The lack of Embry's gentle presence affected them all.
Bella hung out at Jacob's more than ever, hoping to fill some of the quiet space Embry's absence left behind. Leah spent more time with them at Billy's over the following two weeks, which added a refreshingly blunt dynamic to the group. However, even she tended to glance longingly toward Embry's preferred, now empty, favorite spots to sit in the house and garage. When Leah's work schedule changed, she had less free time for them. The lack of distraction only added to the silence of Embry's absence.
Of everyone, Quil seemed the most troubled. His ability to hold back his temper over the smallest aggravations lessened by the day. The mere almost-mention of Embry turned his mood foul. His appetite continued to increase, and his physical form grew with it. Bella wondered if he was eating his rage like some people binge eat when depressed and began sneaking healthier ingredients into his food.
She became more concerned when she realized that Jacob, too, rapidly gained height and muscle. While she tried to chalk it off as teenage growth spurts, she couldn't help but wonder over their hulking frames. Low-grade fevers became almost constant for Jacob and Quil. Head and body aches frequently distracted them, yet their energy seemed endless. They wrestled often, needing the physical outlet… but it wasn't the same without Embry to keep them cool-headed when they got too rough.
Despite her worry for her boys, other thoughts overshadowed Bella's increasing concern.
One was that Bella grew more attracted to Jacob by the day. She watched him often, wondering if kissing him while sober would be a good idea. Too often, her eyes focused on his plump bottom lip, recalling the feeling of it sliding between her teeth. Jacob caught her staring more than once, chewing on her lips as heat bloomed across her neck and cheeks. To her relief, he never teased her, just as she never mentioned it when she caught him watching her with the same enchanted curiosity. Their silent tension didn't keep the heat from trailing through her limbs and settling into an ache she wasn't quite sure how to fix. Lusting after her best friend seemed a dangerous game to play when their circle was already unstable.
The second increasing barrage of thoughts was of Leah. Bella sometimes caught herself staring after Leah just as intensely. She was almost relieved the other woman wasn't around quite as often when the cheeky beauty called her out every time she caught her gawking. Leah was funny, kind-hearted, and had the bountiful curves Bella could only dream of obtaining. In truth, the attraction confused the hell out of her. Other women were beautiful, sure. But not like Leah Clearwater. She made Bella question everything she knew about herself.
Despite their circumstances, Jacob was the safer risk. Between the two of them, however, Bella couldn't complete her homework in their presence to save her life.
Bella's final distracting concern was one Mike Newton, who seemed determined to reconcile their friendship since she snapped at him and Tyler. She was increasingly bitchy toward Mike, but he seemed to enjoy it.
Apparently, being a bitch was super attractive to some people. Who knew?
Then again, she thought, Leah's blunt honesty and somewhat aggressive nature make Leah more attractive. Okay. So, maybe Mike is on to something.
It was the first Friday in April when Quil refused to come for tutoring, claiming he needed some time to himself. Jacob was somewhat put out when he explained Quil wasn't coming. Their circle was crumbling, and the young man who could restore anything from automobiles to people didn't know how to fix it.
Bella hated the worry that appeared etched on his handsome face as she realized he rarely smiled anymore - at least not the carefree, optimistic sunshine smiles she'd grown accustomed to. She would give almost anything to return him to the cheerful, upbeat young man he'd been only a few weeks ago.
Taking advantage of the rare sunny day, Bella and Jacob carried their schoolwork to his backyard to sit at Billy's well-used, weather-stained wooden picnic table. Jacob laughed as Bella sat cross-legged on the tabletop and swiftly pulled a novel from his open backpack.
Her eyes widened at the title, and Bella asked, "Dracula? Seriously?" She instantly thought of Edward and the foolish romanticism some people projected at the idea of vampirism. Bella knew all too well how entirely unromantic (and deadly) loving a vampire could be.
"Reading assignment," Jacob said as he reached to take it back from her. She scoffed as he opened it, noting the dog-eared place marker.
"Book abuse," she grumbled.
Jacob laughed. "It was already marked there, so I used the same crease." He thumbed through the paperback to show her the many markings.
"Whoever borrowed that book before you should be slapped," Bella said, making him laugh again.
"Well, it's just your luck that it was Leah. It's her personal copy. I actually lost mine already," he admitted and cackled as Bella rolled her eyes.
"If you took care of your books as well as you do your car…"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Jacob teased, cutting her off. Bella leaned toward him to playfully ruffle his hair, ruining his carefully plaited braid.
