Anna had been dreading the wedding. She knew that this would be the real test, was Jacob only going after her because her sister wasn't available, or was he really trying to make her fall for him. So, when they'd gotten to the reception, she'd sort of distanced herself. Currently, she was hanging around her father and her mother, watching Alice and Jasper showing off on the dance floor, calling out teasing remarks, blending in.

Jacob scanned the crowd. She'd been acting distant all through the ceremony, and Edward, since the two came to terms with one another and Edward no longer felt 'threatened' peeked into Anna's head for Jacob at the end of the ceremony when she'd practically dashed into the area the reception was being held at in the Cullen's large yard, and he'd realized that Anna was doing this so she wouldn't be hurt. She still thought that he'd try one last time to make Bella want him back.

She leaned against the columns, twisting a fallen strand of light brown hair around her fingertips as she and Leah whispered about something. Just watching her, knowing what Edward saw in her thoughts, really made him realize just how much damage got done a long time ago, how hard this was going to be, apparently. Because she might be slowly giving in, but she was putting up one hell of a fight and taking her dear sweet time to do so.

Leah tried everything to convince Anna she had nothing to worry about. Anna looked at her lifetime best friend and pointed out, "He was in love with her since we were kids, Leah. It's highly unlikely that just went away. I mean unless there's some kind of magical fairy granting my wishes for a change." while laughing dryly, sipping a stolen flute of champagne.

She'd seen Jacob talking to Bella earlier, seen them dancing, laughing.

But it hadn't lasted long. Leah, of course, knew that the only reason Jacob had been dancing with Bella was to find out where Anna managed to hide herself when she'd practically ran from the ceremony at the end of it.

Leah grumbled then said quietly to herself, "You'd be surprised, Anna." as Anna stared longingly out at the dance floor. She jumped nearly spilling the contents of her champagne flute on herself as she felt arms go around her waist, and the scent of Jacob's woodsy and clean cologne filled her nose. "You ran away from me." he muttered as Anna said quietly, "I just figured..."

"Figured what?" Jacob asked as Anna bit her lower lip and said "Nothing, okay? I just kinda thought that maybe you and my sister might have some things that were unsaid or something. I didn't wanna be in the way. I mean you were dancing with her earlier.. Kinda looked cozy." as she stared out at the dance floor, wishing everything were simpler, wishing she could just let her guard down where he was concerned, trust completely that he and her sister were done.

But she just couldn't. And them having a dance earlier only reminded her why letting her guard down was a very, very bad idea.

Jacob turned her around facing him as he said quietly, "The only reason I was dancing with her, Anna, is because I wanted to see if she'd seen you and wish her good luck. Nothing beyond that. Why's that so hard to believe?"

Anna sighed then said quietly, "Because it just is. I don't know. I don't wanna fight, okay? Let's not ruin this.." edging back a little only to have him grab her hand, pull her close to him again, then practically drag her across the yard, to the empty gazebo.

"What the hell?" Anna asked as Jacob chuckled and smiling quietly said "It's cute."

"What?"

"The way you get jealous for no actual reason, Anna." Jacob chuckled as he picked her up, twirling her around, sitting her back down on her feet carefully. "You give up too easily now." he stated as she said "Because, Jake.. It hurts one hell of a lot less than fighting a losing battle. I can't compete with her. I've always known it on some level. We've talked about this before."

"Not this openly." Jacob said as Anna groaned inwardly and muttered, "Yeah, well I've probably had 5 flutes of champagne too damn many too, so.." while looking up at him. He laughed a little and said "Lightweight. But then again the tiny ones always are." while pulling her closer to him, not really giving her a chance to get away.

If he did, he knew she'd be back in the crowd again. And he wanted to get some of this, the underlying tension and fear behind them, now. For their own good. Or he'd never get over the damn impressively high walls she had built around her heart and her feelings now. She sighed and looked up at him, biting her lower lip as she said quietly, "Okay, so I was jealous. Admitting it solves nothing."

"It does, actually. Because now I know not to even look at your sister. At least until you finally get it in your head that I'm not into her anymore. I wasn't into her in the first place. I thought I was because.." he bit his lower lip as he looked at her, dipped her and raised her back up again, his lips close enough to hers to brush them gently as he said quietly, "Because I didn't have you. I was misplacing my feelings for you, onto her. And it took you leaving and not coming back anymore to see it, finally." as he picked her up and twirled her around, standing her back on her own two feet again.

Bella nudged Edward, smiled as she nodded towards the gazebo. "He found her before she left." Edward smiled as he said "I had to help him out, pry around in her mind. Maybe it worked. Just hope he actually listens to what I told him, uses it."

"From the looks of it, he is. Or he's trying to.. We know how stubborn Anna can be when she gets something in her mind." Bella said as Edward nodded in agreement.

Anna shivered as his lips brushed hers, he muttered what he did to her quietly. She nodded, trying to process what he was saying at the moment. Did she trust him? Or did she keep telling herself that sooner or later, her sister would need him or want him and of course, he'd turn and go to her?

"I'm scared." she admitted as he nodded and said quietly, "Edward told me."

"He was in my fucking head again, wasn't he?" Anna asked, grumbling to herself as Jacob nodded, smirking, trailing his index finger slowly along her lower lip as he said quietly, "Yeah, he was. And I don't blame you for feeling that way."

She nodded and then said quietly, "So you're really not just doing this because she's not available anymore?"

"If I were, Anna, I wouldn't even be over here right now, I'd be over there, trying like hell to convince Bella to leave now while she could." Jacob said as Anna nodded quietly, shock still sort of resonating within her. "Let's go." he said quietly as she looked at him and raised a brow, he pointed out, "They're not going to miss us." while grabbing her hand, leading her towards his bike.

Billy nudged Charlie, pointed out their children apparently trying to sneak out of the reception unnoticed. Charlie smiled and nudged Renee who smiled and said quietly, "And maybe we'll be going to another wedding." Charlie shrugged as he said "It depends on our daughter letting her guard down, Renee."

"Something tells me he'll wear her down yet, Charlie." Billy said as they turned their attention to Bella and Edward's leaving for their honeymoon.

Anna laughed as Jacob carried her piggy back across the rocky driveway, and put her on the back of his bike. "Okay, so if you're abducting me, Jacob, where are you taking me?"

"Just somewhere." Jacob said as they took off, leaving the crowded and noisy wedding reception behind them. They had a lot to talk about, and he really didn't want to do it there. He was determined to get this all out in the open now, not later.

Well, nearly all of it. Some things he couldn't tell her just yet. But they had to work on this first. And he'd take as long as he had to to make her see that he really meant it. He really only wanted her. Nobody else.