SONG: Coldplay - Viva La Vida, Blink 182 - I Miss You

Chapter 21

Mixed Feelings

BPOV

The wind was blowing my hair wildly around my face, the cold air stinging my cheeks, as I squeezed my eyes shut and gripped Jacob's waist tightly.

It was terrifying, it was dangerous; it was....exhilarating.

"Jake! You said you would go slowly!" I shrieked as we sped down the road away from my house.

Jake was laughing, his body shaking under my iron grip.

"You call this fast?" he yelled, the wind carrying his voice away.

"Yes!" I cried.

I didn't open my eyes, but I think I felt the bike slow down a little bit. A very little bit.

"Is that better?" he called.

"Not really." I replied.

He laughed again.

"Bella it's a motorcycle, this is about as slow as I can go. Just keep your eyes shut, we're almost there."

As if I was going to open them.

After a while, I wasn't sure how long, he slowed down, then finally stopped and cut the engine. I opened my eyes slowly and looked around.

"The movie theatre?" I questioned.

"Yeah, where did you think I was taking you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking, "A Biker Bar or something?"

I flushed, because, well, I actually did think that. I mean Jacob was a college guy, I didn't know where they took girls on dates.

He chuckled, "Bella, I'm not even old enough to get into a bar."

"How old are you?" I realised I still didn't know.

"Eighteen, I'll be nineteen in August."

"Oh, right."

He helped me remove the heavy helmet and we walked over to the theatre. When we got to the ticket booth he turned to me.

"What do you want to watch?"

I scanned the names of the movies being shown.

"Hmmm, how about this one?" I pointed to an R rated movie called, My Vampire Boyfriend. Jacob cocked his eyebrow at me but went to buy the tickets.

We settled in our seats after buying a bunch of snacks. Jacob said he bought so much stuff to keep himself busy if the movie sucked – and that he had a feeling that it would. I punched him lightly on the arm and he snickered. We sat in silence after the movie started, munching on popcorn and candy and sipping our sodas. It wasn't uncomfortable or tense and I felt at ease with Jacob. I was enjoying the movie, a film about a girl and a vampire who fall in love, and Jacob groaned at some of the cheesy lines but I could tell that he was actually enjoying it too.

I noticed Jacob staring at me a few times during the movie, and I was relieved that it was dark in the theatre so my blush wasn't noticeable. I looked back at him one time I noticed him staring and he winked at me, causing my face to heat up even more. At one point, he put his arm over my shoulder and I froze for a second and looked at him. He was just watching the screen nonchalantly; seeming unconscious that he even had his arm around me. After a while, I relaxed into him, leaning against his shoulder a little. I felt really awkward at the few love scenes in the movie that made it deserve its R rating. I blushed furiously and shuffled under his arm, looking away from the screen. I peeked at Jacob too, to see his reaction but he didn't even flinch, he just watched the love scenes with a blank expression, eating candy occasionally or sipping his soda. I felt so childish.

After the movie was over, we walked over to his bike.

"Want to go and get something to eat?" he asked me.

"No way, I don't feel like eating anything after all that junk."

He smiled. "Ok, so what do you want to do?"

"Hmmm....I don't know. I chose the movie so you choose what we do next." I said.

"Ok."

He picked up the helmets from the seat of the bike and unlocked the chain he had used to attach them. He handed me the pink helmet I had worn on the way to the movies and put on his blue one.

"Why is your spare helmet pink?" I questioned, my eyebrows raised teasingly.

He grinned. "My sister sometimes rides my bike."

He hopped on the bike and I hopped on behind him, holding on to his waist tightly again. He revved the engine a few times and then we sped off; my eyes once again squeezed shut. We drove for longer than we had to the theatre and I was getting curious as to where he was taking us. He finally stopped and we got off the bike.

I looked around.

"Wow Jake, where are we?"

"A place I used to come to with my friends. We used to dive from the cliffs."

I looked at him, alarmed.

He chuckled. "It's a sport. And don't worry, that's not why I brought you here."

He walked over to a few feet away from the edge of the cliff and sat down on the rocky ground. I followed and sat next to him. It was dark now and the stars were twinkling above us, the cliff overlooked the sea, which was calm and glittering with the reflection of the stars. I could see Port Angeles a little further away, brightly lit and buzzing with people.

"This is beautiful Jake." I said, in awe.

He smiled at me.

We sat there for what seemed like hours, just watching the view in front of us and talking. Jake told me all about himself. He used to live in La Push on the Quileute Reservation with his mom, dad and twin sisters. He lived on his university campus now, and after he finished college he said he was probably going to live in Seattle. He was studying mechanical engineering. I told him about myself, about when I moved to Forks, about my friends, about school. Talking about school reminded me of Edward and I forced the thoughts back, not wanting to ruin my time with Jake.

He dropped me back at my house at around 9:30. I had written a note to my dad telling him that I had gone out with a friend, so I wasn't worried about it being a little late. Jake got off his bike and helped me remove the helmet again. He also removed his own.

He stood, gazing at me.

"I had fun tonight Bella." He said.

"Me too. Thanks Jake." I said, my face heating up.

"No problem."

I shuffled a bit, uncomfortable under his intense gaze.

"Well....goodnight Jake."

"Night Bella." He replied – but made no move to go.

He just stood for a moment, still intently staring at me.

Then, slowly he reached out and stroked my cheek with the back of his fingers. He then put a finger under my chin and lifted my head a little.

His dark eyes burned into mine.

I was frozen, though my face and body were scorching.

