DISCLAIMER: I don't own any characters, places, etc.

**Author's Note** Going slow, I know, but I hope y'all like it!! This one seems a little short, so I'm sorry!
Please review kindly :)

I left Bella's house then, and I had to admit, I was a bit of a mess. I phased instantly, and without caring, I let all my thoughts spill out to Sam and Embry - and now Jared, too. Sam said nothing for a long time, but Jared and Embry were quick to give their opinions.
I had no idea this was going on! Just give her up, mate. You haven't even imprinted! Jared thought. That word; imprint! It made me so angry I just wanted to yell.
And what happens if you do imprint Jake? On someone else? You'll just be hurting Bella even more, you don't want her turning out like - Embry stopped mid-sentence, which was probably the smart thing to do. The last thing I needed was for Sam to phase back, I really needed his advice.
Thanks for the concern Jacob, but I can still hear your thoughts, remember. Sam thought flatly. Oh, right. I really need to be more careful.
Take our advice, Jake. Give her up! Embry continued.
She doesn't even sound into you at all. Jared added. Okay, that was crossing the line. Bella told me she just needed time, that didn't mean she didn't like me! She'd been alright with me today until I'd tried to kiss her.
I'm not trying to be a jerk, but think about it seriously. Think with your head, not your -
Okay that's enough. You're not helping! Sam cut him off just in time, since if he'd said just one more word I think I might have ran to meet them and ripped him apart. Thank heavens for Sam.
Alright, alright. I'm going to Kim's. She was expecting me half an hour ago, but thanks to dear old Sam here forcing me to be phased some of the time, I'm late! Jared responded, laughing. Good, he was leaving.
Don't need to tell me twice. He added comically, and then he was gone.
We don't have to talk about this phased, Jacob. We can choose a more secure environment, if you'd like? Sam asked, seemingly talking about Embry. Truth is, I felt better about getting this off my chest while we were phased, rather than face to face. Although, in human form, I'd be able to control my thoughts and what I wanted to share a little easier. Not that it made much of a difference, he'd find out eventually.
I can leave if you guys want? Embry offered. Sam waited for my call. I hesitated. I didn't want Embry to have to leave just because I wanted to talk to Sam, I mean, we were brothers, we shared everything. But at the same time, I knew Embry didn't exactly have the advice I was looking for.
I don't mind! I gave my advice! he said with a laugh.
I'll catch up with you later, Embry. And when you see Quil, tell him to phase later on, please. Sam answered for me, his tone a little annoyed when he mentioned Quil. Nobody had seen Quil in a while, since he'd been spending every waking moment with Claire now that the blood-suckers were gone. Which sort of made me wonder why Sam wasn't using his time to be with Emily.
She understands that I have to keep you guys up to speed. He answered my thoughts. I suppose he was right, after all.

Instead of going home, I sped off deeper into the forestry, meeting Sam. Even though we were face to face, we remained phased, since I guess it was easier for him to listen to my thoughts this way, rather than me have to explain things.
First of all, please don't take Embry's and Jared's advice. He said softly. Was he worried that I was really going to listen to those two idiots?
Point taken. But imprinting is something you should be worried about, Jacob. And, even though this is going to sound awful, you really don't want things to turn out the way it did with Leah and I. Bella is hurt right now, and she's trying to get over heartbreak. What will happen if you imprint on another girl? I felt bad letting him talk about Leah, only because I knew he felt so guilty about it. But, truthfully, the possibility of imprinting on another girl seemed like a problem I would never have to worry about. Bella was the only girl for me, and with her in my life, I'd never be able to imprint.
That's all well and good to think now, though. You haven't imprinted on Bella, and, if things were meant to be - wouldn't you have by now? That was a blow. I just re-thought the sentence in my head. "Wouldn't you have by now?" When I really thought about it, Sam had a point. Quil imprinted on Claire the moment he saw her, as did Jared with Kim, and Paul with Rachel, and Sam with Emily, for that matter. But I had known Bella for a long time, and I haven't imprinted.
Imprinting is supposed to be rare, so there is the possibility that you'll never imprint. Sam tried to console me. But, what if I have imprinted, and I just didn't know it?
Jacob, the most important question you have to ask, is: are you in love with her? Everything else means nothing, if the answer to that is yes. He said quietly. I was in love with Bella, I've loved her for a long time. I've loved her since that first night I saw her, by the fire - I knew she was for me.
Then give her the time she asks for. Just wait, and maybe, she'll love you in return. Sam responded. But what if she doesn't love me in return? What if all of this is in vain, and she tells me she's still in love with the leech?
Anything you do for love will never be in vain. She knows how much you love her, and I'm sure she does appreciate it on some level. She hasn't pushed you away, has she? Sam was right. I suppose I did have a very slim chance at winning Bella's heart, and I'd keep trying, even if, at the end of it all, I had nothing to show for my efforts aside from a broken heart. Thank you, Sam.
Now how about some training? You've been so preoccupied with Bella, you haven't done any serious running at all! Sam said suddenly, his voice piping up. I smiled at the thought of running again - running like I'd never have to slow down. You're on.

