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Double Deceit

Chapter 14

BPOV

I took a breath to compose myself after Edward and I had our goodbye kiss. It had been a fantastic week and I didn't want it to end, but sadly we had to return to reality. I let go of his hand and practically ran out of baggage claim to the arrivals section, where I stopped dead in my tracks.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to pick you up," Jacob smiled.

I looked around, this had to be a joke.

"Dad was supposed to pick me up. Did something happen?" I panicked.

"No, Bella, nothing happened, I just got here before he did." "Come, let me take you home," he said, his hand outstretched.

"No, I'm not going anywhere with you. I'll stay here waiting for dad, I'll wait all day if I have to." I replied a little petulantly, but I didn't care.

He sighed, "Bella, please, it looks like it's going to rain. Baby, please get in the car."

"No, I'm going to wait for dad!" I snapped again, taking my phone out and calling him.

You've reached Charles swan, I can't come to the phone right now, please leave a message and I will call you right back.

Shit!

"Dad, where are you? Why aren't you at the airport? I'm waiting for you here. Please call me back, it's urgent. He's here, Jacob is here," I said.

I went to a nearby bench and sat, Jacob following me, unfortunately. "You can get back in the car and go, Jacob, I'm not going with you."

To my relief a guard told him he had to move the car. "I will be back, Bella, this isn't over. We have to talk," he said. I crossed my arms and watched as Jacob moved away from the arrivals section. I knew he was going to come back!

I could see Edward watching me from a distance, I saw how he hugged his son and placed him back in his seat. He looked at me for a second…I wanted to run to him, get in the car with him instead.

I saw his reluctance, but signaled for him to go on. I didn't want Jacob to see him. I kept calling my parents, but they didn't answer, and now I was starting to worry.

A few minutes later just as I predicted, Jacob came around, "Isabella, get in the car please, it's starting to rain, and it's cold, you're going to get sick!"

I looked up to the sky as the first drops of rain started to fall, my heart started beating in my chest as I got up and walked the short distance from the bench to the car. Jacob grabbed my suitcases to put them in the back. I stood there paralyzed.

He opened the door and went to grab my hand, I recoiled away from him.

"I can get in myself, I don't need your help," I snapped.

Jacob huffed and went to get in the car, he had the heater on and had brought my blanket…did he go to my parent's house to get it? I only have two, the other was in my suitcase.

"Your mom didn't let me get the one at her house, so I bought another one," he explained.

"That's the third one I bought," he added.

He'd given me the first when I turned sixteen, and the other one as a wedding present.

"I'm here against my will just so you know,"

He huffed, "Why are you so…never mind. I don't want to argue." "Are you going to keep avoiding me?" I nodded.

"Why?"

He's kidding right?

"We have to talk, Bella," I looked at him.

"I know, but I don't want to talk now, I'm tired from the flight. "Besides I thought we were going to talk with both our parents present," he chuckled.

"This is our problem, Bella, so we have to solve it as a couple. You can't just run off to mom and dad when the going gets tough," he said.

"I wasn't running off, you hit me, or did you forget that?"

He hung his head, "No, I'm not that asshole," he muttered.

He took off his glasses and I saw what Angela had mentioned before, he indeed had a blackeye.

"Who did that?"

"Your father," he sighed, I inwardly smiled.

"Can we go somewhere and talk please?" Jacob asked after a few minutes.

"Fine, Jacob," I said resigned.

He nodded and we continued driving. I had planned to sleep while on the car ride but I couldn't, I was anxious. I started fidgeting with the edges of my blanket.

"Where are we going?"

"To the diner, I assume you don't want to be alone with me right now."

I nodded. Jacob sighed.

After about twenty more minutes we made it to the diner, Jacob chose a table in the middle of the room, I took a relieved breath, I thought he would get a secluded booth and I didn't want that.

"Good afternoon, are you ready to order?"

"Yes," Jacob interjected before I could answer, the waitress proceeded to take his order.

She then turned to me, "What will you be ordering today?"

