Hey guys! I just wanted to give you a little head's up that there is quite a bit of dialogue in this chapter. I have done my best to separate the dialogue from the other stuff but if I miss something I am terribly sorry. All right, enjoy!
The Party
Bella's POV
While making some hot dogs and salad for dinner I thought about which job I should choose. On one hand, the job at the PA Videos was a nice normal job in a normal setting with a David, who was really great company.
Oh the other hand the bookstore was so amazing. It was like the store was apart of the lush forest that surrounded it. I felt like I was supposed to be there the second I walked in. it made me feel so much closer to Jacob and was much closer to La Push than PA Videos.
Not to say that Jacob was going to forgive me, but it's good to be optimistic I suppose. There was also the small fact that I did not have the job at PA Videos yet. Why pass up the opportunity for a good job that I'll probably really like and already have, for a job that's farther from home with no guarantee. I was still going over everything in my head when the phone rang.
"Hello," I said.
"Hi, may I speak to Bella Swan please? This is David from PA Videos."
"Oh, yeah hi David it's me." I said.
"Oh. Well I'm sorry but my boss already filled the position. I think it's his daughter or something," he said and then lowered his voice, "but if it's any consolation, I would much rather work with you than her." I smiled even though I knew he couldn't see it.
"That's a shame. I was looking forward to working with you." I said truthfully.
"Yeah me too. Are you gonna be okay? I mean if you want I can push for another hiring. Make up some weird reason. Maybe I could say we need a greeter." he said.
"There is no way I would stand at the front door and greet people. I'm not much of a people person." I laughed.
"Alright, alright. But are you really going to be okay"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I found a job at this bookstore called the Book Garden out here in Forks. You should come see it sometime, it's amazing." I gushed.
"Really? What makes it so special?" he asked.
"I can't even begin to explain it. You just have to see it. The place just gives of these really good vibes."
"Alright, maybe I'll come by sometime. Look, I hate to end this conversation but a customer just walked in. Talk to you later."
"Okay, bye." I said.
"Bye."
I hung up the phone and went back to working on dinner. Looks like it's the Book Garden. I thought to myself. I was happy about my new job, but the thought of not seeing David again did make me feel a bit of remorse. I felt like I just lost a new friend. I sighed and finished the salad. Charlie walked in just as the hot dogs were done cooking.
"Great timing, dinner's ready." I said.
"Good, because I'm starving," he said as I set our plate's on the table.
"You know, I think I'm gonna have to teach you how to cook." As soon as I said this his face paled.
"What? I think you could be good at it. You just need some instruction." I said upon seeing his fearful expression.
"Okay, but if I burn down this house it's all your fault," he said and then sat down at the table. I set down various condiments and we dug in.
"So how did job hunting go today?" he asked. We were making progress with the small talk.
"At first it didn't go so well. Three of the jobs already had the position filled. This waitress was rude at Bella Italiana so I left without an interview. I was angry with the waitress at Bella Italiana and on top of that I had a slight wardrobe mouth-function, effectively scaring the next interviewer. I almost got a job at Port Angeles Videos but apparently the position was filled and Da- the interviewer wasn't notified. The nanny service was willing to give me a job and let me fill out an application, but that would require too much time in a strange home. I tried Supers but to work there I needed to stop shopping at Betsy's, which was not going to happen. I was ready to quit for the day but I tried this little bookstore called The Book Garden and this woman gave me a job on the spot. I start tomorrow."
"Bella that's great! You got a job that's close and it's something you'll like. How much does it pay?" he asked.
"Uhh I actually don't know." I said sheepishly.
"Okay, well what will you be doing?"
"I don't know." He looked at me quizzically.
"I didn't exactly get an interview. I was just admiring the place when a woman walked up. I didn't know she was the owner. All I said was that the place was amazing and she gave me a job. It is amazing though dad. I can't even describe how incredible it is." I said.
"Well that's really great. It's a weird way to get a job but she must have chosen you for a reason."
"Yeah I guess. So what happened today at work?" I asked.
"Not much. Just a lot of paper work. Some one reported another bear sighting but there hasn't been a killing in a while. I don't know what happened, but I'm not gonna chase 'em if they aren't hurting people." he said before taking a cautious bite of salad.
