I've been super busy so I'm sorry it's taken me so long, but here it is!

I would just like to answer a comment made by someone;

This person said that they were disappointed that I had made Mia how she is. I fully understand, as they said they wish it were proper competition for Bella. I agree, but I would like to point out that although Mia is a horrible person, Jacob still 'loves' her. As long as that fact remains, she will be suitable competition. Thank you so much for the constructive criticism.

Chapter 4 – So Close, Yet So Far

WEDNESDAY 27TH JUNE, 2007

BELLA'S POV

I hopped into my old Chevy truck, and it came to life with a roar. I was going to visit Jacob, and he was going to show me his car that he's been working on lately. I was excited and glad that Mia wouldn't be there. Not that I wanted anything to happen. I knew Jacob would never cheat on his girlfriend, no matter who it was.

I arrived and was greeted by Leah who was just leaving.

"Hi Bella." She half-smiled and that was the nicest thing she'd ever said to me.

"Hey Leah." I replied, "How are you?"

"I'd be much better if Jacob would wake up to himself and dump that Princess of his." She huffed folding her arms. I stifled a laugh.

"I take it you don't like Mia?" I asked, and I noticed that so far, not one girl that had relations towards the pack did like her.

"Yep." She nodded, "I prefer you."

"Thanks." I grinned.

"But don't get me wrong, leaving Jacob almost killed him." She said harshly, the grin immediately disappearing from my face, "I still hate you or that."

"O-Okay." I gulped back my shock.

"Guess I'll see you later." Leah said, abruptly nice again.

"Guess so." I agreed as she got in her car and drove away. I went inside then, and found Jacob waiting for me on the lounge.

"Leah gave you the whole, 'I still hate you but you're better than Princess' talk?" Jacob asked, brows raised.

"Uh huh." I nodded.

"Don't take any notice of her." Jacob instructed me, "Come on, do you want to see my car or what?" he got up and headed out to the garage out the back that was very slowly falling apart.

"What kind of a car is it?" I questioned on our way out, falling into step beside him.

"A Volkswagen Beetle." He told me, "It came into the Workshop and it was totally stuffed so they gave it to us."

"Workshop?" I asked, confused. I could feel us slipping back into that effortless friendship that I had missed so much when I was gone.

"The Workshop." He said simply and when I didn't react he came to a stop just outside of the garage. "You mean you don't know?" he added, totally shocked.

"Don't know what?" he was being the usual infuriating Jacob.

"Wow." He shook his head and when he didn't answer I pushed him playfully.

"Come on, what is it?" I whined.

"Well Embry, Quil, Paul and I all own a car repair shop." He said, and we entered the garage.

"Really?" I asked, surprised. But it suited the pack, it was the perfect shop for them to own, "What's it called?"

"QP Automotive." He informed me then gestured behind him, "There is, the Bug." It was a faded purple buggy, well-worn and it looked as if it hadn't worked for at least five years.

"Wow, it's purple!" Was all I said.

"Yeah it's purple."

"I love purple!" I said exasperatedly when he looked at me as if I were crazy.

"Okay then." He rolled his eyes, teasing me. I sat on a stool and watched as he started to get to work.

"So it's called QP Automotive?" I asked, returning to the earlier subject.

"Yep." He said from under the hood. "Can you pass me that blue thing?" he added because he knew that if he used the actual name I would have no idea what he was talking about. I handed him the weird tool and asked;

"What does QP stand for?"

"We don't tell any customers, but it stands for Quilete Pack."

"Oh. That's imaginative." I giggled, receiving a mock-evil frown.

"Hey, don't tease the name." he chastised playfully. We idly chatted for quite a while, and I continued to pass him tools. Finally I decided it was definitely lunch time.

"I'll go in and get lunch ready." I announced, getting up.

"Can you make me a coffee?" Jacob asked, as if it were a big thing.

"Sure."

"Thanks Bells." He smiled at me before I headed back to the house. I made BLT sandwiches and quickly whipped up a coffee. I called Jake in and when I asked about Billy, Jacob told me that he was at Sue's for the day.

He took a sip of coffee and his eyes widened. He examined me and I felt self-conscious.

"What?" I asked warily.

"You don't carry a portable coffee machine with you, do you?" he asked playfully.

"Umm no sorry."

"You sure?" he laughed, "Because this is the best god-damned coffee I've ever had."

"What are you on about?" I just shook my head, and continued eating my sand which.

I spent the rest of the day there, and at the end Jacob took me to the cliffs just as the sun was setting. It would have been romantic if not for the fact that he was taken.

"So where is Mia today? I'm sure she wouldn't approve of you seeing me." I finally said, after all day wanting to say something.

"She's at Seattle for the next few days, staying with her parent. They're not too happy that she's moved to Forks to see me." He told me.

"Oh okay. So how are things going with her, if you don't mind me asking." I asked, unsure of how he would react.

