I twist around at the sound of my name with my hand clasped over my mouth and my eyes wide. Angela's a few feet away from me, partly concealed by the stone wall, standing in front of the restrooms with only her long brown hair and one shoulder visible.
The explosion of fear ebbs slightly as I realize we haven't been caught…yet.
During our playful chase, Jake and I moved away from the shack and into the sunlight. Stupidly forgetting our surroundings, I allowed him to kiss me – a decision I'm instantly regretting as Alice's voice comes next, echoing from within the bathroom walls. "Bella? Are you in here? Did you fall in?"
"She's got to be around here somewhere," Angela reasons when I don't respond. "Bella!"
My eyes stay locked on the small portion of Angela that I can see as she begins to step back into my line of vision and consequently bring me into hers. I'm too terrified to even move. The beats of my heart resound in my ears; it's pounding so hard in my chest that I swear it's about to give out and render me into an early cardiac arrest.
It's as if the world is moving in slow motion, and I know I'm completely screwed. Angela's whole body shifts backwards, the partial view of her shoulder turns into a whole one, followed by an arm, a hip, a waist, and just as her profile begins to form, a warm arm crosses my chest and pulls me backwards. I'm enveloped in the shadow of the shack and out of view as Jake pushes me up against the wall. His hard body presses me into the rough, cold stone, and for a split second, a small part of my brain notices how wonderful his bare chest feels against mine. But the larger part of me is still having a panic attack.
My eyes automatically check in the direction of Angela and Alice, but Jake's body is blocking me. From the slanted way that he's standing beside me and the way his arm is positioned on the wall next to my cheek, I realize he's trying to help hide me.
"Oh, God," I breathe, "What do we do?" My chest heaves against Jake's as I squeeze my eyes shut and drop my head back against the concrete wall.
"Ow," I whimper pathetically. Jake laughs softly, allowing his free hand to cup the back of my head where I hit it.
"Relax, it'll be fine." With his hand still on the back of my head, he smoothly leans down, capturing my lips in his.
Surprised, I abruptly pull away. "What are you doing?"
"I wasn't done yet," he smirks as he pushes his mouth to mine again.
Shoving him off, I fight to keep my voice a whisper. "Are you crazy? Alice and Angela are five feet away!"
I half whimper and half groan like the big baby I am while trying to peek around Jake to make sure they didn't hear me. Why doesn't the earth ever open up and swallow you whole when you want it to?
Jake pulls back slightly, searching my face. "You're really freaked out about this, aren't you?"
"Of course I'm freaked out! Just catching us like this," I frantically wave one arm up and down, gesturing to the way our bodies are molded against each other's, "would be disastrous!"
Jacob's brows crease, his jaw muscles twitch, and he looks like he's about to retort but stops as Angela's voice carries over to us. "Maybe she went to the car for something?"
"Maybe," Alice replies doubtfully, "but if we don't find her soon, I'm going to assume she was kidnapped and call Charlie."
Letting out a groan, I whisper to Jake, "I know it sounds like she's kidding, but she really will call my dad!"
I'm a spastic jittery mess as I try to find something to do with my hands. Rubbing them over my cheeks and through my hair doesn't seem to help, and I fight to control my panicked breathing.
Jake lets out a gruff, "Fine," as he takes my hand and begins leading me alongside the wall in the opposite direction of Angela and Alice. It's not that rounding the back side of the shack to hide hasn't already crossed my mind; it has, but I dismissed it quickly since it's encased by the forest line.
Jake leads me straight to the patch of brush; the unruly grass around it has grown to at least a foot high. The stone wall is heavily littered with intermingling vines, and the tree limbs swoop low, making any entrance a difficult task. Besides, I'm wearing a swim suit and sandals. The last thing I want to do is trek through all of that.
I'm about to ask him what his plan is now that he's brought me here, but just as I'm about to spill the words, he sweeps me off my feet - literally. I try not to let out a surprised squeal; my arms automatically cling to his neck and shoulders. His left hand grips my knee; his right's wrapped around my ribs, securing me to his chest. My questioning eyes meet his for a fraction of a second before he begins to make his way through the wooded area.
"Keep your legs tucked under," he commands as he ducks and weaves us through the thick brush. I comply, of course, bending my knees as much as I can over his muscular forearm and trying to mold myself into his body so I don't get scratched by the sharp twigs or branches. I press my cheek onto his shoulder, basically nuzzling into his neck, and close my eyes. My heart clenches in my chest as the traitorous part of my brain chooses this moment to remind me not to get too close. I can't fall for him. I can't feel these deep, passionate emotions for him when I know he's not going to return them to me.
I'm just a bet; I'm just a bet; I'm just a bet continues to chant in the forefront of my mind.
He comes to a quick stop; my eyes shoot open to check our surroundings, and he sets me down on my feet. We're at the opposite end of the back wall. The trees are thinned out, and the grass cut back as the forest line meets with the blacktop.
