I don't know how many times i have to stress this. I am NOT STEPHENIE MEYER. None of these characters are mine EXCEPT Malia. Malia is all mine. But everyone else's is hers. I noticed I made some spelling mistake errors on the last chapter, and I wrote four instead of five when counting the wolf pack at the bonfire. But that's about it. ENJOY :DDDDD!
Chapter 23: Caller
Charlie and I walked back inside, and hung our jackets up, we sat in the kitchen in silence for an hour at the table while Charlie drank a few beers watching the television from afar, not knowing what to talk about.
"So, is Sue doing well? I mean, not well, but is she doing okay? How was dinner?" I asked Charlie.
"Yeah for the most part as any woman can be, I guess. I don't know. She seems to be fine."
"That's good," I nodded at him.
"Well, the funeral was nice right? A lot of people showed up. Harry had a lot of friends."
"Yeah, it was nice." I kept nodding at him.
"You okay, kiddo? How was the bonfire?" He seemed curious to talk about this since the car ride home.
"It was fine. Leah and Seth didn't talk much."
"Well, I'm surprised they hung around." We paused abruptly on our conversation until he decided to ask more about it, "So, Malia. Is that Jacob's new girl?" I paused again; I didn't know how to answer that question other than a simple yes. Maybe she was Jacob's new girl, and I was his old girl. Well, I guess I never was his girl to begin with, but sure, his 'new girl.'
"I guess so. I've never seen her before or even knew about her."
"Well that's unlike the Black kid to not talk to you about that. I haven't seen you and him hanging out recently this week. Thought maybe it was because of the grieving. Is she nice?"
"Yeah, she's nice. We got to know each other pretty okay tonight." Well, it seemed she got to know more about me. I didn't dare to ask about her, and I didn't think I wanted to know her that well. I guess I should though in a way if she's going to be around. But, if she's around, maybe I won't be around. Maybe Jacob won't invite me to hangout anymore, after all, he's a werewolf with a tight schedule who now has to make plans around having a girlfriend.
"Oh? Where is she from anyways?" Charlie asked again, pondering the look on my face.
"I don't know. Maybe down the road at the other reservation. I didn't ask." Charlie grumbled a bit at my response. His face disorienting in different facial expressions.
"Sorry, you said you got to know her during the bonfire, so I assumed."
"I did, yeah. Well, no. She asked me more questions than I asked her." Another moment paused before we started speaking again, "Should I make more casseroles for Sue this week?"
"Sure, if you would like to. I can bring them by to them. I don't want to bother her too much, but I could drop off one to her again. Apparently, it was a big hit, you did good Bells."
"Thanks, um, I'm going to go upstairs and get in the shower. See you in the morning" I sat up from the table, kicking off my shoes against the wall next to the staircase next to my sneakers.
"Hey, Bells?" Charlie exclaimed when I started walking up the banister, "be happy for him, m'kay?"
I nodded at him and proceeded up the staircase. I opened the bathroom door and immediately locked it. I forwarded my body onto the bathroom counter looking in the mirror at myself, twirling pieces of loose hairs. I looked like a mess. Why didn't I brush my hair before I went to the funeral? I stood back up, unzipping my dress, and shimming it down past my legs. I flung it to the wall of the bathroom and continued to look at myself in the mirror of my half nude body. I ran my fingers across it again, but my hands were cold. They didn't mimic any warmth, but what warmth? What was I trying to feel? I shouldn't be trying to feel any warm palms on my skin, unless they were my own. I sulked in the mirror once more and turned on the shower water waiting for it to get warm.
After I got in the shower, I turned the heat a little higher, just standing there in it thinking. I found my thoughts going elsewhere, back to Edward. If Edward was here, I wouldn't be feeling like this. Feeling this weird jealousy that's flooding my head, my emotions. After all, I rejected Jacob on countless occasions and if I'm not lying to myself, I probably would've still rejected him. I should be happy. I should be happy for him. I just wish Edward was here to make me happy, to make me forget about the world around me.
