Oh. My. God. It took me forever to get this chapter posted. It isn't entirely my fault since I can assure that it's been written since the end of February. I've been having some beta problems that are now hopefully solved. Besides, I think it's a sign. The universe waited until my birthday so I could post the chapter. LoL. Anyway. I wanted to thank WolfGirlAtHeart for beta'ing this for me. I haven't scared her away with my writing, which I find pretty impressive.
Disclaimer: I ain't owning anything. If I had written the Twilight series, it wouldn't have ended the way it did.
Enjoy :)
Chapter 36 A Ghost From the Past
Bella's PoV
Saturday 21st, March.
It was a typical Saturday morning in La Push. It was raining, which wasn't surprising since it was March. Winter had gone away and here, spring was mostly made of rain except for some rare days when the sun would manage to make a shy appearance. Jacob had left for his weekly patrol a couple of hours earlier. He had totally re-thought the pack's schedule now that he was the one in charge. They only had to patrol one time each every week. Sometimes they were alone, sometimes they were in pairs. Jacob always got the Saturday shift, a sort of gift to the others so they would have the weekend off. I didn't mind. It meant that I could sleep in all I wanted without him accidentally waking me up. Besides, they were running significantly fewer patrols these past weeks. I didn't want to be too optimistic, even if I secretly hoped that soon they would realize that vampires weren't coming around anymore and the guys could stop phasing altogether. Jacob would certainly be the last to agree to this. He always wanted to keep the tribe safe no matter what, and he would want to keep doing it even though no vampire had come near the town in months. I was planning on showing him that phasing was dangerous and that it could have an impact on the baby. If it was for the baby, he would certainly reconsider it.
We hadn't had a single discussion about my fear that something could happen to him in ages. I just didn't like to think about it. Fortunately, today, I had other things in my mind. My substitute at school had come over so I could see how my students had been doing. I was having a hard time completely letting go of my job. I knew that she was a good teacher and that she didn't need me watching over her shoulder but I couldn't help it. I'd always thrown myself too much into my work and now, I couldn't imagine my life without it.
"There's this freshman girl who always makes brilliant analyses of the texts. I've never seen someone as enthusiastic as her to participate in my class."
"Emma? I know," I agreed. "She's great. You can be sure that she'll always answer your questions."
"Which is definitely not the case with the others. They just stare at me with wide eyes as if I'm talking to them in another language."
"It's not only you. Have you tried making them read out loud? We did it with Hamlet and they liked it," I suggested. It was difficult to make them interested in anything which was more than a century old. They always looked so lost and that's why I wanted to check with Amanda. I didn't want the students to lose the little spark of interest and curiosity I had ignited in them after tremendous efforts. We watched movies and plays, rewrote the texts, acted them out in class and debated about novels. Thinking back on it, it was no wonder that I was always really tired. It would have been easier if all the kids liked English instead of only the half dozen of them who were excited to study and who had read the books before we even started working on them. It was worth it, though. I found it excellent for me, too, to work on these texts differently. It discovered new things every time.
"I'm going to bring in the Clayton movie about Gatsby and they'll choose one scene to compare with the book." She flipped through her notes, scribbling stuff down with one hand and drinking her coffee at the same time. I knew there was a reason I liked this woman. We thought the same way. You couldn't expect to interest teenagers if you only handed them copies of novels to analyze. I would be the first one to fall asleep from boredom.
"You may want to keep an eye on Gab and Jamie if you do this. They take a dark room as an opportunity to do far more interesting things, in their opinion, than paying attention to the TV screen." She chuckled, writing it on her paper. Teenagers never missed the chance to do inappropriate things whenever they could, especially when they thought that the teachers couldn't see them. I had found out that we actually had a sixth sense to feel when they weren't doing what they should be doing around us.
"Don't let Gab near Jamie. Got it. And for Huck…I was thinking about working with a History teacher if I can get one who's willing to help."
"Yes, that's something I would have done, too. Try asking Kevin. He's the best when it comes to the South." It must be hard to come in a new school for only a few months and to never know your colleagues very well. I didn't know how it felt and I was positive that I couldn't be a substitute teacher. They were always changing schools, students, always having to deal with the previous teachers and having to adapt to the classes every time. It took me a couple of months to really adjust to a new environment in Forks and to be comfortable. Amanda wrote the name down, thanking me for the information. It was my goal to help her as much as I could, and to do everything so the students wouldn't fail their finals.
I stretched my arms above my head. After a quick look at the clock, I realized that we had been talking for almost an hour, exchanging ideas and advice on what students were trouble, which ones had difficulties and the ones who just didn't care about the class. The hardest part of our job was trying to make sure that nobody was left out. One hour sitting down without really moving was a long time for me. I needed to move a little bit.
"Do you want some more coffee?" I was already standing up, using the dining room table as support. The sound had awakened the dog, which appeared from behind the couch and happily trailed after me to the kitchen. She always had to follow me everywhere I went. She would camp on the other side of the bathroom door every time I was having a shower. Jacob was annoyed that she couldn't stay calm when I wasn't around. He was simply jealous that she didn't miss him as much as she missed me. He had never liked my dog, but I knew that things were changing. Beta was like a member of our family, and Jacob had accepted this. It was the first step even if I was well aware that he would never admit out loud that having a dog as a pet was something he enjoyed.
"Oh, ouch! Can't you give Mommy a break? Just for a few minutes?" I asked, rubbing away the pain through my shirt. It was useless anyway. My little guy was going to be a pro at soccer, and I was his favorite punching-ball at the moment. He didn't need to kick to make his presence known. I could barely see my feet anymore when I was standing. Surely, my stomach had to stop growing by now, right? I didn't think it was possible for it to get any bigger.