"Good." He said, but there was a weird look in his eyes.

(A/N) – I bet you're all thinking that things aren't going well between Jacob and Mia, hence the weird look in his eyes, and that would mean he would be free to date Bella. All I'm saying is don't make assumptions…)

"Good?"

"Better than good." He said, slightly defensive.

"Okay." I admitted defeat, "So…" I was determined to change the subject but really I kind of made it worse, "I'm writing a new song." This caused Jacob to blush involuntarily, and in turn I felt my face flush.

"Oh um, really?" was all he said.

"Yeah." I gulped, the redness still on my face, "And this time it has nothing to do with you." I quickly added.

"Oh okay." He nodded slowly, "So what's it about?"

"Well it's called 'Mean' and I'm thinking of releasing it and donating the money to the Domestic Violence Foundation."

"So it's about… abuse?" he asked quizzically, but there was something in his face that looked angry.

"Yep. Being abused my men." I said without thinking and Jacob jumped up quickly, scaring the crap out of me. He was shaking, and I knew what that meant. "Whoa. Jake, are you okay?" I asked, the most stupid question in the world.

"Okay?" he growled, "Are you okay? Did this happen to you?" he spun towards me and I realised he wasn't angry at me exactly.

"What happen?" I still didn't know what he was getting at.

"Abuse."

"Oh." It hit me like a ton of bricks, "No, no!" I assured him frantically, getting up and standing in front of him, "It happened to my mum's friend, but not me!"

"Oh." He repeated what I had said, but in a different tone. His whole body relaxed and the shaking ceased. "Thank god." And he folded me into a hug that I had been missing for the past three years.

I hugged him back, relishing the feeling. I wondered if it was like this for him, savour every touch, every word because you couldn't have them. I suddenly felt great regret for the pain I had caused him. I looked up into his mahogany eyes.

"You really care that much." I thought I knew the answer, but I still needed to hear it.

"Of course I do Bells." He whispered and I felt myself stretching upwards and he bent down. He was so close, yet so far. Our lips had almost met when he ripped himself away from me. The sudden loss of his body warmth was devastating.

"No Bella, we can't…" he shook his head, still backing away.

"I know, I'm sorry." I was ashamed that we had come that close to kissing. I wanted it, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't right. He had Mia.

"I better get home." I said and headed back to the Rabbit for Jake to take me back to his house to get my truck.

THURSDAY, 28TH 2005

BELLA'S POV

"It was horrible." I confided in Angela as we sat at the table. Charlie was at work and Angela didn't have to go to the University today. She was studying to become a biologist of some sort, and she did the whole Uni at home but once a week she had to go to Seattle. She nodded sympathetically.

"Was it really that bad?" she asked.

"Well, it was nice. The whole day it was just like it used to be, until we went to the cliffs." I still hated myself for bringing up the Mia subject, and that leading to what had happened. "Then, stupidly, I bought up Mia and then to change the subject I told him about my new song. When he heard it was about domestic violence he went agro-wolf, thinking it had happened to me." I had my head in my hands, not looking Angela in the eye.

"And?" she urged me gently.

"Well I calmed him down, assured him that it wasn't about me. Then he hugged me, and that was okay. I asked him if he really cared that much and he said he did and looked at me as if I were crazy for thinking he didn't." I paused to actually breathe, "And before I knew it, we were almost kissing."

Angela gave me a look, "Are you sure you're not over-reacting? You said almost."

"But then he leapt away from me saying how we can't and that it was wrong." I revealed.

"Oh." She nodded, "I can see how that would be totally and horribly embarrassing."

"Oh, gee thanks." I moaned, "So it really was that bad?"

"Well in a way yes, but technically no." Angela answered wisely.

"You're confusing." I shook my head, amused. Angela just smiled, and took a sip of the coffee I had made her.

"Do you have a coffee machine? I really want one of those." She said, gazing into the tiny part of the kitchen she could see through the door.

"No, I don't have one." I shook my head, bemused.

"Really? Because this coffee is really good."

"Funny. Jacob said the same thing." It was really weird.

"Maybe it just comes with being an awesome cook." Angela shrugged.

"Yeah, that's probably it." I laughed. Angela glanced at the clock.

"I've got to go." She told me, standing up and slinging her handbag over her arm, "I'm meeting Paul." I snickered and she whacked me across the head.

"Ow." I complained.

"Why don't we meet at the coffee shop in Forks on Sunday?" she suggested.

"Sure, about one o'clock?"

"Sounds great." She agreed. "See you." And she left. I started cleaning up, feeling better about the whole scenario with Jacob.

What do you think? Okay, so I know the whole coffee thing is weird, but I want to know what you all think about her owning a coffee shop? I know she's a singer but that can't pay the bills for the rest of her life (well it probably could) but I guess she needs something to do. Please review!