I found myself humming my lullaby that Edward used to dedicate to me on the piano. The one that he would hum to me gracefully until I fell asleep. I wonder if Edward has found a new 'mate.' And if he's happy, forgetting about me too. It would be ridiculous to think that since he hasn't found anyone before meeting me, but maybe I opened up his mind to dating again. Maybe he is out there, running through the city at night, running down the shores on the coast, and hunting with a new mate. One that he didn't have to change to a vampire because she already was one. One that wasn't such a nuisance in his life or a problem, one that wasn't human. I grabbed the soap and just began to scrub my body, and shave my legs, trying to shake off the tears that filled my eyes. I'm just a normal Bella Swan.
I got out of the shower and tried to squeeze the water from my hair with a towel. I combed out the tangles and wrapped another dry towel around me. I left the bathroom and opened my bedroom door, where a cool breeze filled my room. I looked over at the open window not remembering that I had left it open in the first place. I walked over to close it shut to stop the cool breeze from filling in. As I shut it, I heard my bedroom door shut. I whisked myself around quickly with a small screech fleeing my throat where I dropped my towel halfway. Only holding it by one hand that had it clenched against my chest, but my entire back side and half of my chest was left uncovered. Jake turned around towards me, and his eyes popped open.
"Oh, Bella I'm so sorry I didn't mean to scare you." A wide smile crossed his face with a small chuckle leading at the end of his sentence as he turned around in respect to my half naked body.
"Jacob! What the fuck?!" I screeched at him, but in a whisper so that Charlie couldn't hear. "What are you doing here? Get out!"
"I- I just wanted to drop by. You were quiet today, well quiet towards me. I didn't mean to barge Malia on you like that."
"No, it's fine. She's nice." I shook my head at him, wrapping the towel more secure around my body, "Can you throw me my robe?" I held my arm out to him from across the room and he grabbed the robe off the hook on my door and tossed it to me. I turned towards the window taking the towel off, and wrapping the robe around me, tying it securely. "Thanks, can you give me a minute?"
I shuffled over to my closet, grabbing some tight sweatpants and a t-shirt a size too big on me to throw on. I shoved passed him to get out the door and closed it behind me. I walked into the bathroom looking at the mirror, and my expression grew wild.
Jacob just saw me nude. Jacob just saw my breast. Jacob saw my body. I don't know how to feel, I can't sit in here all night.
I grabbed my comb, and ran it through my hair once more, and put on the sweatpants and t-shirt. I left the bathroom closing the bathroom door to signal Charlie that I was heading off to bed. I went down the staircase to check on him, but he was already asleep on the couch. I ran back up into my room opening the door trying to avoid the creaking sound, and then shut it softly behind me. Jacob was lying down on my bed twiddling his thumbs looking up at the ceiling until I walked in.
"I wanted to talk to you." He looked over at me talking slowly without emotion.
"What about?"
"About Malia." He paused his sentence, "I just want you to know you're still welcome at the reservation and we can still hangout. Paul, Jared, Embry, and Quil still like being around you. And Seth and Leah will, too."
"Seth and Leah?" I asked him, confused.
"Yeah, they shifted recently when the red head came back into town. She's gone now it seems. I don't think she's coming back."
"And Quill, too?"
"Yeah, he's pretty excited about it actually once the secret was out there. I think he's the most raved up about it." He chuckled a bit. I joined in on the laugh as well.
"That's definitely Quil, alright," I said and we both looked at each other and laughed some more. I walked over to my side of the bed and laid down next to him, completely forgetting what happened five minutes ago. It was good to laugh with him. It felt normal. "Jake?" I laid there on my back looking at the ceiling, "I'm sorry about the hospital. It just was raw in that moment. I didn't think Alice would leave," I felt the tears swelling up in my eyes again.