I skimmed through the menu but I was so anxious that nothing looked appetizing. After a few more seconds I finally settled on something.

"Chocolate chip waffles with cream cheese sauce and strawberries."

"Any sides with that?"

"Yes, sausage and hash browns. Could you make sure the sausages are fully cooked?" I asked.

"Yes, I'll tell the cook, anything else?"

"A hot cocoa please," the waiter nodded and then turned to place our orders in the kitchen.

I was silently waiting for Jacob to say something, he just kept looking at me. I placed my hand over my stomach, he followed the movement.

"Everything okay?" I nodded. "Bella I…" A few seconds later she came back with my hot chocolate and Jacob's coffee.

"You were saying," I motioned towards him with my mug, in a gesture he should continue as I took a sip.

He leaned forward on the table, "Bella look, I'm so sorry about what happened. I'm not excusing myself, but I don't know what came over me."

"You hurt me Jacob, plain and simple. You did to me what I never thought possible, not coming from you at least."

"I was so angry, I…"

"You took your anger out on me."

"Again, I'm not trying to excuse myself, but you know how important that Rothchild's account is, and they always seem to like you, so I needed you there. I thought you were just trying to bail. You have been distant and distracted lately, I thought you were messing with me."

I placed my mug down, "You're out of your damn mind, Jacob! Why the hell would I not want to go with you to a dinner we've been going to since before we got married?!" I snapped.

"I was already feeling horrible because I'd barely slept. I spent the night in the bathroom. Then you came in demanding things and you weren't listening to reason. You then pushed me, punched me in the face, busted my lip and to top it all off, you broke my wrist…"

He looked taken aback, "I did all that? I'm so sorry, Bella, you have to believe me."

"You don't remember what you did to me?" I was angry. How could he forget something like this?

He confirmed he didn't with a shake of his head, "I don't remember much, I kind of blacked out, I remember going home, talking to you, and then I sent someone else to the restaurant. All I remember is, I woke up in my parents' house with a massive headache. I'm so sorry," he whimpered.

"You hurt me SO much, Jacob. Not just physically, but emotionally. Now you sit here and tell me you don't remember!"

This really doesn't sound like him at all. I don't know what to make of it, I'm still anxious. I just want to get home.

I rolled my eyes, "Your parents came to see me, they saw my injuries. They didn't tell you anything?" he shook his head no.

"They just told me you kicked them out of the hospital because they were defending me."

That was true, but they did see my injuries. Why didn't they tell Jacob? That didn't sound right, not with the way they reacted. Why would they hide the truth?

"No matter what your parents told you. No matter what kind of stress you were under from work, or lack of sleep. None of it justifies what you did to me. You have no right to hit me or hurt me like that at all. It's unacceptable and wrong!"

"I know, Bella, baby, you have to believe me. I've berated myself every day since that moment, I've never cried so much in my life. These days without you have been hell." He looked pained.

"No, Jacob. You couldn't have berated yourself as you put it. You know why?"

He just sat there and before he could reply, I spoke again.

"Because you don't remember! You don't know what it was like for me, what I went through. Your parents didn't tell you what I looked like, the bruises your beating caused me."

I stopped, I just couldn't say anymore. I was breathing too hard and needed to calm down, for my babies.

Thankfully, our food arrived. It kept both of us from continuing the conversation. Looking down at my plate, I started picking at it. I didn't want to eat it but I couldn't resist, everything smelled delicious. Besides, I remembered Edward chastising me for not eating enough. I took a few bites while Jacob tucked into his meal. We were silent for a few minutes as we ate, I looked at my watch and my phone, dad hadn't called me back. The worry I'd felt before intensified. Has something happened to them?

"Bella, I want you back, I need you to come home. The house feels so empty and cold without you," Jacob said, bringing me back from my worried musings.

I gave him a once over but remained silent, "You weren't planning on coming home, were you?"

"No, I'm staying with my parents," he looked defeated.