Carefully, I peek around the corner just in time to watch Angela and Alice walking past, heading toward the parking lot in front of me.
Jake's hot hands grip onto my shoulders and turn me around to face him. His expression is unreadable; though, he doesn't look nearly as happy as he did a few minutes ago. But then again, I probably don't look happy right now either. I'm sure the expression on my face is a mixture of nerves, fear, and panic.
His brows furrow, and his lips form a hard line as he exhales deeply through his nose. His mouth opens and closes once, as though he's fighting for the right words.
He settles on saying, "Twelve-o-five, Princess. Don't forget."
Before I can form a response, Jake pulls me into him and crushes his mouth onto mine. His lips eagerly take a kiss from me and his movements are more frantic than before. I give in, of course; it seems I couldn't stop myself even if I wanted to. My arms wrap around his neck as I press our bodies together. I swear I can't get enough of feeling his bare chest against mine.
All too soon, Jake breaks away from me. I don't even have time to feel disappointed before he turns me around and shoves me from behind. I stumble out of the grove and onto the pavement next to the shack; a slight cry of surprise escapes me.
Alice and Angela twist around at the sound of my shout while it takes everything within me not to whip around and glare at Jake.
Alice's face is a mask of irritation while Angela's falls into a form of relief as they start to rush over to me. Somehow, I force my legs move toward them, still fighting the urge to check for Jake behind me.
"There you are," Angela says.
"We've been looking everywhere for you! Where the hell have you been?" Alice demands, her tiny fists propped on her hips in agitation.
"I, uh…" Shit, what do I say? Why the hell couldn't Jake have helped me come up with a lie before shoving me out to face the wrath of Alice Brandon? "Well," I raise one finger as if asking her to hold on a second, probably making it completely obvious that I'm searching for a lie, so I wave it around to point back at the bathrooms, "There was a long line."
Even I know this lie is a total fail.
"We just checked the bathrooms. There was no one there." Alice raises her eyebrow at me, daring me to contradict her.
"You're kidding!" I feign surprise, and let me tell you, my acting skills are about as good as my lying skills. "Well, that's…weird. There was a line when I went."
They look back at each other, sharing a quizzical glance as I ready myself for them to bombard me with questions - questions I don't have the answers to.
"All right," Angela says slowly, dragging out the vowels.
"Anyway," Alice interjects, bouncing up on her toes. "Ben, Mike and Tyler came back from surfing and joined Edward and the La Push boys in football. It's hilarious watching them play! We didn't want you to miss it."
I blink.
I'm stunned by Alice's abrupt change of subject and even more so at her lack of interest into where I've been these past twenty minutes.
Angela loops her arm through mine, leading me back to the beach. "They said they need us 'cheerleaders' to cheer them on. Bella, you wouldn't believe how bad they're getting their asses kicked. It's a good thing Forks doesn't rival with the La Push School, or we'd be so screwed."
As they both laugh, I force a smile, surreptitiously glancing back over my shoulder to the line of trees.
-~~BoM~~-
Angela and Alice are right; our boys are getting their asses handed to them in the game of football. What's worse is we should have the advantage since there's four of our boys and only three of theirs.
The girls begin shouting all at once for Mike, cheering him on. I can only assume it's because he has the ball, but I don't know for sure since I can't bring myself to watch.
Since we sat down, I've found myself acting on cues from the girls, laughing when they laugh, cheering when they cheer, throwing in the appropriate remarks when necessary, and not paying the slightest bit of attention to the game going on in front of me. I can't, not when I have a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts to sort through.
I'm actually jealous of my friends, envious that they're able to relax and have fun without a care in the world. It's times like this that I almost find myself resenting Jacob. I know if I hadn't made the bet with him - if things were normal - then I'd be laying back, basking in the sun, and laughing with my friends, or even cheering Edward on while he plays with this group of - should be – total strangers. But instead, I sit here, lost and alone in my dismal thoughts.
Digging my fingers into the sand, I scoop up the billions of tiny granules, watching as they slip through the cracks of my fist. It's a distraction I need; it keeps my eyes from drifting to Edward or scanning the beach for Jake - who still hasn't come back since he shoved me out of the trees.
Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing… well, I just don't know.
He already takes up my every thought, in one way or another, regardless of whether or not I want him to; I'm consumed by him – addicted to him.
Even though I know sneaking around with Jake is wrong, and I'm usually spending the time trying to deflect his advances, he somehow has a way of making me forget why it's wrong. Just his physical presence alone can sway my conscience into looking the other way. But all it takes is one look at Edward, carefree and laughing, to remind me.
I feel like the worst person alive. I can't even begin to describe the amount of guilt that's eating me away at this moment.
I kissed Edward before I left, and not just a simple peck, but a passionate display that had all of my friends and even Jake questioning our intimacy. Then, like the kissing slut I am, I make out with Jacob only a few minutes later!
