Page 16 (1/2)

I STARED AT HIM FOR A LONG MINUTE, SPEECHLESS I could not think of one thing to say to him

As he watched my dumbfounded expression, the seriousness left his face

"Okay," he said, grinning "That’s all"

"Jake -" It felt like there was so in my throat I tried to clear the obstruction "I can’t - I rabbed my shoulders and spun me around

"No, wait I know that, Bella But, look, answer o away and never see you again? Be honest"

It was hard to concentrate on his question, so it took a minute to answer "No, I don’t want that," I finally adain "See"

"But I don’t want you around for the same reason that you want me around," I objected

"Tell ht carefully "I miss you when you’re not there When you’re happy," I qualified carefully, "itabout Charlie, Jacob You’re family I love you, but I’m not in love with you"

He nodded, unruffled "But you do want e

"Then I’ll stick around"

"You’re a glutton for punishers across ht cheek I slapped his hand away

"Do you think you could behave yourself a little better, at least?" I asked, irritated

"No, I don’t You decide, Bella You can have me the way I am - bad behavior included - or not at all"

I stared at him, frustrated "That’s mean"

"So are you"

That pulled ht If I wasn’t reedy, too - I would tell hi to try to keep my friend when that would hurt hi here, but I was suddenly sure that it wasn’t good

"You’re right," I whispered

He laughed "I forgive you Just try not to get tooup There really is so irresistible about a lost cause"

"Jacob" I stared into his dark eyes, trying to make him take me seriously "I love him, Jacob He’s my whole life"

"You love me, too," he reminded me He held up his hand when I started to protest "Not the same way, I know But he’s not your whole life, either Not anyoing to have to deal with the consequence of that choice - me"

I shook my head "You’re impossible"

Suddenly, he was serious He tookit firaze

"Until your heart stops beating, Bella," he said "I’ll be here - fighting Don’t forget that you have options"

"I don’t want options," I disagreed, trying to yank my chin free unsuccessfully "And one"

His eyes narrowed "All the ht harder nohile I can," he whispered

He still had ht, till it hurt - and I saw the resolve form abruptly in his eyes

"N -" I started to object, but it was too late

His lips crushed hly, his other hand gripping tight around the back of ainst his chest with all th, but he didn’t even seeer, his lips rabbed at his face, trying to push it away, failing again He seeravated him His lips forced mine open, and I could feel his hot breath inon instinct, I let my hands drop to ht, didn’t feeljust waited for hier seemed to evaporate, and he pulled back to look at ain, once, twicea third tio of my face and leaned away

"Are you done now?" I asked in an expressionless voice

"Yes," he sighed He started to s his eyes

I pulledhim in the mouth with as much power as I could force out ofsound

"Ow! OW!" I screaony while I clutched my hand to my chest It was broken, I could feel it

Jacob stared at ht?"

"No, dammit! You brokearound and let ht now!"

"I’ll gethis jaw like they did in the movies How pathetic

"No, thanks," I hissed "I’d rather walk" I turned toward the road It was only a few ot away from him, Alice would see me She’d send somebody to pick me up

"Just let me drive you home," Jacob insisted Unbelievably, he had the nerve to wrap his arrowled "Do! I can’t wait to see what Edward does to you! I hope he snaps your neck, you pushy, obnoxious, moronic DOG!"

Jacob rolled his eyes He walked er side of his car and helped

"Didn’t I hurt you at all?" I asked, furious and annoyed

"Are you kidding? If you hadn’t started screa to punch me I may not be made out of stone, but I’ood Hate is a passionate eive you passionate," I muttered under my breath "Murder, the ultimate crime of passion"

"Oh, c’ like he was about to start whistling again "That had to be better than kissing a rock"

"Not even remotely close," I told hi that"

"But I’m not"

That seemed to bother him for a second, but then he perked up "You’re just , but I thought it was pretty incredibleto think about it tonight When he thinks you’re asleep, you’ll be thinking about your options"

"If I think about you tonight, it will be because I’ to stare at me with his dark eyes wide and earnest "Just think about how it could be, Bella," he urged in a soft, eager voice "You wouldn’t have to change anything for me You know Charlie would be happy if you picked me I could protect you just as well as your vampire can - maybe better And I would ive you that he can’t I’ll bet he couldn’t even kiss you like that - because he would hurt you I would never, never hurt you, Bella"

I held up hed "That wasn’t my fault You should have known better"

"Jacob, I can’t be happy without hireed "When he left, you spent all your energy holding on to hio You could be happy with me"

"I don’t want to be happy with anyone but him," I insisted

"You’ll never be able to be as sure of hiain"

"No, he will not," I said through my teeth The pain of the memory bit into me like the lash of a whip It made me want to hurt him back "You leftof the weeks he’d hidden from me, the words he’d said to ued hotly "They told me I couldn’t tell you - that it wasn’t safe for you if ere together But I never left, never! I used to run around your house at night - like I do now Justsure you were okay"

I wasn’t about to let him make me feel bad for hihed, and started driving at a nor the road

"Just think about it, Bella"

"No," I said stubbornly

"You will Tonight And I’ll be thinking about you while you’re thinking about rinned over atwhen my broken hand reacted

"Are you okay?" he asked

"I did not"

"I think I can tell the difference"

"Obviously you can’t - that was not kissing back, that was trying to get you the hell off of h "Touchy Almost overly defensive, I would say"

I took a deep breath There was no point in arguing with hi I said I concentrated on ers, to ascertain where the broken parts were Sharp pains stabbed along roaned

"I’ almost sincere "Next time you want to hit me, use a baseball bat or a crowbar, okay?"

"Don’t think I’ll forget that," Iuntil ere onht you said you were going houess you can’t take round my teeth in frustration

Pain twisted across his face, and I could see that this affected hi else I’d said

"This is your home, Bella," he said quietly

"Yes, but do any doctors live here?" I asked, holding up ht about that for a minute "I’ll take you to the hospital Or Charlie can"

"I don’t want to go to the hospital It’s e and unnecessary"

He let the Rabbit idle in front of the house, deliberating with an unsure expression Charlie’s cruiser was in the driveway

I sighed "Go ho for the house The engine cut off behind me, and I was less surprised than annoyed to find Jacob beside oing to get so to call Edward and tell hiet me and take me to Carlisle so that he can fix o hunt up a crowbar"

He didn’t answer He opened the front door and held it for me

We walked silently past the front roo on the sofa

"Hey, kids," he said, sitting forward "Nice to see you here, Jake"

"Hey, Charlie," Jacob answered casually, pausing I stalked on to the kitchen

"What’s wrong with her?" Charlie wondered

"She thinks she broke her hand," I heard Jacob tell him I went to the freezer and pulled out a tray of ice cubes

"How did she do that?" As ht to sound a bit less ahed "She hit hed, too, and I scohile I beat the tray against the edge of the sink The ice scattered inside the basin, and I grabbed a handful with ood hand and wrapped the cubes in the dishcloth on the counter

"Why did she hit you?"

"Because I kissed her," Jacob said, unasharound my teeth and went for the phone I dialed Edward’s cell

"Bella?" he answered on the first ring He sounded hted I could hear the Volvo’s engine in the background; he was already in the car - that was good "You left the phoneI’ruet me, please?"

"I’?"

"I want Carlisle to look at one quiet in the front roori his disco flat