"You know what: I think I'm going to do it," I said as I wiped the grease from my hands with a rag and held Sam's eyes. I had asked him over to run some thoughts I was having passed him, I saw him as a older brother and I needed that sort of advice on this matter. "Well it would definitely make things easier on you guys but it's a relationship tester for sure. I didn't think it would be when Em and I finally got our own place together, but it's a lot more difficult to live with someone than you think. You learn things about them that you never would have guessed, the curtain falls back for sure," he said as he leaned against the door jam his arms crossed at his chest.
"Yeah, but I'm okay with that," I said as threw the rag on the work bench and slammed the hood of the Rabbit closed. "You think you are little bro," Sam said as a small laugh rippled through his chest, "But wait till you see the things she does when you're not around. There is no avoiding it anymore, she'll have no choice but to complete her freaky rituals when your home. Don't get me wrong some of them will be cute, like when you catch her dancing around the bedroom in her underwear with the radio on a night when you get off early but some of them are on the total opposite end of the spectrum. Plus, you'll learn real quick that underwear does not belong on the bathroom floor and dirty dishes can't be in the sink once she's done a load. Trust me she'll let you know what a slob you are relatively quickly. Are you sure you guys are ready to have those sort of moments?"
I shrugged it off as trivial next to the idea of being able to come home to her every night, to our house, full of our things and the luxury to come home after a hard day and strip her naked wherever I pleased to have my way with her for release. I was very keen on the last idea, I had plenty of ideas on how I could capitalize on new rooms and different positions for different piece of furniture-oh the things I could do. "I'll take the good with the bad," I said smiling devilishly as my thoughts flickered across my face.
Sam smiled, his eyes catching the thought pattern that was streaming through mine, "I don't see why you shouldn't then. Honestly man, I think she's perfect for you-she definitely keeps you on your toes and has you talking all kinds of crazy grown up shit. I was half accepting you to ask me my opinion on a ring today seeing as you went and visited the parents." He let out a soft chuckle as he sighed in relief and as he spoke in a tone that was riddled with both comedy and truth, "Emily would not be happy if Paige got a rock before her, so I kinda dodged a bullet on that one."
I approached him with suggestive eyes and slapped him once on the shoulder as I spoke, "You better start window shopping brother because if this apartment deal goes well then I will be stopping by to get Emily's opinions on the ring. I wouldn't ask you, you can't even dress yourself half the time. " He let out a huff and pushed my hand away, "Fuck you man you're really gonna start that typhoon? I thought brothers had each other's backs. You don't understand how hard she's on my ass about this shit already." I laughed at the horror that was glimmering behind his normally mellow eyes as straightened his posture. A evil smile shot across my lips and I raised my eyebrows as I responded, "I hope you got an idea on one and the cash put away because it not looking so hot for ya."
He tilted his face towards the sky and racked his hands over it as he spoke in a tone that reeked of frustration and fried nerves, "Did I ever tell you how much a fucking hate you?" I laughed as I took him in, for being older than me and years ahead of me in the relationship game, he was sure dragging his feet on asking her to marry him-what a pansy ass. "Just grow a fucking set and do it, you know you want to and what's the worst that could happen: she'll get the ring and get some sixth sense from it that tells her she's too good for you? I've been telling her that for years and she hasn't listened to me yet-either that or she's got some sort of soft spot for the mentally challenged- either way you should be straight ," I said as Paige pulled into the driveway.
"I don't think you understand the depth of this hate, it's more like loath," he said as pushed me away from him with both hands trying not to laugh as he glowered at me. "Hating me won't grow you a set pussy, man up," I threw over my shoulder as I laughed and started across the driveway towards Paige.
She climbed out and the wind picked up slightly blowing her long dark hair across her face. I told myself everyday that when I saw her I wouldn't be caught off guard by how beautiful she was. But as she walked towards me, swaying her hips as a smile arched across those sexy pout lips I realized that I had lied to myself yet again.
Everything about her was extraordinary, from the gentle hourglass silhouette that her curves created to the complex cobalt of her large eyes. "Hey Baby," she said in that sultry yet angelic tone that made my heart feel like it wad going to explode right out of my chest-I don't think I'll ever get used to it. "Hey Beautiful," I said in my own suggestive tone. She placed a gentle kiss on my lips and the sensation it sent coursing through me was inconceivable, I was putty in her hands.
