Jacob Moves In
Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.
A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!
Chapter Thirty Seven
"Talk to me, Jake." Bella took his hand and pulled him down beside her when he came back inside after helping Billy into Cora's car. "What's going through that head of yours?"
Jacob put his arm around Bella as she curled her legs underneath her and snuggled into his side. "I'm gonna sound like a such a selfish ass." He admitted reluctantly.
"You're struggling with Billy seeing Cora." Bella guessed.
"I don't even know why. I like her. She's really nice." Jacob muttered as he played with a tendril of Bella's hair to distract himself.
"But she's not Sarah." Bella said quietly. She knew she had hit the nail on the head when she saw his skin flush. "You are allowed to feel upset, Jake. Don't hold it in or feel guilty about it."
Jacob felt the tension in his body ease as he met her sympathetic gaze. She knew him so well. He swore she could read his mind sometimes. "Dad's the happiest he's been in such a long time. And I am happy for him. I really am. I just..." He sighed heavily as he struggled to express himself. "It's just been us for so long you know. And it's so easy for him and it's been so hard for us. He has all the time in the world to enjoy himself with Cora. We've been struggling to even get a moment alone. It's not fair...it's just not."
"I understand, Jake. I really do." Bella could feel his pain as if it was her own. She hated that he was upset but was glad that he wasn't bottling it up either. Everything he said made sense. "You're right it's not fair. You have so many responsibilities. This should be the most carefree time of your life but instead you're weighed down with impossible burdens."
"I'm just being an idiot, Bells." Jacob interjected quickly before she had a chance to blame herself. He could see the conversation heading that way. "I don't want to feel like this anymore. This isn't me. I don't want to waste my precious time with you feeling sorry for myself."
Bella smiled softly as he leaned down to kiss her. His lips were warm and gentle on hers. They pulled apart and took shaky, shallow breaths as they gazed into the depths of each other's eyes. Unable to contain themselves anymore, Jacob held Bella's head in his hands and pulled her into a fiery, passionate kiss. Her hands worked their way around his neck, pulling him closer. This kiss obliterated every thought. Jacob's anxieties melted away as he lost himself in Bella. Drunk on endorphins his only desire was to touch her, to move his hands over her body and explore her soft curves. A kiss like this was a beginning, a promise of so much more to come.
"The Cullens want a meeting." Sam revealed the next day.
"The Cullens suck." Paul complained as he helped himself to another muffin.
"So do you." Embry retorted playfully as he snatched the muffin out of Paul's grasp and stuffed it into his mouth.
Paul glared at him, already losing his temper as he lunged across the table to teach Embry a lesson. Sam scowled, calling them to order, irritated by their childish behaviour. "This is serious." He snarled.
Jacob was late arriving. He came in at the tail end of the conversation. Sam turned his wrath on him instead. "Where the hell have you been? You're late."
Jacob met his Alpha's frustrated gaze coolly. He was learning to handle himself better around Sam and not let him get under his skin so much. "I had to take my dad to the hospital for a check up. His appointment overran. There wasn't a lot I could do about it."
"We understand." Emily said before Sam had a chance to. She looked at her imprint warningly before her face relaxed into an empathetic smile. She was carrying a tray of freshly baked muffins in her hands. Sam took it from her and set it down on the table, where the others soon dived in and emptied the tray. He looked at them in disgust before retreating to the other end of the kitchen with Emily doing her best to soothe his frazzled nerves.
It was in that moment that Jacob finally understood. Sam was stressed to the max. Emily reminded him of what Bella had been trying so desperately to do, she was trying to keep his mood on an even keel to help relieve the strain. Jacob's anger melted away. Just because Victoria was gone for now, didn't mean she wouldn't be back. It was too easy to think that Charlie's little speech had gotten through her marble hide and had an impact. He may have told Bella they needed to wait and see but the wait was killing them all. They needed to know for sure but how.
Embry had snatched another one of Paul's muffins. Lahote lunged at him, sending the tray flying. Sam turned around sharply, ready to issue an Alpha command and teach them a lesson, but Jacob got there first. He grabbed Lahote by the collar and pulled him upright, before doing the same to Embry. "Get out if you're gonna act like tools. Just grow the hell up."
