AN: Many thanks for the follows, favorites and reviews. This is my first Twilight fic, and I hope you enjoy. I'll be updating weekly on Satuday.

Chapter 3: One Look

Jake and I spent the entire next day together since Charlie had to work, and Paul was missing just as Jake predicted. I'd gotten to know Paul really well over the last few years through phone calls and video chats, however now that we were finally in the same place he was rarely around. I couldn't be too frustrated, after all he was a young adult trying to find his place in the world, much like me, but selfishly I did want a little more of his time.

Jake gave me what he considered the grand tour of the rez. He'd shown me where the best stores were, the small restaurants with halfway decent food, and I'd borrowed Charlie's old pickup truck to drive into Forks to shop for groceries since his cupboards were so bare. The easy banter that Jake and I had through electronic means while I was stuck with Renee didn't necessarily translate well into real life, and I was finding that he was definitely a bit intense just like Leah had warned. I chalked it up to nerves, and maybe a little bit of my own insecurities when it came to forging lasting relationships. My mother's nomadic life made it difficult for me to connect with people, and even though my friendship with Jake had stood the test of time and distance, I felt insecure and a bit jumpy at the thought of getting too attached.

Leah and Jake had both told me about the bonfires they had on the beach regularly, and I was nervous about the first one tonight, "What's the bonfire going to be like?" I asked and Jake glanced over at me.

"Tonight, it'll just be a fire and hanging out without the elders. You'll get to meet more people from the rez, and even the people from Forks. We'll need to bring snacks," He gestures towards the items he's tossed into our basket, "but when we have the bonfires for tribe only, the elders come and tell stories, and we get fed the best food. It makes the boring stuff worthwhile." He grins.

"What kind of stories?" I ask.

"Old legends of our tribe. You know, big bad wolves and little innocent girls like you." He bumps my shoulder with his and I smile at him. He reaches down and threads our hands together, bringing our entwined hands to his lips. I frown slightly before pulling my hand away under the guise of reaching for a large bag of chips. Jake seemed to be operating under the assumption that we were more than friends, and it made me uncomfortable that he had, thus far, not been willing to hear about how I felt about it.

"What's wrong?" He asked and I avoided the question, instead distracting him with the serious topic of which flavor of Doritos was superior. Once we had our snacks, and actual groceries, we headed back to my house so we could put everything away and start dinner. I told Jake to invite his dad over, and he ended up hanging out in the kitchen with me to help me cook while my uncle and Jake's father hang out watching sports in the living room.

"Do you think Paul will be home for dinner before the bonfire?" I ask and Jake scoffs.

"Nah, he seems to always end up at Sam's house for one reason or another. I'm telling you, Bells, he's going to blow us off outside of the occasional bonfire. Sam is bad news, and Paul is wrapped up in whatever it is that he does."

"You almost seem jealous that Paul gets to hang with Sam." I chuckled and when I glanced at Jake there was a dark and unreadable look.

"I'm not jealous." He replied lowly.

I frowned, but returned to making dinner, trying not to make a snap judgment on this Sam person without knowing him. Charlie and Billy were in great moods, laughing and telling stories about the parts of my childhood that they remember, and once again Jake and I both blush when we hear about how obsessed the two of us were with each other ever since we could both crawl. I try to take it all in stride, knowing that even with the years and distance apart we were still falling back into a friendship, even though the in-person interactions weren't nearly as effortless as how we were online. Jake just shyly glanced at me occasionally and eventually threaded his hand with mine under the table.

I'm shocked, and slightly uncomfortable, not just because of Charlie and Billy, but also because I don't want to give Jake the wrong idea. Still, I don't move my hand, because even though I'm still unsure of where things will go with Jake, I also don't want to hurt his feelings unnecessarily. He's given me so much of his time and always been there for me, it feels almost cruel to thwart his attempts to advance our relationship when I'm not quite sure how I feel about him yet. It's not that I've never had boyfriends, but moving as much as Renee and I did didn't lead to anything lasting. I'd tried the long-distance thing twice with guys I had dated in-person, but teenage love isn't necessarily built for distance. Like most young adults, I've always wanted to love and be loved, and the one time I thought I was turned out to be nothing more than puppy love.

Jake has always been my constant.

His thumb rubs idly across the back of my hand as he laughs off some of the teasing from his dad and my uncle. I take the time to really look at him, the cute chubby dimpled cheeks he once had have faded into a sleek jawline and chiseled features. He may be the same age as me, but he truthfully looks like he could be in his early to mid-twenties.

He's kind of beautiful.

Leah comes by to help me get dressed for the summer kick-off bonfire, and Jake finally decides to head home to get ready himself with a press of his lips to my forehead before he leaves. Once he's gone, she immediately starts asking me questions.

"Has Jake asked you to be his girlfriend yet?" She asks as she helps me pick out an outfit that is warm enough for the cooler evening beach weather.

"This is literally only my second day here, and like I said before as of right now I am only officially here for the summer," I smirk at her, and she sticks her tongue out, "I'm still deciding on what to do about college."

"I get it, but you two have been friends for your entire lives, and he really never shuts up about you." She replies.