"Hey Sam," she said sweetly as she ducked her head around me and waved. "Hey Kiddo. Em told me if I saw you I was to tell you something about missing your face? And my life was threatened should I forget so please be sure to tell her I told you," he said as pressed his lips softly to her cheek.
Paige let out a small laugh her eyes dancing with excitement, "Awe tell her I miss her face too and that I see a Bacardi night in the near future." "Will do," he said as he pushed his hands into his pockets before giving me a quick nod, "Jake I think I've sustained enough of your badgering for one day so I'm out. Paige, sweetheart, it's always a pleasure." "Call me when you find that set," I called to him; he made it painfully easy to break his balls and the finger that turned into a quick wave over his shoulder before he climbed into his truck was a satisfying enough response for me.
Paige looked up at me, her arched eyebrows drawn close, "Set of what?" "His set," I said honestly, "He seems to have misplaced them." She rolled her eyes and shook her head as she let out a soft laugh, "It isn't nice to be mean to your brother. Sometimes you have to play nice." I laughed and drew my arm around her shoulder as I responded, "He likes it and if I don't do it he won't know that I still care." She wrapped her arm around my back and placed her other hand on my chest as she looked up at me with a smile, "Well I wouldn't want that to happen." "Exactly me either, some things are really for his own good," I said giving her a wink before I pressed my lips softly to her brow.
"Well it's a good thing you are such a martyr," she said in a condescending tone as my phone started ringing. "I know one day it's gonna kill me," I said as I pulled the phone out and answered. "Hello?" "Oh Hey Jake, it's me Bella," she said in a surprised tone, like I had caught her off guard by answering. "Hey what's up Bells?" I asked as Paige pressed her lips softly to my cheek and linked her fingers with mine and lead on towards the house. "Well, one thing in particular…do you think you and I could meet up tonight I have something I need to talk to you about," she said her tone slightly shaky.
My eyebrows drew in confusion and several jumbled thoughts ran through my mind at once-I wondered what exactly she had troubling her this time. "Um, yeah sure I guess. Is everything okay Bells?" I asked as I paused and Paige turned towards me and tilted her head. I kissed her fingers softly and motioned her in so that if Bella choose to have a breakdown, I could console her without bringing the whole world into it. "Oh yeah sure, they will be soon hopefully. Do you want to come over here or for me to come out there?" she said her tone going from nervous to hopeful in under a minute-I wasn't sure I'd ever really understand the way woman's minds worked.
"Uh, well I guess that sort of depends on what you wanna talk about. Cause if it's not something you want Dad and Paige hearing then I'd better-" I started before she cut in with a definitive and quick tone, "Oh no yeah then you better come here it's kind of…well personal…you know and I don't want everyone hearing." Now I was lost, even more so then I had been before, but I chalked it up as Bella's slight inclination for uneasiness and just hung on the fact that I would sort it all out when I saw her. "Okay, no problem. I'll stop by sometime later tonight," I said as I finally entered the house and followed the arches of Paige's body as she leaned on the back of the couch on her forearms and spoke with my father. She was smiling, one of her toothy, genuinely enthralled smiles as she shared a laugh with him.
Her back was arched in a dangerously sensual way because her knees were locked out in her stance-the lines it created were- "Jake?" Bella said catching me completely off guard as I stood in background and studied Paige-it was so hard to not get lost in her. "Oh yeah sorry what did you say?" I said trying my hardest to focus on her as I watched Paige tilt her face towards my Dad, her eyes sparkling as she spoke, her smile dazzling before she dropped her face into her hands and laughed until she snorted softly. "I can't wait to see you," she said her voice showing some signs of frustration and dismay.
"Yea me too," I said half listening as Paige made an absurdly adorable face at him as her tongue slipped between her lips in a mocking manner before she pushed his shoulder away from her with a soft giggle as he said something about an undeniable truth with a laugh. "It'll be so nice to actually have sometime alone with you, it's been a long time," Bella said in an unsure manner. "Yeah," I said as Paige placed a quick kiss on his cheek and rolled her eyes before giving him a wink as a soft smile formed in the corners of her mouth.
