A/N: Thanks for sticking with me, guys :) Now, let's get the show on the road, literally!
Confessions
What should I wear? Bella wondered.
A tank top and shorts seem appropriate. I mean, we're just going for a drive, right?
She lifted up one shirt from her suitcase and then another, comparing them side-by-side. Both were very pretty, but neither was her taste, but then again she didn't buy them. She looked at the tags that dangled conspicuously, as though they were dying to be seen by someone, maybe everyone.
"Alice," Bella muttered, shaking her head. "Even your casual everyday clothes are Versace?" she muttered, incredulously.
There was a light knock on the door.
"Bella?"
"Yes, I'm almost ready, Jake. Uh, should I wear something specific?"
"Nah, it doesn't matter what you wear. It's Hawaii, girl, just wear what's comfortable. But uh, bring only what you plan to carry. It's not really a good idea to leave stuff in your car here."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. Thieves. It's sorta bad in some places."
"Oh, okay. I'll just be a minute, then."
While Alice's high-end fashion wear was fine for now, Bella decided that one of these days she was going shopping to buy her own clothes.
Donning a ponytail and sporting white shorts with a loose floral print top by someone named Joie – whoever that was - Bella emerged ready and in good spirits.
"Okay, let's go," she said with some excitement.
They were taking a different car this time, a red Jeep Wrangler with a soft, tan-colored top. It didn't look like a newer model, but it's condition made it look practically new - thanks to Jacob's handiwork, no doubt. There didn't seem to be a blemish or mar anywhere. The red paint shined brightly in the sun.
"Nice," Bella said. "Yours?"
"Yeah, how could you tell?" he asked genuinely surprised.
Bella smirked, "Lucky guess, I suppose. It just seems like something you'd have."
Jacob scoffed, "Yeah I guess it's not all that practical with gas being so high here, but I really like it. I don't get to drive it much 'cause in Haleiwa everything's within walking distance. It's too easy to just walk everywhere or take The Bus around the island, but when I do need it it's nice to have my own ride. Becca's got the only other car and she depends on it. This baby's got a V6 with a 3.8L engine with 4-wheel drive and the best all-terrain tires I could get," he said proudly.
"She looks like a lot of fun. Is it new?"
"New to me, but with all the work I've done on her she might as well be. This sweetheart can maneuver on just about any kind of trail or stream," he said proudly, lovingly patting the hood. "Go on, hop in."
The wheels were so big that Bella had to take a huge step up to climb into the jeep. She was fastening her seatbelt when she took in Jacob's words. She looked at her clothes again, feeling doubtful.
Jacob's huge body slinked into the driver's seat with ease. The whole jeep shook underneath them as he settled in. He took in the expression on her face and his face fell, "What's wrong?"
"Uh, we're not doing any off-roading today are we?" she asked, tugging at her immaculate, yet stylish outer wear.
He laughed, "No, no, no, I wouldn't do that to ya. Maybe someday, when you're ready for it."
"Oh, good," Bella breathed. "So, what are we going to do then?"
"I thought I'd take you around the island to some hot scenic spots. All touristy of course, nothing risque, just get your feet wet. You up for that?"
"Yeah, sounds great," she said with enthusiasm. "How long does that kind of tour take?"
"If we don't stop much and drive like we're back in Washington, around 4 hours. If we do things on Hawaiian time - a couple of days," he chuckled.
"Really?"
"It all depends. It's good to be flexible because if you hit Honolulu at rush hour, all bets are off. But for our purposes, today we'll bypass it and come out and up on the windward side. Maybe go see a plantation or two. Would you like that?"
"Yeah, let's go," she smiled. Bella had no idea what the windward side was but she trusted his judgment.
Jacob hadn't seen Bella smile genuinely in a long time and he was happy to see it. She seemed content and in good spirits and she wore the bright colors in her clothes well, but he knew underneath her exterior, something lurked behind her eyes. A shadow. He was determined not to even think about that today. It was "Jake and Bells on the road again," and he wasn't going to let a little thing like the past interfere with that.
"Here we go."
They drove out of Paalaa Lane onto Kamehameha Hwy going south. Jacob had something special in mind but he wanted to save it for last, as a surprise. They continued to drive southeast, passing one lush emerald hill after the next. It was a pretty calm drive. They didn't have to be anywhere by a certain time so it was very relaxed, a good day to drive with lots of country to look at on the way to Honolulu, but Honolulu would have to be explored another day. There were no schedules, no itinerary. Just them and the road, and wherever it led them.