He brought his hand to my face, cupping my cheek gently. I looked into his dark eyes, which were shimmering in the moonlight. He brought his face closer to mine, moving forward gradually until our faces were inches apart. His eyes glanced down slowly at my lips and then I couldn't help looking at his. They looked so soft, so full, so moist.....

He pressed his lips to mine softly.

My eyes closed slowly as he moved his lips over mine. It was so soft, so gentle. I could feel my pulse racing, my skin flushed. His other hand moved to cup my other cheek. I pressed against his lips, kissing him back, my breathing coming out heavier, faster. He moved his arms to hold my waist, pulling me closer to him and my arms automatically went up around his neck. I stroked the hairs at his neck and he started pushing a little harder on my lips, moving faster, and I felt his tongue brush over my bottom lip. I let out a tiny moan.

"Bella?"

I jumped away from Jake at the sound of my dad's voice.

"Dad!"

He was glaring at Jake as he strode over to us.

Oh God, how embarrassing.

"So, is this the friend that you went out with?" he questioned sarcastically.

"Um, yeah. This is Jacob Black dad. You know; the one who called?"

"Oh, so this is the elusive Mr Black."

"Err, good evening sir." Jacob held out his hand.

My dad just looked at it.

"Dad." I muttered.

I was mortified.

My dad glanced at the bike stood next to us. His eyes widened.

"Is this yours?"

"Yes sir." Jake replied.

My dad looked at me, his jaw clenching, "I really hope you weren't riding on this thing Isabella."

I swallowed. Uh oh.

"Do you have a license?" he said to Jake.

"Of course." Jake answered.

"Dad, can you please let Jake go now, it's getting late." I pleaded.

"Well Jake, I know nothing about you and yet I've just seen you kissing my daughter on my property."

I groaned.

"If you would like to keep both of your legs intact, son, I suggest you come over tomorrow so I can meet you properly." He smiled sarcastically.

Shit.

However, Jake was unperturbed by my dad's threat. "Sure. I'll be there. See you tomorrow sir." He turned to me and smiled, "Night Bella."

He then got on his bike and sped away.

My dad walked into the house, I followed. He went to sit in the living room and started watching TV – not saying another word to me. I hurried up the stairs and into my room.

Jake came over on Sunday.

Surprisingly, my dad liked him because, it turns out, that my dad knew his dad, Billy Black. They had been good friends and had just drifted apart after starting families. My dad took Billy's number from Jake and said that he would call him and catch up. I made lunch, and then after we ate, my dad and Jake went to watch a football game while I stayed in the kitchen reading a book. Then they went outside to take a look at Jacob's bike, and my dad whistled as he circled it, admiring it, talking motorcycle talk that I didn't understand a word of. However, although he was impressed with the bike, I was forbidden from riding on it with Jake. I glowered at him behind his back and Jake saw me, he snickered quietly.

My dad went back to the living room and Jake followed me into the kitchen. He sat on the counter and we talked, just making casual conversation.

I was secretly hoping that he would kiss me again.

I mean, he was a really good kisser, why shouldn't I kiss him? He liked me; he showed me that he liked me. Edward hadn't even asked me out or anything. Plus, Edward had kissed Tanya; in fact, he had done a lot more than kiss her.

Jacob didn't kiss me, but that may have been because my dad was just next door, because he certainly looked like he wanted to. His eyes kept darting to my lips momentarily as we spoke and I blushed furiously every time he did it.

I called Alice on Sunday night, telling her about my weekend with Jake. She squealed down the phone, as expected, firing questions about the kiss at me. I explained every detail to her as nonchalantly as I could, though my body was heating up just thinking about it. She then asked me about Edward, and I told her again that if Edward liked me he would ask me out.

Edward wasn't in school on Monday.

Biology seemed to drag on without him, my desk feeling huge and empty as I sat on my own. It was silly, but I felt like the day wasn't complete if I didn't see him. In lessons, all I did was wonder where he was. Was he sick?

At lunch, Alice informed me of where he was.

"Jazz told me that he went to visit his mom. She's better now so she's back at home."

For some reason, this news didn't console me. It was ridiculous of me, not to mention selfish, but I almost didn't want his mom to be better. I mean, he only came to live here because she wasn't able to look after him. If she was better then....

He might not come back.

What if he went back? What he left Forks?

I was miserable by the end of the day; and mad at myself for allowing Edward Cullen to make me feel like that, especially as he wasn't even here. I sighed. Why did this guy have this effect on me?

I trudged out to the parking lot at the end of the school day, just wanting to get home. I wasn't even in the mood for Alice when.....I stopped.

Jake stood in the parking lot, leaning against his bike, grinning at me. I couldn't even help grinning back as I walked over to him.

"Is your dad at work?" he asked as I approached.

"Yeah, why?" I asked, puzzled as to why that would be his first question.

He smirked. "Want to come out for a ride?"

I beamed.

I drove my truck to my house – Jake driving behind me – and parked it, then pulled on the helmet and hopped on the bike behind him.

He kissed me when we got back.

Edward didn't show up at school for the whole week, but I found that as the days went on, I didn't care as much as I had on Monday. Plus, every day Jake would meet me after school and we would go out somewhere. Sometimes we just went for a ride on his motorcycle, other times we went out to eat somewhere, or we would go over to the cliff again. I had fun with Jake, he liked me, he was sweet and he was kind – not to mention the fact that he was hot.

And every day, when he dropped me home, he would kiss me.

And I would walk into my house thinking, Edward who?

Author's Note:

Review? Pretty please.

Savannah-Vee