Chapter 5

Put a candle in the window
'Cause I feel I've got to move
Though I'm going, going
I'll be coming home soon
Long as I can see the light —Put a Candle in the Window, Creedence Clearwater Revival

Jacob

Bella looked eye-catching beautiful as she strolled out the door. She was only wearing a t-shirt, faded calf-length jeans, and flip-flops with a thin woven chain draped around her petite ankle, but she was everything to look at. The little crush I'd developed on her magnified tenfold—ever since that day she slipped off the porch.

Even though she was the forbidden fruit, her being off limits wasn't the attraction. Just a flip of her hair, a friendly little smile, or an innocent tilt of her head produced feelings in me I couldn't ignore. It was safe to say, I had it bad. Sometimes, I paid attention to her while she did the simplest of things, like read a book, rinse the dishes, or brush her hair. It didn't matter what she did, she always looked hot doing it.

It was ridiculous how badly I wanted her for my girlfriend. At the same time, I wasn't sure if "she and I" was a such great idea. I knew Emmett's stance on the matter. No guy in his right mind wanted someone messing with his younger sister and attempting what we guys were always attempting. Least of all his best friend.

Bella was special. Just the way she carried herself showed it. Any guy would have his work cut out if he tried something, and I supposed she'd also be quite a conquest. But—while I don't deny she affected me like that—the way I cared about her, I would never mistreat her. Girls like her were hard to find. She was too good for the jokes around Forks and La Push. She was even too good for me.

Emmett was right keeping the losers away. A stern glare from him, along with his size, was enough for deterrence. I doubted Bella knew her jovial but short-tempered, bear of a brother scared the guys around town, and me being his good buddy? Well, that was an added threat.

Seth was another problem because he had a crush of his own on her, and I couldn't blame him, especially if he saw her the way I did. I should have told him the truth back when he'd first asked me about her. But no! I let Seth believe I was rooting for him. Hell, I encouraged my younger cousin time after time.

When push came to shove, I had to accept Leah's movie invitation. Emmett wouldn't be there for once. I couldn't pass up an opportunity like that.

On the way to the theater, I convinced myself Seth's crush was a mild case of puppy love. A tiny thing that didn't matter. As for Emmett, I decided I'd cross that bridge when I came to it. Before we even parked, I made my mind up. I'd try to get with Bella.

We found seats midway down the aisle. I tugged Leah in front of me and waited for Bella to follow her. Bella smiled at me, her eyes lighting with anticipation. Or so I thought, before Leah hogged Bella's attention by locking her in chick conversation, and making it impossible for further evaluation.

The lights finally turned out. Within minutes, I brushed my hand against hers to see if she'd move it away. A receptive touch of her soft, dainty fingers welcoming more of my hand kicked me into high gear. Doing my best to conceal an uncool grin, I wove my fingers through hers, moving closer to her and catching a faint smell of coconut from her hair as I relaxed my nerves.

"What are you doing?" a gruff voice said, in a tone meant to jolt.

Emmett! Dammit!

I'd never heard a more irritating sound in my life.

Bella sucked in a short, shallow breath, jerking her hand away. She and I twisted toward each other and looked over our shoulders. Emmett and Rosalie were sitting down, Emmett leaning forward to talk to us.

He appeared right out of thin air and sat directly behind us. Talk about timing! I pressed my clenched fists into my lap and took a deep breath. "Hey, what's up?," I said, trying like hell to hide my irritation. "I stopped by your house, but you weren't home. So I came with these two."

"Yeah, I forgot you were coming over today. I've been really busy." He tilted his head toward Rosalie and grinned.

"I can see that," I said, smiling and greeting Rosalie with a lift of my chin.

Emmett looked sick with happiness. Good for him. You didn't see me trying to keep him from the girl he loved. Emmett turned to Bella. "Did we miss much?"

She shook her head. "It just started."

I smirked at the double meaning.

"Sh-," said some nearby people.

When Emmett dropped back into his seat, Bella and I glanced at each other. Eyes wide, she was nibbling on her lip, shook-up. A light slapping sound resonated against the thin carpeted flooring. I saw Leah reach out and put her hand on Bella's jittery knee.

The day Emmett blew up at us popped into my head. I didn't care if Emmett was behind us. I was prepared to deal with it. He'd get mad, but if he were really my friend, he'd come around. Bella's who I worried about. I wasn't sure if she minded him sitting there. I wasn't sure how much his thoughts about "us" mattered to her. I lobbed that around in my head until I got sick of worrying.

I took hold of her hand again, hoping she wouldn't pull it away from me. She moved closer, holding a tight grip on mine. So tight, my palm got clammy, but oh well. For the rest of the movie, I fought the urge to put my arm around her and maybe kiss her. My time was running out in Forks. I didn't know if I'd get another opportunity, and Emmett sitting behind us made me angry as hell.

That's when my mind swayed. I wondered what he'd do if I kissed her and ended up thinking about how upset Seth would get when he found out. He wasn't just "like" my little brother. In our Native way, he "was" my little brother, and he trusted me.

On top of that, I was leaving next week. Anything could happen after I left. Someone else could be with her by the time I came home. Long-distance relationships didn't last. Quil and Embry's girlfriends found other guys almost as soon as they left, although they claimed it happened the other way around. Maybe it did. But either way wasn't good. Everything I talked myself into on the drive over no longer felt right. And By the end of the movie, I changed my mind.

After Leah bailed, saying she had to get home, Emmett insisted I hang out with him, Rosalie, and Bella for the rest of the evening.

Deciding to hold off on asking Bella out until our circumstances were better flooded me with guilt. She was floating around her house like a butterfly. I thought it best not to see her again. I didn't want to do something stupid because we could ruin us before we even started us. Boxing had taught me timing was crucial, and it just wasn't the right time for us.

I stayed in La Push until the day before I left. It turned out that was the something stupid I did.