Thank you so much for the reviews! In this chapter, we start off with the cliff hanger last chapter! More Jake in this chapter and a little bit of Charlie. Let me know what you think!
Little miss, do your best
Little miss, never rest
Little miss, be my guest, I'll make more anytime that it runs out
Little miss, you'll go far
Little miss, hide your scars
Little miss, who you are is so much more than you like to talk about
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
Yeah, sometimes you gotta lose 'til you win
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
It'll be alright again
It'll be alright again, I'm okay
It'll be alright again, I'm okay (I'm okay)
It'll be alright again, I'm okay
Hold on
Hold on, you are loved
Are loved...
Little miss, brand new start
Little miss, do your part
Little miss, big old heart beats wide open and she's ready now for love
~Little Miss-Sugarland
I could feel my stomach rise to my throat as the door knob rotated. Charlie opened the door seconds later. At first he appraised me before he enveloped me in his arms.
I smelled the familiar smell of Charlie: cheap cologne and musky. I laid my head against his shoulder for a moment, allowing myself to breathe. Seconds later, he released me. He left his hands on my shoulders to look at me for a moment before he cracked a smile.
"Bells, it's so good to see you," he said before he opened the door wider to let me in. The house looked the same, the entry way floor had scattered pairs of boots lining the corners of the wall.
Charlie's hair was grayer than I imagined, and his face was hardened by more wrinkles. The house looked like it hadn't been cleaned other than a single sweep of a broom.
"How have you been?" I asked as I stuck my hands in my jean pockets.
"Good, I've missed you," Charlie admitted gruffly.
"My cooking you mean," I said, correcting him. He let out a deep chuckle.
"I've missed your cooking, but I've missed you too," he said, leading me into the kitchen. As I expected, the kitchen table was covered in dust which meant he resorted to eating on the couch.
On the fridge was a single ripped of notebook sheet of paper with the number of the closest pizza place. The couch and his recliner looked worn with a clear outline of where he sat.
"You look different, Bells," Charlie said.
"Really?" I asked.
"You look like you got some color down there," he said. Jacob had said the same thing when he helped me move everything into my dorm.
"I guess, I did spend a lot of time on the beach." I said, nodding my head.
"I'm sorry I couldn't make it down for your graduation, but I umm...got you a gift," he said, dropping his head. He grabbed a messily wrapped box from the counter.
"Oh Dad, you didn't have to," I said as I played with the box in my hand.
"I had it made for you," he said. I was touched by his kindness as I gently ripped off the wrapping paper. Nestled inside the box was a bracelet with an emerald jewel.
"It's beautiful," I said, admiring it for a moment.
"Can you help me put it on?" I asked, as I reached my wrist out. He nodded as he latched the slim silver band onto my wrist.
"Thank you," I murmured as I drew him in for a hug. He was initially surprised, but hugged me back. Charlie wasn't particularly affectionate, and I adapted that mentality when I stayed with him.
Renee rubbed off on me, and I became more open to acts of affection.
"I asked Jake to make it for you," Charlie admitted as he stuck his hands into his well worn jean pockets.
"I will have to thank him when I see him," I said, smiling at him. Then, I had an idea. I fished around for a moment before I figured I should run to the grocery store for him.
"How about I make you dinner tonight?" I suggested as I looked into his nearly vacant fridge.
"That sounds great, I'm sorry there's not that much food here," he apologized.
"Dad, don't worry about it. It'll be my treat. I'll run down to the grocery store quickly," I said, grabbing my keys off of the counter.
"Okay," Charlie said. I left the house a few minutes later and began the treck to the grocery store. I forgot how everything in Forks was close together, which made the drive less than ten minutes long.
I saw Newton Outfitters as I whizzed by to the grocery store. As I reached the store, I realized how I could still navigate around here with ease. Everything was as I remembered it, down to the fading signs.
I shut my car door before I walked up to to the entrance. I searched around for the meat section and grabbed chicken. I tried to figure out how to grab the spices which were conviently on the top shelf.
