Chapter 32
You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
To save you from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now, here he comes
He doesn't look a thing like Jesus
But he talks like a gentleman
Like you imagined when you were young —When You Were Young, The Killers
Bella
In anticipation, I spent most of the afternoon dancing around the bedroom and trying on clothing for my first legitimate date with Jacob, bubbling with excitement.
I wanted to look special for this dream moment, so I chose a lavender summer dress that fell above the knees, with a scooped neckline and shoulder straps that weren't too thin. Yet, I suddenly felt like I was showing too much milky skin. I was definitely out of my comfort zone and might have over did it. After all, driving to Port Angeles was the only plan we made, so far.
The more I stared at myself, listening to my pesky inner critic, the more certain I became that I was overdressed. But I was also out of time; Jacob would arrive any minute, and if I went more casual, I'd have to restyle my hair. Still, I scrambled to the closet, and slipped on an out-of-style denim jacket, regulating my breathing to calm my sudden nerves. The combination didn't look weird, so I stuffed it into an oversized handbag.
When I heard Jacob drive up, I peeked outside to see what he was wearing. Dark blue denim pants and a black button-up shirt untucked with his sleeves folded up to his forearms. More casual than me, but hot, nonetheless.
"Bella, he's here!" Mom yelled.
I fanned myself. The nerves were making me sweaty. While I listened to him knocking and Dad answering the door, I critiqued my manicure, updo, and lace-up sandals, highlighting a perfect pedicure. I blew out a breath about to go but began pulling out the hair clips and hair pins, instead. As I tousled my hair into a bunch of loose messy curls, I noticed my white hightop sneakers setting on the dresser. I grabbed them and stuffed them in the bag. Along with the jacket, they gave me some sort of comfort.
On my way down, I listened to Dad and Jacob's conversation.
"So, you're driving to Port Angeles, I hear?" Dad said.
"Yep. Just because there are more places to eat and more things to do."
"Well, I checked the weather. There's no rain forecasted, but if that changes, would you do us a favor and head back early?"
"Dad!" I said, cutting into their conversation before Jacob could respond.
Jacob spun toward me. His shoulders straightened and, as if we were in some cheesy romance movie, it seemed like time slowed down while I watched his eyes widen and his Adam's apple bob. When our eyes connected, my entire body flushed with warmth. Regardless of how many years I'd known him and how many times I saw him, he still filled me with butterflies. Especially when he looked at me the way he was looking at me. As if in awe.
"Aww," Mom said, taking Jacob's attention away and giving me an embarrassing but welcomed interruption.
Jacob made a subtle shake of his head, cleared his throat, and said, "Sure, Charlie. We'll keep an eye on the weather."
"Wait!" Mom said and dashed out of the room.
This lady!
"Mom, we need to go." I knew what she was up to, so I clutched Jacob's hand and hurried him out the door. He seemed to take his time hanging back. I gave him a look of "this is what you get" as mom came rushing outside after us with a camera in her hand.
"Oh, no you don't! Nobody is getting into that car until I get one!" she said.
Dad was following her with a smirk on his lips and amusement in his eyes. Jacob and I exchanged "oh, well" glances and let her usher us in front of the flower bed, where she directed our positions and called for smiles. It was so embarrassing, but in the fun way.
Once inside the car, Jacob reached for the bag on my lap. "Should I put this in the backseat?"
I nodded and handed it to him.
He made a face. "What's all in here?"
"Just necessities."
We were barely out of the driveway and up the street when Jacob pulled over to the curb. "Did you bring the cellphone?" he asked.
"Uh, huh. You know they never let none of us take a road trip without it."
"Let's make reservations for that new Italian restaurant."
"Jake, that place is... fancy." And expensive.
He shrugged. "Exactly. We should go somewhere so people could see you because you... No, you don't look beautiful..."
I scrunched my brow. Huh?
"You are beautiful. Amazingly beautiful!" He lifted my chin, placing his mouth on mine.
A despicable car horn blared and broke us apart. I looked out the window and saw Emmett and Jasper driving by us, both wearing huge grins and waving. I'd timed our get-a-way, relieved they were still gone when we left because Emmett loved to always poke fun at everybody and everything. No person or occasion was ever off-limits.
Before we reached Port Angeles, I convinced Jacob that we should cancel our reservation and eat at a less expensive restaurant. I said, "I didn't dress for people to see me. I dressed for only you to see me."
He smiled. "I like that."
We ended up at the smaller Italian bistro whose food was just as good as the fancier Italian place, I assumed. And then we both ended up ordering from the alternative selections. Hamburgers with fries.
Jacob's expression when he saw me coming down the stairs rolled through my mind several times while waiting for our orders, by the time I recalled the pictures that mom took. The spectacle she made from our first casual date didn't thrill me, but I was looking forward to seeing them. Then I wondered how Jake felt about her overreaction and said, "Sorry about Mom and the picture taking. That was too much. It's not like we were on our way to the prom or anything."
"I didn't mind, but I felt under-dressed, especially standing beside you. I should have got that haircut. But you're picture perfect and prettier than all the other girls who were at the prom."
My sharp mind prompted my swift mouth and I blurted, "You went to the prom?"
Like a deer caught in headlights, he stilled, his jaw twitched, and then his ears blushed. "Yeah. I went with Quil's girlfriend's friend, but I didn't want to go with her."
"Then, why did you?"
