Hey guys, I know it's been too long. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't leave you guys hanging. I want to finish what I started. If you're still here with me, I'd love to hear from you. I've started back writing again, so I hope I can do this story justice. I rewrote the previous chapter a little bit. I apologize. I felt it was bare bones and ugly. Please bare with me. I want to get this going again.

Chapter 9 The Crossroads Are Never Fog Free

Coming back from laying Kenny down in his room, Jacob meets me in the hallway.

"Are you seriously going to act like you didn't just kiss me?"

"I like you. I want to get to know you. Why is that so hard to believe?" He takes a longer look at me wearing his shirt.

"I mean, this is sudden." Are we moving too fast? The last time someone asked to "get to know me" it was Mike getting to know my bank account. God I make bad choices.

"We've been talking over the phone. I wanna know more about you. I want you to know more about me than what you've heard. " His eyes veer away from me.

What the hell was that. People look away when they lie right. Or is this something else? Embarrassment?

I follow his eyes with mine, trying to regain eye contact. "Yeah, but that's not the same. I don't think you know anything about me at all other than the teacher and... Lexi." I roll my eyes. It's never the same, is it. I hate phone calls. They're so fake. Am I fake? No, I like him. I'm not fake. He's not fake. So we shouldn't be fake right? My fingers start to pull on the sleeves of my oversized, blue long john shirt. I need to change out of his shirt. This is getting awkward. When he finds out who I am, how broken I am, I bet he'll hate me. A weak doormat who doesn't know which way is up.

"What do you mean? I understand It's your job, but are you telling me it was just business? Did you not mean all those things you said? Were you pretending?" He takes a step forward, bringing his forehead closer to mine. We start to breath in each other's air. Oh my gosh, now he's making me dizzy.

I don't want to be weak. I don't like looking as desperate as I feel. "I was -" *You got me in chains…. You got me in chains for your love…*

"What the ...?" We end up snapping out of our daze. And now he's staring at my pocket.

It's my phone. Who could be calling me? Nobody ever calls me. "Haha, It's just my phone." I shakily pull it out of my pocket and answer without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?" Why am I so nervous.

"Why do you always say that like it's a question? It's me. Like do you not know whether or not you want to answer my phone calls?" Seth. He sounds a bit miffed.

I roll my eyes and try to fight the smile that's growing on my face. "Seth, why do you always call me when I'm least expecting it?" My sweet escape. He always saves me from myself.

"I don't know." I can practically hear his eyes rolling through the phone. " Look I'm coming over. As we both know there was a storm, so I know you're still home. And I have truffles, yes I said truffles. I'm trying this new savory thing at the bakery, and I want you to be the first to try it. Oh and I brought cupcakes and my famous praline whipped cream, you know, just in case the truffles are a fail."

"I'm not at home." I try to turn away from Jacob. He's making too much eye contact. He's making me nervous. Like he can hear everything that is coming out of Seth's big mouth.

"What do you mean you're not at home? I'm bringing whipped cream. You know every time I bring whipped cream, we always have fun."

"Whipped cream?", Jacob questions. Oh shit, Jacob heard. "Is there something you need to tell me? Are you in some sort of relationship with Seth?" Jacob's eyes tighten in confusion. My mouth gapes open and now I'm flapping like a fish out of water. He ignores me, and heads back down the hall toward Kenny's room.

"Wait , Is that Jacob in the background? How did you get over to his house? They just cleared the roads a half hour ago. You know where he lives?"

"Look, Seth I'll have to call you back later."

"What? Hell no. I told you to stay away from him. Why don't you ever listen to me, seriously."

"Seth I do take you seriously. Jesus, I won't be able to get over there because my car is wrecked to shit. Go home."

"Unh unh. No. Not gonna happen. I'm using the spare key to your place, because this shit has to go in the fridge. It's whipped cream for christ sake. Not to mention I have to feed your sorry ass sourdough starter because I need bread for the truffles. And let Jacob know, I'll be here when you get home sweet cheeks."

Hahahah. I can't even hold in my laughter at this point. "Sweet cheeks! Why do you get so goofy when you're upset with me?"

"Whatever, you'll see how sexy I am when you get home."

"So delusional, tsk tsk. I'll be home as soon as I can. And don't touch my expensive bottle of wine. Renee just sent that to me." *click* I almost yelled into the phone before he hung up.

I head back into Kenny's room. I rush to blurt "Look It's just Seth being Seth. He's one of my best friends. I'm not in a relationship with anyone. Um can you give me a ride home? I don't want Seth in my home unsupervised. Haha. My kitchen will look like a tornado ran through it. Haha. " He didn't say anything for a second.