I swore to myself that I wouldn't kiss him again! Yet the very next time I see him, I fall into his face…repeatedly.
What the hell is wrong with me? Haven't I been taught since the age of five to just say no?
In my own defense, that first kiss was stolen from me, and I did slap him for it. But that was when everything turned into a jumbled mess! He got all defensive and scary and then sweet and playful. Then somehow I got conned into a new condition and agreeing that I should date around! Date him, to be precise!
I have to take a deliberate deep breath to keep my head from spinning.
The girls shout next to me again, jarring me out of my thoughts and back into the present. I don a faulty smile while Angela and Jessica cheer for their boyfriends and Alice hollers for Tyler. Lauren, much to my chagrin, has taken it upon herself to root for Edward. Whenever she shouts his name, I feel a small pang of unease.
Morally, I know I need to do something about Edward; to continue a relationship like this just isn't right. I'm not naïve enough to say I won't kiss Jake again. The rude voice inside my head laughs, Yeah, we all know how well that plan worked out last time!
Roughly, I rub my brow with my fist as if it will rid me of the rogue voice and its snarky quips.
Perhaps Jake's right; I'm young and in high school. I should be able to date around. Maybe I could ask Edward for an open relationship? Then I could see Jake with a clear conscience.
Though that means Edward would be free to see other girls as well… My gaze cuts straight across to Lauren. Could I handle him dating someone else?
I watch her a moment; she smiles brightly and flirtatiously, clapping her hands as she hoots and hollers for Edward. It's no secret she has a thing for him. The second she hears he's on the market, I can guarantee she'll be knocking on his front door. Hell, she practically throws herself at him now! I can only imagine how she'll behave when he's free to date.
The thought makes me nauseous and angry.
Irrational flames of jealousy lick up to my reddened face, and I shoot her a warning look. "You know there are four other single guys out there that you could be rooting for."
"What? I can't yell for Edward just because he's your boyfriend?" Lauren snaps while giving me the bitch brow.
"Lauren," Angela chides.
"She hasn't yelled for him once! And someone should." Lauren flips her hair, turning her attention back to the game and defiantly shouting for Edward once more.
My anger quickly dissipates as the rude voice inside my head snarls, You have no right to be so possessive. You're the one cheating on him! Remember?
I visibly flinch at my own harsh words.
"Bella?" Alice touches my forearm, her perfectly shaped eyebrows scrunched in concern. "Are you okay?"
I battle with a tight smile, nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine."
She cocks her head, studying me a moment; feeling self-conscious, I have to fight to keep my face neutral.
"You know you can tell me if you and Edward are…" she leans toward my ear, lowering her voice, "sleeping together."
"No, Alice, I told you; we're not."
She holds her hands up in defense. "All right, I believe you. It's just that with the way you've been acting today it would make sense. I mean, first with that kiss and the way you ran off when I asked the first time, and just now with Lauren. Something's going on with you, and if it's not that…" She lets her words hang in the air, willing me to fill in the blank.
It should come as no surprise that Alice noticed my erratic behavior. She is, after all, the nosiest person alive as well as my best friend. Summing up as much courage as I can, I decide to tell what little truth I can. "No, we haven't slept together yet. But it's been on my mind a lot lately." Because of Jake, I mentally tack on. Sex is the premise of the whole bet. Obviously I've thought about it, but it's not really the issue at hand. I need to know what to do about Edward.
Alice's small fingers squeeze my arm. "Don't over think it, Bella. Just do what feels right. Okay?" She smiles her brightest and wraps her arm around my shoulders, pulling me toward her. I rest my head on her shoulder while her cheek presses to my hair. "But only if it feels right," she firmly adds.
Biting my lip, I close my eyes and think about Alice's words. Do they apply to my current dilemma?
I know breaking up with Edward is the right thing to do, but does it feel right? Could I give him up? Lose him to someone else?
My initial jealous reaction to Lauren cheering for him, my insistence that Jake keep us a secret, and the extents that I've gone through to keep Edward from finding out about my infidelity tells me that I can't. I don't want to lose him. The thought makes my heart constrict and my stomach twist. Is that because I love him, or because I'm afraid to hurt him?
I care for him a great deal…but do I love him?
What about Jake? Despite how hard I've tried not to, I have feelings for him too. The problem is how do I know if he feels anything for me? At least with Edward I know that he loves me. With Jake it's not that simple.
How do I know everything Jake says isn't just another ploy to get into my pants? He's proven himself to be manipulative and a liar. I know that falling in love with him would only make the stakes higher: my heart versus his bike.
Which would he ultimately choose?
If I knew that he wanted to go out with me tonight because he actually liked me and not because of this stupid bet, then it would change everything. I wouldn't hold back; I'd willingly explore my feelings for him without fear. I'd risk my relationship with Edward if it meant starting one with Jake.
