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Chapter 21

As much as the hiking/ bonding time with Embry had sucked, it had given me a whole new perspective on my feelings for Jacob. Weeks ago I had figured out it wasn't plain attraction and decided to call it a crush. But that didn't seem right anymore. Maybe it is time I come to terms with the fact that I have fallen hopelessly in love with Jacob Black.

We were having a field trip today. Yeah, I know it's supposed to be fun and all, being out of school but that's not the case when the school decides to have a field trip to...the woods. Yep, our amazing biology teachers thought it would be a blast to collect earth samples ourselves. What a joy!

So we were all standing in the parking lot with our boots strapped on and sachets in hand. Andy was telling me and Jackie some story about his weekend but I really couldn't care less. My eyes were glued to the back of Jacob's head. Even that part of him made me all mushy inside. What was wrong with me? I tried really hard to focus on what Andy was saying but found it hopeless after 5 minutes of not being able to pull my eyes away. I was just hoping he wouldn't turn around. Apparently luck was on my side today for a change because he didn't. I could however see Embry smiling knowingly next to Jacob. That boy gets on my nerves.

"Erin?"

"Huh?"

Jackie smiled at me as though she knew the reason why I hadn't been paying attention. She probably did know.

"Are you coming with us or will you keep staring off in space like that?"

I hadn't noticed that everyone was already moving closer to the forest. I quickly followed after Jackie and Andy. I didn't want to get a detention because I missed the entire field trip due to staring at the back of Jacob's head. How would I explain that at home?

In the middle we stopped and listened to our teacher explaining the purpose of the assignment. Halfway through I decided it really wasn't that interesting. I started to look around instead. I liked the woods. I wasn't scared of them like Jackie was but I wasn't as fond of them as Andy. He always found it cool to go on 'adventures' in the woods. We got lost a lot when we were kids.

Suddenly everyone went in a different direction. Oops, maybe it would have been better if I had actually listened to the teacher. I seemed a bit lost and my two great friends were nowhere to be found. That's just perfect!

"You lost, little girl?"

I turned around in fright and really felt the need to punch the person.

"Must you be so creepy, Jacob?"

He seemed a little hurt by me calling him a creep but the look had passed his face so quickly, that I can't be sure. We were the only people in the clearing and it was making me feel very uncomfortable after this morning's revelation.

"Why aren't you doing the assignment?" he asked.

"Well, I kind of missed what it's about."

That made him smile but I'm not sure if it was directed to me or at my expense. He reached out his hand to me all of the sudden. What was he doing?

"We can do the assignment together?"

Hell yeah! Of course I didn't actually say that out loud but I did grab his hand and let him pull me further in the woods. Maybe this field trip wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"So the point of this 'trip' is to collect different earth samples in the woods."

I was glad that he didn't seem to find this field trip very interesting as well. He could have fooled me with that big smile plastered on his face.

"We have to put a little bit of the earth in a satchel and write down the qualities and compare it with the others we've already discussed in class."

God, that sounded boring but maybe it wouldn't be that bad if I got to do it with Jacob. We decided to walk a little bit further so we could get different samples then the most people. They all seemed to stay close to the school area but Jacob knew the woods pretty well so I had faith that we wouldn't get lost.

We were actually doing well on the assignment even though I kept glancing at Jacob. I was having fun being around him as always but Embry had put a new idea in my head. What would it be like if Jacob and I went on a date? There wouldn't be anyone else and it would be like saying I'm in love with Jacob. Which I am but still... Was I prepared to endure the awkwardness of the situation by going on a date with him? I would be lying if I said I hadn't imagined what it would be like.

My trail of thoughts was interrupted by Jacob when we made it to one of the cliffs at the beach. Some of the kids jump of the cliffs for kicks but I had never come up here before. It was beautiful. You could see the entire shore with the woods behind it. From this point of view, you couldn't even see any of the houses. For a moment it felt like it was just the two of us in the middle of nowhere.

"Do you like the view?"

"It's beautiful." I said without giving my answer much thought.

Jacob went to sit on a log nearby and patted the seat next to him as a sign for me to sit down, which I did. It had been a while since I sat so close to him. I had almost forgotten how warm he was. We could be on the North pole and he would still be warm enough to keep me from the cold. He was like a portable heather.

"Sooo, do you come her a lot?"

Nice one, Erin. You obviously put a lot of thought in that one. But I soon forgot about that when I heard Jacob's booming laugh next to me. I made Jacob laugh!

"The guys and I come here a lot to go cliff diving but we usually go to the higher ones."

He pointed towards the other cliffs which were indeed higher, a lot higher. They were like perfect-to-commit-suicide-high. Were they nuts?

"But that's dangerous! You could practically kill yourself that way."

Jacob laughed again but it didn't make me feel happy this time. He wasn't taking my concern for him seriously. I crossed my arms angrily and refused to look at him again. Once he realised that, he stopped laughing and turned towards me.

"Are you mad?"

What a typical guy response! Of course I was mad, why else would I act like this? Idiot!

"Duh! I tell you I'm worried and you laugh in my face."

And instead of apologising, he started laughing again. I was about to get up and walk away when I was being pulled back. Into Jacob's side. My anger melted away like snow in front of the sun. Jacob Black was hugging me. I think I died and went to heaven.

"Silly Erin! I can't get hurt. I'm like...superman. It's just for kicks, it's not like I have a death wish. Because if I died I would never get to see your beautiful face again."

Yep, I'm in heaven. There is no way Jacob would say such a thing in real life. As long as I'm in this fantasy I might as well enjoy it to the fullest. So I hugged him back. Jacob suddenly went rigid. Maybe he didn't want me to hug him. I was going to pull away again when his arms tightened around me. Not in the painful way but as if he didn't want to let me go. He sighed in my hair and I never wanted him to leave again.

After a while I had to pull away again. There was something he needed to hear and I couldn't think straight when he was so close to me. He reluctantly loosened the hold he had on me. I took a few steps back so I could look him in the eye. He had a straight expression on his face that made it impossible to figure out what he's thinking.

"I really like spending time with you, Jacob. But there is something-"

"You don't have to say it, Erin."

He interrupted me before I could finish the sentence. And it had taken me so much time to find the courage for those twelve little words.

"You want to be just friends and I'm sorry my behaviour was inappropriate. I won't try to hug you again or say that you're beautiful if you don't like it. I'm sorry I overstepped the line."

How was I supposed to say otherwise after those words? He seemed upset. I guess he was still waiting for me to come around. That gave me the courage to say the next thing.

"That's not really what I was going to say. I was going to say that if you still want to, I would really like to go on a date with you."

I closed my eyes in fear of what was going to come next. Was he going to tell me he had already found another girl or was he going to tell me that he wanted to go on a date as well. Would he laugh at my face or was he going to hug me again? There are so many things that he could do, so I was surprised when nothing happened.

When I looked up Jacob had a ridiculous expression on his face. It was a mix between happiness, shock and the expression he always has on his face when he looks at me. I guess that's a good thing, right?

"Jacob?"

But he wasn't responding. The dazed expression on his face must have meant he was off to lalaland. I giggled. I know, I never do that but at least it got Jacob out of his trance. He was finally looking at me and took my hands in his.

"I thought you were never going to say that."

And then he pulled me in for another hug.

So this is the chapter you've all been waiting for, right? Hope you liked it, let me know xx