I refilled Amanda's cup with coffee before pouring some milk in mine. I wasn't allowed coffee. With a cup in each hand, I carefully made my way back to the living room.
"Did you have time to go through my notes on Huck?"
"Yes, I did. I actually agree with most of the discussion themes you had in mind. It'll spare me some work."
"But you don't have to follow my outline, you know. I mean, you're the teacher now and it's great that you even came today so we could talk." I sipped on my milk, trying not to be too bossy by giving her some liberties. I wasn't the one who had to go up in front of the students now. It was just hard to let go of them.
Beta came to rest her head on my lap, her muzzle touching my belly. She clearly didn't understand what was going on with my body. Jacob had to yell at her all the time a few months ago because she used to jump on me every evening when I came back home. It was something she had always done since she was a puppy, but it was forbidden now. So she would stick next to me whenever I sat down. She was like my guardian.
"Oh, no. Don't worry. I know where I'm going with these books. I like that we can discuss it, that's all. If I were you, I'd want to know that my students wouldn't forget everything they learned because they have a new teacher."
"If it had only been me, I wouldn't have left so early. This little guy had other plans, though." I looked down to my belly as I was rubbing it, and she smiled fondly at me.
"I'm sure you're much better at home resting than at school yelling at kids."
"I guess so. It gets lonely here sometimes, so I'm more than happy to be able to check in with you." I sighed, my mind filled with the afternoons I spent by myself now that Renée had gone back to California. She didn't want to leave yet, but she had a job and she couldn't quit because her daughter was pregnant. Jacob had more and more work to do at the garage, which meant that he wasn't home before 6 or even 7pm.
I mainly occupied my days with sleeping. I slept late in the mornings then busied myself organizing the nursery, dusting it thoroughly. There were only lame TV shows on in the afternoon, and even if I had great ideas floating around for my novel, I couldn't think straight after working on it for more than two hours. It turned out that knitting became my favorite indoor activity. I would also sit on the porch, desperately trying to create a decent scarf or hat and it would entertain Jacob a lot when I showed them to him.
Life was slow for me and it was everything I didn't like. The doctor said that it was risky to drive. I didn't want to risk anything now. I was somehow home-bound and let's admit it, it was boring. I'd read lots of baby books during my dull hours. I knew the theory by heart and I couldn't wait to experience the practical side of things. The past eight months passed by pretty fast, whereas the last week just dragged by. I was relieved when Amanda agreed to come over today.
"They've been asking if you're going to show up for the play next week," she said, dropping her pen and reclining in her chair.
"Of course I'm coming. I wouldn't miss their Shakespearean acting for anything! Tell them that I have high expectations." She laughed again and was about to say something else when Beta raised her head suddenly, barking once before dashing toward the back door. I hadn't realized my body was tensed until I knew for sure that Jacob was back. Even if I couldn't see her, I could picture exactly how the dog looked. She would keep on barking till the moment Jacob would open the door as if she understood that he was home from something dangerous and she was happy he was safe.
"Freaking rain…," Jacob mumbled loud enough for us to hear. "My feet are gonna mess up the floor…Where are those stupid shoes?...Go away, Beta. Where's that damn towel? Bella! You around?" He finally asked. It was a stupid question. Where else would I be in this weather except at home?
"In here." Amanda seemed interested in the intrusion. The first thing she noticed when she came in the house was the wedding picture in the entrance. She had completely agreed with the girls at school, that Jacob was hot, no offense intended. None taken, since it was the truth. As long as they all knew he was off limits, they could be jealous of me all they wanted.
"God, your brother's so fuck… freaking annoying. I'm never scheduling another shift with him. All he can think of is Angela, Angela, Angela." It was funny how he grumbled on. His heavy footsteps were coming up the hallway. He better had put his shoes on because there was no way I was cleaning his mess. "I know we were pains in the ass, too, but seriously, he's the worst. You don't even want to know the things that I saw in his… you're not alone." He came to an abrupt stop before I could tell him that I had company, which meant that he couldn't talk freely. He had almost said something which would have been likely to attract our visitor's curiosity. It wasn't every day that you came across someone stating that they saw things in somebody else's mind.
"This is Amanda. She's my substitute at work." I introduced her, mouthing a sorry to Jacob as she turned around to greet him. He regained his composure quickly. No harm had been done. It was my fault anyway. I should have hinted that I wasn't by myself. I couldn't predict that he would start talking about Seth's fantasies after all.
"So you're the woman who made it possible for my woman to finally get some rest. Thank you very much. I'm Jacob." They shook hands as he surveyed all the papers spread on the table. I didn't tell him about this meeting for a reason. He frowned. "What are you doing?"
"Just exchanging ideas about English classes. Nothing big. I think we were almost done actually."
"Yes, I should probably get going," Amanda added, gathering all her files. "It was nice to talk to you, Bella. I guess I'll see you next week then."
"I thought you were supposed to rest," Jacob scolded me once she was out the door. He helped me to my feet before throwing the wet towel over his shoulder so his hands could rest on my hips.
"I know, but I wanted to be sure that the kids weren't lost and that it wasn't the apocalypse now that I've left."
"Bella, Bella, Bella. Forks High won't crumble down because you went on your maternity leave." He smirked, kissing my pout away after that. He worked his way from my waist up to my neck to unlock my silver necklace and get his wedding ring back. It wasn't like he could wear it while phasing. Wolves didn't wear rings. I guarded it when he patrolled.
"It's hard to be stuck here doing nothing, that's all. At least I got to spend a couple of hours with another human being."