Before I could reach up to attempt to grasp one, a hand managed to get there before me. I turned around and was face-to-face with Mike Newton.
"Mike," I said. He grinned impishly at me. He looked older than the last time I saw him and was definetely more filled out.
"Bella! What are you doing here?" He asked with enthuasiasm.
"I'm visiting my Dad," I answered. He handed me the container of spice I was reaching for.
"I thought you moved down to Jacksonville," he said, cocking his head in confusion.
"I did, but I'm now going to Wash U," I said, and he smiled hugely.
"That's awesome, how have you been?" He asked.
"Really good, I missed this place. How have you been?" I asked.
"Good, I'm now the head of Newton's Outfitters," he said.
"Congrats, that's great!" I said.
"Yeah, it's great to see you, Bella. You look great," he said.
"Thanks, Mike. I'll see you around," I said, toying with the spice container in my hand.
"Yeah, let me know if you wanna hang out or something. My number is still the same from High School," Mike said, subtly winking at me. I smiled back at him.
"I will," I said with ease. I knew I was going to run into someone I knew because this was a small town. Forks was small enough that it was more than likely I would see someone I knew at the grocery store.
I walked with purpose to the check out line, making a mental note that they didn't have self check out lines. With my groceries in hand I walked back to my car. The drive back was even shorter than the ride there.
The front door of the house was open.
"Dad, I'm back!" I called as I closed the door behind me. I found him in his usual spot, parked in front of the television watching baseball. I sorted my ingredients before throwing together a simple chicken dish and throwing it into the oven.
I set the timer before sauntering over to the living room. I took a seat on the couch.
"Who's playing?" I asked as I crossed my legs.
"Mariners and Rangers," he replied, fully focused on the television. I knew how intense Charlie got about his sports games so I kept quiet. When I lived with Charlie, I barely even paid attention to the games on television.
After spending time with Phil, my baseball knowledge grew and I even began to like baseball. Charlie seemed to take notice of me actually paying attention to the game. I heard the timer go off sometime later and brought the chicken out of the oven.
"Hey, Dad, dinner's ready," I said, speaking quietly. He nodded and muted the television before walking over to table. I handed him a plate full of his favorite chicken; he looked down and recognition crossed his face.
"You remembered," he said, looking with wonder at me.
"Of course," I said, smiling brightly at him. He sat across from me at the table.
"I didn't know you watched baseball," he commented.
"I ended up going to a lot of minor league games with Phil, so I have an appreciation for baseball now," I said as I cut my chicken.
"That's great, you're not a Marlins fan are you?" Charlie asked.
"Of course not, I'd never betray the Mariners," I laughed.
"Good girl," Charlie said.
"How was your first week of classes?" Charlie asked before he took another bite of food.
"I really liked it, my classes are already hard, but I like them." I answered.
"How's your roommate?" He asked.
"She's nice, we're not in any of the same classes so I don't really see her much," I said before taking a sip of water.
Charlie nodded before taking a sip of beer. After a few minutes of silence, Charlie spoke.
"So Jake and his friends were nice to you?" Charlie asked.
"They were great, I actually managed to hurt myself and Jake basically went into doctor mode," I said, recalling that day.
"What did you do?" Charlie asked.
"I dropped a box on my foot in typical Bella style," I said, shaking my head.
"I'm glad Jake was helpful. He's sure grown a lot since the last time you saw him, he's become a really good guy," Charlie said, taking another sip of beer.
"He's definetely changed, he's filled out. I'll have to thank him again next time I see him," I said.
"Are you planning on going to La Push?" Charlie asked.
"Maybe tomorrow night," I answered.
"That's great, Bells. I'm on duty all day tomorrow," Charlie informed me.
"Okay," I said, making note. We finished dinner sometime later, and I cleaned the dishes and the kitchen. Charlie resumed his position on his chair. I sat down on the couch watching the game with him.
We didn't have to talk, but I could tell Charlie was glad to have me there. This was the first time I actually watched a game with him instead of scurrying upstairs to my room.
