A/N Many thanks to Feebes 86, Mist, MoonWolfRunner(MWR), and AugustShaffer for their help with this story. These ladies are wonderful and I greatly appreciate all their help and support.
Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters, not me. Except I will claim Jax as my own.
~B of L~
Chapter 16: Conversations and Cards
Songs: Between the Raindrops by Lifehouse featuring Natasha Bedingfield and Lost in You by Three Days Grace
PPOV
I pulled Bella's truck into her driveway. I offered to help her get her stuff, but she was pretty adamant that would be a bad idea. I didn't argue, one of the few lessons I had learned from my Mom and actually practiced was don't bother arguing with a woman. You can't win.
I watched her trudge up to the house, as if she was walking to the gallows. When she disappeared inside, I got out of the truck and leaned against the bed, surveying the area. The smell of leech still lingered, but I could tell that it wasn't fresh.
I thought of Max and how close I had come to losing her. The kid was doing good, and I was beyond relieved. However, her talk about Mom and her 'dreams' had creeped me out. The irony of a big shapeshifter being unnerved by something as innocuous as a dream was not lost on me.
I was pulled from my thoughts as a black cat came out from behind the Swan house. It started walking across the lawn, but stopped abruptly when he saw me. Bella had that crazy dog, so I figured her for not being much of a cat person.
I hated cats.
Besides the expected animosity between a cat and a dog, I had inherited a hate of them as well. My Mom was easy going, just like her mother and her uncle, Old Quil. She rarely got angry, even when I would get caught doing something or other. But that was not true when she was planning the slow, tortuous demise of Old Lady Littlesea's cat. The cat was huge, like half the size of a bobcat huge, and it had a penchant for shitting in Mom's flower bed. Many a Saturday morning, I woke up with my mom screaming "That fucking cat!" And my mom didn't cuss. The little fucker had the entire reservation to do its business, but seemed to prefer to walk three houses down from its own to our place. Grandpa had said when Helen Swan was alive it wasn't a problem. She'd bring her dogs, and they would make a perimeter around the house. Mom had been determined to find a dog and was trying to decide on what kind to get.
She had died before she could get the dog.
About a month after I phased I had caught that damn cat in my Mom's roses and flipped. Partly because I couldn't go ten minutes without phasing, but mostly because the cat reminded me of what I had lost. I chased it for a good mile and half through the forest in wolf form. By the end of the pursuit I could almost hear my Mom's cackling and I howled with laughter as well. It was oddly therapeutic, like that one simple act brought me closer to my Mom and wolf at the same time.
And I never saw that cat again. I chuckled at the memory.
I heard the cat hiss at me, as if knew that my humor was at the expense of one of its own kind. It arched its back, hair spiking up, and growled lowly at me like I was the most terrifying thing it had ever seen. I probably was.
Not wanting to be showed up by the feline menace, I let loose a feral sounding growl that would make a grizzly bear cower. The little shit hissed once again and tore through the yard and across the street like a bat outta hell. I laughed and turned back around to face the house.
My chuckles ceased when I noticed the unamused expression on Charlie Swan's face as he stood stoically in his doorway. After catching me looking at him, he sneered at me.
"I'm not going to let you ruin her life. I just got her back, and I'll fight you, you little bastard, before I let you take her just so you can throw her away later," he mumbled to himself while he glared at me, with a look so full of contempt that I was wondering if it was even me he was seeing.
It was no surprise that he wouldn't like the idea of me around his daughter, most fathers didn't. But this was different. He acted as if he loathed me, that... whatever I was doing to Bella was just the final action in a long line of grievances against him. Oh well, I didn't give a shit. His daughter's was the only opinion that mattered to me.
I listened for Bella, hoping we could leave soon, and I could hear her flittering upstairs. Charlie's stare was starting to rankle my wolf's hackles.
She finished a few minutes later and tried to leave before her father halted her exit. Just as I suspected he might, he warned her of my reputation. Again, not the first dad to do that. However, his next four words were a first for me to hear.
"Like father, like son," he muttered lowly so Bella couldn't hear.
Cocksucker! My vision went red and I began to shake with the rage licking up my spine, but was talked off the ledge basically from Bella's defense of me. I was seriously starting to love this girl.
And as some of the other words in the Swans' conversation registered, I began to really worry about her.
What the fuck is going on with them?
Bella finished her rant and jumped into her truck, slamming the passenger door slightly with her annoyance. She didn't speak as we made our way back to La Push, and I was too confused and pissed to say much of anything.
I mean, what the fuck? I didn't know what made me madder, that Charlie was attempting to keep me from Bella or that he had the audacity to compare me to my sorry fucking excuse of a father. Where the fuck did he come off?
I couldn't get answers from Bella without raising questions of how I had heard Charlie from the driveway or their conversation for that matter. After a while the silence got to me and I decided I should say something, anything.
"Good visit?"
"About what I expected," she blew my question off, confusing me more. She expected that? Did she already know how he felt about me?
"He doesn't seem to like me too much," I stated as nonchalantly as possible, trying to fish for more answers.
Of course she didn't bite, just inferred that Charlie didn't like anyone really. But he sure as hell was protective of her. When I told her that Charlie seemed to like her, she looked at me incredulously. Basically as if the mere possibility of Charlie loving her was unfathomable.
She sighed and turned to look outside, not saying another word until we parked in my driveway. The silence wasn't necessarily uncomfortable but it was unwanted on my end. She had been in a decent mood at the hospital, perhaps a little jittery. Now she just seemed... off. She just sat watching the forest while she squeezed the bridge of her nose.
"You okay?"
She looked at me, and nodded. "Just a bit of a headache."
