Drinking with her boys was an experience. It wasn't long before Bella was grateful for Leah's presence. The older girl kept them all in hysterics with snarky comments and sly observations.
Quil, already talkative by nature, never stopped once the alcohol took hold. He made a fool of himself with lewd commentary that had the rest of them in tears. Eventually, Embry took charge of the situation and volunteered to walk the other boy home.
Jacob moved to turn the radio down as the boys stood to leave and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the lack of voices from the backyard. Peeking his head out the door to look, he scoffed and announced everyone was gone. The lights in the house were out, but Bella's truck remained in the driveway.
"Either Charlie's asleep on the couch, or Sue and Harry took him home," Jacob said, glancing back at Bella.
"Mom probably drove him home," Leah said. "She had to do that a lot when we were kids."
Bella lifted her wrist to look at her watch and squinted through hazy vision to read it. Finally, noting where the shorter hand sat, she gasped. "Jake, it's almost three in the morning!"
"Well, they knew we were drinking out here. It's not like Charlie would let you drive home," Leah teased. "Speaking of which." She lifted her car keys from the arm of the old couch she was sitting on, and Jacob swiped them from her fingers.
"If you want to go home, I'll walk you," Jacob said sternly despite a slight slur in his speech.
Leah laughed. "I planned to put them under the driver's seat and walk, Handsy. Now that I'm thinking about it, I might just curl up in my back seat and nap."
"Good. No one here needs to drive anywhere."
Bella scoffed, "You can't be serious. Leah can't sleep in her car. There is no way that little cavalier seat is comfortable for that."
Jacob laughed and said, "Well. I can crash in the recliner and let you girls take my bed. Hell. If one of you wants the recliner, I'll sleep on my bedroom floor or next to Bells." He winked at Bella and said, "Wouldn't be the first time, huh? Unless Charlie went home because then I can sleep on the couch."
He turned toward Embry and Quil, lingering in the doorway with one arm around each other, and said, "Just sleep in the twin's room like usual, guys. Tiffany and Joy have locked you out for the night by now."
Embry seemed to find that hysterical and giggled as Quil said, "Won't be the first time for that, either." He patted Embry on the back as Embry gave Quil a sad, apologetic grin. "Come on. Let's go see if there's any s'ketti left."
"Don't wake my dad," Jacob warned as they stepped outside. "Remember, don't let…"
"The microwave ding," they chorused, stumbling toward the house through the dark.
Jacob gave Leah a sheepish grin and said, "That stupid microwave might as well be an alarm. It'll pull Dad out of a dead sleep. Hell. I can hear it from my room at the other end of the house."
"It hurts Quil's ears," Bella said, laughing.
"His hearing is insane these days," Jacob said, frowning. "It's weird. He can probably hear me talking now."
"Bullshit," Leah grumbled. "You're drunk and talking smack."
Bella snorted and shook her head. She was well aware of Quil's mutant hearing capabilities.
"He was weirdly hot today, too," Leah said, staring out the door toward the house. She caught the uncomfortable glance between Jacob and Bella and scowled. "Ew. No. Not like that. His body temperature. The boy is a furnace. Didn't either of you feel it?"
"I don't make a habit of feeling up on Quil," Bella joked. "I'm not really the 'take your cousin to prom' type."
Leah howled, and her face lit up as tears of laughter welled in her eyes. Jacob snorted as he tried to muffle his laughter, setting Leah off again. Bella watched them, drunkenly grinning as she took in their beauty. Jacob's dazzling smile would nearly steal her breath sometimes. Although moments of true clarity had been few over the last few months, those most clear seemed filled with Jacob's ever-changing presence. Physically, Bella couldn't deny that he was one of the most attractive people she knew. That attraction only grew as his muscles swelled and his already towering frame grew.
Romantically, Bella thought of Jacob as her friend, but the occasional twinge of desire he inspired confused her. She was unsure what to feel when he made her heart lurch or her palms sweat. Sometimes, there was an ache or throb in areas her best friend shouldn't affect. It confused her, leaving Bella overthinking her true feelings and contemplating everything that could go wrong.
As she took in the beauty of Leah's genuine joy, Bella could not help but feel the same dazed wonder. Was this the same girl that was recently cheated on and dumped?
Sam Uley is a complete idiot. Bella could feel the blush creeping into her cheeks and tried to blink away her befuddled state, pondering if she'd been overthinking where Jacob was concerned. Perhaps the feelings he inspired in her weren't attraction, per se.
Maybe they were just… happiness? Affection? She already knew Jacob made her happier than anyone she knew. And perhaps it was just normal for her to find him attractive sometimes. They were hormonal teenagers.
Maybe Leah's friendship could make her feel truly happy, too. It was something to consider.
Leah announced she needed to pee and left Bella and Jacob still standing in the garage doorway. As they watched her walk away, Jacob frowned and shook his head.
