AN: So I have much to comment on.
One; yes it was a gun in the bag. ;D Bella will catch on (I haven't written that part yet so I'm not sure when).
Two; I am tired of writing Jacob as well. I hate having to make a back story with him which is one of the LARGE reasons why there was a time jump; the other reason was that in 'Twilight' there was a time jump in a similar spot. There won't be anymore jumps as far as I can tell unless I rearrange when the conclusion occurs in the story (I wanted to sync it up and have it near spring break).
Three; I hope this doesn't end tragically, myself.
Four; finally romance!! You don't know how much I've hated working up to it!
Chapter five: Rain (part one)
"Looks like you won't need a ride with me today," Emmett smiled as I walked over to him and Rosalie near the parking lot.
"Huh?" I managed following his eyes. "Jake?" Then it dawned on me, "You're done?" I called running over to him and his Rabbit.
He laughed, "I'm done," he repeated, waving 'goodbye' to the others.
"Wow," I was stunned. I threw my arms around him. "So you're giving me a ride?" I asked excited.
I released him quickly, realizing what I'd done, "Of course, I promised you'd be the first." He opened the passenger door for me, "After you."
He got in the other side, "I was actually starting to believe this thing was just ornamentation."
He chuckled, "No, it moves and everything." He started the car as if to prove his point.
"Impressive."
--
We drove around for a while before he stopped at my house. I slowly got out of the rabbit, taking one last look at Jacob, "I'm really proud of you, you know that don't you? I can't believe you built this car. It's amazing, it really is."
He smiled up at me, "Oh of course," He rolled his eyes; brushing off my comment. "I'll see you later. Do you mind if I pick you up again after school. We could catch a movie, I don't know…" he trailed off with half hidden intentions.
"This is going to make me sound like a nerd," I snorted, "But would you mind if we just got together to get some homework done. I know it's not a fun thought but I'm getting behind and Charlie-"
He cut me off, "No I understand. Billy's been trying to get that through my head, a homework date then." Date, my mind picked up? Date… did he think it would be a date; a romantic, lovely dove-y date? He saw my worried face and added, "It's just an expression Bella," but his face fell a bit as he said it and I knew I had shattered some of his confidence.
"Okay then, I guess I'll see you in twenty four hours," I closed the door hearing a muted 'bye' as I watched Jacob drive away from me. Jacob Black, the boy who I saw as a brother, a good friend. But I knew he saw me in a different way, I couldn't lie to myself anymore. He wanted more and I didn't. Jacob was attractive and kind, he was funny and warm but I didn't want him in that way. What was wrong with me? Any other girl would be in heaven just at the thought that a boy like Jacob wanted them. It wasn't like I was seeing anyone, not like I wanted anyone else- but I knew that wasn't quite true. I fought against that thought with all my might. Not like I wanted anyone I could have I corrected mentally.
NO, Not like I wanted anyone else, I forced but my mind wavered to the last guy I'd been interested in. Edward was nothing, a quick and irrational crush, a moment of insanity. I hadn't felt anything for him; you can't fall in love in that short a time. Love, I scoffed, as I stood watching the ghost of Jacob's car back out, love was a joke. If I loved Edward I might as well run off and let his family kill me, it would practically say the same about me to Charlie and Emmett. A stupid traitor or a stupid dead Swan, they were synonymous in my head.
I walked towards the house; Emmett would be home, would have beaten me here and would be wondering what was taking so long. As I thought this I realized I didn't want to have a conversation with my brother about Jacob, I didn't want to talk to him about anything today. If I went inside the only place to hide would be my bedroom and even then Emmett was never one for personal space.
I continued toward the house with no intentions to stay. "Emmett," I called in a nonchalant even voice from just outside the open front door, "I'm going for a walk."
"Where to?" he called back probably from the living room.
I was surprised at his casual manner, his missing two hundred questions about Jacob that he had lately been throwing me but I feared it wouldn't hold out. I stayed strong to my plan, "Oh I don't know, around for a bit. I need some air, I guess."
"Kay, sis, see you in a bit then."
"Mhmm, bye." I left the house lost in thought. I was making a mess out of my life here. Jacob wasn't doing anything wrong. I should try to be happy with him. I wondered if I could. The butterflies, the electricity was missing and I begrudgingly had to admit that at least Edward had gotten that emotional response from me, even if my body was just under some wacky misunderstanding.
'Where was I going now,' I asked myself. Where could I go that would make sense out of everything? My feet, without a brain of their own, continued on their way, further from where Jacob's ghost car backed out and away from me again and again.
Then like everything that ever happened to me my luck cut in; my bad luck. The rain started, it was nothing at first, and it even made me feel a bit better… at first. I kept walking farther away from home; walking because I wasn't ready to face anyone or anything right now. Then the rain started to get worse but I was too stubborn to let it stop me. I was walking on the side of the road and the houses had been replaced by trees, stupid awful GREEN trees. The green was making everything worse. I was shivering, chilled to the bone and by now it was pouring.
