SONG: The Black Ghosts - Its Your Touch

Chapter 15

Choices

BPOV

Jacob Black called me later that Tuesday night.

I hadn't expected him to, even though he had said he would. I had known it was him as soon as my dad knocked on my door, barely waited for me to tell him he could come in, and barged into my room with a wary look on his face.

"You have a phone call." He said eyeing me suspiciously.

My dad would have never reacted this way if it was Alice calling, or even if it was any another female. The only time my dad had reacted in this same way was when Mike Newton had somehow gotten hold of my number and had called to ask me to a dance last semester. So I had known immediately that it was a guy calling. And no other guy had said they would be calling me.

I couldn't help the faint flush on my cheeks.

"Um, ok. Thanks." I picked up the phone. "I got it."

I waited until I heard his footsteps downstairs and he very reluctantly put down the receiver. I put my phone to my ear, my hand shaking slightly.

"Hello?"

"Bella. It's Jacob."

"Hi Jacob. How are you?" It seemed a silly question seeing as I had just seen him a few hours ago.

"I'm good. You?" he replied.

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Good." He paused. "I told you I'd call."

"Yeah you did." I said, smiling.

"So...what are you up to?" he asked.

"Nothing really, I was just listening to music."

"Oh, what kind of music are you into?"

"A bit of everything really." I said.

"What were you just listening to?" he questioned.

I hesitated. Did I really want him to know that I was just listening to the High School Musical soundtrack?

"Linkin Park." I said instead.

"Ok."

There was a slightly awkward silence, as I didn't know what to say and Jacob seemed like he wanted to say something, but was hesitating.

"That party on Friday was a little crazy huh?" he said finally, breaking the silence.

"Tell me about it." I replied.

"Sorry about the fight." He laughed nervously, "I don't want you to think I go around picking fights and punching people every day."

I laughed lightly, "I didn't think you did."

"It's just....guys like that really piss me off." He continued, "I was just about to go and talk to you, you know, when I saw that guy bothering you. Do you know him?"

He was about to come and talk to me? That was probably how he had seen the incident.

"Yeah, Mike Newton. He goes to my school."

"Is he a friend of yours?"

"No, not really. He's just some guy who doesn't want to take no for an answer."

Jacob snickered.

"I can't say I blame him, I mean, who would want to accept a 'no' from you? I know I wouldn't."

My face flushed and I was very glad that he couldn't see it.

"So....Bella. What would you say to-"

"Bella, it's been fifteen minutes. Say goodbye to your friend and get off the phone." My dad's gravelly voice suddenly cut Jacob off.

I was mortified.

"Dad! Did you really have to do that?" I said through clenched teeth. He didn't answer and just stayed on the line, waiting for me get off the phone. I nearly died of embarrassment right there. Jacob must have thought I was some kid.

"Dad." I said, restraining myself from shouting down the phone at him. "Can you please get off the line? I'm just going to say goodbye and then I'll hang up."

At that he put the phone back down.

Jacob chuckled heartily, seemingly unperturbed by it.

"Oh my God, I'm so embarrassed right now." I mumbled.

"Don't be." He said.

"My dad was one of the cops who turned up at the party." I told him.

"Damn."

"I know. So of course, I got into major trouble, grounded, car keys suspended, fifteen minute time limit on calls, I feel like a little kid." I sighed.

"Wow, tough break." He said sympathetically, "how long is the punishment for?"

"I don't know. Dad didn't specify a time limit."

"Too bad-"He started, but then my dad, once again, cut him off.

"Isabella!"

"Jacob, I've got to go." I sighed. I really didn't want to come off the phone.

"Ok, I'll speak to you another time. Tomorrow maybe?"

"Sure."

He paused for a second, before saying, "Bye Bella."

"Bye Jake."

I lay back on my bed, clutching my pillow, a grin spreading across my face. Jacob Black had called me. Jacob Black, a hot, motorcycle riding, college guy was interested in me. Me, Isabella Swan. I hugged the pillow tightly, a small smile still on my lips as I drifted off into a sound sleep.

Of course, Alice had pestered me into relaying every single minute detail of me and Jacob's conversation. She wanted to know every word he'd said, every response I'd given him, even every time he'd laughed.

She was really getting on my nerves but her excitement was contagious and I found myself smiling euphorically as I made my way to biology.

My smile swiftly faltered as I walked over to my desk to find Tanya Denali perched on it, her long tanned legs hanging off the edge as she talked animatedly to Edward, stroking his hair absently. He was sitting in his chair, looking less morose than yesterday but there was still a furrow in his brow as he stared off into space, seemingly not even paying attention to Tanya as she chattered away.

I scraped my chair noisily and they both turned to look at me.

"Oops, sorry Isabella. I didn't see you there." Tanya said, hopping of the desk.

"It's fine. And it's just Bella actually." I replied, a little sharper than intended.

"Oh right, sorry Bella."

She went back to her desk and sat next to Jessica, who was staring at me strangely. I suddenly remembered that she had probably heard my short conversation with Jacob yesterday and had also heard him asking for my number. She was most likely now speculating about who he was and who he was to me and I inwardly groaned. I suppose that I was even lucky that the whole school hadn't found out about it yet.

We were continuing our assignments today. Edward took out the cells and placed them on the table. He walked up to the front desk to gather up the equipment we needed – and I was left open-mouthed as I gazed at his tall frame.

He was wearing baggy blue jeans that fell just below his hips. They were not too low, but just low enough to have the rim of his white Calvin Klein boxers showing. He had been wearing a grey sweater and had removed it, because it lay on the table next to his notes. I wasn't sure why he had removed it because the weather was no where near warm enough for the white tank top he wore underneath. It clung to his body like a second skin and I could see every outline of every muscle in his toned back. He turned, facing me, to walk back to our desk and my breath hitched slightly as I clearly saw the contours of his perfectly defined abs and chest muscles. His arms were bare, allowing me to view the bulging biceps that had only been hinted at through the t-shirts and sweaters he usually wore. As he sat back in his seat, the wonderful fragrance he smelt of was blown around, and I was unable to stop myself from breathing in deeply, inhaling the scent as if my life depended on it.

"Are you ok?"

I turned to see him looking at me questioningly, one eyebrow raised.

"Um, I'm fine." I replied, unable to meet his striking hazel eyes, "Why, shouldn't I be?"

He shrugged.

"I don't know, you just...you just look like, really flushed, I thought maybe.....never mind."

I'm sure my face turned an impossibly deeper shade of red.

"Should we get started?" I said, trying to change the subject.

"Sure."

We started working in silence, again only speaking to each other when absolutely necessary. It was definitely a struggle for me to concentrate while I could see his muscular arm in my periphery. To make matters worse, I suddenly noticed that he was sitting rather close to me, his right arm very nearly brushing my left arm as we wrote.

When the bell rung, I hurriedly started packing up my things and was just about to walk out when he called out,

"Bella?"

And I'm surprised that I didn't drop dead right there because I'm sure my heart stopped pumping. He had never said my name before and the sound of his voice saying it was....like music.

I spun around to face him and he was looking at me intently, his striking eyes boring into my own.

"Can I take your number?"

What? Edward Cullen was asking for my number?

"I mean, you know, so I can call you to talk about the assignment." He added quickly.

Disappointment hit. He only wanted it for the assignment.

"Ok." I ripped out a scrap of paper from my notebook and quickly scribbled my number on it. "Here you go." I handed it to him.

"Thanks." He said, half-smiling, though I wasn't sure why.

I nodded and turned away from his gaze, rushing out of the class quickly and I could have sworn I saw Tanya Denali glaring at me as I hurried past her.

What the hell was her problem?