Assuming his thoughts were similar, Bella muttered, "Sam's an idiot, right?"
Jacob's face brightened as he turned toward her and grinned. "Leah's pretty great. He did a real number on her, though. I'm still pretty mad at him."
Bella teased, "Being protective, are you?"
He scoffed. "Of course. What kind of friend would I be if I wasn't? Huh?"
Bella laughed. "You know? Somehow, I don't think she needs it."
Jacob nodded and then cringed as Leah shut the back door to his house a little too hard. "And she probably just woke my dad. I'm gonna just…" He glanced toward the couch, and Bella snorted. She couldn't blame him. Billy was an absolute bear when woken abruptly.
She leaned conspiratorially toward him and whispered, "Should we wait for him to go back to sleep before we risk it?"
"Yea…"
Jacob cackled as Bella stumbled sideways, and he rushed to catch her. Her head spun as he scooped her into his arms and shuffled across the room toward the couch. Jacob plopped down in the center, leaving Bella sprawled across his lap.
"Easy, Chief," she grumbled, making him laugh again.
Apparently, drunk Jacob thought she was hilarious. She glanced down at herself in his lap before meeting his merry gaze. She bit back a grin as he realized where she sat, and his cheeks turned pink.
"Sorry. It was, sit or we were both gonna hit the floor."
"Uh, huh." Bella giggled nervously, still somewhat dizzy, unaware of the blush in her own rosy cheeks. "I guess this will just have to do, then."
He huffed, feigning disappointment as he teased, "Yeah. I guess so."
She cackled, bringing a beaming smile back to his face. Bella's grin gradually faded as her eyes drifted down his jaw to the side of his neck. His long black hair cascaded over his shoulder, partially hiding the peek of his warm skin under his fit v-neck t-shirt. Again, she became mesmerized by the sheer beauty of her best friend as warmth flooded her limbs only to pool between her thighs. Jacob's brow furrowed as he stared back at her curiously, and she reached up to trace the crease in his brow before brushing his hair out of her way.
Jacob's breath hitched, bringing awareness to her own shallow breath and pounding heart. Impulsively and more than a little fueled by liquid courage, she leaned in and kissed his cheek.
Well… she was aiming for his cheek. Her lips tingled against the heat of his skin as her lips brushed the corner of his mouth. Her eyes went wide as she pulled away, surprised with herself. Jacob left her no time to fret over it as he cupped her cheek in one large hand and pressed his lips to hers. Instinctively, Bella leaned into him, shoving one hand into his hair near the scalp as the other palmed his firm chest over his t-shirt. Her lips parted in a gasp, and his tongue slid into her mouth. The sensation was instantly mesmerizing, leaving her dazed as their surroundings faded and their kisses deepened.
A few minutes later, she finally pulled away, nearly gasping for breath as his dark eyes fluttered open and met hers. She let herself fall back against his chest, closing her eyes as his arms wrapped around her waist.
I just kissed my best friend. Bella giggled. She couldn't help it. Jacob's laughter joined hers a moment later, and they cackled like idiots, hugging each other tight.
"Bells, I had no idea…" Jacob mumbled as his laughter calmed.
"Me either." She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth and looked away, wondering how much she should look into what had just happened.
As though he could read her mind, Jacob whispered, "Don't overthink it, Bells."
"Hmmm. You too," Bella said as she nuzzled her face against Jacob's chest. "Just let it lie."
He adjusted his sitting position and suddenly lay back on the couch with Bella sprawled over his chest. He teased, "Like this, yeah?"
Bella grinned against his chest as her eyes fluttered shut, feeling warm and content. "Exactly."
The rise and fall of his chest underneath her relaxed her further, and she drifted off to sleep.
Bella woke suddenly and blinked as her eyes tried to adjust to the dark room. A warm, firm body beside her left her nervously turning over to see who it was. The mattress creaked as she moved, and suddenly, her head pounded. She was relieved to find the person next to her was Jacob and wondered when he'd carried her inside. She had no recollection of leaving the garage.
Bella's head spun as she tried to sit up, and she nearly fell over as her stomach rolled. She'd eaten little more than salad at dinner, gaining far more calories from the four beers and shots of rum. The stale taste of beer in her mouth nearly made her gag as she stood on shaky legs and stumbled out of Jacob's bedroom and into the hallway.
Finding her balance, she rushed down the hall and into the bathroom just in time to reach the sink. What little remained in her stomach burned as it came up and splattered into the basin. Bella turned on the faucet, hoping to drown out the sound of her retching and rinse the sink of vomit. She rinsed her mouth before patting cold water on her face, hoping to clear what little buzz remained.
She emerged from the bathroom and blindly shuffled toward the kitchen to find something to settle her stomach. As she neared the end of the hallway, Bella froze as hushed, flirtatious tones grabbed her attention.
