A/N: We do love a good bouquet of flowers!
I feel bad about this chapter. May asked to see Jacob receive his well deserved ribbing, and I don't think this what she meant. Hah.
But you know I can't resist a LEETLE angst.
Bella hadn't intended to be there when Jacob got his fuck you very much bouquet. Sure, the living brain donors he called friends would go apeshit when they saw it, but where was the satisfaction in that? Their misogyny and immaturity had always frustrated her, not him.
She'd done her best to orchestrate a scene, content to let it play out in her head, because the rational part of her mind knew the reality wouldn't be as satisfying. The bouquet would arrive—bright flowers set in a pale pink basket with Jacob's name spelled out in clear block lettering on a pastel yellow ribbon. The Wolves—the dumbass nickname the pack of friends had given themselves since childhood—-would hoot, holler, and ask Jacob if he knew the best field to go flower picking.
Jacob would just grin, good natured as always, as he plucked the envelope addressed to him nestled in the blooms. Then, upon seeing the contents of the envelope, his face would fall. He'd realize—-as Bella had when she saw the email where his friend, Lizzie, referred to herself as his girlfriend of THREE YEARS—-that life, as he knew it, was over.
He was supposed to rush home to find any trace of her gone.
Unfortunately, work had called as Bella and her besties had started packing her things into the small moving truck she'd rented.
Unfortunately, Bella worked for the parent company that had invested in the repair and body shop Jacob worked in.
Unfortunately, that parent company was right around the corner from his repair shop.
And, of course, Bella's boss had sent her over to take care of a few business matters personally.
Because, after all, the owner of the repair shop was supposed to be her father-in-law someday. If she and Jacob would ever settle down and pick a date.
She'd wanted to be inaccessible to Jacob today. Instead, she was sitting in his father's office, her back to the huge window that overlooked the shop. She could hear the men talking as they worked. She could hear Jacob's laughter, and it brought a bitter taste to her mouth.
Billy was chatting, going on about nonsense Bella struggled to concentrate on. Doubtless, he thought he was helping her out—whiling away the last hour of her day so she didn't have to return to the office.
Bella pressed her lips together, trying to ignore the sting of tears in her eyes. She hated the bitter edge to her thoughts, wondering if Jacob was as aware of her presence as she was of his. How did one live the double life he'd been leading? Planning which of them he was going to spend time with on any given evening?
"Hey, babe. I'm going to catch a game of sportsball with the boys." How many times had he called her with the excuse, trusting her dislike of sports to make her not question where he went?
And that was why she needed something as passive aggressive as flower meanings to shout all the nasty things she wanted to say to her soon-to-be ex-fiancé. She was hurt. Of course she was hurt, but more than that, she was pissed.
It wasn't that he didn't deserve to be called all the things she wanted to call him; it was just that she tended to cry when she was this angry. And her words got tangled.
Bella knew the moment the flowers arrived. The voices of the men rose to a clamor of taunts and raucous laughter.
"Oh, Jake. How come you never invite us to go flower picking?" Jared crowed.
"I can borrow my baby niece's bonnet," Paul said. "It would look just darling with your basket."
Bella's back stiffened. She waited, but she didn't hear Jacob's voice amidst the hoots and howls.
"What the hell is going on out there?" Billy murmured, craning his head. "Sounds like a bunch of hyenas, I swear."
She couldn't help it. She turned around.
Jacob stood with his back to her, a familiar piece of paper held up in his clenched hand. The email, with dear Lizzie complaining about how patient she'd been for three years. Bella hadn't added anything to the e-mail, no words of her own, but she'd highlighted one line.
I know you love her, Jake. But if you love her, why won't you let her go? You're making all three of us miserable.
As though he could feel her eyes on him, Jacob whirled around. His wide, sad eyes met with hers.
The dam broke. Her tears spilled over. Life, as she'd known it these past ten years, crumbled around her.
~0~
"Ugh." Bella dug both of her fists into her eyes, leaning her elbows on her best friend's kitchen table. "I'm so sick of crying. Why am I crying over someone who could do something like this? Should I list the reasons why I shouldn't be crying over this festering scumbag?"
