Chapter 2

BPOV

I had no idea where I was going. I just knew I couldn't stay in there with Jacob any longer. I thought of going to Angela's but it was already pushing midnight. I stomped down the three steps from our porch right over to my car. I fumbled with the keys trying to unlock the door and finally managed to get it right and scramble into my car.

I banged my fists on the steering wheel and screamed threw gritted teeth while tears flowed of their own accord. I didn't need this right now. I didn't need this at all. I was twenty four freaking years old. We weren't in high school anymore and I just wished everything from back then would quit rushing to the forefront of my brain replaying images of Jacob's prom.

I sat there for who knows how long in the freezing cold before I turned the key in the ignition and backed out of the drive way and into the cold black night. I headed in no direction in particular, just driving just to drive. I looked down at the gas tank and saw that I was pushing pretty heavily on the big E. I pulled into the only twenty four hour place in this town and climbed out to go pay for my gas.

Undoubtedly my clumsiness wouldn't let me live a moment in peace because when I went to step on the curb in front of the store, I completely missed it and started falling forward until I face planted into someone's chest.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that." I said, my cheeks burning a bright crimson as I looked up into a pair of emerald green eyes , a mess of bronze tousseled hair,and the most beautiful angelic face I've ever seen. The bone structure on this god was carved right out of Greek mythology.

Gosh Bella you sound sooo smart. Really?! You didn't mean to do that?! Who goes around trying to face plant into people's chests?

"Hey, no harm, no foul." he said in a velvet like voice that sent shivers down my spine as he stood me up right.

"Well once again, I'm sorry about that." I stammered trying to move past him and into the store to hide my embarrassment.

"It was nice to meet you...I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." he said turning to look at me.

"That's because I didn't give it." I replied with a small smile, the heat brushing across my skin and settling in my cheeks once again.

"Well you have a nice night then stranger." the beautiful angel said with a smirk as he turned and headed for his car.

It was then that I noticed the shiny black Jaguar XK parked at the end of the store. I had a surge of rage run through my body and all I could see was red when I noticed who was in the passenger seat. Leah turned her head to me and gave me what I suppose was meant to be a boastful smile but it just distorted her features and made her even uglier than she already was. I flipped her the bird and let out a long breath I hadn't realized I was holding while I tried to regain some sort of self control. I needed to be able to think clearly and decide if what I really wanted to do was the right decision.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to walk over to that beautiful shiny car and rip her out of it. I wanted to tear her apart limb by limb for being able to make me this angry. By the time I realized my feet were moving me toward the car, the angelic being I had literally ran face first into was backing out and putting the car in drive.

I stopped dead in my tracks and realized I was about to make a really big mistake by attacking her out here in the middle of the night.

That would have gone over smoothly. I can see it now, Chief Swan's daughter in the slammer for not being able to reign in her anger towards the biggest slut in town. Why does she always go for the beautiful ones? Why can't she just let me have a little peace with someone like that? Or Jake rather?

I hurried into the store and payed for my gas, not really wanting to stop and talk to Jessica at the counter. We said our 'hello's' and 'how are you's' and I exited the store to go pump my gas. I got back in the car and headed once again for no where in particular.

As I drove I thought about all the things in our life that didn't make much sense to me. I had dated Jake since I was fifteen and he was fourteen. We were now both twenty four and living together. I loved the man with all my heart and couldn't understand why I had this nagging feeling that something wasn't where it belonged. I couldn't understand why after nine years of a relationship he still hadn't asked me to marry him. We certainly weren't getting any younger.

I had watched over the years as Sam and Emily, Embry and Jenni, Quil and Claire, and even Angela and Ben had all married and seemed rather content with their lives they were building together. Always the bride's maid, never the bride.

Was there something wrong with me? Was I good enough to live with and do everything for him but not good enough to marry? After all it was just making a big fuss over our love for each other in front of our friends and family and me getting to become Mrs. Jacob Black instead of Ms. Isabella Swan. Right?

I wanted us to be happy like our friends. I wanted the prospect of having children with this man. I wanted my happily ever after. Why was he so hell bent on not giving it to me?

I looked down at the clock and noticed it was almost three in the morning by the time I pulled up in the drive way in front of our small two bedroom house.

