We walked inside, and he handed me the Netflix envelopes to open while he grabbed the phone and dialed. The first envelope I opened had Shawn of the Dead in it, making me laugh; pretty much exactly what I expected from him, but the second had The Fountain, which I'd been wanting to see.

I placed The Fountain into the DVD player as Jake called from his kitchen. "Want a beer?"

"Sure, yeah, thanks!" I called back, hunting for the remote. The house was surprisingly clean, especially considering that two men lived here. As I looked for the remote in the couch, I noticed that even under the cushions was clean. I finally found it wedged behind the recliner and the wall, which I had to lie on the floor and stretch along on my side to reach.

As I wiggled back out, I turned and saw Jacob was standing there with a beer in each hand and a glint in his eye. "You aren't going to make this easy on me, are you?" he asked with a rasp in his voice.

"What? I had to get the remote!"

"Sure, sure," he laughed, putting the beer down on the table and settling on the floor in front of the couch. "Oh, good, you put this one in."

"Yeah, I've wanted to see it."

He smiled up at me and reached out for the remote, which I handed to him as I walked by and picked up my beer. I settled into the old but comfortable couch.

"Am I allowed to turn the lights off?" he asked, craning his neck around to look at me.

"S'long as you stay on the floor."

"Promise." He held his hands up.

"Okay then," I laughed.

He got up and turned the lights off as the movie began; it was a slow starter but pulled us in with stunning visuals from the very beginning. Now and then I could hear Jacob muttering at the screen, but for the most part, we sat comfortably silent.

The pizza arrived just as the priest revealed the location of the Tree of Life with his dagger. We ate in silence, transported from the ancient past and into a distant future, all dictated by the pain of love and loss. I watched as Jacob chewed, his jaw moving unconsciously and creating sympathetic movements in his neck and shoulders. I watched his hands fiddle with the hole at the knee of his jeans like a child.

After my third piece of pizza and second beer, I lay back on the couch, using the cushioned armrest as a pillow. Jake sat in front of me, dutifully staying on the floor. As we watched, the pain of losing something you'd come to depend on as your definition washed through me. I felt my tears sting as the ancient tree slowly died, giving her life, her soul, just so her love could continue on.

Without thinking, I reached out and placed my hand on Jacob's shoulder, causing his body to tense under my touch and then relax into the contact. Right now, I needed the warmth and comfort I knew just being near him could offer me. I'd made other friends in my short time here, but no one made me laugh or soothed me the way he did.

He continued muttering at the screen, whatever he was saying to himself vibrating through his body and up my arm, soft and sensual as a purr. I ran my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, scratching his scalp and upper neck as I did, which elicited another soft purr. Sitting in the dark, crying over the mortality of love and the inevitability of loss, I allowed my instincts to carry my body toward Jacob's.

I rolled forward toward him and placed a soft kiss on the side of his neck, now hearing as well as feeling his vibrating purr of encouragement. I kissed him again, lower, next to the collar line of his shirt, and wrapped my arm around in front of him, placing it over his heart. His chest was hard, and I could feel the slope of his pectoral muscles under his shirt; despite his strength, he held still, captive to my touch.

I pulled his ear into my mouth and suckled it, nibbling softly as I let my tongue swirl around the sensitive skin. He shuddered and brought a hand up to mine, holding me close to his heart. In the background, the music swelled as the astronaut approached his final destination at the Xibalba Nebula, and Jacob moaned as I licked the side of his neck slowly.

"Can I kiss you?" he whispered without moving, giving me permission to deny him.

"Yes," I said into his skin, the tears still wet on my face but no longer falling.

He turned slowly, coming up on his knees, but I never removed my hands from his body. I rolled onto my back as he leaned down to me and placed his lips against my throat. He moaned softly into me as he brought one hand across my middle, placing it just under my left breast as his thumb swept back and forth against the fabric of my shirt.

He kissed his way up my neck until he came to my lips. I arched up to him, wrapping one hand in his hair and resting the other on his shoulder blade; his back muscles flexed to hold him off of me. He looked at me for an impossible amount of time until I whimpered and lifted myself to meet him, pulling his face against mine as I sucked his lower lip into my mouth.

"Bella…" he breathed before opening his mouth and running his tongue along my lip, slipping it inside of my mouth as I surrendered to him. I held him tighter, but he remained distant, not allowing himself to relax into my kiss. Sitting up slightly, I stroked his face and opened my eyes, kissing him softly and letting my tongue spell out all of what my heart wasn't able to feel.

