Day 23

The next day after fixing Mrs. Sloans car, he expected to see Estee at the usual time she always dropped by. He was wracking his brain to think of something for them to do since he was currently out of car repairments or a car project. After the day flew over him and the sun was starting to set, he gave up on the thought of her showing up and even left an hour early to meet up with the rest of the pack. They were set to guard the borderline perimeter that ended the Cullen's side and started Quileute land for any signs of the red head vampire.

Day 24

He waited around for Estee again but wasn't as surprised when she didn't show up again.

Day 25

Jake no longer expected her to come by so he at least entertained himself by taking care of some of the chores around the house and picking up some groceries.

Maybe she left back to California. She wouldn't leave and not say anything….

He pressed his head against the freezer door while packing away some of the food. The cold surface eased away the temperature of the surprisingly hot simmering day.

What do I care if she leaves without saying goodbye. We were barely friends.

Day 26

The day had been slow and boring. Walking into the garage, he figured he could clean the place up and maybe even get it organized. His eyes eventually landed on the distressed note Bella had written him that he'd stashed in the toolbox. Kicking himself mentally for what he was about to do next, he found a piece of paper and pen and started to write a letter responding back to her.

Frustrated with himself, he folded it up and gave it to Billy for him to hand off to Charlie. Bella would eventually get it. In the letter he was trying to sound as mean as possible even though he was sure it didn't come out that way. He couldn't sound that angry even if he tried towards the pale brunette girl.

For a moment he envisioned their time in the garage together. So much that it felt nearly real. The way they would tell jokes and her laugh would not fail to fill his lungs with life. He could nearly smell the scent of the strawberry shampoo she used on her hair. Jacob always adored the way her awkward impulse was to reach up and push her hair behind her ears. The imagery was vibrant but it didn't linger for much longer when the sight of Estee tainted his memories. She'd taken over the spot Bella had once been in. Instead of brown locks, Estee's long black Raven hair fell all around her, making her creamy olive skin stand out. He smiled at the thought of her small face frame; a sweetheart shape that made her seem delicate even though she was nothing but. Then that brought her to her almond shaped eyes, the hazel bright and big lenses that would glance back at him with displeasure that always followed with a rude comment.

He stopped himself before he could go any further.

Searching for the keys to the motorcycle he fixed up with Bella a couple months prior, he started it up and rode to the estate that housed Estee Sue. He had to at least check up on her.

Estee was in the living room watching Project X on one of the many movie channels they owned. It was at the scene where they were about to start taking drugs. Chris walked by at that exact moment and voiced his disapproval about the movie.

"I don't think you should be watching this. It isn't a good idea…"

"Fuck off!" she groaned. "You really think I'm going to be triggered by a stupid movie...and even if I did- where the hell am I going to get my hands on pills or alcohol right now." Resting her head on her fist from utter frustration, she added, "just leave me alone!"

Estee was still madly irritated with her drug counselor. She hadn't forgiven him for the extra rehab sentence so any chance she got to get under his skin or defy his authority, she gladly did so.

Ding. Dong.

The doorbell rang and she had an inkling about who it could be. She hadn't made the effort to go see Jacob because she honestly didn't feel like being with anyone. Her mood swings were all over the place and she wasn't in a good place to entertain others as well as herself. The bandage on her left arm covering her second degree burn was proof of that.

She told Chris shed accidentally burned herself when trying to do her hair. He had no choice but to believe her but sent a doctor to check it out and bandage it up for her. All he prescribed for pain was basic Tylenol. That made her even more pissed. But at least the throbbing pain had subsided so she was at least capable of being near other people without chewing their heads off.

Reaching the door and opening it, she found the familiar tan face. She expected to be unaffected by his presence but was surprised when her mood shifted to that of joy. He had the stupid boyish look to him and that caused her to warm up to him even more. She was itching to comment something to get under his skin but bit her tongue instead.

"What are you doing here?" She asked first.

"Just wanted to check to see if my friend was still alive…," he responded smoothly. He had a hand in his pocket, making him look so at ease while the other one held a motorcycle helmet. That caused a rise of an eyebrow from Estee which Jake ignored.

"Sorry, I've been busy with stuff." Trying to sound nonchalant as possible, she shrugged her shoulders.

"Uh-huh. I can see you clearly are…" He motioned with his head to the tv where Project X was still playing.

She rolled her eyes and beckoned him inside. Chris was still hovering to her dismay and analyzing Jacob head to toe. Shooting him an infamous Estee look, he got the point and backed out of the room. It was Jacob's turn to raise his eyebrow in curiosity about the strange 40 year old man in the middle of her kitchen/living room.

"Who was that?"

"Err...that's my trainer," she lied. He totally could pass off as that just on his looks alone and the fact that he was always in a Nike tank top and joggers. She had yet to see him outside of athletic wear.