"Aw, Bells," he complained through laughter and tugged on the small leather wrap holding the bottom of it in place.
Without thought, Bella reached for his braid and ran her fingers through it, smoothing it out until his hair lay free-flowing over his left shoulder. Her touch was gentle and affectionate as she continued fingering the long waves. Meanwhile, her eyes fell to his sharp jaw and down his neck toward the hint of dark skin over his collarbone. Bella saw Jacob shirtless numerous times, but his well-worn t-shirts were nearly skin-tight these days. Where once his thick arms lacked definition, now the muscles were prominent, bulging from beneath the sleeves with the slightest gesture.
She couldn't help but think of Edward, wondering how she'd fallen for such false beauty when there were humans as magnificent as Jacob or Leah to compare him to. Even Rosalie, in all of her statuesque glory, didn't hold a candle to either of them.
When Bella looked back toward his face, Jacob's large dark eyes were intently fixed on her, watching her every move. She instinctively turned toward him and stretched her legs, spreading them as she rested her feet on either side of his hips on the bench. Without thought, she whispered, "You're beautiful, Jake."
His right eyebrow raised in surprise, and he laughed. "Did you hit your head today or something?"
Bella rolled her eyes, ignoring the blush tingling her pale cheeks as her hand dropped from his hair to her thigh. She didn't expect his hand to slide up her calf and over her knee, leaving behind a trail of warmth before threading their fingers and clutching her hand. He laid Dracula on the tabletop beside her and slid his other hand over her hip toward the small of her back. The move was so simple yet so intimate that it was instantly arousing. She sucked in a sharp breath as an unfamiliar whimpering sound escaped her.
The corner of Jacob's mouth lifted in a smirk, though his focus fell back to her lips. The silence around them thickened with each ragged breath, and a lust-filled tension captivated them both.
Lowering his eyes to her heaving chest, Jacob licked his lips. Heat blazed her cheeks as he playfully tugged her closer, spreading her legs wider.
Jacob cleared his throat and chuckled nervously. "What are you thinking about Bells?"
She looked away as she dropped his hand and slid both of hers back into his hair. She barely recognized her voice as she said, "I'm not sure you want to know."
He raised his other hand and gently kneaded her hips, his long fingers pressing into the top of her buttocks. "Yes, I do." A bright smile crossed his face as her blush spread down her neck toward her chest. Helpless against the instinctive reaction, as always, she instantly grinned back.
"Tell me, Bells. Please?"
"I…" The urge to confide in her best friend pushed her to speak despite the risk. "I keep thinking about what we talked about…"
Her answer seemed to confuse him, and Jacob shook his head. "What did we talk about, Honey? There's been so much going on…"
"Kissing," she said and sighed. "And our conversation afterward."
"Ooooh." He shook slightly with silent laughter, tightening his grip on her hips. Bella bit her bottom lip, enjoying the sensation a little too much. Sounding more flirtatious than she'd ever heard him, Jacob's voice lowered to nearly a whisper. "I thought we decided not to overthink that night."
"I, uh… I'm not overthinking that night," Bella said. She slowly slid her hands toward his face before tracing her thumbs along his jaw. "I'm overthinking part of the conversation afterward."
"Which part is that?" The mischievous gleam in his eyes told Bella that Jacob remembered what she was referencing all too well. "Would that happen to be the sober part of the conversation?"
Bella blushed again as she laughed, assuming her face was ten shades of red by now. Before she could respond, he sat up straight and sighed.
"Bells, you know you are my best friend, right?"
Ugh. Bella knew that tone. Anticipating his rejection, she nodded, ignoring the urge to squirm away. Instead, he stood, pressing into her as his hands moved to the middle of her back. One quick and graceful maneuver later, Jacob hovered over her reclined form, tilting her back as he pressed his lips to hers.
Bella responded instinctively, wrapping her arms around his neck as she parted her lips and swept her tongue along his bottom lip. She hummed as his tongue slipped between her lips. He tasted like he smelled - sweet and woodsy, and the combination left her sinking into his embrace, wanting more. Her limbs tingled under his touch as heat bloomed in her core, and she tightened her thighs around his waist.
Before she could lose herself in Jacob and the lust-filled haze his warm mouth created, the back door to the house flew open and banged against the kitchen wall. Instantly alert, the friends froze, breaking their kiss but still tightly holding each other. Billy eyed them warily for a moment, feigning anger before barking out a laugh over their equally mortified expressions.