"So…did this become a date?" he asked as he looked at me between kisses.

"No…" I looked away from him, feeling the couch falling away underneath me.

"Hmmm," he said before kissing me again with more pressure. His hand slid up over my breast firmly, making me moan with the pleasure of his touch and press further into him with my chest and tongue. His thumb brushed roughly against my hard nipple as he added, "That's too bad." He pulled away and smirked down at me.

"What are you-?"

"Oh, Miss Swan, what kind of guy do you think I am? I don't kiss people who won't date me… at least, not tonight." He winked, standing before me.

I could see that his body didn't agree with his decision thanks to the erection right at eyelevel; a primal part of me wanted to reach out and grab it to pull him down again. But I didn't. Jacob walked off - I assume to the bathroom - as The Conquistador collapsed in pain, leaves and flowers bursting from his body, burying him.

The credits began to roll as Jake came back in the room and stood next to the TV, eyeing me standing by the couch, caught between staying and going.

"So, Zombies?"

"You really know how to woo a girl, don't you?" I teased.

"I do my best." He smiled, his face lit up softly in the glow of the TV, which highlighted the contrasts of his sharp features.

"Zombies," I agreed with a smile, knowing this was going to end badly but somehow unable to pull myself away. "Another?" I picked up the empty beer bottles on the table.

"Sure, sure." He was focusing on the electronic equipment in front of him.

Shawn of the Dead proved to be as highly entertaining as I remembered, but as the night wore on, I got tired, closing my eyes from time to time but laughing as I listened to the familiarly ridiculous lines. Eventually, I yawned and started to sit up to leave. "It's too late… I have to get home."

"You're drunk and exhausted; sleep here," Jake said over his shoulder from his position on the floor.

"Jacob…"

"Not like that; I told you already: I'm a gentleman… you can sleep on the couch."

"Okay…" I yawned as I rolled onto my side, snuggling further into the couch cushions.

When I woke up, it was still dark in the little house, and I could smell the dampness of morning dew. I lay on the small couch wondering when Jacob had covered me up and when he'd left for bed. The down comforter was warm and smelled like mothballs and summer heat. From the kitchen, another more comforting smell wafted over.

Coffee.

I got up and stumbled down the hall to the small bathroom before going into the kitchen to find the coffee maker brewing and a Post-it note sticking to the front:

Mug in cabinet

Boy in garage

Come find me

I smiled at his chicken-scratch handwriting - boy indeed - before reaching above me to find a mug. I poured myself a cup and headed out the back door and over to the garage. The sky was cloudy, and I realized that it wasn't so much dark out as it was blacked out; the sky was hidden behind a cover of clouds threatening to open before I made it to my destination.

I reached the garage just in time to hear the first crack of thunder and feel the swell of air pressure before the fall. Behind me, the first drops rushed to the ground like a lover finally come home. I huddled around my mug and leaned on the wall just inside the door, taking in the sight before me.

This morning there was no music on in the garage, and Jacob was standing with his back to me, appraising his work. It was clear he'd been sanding; the air was full of dust, as if a fairy had passed through with a leak in her bag of pixie dust, leaving a trail behind her. He stood there with dust falling on his bare shoulders, his hand on his hip. Jacob was barefoot, wearing only a pair of cut off jeans and a layer of wood dust highlighting the concave/convex flow of his physique.

Taking a sip of my coffee, I allowed the sight before me to worm its way into my heart. One thing I had learned; no matter how hard you might fight against it, love has a way of making itself known. Sometimes it was a slow growing vine taking over an old house, but other times, like now, it was a silent moment of voyeurism, so subtle you didn't even realize it had happened until it broke you in two.

"Did you know you're sort of beautiful?" I asked softly, causing Jake to turn to me and give me a view even better than the last.

Jacob just rolled his eyes. "You drank more than you should have, didn't you?"

"Hmmm," I said, walking further into the room. "So what are you working on today?"

"Just a little polishing. I noticed some spots where the grain was raising yesterday, and I wanted to get the finer sandpaper going." He turned his full attention back to his art, giving me the opportunity to appraise the muscles in his back and note that his underwear rode up slightly higher than the shorts… briefs or boxer briefs? Whatever they were, they hugged his ass tightly.

"…fingers are the hardest part, but I'm not going to work on that today. I'm feeling her shape more than the details right now."

"Hmmm…" I hummed, letting the low timbre of his voice wash over me and melt against the thump thump thump of the rain.