First up was the Dole Plantation where they toured the actual plantation itself. They chatted with the owners, watched a demonstration and much to Bella's delight, ate freshly made pineapple ice cream, which they both agreed was really amazing. The largest maze in the world is at the Dole Plantation and although Bella was tempted to try it, she opted to check it out another time.
Next, they stopped off in Mililani and did some shopping. Bella saw a couple of clothing stores and was anxious to see her options, especially in the swimsuit section. Somehow, the Gucci swimwear Alice packed for her just wasn't her style, it also didn't look like it was designed to ever get wet, an irony that wasn't lost on Bella. After what Jacob thought was the shortest shopping trip by any woman he'd ever seen, Bella found a simple one-piece and a tankini, as well as a few colorful sarongs or pareo as it was labeled on the sign. Bella found a beautiful peach and cream colored silk sarong that someone had left already tied up. As she fumbled with the material trying to figure out how it went on, it fell apart and unraveled before her eyes. She had no idea how to tie one and hadn't seen how it was tied before it self-destructed, so she opted to put it back.
"Here," he said, seeing her dilemma. Taking the flimsy material and wrapped it around her body over her clothes. Within seconds he was twisting the loose ends in front of her and tying the ends off behind her neck. She looked at the creation in the mirror and appreciated what a stunning job he did and how the colors set off her skin tone.
"Oh, that is so cool," she exclaimed. "It looks so simple too, but I know it's going to take me a few tries to tie it right."
"It takes a little practice but it's hard to do it wrong. There's probably over a couple of dozen ways to tie these things. Good thing, huh, 'cause the law of averages say at some point you're bound to get it accidentally right," he chuckled.
She laughed and agreed.
"Show me how you did that again," she asked.
Jacob considered that for a second. "I'll tell you what, let's try a different one. Mmmaybe, the Tahaa style."
"How do you say that?"
"TaHA-ah."
"Oh, okay." Bella stood still with her arms extended out to her sides ready to be re-wrapped.
Jacob reached behind her and wrapped the fabric around her back, tying it off up front at her chest, snug above her breasts. Being so close, she could feel his heat radiating off of him. He then took the remaining bit of fabric hanging down and folded it until it resembled a pleat and then tucked the top of the fabric into the same place where he tied it off before, above her breasts. His fingers easily and tenderly tucked the fabric inside. As he did, his fingers slowly brushed against her skin all along the length of the top edge as he made sure the fabric was anchored securely. His hands being where they were and feeling the way he felt, overwhelmed her senses. She couldn't move and for a couple of seconds forgot to breathe, but her heart was beating loud and clear.
He then straighted out the rest of the pleat that lay in front and felt around the rest of the fabric, touching her at her waist, then hips, straightening and smoothing any bunched areas and wrinkles, lightly feeling her form.
"There," he said, his eyes smoldered, "You look beautiful."
Bringing herself out of her stunned state, she smiled a hazy smile and said, "Thank you."
She turned to look in the mirror and admired his handiwork. She turned sideways, this way and that, arching her back to allow a better view, and said, "Not bad, not bad at all, and the sarong looks good, too." She arched her eyebrow, giving him a sideways glare and smiled as if to say, "I know what you just did."
He suppressed a chuckle. Boy, is it hot in here or what? he thought, blushing. In the years that had passed, Jacob had learned some moves and Bella had learned to recognize them. It seems there are advantages to growing up, after all.
With purchases in hand, they loaded up in the jeep and were on their way again.
In order to get past Honolulu, Jacob had to backtrack in order to get to their next destination, which was no hardship. They weren't in a hurry and they enjoyed each other's company. They were having fun talking about the pack and the bountiful cornucopia of troubles Quil and Embry had gotten each other into. Some things never change.
As they left the city behind them, the trees grew more and more dense until it was just a mass of green everywhere Bella looked. As they got further into the green, she grew more quiet. She wasn't worried or tense anymore, she was awestruck. They pulled up to a parking spot at Nu'uanu Pali Lookout, parked and walked over to the viewing area. Jacob warned her of the winds and how it sometimes knocks people over, but she didn't care. She needed to experience this place outside of the comfort of the jeep.
As soon as she stepped outside, she quickly regretted her choice in clothing. The wind showed no mercy and took no time in blowing her billowy shirt around, so much so she had to hold it down for fear of losing it. Jacob was there in an instant with an oversized beach towel and wrapped it around her. One thing she never thought to consider was how cold it could get there. At 1000 feet above the coastline, the air itself wasn't extremely cold but when enough of it blows against you, it seems to whisk away every bit of warmth you have. Even though she continued to shiver, she was at least glad for the towel.
