Chapter 2:
Early morning light seeped through the lilac curtains of Bella's room basking her arm in a warm glow. Edward's cool touch provided some relief to the warm temperature of the room as he continued to hold Bella as she slept.
During the night Edward had called his family to reaffirm his hunting plans. Alice, Jasper and Rosalie were to accompany him up to the border of Canada, although originally Emmett was also to join them, but Edward insisted Emmett remain at the main house with his parents to keep Bella safe whilst he was gone. Much to Rosalie's dismay.
'Paranoid freak,' He had heard Rosalie mutter in the background of the phone call. She was quickly chastised by Carlisle for the impolite comment on her behalf. God, Edward wished he could have seen the look on her face at that moment. It was a good thing Edward found Rosalie's anger mostly amusing because she was angry most of the time. Though, he cursed the ways Rosalie would insult and threaten Bella in her thoughts. Edward knew that she mainly did this to annoy his self but he could still feel the genuine jealously which she harboured for Bella surface during her bitey remarks.
Quickly, Edwards' thoughts were replaced with concern for Bella as her breaths became more rapid and shallow. Another nightmare. There was little he could do for her in that moment but to try and soothe her by wrapping Bella in a loving embrace. No more than a second later Bella's frantic eyes opened to see her boyfriend waiting for her to patiently explain herself. At first, she focused on her breathing, making sure it was calm and deep, before attempting to ease Edward's concerns.
'I had a dream about Renee,' Bella tactfully lied. 'With Phil out on the road more often I've been worried about her being on her own. It feels like I've left my child alone for the first time.' Bella tried to reason with humour. It was awful, lying to Edward, but she knew she could not be fully honest with him.
Edward began to weigh up whether he should finally directly ask Bella what was bothering her or to play along with her obvious lie.
He made a quick decision, 'Why don't we go down to see your mom again before college starts up?'
It was best not to challenge her today as he was leaving in a few hours and knew he could never leave Bella in a middle of an argument. As a notoriously bad liar, Bella was surprised that Edward was content with her explanation. Guilt panged in Bella's conscience. Maybe he just trusts your word.
Smiling meekly, Bella leant in to give a kiss on the cheek, 'Thank you for being so kind. But you know there's no way I'm letting you pay for my ticket.' Quickly, Bella left her bedroom before Edward could protest.
Edward admired her ambition and it reminded him of all the other reasons he loved her.
XXX
Solemnly, small droplets scattered themselves across the small Washington town. It was a day not out of the ordinary for Forks; the sky seemed to be permanently marred with swirling navy and plumb clouds which hinted that a rainstorm was due. The woodland was still vibrant with wildlife which were used to the humid feeling of the forest. Smell of rain was the feature most Forks residents enjoyed about living in such a wet climate – in particular the Quileute Tribe who were more in tuned with nature than the average citizen of the town.
The moist soil was like quicksand to Jacob as he paced back and forth along the muddy skirting of the forest. His bare feet were sinking into the wet sludge with each step he made, making an irritating squelching sound. Little droplets of rain were navigating their way down the labyrinth of Jacob's naked chest desperate to return to the earth. Luckily, Jacob's natural warmth provided a relief from the coldness of the weather.
Jacob was hoping that Bella would be driving herself today, so that he would not have to acknowledge him. Recklessly, Jacob punched the nearest tree at that very thought. For a moment his body trembled at the unsavoury thought. Even before he phased Jacob thought Bella having a boyfriend was an awful scenario but it became truly nightmarish when he realised the full risks of their entanglement. Of course, it had been Billy that paid Jacob to warn Bella of the dangers of him, which felt lame at the time but seemed perfectly reasonable now.
That is why Jacob had been so insistent to spend as much time with Bella this summer – to show her the good parts of life she would be giving up for him. Jacob had vowed to introduce Bella to all the best parts of being a normal human so that she could make an informed decision. It seemed to be working, for the most part, as every time they had hanged out Bella always wanted to arrange the next date they would meet. He hoped that it meant Bella was starting to return his currently unrequited feelings.
He had even arrived earlier today than Bella instructed, just in case she was as excited to see him as he was to see her. Unsurprisingly, his excitement dwindled as it became more apparent that Bella may be late; that she may even not decide to come at all. In response, he punched the same tree again.
