Stay With Me

Chapter Two: Resistance

Bella's POV

It took me a moment to pull myself together before getting out a simple and shaky, "Hello."

"How have you been?" He asked me gently with a look of true concern, "Jacob said he hasn't heard from you in a while?"

"Yeah, you know, I've been really…" I trailed off, "… come in, Charlie is… my dad's in the kitchen cooking…" I told him with my hand gripped so tightly on the door handle it was a real impossibility to walk away undamaged, "I'm sure dinner will be ready soon."

"Thanks," He smiled as he passed through the doorway in a pair of dark blue jeans and a light grey T covered by a thin brown leather jacket… and I couldn't help but wonder how it would feel to have his arm's wrap around…

"You can have a seat in the living room, make yourself at home." I cut off my thoughts as I gently closed the front door with strain so apparent even I could hear it in the words I spoke… in the air I breathed.

I slowly followed Sam into the living room, silently bashing myself for letting my thoughts attack me at a time like this.

"So, um, thank you," I began, trying everything I could to shut out the thoughts and images running through my mind, "For finding me and bringing me home, that night."

"It was nothing." He told me with a nod.

"No, really. I wouldn't have been able to find my way home… not in the state I was in." I told him. "So, thank you."

"Well, you're welcome, Bella." He told me sincerely with a small crooked smile. I smiled back and felt a rush of burning red heat spread across my cheeks as our eyes locked, which caused me to quickly turn my attention away from him.

"Um… I'm going to go see if Charlie needs any help with dinner, I'll be right back." I told him slowly as I stood from the couch.

"Oh, let me come with you." Sam suggested as he stood in synch with me, "Better for me to help than sit around and do nothing."

I looked at him and nodded slowly as the two of us rounded ourselves to the opening between the couch and chair. And as I took my last final step before the opening the unthinkable happened: my body rammed firmly against his and was falling carelessly towards the ground. But right before I made harsh contact with the ground I felt two large hands wrap around my waist and hoist me into security. I could feel Sam's chest pressed firmly against my back as his arms were wrapped securely around me, dangling my feet in the air as the two of us breathed heavily.

"Are you alright?" He asked me as he set me back onto solid ground; keeping his arms firmly around me.

"Yeah," I told him out-of-breath with my eyes closed, "I'm fine." My heart was pounding so hard in my chest it hurt, but it wasn't from falling. It was from the closeness and feel of his arms around me, it was from his body pressed up against mine and the heat radiating between us.

Without having realized it, my hands had at some point ended up cupped around his and my arms folded across his strong ones.

Still not releasing me, he asked, "Are you sure?" He whispered softly, "I can feel your heart racing against your chest… it's vibrating on my arm."

"I'm fi-" I tried to say I'm fine, but I could hardly breath, it was intoxicating to be this close to him… with his arms around me, "Yes. I'm fine." I said shakily, "What were we doing?" I wondered as I opened my eyes to look down at his arms wrapped warmly around me, and mine around his.

"We were going to the kitchen to help Charlie… with dinner." He told me with just as much strain in his voice as I had in mine, I could feel his hot breath against my earlobe and neck, and it made me tremble with comfort. What the hell is going on!

"Maybe we should… maybe we should do that." I stammered with wobbling knees as I slid my fingers between his, locking our hands together. Get a hold of yourself Isabella!

"You're trembling Bella." He told me softly as his arms tightened around me.

"I'm fine." I lied, "Really… I can walk." I breathed.

"Maybe you should just, sit down." He suggested, "Give yourself a minute to calm down… to breath."

"You're probably right." I said truthfully, "I should just sit down." I nodded my head as he slowly pulled his arms away from me; our hands reluctantly parting from each other. Sam then took a step away from me to allow me room to wobble myself back onto the couch. Once there, I took a few deep breaths and allowed myself to breath steadily again as my heart rate subtly slowed back to its usual pace.

There was silence between us until Charlie announced dinner was ready.

"Really, it was nothing," Sam went on after Charlie had thanked him for the sixty-eight-billionth time for finding me and bringing me home, "I go into those woods a lot, so it was pretty easy to find her."

"Well, still." Charlie said, "Thank you, I don't know what I would have done had Bella stayed out there all night. God only knows what animals are out there after dark that could have… well… thank you Sam, really."

At this, Sam merely nodded with a smile, having picked up on the: Charlie thanks, Sam welcome's, repeat, routine.

"So dad this is great," I said, quickly changing the subject, "Really. It makes me wonder if I shouldn't have you cook more often." I joked as I took a sip of ice water to my lips.

"Thanks, Bells." He said awkwardly before biting into a steaming slice of garlic bread.

"Yeah, she's right Charlie, this is fantastic." Sam agreed before taking a bite of spaghetti, "Thank you for inviting me over." He smiled after swallowing down his food.

"The pleasure is all mine, Sam." Charlie smiled, "So, hey, since you're here, I was wondering…" Oh no… this can't be good… "… Bella has been struggling with her math in school, and I was wondering if you could help her out."

I felt heat rush to my cheeks as quick as the plague and I brought an oversized fork-full of spaghetti to my mouth, therefore excusing myself from any immediate comment.

"Oh, yeah, sure no problem," Sam smiled, "That was my best subject when I was in school, so I'd be more than happy to help her out."

"Oh, well, what a coincidence, it's Bella's worst." Charlie laughed, "I don't want you to feel obligated, so, I can pay you, if you want."