Satisfied, I finished the drive in silence and arrived at my house. I wasn't sure how to ask what I wanted to ask so I just sat there for a minute, thinking.
Bella seemed to be lost in her thoughts as well, but eventually she spoke first. "I'm really happy Makala is doing better. She's an amazing kid."
"Thank you for coming with me. Are you doing anything tomorrow? I thought maybe you could come with me and relieve Gramps again?" I asked hopefully. Not that I didn't want to spend my time with Max, but Bella seemed to be more interesting than my sister.
"I guess I can. I'm not working until Tuesday," she said as she opened the passenger door and started to slip out.
"Good. That will make Makala happy." Not to mention myself. I'd take any chance to be with her, even if it was in a hospital. "Well, thanks for bringing me back."
"No worries." She hesitated for a minute then, started to walk around to the driver's side of her truck. As she passed me, I gently grabbed her hand.
"Why don't you stay here tonight? It's more comfortable than camping out."
"I can't," she said quietly. "All of the Atearas' stuff is still there, as well as Jax."
"Listen Bella, last night was great. I'm sorry that I acted like such an ass in the beginning." She nodded, the corner of her mouth twitching. "I… would really like to spend tonight with you."
"I'm really tired and sore," she admitted, her cheeks coloring with embarrassment. I couldn't help the sick sense of satisfaction I felt out of her admission. I was a bastard.
"We don't have to do anything," I said as I beat my wolf into submission. "We still have a lot to discuss, don't you think?" Of course we didn't have to spend the night together to do that, but I wasn't going to bring that up.
She nodded her head, "Okay."
I did a mental fist pump at her word. "Why don't you go on ahead? I need to do a thing or two here and then I'll come over." I had to shower and find my cell and wallet.
She climbed into to truck, and I closed the door softly behind her. She smiled at me softly and waved before backing up and leaving.
It occurred to me as she was driving off that I was freaking starving, and it didn't look like she would be cooking for me. In the off chance she was cooking when I got to camp, I'd inhale the food before I reached her. I quickly showered and dressed. I found my stuff just above the beach and quickly called the diner and ordered some stuff to go in Gramps' name.
No need to tempt fate and get something in my food from a Clearwater.
An hour after Bella had left my house, I pulled my truck alongside hers. I walked up to the camp slowly. I didn't smell any food, just the sea and the pine surrounding me. When I arrived, I couldn't really hear anything. Just Bella's heartbeat and soft breathing and… the annoying growling of an overprotective mutt.
Fuck my life!
I approached cautiously, trying to assure the canine that I was not a threat to him or Bella. It was a great piece of acting on my part, as all I wanted to do was hurl the damn dog over the cliff and into the ocean.
Jax didn't seem to be fooled by my theatrical skills, his hackles were raised and his ears were back.
"She knew I was coming over. I brought her food," I tried to placate him. Apparently food was the magic word, because his head tilted and he sat down on his haunches, looking up at me expectantly.
Are you fucking kidding me? I growled at him to which he quickly replied with his own.
"She is hungry dammit!" I seethed. I have been reduced to asking for permission by this annoying dog. Quil will never let me live it down. No one would ever believe me, but as if the dog knew what I was thinking, the dog actually smirked at me.
I growled in exasperation and opened one of the containers and split a burger in half and placed it on a fallen log by the fire pit. I wouldn't think of it as bribery, but as a toll.
I eyed the dog and he seemed to be intrigued but wasn't moving from the tent's entrance.
"Bella?" I started to say, but that just seemed to piss Jax off again. After his growling quieted again, I listened and could hear her light breathing; she was asleep.
Cussing under my breath, I placed the other half of the burger down as well. I would be damned if he got the fries too. The dog rose to his feet and sauntered smugly past me to collect his prize. I growled at him, but hurried inside before he demanded more.
I quietly entered the tent. Bella was curled in a ball, facing away for me. She seemed to be fine, but I did detect the smell of saline as if she had been crying. I even thought I detected a little blood.
I sat down beside her and nudged her lightly. "Bella?"
She stirred a little, then turned on her back, looking up at me. "Hey," she said groggily.
"Hey. You hungry? I got some food."
"No. I'm good." Thank the Spirits, because I was seriously contemplating eating that damn dog if she did want it. "I'm surprised Jax let you through with that."
I scowled, "It cost me a burger."
She chuckled. "You're lucky he didn't take it all." I tried to suppress another growl. She smiled at me before her heavy eyes closed again, "Night, Paul."
"Night, Bella.
She turned over and it seemed within seconds she was out again. I wasted no time in inhaling my burger and both order of fries, but still felt hungry. I hope that tail-chaser gets indigestion later.
I laid down, stretching out my large frame in the smallish tent, and looked up to the clear sky above me. It had only been twenty-four hours since I had laid in much the same position.
I turned over, spooning Bella's body. She still smelled off, like Old Quil's shampoo, but her scent was still calming to me. Hugging her to me, I grinned when Bella sighed in contentment. I kissed her hair and quickly fell asleep myself.
I woke up the next morning from one of the best sleeps of my life. Sleep was a rarity for the pack these days, especially with that rogue vampire. But Jake had gave me a reprieve for a few days while Max was in the hospital.
Of course if something happened with a leech, I would have to help out.
I looked down at the girl wrapped around me. Bella's head was laying on my chest, her hair a tangled mess. It was a good look for her, but I couldn't help but think how much better she would look if she wasn't wearing those tank and shorts. My wolf nodded in agreement. He was starting to get worked up, but I wanted her to sleep. Or rather, she needed to sleep.
I thought about all the work I had to get done this week and the deliveries that needed to be made. Business had been picking up, several bedroom and dining room sets were on order. Billy had been helping me with the more detailed carving while I concentrated on the construction. If it weren't for patrolling, I'd be able to take on even more.
