It was the Tuesday after their first encounter that Bella met Jacob again. He came into the bookstore and when Rose tried to help him he told her very kindly that he was looking for something that only Bella could help him with. Rose smiled knowingly and told him to go right on upstairs and he would find her.

"Bella?"

Bella had been upstairs and had been so surprised to hear a male voice that she dropped the book she was holding and let out a little screech.

The male voice laughed loudly and Bella had to smile at herself too.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you again. Do you remember me?"

"Yes, Jacob, I remember you. You stalked me home the other day," She said with a smile in her voice.

"Well its what any smart guy would do when they meet a pretty girl."

She snorted, a very nonlady gesture that Bella regreted immedatly. "Well, remind me to watch out for any smart men then. Wouldn't want a stalker on my hands."

Jacob laughed at her comment and bella could hear movement as he bent down to pick up the book she had dropped. He put the book in her hand and when his skin touched hers Bella swore that fire trailed across her skin.

"Well, if your nto stalking me then please explain why your at the place where I work again? And how did you get upstairs? Rose keeps track of all people in the store, you couldn't have gotten up here without her knowing. "

"Is Rose her name? The girl who was working with you the other night? Cause she told me I could find you up here."

Bella felt around and walked forward until she felt the soft chair and sat down, indicating the general direction of the matching chair she knew would be sitting across from it. Bella heard the rustle of the fabric as Jacob sat down and she poured two cups of coffee, her finger barely touching the liquid so she knew to stop. Jacob took the mug from her hands and was glad that he thought she could not see his face because he was sure he looked like an idiot.

"Surprised? I keep my hands clean, if that's what you're wondering. I put a finger inside the glass and as soon as I feel the liquid I know to stop. There are ways around being blind."

"Im sorry, am I that obvious?"

"It's natural" Bella smiled.

"So, is that what you are? Blind? I don't mean to intrude in your personal life, I was just wondering. You don't act like the blind people I've heard of in books and movies. You're so capable. You don't act….."

"Blind?" she finishes for him.

"It's okay, you can say it. I've been blind since I was seven years old. I'm used to it. I know how to make due on my own, 'cause I still want to live normally as much as I possibly can."

"That's incredible."

Bella laughed at his awe tone. "So, why did you come here? I'm sure it want to hear my life story."

"Oh yeah! Well ya see, I read Dracula like we were supposed to but I didn't really understand much of it. I was wondering if maybe when you weren't busy if you could sit down with me and help explain some stuff to me. I think my paper will be much better if I know what's going on. But if you cant-"

"No, that's fine. And yes, before you ask, I can read. They do make books in braille and I have read that book multiple times. I would be glad to help you understand some of it. Some of the text can be confusing in its wording."

"Thanks Bella, I really appreciate it. When do you think….?"

"I work every day until three, sometimes five. Store opens whenever Rose decides to get up, which is usually about 9. Stop by anytime."

"Sounds good. Oh crap, look Bella I really want to stay and talk but-"

"It's fine. Go on ahead; I have work to do anyway."

"Okay. Hey, maybe I'll see you on your walk home sometime."

"Your sounding more and more like a stalker every second. See ya around Stalker boy."

He laughed. "See ya around Bella.

Bella would have sworn she felt the warmth of a hand that almost touched her face but it was gone just as quickly and Bella told herself that she needed to stop imagining things.

Jacob came by the store every day at two and stayed until closing when he would walk with Bella home every day. He always bought her and Rose something to drink, some days eccentric flavored coffee or tea that was grown in countries Bella had never heard of. Sometimes it was hot chocolate with treats inside.

Bella helped Jacob put Brahm Stoker's language into something he could understand. He wrote his paper as they went along and he read things aloud to her. Bella corrected his spelling multiple times, and told him where to put commas and end his sentences. Jacob helped Rose reach the books on the top shelf and was there the day the 'biggest most horrible spider in the entire world' entered the store and Rose screamed bloody murder, causing Bella to bring her feet up onto her chair to avoid such a horrid creature. Jacob laughed at the girls as he scooped it onto a notecard and carried it out to the grass across the street after both girls screamed loudly when he said he would kill it. Humane, yet scary.

Bella liked that he was around, and Rose swore that she never minded.

"Hey, I get to look at that beautiful man all day. And you smile. I'm not gonna complain."

Jacob never asked about her life before moving to Forks, although he did ask about Alice, who occasionally came to walk home with Bella after school. Alice liked Jacob. She told Bella that he was the prettiest boy ever. Jacob would carry Alice on his shoulders even though she was ten and too big for that. He chased after her and made Alice laugh constantly on the few times they had met.

Jacob walked Bella home every day, even though she knew it was out of his way. Jacob lived on the reservation. He was the son of an Elder, the ancient families of the tribe. Jacob told Bella stories from his ancestors past, even though she was fairly sure that those stories were meant to be kept inside the tribe.

Bella was convinced that the best part of Jacob walking with her was that he always strung her elbow through his, helping her avoid mud and puddles in the rainy town, something that Bella had never been able to avoid before. Besides the fact that Jacob was always so warm and he smelled so good, somehow even better than Edward wearing Bella's favorite mens cologne. Bella had once asked him what cologne he wore, but he told her in a voice filled with laughter and a double meaning that Bella did not understand, "Why, Bella, I don't wear cologne. It's a natural smell."

Esme noticed Bella's changed mood and asked her about it. Bella of course told her surrogate mother of the boy who did not understand Dracula, but could take care of the world's worst spider without flinching. Esme was overjoyed that Bella had met a boy, and she knew that boys from the reservation were more respectable than boys from town. She still worried that boys would take advantage of her daughter because of her weakness, but Bella assured her that if Jacob had wanted to do anything he had had ample chance to hurt he when no one was around, and he had never so much as raised his voice to her. Carlile knew Billy, Jacob's father, and assured Esme further that Jacob was a good young man. However, he did tell Bella that if he kept seeing his daughter that he needed to come formally introduce himself. Bella then had the task of explaining to Carlile that she and Jacob were just friends.