A/N: So here's the fabulous MeraNaamJoker's first chapter! Next Jake is on Sunday. Thanks again to Audreyii-fic and WolfGirlAtHeart for pre-reading, to HoochieMomma who beta'd like a demon and also to UntilWeBleed, who made a Return to Sender banner! Have a look here: www (dot) twitpic (dot) com (slash) 4wavsc

Chapter 2 - Bella's POV

For a moment, when I opened my eyes, I wondered if maybe I'd woken up at a terrible early hour and had a while left to sleep in.

Then I remembered. Forks. Constant rain. Damn.

Except no! Wait! I sat up in bed, pushing my hair back out of my face and smiling as I remembered the night before. There was actually a reason to be glad I'd made the horribly long trek to Washington, besides taking care of Charlie, of course.

"Jacob Black." I tried out the name, trying to reconcile the sound of it with the gorgeous, muscular god-man who'd stood before me in the hospital hallway. For years, whenever I thought "Jacob Black," which was way more often than justified, the thought "just friends, definition of" immediately followed hot on its heels. It appeared my memories had been out of touch with current reality. It seemed incredible, but the geeky little string bean with long hair and baby fat on his cheeks had grown into a guy who oozed sex appeal. So much sex appeal, in fact, that apparently I'd completely lost my mind yesterday when I threw myself all over him and kissed his cheek. Excellent. Maybe next time we met I could flash him, in case he still labored under any delusions about my virtue.

I rose to grab the clothes lying on the rocking chair beside my bed and made my way down the hallway to the bathroom. The night before, I'd picked up some cleaning supplies along with food, since Charlie's cleaning regime apparently consisted of Clorox Wipes and eyes half shut thereafter. After a few moments with a scrub brush, I could actually step into the shower without fearing athlete's foot or worse. I got in and lathered up my hair before another thought struck me.

It wouldn't do me much good to be in close proximity to Jacob Black if he wasn't interested in me, too.
I thought about that as my fingers mechanically massaged my scalp. I'd thought we were friends following my last summer in Forks. After I went back, though, I had to immediately help Renée move into yet another house that she insisted had superior feng shui to our last location, and in the rush I'd misplaced his address.

No problem, I had thought. I'll just wait till he writes me and then get the address off the envelope.
But then he never wrote. I knew I shouldn't have expected differently from a thirteen-year-old guy, but for some reason his failure to follow through on his promises really hurt. I could have asked Charlie for the address, but instead I made sure that my father and I only visited in places that carried no chance of an accidental meeting with my former friend.

I rolled my eyes at myself as I poured bath gel on my washcloth, wishing as I did so that I'd remembered to pick up a new pouf while I was at the store. Well, the whole thing with Jacob was years and years ago. He must be... I did some quick calculating... eighteen now. Of course, he was absolutely out of my league now, too. Damn it.

I frowned while I scrubbed. I didn't break mirrors or anything, but I was realistic enough to realize that when I stood next to Jake one of us clearly outshone the other, and I wasn't the brighter beam.
And, okay. Maybe I was being a little hard on myself. My hair was good and my body was all right, if you could forgive the B-cups, which neither of the guys who had seen them in the past seemed to mind. I was smart, and as long as I didn't have too much to drink I knew how to hold my own in a conversation. It was just hard to regain my confidence after breaking up with Travis. Or, rather, after he broke up with me via a Facebook relationship status change after we dated for nearly a year. I hadn't even realized we weren't a couple anymore until my friends started leaving messages. That had been five months ago and I had yet to go on a date with anyone else since.

I looked at the unopened razor on the shower shelf, debating with myself. Finally, I sighed and ripped the thing open. Fine. I'd shave. I'd even wear a skirt for maybe the first time this year. And if Jacob Black showed no signs of noticing the effort, then I could... be grateful for the excuse not to shave again? Or something. Renée would be thrilled to hear it anyway; she was always railing about the oppressive patriarchy that mandated women changing their appearance to fit into an infantalized notion of true beauty. The fact that I preferred my men not to resemble bearskin rugs, either, held no sway with her.