Calm. You need to be calm. You'll scare her off it you act like this. He reminded himself.
With that more rational thought process Jacob's breathing became more controlled again as he leant his head back, allowing the cool rain to put out the furnace within him.
Then he heard it. That incessant, monotonous buzzing which irked him to his core. The sound of the Leaches' shiny Volvo emerging in the distance. It meant the very best and very worst parts of his life would soon be in front of him.
Calm. Excited. Angry.
Ever since Jacob phased for the first time, he found it hard to control and focus on one emotion at a time. So, he decided to focus on being happy to finally see Bella again and not let him distract from it. Bella was barely out of the passenger seat before she was greeted with a constricting hug as Jacob ensnared his arms around her like a Boa. The embrace was so tight the phone inside her denim jacket began to uncomfortably prod into her side.
Jacob could not help himself, 'God Bella, I've missed you like crazy! It feels like I haven't seen you in forever.'
Awkwardly shuffling back Bella replied, 'Jake, we saw each other like last week. Remember, you came into work to get some bait for your dad.
Jacob sheepishly smiled back, getting the hint that he was being too forward. His smile faltered quickly when he saw her disgusting Leach boyfriend staring daggers over her shoulder.
Relax the jealousy, freak. Unless you're actually worried about me stealing her away from you. Jacob mocked in his thoughts before he went back to enthusiastically talking to Bella.
"Jacob, make sure you look after Bella this time," Edward interrupted, "I won't be so forgiving if she gets hurt on your watch again." He said referring to Bella cutting her hand when they last went to the beach.
It had been an invitingly warm day at the coast last week, Jacob was teaching Bella how to do stone skipping after she asked what he was doing with a stone in his hand.
"You've never skimmed stones before?" Jacob asked humorously. Bella shaked her head. "Okay, so you need to pick a nice smooth, aerodynamic-y stone like this." He showed her the dull grey stone in his hand.
"Okay, now watch how I'm standing," Jacob demonstrated his exaggerated pose. "Now bend down a lil' like you're bowing for a Royal, swing your arm back and…" Jacob threw the stone so it bounced three or four times along the water, creating ripples as it went.
Jacob winked at Bella, "Now, it's your turn."
"I'm not sure… You know what I'm like with these things." Bella said, a bit apprehensive of doing anything remotely physical.
"pshh, just try it – its harmless fun. Here I'll help you." Jacob walked over to the shoreline. "Come pick your stone whilst I call dad back and we can throw it together." Jacob promised.
He turned around and paced forward a few steps before he called Billy but it only made it through two rings before he heard Bella make a strange noise. Looking back, he could see a pool of red forming in the centre of her palm.
Quickly, Jacob walked back to Bella to inspect her hand, "What happened?"
"I think there was a shard of glass left on the beach. I was too stupid to notice it and I must've picked it up. I'm fine Jacob, don't look at me like that."
It took every fiber of control for Jacob not to phase in that moment. "She won't get hurt again," Jacob promised.
Don't freak out, she won't forgive you.
Edward frowned at Jacob's mental reasoning; he seemed a lot less in control than normal.
"Bella, I don't know whether it's a good idea you spend time with Jacob today."
Jacob was about to open his mouth to protest just before Bella turned around full guns blazing to give Edward a piece of her mind.
"You told me I 'didn't need your permission' for who I hang out with," Bella huffed, "And now you think its appropriate to control who I hang out with?"
Jacob smiled to himself.
Edward tried to reason with Bella, "That's not what I'm saying. I was suggesting you hang out with Jacob at a different time… when his temper is better managed. I won't be able to help you if an incident like last week happens, I'd hate for you to get hurt without me being here to help you."
"You told me to spend time with Jacob whilst you're gone. You said it was a good idea. It's unfair to cancel our plans now, especially right in front of him Edward! I promise not to do anything dangerous. We're just going for a walk right Jake?"
"Yup"
"See, I'll be fine"
Edward countered, "Bella, you're so clumsy walking with you is like a military operation."
"I'll protect her from herself." Jacob promised. "C'mon Bells, we should get going on our walk if you don't wanna end up soaked," Jacob extended his hand.
