Place of the Lost

A/N: We're back to Bella again. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Twilight and all of its Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer

Chapter 18: The Sunrise

BPOV:

Things hadn't been good since I smashed my rocking chair with a hammer. Charlie thought I had gone completely insane; I wasn't sure that he was entirely wrong. He hadn't let me out of the house in over a week. I had to tell him about Edward's death, even though I wasn't completely convinced of it myself. I told him my suspicions, but I didn't describe the night the letter was delivered, or even the letter itself. I just told him I had a feeling that Edward wasn't gone. He said that denial was the first stage of grief, and that it just hadn't set in because I hadn't been to a funeral or anything. He may have been right about that too.

I was going stir crazy. Each day was more monotonous than the one before, and I was becoming increasingly certain of my own insanity. Charlie brought home a new book for me nearly every afternoon. He was trying to be thoughtful and buy "girl books," but I couldn't take any more sappy romance. It was too depressing to have to read about happy couples. I'd rather drown my sorrows in Hamlet. That's how I spent most of my time, reading tragedies.

Charlie's dinner was cooking. Steak, potatoes and creamed spinach, his favorite. The scent of food was wafting through the entire house, and my stomach was rumbling. The summer sun had just started to fade away when I heard a knock at the door. My heart immediately jumped into my throat. What if it was Edward? Or maybe Alice? I needed to talk to someone who could give me some answers.

"Can you get that?" My father called from the living room. The newspaper was spread out across his lap.

When I looked through the peep hole in the door, I was only half disappointed. I didn't recognize the man standing on the porch, but he was breathtakingly handsome. He had long black hair and bronze skin. He looked exotic and masculine. His rippling muscles bulged through his white shirt. The door creaked as I cracked it open. I wasn't going to just let a stranger walk in without some sort of explanation, even if he was good looking. "Can I help you?" I asked the man.

He smiled, and his eyes grew wide as he scanned my curious expression. "Hi, are you Bella Swan?" The tone of his voice was deep and sultry.

I furrowed my brows. How did he know me? "Yes, do I know you?" I asked.

"I was a friend of Edward Masen's."

I gasped, "Oh, come right in."

Charlie lowered his paper and looked towards the door. "Bella who is it?"

"It's a friend of Edward's." I exclaimed, trying to hide some of my excitement.

I gave the stranger a friendly smile, "What's your name?"

"Jacob Black." He replied. He nervously fondled a folded piece of white paper in his hands.

Charlie laid the newspaper on the coffee table and made his way to the door. He stretched out his hand to shake Jacob's. "I'm Charlie Swan, Bella's father. I don't believe I've ever seen you around here. How did you know Edward?" His tone was curious instead of threatening. I was grateful for that.

"I'm from South Carolina." Jacob said. "I met Edward on his trips to his aunt's house. They always made a point to stop by and see us. His dad was good friend's with mine." I furrowed my brows in confusion. Edward never mentioned a Jacob before, but it had probably been a long time since he'd seen him.

Charlie's expression became grave. "I take it you know what happened to Edward and his family?"

Jacob's smile faded and he nodded at Charlie. "Yeah, I was doing some traveling up north, and I figured I'd stop by, and see if I'd missed the funeral. I would like to have an opportunity to pay my final respects."

"Well, I'm afraid that's out of the question. All of the flu victims were given a mass funeral several days ago."

I gasped, why hadn't Charlie told me about that? Tears started rolling down my cheeks. He had robbed me of a chance at closure. I could have known if Edward was dead or not. I could have seen his body, or found that he wasn't there. But no, I was stuck in this stupid house confused and wondering.

"Bella, I'm sorry." Charlie's voice was pleading. "I couldn't let you out of the house. You know its not safe out there. I couldn't let you get sick too." I didn't want to hear it. I turned away and stormed into the kitchen.

"Oh no!" I screamed. The steaks were practically on fire. I pulled the pan off the cook stove and sat the blackened meat on the counter. Smoke was slowly filling the little room.

I heard the door opening behind me. I expected Charlie, but instead the dark haired stranger strolled in. "Is everything okay in here?" He choked out the words through the smoke.

I tried to quickly wipe away my tears, but the smoke was stinging my eyes. I hated crying in front of other people. It made me feel so weak. "I'm fine." I lied. "Dinner is ruined, so I guess we're having sandwiches." I tried to push the lump in my throat down, but I wasn't fooling him.

He walked to my side and brushed a tear off my cheek with this finger tip. His touch was soft. "It's all right Bella, I'm sorry I upset you."

"No, it's not you." I spoke frantically between sobs.

He smiled genuinely and held his arms out. "Hey, come here." He whispered quietly. I don't know why I did it. Maybe it was because I was so frustrated and so upset, but I walked right into his embrace. I let him, a perfect stranger, wrap his arms tightly around me. I felt him crumple the paper in his hand and shove it in his back pocket. Then he soothingly stroked my back until the tears stopped and the smoke cleared.

