Chapter 12:

I had parked my glossy black motorcycle on the sidewalk and was leaned against it waiting for Bella and her leech to show up. I crossed my arms across my chest feeling impatient, unconsciously causing my arms to bulge in my short sleeve t-shirt. It was too tight and it felt like it was going to rip off of me any minute. But it was my favorite t-shirt now. It was the black Metallica t-shirt I had let Bella wear the night she stayed at my place. Back when she was my Bella.

The students at Forks high school where all staring at me making me feel extremely self conscious, but they kept their distance from me, like I was dangerous or something. Whatever. I wasn't really paying attention to them anyway. I was thinking of what I was supposed to say when Bella and her boyfriend showed up. I needed to keep my cool when they arrived.

I'd chosen the high school as our meeting place on purpose. It would be a safe place to talk for more than one reason. This way I had just as much reason to behave myself as the vamp did. The last time I had tried to meet with them it had very nearly turned into a fight. If it hadn't been for Charlie things could have turned out very differently. Although nothing would give me greater pleasure then to rip Edward apart and burn the pieces, I could never hurt Bella like that, not to mention break the treaty and endanger all my people.

I was beginning to get impatient, but fortunately I didn't have long to wait. I saw Edward's Volvo coming slowly down the street. He turned into the parking lot and eased to a stop in one of the parking spaces. I watched through the windshield as he and Bella had a short exchange and then got out, heading my way.

I felt myself tense as I saw them coming towards me holding hands. How could she prefer this cold stinking corpse to me? I struggled to keep my emotions in check as they approached. They came to a stop just a few yards away from me. Edward looked like he was on edge. Good, I wasn't the only one. I watched as he pulled Bella back slightly so that she was halfway behind him. Like I was any danger to Bella. Please.

"You could have called us," Edward said.

"Sorry," I sneered. "I don't have any leeches on my speed dial."

"You could have reached me at Bella's house, of course."

I glared at the vamp. He didn't need to remind me that he'd replaced me in Bella's life. Filthy leech.

"This is hardly the place, Jacob. Could we discuss this later?"

"Sure, sure. I'll stop by your crypt after school," I snorted. "What's wrong with now?"

Edward looked around at all the students who were just barely out of hearing range gathered around us. I could tell the crowed was expecting a fight. I couldn't blame them. The situation was tense to say the least.

"I already know what you came to say," Edward said in a low voice, trying to keep the others from hearing. "Message delivered. Consider us warned." Oh yeah, he could read my mind. How convenient.

Edward glanced down at Bella with worry.

"Warned?" Bella asked blankly. "What are you talking about?"

"You didn't tell her?" I asked in disbelief. "What, were you afraid she'd take our side?"

"Please drop it, Jacob," Edward said.

"Why?" I challenged.

Bella frowned looking confused. "What don't I know? Edward?"

The vamp glared at me ignoring Bella.

"Jake?"

This was unbelievable. "He didn't tell you that his big …brother crossed the line Saturday night?" I asked sarcastically. I glared back at Edward. "Paul was totally justified in –"

"It was no-man's land!" Edward hissed.

"The hell it was!" I was fuming. I could feel my hands trembling. I shook my head trying to clear it and took two deep breaths trying to steady myself.

"Emmett and Paul?" Bella whispered. "What happened? Were they fighting?" I could hear an edge of panic in her voice. "Why? Did Paul get hurt?"

"No one fought," Edward said quietly to her. "No one got hurt. Don't be anxious."

I couldn't believe this! How could he keep things from Bella? Not telling her was the same as lying to her. "You didn't tell her anything at all, did you? Is that why you took her away? So she wouldn't know that -?"

"Leave now." Edward cut me off before I could finish. He stared at me with pure unadulterated loathing, as if he'd like nothing better than to rip me apart. Interesting.

"Why haven't you told her?"

We faced each other in silence for a long time, glaring at one another. I was vaguely aware of the crowd of spectators growing around us. What possible reason could he have for not telling her?

Suddenly Bella started hyperventilating and shaking like a leaf. "She came back for me," she choked out.

Edward held her and stroked her face, still keeping her shielded behind him. "It's fine," he whispered. "It's fine. I'll never let her get close to you, its fine."

He turned to glare at me. "Does that answer your question, mongrel?"

"You don't think Bella has a right to know?" I challenged. "It's her life."

Talking very quietly Edward said, "Why should she be frightened when she was never in danger?"

"Better frightened than lied to."

I watched as Bella began to cry and Edward wiped her tears away.

"Do you really think hurting her is better than protecting her?" he accused.

"She's tougher than you think," I said. "And she's been through worse."

He didn't know Bella the way I did. Maybe it was time that he did. If he could read my mind so easily, maybe it was time I showed him something really interesting. I concentrated has hard as I could to control my thoughts. I wanted him to get me crystal clear.

