Click here for the full chapter
A/N:
The Beta - Strae
Somewhere weakness is our strength
And I'll die searching for it.
Can't let myself regret
Such selfishness
My pain and oh the trouble caused
No matter how long.
I believe that there's hope
Buried beneath it all.
Paramore ~ Let the Flames Begin
Chapter 4
Jacob arrived exactly fifteen minutes after I called him to tell him to be here in fifteen minutes. I was shocked to say the least. What shocked me more was when he knocked on the freaking door. Shock number three induced a full-blown fucking laugh.
He was wearing a tie.
"Who the hell are you trying to impress?" I asked through my giggles.
He glared at me momentarily before pulling a long-stemmed rose from behind his back. "You, baby."
I rolled my eyes at him and continued to laugh, while he glared harder.
Did he think he wasn't completely transparent right now? He wasn't trying to impress me… Okay, maybe he was, but only because I now have a dude living with me. I may have let it slip that said dude was a model from Hollywood. Jake wasn't coping too well. He was reverting.
I wouldn't be surprised if he went caveman and humped me in front of Edward tonight… Actually…
"Can't you just be non-stubborn Bella for two minutes?" he sighed.
"Only if you take off that butt ass ugly tie," I replied, with a wide grin.
He looked down at his tie. "It's not that ugly. Billy said it looked good."
I snorted. "Holy shit, Jacob. Since when is taking fashion advice from Billy Black a good idea?"
He grimaced. "Fuuuck," he groaned, losing the tie and stuffing it into his back pocket.
"Alice would have hung you by that tie if she'd been here to see it, Jake!" I laughed at his expense, enjoying that mental image a split second too long.
"Don't look so pleased at the thought of me being hung, baby."
There was a small pause, both of us looking at each other and then we started laughing.
"You… just… said…" I forced out through laughs. Jacob grabbed his side, chanting "Ow. Ow," between laughs.
We tried to calm down, for his sake, since his right side still bothered him on occasion. We calmed slightly then met each other's eyes again and redoubled our laughter.
It was honest to God probably five minutes before we finally quit. It felt good though. I hadn't laughed like that since… Jake and I hadn't been the same since then either. It felt good.
"Was my attempt a fail?" he asked, looking a bit sheepish.
I shook my head. "A long-stemmed rose is never a fail, good sir," I replied coyly, winking at him over my shoulder as I took the rose to the kitchen to find a vase for it.
After settling the rose and vase into the middle of the table and placing plates and silverware around for the three of us, I attempted to look sexy as I stalked towards Jake. He chuckled.
"And besides the tie, you didn't fail too badly at dressing yourself either. You look great," I told him, trying to smile seductively. I slid between his legs and hugged his waist.
"You too," he murmured.
He leaned down and pressed his lips softly to mine. I pressed up, standing on my tiptoes to gain more pressure. He pulled away slightly, keeping the kiss soft, chaste. With a sigh, I lowered my feet back to the ground, breaking the kiss, and busied myself with the last few tasks to get dinner ready.
I should have been used to it by now, but it still felt like rejection even though I knew his reasons for pulling away.
"Missed you," he whispered against my ear, his hands placed lightly on my hips. He kissed the side of my neck softly before pulling away from me completely.
I wanted to say something snarky, like, "it sure doesn't feel like it," or "could have fooled me," but I kept it to myself. I mumbled, "missed you too," instead.
I heard a chair scrape lightly against the floor and glanced over my shoulder to see Jake pulling out the non-Charlie chair. He knew I liked sitting in Charlie's. I just then realized there were only two chairs at the table.
"Hey, before you sit down, can you run up to my room and grab the crappy old chair from out of there?"
Jake nodded then paused. "Your room?"
"Charlie's old room, yeah," I replied. He knew I switched rooms and he probably wanted to double check which one I was referring to.
"Kay."
He was back quickly, placing the third chair at the end of the table. Edward arrived from work not too long after that.
He walked in and shed his coat and shoes, then finally looked up at us in the kitchen. He looked a bit surprised.