"How about you?" He cocked his head to one side. "Any life-altering plans for this rainy Saturday?"

"I don't think you have to add the rainy part – isn't that every day?"

"Point made."

"I was hoping to see if there were any yard sales, but now…"

"You should go to the swap meet."

"Huh?"

"Big indoor flee market-type thing; happens every month out on 101 – it's like halfway to Port Angeles."

"Oh, wow, that sounds perfect!"

"If you wanted to… I mean… I'll be done here in an hour or two… we could…"

"Yeah, I'm gonna run home and shower and stuff, but I'd like that."

"Okay." He smiled at me, and that flicker of hope returned to his eyes, but this time, I did nothing to stop it.

"I'll come back and get you?"

"Wear something slutty," he said before turning back to his work, and for the first time in my new friendship with Jacob Black, I laughed but didn't protest. I let the joke hang in the air; the innocent jab at the armor I was wearing struck true.

The drive home was smooth until I neared our road and spilled the last of my coffee all over myself after bumping into a pot hole. I parked on the far side of the detached garage so Rosalie could still get her car out and noticed that Emmett's Jeep wasn't here again.

"Morning!" I called as I walked in and was quickly assaulted by a hysterical three-year old.

"Miss Bella!" he screamed, launching himself into my arms. "You didn't say good night, and you weren't here, and I thought you'd been taken or stolen or all gone!"

"Shhh, its okay, Royce. You're all right. I'm right here, buddy." I quickly picked him up, making sure he knew that I was real.

"He's been like this all morning," Rosalie said from the doorway to the kitchen, tired circles under her eyes.

"What's going on?"

"This is Roy's weekend with me; his dad gets him Wednesday through Sunday this week, so they get a longer visit, but… I don't know… he's just so upset."

"My daddy didn't come, and he didn't call or say goodbye, and then you weren't here, and, Miss Bella, what if there were monsters out there, and you were out there, and I heard a boom last night, and the boom sound was scary, and it was a monster trying to get in your room, and my daddy isn't here!" the boy sobbed in my arms.

Rocking Royce in my arms, I looked at Rosalie and saw a pain deeper than any I'd felt; my heart may have been broken, ripped in two, never to be returned to its original state, but it was only my heart. Rosalie's heart was breaking for someone else; her pain was the pain of wishing she could break her own heart just so that his could remain whole.

"Can you call him?" I asked, knowing that it wasn't what she wanted to do but feeling the pain of the boy seeping into me as his tears soaked my coffee-stained shirt.

"Okay…" she sighed, going to get her phone.

"Come on, Royce, let's sit on the couch." I carried him further into the living room and settled him down on my lap, brushing his hair away from his sweet face. His eyes were red and puffy from crying. "Shhh, Royce, there're enough years yet to cry. You're okay. Shhhh..."

"Hi, um, call me when you get this, okay?" Rosalie spoke into the phone, leaving a message.

"He's not home." She quickly dialed another number.

"Hi, yes, it's Rosalie. Is your son there? Do you know where? I know, but he'll never hear the phone over the noise in that garage…okay, if you would…Thanks…" She sat down on the floor next to her son's head. "All right, Roy, Papa's going to go out to Daddy's garage and see if he's in there, okay?"

But Royce ignored her, his eyes closing as I stroked his face; I traced the lines of his eyebrows and down his sweet cheeks to his chin, lulling him to sleep with the promise of understanding.

"Thank God you're here…" She looked up at me from her perch on the floor.

I stroked his face, feeling the softness of skin that hadn't yet been marred by the sun. He sniffled and hiccupped as I murmured to him and cradled him closely. His feathery breaths came easier now as he sunk into sleep.

Royce slept in my lap for the next hour as Rose and I drank the coffee she brewed from my detailed explanation. The rain was soft against the house, and the air was fresh. Our silence held hands with our friendship, smiling down at the sleeping child in my arms until the phone rang.

"Hi," she whispered, answering quickly so as not to wake Royce.

"I know; he…he misses you. No, I don't mind… okay, yeah, I'll bring him there. Its okay, look, I'm glad you're free … okay… I'll be there soon."

Rosalie's face was indecipherable as she hung up the phone with the man she wished out of her life but would hold on to forever for the sake of her son.

"I'm going to pack a bag for him quickly, just in case he spends the night… are you … okay here with him?"

"Of course, Rose, go ahead; we're fine." I smoothed down his brown hair and dried the leftover tears on his face as she quickly went into the back rooms to throw on a pair of jeans and pack an overnight bag for her son.