My stubborn side told me to keep going but my rational side was cutting through a bit by questioning my sanity. I wanted to listen to my logical self but something strange was pulling me forward.
Then my luck cut in again, a silver car pulled up to where I was awkwardly still following my heart. I heard a window roll down but I tried to ignore it, "What are you doing?" a voice incredulously asked.
"Nothing, I'm going for a walk. It's a perfectly normal thing to do," I viciously snarled.
A justified snarl I figured when Edward laughed a sharp short burst, "No it's not a perfectly normal thing to do in the middle of a bloody storm."
"Storm," I scoffed, "It's not that bad."
"Look around, Miss Swan. It's only getting worse." I stopped walking and turned to glare at his unforgivably perfect and dry face. He stopped his car as if on cue with me.
"So what do you want me to do about it," I sneered, "I don't control the weather."
"Just get in; I'll take you wherever you're going."
"Like I'd get in the car with a Cullen," I yelled. "Don't insult my intelligence."
"I'm not trying to, geesh I'm just trying to help you out. You're freezing, look at yourself. Get in; please it'll help me sleep at night. I can't leave you here. Like I said, I'll take you where you're going, wherever that is, straight there. I won't even talk to you on the way if you want…"
"But, you see that's just the thing I'm not going ANYWHERE I'm trying to get away from anywhere actually and you can't help me do that." I started walking away from him and his stupid shiny warm little world. I was just fine, I was just perfect, I was happy and I was certainly able to take care of myself.
"Listen Bella," he called, "There is no justifiable reason I have that would cause me to leave you walking around aimlessly in this weather. I'll compromise with you, give me your great reason for not going home and I'll leave. If you don't have one well then…"
I stopped again and this silenced him. I couldn't look at him but I muttered, "It's none of your business but if it'll make you leave me alone… well I'm, I'm…"
"You're what."
"I'm trying to clear my head, I don't know. I needed to escape and I'm not done escaping and I can't go back there." I turned to look at him, he looked worried.
"Get in, please. Not for me, for yourself. You'll be safe with me, I promise."
"I gave you your reason and now you should leave," I answered.
"Yeah, you did but it doesn't justify yourself getting sick. Get in my car; I won't take you home, just get in my car. I'll pull over there," He pointed to a small clearing in the dense trees that was just a little bigger than his car, "And we can sit there till you want to go back home or wherever else you might want to go that isn't in the freezing rain. I won't even make you talk to me. Please, be reasonable."
I didn't answer, I was contemplating the idea, he was right, I knew he was and his alternative did sickly look promising. It sounded fine but I could only imagine how uncomfortable the silence in his car would be. Lightning suddenly broke across the dark sky followed by a crackle of thunder and I shook convulsively. "Fine," I muttered. I grabbed the handle, opened his passenger door and practically collapsed on the seat. I slammed the door behind me as Edward drove and parked in the spot he had pointed out earlier.
"Thank you," he sighed and I noticed that his tone was full of relief. I looked over at him only to find him staring at me.
"I guess I'm ruining your upholstery now."
He chuckled, his face turning up into half a smile, "Don't worry about it." I didn't want to but my own face broke into a small smile. "Do you want to talk about it? Really, I don't want to pry but you just… well I just don't understand what would make anyone choose the cold downpour in Forks to a warm toasty house in Forks."
I thought about his question and I wondered if he had any right to know. It made me angry that I felt more comfortable with the thought of talking to him about Jacob then the thought of talking to Emmett. "It's just," I started, "it's just…" I stopped for a second, "I just can't seem to get my head together to figure out what the problem is." He laughed out loud the skin beside his eyes crinkling up, the perfect green of his eyes, although slightly obscured by his laughter, already hypnotizing me. "It's not funny," I sighed but his laughter was catching and I giggled without consent.
"No you're right," he managed as his chuckles died down, "I'm not laughing at you, not really."
"Oh of course not, you're laughing at the other girl that looks like a drowned rat that you picked up; obviously," I rolled my eyes. This had him smiling. "I know I shouldn't be sitting here," I started seriously, "I shouldn't be talking to you but I'm actually thankful you came around. I don't think I would have turned back and walked home on my own."
"You're very stubborn," He agreed.
"Stubborn," I mused, "Yes, I guess so." The sound of the rain outside was calming. "I wasn't the only one out in this storm though. What were you doing? I'm not keeping you from something?"
"I guess you could say I had to get away too."
"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.
"I'm not sure. I guess I'm having the same problem, I mean figuring out what that problem is."
"We're an odd pair tonight."
He looked me up and down, "If we're going to sit here for a long time you might want to get out of those clothes." I must have look flabbergasted so he added, "I'm not trying to get you naked or anything, I'm not a pervert but you're going to catch pneumonia like that."
"What are you suggesting then? Should I strip down, act like that's perfectly normal?"
