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4
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If you let this train roll down these tracks
Gonna wish you tried to talk me back
Boy, you're gonna miss everything we had
If you let this train roll down these tracks
-Sara Evans, Slow Me Down
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Bella smiled and lay down on the blanket she, Jacob, Quil and Embry had been using to enjoy the early Saturday afternoon sun. They'd all met up with their friend, Angela, for a picnic in the park. It'd been a while since they'd seen Angela. The last they remembered of her, she still wore her hair in a braid down her back to keep the sticks and leaves out of it when she climbed trees. Instead, she'd come with her younger brothers who had kept the small group entertained until they'd gotten tired. Angela had taken them home in order to get herself ready for work at the local diner and promised she'd catch up with them soon.
Jacob grinned down at her before poking her side. "Tired yet?"
Bella hummed and curled towards him to use his jean covered thigh as a pillow. "Nope." She grinned with her eyes still closed.
He only rolled his eyes when he saw the sympathetic smiles from Quil and Embry. He'd never leave the friend zone, but somehow he was fine with that. He told his friends, he would rather have her in his life in this capacity than not have her in his life at all. That they could understand. Bella was one of a kind.
"Hey, look guys. It's James. He's panting after some blonde haired chick by the duck pond." Quil sneered.
"I thought Victoria was still his girlfriend." Bella mused.
Jacob huffed. "She is! He's a damn player. Too bad he doesn't come over here. I'd fix that in a heartbeat with a crack to his nose. Then again, it might improve his looks some… what do ya think Bells?"
Embry snorted before she could answer. "NOTHING will improve THAT, Jake."
Bella sighed. "Why do you hate James so much Jake? I mean I get he and you didn't run in the same circles at school but we're not IN school anymore. So why not let it go?"
"I wish I could Bells. James doesn't like me because I caught his girlfriends' eye and she kissed me at a party our senior year. He thinks I'm a threat now and he tries to make my life a living hell now."
"Don't forget the time in gym when she 'fell' into your lap and copped a feel… that was cringe worthy." Quil mused.
Jake shook his head. "She tried to weasel her way into my lap at a few dances too."
Embry rolled his eyes. "James is just a jealous person to start with, Bells. In some ways he's worse than Edward."
Bella shook her head. "And here I thought you guys weren't going to mention him today!"
"Come on Bells. We're only lookin out for you! 'Sides.. That city boy couldn't handle you!" Quil crowed.
Embry's phone ringing cut off anything else said. After a few minutes of hushed conversation, he hung up and sighed. "I gotta go y'all."
"Everything ok Em?" Jake asked. It was rare that Embry ever worried about things, and he looked too upset at the moment.
"That was Jay. Sam busted his hand up while they were in the back pasture of the ranch. He heard some news today that didn't sit well with him." Bella stood up and dragged Embry to her truck without a backwards glance to her friends. Jacob and Quil just snickered.
"Sure... We can get home. Thanks for checking Bella." Quil teased.
Bella shot him a raised middle finger. "Jake's car is right there. You'll be fine." she huffed.
Embry grinned. "You didn't have to do that you know." He said when they pulled out the parking lot.
"No, but he's your family and you were upset. So of course I didn't HAVE to, no. I wanted to do this. It's what any good friend would have done." she corrected.
"Will you wait with me there? I mean… you don't have too…" He muttered.
She grinned. "Hey Em?"
"Yeah?"
"Why do you bother to ask? You know I will."
He smiled. "Thanks."
It took them another fifteen minutes to reach Sam's house and only ten more minutes after that to learn why Sam had busted his hand open. Bella was confused and Embry had become just as livid as the rest of his family. She sighed and took a seat on the front porch steps to wait for Embry as she promised she'd do.
"Hey Bella." a voice said from behind her.
She jumped and turned to see Sam by the front door with a glass of sweet tea. "Sam! Oh geez! Here let me help!" She said opening the door for him. "How's your hand?"
Sam shrugged. "I'll live. It hurts but I think I'll be ok. Doc Cullen made a house visit." he grinned.
"Well I hope you feel better soon. I don't see a cast so I guess you won against whatever was hit."
He smirked. "Could say that."
"My dad isn't here so it wasn't a person at least. Too bad you lost your temper and harmed something at all." she teased.
He chuckled and offered her the glass he'd been holding as he took a seat beside her on the porch step. She smiled and took a sip, closing her eyes in humming in satisfaction. "Whoever made this did an awesome job."
He grinned. "Thanks."
"You made it?" Bella asked arching an eyebrow at him in surprise.
Sam grinned. "Yeah. My mom taught me to make it when I was 14. Been makin' in since then. Never gonna be as good as hers though." He shrugged.
"It's damn good now though." She smiled before blushing as she realized what she had said. "I mean…it's good."
Sam chucked and scooted closer. "I won't tell anyone you cursed if you don't tell anyone that I made the tea." He pretended to whisper.
She couldn't help but giggle at his antics. "Deal."
He hissed when he went to brace is weight on his hands behind him, causing her to take his injured hand in her lap. "How'd you hurt it?"
Sam sighed. "Can I be honest?"
"Talking helps sometimes. So yes. You tell me as much as you want."
"No judging?" He checked.
Bella smiled. "Promise."