Of course Bella was proving to be somewhat of a distraction herself.
She began to stir from her slumber about fifteen minutes later, digging her face into my chest. "Mmmmmm, you smell so good," she moaned softly in her sleep making me grin to myself.
She hitched her leg up higher on my body. She was putting just the right amount of pressure on my cock. She was trying to kill me!
"Woman, you have got to stop. I can't control myself if you don't," I groaned.
Bella's eyes opened wide as she realized the thing bumping against her thigh was my morning wood bulging out of my shorts. She made a squeaking sound and tried to pull herself away, but I squeezed my arm around her harder, gluing her to me.
"Now, now. Don't run off," I chuckled. "We need to talk, remember?"
"Alright," she said a little apprehensively, her cheeks flaming red with her embarrassment.
"You mentioned that you weren't staying..." I trailed off, hoping that she would fill in the blank.
"I'm not sure when I'm leaving," she said slowly. After a moment she continued, " I know that I'm not going back to Charlie's anytime soon."
"Any particular reason?"
"Reason for what?"
"Both I guess. Why are you leaving and why are you moving out of Charlie's?"
She chuckled. "Nosy much?" I must have looked a little chagrined at being called out like that, because she full out laughed. It was a good to hear her laugh, especially after how upset she appeared to be yesterday. "As for moving out, that's to avoid a prison sentence," she joked, causing me to chuckle.
She sobered up quickly though and looked at me cautiously, "There are too many reasons to count why I'm not planning to stay in Forks. That decision was made long before I even got off the plane."
"The other night?" Please don't say it was a mistake. I can't handle that.
"Was wonderful," she finished. "And I will always treasure the moment. But I want to be fair to you. I don't want to promise you there is a future with me, when there may not be."
I clenched my jaw and shut my eyes. She couldn't go! "Bella, please give us a chance. I know I don't have a clue how to make a relationship work, but I'd like to try with you. Please," I pleaded.
That's right, Paul Lahote can beg for more than food.
She was quiet for a moment, but spoke softly into my crook of my neck. "I'm not planning on going anywhere for a while. I need to wait and see if... if anything comes from the other night. I don't regret a minute of it, but I want to know for sure. Paul... Paul I like you, I really do. But I can't promise anything except some time. Please let that be enough, please," she whispered.
It certainly was not fucking enough, but I couldn't say that. I'd run her off, and apparently something or someone was already doing that.
"I'll take what I can get, Bella. You're worth it." Bella closed her eyes and laid her head on my shoulder, and I felt a tear fall onto my heated skin.
She didn't say anything further but neither did I. A comfortable silence descended upon us as I softly ran my fingers through her hair, feeling the raised scars. After a moment, I asked her quietly, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she sniffled, looking uncomfortable.
"Did it hurt?" I closed my eyes at the asinine question. Of course it would have hurt. I didn't know if she would talk about it, but I hoped that she might.
To my relief, Bella didn't call me out on my stupidity. "I really don't remember the accident. I remember the car coming toward us, but other than that... nothing. I was in a coma for a while. They opened me up to try to relieve some of the swelling. I woke up a few days after the accident to a fucked up arm and bruises everywhere." She seemed like she was going to say more, but checked herself.
"Your lucky it wasn't worse."
"Yeah, lucky," she said quietly, a little sarcasm in her voice. I looked down at her, trying to decipher the change in tone, but decided not to pry too much.
Bella's stomach growled, cutting the bit of tension in the air. "I guess that is what I get for not cooking last night," she reasoned. "Sorry about that, I just crashed once I got here last night."
"No problem, but I will definitely be cashing in a rain check later." She smiled at me, but didn't argue. Sweet! "Why don't we get around and get some pancakes at the diner in Forks, take some to Gramps and Max." It was still early, probably six-thirty or so.
"Sounds good. Let me take care of some business and then I will wash up." She got up and exited the tent. I heard her talking to Jax briefly, making me feel marginally better about my own conversation with him last night.
I stepped out of the tent and was greeted by the sight of that damn dog. He was sprawled out on his back, like he was the most content animal in the world. I just wanted to kick him. If that made me an asshole, so be it.
Deciding to put distance between us before I was tempted to act on my aggression, I strolled to the cliff's edge to survey the bay. There was a pod of whales far out beyond the farthest sea stacks, but other than that, no other signs of life.
I heard Bella return and go into the tent, gathering her stuff I suppose. After a minute, she hollered to me, "I'll meet you at your house, okay?"
I turned around in time to watch her walk out of the tent with just her bikini on. I couldn't suppress a low growl, "You are trying to kill me!"
"Not quite," she said with a crooked grin, "You said we needed to get around to relieve Hank." She pointed to me, "That look in your eyes, is only going to cause us to be late." She was right. I knew it, but she was just so damn tempting in that bikini.
Perhaps I could be fast. I was a wolf after all.
"You going somewhere?" I asked as I noticed the tote and the rope in her hands. Was she going to propel down the cliff? "I thought you said you were going to clean up?"
"I am." She walked toward the cliffs facing the open ocean, confusing me.
Why wasn't she going down the trail to the waterfall? I watched in confusion as she stopped at a tree that was close to the edge of the cliff. She tied the rope around it and then tied the other end of the line to her tote. Walking to the edge of the cliff, she slowly lowered the tote down. She turned around, smiling at me, and then started walking back to camp.
"That didn't look like the first time you have done that," I reasoned.
She stopped walking by the camp, and turned to me. "Been a while," she agreed, lost it seemed in nostalgia. "Well, I'll see you after I clean up."
