An Occasion
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
A/N-thank you for reviewing the last chapter.
Part Fifteen-Sam Uley
"So, it isn't just me he's been avoiding." Bella murmured. A sense of unease swept over her, making her forget about the two boys standing on her doorstep. She disappeared inside the house, returning seconds later with her rain jacket and the keys to the truck.
"Um…Bella…. what are you doing?" Embry asked in confusion.
"Huh?" Bella suddenly remembered that she wasn't alone. She flashed a sheepish smile in Embry and Quil's direction. "I'm thinking of taking a drive out to La Push. Do you boys want a lift?"
Quil gave her a cocksure smile in return. "Sounds good."
Embry rolled his eyes and pushed Quil's shoulder, making him stumble. "Settle down, stud. She's Jake's girl." He said in low voice so Bella wouldn't overhear. She was busy unlocking the truck.
"Are you sure about that?" Quil smirked, shoving Embry right back.
Bella glanced over her shoulder to find Quil looking smug and Embry glaring at him morosely. "You guys, okay?" She asked cautiously.
"We're fine." Embry answered curtly as he gave Quil a warning look.
Bella shrugged indifferently. She was too worried about Jacob to concern herself with his friends' petty arguments. The anxiety about his welfare was eating away at her and she just wanted to get moving. She climbed into the cab of the truck, fully expecting the boys to hop in the flatbed, but to her surprise they both entered the truck through the passenger side and squashed themselves on the bench seat beside her. The truck was roomy, but not enough for all three of them. Both Quileute boys were big like Jacob. She wondered what they were feeding them in La Push to make them grow so big.
Sighing irritably, Bella started the noisy engine and pulled out of the driveway. "So, when did you last see Jacob?" She probed, hoping to garner more information out of them.
"From a distance." Quil admitted.
"A distance?" Bella echoed him.
"He was with Sam and his crew." Embry added from right beside her. He was sitting so close she could feel the heat coming off his body.
"We tried to follow them." Quil leaned across Embry so he could make himself heard above the noisy engine. "We know Jake definitely saw us. But the whole lot of them turned and disappeared into the trees."
Bella paled considerably when she heard this. Quil's words had confirmed what she was already beginning to suspect. Why on earth hadn't she thought of it before? She castigated herself all the rest of the way to La Push, barely listening to the boys as they carried on with their explanation.
"Jacob never leaves Sam's side." Embry confided sullenly.
"Have you spoken to anyone about this?" Bella asked vaguely.
"I don't understand what changed him." Embry shook his head in despair. "We know he's been hanging out with you a lot of the time. You are what he always talks about. He's completely smitten…. then out of nowhere…. nothing!"
"That's why we thought you'd dumped him." Quil added. "Have you?"
Bella stared at both the boys for a prolonged moment. They were in La Push now, and her truck was barely crawling along the empty road. She could see the village's only store not too far ahead.
"My grandfather is on the council with Jacob's dad. Sam Uley is the best thing that ever happened to this place, as far as they're concerned. Telling them was pointless." Quil revealed, aggrieved.
As they passed the store, Bella pulled the truck over to the shoulder. "I'm going to let you out here, guys. I think its best if I go over to the Blacks' alone. Jacob might think we're ambushing him if we all turn up together."
Quil and Embry exchanged a long look.
"If you think that's best." Quil pushed open the passenger door and jumped out.
Embry hesitated before following his friend. "You know something, don't you?" He asked Bella astutely.
Bella locked eyes with him before nodding slowly. "Leave it with me, Embry. I promise Jacob will be in contact soon."
"Okay." Embry seemed reassured now that Bella was taking control. He gave her a grateful smile and finally exited the truck. "Good luck." He said, before pushing the door closed with a muffled clang.
"Thanks." Bella gave both boys a small wave as she made a quick U-turn and headed back toward the Blacks.'
Bella stopped in front of Jacob's house, killing the loud engine and rolling down one of the windows. Her eyes wandered over to the house and she immediately caught the front curtain twitching. Somebody was definitely inside.
Narrowing her eyes slightly, Bella climbed out of the truck and began to stride determinedly toward the house. The front door opened before she reached it and Billy emerged onto the front porch.
"Now is not a good time, Bella." He called out.
"I want to see Jacob." Bella yelled back.
"Jake isn't here."
"Then I'll wait."
Billy made a frustrated sound in the back of his throat at her stubbornness. "Alright, Jake is here." He admitted. "But he doesn't want to see you."
"That's too bad because he's going to see me anyway." Bella shrugged off her rain jacket and rolled up the sleeves of her shirt as if gearing up for a fight.
"As stubborn as your old man!" Billy complained. He began to roll his chair backwards in an attempt to get back inside the house and shut the door. He wasn't quick enough.
Bella rudely pushed past him and ran inside the house, calling out Jacob's name as she did so. "Jacob, its me! Come out! I'm sorry I called you a coward. I understand now!"
Then out of nowhere Jacob appeared. She hadn't even heard him approach. Her breath caught in her throat and she just stood staring at him. Jacob's face was bleak, brooding, his dark eyes hollow with lack of sleep.
"What are you doing here, Bella?"
"You know why I'm here." Bella answered weakly.
