The Painful Truth
Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.
A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!
Part Seventeen
Now that she had essentially made the resolution to remove Renee from her life temporarily, Bella relaxed. It had been a while since she had made a decision on her own, and though it tugged at her heart strings that she had been forced to turn her back on her own mother for a while, it was empowering. There was now only one day left of the impromptu vacation, and Bella and the others decided to make the most of it. Charlie was being very solicitous toward her, obviously feeling deeply ashamed of how he had acted and allowed Renee to get under his skin. Billy's ticking off had really made an impact and he was making a concerted effort to be more understanding and open with his daughter. On the last day they all piled into the hire car and headed for the beach. While Billy and Charlie sunbathed on the sand, Jacob and Bella wandered further, exploring the fantastic coastline and enjoying each other's company. They had a water fight in the sea and mock wrestled on the beach when Jacob teased that there was no way she could beat him. He was wrong. All it took was a sweet smile and a flutter of eyelashes before Jacob was putty in her hands.
It was late when they returned to the villa. Billy went straight to bed. He was feeling happy but exhausted. Charlie stayed up for a while but he eventually pleaded tiredness and turned in for the night. "We've got an early start tomorrow." He warned Jacob and Bella. "Don't stay up too late."
"Yes, sir." Jacob saluted Charlie, making the older man roll his eyes at his over exuberance.
"Whatever." Charlie muttered as he bid Bella goodnight, kissed her on the cheek and headed for bed.
"I think you need to tone it down a bit." Bella advised after Charlie had gone. "I think you're wearing the olds out."
"I'm just happy." Jacob smiled and stretched his arms above his head before getting to his feet and shaking the cramp out of his legs. Bella couldn't keep her eyes off of him. He was so beautiful. He was dressed in a pair of board shorts and nothing else. Her eyes roved over his toned body. She was mesmerised by the way his muscles moved seamlessly underneath his tan skin. This wasn't the first time she had seen Jacob wearing so little. He was often dressed in nothing but cut off sweats. But it was like she was seeing him with a fresh pair of eyes.
"I'm going for a swim. Wanna join me?" Jacob said playfully as he suddenly did a quick back flip and landed in the centre of the pool.
Bella was amazed at his agility. She envied his ability to move so fluidly. She watched as he broke through the surface of the pool and ran his fingers through his hair. Jacob smiled when he caught her looking. He used his forefinger to motion for her to come join him in the water. "I think I'll just enjoy watching you." She called out to him.
"Nope." Jacob motioned for her to join him again. "Come on, honey. The water's so warm."
Bella hesitated for a moment before she cautiously began to undress. She kicked off her flip flops and unbuttoned her shorts, until she was left standing in nothing but her tank top and panties. She laughed nervously as she caught Jacob looking at her admiringly. It was so odd how one heated glance from him made her feel more alive and beautiful than a thousand flowery compliments from Edward. Bella didn't jump in like Jacob, there was no way she would be as graceful. Instead she sat on the edge of the pool and eased her body into the water. She gasped as the water initially felt cold on her skin, but after a while she got used to the temperature and her body adjusted accordingly. Jacob obviously forgot that running at 108 degrees meant he never felt the initial chill.
Jacob swam over to her in a few swift strokes. He smiled at her lovingly as he slipped his arms around her waist and drew her nearer. Bella's smile matched his. She put her arms around his neck and clung on. Their noses touched, making them both laugh, before their expressions turned serious. Jacob's eyes flicked to Bella's lips, and she instinctively closed her eyes as he inclined his head toward hers. Bella didn't think she would ever get used to the feeling of Jacob's hot mouth pressed against hers. It set off a chain reaction inside her body, starting from her core and spreading outwards until all her nerve ends were tingling. Her skin was so sensitive. Wherever he touched her she felt like she was on fire. The heat trails from his fingers as he ran them down her spine caused her to shift closer to him. A soft moan escaped her lips when his mouth left hers and he began to kiss his way down her neck. Bella let her head fall backwards giving him easier access. She kept her eyes tightly closed as she became lost in the blissful sensation of his lips on her skin.
The night felt magical. The stars seemed extra bright and the round disc of the moon loomed large in the sky. To Bella it seemed all too perfect, the man/boy who held her in his strong arms, the warm water and the heat from his body all-consuming until she couldn't think straight. She didn't recognise the sounds she was making, the quiet moans and sharp gasps as Jacob found another part of her body to kiss and caress with his amazing mouth and skilful fingers. She was surprised that she could evoke the same sounds in him by her simple touches. All her nerves vanished, and she felt quite powerful when Jacob let her take charge. She kissed his silky skin with eager lips, scraped her nails across his heated chest, she wound her legs around his waist and smiled in delight when he groaned and clutched her even closer to his body. She felt his hardness pressed firmly against her core, and the sensation was almost too much. The friction from their bodies as they moved naturally against one another nearly sent her spiralling over the edge.
Bella held onto Jacob's broad shoulders as he kissed her breasts. When had he removed her tank top? She couldn't remember. Her mind was filled with the thrilling sensations from Jacob's touches. She gasped when he pulled one of her nipples into his mouth and gently caressed it with his tongue. "Shit." She rarely swore, but it was almost too much. His warm hands were cupping her butt, gently squeezing and caressing it, increasing the friction between their two bodies. The warm water just added another sensation all of its own. It made Bella feel so much lighter as it buoyed her up. She ran her fingers over the water droplets coating Jacob's shoulders and chest. They were like a thousand tiny stars twinkling in the faint light coming from the sky above.