A while later the game ended and Charlie informed me that my room was exactly as I left it. I walked up the stairs as memories passed through me. I immediantly caught sight of the rocking chair collecting dust in my room.
Instead of breaking down because of the memories of Edward watching me sleep from that chair, I felt oddly at peace. I sat down on my bed and grabbed an old picture frame from my nightstand.
The picture was of Charlie holding onto my bike as I grinned a toothy smile holding the handle bars. I smiled at the picture before setting it down where I left it. The room looked bare as I laid down.
Charlie knocked on the door moments later.
"Goodnight, Bells. Thanks for coming to see me," he said, clutching the door.
"Of course, Dad. Thanks for having me," I smiled. He let out a smile before closing the door and shutting the light off behind him. As soon as I laid my head down on my pillow, I was out.
When I awoke the next morning, my eyes didn't have to adjust. I forgot that Forks was mostly overcast if it wasn't raining. While sunshine streaming through my windows was something I grew accustom to in Jacksonville, dull light filtered through the blinds in Forks.
I opened the blinds as I sat up on my bed and saw gray clouds hanging in the sky. My eyes traced to the clock, and I realized it was only seven-thirty. The house was silent, which meant Charlie already left for work.
I walked down the stairs and stumbled into the kitchen. I found a note on the coffee maker.
Bells-
I'm on duty right now, but I should be home late tonight. Don't wait up for me. Go out and have some fun.
Love you.
-Dad
I chuckled as I read the Charlie's chicken scratch handwriting. I placed the note gently back down before brewing myself coffee. I found an old to-go mug and poured my coffee into there.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized I packed a canvas along with my paint set. After throwing together scrambled eggs for breakfast, I retreated back into my room. I threw on a simple loose shirt along with crop jeans and converse. I grabbed my car keys along with an old Mariners ball cap before I left the house.
I drove to La Push beach and parked along the line of grass. As soon as I reached the beach, I found my canvas and paint set in the trunk.
I took off my shoes as soon as I touched the sand and allowed my toes to sink into the sand. I walked up so I was about ten feet from where the waves hit the shore before sitting down.
The beach looked vastly different from Jacksonville beaches, but I appreciated the change. The air felt chilly as the wind cut across my cheeks. The cliffs loomed in the distance as I began to paint the outline of them.
My hair flapped against my shoulders and back as the wind blew. I breathed in the familiar scent of salty sea air before returning my focus towards the canvas. Painting felt different without the sun beating down on me.
In Florida, I would have slapped on a ton of sunscreen, but here sunshine was far and in between.
Sometime later when I began to paint the waves on the canvas, I realized I was no longer alone on the beach. In the distance, I could see a russet colored body. I squinted my eyes in order to try to get a clearer picture of who it was.
"Bella?" A voice called in the distance. I immediantly tensed up, as the figure grew closer. My body relaxed as I realized it was Jacob.
"You scared the crap out of me!" I said, catching my breath. Jacob grew closer to me before he was standing in front of me. I realized seconds later he was shirtless, and tore my eyes from his perfectly toned six pack and turned my focus on his face.
"Do you realize how cold it is?" I asked accusingly. He laughed in response.
"It's not that cold," he said, shrugging.
"You're in cut offs and shirtless! Are you crazy?" I asked, seriously questioning his sanity.
"Nope. Why are you out here so early?" He questioned, his eyebrows knitting in curiousity.
"I like the beach," I answered simply. He shook his head before sitting down next to me.
"When did you get into Forks?" He asked as he put his elbows on his knees.
"Last night, I had dinner with Charlie," I said as I put my brush down.
"Am I bothering you? I didn't realize you were painting," Jacob said, his dark eyes meeting mine.
"Oh no, you're not bothering me at all," I assured him.
"When did you start painting?" Jake asked curiously.
"I started when I moved to Jacksonville," I answered.
"Charlie has never said anything about you being artistic, he says you're a book-worm," Jake said. I laughed before shaking my head. I was an avid reader as a child, I didn't realize he picked up on that.