"I can wait, and we can stop by my house for a few minutes on our way." I really didn't want to leave her.
Surprisingly, she smiled. "Okay. I'll be back in just a little bit. You can keep Jax company," she snickered. I looked at the camp to the bane of my existence, but he just laid where he was, as eager to interact with me as I was with him.
But where was she going? I was getting ready to ask, but stopped when I turned to find she wasn't there anymore. What the...
"Bella?" I asked, listening for her footsteps but not really hearing anything but the mutt's breathing behind me and the ocean. But then I heard a small splash in the bay. Surely not, I thought to myself.
I walked quickly to the cliff's edge, anxious that she had fucking jumped. Doesn't she know how dangerous that can be? Panic started to go through me as I couldn't see her, but then I saw something moving gracefully underneath the water. Eventually, Bella came up for air, her hands slicking her hair out of her face as she inhaled deeply.
I was amazed at how far she had already swam and watched as she began to move toward the arch at the entrance of the inlet. Before I knew what I was doing, I dropped my wallet and pulled my shirt and shoes off and dived in after her. By the time I surfaced, I had the pleasure of watching her fine ass getting out the water. I gave up and decided if I was going to die anyway, I would die happy.
Very, very happy.
"Are you my new shadow?" Bella asked as I made my way to her. I caught the appreciative look she was giving me, no matter how good she tried to hide it.
"Babe, I will be whatever you want me to be," I replied in a husky tone.
She rolled her eyes at me, but didn't say anything. Her expression got a little flustered as I began to stalk toward her. "Paul, you need to leave so I can clean up. I will only be ten minutes," she said as she took a step back.
Reaching her, I pulled her into my arms. "What if I join you? I could be of great help to you. We could even conserve water, Bella," I added cheekily, grinning at her. After all, protecting the environment was very important.
"It's a waterfall, Paul," she said in an annoyed tone, but it was belied by the smirk on her lips.
"Details," I said as I bent down and captured her lips in a searing kiss, causing her to moan into my mouth. Taking advantage, I quickly deepened the kiss and thrust my tongue inside her mouth to explore and plunder. Bella kissed me back fiercely, wrapping her arms around my neck to draw me in closer. As if I needed a reason. I could smell her sweet arousal, pulling a low growl out of me.
I lifted up to my full height, bringing her with me as I walked through the arch along the pathway. I quickly made my way toward the waterfall, while Bella peppered kisses along my mouth and neck. When she nibbled on my ear, I lost control and pushed her against the cliff wall, my forearm protecting her head while the other arm was wrapped around her waist to hold her up.
At our new position, Bella's breath hitched and she wrapped her long legs around me. Kissing her passionately, I ground my erection into mound with vigor. Her legs were so tight around me I released the arm supported her and roamed around her body. I pulled the offending material of her bikini from one of her breasts and tweaked at the hardened nipple, making Bella moan my name.
After a few minutes, Bella whispered "Time", pulling me back out of the euphoric abyss she had pulled me into. I started making my way along the path again and when I was a few yards away from the waterfall, Bella started to struggle out of my hold, and I looked down at her curiously.
She pointed to the tote she had lowered earlier, "I need my stuff." I gave her a look that said I didn't give a tiny rat's ass about shampoo right now. "I know, I know. Details," she teased as she slid from my arms, walking over the the bag suspended over the ground and pulling some items out of it.
I swept her back into my arms impatiently, and strode over to the waterfall. Stepping in the space between the water and the cliff, I placed Bella on her feet. She quickly reached for a ledge in the rock, sitting her toiletries on it.
Then I pounced.
I had her against the stone again, claiming her mouth with abandon as my hips ground into hers. I was lost in her arousal that was swirling like a hurricane around me. Bella's hands were fisted into my short hair, and she was pushing into my cock in just the right way, only the material of her bottoms and my shorts separating us.
Fuucckk!
"Bella, if you want me to stop, you have to say so. I... I can't hold out much longer," I groaned as she bucked against me again.
"Paul... stop," she gasped between kisses.
Nooooooooo! my balls screamed. Blue wouldn't even begin to describe them if this didn't happen.
"Paul... protection," Bella pulled away from my neck and looked into my eyes, hers were a swirling mix of emotions. I pulled back looking at her and could see that she was fearful of the possibility of not having a condom again.
Fat chance of that ever happening again if I could help it. I'd wear a string of them around my neck if I thought that I could get away with it.
I was prepared to mess with her a little, make her think she was SOL, but her look of desperation and my wolf's impatience kept me from it.
My wolf was salivating at the idea of having her again. We had fucked up way too much the other night; we needed a good showing this time. And that meant using protection. I could tell the thought of a condom did not sit well with the wolf. Oh well, he may want pups, but I wasn't quite ready for that yet. Even with Bella.
I smirked at Bella and pulled the condom out of my pocket, waving it around like a chocolate bar at fat camp.
She sighed in relief, closing her eyes, and rested her forehead against mine. "Thank God."
~B of L~
"Nobody has that much beginner's luck." Quil pouted as he watched Bella pull in her chips after she had won her seventh hand of the night, fifth in a row.
We were relaxing at Old Quil's after spending most of the day with Max. After a quick thirty minute shower that made my dick twitch just thinking about, we had picked up some food and ate breakfast with my Gramps and sister. After Gramps went home to sleep some more, Billy, Jake, and Old Quil had showed up to visit as well. Bella had wanted to cook for the Blacks, whispering to me that Billy didn't look well, and Old Quil had pouted until she agreed to cook for everyone.
I shudder to think of what Quil would be like if he had gained even an ounce of the charm his grandfather had.