Well this is going to be a great day with only three hours of sleep. I'd have to get up earlier than usual and take a quick shower to wash my hair since I didnt' get around to it last night.

I strolled up to the house and tried to quietly open the door as to not wake Jake up. I hung my keys on the key holder and took off my hoodie as I started to make my way into the living room. I toed my shoes off and walked down the hall to the linen closet and grabbed a pillow and blanket. Going back to the couch to make up my make shift bed, I noticed a note on the coffee table from Jake.

I'm sorry you didn't believe me, wake me up when you get here so I can explain things to you. ALways yours, Jake

I was definitely not waking him up and I was definitely going to be gone before he got up in the morning. This whole mess of a night was not what I wanted to think about when I got up in the morning. I lay down on the couch and set my alarm on my phone to go off at five thirty instead of six so I could be up and gone before he had a chance to corner me into talking with him.

Thoughts of what my future might be, now ran through my head while I laid there and tried so desperately to go to sleep. I saw little copper skinned children running past me and into the woods near our house. I watched as Jake ran after them and laughter filled the small back yard and drifted off into the woods with my little family. I closed my eyes and let the images take their toll.

Here I was laying on a towel on a sunny beach is god knows where, watching a beautiful little girl and a boy build a sand castle with a strangely familiar man. The boy looked about five years old and the girl looked about three. The boy had beautiful bronzed color hair and familiar green eyes. The little girl had long brown hair and...milk chocolate brown.....eyes... just like mine?

They looked up at me and the little girl smiled before running over to me, "Mommy, Mommy come and see the sand castle Riley and I just built with Daddy."

Mommy?! When did this happen?! Who are these people?!

I got up to walk with the little girl over to where her apparent brother and father were sitting beside a humongous sand castle. Just as I got next to them the man turned around and took my hand in his kissing every one of my fingers. I froze in my tracks when I realized this man was the man from the convinience store.

His green eyes smoldered with some emotion that was unknown to me at the moment. Adoration? Lust? Love? I was lost for words as he bent and placed a sweet kiss on my lips while murmuring he loved me.

I sat straight up and realized I was soaking wet with sweat. I glanced down and saw that it was five-ten on my phone. Might as well get up and move around. I was beat. I couldn't imagine working the whole day being this tired. I would have to make it through some how, but in the mean time I really needed to figure out why in the world I'm dreaming about some guy I stumbled into when I don't even know his name.

I hurried through the shower and grabbed some charcoal grey slacks and a dark blue button up blouse to throw on before heading to the kitchen to grab a pop tart. I slipped into my black flats , grabbing my purse and coat as I ran out of the house after hearing Jake starting to move around the room. I would just have to do my hair and make up in the rest room at work.

JPOV

I sat there on the bed for what felt like forever. I never could understand why she always over reacted. She always went from one extreme to the next; flying from one end of the spectrum and hurling herself to the other end in point two seconds.

I loved Bella with every part of my being but I couldn't help the little flame of anger that ignited in me when she acted like this. Sure, I forgot about the movie night, and yes there was the other phone number, but there was nothing that cold make me want anything other than Bella. She seemed so insecure at times; like she was a scared little puppy wandering the streets of NYC alone trying not get stepped on by passersby.

I let out an exasperated sigh as I drug a hand over my face. I knew there was a good chance she was coming back, where else could she go? When things like this happened in the past, she would always leave and go to Angela's, but eyeing the clock I knew it was too late for that option.

I finally decided to lift myself off the bed and get dressed. I walked over to the pile of clothes on the floor and a pair of boxers and pulled them on. I went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge.

I opened the bottle and started drinking it on my way out of the kitchen when I stopped next to the counter and eyed a postcard that had a picture of a wedding cake on it. I stopped drinking and lifted the card to flip it over. I was a little stunned when I noticed it was addressed to Bella.

This surprised me a little because I had no idea that Bella had been thinking about weddings or getting married. I chalked it up to research for things at the book store. She had been looking into ways of getting more people interested in coming in.

I put the card back on the counter and walked back into the bedroom, water in hand. I went over to my nightstand and opened the drawer. I moved all of the papers to the side and found what I was looking for.

