Thank you for all your nice reviews 3
They were a great motivation to maintain my time schedule.
.::part 2::.
Safe me from being confused
"Ehm… yes. I'm fine," Bella stuttered, intrigued by the deep, almost black pools staring at her so intently and mercilessly that she felt her mind disconnecting from her body, numb to the discomfort and slight pain.
Realization of the situation came slowly, seeping into Bella's mind like melting snow in the gaps between the red cobblestone in the parking lot next to her apartment building.
"Sorry, did I wake you up?"
"Oh, no problem. Might be for the better. I would probably have ended up missing my flight," the stranger said, the husky tone of his voice combined with the mischievous grin on his full lips so contradicting.
Like a boy trying to be a man, or like a man seeking for the freedom and ease of a child.
"I don´t think you would have," Bella said calmly, pointing to the monotone flight board and the stranger turned his head to look where her finger pointed.
The simple movement caused the muscles in his neck to twitch and before she could help herself, Bella felt the tip of her tongue stroking over her strained bottom lip.
Her saliva burned the tiny cuts and scratches there which were caused by her nervous habit of biting her lips all the time in an act of calming down.
The second the stranger turned his head back Bella retreated her tongue, unwillingly banning it into the cage of her mouth not without marvelling at the rough and defined line of his jaw.
"Oh."
"Yeah… doesn't seem to get any better soon," Bella said, trying to distract herself from the eyes which now drilled into her core once again.
Did he even know what he was capable of?
"I guess I should call my father, then," he answered and reached his huge hand into his jeans pocket.
For a second Bella followed the path of his hand before she realized how ambiguous it must have looked like to someone else and she jerked her head back up, drawing in a deep breath.
The black cell phone looked awkwardly lost in the stranger's big hands, as if it might crush at the slightest movement. But something about him made Bella sure that his touch was gentle and not as harsh as his statue might indicate.
It was almost magical to observe – the way his fingers gracefully dialled the number and before the urge to release her tongue of it´s constraints again could win control Bella leaned down towards her feet and grabbed her handbag, rummaging in it as a distraction.
"Hey, Dad…. yeah. No, I'm kinda stuck here. All flights are cancelled…. No, I have no idea… might be tomorrow. Yeah… okay. I'll call you if there is something new. Okay… bye."
There was no way that her purse, her tickets, her passport, her lipstick, a scarf, chewing gum tampons, cell phone or band aids could distract her from this voice when it entered her ear and made it´s way into her core, goose bumps erupting from the nape of her neck all the way down to her lower back and Bella had to steady her erratic breathing.
"Where are you going? Or, where were you planning to go?"
Taken aback by the question Bella cleared her throat hastily, dropping her back awkwardly back to the floor.
"Ehm… Seattle. And then.. Port Angeles. Washington."
His eyes widened and for a second Bella thought that he must either have never heard of Port Angeles before (which would no have been a surprise or a lack of general education) or he must pity her for spending Christmas in the most boring and rainy place in the United States.
In that second Bella even started to feel again: the cold, inconvenient seat, the noise, the hunger and her aching body.
"No way!"
"Ehm.. what?"
"You can't be going to Port Angeles?"
"Why is that?"
"That´s where I'm going."
Merry Christmas….. that was Bella's only thought. Merry Christmas.
"Sorry, I'm being rude here. My name is Jacob. Jacob Black," he said politely, reaching out his hand.
Oh god….
"Ehm..," Bella stuttered, reaching out her own hand full of anticipation.
When their skin met she had to gather up all her strength not to overreact in any way. Pulling back or making sounds or gripping tighter.
Smooth, strong grip and…. warm. Too warm.
"B-bella. Bella Swan."
When Jacob retreated his hand it took Bella a couple of seconds to react, a pathetic couple of seconds in which her hand was reached out awkwardly in mid-air, holding on to nothing but thin air.
"You live in Port Angeles?"
"No… I live in New York. Just… coming home for Christmas," Bella said with a nervous and very fake smile plastered on her face and Jacob seemed to understand, the mischievous grin back and driving Bella insane.
"And you?"
Jacob cracked his knuckles and the sound was cruel to Bella's ears, spoiled by the soft husky rasping which lulled her into sort of a trance.
"I live in La Push reservation. Had some business here in Chicago. Coming home for Christmas," he said, grinning widely and Bella laughed a shallow laugh, too nervous to show actual emotion.