Sam and I spent the rest of the afternoon training, and I had to admit, it really chilled me out. Though, as the sun began to set, I realised how tired I was. So I headed home, but I was unfortunate enough to walk in on Paul and Rachel, slobbering all over each other on the couch. I groaned. Rachel bolted upright as soon as she heard me, but Paul didn't seem to care. "Jacob!" Rachel exclaimed, giving me an annoyed look. I rolled my eyes. I could feel a bad mood coming on.
"Don't you two have bedrooms?" I muttered loudly as I walked past them on my way to the kitchen.
"Shut up," Rachel called after me, but she said nothing else so I assumed Paul had silently pulled her back into their make-out session. I rummaged around through the refrigerator, finding the perfect ingredients for a sandwich. I sat myself down at the kitchen table, and shivered openly when I heard Rachel giggle. It was horrible enough that Jared and Embry were telling me to give Bella up, but this was worse. I wished it was me and Bella on that couch, well, maybe not our couch now, but still. I felt as though I had imprinted, but the girl I'd imprinted on just hadn't realised that. I finished my making a few sandwiches, and began packing the rest of the food back into the refrigerator.
Paul must have smelt my food, because while I was halfway through a bite, he took the sandwich from my hands and bit the other side, grinning down with a mouthful. He placed what was left of the sandwich in front of me.
"What?" I glared. I felt so refreshed after training with Sam, but now I was in a bad mood, and it was all thanks to Paul and Rachel. It wasn't really their fault, although Paul might have an idea what was going on if he'd bothered to phase once in a while.
"What's up with you?" he asked, frowning and taking the seat opposite me. I shrugged, folding my arms.
"Nothin'," I responded. I must have looked pretty annoyed, because he looked a bit stand-offish.
"Are you sure? Something to do with Bella?" he asked, taking the rest of the sandwich and shoving the whole thing in his mouth. Rachel suddenly came up behind him, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him on the cheek.
"Bella?" she repeated, giving me a smug look. I heard myself growl at her.
"Stay out of this, Rachel," I said, looking away from them. It should be me sitting there, it should be Bella kissing my cheek. Rachel just scoffed and walked off, and Paul leaned over the table at me.
"Jacob, what is it?" he asked, looking concerned. I remembered a time when Paul and I would fight all the time, but now that Rachel was around, he'd really mellowed out. Maybe a good fight was what I really needed.
"Okay, so it's Bella," I replied. There was no point in keeping secrets, he'd find out eventually anyway. He raised his eyebrows.
"What now?" he asked. It sounded like he had an idea of what was going on.
"Well, I tried to kiss her again," I explained.
"What's she do?" he asked. I hesitated.
"She told me she needed more time," I told him. He thought for a moment, and then gave me a bright smile.
"That's exactly what Rach said to me when I tried to get her into bed!" he grinned. Urgh, I so did not want to hear that.
"Paul -" I didn't want to hear about their relationship.
"Sorry, I forget she's your sister sometimes," he said bashfully. "But, about Bella. I'm sure she'll come around. Give her time, but make sure not to give her too much time, or else she'll think you're not interested anymore. Don't let her think you've forgotten about her," he said matter-of-factly. As unbelievable as it was, that was actually good advice. She hadn't gotten angry with me today, she'd even been a little affectionate. Maybe I did have a chance after all.

I went to bed later on, feeling comfortable that I wouldn't be having nightmares tonight. But, instead of the nightmares, insomnia took their place. I wasn't sure which would be worse. I was feeling pretty tired, but it gave me a chance to think over all advice I'd listened to throughout the day. Obviously, I wouldn't be taking Embry and Jared's advice, but Sam and Paul had made me believe that I may actually have a good chance with Bella. It was a bit frustrating that we didn't have a blood-sucker to hunt, since that would have given me something else to think about besides Bella. Maybe school would help with that?
I couldn't help but get my hopes up at this point, now that I was a little more confident. It was a welcome change to think about Bella in a positive way, as opposed to it making me depressed. I thought about what it would be like if we were together, how happy she would make me, how happy I could really make her. If she just gave me a chance, I know that I could. Life would be perfect, for both of us. But eventually, I felt myself go drowsy, and I was asleep.

