Jacob PoV

I couldn't keep my eyes from her.

I knew, I should be the gentleman and look away so she could get dressed but something much stronger told me to stay. Which was a good thing because the minute she tried to stand up she fell right back and would've hurt herself if I hadn't caught her in time.

My fingers burned where they touched the bare skin of her back and her legs. "Careful Bella," I said quietly. "You are just getting better; a bleeding head won't help."

Without effort I stood up, trying hard to keep my eyes on her face. It was as red as I imagined mine to be and her eyes were firmly closed. She probably wished herself in any other place than this. I, on the other side, couldn't be happier.

Yes, the circumstances could've been better, but having Bella right here in my arms with only a thin towel between us was like a dream come true. My body began to react, and I could only hope she wouldn't notice. I doubted it would help our friendship if she knew how I felt right now.

I placed her carefully on her bed, pulling up the covers to her chin. Only then did she open her eyes, careful not to look me in the face.

I had to laugh. "Bells, it's okay. It wasn't your fault, and I didn't look, promise."

Still the blush in her face remained and I sat down on her writing desk chair to give her some space. It definitely wasn't what I wanted but I felt that she could use the space. I tried to steer the conversation in another direction. "Are you feeling better today?"

She nodded, clinging hard to the cover. "Where have you been? You were gone when I woke up this morning."

I grinned. "Well, I figured Charlie would check on you before he left, and it would not be good if he saw me in bed with you. Even without anything happening. And I had to check in with Sam and tried to reschedule. I'm on patrol duty tonight so I can spend the day here with you."

"Don't you have school?"

"A day of skipping never hurt anyone." Apart from that, what good was school nowadays? Sam kept us on patrol night and day and the rest of the time we used for sleeping and eating. None of us went to school regularly anymore, apart from Seth because he was too young, in Sam's opinion, to quit. He didn't think much of our own education. Apparently hunting vampires was more important than getting a diploma. He was right in some ways because what good was a diploma to us anyway? It wasn't like one of us would ever leave the reservation and go to college or even get a regular job somewhere. Hunting vampires was our only job, at least for now.

"Jake, school is important. You shouldn't skip only to spend a day with a sick friend."

It was adorable how she worried about me and my education. Even if the word friend stung a little.

"Bells, first, school may be important but caring for you is way more important to me. Second you are not just any friend, you are my best friend and most important person in my life. And third, spending the day with you is far more fun than sitting around in school all day learning stuff you'll never need again."

She blushed again and lowered her head to look at the blanket. I couldn't help it. I just had to stand up and sit on the edge of her bed again. I gently placed a hand on hers which played nervously with her blanket. "Bells, it's alright." When she didn't look up, I placed one hand under her chin, forcing her head up to look at me. "Bella, I came here last night to apologise. For everything. I shouldn't have yelled at you and I shouldn't have said these things. This is your private business and I have no right to intrude. I just really like you and it pains me to see you hurt."

Bella looked at me for a long time, thoughtful as if she were searching for something. Then she sighed. "No, I have to apologise. All these months you were there for me, listening to my stories about him and the Cullens and how bad he hurt me. All the time you didn't complain when I told you the same stories over and over. Even when I pulled back from you back at the cinema, you didn't complain. You helped me with the motorcycles, helped me when I wanted to jump down this cliff. You were right when you said it is sick. Because it is sick. He left me, told me he didn't love me and still I try everything to see him again, just a vision, a fleeting image. You are right when you say I hold on to the past, ignoring the present and the future. I really want to let the past go, let him go but I sometimes fear I am not strong enough for this. It is so much easier to stay in the past than to face the future."

Her words stirred something in me, a feeling of light anger but also a very deep sadness. What had become of this beautiful girl which had been so full of life and happiness? Once more I cursed the bloodsuckers for what they did to her.

To Bella.

My Bella.

She had been mine long before she met this bloodsucker. And now I wanted her back. Wanted my Bella back, the smiling, laughing girl and not this empty shell she had become.

I used my grip on her chin to stop her from lowering her head again. I looked her straight in the eyes as I carefully chose my next words.

„Bella, you are not weak. You are so much stronger than you know. You survived vampires and werewolves and you 've never been afraid once. Any other person I know would long have been running away, screaming their lungs out. But not you. You 've seen what I've become and still you stay at my side like nothing had changed. You are strong, Isabella Swan and I know you can do it. You can let the past go. " I ignored my warning mind and cupped her head with my hands. Uncertainty showed in her eyes and I would have given anything to make it go away. And maybe I could.

„Besides, you are not alone in all this. I am here and I am not going to leave you. I will help you if you let me. "I lowered my head until my forehead touched hers. It was all I could do to make her see the truth in my words.

She didn't answer. Instead, she looked at me real long until all of a sudden tears began streaming down her face. Her whole body shook with quiet sobs and she threw her arms around me, burying her face at my chest. I held her as tight as I dared, careful not to crush her. I was still learning to cope with my new strength.

When the sobbing didn't stop, I knew this would take some time. A wound had to bleed out before it could heal. After a while I pulled her closer and made my way carefully up her bed until I could stretch out and place her at my side. She seemed to have calmed down a little by now, but the tears were still running freely down her cheeks. I put the blanket around her body, remembering that she was still naked under the covers. But sex was the last thing on my mind right now. Now she just needed me to hold her and this I did for a very long time.