Jake wasn't even phased by the amount of swimming he had just done.
"Thanks Jake, I think next time I won't swim that far out." I said laughing.
"No problem, I would agree to that, come on I bet Emily has been waiting for you to sit and talk with her. I think she is really glad to have another girl in the midst." He said smiling as we walked up to the group.
There was joking and poking fun at him carrying me back but soon everyone was sitting on blankets in the sand, drying off and chatting with each other.
Emily and I were close to the group but still a bit apart so we could have some girl talk.
"So, what are you going to do? About you and Jake I mean?" She asked looking at me as we lay on our stomachs huddled together so they wouldn't hear.
"I really like him, but he isn't even close to ready I think for a relationship. I don't even know if he likes me for goodness sake, I can't get ahead of myself.
He is just incredible and I wouldn't want to be sloppy seconds or anything. For now I think that becoming good friends is a good idea, and hopefully he can trust me enough at some point to talk about Bella and such.
I need to know that his heart is ready for someone else; I know I can help him heal…just like he can help me heal. But I don't think he is ready for it just yet." I said hoping that I didn't sound to forward or crazy in my assumptions.
She smiled at my answer and nodded.
Even with the long scars on her face she was beautiful, her appearance and her personality were so kind and lovely.
"Well I'm pretty sure that he likes you, I mean the way he looks at you…I wouldn't be surprised if he had imprinted on you, the way that he looks at you and all.
Even if he has, I know he would tell you when he was ready if he likes you and if he imprinted on you and all that, I agree that he still needs time.
I think he needs a good friend though to give him that trust back in letting people in you know. He seemed to have lost that after Bella." She said looking sad as she glanced back at him.
I followed her gaze and caught Jakes gaze as he looked over to us, giving him a kind smile.
I wanted him to trust me more than anything, not to be afraid.
"Hey you guys aren't talking about us over there are you?" Seth said grappling with Quil as they all looked toward us.
"Oh don't fool yourselves, we have much more important things to talk about." I said sticking out my tongue at them and laughed as they smiled back.
They were so easy to have fun with.
"Like what?" Quil asked as he was pinned underneath Seth.
Even Jake looked curious as he stared at us.
Emily and I exchanged glances and smiled before answering.
"You know girl stuff like shoes and shopping…" Emily said leaving it off for me to finish with a mischievous grin.
"And periods and hormones. You know girl stuff, you guys want to join?" I said smiling sweetly and innocently at them.
Every boy in the group made disgusted faces and quickly went back to talking amongst each other.
She and I fell into a fit of giggles at how cleverness.
We talked for a while longer and all joked around and talked before it came close to dinnertime and we all parted to head back home.
I decided to leave my shorts off for now and stayed in my bathing suit, my back only twinged a bit here and there as we walked to Jakes rabbit.
"So did you have fun?" He asked smiling as he started up the car.
"Oh my god, loads of fun. I haven't really hung out with kids my own age and had fun like that for who knows how many years." I said smiling as we began our way back to my place.
"Jake can I ask you something, you don't have to answer if you don't want to?" I said feeling slightly nervous as I waited for his answer.
"Yeah go head." He said glancing at me with a quick smile as we drove.
"What happened with this girl that everyone talks about Bella?" I asked hoping he wouldn't shy away from me.
He grew very quiet; his demeanor seemed to slump a little with a remembered sadness.
"She was an old childhood friend who came back about a year and a half ago. I think I always liked her but when she came back I just…fell in love with her. But she fell in love with Edward Cullen, the vampire that lives near here.
He left her at one point and she came to me for friendship and I felt like she fell for me. I mean we did everything and she seemed happier.
I knew that she loved me but when he came back she dropped me and went back to him. The thing that hurt the most I think though was that she kept me on that string of hope, and yet she chose the guy she has to give up her whole family for to be like him and with him, and yet she could be with me and not have to change a thing or give-up anything. She loved me, but I loved her more and it wasn't enough."
He said his eyes distant as he parked the car having reached my house.
He looked at me with an expression that seemed to tear my heart into pieces, all I wanted to do was make everything better, to have that expression go away.
I rested my hand that sat closer to me, trying to show him that he wasn't alone that I was there.
"I'm sorry about what happened, it was a horrible thing in my opinion for her to do. I may not know you very well Jake but I don't like seeing you in pain, I want to help you in any way I can.
I really care about you, and I hope that we can become really good friends. Anytime you need to talk or just want to see a friendly face just come on by I'll be there. I want you to know that not all people are like her." I said looking into his eyes earnestly, hoping that he understood.
His expression softened at my words, he looked comforted and a little happier.
"I will take you up on that friendship. I hope that we can hang out some more, I really like being around you. Thanks Lilah." He said his husky voice quiet as he looked into my eyes with intensity to his words that I didn't miss.
He moved forward a little awkwardly and pulled me into a hug. I inhaled his scent, a mix of wood, saltwater and something that was so unique to him I couldn't put my finger on it, as I put my arms around him and hugged him tightly.
We sat like that or a minute or two, it felt comfortable and right. We just fit so perfectly, I thought his warmth making me feel safe and sleepy. His heartbeat was contestant and powerful in his chest as it chemically vibrated softly through my body.
Pulling back finally I thanked him again and got out of the car.
"Hey, I know we just aw each other and such but you wanna come over for lunch or something we can just chill and watch TV or something." I said feeling nervous as I stood there shuffling my feet.
"Yeah, that sounds like fun, what time is good for you?" He said giving me his signature grin as I felt my knees melt slightly.
"Umm how about 12?" I said feeling so foolish as I just stood there in my little bathing suit.
"Yeah that sounds perfect. Hey…you looked really pretty by the way." He said, and I could have sworn he blushed as he said it because he sped away and rolled up the window as he went.
My cheeks were on fire, and my heart was flipping beneath my chest.
He thought I was pretty; the last person that said that to me other than Natalia was my mother.
It felt incredible to hear it from someone I really liked, it was indescribably.
I practically skipped into the house my heart beyond elated.