There was something effortless about the way she fit into my life, the way she didn't seem out of place in the humble accommodations of the house I'd grown up in. She was extraordinarily luxurious, clearly cut out for the high society of Northern California with her elegant silhouette and unrivaled sex appeal that seeped from every inch of her; she would look magnificent in a sophisticated yet revealing dress draped over the arm of some high profile millionaire at a black and white affair. Yet here she stood in snug jeans and a low cut shirt, her long hair falling untamed over her chest, among the less than splendid attributes of my home and joked with my fair from high class father and she looked like she belong here, like she was made for it. It amazed me that all of her was mine, that she could choice this as her life, that she didn't search for the someplace more deserving of her; no, somehow she was more than satisfied with the humble life we lead together.
"You seem distracted, I'll let you go-I'll be waiting for you. So whenever you can make it out this way please do," Bella said her voice becoming unmistakably suggestive towards the end. Ah, hell she's going to start that again? I thought we discussed that we weren't that anymore, I thought we'd decided that all that sexual tension sort of crap was a thing of the past; I guess she would need to be reminded. "Yeah sure thing. See you later," I said my tone dismissive as I made it clear that I would not be responding to those sort of ideas. Her voice was muted and slightly hurt when she said goodbye and I closed the phone quickly without saying anything else. I hoped she'd just get the hint and recollect herself, because I didn't want to really hurt her feelings when I blew off her innuendos in person; I wasn't the same guy who lived for them before and she said she got that. Obviously she was in need of comforting and she thought that was the way to go about it, because that was the way she always had. But now things were different; now I lived for Paige.
"Are you ready to go get your present now?" I asked as I smile crept across my lips. I had been practically itching to give it to her, but it wasn't ready until today. She'd begged me to tell her what it was and although it had been extremely difficult I managed to keep closed lipped-even though some of her strategies had been rather persuading. I had resisted her, which took ever inch of my control and the teasing she could perform was torturous. A smile blazed across her face, reaching all the way into those eyes that were enough to stop comprehendible thought. She kissed my Dad's cheek once more and practically bounced over to me, her excitement pulsating from her. "Yes yes yes," he exclaimed as she grabbed me and drug me towards the door.
"We'll be back Dad," I called over my shoulder as she pulled me across the room. He looked over his shoulder and smiled, "Have fun kids." I laughed as she threw the door open and practically ran through as she spoke quickly, "Do I get a hint?" I pondered that and she watched me hopefully over her shoulder as she moved us towards her car, "Well I guess it couldn't hurt." "Okay, go," she said in sheer exhilaration as released my hand to cross in front of the nose of her car towards the passenger seat. I climbed in slowly and held her eager eyes as I thought of way I could say that wouldn't give it away-I'd waited this long I wasn't going to ruin all my hard work minutes before the surprise. "My Dad calls both presents a test run," I said smiling as I started the car.
"A test run?" she said as she drew her brow tight and studied my face. "Yes," I wasn't saying anything else, I knew it would spoil all the steps I had been taking to keep quiet. "Like a test run for what," she said prying because she couldn't collect any ideas. "Well for us of course," I said as I started towards my the Clearwater's house. "A test run for us and it's two parts and it needed time to be ready?" she said trying to find a common factor between all the things she knew about it. "Yep," I said smiling at her because I knew there was no way she'd figure it out-that pleased me because I'd sworn most everyone to secrecy about it and completely kept it from Jared because he and her were too close for her to not be able to get it out of him.
She groaned as she stared through the windshield, "I have no idea Jake!" Frustration controlled her tone, she didn't like not knowing and I had to laugh softly at the way that emotion wrinkled her nose. "That's the point Babe," I said as smiled-triumph dancing through my voice. She turned her eyes to me and huffed again before speaking in defeat, "I knowww." "It'll all make sense in a few minutes," I said as patted her leg and slowed to enter their driveway.
Her eyes went bright again and her brow raised as a smile shot back across her face as she clapped her hands, "Yay!" I laughed at her composure, it was so childish and enthralled-I'd done good. I put the car in park as Seth ran out from the house, his face just as excited as Paige's, "I did just what you asked, everything is ready." "You were in on this?" Paige said as she studied him with scolding eyes. "Oh yeah Paige you have no idea. I was basically Jake's right hand man on this," he said his stance proud as he smiled at her. He was too, he'd taken care of everything I couldn't do without Paige finding out-he was a good kid and his eagerness to be in on this had made it all possible. "Good job Buddy," I said patting his shoulder. "No problem Jake," he said beaming before turning his eyes to Paige, "Sorry, but trust me it's worth it. Forgive me for not telling you?"