Jacob could feel Sam watching him. He raised his eyes to meet his Alpha's and understanding flowed between them. It had gone quiet in the Uley's large kitchen. Embry and Paul had settled down, even Lahote was aware of the power shift going on silently between Sam and Jacob. One look was enough. Sam was the first to break away as he returned his attention to his puzzled imprint. Jacob joined his brothers at the table as the rowdiness kicked off again, but this time when they went too far it was Jacob who kept order and Sam didn't intervene.
Jacob didn't want to go to the meeting. If he could avoid being around Edward Cullen and his sullen expressions he would. The pack and the vampire coven met up every now and again to exchange news and update each other on the current situation. Normally Jacob kept his distance and let Sam and Carlisle do all the talking. He did the same this time, but it seemed that Edward wasn't going to be ignored. Jacob scowled when he noticed Bella's ex hovering close by like a bad smell.
"What do you want?" Jacob muttered as he wrinkled his nose in disgust. Edward smelt worse than ever today. It was like he had dunked himself in some of Charlie's appalling aftershave. His scent was sickly sweet and cloying.
"Believe me you smell just as unpleasant." Edward retorted under his breath as he read Jacob's mind.
"Then back off." Jacob said irritably. He was trying to hold his breath, but he wasn't a vamp and couldn't hold it forever.
"I heard about Bella's little trip to the ER." Edward's golden brown eyes blazed at the thought of Bella coming to any kind of harm.
Jacob shot a withered glance in Carlisle's direction. He should have known the head vamp wouldn't have been able to keep that information to himself. "Then you would have also head that she was fine. It was an allergic reaction, that's all."
"This time." Edward scowled as Jacob's irritated thoughts were reflected back at him loud and clear. "Just because we're not together right now doesn't mean that I haven't stopped loving her."
"But she stopped loving you." Jacob reminded him bluntly as he failed to rise to Edward's bait. "Bella is not your concern anymore. So back off." He growled, before stalking off to join his brothers, leaving a seething Edward glowering after him.
Charlie noticed that Bella was frowning deeply as they watched the Mariners lose another game together. She had volunteered to keep him company because Billy had bailed on him to go on yet another date with Cora. He sighed, taking a long swig of his beer as he did so. He was touched that his daughter had offered to keep him company, but it also stung that she had done it because she probably felt sorry for him. He was also a little pissed at Billy for ditching him at the last minute. He remembered the heady days of his relationship with Renee. Billy was going through that stage now. Charlie found his mind wandering to Tori. He tried to imagine what she was doing now. Probably hotwiring another car. He shook himself and tried to concentrate on the game but Tori's attractive face kept popping up into his mind and distracting him. There was something about her he found compelling. He glanced to the side at Bella and noticed she was texting furiously on her cell.
"You don't have to stay in you know." He snapped, more harshly than he intended.
"What?" Bella looked at him in confusion.
"You obviously have other things to do and other places to be. Don't sit in here feeling sorry for me." Charlie knew he was being an ass but he couldn't help it.
"For goodness sake." Bella threw her cell to one side. She had been trying to delete all the text messages from Edward that had suddenly come through on her phone thick and fast in the last few moments. She hadn't heard from him since the break up and now he seemed intent on making contact again. "What is your problem, dad? I'm here aren't I."
"Not really." Charlie stared pointedly at her cell. "You haven't watched the game at all."
"Neither have you." Bella shot back. "I can tell you're wallowing and now you're taking out your pissy mood on me."
Charlie's lips thinned as he tore his gaze away from her and let it settle on the flat screen. The Mariner's fans sat in the stands looking as glum as he felt. He couldn't explain his dark mood. "I'm sorry." He muttered.
"Is it because of Billy?" Bella questioned thoughtfully. "Are you jealous of him being with Cora?"
"Hell no." Charlie protested. "I'm pleased he's found someone to connect with."
"Then what?" Bella continued to probe.
"I don't know." Charlie swirled his beer around in the glass. "I guess I'm just feeling left behind. I can't seem to get Tori out of my head either."
"What?" Bella looked at him sharply. His admission made her anxious. He sounded like she did when she had first become obsessed with Edward. She had spent every waking minute thinking about him constantly. It was like history repeating itself in reverse ."You need to forget her."
"It doesn't matter anyway. She didn't give me her number so the point is moot I guess." Charlie shut the conversation down and stared sullenly at the flat screen again.
Dread settled in Bella's gut as she fired off a quick text to Jacob. "Hurry up and come home. We need to talk about dad."
A/N-thanks for reading!