"Bella, stop. I'm not gonna sit here while you cry over your beloved blood suckers. You know, they have been gone for almost as long as they were in your life, and you're still gushing over them. I don't get it." He began muttering under his breath some more, he seemed annoyed.
"Jake, I don't mean to you know that-"
"Yes, you do. And Bella, I thought we had a moment."
"We did-"
"Yeah until one of them shows up and calls your house phone."
"Yes, and I'm sorry about that, but Jake I-" he kept interrupting, not letting me finish my sentences.
"And then I meet someone, I meet Malia and it doesn't even phase you. As if I never meant anything in that way to you."
"So, you were trying to make me jealous? Jake that's not fair to her."
"No, it wasn't to make you jealous, and I get it, you say you only see me as a friend and nothing more, but I don't believe that. We had a moment, and then it's over after you get a call from them and you break down crying over them again?"
"Well, yeah she probably was calling to say she was on her way back until you answered the phone, and so she left."
"No, Bella. It wasn't Alice, and she came by to tell you goodbye, but I took you to hospital instead and she told me to tell you she was leaving. Leaving you, Bella. They don't want to be here anymore, and you keep spawning after them as if they wanted you in their lives still."
I paused for a second, trying to understand what Jacob was saying. It wasn't Alice? Well who called?
"What?" I asked, my voice breaking.
"See, you're doing it again." Jacob said in an annoyed tone.
"No, Jacob, who called?"
"Huh?" He sounded confused by the question.
"Who called, Jacob!?" My voice started to raise, and I pulled myself up to sit on the bed.
"I-" Jacob choked up on his words, not knowing how to say what he was trying to hide. I slammed my fists on the bed agitated over him dodging the question.
"Jacob, WHO CALLED!?" I yelled at him, loud enough for Charlie to hear if he were in his bedroom, but luckily, he was downstairs asleep on the couch. Jacob then sat up on the bed, his eyes looking at me like a deer caught in the headlights. He shook the facial expression off, and got up off the bed, standing on the squeaky floorboards, looking at me.
"Your beloved bloodsucker that you care so much about" He gave me a stern facial expression, his fists balled. He didn't say no more.
Tears began to stream down my face, and my chest began to breathe fire again, the mallet beating against it, the air getting tighter, my ears popping. I rolled myself in a fetal position grabbing the pillow to my lap screeching into it. I felt Jake climb back onto the bed again and he began rubbing my back.
"Bella, I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything," his voice croaked.
"Why didn't you tell me. I could've talked to him"
"He hung up on you, besides he asked for where Charlie was, not you."
"I don't care who he asked for, you should've never answered the phone. It should've been me. I could've heard his voice. I could've talked to him."
"No, Bella, he hung up once you began to speak. I don't think he wanted to talk to you." That must've been why Alice left. When I answered the phone, I thought it was her calling. I said, 'Sorry, Alice.' She must've left when Edward found out she was here. Why would it have even mattered if she was here to him? Why would he have even cared, it's not like he was the one here. She's the one that checked up on me to make sure I was okay, not him. But what if that's why he called? To check up on me? And I never even knew it was him.
The tears began to stream out of my eyes more, soaking the pillowcase. I didn't feel Jacob touching me anymore, I don't think he was on the bed either. I looked up and he proceeded to walk across the floorboards in one particular area that kept squeaking. I looked up at him sniffling and whipping my cheeks with my shirt.
"Jacob, what are you doing?" I kept looking at him as he paced over the same floorboards. He kept sniffing around a little bit, strangely locating something like a dog. He got down on the ground and opened my side table drawers open. He pulled out a flathead screwdriver that I didn't actually notice was in there. Jacob proceeded to use it to dig between the grooves in the floorboards, lifting one up. I peered over at the floorboard, seeing a hollow space with a recognizable box inside. He lifted it out and set it on the floor next to the hole and closed the floorboard back up. He opened it up and my eyes filled with more tears. I covered my mouth wincing in disbelief. Jacob shuffled through the CD and the pictures and plane tickets. He looked up at me in disbelief as well.