"No, it's fine Charlie, I'm not too busy during the days, so it would give me and excuse to get out of the house more." Sam laughed.

"How does that sound Bells?" Charlie asked as two sets of eyes fell on me. But my mouth being still full of un-chewed noodles, beef bits and tomato sauce, I merely nodded and tried my best to smile.

"Great," Charlie smiled as he poked at his plate, "Thank you Sam, it'll help her out a lot."

"Anytime Charlie, it's my pleasure." Sam nodded as he brought a piece of thick garlic bread to his pink, full lips. I watched him as he chewed slowly, setting down the piece of bread, and taking his glass of water in his other hand. He swallowed suddenly, and brought the ice water to his lips and…

"I'm sorry," I blushed as his eyes met with mine, "I didn't mean to… that's got to be awkward, someone watching you while you eat." I rambled on as I poked at my spaghetti, "I'm really sorry… I didn't even realize I was doing it."

Charlie chucked from across the table as Sam said, "It's alright Bella, nothing to worry about. I'm sure we've been guilty of it at least once in our life." He smiled.

I smiled as I brought a piece of garlic bread to my own lips.

"See?" He asked, "I was doing it right then, not even realizing it."

"Okay you two," Charlie announced as he stood from his seat with plate and glass in hands, "I'm going to go watch a re-run of a baseball game I missed the other night, you can just leave your dishes by the sink and I'll take care of it before I go to bed."

Sam and I nodded in unison as Charlie made his way over to the sink, "Thanks again, Charlie." Sam thanked him with a genuine smile.

"Anytime Sam," Charlie nodded, "I'll be in the other room." And he was gone.

"So," Sam said, "Do you want to take a look at your math tonight?" he asked me before taking a sip of water.

"Um, yeah," I nodded as I spun my fork around to gather a bundle of spaghetti, "Sure."

"Alright." He smiled before taking another bite of garlic bread, "Oh, Bella," He laughed softly.

"What?" I asked him self-consciously.

"You have a," He set down his bread, "You have some sauce on your nose."

"Oh," And yet again, the heat came.

"Here," He said softly as he bundled a clean napkin in his hand, "Let me."

I half smiled as he leaned towards me, napkin-in-hand extended as he softly rubbed the tip of my nose, "There," He sighed, "Good as new."

"Thank you," I thanked him as our eyes locked.

"You're welcome," He whispered with a smile before biting into another fork-full of spaghetti.

I sat criss-cross at the head of my bed with my math book and spiral notebook huddled in my lap as Sam sat with his feet hanging off the side of it near the foot of my mattress; his head turned to face me.

"Okay, so, I'm not going to lie," I began as I looked shamefully down at my work, "I am behind. Like, really really behind. So, this isn't going to be easy… and it's probably going to take a while." I told him truthfully.

"Well, let's see where you are, and we'll start from there." Sam said.

"Seriously, you might want to reconsider my dad's offer to pay you, because this is going to take up a lot of your free time." I warned him, "Not just an hour here and there."

He let out a soft laugh, "I don't mind spending time with you Bella." He told me, "Really."

I smiled then blushed softly, pulling myself to face downwards towards my books, "I like when you do that." Sam said softly.

"What?" I asked him as I flipped randomly through my Algebra 101 book, reading nothing but blank words.

"Blush." He told me as I looked back up at him, and when our eyes met that heat that had filled me earlier returned. Only it wasn't in my face, but in my core, threatening to send me into a fit of uncontrolled trembles.

But fighting against it, I said, "Okay, so I am still in the beginning of the book, I don't understand anything. It's all gibberish to me." I laughed softly as I shook my head.

"Let me see." He told me as I extended the book towards him, but drew back as he stood to take a place next to me.

As he sat down beside me he leaned his back softly against the head of my bed; relaxing next to me. I slid the book into his lap and watched as he ran his fingers over the mass of numbers on the thin pages in the book.

"Yeah, these are easy." He said softly as he looked over at me.

"But they're not," I disagreed, "They're just numbers, stupid little numbers that mash together to form something that makes no sense in my mind." I complained, "See? I'm already getting a headache by just looking at the stupid things!" I told him as I closed my eyes and began softly circling my middle and index fingers against my temples.

"I'll help you understand Bella," He promised me as I heard my book close shut, but was in too much agonizing pain to care to open my eyes to see why it had closed.

I felt Sam's hands wrap around mine as he slowly guided them into my lap. He then placed his fingers against my temples and began softly massaging them, "Is that better?" He asked me softly.

"Uh-huh," I moaned softly as I allowed my body to relax against his.

"Good," He told me with an apparent smile in his voice, "Just tell me when your headaches gone."

"They've been known to last hours." I warmed him softly.

"We'll I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," He told me, "So just tell me when it's gone."

"Okay," I said slowly, feeling more and more comfort and warmth in the feeling of his body molded against mine, "I will."

"Are you comfortable Bella?" He asked in a hush whisper.

"Mhm," I moaned softly, "Very… are you?" I wondered in a dreamy-voice, "I'm not crowding you, am I?'

"No Bella, I'm comfortable. You're not crowding me at all." He assured me quietly.

"Good," I said simply, softly.

And as I sat there, relaxed against his body, I could have sworn I felt his lips gently press against the side of my head. But it must have just been my imagination, because Sam would have no reason to kiss me… would he?

TBC