"I don't like knowing that you're by yourself either. Maybe I could ask for fewer hours at work…" Oh certainly not. He didn't have to sacrifice his job for me, especially as he already intended to do so after the birth.
"No, Jake. You keep working and bringing money for me to buy stuff so I can cook and bake until I drop." I smiled up at him, sure that he wouldn't object to that. I was glad that I was a good cook. When I was tired of knitting, I always ended up in the kitchen, trying every recipe I could think of. Jacob was delighted by all the food he came home to.
"Speaking of food…" As if on cue, his stomach grumbled loudly. I had to laugh. He was so hungry after phasing that I'd gotten used to it by now. All he wanted to eat was meat, meat, meat, and more meat. I tried to throw in some vegetables mainly for my sake, but also because it wasn't good for him to not get balanced meals.
"I didn't have time to make anything, but there are some lasagnas from last night and you haven't finished the brownies yet. You can cook a steak, too, if you want. Yeah, you do that and I'll make us some salad."
"That's just awesome! I'm starving! Hey …wait here…" I had untangled myself from his arms to make my way to the kitchen. He caught my hand when it brushed his side before tucking me back against his chest. His hands slid under my shirt to rest on my belly. He breathed in my hair, saying nothing. He just hugged me for a few minutes in complete silence. He eventually broke away after bending down to kiss my cheek.
"Are you okay, Jake?" I couldn't help but worry when he acted strange after phasing. It wasn't likely to change anytime soon.
"Yeah… I just needed to hold you close for a sec. But I'm still hungry." He winked at me, striding toward to fridge to get the leftovers. I swear I saw a hint of sadness in his eyes. It was gone as fast as it arrived, though. We wouldn't talk about Billy today, then. Anything that made Jacob feel better was fine with me. I sat down with the ingredients to make my salad, ready to hear him complain some more about Seth being head over heels about Angela.
...
Jacob was sprawled on the bed, taking up as much space as he could. At some point during his nap he had flopped over on his stomach, one of his legs dangling off the bed. His right arm was thrown across my chest so his hand rested on my belly, which made it impossible for me to move. He would know I was gone the moment I would even try to leave my spot, but I didn't mind being here. The room was dark, and it was peaceful and quiet, except for Jacob's occasional snoring. The noises he was making were too cute.
One of the side effects of phasing was that it left him completely drained. He would eat heaps of food but it wasn't enough. I used to tease him for being a big baby because he needed to take a nap after his patrols. Now that I liked napping, I enjoyed being able to join him in the bed even if we only slept. What amazed me the most was that I would wake up before him, no matter how long I slept. I guess that I'd never really fully understand how demanding phasing could be. The positive side was that when he was so exhausted he didn't have trouble falling asleep. He didn't have nightmares either.
I shifted just a little bit to sit up more properly. I didn't want to leave Jacob but it could get boring if all I could do was stare at the wall. Jacob groaned, his arm falling to my thighs, which he hugged before turning his head toward me. He hadn't woken up but he was much closer to my body. So much closer that his nose brushed against my hip. His face looked more relaxed than usual and I was hoping that all his sleeping time could be like this. It was nice to see him enjoying his rest for once. I grabbed the book from the bedside table, turning on the lamp as well.
I'd read almost three entire chapters when Jacob started to stir next to me. He didn't open his eyes, though. His hand moved back up to my stomach, staying there to run random patterns over it. Then I felt his lips kiss my side.
"Hi to you, too, baby." He kissed me there another time before looking up at me, his eyes opening and a lazy smile spreading on his face. He'd really needed the rest. I could tell because his eyes were still blurry and unfocused, which only happened when he had a good night. I smiled down at him, closing my book. My own hand went to brush away the locks of his hair that were falling over his face. He looked like a small boy.
"She kicked me in the face," he complained as he straightened up to be at my level. I couldn't help but smile wider at his pout.
"I'm sure he didn't mean it. Or maybe it's his way to tell you to stop calling him a girl."
"Hahaha. You're know you're gonna lose this one, right? This baby is so a girl. And I'll prove it to you in a little more than three weeks."
"We'll see about that." Jacob stuck his tongue out at me. I couldn't wait for me to be able to say "I told you so" when they would hand me our baby boy. But it was always fun to have these so-called arguments about the baby's sex.
"Boy or girl, I just wish it'd hurry up. Have you seen my feet? It's so painful to walk for more than five minutes." I wriggled my bare feet at him. My ankles were big and as swollen as ever. I knew I had to be off my feet as much as possible yet, sitting quietly for hours wasn't something I was very good at. Jacob brushed his lips against mine softly before moving around so he was sitting cross-legged at the end of the bed. He grabbed one foot to start massaging it slowly. This was the highlight of my day. Massages from Jacob were like heaven. His hands were blazing hot and he was quite talented with his fingers. He would usually do it at night before settling to go to bed but I was okay whenever he felt like helping me with the pain, either in my ankles or in my back. As long as his hands were on me, I was sure that I would fall asleep soon after.
I leaned my head against the headboard, closed my eyes, and enjoyed.
"I'm going to owe you a lot of massages in the future," I said after a while. My ankles were already less achy, but it wouldn't stay this way a long time. The heat provided by Jacob's skin was easing the pain yet he couldn't hold my feet forever. If I could, I wouldn't even leave this bed at all.
"Nice. Oh, Bells. I've been thinking."
"Dangerous." The word escaped my mouth because it was too tempting. I felt myself smile at the stupid teasing. I regretted it when Jacob grumbled and my skin went cold. He'd stopped touching me. My eyes flew open to see that his arms were crossed over his chest. He was also trying to pout to show me that I'd hurt his feelings. "I didn't mean it! I'm sorry. Don't stop." He didn't listen to me. Instead, he crawled back up, lying again so his face was next to my belly. He was making a point of ignoring me.