He yelled, "Jacob, take that shit into the garage or something. We have neighbors."
Bella's mouth fell open in surprise, making Billy howl with laughter as he closed the door.
As their eyes met, they both began laughing. Bella loosened her grip as Jacob pulled away, forgetting he was trapped by the bench behind him. He stumbled and landed on the bench mid-thigh, the momentum sending him to the ground behind it. He grunted as his back hit the grass. It only fueled their laughter. Within seconds, they were cackling with watery eyes and attempting to catch their breath.
Bella carefully climbed down from the tabletop to help him, but Jacob was back on his feet before she could reach him.
"Geez, Bells," Jacob said as he calmed. "Sorry about that."
"Don't be," she said, waving it off. "So, do you think Billy's on the phone with Charlie already?"
Jacob harrumphed. "Probably." He reached for Dracula and tossed it back into his backpack. "I don't really want to mess with homework, Bells."
"Yeah?" She bent down to retrieve her bag from the ground and said, "Me, either. Let's ditch this shit and order pizza or something."
Jacob beamed at her. "Awesome. You don't have to go cook for Charlie tonight?" He held his hand out for her, and Bella readily threaded her fingers between his.
"Nope. Charlie's covering an evening shift for someone tonight." Bella rushed to keep up with Jacob's long stride as he walked toward the back door of his house.
"Yeah?" He turned toward her while grabbing the doorknob and lowered his voice as he asked, "You wanna stay here? I know you're not fond of being there alone with the dreams and stuff."
Bella chuckled as she thought of his father catching them kissing only a few minutes ago. "Shouldn't you ask Billy first?"
"Please. Dad doesn't care, Bells. You know that." Before she could argue that Billy hadn't cared before he caught them, he pushed the door open and tugged her inside.
Billy looked up from where he sat at the kitchen table, frowning. "Uh-huh."
Sad eyes met Bella's before he looked up at his son, the devastation plain on his face. Jacob immediately dropped her hand and knelt at Billy's feet. The knuckles were white on Billy's right hand as it gripped the telephone to his ear.
Jacob whispered, "Dad, what's wrong?"
Billy gestured for Jacob to stay quiet as he listened to whoever was on the other line. "Yes. I'll be there. Jacob can help me get ready real quick. You'll come here?"
Jacob stood and rushed toward Billy's bedroom.
"See you soon. Bye." Billy's hand shook as he lowered the receiver and hung up the phone.
Bella sat in the chair beside him, reaching for his free hand. Billy gripped her hand and squeezed it as Jacob hurried to the kitchen. He skidded to a stop on the linoleum floor, nearly slipping as his beat-up sneakers left a black mark behind.
"I got your shower going and clean clothes ready," Jacob said. "What's going on?"
Sounding far older than he was, Billy's voice cracked with emotion as he said, "Harry had a heart attack."
Bella felt as if the ground had disappeared underneath her. Her stomach filled with dread, and her thoughts turned to Leah immediately. It was no secret that Leah was very much a daddy's girl. She's going to be devastated.
Billy explained, "Sue and Seth are following the ambulance there. Leah is still at work. She doesn't know yet, but Charlie is picking her up. Sam is coming to get me."
As Jacob opened his mouth to protest, Billy said, "Now is not the time, Jake!"
Jacob's mouth snapped shut as he scowled but remained silent. Billy shook his head and sighed. "I want you kids to stay here. Charlie has to return to work, but I'll probably be at the hospital all night. We're supposed to get some heavy storms, and Charlie doesn't want Bella driving home in it. Invite Quil over if you want, but stay here. I don't want to worry about either of you. Neither does Charlie. Okay?" The last word sounded like a question, but his tone was commanding. They were officially grounded to the house until morning.
Both nodded as Jacob said, "I already asked her to stay tonight anyway. We were going to order pizza and hang out here."
"Good. Come give me a hand." Billy whipped his wheelchair around, nearly running over Jacob's foot.
As Billy rolled away, he hollered, "And no funny business with you two, either. I remember very well what teenagers are like." Billy paused outside his bedroom door to look back at them. "I don't know what's going on with you two, but if you make me a grandfather anytime soon, I'll ground you til you're thirty."
Mortified, Jacob glanced at Bella and blushed furiously before hurrying after Billy.
