AN: Wow...22 reviews for last chapter! I love every single one of them! Thank you so much! I guess that means y'all aren't too mad at me for that cliffy. Hope this chapter makes up for it. I rushed this chapter as a thank you for all of your kind comments. And again...if you didn't get a response to your review, make sure pm's are enabled. Oh..and I can't respond to guest reviews.
Warning: slight tissue warning for the Jake section of this chapter.
Thank you, Jessica, for being such an excellent beta! (Hope I cleared up the confusion)
And thank you, Breanna, my new prereader! You are amazing! (Hope this one leaves a better impression...lol!)
Chapter Seven
Having just witnessed Paul phasing for the first time, Bella sat on the front porch steps staring blankly out across the yard.
After Paul finished explaining everything to her, she wanted to prove him wrong somehow. So she had asked him to show her, hoping he would be unable to confirm his story, while at the same time knowing that he was telling her the truth. He wouldn't lie to her. All of the stories that she and Jake had laughed about as kids were true. And now she was left with several emotions coursing through her...
Disbelief...If it was anybody else, other than Paul or Jake, telling her these things, she would have thought them insane. More than likely, she would have tried to help them find the number to a good psychiatrist.
Fear...but she somehow knew that Paul would never hurt her and wouldn't let anyone else cause her any harm either. But it was scary, nonetheless. Suddenly hearing all of the things you feared as child are real...Who wouldn't be, at the very least, a little horror-stricken?
Shock...She had no idea how to respond to something like that. Werewolves, vampires, and imprints. What was she supposed to say to that?
Confusion...Not knowing what was expected of her left her in disarray. She was his soul mate. What exactly does that mean? He had made it abundantly clear that she still had a choice in all of this. Stressing to her that she held all the cards in her tiny hands, he would be whatever it was she needed him to be...Brother...Friend...Lover. But, what about his choice? What does he want?
Relief and happiness...They went hand in hand. She was relieved to finally have an explanation for her feelings regarding Paul. Knowing that she wasn't going crazy was comforting, to say the least.
And, lastly, happiness... She was happy to be his imprint. How could she not be? Knowing that it was up to her how their relationship progressed from here, with the only necessity being that she made some room in her life for him, left her with a good feeling. Going by the things she already knew about him, he was such a great guy. Beautiful, inside and out. She wanted him around for a long time and that thought made her so very happy.
Sure, there were many things she needed to learn, but Bella had always been a good judge of character. She could think of a lot of things that would be worse than being imprinted on by Paul. He was actually quite charming and handsome to boot. Not to mention the many other qualities that made Paul attractive to her. He was kind and funny and always made her feel comfortable, in spite of her innate ability to be shy and awkward.
She wasn't ready to vow to life long commitment, but she wanted to get to know him better. If nothing else, they could at least be very good friends. Although, deep down she recognized that her feelings for Paul were anything but friendly.
The sun was starting to rise when Bella finally broke free from her thoughts and looked out over the yard. Paul was still standing a few feet from the steps where he had been since phasing back to human form. Bella was thankful that he hadn't pushed her; That he had given her some time to work things out in her mind. But it had taken it's toll on him, he looked tired and worried as he looked back at her.
Here before her stands this beautiful man, terrified that she won't be able to accept him. That choice would devastate him. He's begging her with his eyes. Begging her to stay. Begging her not to turn her back on him. Right now, more than anything, he needed her reassurance.
After getting to her feet, she descended the stairs and walked to where he was standing, stopping in front of him. Standing on her tip toes and using his shoulders for support, she leaned in and placed a lingering kiss on his cheek. When she pulled away, his eyes were closed, as if he were savoring the moment.
"We'll work it out...everything will be okay." She said while smiling sweetly at him.
Paul's breath left his body in a loud exhale, finally able to breathe. Words couldn't describe the relief he felt at hearing those words.
Bella left soon after with a promise to see him soon. She was hoping to make it to the Black's home before Charlie arrived.
When she arrived at the house, Billy was the one that answered the door.
"Bella...Everything okay?" Billy asked hesitantly.
Billy knew how shocking news like that could be. He just hoped, for Paul's sake, that she could accept it. Paul needs Bella in his life. But Billy had faith. Faith in Bella. She may need a little time to get used to the idea, but she would do the right thing. She wouldn't walk away. And that realization made him smile.
Bella gave him a small smile and nod before looking over his shoulder to find Jake. He was leaning against the counter with his head down, refusing to look at her.
Jake understood that it wasn't just Paul that she would learn about last night. He had been keeping this a secret, from the girl that was supposed to be his best friend for a long time now, - Charlie, the pack, they all had – and that left him feeling ashamed. And the last thing Jake wanted was for her to be mad at him. Even worse: losing her friendship.
Bella knew that Jake would be beating himself up about not telling her, but she understood why he didn't. She wasn't even angry with her dad. This wasn't something that could be made common knowledge. She almost wished that she was still being kept in the dark. But she wasn't, she had seen it with her own eyes. Her eyes were now open to a whole new world; A world she hadn't known existed. It didn't change anything. Jacob would always be her best friend. Forever.
Walking across the kitchen to where he stood, she raised up on her tip-toes and placed a warm kiss on his cheek. Just like she did with Paul.
Jacob looked up, meeting her eyes.
"I'm sorry Bells...I wanted..." He started to say, but she cut him off.
"Shh...it's okay. I understand why you didn't say anything." She said, still looking him in the eye. "I love you Jake." She added, causing his heart to slam against his ribs.
