*Disclaimer – I do not own Twilight*
He looked the same. Same tanned skin, same cold brown eyes, same perfectly straight teeth bared in a familiar feral grin. He was the same Jacob, yet the years had only seemed to harden him further. Stress lines were obvious on his forehead and his figure had increased in size and muscle mass. That fact alone was enough to get my heart beating faster in fear, though paired with his leather vest that proudly claimed he was part of the LaPush Wolves MC, he looked more intimidating than ever. I wasn't surprised that he ended up in a club; he had the cruel bastard mentality down to a T.
"How do I even begin to commemorate the life of Charles Swan" he began, false sincerity ringing in my ears and bouncing off the chapel walls. A purposely-placed pause, and a whole lot of eye contact had some of the more curious attendee's glancing around to catch a glimpse of what had caught Jacob's attention so thoroughly. I was glad I didn't eat anything today, my stomach was churning uneasily and I knew that if I had anything to throw up, it would be down the back of the hideous dress of the woman sitting in front of me by now. My brain was begging my body to get the fuck up and escape from this absolute nightmare of a situation, yet the weight of his gaze was keeping me firmly planted in my seat.
"He was a strong man. A man of admirable morals, especially when it came to his family and their reputations. Anyone and everyone lucky enough to meet him, both Forks and LaPush citizens alike, respected Charlie. We lost a good man." A low murmur of agreement erupted from the hoard of people soaking up all the shit Jacob was feeding them. He didn't respect Charlie at all. In fact, he fucking knew that if Charlie had caught him in Forks while he was still breathing, he would have his teeth kicked in and a bullet in his skull. MC back-up be damned. Not once did Jacob's eyes leave mine, and I could see the laughter bouncing behind his steel gaze. Well we agree there, this was a fucking joke.
As he purposely strode back to his seat, he sent me a wink and his tongue darted out to wet his lips. He was a cruel boy. Nothing close to a man, he was a spoiled boy who took what he wanted, when he wanted it. Consequences be damned. He ruined lives without batting an eye, even when he was younger, and the look on his face held promise that he was ready to ruin mine all over again. Starting from scratch.
As soon as the service was over, I shot out of my seat and hauled ass out of the room as fast as my shaking legs would carry me. The cold Forks air made my eyes water, and the moisture seemed to remind my brain of all the exhausting emotional stress I had been under lately. Nothing could have stopped me from collapsing on the second last concrete step leading away from the chapel. Just like nothing could have stopped the constant tear flow, or my loud heaving breathing for that matter. I needed to get the fuck out of here. My legs needed to get a grip and get me out of here. "Isabella Swan!".
His voice alone had my back straightening and my fingers clawed themselves into my palms. Flashes, almost like photographs, flickered behind my eyes. Me and my best friend, arm in arm, grinning like fools with chocolate smeared around out mouths. Another, though we were older in this one, both of us sporting red swimmers and flipping into a swimming pool hazardously. Us falling asleep on each other, my head on his chest, his arms around my waist. His eyes darkening, my frightened whimpering. There were so many of them, they were so much stronger than me. I could hear his footsteps. He was coming for me again, and there wasn't a fucking thing I could do about it.
A small woman plopping herself down next to me, before resting a hand on mine, pulled me harshly from my panic. His footsteps had ceased. Why? Nothing had stopped him before, let alone another woman. Glancing at the figure beside me, I study her features as best I could with my bleary vision. My breathing has slowed, my tears right along with it. I felt almost numb. She was a lovely looking girl, no older than me I'd say, with spiky black hair and soft green eyes. She was smiling comfortingly and in that moment I thanked whatever God had sent her. If noting else, she prolonged my impending Jacob disaster.
"My name is Alice…you're Bella?" even her voice had soothing qualities. I didn't trust myself to actually speak, so I just nodded slowly. I risked a glance towards where I had heard Jacob coming from and found him frozen to his spot, red with obvious fury. He wasn't looking at me however, or even Alice. No, his eyes were set firmly just above our heads, which made my head whip around also. There were four men standing not far from Alice and I, arms crossed and faces set in steely resolve with blazing eyes. All set on Jacob. What the fuck was going on?