"Oh, shoot, uh, I forgot. Um, let me just go get changed quick."
"Nonsense, Edward. Come on, it's ready, let's eat."
He looked at Jacob's attire, then back at his own, then met my eyes. I grinned and rolled my eyes. He finally cracked a half grin.
"Hey, you must be Jacob," he said, his voice that overtly cocky tone.
His mood swings were ridiculous. One moment he was sheepish and unsure and the next he was arrogant and overconfident.
Jake stood and reached his hand out to Edward. "Yep, Jacob Black, Bella's long time boyfriend. You must be Edward."
I bit back a laugh. I so had this figured out already. The house and I were going to smell like piss by the end of the night from Jacob marking his territory.
Edward reached for Jacob's hand, unfazed. "Yes, Edward Masen." I was hoping he'd add, "also known as Mr. Sexy and McPantyDropper in Hollywood, where I used to model." He didn't.
Jacob and Edward grasped each other's hands and I watched, fascinated as they both squeezed, neither bothering with the normal up-down handshake. I eagerly watched their faces, waiting to see who would show pain first. Neither did. But someone's knuckle cracked and that made it all a bit obvious so they both let go, stepping away from each other.
Thank God the timer beeped, because someone was likely to start beating on their chest and ripping their clothes off… On second thought…
I pressed the timer off and went to grab the casserole from the oven but Jake bumped me out of the way. My wrist hit the burning hot oven door and I hissed.
"Son of a motherfuck, Jake. Christ!"
Jake apologized and I think I heard Edward snickering somewhere. Jake set the pan on the stovetop and came over to me, grabbing my wrist. I tried to take it back from him, but he kept his grip tight. I hissed again as his fingers constricted over the fresh burn. Tears sprang to my eyes and he immediately looked remorseful.
"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" he whispered.
I wanted to smack him, hard, right in the face. Asshole. "Why do you have to be such a giant pain in my ass?" I asked, louder than I meant to.
I didn't really want to have a full blown fight in front of Edward yet, but I wasn't going to hold back if he started this shit with me.
Jacob glared. "Babe, I think you're going to live," he attempted to placate, kissing my wrist lightly.
I jerked my hand away from him and turned away. I cranked the cold water on and went to shove my arm under it, but Edward hand stopped me.
"I know they say cold water is best, but it's really not, Bella. Luke warm water keeps it from blistering and scarring."
I could say my gasp was from the pain in my burned wrist or the shocking copper of his hair up close, but it was neither. His skin tingled on mine, sizzling and sparking and making me feel alive in ways I didn't even know were possible. Just the simple touch, on my painful wrist no less, had me at what felt like the brink of an orgasm. A really fucking good orgasm.
Just as soon as his fingers were on my skin, they were gone. Water was rushing over my burn and I was left feeling dizzy and unsure of what just happened. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my hazing brain.
It shouldn't have surprised me when Jake immediately was at my side again. His lips were on my ear and my cheek. "Baby, do you need anything? Should I go get the Neosporin and a bandage from the bathroom?"
His hands grazed over my hips and my stomach and my ass. I wasn't careful of where my elbows were flying and I know I nailed him in the gut pretty good. "No, I think I'll live," I said coldly.
I grabbed the two potholders off the counter and Jacob attempted to take them from me. Pissed, I threw them at his chest and contemplated kicking him in the shins as I passed.
This chivalrous bullshit he was caking on ten inches thick was getting really fucking annoying. I expected him to come running ahead of me to throw the casserole on the table and pull my chair out for me. He didn't. Maybe he finally got the message.
"Dude, what the fuck? Get the hell out of Charlie's chair!" Jake seethed at Edward. I froze, staring at Edward as he stared confusedly back at me, his model butt planted in Charlie's ass print.
He started to stand and I practically shouted, "No!" I lowered my voice slightly as his eyes opened wider and he hovered half standing, half sitting. "It's okay, Edward, you can sit there."
"No, it's-" Jake started.
