CHAPTER 18: RETRIBUTION
(Jacob's POV)

Embry. What was his problem? We'd been friends our whole lives, and I knew he liked to cause harmless trouble, but kissing Bella? Was that really necessary? Knowing I was overreacting, I tried to shake the feeling, but it still lingered. Even if it was just a harmless peck, it bothered me. I knew he wasn't really trying to come between us. Embry had an ego the size of the Grand Canyon when it came to girls, and if he was interested in someone, there was nothing subtle and on-the-forehead about it. Besides, he would never betray one of his brothers. So what was he up to?

He'd been trying to get me to do something about Lauren. Was there really something I was supposed to do? I knew nothing about her except her first name, so it's not like I could call her up and tell her I wasn't interested. Hell, the fact that I hadn't asked for her number or even tried to find her should have made that clear. Maybe Embry was trying to make me jealous, like Bella had felt when she'd heard that ridiculous lie. But that didn't make sense either. I saw how hurt Bella had been, and I knew she wouldn't have wanted me to feel that way. Besides, why would Embry suddenly care about Bella's feelings?

I was running through the woods, trying to make sense of it all, when I finally gave up. Embry had a way of scheming and complicating things that should have been simple. There was no point in trying to figure him out. The best thing to do would be to just ask him. Only I couldn't do that until he returned my car...if he returned my car. He was a shitty driver. It was too bad we hadn't been phased at the same time today. It probably wouldn't have made much more sense, but I'd at least know what he was up to if I could have simply picked the thoughts from his twisted little brain.

When I came to the last patch of trees near Newton's, I stopped and phased back. I immediately wished I had thought to bring a shirt, if not shoes. I didn't mind waiting outside the few minutes until she got off work, but I didn't want to just say hi and then call it a night. I'd hoped we could just hang out at her place for a while, but I knew it would irritate Charlie if I showed up shirtless. Of course, I had no problem with making Charlie uncomfortable, but I had the feeling Bella would. And after Lauren's shit yesterday, and Embry's today, I didn't have the heart to put her through anything else, even if it was all in good fun. Maybe she would want to come back to my house instead. She didn't really have a curfew, so as long as she called Charlie first, he probably wouldn't mind. I'd just have to wait until another time to make the veins in his head pop out.

I stepped out of the woods and walked down the street toward the store. There were a few people hanging around at the other end of the parking lot beside an old white car and a red...my car. What the hell was Embry doing? If he's waiting for Bella... My hands clenched into fists again, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Embry was lucky I had so much control over phasing.

Then I saw her. That girl from the beach, Lauren. It looked like she was throwing herself at Quil, who appeared to be desperate for an escape. Better him than me. Another girl was talking to Embry while Leah paced back and forth nearby. She looked like she couldn't decide if she was bored or furious.

"Finally! It took you long enough," Leah said as soon as she saw me. "I've been stuck here watching this," she said disgustedly.

"Sorry," I said. "I didn't realize I was invited to...whatever this is."

"Jake!" Lauren squealed, running up and hugging me before I had a chance to react.

"Ah...hi," I said, trying to extricate myself from her grasp. Would I have been justified in just shoving her back about thirty feet? I was honestly considering it.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" she asked, sticking her bottom lip out in a fake pout.

The second I stepped back she was on me again. This was going to be awkward or ugly...and I was leaning toward ugly.

I heard a faint gasp and turned to see Bella standing several feet away. She was just staring, and for once, her face wasn't so easy to read. It was like a thousand different thoughts were flying through her head, but only one of them mattered at the moment. Hurt.

Newton was with her, and upon seeing me, he stepped possessively closer to her. When he reached over to put an arm around her, I couldn't conceal a low growl. He immediately drew his arm back, but he didn't step away. He must be suicidal.

"And why would he be happy to see you?" Leah snarled, stepping in between Lauren and me.

Okay, now I didn't mind Leah's bitchy attitude so much. I quickly stepped over to Bella, smiling a little to myself when I saw Newton nervously back away from her. He looked like he wanted to run away and hide, while she looked up at me with a hesitant smile and wide eyes.

"Hi," I said quietly. How was I supposed to explain this? What the hell was I explaining anyway?

"What's going on?" she asked. She was trying to hide it, but I could tell she was nervous.

"I have no idea," I said, reaching for her hands and pulling her closer to me. We were just inches apart as the chaos played out behind us, but I didn't want to turn around. I didn't want to look away from Bella. She leaned forward and laid her head against my chest. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

"Embry came by my school today," she said.

"I heard."

Her head snapped up. "What did you hear?" she asked hesitantly.

I smiled. "He has a death wish."

She giggled and stepped up on her toes to kiss me. I could feel Newton staring. Leah was laughing at Lauren, who was stuttering and tripping over her words now. Embry was probably just sitting back admiring his handiwork. God only knows what Quil was doing. But none of that mattered when Bella's lips were touching mine.

She started to pull away too soon, but I held her tightly, silently refusing to let her go. I knew she was probably worried about having an audience, but this was one audience we needed. Newton would now know that she was mine. Later on, I'd find a way to let him know just what would happen to him if he had any trouble accepting that.

"Bella?!" I heard Lauren say disbelievingly. "But she's so...so plain."