Paige held out, narrowed her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips as she studied him. He bit his lip nervously as he fidgeted slightly and made a scared face. Paige shook her head as a smile snuck out and she threw her arms around him, "Forgiven." "Whew," he said as he hugged her back, "I thought you were really pissed. I didn't do it to make you mad I did it to make your surprise better honest." She pulled away from him as she spoke so she could held his eyes, "I know, that's why I forgive you. Plus, it's Jake's fault anyhow." She winked at me as Seth spun towards me, "Yeah your fault."
"Hey" I said defensively as I watched him, "You offered." He spun back towards to Paige, "Don't believe him." She laughed, put arm around his shoulder and pulled him in, "Okay take me to my surprise and I won't." "Okay, come on," he said eagerly and took off in a sprint towards the backyard. Paige turned towards me and extended her hand, "Come on sneak." I took it and linked our fingers as I laughed, "You'll forgive me too, you'll see." She smiled up at me as we walked along the side of the house and saw Seth at the garage waving us towards him, "Come on." "Coming," she called as we crossed the yard towards him.
When we reached him he looked up at her his eyes practically dancing, "Close your eyes." Paige obliged as a smile crept across her lips. She raised one eye slowly and Seth retorted, "No peeking! Jake!" I released her hand and came behind her to cover her eyes as I addressed him, "Don't worry I got it covered."
He laughed in excitement along with Paige as he pushed the door open, "Alright come on it's in here." I kissed the top of her head and whispered, "Go ahead, I got you." We moved slowly forward into the garage and once we were inside I stopped her and I addressed Seth, "Alright Buddy on three. One, two, three." I kissed her head again on two and pulled my hands away on three. A shrill squeal escaped her lips as she saw Seth before her holding a small ball of white and black fur. "Jake!" she said in excitement an spun towards me kissing me quickly before turning back to Seth her hands extended. "Happy Birthday," I said smiling as I watched her scoop the dog up and hold in close while it licked her face happily. "Thank you-both of you! He definitely needed you on this," she said as she kissed Seth's cheek. He beamed and spoke quickly, "I know, I've had him for the passed week. He slept in my bed and everything. He's really cute isn't he." She kissed it's snout and laughed in giddy excitement as he licked her nose with one quick movement and yipped up at her. "Yes he is! Oh Jake he's beautiful," she said as she crossed towards me the little dog snuggled closely in her arms and kissed me again. "I thought you'd like him. He's a Husky/Shepherd mix. Seth's friend at school had a whole litter of them and he wanted Harry to let him get one," I said as she held him up above her head and made kissy faces at him while he lapped at her and made small yipping and throaty noises. "Yeah Dad said 'no' but Jake said I can come play with yours anytime I want to," Seth said in a tone that went from discouragement to excitement. "Well of course you can. You've taken such good care of him that you can come everyday if you'd like," she said rustling his hair with one hand as she held the dog in the other. He practically jumped in excitement, "Really?" "Yes really," she said smiling at him as the dog made a small whimper sound followed by a few more throaty noises, "See, he agrees. What should we name him?" I shrugged as she fluttered her eyes between me and Seth, "That's up to you babe." She held him up again as she studied him-he had a completely white belly that ran up onto his snout and black that ran from the tip of his tail, up over his back, down his face and onto the top of his snout. The black that covered most of his face made his crystal blue eyes look almost piercing and the point of his ears would have been slightly intimidating if he wasn't lapping at her with his little pink tongue wildly. "What do you think of Diesel? Cause he's going to be one bad ass dog don't ya think Seth?" she said addressing him as made more ridiculously adorable faces at the dog. "Yeah Diesel. Hi Diesel," Seth said as he brought his face closer to the dog and ran his hand down his back. The dog went wild, wagging his tail frantically as he made sounds that ranged from soft growls to whines before finishing with another small yip. "Yep he like it," Seth said smiling excitedly before his mouth dropped open, "You haven't seen the other part."