"Mommy is being mean to Daddy, you know." He started complaining to the baby, his fingers playing with the hem of my shirt until he pushed it out of the way to reveal my bare skin. "I think she doesn't want you to get new things for your room… I know… What? We should go only the two of us? That's not a bad idea, actually." He was cute. He would hate it if he knew that I thought that of him. Babies were cute, pets maybe, but certainly not Jacob. He wouldn't agree with the definition. He'd probably go with something like "super hot". It didn't change the fact that right now, Jacob was adorable. I couldn't stop smiling while listening to his "conversation" with my stomach.
"We could go tomorrow afternoon. We'll leave Mommy at home and we'll go shopping. How does that sound?"
"Good, Jake. Yes, we can go to Port Angeles tomorrow." He kissed the skin near my belly button and I took it as a sign that he had acknowledged my words. But he carried on anyway. Jacob like talking to the baby, stating that he had to be accustomed to his voice already even if he wasn't even born yet.
"Yeah, she's got to come with us, unfortunately. Don't worry. We'll do a lot of stuff when you'll be around… Like what? Well, I'll show you how to fix a car. It's important to know how to do this. Especially if you're a girl. You don't want to be stranded on the side of the road by yourself. You can't really ask your mom for help there. She doesn't recognize a wrench from a screwdriver."
"Not true! I take offense to that!" Jacob looked up at me and winked. I may be quite useless in a garage, but at least I knew the difference between the two tools. Please.
"So… I'll teach her how to fix a car and you'll teach her how to be an amazing cook. If we switch roles, it'll just be a disaster. And also, I'll show you how to throw a good punch, baby. It's important if people don't mean well and you have to protect yourself. You can't ask your mom for this either. The last I recall, she sprained her wrist closing a window. I'm afraid that punching something will end with her arm in a cast."
"Stop making fun of me, Jake!" Although, he was probably right, but I wasn't going to admit it.
"Payback, honey, payback." He grinned. "And I'll tell you our legends all the time because they're important to me. I want you to know where you come from, where the tribe you belong to comes from. I want you to be proud of it. I'll talk to you in Quileute and then, you'll get such good grades that your Uncle Quil will say that you're his best student ever." I agreed with Jacob that this kid was going to have a prominent place in La Push due to his family. He had to know his history, his heritage. What he didn't need to know was that his father could morph into a giant wolf. He didn't have to be burdened with a big secret like this one, and hopefully, he'd never have to be told because he would never phase anyway.
My hand moved from the comforter to Jacob's shoulder until it was brushing his hair. He liked it when I played with his hair. He kept talking to my stomach but he was leaning more and more against my fingers. It was nice to have some time off, just the two of us, basically doing nothing. It was a luxury that we soon wouldn't be able to afford anymore.
"Maybe I'll get better at Quileute myself if I hear you speak it at home." I couldn't understand why it wasn't possible for my brain to learn the tribe's language. According to one of the teachers at school, either you were gifted for foreign languages or you weren't. It took some special abilities to be bilingual. When I thought about it, my Spanish grades had always been average in high school. It still upset me that I couldn't understand the guys when they talked in their native language.
"Who knows? But it may not be the case. I think it'll be easier for the baby if she heard both languages from the start. That's what my parents did for me and the twins. It made it less difficult at school. Quileute can be a pain in the ass sometimes."
"Jake, language!" I reminded him, slapping his shoulder lightly. He had to watch his mouth now. I didn't mind him talking in Quileute. What bothered me was the swearing. I'd have to remember to ask him not to teach our child any Quileute swear words later on. It was embarrassing enough that the guys made fun of tourists any time they got the chance to. I didn't need my son to follow their example. Jacob bit his lip before sitting upright so we were finally at eye level.
"Sorry. I'm trying but they keep escaping. We should have had a non-swearing rule way earlier than last week."
"I'm sure you'll get better at it once the baby's here."
"Yeah, I hope so… wow. I can't believe she's really going to join us." The baby kicked against his warm hand, making his presence known, as if he had realized that we were talking about him. "I can't wait." Jacob smiled, his face moving toward mine until his lips were brushing mine. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For carrying my baby, that's all." He kissed me as I grabbed his arm for support. He was only wearing a tee-shirt and I could feel the muscles under my grasp. I shifted on the bed, trying to get closer to him, which wasn't quite possible. I always forgot how cold my lips could be when he wasn't kissing me. One kiss was enough to make my whole body warm all over again.
Jacob noticed my movement, moving along with me to get me satisfied. His hand cupped the back of my head and his fingers tugged slightly at the hair there. I moaned at the sensation, which allowed him to slip his tongue in my mouth. I knew that I would need to breathe soon but I didn't want to move away from Jacob. My hand ran down his abs that I could feel perfectly, even underneath his clothes. I felt powerful every time he would shiver under my touch. It meant that he found me attractive, big belly and all. His left hand went from my stomach up to my breasts. He knew I was sensitive there, but it was so good to have his fingers running along the outline of my bra, never touching where I wanted him to.
He was an expert at taking my clothes off. In a matter of seconds, my shirt was hanging loose, revealing my chest. I was proud of him for not destroying any of the buttons. I was expecting him to touch me but nothing came. He ended our kiss and rested his forehead against mine in one of our favorite positions. We would look each other straight in the eyes. It wasn't like we had been making out heavily, but I was panting a lot and so was he.
