CHAPTER FOURTEEN

(BPOV)

I watched the awed expression that flickered across Jacobs handsome face from my words. His arms tightened themselves around me instinctually, as if pulling me closer to him was all he needed to make his world make sense right now.

"You know?" He sighed to me, his eyes roaming over my face in a way that made me give him my devout attention.

I nodded and saw the adoration and relief reflected back to me in his deep hued gaze. The silence was soon interrupted with another loud roar of thunder and I jumped from the sound, my mind now filling with all the times Jacob had kept me anchored somehow. How his mere presence alone would always soothe the incessant and overwhelming thoughts in my head. The many fears I struggled to voice to anyone or the way the mere mention of Edward used to send me spiraling for days. It was my own personal hell and something I feared would inevitably swallow me whole by the end of it, but Jacobs sunny smile chased away the enshrouding darkness and I was drawn to him like a magnet. Being around him was like a big breath of fresh air for me. His zest for everyday life and his carefree nature made me see that there was still life, happiness, and adventure after Edward. That his leaving wasn't the be all end all that I had once made it to be. Those months with Jacob, before I left for New York, had showed me how unhealthy my relationship with the Cullens had been from the start. It made me more aware of his kind, but yet not aware enough to see Damien and his charms for just what they were.

I always felt invisible with Damien. Like he never really saw me until I had done something to make him furious. It was as if I had been sleep walking through my life. Both with Damien and Edward. I had naively chosen to give my affection to them both at the cost of my own true happiness and well being, and I had left behind the one person who ever took enough time to make me feel seen and safe... and loved.

"I should have stayed with you." I softly admitted, hesitantly meeting his stare with regret.

"You wanted bigger things than Forks had to offer, Bells. There's nothing wrong with that."

"You let me go even though you knew what that meant for you." I replied, shuddering as I pondered the pain he must have endured all these months with me being states away from him.

"Your happiness is worth more to me than my comfort, honey."

I stared at him in disbelief at his selflessness as my eyes began to sting with fresh tears. This was what love was supposed to be. This is what love really was. It wasn't fearful or demanding, but warm and honest and sacrificial when needed. It didn't hurt, but instead shielded you from what could.

How could I have missed that before? How could I have run off to the city without him?

I soon felt the warmth of Jacob's hands on my face as he cradled it, his words making my tears fall down my cheeks.

"You're safe with me, Bells. I would never let anything happen to you, honey. We'll stay on the run as long as we have to. It's gonna be okay."

The sky lit up with the storm as I leaned in closer to him. His lips a breath away from mine.

"Tell me when you knew. When you felt it. When you knew-" I began.

"-when you were mine? When I imprinted on you?"

I nodded, seeing his firm swallow as his thumb brushed away a stray tear.

"... in the meadow." He softly admitted.

I couldn't stop the gasp that left me, my memories coming back fresh from a time when I risked my life just to see the illusion of Edwards face.

"... all this time."

"Are you angry with me for not telling you?" He asked, his tone uneven with worry behind it.

"I couldn't be angry with you for that. You made that choice thinking it was the right thing for me, Jacob."

"It was the wrong choice, Bella. If I had said something and told you the truth before you went to New York, we wouldn't be here in this mess right now. I should've listened to Sam and opened my mouth."

"I know your heart, Jacob. It's one of the biggest ones I've ever known and you kept it from me with good intentions. You couldn't have known what was ahead in New York for me... anymore than I could of."

"I hate that he hurt you." He replied, his tone hard and his eyes changing to a midnight color right before me. I got lost in the warmth of his fingertips as he gingerly traced them around the fading scar from my last encounter with Damien. His body became rigid as he met my stare again, the sight of the warm hue leaving his gaze made my stomach drop and my heart race at the same time. His lips ghosted against mine and I felt the breath leave my body as he deepened the kiss. My hands became tangled in his hair and my skin warmed in a way that left me eager for more of his touch. His tongue brushed mine and the taste of him made my head spin.

The sound of his cell phone ringing suddenly made him pull back and I failed to silence the moan of disappointment that left me as he answered the call.

"Hello..." He sighed into the phone, his face changing into a hardened expression when he continued. "... Yes- ... who the hell is this?"

I scurried off his lap as he quickly whipped his head around to look out the window, his hand going to the keys which were still in the ignition and turning it over. He threw the car in reverse and spun us around, his jaw tight with tension when he rolled down the drivers side window and tossed his cell phone outside into the rain without so much as another word to me. He hit the gas and reached for my hand as he sped us down the winding road.

I needed no explanation. His actions told me who had just called and I tried to keep calm.

Damien had found us. He knew where I was and who I was with.

"... no more phones, honey." Jacob sighed, as we raced for his grams house. I watched the abundance of green trees all rush by us in a blur when Jacobs speed reached nearly eighty-five, his eyes observant of every bend in the road and every vehicle we passed. I held his hand tighter in mine when we reached the now familiar street.

"He knows doesn't he? That I'm with you? Damien knows where I am-"

"He can't hurt you anymore and he'll never touch you again. I promise."

His reply brought with it a fresh memory of a similar promise he had made to me on the steps of the movie theatre.

… I won't let you down. You can count on me...

Jacob slowed the car down to a near crawl as he neared his grams house again, his free hand flexing tightly around the steering wheel as he switched off the headlights and coasted further up the street. The sound of the silence was becoming nearly enough to be my undoing.