"Jacob." Charlie called from the other side of the door.

"Yes sir?"

"Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Jacob turned to me, "I don't want to put you out. You look stressed enough without having to worry about me."

I smiled, "No I want you to stay." I was telling the truth. I hadn't felt that good since the last time I'd seen Edward. There was something so familiar and comfortable about Jacob, even though I had never met him before.

He shouted at Charlie, "Yes sir, I'll stay."

"Good, any friend of Edward is welcome here." He was speaking unnecessarily loud. Jacob cringed at the words. I guess Charlie was a little too brash for him.

I turned away from my new friend and went to the icebox to get the ham and cheese. I threw together some sandwiches and called Charlie to the table. He eyed the meal with obvious disappointment. "Where are the steaks?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes, "In a charred heap at the bottom of the trash can, but I managed to salvage the potatoes and creamed spinach."

He smiled as Jacob carried in the two side dishes. "Here we are." He sat the dishes in the middle of the table, and pulled out his chair next to mine.

Charlie looked at him thoughtfully, "So son, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"

Jacob spoke as he spooned some creamed spinach onto his plate. "Well, I'm seventeen. My dad and I work a little farm in Jocassee, South Carolina."

Charlie scratched his chin in contemplation. "Hmm.. Don't believe I've ever heard of that."

Jacob shrugged, "It's small, not many people have."

Charlie nodded, "So…" He took a long pause. "What are you?" I gasped, "Dad!" Tact wasn't one of his strong points. My face turned five different shades of red.

Jacob chuckled, "Human, I think. No, I know what you mean. I'm Cherokee."

Charlie smiled, "Oh Cherokee, you must be very proud of your heritage." Jacob sighed and I rolled my eyes. My father's knowledge of Native American history completely derived from his reading of The Last of the Mohicans.

The rest of dinner was just as awkward as the first five minutes. Charlie was not much of a host, but I think Jacob felt welcome. After we finished eating, he helped me clear the table and wash the dishes while my dad finished reading his paper.

I accidentally splashed his white button up shirt with some dirty dish water. Well splashed isn't exactly the word, more like drenched. The large platter that held the sandwiches slipped from my grip and landed in the full sink. It hit the water with a crash, and he gasped as the dirty liquid soaked his clean clothes. I really wasn't making a good impression on this guy.

"Is everything all right in there?" Charlie shouted.

"It's fine." Jacob called in my father's direction. "Bella just thought I needed a bath."

"What?" Charlie was confused. I heard the couch squeak as he got up and trudged into the kitchen. His eyes grew wide when he saw Jacob's shirt. "Jeez Bella… what did you do to him?"

I felt my face blush again, "I'm sorry. It was an accident."

"Well don't just stand there." Charlie exclaimed. "Take him up to my room and get a new shirt. Take the old one and you can wash it for him."

Jacob protested, "No that won't be necessary, don't worry about it."

"Nonsense!" Charlie replied. "We can't let you leave in wet, dirty clothes."

He gave up, "Well if it's not any trouble."

"It's not any trouble at all." I interjected. "Besides, it was my fault anyway. I don't mind washing it for you. Come on we'll go get you something out of my dad's closet." I turned to walk out of the kitchen and Jacob followed behind me. We climbed the stairs together. His big feet hit heavily with each step. I guided him into Charlie's room and walked over to the closet.

"These will probably be a little too small for you." I said. Jacob was obviously bigger than my father, who was tall and thin. "Here you go." I pulled out a white shirt, that looked about the same as the one Jacob was wearing. He took it out of my hand and laid it neatly on Charlie's bed. He didn't warn me, didn't ask me to leave the room, just quickly unbuttoned his dirty shirt and threw it in the floor.

I let out an audible gasp and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't tear my eyes away from his body. His chest was tan and strapping, and his abdomen looked like a washboard.

He chuckled as he caught me staring. "Here you go." Leaning down he picked the dirty shirt up off the floor and handed it to me.

I stuttered, "Um… Yeah, I'll t-take care of this." I turned away from him and buried my face in my hands, as I walked out of the room. I felt terrible for being so attracted to him. I loved Edward, and I didn't know that he was gone. I couldn't just let myself be completely smitten by the first guy who walked through my door. But he was funny, kind and handsome. God! What was wrong with me?

I filled up the wash basin and added some soap flakes. I put his shirt in to soak while I finished the dishes. I heard Charlie chuckle and Jacob came down the stairs. "Not quite big enough?"

Jacob laughed, "No not quite, but it'll do. Thank you for letting me borrow it."

Charlie's tone was playful, "It's the least I could after my daughter tried to drown you."

