(Disclaimer – ME, own twilight or new moon? Im flattered, but no. stephenie meyer does)

(A/N: the next chapter. I know, finally. I tried to make this a little longer than usual because I haven't updated in so long and I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again – not until Monday at the earliest. Unless I by some magical way find the time. Maybe if I got a hundred reviews I would be so happy that I updated as fast as I could…)

My eyes flickered to Jacobs and quickly flashed away. His eyes held more emotion than my numb mind and body could handle. His hazel-brown eyes were full of sadness, because he knew I would never love him the way he loved me. His beautiful eyes held the love he knew would never be returned. Yet, somewhere deep within the dark pools of his eyes, there was hope. Hope that one day I could love him, that one day I would be his to hold forever.

He turned onto his side so he was now facing me, and reached for my hand. I softly pulled my hand away, knowing where this conversation was going before it had begun. He reached for my hand again, and I nervously let him hold it.

"Listen, Bella." He began, his voice a pleading whisper. His eyes were trying to grab mine, but I wouldn't allow it. His eyes were nothing compared to Edward's, but when Jacob stared into my boring brown eyes, the sensation was something new and irresistible. It felt as if he could see straight into my soul. And with him seeing my true essence, it kept me honest and happy, and I couldn't help but to want his eyes to never leave mine.

"Bella," he whispered again, insisting that I allow him to gaze into my eyes – demanding entry to the core of my spirit. He sighed when I made no attempt to allow his earth-colored eyes into my vision. His sigh was low and somber, and I knew that I owed him a lot right now. Somehow, since the time when I had thanked him in the car, my debt to him had grown. The least I could do was permit him to look into my eyes.

I turned onto my side so that we were now both on our sides facing each other. His eyes were now slightly dancing at his small victory. I rolled my eyes and he chuckled lightly, dismissing the uncomfortable mood for a brief moment. But then I remembered how my hand was still in his.

He took in a deep breath, as to prepare himself for either the most glorious triumph or the most devastating loss. He looked straight into my eyes, and I could feel the butterflies going wild in my stomach. In reality, it was just my heart beat picking up, and I knew that he could hear it. It could also be assumed that even in the darkness he saw the blush that flooded my cheeks.

He let the breath go, and began. "I know you've been through a lot lately." Wow, really? I hadn't noticed. "And I'm really sorry about this whole thing. I feel terrible."

"Jake, don't feel bad about this, it's not your fault." My voice fell to a whisper. "It's mine." I hadn't assigned blame yet, but it wasn't Jacob's, so it had to be mine.

"No, Bella, please don't blame yourself –"

"Jacob, it's my fault." The room fell into an eerie silence as he didn't bother to continue blaming himself. It was my mistake, and I wasn't going to let him take responsibility for it.

"Maybe," he paused, seeming reluctant. He tried to run his hand through his hair, forgetting that it no longer had its beautiful length. "Maybe it's for the best."

My heart stopped in disbelief. How could he say that? He knows how much I love Edward, his whole family for that matter. How could he simply say that things were better this way? Because he loved me? Was he using my pain as a way to finally have me as his own?

I could feel my jaw drop slowly of its own free will. He looked slightly ashamed by my response. He didn't let the shock show for long.

"Bella, understand –" He tried to reason, but I was too angry to bother listening. I had to remind myself that Charlie was sleeping and to refrain from shouting.

"Why are you doing this? You know I can't deal with this right now! You know how I felt last time he left!" My voice was venomous, but hushed. The words poured quickly and sharply from my mouth. Jacob was supposed to be a friend. And I knew that if he tried to turn our friendship into anything more, it would end terribly.

"That's exactly why I'm doing this! Bella, don't you see how much I love you? I could never leave you, like he did, again."

"But it wasn't his fault." I whispered, more to myself than to Jacob. I had pulled my eyes away from his, and I was staring at our still intertwined fingers. Although I knew that I would never feel for Jacob what I felt for Edward, I couldn't bring myself to take my hand from his.

Jacob took his free hand and lifted my chin softly with a finger. "Bella." I tried to pull my eyes away from his penetrating stare. He took his hand and lifted my face to catch my eyes again. "I love you."

He took his hand from my chin, and began delicately tracing the features of my face. I shivered at his touch, though his hand was warm and soft.