"Is that part of your therapy or something?" he asked as he set down the motorcycle helmet on the marble island.

"What do you mean by that?" she blurted. His question caught her off guard.

Now it was his turn to be confused and out of place. He didn't want to overstep his boundaries when it came to the issues she was dealing about her obvious anxiety. "You know," he struggled to form the words, not trying to sound insensitive, "the anxiety stuff."

A wave of relief washed over Estee. She'd honestly thought he'd somehow found out about the real reason she was there. "Oh-yeah! He tries to help but he's more of a nuisance really." The unwelcome tone in her voice was clear as day. "So what's with the helmet?" she intervened, switching the subject and straying away from herself.

"I ride a motorcycle," Jacob answered straight forward just as her nanny walked in the room. She kept her eyes locked on him, as she crossed the kitchen. "I don't think she likes me very much." They both burst out laughing when she left the room.

It was then that Estee realized how easy it now felt to talk to Jacob. Their conversions flowed so well without trying and she found comfort in that.

"But really, is it just a look you're going for or are you trying to impress me." She pulled up to the island and sat down to inspect the helmet.

Jacob scoffed. "You wish...I built the bike with Bella-."

He stopped his sentence, not wanting to go any deeper into the story even though he knew he'd already said too much and couldn't take it back.

"There's that Bella chick still looming over you. I really need to meet this girl and figure out why she has you so pussy whipped."

Jacob felt his pride deflate because he didn't know why either. His love for her was just always there. "Do you always need to be so vulgar?"

She ignored him and instead came up with a better idea. "Take me out for a spin on this bike you made out of the hard labor of your dying pathetic love for Bella…," she joked, "plus, I really need to get out of this house so it would be much appreciated."

Jacob groaned audibly. But if he was being truthful, he didn't mind at all. If anything, he was looking forward to it. He knew exactly where he would take her.

Walking outside where the bike was parked, Estee examined it. It wasn't anything new but it did have two wheels so it at least had the exciting motorcycle image. She'd never ridden on a bike before so she was now itching to get on for the first time ever.

"Here, wear this," Jake offered, handing her the black helmet.

"I can't wear that," she argued, "I'll get helmet hair. Jacob didn't budge, still holding out the helmet for her to take.

"Fine…" Snatching the helmet from his hands, she lifted it to her head and placed it on. Jacob then went ahead and added finishing touches and snapped it in place. It was during that simple interaction that Estee didn't realize she was holding her breathe. When he was done, she could still feel tingling where his fingers had grazed her skin.

Jake proceeded and swung his leg over the bike while stomping down hard on the suicide clutch, that caused the engine to start. It was loud but at least the helmet muffled some of the noise for her. Adjusting herself, Estee freely swung her leg over as well. For a moment she felt weird about straddling the bike behind Jacob and having to put her arms around his waist but decided to get over it.

It's just a little joy ride, she thought.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, "What about your helmet?"

He glanced back at her. "I never use one." Revving the motorcycle, he let his right hand push down on the throttle and let go of the brake. In doing so, he sped out of the driveway that belonged to the luxury home and towards the dirt path. At the same time, Estee yelped out in fear from Jacob's abrasive move. He was going too fast for her first time on the two wheel vehicle.

He merely smirked and revved on the throttle even more, reaching the main road in no time. Estee arms around his waist tightened and he knew she was feeling the fear and adrenaline that came with the speed. He missed the feeling since becoming a werewolf and reaching all new types of speed.

They both rode on and eventually Estee relaxed, as well as her grip. He grinned when she let out a couple of joyous yells here and there. Glad that she was enjoying herself, they eventually reached a great elevated side of the mountain from the road he'd taken. It overlooked a lot of the greenery and beauty that Washington had to offer. Getting off the bike first, Estee unsnapped the helmet and freed her hair from inside the protective gear. Her hair flowed freely as it whipped around from the high elevated winds.

"Wow," she breathed out. Taking in the sight was great, making her realize that it really had been so long since she'd left the city and the lifestyle that came with it.

"Yeah...this is what I call home." Jake stood there basking it all in. "I bet you don't have this in your backyard."

"Maybe not but at least we have 24 hour in-n-out!"

He shrugged his shoulder. "I wouldn't know. Never had it."

Estee mouth was agape in shock. The food wasn't spectacular but it was still high in taste quality when it came to mediocre fast-food. That was it's charm.

"We definitely need to go sometime," she offered.

There was a long pause of silence where no one talked and all that was heard was the audible wind blowing. They both just took in their surroundings until eventually Estee grew tired of the scenery.

"So do you always bring girls up here?" she asked, interfering his train of thought.

"Nah," he stated, "Bella once but that was it."