As it is, I can't trust him, and I refuse to lose Edward over this bet while Jake lies and manipulates me into loving him, then at the end of three months drops me like he has every other girl. I wish I could ask him his feelings for me; I wish I could believe him when he tells me he has them. But I just can't.
I can't risk losing Edward just to have Jake leave me in the end.
God, even I know how incredibly selfish that sounds.
The shuffling of feet and the gruff male voices come closer, causing me to look up.
"Is this half time or a break to lick your wounds?" Angela taunts Ben.
"Ha ha, very funny," Ben deadpans, but a smile breaks as he lunges toward her, tickling her and knocking her on her back in a fit of giggles.
I look wistfully at the two of them and wish my relationship could be so simple and easy, like it was a week ago. My gaze slowly turns to Edward as he comes to a stop next to me; one hand drops to my shoulder, gently squeezing in hello. Embry, Quil and Seth flank behind him while Mike and Tyler stand closer to Lauren and Jessica.
Edward bends down to open his cooler next to me, taking out two plastic bottles. "Water?" he asks, offering the bottles to the boys behind him. "We have plenty."
Embry takes the offered beverage while Lauren pipes up, "I have a twelve pack of beer if you'd rather have it."
Quil grins, walking toward her as she scrambles to get into her small, red cooler. Seth readily steps in her direction but is stopped by the back of Embry's arm as he shoves the water bottle into Seth's chest. "I don't think so, kid."
Seth turns a pleading eye to Embry, whining, "Aw, come on. Jake would let me."
"No, I wouldn't." Jake's husky voice startles us all. Seth and Embry look over their shoulders toward his voice. From my seated position in front of them, I can't see Jake as he walks up, which is probably just as well. The added few seconds gives me time to mask my expression and face him with (what I hope to be) cool indifference.
Slowly, I stand up beside Edward. He places his hand on my elbow to help me rise, causing me to wince in pain as he touches the bruise. Fully erect, I watch, heart pounding, as Jake emerges from behind them and sidles up next to Seth. His piercing black eyes immediately meet and hold mine. I try not to gasp at the intensity of his stare. Setting my jaw, I fight to contain my emotions from showing.
Jake's signature smirk slowly spreads, his eyes holding an amused glint, and I know he's replaying our time behind the bathrooms in his memory. My cheeks start to flush as I realize we've been staring at each other for way too long. Apparently I'm not the only one who's noticed as Edward's grip on my bruised elbow tightens, pulling me into his side. I flinch but bite my tongue as he lets go quickly, sliding his arm around my waist. Jake, however, has replaced his smirk with anger, and his hands clench into fists at his sides.
For a moment, I stand terror stricken. Jake looks like he's about to lash out at Edward for inadvertently hurting me. Thank God for Embry; he comes to my rescue with, "Hey, Ja-"
Or, at least, he tried to come to my rescue. A loud, screeching "Ja-ake!" interrupts from behind him. Within seconds, the voluptuous redhead hurls herself at Jacob and latches on tightly to his bicep.
Jake's murderous eyes detach from Edward's face long enough to look incredulously at the redhead dangling on his arm.
"Jake," she coos, pressing one long, blood-red fingernail to his chest, "I've been looking all over for you."
"Why's that?" he coldly responds. If she notices the icy tone, she doesn't show it as she drags her nails over his tattoo, zigzagging down to his bulging abs.
Could you please peel those talons away from my Jake before I do it for you?
Holy crap! Where did that come from?
"Well," she presses her D-cups into his arm, and for a minute, I'm sure they're going to fall out of her too-small top, "I just found out Daddy has been called to Seattle for a business meeting, which means I get the house all to myself tonight." Her tone switches from seductive cooing to pouting. "It's an awfully big house, and I do hate staying there alone." She bites her lip, attempting to look innocent while her contradicting nails run along the hemline of his shorts. "Maybe you could sleep over? Keep me company?"
"Wow, some girls have no class," Lauren admonishes loudly.
Several snorts and snickers erupt, including my own, though the redhead does not look impressed. She whips her head around, sending a death glare to Lauren, ready to spit back.
"Sorry, Red," Quil interjects before a cat fight can ensue, "Jake's working the late shift with us tonight."
The redhead shrugs, salaciously smiling at Jake. "You can come over now."
Jake's eyes jump from Quil to the redhead and back again.
"Late shift?" He snaps the question, his irritability palpable. I'm hoping it's due to the redhead still clinging to his arm, though I doubt it since he's made no move to shake her off. I'd be lying if I said I'm not contemplating her murder right now.
"Shit, Jake, didn't Paul tell you?" Quil asks in a way that sounds like he already knew the answer. He looks defiantly to Embry.
Jake's dark gaze follows, directing his next question at Embry. "Paul's running it? He said he stopped."
"Yeah," Embry sighs, shooting a quick, accusatory glare at Quil. "He knows you don't want him to, but he says you guys need the extra money...for Claire." It's like Embry knew the effect that mentioning Claire would have on Jake as his eyes soften at the sound of her name. Who the hell is this Claire?
