Chapter 10-

Jacob POV-

Because of my dad I was usually a tag along to his old man nights as I called them. When he, Charlie, Harry and Terrell decided to cook some food and watch whatever game they wanted to. Most people would be resentful but I like spending time with them. Plus it made me worry less about dad than if I wasn't close by.

Tonight they were at T's house and could smell the food from a mile away. He was the best cook and I made sure to tell him. As I helped dad out the car I made sure to be extra careful because we were in the thick of winter and ice was everywhere. The door was already open and the nearby pavement shoved to the best of T's ability so that made my job easier.

I whee;led my dad over until he was on no slippery concrete and then he took over. "Hey Billy." T said as soon as he saw my dad. He was sitting on his couch with two women who looked about his age.

"Hey T." He then turned to the women. "Hi."

"Hi." One of the women, the friendlier of the two, got up along with the mother and properly greeted my father. "Im Bryah and this is my wife Eyana."

He shook each of their hands and seemed to relax. "It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Billy and this is my son Jacob."

When their eyes turned on me I started feeling incredibly awkward. Like Bella level awkward. "Hi." I waved a bit.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you Jacob." Eyana said to me. For some reason her eyes just seemed to stick on me and my dad. There was this slight buzz when I focused on her that I decided to leave alone. She was weird.

"I can't believe I finally got to meet Naia's mothers. T was always a little private when it came to you two and yall daughter."

"I think it's just a family hazard at this point. But if he told you anything he must really love you." Bryah told him.

"I hope so or else he's just using me for fish and beer." My dad joked.

Billy and Bryah fell into small talk that Terrell and Eyana eventually joined. I was ok with just watching them get to know each other and talk. It worked to my advantage when they got lost in their conversation and I saw the girl from Fork's High School walk down the steps wearing ripped jeans and a black turtleneck. Her foxy eyes were darkened by the black eyeliner that made them seem bolder. Her lips were lined in the same black and heavily glossed. She wore simple diamond studs and a small chain necklace.

"Wow." I said under my breath. She looked over everyone in the living room but didn't really see me until she got closer, she was headed for the coat rack.

"Hey, you're the door I ran into." She smirked. Did she always talk with a smirk? Was her voice always this steady?

"He- Hey. Hi. Um, It's nice to see you again, Ash."

"You too. Although I don't know why you're here."

"That's on me." Terrell said from behind her. "Naia this is Billy and his son-"

"Jacob. Yeah, we met." She grinned my way, making my lips tilt up in response. A knock stopped all conversation and made Ash grab a jacket before she answered the door.

On the other side standing in the cold was a boy who was vaguely familiar but I hadn't talked to before. "Hey Ty." Her tone with him was a bit lighter and less serious.

"Hey." He said smiling. He looked at her with the eyes of somebody who was love sick and it honestly was making me jealous.

"Mom's, dad, I'm out. Call me if you need me but please don't." She waved goodbye and made a speedy getaway.

Why does every girl I like always have somebody they like more? I have to be cursed.

Tyler's POV-

Ash was someone who didn't need to do anything super special. She liked to keep our dates simple and would prefer some place we could have a good conversation over somewhere crowded and loud. She was also a major foodie so I looked up a restaurant with good reviews in Seattle and took us there.

It was very classy but not too snobbish that either of us would feel uncomfortable. We were seated quickly and placed in the back in a very intimate corner. We were both going over the menu and at this point I was ready to order everything. The only thing stopping me was the fact that I could afford about three of these meals before I was broke.

"Who knew choosing food would be so hard?" I pouted towards Ash who like always shook her head and smirked at my antics.

"Do you trust me?" She asked.

"Maybe…"

"Then I'm ordering for us." No sooner had she said that the waitress was coming back. Ash smiled politely and ordered. "I'll have the garlic lemon stuffed chicken and roasted pepper salad and he'll have the same but with onion mashed potatoes." God that sounds good. "And just give me whatever drinks go well with our meal."

"Impressive." I said once the waitress walked away.

"You'll love it and if you don't I owe you."

I perked up. "Can you still owe me if I like it?"

She smiled secretly. "We'll see."

Please let whoever is cooking screw up my meal. Please, this is all I ask for.

Of course my prayers aren't answered. As soon as I tasted the stuffed chicken that was cheesy and tangy I knew I wasn't getting anything.

"Good right?" Ash asked, taking a bite of her salad.

"Good? This is like if angels came and just sprinkled blessings all over my plate."

"Extra but ok."

I was quick to take a bigger and better bite. Some of the mashed potatoes got on the chicken and that just elevated it. I didn't miss Ash's contented look when she saw me enjoying my food. We filled our stomachs more before falling into conversation.

"How's everything with Charlie?" I knew him and Ash had brokered a strange friendship but with Bella going catatonic in the head I didn't bring him up much with Ash.

She shrugged, pushing around the bits of pepper on her plate. Her face was blank as she talked. "He's better than I thought he would be considering the circumstances."

"I'm sorry for bringing him up if-"

"It's ok." She assured me. "I just… it's hard sitting back and not knowing how to help someone you care about."

I reached for her free hand which rested on the table and proceeded to hold her fingers. "It will work out."

"I hope so. I couldn't imagine putting my parents through something like that." I didn't like how downtrodden she was getting so I tried to bring her back up.

"No offense Ash but you and your parents' relationship is so healthy is sickening."

Her smirk returned. "Shut up." It worked.

"I'm just saying, any good relationship has a tiny bit of toxicity."

"Oh, so where's our toxicity?" She teased.

"I don't know but we can make some."

"Sorry to say but Ty, you don't have a toxic bone in your body. Jessica and Mike, sure but you? Yeah, we're going to have to date longer if I want to find one."

After that our conversation was much lighter. We ordered some dessert, double chocolate cake and I paid since it was my treat. I made sure to leave the waitress a generous tip for her fast and polite service.

We were sitting in the car now, letting our food digest and just enjoying the mood before we made our way back to forks.

"You remember when I said I was gonna mess this up?"

I turned to look at her. She looked deep in thought and there was something else, something I couldn't name. "Yeah."

She turned to look at me, the emotion in her eyes hidden by the night sky. She leaned in and placed a sweet kiss on my lips. I was all too happy to return. She ended it too soon for my liking, smiling at me so softly that I immediately commemorated it to memory. It wasn't often she smiled. Usually it was a smirk, grin or something in between.

"You're so beautiful."

She chuckled. "You tell me that all the time."

"Because it's always true." I took her hands in mine, they fit perfectly. "When people look at you they probably don't see the girl afraid to make mistakes. They don't see the girl who worries about her friends or parents or me. The girl who is passionate about photography and hasn't traditionally learned about it but goes more by feel. But I see her, I see you. And come what may when school ends, i hope to always be in your life."

"Life holds a lot of change, relationships change-"

"And you adapt or you risk losing something perfectly imperfect like you." It was something I had learned to say after dating Ash for so long. She didn't like perfect things, she hated symmetry. She was all for the flawed, blemished and broken. And never did she think anyone was perfect, it was stupid in her words. But being welcoming of your flaws made you as close to perfect as you would get.

"I hope I always have you in my life." She told me before pulling me in for one more kiss.

I love you.