"You kept all this. And hid it?" He sounded confused and hurt.
"What? Jacob no, I didn't know they were even there. Oh my-"
"Yeah? You didn't? Again, Bella. I'd like to say I'm sorry for assuming you were showing me affection, and assuming that we had a chance, or assuming that you were stringing me along, but no. You were stringing me, and all while keeping this stuff as well. Hidden away, but easy enough access to get back to it."
"Jacob, no I swear I didn't know. He must've put it there. I thought they were all gone, I thought he took them." I saw him get back up and lightly kicked the box across the floor against the wall. He began taking his shirt off and unbuttoning his pants. I assume he was about to leave to go into wolf form. "Please, Jacob don't leave, please. PLEASE," I broke off in more sobs and tried to force air into my depleted lungs. I reached out to him and he looked over at my hand.
"Give me a reason to stay, Bells. Please, give me a reason." He looked at me with grief in his eyes, and a few tears swelling in them. "Give me a good enough reason to not leave, go back to the pack, and live the rest of my life without being hurt by you over and over."
I couldn't think what to say, I kept feeling choked up. I saw him turn around impatiently back to the window.
"Jacob, kiss me." He stopped as soon as one leg was already out the window. "Jacob please, come here and kiss me." He climbed back out of the window into my room and marched over to me, grabbing my face into his hands, with one hand letting go of my jaw and it reaching down to my waist pulling me up to him, until I was on my knees on the bed. He pulled me in and started kissing me, so passionately. His mouth was much more different, his breath was hot, but not musty. His lips were scolding, like fire pressing against mine, but it was comfortable. He forced my lips to part with his and I wrapped my arms around his neck, grabbing a handful of his hair in my grasp. I pulled him down till I was sitting back on top of my bed again. He let go of my waist to support himself on the bed till he was fully on top of it, grabbing my waist again, grabbing a fist full of my shirt into his grip tugging on it, but not pulling it off. I was lying on my back with his torso in between my legs. He let go of my waist and grabbed my leg, pulling it around his torso, and rolling onto his back keeping me connected to his chest. We moved our bodies together, in a soft grinding motion, but not a full grind. I never felt something so warm against my body, or well me against something so warm. It was comfortable, it was nice.
A small tap hit the window. I broke the kiss and looked over, seeing what it was. Must've been the tree branch outside of my window sliding across the glass during the small winds blowing in the night air. I looked back over, and Jacob had his eyes closed, his mouth still parted, waiting for me to return to his lips. I sighed to make a discrete alert to him that the moment had ended. I rolled off him, and he looked up at me confused.
"Jake, would you mind staying the night?" I asked him shyly. It would be nice to be bundling up against him. The warmth emitting off his skin. He sat up and took a deep breath smiling at me with the biggest cheesy grin.
"Bells, I would love to, but" he paused his sentence.
"But, Malia..." I drowned out the name.
"No, not that. I got to run patrols tonight. I was supposed to leave anyways, but I asked Sam if I could come and talk to you really quick before I took my night shift. Paul should be waiting for me at the Reservation border line. And I'm sure he's been waiting for a while by now," He looked at me, as if he was glum to have to go.
"Oh, I understand." I looked down at my sheets, pulling on them and fidgeting my body to get comfortable again. He lifted himself off the bed and headed towards the window, stopping himself, and turning back around towards me. He leaned down and kissed the top of my head, caressing my cheek.
"Please don't forget the moment. Please, I'll see you soon." He lifted himself off of me, and went back towards the window, "Goodbye, Bella." He smiled at me as he leaped out. I heard him thud to the ground outside my window. I got up, and went to the window, poking my head out watching him leave. He stopped in his tracks, looking around.
"Jacob?" I asked him, leaning out the window.
He turned his body around quickly and looked up at me with a worried face expression.
"Vampire," he said.