A/N

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. But of course, the plot is mine. Let me know how you guys are feeling about the story so far and where it's heading. Review! Please and thank you. PM if you have any ideas. J

Chapter 4

Looking over at Jake, I realize he's all I need right now. I know I don't return his feelings now, but maybe, one day I could learn to love him like he loves me. We'd have a happy life together. It'd be a road with no problems, an easy life. Easy as breathing. I look up at him with the goofiest smile on my face. He looks at me with apprehensiveness in his eyes, but it soon turns to joy. I hope he didn't read too much in to it. To lighten the mood, I say the first thing I said to him when I realized just how important he is to me. Hey Jake, did you know your sort of beautiful? He smiles in recognition of that night and responds by squeezing my hand. No words needed.

When we arrive in La Push, I think about telling him to go straight to his house and let's skip the bonfire. I'm not in the mood to share any on my sunshine tonight. Jake is mine. I'm his. Maybe not in the way he wants, but still. I try not to think about the fact that he may imprint on any random girl at any random time. I'd no longer be the center of his world, it'd be her. I snap myself out of my reverie and come back to the now. Jake is rambling on about the rabbit. Boys and their cars I think, smiling. Truthfully, Jake is my lifeline. Seeing him unhappy makes me unhappy. Almost like I'm his imprint, but not quite. Not enough feelings. Not meant to be. So I'll just have to be content with being his best friend. I hope he can be content too.

When we arrive at First Beach, everyone else is already there. I barely make it out of the truck before being attacked my Quil. Hey Tinkerbell he says. Then, taking in my attire, he eyes become hooded. Hey Beeeeeells. Nice, um, outfit. He's blatantly staring at my cleavage which earns a growl from Jake. The reaction I wanted entirely. Embry comes running along not shortly after. A slow blush creeps across his cheeks. I forget how shy and apprehensive he is. He's so adorable. Hey Bell, he says, looking everywhere but at me. It's okay Em. I know I'm a little well.. perky tonight. That's to say the least, says Embry. His blush makes him so much more appealing. If only he wasn't so shy. Hm, I think I might try something. I give him a sly smile and whisper in Quil's ear to take Em down. Once he's down, I straddle him and his forehead and his cute little nose. He looks so uncomfortable, but I know he's enjoying it. I get up anyway. Won't push my luck. Just wanted to make a shy guy happy. I don't turn around to gauge Jake's reaction. I hear the low rumble in his chest. He gets so jealous sometimes. I was just having some fun. I turn around, and before he has time to react I jump him and plant one on him. He kisses me back, of course and I feel his anger melt away. Then I jump off of him and smack his butt. Works every time. Even the pack knows it.

Jake POV

She's so darn beautiful. She'll be the death of me, I know it. She could sleep with all of La Push and I'd take her back with the same huge wolfish grin that she says she loves so much. And she knew it. When she jumped Embry, I had to stifle my possessive growl. She may not be my imprint, but all of La Push knew she was the only girl I had eyes for. Even if I imprinted, I knew I'd fight it with everything I had to be with Bella. She's the girl I love. The only girl I've ever loved. I'm in love with her. Deeply in love. I know she doesn't feel as strongly about me as I do her, but I've always hoped one day she'd come around. Forget completely about that leech and love me. Until now, I settled with what she gave. But I know that she knows as well as I do that this won't last forever. I'm not a friends with benefits kind of guy. As the pack always says, I was "made to love." The only reason why I continued to comply with this arrangement because I could never turn Bella down. Those big brown almond shaped eyes always got me. They were so innocent and so trusting. She could ask me to be her lapdog and I'd agree immediately. No questions asked. That's how much I love her. I know she has to feel the same way about me, she's just scared to admit it. That's how Bella has always been. Scared that she's not pretty or good enough to be loved. What she doesn't see is that she deserved the world. I'd give it to her too. Anything, everything. I loved Bella with my soul. That's how deep it went. Her pain is mine, and mine hers. I could tell she knew what she'd done because when she turned towards me after her little show, she immediately turned into a little girl who looked afraid of getting chastised. But the girl knows my weakness. She pulled her top a little lower and sauntered toward me, biting her bottom lip all the while. Then, before I could snap out of it, she jumped me with all her might, sticking her tongue down my throat, subduing my anger. She then proceeded to hop down, smack my butt, and smiled. Knowing all was forgiven. I sighed. Tinker bell really would be the death of me. I knew I couldn't handle all of her random jumpings for much longer. Especially if they were on any other members of the pack. Especially Paul. He was seriously messed up. If Bella tried what she did on Embry and Quil on Paul, I'd lose it. He didn't respect my feelings for Bella. He doesn't care about anyone, except maybe Jared. And their friendship only existed because it was forced on them both since birth. I don't think he's possible of loving anyone, not even himself.

I don't know what happened in Paul's childhood, but it had to be pretty serious for him to be that cold and unfeeling. He'd pretty much banged everything in La Push and the Makah reservation. He had now moved on to Forks. The guy was basically a walking STD. I might have tried to understand his situation more if he'd let anyone in to that thick head of his besides Jared. We were his brothers after all. But whatever, we all have our secrets. He just better stay away from Bella. She wouldn't ever be another notch on his belt. Never.

Lucky for me and everyone else he's up visiting some girl up at the Makah res for a few weeks. Good. I was hoping to keep Bella for him as long as possible. Maybe after I'd married her and her beautiful slim belly turned in to a big round one, holding our baby. A future alpha. A future protector of our tribe. After she was cooking in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant with our second child. Crap. I need to snap out of this. I'd been having these fantasies for weeks. She wasn't mine to think about like this. Yet.