"You keep saying that." I chuckle and she smirks at me.

"Because it's true."

"He's always seemed so sweet, and okay he's super hot too, but why doesn't he already have a girlfriend?" I ask and she shakes her head.

"Jake may look like a grown man, but he's still so uncomfortable with girls. He's had a lot on his plate too with Billy's disability, so all his time is either spent at school, or close enough to home that he can get to Billy at a moment's notice. When your uncle moved to the rez it helped, and my dad and mom help when they can, but some things Billy just wants Jake for. I've never seen Jake with a steady girlfriend, and I damn sure haven't heard about a girl he's serious about other than you. I think he's in love." She grins.

"Leah, it's not like that. He's my first friend here, besides you now." I shake my head, "You sure seem ready to marry me off to him."

"Nah, the best part about him is that it wouldn't be the obsessive need to get you married and knocked up. Not like Kim and Jared, I swear if it weren't for the stupid impr-" Leah suddenly stops talking and covers her mouth.

"The stupid what?" I ask her and she shakes her head.

"Nothing. So, you and Jake." She replies, and I am positive she's being purposefuly evasive.

"Why do I have the feeling there's something about Jake that you're not telling me?" I ask and she shakes her head and forces a smile.

"He's your friend, and maybe whatever this thing is with you two should come from him..." She trails off and drops her eyes to the floor. I realize she's uncomfortable with saying more, so I decide to give her a break.

"I'm not sure what I want yet, he's my best friend and I don't want to ruin that because of some attraction or even lust, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that I am definitely attracted to him." I blush, and she smiles at me, "Anyway, I only really know you, Seth, Paul and Jake, so tonight I might be clingy, just a warning."

She laughs, "I'm cool with that, and you have nothing to worry about since Jake won't leave your side. Seth will likely follow you around like a puppy too, and you'll have me, Jess and Ang. It'll be fine."

"What about Paul? You're saying my brother is going to ditch me?"

"He hangs with the older guys. He, Jared and Sam are usually together, and of course Kim and Em will be with them." She shrugs.

"Emily is Paul's girlfriend, right?" I ask and something quickly passes over her face, but she steadies herself and nods, then continues speaking before I can ask about her strange reaction to talking about Paul.

"Yup, and you already know that Kim is with Jared." Leah adds.

"How did they end up together?" I ask, trying to get her to explain her earlier comments, "I mean, she's younger than him, right?"

She averted her eyes and began cleaning one of her makeup brushes, "She had advanced math, he was in her class his senior year. So, black eyeliner, right?"

"What about Sam?" I ask and she shakes her head.

"He's too serious to have a girlfriend. He's a twenty-one-year-old who acts like he's forty." She sighs, "He can get really uptight, and he's always the fun sponge."

"Fun sponge?" I chuckle and she grins at me.

"Breaking up the fights, scolding us if we get too loud, reminding us to behave in a way that's appropriate for the tribe… soaking up all the fun like a sponge." She explains.

"Jake doesn't seem to like him." I remark and she nods.

"Jake, Quil and Embry stay in their own lanes, honestly, I think they're just a little jealous of how close Jared and Paul are with Sam. They're just a little younger, Jake and Quil are eighteen like you, and Embry is seventeen, but with the way Sam, Jared and Paul act you'd think there was thirty years between them."

"Jake thinks they're in a gang or something."

Leah bristles, and I try to catch her eyes but she insists that I close mine so she can finish my makeup.

"They're not what Jake thinks." She finally says.

"But they're something, right?"

Leah doesn't answer, and she avoids making eye contact once again by working on my eye makeup. I don't understand why there's tension between what I now understand is Sam's group and Jake's group, but I don't want to be perceived as choosing sides. Paul is my brother, and Jake is my best friend, I shouldn't have to choose between them.

"Okay, you're done." She announces, changing the subject.

She turns me towards the mirror, and I'm surprised at what I see. She's given my large, light brown eyes a slight cat eye, also darkening my already dark lashes with layers of mascara, making my eye color pop. She's kept everything subtle, and we picked out a pair of distressed denim cut off shorts, a brown tank top and a pair of sandals. She pushes a cardigan into my arms and warns that it would get chilly on the water even with the unseasonable warmer weather the past couple of days.

"Be careful and just text me if you stay over with Leah or at Emily's with Paul." Charlie reminds me, and I give him a tight hug before I leave.

Jake meets us at the bonfire, and he runs up as soon as he sees me, smiling widely, "You look awesome Bells."

"Thank Leah, she helped." I laugh.

He threads his warm hand with mine and leads me over to a group of boys, who he introduces as Quil and Embry, and I am shocked at how much they've changed since we were kids. Leah joins us with her hand entwined with Jess's, and Angela and Embry share shy smiles as they find a piece of driftwood to sit on by the fire. The music is great, and Jake and Quil leave me with Leah, Jess, Embry and Angela so they can grab sodas and supplies for s'mores. We're having a good time, and when I see Paul across the fire I smile and he grins back at me. I notice another guy with him and take in the short-sleeved shirt stretched across lean muscle, with a peek of the same tribal tattoo as Paul's showing from under the sleeve. My eyes travel upward, seeing his strong biceps, and I take in all over six feet of him until I meet his eyes, dark and mysterious with a reflection of the fire dancing in them. The beer bottle he was about to bring to his mouth is suspended in mid-air, and his eyes burn into mine. It's like all the music stops, and the people talking seem miles away, and everything blurs except this handsome man across the fire from me.

