[A/N: was reeeeeaaaallllyyyy tired when I added this chapter, so if I'm awesome enough to post it, you're awesome enough to review it.]
How to live with Werewolves.
Rule Number Three:
Do not look into the eyes of the wild animal. Sometimes, you will get away with it.
Last time: "Werewolf" I breathe, eyes snapping open.
"Bella?" Someone shouted, and I looked up. Across from me, on the other side off the cliff, Embry called my name. I winced. He was one of them, too?
This was all the encouragement I needed.
"BELLA, LOOK OUT!"
The waves kept pushing me deeper and deeper.
I couldn't fight anymore.
I, Bella Marie Swan, was dying.
Since when had I accepted my fate? To die this way? There was so much I still wanted to do.
Finish school. Graduate. Get a tattoo to scare the hell out of Charlie. Go to new places. Have my cherry popped.
But all of these desires seemed so unwanted now, and as they floated near me, I realized they were not that big of desires anyway. It didn't matter. I knew where this road was going, and there were no pit stops.
Huh. I should be long gone, by now, I thought slowly.
And then something pounded hard against my chest.
"BREATH!" the voice in my head commanded.
I tried to ignore it. Just let me go back there. It was nice. No vampires or werewolves or gaping holes in my chest where my heart should be.
No lying best friends.
"Come on Bella, breathe!" the voice ordered, louder now.
Jake?
No, Jake wasn't my friend I thought with an immature pout.
And then I inhaled, because I could hear another order coming on.
It stung. My insides felt raw as if they had been sandpapered down and I resisted the urge to gag as the world spun sickeningly. I gasped sharply, desperate for more air but strongly hating the feel of it tearing my insides apart.
"There's a girl," a voice crooned softly and my eyelids feel like lead. I try to open them, but it's too much.
"I can't open my eyes," I murmur, my throat burning as the words pass my lips.
"You're freezing…" a voice says, and a low growling sound fills my ears.
"Oh for Gods sake, Jake, I'm just keeping her warm." these words were followed by arms wrapping around my tiny frame and holding me close. I couldn't move close enough to the heat even if I wanted to. I sighed softly, content to just stay near this warmth.
My eyes open slowly, and my vision is blurry—but I can make out a figure, in front of me.
"Bells, honey, what were you thinking?" Embry asked me, as he brushes a strand of hair behind my ear. I shrug.
"Looked like fun," I rasped.
"Take her home, Embry." I hear a deep voice command and then I realize Jacob hasn't said a word to me. I look up to meet his gaze, although he's still kind of hazy and watch as his eyes flicker away from my face. I'm lifted, and my world tilts.
Jacob steps forward, but something seems to hold him back as he chokes out "Careful."
Embry nods, and cradles me close as we walk towards my truck.
"That was some stunt you pulled" he said, softly. I didn't have the energy to fight about it with him, so I just closed my eyes.
"Why isn't Jacob talking to me?" I ask as he reaches over and buckles me in.
He pauses, his fingers hesitating before he brushes my hair out of my face.
"That's for him to say." he says weakly, then climbs in the cab of my truck and shifts gears.
I shiver, briefly, before he pulls me as close as the seatbelt allows.
He rubs his hand up and down my arm absently.
I wish he was Jake.
Closing my eyes, I pretend he is and fall into unconsciousness without difficulty.
I go back to the doctors and they re-bandage my hand, asking how it got wet. I just shrug and say I forgot about it and had a shower. They can see through my lies, even with the heavy scent of the ocean, but dress it anyway and send me on my way.
Stupid, cute, wonderful Jacob.
I wait three days. During which, Charlie returns with some large fish and stuffs them into the freezer in the laundry and Jakes voice disappears from my head.
I pace. I hunger. I cry. I eat. I sleep. To do it all over again.
The phone rings and I pounce on it just as Charlies hand goes to reach for it.
"Hello?" I ask, desperate. It's Bob, one of Charlies co-workers. I hand him the phone and go back to grieving, ignoring the strange look he sends my way.