They were so caught up in each other that they didn't hear Jacob's cell phone buzzing as a call came through. It wasn't until it emitted a harsh ring that they both pulled apart, panting. "What the fuck?" Jacob cursed. He had no choice but to release Bella and climb out of the pool to answer it. The last thing he needed was for his dad, or worse, Charlie to come out and investigate. He adjusted himself in his shorts, still livid at the interruption. He grabbed the cell and answered the call. "This better be important." He growled.
While Jacob was preoccupied, Bella made a grab for her tank top which was floating on the other side of the pool. Even though it wasn't going to cover up much now, her shyness had kicked in again, now that the heat of her passion was dying down. She swam to the edge of the pool and hauled herself out before tugging the wet top over her head to cover her breasts. She found her shorts where she had left them and tugged them on too. Jacob was cussing up a storm. Whatever he was hearing was making him very angry. Bella perched on one of the deck chairs and stared at Jacob anxiously as he began to pace. She heard him mention Paul's name and her anxiety deepened. If Lahote was involved that meant it was very bad. Eventually Jacob ended the call and flung his cell onto the ground.
"Dammit!"
"Jake, what's happened?" Bella got up from her seat and went over to him immediately.
"Ugh, Lahote is such a tool." Jacob put his hands in his hair and gripped the ends. He kept pacing as he tried to calm himself down. Bella hovered nearby; waiting until he felt composed enough to talk. After a couple of minutes his anger simmered down. He took a few deep breaths before he approached Bella and cuddled her against his chest. "We've got a problem." He said bitterly.
"What?" Bella felt her heart kick up its tempo.
"Cullen knows we're here." Jacob revealed.
A small cry of alarm left Bella's lips as she pulled away from him just enough to look up at his troubled face. "How?"
"Sam told me that they were chasing the red head. She's been giving them the run around all week. It's like she's casing out the area. It's frustrating how she seems to know every move we're gonna make. Anyhow, the pack was chasing her when they came across the Cullen's, who were doing the very same thing on their side of the treaty line. Apparently Paul was snapping at the red head's heels when she diverted onto the Cullen's side. Paul continued to chase her. She evaded his jaws and he ended up colliding with one of the Cullen males instead."
"Oh my god." Bella put a hand over her mouth in horror. "Was it Edward he collided with?"
Jacob's expression darkened at the mention of Edward's name. His fingers gripped Bella tighter. "No, the big guy. Blondie's mate I think."
"Emmet." Bella whispered.
"Whatever." Jacob muttered. "Anyway, Paul and this big guy came to blows. Sam arrived just in time to split them up and restore order, but not before the leech read Lahote's mind and found out that you're here and not on the res like he assumed. The head vamp appeared and tried to reason with Sam to give them more information about you, but he refused to engage."
"What's going to happen now?" Bella questioned anxiously. "I didn't know that the Cullen's were chasing Victoria too."
"I knew that they were around." Jacob divulged. "Before you kick off I didn't say anything because I didn't want you stressed out more than you were already."
"I don't like being kept in the dark." Bella retorted. "Edward did that to me, don't you start doing that too."
Jacob could hear the disappointment in her voice, and it hurt. "I'm sorry. I screwed up."
Bella ran her hands through her hair as she stepped back from Jacob. The peaceful interlude she had enjoyed had been shattered. What would Edward do now? He could be on a plane to Jacksonville as they were speaking. But they were all leaving tomorrow. Bella sat down and put her head in her hands. "What's going to happen now?" She asked sadly.
Jacob hunkered down in front of her and placed a gentle kiss on top of her head. "I don't know. I guess we find out tomorrow when we get home." He said helplessly.
Neither Edward nor any of the other Cullen's appeared the next morning like Bella feared. For that she was grateful. She presumed he had thought making the journey was pointless, seeing as she was coming back that very day. Bella hoped that Edward would think rationally and act accordingly. She knew that Carlisle would rein him in and make sure he didn't do anything to inflame the situation further. The journey home was made in relative silence. Everyone was feeling the pressure. Jacob had told his dad and Charlie about Sam's call, and they were all on tenterhooks when they got off the plane and made their way out of the airport. All that was on their minds was getting back to La Push without incident. None of them expected that the Cullen's would have the gall to be at the airport waiting for them to disembark from the plane.
But there they were. All of them, strung out in a line, and causing quite a stir with their ethereal good looks and their natural ability to draw attention. "Fuck." Jacob swore as he immediately clamped his hand on Bella's shoulder and drew her behind him. She hadn't clapped eyes on Edward yet as she had been looking the other way. He didn't want her to see the leech, worried that the bloodsucker could dazzle her with one look. He halted and stood in front of her protectively, as did Charlie, who scowled when his eyes landed on Edward.
Billy stayed next to Bella. He reached out a hand to lend her some strength as he watched her tremble. "Stay strong." He whispered, hoping that his words of encouragement would be enough.
A/N-thanks for reading!