When she was ready, I carried him out to her VW Beetle and strapped him into the car seat that he was rapidly outgrowing.

"Royce," I said into his hair. "Honey, you're going to your dad's now. Okay?"

He smiled, eyes closed, lost in his dream world as I shut the door.

"Thanks, Bella, I'll be back soon."

"Okay, I'm going to shower and then check out the swap meet."

"Oh, have fun, but try and come home tonight." She winked before climbing in and driving off in her Bug, leaving a trail of the scent of diesel in her wake.

The shower I took that morning was truly the most glorious shower in all of history. I was tired and a little hung over, sad and happy, excited and terrified, hopeful and cautious, remembering but beginning to forget. The green tile of the shower walls and pink flower appliqués on the tub floor witnessed my duality as it washed down the drain, leaving behind only Bella.

I hurried now, knowing that Jacob would be expecting me soon; the time I'd spent holding Royce was well spent but not something I had budgeted for. I pulled on a low-cut t-shirt and a pair of jeans before sweeping my still-wet hair up into a haphazard bun, clipped into place with a barrette.

I grabbed my messenger-bag-style purse and the envelope of cash I'd taken out before moving here, earmarked for just this kind of adventure before rushing out and jumping into my truck. I was more excited than I'd wanted to be to return to Jacob. He pushed the boundaries but never too far, always keeping it light, letting things happen at their own pace and never pressuring me for more than I was able to give. Despite him making it clear that he was interested in more from me, I never felt rushed.

Pulling into his drive had become so comfortable that I didn't notice at first that his Rabbit was missing.

"Jake!" I called, bounding up the steps to the red house I'd left only hours earlier.

"He ain't here!" I heard a voice call out as I opened the door; Billy Black rolled into the living room from the kitchen with an inscrutable look on his face.

"Oh, ahh, will he be back soon?"

"Don't 'spect so."

"Oh…okay…" I wasn't sure how to interpret what seemed like anger flowing from the man across from me. The last time I'd seen him he'd been so open and kind; what had happened since then?

"Umm… can you just let him know… I, ah… I came by?"

"Will do; now get along." A tight smile accompanied the not-so-subtle dismissal.

I walked out of the house and back toward my car, unable to process the conversation I'd just had. Where was Jake? He'd made it clear that he wanted to spend time with me… Instead of going to the truck, I walked to his garage, where the music was still playing. Something lyrical I didn't recognize was on, and as I looked around, I could see his sandpaper and tools scattered on the floor before the sculpture as if they'd been discarded; forgotten in his hurry to get to whatever called him away from me.

There are moments in life that, when you look back at them, you realize you should've known; you should've been able to sense there was a piece of the puzzle missing, but at the time, the puzzle was still lying all around you while you tried to pick out and sort the pieces by color or edging, unable to realize it would never be complete without the one that had slipped out of the box.

I scribbled a note and left it on his workbench, trying to leave it as casual as possible; who knew when I'd see him again? Besides, I had a swap meet to get to.

The drive out to Route 101 was easy enough: down 110 until it ended, and I could get on 101 toward Port Angeles until I saw a large barn on the side of the road with a wooden sign with "SWAP MEET" scrawled in paint. I parked along with the other vehicles there - some newer, their owners looking for that special find that you can only get from dumpster dives like this, and others more like mine, hoping to find something that they could afford.

Inside was dense with noise, dust and people, and I could feel myself getting overwhelmed already. But I'd come all the way here, so I'd take some deep breaths and walk outside if I needed a break. I was going to spend at least an hour looking; enough time to know if it was worth continuing.

Fifty-five minutes into my exploration, and I'd found a beautiful glass doorknob for the entrance door to my rooms; necessary, no, but for .35 cents, I could afford to splurge. I found an old, red velvet love seat for $10 next, which fit in the back of my truck perfectly with the help of the former owner to situate it safely.

Three hours later, the truck was packed full, and I was exhausted but happy with my haul: a cherry wood bookshelf, some hand-carved picture frames, a black rug, a bedside table, a stained glass window to hang in my classroom, and even a new pair of earrings, amongst other things. My joy was simple, and the items I'd purchased were small and insignificant compared to a world full of luxuries and technology, but something about each of them called to me, and I knew they were meant to be mine.

I drove home with the driver's window up, tasting the soon-to-be returning rain with a heaviness in my heart I couldn't pinpoint and couldn't avoid. Where was Jacob Black?