Bella sat in shocked silence for a few minutes. She couldn't help but worry about Leah, visualizing her saddened features when Charlie delivered the news. Instinct screamed at her to drive to the hospital and sit with her friend.
From what Bella could recall, Friday nights were always busy at the hospital, especially near the full moon. The coming storm would make it worse. The waiting room would be overcrowded, as the emergency department was always behind. Harry's condition would require immediate priority, along with accommodating his family. Bella feared she would only be in the way.
Besides that, Bella anticipated Jacob's mood to be foul between Billy embarrassing him and relying on Sam rather than Jacob. Staying with Jacob and keeping his spirits up seemed like the best decision.
After all… he'd do the same for me.
Bella stood and reached for the telephone to order pizza and invite Quil. He didn't answer, but Joy promised to let him know he was invited to come and spend the night.
By the time Billy was heading out the door, Bella anticipated the delivery to arrive at any time. Jacob scowled from the entryway as he watched Billy lift himself into Sam's passenger seat. Sam carefully put Billy's wheelchair in the back of his large brown pickup and then slammed the driver's door shut as they pulled away.
Jacob grumbled, "We should be going up there. Leah's gonna have a conniption fit when Sam walks in the hospital."
"I felt the same at first. Maybe your dad is trying to keep you from losing your shit, Jake. Your temper lately has been intense." Bella fidgeted in her seat as Jacob rolled his eyes, sighed, and plopped on the couch.
She pressed, "How have you been feeling, anyway? You still seem to be running a low fever, you know?"
"I'm fine, Bells." Changing the subject, he asked, "What kind of pizza did you order?"
"The usual favorites."
"And Quil?"
"Didn't answer, but Joy said she'd let him know." Bella moved from her seat at the table to the living room and sat on the floor by Jacob's legs.
"Weirdo."
"I like the floor."
"I know you do," he teased and leaned forward to wrap his arms under her shoulders.
As he effortlessly hauled her off the floor and into his lap, she squealed, "Jaaake!"
He cackled in her ear as he immediately began tickling her sides. She wriggled in his lap in an attempt to get away, but he wrapped one arm around her waist to keep her in place. Laughter poured from her between squeals of protest, and she was quickly out of breath. Bella arched her back to break free, and Jacob's hand slid upward, accidentally palming her right breast. As a rush of arousal hit her, Jacob simultaneously hissed and pulled his hand back as if she burned him.
Immediately apologetic, he stuttered, "O-oh, Bells. I-I'm sorry…"
An awkward giggle escaped her as she attempted to sit up, still trapped by his right arm holding her in place. "It's fine, Jake…" His arousal announced itself by pressing against her hip, and Bella sucked in a sharp breath as her eyes went wide. Holy shit.
Jacob squeezed his eyes shut and groaned. Bella was unsure of what to do next. She worried that pulling away from him would only embarrass him further. It made sense to her that he would become aroused when she had thoroughly enjoyed the brief sensation. Now, he sat rigidly, tense as he waited for her reaction. His left hand still hovered in the air like a plea. Where had his cockiness from earlier gone? Had Billy's embarrassing comments frazzled his confidence that much?
Bella tried to relax against him somewhat and reminded herself to breathe. She reached up to push his hair back from his furrowed brow, and Jacob slowly opened his eyes. "You know…" she teased, "You just got farther than Edward ever did, and you did it by accident." She dropped her hand to high-five his still-frozen hand.
Relief flooded his large, dark eyes as he howled with laughter. Bella giggled at his reaction and lay back against the arm of the couch as his grip on her loosened, his tension melting away. It startled both as a sharp knock pounded on the front door. Bella carefully moved from his lap to answer and glanced back at him as she straightened her shirt.
Jacob ran his fingers through his long hair and pushed it back as he said, "You're seriously the coolest best friend a guy could have. You know that, right?"
"Duh," she teased and opened the front door.
Folks, my eager little heart wants your thoughts on this chapter.
If y'all ever spot mistakes in my stories - tell me. I swear I won't be offended. Sometimes things don't transfer correctly, and my crappy memory implies I might forget a detail or two. Your comments and critiques only help me improve. Thank you, readers, for taking the time to read my works. You don't know how much joy it brings my disabled hermit badonkey to hear when you love these stories. It's truly the best gift. I appreciate you all.
Remember to subscribe if you love this so far, especially if you'd prefer to wait until it's finished to read it all in one go. I understand that urge well. xoxo.
PLEASE REVIEW. :)