"Oh, well at least people aren't getting hurt like you said." I swallowed the lump in my throat that always came from lying to people. I had gotten better at lying, much better. I could have probably passed a lie detector test with ease now, but I still didn't like to do it.
Dinner went well, with Charlie and I making comments about our day here and there. When we both finished I washed the dishes and then joined him in the living room. He was currently watching some action movie I had no interest in watching but did anyway. It was one of the many movies that featured Arnold Schwarzenegger. Not really sure which one it was, but I think it was Conan the Barbarian. I watched the movie all the way to the end. It was actually pretty enjoyable. When the movie was finished I made my way up to my room and put on my pajamas. Then, promising to take a shower in the morning, I sank into my bed and was asleep before my head hit the pillows.
~Redeem~
The next morning I woke up at six forty five. I was confused for a moment. I never woke up that early, but then I remembered that I now had a job and quickly got up. The sun was peaking out behind the clouds today, so after I showered I put on a pair of nice jeans with a dark wash and a light blue blouse. I decided to pull my hair up into a ponytail, and went down stairs for breakfast. Just as I came down the stairs I saw Charlie's cruiser pulling out of the driveway. I felt a hint of sadness seeing him leave. It was nice to have a morning chat with him before we both had to start our day. Sighing I fixed myself a bowl of cereal. Once I had put my dishes up I hopped into my truck and started on my way to The Book Garden.
I made it there five minutes early, expecting to have enough time to look around a bit before I started my job, but to my disappointment they weren't open. So for five minutes I sat on the little bench beside the door and admired the outdoor garden. At eight thirty on the dot, the woman showed up and unlocked the doors.
"Sorry, I forgot to mention that I open at eight thirty. I hope you haven't been waiting long," she said once we got in.
"Oh no, just about five minutes or so."
"Oh good. Well my name is Laura Parker and I own and manage the store."
"Hi, my name is Isabella Swan, but I like to be called Bella."
"Hello Bella, now I know you are wondering why I just gave you a job yesterday without an interview or getting any information about you and I do have an answer, though it's not the wisest one. I went with my gut. I could tell that you really appreciated the value of books and knowledge by the way you talked about the place. You understood that reading should be a getaway, a mysterious land that you got to enter and explore."
"Wow, umm thanks. I do love to read. It's just nice to get away from reality. I swear sometimes it seems like life is the fairy tale and the book I'm reading is reality." What the hell am I talking about. My life is a freaking fairytale!
"I know exactly what you mean." Laura said with a small smile
.
"Now that we've gotten the formalities out of the way, why don't I give you a tour of the place and then I'll explain more about you're actual job," she said before turning on her heel and walking away.
"Okay," I said, following her. She led me past the rows of different books, explaining to me what each category was and the major authors that people might look for. She showed me the many different sitting areas that were available for people to come in and read and the magazine area. There was also a little spot to make coffee and sell scones and other baked goods. Like a mini Starbucks. It was called the Garden Cafe. We went into the back and she showed me how to find a certain book in one of the many boxes that were back there. She also showed me the lounge, which was made of a few couches, a microwave, a mini oven, a phone, and a TV. She said that she usually went out to eat or just ate by the waterfall. When we were done with that she led me back to the cash register.
"Okay, now up here we have our impulse buy options. There are a few handmade bookmarks and a few of those corny laminated ones that you see in Barnes and Noble. Then we have various sweets, all organic of course, and a few little diaries and writing utensils. Do you know how to work a register?" she asked.
"Yeah, I used to work at Urban Outfitters a few years ago." I said.
"Oh, well now I'm happy I didn't give you an interview. We can learn new things about each other every day. Now the first few customers usually don't come in until nine thirty. Only the real early risers are over here at eight thirty for a nice cup of coffee and a good scone so I usually just hang around until someone walks in. We close at ten on weekdays, nine on weekends. I'm afraid you'll have to work full time for a few weeks until I can hire some other employees but I promise I will get some more people before the end of the month so you don't have to spend all of your time here. Until then I will post a sign saying we close at nine during the week as well for a short period of time since I don't know if you have some one or something to take care of, so tonight will be the only night you need to stay until ten. Believe it or not you are actually my first hired person. My kids come by and help out some times, but they have been real busy lately so I decided to hire someone. I'll probably hire a few more people, but only if I get a good vibe from them. The pay is $12.50 an hour for now but the longer you stay, the higher your pay."
