somewhere that the bloodsucker could have hurt her without him noticing. He was also avoiding looking her in the eye, just in case there was any regret there. But she wouldn't have sent him away if she wanted him, right?
"Yes, Jake, I'm fine," she breathed, all the tension gone from her voice. He finally dared it, and to his initial surprise the expression he saw was exhaustion.
"God Bells, you need some sleep," with that he wasted no time in scooping Bella in his arms in a bridal lift.
"Jake!" Bella squealed. "Jacob, what are you doing?" Jacob chuckled at her reaction.
"Relax, Bells, you look dead on your feet, I don't want you passing out on me halfway up the stairs." He chuckled again. Upon hearing this, Bella relaxed. She slung her arms around his neck, nestling her face in the juncture between his shoulder blade and his neck. It wasn't until she was snuggled down in bed with Jacob sat next to her that she voiced the question she had been pondering since Edward had spoken to her.
"Will you stay?" she asked in a quiet voice.
"Do you want me to?" he asked in an equally quiet whisper.
"Of course I do," she replied, entwining her fingers with his.
"But what about Charlie?" he didn't question the amount of shotguns and rifles the police chief had in his home and he definitely did not want to be on the receiving end of any of them. To his surprised, however, Bella chuckled.
"Actually, I think he'll be glad we finally got together," she told him with a smile in her voice.
"Oh, okay then…Do you want me to…?" he gestured towards Bella's comforter.
"Yeah, get in." she smiled timidly. Jake knew he'd sweat an obscene amount if he stayed fully clothed under all the blankets, but he knew better than to voice his worries. He finally, finally, had Bella wrapped up in her arms, and he was not about to ruin that.
"Goodnight, Bells," he whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead. She snuggled closer in his embrace.
"Goodnight Jake," she mumbled, voice heavy with sleep.