To pass the time, we had decided to play cards. Quil, Jake, Embry, Bella, Billy, Old Quil, and I were playing poker in the Atearas' dining room. Quil had wanted to play strip poker for some crazy reason, but we had all quickly nixed that idea.
I chuckled as I dealt the turn card of the current hand. I found it hilarious that they thought they were teaching Bella anything. I could tell by her body language, she was playing them. Poor dumb fools. They couldn't recognize a shark from a seal, except maybe Old Quil and Billy. Young Quil especially never knew when he was outmatched.
Case in point. A two, five, and eight of hearts with a Queen of diamonds was in the communal hand. Billy raised, to which everyone called but me and Embry. However, when Quil's turn came around he re-raised everyone, giving a wide grin to Bella when he did. Bella appeared to deliberate, glancing at me to feign an appeal for help. After picking up her chips three times, she finally called Quil's raise. I could see right through her bluffing; she was just leading him to slaughter. Poker seemed to be her game.
I wish she was as easy to read in general.
When the river card was revealed, Bella was cool as a cucumber. If the Queen of spades helped her, she didn't let on, but my money was that she had a flush of hearts. However, Quil failed miserably to hide his disappointment of the last card and tried to compensate by bluffing with a raise. Jake raised Quil and everyone watched Bella call with a shy smile.
"Alright, show 'em," I said to them. Jake had Quil beat with three of a kind and was eating up his victory. That was until Bella smiled widely, laying down a Jack and Queen of hearts. I knew it!
"You're fucking cheating!" Quil growled at Bella as he slammed his fist onto his pathetic pair of sixes on the table. He quickly mumbled a sorry when Old Quil gave him a look.
"I am not!" she snapped but her lips were curling up slightly as she fought a full-out grin.
"You said you had never played poker before."
"No, I said I had never played Texas Hold'em before. Not my fault you assumed I meant poker in general. You do know what assuming gets you Quil?"
"Yeah, broke." he whined under his breath, causing Bella to almost cackle, while the rest of us laughed and snickered.
I rolled my eyes at the drama queen. We weren't playing Vegas stakes; we had only pooled three bucks each.
But a guy's pride? That was more valuable.
However, I would gladly lose all night to Bella if she kept smiling like that; she was having so much fun. When she smiled like that, she almost took my breath away.
"What shall we play?" She questioned as her fingers deftly maneuvered the deck of cards in her hands like a professional dealer. "Five card stud, low ball, ..." I couldn't help but to chuckle at how cute she looked. Jake and Embry's eyes got round as saucers, and surprise flitted across Quil's at her dexterity.
Jake laughed and got up and gave her a hug. "Missed you Cuz."
Joy walked into the room and took in the scene with a grin. "Hi everyone. Let me get cleaned up and I'll start dinner.
"No need. We are making pizzas," Old Quil replied.
"You are making pizzas?" The woman asked, doubtful of anything her father-in-law could make besides a mess.
"Well, I am supervising."
Joy muttered to herself, "Not feeling much better here."
Bella turned to Joy and explained. "Makala wants spaghetti for her coming home celebration. Paul and the others wanted lasagna. So, I have made a huge batch of sauce up to use tomorrow. They wanted pizza tonight, and since I always think homemade is better, I offered to make some."
"That sounds wonderful. What do you need me to do?"
"Nothing. I have all the dough rising and all the dicing done. I sent people home for their cast irons skillets. We have the grill out back to cook what we can't fit in the oven." She looked up at Jake, who was still standing by her, and said, "Actually you should start the fire so it will be ready."
"On it!" He said, bolting out the back door.
"Take a seat." Bella said pointing to Jacob's vacated chair. "Another adult should help the quality of the game. Too many amateurs at the table," she teased her cousin remaining at the table, falling back into a playful routine. It made me slightly jealous that I never met her back in the day. But then again, who's to say it would have made 'us' any quicker or easier.
Old Quil and Billy chuckled at Bella. Quil gave her the bird, careful for his Mom not to see. But Billy did and motioned for Embry to hit him in the back of the head. It was nice seeing Billy in such a good mood. The revelations about Harry had hit him hard according to Jake. And Charlie had been absent as of late because of some words they had exchanged before Bella's arrival back in Forks.
"But Mom doesn't know how to play." Joy gave her son a challenging look.
Thirty minutes later, Quil was sufficiently humbled by both his cousin's and mother's poker abilities.
"How do you know how to play?" Quil asked his mother curiously.
"I play every last Wednesday night of the month."
"Your hen parties?" her son asked incredulously.
"You know, we don't just weave and cook," Joy laughed as she stood up and walked over to her son. "It looks like you boys have been taught a valuable lesson. Never, never underestimate your opponent," Joy said as she ruffled her son's short hair. Turning to Bella she smiled and continued, "And you should be careful with the male ego. It is a very fragile thing."
Bella chuckled softly and followed Joy into the kitchen, hopefully to start on the pizzas.
Jake and Embry began needling Quil about his lack of talent at playing cards. Billy and Old Quil discussed how much Bella reminded them of her grandmother and how nice it was to finally have her home again. As if she was reading their minds, I overheard Joy saying something similar to Bella.
"It's so good to have you back here, Honey. We've really missed you."
"Thanks. It is nice to be here. I forgot how much fun it is to mess with those guys."
"You do the job well. How did you learn poker?"
The younger squabble beside me ceased at the woman's question. Since Bella didn't speak much of her time in Phoenix, they too were jumping at the chance to learn more about her. Although, I suspected Quil was eager to learn her secrets to try to beat her next time, try being the operative word.
Bella didn't say anything for a few moments, just kept digging out things from the fridge. "I had a friend in Phoenix, Reggie. She was like a big sister. She would play poker with her friends and they let me play sometimes. Poor fools never thought a woman could beat them, much less a kid. Good times."