"$12.50 an hour sounds great, and I have to admit, I feel pretty special now." I said. I was really starting to like Laura. My comment hung in the air for a few minutes until Laura broke the silence.
"Alright, this is getting awkward fast. I'm gonna go get a book off the shelf. Care to join me?"
"Sure." I said rather enthused and followed her. We both headed for the romance section and laughed.
"I suppose I should have expected you to like a good romance. Something about you just screamed romance enthusiast to me." she said as we began looking up and down the shelves. I settled with an Elizabeth Candler book.
"Ahh you like Chandler as well. You have good taste." she observed.
"Yeah, she's a great author. I like the hint of mystery she puts into all of her books. She always has me on the edge of my seat."
"Me too, I know her books are meant for teens supposedly but I just love her books. Once I read Kissed by an Angel I was a goner," was all she said before she picked out a book and sat down by the fountain. I watched her for a moment with a smile on my face before I went to follow her. About an hour later there our first customer came in and then a few minutes later the next one came in. After the first few people came in there was a nice steady flow of customers. Some of them I helped and others Laura helped but they could usually find what they were looking for on their own so the only thing we had to do was work the registers.
Around one we switched off working the register to have a quick lunch. I had forgotten all about packing a lunch, but luckily Laura was more than willing to share. Over all the day went pretty well. Over sixty percent of the people that came in bought something. I had completely lost track of time and before I knew it, we were shutting things down. Laura and I walked out and said our goodbyes before I headed home. I walked in with a smile on my face and a warm feeling in my heart. When I got in I found Charlie passed out on the couch with a pizza box in his lap and the television on blaring about some big loss for some baseball team on ESPN. I walked over, put the pizza box on the counter, and woke Charlie.
"Huh, oh hey Bella. How was work?" he asked me, his voice heavy with sleep.
"It was great dad, and I'll tell you all about it tomorrow, but right now I think you should get some sleep." I said. He looked at around realizing he was, in fact, in the living room and not in his bed before getting up and turning off the TV. I followed him up the stairs and into my room.
"Night Bells." he said.
"Night." I went into my room and just took off my pants and bra, not bothering with my other clothes, before falling into my bed.
~Redeem~
The next few weeks working at The Book Garden were great. Granted it was very time consuming, but it was fun. I found that I liked Laura and talking to her was just like talking to Angela. She listened and stated her opinion, but never passed judgment. She became a very close friend to me in a matter of weeks. We were working one day, I was helping a customer find a book on finance and Laura was giving another person their change when I heard a familiar voice.
"Hey Bella," David said. I turned around and sure enough he was there.
"Hey David! What are you doing here?" I asked. I realized the way I said it might make it sound a bit rude, but it was already out my mouth.
"What, you don't want me here?" he asked. I wasn't quite sure if he was actually hurt or just playing around.
"Oh no, it's not that. I was just curious. Don't you have to work?" I asked but once again I didn't realize how stupid the remark was until it was out in the air. Why would he be here if he had to work?
"Nope, I got the day off today and figured I would come check out this place you've been raving about." he said while looking around. He was taking my stupid remarks quite well.
"Oh, well what do you think?" I asked expectantly. I really wanted him to like it, I wanted everyone to like it. When my dad came by one day I was literally bouncing in excitement. I just felt really proud of this place, even though it wasn't mine. So far everyone had liked it. If anyone said they didn't like it I don't know what I would do, I might just try to rip their head off.
"I think you're right, it really can't be put into words. It's pretty amazing in here."
"That's exactly what I thought." I said excitedly earning me a pointed look from Laura. I sent her a confused look before David started talking again. David stayed until closing that day and offered to drive me home, but I politely pointed out that I had driven myself there. The next day when I came in Laura wanted answers.
"How come you didn't tell me you had a boyfriend?" She demanded. Saying I was shocked would be an understatement. I was paralyzed for at least five minutes. When I finally thawed out my mouth fell open.
"Who, David? No he's just a friend. I met him while I was looking for jobs in Port Angeles and we got to talking, that's all. We aren't dating or anything." I said. She didn't look convinced.