"Other part?" Paige said question her face shocked as she looked between us again. "Yep, go on look and see if you can find it," Seth said smirking happily. She drew her brow again and turned towards and I motioned her forwards as I smiled devilishly. She looked around and a soft 'umm' slipped from her lips as Diesel made more throaty noises as if he were trying to tell her. "Nope, you're way off," Seth said excitedly as a soft laugh rattled his chest. She blew air from her lips as she puffed up her cheeks, blowing air from them slowly as she arched her eyebrows and shook her head with a defeated hand in the air. Seth laughed as I came to her side and looked down at her, speaking in a soft tone, "I'll help." She blew out a breath of relief and smiled up at me, "Thank you."
I ran my finger along Diesel's ice blue collar and she watched me work slowly through the thick, fuzzy snow white hair on the underside of his throat. "It's you huh, Diesel that why you were so vocal huh boy. You were trying to tell Mama but she wasn't listening was she?" she said in a small baby voice as she scuffed the ebony hair on the back of his neck and kept her eyes on my fingers as she positioned the dog to help me find what I was looking for. I found it then, as the dog let out a soft bark, the white ribbon that tied it to the loop for his name tag blending perfectly with his fur-good job kid you did well. I pulled on the ribbon softly and the silver band that had been hidden in the soft fuzz of his coat glimmered in the light and Paige said my name in a gasp. She did it again as I slowly untied the small knot that secure it and pulled it off of him. I picked up her free hand, which happened to be the left on-which worked perfectly-and slipped it onto her slim ring finger as I spoke, "I love you very much Paige. I love you to the point I think it might be the death of me sometimes-yet I can't think of a more perfect way to die."
A tear slipped softly, over her cheek and fell into Diesel's fur as he lapped softly at her cheek to lick it away. Her lips were trembling as she whispered, "I love you the same." I kissed her lips softly, the kiss was gentle and passionate and our lips moved perfectly in sync. "Geez guys," Seth huffed in mild distaste-I'd forgotten he was there all together. "Sorry Buddy," I said smile softly against her lips as she gazed up at me her eyes still misty as Diesel nudged his muzzle in between our chins to remind us he was there too. "Thank you," she said softly as another tear spilled over her cheek. "You're welcome," I said placing another gentle kiss on her lips before she pulled away to admire the ring.
I had it hand made by a jewelry maker on the reserve, the same old woman who made my parent's wedding bands. It had drawn my idea down quickly for her three months ago and she'd done an amazing job bringing it to life. It was three thin silver bands that appeared to be held together by a silver rope that wrapped around them first diagonally and then twice vertically in a pattern of this nature around the ring and framed a square cut turquoise positioned to look like a diamond that was outlined my a thin strip of coral on all sides. "Oh Jake it's absolutely gorgeous," she said in a gasp as he studied it, her eyes misting again. "Then it should be yours," I said smiling down at her, "It's a promise that one day I will put a ring of a different nature on that same finger."
She pursed her lips softly, fighting against the tears that were threatening to come again and pressed her lips to mine again as she whispered, "I don't deserve you Jacob Black." That was insanity and I tilted my head as I pulled away looking into her eyes as I spoke in muted tone so only she could hear it as I linked our fingers together, "If you don't then no one else every could-so you must." She smiled softly before kissing me again, this time proving my point by the way she made my head go unfocused as her soft lips moved over mine and we shared several soft breaths. "If this is all you guys are gonna do then I'm gonna go," Seth said snapping my focus back into place as reality came flooding back. Paige held my eyes as Diesel pushed his paw into my stomach, putting distance between so he could nuzzle softly into her chest and whine; Seth didn't need to see this but Diesel would certainly have to get used to it-she was mine too.
She turned to Seth, "Sorry- you're so right. So, wanna show me all things you do with this little guy so I make sure I take good care of him tonight?" "Sure come on," he said motioning to her as he sprinted out of the garage. She laughed and started to follow, pausing as she linked hands with me on the way out and spoke in a whisper, "I'll finish that thought later." A smiled arched across my lips as she smiled over her shoulder at me and pulled me out of the garage. I could barely wait to get her alone for my personal thank you-after all I did deserve it, didn't I? Of course I did and I knew I could give a few suggestions on how she could go about it but I knew she probably had several of her own working their way around in her mind.