The room was quiet while we eavesdropped. It wasn't our fault we had super hearing. And as close to the chest she kept things, this was information we might not get otherwise.
"Do you still keep in touch with her?" I saw Quil grab a pen and paper waiting anxiously for information, as if Bella was going to tell Joy her friend's address and phone number so he could get poker tips. Dumbass.
"Uhhhh... No. She died around three years ago." Bella replied solemnly, the heartbreak clear in her voice. All four of us shifters looked at each other. I never noticed when the other two men's conversation had ended, but they were watching us quietly, waiting for when we would clue them in.
"Oh, I'm sorry dear. It is tough losing a close friend." Like my mom. Joy and her had been incredibly close. I concentrated on the conversation in the kitchen, I'd think about Mom later when I was alone.
"If you don't mind my asking, how did she die?" Joy asked.
Bella was quiet for a second, obviously lost in her memories. "Car accident. Drunk driver."
My breath hitched at the words. Was that the accident she had been hurt in? She didn't give me a timeframe when she had been injured this morning, but I had definitely heard the word we come out of her mouth. How close did I come to losing her?
"I'm sorry dear. I didn't mean to pry." I could picture Joy giving her a hug. Few people in this world had a bigger heart than Joy Ateara.
"That's okay. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get some air. I'm burning up in this house," Bella said in a placating tone as she she made her way to the front porch.
Joy gave her a small smile, "Of course, dear." Her concerned eyes followed Bella's retreating figure, then turned and met ours. She knew her questions had upset Bella, but she didn't understand how exactly. Not that we really had much more information than her.
Bella and I had spent the day with Max while Grandpa got some rest. No one knew about her scars, as I hadn't phased with anyone since I had discovered them.
My gut was telling me that I should probably try to keep it to myself. As closed-lipped as she had been about the subject this morning, it didn't seem like she would thank me for airing her business to her family and friends. I wanted her to trust me. And that meant I needed to trust her.
Ugh, who are you and what did you do with Paul? I thought to myself. It was like I was trying to become a better person. Actually, I was becoming unnerved at how many things I wanted because of her. Or maybe I had always wanted them, but never cared until her.
I was pulled from my thoughts as Old Quil began to speak with his grandson. "I need you to follow Charlie. See what his association with the leeches is. And try to figure out what their interest in him and Bella is."
I growled lowly. If they knew what was good for them, they had better have a short attention span.
While Bella was working in the kitchen earlier with Quil, we had a discussion about what Old Quil had witnessed at the hospital. He had noticed that Doc Vamp had listened with rapt interest to what looked like a fight between Bella and Charlie. Of course, Old Quil didn't know what was said, but the bloodsucker seemed to be happy with what he had heard. I explained that there were Cullen's scents in the vicinity of the Swan residence, and Old Quil did not like to hear that. I also mentioned Seth's odd behavior and Old Quil promised to speak with the pup later.
Quil nodded obediently, obviously glad to help in any way. While they were preparing the food earlier he had tried to apologize for Leah, which had only seemed to piss Bella off. He explained, as best he could, the problems they were having, and Bella had been supportive.
"What about Bella? You want us to spy on her?" Jake asked.
"Shhhh! Are you crazy?" Old Quil whispered yelled, fearful that the subject of the conversation might hear them. "And risk her finding out and not cooking for me any more? No, leave her alone. She has Paul," he said, winking at me.
Damn straight she had me!
"Listen," Jake ordered as a conversation between Embry and Bella began.
When the hell did he go outside?
"So…" Embry began. I watched as Bella turned to him, one eyebrow raised. "So... you and Paul."
"Yeah."
Embry gave a grunt. Neither Bella or any of us were fooled.
After our shower this morning, she was covered in my scent. So it would have been impossible to keep it from anyone. Luckily they still didn't know the details, and I was going to fight to keep the thoughts to myself when I phased again. At the hospital when I had first seen Jake, he had giving me his cousin speech, threatening dismemberment if I broke her heart.
I was curious if he was going to give her the same speech about me.
Bella's reply interrupted my thoughts, "You know, I'm not sure why you are so upset." Embry gave her a disbelieving look. Apparently, the kid had been crushing hard for a long time. I knew it wouldn't stop over night. I knew, but I didn't have to like it. "He may be my first... you know, but you were my first kiss," she continued. "I had a huge crush on you for the longest time."
Embry didn't look at her, but I could see the corner of his mouth turn up.
Cocksucker! My wolf's hackles were starting to rise.
"You are going to meet a wonderful girl. I'm not trying to be cliche, but you are too nice a guy to stay single long."
Embry turned and gave her the obvious follow-up, "So, then why not you?"
"Well, you are just too damn sweet. I realized I couldn't stay angry at you for any significant amount of time. And that just isn't healthy in a relationship," she teased. Embry didn't seem to find it as humorous as she had hoped. "I love you too much to jeopardize our friendship. And Paul... is Paul. I can't explain it any better than that."
Embry nodded, but didn't say anything. Whether her words comforted him or not, I wasn't sure. Nor did I care. He was coming dangerously close to an ass-kicking.
Especially after Bella leaned her head down on his shoulder. Then, as if the Spirits were trying to test my self control, his arm snaked around her shoulders, hugging her to him.
I jumped up to intercede, my chair making a loud noise as it collided with the wall, but Jake and Quil both grabbed a shoulder and pressed me back into it, hard. I wasn't sure if the motivation was their bond of friendship with Embry or attempting to keep me from saying something wrong around Bella. Perhaps both.
"If you got your head out of your ass, you'd realize you have nothing to fear," Jake growled lowly to me.