"Ok… so… I don't know if you heard, but in high school I dated this girl named Emily… you know her?"
"Emily Young… yeah… Embry told me he couldn't stand her but wouldn't say why."
Sam smiled. "Yeah… well… a lot happened and she did a few shitty things… took off outta here like a bat outta hell to her aunt and uncles house in Enigma. I got a text from a buddy of mine earlier today… she's back in town. Then I heard from Jared and Paul that she called and talked to my mom…"
Bella ran her thumb over Sam's knuckles in a soothing gesture. He couldn't feel it through the bandages, but he smiled all the same. "I heard from my dad about it when I came back for Christmas break. I'm sorry for how she treated you. No one deserves that."
Sam smiled. Everyone else he knew gave him pity over it still. But not Bella. Somehow he knew she had been apologizing not to show pity, but sympathy. "It's alright. It just irritated me. When I found out that she called the house… my poor mom had to deal with her and I wasn't here as a buffer so I took it out on a few trees in the back pasture. Then I hit a poor unsuspecting tree trunk." He grinned.
She snickered. "See! I was right! What'd the poor tree do to deserve your abuse?" She teased, nudging his arm.
Sam laughed. "It was either that or Paul. I chose the tree so I wouldn't fight my brother." He shrugged.
"Typical guy then, huh." She grinned.
It was how Paul and Jared found the two. To say they were shocked was an understatement. They took a look at one another and grinned. Sam and Bella had started to get closer without outside help. It may be easier than anyone had thought previously.
The sound of a truck pulling up alerted them to Jacob and Quil. Bella smiled and waved to them. "Hey guys.. Everything ok?"
Jacob shrugged. "Guess so. Park got too crowded."
"Jake…" Bella sighed. "Do I even wanna know?"
Quil shook his head. "Your boyfriend is an ass, Bells. That's all I'm gonna say." He huffed.
Bella gasped when she saw the busted lip he now sported. "What'd you do?! Did you guys get into a fight? Jake! You promised me you'd behave!"
Sam, Paul and Jared had to fight back snickers as the lithe female stood with her hands on her hips scolding her best friend. Sam sighed. "Hey, Bella… can you go grab Embry? I'm sure Jake wants to talk to him. I bet that's why they showed up here." He teased.
"Nothing personal Sam." Quil muttered.
Bella glared at the two before sauntering inside to find her friend. Jacob glared when Sam, Paul and Jared followed her with their eyes targeted on her rear end. He knew they couldn't help it, Bella was gorgeous. But he was protective of her, and she of him.
"So… what happened?" Jared asked clearing his throat after a minute.
Quil sighed. "James spotted us… made his way over and started talking crap about us. Her boyfriend- Edward- was with him."
"They're cousins, right?" Paul asked.
Jacob nodded. "Yeah, and both of them are spoiled rotten. They have money to their names, so they think they're above everyone else in town. Pisses me off to no end!"
"So who threw the first punch?" Sam asked.
"Punch?" Quil asked.
Paul arched an eyebrow. "Your lip is busted… did you get hit?"
Jacob snorted. "Quil acted like his typical self… some chick Edward was with… Quil asked her if she wanted to come home with a real man… told her he'd take for the ride of her life."
Jared snorted. "Tell me she didn't hit you…"
"She wore a ring… turned the bitch around so the stone caught me when she slapped me." He shrugged.
"What was her name?" Sam wondered. There weren't too many girls who would think to do that.
"Emma or something." He shrugged.
Paul swallowed. "Emily?"
Jacob arched an eyebrow. "How'd you know?"
"You SURE the name was Emily?" Jared asked.
Quil nodded thinking back. "Yeah… Edward called her Emily. I had to hurry and get Jake out of there before he hauled off and put him in the hospital when Edward kissed her."
A glass breaking had them all spinning around to see what had been broken. Bella stood frozen in place with tears in her eyes. "He cheated again?"
Allison was at the screen door in an instant. "What's going on boys?"
"Bells…" Jake sighed with a sad smile. "Come here honey." He said wrapping her into his arms.
She didn't dignify them with sobs, just let a couple tears roll down her cheeks. "He promised me he'd stop. He swore it only happened once and he said he was drunk when it happened." She muttered while Jacob guided her to the porch swing.
"Come on honey. It's not your fault." Quil said moving to kneel in front of her.
Bella sighed and wiped her cheeks. "I'm sorry about the glass Mrs. Uley." She muttered.
Allison only shook his head. "Never you mind about that. It's a glass. It'll be fine. Lets go get your face cleaned up now. Come on sweetheart." The older woman coaxed her from Jacob's protective arms with a smile.
Jared followed and returned with a broom and a dustpan minutes later. Paul only sighed. "So… that's not the first time huh. I guess I can see now why you two fought so much, Jake."
Jacob nodded his head. "I'll kick his ass again one of these days. Fucker doesn't deserve someone like Bella."
"For once, I can't help but agree, Jake." Embry sighed.
Sam only shook his head and wondered just why Emily now hung around with Edward Cullen and his friends. A flash of what his cousin had said to Edward entered his mind. He'd said they could have any girl they wanted. With a sigh, he sat back down on the porch and rested his back against the railing. It would be a long day and he wasn't about to try and pacify the group of boys around him. He was just as livid as they were, he just had a different way of dealing with it.