"Bella, no, you're my wife, we need to be together…" he pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Jacob, but I'm not ready…I want us to sit down with our parents and see what they have to say before I decide anything."

He sat back in the booth crossing his arms.

"You don't love me anymore…" I scoffed, the nerve of this man!

"It's not a matter of love, Jacob. It's a matter of trust. You broke the trust I put in you. You shattered it to a million pieces once you decided to hit me and it wasn't the first time. You've always yelled at me when you're angry, buzzed, or completely shit-faced. I didn't say anything before because I was trying to be a 'good wife' but this stops now. Like I said, it's not that I don't love you, but that I don't trust you."

Hell…I didn't know if I loved him anymore…I knew I didn't love him the way I love Edward.

"Bella, I want you back, I'll do whatever you want me to do to gain your trust again, I promise. I've changed, I swear."

I raised an eyebrow at him, he sighed.

"Your father made me take some anger management workshops, Bella, which is why I'm asking you to come back home with me, please," he begged again.

"Really? My dad asked you to do that?" Jacob nodded.

I was silent as I pondered on what he said. Doubt started to seep into my mind…Was it true? Should I go back to him? Act like everything is back to normal, at least until September?

No, I'm not going to decide anything until I talk with my parents. Dad said he needed to meet with us, so I believe that Angela's suspicions were true. He either made some changes or drafted a new contract. I resolved myself to wait until I talked to my parents. I took the last few bites of my food and asked for water, I was ready to leave. I looked at my watch again, this talk had taken longer than I'd expected. I wanted to get back.

"Look Jake, I…can't commit to anything. Not before we speak to our parents. Please understand. Can you take me back to my parent's house? I'd really appreciate it."

He sighed and lowered his head again, "Fine Bella, I've stated my case…there's nothing else I can do for now. I do hope that you'll forgive me. Nothing would make me happier," he said, his eyes filled with tears.

He wiped his eyes with a napkin and left a fifty-dollar bill on the table. That should be enough to cover both meals, drinks, and a nice tip for the waitress. I grabbed my things and headed towards the door.

"I love you, Bella, and I won't back down until I have you back, that's the hill I'll die on," Jacob said after turning on the engine and backing out of the parking lot back into the interstate.

~DD~

I was still anxious because my parents weren't answering their phones. Jacob and I talked but I was still weary of him, I wanted to get out of the car, I wanted to be anywhere but here with him. Everything he'd said was swirling in my head. I was confused, today didn't go as planned. He wasn't supposed to pick me up, dad was.

I was supposed to go home and relax after the flight, but that didn't happen. I was still on my way to my parents' house with Jacob. He kept looking at me and trying to grab my hand, but I kept both arms over my stomach, firmly under the blanket. I wasn't planning on seeing Jacob today, not without our parents present. I'd gotten in the car because I didn't want to cause a scene or alert Edward, he didn't know who my husband was and I didn't know what he would do if he actually met him.

We were still a way away from our city, but I wasn't feeling well. My stomach hurt, I had nausea and trouble breathing.

"Bella, are you okay?"

"I, I…please pull over!"

"What's going on?"

"Please pull over, Jacob!"

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked, alarmed as he finally listened and pulled over.

I couldn't answer him. I opened the door and emptied my stomach on the side of the road. I heaved and heaved until everything I had inside was on the pavement.

Jacob kneeled beside me, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know…I can't…breathe,"

"Are you feeling anything else, any other pain?"

I struggled to answer, "My head hurts pretty bad, my stomach too, and my side." I said clutching the left side of my torso.

Jacob tried to help me stand but I was too weak. He placed my arm behind his neck and placed his hand under my knees, he carried me to the car.

"Bella, baby, what do I do?" He asked in a panicked tone.

"Hospital…call Dr. C…mom…dad."

I don't remember anything else after he closed the door.

Thoughts, feelings, any ideas?

Is Jacob really regretful or is it all a facade?

What have him and Leah been doing all of this time that Bella and Edward have been away?

Why do you think Hayden doesn't want to be with Leah?