"Jake, I…"

"I know we are young and there are many unknowns right now. But I love you and I want to marry you. Please, make me the happiest man in the world and agree to be my wife?"

I fought another panic attack as I felt the final brick of the wall I had been building around the Edward part of my heart slide into place. "Yes, I will marry you."

Jacob leaned forward and softly placed his lips on mine. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer to me. I gently pulled away and got off his lap when I heard Charlie's cruiser pull into the driveway. "I better get dinner started. You want to stay?"

"Yeah, I think I should. We need to tell him together."

"Tonight? You want to tell him now?" Fear pulsed through my veins making them feel ice cold.

"I don't think we should put it off. The sooner we tell him the sooner he can start to get used to the idea."

I was about to argue when Charlie walked in the front door. I headed to the kitchen to start making dinner. Jacob and Charlie watched sports center until I had dinner on the table. Charlie kept looking between Jacob and I suspiciously.

Charlie put his fork down noisily. "Okay what's going on with you two?"

I bit my lip painfully and looked at Jacob.

He cleared his throat and slid his chair away from the table. "Charlie we have something to share with you. Bella and I… Umm.. Well, we are engaged."

Charlie looked a little shocked at first but quickly recovered. "It seems a little soon to be thinking about that. I mean Jacob you still have a year of high school left and Bella is just about to start college. I will be glad to have you as a son in law Jake but you guys don't need to rush into getting married right away. I guess it can be a long engagement. It isn't like you are pregnant and have to get married."

Jacob flinched and I looked down at my hands which were shaking.

"Bella…" I refused to look at Charlie, tears slipped silently down my cheeks. Charlie's chair scrapped against the floor noisily as he lurched at Jacob. Charlie grabbed him by the collar and pulled him towards the front door. "Get out of my house before I shoot you!"

"Charlie…" Jacob started to plead with Charlie.

"Don't "Charlie" me young man. I suggest you go home and not come back to this house."

"Ch… Dad please."

Charlie turned his anger towards me but calmed slightly when he saw the devastation on my face. "Jacob just go, I promise I will call you later."

Charlie slammed the door in Jacob's face before he could respond and then slowly walked over towards me. He pulled Jacob's now empty chair closer to me and in a very un-charlie like move wrapped his arms around me and held me as I cried.

"Im sorry Dad. I never meant for this to happen. I know you are disappointed in me."

"Shh Bella. It will be okay."

"Im so scared."

"I know baby, I know. But I will be here to help you. I wont pretend I am happy about this and I am not sure that getting married this young is a good idea. But you have to know you have options. You don't have to get married right away."

After a few more minutes I could tell Charlie was getting uncomfortable. I pulled away and smiled apologetically at him. "I love you Dad."

"Love you too Bells."

I cleaned up the dishes from dinner and Charlie watched some sports program on the tv. I went upstairs, took a shower and changed into my pajamas. Charlie was coming up to bed as I exited the bathroom.

"You are going to have to tell your mother tomorrow. And we probably need to make a doctors appointment as soon as possible."

I nodded. "I will make an appointment first thing Monday morning and call Mom tomorrow."

Renee took the news better than I expected. She only tried to demand I move to Florida with her a half a dozen times. Each time I politely declined but she finally insisted on coming for a visit. First thing Monday morning I made a doctor appointment for later that same afternoon. I could only manage to keep down toast for breakfast again but thankfully the nausea subsided by lunch time.

Jacob had told Billy our news. He had handled it much calmer than Charlie. They had decided that Jacob would get his GED so that he could get a job to support me and the baby.

Jacob drove me to my doctor appointment later that afternoon. They confirmed my pregnancy and got me started on prenatal vitamins. On the ride home from the doctor Jacob reached down and took my left hand in his. He slipped something on my finger. I looked down and saw the simple gold band with a small solitaire diamond. I held out my hand and felt like I was having an out of body experience. My hand suddenly felt ten times heavier than it should.

"It was my mother's engagement ring." Jacob said softly.

I forced the feelings of panic away. "It's perfect Jake." I smiled at him. He grinned back and seemed relieved. I leaned over the seat and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

Jacob dropped me off at my house. He kissed me longingly before allowing me to get out of his car. I would have invited him in but Charlie was still adamant that Jacob was not allowed in the house. I went upstairs and turned on my computer. I logged on to the community college in Port Angeles where I was supposed to be attending classes in the fall. I registered for several internet courses I could take from here instead of actually going to campus. I figured it would help appease Charlie if he could see I was still planning on going to college.

I read through my email and I wanted so badly to write Alice. There was so much happening and I needed my best friend. I had put away my journal, making the commitment to let them all go but now I needed someone who wasn't Jacob, Charlie or Renee. I knew, just like every other time, the email would come back undeliverable but it made me feel better to get the words out. I finally gave in and wrote Alice a long email telling her about everything. I expressed my fears and pain without guilt or worrying I would hurt her feelings. Jacob was great and I could tell him almost anything but some of my feelings would hurt him and I couldn't let that happen.

I hit send and without waiting to see the message pop back into my inbox I closed the browser and turned off the computer.