I tried to keep my jealous ass in the chair. My wolf was pacing in my head, taking Embry's actions as a direct threat. Again, I was confused by his protectiveness of her. However, I did know that caveman behavior would not work with girls like Bella; she was far too independent. I had to get control of the wolf.
"Can I ask you something?" Embry asked.
"You just did." she said trying to lighten the mood.
"I guess I just never caught that you liked me. You seemed like you felt sorry for me most of the time."
"I am good at keeping things to myself. And I never pitied you," she vehemently stated.
"Then, why hug me all the time?"
"Let you know that I understood you. Comfort you, like you did me."
"But I didn't do anything," Embry said confused.
"You did, trust me," she said sadly. But in true Bella fashion she quickly moved the topic away from herself, "Has it gotten any easier?"
Embry sighed deeply, "I'd like to say it has. But these last few years... it has been worse."
I could see Bella through the screen door looking at him sympathetically. She didn't say anything; there really wasn't that much she could say.
After a moment Embry shocked us all by elaborating; he never talked about this.
"You see I... suspect that the asshole was from La Push. But Mom won't say. She hates him. Hates him."
Jennie Call was a kind-hearted woman. A nurse by trade, she had proved to be a valuable member of the reservation, manning the clinic for almost fifteen years. I even recall her fixing several scrapes of my own that had occurred during my infrequent visits to my grandparents. Unfortunately, she had been slightly ostracized for her unwed mother status. I wasn't sure how she came about to stay on the reservation, but it did make one wonder. She was from the Makah tribe up north, and did not have any relation to the Quileute tribe, except apparently her half-Quileute son, Embry.
"Your mom is a good woman. You are lucky to have her." Bella paused for a minute, as if she was deliberating continuing. "Maybe... maybe you should take her advice. Having his name wouldn't have made him any more of a father. Trust me, it would have hurt even more for him to ignore you while living in the same house."
There was pain in her voice, subtle but there. I looked at Jake and Quil and could see the concern and confusion on their faces. "Is she talking about Charlie?" Quil whispered.
"His wanting or not wanting you, it has nothing to do with you. That's all on him, and its his loss. You were probably better off anyway."
"What the fuck is going on?" Jake growled. Billy was about to reprimand him but Jake gave him a look that now was not the time.
I watched Bella give Embry a big hug, then come back into the house. She gave me a soft smile as she passed me, oblivious that I had heard every word of her conversation. And oblivious that Jake and Quil were seething and were currently relaying the conversation to their grandfather and Billy.
"Dad, what was the reason that Charlie said Bella didn't visit after Helen died?" Jake asked his father.
"That whore wanted Bella to stay with her." I choked on the drink of soda I was drinking. I had never heard Chief Black curse, even when he was discussing the Cullens.
"But that doesn't make sense," Quil countered. "She stayed all summer long and every single Christmas before that. Hell, she stayed with us on the reservation that summer," he said as he looked at Old Quil. He got a pensive look on his face. "I know she was upset after her grandma died but she didn't ask to go back to Phoenix. In fact, I remember Mom asked her one day if she wanted to go back and Bella cried, begging Mom not to send her back early."
"She hid it well after that," Embry added, sitting down in his chair across from me. He apparently recalled the same event. That was not surprising since where Quil was, Embry was not far behind. "She only talked about Helen and her other grandma in California, but never her parents."
"Did you ever notice that Bella had her own room at Helen's house, but never at Charlies' apartment?" Jake asked. "She was never with him. Ever. If she came to the reservation, Helen brought her. If we went fishing or camping, she stayed with us."
The guys were mainly talking to themselves, but apparently the words were hitting home. Billy had his head in his hands and Old Quil had a look on his face that even a wolf would find intimidating. He was pissed.
"We'll discuss this some other time. Quil watch Charlie and keep an eye out for the leeches," Old Quil said softly to us. "Let's enjoy the rest of our evening," he finished, patting Billy's head lovingly. Billy may have been the Chief of the tribe, but Old Quil was the patriarch of the family. Even if he wasn't the Shaman, people would still look to him for answers. He just had a charisma about him that drew people in; you couldn't help but like him. My Grandma had been a lot like that too.
"Hey, Paul?" Bella called. "Can you come help take these pizzas outside to cook?"
"Sure, sure," I hollered as I rose up and made my way to the kitchen.
~B of L~
3POV
Alice took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Of all the disturbing and confusing things that had been flashing in her mind the past few days, this conversation was going to be one of the most difficult. Her hand hovered over the doorknob, debating if whether this was the best time.
They would have privacy as she had ensured everyone else was miles away. Alice only had to hint about a grizzly and Emmett was salivating at the prospect of a lively hunt. Thankful for male companionship once again, he had pulled a reluctant Jasper along with him. Carlisle and Esme were in Seattle for a short holiday, leaving only Rosalie.
Jasper had been suspicious since they had left Milan. She had tried to keep her emotions controlled in his presence, but it had proved quite hard. She would be doing good and then a particularly disturbing vision would happen, disintegrating her control temporarily. And Jasper was far too in tune with his beloved wife to not notice even the smallest change.
He had asked several times during the flight about what was going on. She disclosed what she could, but omitted what she felt that she had to. She wasn't trying to be deceptive, but there was so much she just didn't understand. There were huge holes in her visions. She had originally suspected that the Quileute involvement was responsible, but she was no longer convinced. There were others involved that she could sense in the visions but could not see.
Steeling her nerves, Alice swiftly entered the room she had been lurking outside and leaned against the door after closing it. "Rosalie…" she began but was quickly cut off.
