Are You Happy Now?
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Chapter Eleven
When she got home Bella headed straight for the stairs. She wanted to avoid an interrogation with Charlie, but he was quicker than she anticipated and blocked her path.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on, Bella?" He demanded before she could escape. "One minute you and Jake are fighting and…."
"We made up." Bella cut in. "And you and Billy are friends again. Great, isn't it?"
Charlie frowned heavily, crossing his arms across his chest. "Of course, it is. But that doesn't mean I'm not mad at you. I asked you to do one thing and you betrayed my trust."
"Be reasonable, Dad." Bella said impatiently. "I'm an adult. You can't stop me doing anything."
"It would be nice if I could see some evidence of this adult once in a while." Charlie snapped. "You can't keep doing this to me, Bells. I don't know whether I'm coming or going with you. I'm always on tenterhooks waiting for the next disaster. I deserve a proper explanation of what went down between you and Jake."
Bella felt desperate. She hated that she had hurt Charlie. But what was she supposed to say without giving the secret away? It would just be more lies. And she had told enough of then to last two lifetimes.
"I don't know what you expect me to say, Dad. Who can understand teenage boys? They're a mystery."
"Like teenage daughters it seems." Charlie's arms dropped to his sides and he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans instead. "I don't understand you, Bella."
"Sometimes I don't understand me, either." Bella agreed miserably. "I'm really sorry, Dad. I hate that I hurt you. I just missed Jake. I had to give it one last try, so I went to see him even if he rejected me again. It was a risk worth taking. Lucky for me it paid off. It seems there were just misunderstandings on all sides."
"Maybe." Charlie conceded reluctantly.
"Definitely." Bella affirmed. "I'm glad you and Billy are friends again. Jake also introduced me to Sam Uley and his fiancée, Emily. They seemed really nice. In fact, Emily invited me up to visit her tomorrow. We've got a lot in common."
"You have?" Charlie's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I hadn't heard that Sam and Emily had made it official. That's nice. Poor girl."
"Don't let her hear you say that. The last thing she needs is our pity." Bella chastised him.
"I didn't mean it like that." Charlie defended himself. "I just feel for her, that's all. She suffered badly after being mauled by that bear, up north, during salmon spawning season-horrible accident. I heard that Sam was really messed up over it."
So that was the official story that had been put out to account for Emily's injuries. Bella hadn't known. She wished Jacob had forewarned her. If Charlie hadn't revealed it, she could easily have made another slip up. It was exhausting having to watch every word and thought. "I feel for her too. But Emily is a strong person. And its clear Sam loves her very much."
Charlie emitted a weary sigh. "Okay, enough for tonight. I'll see you in the morning, Bells. Goodnight." He moved aside finally to let her pass.
"Night, Dad." Bella stepped forward and stood on her tiptoes to give him a rare kiss on the cheek. The look of surprise on Charlie's face was a sight to behold, and she was forced to hide her amusement as she ran up the stairs to her room.
It was Spring Break in Forks. Which luckily meant no school. Bella woke up on the Monday morning feeling tired. She hadn't slept well after spending most of the night worrying about Jacob and the rest of the pack out in the dark, risking their lives to keep her safe. Eventually she had fallen into a fitful sleep, dreaming she was in the forest again, but she wasn't alone. Emily was with her. They were holding hands, facing into the shadows as they waited for their wolves to come home.
Bella didn't get up immediately. A rare shaft of sunlight filtered through the parted drapes at her window. It brought a frisson of joy to her skin, highlighting the dust motes spiralling in the air. Thinking of the sun made her think of Jacob. He radiated as much warmth as the sun. And that's what he was to her-her own personal sun-warming her body as well as her heart.
Already she was falling into the pattern of things in La Push. She'd spent Sunday at the Black's house with Charlie and Billy. She had spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking up a feast. She was supposed to be with Jacob, but he had other things to do. The excuse they made to Charlie was that Jacob had been asked at the last minute to do a favour for one of his friends. There had been questions in Charlie's eyes, but he hadn't voiced them aloud, preferring to keep the fragile peace.
Jacob dropped in around dinnertime, almost as if the heavenly scent coming from the house had called him home. He apologised to them all for being gone all day, but that Embry needed help moving furniture out of his mother's house. He sat with them, sampling the delicious food Bella had cooked, and eating three times as much as anyone else. Then he was gone again.
After dinner Charlie and Billy had retreated to the front room, their eyes glued to the TV as they watched the highlights of the latest Mariner's game. Bella made her excuses and went out for a walk. She headed straight to the beach, knowing that Jacob would find her there.
As she strolled along the sand deep in thought, it wasn't long before he appeared. He apologised again for his schedule being so crazy, but until Victoria was stopped, the wolves were on red alert. As they walked, they held hands and kissed as the sun dipped below the horizon.
On Tuesday she was forced to go into work. She rode with Jacob on his motorcycle. She sat behind him, clinging tightly to his waist. They wound down the country lanes, the motorcycle giving the gift of a connection to mother nature even as its deep tread black held fast to the grey.
Of course Mike had to comment on her dangerous mode of transport when he noticed her pulling off her helmet. "I doubt your dad would like to see you riding that dangerous machine. Are you dating that kid from La Push? The sophomore?" He sniffed, poorly disguising his jealousy.
