*DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to the Twilight Saga and it's characters. This is purely artistic fiction drawn in inspiration from Stephenie Meyer's words.
*No content warning this chapter... how surprising! Enjoy! :D
Bella squirmed in the passenger seat, unable to sit still. Paul's punitive words were swimming around her mind on a repetitive loop, eating away at her conscience like battery acid. She couldn't shake off the intense feeling of guilt that consumed her.
The jumbled pieces of her past finally fit together. Bella saw how selfish she'd been, chasing after Edward, caught up in his spinning web of saccharine lies, drawn in by the perfumed, shimmering perfection of immortality. She ignored every crimson red flag—every atrocity the Cullen family committed—all for a dangerous fantasy.
Paul's words served as a catalyst, gifting Bella what she really needed most: a rude, eye-opening wake up call. The minor discomfort was worth it. No more waiting around. She was determined to search up nearby therapists tomorrow morning; the last domino to fall in line, beginning her personal growth journey. After her research, Bella planned to talk to the pack as a whole and put the past behind her.
"Penny for your thoughts, honey?" She startled at Jake's smooth baritone voice, accompanied by his fiery hand squeezing her thigh above her knee.
"Just... just thinking." She mumbled, wringing her hands together.
"Yeah, I gathered that. What about?" He studied her expression for a split second and then focused back to the empty road ahead.
"What Paul said." Bella grimaced, tightening her hands into fists in her lap. "He's right."
"Bells, I already told you. Don't listen to what he says. He's an ass and doesn't understand half of the stuff that comes out of that cocky mouth of his." Jake's knuckles turned pale with how hard he was clutching the steering wheel. "He needs a little humbling."
"Asshole or not—he's still right, Jacob. At least a little."
"About what, exactly? The garbage he said about you?"
"Yes," she chewed on her bottom lip, "I did leave, and I did break your heart. It makes complete sense. I'd hate me, too." A lump formed in her throat.
"Nobody hates you. They're protective, is all." Jake relaxed his grip on the wheel. "Sure, at the time, the world felt like it was ending, but again—we were kids, Bells. What happened between us then is none of his, or anyone else's concern. You're here now." Jake squeezed her left hand. "I love you. I always will."
"I love you, too." Bella whispered.
"I don't think I'll ever get enough of hearing you say that."
"Say what?" She was distracted again.
Her gaze lazily trailed up until it met his reflection in the rear-view mirror. Bella's heart skipped a beat. His pearlescent smile bloomed across the lower half of his face, contrasting against his dark, copper-colored skin. Umber eyes full of hope, sparkling in the midday sun.
"That you love me."
Heat filled Bella's face, a soft blush gracing the apples of her cheeks. The way he looked at her, like she could do no wrong in his eyes. That's how he always saw her; even when she was blind to his adoration, he never faltered, never gave up on Bella.
To save time, Jake chose to park in front of the building, not knowing they had extra minutes to spare. The clock the movie projectors ran off of was slow compared to the time on their phones.
"Do you think we're gonna make it?" Bella asked.
Jake opened her door for her, waited for her to hop out, and quickly steadied her uneven stance with a gentle hand at her waist.
"Maybe. We still have popcorn and slushees to get." He shrugged.
"But I'm not hungr—"
"Bella. Don't." Jake replied. "A handful of popcorn isn't gonna kill you."
"Fine." She sighed. This was something he would fight her on. He was just as stubborn as she was, if not more so. It was for her own good.
When they finally sat down with their snacks, the last opening advertisement rolled across the screen and the house lights dimmed. They were the only ones in the echoey room; a matinee on a Friday being empty wasn't unheard of, but school did start up the past week. Jake insisted they sat in the very center row of the theater and middle of the aisle for the best view possible. It didn't specify on their tickets where they were supposed to sit, and the usher didn't tell them otherwise.