She just couldn't stop gaping at him. He had changed so drastically since the last time she had seen him in the flesh. The first thing she noticed was his hair – his beautiful hair was all gone, cropped quite short, covering his head with an inky gloss like black satin.
"Why did you cut your hair?"
Pain flashed in Jacob's eyes as he reached up to pull his hair back from his face only to find nothing there. "It's just more convenient this way." He mumbled, his face contorting as if hurt him to say the words.
Bella's gaze continued to roam the planes of his face. They seemed to have hardened subtly, tightened…. aged. He was tense, his neck and shoulders were thicker somehow and he had packed on a substantial amount of muscle in a short space of time.
"It's happened, hasn't it?"
"You need to leave, Bella." Jacob turned his head to one side in an attempt to hide his expression from her. His hands clenched into fists at his sides.
"You should do as he says, Bella." Billy said from behind her.
Bella spun around and faced the older man, two bright spots of red coating her cheeks. She was so angry. "This is your fault!" She accused. "He's suffering because you wouldn't tell him the truth!"
Billy blanched at the ferocity of her verbal attack. "This is not any of your business. Forget what you think you know and go home."
"Jacob is my friend. And what happens to him is very much my business." Bella scowled. "So, butt out, Billy Black!"
Billy fell silent, his eyes darkening and his mouth tightening into a thin line. He looked past Bella toward his son. Jacob's expression was inscrutable. When Bella turned to face him again, she was saddened to see the lack of warmth in his eyes. His open, friendly countenance was gone. The tendons and veins were prominent under his russet skin, as if he was exerting a lot of physical effort to maintain control of himself. It was like the sun inside him had imploded, leaving this brooding, resentful individual behind.
"Jacob?" Bella whispered bleakly.
Jacob continued to stare at her, his eyes tense and angry. "You need to go. We can't be friends anymore." His voice cracked at the end, revealing his silent agony.
"Okay." Bella hated the tremor in her voice. "You might not be my friend…but I'm still yours." She noticed his eyes turn a million hues. They were the forest and the fall leaves, the soil in summer and after the rains. In those earthy hues was his soul, reflecting his inner misery and hopelessness. "Let me help you, Jacob. You can trust me; you know you can." She pleaded.
Jacob took a deep, shuddering breath, his mouth opening as if he was going to answer her. Then it snapped shut, his gaze focusing on something behind her. Bella followed the direction of his gaze, only to find they were not alone. While she had all her attention on him, others had come into the house without her realising.
It was Sam Uley and his crew.
Bella studied the three russet-skinned individuals warily. They each had the same black hair, cropped short just like Jacob's. They could have been brothers. The resemblance was only intensified by the strikingly similar hostility in every pair of eyes.
Every pair that was except Sam Uley's. The oldest by several years, Sam stood at the head of the small group, his face serene and sure. Bella wanted to slap him; he was so unaffected by her presence. Instead, she thanked him. "I never got the chance to say thank you for taking me to the hospital."
Sam seemed unperturbed. "You're welcome." He replied quietly.
"And I want to thank you for keeping guard over my house." Bella's gaze swept the expanse of the group. "I've seen you. All of you. On several occasions."
"You're welcome." Sam said again, slight curiosity overtaking his face. He was clearly wondering what her game plan was. Her next words soon made that clear.
"But what I won't thank you for is making Jacob utterly miserable and cutting him off from his friends." Bella snapped angrily, her eyes narrowing. "That is unforgivable and I won't stand for it!"
The guy standing just behind Sam on his right side suddenly broke rank. He burst into gales of laughter. "Oooh burn!" He grinned. "She sure gave you a serve, Sam. Maybe she's been taking lessons from Leah."
"Shut up, Jared." Sam growled, reaching out with one hand and cuffing his companion around the back of the head none too lightly.
"Ow!" The guy revealed to be Jared rubbed the smarting spot on his scalp. "It was just a joke." He mumbled under his breath.
When Bella glanced at Jacob, he seemed a bit calmer now. She noticed him glance at Sam as if waiting for an order or something. It irked her considerably. Sam spoke to Jacob in an unfamiliar, liquid language – Bella could only guess it was Quileute. Jacob answered him, his eyes expressing his hopelessness. His mouth turned down at the corners and he abruptly walked out of the house without looking Bella's way.
"Jacob?" Bella called after him. "Where are you going?" She made as if to follow him but Sam blocked her path. "Get out of my way!" She demanded.
"He needs space." Sam explained, his tone not unkind. "Come back tomorrow at noon. He'll be in better frame of mind to speak to you then."
"Sam?" Billy questioned tensely.
Sam spoke to Billy rapidly in Quileute. Billy issued a sharp retort in the same language before throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation when Sam clearly wasn't backing down.
"Yes. Come tomorrow." Billy agreed grudgingly as he looked in Bella's direction. "But, please, I implore you to be careful."
"Why do I need to be careful?" Bella bristled. "Jacob would never hurt me."
"Not intentionally." Billy muttered, his resentful gaze drifting to Sam. "I hope we won't regret this."
Sam stared back; his expression stern. "Would you rather she was forced to go to the lengths that Leah did to see me?" He demanded.
For the second time that day Billy blanched. "That was different." He mumbled.
"It's exactly the same." Sam growled. He made another brief comment in Quileute that made Billy flinch again, before striding out of the house, motioning for the others to follow.
A/N-thanks for reading!