I still smell salt water, even though I've showered three times since the cliff. It reminds me of Jacob. Hell, everything does.
So much for the whole confrontation thing, I think sadly and wallow in self pity before I decide I need to study and put pen to paper for a good hour and a half before I yawn for the third time and realize it's time for me to sleep. I'm turning the lights out when something clatters against my window. I freeze, asking myself what it could possibly be before I realize it might be her.
Victoria.
How could I have forgotten? All this time?
I close my eyes tightly, willing myself not to scream.
"Bella!" I hear someone call out. I turn sharply.
Jacob?
I grit my teeth, and open the window, peering out with narrowed eyes.
There he is.
Tall. Proud. Wonderful. Everything I have missed and hated-no, not hated. Disliked.-that Sam Uley was. But this was my Jacob. And he was here.
No one else. Just him.
"What do you want?" it seems my mouth moves before my brain can function and it comes out sharper then intended. He winces.
"Can I come up?" he asks, ignoring my brutality. I'm slightly relived, but also sourly disappointed.
I stop as he jumps up, gripping the tree and I watch as he swings for a moment in confusion.
What, he was Tarzan now, too?
"Move," he barks out, gruffly and I do as told, stepping away until the back of my knees hit the bed. He lithely twists on the final swing, letting go of the branch and lands with a flourish on my bedroom floor. Not a single board creaks with his sudden intrusion and I stare at him wordlessly as he stares back, unfazed. The way my eyes bore into his makes him flinch back.
"What do you want?" I ask, but without the bite.
"I know you're probably—
I reach out and slap him squarely across the face. My hand screams with the pain, but I feel infinitely better. Now, I'm not usually a violent person, but at this point in time, Jacob brings it out in me.
He stills, eyes dropped to the ground and a moment later, the red imprint of my palm decorates his face.
"I probably deserved that," he says softly and I nod, pushing away the guilt. He'd been the one ignoring me, hurting me unknowingly. He deserved a little pain too.
He looks up, and I hate how beautiful he is.
"Bella, I came here to talk to you about… this" he gestures wildly to the space between us.
"Talk." I grit out.
"I want you to know I don't want to hurt you anymore, and you've told me some of your secrets. It's time I tell you mine…" he says slowly, and his eyes search mine. My heart stutters in my chest.
"Jake, what happened the other day? In the clearing?"
His face flickers between two emotions. Should-I-really-tell-her-and-stay or should-I-get-the-hell-out-of-here.
He seems to fall on the first and grabs my hands. The sudden warmth of him is shocking and I nearly jerk away. He holds tighter.
"Do you remember me telling you about the legends? That day on the beach?" he asks and his face is distant, now, searching for something. I nod.
"Do you remember all of it?" he asks and his eyes light up at the look of recognition in my own.
"Jake, wait… I thought… it wasn't a dream, was it?" I finish lamely, remembering the wolf with Jacobs eyes.
He yanks me close.
"Say it…" he breathes and I gasp, softly, as his bare chest presses against mine, and with the dip of my shirt, the heat of him, the feel of him, sends sparks all over, igniting something within me and I lick my lips before whispering in his ear;
"Werewolf."
Instantly, all tension leaves his body and with a groan, he simply picks me up and hitches my legs around his waist, one hand cupping my bottom as the other cradles my head to his shoulder. He laughs, and it vibrates against my racing heart. I found myself laughing with him as he spun me around.
Me and Jake.
I had really missed this.
"Bella?" a voice calls from the doorway and we both freeze.
[So, what did you think? Too fast, too slow? Whatever. Anyway, shameless pimping section here to my reviewers!
To; JBinsanity, thank you for reviewing first, I actually didn't believe I was going to get any.
enchantress in black, hope you're loving the updates, too!
ShamelesslyObsessed, you're review was epic-ly nice.
And! TheMightyRen, it honestly just popped into my head for no reason and had to get it down quickly before Writers Block.
Thank you lovely people, I will be sure to check out most of your stuff too!
[End of review rant]