Bella had to concentrate watching the first scene. She was still thinking about having left Forks and Jake behind. A montage between the main protagonist, a zombie, and his love interest lit up the enormous screen. The zombie was slowly becoming human again as he fell deeper in love. She suddenly hated that prospect. Bella compared the movie to her relationship with Jake and unfortunate history with Edward.
In the past, she had no problem changing entirely who she was for Edward, throwing away her humanity so young for superficial fear of growing older, becoming the ethereal, resplendent 'butterfly' she wished she was. To Bella, vampires were perfect, but it was further from the truth, and even farther away from the natural order of things.
Bella acknowledged her previous, misguided wrongs, but what teenager wasn't a little self-centered and deaf to reason? It was no easy task navigating through adolescence. Bullies picking fights, deciding a permanent career path, figuring out a niche, making friends, surging hormones, and passing tests worth more than half the final grade... was hard.
For Bella, she had all of that, and considerably more. She moved half way across the United States to Forks, Washington as a junior, effectively restarting her life. Bella unsuspectingly caught the attention of an obsessive century old vampire the moment she walked into advanced biology. Add in her near death experience at the hands of a tracker vampire and his thoroughly pissed off red-headed mate, who sought revenge with a newborn army, and finding out her best friend was a shapeshifter/werewolf. That was life before graduation.
Granted, the most ironic occurrence was Bella struggling more with the fact Jake shifted into a giant wolf when she was seventeen. For whatever the reason, she had no issues with dating a vampire, but her best friend turning into a wolf? That wasn't fair to her. She was definitely selfish, wanting to keep him within reach while throwing herself willingly at vampirism. Now that she was older, she held more sympathy for Jake's fate. All the pack's fate. Compared to them, she had it easy.
All nine wolves changed against their will; lives being uprooted, risking everything to protect their loved ones, forced to keep their shifting a secret. Sam was only trying to do what was best for the pack at the time, not really sure how to lead or be an alpha, either. He was, coincidentally, the first to shift and oldest, which put him in charge.
The Cullen's arrival not only ruined the pack's futures and chances at normal life, regardless of their so-called vegetarian lifestyle, but also altered hers. Things were much less complicated now, and everything was different, yet unchanged in other ways.
The booming sound of gunfire pulled her from her repetitive thoughts, and she was lost on what was happening with the plot.
Bella looked over at Jake, who was enthralled in the movie. The large bucket of popcorn was already gone, and he was pawing at a bag of sour straws—his favorite. He didn't notice her looking, or at least pretended not to, deliberately leaving his free hand face up on the armrest to his chair. She entwined her fingers with his; he gently squeezed hers and leaned over to whisper in her ear.
"How're you liking the movie? I think it's almost over." She could smell the sweetness on his breath, making her hunger for a taste of his lips. Just one, she lied.
"It's good. I'm glad we came." Bella replied, planting a poignant kiss on his warm cheek. "I almost feel... normal."
"Ditto." He murmured, rubbing his thumb across hers.
A few more minutes passed and the ending credits slowly droned across the big screen. The lights were still dimmed. Jake ceased his pursuit of the sour straws, placing the near empty bag into the cup holder on his left side.
"What time did you say we were having dinner with Charlie?" He whispered, leaning even closer to her.
"I told him 5 o'clock." Bella reached for him and grabbed his chin, angling his face so they were eye to eye.
"W-what? What is it?" He blinked rapidly. "Do I have popcorn stuck to my face?"
"No." She shook her head.
"Is it in my teeth?" He flashed another blinding smile, and she playfully scrunched her nose. Jake really was perfect, not in the obvious sort of way, but in his own way. She loved his smile, every time he did healed a piece of her soul.
"No, you're good."
"What's up?" He asked, confusion marring his expression.
Bella didn't respond. She leaned forward, her lips brushed his gingerly, and she felt him tense. Her intent was to simply kiss him, but a mischievous idea derailed her train of thought, engulfing it like wildfire.
"Jacob. Kiss me." She said with pointed confidence. Bella trailed her tongue along the outside of his bottom lip and tasted the lingering sugar crystals from the sour straws still on his mouth.