Jacob saw her discomfort and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. The towel really helps." She knew he could warm her instantly, all he had to do was hold her and all she had to do was ask. But she wasn't going to. She already felt beholden to him. He's already done so much for her, more than anyone had any right to expect. Warming her seemed like such a little thing, but it was just one more thing. She wasn't helpless and didn't need to be coddled. She could certainly endure a little cold for a little while. The view was worth it.
Jacob, too, was at odds with himself. He wanted to offer her something, but wasn't sure what or how much. He wasn't sure how to proceed. They weren't a couple, weren't dating and he had no idea how long she'd be there. Although they were obviously friends and have a history, he didn't feel like they could pick up where they left off as if nothing happened. Just what were the rules for a renewed friendship?
He could tell she was enjoying herself at least. The views overlooking the Ko'olau range were extraordinary. He's seen it many times and it never ceased to amaze him. He always got a kick out of watching someone he cared about see it for the first time.
A plaque nearby told the story of the site's significance, and how King Kamehameha won the Battle of Nu'uanu, which united Oahu under his rule. During the battle, many soldiers' lives were lost as they were forced off of Pali's cliffs to their deaths.
After reading this aloud, Jacob said solemnly, "It doesn't matter where you are or what it's about, does it? There's always someone fighting over something. Can't seem to get away from it."
Bella nodded in agreement.
This brought back memories for both of them. From the day of the battle with the newborns, all the way to Laurent. The wolves and the Cullens were lucky not to have lost anyone, but involvement with the vampires had taken its toll. Sam and Leah...Jacob and Bella...Bella and Edward. The wolves lost their adolescence, for a few even their freedom to love. But what's done is done. Jacob, who had his arms crossed over his chest, lowered his hand to his side. Bella instinctively took his hand as they continued to take in the moment together, silently.
A short while later, when Bella felt ready, they jumped back into the jeep and drove to their next destination. It was now mid afternoon and Bella was feeling peckish. Jacob, unsurprisingly, was famished. He decided to treat her to a couple of his Hawaiian windward side favorites. He knew of a place along Kahekili Highway that the locals loved. Bella was pretty unfamiliar with most of the menu items so she left it up to Jacob to order. He ordered the pork lau lau and Ahi limu poke. Bella had eaten sushi before but wasn't used to raw fish in this form, however, the taste quickly won her over.
Feeling once again refreshed, they hopped back into their ride and began winding their way north, back to Haleiwa. It was an eventful afternoon and Bella was beginning to tire. She didn't think she had any more tourist spots left in her.
They stayed on Kamehameha, following it as it traversed along the North Shore coast of Oahu. The views were beautiful and at times it was hard to discern one beach from the other, but there were significant differences as it turns out. Some were rocky, some seemed to be nothing but sand. Some seemed to go on forever and looked deserted while some were so populated they were hidden from view by towering condos and hotels. Even the water looked different at different places. She wasn't sure she was up for anything as strenuous as surfing or kayaking, but the turquoise-colored water was so inviting it made her want for nothing else. She wondered if Jacob would mind making a pit stop.
Just as she was about to ask, Jacob slowed his car, turned off the highway and pulled into a parking lot. The signs read, Waimea Bay Beach. "And here we are, our last stop on the tour. Are you up for it?"
Bella looked shocked, "You're kidding me. How did you know I wanted to go to the beach?"
Jacob smiled, ruefully, "I didn't really, but it's your first official day in Hawaii, I couldn't very well not take you to at least one beach. It's like a law or something," he teased.
Bella smiled and exhaled deeply. It was good being with Jacob again. She had missed their connection, it seemed almost supernatural at times. She had long stopped asking herself how Jacob just always seemed to sense what she needed. She appreciated it for the gift it was and was grateful for it, now more than ever.
Jacob took out a straw mat and some towels along with a small cooler and they headed toward the shore. By the time they hit the sand Bella was smiling, she couldn't help it. Her feet sank into the warm deep sand as she walked, feeling its silky texture against her skin. It was all the therapy she needed. The constant crash of the waves, the sound of kids playing in the surf and the occasional cell phone chatter filled her ears. Flip flops, or slippers as they were called here, don't help much in the sand and she wound up walking barefoot the rest of the way.
As Jacob and Bella made their way through the throngs of people, dodging toy shovels and holes dug by little ones, Jacob saw a family of four packing up, leaving for the day. He quickly snagged the spot, which as it turned out was on the left side of the beach near a huge rock that extended out into the water. There were groups of people, of all ages, all around them on the beach and there was even a group of swimmers, some were little children, on top of the big rock, taking turns jumping off into the deep, blue drink.
"How high is that rock?" she asked.