"Jacob!" I shouted, cutting him off and slamming my open palms against the table, emphasizing my anger.
Jake stared at me, looking just as pissed as I felt. I know he wanted to say something, but he didn't. And he was fucking lucky he didn't because if he would have, I wouldn't have had a problem telling him to get the hell out of my house.
Everyone dished out and it was fairly silent. It was easily the most uncomfortable dinner of my life, and that included the one where Charlie asked me if I was, quote, "doing the nasty with Jacob Black, yet."
I giggled to myself and dug into my supper, hyper aware of the two pairs of eyes that were now on me as I sniggered around my fork.
"Mmm," hummed Edward. "Bella, this is wonderful."
I smirked over at him as we both waited for Jacob's reply. Nothing came. He ate like a pig, as he usually would, all of his chivalrous bullshit out the window. He belched loudly when he was done, not bothering to excuse himself or apologize.
He reached across the table and gingerly dragged his index finger over the back of my hand. "Thanks for dinner, babe, it was tasty. What were you thinking about earlier?"
"Charlie," I answer quietly.
His fingers gently flipped my hand over and he twined our hands together. "Oh yeah, what had you giggling?"
I scooted my chair over towards Jake and propped my thighs over his. "Well, I was thinking about how uncomfortable tonight has been and how it managed to beat out my and Charlie's sex talk dinner."
"Oh, really? When was this?"
"Couple years ago, I guess. I never told you about that, huh?" He shook his head. I started giggling again. "It was during that month I spent grounded. I think he thought if he embarrassed me enough, I'd shut up eventually, it sort of backfired on him." I snickered some more. "I made him Gran's Turtle Soup the way he liked it and I almost choked on my spoon when he asked if we were 'doing the nasty yet', his words. Same night, he asked me if I was on that egg killer pill."
Jacob snorted. "He always had a way with words, that Charlie! Dirty old man."
I smacked Jake on the shoulder. "He was not, Jacob! Charlie never talked about stuff like that."
Jake made a sound of disbelief. "Oh, little Bells. Charlie didn't talk about that stuff in front of you, but in front of me was a different damn story. Get a few beers in him and he was spouting nasty, dirty stories about how your mom always gave the best h-"
"Jacob Black! No!" I squealed, covering my ears. I could hear and feel him laughing as I closed my eyes and shook my head back and forth. "No! No! No!" I chanted, trying to clear the vomit-inducing words he'd nearly said. He guffawed louder and louder as I continued to whimper and gag. "Nightmares, I'm going to have nightmares."
"I'm sorry, baby," Jacob offered, pulling me carefully into his lap.
I glanced across the table to see that Edward had disappeared sometime, unbeknownst to me. I snuggled into Jake's lap.
"I'm still mad at you," I said, not really even trying to sound angry.
"Mm, seems that way," Jake commented as I threaded my fingers into the hair at the back of his neck. I met his eyes and he frowned. "Baby, I'm jealous." I frowned back at him. "You know I want it to be me who is here and I don't like it that you have…someone else living with you. I understand, but I'm still jealous. It should be me, and it's not because I can't take care of you." The frown set harder and Jake leaned forward to kiss me lightly. "I wish I could make you happy."
I know my lip was quivering, it was instantaneous to force out the lie. "You do make me happy, Jacob."
He smiled slightly, though it looked false, and I assume it was because my words had been too. "Okay, Bells. How about I help you clean up and we'll catch a movie or something?"
I nodded gratefully.
Jake cleared the table while I started the dishes. He left me on my own to finish up. The TV flicked on and Jake scanned through the channels until he stopped on what sounded oddly like a sex scene.
The faked, acted orgasm was just a bitter reminder of our sex life, but I couldn't think about that now, not tonight.
"Jacob?" I asked in an accusing voice.
"Yes," he answered, from closer than I expected, drawing out the word.
"Seriously? Can you change the channel please?"
He stared innocently. "I don't have the controller, baby."
"So go back in there and get it, and change the fucking channel," I said with a sickly sweet voice.