"What? We aren't dating." I said again. She put her hands up in defense.
"Alright so you aren't dating, but you know you want to." she said with one of her all knowing smiles on her face.
"No I don't." I said through gritted teeth. I felt like I was in elementary school again and we were about to get into one of those never ending "do not, do too" arguments.
"I don't know why you won't admit it, there's nothing wrong with liking him. He seems nice enough." she said while going through an inventory list.
"He is nice, but I don't like him like that." I was embarrassed just talking about the subject. Laura wasn't too far off base though. I did like some one, it just wasn't David. Laura put down the inventory sheet and studied me for a moment but I refused to look at her directly. She studied me for a moment before walking away towards the romance section, and after a moment I followed. We book got our books of choice and sat down by the small waterfall in our same seats. We read for a few minutes before Laura said, "So you gonna tell me who you got your eyes on if it's not David." I let out a breath, exasperated, and shut my book before looking at her.
"What, I know I'm right, I always am about this kind of thing. You've got your eyes set on some boy, or girl, it doesn't really matter to me but I know you like someone." she said all the while not looking up from her book. I was grateful for this because my face was embarrassingly red and at the moment my thoughts were incoherent. I took a moment to gather myself and cleared my throat before speaking.
"You're right. I like this guy." I admitted reluctantly. She smiled and put her book down.
"That's what I thought. So you like "this guy" as you put it. Why isn't he coming by instead of David?"
"Well he doesn't like me, at least I think he doesn't like me." I said and she cocked an eyebrow, silently urging me to continue.
"He has been my best friend since we were little and a few years ago it was a known fact that he was in love with me. I was involved with someone though, and I was so blinded by this other man's presence that I didn't see how much I loved him until it was to late, but even so he stood by me for years while I was with this man. My friend kept telling me that the other man was no good for me, that the whole relationship would never work unless I changed who I was and he and I both didn't want that. Of course, me being the dumb and naive girl that I was I told him to stay out of my personal life. Then, all of a sudden I was engaged to this other man and I thought I was happy, but when I was walking down the aisle my feet just started carrying me the other way. I ran away and I've been away for four years with absolutely no contact to home. I knew what I did was wrong. I saw him the other day and of course he was furious with me. I have an excuse but I don't want to tell him. I wouldn't be able to take rejection from him again." Laura gave me a sympathetic look.
"Look hon, I know it feels like the end of the world right now, but I can confidently tell you that it's not. I had to raise two daughters and two sons, so I am well equipped to deal with these types of things. So I want you to believe me when I tell you that love just doesn't disappear, especially the kind of love you're talkin' about. If he stood by you even when he knew that you were making the wrong decision, he will stand by you now if you just apologize at tell him why you were gone. Trust me when I tell you that's probably all he wants from you. Forgiveness seems so black and white when you first look at it, you either forgive someone, or you don't. But when you add love into the mix it adds a gray area. You never know what can happen." She sounded like she knew what she was talking about, but delivered her wisdom gently. The way you would expect a grandmother to sound.
"I suppose you're right, but how can I approach him again. What happened while I was away is not something I'd like to talk about, I didn't tell my own father. It's so hard to go back and confront a memory that you yourself are so ashamed of." I was starting to get a little depressed with this whole conversation, and the self-loathing, of course, came with the depression.
"You love this boy, don't you?" Laura asked me in a tone that told me to give her a direct answer.
"Yes, very much."
"Well then you don't have a choice. He needs closure, and I'm beginning to think you do too. You both are going to be hurt from the years of separation, so heal each other. You work on letting him know that you are not leaving him again and had no intentions of ever hurting him, and he can help you get past whatever happened while you are away. I know it may seem scary, but you need to take the first step and tell him everything. Let him know that there will be no secrets between the two of you." she said in a tone that could only be described as motherly. I smiled to myself, looking out the window.
"I think you're reading to many romance novels." I said after I turned back to her. She seemed insulted at first, but she registered my smile and laughed, as did I.
~Redeem~
During the next two weeks Laura had managed to hire three more people. The first person she hired was a girl named Hope who had just moved up from Oregon. She was very tan for someone who lived in a state where it rained so much, but then again everyone looked tan compared to me. She had deep green eyes and one of those million dollar smiles, but it had nothing on Jacob's in my opinion.
