Chapter Two: Mystery
I woke up to screaming. My screaming. I didn't know why I was screaming, or what was causing me such incredible pain every time I closed my eyes. If it hadn't been for my heart pounding with the fury of an animal trying to beat its way out of its cage; my chest moving up and down, up and down rapidly; my huffing and panting, trying to get oxygen to my suffocating lungs-I wouldn't have even thought it was me having the mental breakdown. I shivered from the cold.

My window was open. And the air was merciless. I wrapped my arms tightly around me as if I could protect myself from the unwelcomed breeze. My eyes scoped the area and I nearly hyperventilated when I realized I was by myself.

"No…No…Jake! Jacob! Jake!" I couldn't calm myself down, I couldn't relax. He said he wasn't going anywhere. He promised to hold me. And he wasn't here. He wasn't here. My voice was frantic, shaky and very scared as it jumped a few octaves. "Jake!"

The door opened and Jacob rushed in so fast his entire form was reduced to a colorless blur; one second he was by the door, the next he was in front of me, so close I could see every single speck of brown in his beautiful and frightened eyes.

"What? What is it Bella? Are you okay?" I instantly pulled him on the bed by his arm and grasped for dear life, nothing short of the jaws of life could pry my hands away from him.

"You..you..left." I nearly choked on the words. He looked at me for a long time again, before eyes flashing with that same recognition. He took a deep, long breath before pulling me into his embrace.

"I was just outside talking to Sam, Bella. I didn't leave you. I promised." He kissed my hair. "You're so needy. You could have woken up Charlie." I hugged myself to his bare chest, his skin burned my flesh but I didn't budge nor complain in fear he'd move me. I just wanted him here. In my arms. With me.

"Bella…you were screaming.." He pulled back a bit so he could look into my eyes. My fingers were inseparable, intertwined at his lower back, making it impossible for him to pull away too far. I didn't want him two feet from me, or 6 inches for that matter. I gasped when I my chest ached, feeling the pain in his eyes. Pain and Love. He was hurting, something was hurting him so much he had to bit his lip in order to keep his composure. Apparently, me screaming was a splash of cold water in his face. Though his expression looked as though he had been slapped.

"What's wrong?" I asked, tightening my hold. He sighed, averting his gaze before making eye contact again.

"You still miss him don't you?" I didn't have the slightest clue to what he was talking about. Him? I looked at him blankly; mind whirling and shuffling through buried thoughts but none was comprehensible. It was as if someone had stolen all my memories and transferred them to gibberish, leaving no subtitles or translations.

"Him?" His face hardened, teeth clenching, jaw tightening; and his eyes were black with hatred. I flinched from his speechless, uninterrupted glare. I could feel the rage building within him, bubbling explosively. He was trying to tame it, fighting with himself. There was a slight tremor before he was able to get himself under control.

He practically had to force his lips to part so his tongue could shove out the word, "Edward."

Edward. The pain in my chest was pulsating but I couldn't figure out why. Edward. I had never heard that name, at least not to my limited recollection. Was he a friend? Relative? Edward seemed so old fashioned. Was he my grandfather? I twirled the name around over, and over but no description or thought provided any assistance. I came up blank.

Jake's face softened with confusing relief when he whispered, "You don't remember him do you?", his voice was lighter with a sense of hope that didn't register. What was he so hopeful for?

I shook my head. "No. Who is he?"

"Nobody now." He shifted to where he was laying down with me on top of him, locked with his embrace, hands together solidly at my lower back. I buried my face in his chest, inhaling his scent; nature, trees, rain, pine needle and woodsy all in an irresistible mixture I couldn't get enough of.

Edward, Edward, Edward, Edward. Nothing…

"Bella?" I didn't move, too content in my position. I felt so warm and so protected, loved.

"Yes Jake?" There was silence for a moment and I listened to the soundtrack of the world outside my window. The crickets chirped happily in search of their perfect mate, owls sung their nightly tune in a sense of nothing better to do with their time. I saw the moonlight shine onto my purple, not periwinkle comforter, lighting the room with its brilliance. I tune back to Jake who is still thinking carefully about his next words.

"Do you…remember…what I am?" I was stumped.

"I thought you were my best friend."

"I am, Bella. I will always be there for you. I want you to know that…but…" His words come to a halt and his body tenses, forcing me to grit my teeth and finally look up at him. He looked as if he was being strangled and I grew alarmed.

"Jake?"

"It's okay Bells…I just…have this secret to keep…" He stopped again. This secret was hurting him. I could see it in the way he squeezed his eyes shut and gulped hard, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat. There was struggle and hurt in his features and every glance ripped at me. So I hurried to shove the pain away.

"Then keep it. You don't have to tell me anything that you're not suppose to." That only seemed to make him the more frustrated.

"But Bella-" More pain. His eyebrows scrunched together this time and I winced.

"I mean it Jake. I rather be in the dark than see you in this much…agony. Please." His eyes meet mine. I ignored the longing and begging in his irises and focused on the other facial features that were screaming at me. After a while of just heavy breathing and unbreakable eye contact. He nods slowly and reluctantly.

"Okay.." I laid my head back on his chest and his fingers play my hair. I had no clue what it was that he wanted to tell me so badly, but what ever it was didn't want to be revealed so soon and somehow…deprived him of his right of free speech. He was physically bound to this unknown secret but as long as he didn't have that god awful, heart wrenching look of torment on his face, ripping us both to shreds, I would be fine living in mystery.

Maybe I had gotten amnesia for a reason.