A/N: Chapter 2. Hope you like it. Keep an eye out for Chapter 3 (I've already started writing it). Review?

2

I stand outside Bella's house the next day. It's Saturday so she should be home. Sure enough, her truck is parked outside. Only her truck, so her dad must not be home.

I stick my hands in my pockets, and hold onto the dollar. I take a breath and walk up to the door. I know and step back, staring at my shoes.

"Paul."

I look up to see Bella is the doorway. Her hair is in a messy bun and she's wearing sweats. She has on an open plaid shirt with a tank top under.

She looks utterly beautiful.

"Hey." I pull my hand out of my pocket, holding the dollar between my pointer and middle finger. "I owe you."

She stares blankly for a moment, then the corners of her mouth curve up into a smile.

"You remembered." She mutters as she reaches out and takes the dollar.

"I try to keep my word."

She nods and stuffs the dollar in her pocket.

Again, I'm feeling stuck and helpless. Jeez, she's really messing me up.

"Are you hungry?" she asks suddenly. She's nervously tapping her foot.

"Always. Why?"

"I just made breakfast… And I made some for Charlie but he had to leave so I have too much so if you wanted to come in…" she trails off. I can tell how weird this is for her. Jacob's her only company aside from her dad. Jacob says she doesn't talk to her friends much anymore. Not since Edward left… How can she love someone that clearly doesn't love her anymore?

"Okay." I agree. "Thanks."

"Yeah. It's nothing…" she steps back and I enter her house. I follow her into a small kitchen where a table in the middle already had food on it. She goes to one of the ugly yellow cabinets and gets me a plate, then gets a fork and knife from a drawer.

She sets it down then sits on the opposite side. I sit and watch her.

"Take whatever you want." She says. "I don't need any seconds." She pokes at an egg already on her plate.

I get some bacon, eggs, and two pancakes. We're eating in silence when I feel her staring at me. I glance up and she looks away.

She was staring at me.

"These pancakes are really good." I comment, finishing my first one.

"Thanks. I cook a lot. My dad's specialty is take out…"

I chuckle. "He's lucky he's got you."

"I don't even want to know what he are before I got here."

I smile and take a bite of egg. "Do you miss Arizona?"

She glances at me, and then sets her fork down for a moment. "A little." She pauses and furies her eyebrows. "Char- My dad wanted to send me back."

"He doesn't like you being here?" I couldn't believe that. Her cooking was great.

"No… he was worried about me." she pauses. "He still is I think."

I watch her closely.

"I got pretty… depressed when Ed-Edward moved. But Charlie's happy I've got Jacob."

"And me." I say quietly. I want to see if she considers me a friend.

"The whole pack." She says.

Ouch. I'm just part of the pack…? I'd like to change that.

I have the urge to just ask her out. To just go for it all. I think of what Jacob would say… what she herself would say.

I figure it'd be a bad idea. But since when did I care about that? Unless Sam said otherwise, no idea was bad to me; I always went for it all.

"Hey Bella?" I say.

"Yes?" she almost sounds suspicious.

"How about a movie tonight? Just you and me. I'll buy you dinner if you like." I watch her, my stare strong.

She looks totally taken off guard. Her mouth opens slightly, and then she closes it slowly. She obviously has no idea what to say. I don't regret her asking, I was sick of suffering in silence even if it was only for less then a day. I'm not patient.

"Paul-I-" she sighs. "Why are you doing this?"

I set my fork down and pick at the table. "I like you, Bella. Just let me take you out. One night, that's all I'm asking for."

She bites her lip nervously.

"You have no reason to say no." I press on.

"You don't know that." She says.

"Yes I do."

"You don't know me."

"I know enough."

"Paul, don't."

"Why not?"

"Because you're acting like Jacob. And I don't want another friendship messed up."

I pause and glance around the kitchen. It's looks like it's just been cleaned, everything almost shining.

"We're not best friends. We're just friends. Not much will be lost." I pause then add, "Plus, you and Jacob are still friends."

She rolls her eyes at me. I feel like I'm being stabbed by that eye roll.

"Just say yes."

"No."

Boy is she stubborn. I wonder if she says no because of Jacob, or Edward or… me. I guess she just doesn't feel the same, and damn does that hurt.

For some reason, that makes me give up. Something is seriously wrong with me.

"I need to go now." I say, standing up. I put my almost finished plate in the sink and leave the little kitchen. I hear her footsteps faintly follow me.

I stop at the door and stare at her for moment. She leans against the wall and stares at the floor.

This is ridiculous, I think.

I grab the doorknob and twist it. "I'll see you around." I say.

"See ya." She mumbles at the floor.

I open the door and walk out. I don't bother to look back. I don't want to see her lingering at the door, or slamming it on my back.

I wanna punch something. I wanna punch Jacob. I wanna punch Edward. I wanna punch myself.