The next two people she hired were identical twins named Tristan and Tyler. They were both twenty-one and very energetic. They were the mischievous, get into way too much trouble but always have fun, type of guys. They did know that there was a time to be serious, most of the time the just chose to ignore it. They loved to play this game with the customers where they had to pick who was who. They always got the answer wrong and the twins would always laugh in their faces and tell them to come again and they could try next time. The girls loved it for some reason, and since it was good for business Laura didn't care.
The coolest thing was that Laura had consulted me before hiring each of them, and made it clear to me that because I held seniority I had a bit more responsibility. She said she thought of me more as a partner than another worker and thought I should be apart of decisions such as who we should hire.
I was touched. She told me that she chose Hope because she got a very laid back feel from her. She was right again, of course. Hope reminded me of a hippie. She was always laid back and very mellow. She was very environmentally aware and tried to make us all vegetarians. She never worried about anything and was your go-to-girl if you wanted to just kick back and relax. Of course she could be fun and spontaneous if you gave her enough caffeine but that rarely happened.
Laura hired the twins because she thought, and I quote, "They are two fun loving spirits." I had to agree with that as well. They were always joking around and laughing with either each other or the customers. They kept the witty comments coming throughout the entire day. They reminded me of the pack, just downsized into two people. Since we had more of a staff the hours went back to the way they were. The twins and I got Monday and Tuesday. The twins, Hope, and I got Wednesday and Sunday. Hope and I got Thursday. Hope and the twins got Friday. The twins got half of Saturday off while Hope took the other half. Laura was there with us all the time of course. I told her she should take a day off but she said she wanted nothing more than to be in the store with us.
Life was beginning to feel normal again David would stop by Wednesdays and Sundays, and we would all start talking about random things before going home. The store was filled with laughter and more and more people were coming in. I was beginning to feel happy again, but in the back of my mind there was something, or should I say someone, that was keeping me from enjoying it all. I needed to confront Jacob. I just didn't know how anymore. Should I walk into his home and tell him everything or should I call and set up a date. Would he even want to talk to me since so much time has passed since we last saw each other? It's been over a month, did I wait too long? All of these questions I couldn't answer. That ended on Thursday when Charlie came home.
We were starting his first cooking lesson and I had chosen spaghetti. It was a quick and easy dish to make, or so I thought. To say Charlie was terrified would be an understatement. He was so scared he was shaking and managed to spill water from the pot onto the floor multiple times on his way over to the stove from the sink.
"Dad it's not that hard to make. All you have to do is fill the pot up about half way with water, carry it over to the stove and put the heat on high. The worst thing that could happen is you turn on the wrong burner and that is a mistake that can be easily fixed. Relax." He took a deep breath and followed my instructions, while still shaking profoundly I might add, but once he completed the task without burning down the house he grew a bit more confident. I showed him how to cook the ground beef and mix it in with the tomato sauce. As well as how to cook garlic bread so it wouldn't burn and make sure the noodles were cooked all the way through but didn't end up mushy. In the end we successfully made our dinner of spaghetti and garlic bread, and although it took us two hours, our kitchen was still in tact so I was proud. It was over dinner that Charlie dropped the bomb.
"So the Clearwaters are having a party tomorrow, I was wondering if you wanted to go. I'm sure everyone wants to see you, I know Billy and Sue do." I felt the breath rush out of my body for a moment. This would be the perfect time to tell Jacob everything, and while that was scary that wasn't what I was worried about. I was worried about seeing the pack so I hesitated.
"Sure, I guess it would be good to see everyone again." Charlie smiled and nodded in approval before moving on to the next subject. Charlie and I had been talking a lot more than we had when I first moved here and most nights we were both tuned in. But in that moment my thoughts were drifting to the upcoming party.
So the next day I ended up in my nicest pair of jeans and the red blouse I had worn for my job interviews in front of the Clearwaters door. Charlie was standing next to me all smiles while I was a bundle of nerves, biting away at my lip. I was playing with the curly strands of my hair when Leah opened the door. She glowered at me for a moment but swiftly changed her expression, welcoming Charlie. Once he was inside her previous expression returned.