After I dressed (stretchy V-neck top plus a black and pink plaid zipper skirt that made my legs look as long as someone five feet, four inches tall could boast) and put on my shoes, I grabbed my keys, wallet, and cell phone and headed out the door. When I got into my ancient Corolla and turned the key in the ignition, though, nothing happened. I tried the key again and again, but the engine didn't even start to catch. I checked to make sure I hadn't left the lights on or anything stupid like that, but everything was as it should be.

"Hey, Bella," said a husky voice outside the door.

I jumped and shrieked, then opened the door to glare up - and up - at the guy looming over the car. "Jake! What the hell are you doing here? You scared the crap out of me!"

He grinned, totally unrepentant. "I thought I'd drop off some of Dad's crutches that he can't use anymore, in case Charlie needed them to get around or anything. You can't be home twenty-four seven, and trust me, you do not want to have to be the one who helps him get to the bathroom anyway. That shit's just wrong."

I heard a giggle come out of my mouth before I could stop it. Damn. I sounded about fifteen when I did that. Well, maybe he went for younger (sounding) women and I just found my in. "You make a good point. Okay, here. I might as well let you inside, considering that apparently I need a tow."

He shook his head, still smiling. "What's going on? Let me take a look under the hood."

"She won't start at all." I reached down to pop the hood release.

"She? Does she have a name?" Jake walked to the front of the car and raised the hood with a quick, expert move of one hand. He didn't even have to look.

I scowled a little. It always took me five minutes and a flashlight just to find the lever. "Yeah. Ruby. 'Cause of the color, of course."

"Of course." He bent down and fiddled with a couple of things. "Have your lights been going dim, then getting brighter, while you drive?"

"No, they stay the same." I drifted over next to him as if I could supervise his work. As a totally unintentional bonus, ha ha, I got to unobtrusively sniff at him. God. God. Whatever he used for cologne should be sold with a pheromone warning. My knees were shaking already. I leaned my palm against the side of the car to steady myself and asked, "Why?"

"Because if they did it would mean the alternator was going out, and that would suck because those bastards are expensive." He looked over his shoulder at me. I tried not to stare at his arms and fantasize about them bracing me against the nearest vertical surface while he did dirty things to me under my skirt. Oh shit. Too late. I was going to need some alone time soon with my vibrator or the next time I saw Jake I might start humping his leg. That could be a little awkward if he was fussy about hygiene. "When's the last time you replaced the battery?"

For a split second, I thought he was referring to my vibrator and started to answer, "Last week, that thing goes through Dead Batteries like there's no tomorrow," before remembering we were talking about my car still. "Uh... I never have."

"How long have you had this car?"

"Two years." It was impossible to get around Phoenix without a car of my own, so I'd given in finally and used my student loans to put a down payment on Ruby during my freshman year.

He stood up with a sigh, running his fingers through his hair and leaving a streak of grease across his forehead. "Oh. Well, that explains it. You go to school in Arizona, too, right?"

"Right," I confirmed with a nod. "Here, let me..." When I motioned, he hesitantly ducked his head. I rubbed at the grease streak with my thumb, avoiding his eyes all the while. He kept talking, breath hot against the inside of my wrist.

"Okay, so probably nobody ever told you this, but when you're driving around in that kind of dry, extreme heat, you're gonna need to replace the battery every eighteen months or so." I withdrew my hand, and he tilted his head toward mine. We both stood motionless for a moment. I held my breath, but he just straightened and continued, "I'm kinda surprised it lasted this long. You're lucky it didn't give out on the way up here."

I stared at the battery as if I could regenerate it with the power of my gaze. Why couldn't I be an escapee from Professor Xavier's school with that sort of mutation? "Well, shit. Guess that means I'm out of luck for the moment. I have to go get Charlie, though. Does Forks even have a cab service?"
He looked at me as if I had started spouting gibberish. "What are you talking about? I'll give you a ride. We can all three fit in my truck."

"But on the way back we'll be..." I started to object, but then I remembered that I'd be sitting in the middle in that case, and that would mean being squished against Jake for the entire drive home. Oh, yeah. "Okay-sure-that-sounds-great-thanks-so-much," I said in a quick rush.

