A/N: Here, have a short chapter. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. My birthday is the same as Bella's and I'll be turning 21! So, woo. I am unsure when the next update will be, but I am working on the next few chapters already. Let me know what you think!
i
It had been yet another week since Jacob had seen Bella. He had called constantly and a few times she had actually picked up. Her voice was tired and tinged with anxiety he couldn't place, but she had been happy to talk to him. When he quietly asked when she would be able to come down next, her happy voice stopped. The line had been dead silent, and he would have thought she had hung up if not for the lack of a flat tone. He finally heard her take a deep breath, and quietly tell him that she wanted to, but was just too busy. (She had not been this busy before. Part of him longed to believe her, but the rest of him knew it was something else. It was something to do with that creep always hanging around her). She had gently told him she would call him when she could- and hung up on him.
Jacob had been thoroughly hurt by the curt dismissal, (because that's exactly what it was- dismissal. Even if she hadn't intended it to be that way). He had to take deep breaths for several minutes before he could go back about his day. He was shaking all the time. Hunger and anger seemed to be the only things he could really feel anymore. (Other than the warmth- so unlike the angry fire in his chest- that calmed him down, all at the thought of his Bells. That bubbly and awkward girl who used to jump at the chance to sit and do nothing with him). His dad had been watching him with wary eyes, and it had only made the feeling worse. (Jacob wanted to scream).
The week had droned on, and suddenly it was early October. (It was long past Bella's birthday- he thought they would celebrate the weekend after, but there had just been so much happening. They hadn't really gotten the chance. And now they wouldn't). The air was turning crisp, and rain got more frequent. It pounded the roof of his small house at night. The sound used to lull him to sleep, but now there was nothing. He was exhausted, but sleep would never find its way to him.
It was the middle of October, (weeks without her, and his heart was steadily growing weary) when she finally called.
"Jake?" Her voice was soft but anxious. He didn't like how anxious she seemed to be during the last few calls.
"Bella!" His voice came out louder than he had expected. He was just so excited to hear her, he couldn't help it. "How are you?"
(He was slapping himself internally. "You don't hear from her for weeks, and this is how you respond? You're such a loser-" his inner voice ran wild).
"I- uh-" she sounded hesitant, "I'm sorry for not calling sooner. I wouldn't call you for this right now- I know you're probably upset with me- but Dad insisted."
Jacob was just confused. She was beginning to ramble. Why would she be sorry for calling?
"My truck won't start. At all. Dad tried to look at it but had no idea what he was looking at. He insisted I call you," Her voice got quieter at the end as if she had turned away from the phone briefly. He laughed at the image of her glaring at her dad while wrapped up in the phone cord, leaning against the wall like she always did. (It made some of that anger ebb).
"I can come up and take a look at it if you would like. I can't guarantee it'll be back up and running today if it's a major problem, but it'll at least give you an idea of what's up with it. I can be up in about an hour. Need to get a ride," Jacob responded, thinking of the things he would need to grab from the garage, and who was most likely to pick him up and give him a ride.
"Oh- uh- sure. Thank you, Jake. Really," she said. (Her voice was like sweet sugar, dampening the bitter coffee that was his life right then).
"Anytime, Bells. I'll be there soon," he said, hanging up. He was thankful that it was a Saturday. He was thankful for the mostly clear weather, and he was thankful for her truck deciding right then to not start. He would finally get to see her again, even if it was only briefly. He missed his best friend- so much.
Jacob just needed someone with a car that would be available. Billy was over with the Clearwater's. Leah had been roped into it, so she wouldn't be available. Embry and Quil didn't have cars- Sam. Sam had a car. And he was a quiet guy. He was also older- he'd know how to help Jacob a little. He was with Emily too, he knew how to woo a girl. ("Woo? Really, Black? I don't think-"). So he called up Sam, hoping that his memory was serving him well. It took a few rings, but finally, it got picked up.
"Hello?" Sam's gruff voice greeted Jacob's ears. Jacob couldn't have been happier.