"Well, look what the wind blew in, must me bitch season." she sneered.
"That explains how you got here." I said. At first I thought she was going to close the door in my face when Sue appeared behind her.
"Bella! Oh my goodness it's so good to see you! Come in so I can have a look at you!" she exclaimed and Leah begrudgingly let me in. I stood in front of Sue as she took in my new appearance. I knew I looked different, older I suppose. Sue hadn't really changed much and was as beautiful as ever in her light green blouse and blue jeans.
"Bella honey I have missed you so much! Don't you ever leave like that again." she said excitedly, but I detected a hint of something else as she tacked on the last part. Sue led me out doors where everyone was. I tried to get out of it by saying that I wanted to help her in the kitchen but she wouldn't have it and pushed me outside. The first person I saw was Embry. The look on his face was not one I had expected, he was smiling.
"Bella, you're back!" he said as he pulled me up into a tight hug. I was so flustered that it took me a moment before I could actually put my arms around him as well.
"Yeah, I've been back for a while. I was going to come visit sooner but I had to get my life in better shape. It's great to see you!" I said once I was released from his grip.
"We've missed you, hey Quil," he said yelling across the yard, " Get over here!" At first Quil appeared to be annoyed. I wasn't sure if it was because he had been taken away from a good conversation or because I was here, but I'd bet my money on the later. When Quil stopped in front of me he stared at me for a moment. I wasn't sure if it was a bad thing or a good thing because the look on his face was pretty neutral. Then he began circling me.
"Hmm, she looks human and she smells human. I wonder…" he trailed off. He quickly scooped me up and twirled me around. When he set me back down I was so dizzy I stumbled and fell. "Yep, still human. Congrats Bella you passed! Now get over here!" he said as he pulled me into another massive hug. I was so relieved. I knew that a lot of the pack would still hold animosity towards me, but at least Quil and Embry didn't.
"Hey Quil, how are you?"
"I'm good." he said half halfheartedly.
"Don't pay attention to him, he's been in a bad mood lately because he has a serious case of the blue balls. Claire is only seven so Quil hasn't gotten any yet, the only one in the pack I might add. He is seriously considering dating a few girls until Claire is of the proper age." Quil didn't seem too happy about the information Embry was disclosing and tried to smack him but of course Embry dodged it.
"Seriously man?" Quil said hotly.
"Quil it's okay. It's not normal for you to feel sexually frustrated." Embry said in very professional yet sarcastic voice, earning him another smack, but this time Quil got him on the back of the head.
"For the record I think that you should be free to date until Claire can be with you." I said, trying to help the situation. Quil looked at me, his cheeks red and thanked me for being on his side. All this talking was great but I really needed to find Jacob. I think Embry picked up on this because he was the one that brought up Jacob.
"I'm sorry Jake couldn't make it tonight Bella. He got caught up at the shop." he said making an awkward moment. Quil started fidgeting and looking around, obviously uncomfortable.
"Oh okay. So do you guys own the shop or..." I trailed off, but they got the picture.
"Oh yeah Jacob, Quil and I own it. We just started it up last year and business has been really good. It's the perfect job because we understand if one of us has to take a patrol. Although Jacob can change that since he's Alpha now and all. There really hasn't been much of a threat in the past few years though." Once again this conversation was made awkward.
"Yeah well that's really cool, what's the name?"
"The Pack Mechanics. We thought it would be the perfect name seeing as the pack worked there and pack members founded it. This one," Embry said, jerking his head toward Quil, "wanted to name it, The Wolf Howler Club."
"Hey what's wrong with that?" Quil asked.
"It's fucking stupid that's what. Seriously, it has absolutely nothing to do with mechanics." Embry snorted.
"It's better than the La Push Boys. What is it, a fucking strip club? I swear people would have come in expecting us to all be in G-strings and dancing on a fucking pole." Quil said back. They went on for a few minutes before Sue cut in.
"Alright everyone dinner is served, grab a plate and help yourself." That stopped the arguing and started the fighting. The pack members literally attacked the buffet, fighting over places in line. Most of them got two and three plates, carrying them in creative ways before chowing down. I got the left overs along with everyone else, which wasn't much, but it was enough to satisfy my hunger. Once everyone had eaten the mingling started up again and someone put on some music. I was sitting alone on one of Sue's foldable chairs when Billy rolled up to me.