I thought about what I had seen through Sam's eyes when he had found Bella in the woods, the day Edward had abandoned her. How lifeless she was. Like she'd given up and was waiting for death to claim her. I recalled the picture of Bella in Sam's arms as she kept repeating over and over 'He's gone'. I thought of over hearing Billy discussing the matter with Sam and the word catatonic being mentioned. I thought of the first time I had seen Bella since the prom, when she brought the bikes. How she had been a shadow of her former self, a mess. I remembered observing her when she thought I wasn't paying attention. They way she'd grip her middle like she was trying to hold herself together. I thought of the pain that came to her face every time she was reminded of him.

I brought all those memories to the forefront of my mind. Concentrating on them so that he could see for himself exactly what she'd been through and survived. I watched as he visibly cringed against the onslaught of the images I was throwing at him. His face was contorted in pain.

"That's funny," I said, laughing as I watched his face. Edward winced, with effort smoothed his expression. But he couldn't hide the agony in his eyes.

"What are you doing to him?" Bella demanded.

"It's nothing, Bella," Edward said quietly. "Jacob just has a good memory, that's all."

I grinned running through the images again. Edward winced again.

"Stop it! Whatever your doing."

"Sure, if you want." I shrugged. "It's his own fault if he doesn't like the things I remember, though."

Then without meaning to my mind drifted to the morning after the night that Bella and I had been together, the dream that turned out to not be a dream. I thought of Bella when she had stepped freshly showered out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel. I remembered the unbelievable opened mouth kiss we had shared, the way she tasted, the way she smelled, especially the way she'd smelled. The memory was so clear, the fresh clean scent of her skin, the floral scent of her hair, and the intoxicating smell of her arousal. I could feel the electrical current that ran down my torso when the towel had fallen away and she had stood on tiptoe naked in my arms.

The whole memory took only moments to flash before my eyes. My eyes shifted back into focus too see Edward's face. The look of horrific revulsion and pain that was on his face was priceless. He must not have liked that memory either.

Edward stared at the ground, his eyes unseeing. He looked completely defeated. Bella was going to kill me when she found out. Well, if she found out, since the bloodsucker thought nothing of lying to her.

Bella glared at me and I couldn't help but smile back. It's not like I had planned it but man it couldn't have gone better if I had.

"The principal's on his way to discourage loitering on school property," Edward murmured to Bella. He still looked haunted by what he'd seen. "Let's get to English, Bella, so you're not involved."

"Overprotective, isn't he?" I said to Bella. "A little trouble makes life fun. Let me guess, you're not allowed to have fun, are you?"

Edward glowered at me, his lips pulled back from his teeth ever so slightly.

"Shut up, Jake," Bella said.

I laughed. "That sounds like a no. Hey, if you ever feel like having a life again, you could come see me." The image of Bella in my arms flashed through my mind again. I smiled just a bit.

"Jake …" I could see longing in Bella's eyes. Maybe she hadn't forgotten how good we'd been together after all.

I leaned forward, trying to show her with my eyes how much I still cared for her. "I think maybe I might have been wrong about us not being able to be friends. Maybe we could do it, on my side of the line. Come see me Bells."

Bella shot a look up at Edward who still had his arms around her, possessively. "I, er, don't know about that Jake."

I decided to give it my all and pretended that Edward wasn't even there. I looked at Bella with all the love I felt for her in my heart. "I miss you every day, Bells. My life's not the same without you."

"Oh Jake, I'm sorry. I just …"

I shook my head and sighed. "I know. Doesn't matter, right? I guess I'll survive or something. Who needs friends?" I made it obvious the pain that I was feeling not having her in my life. Maybe if she still felt something for me she'd feel sorry enough and ditch the leech to come see me. I hoped that there was still a part of her that didn't like to see me in pain.

It looked like it was working. She was leaning toward me as if she wanted to reach out to me. It looked like she wanted to come into my arms but the leech wouldn't let her go. His arms were wrapped around her restraining her.

"Okay, get to class." I heard some adult say from behind Edward and Bella. "Move along, Mr. Crowley."

"Get to school, Jake," Bella whispered, sounding anxious.

Edward let her go and took her hand pulling her behind him again.

Some adult pushed through the circle of onlookers. He looked pissed off.

"I mean it," he threatened. "Detention for anyone who's still standing here when I turn around again."

The students started to disperse before he finished talking.

"Ah, Mr. Cullen. Do we have a problem here?"

"Not at all, Mr. Greene. We were just on our way to class."

"Excellent. I don't seem to recognize your friend." The guy turned to glower at me. "Are you a new student here?" Man this guys looked like a tool.

"Nope," I said with a smirk.

"Then I suggest you remove yourself from school property at once, young man, before I call the police."

My smirk became a full blown grin. Yeah like Charlie would do much more than tell me to scram.

"Yes, sir," I said and snapped a military salute before I climbed on my bike. I kicked it to a start the first time and the engine snarled to life. I cranked on the throttle and the tires squealed as I spun it sharply around. I was out of there in seconds, racing back to La Push, hoping I'd left an impression on Bella. I needed her back and I wasn't going to let that parasite win.