Bella, ignoring Jacob's gesture, turned back to her boyfriend to deliver a curt goodbye. "We'll talk about this more when you get back," She warned as she planted a restrained kiss on her boyfriend.
"If you need anything call the house phone or call my cell," Edward pleaded.
Bella nodded absentmindedly as she took a few steps towards the beginning of the forest where Jacob waited for her.
Edward watched as the pair trudged slowly into the entrance of the forest, noticing how Jacob's hand was always positioned open in case Bella wanted to hold it. Their mental conversation had been strange, Edward decided, not only because Jacob was seemingly more emotional but his thoughts about Bella seemed more monitored than usual. Edward frowned. Normally, thoughts about Bella would pop up every couple of seconds, some less innocent than others. So, it was suspicious that he would have changed so much since they last met.
Perhaps, Rosalie's right, maybe I am paranoid, Edward considered as he drove away in his shiny Volvo, leaving his centre of the universe with the bane of his existence.
XXX
"So, have you thought any more about what college you wanna go to," Jacob asked as he helped Bella over a fallen tree. "I know you were set on Alaska but you're brighter than you give yourself credit for. Which one of those fancy one's did you apply for again? I know it began with a D…"
"Dartmouth," Bella answered.
"Okay, so why isn't it your first choice?"
Bella looked knowingly at him. "Christ Bella, you shouldn't have to limit your potential because of that leach – I mean because you wanna go somewhere he can blend in."
"Alaska has a really good science programme, and you know I love the cold weather."
"New Hampshire has cold winters," Jacob countered.
"I mean cold all year round, Jacob, I've had my fair share of the heat when I lived in Arizona. Besides, I might not even go to college at all."
Tensely Jacob asked, "So, are you gonna get a full-time job or something?"
Bella shook her head, knowing Jacob would not be fond of her response, "They may change me before then. The Volturi will be wanting confirmation I'm no longer human soon."
In her peripheral sight she could see Jacob shaking like a newly active volcano. Remembering Edwards' advice about protecting herself, she took a few frantic steps backwards and brought her hands over her face. Then she kept her hands braced in that position waiting for the debris of that unstable volcano to come flying at her. It never came.
"What're you doing?" Jacob asked, concerned.
Bella peeked through the gap in her arms to see her Jacob staring curiously at her defensive stance.
Jacob asked her a question again, "Why are you standing like that?"
"I th-thought that…" Bella was lost for words.
"You thought what?" Jacob humoured her just before the realisation hit him. "You thought I was going to hurt you?" His face looked horrified.
"No,' Bella elaborated, "I was worried that you were going to phase. You being a relatively new werewolf and all."
"So first he dictates your college," Jacob began listing, "pressures you into becoming a blo- vampire and tries to convince you that I'd ever want to hurt you? Can't you see what he's doing to you Bells?"
Bella felt unsure of how to respond, "He didn't dictate anything Jacob. If anything, I had to convince him to change me. And he only warned me about you phasing because he's protec…"
"Possessive of you." Jacob corrected.
Tears started to surface at the edge of Bella's eyes as she found it hard to contain her frustration. Noticing this, Jacob pulled her in for a gentle hug under the guise of comforting her. She was frustrated because Jacob was sort of right, although Edward didn't dictate her decisions, he heavily influenced them. Bella knew that she couldn't live happily without Edward anymore even if it came at the price of her mortality.
Jacob, of course, thought she was crying because she finally realised Edward could not provide her with a fulfilling future. A victorious smile was hidden from Bella's view as she laid her head into Jacob's chest. It was not exactly a confession of her undying love that Jacob had hoped for but in his eyes, it showed promise that there were cracks in their relationship that he could exploit.
It began to softly rain again. Yearningly, Jacob led Bella to the shelter of one of the largest trees in the forest so that they could continue their conversation. Bella began to shiver due to the cold hands of the wind brushing past her, so she reluctantly stayed close to Jacob's chest which was emitting a comforting heat.
"If you were to be…changed what do you think would happen to Charlie?" Jacob deceivingly asked. "You probably didn't know this Bells but when you were living in Phoenix your dad seemed a lot less happy. Yes, he has my dad, but it must've felt lonely to be by yourself for so long. Bells if you change who's going to look after Charlie in his old age?"
