Disclaimer: I do not have any rights to Twilight except the right to love it. And because of Jacob Black, I love it more than hogs love slop. :)

A/N:

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Chapter 28

Bella POV

I sat there staring aimlessly at the envelope. I couldn't accept this gift. Alice's generosity had already been too much, there was no way I could take all of this money. But I had no idea how to return it. I didn't even know the location of her new residence; most likely they were living outside of the continental U.S. So I sat there dumbfounded, moving the envelope from hand to hand.

I went into the bedroom to put the money away. I shoved the envelope into a drawer. It would be safe there until I could figure out what to do. On the bed, lay a casual powder blue dress and a new pair of flats. Alice. I didn't know why, but I decided to put it on. I had learned to trust Alice's instincts. I missed her already. I took a look in the mirror. I really liked the dress; blue was a great color against my pallid skin and my usually diminished curves looked very flattering. I pranced around my bedroom as if I were a runway professional-that is until I tripped over my own feet, and ended up face first on the floor. Equilibrium was not my forte.

I was stunned by a knock at the door. Alice. She came back, it had to be her. No one else knew where I was. Hollie was the only person I told I was moving, and I didn't give her address specifics.

I picked myself up off the floor and straightened the hem of the dress. I hurried to the door and I opened it carelessly, expecting Alice. My heart dropped when I saw the person on the other side. I was weightless, and aghast.

"Jacob," I breathed faintly.

Jacob, in all of his glory, was standing at my door. He looked different; he looked worried and scared. He seemed so frail, so broken. I immediately recognized the hollowness, the emptiness of his soul. It was evident in his eyes. It pained me to know that I had caused it.

"Hi Bella, can I talk to you?" He seemed nervous and volatile. He had his hands shoved down into his pockets and he was swaying on the balls of his feet. His eyes didn't look directly at me, but he darted them back and forth as if he were looking for something or someone else.

I opened the door wider, inviting Jacob in. Underneath the pain and hurt, he was still beautiful. Like the day at the beach, he was beautiful magnified. He was wearing dark jeans and a tight black t-shirt that accented every single sculpted plane of muscle beneath it.

My eyes followed him as he crossed the living room to sit on the couch. I followed his path, but stopped short and opted to sit in the chair across from him instead.

He sat quietly, a prisoner of his own thoughts. I wanted to console him, I wanted to take all of his pain away. But I had caused his pain. I had hurt Jacob. I was at a loss for words. Did he come all this way just to confront me? I wasn't sure. The vexing misery in his eyes should have offered some indication, but I couldn't figure out if he was here out of anger or hurt. I decided not to speak and just wait for him. So, I sat in the chair chewing the inside of my jaw, anticipating his words.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. I don't know why you left. I can wait for you, if it takes forever, I can wait. This last month has been hell. I can't eat, or sleep, or think. Life isn't worth the trouble if you're not with me. Whatever I have done, please forgive me, I'm here. Bella, please tell me I still have a chance." His eyes were moist with tears, his voice was distinctly heart wrenching and doleful.

"Why did you leave me, Bella?, Why did you just leave me?" He asked. He was begging me for some type of solace.

"I was doing you a favor," I muttered.

"What kind of favor? Slowly killing me with heartbreak?"

His words cut into me. I had hurt him. I had knowingly hurt him. I had inflicted on him the same thing that Edward had put me through. Was I no better than a vampire? I cut the thought short. Despite him leaving me, I knew that I could never have the nobility and graciousness that was Edward's persona. He was extraordinary in his own right.

"I thought with me out of the way...you could...you know...Katie," I tried to explain, realizing that my reasons were cowardice and lame.

"What the hell does Katie have to do with us?" He was justifiably angry.

"Jacob, I saw the way she looked at you, I saw you laugh with her. I saw her touch you, I saw you kiss, and I saw you at the diner. I had hoped my jealous suspicion was wrong, but I saw the kiss. The chemistry between the two of you was evident. Jacob, she is better for you than I am. She can be your wife and the mother of your children. And she can help you fulfill your duties to your tribe. Don't you see? I was never meant for you." I spoke defensively, while the memory of Jacob with her was brutal persecution. Almost as much as the memory of Edward's last words, that I was now repeating in a different fashion.

"Bella, are you serious?" H asked, visibly shocked. "For starters, I wasn't remotely attracted to her. Maybe I got carried away in all of the attention. She was interested in me, and my place as a leader. I guess it made me feel important, I don't know. She stroked the ego a bit. But, I never, not for a second, had any romantic feelings for her. Secondly, she kissed me, I didn't kiss her, and I didn't want to kiss her. I was at the diner alone, and she followed me there. She came to tell me she was leaving. After that, I went camping and I haven't talked to her since. I don't know or care where she is." He stopped to catch his breath.