Bella was annoyed at his holier than thou attitude. "Yes." She confirmed. "Jake and I spend all of our time together. And before you make another comment, Charlie knows, okay."
Mike's eyes narrowed shrewdly. "I doubt he knows about the motorcycle, though. I remember that lecture he gave last year at school about them."
Bella glared at him haughtily. "I'm perfectly safe with Jacob. Are you planning on telling him?"
Mike gave her a long look. "I'm not a grass, Bella. Although, I think you should reconsider who you hang out with." He turned his back on her and left without another word.
That night, Sam and Emily joined Charlie and Bella for dessert at Billy's house. Emily brought a cake that she had been slaving over all day. She blushed a deep red as praise was heaped upon her. Bella saw how happy Sam looked that Emily was the centre of attention. For such a reserved guy, he was practically beaming with pride.
The conversation flowed naturally through a range of casual subjects, so that any lingering worries that Charlie might have harboured abated. After dinner Bella retreated to the kitchen with Emily to wash up the dishes.
"You and Jake are getting on well?" Emily asked with a sideling glance at Bella as she handed her one of the plates she had just washed.
"Yes." Bella knew Emily was fishing for gossip, but didn't feel inclined to share too much.
"And?" Emily prodded.
"And that's all I'm willing to say right now." Bella smiled, taking the sting out of her words.
"Okay, I get it." Emily's responding smile was more like a grimace, the scarred half of her face barely lifted.
"Its just all fresh and new." Bella confided. "I don't want to jinx it."
"You've been through a lot." Emily dipped another plate in the sink, her tone thoughtful.
"We all have." Bella wondered where the other girl was going with this line of questioning.
Emily glanced at her again. "Do you still think about him?"
Bella tensed, knowing who Emily was referring to. "You can say his name. I won't fall apart."
"Your vampire…. Edward. Do you still think about him?" Emily's dark eyes were curious.
Bella stopped drying the plate she was holding and stared back at her. The truth was she hadn't really thought about Edward much in days. The very idea took her by surprise. For months her existence had been defined by the pain of losing him. She had let it consume her. His last words haunting her every waking moment. Something inside her had shifted, she couldn't explain when or how, but she knew it mostly had to do with Jacob.
"Not anymore." Bella looked Emily right in the eyes, relieved to be giving the girl an honest answer.
Emily looked just as relieved. "Good." She said, turning back to concentrate on the dishes.
As the evening wore on Jacob and Bella skipped out early to get some privacy. They went out to the garage and sat in the Rabbit. Jacob leaned his head back, listening as Bella told him about her run in with Mike Newton.
"I don't think he'll really tell Charlie about the motorcycle." Bella worried her lower lip with her teeth.
"He won't." Jacob was easy. "The marshmallow is a wimp. He's just trying to get under your skin because he's jealous."
Bella relaxed into her seat. If Jacob wasn't bothered by the mild threat of Mike spilling the beans, then neither was she. She looked at his face, drawn with exhaustion.
"You need some sleep, Jake."
"I'll get around to it." He reached over and took her hand, kissing the back of it. His skin was blazing, sending comforting warmth shooting through Bella.
"I love your heat." Bella admitted, snuggling closer to him. "Is that a wolf thing?"
"Yeah. We run a little warmer than normal people. About one-oh-eight, one-oh-nine. I never get cold anymore. I could stand like this"- he gestured to his bare torso-"in a snowstorm and it wouldn't bother me. The flakes would turn to rain where I stood."
"I'll remember that next time I'm caught in a snowstorm." Bella quipped.
Jacob chuckled tiredly. "And you know what else is cool?"
"What's that?" Bella stifled a yawn.
"We all heal pretty fast. You wanna see?" Jacob's eyes flipped open and he grinned wickedly.
"No, I do not! Jake, you know how I am around blood!" Bella shuddered at the thought. "I'll take your word for it."
"Spoilsport." Jacob laughed again. "It's a good thing we heal, though. You can't just go running to any doctor when you're running a temperature that should mean your dead."
"No, I guess not." Bella mused. She thought about that for a minute as her thoughts wandered to Quil. "And being so big-that's part of it? And Quil?"
Jacob's face was drawn again. "It'll happen soon. "Quil's grandfather says the kid could fry an egg on his forehead. It won't be long now. There's no exact age…it just builds and builds and then suddenly…" He broke off, composing himself before looking at Bella again. "Speaking of Old Quil? Do you think maybe you feel ready to speak to him yet? He's keen to talk to you."
Bella dropped her gaze to her hands. Was she ready? Not really. Was it necessary? Probably yes. She had to stop being a coward about it. "Honestly, Jake?" She confessed. "I'm nowhere near ready. But I also know time is against us. So…. I'll do it."
"You will?" Jacob's face brightened up again. He lifted her hand to his lips again, leaving a trail of blazing heat behind as he kissed her chilled skin.
Bella noticed he was fighting to keep his eyes open. She leaned over so that her head was resting on his shoulder. "Go to sleep, Jake. Let me be the one to watch over you for once."
"I like that idea, honey." Jacob murmured as he let his eyes drift closed. Soon he was deeply asleep, and though she had promised to keep awake, it wasn't long before Bella joined him.
A/N-thanks for reading!