Their worried faces swam before me as I clambered up from the floor.
"Are you okay?", said Jacob hurriedly,
"When did you eat last?", demanded Edward.
"I haven't really been eating… I always forget"
"You can't even remind her to eat? How irresponsible ARE you?", hissed Edward at Jacob.
"At least I'm not the one that wants to eat HER", spat Jacob rudely, before turning away to sulk beside the open window.
Edward shook his head in disgust and placed a cold palm on my forehead.
"Stress, I think", he murmured, his liquid amber eyes boring into mine.
I looked away from the scrutiny of his gaze, staring instead at the open floorboards with the gifts still underneath.
He followed my line of vision to the hole, and scooped up the presents, handing them to me.
I couldn't help but smile when I saw the cd in its clear jewel case.
Lights from outside caught my eye, and I looked out the window to see Charlie's cruiser pulling up the driveway.
"Get out! Both of you!", I yelled.
Jacob growled and clambered out of the window and down the tree outside.
Edward stood calmly.
I shoved him in the direction of the window. He took one last, fleeting look at my face, pressed his lips gently to mine before I could protest, and leapt out the window.
I sat down on my bed with my head in my hands.
What was I going to do?
It was a rare sunny day. It was as though the storm had washed everything clean, and the trees and grass shone in the midday sunlight.
Jacob was lying in the sand on our beach, gazing up moodily at the swirling, pure white clouds overhead. I sat down beside him, sifting my hands through the sand and shining pebbles that lined the waters edge.
"Say something!", I said desperately, after fifteen minutes of silence and sand sifting.
"What am I meant to say Bella?"
He sat up, running a hand through his inky black hair.
"I can give you anything, I can look after you, and you throw it all away the second that leech comes back", he sneered.
"Who said I was throwing it all away huh?", I demanded, leaping to me feet.
"I..but..ugh…nnggh!, he grumbled, clenching his fists.
"Jesus Jake, spit it out!"
"He can't have you! You're mine now!", he shouted, clambering to his feet and walking five feet away from me.
"I cant.. I can't lose you Bells. I waited so long for you, saw you go through hell. . All because of him. How can you expect me to hand you over that easily? How can you expect me to be in the same room as him without wanting to rip his slimy throat out?", he snarled.
"I don't expect you to do anything Jacob…I just want you to love me", I said in a small voice.
He turned around slowly.
"What about..Him?"
"Lets talk about that later shall we?"
He strode towards me and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug, his lips on mine, as we embraced on that crisp morning at La Push beach.