A/N – I know it took me a little bit to get this chapter up so I'm sorry for that, I've had a bit of a writers block lately. I'm sorry its shorter than the others but I'll try and make the next one extra long for you all.

Chapter 3 - The Kiss

Jacob POV

"So you thought you'd just come here and we'd protect you?", Leah hissed.

"No, of course not, you don't owe me anything", Bella replied.

Little did she know, I felt like I owed her, how fucked up is that? I loved her and she left me, I was hurt and although her reason for being gone was understandable I couldn't help but still be pissed and yet I still felt like I wanted to protect her.

"You're right, they don't", Anna spat from where she had now entered in the doorway.

Everyone's eyes fell upon her as she glared at Bella.

"Anna, what are you doing here?", I spoke up.

"I heard she was here, I had to see for myself", Anna growled.

Everyone's eyes moved between Bella and Anna, I could tell Bella felt uncomfortable, part of me was glad, only a little part while the other part of me screamed at that part that I still love Bella.

"I think it's time you leave, they don't want you here", Anna spoke bitterly.

"Bella can stay as long as...", Emily began.

"No, she should leave!", Anna interrupted.

Everyone faced Bella, She looked down at her feet then grabbed her jacket and headed for the door, I stood up behind as Anna glared at her while she passed her and rushed down the driveway to her truck. Before my brain could function, I was running for the door, Anna's hand grasped my arm to stop me.

"What do you think you're doing?", She asked.

"I'm going to stop her!", I roared.

I pulled free from her grasp and rushed outside, Bella had just reached her truck when I saw her, I ran and made it in time.

"Bells...", I started.

"What is it, Jake? come to finish what she started?", Bella glared at me.

That hurt. I hated her thinking I was like that.

"No, I-", I tried to continue but she cut me off.

"Well I have to go so", She looked away, hiding her tears.

"You can't go", I replied.

"And why not?", Bella asked.

I stood there for a moment and looked down at the ground.

"Because I can't handle seeing you walk away from me again", I choked. "You didn't come back last time"

"Oh, Jake...", She reached out for me.

I suddenly lunged forward, pressing her against the side of her truck, my lips finding hers in a passionate, consuming kiss. It took Bella a small moment before her hands wrapped around my neck and she began kissing me back, I pushed my tongue to her bottom lip, begging for entrance, she granted willingly and soon we were lost in this hot, searing kiss which I just didn't want to end. I don't know how long it lasted but I'm sure it wasn't as long as I wanted, I pulled away and looked at the ground.

"I have to go", She spoke up.

"Will you come back?", I asked, hesitantly.

She was silent for a moment, when I looked up she smiled.

"Sure, sure", She replied. "I'll come by and see you tomorrow"

I smiled weakly, feeling my heart swell. I backed up and she climbed into her truck, driving off while I stood in a daze, still feeling her lips on mine. I smiled then headed back inside. Once I was inside, I noticed all of the pack scrambling for their seats, most likely having witnessed the kiss through the front window of the house.

"Very subtle guys", I smiled.

I looked over and Emily winked at me before laughing to herself and heading into the kitchen, the guys all stared at me with smug grins on their faces.

"Was it worth the wait?", Paul asked.

"What? The kiss?", I replied.

"Duh!", Embry mocked me.

A slow smile spread across my face. "Of course it was!"

"I'm glad, seems you've been getting those a lot lately", Anna's voice caught me off guard.

Crap. We kissed yesterday. And I hate to admit it, but I liked it.

"Anna, wait...", I paused.

"No thanks, I think I should go now", She spat bitterly.

She raced out the door.

"Looks like that's two girls you're chasing out of this house today", Jared joked.

I glared at him before chasing after Anna. She was storming off, I had to practically jog to keep up with her.

"Anna, please", I spoke.

"No! You can't just kiss me and then totally forget about it the next day and kiss another girl! Especially her!", She cried.

"You kissed me.", I said.

Her mouth hung open for a second before she glared at me. "You kissed me back"

"Well you know how I feel about Bella", I spoke.

"And here I was, stupidly thinking she had left you and you were moving on...with me!", She cried again.

"I...", I had no idea what to reply with.

"Well?", She spat.

I paused, stopping. She carried on walking for a second but then stopped and turned to me, she was right up against me the next second, pressing her lips to mine, I pushed her away.

"No! We can't do this, I don't love you!", I screamed.

She tensed and looked shocked and slightly scared, I softened and stared at the ground, I hated this situation right now.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, It's just I...", I babbled.

"You're not in love with me?", She asked, her voice full of pain.

"No.", I stated. "I love you...like a sister, or a friend."

That's what she was, a friend. I was in love with Bella, no one could replace her in my heart, even after all the pain I'd felt, she was still very present there and she held every piece of my heart in her hands.

"Oh.", Anna spoke.

"I hated the way you spoke to Bella back there", I tensed. Avoiding looking at her.

"I'm sorry, I thought...", She trailed off.

I looked up, questioning her with my eyes, wanting her to continue.

"I thought that last nights kiss meant the start of something...", She continued. "Something with us. I was just trying to put a claim on you I guess", she chuckled.

I don't know why but I laughed with her.

"I'm sorry", I said. "I just can't stop loving her, can we still be friends?"

She fell silent.

"Jake, I...I don't know, you're not in love with me but I am in love with you", she replied.

