Authors note:
I want to thank everyone for being so supportive of my stories over these past few months! I have many started, so it's tough updating them all. I won't be starting anymore until I finish both this story, and my other "Fall". I am taking requests and plot ideas, so feel free to leave a note as a review or even PM me a message if you want one of your ideas written out.
Thanks for reading, ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Much love,
-Shantel
Though they promised I would be left home alone after I practically demanded some peace and quiet, I knew better. I knew that Emmett and Alice – though promised to have gone – were likely just outside, hiding in the thick trees beside the house. I knew that Jasper and Rosalie were likely close by as well.
I had remained on the sofa, too weak and too sore to bother lounging anywhere else in the house. I occupied myself by staring out the window, trying to pin point the vampires' exact location. Before I knew it, a knock on the door was tearing my attention away from my little mission.
I winced slightly as I tried to sit up a lot better than I was though a deep voice reminded me not to move. I was surprised to see Jacob peeking his head in from the now open front door, trying to see if it was okay for him to enter fully. I nodded, a large smile painted across my face.
"Christ, Bella, did you get hit by a transfer truck?" He smiled as he spoke, shutting the front door gently behind him as he made his way into the living room where I was staying for the time being. "You look like hell."
"I feel like hell." I loved the way we could be so brutally honest with each other, yet laugh it off at the same time, knowing in the end it was just a joke, just humour in the situation.
"Are you doing okay? Injuries and such aside? Charlie said it was bad, but I wasn't expecting to see you this..."
"Dead looking?"
"Yeah..."
"I'm fine, Carlisle says in a few days I will be up off the sofa and likely walking around. He doesn't want to keep me on too many pain medications while I'm on bed rest, my body will get too used to them. Then, when the time comes to start moving and the pain increases, he'll have to up my dosage and that brings a chance of dependency."
"Doctor's know best, I guess..." I could tell by the saddened sound in his voice that he held the Cullen's responsible for what had happened to me. Not just Edward, whom he usually held responsible for everything, but the entire Cullen family. I suppose if Jake were in my position, I would likely hold the ones meant for protecting me responsible for not doing their jobs, but it wasn't like that at all. The Cullen's had done everything in their power to protect me, and then some. It wasn't their fault I was stupid enough to run off and to play into James' trap. It was mine.
"The Cullen's are good people, they're being really supportive. Well, aside from Edward..." I pulled my chocolate brown eyes away from Jacob's; glancing down at my hands that fumbled nervously with the blanket sprawled across my lap.
"Edward? Did something happen to him too?" Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a sparkle in his eye, his lips twitch into a smile at the thought of something terrible happening to Edward. I rolled my eyes.
"No, nothing happened to Edward. He's just a little confused about what happened to me."
"He does know that it's not your fault, right? That you tried to fight that guy off, that it wasn't something you wanted?"
"Of course he does, they all do... He just sees me as less than innocent now I suppose... tainted."
My body jumped slightly at the surprise of Jacob standing up from his seating position on the floor, a growl ripping through his throat. I couldn't hold back the smile and the soft giggle at the sound. He reminded me of Emmett sometimes.
"I'll fucking kill him!"
"Sit down before you hurt yourself. You look like you're about to sprout laser beams from the eyes or something." I moved over on the sofa as best as possible seeing as how I was lying along it length ways, trying to make the slightest bit of room for his massive body as I patted the small spot beside me. "They always say victimising someone doesn't just hurt them, it victimises their family and friends as well, I think it's supposed to be normal."
"If it's normal... then why am I still here, taking care of you while he's off doing god knows what?" He had a good point, though I forgot it the moment his fingers brushed stray curls away from my face, his eyes staring down lovingly into mine. "If that's normal, then why... am I...." His face inched closer to mine, his nose tracing along my cheek gently. I could hear him inhaling ever so softly, savouring my scent much as Edward had done from time to time. His warm lips placed countless kisses along my scrapes and bruises that polluted my face before coming to rest against my own lips, mumbling gently against them. "By your side?'
It wasn't fair that he was taking advantage of me in my weakened state. That his lips were against mine despite everything that had happened with James, despite loving Edward. It wasn't fair that the only kiss I was getting was from someone I hadn't chosen to be with. It should have been Edward here at my side, not Alice and Emmett. It should be Edward looking after me, not Charlie. It should be Edward sitting here at my side, kissing my injuries better, mumbling against my lips, not Jacob.
"He doesn't deserve you, Bells." He was right, Edward didn't deserve me.
Perhaps that realization was what encouraged me to return the delicate kiss at first, before all the feelings I had been holding back emerged. Of course I loved Jacob, he was amazing. He just wasn't my soul mate... was he?
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Authors note:
Sorry it's so short, guys! Still trying to figure out where to go with this story. It's difficult because I'm such a Team Edward girl, yet lately I've been noticing a lot more of Jacob. What do you think, should Edward come crawling back, begging for Bella's forgiveness, or should we keep Jacob in her life as her number one man?
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