Jake sucked in a hiss of air, massive hands cupping both sides of her jawline. He inched forward and closed the gap between them. Their kiss was soft, tentative, yet filled with burning passion. Time ticked on. They blissfully remained unaware of the standstill quietness, continuing to indulge long after the credits ended.
The house lights kicked on, putting an end to their desperate kiss. Bella recoiled, covering her swollen, rosy pink lips with her hand. The up-turned ends of a nervous smile poked out from behind the fan of her fingers. They laughed together in unison at the situation. It was like they were teens again. Jake stretched his long limbs, standing up from the reclining theater chair. He extended his hand to her and helped her stand.
Jake pulled his cellphone out of his pocket to study the time. His brows knitted together in question.
"I guess my dad tried calling while we were watching the movie."
"Did he leave a voicemail?" Bella asked.
"Yeah, I'm listening to it now." Jake hit the play button and lifted the phone to his ear.
"Jacob, it's me, Dad. I took a page out of your mother's book. Been thinkin' about what I said and I don't want anything to drive us apart. It's so easy to forget you're a man now and capable of making your own decisions, but you'll always be my little boy—my baby."
The recording paused, becoming muffled for a split second, and then resumed. Billy's voice was hewn with blatant emotion.
"As a father, I want what's best for you. To keep you happy, healthy, and safe. It's gonna take me a while to accept the news of your imprint given your history with Bella. However, if it's what you want, it's not my place to judge. I want you to know that I'm damn proud of you, and I know mom would be, too. I changed my mind about dinner. I'm hitchin' a ride with Charlie. See you soon, son. I love you."
Jake locked his phone, slid it back into his pocket, glanced down at his feet, and cleared his throat.
"What'd he say?" Bella touched his forearm, peering up into his sable hued eyes.
"I guess he changed his mind. He's gonna be at dinner."
"Did he sound upset?"
"No, actually." Jake sported a dubious stare, trying to make sense of his dad's change of heart.
"That's good isn't it?" Bella tugged on his arm, grabbing her half empty slushee cup. "C'mon, we gotta get outta here. They're gonna kick us out."
"It's great, Bells. He's usually deep-set in his ways. It's hard to get him to change his mind." Jake collected his trash in the empty popcorn bucket and held her hand with his free one.
"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." She tossed her cup into the receptacle by the double doors.
"Hey," Jake threw away the bucket, stuffing the remaining two sour straws into his mouth straight from the package before chucking it. "You're hella stubborn, too, little one."
Bella chuckled and shrugged, "never said I wasn't."
She didn't even hear the crunching gravel as Jake pulled into Charlie's driveway. Bella was lost in thought again. Her left leg repeatedly bounced in place, clammy hands fidgeting with the sleeve of her worn flannel. Bella hoped Charlie would be in a good mood. Maybe he'll overlook the whole dating thing, she told herself. The thought of her dad entering the kitchen and brandishing his pistol at Jake made her turn pale.
"Bells?" His low, velvety voice interrupted her inner monologue.
"Hmm?" She looked up at him, absentmindedly tapping her nails on the door handle.
"Nervous?"
"Does it show?" Bella froze. Her chestnut brown eyes panned to the dashboard, a worry line forming across her forehead.
"You're easy to read," Jake said, a lilt of amusement in his tone. "Whatever happens, you have me to fall back on." He grabbed her hand and held it, reassuring her.
"Yeah, I know." Bella nodded curtly. "Better get dinner started."
Bella left Jake to his own devices downstairs while she changed. The last thing she needed was to be caught with Jake in her room. Despite her clothes being clean, she hoped to look more presentable for her first time seeing Billy after the wedding. She didn't try too hard. A nice, cream colored, eyelet lace top paired with jeans that weren't frayed. Something simple. While she was upstairs, she hastily brushed her teeth and smoothed down her unruly hair.