I let go of Bella and spun around, all rational thought fleeing. Plain? She was calling my Bella plain? I wasn't sure what I intended to do, but I took a step toward her, stopping only when I felt Bella's tiny hands pulling at my arm.

"Jake, it's okay. She's just...like that," Bella said.

She was using all her strength, digging her heels in, but other than the electric touch of her skin on mine, her grip had no effect at all. We both knew she wasn't strong enough to stop me, but something in her voice was. I turned back to her and was heartbroken at what I saw. Defeat. Shame. Resignation.

She dropped her hand from my arm and crossed her arms over her chest, but something was different. She didn't look like she was trying to hold herself together this time. Instead, she stared at the ground, self-consciously shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"Ah...I should probably be getting home," she said as she stepped around me and walked toward her truck. What the...? One minute she was laughing and kissing me, and the next she was walking away? She made no sense. Or did she actually believe what Lauren was saying?

"Bells?" I said, following her.

"Hmmm?" She stopped at her truck and opened the door, turning toward me instead of climbing in. Her head was down, but she was peeking up at me through her lashes.

"Why are you way over there?" I asked.

"I'm only a foot away from you, Jake. Where should I be?"

"Right here," I said, raising her chin so I could kiss her again.

There was a moment, an almost unnoticeable second, when it felt like she would pull away from me. But in the next second she'd stepped forward, closing the space between us, and I pulled her against me.

"You're perfect," I whispered against her lips, and before she could argue I pressed my mouth to hers. Her lips parted under mine, her tongue slipping into my mouth. Her hands snuck up my chest and over my shoulders, into my hair. I felt her raise up on her toes again, and I slid my hands down from the small of her back until I was holding the backs of her thighs. She gasped into my mouth but didn't pull away as I lifted her legs around me and sat her on the edge of the seat.

She clamped her legs around my waist as her hands flitted back over my chest. Charlie be damned, I was never going to wear a shirt again. My fingers dug into her hips, wanting so badly to pull her closer but knowing I would only get myself into trouble. I could feel her trying to scoot forward, and I wondered if it was instinct or if she was consciously trying to drive me nuts. But it didn't matter. This was enough for now.

We finally broke the kiss, both of us a little oxygen deprived, and her head fell back, her neck begging for attention. God, she was beautiful. My tongue slid along her neck, down to her collarbone, along the top of her shirt as her breath became more and more ragged, her chest rising and falling rapidly just below my chin...

"I think you made your point!" Leah's sharp voice came crashing into us.

Bella blushed and smiled, but didn't let go of me. Her sweet brown eyes were large and sparkling. I couldn't take my eyes away from her.

"What's your point, Leah?" I asked, unable to sound as annoyed as I was. Bella had me under some kind of happiness spell.

"My point is that whiny boy's gone, and I'm not sure what to do with this."

Bella peeked over my shoulder and her eyes widened before she looked back at me. She poked me in the chest and said, "I think you'd better turn around."

I looked over my shoulder to see a very nervous and clearly humiliated Lauren backed up against my car, Leah standing menacingly over her. If there was ever a girl that looked like she was capable of ripping someone's throat out, it was Leah.

"Leave her alone, Leah," I sighed.

"She's really not as bad as she seems," Bella added.

Leah seemed to consider her words, an evil smirk crossing her lips. Lauren cowed as Leah leaned in closer, whispering something I couldn't quite make out. As soon as Leah stepped back, laughing, Lauren scrambled away, practically throwing herself in the passenger seat of the white car.

"Come on, Jessica!" she whined.

Jessica pulled herself away from Embry's busy hands, giggling that he'd better call her. My eyes automatically rolled when he winked at her. She looked like the persistent type.

I looked back at Bella. "He's in trouble, isn't he?" I asked.

"I think so," she laughed.

"Me? Trouble?" Embry asked, feigning innocence as the two girls drove away.

I turned around fully this time, leaning back against the seat, against Bella. She slid forward a little, her legs still around me, and wrapped her arms across my chest. She propped her chin on my shoulder, inadvertently pressing herself into my back. At least I hoped it was inadvertent. I tried not to react, but Embry saw my face and laughed.

"How about you tell us what just happened?" I asked before he could make some smart-ass comment.

"How should I know?" he asked, that mischievous glint never leaving his eye.

"Embry got everyone here," Leah said, "You two went at it in front of everyone---" I felt Bella tense up, and Leah must have seen it, too, because she stopped mid-sentence. Had she finally grown a conscience?

"What Leah means is that the Newton kid and Blondie won't be a problem anymore. You can thank me anytime, now." Embry said smugly.

"Thank you? What the hell, Embry?"

"I know. I'm a genius."

"You're an idiot," Bella laughed. At least she thought it was funny.

I glanced over at Newton. Had he been standing there the whole time? My eyes narrowed, and I was tempted to say something smug, but hesitated, worried that Bella would just think I was an ass. And then he looked up, taking in the image of Bella wrapped around me, and I saw defeat in his eyes. He scuffed his feet along the pavement as he walked away.

"I believe our work here is done," Quil said with a grin. "So...you're not gonna be needing your car, are you?"

"Why?" I asked. So far, both times I'd loaned Embry my car, it had somehow led to drama with Bella.

"Well, there were these girls---"

"Go." At least they'd be out of our hair for a while.

They piled into the Rabbit, and I turned back around to face Bella. "Now, where were we?"