"Around 30 feet, I think," Jacob said, laying the mat flat against the sand. He looked at her questioningly, "You wanna?" he asked, gesturing to the rock.
"No, not this time. I think I'm better off right here."
Jacob shook his head and smiled. After straightening and padding the mat with their towels, they sat down and got comfortable.
As Jacob relaxed he arched his back and cracked his bones.
Bella replied, "Wow, I don't think I've ever heard you creak like that."
Jacob laughed, "Yeah, guess I'm gettin' old."
Bella giggled, "Yeah, that must be it." She laughed because as far as she knew he wasn't getting any older.
Bella mused, He's quite literally the same age, same build, same...height as he's...always...
Then as quickly as she was about to think it, she realized something. The proverbial light bulb lit up over her head.
"You are!" she gasped. "You are getting older aren't you?"
Jacob looked reflectively out into the water. A small grimace crossed his face. It was so slight that if she hadn't been staring at him so intently she would have missed it. "Yeah."
"I knew it. I knew there was something different about you when I saw you at the airport. You've gotten shorter and you're getting older."
"Well I'm not exactly short, I mean, 6'5 is still plenty tall, ya know," he said almost insulted, straightening his back a little.
"Jacob, what's going on? Does this mean you've...what does this mean? You've stopped changing?"
Jacob took a grayish-white seashell no bigger than a quarter he had been absentmindedly playing with and threw it into the surf. It landed with a kerplunk sound. Looking around them to make sure no one would accidentally hear them, he said, "Yeah. I haven't changed in years, not since I moved here."
Bella's mouth hung open.
"What? It's not the end of the world. It's not like anyone was depending on me to be a...what I am. I only needed it when I was back home and now that I'm here, I don't need it. Not too many bloodsuckers here, as you know." He threw another shell into the water.
Bloodsuckers...I guess we're back to the names again, she thought.
A familiar hardness shadowed his face once again as he avoided her glare, staring instead into the waves as if there were answers there. He rested his arms on his knees. Maybe it was time for their little talk, finally; the one they've both been avoiding since she arrived.
Bella mirrored his position, sitting with her knees up and hugging them while facing the water. Shells of all sizes were littered around them and she picked up a few, examining them, cleaning the sand off.
"So, what's going on, Jake?" she asked. "Billy tells me you haven't been back home to visit." Bella threw her first shell toward the water not getting anywhere near it.
"That's right."
"Why's that?"
"I've got my reasons," he said, his jaw clinched.
Bella glimpsed it before going back to her shell cleaning. "Okay."
"Sooo...you're not married," he said matter-of-factly.
Bella grimaced slightly, "Nope."
"Why's that?"
"I've got my reasons," she said, tightlipped.
They both continued to avoid each other's glances, but when their eyes accidentally met, they burst out in nervous laughter.
"It's complicated, okay," she said.
"Same here."
"Look, we can talk about - well just about anything else - just not that, okay?" she affirmed.
"Deal. Same here."
She nodded her head.
They turned to face each other, sitting in a cross-legged position, knees almost touching. They got comfortable because there was a lot of ground to cover.
"So, Bella Swan...how the hell have you been? School going okay?"
"Yeah, I'm doing really well actually. I was kind've toying around with the idea of being a teacher at first. I've already got the credits for it, but I've also thought about social work, too. I can't decide," she said smiling.
"It's good to have choices, huh?" he smirked.
Bella returned the smirk, "Yeah it is. So, what about you? A big, bad diving instructor, huh? Where'd that come from?"
Jacob shrugged, "Kimo owns a shop, he needed some part-time help. That ended up turning into full-time work, and the rest is history."
"I could have sworn you would have turned into some kind of big-shot amazing mechanic or something. You really have a knack for it," Bella said.
"Things change. If I hadn't left home that's probably what I would have done. I still work on cars and stuff, mostly mine and Becca's, and the occasional jet ski repair, but once Kimo started showing me the biz; diving, surfing, Sea-Doos, I was hooked." He became so animated, all the tension from before was gone.
"That's great, Jake, I'm happy for you. It sounds like everything's going good for you here." There was one aspect left to ask about and she was dying to know it, once and for all. "So, are you and Leah, you know, you-and-Leah?"
"Huh? No way. Me and Leah? Why would you ask that?"
The fog had finally lifted from her head and she was suddenly able to see a little clearer. "Oh, I don't know, I just got that impression is all." She couldn't let him know that she saw them at the airport all those years ago, there was simply no good explanation for her being there. "Had you guys ever been..."
"No," he chuckled. "Leah, really? That's just – eww." He scrunched up his face like he tasted something bad.