Tucking Kenny under fresh covers, he takes a deep breath. I guess my joke wasn't that funny.

"Here," He digs in his back pocket, then tosses me his car keys. " I'll have Paul come by and pick it up. There won't be any school for a couple days anyway." He didn't even look at me. It's like he shut down.

*********==***************==**********++************* / -lapse-

I open my front door and almost trip for the hundredth time on a pair of blue and black New Balances.

"Jesus Christ, Seth haven't I told you not to leave your fucking shoes directly in front of the door. I damn near tripped and broke my ass."

"Honey! Welcome home." I roll my eyes as I head to the kitchen towards his voice.

" Cut the crap. Jacob isn't here." I look up to find an incredulous sight. "Ya know, I'm starting to think you should get your head checked." I burst into laughter. " And why do you always let yourself in my house?" I sputter as I stare bug eyed at his appearance.

He is wearing the pink maid apron Renee gave me last Christmas. He did a little sexy dance with his hips and I almost died. "The bread is in the oven. Do you want a cupcake now or later. On second thought, later. I don't want you to spoil dinner." He twisted his neck back toward the oven. My blue butterfly hair clip is keeping his long hair in a top knot. His strong jaw bone clenching as he stir fries something on the stove makes him look like a warrior or something. Why is this kind of a turn on? Oh god I've been working the sex line too long.

"Have you heard a single word I said? Gosh, i'm starting to regret those spare keys." His tight ass isn't helping either. Little Seth isn't so little anymore. His jeans hang low on his hips like an Abercrombie ad.

"What? I'm not allowed to get lonely?" he says playfully.

"You choose to be lonely. There's a difference. Besides, didn't you tell me that girl with the green eyes from the bakery keeps asking you out?" I grab a cube of cheese off the table and start nibbling. He doesn't say anything for a moment, so I turned around to face him.

His movements slow down and he cuts the stove off."I don't see her. I only see you. Why can't you understand that. Why don't you see me." His voice is low and deep now.

"Seth" He turns toward me. He tugs the ridiculous apron off and tosses it on the kitchen stool.

"Why is it always someone else." Why is his voice so dead and expressionless? We were just joking. Now it's like things have slowed down. I don't like seeing Seth like this.

"Seth" I call out slightly louder. Not this shit again.

"And now it's that fucking low life Jacob. All he does is drag people down to his shit hole." He starts shaking his head.

"Seth" I'm starting to raise my voice. Why won't you just shut up and be my friend. I'm not perfect, you're not perfect, nobody's perfect.

"All he does is steal. He stole Jessica's innocence. She got pregnant, was shunned from her family, and had to lose out on her big break. Why do you think she resents him so much? He stole Paul's dream of running the shop. Rachel and Paul were supposed to run the shop after they got married, while Jacob went to pursue a business law degree. He's a fuck up, a train wreck, Bella. If you only knew the half of it-"

"Seth." This is too much. I need to hear this from Jacob. Not Seth. It never sounds good coming from someone else.

" And now he is stealing you from me. Why can't you see, he's just another Mike. You fall for the same guy over and over!"

"SETH… That's enough" I feel my chest rising and falling. I can't breath. The room lacks color. My breath is labored and forced out.

"Did you sleep with him? Did you let him come inside of you? With Jacob that never ends well. I know you want a family, to feel needed. But you don't want his dysfunctional baggage. "

*SLAP*

Before I knew it, my hand slung forward and met his face. He doesn't lift his head. Thick tendrils of his hair are covering the front of his face. I can't control my breathing and now my eyes are clouded with angry tears. What do I look like. Some cheap whore?

"That's what you like right. For a man to disrespect you." He lifts up his head, and shows me an expression that I've never seen before. Something dark and ugly, full of love and sadness. "You belong with me. Not him, or anyone else. We can be something Bella. Don't abandon me, I love you. I am in love with you. I know the real you. He just wants to take from you. He's a taker."

He pulls me towards him, engulfing me in his warm arms. And I let it all go. I just start crying uncontrollably. He starts kissing up and down my neck. I can't focus. He starts rubbing one hand up and down my back. The other hand finds its way to my hair, and I start to breathe again, slowly. Is he right? Do I always take the wrong road. Am I leading myself in an endless circle. I can't trust myself. I can't focus.

"Bella let me take care of you. I love you. I will never hurt you." His had moves down to my waist and grips me closer. Holding my center secure, holding me together, we breathe together.