Jake's ebony eyes quickly harden again as they look at me, zeroing in on Edward's hand on my waist. With a shake of his head, he turns to Embry.
"I'm gonna beat Paul's ass. This is fucking bullshit." His words sound more hurt than angry.
He spins around furiously, finally knocking the redhead off his arm, and stalks away. She flitters and shrieks, running after him.
My heart lurches in my chest, and I start to take a step forward. I want to run after him too. Better than that, I want to knock the redhead bitch to the ground then run after him.
As if Edward can sense the direction of my thoughts, or maybe he noticed the step I took after Jake, he tightens his hold on my waist. His free hand grips my arm, silently holding me back.
"We should probably get going," Embry says, rubbing his neck. "Maybe we can finish the game some other time."
"Sure, no problem," Edward replies.
"It's probably just as well," Ben adds good-naturedly, "I don't think we could've come back during the second half anyway."
Seth laughs, swiveling the ball in his hands. "Yeah, what was the score again? Thirty-three to seven?"
"Right." Embry claps his hands together, taking a step back; he seems to be in a hurry - I hope to go check on Jake. "We'll see you guys around then?" Embry's eyes scan over everyone but stop on me. "Sweetheart, you got a nice guy here," he nods to Edward, "Call me when you get bored of him."
On that note, he winks, grabs Seth by the shoulder, and walks away, leaving Edward and I slack-jawed.
"See ya' later, Lauren," Quil laughs, jumping up to go after them.
Edward slowly takes a seat on my towel, tugging my hand so I'll follow and sit cross-legged in front of him.
Mike relaxes back next to Jessica. "Thank God, they left. It was hard enough to lose the first half of the game."
"Yeah, what was that about?" Alice asks. "I thought you guys were supposed to be our star football players."
"We lost on purpose," Tyler shrugs.
"Oh, you did not!" Jessica exclaims disbelievingly, swatting at Tyler.
"Are you kidding?" Mike interjects, "Those guys are gangbangers! We're not gonna risk pissing them off for any reason."
"Come on, they seem harmless," Angela reprimands.
"Maybe, but who can be so sure?" Tyler points out. "We're not going to risk our asses by getting on their bad side."
"No shit," Mike says. "I don't know who Paul is, but I'd hate to be around when Jake finds him."
"He won't hurt him." The words are out before I even realize it. My eyes widen, and I look down at my lap quickly before anyone can notice my reddened cheeks.
The boys let out disbelieving laughs while Edward places his hand over mine.
"I hate to break it to you, Bella, but Jake will probably kill the poor bastard," Mike states.
"And his friends will help dispose of the body," Tyler states, like it's entirely possible.
I want to retort; I want to tell them all that Jake wouldn't hurt Paul because they're brothers, but that's a sure-fire way of incriminating myself.
Ben pipes up, "Did you hear the way they were talking about the 'late shift?' It's what?" He checks his watch. "Three o'clock now? Wouldn't this be the late shift? Most body shops close around five or six."
"There's something odd about that business," Edward admits, nodding his head. I give him an astonished look. He told Embry he thought the business was trustworthy earlier! He simply shrugs at my expression.
"That place was raided by the police for a reason," Ben says.
"Most likely drug related. They probably deal out of their shop," Mike concludes.
His statement gives me pause. Could that be true? I did see Paul hand Jake a wad full of money at the garage last night, and their conversation about the late shift was odd.
Biting my lip, I wonder.
-~~BoM~~-
The rest of my evening is surprisingly uneventful. After the beach, we all changed out of our suits, went to dinner and a movie, and then spent the rest of the night in Mike's basement-converted-game room. Edward and I were the first to leave, though Alice decided to stay the night with Angela and begged me to join them. I had to decline, coming up with some horrible, sputtering excuse of a lie to get out of it.
I have to be back by midnight, not only because Charlie will be waiting up for me, but because Jake will be coming to get me five minutes later.
I still haven't figured out how this will work out. How does he think I'm going to leave? Does he think that I can just walk in the door and say, "Hey, Dad, I know it's my curfew and all, but I kind of told Jake I'd go out with him in five. So…I'm gonna go. Don't wait up; I don't know where we'll be or what we'll be doing. I'm not even sure if it's anything legal. You see, my friends think he's dangerous and possibly a drug dealer. I know; crazy, right?"
Yeah, I just don't think Charlie will go for that.
My dad's pretty serious about things like curfew. He's the Chief of Police; of course he's going to be strict. Even if I sneak out, which seems to be the only option, Jake's only giving me five minutes. Five minutes! That's a seriously short amount of time to try and escape the home of Charlie Swan.
Now, I've never snuck out of my house before, so I'm no expert, but shouldn't I at least wait for Charlie to fall asleep before I go waltzing out the front door?
