Chapter 9: What's a Quiche?

Disclaimer: S. Meyer is the rightful owner of these characters.

The next day dawned; and I got out of bed. And even though the sandman evaded me most of the night, I didn't feel the least bit tired. It seemed a little strange, but then love could do strange things to you, I guess.

I called Bella just to hear her voice, mind you. Also, I needed confirmation that last night really happened—that I didn't just dream it. That would suck.

"Hey, Bells, did you sleep okay. Yeah, me neither. Maybe we could nap together, huh?

"Hey, you know I'm just kiddin', right?

"Yeah, I can come over. What are we doing? Cooking? What the hell's a quiche? Never mind, I guess I'll find out when I get there.

"Four o'clock? Sure, sure. Crap, I hear Charlie callin' you so I'll let you go. I love you too. Bye, Bells."

Jeez, I tried to sound laid back about it, but four o'clock? I'd be dead by then. Luckily, Quil and Embry would be here soon to keep my mind occupied, or at least I hoped so.

My two favorite pack brothers arrived at 9:30 and followed me out to the Taj—replacing spark plugs, that was the agenda for the day.

Embry opened one of the boxes and pulled out a new spark plug, placing it in my outstretched hand. He was chattering the whole time. "Yeah, Crystal's mad at Quil again."

"Hey, it's not my fault she fell out of the boat," Quil complained. "I was looking the other way when it happened. I was busy checking out the clouds. I didn't want us to get caught in the rain."

"You could have been a little more specific. Get this, Jake, he was teaching her how to row the boat—"

"I explained that to you, man. I told her to lean into it—not over it."

They roared like a couple of hyenas. I had other things on my mind, so I just nodded and said, "Uh-huh."

I was bent over the engine practically hypnotized by the object in my hand; I stared at it blankly.

Those two guys kept babbling back and forth, and I kept "uh-huhing" in the right spots, I thought.

Quil finally remarked, "Then I took my leg off and laid it on the couch. Embry had to superglue it back on, huh, Embry?"

"Yeah, and it was tough with Quil standing on one leg."

"Uh-huh."

Embry ducked down under the hood of the Rabbit, his face close to mine. "Damn, Jake—hello, is anybody in there? Some alien suck your brain out during the night?"

"Uh-huh."

He took the spark plug out of my hand, while Quil gave my shoulder a sharp punch.

"Wake up, man; you're miles away."

I blinked at Embry, dumbfounded. "What?"

"Have you heard a thing we said? What's wrong with you today? It's like you're floating around in the clouds."

I finally got back in gear, ambled over and sat down sideways in the front seat of the car. Stretching my legs out, I leaned forward, rubbing my face with my hands.

"Oh, sorry . . . I guess I am a little out of it, guys," I agreed sheepishly.

"A Little?" Embry sat down on the cement floor, and looked up at me expectantly. "So, you gonna share with your buddies, or do we havta beat it out of you?"

Quil pulled up a wooden crate ready to listen.

Sighing heavily, I blurted, "Okay, I give. You guys asked for it—so here it is—I'm in love."

A bubble of air escaped Embry's lips. "Damn, it's Bella again, isn't it?"

"You guys don't know the half of it.

"Remember I told you how mad at me she was? Well, Leah's advice worked. She came over here last night and apologized—in a big way. And then she asked me to forgive her. But here's the thing . . . She left Edward. She actually left him—can you believe it? Now she says she wants to be my girl. I've been waiting over three years and Bella finally admitted that she loves me. How 'bout that?"

My two pals turned to each other, looking like stunned idiots.

"Thanks, guys, for your vote of confidence. Jeez, my two best friends, doubting my good fortune."

Embry squirmed, repositioning himself on the floor. "It's not that. It's just . . . after all this time, we figured it would never happen."

Quil laughed. "She better treat you right from now on, or we'll sic—Paul on her."

We all laughed at that crack.

I covered my forehead with my hand and shook my head. "I don't think I want him anywhere close to Bella. Paul has too big an appetite—he nearly ate her once already."

"Hey, "Embry interrupted, "Are we gonna change the spark plugs or not?"

Getting out of the car, I walked to the open hood. "Okay, let's get to it then."

Quil jerked his head in the direction of the splintered mess left on the floor from last night. "One question first—what the hell happened to that chair over there?"

One of my eyebrows shot up involuntarily. "Uh, let's just say, it was not exactly sturdy enough to be called a love seat . . ."

I leaned over the engine again. Embry smirked knowingly as he picked up the spark plug from where he left it, and handed it back to me.

My love-induced fog disappeared momentarily. "So, Quil, do you think Crystal will ever forgive you?"

I left the house a little earlier than I needed to. Could you blame me? I was in a hurry to see my sweetie. We were gonna make quiche together. I wondered if that was French for kiss. Either way, I'd have my kiss and eat it too.

