An Occasion

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.

A/N-thank you very much to everyone who kindly read and reviewed the last chapter.

Part Two-The Not So Great Escape

"Hey, I'm so sorry I'm making you do this, Jacob." Bella apologised once they'd made it outside the school without incident.

"I don't mind that much." Jacob grinned. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he looked down at her.

"I think you're actually quite enjoying this." Bella mused.

"Maybe." Jacob laughed.

Dusk had come sooner than expected, the last of the sun's rays cosseted behind soft grey cloud. The parking lot had taken on the look of an old photograph, every familiar thing a shade of grey. The distant trees were crazy silhouettes against the newly silver sky, its blue hue gone until dawn. Their branches swayed in the wind, creaking into the gusting air.

Bella shivered in Jacob's arms. All the silk and chiffon she was wrapped in was hardly conducive to warmth.

Jacob noticed. "You're cold." His eyes raked quickly over her ridiculous dress.

Being very careful not to jostle the bulky cast covering her leg, Jacob gently lowered Bella to the ground. He balanced her against him, his hands hesitating at her waist, and he glanced at her bum leg. "We can't have you freezing to death on the ride home." He murmured. "What to do?"

"I'm fine, Jacob. Honestly." Bella lied as she remained huddled next to him, desperately trying to steal some of his body warmth. She was envious that he was able to maintain so much body heat, even on such a chilly evening.

"You are so not fine." Jacob thought for a minute, before suddenly taking Bella completely by surprise as he began unbuttoning his white, long sleeved shirt.

"Um, Jacob, what exactly are you doing?" She asked cautiously. "Please tell me you're not going to strip in the parking lot?"

"Its deserted. No one will see." Jacob peeled the shirt from his upper torso and held it out to Bella. "Put it on. Its not a jacket, but it's the best I can do."

"Are you kidding?" Bella shivered as she reached out to take it. She watched to see if Jacob was just playing tough so she wouldn't have to worry about him sacrificing his own wellbeing to keep her warm. But he looked comfortable enough.

As she slipped her arms gratefully into the sleeves of the borrowed shirt, she studied Jacob discreetly. He really did look older than his age-not quite twenty-five, but older than she did. For all that Jacob had claimed to be skeleton in the past, he was sporting some serious muscle. The muscles were the long, wiry kind, but they were definitely there under the smooth skin. His skin was such a pretty colour, it made her jealous.

It didn't take long for Jacob to notice her scrutiny. "What?" He asked, suddenly self-conscious.

"Nothing." Bella mumbled, her face heating up. She was glad it was so dark, otherwise he would notice her cheeks blazing. "I just hadn't realised before." She clumsily worked her fingers along the buttons of his shirt, struggling in her embarrassment to loop them through the holes.

"Hadn't realised what?"

"Um…. did you know, you're sort of beautiful?"

Once the words slipped out, Bella wished she could stuff them back in her mouth. She worried he might take her impulsive observation the wrong way and think she was coming onto him.

But thankfully, Jacob just rolled his eyes. "I think the cold is definitely getting to you."

"I'm serious."

"Well, then, thanks. Sort of." Jacob chuckled.

Bella smiled sheepishly. "You're sort of welcome."

Jacob had left his mountain bike propped up against the bole of a tree in the far corner of the parking lot. Even in the sliver of light coming from the street lights, Bella could see that the bike looked well used, but the frame seemed sturdy and the tires new. It was the type of bicycle designed for off road cycling. The heavy-duty construction combined with stronger rims and wider tires made this style of bicycle popular with urban riders and couriers who must navigate through potholes and over curbs.

"I think we may actually be able to do this." She said to Jacob hopefully as she hobbled alongside him, holding onto his arm for support.

Jacob grimaced as he glanced down at her bum leg. Unlike her, he remained unconvinced, but he had promised and wasn't willing to let her down until they had at least tried to make it work. "Okay, let's do this!" He said, injecting some false cheer into his tone.

Their first attempt was a complete failure. There was no way that Bella was going to be able to balance on the handlebars like she'd envisioned, not with the bulky cast weighing her down.

Frustrated tears filled her eyes. "Jacob, it won't stay up." She complained.

"Calm down." Jacob hushed her. "We just need to do some adjusting." He pondered the problem for a few seconds. "Let's try this way instead."

Bella found herself being lifted again, before being deposited gently on the mountain bike's saddle. It wobbled slightly as she fought for balance. Jacob, who was standing behind her, straddled the back of the bike, reached his long arms around her, laying both of his hands over hers and curling her fingers around the handle bars. With his support, she found her equilibrium.

"Much better." She muttered. "Now what?"

"All you need to do is stay still." Jacob's warm breath was close to her ear as he leaned across her. He raised one foot and placed it on the right peddle.

"Jacob, what are you doing?" Bella said suspiciously when he wrapped one muscled arm around her waist. His bare chest was pressed against her back; he was just a little too close for comfort.

"Bella, you can't peddle this thing. That's gonna be my job. And if I don't hold you, you're more than likely to fall off and hit the tarmac." Jacob pointed out reasonably. "And this whole thing was your idea, so….?"

"K.' I guess that makes sense." Bella relaxed a little, not willing to admit to herself that she found their sudden intimacy rather enthralling. Her stomach was full of butterflies, which she put down to nervous excitement.