He gave me a slightly dubious look. "You sure?"

What had just happened to him wanting me to come with him? I nodded, trying to keep the intensity down to an appropriate level when all I could think was I get to touch his whole side for an hour!

"Yeah, of course. I mean, if it's not too much trouble or anything. I know it's a pretty long drive."

"Well..." he said, sounding as if it cost him. "It is kind of a trip. Gas is expensive. And my dad's going to be home alone. I really hope he doesn't slip into a coma or fall out of his chair while I'm helping you."

I felt my eyes widen in dismay. "Oh, no! Then you definitely shouldn't leave. I'll just call a cab like I said - "

I stopped talking because he was laughing at me. "I'm just kidding, Bella. It'll be fine."

After a second, I punched his arm. "You jerk! I felt really bad!" I smiled when I said it, though. He didn't even bother pretending it hurt.

I climbed into Jake's classic pickup and watched him out of the corner of my eye as he pulled away from the curb. After a full minute of silence, I started feeling awkward. "Um. So. I really like your truck."

He raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Oh really? You don't strike me as much of a truck girl."

I felt the smile fade from my face. What was that supposed to mean? I soldiered on, though. "No, yeah, I like trucks. A lot. I know I drive that Corolla and everything but I needed something reliable and it was a good price because some older lady who was going into a retirement community couldn't drive it anymore. But I totally... When I graduate, if I get a decent job, I want to get a Nissan Frontier."

He snorted. "No way. If you get a pickup you want something with balls, like a Ford F-250."

Right. Obviously he knew more about this stuff than I did. Probably there was something wrong with Frontiers. Flustered, I stared at my hands, twisted in my lap. "I don't want to have balls," I managed to retort. "I like being girly." Well, I liked being a girl, anyway. I raised my face to look at him again.

"Girly." He nodded, not bothering to hide the skepticism in his eyes. "Sure."

Holy shit and what the hell? Why was he being so mean? Little teenage twerp. No. Nothing was little about him. I caught myself just before I peered at the front of his jeans to see if I could get a general idea about size. Time to redirect the conversation. "So what are you doing next year? You just graduated, right?"

Jake shrugged. "Yeah. I really don't know what the hell I'm doing, though. I'll be doing college online through U-Dub - that's University of Washington - but I don't have a major in mind. What's yours?"
I made a face. "General Studies."

He started laughing. "Are you serious? You're really getting a degree in General Studies?"

I crossed my arms and glared. "What's so funny about that?"

He wiped the amusement off his face, though his eyes still crinkled at the edges. "Nothing! Nothing. So I guess you'll be going to grad school then."

Now it was my turn to shrug again. If he already thought I was a loser, this was just going to confirm it.

"I guess... Actually, I don't really know. I don't know what I would go to grad school for. I liked a bunch of my classes but none of the ones I liked really struck me as something with employment potential. It wasn't like one day I woke up and said, 'Wow! I sure would like to make a living out from analyzing Japanese ink paintings!' or anything."

He laughed again, but this time it was at my attempt at humor instead of me. That was better. "So you're kind of in the same position as me."

I'd love to be in any position with you, I thought, but I said, "Yeah, I guess so. Still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. Difference is, my time's running out and you've still got plenty ahead of you."

That made the smile vanish from Jacob's face. "Yeah. That two years does make a huge difference, huh?"

Was he saying I was too old for him? Maybe all my internal drooling over him was coming across like some sort of pathetic cougaring display. Maybe he was trying to warn me off without being too obvious about it. Oh my God, I hadn't even considered the fact that he probably had a girlfriend. Nice, Bella. Show up for one day and start thinking about how to remove the guy from his current relationship. I aimed for as airy a tone as I could muster. "Oh yeah. When I graduated I thought things would be different by now. I thought I'd have everything about my future figured out. I thought my boyfriend and I would be engaged, if you can believe that."

I tried for a chuckle, but he wasn't laughing. "You have a boyfriend?"