"Sam! It's Jacob Black. I have a favor to ask."
ii
Jacob had piled his toolbox and himself into Sam's car with a little difficulty. Jacob was a large guy, getting bigger by what felt like the day, and Sam's car was tiny. (Jacob had half expected him to have a truck, as he had seen him driving one around a few times. Perhaps it wasn't his). Sam seemed curled up in the driver's seat too, which made Jacob feel a little better; at least he wasn't alone in the "feeling too big for everything" department.
Once Jacob was settled in and buckled, Sam shifted into drive and began the drive up to Forks. There was an awkward silence for a few minutes, just the rough sound of the engine, (seriously something needed to be looked at- it was squealing. Probably a serpentine belt wearing out), and the quiet music coming from the radio. Finally, Sam broke the quiet.
"Gonna be honest, Jacob wasn't expectin' you to give me a call," His voice was deeper than it had been only a year before. Sam was two years older than him and had been an important part of the community since graduating high school. Even though he didn't end up pursuing college like the Council had wanted, his community service and kindness granted him a reprieve from the nagging most would get. Sam seemed to have had a reason to be staying, (Jacob was confused for sure, as one of his sisters had gotten yelled at for weeks on end for not going), and they had accepted it. Sam had changed quite a bit but he was still nice to Jacob. "We haven't really talked in a long while. Figured with all the glarin' you were doin', that you wanted nothin' to do with me."
Jacob winced at being called out. He had spotted Sam talking to his dad in a conspiratorial way, and with some of his strange behavior, (what was it with him and walking around outside without a shirt?), Jacob had taken to disliking him. Jacob was also very poor at hiding how he felt when he was upset. It seemed to just leak out onto his face.
"Ah, sorry." Jacob rubbed the back of his neck, his long hair flowing over his shoulder from the movement. "Stuff's just weird now, I guess."
Sam just nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. "Don't worry 'bout it too much. I get it."
Jacob let out a sigh of relief, trying to think up something else to talk about. Sam beat him to it.
"So, why'd you need the ride again? You were kinda vague 'bout it."
"Oh, yeah. Something is up with Bella's truck. Bella Swan, you know her, right?" Jacob prompted, hoping that he didn't have to explain himself too much.
Something in Sam's expression shifted, just for a moment, and it made the younger man uncomfortable. "I know her. She's Chief Swan's kid, right? Finally moved back this year."
Jacob shyly responded in the affirmative. He was incredibly confused about Sam's tone. There was something so wrong about it, especially when it was about Bella.
"She's finally back where she belongs, huh? You must be real glad to have her back, Black," Sam said. He was so confident in that statement, and it was like he knew something that Jacob didn't.
"Uh, yeah. I'm glad she's back." Jacob tried to quiet himself, hoping he could avoid saying anything else for the rest of the trip.
"Tell me about it," Sam said. The words sent a shiver down Jacob's spine, and he frowned, locking his eyes on the man driving. Jacob felt compelled to do so, and it was strange.
The longer Jacob stared at him and kept his mouth shut, the stronger a feeling of anxiety grew in his gut. His chest started to feel heavy, and a splitting headache began to develop. Jacob couldn't understand what was happening, but something in him kept whispering for him to just talk to Sam. Jacob, beginning to feel like he was going to vomit, finally started speaking.
"I'm glad she's home. I am happy that I understand some of why she couldn't come home earlier. I am so incredibly excited to have the ability to go see her. It feels right, when she's there in front of me. She makes me feel so warm-" Jacob's mouth kept rattling off, but he couldn't control it. He didn't want to tell Sam these things. It was almost like he couldn't contain himself. His face twisted up in an expression of deep confusion and distress.
Sam seemed to catch onto it and let out a sigh.
"Sorry, Jacob. You don't have to tell me." Sam sounded almost remorseful, but Jacob didn't know what for. What did Sam have to do with any of that?
The rest of the drive remained silent. Jacob was left to his thoughts of Bella, and his hopes for the day. He just wanted to spend time with her. He wanted to grasp at her tiny little fingers with his large hands and keep them warm. (She was always so cold, he loved it, because he naturally drew her in with his warmth). He wanted a lot, but he kept it locked down, trying to look forward to at least seeing her again.