He grinned. "Hmm, well, would you like me to rip it out of pretty boy's hand?"
Edward had the porn on? Why the shit should that make me rub my thighs together? And why was I imagining a whole different "it" than Jacob was talking about?
"Oh," I replied lamely, not sure what to do or say, now that I was sort of turned on — by the pretty boy, watching a TV orgasm.
"Would you like me to ask him to change the channel?" Jake asked, using his own pseudo-sweet voice.
"Well, um, I-"
"Hey asshole, don't you have any fucking respect. Turn that shit off."
I stared as Jake marched back into the living room.
I swore I heard Edward mutter, "Yeah, like you weren't enjoying it twenty seconds ago."
Crickets chirped. I thought, maybe I should get a mud pit ready for some wrestling… Shit, fantasy land again…
The only sound after that was me washing the dishes, as the TV was off now. Edward eventually came into the kitchen, headed towards the fridge. He looked pissed. The TV clicked back on in the background and this time I knew it was Jake that was surfing the channels. Edward muttered under his breath while he shoved around in the fridge for a few moments then finally pulled out a beer.
"Do you mind?" he asked, his face an angry mask.
I shook my head and looked away promptly.
He sighed and I heard him moving closer. "Here, let me help you finish up with those."
"No, that's okay, I got it."
He shook his head and rolled his sleeves up, standing at my side, waiting for me to pass him clean utensils to rinse off. "I don't exactly want to go back in there right now." He seemed to be contemplating adding more, but decided not to. He probably wanted to call Jake a "douche nozzle" or something equally insulting. I didn't blame him.
"He's not always this big of an asshole, I promise."
Edward raised an eyebrow at me. It spoke volumes.
"I'm serious, he's not. He's just…jealous, okay?"
"Oh. Not really a reason to be though, is there? I just moved in here and it's not like we're… I kind of wondered what the deal was with you having a boyfriend—excuse me—long time boyfriend and still living alone?"
"It's complicated," was my only answer.
Edward didn't push. We finished the dishes in silence and he grabbed his beer before making his way back to the living room.
Jake nearly went through the fucking roof. "Charlie's last fucking beer? Bella, what the fuck!"
"Jake, just drop it," I sighed dejectedly.
"No, I won't drop it. It's obvious this fucktard doesn't know shit about how to live here and I'm not going to just be a doormat to walk on. Charlie deserves-"
"Don't you dare fucking tell me what Charlie deserves. Get the fuck out of my house," I screamed back at him.
"Bella-"
"Get. Out!"
"Don't come crying to me when this asshole breaks your heart."
I wondered what the hell that was supposed to mean as I watched the back of his head disappear from my line of sight. My body quaked when he slammed the door.
Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't. Fucking. Cry.
The mantra didn't work. I could feel the tears welling, my lip quivering. I tried not to breathe to keep the sob in.
"Bella, I'm sorry, I thought-"
The sob broke through my lips loudly, my body shuddering as I inhaled loudly to sob again.
"Shit," Edward said. "I'm sorry. My fault. Shouldn't have let him. Fucking idiot."
"It's not," sob, "your fault."
Edward sank into the couch next to me and awkwardly patted my back while I sobbed into my knees. His skin didn't touch mine, though I really wanted it to. His touch was some kind of powerful and I wanted nothing more than to feel it again right now; the almost orgasmic rush of amazing.
Yes, because it's completely possible for one human's touch to make all your dreams come true, I thought cynically.
I laughed through my tears, shaking my head and wondering just how bat shit crazy I looked. I forced my sobs to stop and tried to cut the tears off before looking up at Edward.
"Don't apologize to me, Bella," he said before I could even open my mouth to do just that.
I laughed and sniffed loudly. "Thank you?"
He rolled his eyes at me and chuckled too. "Sure thing." He pressed his hand on my back one last time and scooted to the other side of the couch. "Was Charlie your dad?" he asked in a whisper.
I nodded, biting my lip as it started to quiver again.
Edward summed the night up with one final word: "Shit."
0 comments:
Post a Comment