Summer Dreamin' or /Bon Chance

by Lady of Spain

Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight

Why the hell did that pasty parasites have to return—and turn his life upside down? Just a couple more months, that's all he needed to make Bella his. He'd be able, once and for all, to dredge that bloodsucker out of her heart and yank him out by the roots. A little more time, he was desperate for more time!

That was not the end of the story either. She had taken him back, like nothing had ever happened. What the hell? He left her lying in the forest, half dead from the pain of loss, and she forgave that slimy freakin' louse. How could she do that? It was a slap in Jacob's face, not to mention the rest of the tribe. And now he was monopolizing her time. For a while Edward had even forbidden her to see Jacob. Forbidden? Was she his prisoner? What a controlling freak. Did he think he owned her? He might just as well put a diamond studded collar on the girl and lead her around with a leash. Why did she put up with his OCD ways? A jailbreak, that's what she needed.

Bella's visits became shorter and shorter, and the length between them, longer and longer. His heart ached at her absence, and ripped in two each and every time she left his home. Yes, Mr. Sparkles had ruined Jacob's plan for a happy life.

His once smiling face betrayed his despondent mood, and the sulking was getting on Embry's nerves. Finally, Embry couldn't stand seeing his friend suffering like this any longer and skirting the issue wasn't solving the problem. So while they were at the beach on Saturday, he kicked some sand in Jacob's direction and blurted, "Give it a rest, will ya? She's made her choice, and it isn't you, man. You gotta snap out of it and let her go, Jake. It's driving us all crazy!"

Jacob didn't bother to shake the grains of sand from his hair. He looked up at his best friend from his sitting position on the ground. "Shut up, Em," he fired back. "You don't know a thing about it. You've never been in love before. It's not that easy to snap out of it. Besides, she is in love with me. I just have to convince her of it."

Embry's tirade got him to thinking though. All this sitting around wasn't accomplishing anything. And since he couldn't take much more of this abuse, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Waiting for her to come to her senses didn't seem to be working; the ball was in his court. The next time she showed up, he would do something about it. The thought gave him renewed determination. Dreamin' about it would never make it real; he needed to take action. This was it—this summer I would make Bella mine.

Bella had always been good with weird; she had even been all right with him being half naked all the time. He had asked her once if it bothered her, the answer was no. So okay, naked skin was no problem—the problem was, he would be stripping himself naked as far as his emotions were concerned. He would be baring his soul to the object of his affection. But Bella didn't seem to handle his feelings for her that well. Was she just ignoring it, pretending that his tender feelings didn't exist, or was she too stubborn to accept the glaring fact that he was in love with her? What the hell was she afraid of? Jacob was her best friend for cryin' out loud. Was it so wrong for him to want a tiny bit more? Why couldn't she let down her guard and love him? It was in there, deep inside of her, she just needed to set it free.

They say that actions speak louder than words. If that was true, then Jacob had been screaming his love for her these past two years. It fell on deaf ears, apparently. Words—he needed to fill his mouth with them. There would be no way she could deny it, when he locked his eyes with hers and poured out his heart to the oblivious girl. Bella had to hear it from his own lips—hear it, consider it, and as Jacob hoped—return it.

At long last his unrequited lover was here beside him, watching TV on his lumpy old couch. Damn, it had been ages since he even got a glimpse of her. He was holding her hand as usual, but today, he had another plan in mind. Today was the day when he would man up and tell her in no uncertain terms that he was in love with her. The age difference didn't matter to him, it was just a number. He was only seventeen, but did that mean that he couldn't love as much as a full grown man? Try telling his heart that. The answer was obvious—at least to Jacob, anyway—absotively nah-ah!

The poor boy hadn't gotten much sleep in the past few days. So, as much as he struggled to keep his eyes open, they finally drooped and closed shut. What a catastrophe. He'd been asleep for a couple of hours, and Bella shifted her weight on the seat, startling him awake. Crap! He hardly ever got see her anymore, now that the filthy leech had come back, and here he was wasting all these precious moments alone with her by sleeping.

The bone-weary guy quickly sat up straight. Nap over!

Jacob rumpled his hair roughly with his fingertips, attempting to clear the cobwebs from his sleep-deprived brain. He blinked several times, desperately coaxing his eyes to focus on his couch mate. "Jeez, Bells. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep like that."