"I wasn't really artistic, I just decided one day to buy a canvas and start painting," I admitted.
"You're really good," Jake said, smiling crookedly.
"Thank you. So now you know why I'm here, why are you here this early?" I asked.
"That's a fair question, I like to run on the beach," Jake replied.
"Ugh, running," I said, groaning at the idea of physical pain.
"It's not bad actually, I guess you don't run," he said, with a chuckle.
"You saw my lack of balance the other day. Can you imagine me running?" I asked, and he let out a belly laugh.
"You should run with me sometime. I'll whip you right into shape," he suggested.
"That wouldn't be fair to you, it'd be like running with a tortoise," I said jokingly.
"I wouldn't mind, and over time you'd get better." Jake said, as he ran his fingers through the sand.
"Maybe I'll take you up on your offer sometime," I said, leaning back onto the sand.
"Hey, anytime, just shoot me a text. So how was your first week?" He asked.
"Pretty good actually, classes are already difficult," I answered as I put my canvas down in my lap.
"I bet. What classes are you taking?" Jake asked as he kept his gaze on me.
"Intro to Anthropology, English 202, Intro to Linguistics, and Stats," I answered, picturing my schedule in my head.
"Jeez, Bella," Jake said, sounding surprised.
"It sounds worse than it is. It's a mouthful, though," I said. His shoulders shook with laughter.
"What are you up to today?" He asked.
"Charlie is on duty right now, so nothing much," I said, shrugging.
"Do you want to spend the day with me?" Jake asked, and I nodded.
"Yeah, sure," I agreed. Jake let a big grin ease across his lips.
"Awesome, if you want you can follow me back to my house and I can show you some stuff I've been working on," Jake suggested.
"Sounds like a plan," I smiled. I grabbed my canvas and laid it carefully in the second seat of my car before following Jake's Rabbit back to the house. I remembered Billy's house from my childhood.
I stepped out of my car and Jake was already waiting for me.
"Can I get you something to drink?" Jake asked as he walked next to me up the steps.
"A glass of water would be great," I replied as he opened the front door for me. Billy wheeled into the entry way moments later.
"Hey Bella! Your Dad told me you're back in town. How are you?" Billy asked, wheeling himself over to me.
"I'm good, Billy. I'm back for the weekend. How have you been?" I asked.
"I'm making it. So this guy helped you move in, huh?" Billy asked when Jacob reemerged from the kitchen.
"Yep, he and Seth really saved me from breaking my back with all those boxes," I answered with a chuckle. Then I realized the last time Billy saw me was when Sam Uley brought me out of the woods.
I felt my whole body shudder as the memory replayed in the back of my mind.
Charlie's expression of fear as he saw Sam Uley emerge from the forest with my shell of a body in his arms. The exchange of glances as Sam Uley handed me over to my father with Billy looking on.
I caught for a moment the look on Billy's face, a look of understanding and an undertone of 'I knew this was going to happen.'
He must have thought I was stupid. To this day my mind went back to prom night when Jake gave me a cryptic warning. Did Billy know?
Impossible. He just was very perceptive.
"Bella?" Jake called, hesitantly.
"Oh gosh, I'm sorry, Jake," I apologized, realizing I was in my own world.
"It's okay," he said cautiously. He looked at me like I was a glass doll about to tip over and fall on the ground. He handed me a glass of water before briefly touching my elbow to grab my attention.
"Are you okay?" Jake asked carefully.
"Do you want to check out the garage?" Jake asked.
"Yeah," I said, eager to break the awkwardness. He led me into the garage where two tarp covered cars laid along with two motor cycles.
"Are you a mechanic?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm going to school right now to get my certification," Jacob answered as he paced around the garage.
"That's awesome, Jake. Do you work on cars in here?" I asked.
"Yeah, do you want to see some?" He asked, excitement clear in his voice. I nodded. He took the tarp off of one of the cars. I immediately recognized it as a Ford Mustang.