"I love how beautiful it made you… to have my baby in you," he whispered, his breath warming my cheeks even more. "I could spend hours just looking at you. Oh! Hold on!" Jacob suddenly sprang out of the bed, leaving me confused. He had gone from really sweet to very excited faster than I thought possible. What had triggered the change, I had no idea. I heard him rummaging through the living room. I was starting to get up, too, to see what was going on when his loud footsteps announced that he was coming back.
"Lie down! I'm gonna take a pic!" Jacob exclaimed, brandishing the camera above his head.
"Again? You have like, hundreds of pictures of me. Don't you have enough?"
"Nope. Never enough. I want as many reminders of you being pregnant as I can. Lie down and then we'll seriously need to hurry up. It's almost five p.m. already."
I sighed as I let him play photographer. I didn't want to have to get ready for tonight even if I was kind of looking forward to going. It was nice to be able to see all the people I used to know back in high school. It would be a good distraction. I was dying to see the outside world after such a dull week. Jacob hadn't even tried to bail out of it, even though he claimed that he wasn't feeling well enough to socialize lately. I wouldn't have minded going alone since I was supposed to meet up with Angela and Seth, but I wouldn't have been able to enjoy myself knowing that my husband was at home by himself.
What was bothering me was that I'd have to dress up and give up the sweat pants I was so comfortable in. But at least I was going to wear a dress, which was already better than jeans. I hated wearing jeans these days. And I also hoped that I wouldn't have to stay on my feet all night long. Surely, they would have pity on me and let me sit throughout the whole thing.
...
I checked my face one last time in the car mirror. I wasn't as talented as my mother when it came to make-up but I did a rather good job. Jacob's idea of dressing up was throwing a jacket over a tee-shirt, so I didn't overdo it either. I was simply wearing my black dress and a little clip in my hair.
It was good to be back at school even if it wasn't for teaching purposes. I missed the plain buildings and the always crammed parking lot, which was no exception tonight. Apparently, we were a bit late. We exited the car to go find Seth and Angela who were waiting for us at the entrance of the gym. The principal hadn't listened to my suggestion of hosting the event in the cafeteria since it was smaller and that it wasn't like hundreds of people were going to be there anyway. The gym it was then.
"Hey, guys. Did you get lost somewhere on the way?" Jacob just glared at Seth. I noticed that he was trying not to look at Angela too much. What had happened this morning hadn't been forgotten yet. It must suck sometimes to be able to hear every single private thought of the other guys. I would forever be grateful that Jacob was better at shielding his mind than the others.
"Give them a rest. They aren't that late. It's you who insisted we arrived early."
"I want to see her ex to show him that I'm so much better than him," Seth added for the two of us. It made me smile. I had often wondered what would have happened if Angela had met him when we were still in high school. They would have been together for years and I certainly wouldn't have had the special relationship I had with my brother. It would have changed lots of things. I would have probably done more stupid stuff in college without him around. In a sense, I was glad that he only imprinted on my friend all these years later.
Jacob ushered me inside the building as the rain started to pick up again. We grabbed our name tags before stepping into the very loud room. People were everywhere. The music was blasting and we practically had to yell to talk. The guys left to get us some drinks and we quickly found a vacant table to sit down.
I remembered my reaction when I saw Angela for the first time again in the store back in September. It had struck me how much she had changed. As I looked around the room, I realized that all the people I could see had changed as well. I supposed I had, too. Before I even had the time to take a relieved breath from being off my feet, we were assailed by former classmates. I was used to running into Mike all the time. He had the ambition of developing his parents' business and from what I'd heard, he was doing pretty well. He was planning on opening a new store in Port Angeles soon.
I had to admit that it was better than I'd imagined to catch up with people, to be able to tell them how I'd been doing, what I'd achieved so far. It seemed that not a lot of them had stayed or settled in Forks after graduating. Granted, if it hadn't been for Jacob, I would have left the area, too. I got the usual congratulations for the baby and I think that Jessica surprised both of us by saying that we did a really good job hooking up with guys from the reservation. I had always thought that she wouldn't mind dating one of them for a while but that she wouldn't accept being tied down up to him and to La Push for the rest of her life. She used to have higher expectations. Now, she declared that she would have liked to stay around Forks. Life in a big city could be quite impersonal sometimes.
"I wonder if we'll see those weird kids. You know, they were kind of rich, always big and expensive cars, and you used to date one of them in junior year. What was his name again?" Angela asked, looking at me. Seth and Jacob had come back with our drinks and it was just the four of us at the table for the moment. Jacob tensed next to me, his arm squeezing my waist in his usual reflex to comfort me. If she had asked this question a couple of months earlier, I'd have certainly freaked out. I'd have probably not even wanted to come to this reunion because it would have brought back bad memories. I was okay, though. I was coming to terms with the fact that the Cullens would always exist but that they didn't hate me. My heart still gave a little start every time they were mentioned but it wasn't as bad as before. I was finally ready to move on with life.
"Angela, you shouldn't…"
"No, Seth. I'm fine," I cut him off, smiling to show him that there was nothing to worry about. It also thrilled me that I could talk about the Cullens without breaking down. "The Cullens, you mean? I'm pretty sure they won't show up."
"Hell, yeah. They better not. There wasn't any exception clause to my warning."
"Did I miss something?" Angela was confused, which was understandable. For safety reasons, it had been decided that she wouldn't know that she used to go to school with vampires or that I used to date one. We hadn't expected her to bring up the subject.
"It's just that the Cullens are… vampires, Ang," Seth explained in a low voice so no one else could listen to our conversation. She gasped loudly, her eyes locking with mine, making me uneasy. "They aren't allowed to come here anymore, apparently."
"No, they're not. And we all agreed on it."
"Oh my God. It must have been such a shock for you, Bella. Dating a vampire? Did you know? Of course you didn't. If you had, you wouldn't have…"
"I did. I knew what I was getting myself into at the time."