Though as much as I've been worrying over the 'how to' part of the plan, I'm wondering if there is even be a need. There's a chance that Jake won't even show up. Quil told the redhead that he's working the 'late shift' tonight, which he didn't seem to know anything about. If he couldn't go out with her, well then, maybe he won't be able to go out with me either.
I hate how that thought leaves me feeling disappointed.
As Edward and I drive home, he reaches over the consol, placing his hand over mine while flashing me his sweet, crooked smile.
At nearly half past eleven, I suggested to Edward that we head home, even though the drive would only take about ten minutes. I think he got the impression that I wanted to spend the last half hour alone with him, but really, I just wanted to get home early to lessen the chance of Edward and Jake crossing paths. I mean, Jake's only giving me a five minute time lapse; what if he's early? What if Edward and I are late? The last thing I need is for Edward to pull up to my house and see Jake parked in my driveway waiting for me.
As Edward's Volvo turns around the corner of my street, my heart rate picks up. It may still be twenty-five minutes until Jake is due, but that doesn't stop the butterflies from forming with nervous anticipation.
Our porch light is the only one on the block still lit, illuminating the empty driveway. Edward stops the car in front of my house, killing the engine and shutting off the headlights. He lets the radio continue to play.
My right hand immediately finds the door handle, ready to bolt from the car as I turn to face him. "Well, thanks for-" My words are cut off by Edward's mouth on mine. I'm surprised, so my eyes stay open and my lips immobile. It's not until his hand cups my cheek that I begin to kiss back, though my eyes stay open a moment longer before finally relenting and closing.
Edward moans into my mouth as his hands find and grip my waist. I try to reciprocate his passion, but it doesn't feel right. The guilt, shame and remorse weigh on my chest, compressing my lungs and making it difficult to breathe, let alone kiss him.
I don't know if he takes my shallow breathing as a sign of enthusiasm, but he allows one hand to trail down to my bare knee. Every sensory receptor in my brain is now focused on that one hand, feeling the heat of it practically burning my skin. Edward slowly allows it to move up my thigh, nearing the hem of my dress, which is hiked up a little higher than I'm currently comfortable with.
He continues to kiss me; his lips remove themselves from mine long enough to make a trail down my jaw to my throat as his treacherous hand rides higher, finally slipping beneath the fabric of my dress.
My body goes rigid, though he continues to kiss me as if he hasn't noticed. His fingers brush over my upper thigh, too close, way too close to my underwear.
I slap a hand down on top of his, stopping him in his tracks. Slowly, he slides his hand back down to my knee, still kissing my throat as if he hasn't done anything wrong.
I could get angry, I could snap at him for trying to go too far, but instead, I choose to let it go. His small infraction is nothing compared to the list of wrongs I've done to him today.
Pulling away from him, I look into his flushed face; his radiant green eyes stare devotedly back at me. The guilt eats away at me a little more.
"I need to go inside. Charlie's probably standing at the window watching us right now." It's a lie. Charlie never waits for me by the door. He'll be sitting in his recliner watching television while waiting for the clock to read midnight.
"All right," he breathes, kissing me sweetly once more. "Want me to come over tomorrow? I could bring you lunch."
"No, I have a research paper to write," another lie, "It'll probably take me most of the day. I'll call you when I'm done though, okay?" The truth is that I want a day alone, where I can think uninterrupted. I just want the simplicity of my room so I can sort through this mess that my life has become without the worry of someone finding out my dirty little secrets.
"Okay. Goodnight, Bella."
"Goodnight."
Grabbing my beach bag from the floorboard in front of me, I twist and maneuver myself out of the car. Edward speaks again, halting my movements. "I love you."
Awkwardly smiling at him, I stupidly reply, "I know."
My heart breaks a little more seeing the hurt expression on his face. Mentally, I tell him what I can't say aloud. You shouldn't love me. You shouldn't love me because I'm a horrible person. I cheated on you and selfishly refuse to ever tell you the truth.
I'm so going to hell.
With half a wave back at Edward, I enter my house, walking straight into the living room to find Charlie exactly where I thought he would be: in his recliner, watching TV.
He glances at me, long enough to check me over, before returning his attention back to his show. "Hey, Bells, how was your night?"
"Fine," I reply, shifting my bag from one shoulder to the other. "I think I'm going to go to bed now though," I fake a yawn, "I'm really tired."
Charlie sighs, rubbing his hands on the armrest of his chair. "Yeah, me too." He flips off the television as he stands. "You locked the front door behind you, right?"
"Yep," I nod, already walking toward the stairs.
"Head on up; I'll set the alarm." It's a good thing I have my hand on the banister as his words cause me to stumble.
Oh shit, how did I forget the alarm?
Taking a deep breath, I hike the rest of the way up the stairs, pondering how I'm going to get around this newest obstacle.
