Chapter 6
You and me, we come from different worlds
You like to laugh at me when I look at other girls
Sometimes you're crazy then you wonder why
I'm such a baby 'cause the dolphins make me cry
Well there's nothing I can do
I've been looking for a girl like you -Only Want to be with You, Hootie & the Blowfish
Emmett
As the movie played on, I noticed Bella sitting extra close to Jake. A year ago, that would have thrown me into a fury. I always halfway knew she had a thing for Jacob. I didn't mind until I thought he had one for her. I told him to stay away from her. Not in those exact words, but he got my meaning.
Did I blow it out of proportion? Yep. I'll say this, though. My reaction made perfect sense to me at the time.
We traveled out of town for boxing matches on plenty of occasions. Jake was a talented fighter. He always won, and that made him popular with girls. Me? I lost sometimes, but I'm a hell of a good-looking guy. Girls always chased us around. It wasn't just the girls our age, either. We liked older, more experienced girls, and we made out with them every time we got the chance. I knew how Jake was with girls.
Bella was naïve. I worried she'd end up getting hurt. I thought it was my responsibility to look after her.
I watched guys cheat on their girlfriends all the time at away matches. I didn't understand why girls wanted to act married when they were just dating a guy. Most of the guys in my circle didn't take having a steady girlfriend seriously. I didn't want that happening to Bella. To be honest, I wouldn't have let her go out with any of my friends.
Jake and I thought it best not to have girlfriends. Why would we want one? Why would any guy tie themselves to a girl when there were so many hot girls out there?
My entire outlook changed when I met Rosalie. Once I met her, she was the only girl I wanted to see. She owned me. I grew up a lot since that cold winter day when I acted like a prick to my sister and to my best friend.
I sat behind Jacob and Bella, observing the way their shoulders were leaning toward one another. They appeared as a typical couple on a date. After I thought about it, I realized Jake didn't go out with anybody all summer. As far as I knew, anyway. And Bella never went out with anyone, ever. I figured, what the hell. Live and let live.
Bella was old enough to take care of herself. Jake was a great guy, a great friend, the best. If anyone was going date Bella, it may as well be him.
Occasionally, Bella would turn around to look at me. I pretended not to notice anything. When I stood up to get popcorn, I was positive I saw them holding hands. After the movie ended, I got them together at the house and waited to hear the news they were dating. But neither she nor Jake ever mentioned anything about it to me. After a few days went by, I thought I imagined the whole holding hands scene and decided it best not to bring it up. They might get the wrong idea and assume it mattered to me.
I minded my business from that point on. But I never thought to tell them about it. Never even considered it. I wish I did.