I parted my lips slightly, to tell him – I'm not sure what I was going to tell him. To stop, and to leave me alone forever? No, I could never tell him that. I needed Jacob, his warmth and contagious happiness. I wanted him as a friend, my best friend – but nothing more. I knew I couldn't honestly tell him I loved him – not in the way he wanted me to love him. So I opened my mouth, and said nothing, at a complete and utter loss of words.

He brought a finger to my lips, and pressed it to my parted lips in a silencing manner. "Bella, don't you feel anything for me? Anything at all?"

I felt those butterflies in my stomach again. They were fluttering around in confusion, which wasn't helping me much. "I-I" I stuttered stupidly.

"Don't you love me?" his voice shook with hurt.

"Jake, of course I love you." His eyes shone in doubt, yet glimmered with glee at my words. "But not the way you love me. Not the way that I love…" I wasn't able to breathe his name. "I just don't feel the same way Jacob."

He turned from his side to his back, staring straight up at the low ceiling. "Then why did you kiss me today?" He tried to make his voice curious, but I heard each word ringing with sorrow.

"I was upset with him, Jacob." I said softly. "I'm so sorry. I know what I did was terrible – not just to him, but to you too. I'm sorry."

"So am I." he whispered just loud enough for me to hear. I sighed loudly. Things couldn't get much more complicated. My stress had just shifted from becoming a vampire and fighting away a crazy vampire bent on revenge; to trying to win back the love of my life, while my best friend considered me the love of his life, and I still had to worry about the crazy vampire. Complicated didn't even begin to cover.

Wait, crazy vampire – Victoria. I still had to worry about Victoria. I realized that I had no way to protect myself. The only reason I was here right now was because Jacob had come to my rescue. Maybe I should stay here, let Victoria come and find me. She would turn me, or if I was lucky, kill me. No. I pushed the thought out of my head as I remembered the two notes that Edward had left me. He asked me to stay safe, and I would, for him. I owed him that much.

But how could I prevent Victoria from getting me? I'm just a helpless human, and now I no longer have the protection of my vampire family. I'm alone, I realized. While getting close to Edward and his family, I pushed everyone else away. I didn't have a single friend outside the Cullen clan, and now they were gone, and I'm alone.

Something shifted beside me and I glanced over at Jacob. I had forgotten he was there. Jacob had saved me tonight, but could he save me over and over again every night? Could he and the pack just wait outside my house every night, watching, making sure that I was safe? No, I couldn't ask him to do that. I can't tear his heart out and then ask him to baby sit me. Like I said, I'm alone.

I started to cry. I turned away from Jacob, ashamed of the tears. I felt him turn and come close to me. His heat seeped through the blankets. He comforted me without speaking a single word. He cautiously snaked an arm around me, slowly – as if he was waiting for me to remove his arm in fury.

"Bella, what's wrong?" He asked. He slid his arm back from around me so that his hand was free to rub soothing circles on my back.

"Everything." I sobbed.

"Shh. It will be okay."

"How can it be okay?" Speaking took some time. I could only manage words between my sobs and gasps for breath. "I-I'm alone an-and I can't even pr-protect myself" I stuttered.

He rocked me slightly. "Bella, you're not alone. I'm right here. And I can protect you."

"No." I let out a small cry. "You won't be here for me forever – not while I-I'm like this. You'll get sick uh-of me."

"Bella, I could never get sick of you." He cooed gently.

I sobbed louder. "How can you stay with me? You deserve someone who, who can lo-love you, the way you love them." He rocked me some more. "And you ca-can't protect me forever. You can't wait outside my house every night. One night, she'll creep through my win-window, and you won't be here to save me!"

"Bella, calm down." I heard him take a sharp intake of breath, like he was about to say something, but he didn't. I turned over, forgetting the fact that my eyes were probably puffy and red.

"What? What were you going to say?" He turned to lay back on his back, so that he could stare at my ceiling again.

"It was nothing." He muttered, the lie easy to detect.

I stared at him, no, I glared. I waited for his eyes to catch my defiant stare, and when he did he sighed heavily.

"I…" he paused, unsure if he should tell me. The look on my face prodded him to continue. "There is a way…."

My eye brows knitted in confusion. "A way to what?" I asked him, my voice slightly louder than it should be."