Charlie always dreamed about having one of them.
"Is that a '68 Shelby?" I asked as I studied the nearly pristine condition of the mustang. Jake looked at me in awe for a moment.
"Yeah, it is. How did you know?" Jake asked, clearly still in awe that I was able to idenify it.
"Charlie loves mustangs," I replied with a smile as I studied the red paint on the car.
"He taught you well," he said, chuckling.
"It looks great!" I said, complimenting him.
"Aw Bella, you were doing so well. It's a she," he said, correcting me.
"Oh, right," I said, shaking my head. He disappeared underneath the car for a moment.
"Can I get you anything?" I questioned.
"A wrench would be great," he answered, his voice muffled. I looked around for a moment before I located a wrench on the counter of his work station. I placed the wrench gently in his outstretched hand.
As my hand briefly met his I felt immediate electricity. Must be a fluke.
"When did you start working on cars?" I asked as I leaned against the counter.
"My Dad used to be really into fixing up old cars, but after his accident he couldn't do it much anymore. So I picked it up, my first big success was actually with your truck," Jake replied.
"Oh," I said, hiding my blush. Of course the first car he fixed up was the one I stopped driving.
"Thank you, I really loved it," I murmured. I was fully expecting frustration to bubble over and for him to ask me why I didn't drive it anymore. However, Jacob surprised me.
"I'm glad you liked it," he said. He didn't criticize me or get mad at me for the fact that the truck sat in the driveway almost untouched after my stay in Forks. He didn't press me for why I didn't use it, like I expected him to do.
"So you're a senior, right?" I asked.
"Yep, I take a couple classes at a technical college on the side for my certificate though," he answered.
"That's awesome, so after High School you're going to be a mechanic," I said as I fixed my hair underneath my baseball cap.
"Yeah, I'm excited. I love cars and fixing them," Jake replied. We kept up the small talk for a few hours before Jake decided to take a lunch break.
"If you want I can put some sandwiches together," Jake said as he opened the refridgerator door.
"Or I can take you somewhere to get lunch." Jake offered.
"Sandwiches sound good," I said as I pressed my back against the wall behind me.
"You really had a growth spurt, I can't believe it," I said, marveling at him. He threw a cheeky smile back at me before he resumed making sandwiches.
"That's what everyone tells me," he said shaking his head.
"I bet Harry thinks Seth grew a foot," I said with a chuckle. I hadn't seen Harry since I was a little girl. Jacob grimaced and an awkward moment of silence was observed.
"Charlie didn't tell you?" Jake asked, letting out a gust of air.
"No..." I said hesitantly.
"Bella, Harry died a couple months after you left. Heart attack," Jake explained. I covered my hand with my mouth in mortification.
"Oh my gosh," I murmured.
"I'm so sorry," I said, and he smiled faintly.
"You didn't know, Bella. It's okay. It was a huge loss for all of us," Jake said solemnly.
"I can't imagine...Billy and he were very close," I said, shaking my head.
"They were. It was a huge loss to the whole community," Jake said as he stacked the meat on the sandwich bread.
"How's Sue?" I asked.
"She's getting through it. She's had to raise Seth and Leah pretty much by herself now." Jake answered.
"I'm so sorry, that must be really hard. I'm sorry for your loss, Jake," I said apologetically.
"He was like a second father to me," Jake murmured. I felt a pang in my chest as I watched Jake's eyes fall to the floor.
"I'm so sorry," I said, feeling like the apology wasn't enough.
"It's okay, we're getting through," Jake said as he handed me a plate with a sandwich on it. He led me to the table with two chairs.
"So Charlie tells me that your sister Rachel moved back?" I said, phrasing it more like a question.
"Yep, she moved back this summer after finishing her nursing degree," Jake replied.
"Does she live in La Push?" I asked.
"Yeah, she just moved in with her boyfriend, Paul." Jake answered.
"Oh, wow. Isn't Paul one of your friends?" I asked. Charlie had mentioned Jake started to hang out with Sam and his posse.