She bounded down the stairs, rushing into the kitchen. Her safe space. Bella yanked her long hair in a low ponytail to keep it out of the way while she cooked. It was also more sanitary that way. She opened the fridge and retrieved the mozzarella and ricotta cheese, along with the ground beef. Bella shifted over to the pantry and grabbed a box of lasagna noodles, two cans of tomato sauce, and a few spices she'd purchased earlier that week.
As she laid out all the ingredients on the counter, she mentally tallied everything needed for Grandma Swan's famous recipe. Famous for all of two people, she thought. Satisfied, Bella started preparing the food, first washing her hands.
"Can I help with anything?" Jake asked.
"Actually, if you could start boiling the noodles for five minutes, that would be great," she replied, pointing to the blacked pot on the stove.
Jake nodded and quickly went to work, placing the pot onto the left burner, away from the other one Bella was tending to. As Jake drained the noodles, Bella began assembling the lasagna in a baking dish. She layered the noodles with the meat sauce, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese, repeating the process until the dish was full. Bella sprinkled more seasoning and a heap of Parmesan cheese on the top layer.
"It needs to bake it in the oven for about thirty minutes," she said. Jake helped Bella by putting the dish in the oven. She set a timer on the stove-top.
In the meantime, Bella went to set the table, putting down four sets of silverware, four napkins, and handed Jake plates. Once he was finished, he leaned against the wall by the old landline phone, patiently waiting to hear the door open. He wasn't nervous, but he hoped that dinner would go smoothly.
"I was thinking, Jake," she began, "tomorrow, after I look for a therapist, is there a way to have, like... a group meeting?"
"Group meeting?" He repeated.
"Yeah. I wanted to clear the air. Get the pack on the same page."
He barked a laugh. "We're a rowdy bunch when we're all together, but sure. I think I can do that, honey."
"Should I cook lunch at the house? Your house? As a peace offering?"
"You don't have to do that." Jake walked to her, pulling her into a brief embrace. "Although food will keep them quiet long enough to get your point across."
"What about a bonfire? The weather tomorrow is supposed to be clear, temperature will be a little chilly later in the evening."
"That sounds perfect." He replied, admiring her chestnut brown eyes.
They chuckled together. Bella jumped out of his arms when Jake heard the deadbolt to the front door squeak. She stumbled to the door, quickly undoing the bottom lock before pivoting it open. Charlie was hunched forward and nearly jolted out of his skin upon the removal of the door in front of his face. His key was still in the doorknob.
"Jesus, Bells!" He hooted. "You almost did your dear old dad in. No more sneaking up on me."
"S-sorry, I didn't mean to."
"Maybe you should consider early retirement if a door opening scared you that much, Chief." Billy sounded off from behind Charlie.
"Ha ha, you're so funny. Maybe I should tie you to the cruiser some time. Stretch those legs of yours." Charlie grumbled.
"I'm shaking in my boots." Billy quipped. "Hurry, now, while the food is still warm and we're still young."
"Young? My wrinkles have wrinkles at this point." Charlie scratched the back of his head and turned to push Billy's wheelchair inside. Bella side-stepped out of the way, allowing them entrance.
"Some of us are just blessed with good genes. I still look the same as I did in the eighties." Billy replied, flipping some of his luxurious hair over his shoulder. He locked eyes Bella as Charlie rolled him through the doorway.
"Hi Billy." Bella mumbled.
"It's nice to see you again, Bella." He lightly smacked Charlie's hand, signaling for him to leave him be. "Thank you for the dinner invitation. That was kind of you."
"I figured I haven't seen you in a long time, and well, it would be good to catch up."
"Agreed. It's been far too long." A warm smile spread across his worn face. However, it didn't reach his cunning, onyx-hued eyes. Bella was unsure if it was genuine.
Billy was still very much the same as she last saw him. Physically, at least, but the evidence of age was a tad more present than the last time she saw him. Pale strips of grey stood out in his waist length, raven hair. It wasn't until then that Bella noticed the few strands of silver in Charlie's hair as well. The longer she looked at Billy, the more she visualized how Jake would look when he aged. The timer on the stove went off, disturbing the empty silence in the room.