Bella threw her hands up in a questioning manner, "What's wrong with Leah? She's gorgeous and she's a wol..." Bella stopped the slip before it came out. "She's one of you guys," she corrected. "It makes sense."
"Pffshh, on paper, maybe. But the reality is I've known her too long. I've never seen Leah that way and I'm pretty sure the feeling's mutual," he chuckled.
Oh my freaking Lord, Bella thought, amused at her own stupidity. All this time she had been completely and totally wrong.
"What's going on, Bells? Why all the questions about Leah?"
"So, Quil and Embry are up to their old tricks, huh? Like what? What have they done lately?" Her blatant attempt to change the subject didn't go unnoticed, but Jacob decided to let it go this time.
Jacob told her all about the Terrible Twosome's latest exploits, a few of which would have curled Chief Swan's hair if he ever got wind of it, and regaled Bella with a few of his own stories, mishaps in both the work and romance departments.
"So you're not dating anyone now?" she asked.
"I didn't say that. I just said I'm not getting married anytime soon. So what about you? How's your sex life been, Swan?"
"Jacob!" She tried to slap his arm but he jerked back avoiding it, giggling at himself. "Well? You didn't answer the question."
"I don't think you really want to know the answer and if you do, I don't think I want to answer it!"
"Well I asked, didn't I? Believe me, Bells, I don't need a play-by-play. I just wondered if you two were...compatible."
Bella shook her head and grew quiet. "You really want to know this?"
He braced himself, he had no idea what to expect, but the morbidly curious side of him wanted to know even if the rest of him wasn't sure. "Sure."
Bella looked away, surprised to be answering this question. She thought she would have felt sad when talking about Edward but she didn't. Here, in this setting, with the sound of life all around her and Jacob Black sitting directly opposite her, she felt safe enough to talk about him.
"It was good, I mean, not at first. Eventually. It was awkward at first, I won't lie. Even though we lived together, we didn't do it for a long time. Aside from being scared for my safety, he had this 'no sex without marriage' thing hanging over his head, yada yada yada. Well, he eventually got over it."
Jacob took it in stride. "Bells, you and I have never really talked about this, but were you a... uh..." he arched his eyebrows up as he looked at her hoping for some recognition.
"Was I uh...? Oh! Uh, yeah I was, we both were, actually." Jacob looked surprised at her inclusion of Edward in that statement. "Really?" he asked.
"Yeah, believe it or not he was a virgin, too. But since none of them have ever been with a human after they were turned they didn't know what to expect, so just to be safe we had to use, uh, well, we took – precautions – aaand...you know what, I changed my mind. That's all I'm going to say about it. Use your imagination," she laughed uncomfortably.
"That's okay, that's about all I care to hear," he said with distaste. The idea of the kind of precautions one would have to take in order to have sex with a marble-textured, cold-skinned vampire boggled Jacob's mind. Images of body gear, the kind the SWAT team uses, muzzles and condoms made of tires colored his imagination. He shivered with disgust and really regretted asking now.
I wanted to know, he shook his head.
"Alrighty, then," Bella said.
After a moment or two of silence, Jacob said, "You wanna go for a swim?"
Bella looked up in time to see yet another child jump from the big rock into the water. Everyone around them was having so much fun. She realized it was time for a little fun, too.
"Yeah, sure."
"Awesome!" and smiled his trademark happy smile.
Bella and Jacob walked back to the jeep to get their suits. Once Bella retrieved it she asked, "Where can I change?"
"You can change right here."
Bella looked around, "Here? Here, right here?"
Jacob chuckled, "Yeah, lotsa people change out by their cars. It saves time and as long as you're discreet about it, no one cares. Look, let me show you."
Jacob held his door open to allow for some cover and stood in the open gap between the door and the car, then he had Bella strategically hold a towel in place to keep the rest of him from view. He quickly glanced over his shoulder to make sure the coast was clear and within a matter of a few seconds had taken off his shirt and cargo shorts. Before Bella could register where he was in the process, he was already pulling up his swim trunks and tying it off at the waist. She couldn't believe she was doing this but she glanced down to his body and felt her eyes rest on his stomach, then the inner slope of his waist, all the way down to his...
She jerked her head back so forcefully she almost made herself dizzy.
Jacob noticed her wobble, "Are you all right?" he asked.
Bella took a deep breath and said, "Getting better."
A/N: As always, a special thanks to my prereader, Jakejunkie, for your excellent suggestions. Keep the ideas coming, girl!
Disclaimer, the characters setting and familiar situations belong to Stephanie Meyer. References to films, places, automotive references, designer names, and/or music also do no belong to me. No copyright infringement intended. I'm not making any monetary profit from this.