That question carried an insulting level of surprise in its tone. Stung, I snapped back, "No, my last boyfriend dumped me. Online. His Facebook friends knew about it before I did."

Now he just looked appalled. "What a dickhead!"

Thank you. "I kind of thought so myself."

"Did he ever explain himself? Say he was sorry?"

"Oh fuck no." He started a little when I cursed, just like he had last night. Maybe he thought it was unladylike? Well, he was right about that. I might like being a girl but ladyhood wasn't much a priority for Renée's daughter. I talked like a grownup now and hopefully he wouldn't mind, because I wasn't going to go that far to impress him. "He did, however, start dating a grad student the next day. Although, I guess they were probably dating before that, because he was way too much of a douche to dump one girlfriend before he had another one lined up."

"Nice. Well, the asshole didn't deserve you anyway."

The words started up a tiny glow in my chest. To hide any trace of it that might show up on my face, I reached to roll the window down a little, since the rain had stopped for the moment.
"No, wait, Bella!"

It was too late. The second I moved the handle counter-clockwise, the entire pane of glass fell down with a crash inside the truck door. I stared, gaping, at the empty space left behind. "What the hell?"
Jake's face looked as if it had set into a permanent wince. "Yeah. That window falls off its track the minute you try to roll it down. I probably should have warned you. Sorry."

I felt sheer horror overtake my expression. "Oh my God. I am so, so sorry. Did I just completely ruin it?"

He shook his head. "Nah. I can fix it pretty easily. I just need to take the panel off the door..." He trailed off as realization struck.

"Which you can't do till you get back to your place," I finished, closing my eyes. "Great. I hope it doesn't start to rain on our way home. We'll just have to put Charlie in the middle and keep our fingers crossed..." I started laughing and couldn't seem to stop.

I glanced at Jacob in apology while I chortled - after all, it wasn't funny I had broken his truck, no matter how temporary the damage - but he only started laughing with me and reached across the seat to grab my hand. I tried to hide my start of shock at the heat of his grasp. "Don't worry," he told me between chuckles."I'll try hard to avoid any deep puddles so you don't get splashed. And maybe we can pick up a rain poncho or something once we hit Port Angeles so you don't get totally soaked."

His hand felt way too good around mine. I already am totally soaked! that part of my brain that turned everything into a double entendre replied. Shut up, Dirty B, I told her. I peered down into the gap down which the window had disappeared. Knowing I'd caused the trouble sobered me. "That sounds good. There's a Wal-Mart in town, right?"

"Sure, sure. We'll stop and pick up a couple things before we get Charlie." He squeezed my hand. "Hey. Don't look so upset, honey. It's happened before. I swear, it's no big deal."

Honey. That was something old ladies who relocated to Sun City for their golden years called me. The endearment sounded totally natural coming from his mouth, though. Probably because he called every girl that. "Yeah. I'm sure I wouldn't care if some weird girl I hadn't seen in years hit me up for a two-hour ride to get her invalid father and collapsed my truck's window while I drove her to the hospital. No big deal at all. The hurricane-force winds coming through the cab just add to the overall awesome, don't you think?"

Jake chuckled. His hand left mine and traveled up my arm to rub my shoulders. I resisted the urge to purr like a cat, but I couldn't stop myself from leaning into his touch. Oh, who cared if he had a girlfriend. Maybe she'd be interested in starting up a harem with all Jake's other inevitable conquests. "It's not bad, actually. Kinda reminds me of riding my motorcycle."

Right. Of course he had a motorcycle. I'd be willing to bet he rode it shirtless, too. I pressed my legs together at the mental image and tried not to moan. I apparently didn't entirely succeed, because he added, "For real. Stop feeling so bad. And anyway, you're not 'some weird girl,' you're Bella. And I'm, um, glad you're back. Window or no window. Whoa, you are seriously tense. No wonder, with everything going on with Charlie. Am I pressing too hard?"

"No, nope, uh-uh," I babbled. "Feels great."

He kept massaging the back of my neck. I closed my eyes and surrendered to an inescapable realization: Jacob Black probably wasn't interested in me, but I wanted him way, way too badly to walk away.

Fuck.