"That'll be the lasagna. It needs to set for another couple of minutes. There's salad and rolls while we're waiting." Bella added, turning her back to head back into the kitchen.
She passed Jake on her way, flashing a tiny smile at him. He returned it, pressing forward to greet his father.
The faint scraping of forks on ceramic was interrupted by the sound of Charlie's gruff voice.
"Jacob, yer dad tells me you own a repair shop down on the rez now."
"Yeah," Jake paused, "my best friend Embry and I run it. We've been open for close to three months."
"Can I pay you to do a once over on the Chevy? It's been a few years since it was driven regularly and I don't want Bella to be stranded somewhere 'cuz somethin' breaks."
"You don't have to pay me, Chief Swan. I'd do it for free. Besides, I planned on lending Bella my '77 Chevelle. Just finished the restore this past summer."
"Jake, no, I like my truck—" Bella prickled at the thought of parting with her beloved rusty behemoth.
"It's super old, Bells." Charlie protested. "It's gotta need tons of work. I about had an aneurysm when you told me you were driving it after it sat for so long."
"It was fine. I only had to jump the battery once, dad." She retorted, picking at her barely touched square of lasagna.
"See? That's what I mean." Charlie shook his head defiantly. "I wanna make sure you're gonna be safe if you're driving it."
The room was entirely silent for a few beats.
"So, Bella, what brings you back to our little neck of the woods? Last I recall, you were telling me about the move to Alaska at your wedding reception." Billy cleared his throat. He took a quaint sip from his glass of water, peering at Bella from across the table. "Are you here visiting?"
"Dad." Jake hissed, irritation building beneath the surface.
Bella's eyes grew wide, setting her fork down as her mouth popped open from shock. She recalibrated, taking in a deep breath.
"Are you losing your marbles, old man? I already told you on the phone—" Charlie began, tapping the aluminum rim of his Dr. Salt.
"No, I'm not visiting," Bella said flatly. "I've been back since Tuesday and don't intend to leave any time soon."
"You're staying in Washington, then?" Billy inquired. "For good?"
"Yes. For good." Bella emphasized. "Not that it's anyone else's business—I realized he was bad for me and that my life was going in the wrong direction. So I filed for divorce. The proceedings were completed last week."
"I'm happy for you. Never liked the fellow. Gave me a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach." Billy declared. "There's nothing quite like the comfort of home. You'll be back on your feet in no time."
Bella continued, "thank you. I know it's going to be difficult, but I'm not alone. I have my dad and Jake to lean on."
"Sounds about right. You two have been inseparable since you were four." Charlie added, looking up from his empty plate.
"A lot changed in the time I was gone. Mostly me," Bella continued, "but how I feel about Jake hasn't."
"How you feel about... Jake?" Charlie's eyes narrowed at Jake, then flitted back to Bella.
"Y-yes." Bella stuttered.
"We're in love, Chief Swan." Jake slightly puffed his chest. His voice was gentle, deep in timbre.
"Well, I'm glad you two finally admitted it to yourselves." Charlie grinned. "Billy and I were placing bets on when it'd happen."
"Better late than never. Jacob always was a late bloomer." Billy chuckled.
"I don't know if I believe that, Billy. Every time I see the kid, he grows another foot. Hell, he was taller than me at sixteen." Charlie barked a laugh, leaning back in his chair.
Bella and Jake exchanged relieved glances. Thank goodness Charlie doesn't want to fight him, she sighed inwardly. The telltale sounds of a drum riff followed by guitar echoed through the living room; Send Her my Heart, by Arrival was playing. It was Jake's ringtone—he was getting a call.
*I'm sorry it took FOREVER to get this up. I was sick (I believe it was C*VID but I'm not sure) for the past two weeks. D:
*It seems Billy is coming around... :)
*Please, please, PLEASSSEEEE... leave a heart and a review if you can! I love reading reviews. It fuels me~ :D