"But…"
"Can we just not talk about it? Yes, I made a mistake but I've traded mystical creatures since then and I don't regret anything about it." Jacob leaned over to kiss my cheek. She wasn't convinced yet. I understood that she only knew one part of the story and that for her, vampires were awful creatures who killed people (which they actually were) but it wasn't a reason to look at me as if I was an alien from outer space.
"We went to school with vampires? But they could have…"
"Do you need some fresh air?" Seth was worried and my anger toward my friend dissolved at once. I couldn't blame her. It must be a bit disorienting to learn all these secrets especially when you're not prepared for them. It amazed me how easily I'd accepted that vampires and werewolves existed when I was younger.
"I think I need a drink."
"Let's get you outside first. We'll see about that later." It was nice to see how much Seth cared about her. I'd never see him act like this with a girl before. I was resenting the fact that things were changing because of their relationship, but I was glad that Angela could finally make him as happy as he deserved to be.
"They're cute together," I said to Jacob after they left their seats. His grip on my hip had lessened by now even if he wasn't letting go of me. He always had to keep physical contact with me whenever we were out in public.
"Cute? Trust me. From what I saw in his mind, they aren't 'cute' in bed."
"Jake! You know I don't want to talk about that!" I didn't need to think about this again. I had successfully managed to erase and block out everything Angela shared with me last month. I didn't want Jacob to ruin it for me. It was true that I was intrigued, though. He never seemed to be so disgusted by the other guys' minds. Maybe it was because imprinting was new for Seth and he had a hard time controlling his thoughts?
"Between you and me, we're way better than them." I blushed at his comment, checking around us to see if someone had heard him. He laughed at my reaction, kissing my blush away before standing up.
"I'm gonna go find something else to drink. Do you want something?"
"No, I'm good. Thanks. I'll be over there, socializing." I pointed to the other side of the big room where they had put a huge board which seemed to attract some attention.
I quickly understood why they had asked us to send pictures beforehand. They had created a patchwork with old pictures from when we all were in school mixed with more recent ones. Jacob had insisted on choosing mine and I actually liked the ones that he picked. I looked better now than when I was 18. I was listening to Eric talking about how great it was to work in Los Angeles when we were interrupted by Seth.
"Can I steal her for a minute?" He looked weird, as if he'd seen a ghost. I apologized to Eric and let him drag me closer to the buffet table.
"What's going on? Is Angela okay?"
"Yeah, she's completely fine. She's a tough girl. But I have to show you something. I'm sure I'm hallucinating but yeah. Look."
I didn't understand what was up, but I complied. I scanned the room to try to see what was wrong. Everything looked perfectly normal to me. I didn't know what Seth had thought he'd seen but there was nothing.
"Seth, I…"
"There! Look at this guy!" We moved around a little so I could see one of the people who had had their back to me. It didn't strike me right away though when it did, all color left my face. Now it was clear why Seth had looked like he'd seen a ghost: because that was the case. It wasn't hard to recognize him. The hair was shorter and the clothes were significantly better. The rest hadn't changed at all. Always a drink in his hand and his arm around a girl's waist. And I used to be one of them. It felt like I was dreaming and I was going to wake up soon. Why was he here? It felt so surreal. I didn't want him to be here.
"You're kidding, right? What is he doing here?"
"So, it's him? I'm not crazy?"
"No, you're not but… oh, no. Don't look, don't look at us. Let's get out of here before he…" Too late. He smiled at the woman he was talking to, surveying his surroundings at the same time. His eyes spotted me and I wasn't lucky enough to have been forgotten. He did a double-take before excusing himself to stride toward us. I didn't feel like talking to him. Instead, I wanted to hide and pretend that he wasn't there. Unconsciously, I grabbed Seth's hand to give me courage. He didn't push me away which was comforting. This was definitely going to be awkward.
"Bella?"
"Hi, David."
"Wow. It's really you? It's been years! How are you?"
"I'm good. What… what exactly are you doing here?"
"My girlfriend didn't want to come by herself." He jerked his thumb behind his shoulder, pointing at the blonde girl. Lauren. He was dating Lauren. How had they met? How come he hooked up with a girl from my school? Couldn't he have found someone else? He didn't know we would run into each other, but still. He was dating Lauren.
As much as I hated to admit it, David had been a great guy to hang out with during my first years in college. I was drunk at all the parties and he liked to drink, too. He was immature but funny yet, his main flaw had been that he wasn't Jacob. He couldn't live up to my expectations because of that.
I was almost glad that he made the stupid mistake of cheating on me at a party that I couldn't attend because I had to study. After the rage had dissipated and I told him what a jerk he was, I eventually came to the conclusion that it couldn't work between us if all he was looking for was someone to get drunk and sleep with. I was tired of being that girl. If you looked closely, he was the one who sent me back to Jacob. No, I didn't hate David. But he could do so much better than Lauren.
"…so I said what the hell. High school reunions are always fun. You get to see who got super fat or the chicks who used to be ugly and have magically transformed into sex on legs. I'm always up for a good party. What are you doing here?"
"It's my high school. This is where I used to go to school."
"Really? Small world, huh? And you're her 'brother', right? I remember you. Always trying to get her to go to bed at silly hours. It looks like you're past that fake brother-sister phase." He eyed our hands clasped together, my stomach, and grinned at us. Seth made a face.
"Seth's a very nice guy but he isn't anything else but my brother. I have a husband of my own, thank you very much."
