Chapter 3:
Bella
"JACOB," I squeal, involuntarily. His name tumbling out of its own accord as my cheeks immediately flush. The heat from the blood rushing to my cheeks warms my entire face in the cool air.
The man leaping off the porch is in no way the lanky boy I left behind years ago. His chest muscles ripple underneath his black t-shirt, which is working hard to stay in one piece over his massive frame. His arms bulge beneath his sleeves, the veins on his forearms prominent as he wraps them around my waist. It's like being hugged by an oven that lifts weights. I'm encased by his warmth and the smell of pine and wet earth. Pleasant and woodsy. It comforts me in a way I didn't think I'd find this soon returning home. I press my face to his chest and inhale, hoping he won't notice.
"Bella, where the heck have you been?" He chuckles, brushing one of his large, rough hands across the back of my head, trailing down my hair to my back. "Did you miss me so much, you have to breathe me in?" He laughs again, looking down to me with one eyebrow raised.
Busted.
I tense, not sure how to recover from my squeal or the awkward sniffing. But his smile has me melting again as he holds me out with both of his arms. "Don't worry, Bells. I know I can be overwhelming." His big cheesy grin beaming down at me, displaying a set of bright white teeth.
The better to eat me with.
"Glad to see you're just as cocky as I remember," I groan, swatting his hands away.
"But definitely more handsome," he says, wagging his eyebrows as I pretend to gag. "Come on, Bella, let me show you around."
We both turn to wave to Charlie, who's still standing by the truck, looking at me expectantly.
"Shit, I need to grab my bags." Of course, I'd run off with some overly built dreamboat from my past and leave my dad standing there with my baggage. Charlie just shakes his head as I load everything out of the truck. The bags don't even hit the ground before Jacob is picking them all up at once. When did he get so strong? Did puberty come twice for this guy?
Seeing me eye him suspiciously, he just shrugs. "I've been doing a lot of working out since you've been gone."
Charlie barks out a laugh and gets back into the truck. Rolling the window down as he pulls away, he shouts out to me, "I'll be back in the morning, Bella." Then, after a pause adds, "Jacob, behave. She may be in her twenties now, but I'm still the Chief of police."
"Some things never change." Jacob grins, turning back to the house with all of my luggage. He's carrying everything so effortlessly that my mouth falls open at the sight. It takes a second for me to follow because the view of him walking away may be better than the front side.
That's when I see him. A reflection of light shining back at me from the woods.
Out of the corner of my eye, barely beyond the tree line, is a man. I can't make out much other than his black pants and hoodie, with the hood pulled up over his head. He's standing there, completely still, just staring at me. Fear begins to coil in my gut and paralyzes me. His eyes seem to cut right through me. His stance is predatory, like he's found his next meal and he can't wait to devour me.
"Bella, you coming, loca?" Jacob calls from the doorway. His words unfreeze me and I look up toward him. When I glance back at the woods, he's gone.