Is that Leah's voice? Bella peeked around the corner to find Leah and Embry standing close together, wide awake while quietly bantering back and forth.
"Whatever," Embry muttered, shaking his head at a grinning Leah.
"No, I mean it," Leah whispered. "I appreciate it. I do." She reached up to toy with Embry's hair as his ears turned pink, and Bella had to bite back a laugh. She had never seen him blush so furiously before. He straightened his position somewhat, gaining confidence with her touch and whatever praise Leah had provided.
Deciding not to interrupt them, Bella quietly took a step backward. Her back slammed into something warm and firm as a large, rough hand covered her mouth to mute her gasp of surprise. Bella carefully turned to find Quil behind her, glaring past her into the kitchen. He raised one finger to his mouth in a shushing gesture as his hard, angry stare bored into hers from behind his shaggy, messy curls. As Leah and Embry's whispered conversation continued, Quil looked over Bella's head to the kitchen, his mouth pressed into a straight, angry line.
That Embry and Leah definitely liked each other was one thing, but Bella couldn't help but wonder why Quil seemed so pissed about it. Would it be so terrible if his best friend and cousin ended up together? After everything Sam had done, a boy as kind and sweet as Embry could be a welcome change for her.
The unmistakable sound of smacking lips and a soft mewling noise from Leah made Bella's cheeks turn pink as Quil's temper flared. His eyes burned into Bella's as he looked down into her face before squeezing his eyes shut as if in pain. A familiar ache echoed through her chest as she recognized the hurt on her cousin's face. It was the same pain she felt after her heartbreak, the kind one only knows after one's heart feels torn from their chest.
What the hell is happening here? Quil couldn't possibly have feelings for Leah. They were cousins and grew up together. Perhaps he's afraid Embry will be a rebound and get hurt? Bella felt intruding, confused as Hell, and wished she'd never crawled out of bed.
Without a word, Quil turned and walked back into the twins' old room and quietly shut the door behind him. Bella crept back to Jacob's room, ignoring the louder-than-they-realized kissing noises behind her.
Jacob opened one eye as Bella crawled back into the bed and whispered, "You okay?"
"I can tell I'm not much of a drinker," she muttered as she squeezed her eyes shut against the pounding in her head. Jacob leaned over her to grab something from his nightstand and pressed a full water bottle into her hand.
"Drink as much of that as you can and go back to sleep," he advised. "You should feel better when you wake up."
"Thanks, Doctor Black," she teased and opened the bottle. Jacob chuckled as she sat up and drank from the cool, crisp water. It surprised her that her stomach began to settle, and she yawned before lying beside him.
After an awkward silence, she asked, "When did we come inside?"
Jacob squinted at his alarm clock and mumbled, "Only an hour ago or so. The sun should start rising soon."
"Is my dad still here?"
"No. Sue took him home like Leah thought she would."
That explained a lot. There was no way Jacob would be in bed with her if Charlie were here to catch him. It surprised Bella to find it didn't bother her, however. She was more than comfortable with her best friend's proximity. She'd slept next to him sober, of course. He just usually slept on the floor or the couch.
With abrupt clarity, the memory of kissing him in the garage flooded her vision, and heat rushed to her cheeks.
"Oh, good lord," she muttered, and he chuckled as he draped one arm over her waist.
"Remember what we said, Bells? Don't overthink it. Just let it lie."
She snorted, tried not to laugh, and hissed, "Would you get out of my head?" This time, Jacob cackled, turning onto his back as his laugh boomed to the ceiling. "You're gonna get us in trouble, you know?"
Jacob shook his head before turning toward her and brushed her hair away from her face. His grin softened as his eyes shone with mischief, and he said, "Wouldn't want that, would we? You'd have to go sleep on the couch."
Bella giggled as he tickled her ribs and slapped his hand away. "You would have to go sleep on the couch. You'd never kick me out of your bed." Realizing what she said, Bella slapped her hand over her mouth to muffle fresh, embarrassed laughter.
Jacob's cheeks turned pink as he buried his face against his pillow and huffed, "Shut it, Bells."
Seeing her cocky, playful best friend blushing and embarrassed only made her adore him more. She remembered how he'd kissed her in the garage, recalling how it turned her insides to mush. Perhaps she was more attracted to Jacob Black than she wanted to admit.
Surprising them both, she whispered, "Maybe we should try that sober sometime. See if it feels the same."
Jacob's head jerked up as he turned to meet her gaze, searching her face for any sign of teasing. Another bright smile slowly split his handsome face as he realized she wasn't making fun of him.
Trying to sound indifferent, he teased, "Yeah, maybe."
Bella took advantage of his proximity and leaned into his warmth as she shut her eyes. She refused to explore the idea or risks to their relationship… for now.
Jacob redraped his arm over her side and snuggled closer. Bella sighed, content as she buried her face against his neck, waiting for sleep to claim her.
Please review. xo.