A/N: I do not own the Twilight franchise or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 3: Affects

They all sat like statues, no one saying a single word. Bella kept her head hung low, her auburn hair covering her face which worked to her benefit, she couldn't brave Jacob's gaze. She could feel his eyes on her, staying there. And her anxiety wouldn't allow her to look directly at her husband either.

Edward was the first to slice at the thick tension, "How are things, Jacob?" he asked.

Jacob had to keep himself from rolling his eyes. It was always the same question every time he saw the God forsaken bloodsucker. How Bella managed to put up with living such a mundane life with him, he will never understand. He threw on a fake grin instead, "Things are going pretty good, thanks."

Bella shuddered. Those words haunted her from just minutes ago during Jacob's handsy exploration. Without thinking, her hand traveled to the nape of her neck where his hands once were, realizing she missed his warmth. His touch took captivity of her mind. She was reminded of the day he kissed her without her consent and gave herself a broken hand. She only punched him because it validated how she felt about him. Jacob had told her she felt something for him as he did for her, and he was right. He'd always been right. Bella was just too much of a coward to admit it until it was too late. She had been young and dumb for sure...

Edward pulled her out of her trance. "Love," he turned to her, "is something wrong?"

Bella's head whipped up in an instant. "No, no. I'm fine. How was hunting?" she returned.

"Same old, same old." He got up from his position on the couch to kiss her forehead and for the first time in a long time she shivered at the contact. Edward paid it no attention and walked through to the kitchen.

Jacob never took his brown eyes off of Bella, revelling in what he just witnessed. His best friend, a married woman, just convulsed to her husband's usually endearing graze. The man never thought he would see her react in such a way, at least certainly not with the vamp. Edward was her choice and declaredly full of promise. Jacob never accepted it but at the end of the day he couldn't really do much to change Bella's mind. He was not going to force her to do something that she made clear she didn't want to do. He already knew that a life with Edward wasn't the best choice. Sure, Edward loved her but this life they've built was utterly lifeless. She deserved someone who gave her life and not—quite literally—suck it out of her. Edward was incapable of giving her the life she truly deserved. He just wished she had realized this back then. Bella deserved someone who she could do anything she wanted with. There was so much that Bella couldn't do now that she could before. No more outside strolls no matter the time of day. No more finding her in the kitchen covered in stains from the family dinner she was preparing. Jacob just couldn't understand why she would give up so much. After all these years he still doesn't take a liking to Edward but he appreciated the fact that he too tried to talk Bella out of becoming one of them, but all to no use. If she really wanted to be with Edward, fine, but why throw her life away in the process?

Bella lifted her head slightly to catch Jacob staring at her, seeming to be in deep thought. She wondered if he was replaying what they just did in his head too. She heard Edward call from the kitchen over the running faucet, "You know, I would really love it if you'd join me next time. I miss you." He strolled back into the room drying his stony hands. "Think about it?" he continued.

"Yeah, sure." she lied. Bella quickly grew tired of hunting, at least, more speedily than the rest of the Cullen clan. Rosalie warned that she would crave blood when she became a newborn but strangely enough it only took Bella a year to wean herself off of it. She watched as Edward flew up the stairs in 4 swift strides. She heard him walking towards Renesmee's room. "You need to leave, now." she said to Jacob with as much sternness as possible. At this current moment, she despised him. He had some damn nerve! Touching her like that and just go sit on her couch like nothing even happened, unbelievable.

"What was that?" Jacob probed. Bella must have been thinking out loud again.

She rose from the couch. "You are unbelievable!" she shouted, then brought her voice down to an angry whisper. "You cannot touch me like that ever again. If you do, I will end you." she continued. "Am I understood?"

Jacob looked like he was on the brink of laughing. He didn't take her seriously. Usually Bella ran her fingers through her hair out of habit, but right now she was doing it to keep herself from ripping him apart.

"What is the matter with you?!" she was going to lose it. Edward picked up on her screaming.

"Bella, is there a problem?" he called from upstairs.

"Nope!" Jacob was quick to answer. "She's good. I just told her another one of my inappropriate jokes." To Bella's surprise, Edward didn't push the subject. Sounds of him walking above them faded as their bedroom door shut. She rolled her eyes as she walked towards the door.

"Get. out." Bella ordered, standing by the now open front door. Her glare made something stir inside of Jacob, but it wasn't fear. Jacob fulfilled her request and sat up from his lazy slouch.

He calmly walked over to her but stopped close in proximity. "Bells," he spoke so only she could hear him, "I'm sorry for touching you like that earlier." Then he pulled back so he could look straight into her eyes. He waited a moment before he said, "But I am not sorry for wanting to touch you."

Bella froze, the only thing moving was her chest from her heavy breathing. Everything went hazy. She stood there, paralyzed.

Jacob leaned down and pressed his lips to her cheek. "Goodnight, Bells." he said sweetly. It appeared that Bella lost her ability to speak as well.

By the time she came back to her senses, Jacob was gone. "What is he doing to me?" she begged.

The warm running water felt pleasant on Bella's frigid skin. She dabbed heaps of her favorite strawberry-scented shampoo onto her hands and massaged it into her hair. When the shampoo was rinsed out she grabbed her pomegranate and lemon verbena body wash. As she rubbed the lather onto her small body, she felt the water get warmer but she paid it no mind. She was continuing to work up a lather when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her middle. She smiled at the contact.

"It's been forever since you've joined me for a shower." she breathed as she settled into the embrace. She sighed, "I've missed this." She closed her eyes in bliss as she felt hands rubbing her stomach. Keeping her eyes closed, she turned around to kiss the man who was holding her so lovingly. She started with his lips, and trailed kisses along his neck and shoulder.

Her caresses achieved a deep moan, "Bells…" Her red eyes shot open wide in an instant to discover she was in the shower with Jacob. He returned the favor and began to place soft kisses down her neck. Her head told her to refuse them but her body betrayed her. The movement of his lips along her neck caused her to whimper. She threw her head back to give him more room to work his magic and she could feel every inch of him against her when—

"Bella! Bella! Please wake up, open your eyes!" It was Edward, he was shaking her furiously.

"What is it? Is Renesmee alright?" she sat up urgently, reacting to Edward's panicking.

"I'm fine, Mom." her daughter replied. Bella realized they were in her and Edward's bedroom. Renesmee was sitting in her leather chair by the closet. "We're not sure if you are, though."

"Why? I'm okay, I was just sleepi—" Bella halted. She had just realized why they were so anxious.

She shouldn't have been sleeping. The woman hasn't slept in four years.

"That's not all, Bella." Bella turned to Edward. Did he know what she dreamt about? Had she been talking in her sleep?

"What is it?" her voice shook.

"Go look in the mirror." her husband answered unsteadily. With a slow nod, Bella removed the thick duvet along with the book she'd been reading and hesitantly made her way to the full body mirror.

She covered her mouth with her hands in disbelief. Her eyes lost their red hue. They were brown again.

"How could this happen?" Bells whispered to herself. She was at a loss for words.

She didn't know which was more mind-staggering: her eyes reverting to their original color, sleeping, or her first dream in four years being about Jacob.

A/N: Thanks for reading!