"Really? I remember you being pretty wild in bed. I think he's a pretty lucky guy, then." I wanted to yell at him for saying that. What did he mean? That the only thing I was good at was what I did in bed? You couldn't build a relationship on that alone and it certainly wasn't the only thing that Jacob liked about me. At least, I hoped so. No, Jacob loved so much more than that. It was no wonder that David and I never worked very well back in college if the only thing he could remember about me was how I was in bed. Granted, we didn't do much else but still.
"Who's a lucky guy?" Jacob asked, pulling me to his side as if he wanted to protect me and prevent me from giving David a piece of my mind. I had been wondering where Jacob had gone. Since there was food available, it shouldn't have surprised me that he disappeared to stuff his mouth. I wasn't particularly fond of the idea of him meeting David. Of course he knew that I had been involved with other men. It didn't mean that I wanted him to talk to them. David belonged to the past.
"You are. Jacob, this is… David. We… dated for a few months in college." Jacob tensed even more. He didn't try to be nice. As a matter of fact, he simply nodded to acknowledge this new piece of information. He was extremely possessive of me.
"Dating's a big word. I'd call it more like 'having fun'." He winked at me. "I'd never seen a girl drink so much so fast. It was actually kind of super awesome to watch." Oh my God. Couldn't he see that he was pissing Jacob off? It didn't take a lot of thinking to understand what 'having fun' meant. Jacob was grinding his teeth, glaring at the extended hand in front of him. Just as David was about to withdraw it, Jacob finally decided to shake it. After a few seconds, David wasn't smiling anymore. He was wincing in pain.
"Oh, yeah? Well, I certainly don't need to watch her get drunk to enjoy her company."
"Yes, sure. I mean… Okay… I guess it was… cool seeing you again, Bella. I think I'll… go… back… there. Yeah." He flexed his hand, his eyes never leaving Jacob as if he was afraid that he was going to be attacked.
"You scared the poor guy to death!" I scowled him as soon as David turned his back on us. The guys immediately burst into laughter. I didn't see what was funny. David talking about me to Jacob was rather embarrassing. I was ashamed of myself.
"He deserved it. No one talks about you like you're some kind of easy girl."
"But he was right. I was like that in college." And I wasn't proud of it. I wish I could take it all back.
"It doesn't mean that he can say it. Besides, you're not like that anymore. I don't care how you were in college. Isn't it what they say? That you're supposed to make mistakes in college? That guy was definitely a mistake."
"I was young." I shrugged, hugging Jacob closer. It amazed me what a serious and responsible man he was when he was still rather young. David was older than me and he didn't look like he was taking life seriously yet. It was good to be reminded that choosing Jacob had made me very lucky. "You're much better than him," I assured him. I couldn't help but look at my former boyfriend as he kept glaring at Jacob when he was sure that he wouldn't be noticed. I assumed that his hand must hurt a lot.
"Of course, I am. I…"
"I thought I'd never get rid of Ben. He won't take a hint!" Angela rolled her eyes, grabbed Seth by the arm and kissed him right on the mouth in front of everybody. Seth stumbled backwards in surprise and a few people stopped their conversations to stare at the two of them. I shifted my gaze, resolutely looking at Jacob's chest. "There. I needed to make a point," Angela explained as she released Seth. She didn't even blush or anything at having kissed her boyfriend so heavily in public. I knew that I wouldn't be able to do it. It made me a little jealous.
"I'm always glad to help, Ang. Where's this annoying ex?"
"Oh, no. Enough with you two scaring exes. They're not worth it. You're the ones who get us. There's no need to rub it in their faces."
"All right, all right. You're ruining all our fun."
"Poor baby," I joked, tapping Jacob's cheek playfully. "Go play with the food instead. I need to go to the bathroom."
"I'm coming with you!"
There must be an unwritten rule somewhere that says that girls have to go to the bathroom together. I didn't get it. It wasn't like someone was going to attack us on the way. If that were the case, I certainly wouldn't be able to protect myself, being pregnant and all. And it wasn't like we could get lost either. Forks High wasn't what you would call a big school. I guess it was all about being able to gossip freely. The bathroom next to the gym was packed with women reapplying eye-liner, laughing loudly, and commenting on everybody who wasn't with them. It seemed that some things never changed.
I wasn't here to say nasty things about former friends. I simply wanted to use the bathroom. With a quick jerk of the head, I showed Angela that I wanted to go somewhere else. I knew the buildings by heart so it wouldn't be difficult for me to find a quieter place. After we were done, Angela asked if we could walk around for a while. She hadn't been there in a long time. I texted Jacob because I knew that he would start to worry if he didn't see me come back soon. Besides, I didn't want to be in the same room as David anymore. Knowing him, he would take every chance he'd have to brag about us back in the days. I certainly didn't want to be near him for that. Yet, maybe that Jacob's presence would stop him from doing it. Thinking back on it, it was pretty funny to watch the poor guy wince in pain. Jacob had no remorse in hurting people who weren't respecting me.
I brought Angela to my classroom and she was very excited to get to sit down at one of the desks again. It was good to hang out, just the two of us. It was completely silent in the hallways and it was only broken by our frequent laughter. We probably didn't really have the right to be there but I couldn't get myself to care.
"Now, I'm going to show you the room you've always dreamed about getting into," I said in my best conspiratorial tone, my keys in hand as we were walking, her heels clicking steadily on the floor.
"Are you really allowed to do this?"
"Who cares?" I shrugged.
"Look who's rebelling!" she exclaimed, pushing my shoulder and looking pleased at me. I shook my head but it was hard not to smile at her. I struggled with the key until I managed to open the door of the teacher's lounge. It was good to be back in there.
"Ooooooh. I must say, I'm a bit disappointed," Angela declared, looking everywhere at once, running her fingers on the counter and checking it to see if there was dust on it. "I was expecting unicorns and magical fountains. All you have is a couple of tables and a few chairs."