"Don't even start with me, Alice," Rosalie snapped at her usually chirpy sister. They got along quite well, for the most part, opposites as they were. But Rosalie was in no mood for Alice's Pollyanna-outlook on things.
Sometimes there were no silver linings to be seen. Sometimes things just went to shit and no amount of perfume could cover up the smell.
"You need to calm down. You're acting like no one cares about you. We all love you. They love you."
The blonde beauty scoffed. "They tolerate me out of obligation as he is my sire, nothing more. I did not serve their purpose. Edward didn't want me and I wouldn't have him," Rosalie almost snarled, disdain dripping from her mouth like venom. Alice had no idea what this family was really like, what they were capable of. She had blinders on to anything but the future.
The past was Rosalie's realm. With the exception of Emmett, her future died the last night of her human life. Every thing she had ever wanted slipped through her fingers like a handful of sand. Rosalie had nearly drowned in the desolation after she woke up to her immortal life. And every moment since she had first opened her newborn eyes had been torture until she had found her Emmett.
Emmett was one of the only things that could make her forget the past. Sometimes, on a particularly bad day, she would mourn the bittersweet moments of her human life, like holding her friend's son Henry in her arms after he was born. But then she remembered that she would have never found her own oversized Teddy bear had it not been for the hell she had awakened to. Emmett had made her second life not only bearable, but happy.
But that could not be said of all of the family.
The hatred she felt for Carlisle had only intensified over the years. He tried to make it out as he was this compassionate, philanthropist doctor that was merely trying to save a life cut short. That could be understood, if not condoned. But Carlisle's gift of vampirism was meant to be a gift to someone else. His actions were not of a compassionate and gifted doctor, but the desperate actions of a doting father. He had wanted a companion for his precious son, Edward.
No more, no less.
But Carlisle had eventually realized that he had not turned a mate for Edward. He had quickly tried to salvage the situation by embracing his new daughter. But she found him as reprehensible as his arrogant son.
And Carlisle's lack of accountability for her situation, just infuriated her even more. Rosalie was a conceited bitch. There was no denial; she knew it. She even embraced it. Emmett, Alice, and Jasper were the only ones that truly accepted that there was a reason for her anger. Esme tried, at first, but found it exhausting, but she was loyal to her mate.
Edward didn't even bother.
"What do you think you are doing? I couldn't reach you. I barely got in touch in time with Carlisle to make sure he was clear of the hospital before the Quileutes showed up. But you? You park yourself outside the window eavesdropping. What would happen if they had caught your scent? What could still happen? I can't see the dogs! I have no warning if something bad happens. Why are you risking our safety for a human? Why do you care what happens to her?"
"I don't." Alice gave her a dubious look. "She needs protected. I couldn't protect me, and I couldn't protect…" Rosalie stopped talking abruptly, wondering if it was better to just keep quiet. Talking now wouldn't change what had happened.
"What girl in New Hampshire?" Alice's visions gleaning what Rosalie's mouth had stopped saying at the last minute.
That shit really annoyed Rosalie.
"Your beloved brother became infatuated with a girl about five years before you joined us. She of course became completely ensnared by him. I highly suspect he was using thrall on her. I don't think he told her what he was, but he left plenty of blatant hints.
"Her family became concerned about their relationship and sent her away to live in Atlanta, I recall, to get her away from Edward. The father could not stand him. And if that wasn't enough, Edward's gift didn't work very well on the man. A constant loop of obscenities from what I heard." She smiled at the memory of Edward whining to Carlisle about the unfairness of the situation. "The girl became so distraught over Edward that she took her own life," Rosalie finished in a small voice.
"Poor Edward." Alice whispered.
"Poor Edward? Poor Edward! Did you not hear a damn word I said? That girl's life ended because of this family's actions and inactions," Rosalie exploded, sneering the word family. "She could have had a long and happy human life!"
Rosalie had never felt the guilt of killing an innocent for her thirst, a fact she was very proud of. But the memory of Elizabeth Owens haunted her. Rosalie had been adamant that what was happening was wrong, that a young, human girl of sixteen could not handle the knowledge of vampires, not to mention shouldn't know of them. But Rosalie's protests had fallen on deaf ears. She had kept her distance after her initial warnings, feeling that she had done what she could and that her conscience would be clear.
It wasn't.
"And she could have died the next week Rose," Alice reasoned with her enraged sister, but cringed at how callous her own words sounded. The truth was she knew nothing of this, and she was floored at the possibility that she didn't know the Cullens as much as she had thought.
"Well, we will never know, will we?"
"Fair enough. But what makes you think something is going to happen now?"
"I don't know, a feeling. She's different; she sees what most don't. It's unnerving."
"All the more reason to stay away from her," Alice glared reproachfully. The human had been in a few visions a few weeks ago, but fewer and fewer now.
"It's too late, she is already being stalked by a nomad. And I don't like the way Carlisle has been acting."
Alice pondered that. Her visions of Carlisle were strange. He had called Edward several times, but Edward never would answer. That in of itself was not unusual, but it was the persistence of Carlisle's attempts. There was nothing to Alice's knowledge that would explain Carlisle urgency to get in touch with his son. He wanted her brother to come to Forks, and Alice knew that that was a very bad idea. All her visions of speaking with the coven leader on the subject were not helpful; hence why she chose to speak with her sister first.
But Alice was further confused with her sister's behavior. Although Rose deeply missed her human life, she despised most humans. Occasionally, she even threatened to change her diet as a service to mankind by keeping them from contributing to the gene pool. Alice was fairly sure that Rose only said that to rile up Carlisle, but then again she really did hate Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley.
"You like her." It was not an accusation, but a realization.
Rosalie sighed in defeat, "I think I understand her. She reminds me a lot of myself."
A/N Thanks for reading!