Estee rolled her eyes in the most obvious way. Shed never met her and she was already tired of hearing this girls name. She didn't know why she was being filled with sudden jealousy

Last time I was jealous over someone else was when I didn't get my hands on the new 2016 Saint Laurent handbag and her online rival had. This Bella girl means nothing to me.

"I actually built one for her and one for myself to teach her how to ride so we could do it together but I sold hers a couple months ago," he informed her.

"Wow, must've been hard for you to let something of hers go like that." Her voice oozed of a mocking tone. She walked over to him and stood beside him, as he glanced at her, eyebrows furrowed. She was completely right about how much back and forth he'd gone about getting rid of that piece of Bella in his mind until one day, impulsively; he sold it. He needed to move on but he just didn't know where to start. Nearly everywhere he turned, he thought of Bella. The only time he didnt was when he was around Estee and only because the girl alone was too much to handle that it didn't leave room for much else.

"I'll tell you what," she announced, "teach me how to ride and maybe in the process it'll help you forget about what's her face."

They'd been going at it for nearly an hour and Estee had at least managed to not scream whenever she pushed on the clutch and let go of the break. Getting annoyed that she wasnt picking up the simple task of shifting gears as well as everything else; the threw his hands up, ready to throw in the towel. He at least had to admit she hadn't taken any serious fall like Bella had.

"Estee, it's not that complicated! I know a thirteen year old who can ride better than you!" Which was true. He'd taught Seth once when he'd begged him to let him ride. Of course no parentals were around or else they both would have never heard the end of it.

"Ugh! I give up! All you do is yell and it's too much pressure. You suck the fun of of literally everything!" She exclaimed in annoyance. Roughly taking the helmet, she picked it up shoved it in his gut. He didn't even flinch.

"Well its not my fault you've probably never learned how to take direction. How did you even pass your driver's license," he argued back, grabbing the helmet.

She only glared up at him and chose to shove him in the process. He didn't budge either. That annoyed her more.

I bet Bella learned how to ride. She was in shock that she'd just compared herself to someone she didn't even know. She never did that because she always held herself to higher standards than everyone else. No one could ever compare...and yet now she felt lesser in the eyes of Jacob Black.

In that moment a familiar old Ford Taurus parked in front of Jacobs house. The window of the passenger side rolled down and through it peek an older woman probably in her mid fifties.

"Jake, honey!" she called out to his attention. It was Mrs. Sloan. "Hi sweetie! I didn't mean to interrupt your date with your girlfriend-oh-she's really pretty!"

"She's not my girlfriend," Jacob muttered while Estee waved back at the stout older woman who was waving at her.

"I just wanted to drop by and give you this as a thank you for fixing this old tin can," she added, motioning to the car and retrieving twenty dollars from her purse. Jake was already starting to protest until Mrs. Sloan shut him down. "Hush! Don't be stubborn! Take this and your girlfriend out for some ice cream. My treat!" She smiled brightly. "Say hi to your father for me." Mrs. Sloan pulled away with the old Taurus.

It only took him a couple strides to walk back from where Mrs. Sloans car once was.

"Want to put this fight aside and go for some ice cream instead? Mrs. Sloan's treat!" He flaunted the money at her.

Estee nodded and brushed off the little heated argument, giggling instead. Just as she had done before, she grasped onto Jacobs waist as he very knowingly sat on the bike. She opted to let him to do the driving instead from now on.

After having dropped Estee off at her house from their ice cream trip, he returned to his house to find Paul waiting for him instead of Sam outside his front door.

"Ready to head out for the night?"

Jacob was skeptical about his presence at first. "Yeah, just let me change."

Paul was hesitant and wanted to say something else. Reading off of that, he lingered instead.

"Err...so are you still friends with that one really hot chick, Estee? Do you see her often?" There was an eager in Paul's eyes and he knew exactly who they were for.

"No-Not really," he lied.

Paul's eagerness didn't fall from his eyes. "Sam has this gag order forbidding me to talk to her. He thinks she's bad news for me and a little young but you saw the way she was all over me that night and I'm not that much older. I just can't stop thinking about her!"

Jacob shifted his weight, sensing his words leaving an unsavory feeling in his gut. He could clearly recall Estees drunken but physical appeal to Paul and that caused his jaw to tense.

"I was thinking you could send her my way instead, that way I'm technically not going against Sam if she comes to me. You could do that for me, right?"

Jacob was trying to think of any reason or excuse but couldn't come up with one, not even truly realizing why he was. "I don't know. I don't want to go against Sam…." He added lamely.

"Oh, come on man! Don't act like you've never done it for your precious leech loving Bella! Just do this for me and I'll owe you big time!" Paul practically pleaded.

"Fine! I'll let her know if I see her." He lied.

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