Jacob Moves In
Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.
A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!
Chapter Thirty Six
Bella threw herself at Charlie as soon as he walked in the front door. She wrapped her arms around him, sobbing in relief. Charlie looked over her head toward young Seth, feeling completely bewildered by his daughter's reaction. It had been a bizarre enough night as it was without Bella acting all weird.
"What on earth has happened, kiddo?" Charlie finally asked when Bella's sobs quietened down. "And why is Seth here? Where's Jake and Billy?"
Bella glanced toward Seth. She saw his nose wrinkle in distaste. He nodded subtly, indicating that he could smell Victoria. Bella felt her heart race as she checked Charlie over once again, looking for any sign of injuries, but miraculously he seemed perfectly fine.
"Shall I let Jake and the others know that he's back?" Seth asked Bella anxiously.
"Yes, thank you, Seth." Bella wiped her eyes before facing her confused father. "Where the hell have you been? You can't just go off like that with some complete stranger." She scolded him.
Charlie's head was aching. Bella was telling him off like a five year old. "Calm down, kiddo. I sent you a text..."
"A text isn't good enough." Bella continued to berate him. "Anything could have happened to you. I had no idea who you had gone off with or where. Jake and the others have been searching for you for the last few hours while I've been tearing my hair out here with anxiety imagining all sorts of scenarios with only poor Seth for company."
Charlie put his hands on Bella's shoulders to steady her. She sounded hysterical. "I'm sorry, Bells." He ducked his head to peer into her eyes. She was crying again. "I didn't realise you'd be so worried. I had my cell on me the whole time." He frowned then and fumbled in his suit pocket for the phone and came up empty. "Damn it, it must have fallen out in Tori's car." He smacked his forehead irritably. There was no way he was ever going to get that back again seeing as she was already driving a stolen car. Not for the first time he wondered what he had been thinking going off with Tori in the first place knowing full well that she was hiding something. It was like he had temporarily taken leave of his senses.
"Is that what she called herself?" Bella felt bile rise in her throat. Victoria had just shortened her name. "What happened tonight? What did she do?"
Charlie frowned, his memories were getting fuzzy. "Tori didn't do anything." He shook his head to clear it. "I'm sorry that I worried you but I'm a grown man I can take care of myself."
"You don't understand." Bella pleaded. Her eyes welled with tears as she looked at him imploringly. "What happened? Please tell me. I need to know."
Charlie was getting frustrated now. "Nothing happened, okay. She talked. I talked. The whole date was a bust. I think she's still fixated on her asshole ex. I told her she was better off without him and that she deserved better. I mentioned your mom." He sighed, swallowing thickly. "I don't know why I did."
"Dad?" Bella saw the pain in his eyes. She tried to calm down and act more rational. "What exactly did this Tori say to you?"
"To be honest she mentioned you a few times. I thought she seemed a bit too interested in your love life." Charlie rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the ache. "Then she said something really bizarre when I just left her."
"What?" Bella whispered. It was a message it had to be.
"She said that I'd just saved you tonight and that I should just be thankful for that." Charlie rubbed his forehead again. "It was something like that. You know I might head on to bed. I'm feeling really tired."
All Bella could do was nod in response. She had lost the ability to speak as she absorbed Victoria's cryptic message. Could it be true? Had the vengeful redhead had a change of heart or was this another ruse?
Everyone was shocked by the outcome of the night's events. The fact that Charlie had been in the company of their nemesis and come back alive was astounding. Jacob and his brothers had been frantically searching but with little clues to go on, deep down inside they had begun to think the worst. There wasn't much more anyone could do now that the police chief was home safely. The pack disbanded for the night and Jacob was left alone with Bella. He could hear Charlie upstairs snoring softly as he slept. Jacob held Bella as she went into greater detail of what she had learned from her father.
"I don't understand her motivation." Bella confessed as she rested in the protective circle of Jacob's arms. "Is she toying with us? Is she trying to lull us into a false sense of security?
"I don't know." Jacob didn't have the answers. He was sure that Victoria coming upon Charlie had happened by chance and she had decided to use the unexpected opportunity to her advantage. She could have held the chief hostage, used him as leverage against them, but instead she had brought him back safely. He was completely weirded out by it.
"I'm holding onto the hope that she meant what she said." Bella looked at Jacob hopefully. "Maybe whatever dad said to her affected her in some way."
"Maybe." Jacob agreed cautiously. "It just seems too..."