He had been waiting to hear those words from her for so long, but he knew she didn't mean it the way he wanted her to. She's not yours. And that thought caused a lump in his throat and made his eyes burn.
"You'll always be my best friend...always Jake...Nothing will ever change that." She continued, clueless to his inner turmoil, stating her earlier thoughts.
Feeling the first hot tear escape from his eye, he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and hoping he could hide his pain from her. Minutes passed as he held her tightly against him, with his head resting on hers, not wanting to ever let her go. Fuck, this hurts.
When he felt her start to pull away, he turned his head quickly and excused himself to the bathroom. Jacob didn't want her to see his tears - his heartbreak. He loved her so fucking much. That would be a secret he would never tell her. Jacob didn't want her to ever feel guilty for not returning his feelings. And he knew she would, if she ever found out.
For Billy, the scene playing out before him was bittersweet. He believed his son had loved her since the moment he laid eyes on her. Watching them grow up together, he never doubted that the two of them would find their way to each other someday. They had always been inseparable. Like two peas in a pod.
Jacob, the more outgoing one; Bella, slightly reserved. Their differences complimented each other well. Growing up, Jacob's carefree personality and zest for life would have gotten him in a heap of trouble if Bella hadn't been there to reel him in. In return, Jacob forced Bella out of her comfort zone. He was partially responsible for many of Bella's long term friendships. She had always been so shy, but Jacob wouldn't allow her to wait on the sidelines. Taking her by the hand and leading the way, he introduced her to everybody he knew. The rest was Bella; Earning everybody's friendship with her kind words and sweet smiles.
Anybody that saw the two of them together felt it was only a matter of time before their relationship progressed. Hell, even Charlie thought so. And Charlie never wanted to think about any boy with his little girl.
So, as Billy sat watching and listening, he felt both happy and sad at the same time. Sad for his son's loss - Nobody knew better than Billy how much Jacob loved her. The happiness came from knowing that Bella would always be there for his son. No matter what. Their friendship meant as much to Bella as it did to Jacob. She loved him just as much as he loved her, only it was a platonic love. And that was enough for Billy.
After Jacob joined them back in the kitchen, Bella offered to make breakfast.
Charlie arrived just as Bella was finishing up. She was thankful she had taken Jacob's advice or she probably would have found herself grounded for the rest of the summer.
After they finished eating, Jacob and Bella walked out to the garage, leaving Charlie and Billy in the house. They made small talk while Bella watched Jake work on his car. Neither of them wanted to talk about anything serious.
When Bella found herself struggling to keep her eyes open, she said her goodbyes and headed home to get some sleep. She hadn't slept at all the night before, other than when she passed out on the ride home from the bar.
Bella had to meet Sue later in the afternoon to discuss her employment. She had been waiting tables at the diner the past couple of summers to make some extra money. She enjoyed working there. Seeing all the town folk and the little elderly couples that came in. With Forks being the small town it is, she knew most of them and loved having the opportunity to catch up. Another bonus: Leah worked there too.
After agreeing to the days and hours she was needed to work, she returned home to cook dinner for her and Charlie. One of the other waitresses was on vacation this week so Sue had asked her if she could work a few long shifts to help out. Since she was needed early in the morning, she wanted to get in bed a little earlier that night.
Over the next few days, she didn't see or talk to anybody other than Leah and Charlie. The long hours had left her exhausted and all she could manage was a shower before falling into bed at night. But that didn't stop her from thinking about Paul. He was the first thing she thought about when she crawled out of bed in the mornings and he stayed in her thoughts until she was in deep slumber. And sometimes, even that couldn't stop it; he visited her dreams as well.
She wondered how he was doing. What he was doing. Did he think of her as often as she thought about him? Did he miss her, like she missed him. And miss him, she did. She couldn't wait to see him again. She needed to see him soon. That pull she felt whenever she was away from him was only getting stronger, leaving her feeling antsy.
Paul wasn't doing much better. When Bella left his house that morning, he had felt hopeful that things just might turn out okay. But then as the days went by with no word from her, that feeling went away, replaced by fear. Had something changed?
Paul felt anxious. He missed her. Oh God, did he miss her.
Her scent was still on his sheets, but now it was fading and that had been the only thing that gave him the strength to keep his distance this long. Maybe it was all too much for her.
By early afternoon, his desperation for answers led him to Jacob's house, where he learned about her job at the diner.
"Have you talked to her?" Paul asked, wanting to know if she had mentioned anything to him.
"No...Leah said they were short staffed and Bella's been working a lot of hours to help out." Jake answered.
"Ok...thanks man...I'll see you later." He said, before walking back to his truck. He was unsure of what else to say. Fuck, he needed to see her.
As he was climbing back into his truck, he heard Jake call out to him.
"I'm kinda hungry...what about you?" Jake said and Paul could have fucking kissed him. Why didn't I think of that?
With Jacob beside him in the passenger's seat, Paul drove in the direction of the diner.
Paul spotted her as soon as he walked in. It felt so damn good to see her. She was taking an order for a group of high school boys that were trying really fucking hard to get her attention. The only thing that saved them was seeing Bella's body stiffen in response to his presence. That's right baby. You feel it too.
The ringing of the bell hanging on the door wasn't what made her aware of his presence. Bella felt him the minute he walked through the door. She didn't need to look. But just to confirm her suspicions, she slowly turned her head and peaked over her shoulder. And there he stood. As if her mind had summoned him here.
Paul.
He was here.
Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think!