"I know I just barely survived." Jacob replied. I couldn't help but giggle at their conversation even though they were laughing at my expense.

The kitchen door swung open and Jacob was standing in the frame. His shirt was completely unbuttoned revealing a strip of bronze skin and muscles. I felt a little shiver go up my spine when I saw him. He smiled wryly, "I'm back to help."

I spoke with a false sternness. "Oh no you don't. I'm not going to ruin my dad's shirt too." I was lost in his eyes, dark honey pools.

His tone was smooth. "That won't be a problem." He flashed a devilish grin and slid the white shirt off his shoulders and hung it neatly on the door knob. My face turned the shade of a tomato.

I tried to take my mind off of his body, by making idle conversation. "How did you know to come here?"

He stumbled over the answer, all the smoothness gone from his voice. "Um Edward's aunt, when she contacted us, she told us about you."

I stopped drying a plate to think. Then it came to me. "Oh, she must have gotten the address from the letter I sent her. I thought I wrote Edward's address on that, but I guess it was mine."

He let out a deep breath, "Yeah, that's what she said." He took a long pause and then began to speak again. "You know Bella, I hate that it's under these circumstances, but I'm really glad I got to meet you."

I smiled, really smiled, for the first time since Edward's birthday. "I'm glad I got to meet you too Jacob." That was so true, everything had been so painfully miserable lately and finally something good had happened to me. It was as if I had been living in darkness, endless night, since Edward got sick, and today the sun finally rose.

His face lit up, "Call me Jake. Here I'll finish those up." He took the plates from my hand and began to dry them with a towel.

"Thanks, I'll go take care of your shirt." I turned away from him and walked across the room to the washbasin. I scrubbed his shirt on the washboard, it reminded me of his sculpted abdomen. As much as I tried to stop them, my eyes kept wandering across the room to his bare torso. He reminded me of a statue, a beautiful, bronze statue. His head quickly turned in my direction, and I tried to look away, but he knew I was staring.

I let the soapy water drain out of the washbasin and refilled it with clean so I could rinse his shirt. When I was satisfied that I had rinsed away all of the soap I wrung it out it my hands and grabbed some clothes pins. "I'm going to go hang this up outside."

He held the clean plates up in his hand, "Where do these go?"

I pointed, "On the second shelf of that cabinet." He open the door and stacked the plates. I walked behind him headed for the door, and he lightly grabbed my hand. The touch was electric. His hand was so warm, probably from the dishwater.

He smiled "Wait on me." I nodded. How could I say no to those big brown eyes? He grabbed my father's shirt off the door and slid it on his arms. His muscles bulged through the fabric. "All right, let's go."

He followed me back through the living room. Charlie stopped us, "Where you kid's going?"

"Just to hang up his shirt, Dad." I replied. Charlie nodded. We walked out the front door and around to the side of the house. Charlie had tacked a rope between the house and a tree where we dried our clothes. I took the pins and hung Jacob's shirt on the line. I turned to go back inside, but he touched my hand gently with his fingers.

"Hey, where ya going so soon?"

"Back inside."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because it's hot out here."

"Nah, its nice." He smiled. "It's twilight, the most comfortable time of the day."

My gaze was locked on his eyes, "We can stay out here if you want. What do you want to do?"

He raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "Just talk I guess."

"What do you want to talk about?" I was so lame, couldn't even carry an interesting conversation with a boy.

"You."

I giggled like a little girl. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything you want to tell me. What do you like to do?"

"I like to cook, I usually do a better job than tonight." He smiled wryly. "I like to read."

"Really? What do you like to read?" He asked.

"I like Shakespeare's plays and Jane Austen… among other things."

"Oh so you like romance?"

"Yeah, although lately I've been reading a lot of tragedies, seems to fit my mood better.

His tone was smooth again and his eyes were full of lust, "I'd like to change that." Suddenly his face was moving closer to mine. I began to tremble, but I was burning with desire. I hadn't been held in so long. I wanted to feel comforted… loved.

Suddenly his lips were touching mine, lightly kissing me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me tight to his body. His shirt fell open and I was pressed against his bare skin. My heart began to race, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, running my fingers through his long black silky hair. I pulled him closer and deepened the kiss. He moaned and plunged his tongue into my mouth. I returned the moan and his hand slid slightly lower down my back. Edward never kissed me like this…Edward! I pushed Jacob away and hung my head in shame.

I was panting. "Jake." All I could manage was a whisper.

A wide grin spread out across his face, "Yes."

"How could you? He was your friend." I replied.

His smile faded immediately, "He's gone Bella."

A/N: Please don't hate Bella too much. She hasn't been out of the house in days and she's scared, sad and lonely. But it's okay to hate Jacob lol! Thanks for reading! Please review!