"Easy." Bella finished for him flatly.
"Hey, honey, I didn't meant it quite like that. I think all we can do is wait and see. We just need to be cautious." Jacob smiled at her tenderly. He looped a lock of her hair behind her ear. He kissed her and the world fell away. It was slow and soft, comforting in ways that words could never be. His hand rested below her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek as their breaths mingled. Jacob pulled away reluctantly and rested his forehead against hers. "Whatever happens we're in this together, okay."
"Okay." Bella breathed as she placed her hand over his and smiled.
It was gone one in the morning when Cora finally dropped Billy back at the Swan's. Jacob had waited up for his dad to come home. Bella had fallen asleep around midnight. He had carried her upstairs, gently tucking her into bed before going back down the stairs again to wait. Billy was full of beans as Jacob came outside to help him out of Cora's car. The waitress was smiling and laughing as she arranged another date for the next day. Jacob had to turn away when the two kissed. Despite his happiness that his dad had found someone to connect with, it was hard to see him with someone who wasn't his mom. Billy slid into his wheelchair and Jacob pushed him up the ramp and into the house.
"She's lovely, isn't she, Jake." Billy said more than once.
"She's great." Jacob muttered.
"So is the chief still out painting the town red?" Billy grinned. He knew that Charlie had met up with some mystery woman when Bella had told him about the text.
Jacob's jaw tensed as he wheeled his father into the lounge and then hunkered down beside him. "His date turned out to be none other than Victoria. He was lucky to come back unscathed." He said bluntly.
"What?" Billy gripped the armrests of his chair as he began to shake. "If that's supposed to be a joke it's not funny."
"It is true." Jacob retorted. "While you were out having fun your best friend was in danger." He didn't know why he felt so angry with his dad. Jacob knew it was irrational. But he could have done with Billy's support tonight.
"I need to speak to him." Billy's complexion had turned grey as his joy from spending time with Cora faded. "I should have been here."
Jacob shook himself. He was being selfish. "No, it's fine. Charlie's fine. He 's sleeping. Talk to him in the morning. I shouldn't have said it so baldly. I'm sorry."
"Are you okay, son?" Billy checked. He could see his son was still tense but didn't know the real reason why.
"I'm fine." Jacob lied. But he wasn't. He was far from fine, but he just couldn't explain why.
Unexpectedly, his hand drifted to her hip. It settled there and he pulled her closer. Bella inhaled sharply. She was against his warm chest, which was chiselled to perfection. He was such a beautiful man. She splayed her hand against it and let it rest there. His breathing quickened as did hers. Jacob began nuzzling her neck with delicate kisses. So faint , they were like whispers against her sensitive skin. His arms circled her more strongly as he angled his head slightly to the side as his lips came closer and closer to hers. He was teasing her, drawing out the sensation until Bella felt like she was reaching boiling point. When he finally kissed her it lit her on fire and the warmth spread throughout her body. She was becoming addicted.
Bella pulled away for a second and hesitantly looked up at him. His dark eyes were a fountain of emotion. She saw lust and desire and something else she couldn't describe. However, before she could ponder further he yanked her back toward him and covered her mouth in a hungry kiss. Bella melted against him. His mouth was so warm, the caress of his lips more sensuous than she could ever have imagined.
There was an awkward clearing of a throat. Jacob and Bella jerked apart, breathing heavily. Billy was hovering in the lounge doorway, looking guilty. "Um...sorry to interrupt." He apologised.
"What do you want, dad?" Jacob snapped irritably as he rested his chin on top of Bella's head. He pulled her closer as if using her as a shield between him and his father.
"I just want to let you know I'm leaving now to meet Cora. I um...just need your help to get in to her car." Billy saw Jacob frown and he paused.
"That's three days in a row." Jacob tried to dampen down his annoyance. He knew he sounded like a petulant child but he couldn't help it. He didn't know why he was finding it so hard to accept his dad dating Cora. She was a nice woman. Charlie and Bella had no problem with it. So why did he?
"Jake." Bella said gently as she rested a hand on his chest.
Jacob sighed and met her worried gaze. "I'm okay." He reassured her before gently disentangling himself from her embrace. "I'll be back in a sec." Bella threw him a look that clearly said that when he came back they were going to talk. Jacob touched her cheek gently in understanding before reluctantly leaving her to help Billy.
A/N-thanks for reading! What's wrong with Jake?