If I plan on sneaking out of this house at all, the first thing I have to do is disarm the alarm system; no door or window can be opened while it's on. It won't be easy; the downstairs hallways are full of motion detectors. If I remember correctly, I'll only have one minute to reach the touchpad before the alarm sounds.
Swinging my bedroom door closed behind me, I drop my beach bag to the floor. I toss my cell phone onto the foot of the bed and check the time. I only have about ten minutes left until Jake's supposed to come pick me up; that is, if he's really coming.
After what seems like an eternity, I hear Charlie walking up the stairs. I wait, listening to his footfalls and, finally, the click of his bedroom door closing across the hall from mine.
Leaving on only the bedside lamp, I carefully step out into the hall and sneak into the bathroom, quickly reapplying my make up and brushing my hair out of its ponytail. I fluff and spray my curls until they look presentable then promptly slip back into my bedroom.
Stepping up to the closet, I switch my sandals for a pair of ballet flats and inspect my reflection in the full length mirror. For the first time today, I'm actually glad Alice and Charlie made me change into my light blue and white floral sundress. Not only did it save me time getting ready, but I feel pretty in it. It's the perfect dress for my first night out with Jake.
I check the time - midnight exactly. Five more minutes.
Walking to my window, I scan the darkened streets for any sign that Jake's out there but find none.
All I have left to do is wait on Jake, disengage the alarm, and sneak out the front. Shouldn't be too hard… oh hell, who am I trying to convince? It'll be a miracle if I don't trip down the stairs, wake up Charlie, and set off the alarm all at once!
As I stare out my window, searching and waiting for Jake, the minutes slowly tick by…five…ten…fifteen pass, and I begin to lose hope. Pacing the length of my queen-size bed, I bite at my nail and stare at my phone. For the first time ever, I wish I had his phone number. But he has mine; surely if he couldn't make it, he'd call…right?
After another ten minutes of staring out the window, I give up hope completely. He's not coming.
Dejectedly, I shuffle around the room, kicking off my shoes and tossing a sleep shirt onto the bed. I slide down my side zipper, and the dress loosens enough for me to shrug the straps off of my shoulders, letting the garment pool around my feet.
"When I said be ready for me, I didn't know that this is what you had planned. Not that I mind."
I spastically jump, clutching my chest, and immediately bring my other hand to cover my mouth as I twist around to see Jake slipping in through my window. One black boot touches the floor, followed by the second, and he's finally able to stand tall in front of the glass. He's wearing black jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black leather jacket while brandishing a silver-steel pocket knife. The sight of him is a little scary…and okay, a little sexy too.
His eyes cast down, slowly roaming the length of my body as he bites his lip. Call it morbid curiosity, but I look too, wondering just how much of me he can see. My hand is still clutched over my heart, but it's not hiding anything. The lacy, white convertible bra is on full display. In fact, I'm probably accentuating it with my hand laying over one boob. And of course, there's nothing, nothing hiding my light-pink panties. I know he saw me in a bikini today and that reveals more than my underwear, but somehow, this feels more intimate. Heat rushes to my face as I clumsily reach for the dress at my feet, pulling it back up as quickly as possible.
"Hmm." Jake suddenly places his hands over mine, halting my movement. The pocket knife is pointed away, but I can feel the cold hilt touching my hand. "I think this dress looked better where it was."
"Shame it won't be staying there," I quip.
"Are you sure?" He hovers over me, pressing his body against mine while his fingers cascade down my side.
"Positive," I say; though really, I'm not. I'm super uncomfortable being exposed like this, sure, but when he's this close to me… well, like I've said before, his presence tends to make my mind go fuzzy.
Jake sighs, "Okay, Princess." Gently, he tugs the straps of the dress up my arms to my shoulders, allowing his fingers to ghost my skin along the way. He huffs a sardonic laugh. "This is the first time I've ever helped a girl into her clothes."
The question comes unbidden to my mind, How many girls has he helped out of their clothes?
I begin to tug the zipper up on the side, but he swats me away. His free hand zips while the other deftly closes the pocket knife. As he's slipping it into his front pocket, I can't help but ask, "Um, why the knife?"
"I used it to get in the window."
"Oh my God," I gasp, "the alarm! Did it go off?" I don't hear it, but that doesn't mean it's not sounding downstairs, and don't the systems automatically call the police?
Jake laughs at me.
"It's not funny! My dad's Chief of Police if you hadn't noticed! He's kind of strict on the whole law-abiding thing. A boy setting off the alarm by climbing into my room so we can sneak out - and go God knows where - kind of goes against everything he stands for!"
Jacob hovers over me, his wolfish smile spreading wickedly. "Where is Daddy, by the way? Is he home?"
I try to push him back out the window, but he won't budge. "Jake, if he finds you in here-"
"What? How would Daddy react to finding me in your room?" He smiles like it's the best thought in the world, almost as if he wants Charlie to find him in here. He looks past me to the bedroom door. "Kind of exciting, isn't it? Knowing you could get caught but doing it anyway."