"Because..." He sighed and explained. "The only way a junior or sophomore can go is if a senior asks them. So, we were all eating lunch together in the cafeteria and the girls couldn't quit talking about who was taking who. Quil was going, Embry was going, and other junior friends. Then this girl frowned and said, 'Oh, Jacob' sounding like 'Poor Jacob!' 'Do you want to come to the prom with everyone?' And before I could respond, she said, 'I'll get you in. You can be my date.' I wanted to tell her no, that I didn't want to go because I didn't. Plus, I'd already turned some other girls down. But everyone was staring at us and when I said nothing, I could see the fear in her eyes, that I was about to humiliate her in front of everybody. So, I said, 'Sure,' and I went."
The girl who put him on the spot in front of a group of people irritated me, and part of me felt like if he'd said no in front of everyone; it would have been her fault for asking him in front of everyone. But another part of me commended Jacob for having a heart. "How was it?" I asked.
"Boring. There was too much gossip, too many pictures, and too much sitting around, waiting for it to end."
No hooking up then? I wished I didn't want to know, but never would I ask him that.
"It wasn't for me, and I'm not interested in going again."
I didn't know if prom was for me either, but I caught myself frowning when Jacob hurriedly said, "Unless it was with someone I wanted to go with. I mean... unless it was with you?"
An unexpected and unfettered smile splayed across my face. "Are you asking me to the prom?"
His ears reddened again. Seeing I could make him blush as much as he made me blush, no matter how long we'd known each other, gave me a giddy feeling. He matched my smile and chuckled. "I believe, I am."
"You could do that?"
"As long as I plan for it ahead of time and if it's not scheduled for the weekend of regionals, which is typically either of the last two weekends of April or one of the first two weekends in May."
The possibility hit me, and I asked in excitement, "Whose prom? Mine or yours?"
His face puckered, and he stroked his chin. "Either of them. Whichever schedule permits, but, if possible, both. I could come home for the weekend of yours and you could meet me in Chemawa the weekend of mine."
Chemawa wasn't but a six-hour drive and knowing Mom, she'd be excited about it and happy to take me to his prom and/or have him come to mine. "I'd love to!"
He wrapped an arm around me. I lifted my lips to his, and we sealed our plans with a light kiss. This gave me much more to look forward to than just the upcoming Christmas vacation.
After dinner, we debated what to do next as we strolled to his car, arms holding the other by the waist. There wasn't much more to do in Port Angeles than in Forks. We'd talked about going to the mall movie theater, but I knew Jacob wasn't a true movie buff like me, Seth, and Emmett. We talked about going bowling or to The Rack, the Arcade, the Port Angeles Pier, the drive-in theater, which was the most tempting because it would, no doubt, lead to making out. But we could still do that later. I wanted to have more fun, to be more fun, and for him to have unbelievable fun, so as I climbed in the car, I said, "I think I'd like to try out-door go-karting."
He whipped his head toward me. "Really?" His eyes skimmed my summer dress, which looked extremely short whenever I sat. I self-consciously pushed my knees closer together as I placed a hand on my lap. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure." I reached for my bag and slid out my sneakers and jean jacket. "And I've got the necessities."
By the end of our racing time, I didn't think we'd ever laughed so much together. We made the right choice, and we still had time to get back to Forks and stop by the new, secluded beach spot that we'd found for privacy two days ago.
On our way out of the arena, we passed a rowdy-looking bunch of guys who'd stared at us the entire time we were there. I thought I'd even heard them saying something about Jacob the first time we passed them but kept it to myself because Jacob could have as volatile a temper as Emmett depending on the circumstances.
"Black..." a deep voice said, making me stiffen in alarm. There must have been at least ten of them.
Jacob turned his head in their direction and acknowledged them with a lift of his chin. "Yo, what's up?" He wasn't afraid of anything. Dallas Winston.
The ring leader, a buff, blonde, scruffy guy, wearing a black shirt with cut-off sleeves, stormed toward us. When he smiled, I exhaled. "I thought that was you, but I wasn't sure. I figured I'd say your name just to see if you looked," he said.
"Alistair! It's been a long a time. It took a minute to recognize you," Jacob said. "Still boxing up in Seattle?"
"Nope. I haven't boxed since I moved here two years ago."
"That's too bad. Better get back at it. You've got too much talent to give it up."
The guy shook his head and said, "Nobody will miss me. I see you met your match out there on the track." He wasn't lying. I left Jacob in the dust. Alistair's eyes fell to me. "Because he sure hasn't met one in the ring."
"Alistair, this is my girlfriend, Bella."
"Hello."
"Alistair gave me some of my most brutal battles in the ring when we were growing up," Jacob said.
Alistair let out a laugh. "Shit. It never felt that way to me."
One by one, several of the other guys who'd been closing in on us came up and greeted Jacob, introducing themselves, and shaking hands with him or patting his shoulder. I couldn't help but dwell on it as we drove back to Forks. Even if Jacob didn't know them, they knew him and seemed honored to know him. I said, "That guy and his crew seemed to really admire you."
"Alistair is a tough, tough fighter. A real scrapper, but I heard he got heavy into drugs. Now he just goes around causing trouble and kicking whoever's ass he can kick. A worse bully than Paul ever was."
"Well, he seemed proud to know you. They all did. They made me feel like I was with somebody famous. I think it's a sign of things to come."
He broke with laughter. "I don't know about that."
I wasn't teasing him. Jacob had something special, and people recognized it!
Next Chapter: Jacob's up. Old Ben gives Jacob something to think about, but will he listen?
