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Chapter 13

I think I've already lost you
I think you're already gone
I think I'm finally scared now
You think I'm weak, I think you're wrong —If you're gone, Matchbox Twenty

Jacob

I picked up my pizza and took a bite, glancing across the table at Bella beside Seth, thinking about how he pulled her chair out for her. She didn't blink a surprised eye. Actually, no one did. I wondered if he always behaved that way toward her. Maybe he'd did, but it just now stood out and bothered me.

Bella was reading a Trading Post paper while everyone talked. She reminded me of the last time I saw her. She wouldn't look at me, and I was finding it hard to concentrate on what everyone else was talking about. It seemed like she was mad at me again. Either that, or she really was leaning toward Seth, from the looks of it.

"You okay, Jacob?" Renee asked. "You're too quiet."

My eyes roamed around the table, and everyone was staring at me. Bella even popped up from her paper. What was she reading that stupid thing for, anyway? "Sure, sure. I'm just tired from the early trip."

They all went back to their conversations. Emmett and Charlie talked about a football game. I glimpsed over at Seth and Jasper. Jasper was telling Seth about a Civil War documentary he had watched on The History Channel. Leah was paying deep attention to whatever Jasper said.

I took another slice of pizza, but I wasn't hungry. I didn't know why everyone felt like they needed to feed me.

"Jake, do they have a state-of-the-art gym down there? I can tell you made some gains." Emmett stretched, positioning his arms into a loose double bicep pose. "You're almost as big as Dad."

Oh, oh, here we go! I finally had a reason to smile.

Emmett had a classic football player build. He lifted weights a lot, and he got bigger. He always wore his damn preppy dress-up sweaters, though. I reached over and poked the front of his shoulder a couple times, insinuating he was soft and possibly padded. "Dude. How many shirts you wearing under there?"

Emmett's face twisted in insult. "I'm not wearing a bunch of shirts!"

Seth and Jasper cracked up laughing. It took Charlie, Renee, and Leah a second to catch on. Bella wasn't paying attention.

"One point for Jake," Jasper said, holding up his index finger. That was a game we played when we were younger. We scored our verbal jabs at each other by how funny we thought they were. All it did was egg us on and sometimes pissed us off.

He laughed under his breath. "Okay, you got me!"

Bella lifted her head and almost smiled.

"For real though, Jake. What's the boxing like?" Emmett asked.

"It's good." Everyone was gazing at me, so I elaborated. "It's a good size team, and there are some talented boxers. It's not what I expected, though. I mean, a lot of them have my skill level, but as far as sparring goes, there still hardly any guys my class."

I felt the razz coming with Emmett's grin. "That's cause you ain't got any."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I walked straight into that one."

Jasper put his thumb down as Seth said, "Two points." I flicked my crumpled napkin at Seth's face.

A few minutes later, Charlie and Renee made for the game room. They had this weird infatuation with Pac-man and Ms. Pac-man. One by one, everyone else followed except for Bella, me, and Emmett.

"So, Jake, how's the girl situation in Chemawa?" Emmett asked.

Leave it to him to ask something like that right in front of Bella. She looked up. "Typical," I said, stretching my arms overhead, trying to act casual and keep myself from glaring at him.

"Typical? So... does that mean you're seeing one or ten?" He laughed, his expression instigating. He was hell bent on being a pain in the ass.

I knew what he wanted her to hear from me; that I had a girlfriend. "None." Squirming, I stole a fast glance at Bella. I thought I saw her roll her eyes and didn't know if it was at me or at her obnoxious big brother.

Emmett gave me a closed lip grin, then stood up, and moseyed into the game room. I suspected he knew I had a thing for Bella and wanted to make sure nothing happened on that front.

We were both quiet after he left. She couldn't have been reading that paper. It was a Trading Post for cripes' sakes!

I stared at her, wondering how our conversation would have gone if Seth hadn't interrupted us. Though curious, I worried about what she might say, so I left it alone. I already felt crappy from her distant behavior. I didn't need to make things worse for myself.

"They're playing pool. Come on. Let's take on the winners," I said.

"I still don't play pool." Her eyelashes quivered.

God, she's beautiful. "I bet I can teach you."

"Easier said than done." She laughed, and it felt great to see her smile at me. It was about time. "But I'll try it."

We joined everyone in the game room. Emmett and Seth beat Leah and Jasper, so they ended up being our opponents. As usual, Emmett was already bragging about how good a shot he was. I put my quarters on the table. Emmett lifted his chin to me. "Do they have a pool table in the dormitory? I bet you still can't beat me."

