Chapter 4 - Reunion

I saw him first.  Driving my truck into town, and just as I passed the turn of for La Push, I spotted a familiar figure.  Jacob.

He was loping down the road, his back to me, hair short and head down.  I didn’t honk the horn, or call out through my open window, yet he turned and looked me straight in the eyes.  He raised one hand in hello, and then turned to continue his walk. 

“Wooaaahh!” I shouted, swinging the truck down the road after him, “Not so fast Buddy”

He stopped walking when he realised I was following, and stood with his arms crossed waiting.  

“What the...?” I demanded, jumping out of my truck a bit too quickly and losing a bit of balance only saving myself with the door, “What... Who do you think you are?”

“Huh?” 

“You!” I raised my voice, “Coming back to town, all sorry Bella, all lets forget it Bella, all it was nothing Bella... Jeez Jake, you created alot of fuss for something that wasn’t all that serious...”

He wrinkled his nose at me, “See you don’t smell any better” 

“Jacob!”

“Aw Bella,” He said, “What do you want me to say? I didn’t lie to you... with all that stuff, but when I went away I got a little perspective, I got over it”

“You got over it...” I put my hands up in defeat, “Well PITY you didn’t try doing that before you caused everyone so much pain, putting Edward in a difficult position, Jeez Jake you practically goaded him, and me? You tore me apart! Everyday you were gone I have felt guilty for hurting you.... and now you come back as if it was a prank? You should be ashamed of yourself!”

He looked me up and down, “Still got spirit anyway Bella, or should I say still got soul?”

“Oh shut up!” I gasped, “I didn’t get married for Charlies sake, but I am getting married, asap! Especially now I don’t give a rats behind what happens to you anymore!”

Jake grinned at me, “Are you.... annoyed? Bella? Are you annoyed that I’m over it?”

I wanted to slap his face, but favoured my hand too much, “You are an idiot” I spat and got back into my truck.  My attempt to drive away didn’t gain much ground, and I realised Jacob was holding onto the back of the truck, grinning as I hit the gas sending dust spiralling into the air in vain.

“Let me go!” I roared over the engine.

He shouted back “I’m sorry Bella! I really am sorry! Come back I need to talk...” But I hammered on the accelerator and eventually he let go.

The truck took off at a pretty speed and it took me a second to gain control, “Dangerous pup!” I said quietly, thinking how lucky Jacob was that my boyfriend had not seen that.

Edward was waiting for me when I got home, I had disappeared from Alices visions for a while, and he guessed that I had run into Jacob, “So how was mowgli?” He said, his face somber.

“His usual irritating self” I mumbled, walking past Edward and into the house’ “I’m going to have to get home soon, us not being married and all... back to normal!” I attempted a grin.

“Sure...” Edward said, “I’ll come over later”

That remained without saying.  Stating the obvious.  I wouldn’t sleep without Edward, memories of everything tended to flit through my head when I was alone at night, and since I knew now that my time with the Volturi was somewhat limited I really hated quiet alone time in the dark.

I left about twenty minutes later, letting myself into Charlies with my key, feeling even after only a couple of weeks that I hadn’t been home in years.  Homesickness, Charliesickness, overwhelmed me and tears sprang into my eyes.  

“Dad?” I called.

“In here...” came the response and I heard strains of Late Night Football coming from the den.

I practically ran in, throwing myself into the crook of his arm, which made him blush but he tightened his arm around me anyway, “Everything okay?” he whispered into my hair.

“Jakes home.” I said.

“Oh” Charlie took a swig of his beer.

“He is not only home,” I continued, “but infuriating as ever, he seems to have bounced back more than anyone after all the trouble he caused for me and Edward”

“I thought there might’ve been a bit of a triangle there”

“Yeh there was” I wished I could speak freely, but Charlie was in the dark about many of the details concerning my suitors, and it was better that way, “He really pushed it, Dad. He could have ruined everything for me, and now he shrugs it off like it, like I meant nothing much after all”

“Well...” Charlie seemed hesitant, “Billy was saying something...”

“Tell me!” I demanded

“Well Bella, I don’t want to hurt you, honey, but Billy said something about Jacob coming home soon, with... someone”

“I knew it!” I sat up and shook my head from side to side, “I told Jacob to leave me alone, swore to him he would find someone else and he went ahead and caused all the trouble anyway, even though he knew it too, deep down”

Charlie looked slightly confused at my conviction, “Yeh honey but no-one can really tell when or if they’ll fall in love.... I think Jacob thought you were it, you know, the one”

“No no no...” I shook my head, “thats whats so frustrating, he knew I wasn’t, but he went ahead and tried to destroy everything anyway...”

Charlie shrugged, “Oh I don’t get you kids...” He took a swig of his beer and slumped back down in the couch, raising the volume on the game, my cue that the conversation was at its natural end and giving me permission to leave should I wish.

I did wish, knowing my love was upstairs in the dark.  “Night Char..Dad” I said, kissing him on the cheek.  

“Night Bells”