"Please...", I sighed. "I can't lose you".

I suddenly felt like déjà vu, all those times when Bella would try to brush me off after the leech had left her, she would just use the "can't we just stay friends?" excuse because she was afraid of her heart being broken again. I suddenly felt very guilty, this wasn't a nice feeling, I understood how Bella had felt back then now.

"I need some time", Anna replied. "Just give me a few days, okay?"

I nodded.

"Come here, silly", She smiled and hugged me.

"I'm sorry", I repeated.

Bella POV

I felt humiliated, I hated this Anna girl, 'she didn't even know what she was talking about' I kept telling myself as I stormed towards my truck. I heard footsteps approaching as I reaching for the door handle to the drivers side.

"Bells...", Jake's voice came from behind me.

I turned.

"What is it, Jake? come to finish what she started?", Giving him a glare.

He recoiled, his eyes full of hurt. I hated hurting him but right now I'm pretty sure he was agreeing with Anna.

"No, I-", He tried to continue but I cut him off.

"Well I have to go so", I spoke, looked away trying to not let him she my unshed tears.

"You can't go", Jake replied.

"And why not?", I asked.

He stood there for a moment and looked down at the ground.

"Because I can't handle seeing you walk away from me again", His voice choked, I heard the sadness in it. "You didn't come back last time"

"Oh, Jake...", I reached my hand out to him.

I didn't expect him to suddenly lunge towards me, pressing my body against the side of my truck, his lips claiming my own in a passionate kiss, I hesitated, trying to convince myself this was real, before my hands wrapped around his neck and I began kissing him back, When his tongue pressed against my lips, asking to be let in, I gladly accepted, opening my mouth slightly to give him entrance, our tongues touched and I felt electricity shoot through my body. We stood there kissing for a good few minutes I think. Jacob pulled back and we were both practically panting.

"I have to go", I spoke up.

"Will you come back?", He asked, hesitantly.

I didn't reply as he stared at my feet, when he looked up I smiled.

"Sure, sure", I replied. "I'll come by and see you tomorrow"

Jake smiled weakly, a small hint of the smile reaching his eyes. He backed up for me to climb into my truck, I started the engine and pulled off, watching as his figure grew smaller in my rear view mirror, I kept driving, heading for Forks. Oh gosh, Jake kissed me! Did this mean I was forgiven for being gone so long? Did he trust me? Once I was home, I walked into the kitchen, finding Charlie sitting at the small table reading a paper.

"Hey dad", I smiled.

"Oh, hey Bells", He replied. "How come you're so happy?"

"Can't I just be happy for no reason?", I asked.

He shrugged. "Fair enough".

I rolled my eyes and left the room but not before I heard him mutter "Thank you Jake" under his breath. I smiled. Jake. I entered my bedroom. Just as I was closing the door I heard the phone ringing, Charlie answered and called up to me that it was for me. I rushed down and grabbed the phone from his hand, pressing it to my ear.

"Hello?", I asked.

"Bella, it's Emily", I heard a warm voice reply.

"Hey, sorry for leaving like that I...", I began but she cut me off.

"No, it's fine, I'm sorry Anna was so rude to you", She spoke.

"Oh, well, I expected some people to be like that when I got back to Forks so it's fine", I replied.

She chuckled. "So, there's going to be a bonfire tomorrow night, are you coming?"

"Uh...well, I don't know", I sighed.

"Please, I wanted to spend more time catching up.", She said, probably pouting.

"I guess I could stop by, I'm seeing Jake tomorrow so...", I smiled at that thought.

"Great! See you tomorrow!", She squealed before hanging up.

I headed for the stairs again when I heard a cough from behind me, Charlie was standing in the kitchen doorway, smiling at me.

"What was that about?", He asked.

"Oh nothing, Emily invited me to a bonfire tomorrow...", I smiled.

"Ahh", He grinned. "So you're going to see Jake tomorrow, huh?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes dad, I am."

"Good.", He laughed. "He's good for you, and you for him".

"Thanks dad", I grinned.

I turned on my heel and headed upstairs for my room where I spent the rest of the day replaying the kiss in my head, thinking about Jake and then finally thinking about what I would wear for tomorrow. As I sat down on my bed following my shower, the sky was dark outside, I felt scared all of a sudden, remembering last night with the letter from Edward. I shivered at the thought. I stood and moved to the window, making sure the latch was down, I knew it wouldn't stop him getting in if he wanted to but I felt a little safer this way, I closed the curtains and lay down on my bed, drifting off to sleep.

Jacob POV

As soon as I got home that night, I thought immediately of Bella. For a moment I thought about calling her but I didn't want to push my luck. That kiss was amazing but I needed more.

"Hey son, good day?", Billy asked, noticing my smile.

"Yeah, I saw Bella", I replied.

"Oh and did you work things out?", He replied.

"Yeah, you could say that.", I grinned at him.

He chuckled and rolled his eyes before disappearing down the hall to his bedroom. I followed him down the hall, turning to go to my own room, closing the door and flopping down on the bed, there was still the faint scent of Bella here and then there was also the stronger scent of Anna. Oh great. I had to open the window, I didn't want to think about Anna right now, I wanted to think about Bella and even though her scent would disappear out into the nights air like Anna's I didn't mind, I still had the picture of our kiss in my head. I slept like a baby tonight. Tomorrow will be a good day.