When the car turned into the drive, I held my breath and looked around. My eyes and ears being tuned in to every twitch and rain drop now. I heard the engine go silent as Jacob hastily pulled the keys from the ignition and looked my way.

"I need you to trust me, Bells. Can you do that?"

"I do trust you."

"I have to tell Charlie what's going on. Leaving him in the dark like we have before, isn't safe now. Damien could use him to lure you somewhere and that's a risk I'm not willing to take. He has a lot of money and a lot of people. We can't do this by ourselves. We need resources. I'm going to call Billy in the morning and ask that he tell Sam to call grams number so I can fill him in. The more help we have on our side... the better off we will be."

I drew my bottom lip between my teeth, my nerves taking a toll on my stomach as he studied my silent reaction.

"Sam can keep your dad safe, honey." He assured me, seeing the worry in my gaze as I drew in a steady breath.

"I don't want Charlie in any danger from this. He's a cop. You know he'll report it. He has a duty to."

"Maybe... or maybe he will see my reasoning and wait before he goes into chief Swan mode. At least until you're back home safe."

"... and your gran?"

"We'll need to keep a closer eye on her. Just to be safe. She shouldn't be alone from here on out. So where we go, she goes."

I nodded, seeing the fierce determination in his dark eyes as he leaned in and softly kissed my forehead.

Doris was busy cooking a roast beef stew when we came back inside. She greeted us with a bright smile and was happy to see Jacob had purchased what he needed to properly fix the leak under the sink.

"Pretty bad storm out there!" Doris soon chimed from the stove, her hands busy with chopping vegetables.

"Yeah. It's pouring." Jacob replied, as he hunkered himself down on the floor again to get busy with the repair.

"Need any help with dinner?" I shyly asked, wanting to keep my own hands busy so I could forget about Damien just for a little while.

"Certainly! There's some celery over there that needs washing and chopping if you don't mind, dear."

I nodded and began rinsing the many vegetables she had laid out on the counter. The stew smelled delicious already and the smile Doris wore made me see how much she truly loved being in the kitchen. It was clear that it was certainly where she felt the most at home and the most comfortable.

My attention was soon drawn to Jacob sprawled out underneath the sink and my eyes couldn't help but trail over his low slung jeans again. I shook my head, hearing Doris chuckle from beside me. Her knowing eyes on my face as my cheeks flared red in embarrassment that I had been caught ogling her grandson in front of her.

"You know, Bella... You just reminded me so much of Jacobs mother. She used to look at Billy in the same way years ago. Young love... it's a wonderful thing, isn't it?"

My silence made her pause and turn my way, her gaze full of compassion and concern when she reached out and placed her hand over mine.

"Everything is going to be okay, dear. Just you wait and see. Jacob is wise beyond his young years and he is a leader at heart. Much in the same way his great grandfather Ephraim was before him. He comes well by his middle name that boy and when he loves... well... he loves just like his mama used to. With all of who he is and he will fight admirably to protect it."

Her words to me were whispered but I knew that Jacob had heard them. His stilled movements under the sink telling me he was still listening to our conversation.

"I wish I could have known Sarah better. She sounds wonderful." I softly admitted, glancing down to Jacob once more as Doris passed me another cutting knife.

"She was, Bella. She really was. Billy loved her very much and she loved him just as fiercely. Saddens me to see that he hasn't moved on even after all these years. She wouldn't want that for him. I know my daughter would want him to give his love to another. But true love often works that way. Once you find it, you can't ever fully replace it if it leaves you. That's why it's so important to love who you love and never make apologies for it."

I saw the conviction in her expression as she became silent, her hand leaving the pan on the stove to reach up and caress my cheek. "I know something has been taken from you, dear. That someone betrayed your trust and hurt you. Scars like that take time and a lot of love to heal, but the heart that beats inside of you will be okay. It will mend... maybe even stronger than it was before. You're a strong woman and I believe in you, Bella. My grandson does, too."

I held the rounded bowl of chopped vegetables in my trembling hands and watched her closely as she stirred them into the boiling stew before her. The sound of Jacob pushing himself up off the floor caused her to wink my way and offer him a sincere smile as she informed him dinner would be ready in a half hour or less.

"Thanks gran. Sinks all fixed now. Should work just fine." He sighed, tossing the wrenches to the floor and meeting my stare from afar. The look he wore told me he had heard everything she had said to me and I saw his hands flex at his sides as he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"I'm gonna clean up before dinner, gran." He informed her, placing a kiss to her cheek when he passed by us. I stared after him as he headed for the small room we had claimed as our own since arriving here and I was quick to follow, my hand reaching for his before he had taken another step. He stilled and turned back at the feel of our fingers lacing together as I drew closer to him with a contented sigh. His arms wrapped tightly around me and I felt the tension in my body vanish as he held me to him.

What Doris said had made me even more aware of what was right in front of me. Jacob was the kind of love that healed. The kind of love that mended and the kind of love I knew to be true.

A/N: To all my amazingly patient readers... I thank you so much for sticking with me! I know it has been months since my last update and I am truly sorry. As I had mentioned before in my last chapter, I was dealing with some health issues and while some of them have subsided, there are still some symptoms that have made it hard to write over these past few months. I am happy to say that I am starting back up now and plan to post every week. Thanks a million to all of you and please feel free to leave a review for this chapter. I love hearing from all of you. xoxo :-)