"It would be the seventh time, but who's counting?" Lauren said, smiling a fake smile before chugging the rest of her martini.
Lauren was only there because Jess had called her for reinforcements; she was one to believe the more estrogen power in the room after a break up, the better. Knowing that, Bella ignored her bitchface and started ticking off on her fingers, not caring if it was the forty-second time she'd done this. "We've been together since high school. Who even were those kids? I'm not that kid. He's not that kid. I've known for a while we weren't like, intensely in love. But that's okay. I never needed my life to be a romance movie. He was my closest friend, my biggest supporter. Who wouldn't want that forever?"
She swallowed hard at that last point, bowing her head and wrapping both hands around her long-empty drink, fresh tears flowing down her face. "And that's the biggest reason I shouldn't be crying over this total… Ugh. What the hell is a better word for asshole?"
"Puss guzzling twat?" Jess suggested.
"Ew." Bella grimaced and then sniffed hard. "My best friend shouldn't want to hurt me like this. Three years. Ugh. I could have been over this three years ago if he'd have opened his goddamned mouth."
Shaking her head hard, she stood up quickly. She swayed on her feet—just a little tipsy. When she was certain she was going to remain upright, she went to the counter and poured herself another drink.
"And you know what the cherry on top of this whole situation is?" Bella wiped at her eyes, jaw clenched. "Of course, this all has to happen on the holidays. This holiday specifically."
"Why this holiday specifically?" Angela asked.
"You know how it is at my new job." Bella shook her head. "There is this weird, kind of toxic culture there. They think it's so…quaint that I was dating a small-time mechanic. That kind of crap. There's the holiday party next month, and they've already made comments like, 'At least he'll look pretty on your arm.'" She clenched her jaw. Some of the assholes she worked with would fit in well with Jacob's little pack. "It's a dumbass status thing. When they figure out what happened—and they're such gigantic gossips, they will—or at least when I show up alone at the party, they're going to think less of me. That's just the way it is."
Her friends were well versed in the crap that went on at that company. She'd bitched enough about it. But they were a step into the big leagues. They could get her where she wanted to go, if only she could put in a few years.
"Well, how is that a problem?" Jess asked, taking her by the arm and guiding her back to the table. "Didn't you say that guy at the flower shop you propositioned was ridiculously hot?"
Bella furrowed her brow, then groaned when she realized what her friend was talking about. "Jess, that man thinks I'm an utter lunatic. Who the hell says 'fuck you' with flowers? And then I asked him if he was busy later?" She huffed and took a generous drink from her glass. "No idea what the hell was wrong with me that day," she lied.
"But he said yes, right?" Jess said, her grin wicked. "Girl. I know you haven't done this before, but some of us are recovering from breakups on the regular." Her eyes darted to Lauren and away quickly. "Getting out there immediately and scoring a date sexier than Jake the snake could ever be is the best revenge."
"That's shallow."
Lauren snorted. "The only deep thing you want out of a rebound is the dicking."
Bella blushed as the others shrieked with laughter.
"Seriously, Bella," Jessica said, as they all calmed down. "If you feel like you've made a fool of yourself, the worst has already happened. You never got to have a little fun with the weird and wild selection of guys out there. Go ask him for that rebound date. If he's as pretty as you said, and you can get him to go with you to the party…" She shrugged, her grin salacious.
Bella was just drunk enough to seriously consider it. "The party is a month away."
"Oh, honey. We have so much to teach you." Jess patted her hand. "In a month, your phone could be full of random guys who you can call for a dinner date, especially with an open bar. Don't think about that part. Just have some fun. Feel young and free and gorgeous."
"Just… keep it shallow," Angela said. "Until you feel safe enough to give your whole heart."
A/N: I…want a hippopotamus for Christmas.
See you soon!
Just in case I don't get the next chapters up on time, happy holidays to those who celebrate. For anyone having a rough time, gentle and loving wishes for you.