"Yeah, he is. He's gotten a lot easier to be around since he impri...I mean started dating Rach," he said, correcting himself without missing a beat.
"How long have they been dating?" I asked.
"Since two weeks after she came back," Jake replied.
"Oh wow. Talk about love at first sight," I murmured shaking my head. Jake immediately stiffened before he looked at me for a moment. His eyes reflected a foreign expression.
I couldn't idenify the deep expression his eyes held as they met mine.
However, I shrugged it off, figuring it was just me being silly.
"Yeah, I guess," he said after a long moment. The subject switched to Jake catching me up on everything I'd missed since I moved to Jacksonville. He talked about Billy and how his mobility had continued to decrease.
It was obvious to see Jake's love and admiration for his father. His dedication to helping his father along with taking care of his sister had me completely enamored.
"I can clean up," I offered as I carefully placed his plate on top of mine.
"You're the guest," he reminded.
"I know, but I really don't mind. Renee teases me because I love doing dishes," I said, a smile crossing my lips as I remembered Renee constantly bragging about her easy life of parenting because I took over chores.
He grinned as he shook his head.
"If you really want to, you're welcome to. I just feel like an ass," Jake admitted.
"Don't, I like it. Besides, you made lunch, consider it even," I said as I edged my way to the sink.
"There's a bonfire tonight, I don't know if you wanna stay for it or not. I mean sometimes it's kinda lame, they talk about legends and stuff, but it'd be really great if you would come," Jake said, fidgeting slightly.
I started to lay the sponge against the plastic plate as I thought for a moment.
"I like listening to legends. I'd love to learn more, I really don't know much about this area or your traditions," I said. La Push was very different from Forks, and my knowledge was lacking because I hadn't spent that much time in La Push.
"Okay, awesome. They're making hot dogs and burgers if you're okay with that," Jake said as I handed him the plate to put away.
"Absolutely," I assured him. He smiled widely at my answer. As soon as I finished cleaning the dishes, Jake asked me what I wanted to do next. I peeked over at the clock, which read it was a little after one.
"Do you wanna walk along the beach again?" I asked warily.
"Yeah, I'd like that," Jake said.
We drove in his Rabbit over to the beach. He waited as I got out of the car before we started walking along the beach.
"Do you know what's funny?" Jake asked.
"What?" I asked as I kicked up a little sand under my feet.
"You've kept talking about how much I've changed since you saw me, but you've changed too," Jake said as he stuck his hands in his worn jean pockets.
"I guess I have," I mused.
"I grew up a lot," I said, realizing the magnitude of how much I'd grown. I wasn't the damsel in distress waiting in her tower for the call of Prince Charming to come save her.
Instead, I got down from the tower and saved myself by allowing others to love me again.
"You're a different girl from that night at prom, or when I saw Sam bring you out of the forest." Jake looked over at me for a brief moment before continuing.
"You're don't hide behind your own shadow anymore. I don't think I've ever seen you actually smile until now," Jake admitted.
"I've smiled," I retorted.
"It's never reached your eyes. When Charlie talked about you, he made you sound like a glass doll. But you're not." Jake stopped for a minute to look out into the waves.
"I know I don't know you well enough yet, Bella, but I want to. And I want you to know, I'm never going to push you to talk about what happened but I want you to know I'm here.
"It's corny as hell, but it's true." Jake looked at me longingly for a moment. My eye brows furrowed together for a moment.
"And you don't have to be anything but yourself around me. I've seen those gears shifting in your head all day, and I want you to know that I want to be a part of your world.
"And that part is completely up to you," Jake said almost passionately. I took a moment as I cleared my throat. I waited for the snowball to come up, or a tightness in my throat.
I didn't feel either. Instead, I opened my lips to prepare for the words to come spilling out.
"Friends?" I asked, a cautious smile brooding across my lips.
I know, another cliffie! But I hope you enjoyed more Jake this chapter! Tell me what you think!
-Princessinblues