"A way for you to be safe." His eyes darted to the window, the farthest possibly place from my curious gaze. "And for you to never be alone."

I didn't urge him to continue as eagerly now. I wanted to try and figure this one out on my own. What was he thinking? Lock me up in a mental institution? Send me to Jacksonville? No, Jacob wouldn't send me into a crazy shelter and he knew how much I detested the idea of going to Jacksonville with Renee and Phil.

I gave up. "Where?"

He brought his eyes back to mine. "With me."

I could practically feel my eyes bulging out of my head. "What?" I yelped.

"You could move in with me." He said, somehow in a calm manner.

I'm glad I was lying down, because I began to feel light headed. Jacob Black just asked me to move in with him. I'm only eighteen! And didn't I just explain that I didn't feel that way about him?!

"Jake – I –uh, erm." Well that was coherent, I ridiculed myself. But I honestly had no idea what to say.

"Bella, calm down. I didn't mean it like that." He rolled his eyes childishly – like whatever he was thinking was blatantly obvious. "Just as friends."

I looked into his eyes, and past the love and pain, I saw truth. I saw a promise in his eyes, that he wouldn't push me and that he would try to accept our friendship.

But moving in? What would Charlie say? And Billy? Surely they wouldn't be to fond about having an eighteen year old girl moving in with a sixteen-year-old, hormonal, clearly head-over-heels in love boy. Well, it wouldn't be like we would be living alone or anything. Billy is usually home, unless he's fishing with my dad. But where would I stay? Their house was barely big enough to hold the two of them. Where would I live? And what if Jacob tried to make a move on me? What if this was all some big plot to get close to me?

My mind continued to come up with countless reasons as to why I shouldn't move in with Jake. But there were two reasons that stood above all others, saying that I should. Jacob was right, I wouldn't be alone, and I would be safe.

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"Aren't I always?" He smiled wide, sensing that I was going to give in. I scoffed at him – Jacob was such a goofball, almost never serious. But I found myself lost in his eyes again, and they had never been more serious. I sighed, not knowing what I was getting into.

"I suppose –" Jacob cut me off before I had barely begun. He rolled over to face me and scooted closer anxiously.

"Bella, this is going to be great! We can hang out all the time. And-"

I held up my hands, signaling him to stop. I'm sure my face showed that his outburst had slightly frightened me. "Whoa, Jacob, calm down."

"Oh, err, sorry." He said, moving back to give me some space.

"Thanks."

"So, when will you move in?" he asked, trying his hardest to tone down his enthusiasm.

"Well, we still have to talk to our parents…"

"Oh, Billy won't mind."

"But Charlie might."

"Oh." He said, and he almost looked afraid. It's not like Jake's my boyfriend or anything, but Charlie is a dad, and when your daughter decides to move in with a boy, that boy is in for a world of trouble.

Charlie. How would he take care of himself if I wasn't here? He can't cook at all. He'd probably just eat pizza every night, and get more unhealthy. What if he had a heart attack like Harry? No one would be here to call the hospital or… Those worries became insignificant as I remembered the malicious red haired vampire that was hungry for her revenge – on me. She could show up here at any time, and decide to settle the score with my father. I can't let that happen.

"Jake, what about Charlie? What if Vic-"

"Bella, don't worry about it. I'm sure the pack wouldn't mind keeping an eye on him. And we're going to get Victoria." He sneered her name. "Soon." his voice was dangerous and threatening. I fought back a wince.

I decided to lighten the topic. "Where will I stay?" I said, trying not to sound like I was making fun of his box sized house.

He frowned slightly, and then a smile replaced it. "Well, my sisters room is open. It still has all of her stuff in it, but I'm sure she won't mind if you used it."

I smiled, relieved that I wouldn't be sleeping on a couch. I yawned tiredly and Jacob's smile widened. "Sleepy-head." He kissed my forehead lightly, and my skin tingled at the touch despite myself.

"I'll see you in the morning, go to sleep." He cooed. I obeyed his command, exhausted from the last two days events. My dreams were very… different.

(A/N: the next chapter will tell what the dream was – and it should be very weird – and possibly very funny. okay, so bella is moving in with jake. Will there relationship grow? The spark officially becoming a fire? WHO WANTS TO KNOW!! WELL THEN REVIEW!! Please? You have no idea how happy I would be to reach 100 reviews ;p)