A small velvet blue box sat in the back corner of the drawer. I lifted it from the drawer and stared at it for a moment before opening it. Nestled inside of the blue velvet was a fourteen karat white gold, Ikuma Canadian half carat diamond solitaire ring.

It was simple. It wasn't a flamboyant, lavish ring that I had to save years and years for. Okay, so maybe not like ten years or anything, but I had been picking up extra shifts at the shop and even doing side jobs to pay for it for the past year and a half.

That wasn't really the point though. The meaning behind the ring was so much more than any extra labor I had to do.

It meant that I was sure of Bella. It meant that I had found the one that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. It meant that for the rest of my days I wanted her face to be the last thing I saw when I closed my eyes and the first I saw when I opened them once again.

I wasn't exactly sure when I had decided this, but I had been thinking about it for a while. The only thing left to do was figure out when I should give it to her. I had been holding onto the ring for three months already waiting for the perfect moment.

I couldn't figure out when exactly that would be, but felt that I would know it when it came. It just hadn't happened yet. We were always tired from a hard days work or caught up in what was going on around us that we never seemed to find that special time.

I stared at the ring for what seemed like hours before I closed the lid and placed the box back in the drawer to await that right moment.

I stood and walked back into the kitchen to write her a note. I hated going to sleep with things like this between us, but from past experiences such as these, I knew it was pointless to wait up for her to finally show her face.

I wrote a quick note and laid it on the coffee table for her to find before I made my way back to the bed and laid down. I closed my eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep.

I woke up to the sound of the pantry door being closed in the kitchen. I slightly lifted my head off of the pillow and opened an eye to peek at Bella's side of the bed. Her pillow looked untouched and her side of the comforter was still unwrinkled.

I figured she had slept on the couch and laid my head back down, letting out a deep breath and closing my eyes once agian.

I decided now was a good time to get out of bed since I had to make it to the shop early enough to open this morning. I rolled over and sat up on the edge placing my feet on the hard wood floor below.

I stood and walked over to the pile of clothes on the floor to find a t-shirt. I found one and pulled it over my head and started for the door so I could catch her before she left, but as I pulled the door open to our room I heard the front door open and slam shut.

Great, now I have to wait all day. I walked out of the room and went to the kitchen to start some coffee. After I finished that, and I was waiting for it to finish I decided to get dressed and go through my morning routine of brushing my teeth, washing my face and shaving.

I went back to the kitchen to get my coffee and sit for a moment before leaving. The coffee tasted horrible and so I just sat. I really wished Bella would have made coffee before she left. Now I'm gonna be really exhausted today.

I decided I would just have to do my best to make it through this day without biting too many heads off.

I got up and grabbed my keys off of the key holder on my way out of the door,locking it behind me.

I climbed in the truck and made my way down the road to the shop. I was a little suprised when I saw Sam out front but let it go seeing as he did own the shop.

I parked in the back and climbed out still a little curious about his being here so early as I made my way around to the front.

"I'm sorry we're closed, sir. I'm sure you could find a cheaper mechanic somewhere in this small town. The owner charges way too much, and the work is pretty shitty here." I joked as I approached him reaching out for a hand shake.

He chuckled and returned the gesture appreciatively.

"I hope you really don't say that to customers, or you should start looking for a new job at one of those cheaper mechanics you mentioned." he replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"I was only kidding. You know we're probably the cheapest in town, and not wanting to boost my own ego or anything, but our work is hands down, far better than anything you could find in a hundred miles." I stopped not really sure how to ask why he was here today, but figured I should just spit it out. "Not to sound obnoxious, but why are you here? It's not your day to open the shop up." I said with a worried tone.

"I know,I was actually coming to tell you not to open up this morning." My brow furrowed and I was about to ask what was wrong when he started again. "Embry called and said that when they made it home last night, Jenni started not feeling well. He was thinking of taking her back to the hospital when her water broke. " he told me anxiously.

"Oh, well has she had the baby yet?" I asked. "Not yet, but he kind of hinted at having all of us there for it. You know, since her sister can't make it and he doesn't have any familiy besides us. He said she wouldn't be much longer. We should really get up there. " he explained while heading toward his car.

"Alright, I'll follow you up there." I called over my shoulder as I walked back to my truck. I climbed in and followed Sam to the hospital, feeling very keyed up about the arrival of my best friend's first born child.