Guilt gnawed away at Bella again. One of her biggest reverences was knowing she could no longer visit Charlie. It has slipped her mind that her dad would have no one to look after him when he retired.
Bella shamefully admitted, "I hadn't thought about that. About Charlie being alone in his old age."
"You hadn't thought about it?" Jacob feigned shock. "Bella, you promised me that you'd only choose that path if you were hundred percent certain but I'm not sure you've totally thought this all through."
Like a parasite, Jacob started to infiltrate Bella's mind and plant seeds of doubt.
Before, Bella could protest his point Jacob shifted his focus entirely to something more light-hearted. "What do you want to do after our walk? I think it's gonna rain so it's best we do something inside. I bought an action movie from the supermarket last week. You like action movies, right? So, we could watch that." He rambled.
The quickness to which Jake's demeanour changed gave Bella a mental whiplash. Her personal sun was switching conversation topics like the rotation of night and day.
"So, where's the Leach going?"
"Edward," Bella emphasised, "has gone hunting." She was greeted by a concerned look on Jacob's face. "Hunting animals, not humans," Bella specified.
"You had me real worried there Bells," He laughed.
Jacob placed his large, warm hand on Bella's forearm to help support her as she climbed over a fallen tree which was blocking the pathway.
"How long is he away?"
"The weekend"
"Hmm."
"Hmm, what Jake? What's with the cryptic talk?" Bella asked dryly.
"Nothing, I'm just surprised that he would leave you alone for that long. He's practically glued to your side 24/7. Careful!"
Bella had almost tripped over because of the root of a tree.
"You may be older than me Bella, but it sure doesn't feel like it with me having to look out for you the whole time."
Bella rolled her eyes, "Just because I'm clumsier than you – it doesn't give you age points, Black."
"Yeah, yeah whatever you say Swan," He grinned. "So, what've you got planned this weekend? Do you have plans to be anywhere else?" Jacob nonchalantly asked.
"Um, I don't think so. At least I hope not because I don't remember signing up for anything."
Noticing some more uneven land up ahead Jacob extended his arm to Bella, "Give me your arm and I'll help keep you upright. C'mon Bella – I don't bite."
Sighing, Bella reluctantly accepted Jacob's help to cross the stretch of mud in front of them. She thought of how Edward would fuss even more and likely just carry her to the other side – so she was grateful to Jacob for just offering some support.
"Whatcha thinking about? Is it about how handsome I look today?" Jacob asked only half-joking.
Bella replied, "Jake you know I don't see you in that way…"
"I'm only joking, Bella." He insisted, although he was fighting back an angry frown. "Ever since we kissed…"
You kissed me. Bella thought.
"… I've been trying to make it up to you. I wanted our first kiss to be special – not something you'd want to forget as soon as it happened. I was hoping it would persuade you to change your mind… for you to choose me over him."
Bella was silent for a little, not entirely sure how to comfort Jacob without leading him on.
"I'm sorry that you're feeling this way Jake – I don't know how to comfort you. It would have to take a lot more than a kiss to dissuade me from Edward because he is my whole world. He's the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last thought I have before I sleep. But Jacob, you are my sun; my warm, comforting sun who lights up my darkest days. When Edward… left me, it felt like my world was going to be plunged into a perpetual unrelenting darkness, but you chased away my bleak nights and brought me brighter days. Any other sane person in my position would probably not even considering being friends with you because of how you feel about me. But I can't give you up Jake – I'm too selfish for that. I need you in my life. So please don't put me in that position."
Jacob, not wanting to ruin the moment with his words just pulled Bella into a comforting hug.
She interpreted this as Jacob respecting her wishes and putting their friendship above all else.
Unfortunately, all Jacob could think about was how much Bella depended on him. There was hope. Hope that this was an irrefutable way of Bella trying to admit her feelings to him without fully committing because she was afraid of his reaction.
It was at that moment Jacob convinced himself to fully go ahead with the plans he had to win Bella over. To show her the potential of their relationship away from the clutches of her boyfriend. To let Bella know he would not judge if she wanted to fully indulge herself tonight, even if she was still with him.
Tonight, their relationship would change.