"We have a coffee machine. Don't forget it. It's the most important thing in this room. We'd be lost without it."
"I know the feeling. You do have a great couch, though." She sank down on the green sofa and patted the space next to her. "I'm sorry for earlier," she apologized after I sat down. "I didn't mean to offend you or to judge you about your past relationship with this… vampire. I'm dating a werewolf after all. Who or what you dated in high school isn't something I can blame you for."
"It's okay. I'm used to people judging me for my relationship with Edward. Besides, you're new to all of this. It must have been a big shock for you." She snorted.
"I thought Seth was crazy at first. Then, I thought I was hallucinating. It's so weird, knowing legends can be true and werewolves exist for real. It just surprised me to hear that vampires used to be in the same class as me. I certainly wasn't expecting it!"
"They would have never hurt you if it's what's bothering you."
"I know. Seth explained everything. Still. They're supposed to want to drink people's blood. I wouldn't have been able to spend as much time with them as you did. You were kind of brave."
"Brave and a little crazy. And stupidly in love. I guess it was exhilarating to have someone as perfect as him interested in me. I thought I was very lucky." She was looking intently at me. I'd never talked to a girlfriend about my past relationship like this. I couldn't. It was strange but at the same time liberating. I was forcing myself to say his name. It was ridiculous to block out a simple name.
"But you were so sad when they left. I remember you were always by yourself. Sometimes, I was afraid that one day, you would stop showing up at school. I wished I could have helped."
"You couldn't have, Angela. I wouldn't have been able to tell you everything. It's actually the only reason why I'm glad Jacob phased. Then I could be with someone who knew exactly what had happened to me. It made it a little bit easier for me at the time."
"Well, I think it's great that we can be friends again now. I hated how you drifted away from us during our senior year." She put her arm around my shoulders to bring me closer to her in what I supposed was the best version of a hug that we could get. "I get you back and I get Seth as the most wonderful bonus ever. I mean, this guy's amazing. He's sweet and he hadn't turned my apartment into a battlefield yet." Angela had stars in her eyes when she was talking about my brother. I wasn't especially looking forward to talking about him with her. But it would have been rude to deny her what seemed like a great pleasure.
"Did you see his room at my father's? I wouldn't be surprised if you threatened to kick him out soon because he doesn't clean up his messes. You just wait."
"I doubt it. It's almost scary how perfect we are for each other. I wouldn't have thought it possible."
"Yes, I've noticed." I tried not to sound too bitter but apparently, I failed.
"Seth told me how it changed things between you two that he… imprinted. I'm sorry, Bella."
"You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault. But we had this very special relationship and I liked the idea of having a brother. We would have a lot of fun together. Jacob was jealous of Seth actually. I miss spending time with him but I guess it's better this way. I have a husband and soon I'll have a family to focus on."
"If it weren't for me, though, Seth…"
"Would still be sleeping all over the place and feeling lonely," I finished her sentence for her. "I'm happy he found you, Angela."
"Then why are you crying?" Shoot. I didn't think I was this obvious. I wasn't even crying. I was trying not to cry –big difference. I hadn't wanted to talk about this. I hated myself for being jealous while I had a great relationship of my own. It was silly to want to keep everyone for myself.
"Because I'm selfish. I'll be fine." I dried my eyes only to realize that I had totally ruined my make-up which was now covering my fingers. I had to laugh. "You're the best girl Seth could have imprinted on. Sure, it's sad that things are different between us but it's for the best. I'm fine, really!" I added with a smile because she didn't look convinced. I didn't want her to feel guilty for something she had no power over. I'd have resented Seth's imprint if it had been a complete stranger. Angela was okay. I had to learn to stop acting like a child. It wasn't like Seth had cut all ties with me. We saw each other from time to time. Not as often as before but I couldn't complain.
"If you ever need to spend some time with him, just let me know and I'll leave the two of you alone. I don't mean to intrude."
Angela may have changed in many ways, from the lack of glasses to the fact that she wasn't shy anymore, but she certainly was one of the nicest people I had ever met. I hugged her again.
"Thank you. You're the best."
"I'm trying. We should probably go back or they're going to wonder if someone kidnapped us. Seth is so paranoid. Sometimes I get the impression that he only moved in so he could protect me from whatever dangers he thinks are out there."
She rolled her eyes. I refrained from commenting, but it was possible that it might have been one of the reasons he decided to go live with her. The guys were always afraid that something would happen to us. Angela was only beginning to see what crazy world she had entered.
She helped me getting up from the couch and carefully to put the cushions back in place so it wouldn't be obvious that we had been in the room. Minus the few tears I had shed, I was glad I got to talk to Angela and to clear up the situation a little bit. I closed the door and we went back to the madness that was the gym, hoping that Seth and Jacob had behaved and that the poor other men weren't traumatized for the rest of their lives.
There you have it. I hope I'll get the next chapter to you faster but school is just annoying at the moment and I'm writing an outtake from this fic for Fandom4Tsunami that I need to have finished before anything else. If you're interested in reading it, all you have to do is donate here (http : / / fandomfightstsunami (.) blogspot (.) com / p / how-to-donate (.) html) if you haven't done it already. I can promise you it'll be a cute, sweet, sexy outtake between our two favorite characters :)
TwiFicReviews is hosting a very good contest that you absolutely want to check out. I may be a judge because I definitely won't have to write for it, unfortunately. Here's the link (http : / / twificreviewsa-z (.) blogspot (.) com / p / contests (.) html) and don't forget to spread the word! Everybody loves a man in uniform, right? ;)