"No!" he laughed again, "I'm saying that I'm going to turn up the heat," He did so as he spoke, "and I'm going to give you my shirt," he reached behind himself for something. "I even have a blanket back here." He placed the blanket in my lap and shrugged and pulled off his simple cotton white shirt. If I was surprised into silence before I was now practically catatonic. I looked quickly away from his body, his perfectly sculpted body. This was unfair, this was wrong. I blushed uncomfortably as I looked out the window and at the inoffensive and not half naked trees. I felt him add the shirt to the pile of cloth on my lap. "Take off your soaked shirt, put mine on. Take off your skirt and wrap yourself in the blanket, I won't look." I wanted to yell at him for suggesting such a thing but he was so sincere that I only found myself glancing to see if he was looking away, which he was.
I hurriedly removed my shirt, leaving my wet bra on, and replaced it with his. It was large on me and it smelt so good, so good and so wrong. My skirt was harder to remove as it was firmly stuck to me but I unbuttoned it and yanked at it till it gave. I wrapped the blanket around my lower half awkwardly. "Okay, I'm decent," I stated.
I looked over at him and he looked at me. He was distracting when he was half naked, have you ever tried to talk to someone conventionally when they're half naked; it's ridiculously hard. My face was still red and I wondered if the blush would ever dissipate. To my shock Edward looked a bit nervous when he saw me and the silence was, as I predicted uncomfortable.
I broke it, "Do you have a cell phone? I should tell Charlie where I am." He reached in front of me and pulled a small silver phone from the inside of the glove compartment and placed it in my left hand. He brushed the skin there casually and sparks flew where they touched. His hand hurriedly flew back to his side of the car, leaving a burning feeling where the ghost of his hand had wavered against mine. I flipped the phone open, dialed home and put it up to my ear.
"Hello?" Charlie anxiously asked after a ring and a half.
"Hi, dad."
"BELLA! Where are you? Are you alright?" his worry was endearing but completely unnecessary.
"I'm fine. I went for a walk; I had to find shelter from the rain."
"Do you want me to pick you up, where are you exactly?"
"No it's fine; I'm good here for a bit. Don't worry about me I'm safe and I'll be home soon."
"Are you sure, Bella?"
"Yes, I'm sure, I'm fine, really."
"Okay, be home soon it's not going to get any better tonight," Charlie's voice relaxed and I felt a bit bad for worrying him and glad that I had thought to call him before he sent a search team.
"Yes, I will, love you, see you soon, bye." Charlie returned the goodbye and I closed the phone, placing it back in the glove compartment.
"So you acknowledge that you're safe with me," Edward mused. I turned back to him, noticing he was still looking at me intently, had he even looked away for an instant while I was on the phone?
"No, not quite; I just didn't want to worry Charlie. He wouldn't be happy to find out where I was."
"No I don't suppose he would be," he frowned. "But you are, you know, safe that is."
"Possibly," his mouth twitched to smile at my reluctance.
"I think I'm breaking through your stubborn layers."
"Whatever." But I realized he was right. Where had my anger gone? Why was I sitting with a Cullen, this wasn't normal, this was dangerous. Edward wasn't dangerous to me, at least not right now. I didn't believe he would hurt me, maybe that was my first mistake, but being with a Cullen was dangerous. If Emmett, Charlie, Sam or Jacob knew where I was…
And with that thought I found myself circling back to Jacob. Thinking of him sent a shiver through me. He was the reason I was here after all. I didn't want to acknowledge the fact that Jacob had driven me into the car of an enemy, into the 'arms of another man'. I wanted to roll my eyes at that thought but it unnervingly rang true.
"Still cold?" Edward asked noticing my shiver.
"No it's not that." He nodded, "I wonder what your friends and family will say when they hear about this."
"I don't think I'm going to tell them."
"Why not?"
"Why didn't you tell Charlie?" he answered my question with his own.
"I guess I understand," I allotted, "but it's not quite the same thing. You're just helping a defenseless," I sneered the last word, "girl who was too pigheaded to come in from the rain. I'm breaking all the trust of everyone who matters to me." Like before after the words left my mouth I noticed how true they were.
Edward's perfect face grimaced, "Even so I think my family would rather I left you out here then find out I offered a Swan my help."
"What a pleasant family you have."
"And your family is so kind, what would they have done if I was wandering around like you had been?" a slightly angry tone marred his smooth voice.
"Well I don't know what they would have done, I don't know everything they think, but I would have helped you if I saw you."
His face did a 180 as the frown flew up in a smile, "You like me."
AN: Yes, yes I am cutting it here, why? I'm evil?
ACTUALLY: the reason is because I needed to cut it somewhere in the middle of their conversation. Why is that? Well I simply refused to write another Jacob/Bella talk chapter so soon and because of that I cut their scene to the small part at the beginning and therefore (longest sentence ever, huh?) got to start writing some romance.
Originally (man I use that word a lot, reminds me of how much this story has evolved since the idea) I was going to cut when his car pulled up to her and in my opinion that is far meaner. Plus I'm going to have the next part up so soon it's hardly that evil of me (or at least that's what I keep telling myself) ha-ha.
