Chapter Four

Jacob had not realized when Rachel invited him over to her place, that it was a housewarming party, and that she lived in the same building as Bella.

He really didn't want to go, because he didn't want to risk Bella seeing him. He didn't want to hurt her more then he had.

But Rachel was insistent and he promised her.

Everything had gone well, he had gotten to Rachel's apartment unnoticed. Even when Marcy got there she didn't seem to recognize him, despite the fact he had already met her four times.

Rachel had started talking about how they met, and Jacob couldn't help but smile at how happy she looked.

"Well, I am just happy he feels the same way. I mean, I was lucky he wasn't taken." When Rachel said that Jacob made a choking sound, he was worried that he would have to explain this but they heard glass shattering, everyone looked up and saw Bella, standing in the doorway, glass laying around her, and blood dripping into the spilled liquid on the floor.

Jacob's eyes widened and a look of horror crossed his face. Not just for Bella being hurt, but by what she had heard. About Rachel crowing about their relationship. For a second Jacob was angry with Rachel, furious. She shouldn't have said anything, but he knew of course she had no way of knowing.

Bella looked down at the glass, at and the red stained puddle, then at her own hand, which by now was bleeding badly.

"Ow." She said it softly, surprised.

"Bella?" Jacob said, he ran over and picked up her hand, making sure it was not too badly injured.

Rachel hurried into the kitchen and brought in some towels to cover Bella's hand in.

She was still bleeding, but not as badly as before, after they had wrapped up her hand and set her on the couch.

"Hold it up, just like that." Rachel instructed "I'll go grab some more towels."

By that time Marcy and the four other women there had left, but not before Marcy whispered "It was only Pepsi." Bella wondered if the bottle breaking was kharma for her small act of rebellion when buying the drinks.

But then it was just Jacob, Bella and Rachel in the apartment.

Three's a crowd.

"How's your hand feeling?" Rachel asked, holding some more towels in one hand and an ice pack in another.

"Fine." Bella managed to croak.

Rachel looked at her disbelievingly, and then looked at her hand.

"You're going to need stitches…" She pulled Bella's hand closer to her face to better see the cut "It's an inch deep. Definitely going to need stitches. Do you have a way to get to the hospital…it's Bella right?" Bella nodded her head in confirmation. "Do you have a way to get to the hospital Bella?"

"Yeah, sure I can find one…" Bella wanted to get out of there, which Jacob knew since he knew her so well.

He also knew she had no ride. Her ancient truck had finally died and he had been driving her. Another shot of guilt jolted his system, how had she been getting around the past few days he wondered.

"That's a no." Rachel smiled gently at Bella, and Bella was really wishing she would kick a puppy or do something to give her a reason to hate Rachel. So far no such luck. "Jacob, you could drive her…"

But before she could continue Bella jumped in "No, really. I don't want to intrude, it's not that bad anyway."

"Really it's no problem. We didn't have any plans, only dinner. Have to celebrate the three day anniversary." Rachel giggled.

Bella tried to smile, but she could feel the twisted grimace, which would be labeling it kindly, on her face.

She never thought that she would see any silver lining to Edward leaving her, but at least he had to common courtesy, the decency, to leave town as well.

Rachel took Bella's silence as an affirmation. "Good, then. And dinner's not til 7:00, okay?" She said, turning to Jacob.

Jacob nodded and Bella sat there, dumbstruck.

Ten minutes later she was sitting less the two feet away from the guy who shattered her already cracked heart.

He had a grim look on his face, and she looked out the window.

"I…I don't know what to say." Jacob admitted, the nearest hospital was 30 minutes away, since the local one had shut down, after Carlisle had left, and that was a long way to sit in silence.

"There's not a lot to say." Bella whispered. She was having enough trouble keeping it together without talking.

"So, have you been…okay?" He knew the answer though. The last time he had seen Bella looking this way was when Edward had left. She had the same zombie look in her eyes right now has she did then. The same broken look. Only this time it was his fault it was there.

"You weren't supposed to leave." She said, if it wouldn't have been for his enhanced hearing Jacob probably wouldn't have heard her.

"I know." Bella wiped her hand quickly under her eye, and Jacobs own vision became blurred. Something about Bella crying always made him do the same.

"I wasn't supposed to have to do this twice." This time it was more to herself, but Jacob still answered.

"I know."

Bella started crying harder, too much for her to try and hide.

Jacob pulled over on the side of the road, and wrapped his arm around her. Bella leaned into him, feeling his familiar warmth.

"Please Bella, Bells, please don't cry. It'll be alright. Just don't cry." He used his other arm to pat her head, and tried to wipe off some of her tears.

Bella looked up at him, for only a second, but the look was so tragic it broke his heart. And he realized, even after everything Edward had put her though, never had he seen this much devastation on her face.

Before he knew it he was kissing her. It was frantic, and wet because of her tears, but familiar, like coming home.

Bella opened her mouth slightly and Jacob moved closer to her, and some how ended up hovering over her in the passenger seat. She hooked her the thumb of her non-bleeding hand through his belt loops, pulling him even closer. His fingers trailed on the hem of her shirt, spanning across her back.

"Jacob…" Bella whispered lightly. Then pulled back slightly, blushing the familiar way she always did. "Jacob." She said it louder that time "What are we doing."

He pulled back now to, trying to look at her, to see what she was thinking.

"I don't know."

"But…you're staying with her. With Rachel?" Bella shut her eyes when asking this, she knew what he would say, and she didn't want to see him answer. She didn't want to see him pull away and sit back in the drivers seat, buckle his seatbelt and look straight ahead as she knew he would.

And within seconds she felt his warmth leave her, the feeling of his skin only a memory.

"Yeah." He said, clearing his throat. "Yes, I have to she's my imprint." He wished, with ever fiber of his being, that he could say no. That he could promise he would be hers, that he could take away that pained look in her eyes.

"Was it something I did…?" She asked quietly, her eyes still closed.

"No. No Bella it's not like that. We can't choose who we imprint on. It just happens, nobody knows why, or how…but it's not your fault."

Jacob couldn't stand the thought of Bella blaming herself for this, for his stupid wolf things.

She sighed like she was defeated. They drove the rest of the way to the hospital in silence.

When they entered the parking lot Jacob was going to turn left, for the short term parking, but Bella shook her head and pointed to the right, DROP OFF, that sign read.

"But how are you…" Jacob asked, stopping in the middle of the intersection to look at Bella.

"I'll find my own ride home, don't worry about it." Apparently she wasn't going to wait to even get to the drop-off area, she opened the door and was about to get out before Jacob leaned across and closed it.

"Bella, I can give you a ride home."

"Really, just go. Rachel…she'll be expecting you for dinner." This disarmed Jacob for some reason.

They didn't say anything else until Jacob dropped her off at the hospital entrance.

"Thanks for the ride." Bella said in a way that broke his heart.

"Are you sure…I mean do you have someone to call?"

She smiled sadly. "I'll manage."

With that she left and went to get at least one part of her life fixed.