I woke up to voices outside my bedroom door. Before I had a chance to get up and see what the noise was all about, there was a knock on my door and it opened slowly.
"Jacob?" Bella's voice called out to me, quiet and wary. I sat upright. I thought it'd be just one of the guys, but here was Bella, walking into my room.
"Bells," I jumped up as she came into sight. She smiled bashfully when she saw me. "How are you?"
"I'm okay. Don't you boys ever wear cloths?" she asked, letting out a nervous laugh. You boys?
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.
"Oh, um, Paul, was it?" she asked, pointing vaguely back out towards the lounge room. I made a disgusted look.
"Right. Sorry about them," I said, shaking my head. I wanted to ask what she was doing here, but that would probably sound really rude.
"So…?" I figured that was all I could really say.
"Oh, sorry, did I wake you?" she asked, edging a little closer to me.
"Nah, it's okay," I replied. I waited for her to say something else, but she seemed to be hesitating.
"So, school starts in two days, have you done your homework?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. Why did Bella care whether or not I did my homework?
"Nope," I replied, shrugging. I grinned at her when she frowned. "What do you expect?"
"You really should do your homework!" she replied, stepping closer to me again and joke punching me. She grinned. I had to ask.
"What are you doing here, Bella?" I asked, glancing down at her. Her smile faded, and she looked down.
"It's about yesterday," she said, quietly. Okay, now I really was interested.
"What about it?" I tried to sound like I had forgotten the whole morning, but I think she saw right through me.
"I want to say that I'm sorry," she muttered. No, I didn't want her to say sorry again. I didn't want her to be upset again.
"It's alright, Bells," I replied. I wanted to put my arms around her, but instead, I just stood there. I didn't want to make things worse like I did yesterday. She just shook her head at me.
"No, I - I should have said yes," she whispered that last part, not looking up at me. I think my heart stopped beating. She wanted to say yes, she wanted me to kiss her. I put my hands on her face and pushed her face up so she was looking at me. I could tell she wanted to cry, but I think she was holding it back.

"Can I kiss you now?" I asked quietly. I figured if she was every going to say yes, it would be now. Now while she was regretting not saying yes yesterday. This could be my only chance. She just stared at me though, and bit her lip, like she was contemplating it.
"I don't know, how, to say yes," she whispered. I decided that there was no point in talking anymore, so instead I kissed her on the lips, softly. I didn't push it further, I just let my lips linger on hers for a moment, and she didn't pull away. I felt her arms crawl up my back, her hands resting there. I really had to control myself, so I pulled myself away to stop me going any further, letting go of her face. She didn't take her arms back, but she just looked up at me.
"Jacob," she breathed, looking sad. God, the way she says my name! Here we are in my bedroom, right beside my bed, her arms around me; her saying my name the way she does. It was too much.
"I don't want to hurt you," she said, suddenly. I think it was a little late for that, not that it was her fault, after all.
"You won't," I lied, running my fingers through her hair. She let me go, and pushed me lightly away.
"I still miss him," she said, looking down again. I knew that she still missed him, I knew that she still loved him. I knew that the blood-sucker would always be there, he'd always be in her heart. But, I had to accept that. If I wanted her, I had to understand that. No matter what, I couldn't be jealous.
"I know," I said, and boy, did I know. She didn't look up, but she put her arms around me again and rested her head against my bare chest.
"I'm sorry that I do, but I can't forget him," she told me, but I already knew. I didn't want to talk about it, I didn't want her to be cut up about it. I just wanted her to be happy. Even if that meant remembering him.
"It's alright, Bells. I understand," I put my arms across her back, held her close to me. She didn't reply for a long time, so she must have understood that I knew about everything, and that I accepted it. Did this mean that we were together, that she had said yes to me, finally? What did all of this mean?

"I should go," she said, breaking away from me. She turned her back, and went to leave without another word.
"Wait, Bella," I grabbed her arm, pulled her back around to me. But she didn't look at me.
"I'm sorry, Jacob," she said. She was always saying sorry.
"Don't say sorry," I told her. I wanted to scream it at her, but I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate that. She just gave me a strange smile.
"I guess I can't say sorry for that, either?" she joked. A joke, that was a good sign. I just shook my head, and tried to smile.
"Don't go," I said quietly. She let out a soft sigh.
"This is all, so fast, I need to think," her voice was so quiet I could hardly hear her. I knew she felt terrible about all of this, I knew that now. I knew I had a chance to be with her now. I knew I had to let her go, for now.
"Alright," I said, pulling her back into me again. I kissed the side of her cheek. She broke away from me, but she didn't walk away.
"School's going to be really hard without having you there to get me through," she said, smiling up at me softly. It's going to be hard for me too, but I didn't tell her that.
"I can come over your house after school, if you want," I offered, grinning down at her. "And you can do my homework!"
"Oh, shut up," she laughed, punching my chest. I was still unsure of what that kiss meant for us, but, I was far too embarrassed to ask. I wanted her to tell me what it meant, but, I knew she wouldn't. I just had to wait, and hope things all fell into place by themselves.
"But seriously, we can see each other every day if you want," I replied.
"I'd like that," she smiled. We hovered for a moment, looking around awkwardly.
"I'll walk you out," I said, and she followed me out into the lounge room.

"Going out?" Paul asked, coming up for air from Rachel, who gave us an annoyed look at interrupting them. Bella stood cautiously behind me, and I shrugged. I turned around to look at her.
"I guess, we, are?" she shrugged as well, but she must have read my mind. Obviously Paul and Rachel wanted me out of the house, and Bella was saving me.
"I guess so," I smiled. Paul grinned at me, and pulled Rachel back into his arms, kissing her. Bella looked away awkwardly, and I groaned.
"Let's get outta here," I muttered, putting an arm around Bella and leading her out the door. As much as it disgusted me when Paul and Rachel made out on the couch, this time it was actually paying off.