I pulled into her driveway, and got off my bike. I was in such a hurry that the damn thing nearly fell on top of me. I guess the stand wasn't too stable in the gravel. I walked it close to a tree and leaned it against the trunk. Then I ran to the front of her house, bounded up the stairs and knocked at the door. She opened it in an instant and dragged me inside. It was a good feeling knowing that she actually wanted me there—a really good feeling. We kept looking at each other, our grins threatening to split our faces in half.

We walked into the kitchen. I had my arms around the back of her waist. I unleashed my tongue; my lips close to her cute little ear. "Okay, Bells, what the hell is a quiche?"

"I'm going to show you right now. Could you get the eggs out of the fridge for me? And I'll get the bowl. Jake . . . you need to let go. I can't reach the cabinet with you hanging onto me like this."

Before she could stretch up on her toes, I lifted her up so she could take the bowl out of the cabinet with ease. I had to laugh at her girly squeal.

I set her back down on her feet, so she could put the bowl on the counter.

"That'll be enough of that, Atlas," she chastised.

I winked at her wickedly and teased, "Hey, good one Bells. I was holding my whole world in my arms."

"Just go get the eggs and start scrambling—four of them. I've got to get started here."

Jeez, you've already got me started, I thought.

I got out the eggs, cracked them into the bowl and began to scramble them. I'd only been at it for a few minutes when Bella's hand reached out and halted my progress. "Jake," she laughed, "I said scramble them, not beat them to death. That's good."

She already had some mushrooms frying in a pan, and some crumbled bacon in a smaller bowl. She took the eggs from me and added some cream and flour to it. Then, the mushrooms and bacon were scraped into a pie crust.

"Here, you can grate up the cheese." She smiled as the bits of yellow shreds piled up in a heap. The cheese went into the crust and Bella topped it off with the liquid. The pan went into the oven as Bella exclaimed, "And that, Mr. Black, is a quiche a la Bella."

I grabbed her shoulders quickly so that she couldn't escape and fused my lips to hers. When we parted, I taunted, "And that Ms. Swan is a kiss a la Jacob." I started to say more when I sensed that sickly sweet aroma that I detested. Ugh, Edward!

I stiffened slightly and Bella noticed. "What's the matter?" she asked as I drew back from her.

I muttered, "Nothing I can't handle." I walked away, heading for the living room. Bella stared after me, speechless. She took off her pot holders, ready to follow, but I beat her to the front door.

I opened it before he even knocked.

Mr. Sparkles was on her doorstep glaring at me menacingly—like he could take me. Phfft! Hell—I'd have his detached head rolling on the ground like a lost bowling ball before he could lay a finger on my fine fur.

"What are you doing here, mutt?" he said. No love lost there.

I could be just as rude—twice as crude too, but with Bella in hearing distance I stuck with plain ol' rude. "I could ask you the same thing, leech."

His sugary voice responded with, "It should appear obvious to you that I didn't come here to see you . . . so if you don't mind."

I blocked the entrance, my arms extended on either side, my hands resting on the doorjambs. I peered straight into his glowering gold eyes; I could be classified as pretty menacing myself. I flexed my biceps for added emphasis. "Not so fast, bloodsucker. I do mind—in fact I mind a lot actually—so buzz off. You're not welcome here anymore."

"I'm not leaving until I've made good on my original intention. And that would be to speak to my Bella."

A smile began curling at the corners of my lips. "Your Bella? Hate to break it to ya' pal, but possession is nine tenths of the law, so I would say she is now my Bella."

His mouth twisted itself into an ugly sneer. "I wouldn't make any bets on that particular—and I might add arrogant—premise, dog."

Bella's voice rang out from the kitchen, and soon it shifted to a little ways behind me. "Jake, who's that you're talk—" Her face registered surprise, then exasperation.

She crossed her arms across her chest. "What are you doing here Edward?"

"A very good question. I asked him that very thing not a minute ago. Anyway, he was just leaving. Weren't you, Eddie?" I added between clenched teeth.

He leaned forward. "Over my dead body."

"I can arrange that. It would be my pleasure."

"Would you care to step outside?" he snarled.

"I'd love to, but there's a quiche in the oven, and I promised Bells I'd be eating it with her. Too bad you can't enjoy it with us. But you don't eat, do you? What a shame. You're missing out on just one of the best things in life, if you get my drift."

That tore it. He was in my face instantly. His sweet breath nearly made me puke.

"Are you insinuating that you've had her in your bed?"

"I'm not insinuating anything. And even if I had, it's none of your business anyway, pale face. So lay off.

"If Bella wants to jump my bones, you know I'm gonna let her. The poor girl's dying of frustration, and I'm more than willing—and able to fix that little problem."

Bella screamed as Edward charged at me. I met his challenge, phasing on the fly. Sailing out the door we grappled with each other as we both tumbled helter skelter onto her front lawn.