"Bella." he said in a serious tone, and I could tell that there was no laughter that would come after it.
"Hi, Billy," I said meekly.
"I want you to know that I am very disappointed in you Bella." I cast my eyes downward and my shoulders slumped. I felt just like a child again.
"I know Billy, and I'm sorry."
"I am just so appalled that you would not visit me for a whole month. Do you know how much I've missed you? Not to mention your cooking. I mean come on, Charlie and I have been over the Clearwater's every night taking handouts from Sue!" Billy said. I looked up and realized he was smiling. I let out the breath I had been holding in and laughed.
"I'm sorry Billy. I was getting some things together, but you will be happy to know that I am teaching Charlie how to cook. Soon his cooking will taste just like mine." Billy laughed.
"You're teaching him to cook? Oh god, please don't tell me you're homeless."
"Not yet. He actually did pretty well with the spaghetti and garlic bread, but he was terrified at first." I laughed as Charlie walked up behind Billy.
"What are you two laughing about?" he asked.
"You and you're cooking phobia." Billy said and Charlie blushed.
"It's not a phobia, I'm just nervous. We just paid off that home I don't want to have to buy a new one." Charlie said. Billy started laughing and Charlie joined in. While they were laughing Seth walked up.
"Bella!" He pulled me up and tugged me along with him. He stopped when we were in the house and turned towards me with a huge grin on his face before he gave me a hug. I was surprised by how big he had gotten, but I guess that's what happens when you leave for four years. He was no longer a little kid but a grown man.
"Sorry, it's kind of loud out there. How have you been Bella?" Seth asked. I was really starting to hate that question just because it required me to lie every time I answered it.
"I've been okay, how about you? I heard you graduated last year!" I said, attempting to be cheery.
"Oh yeah I did. I've been well. I started working at the mechanic shop that Embry, Quil and Jake started. Everyone works there now, even Leah." Seth said. But you know what they say. Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
"You talkin' about me baby brother." Leah sneered while looking at me. Seth noticed her murderous expression and tried to help.
"Leave her alone Leah."
"Why should I spare her feelings when she doesn't care about anyone else's. She is a selfish leech lover and she doesn't deserve anyone's forgiveness, especially Jake's." she said and then turned to speak directly to me.
"He's moved on. He doesn't need you anymore and he doesn't care." Her words cut me like a knife and of course she noticed. "What did you think would happen? You would come back after being gone for four years without a word and he would just be there waiting for you? Are you really that dense?" The question was left open ended, I didn't have an answer. Charlie entered the room and noticed the tension.
"Everything okay?" he asked warily.
"Bella said she isn't feeling well. She was asking if it would be okay to leave. She didn't want to be rude." Leah answered while still looking at me.
"Oh I'm sorry Bells, you should have told me earlier, you didn't have to come. Go ahead and go home, I'll see if I can get a ride from someone else." Charlie said. I stared at Leah for a few more seconds before I directed my gaze to Charlie. I wanted to tell Leah to fuck off and leave me alone, but my father looked so concerned.
"Okay, thanks dad, I'll see you at home. Bye Seth, it was nice seeing you again." I said before I walked out the door and into my car seething. I pulled out of the driveway and just started driving. Rain started to pound on the windshield and as I drove I calmed down and started to think. Although I hate to admit it, Leah was right. I shouldn't have just assumed that Jake was single. He might not want a romantic relationship anymore. And if he did have a girlfriend what was I going to do? Had he imprinted? How had I not thought of this? I was starting to panic when I heard a loud bang and slammed my fit on the breaks. After a few deep breaths to recover from my initial shock I got out to see what was wrong. As I got out of the car I realized that the front tire had blown. I gave a frustrated sigh and got back in the car. I flipped on my headlights and read the street name. I was apparently in some part of Port Angeles, although I had never seen it before. I could call Charlie, but he'd have to find a ride and then come get me, which would take a while.