"Once I realized her true intentions, I had to set her straight. I told her there was no chance of me ever being with her. I was already in love… with you," he finished.

I felt like a fool. I was stupid. I let jealousy ruin my relationship with Jacob. Instead of just trusting him, I ran. At the first sign of trouble, I ran. Katie was taking advantage of him, and he called her out on it, because of me.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "Leah warned me about her. She told me that she was after you. And then I saw it for myself. And you seemed to enjoy her company. I don't know, Jake, I was trying to make it easier for you. I want you to be able to be happy."

"So this is all Leah's fault?"

"No, she told me you weren't aware of what was going on. She was only looking out for you." I felt I should defend Leah. She really had meant no harm. She was only protecting Jacob and me.

I put my face in my hands. There was no way we could go back to what we were, the damage was done. I had done to Jacob exactly what Edward had done to me. He would never forgive me, he would never forget, because there was no way I could ever forget.

"Bella, have you moved on?" he asked in earnest.

"What? No! No...Jake, no," I stuttered.

"I just thought...well... I thought. I thought Edward had come back," he admitted.

"No. Edward didn't come back. Edward is never coming back," I assured him.

"I can smell him. It's how I found you," he said.

"No. It wasn't Edward. It was Alice," I explained. "Alice was here," I tried to tell him. Out of necessity I continued to account for Alice's vision and her visit. Soon enough, the atmosphere had relaxed and the conversation had shifted to less important topics.

"Wow, it's later than I thought," I observed. The clock said seven p.m.

"Are you hungry? It's been a long time since I've cooked for anybody," I asked knowing he couldn't turn away food.

"If you insist. But only if I can help," he agreed.

Jacob got up to follow me, his steps right behind mine.

"You know, Bella, you look beautiful in blue."

"Thank you," I said as I smiled. Alice.

Jacob and I had fun making dinner. We laughed and talked, like old times. I told Jake about some of Hollie's escapades, about her late nights and visitors. He updated me on the adventures of the pack. He told me that he had picked out his parcel of land and would be building his house soon. The conversation and light hearted laughter continued throughout dinner.

"Bella, I have something for you. It's for your birthday."

"You didn't..." I gasped.

"It's nothing much," he said, as he pulled a silver chain from his pocket. The pendant was a small wolf in a silver diamond heart. "I want this to remind you of me. I always want to be in your heart."

I leaned across the table and grabbed his hand. "You are a permanent fixture of my heart," I assured him.

He pulled my hand up to his lips and gave me a gentle kiss. Warmth radiated through my body, a feeling I had missed. Maybe Jacob would be quick to forgive me and we could resume our lives together. I didn't deserve his forgiveness, but I would gladly take it.

He moved behind me and gently pulled my hair up to fasten the necklace. He placed his arms around me and gave me a tight squeeze.

"I'm stuffed. I haven't had food like that in a long time," Jacob said as he found his place on the couch again.

I stood by the window looking at the night view of the city. The lights, the traffic, and the people were such a change from Forks. It seemed like a lifetime ago that I was there.

"I can't believe you have these pictures," he said, pointing to the frames on my desk.

Alice. Her vision must have had something to do with Jacob. She had bought the frames without my knowledge and had put the pictures in them. She had also gotten the items for our dinner and picked out my dress. Alice had made sure to leave a strong trail. That is how Jacob found me, by following her scent. The puzzle was all coming together. Had Alice seen Jacob coming? Had she known that I was throwing away my happiness?

"Bella, what happens now?" Jacob's question caught me off guard, although, I had been wondering the same thing since he knocked on the door.

"That depends," I said, turning to face him.

"Depends on what?" he asked enthusiastically.

"Are you willing to forgive me?"

"Only, if you can forgive me," he said, softly.

"Done," we said in unison, followed by an immediate outburst of laughter.

"Well, what are you waiting for? I've got a whole month of kisses to catch up on," he said playfully.

Jacob swept me up into his arms, and his lips met mine fiercely. Every nerve in my body was on the verge of overload. I couldn't process anything but Jacob. I had missed his touch, his warmth. The way my body came alive and my senses renewed was enchanting. How I thought I could live my life without him was incomprehensible.

He made a hot path from my lips, to my ear, and then down to my neck. He followed the lines of the dress around my collarbone, and found his way back to my mouth.

I vowed to myself to never let Jacob out of my life. I couldn't live without him, and I was a fool to think that I could. If it came down to it, he was worth fighting for.

"Jake," I whispered while summoning all the courage I had inside of me.

"Um. Yes," He spoke the distorted words, without moving his lips from my neck.

"Will you...will you spend the night?"


Chapter End Notes:

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