"We'll see. Bella's my partner."

Emmett laughed. "Now I know you won't beat me."

Bella threw him a dirty look. "Shut up, Emmett!"

I ignored him, racking the balls for the game. Seth shot first, but nothing fell inside a pocket. I studied the table, then told Bella what ball to aim for. I figured she, at least, knew how to shoot the ball. With her first shot, the white ball jumped a foot high and came flying straight for my head, barely missing me. Everyone got a kick out of it, and Emmett started in with the teasing. "I don't understand how someone who can get an A in geometry, can't play pool worth a damn."

"I told you to shut up!" She lifted the pool-stick as if to whack him with it.

I would have loved for her to hit him. "So, what? I can play pool but can't get an A in geometry. That was just a practice shot. Give her another chance," I said.

"I'm telling you, Jake. You don't stand a chance against me, no matter how many tries she gets."

In through one ear and out the other. "I'll line up the cue ball against the ball I want you to shoot, and the pocket I want you to aim for. All you have to do is hit the spot I point to," I said.

"It works, Bella. That's how I learned to play," Leah said.

Bella leaned over the pool table, holding on to the cue stick, and aimed to where I was pointing. She pulled the cue stick back and shot. The cue stick went upwards and nicked the white ball. Her face flushed. It was one of her cute, clumsy moments.

The white ball only moved a tad. Emmett and Jasper cracked up laughing. "If we could have taught her how to play, we would have." Emmett said.

Jasper nodded. Bella frowned, rolling her eyes.

It pissed me off whenever they treated her that way. "Be quiet, and take your turn," I grumbled. Emmett was wearing on my nerves big time. "It's a wonder she can do anything with you two jokes for brothers."

He ran the table for three balls before he missed. He always was an excellent shot. Then it was my turn, and I hit two balls. Seth shot next. He made one. We were back to Bella's turn. "Here, Jazz, you do it," she said, offering the pool stick to Jasper.

She wanted to quit, but I wouldn't let her give up because of her knucklehead brother. "Just take your time, Bella. You'll get it this time."

She huffed and leaned over the pool table, ready to shoot again. I lined up everything with my eyes once more and pointed at a spot.

"Jake, she needs to learn how to hold the cue stick the right way," Seth said.

"Show her how, Seth," Leah said. She whipped her head toward me, then quieted her voice. "Or somebody."

Seth put his arms around Bella and leaned over her to show her the proper way to hold the stick and shoot. Even though it was all innocent, I burned with jealousy. I couldn't stand to watch and had to turn away until they finished.

"I'm ready, Jake."

We tried it again. She hit the mark on the white ball where I was pointing. The number seven ball went straight into the pocket I called. She jumped up and down. Jasper, Leah, Charlie, and Renee clapped for her.

Emmett slapped Seth on the shoulder. "Hey, you're supposed to be on my side!"

She knocked two more balls down before she missed. We tied. Emmett hit the white ball too hard and scratched. It was my turn to heckle him. When it was Bella's turn again, we only had one ball left plus the eight ball, and so did they. Then she hit in our last colored ball in. Emmett's face was mad-red. I couldn't help but laugh at him. He hated losing, and I knew he didn't want to lose to me or her. Worst yet, me and her.

"The eight ball will be trickier because we're going to need to bank it," I said.

"What's that?"

"We have to hit the eight ball, so it bounces off the side of the table before it goes into the pocket we call." I lined it up for her, but she missed. "That's okay. It was a hard shot to make."

It was Emmett's turn. He hit his last ball in then went for the eight ball. He shot it straight in without banking it. "Woo-hoo!"

"You didn't bank it!" We all complained at once.

"Who said we had to?" Emmett said, smug. "I don't recall hearing that rule being made."

"You knew that's how we were playing it. So we won because you didn't bank it," I said.

"Nope!" Emmett said, laughing.

"Pfft." I flicked the back of my hand at him and looked at Bella. "He could gloat all he wants. Everyone's on our side, anyway, including his own partner." I winked at her. She just turned away.

It poured wet when we left the Pizza Palace. We all hurried across the parking lot to the cars. Seth held his hand on Bella's lower back, probably to make sure she didn't slip. Leah and I waited for him in my car while he escorted her clear up to the passenger side of Emmett's truck and made sure she climbed inside.

The searing jealousy coursing through me was almost too much to bear. When Seth made it to my car, I sucked up my fury. But I looked forward to pulverizing the heavy-bag as soon as I made it home.