I slumped down into the seat and looked around the car aimlessly when I remembered the mechanic in La Push. I had cut out all of the ads I found in the newspaper, all of which contained an address and number, and stored them in my glove compartment. I quickly opened the glove compartment and got the add for the mechanic service. Sure enough it said: Car Work, Tows, Jump Starts, and Much More! I quickly pulled out my cell phone and began to dial. I had just gotten the phone a few days ago and already it was proving useful. It rang a few times and then someone picked up.
"I'm sorry but we're closed." I stiffened at the voice. Of course he would be there. Embry had said Jacob was staying late at the shop. I looked down at the ad in my hands and it said in big bold letters: The Pack Mechanics. How had I missed that? I noticed that the line had gone dead so I tried again.
"Look, the hours are 8:00 a.m to 9:00p.m." Jacob said annoyed.
"It's 8:57." I said. The line went quiet for such a long time that I thought he had hung up again.
"I'm sorry may I ask who is calling?" he asked cautiously.
"Isabella Swan."
"What do you want Bella?" he asked irritated again.
"Look I know you're still mad but my tire just blew out in Port Angeles and everyone is still at Sue's. I really don't have many options here and you are still open." The line was quiet for another long moment and I bit my lip, hoping he'd help me.
"Fine, what street are you on?" he sighed into the phone.
"I'm on Walnut Ave."
"Alright, I'll be there in ten minutes." Jacob hung up quickly and left the dial tone blaring in my ear. I put my phone away and sat there waiting for Jacob to come get me. After six minutes of waiting I started to get cold. My clothes were still pretty wet, causing me to shiver. I turned on the radio to distract myself and Beyonce's 1+1 came on. I hummed along with Beyonce for a few beats and then just closed my eyes. Listening to her beautiful voice come through the speakers in a sweet ballad relaxed me and I smiled. I don't know if he was standing there and watching me the whole time, or he just arrived but when he knocked on my window holding a black umbrella, his face was a little softer than when we last met in the parking lot. I quickly shut off the radio and opened the door, taking the keys with me as I got out of the car. He moved out of the way and let me step out.
No words were exchanged while he got my truck on the tow and I sat in the front car of the tow truck waiting for Jacob. When he finally returned he got in and started driving without sparing me a single glance. The whole ride he was silent. I just stared out the window into the dark. When we arrived, I observed the shop. It was a decent size, especially for a mechanic shop. There were two buildings that were connected to each other. One, I would be guessing was the offices and lounge. The other one, which was slightly bigger, I assumed was the garage. We pulled up to what I thought was the garage and he backed in. The room was dimly lit by one light. I guess it was appropriate because he was the only one here. In the dim light I noticed that he was, in fact, covered in grease in a pair of cut-offs and a nice gray shirt.
He got my truck off of the tow and started to work on it as I looked around. There were three different cars. One blue Mustang, one black Nissan, and one green Toyota. Two of them looked finished but the Nissan's hood was still up. Next to the cars I noticed that there was desk. On the desk there was a mess of papers and a clipboard. On the clip board there was a sheet of paper that listed the prices, and apparently I owed Jacob eighty dollars for towing my car from Port Angeles and fixing the tire. I looked over to Jacob who was just about finished and fished my wallet out of my purse. When Jacob stood up I was holding out his money. He looked confused for a moment, but he took it and pocketed it.
"Thanks for fixing my tire." I was standing awkwardly between him and my truck.
"It's fine." He was about to turn his back to me when I stopped him.
"Look Jacob I know you want an explanation."
"No, I need an explanation." He corrected me harshly. I looked down at my feet. Could I tell him about my horrible past. Share the disgusting things that had happened to me in the time I was gone. I looked back up into his face and found my answer. Yes, I could.
"Okay. I-I'll tell you. Just, please don't tell anyone else, not yet." I pleaded. I must have sounded pretty desperate because he nodded.
Okay so the next chapter will be posted tomorrow. Bella is finally going to tell Jake why she has been gone. I know some of you really wanted it today but I thought some time should pass before she would be ready to tell him. Thank you for reviewing, it really makes my day!
Tell me what you think about our new characters and what changes you think I should make. However, before you do I think I should make it clear that Jacob will not be imprinting on Bella. I'm not a big fan of imprinting, I only use it to spice the story up and I think it makes explaining how Jacob and Bella love each other too easy… if that makes sense. But other than that I'm all ears for suggestions!