"I'm going to push off. Are you ready?"

"Uh huh." Bella muttered, afraid to say more. She stared straight ahead of her, trying to discern the way ahead.

"Now this is crucial, Bella." Jacob stressed. "Just keep as still as you can and keep your fingers wrapped around the handlebars."

Bella flexed her fingers. Jacob's right hand was still over hers, his left arm clamped around her waist. She heard him take a deep breath from behind, and then they were off.

The bike wobbled under Bella, yanking her forward. She gasped in surprise, thankful for the arm Jacob had anchored around her. She heard him laugh quietly at her discomfiture. It was complicated, and took some time to find the perfect rhythm, but somehow, they were managing. Jacob was doing all the hard work. He peddled furiously, while she stayed balanced in front of him on the saddle. When they reached the road, he pumped the peddles hard, before relaxing for a second as their fast momentum propelled them forward.

A light rain began to fall. The bicycle wheels turned on the wet road, the speed bringing the cold rain into their faces, harder than it would have been had they been walking. The lights of Jacob's bicycle shone as smudged stars, the rain mist bringing up goose pimples on Bella's skin. Even though his upper torso was bare, Jacob remained unaffected by the evening chill.

Bella leaned over the crossbars, staring down at the road's slick surface, it looked like glistening ebony. A small laughed escaped her lips. Stuck between the wheel and the fork of the front suspension were soft leaves, their stems striking the spokes as the wheel turned. It made her head dizzy, seeing them move so fast. Straightening her neck, she looked upward at Jacob's determined face. His gaze was concentrated on the road ahead, his whole focus on keeping the bike steady as he pedalled.

Bella smiled slightly-it was working-Jacob was keeping her safe. She felt like she was flying. The wind blew her hair back from her face, the adrenaline coursed through her body, thrilled by her grand escape. The trees that lined the road, blurred into a wall of green as they coasted smoothly along the road.

Since the beginning of their journey, Bella hadn't allowed herself to think of what Edward's reaction would be. In her desperate need to escape, she had pushed it to the back of her mind. Now she began to worry. She could picture the anger on Edward's face once he discovered she was gone, she envisioned the hurt. He would be deeply upset because of her reckless behaviour, as well as feeling betrayed. The flicker of rebellion inside her turned to dust as she worried about the consequences of her foolish escapade. She had been stupid and selfish to involve Jacob in all of this. Her childish behaviour could get them both in some serious trouble.

What had she been thinking?

Bella's stomach contorted; she could see the moon peeking from underneath the grey clouds. She wished there was some way to explain to Edward how very uninterested she was in things like prom. It may be seen as a rite of passage for a girl, but to her it was an ordeal. But then she remembered that she had told him all of this already…and still he had ignored her wishes and tricked her into going anyway.

"Jacob, I'm sorry."

"What for?" Jacob glanced down at her in confusion.

"This was a mistake."

Jacob sensed her change in mood. "Bella, what's really going on?"

"Nothing." Bella hung her head to hide the growing misery reflected on her face. "I – "

Her explanation was cut off by the roar of an engine coming from behind them. The road had been quiet thus far.

The bike was suddenly unstable beneath Bella, wobbling from one side to the the other as Jacob lost his concentration. The bike began to veer to one side as a flash of silver darted past them. Bella felt the weight of her bulky walking cast dragging her down. Jacob was desperately trying to steer the bike, but it collapsed under their shared weight, and the sudden shift in equilibrium pushed the bike toward the ground.

A pained cry left Bella's throat as the back of her head hit the ground smartly as the bike skidded to one side. Jacob just about managed to fling himself out of the way so he didn't end up landing on top of her. Bella groaned. She couldn't see. Her face was mashed into the moss on the verge of the road. She tried to lift her head, but there was something in the way. She felt dizzy and confused.

"Bella!" Jacob yelled; he was soon kneeling by her side. He turned Bella over so she could breathe.

"What happened?" Bella mumbled incoherently.

"Your psychotic boyfriend happened. He nearly ran us off the road." Jacob crouched over her anxiously, breathing heavily. One hand hovered near her face. "Are you okay? Where does it hurt?"

In the background Bella finally became aware of the familiar sound of the Volvo's engine. Seconds later Edward appeared behind Jacob, his white face morphing into an expression of concern as he looked down at her. "Bella, are you alright? Talk to me."

"My head hurts." Bella mumbled, she touched her forehead and her fingers came away sticky with blood.

"Bella, stay still. You've got a huge cut on your forehead, and its gushing blood. You need to go to hospital." Jacob informed her. He was completely ignoring Edward as he focused all his attention on her, though Bella sensed the angry tension building inside him.

Edward moved closer, his eyes narrowing. He then spoke in a voice so peaceful and gentle that it made the words strangely more threatening. "In any other circumstances I would kill you for taking Bella against her will and hurting her. But, lucky for you, I won't this time because I know how much it would upset her. So, I suggest you stand to one side so I can take care of her."

Bella noticed the anger slowly forming in Jacob's dark eyes. "Jacob?" She said weakly. "Don't…."

Her weak protestations fell on deaf ears as Jacob pushed himself back onto his feet and turned to face Edward.

Bella wasn't prepared for what happened next….

A/N-thanks for reading! Please review.