"Jake," I plead.
The sinful glint in his eyes fades as he looks back at me. "You worry too much, Princess." He ruefully shakes his head. "I didn't trip the alarm. I cut the wires before I opened the window."
"You can do that?" is my brilliant reply.
Jake steps away, ignoring the question, and his ebony eyes scrutinize my room as his long legs circle the open space. He stops at my dresser, picking up a framed picture of Edward and me at the Valentine's dance last year. He rolls his eyes and puts it back face down, then he looks from the clock on the dresser to the one on my bedside table across the room. "Why do you have two alarm clocks?"
"I have five actually," I answer. "I'm not exactly a morning person."
He scoffs, "Neither am I. But, like a normal person, I only use one alarm clock."
I shrug, but looking at the time reminds me, "You were so late that I thought you weren't coming. That's why I was… um, changing." My cheeks burn again just thinking about how he walked in on my state of undress.
Of course, he smirks at me, "You really think I'd bail on our date?" He smiles wider as he saunters back toward me. "After I worked so hard to get you to go out with me?"
When he puts it that way, I feel sort of silly. "I thought you couldn't come because Quil said you had to work tonight."
I'm frozen in place as he finally reaches me, standing so close that we're almost touching. His eyes lock on mine as he trails his fingers down my cheek. "Don't worry about that. Nothing could've kept me from coming here tonight."
He bends down, taking my lips in his for the briefest kiss we've shared yet. I want it to last longer, and I'm tempted to pull him back down to me again. As if he can read my mind (or maybe he just read the expression on my face), he grins and steps away, purposefully denying me.
Jake plops himself on my bed, comfortably lying back and folding his hands behind his neck.
I stand awkwardly at the foot of my bed, and I know I must be looking at him strangely, but I'm a little confused. "Um, weren't we planning on doing something?"
"Yeah Princess, I plan on doing you," he smirks.
"Okay, I walked right into that one."
"You won't be walking at all when I'm done with you." The cold night air blows in through the window, eliciting goose bumps on my arms and causing me to shiver. Jake continues, "You want me; I know you do, but you deny yourself the pleasure." The wicked gleam returns in his eyes as he bites his bottom lip. "Or do you?"
"What?" I ask.
"Do you pleasure yourself, Princess? Do you think of me while you lay here at night… naked… moaning my name to get yourself off?"
Impulsively, I nearly shout at him, "Ew, no!" Is he serious? Viciously shaking my head, I continue, "I don't… do that! No."
Jake's brows scrunch together as he sits up and throws his long legs off the side of the bed in one fluid motion. "Are you trying to tell me that you've never-"
"No, I've never. I wouldn't even know how to— Just, no." It's true I've never… touched myself like that before. It just doesn't seem right.
His eyebrows rise as he stands, staring at me incredulously. "You don't know how?"
"No, I know how. I've just never…" My cheeks flare in mortification as I drop my face into my hands, violently shaking my head. I don't think I could get any more embarrassed. Two warm hands engulf my wrists, tugging them away from my burning face.
"You've never done it," he finishes for me, "and you've never let Doucheward try either, I bet."
"No," I whisper, staring at his chest and feeling as though I've been laid open for him.
He makes a small hmph noise. "You know what? I like this better." Sheepishly, I raise my head to look him in the eye. "You'll experience your first orgasm at my hands… your second on my tongue." He winks, drops my wrists, and stalks toward the open window, leaving me standing with my mouth agape.
"Better grab a jacket; it's getting colder."
I'm still too surprised to do much more than listen. Grabbing a cardigan out of my closet, I meet him at the window.
"Got your keys?" he asks, eyeing me up and down as though he's assessing me.
I pick my purse up off the desk and shrug it onto my shoulder. "Yeah, why?"
"I'm driving," he answers.
"My car?"
"Yeah, Princess." He crawls out the window and onto the roof's ledge. Biting my lip, I look around my safe and quiet room. If I'm going to back out, now would be the time to do it.
Jake offers me his hand through the open window; I hesitate only for a second before taking it in my own. Tonight will definitely be an adventure.
A/N: I know it took forever and a day to get this update out to you but I just couldn't stop until it was perfect. I also took some time out post a one shot with our favorite Bet on Me characters, Jake and Bella called Naughty Girl. If you haven't read it and would like to it's posted on my profile.
As for this chapter, I'd love to hear what you think! It seems Bella realizes that she's fighting her growing feelings for Jake, but how do you think he feels? Would you be able trust him if you were Bella? We know Jake can be quite the little rascal...
As for the rest of the La Push boys…well, I'll let you tell me what you think!
*Hugs*
Huge thanks go out to my favorite ladies, Jkane180 for her brilliant betaing skills and Wordslinger for prereading. If it weren't for these two and their unwavering support, I may never have gotten this chapter completed! I love you girls!