He's breathtaking.

I see flashes, a dark hair toddler raising her arms and calling out "Daddy" as Sam approaches, and I see myself with a baby swaddled to my chest.

"Bella… earth to Bella…" Jess pushes my shoulder, snapping me out of my trance, and I look at my brother Paul who is gaping at the man next to him and dragging him away from the fire.

"Bella..." Leah whispers but Seth's raucous laughter at something across the fire gets our attention. Leah stands without saying anything, and I watch as she makes a bee line for Paul.

"Who is he?" I ask and Jess follows where my finger points.

"Oh, the curly haired guy with Paul?" She clarifies and I nod, "That's the fun sponge himself, Sam Uley. I bet he was about to come over here and monitor Jake, Quil and Embry." She laughs nervously, "Jake always says he's the hall monitor on steroids."

"He definitely seems serious." I agree.

"And hot, I totally couldn't get your attention for like forty-five seconds while you two were eye fucking each other." Jess chuckles and then wiggles her eyebrows at me.

"I was not eye fucking him!" I argue. I was imagining a family with him I thought to myself.

"Bella you were totally checking him out." Angela says with a laugh, and Embry shoots a hard look my direction.

"Checking who out?" Jake asks as he drops down next to me and slings his arm over my shoulder.

"Obviously you, Jacob Ephraim Black." Jess pretends to swoon, and Jake throws a graham cracker at her, which she catches and eats and I mouth 'thank you' to her.

"Oh yeah?" Jake smirks at me and I roll my eyes and push him away.

"Don't let it go to your head." I scold with a smile, and he grins at me and pulls me into his side again. I hear him and Leah bantering back and forth, and Quil and Embry joining in, but all I can think about is Sam Uley, and the weird time-stopping thing that happened between us.

Leah drops down near us again and presses a quick kiss to Jessica's lips before she looks over at me, "You okay, Bella?"

I study her face, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Before she can answer we're startled when Angela squeals, and we turn to see Embry scooping her up and running towards the water with her. He pretends like he's going to throw her, and she giggles and swats at him in protest.

"They're getting along." I remark and Leah grins at me.

"They've been crushing on each other forever." Jessica says and she launches into a story about Angela's not so hidden crush on Embry.

I just watch them as they laugh and splash in the water that's lapping at their ankles. It's times like this that I wish I had of grown up here. Sure, I'd had ten years here with Jake before my mom up and moved me, but I wish I had more. Jake had grown up with Quil and Embry, but I barely remembered them outside of him mentioning them over the years.

Paul had lived in Tacoma with our father for years before they moved back to the rez a month after we were gone. He'd been born in La Push, but our father had taken him and left his mother when he was a toddler and he'd never known why. It wasn't until they'd moved back years later that he'd heard his parents violent arguments, where she accused his father of cheating on her for years and hiding children that he'd fathered with other women from her. I'd wondered if Renee knew Jerome was coming back to La Push and she high-tailed it before Paul's mother could ever find out the truth about me.

The child Renee conceived with a married man.

"You sure are thinking awfully hard over there." Jake said as he nudged my shoulder with his, "You okay?"

"Just thinking about how different it could have been had I grown up here."

"I think about that too." He admits and I watch as he draws in the sand, "We've spent eight years apart."

"Maybe I could have known my dad." I reply and he looks over at me.

"He wasn't a good guy." Jake replies and I frown at him, "He did nothing but drink and get into fights. Paul would have been just like him had your uncle not stepped up. Paul's definitely got the Lahote temper, but Charlie's kept him out of trouble so far."

"Except you think he's in a gang." I reply sarcastically and this time it's Jake who frowns.

"He's always with Jared and Sam."

"So?" I challenge.

"They cut all of their hair off, get matching tattoos, walk around like they own the rez-"

"Are you upset with them because they leave you, Quil and Embry out?" I ask.

"You think it's that fucking simple?" Jake asks angrily.

"Why are you so pissed? Why do you have all this hate towards these guys? You've told me repeatedly that you and Paul are friends, and yet you're acting like he's an enemy. You're telling me that Sam is this druggie gang leader and Leah says he's just a fun sponge who takes life too seriously. Which is it?"

"Why do you care about Sam or Jared?" He asks.

"I care about my brother, Jake! Paul seems fine, I've talked to him every day for the past four years now, and I know he's busy with working now that he's out of school, and that he has a life and friends. If I'm okay with it as his own sister why can't you be?"

"Yeah, Jake, why are you trying to poison my sister against me?" Paul's familiar voice breaks through, and Jake looks shocked.

"I'm not-"

"Jake, you and me are going to talk about this later. Right now, I want to spend some time with my baby sister." Paul smiles at me and I can't help but grin back at him, "C'mon Bells, let me introduce you to my friends."