Bella smoothed his disheveled locks, then placed her soft hand on his cheek, evoking deep-seated yearnings in his battered heart. His eyes instinctively closed, as he soaked up the sensation of her gentle touch, and he leaned into her palm. "It's okay; you were exhausted. Maybe I should leave and let you go back to sleep."

Suddenly wide awake, he responded, "No, I'll be fine. Please … don't go. Here—give me your hand. Let's go for a walk."He slid his fingers into the openings between each of hers, interlacing them tightly.

They walked until they came to a marsh, and Jacob stopped, letting loose of the hand that was clasped with his. Oh god, he had that look on his face; this was going to be awkward. Bella wished she had gone along with her first impression to leave his house and let him get some rest. Why couldn't he understand? She loved him; he was her best friend, her sun. She just wasn't in love with him.

Turning toward him reluctantly, she blurted, "What?"

No longer the smiling, happy boy, she once knew, he stood there dead serious. He pulled her toward him, and started in on his little speech. "I know you think you love him and he's your only possibility, but I'm telling you that you have other options. I don't want you dead, Bells, 'cuz that's what you'll be—cold and stony, with an unbeating heart."

Tugging at her hand, he covered it with his own, placing it over the rapidly pounding organ in his chest. His warm onyx eyes were aflame as they gazed deeply into hers. "Feel that? It's what you need, Bella; flesh and blood and warmth. It's your choice, but you need to know that I'm in love with you, and I want you to choose me."

No longer able to stand the longing so powerfully emblazoned in those eyes, she had to look away. "I thought you understood," she muttered. "I don't feel that way about you."

No, she loved him; he knew it, even if this cluelessly, stubborn girl didn't. "I don't buy it, 'cuz yes, you do. I know that deep down inside, you feel something for me. Just give me a chance, Bells, that's all I'm asking for."

Bella was pulling away from him now, but he was having none of that. He grabbed her by the shoulders. "Think about it, Bella. He probably can't even give you a kiss without hurting you."

Her chocolate eyes peered up at him then. It was now or never, and he made his move.

"Like this!"

Before she knew what was happening, he drew her closer, crushing her to his chest. His mouth was on hers like a streak of lightning. This couldn't be happening. She refused to cooperate with him, and remained a block of wood. His kiss was imposed upon her; unwelcome and uninvited. Maybe her indifference would finally make him realize that this was a big mistake.

Sensing her passivity, he tried a little harder, deepening the kiss, and burying his hands in her soft mahogany hair. Bella remained an ice figurine. Defeated, Jacob released his grasp on her, breaking the kiss.

As soon as Bella was free, she stepped back. In her outrage, she swung her hand, intending to slap his face. His reflexes were faster and he caught her wrist before it struck his cheek.

The fire of anger in her was quickly extinguished however, as she noticed tears in his eyes. She expected him to gloat or in someway smirk at her. Instead, he was devastated. The intent of her actions stung him more than the actual blow could have. He had done everything in his power to win her love but he failed, miserably.

Her heart softened as she looked at the boy whose hopes she had just dashed to pieces. His face had fallen, and his lips began to quiver slightly. He didn't want to cry—not in front of the girl; he wanted desperately to run and hide his tears from her.

Inexplicably, Bella drew near him, an overwhelming warm sensation filling her bosom. Her palm touched his cheek and wiped away a tear that had fallen there. She stroked it gently, then with both of her hands, pulled his face closer, pressing her lips lightly upon his. This time, she closed her eyes and let her senses fill her with all that was Jacob—his warm touch, his soft full mouth, his secure muscular arms enveloping her, that fresh woodsy scent. She could feel his heart thumping wildly even through his tee, and his breath was hitching with emotion. This was not a carefully executed expression of love—this was the real thing.

Their mouths moved together fluidly, as easily as if it had been choreographed. How did he learn to kiss that way? Bella at that moment didn't want it to stop. Those arms—Jacob's arms—holding her intimately seemed so right, so natural somehow.

When they separated, Jacob sighed heavily, not once, but twice. Then his voiced cracked, "Does this mean …?"

Shaking her head, Bella smiled. She placed a finger on his lips. "This just means I'm giving you a chance. Do you think you can handle it?"

Jacob answered through his tears, "Bells … I can handle the wind and the rain, and the clouds overhead. The only thing I can't handle is an eclipse."

His pain was quickly evaporating. "C'mere, girl." He pulled her closer, and kissed her once more, just for luck. She was giving him a chance, and he was going to take it, starting right now! He would make his summer dreamin' a reality, or die trying.

THE END