"La Push is beautiful," she said platonically, images of a stony beach and too green trees, waves crushing against the shore, moaning masses of water and stunning sunsets playing like a too vivid movie behind her eyes.
"You've been there?"
"My.. my father lives in Forks. So… I've been there sometimes as a child."
What was she doing? Talking about her childhood to a stranger? This was so unlike Bella. Normally she kept it guarded, to herself and alone. This was… not herself. Novel behaviour for her.
"Wait, you said your name is Swan, right? Is your father the Chief of Police?"
Merry Christmas…
"Yes. He is," Bella said, stunned, shocked and scared of the situation. What were the odds of meeting someone like Jacob at an overloaded airport in the middle of a blizzard?
There was silence and from the slightly astonished expression on Jacob's face Bella understood that he was as surprised by their accidental meeting as she was.
"Excited for Christmas in dull, rainy Forks?"
Jacob really seemed to be this optimistic and… sunny. Odd in comparison to where he came from. But Bella still fought against the warm tingle in her hand, where he had touched her… sunny. Yes. He really was.
"Scared," she said bluntly after her ears had managed to send the information that he had asked her a question to her brain and back to her tongue.
"What? You're not afraid of Santa Claus, are you?" Jacob asked with his trend mark grin, nudging Bella's shoulder softly with his elbow.
"Yeah, absolutely. You aren't?"
"Well, I'm sorry to shatter your illusion: but I'm afraid Santa Claus is a merchandise invention of Coca Cola and does not really climb through your chimney at night."
The easy, unburdened sound of his voice and the seriousness with which he emphasised his sentences tickled the first true emotion out of Bella: first a mockingly shocked and probably hilariously dumb expression on her face and then a canty laugh.
"No, seriously. What are you afraid of?"
Bella's laugh died quickly as he interrupted her happy moment.
It was strange. One moment he was such a boy, caught in this…. massive amount of muscle and sinew. And then his voice was mature and calm and drilled into Bella's core again, leaving her in silence as a puddle of mush.
"It´s just… I haven't exactly been home for… four years…So…"
Bella folded her hands in her lap, regretting to even have started this inappropriate conversation. Why could they not talk about the weather like normal people do when first meeting? Or music, or movies…..
This was not a topic she wanted to discuss. With anybody.
"What are you running away from?"
"Sorry?"
"What are you running away from?"
Bella eyed him disbelievingly as he sat there, complete oblivious to the uncomfortable, too-small seat, the crowed, loud place, the rather bad chances of leaving this place anytime soon and asking a stranger about her reason for leaving home.
"What makes you think I'm running away?"
"Well, if someone leaves home so early and does not return for four years and then is scared to do so… that indicates to me that something happened that that person ran away from. Or still is."
"It´s… why are you asking me that?"
Bella was furious now and unfolded her hands, pushing them against her knees instead, watching her knuckles whitening at the force.
Jacob eyed her for a second, then he grin on his face disappeared.
"Excuse me. I should not ask such private questions."
Damn it…
"Why can't you ask me about the weather?" Bella asked with a hopefully compassionate smile on her face and before she knew it Jacob burst into laughter.
Easy… cheerful.
"Because you don´t do that. Asking about the weather."
"Are you always this… direct?"
"Well, I might have just asked you out for a drink. But that seems to be a medium-heavy adventure here," he said, theatrically waving his hand in a swirl.
"I wasn't sure if you were up for it."
After his laughter subsided it grew silent – or at least: in Jacob and Bella's sealed off world it grew silent. Outside there was still noise and chaos. But they were silent.
So quiet. Warm and… fuzzy silence. No pressure or filling words. Just… tranquillity.
"You wanna go?"
The soft, hopeful, anticipating rasping sound reminded Bella of the ancient coffee grinder which her grandmother Marie had used every Sunday morning, the soft, warm smell practically filling her nostrils in this moment.
"Where?"
"Get a drink."
"Now?"
"Why not?"
He was right.. why not?
The light in his eyes was so contagious that Bella could not help herself but nod, pushing aside the million questions that filled her mind. Where were they supposed to get a drink now? Why was she going with this stranger? Why was she giving up her safe seat?
But when Jacob grabbed his blue backpack and rose from his seat, emphasizing how unnaturally tall he really was, and stretched out his hand towards Bella with his boyish grin she could not help herself but throw her handbag over her shoulder, take his hand – seeking the mysterious warmth and softness – and letting herself be pulled gently towards the narrow crowd.
part 3 will be up tomorrow