Picking up the Pieces, 15: Destinations
Title: Picking up the Pieces
Author: exquisite_ugly
Rating/Warnings: M (language, future explicit sex)
Summary: Bella returns to Forks a few years after having married Edward and moving to Alaska. Mistakes and regrets, loneliness and grief, she severs ties and returns to those she truly loves to start over. What will she come home to? AU, A/D/R, M-language/sex
*~*~*
Love, love is a verb/Love is a doing word/Fearless on my breath/Gentle impulsion/Shakes me, makes me lighter/Fearless on my breath/Teardrop on the fire/Fearless on my breath
*~*~*
Charlie helped me heft a box into the back of my truck. He groaned, arching his back a little. "I'm too old to do this heavy-lifting anymore," he said teasingly.
I laughed. "Nice try, dad."
He chuckled and helped me carry the last two from my room to my truck. When we finished, he had a wistful look on his face. We had just packed up all my belongings that I was moving to Jake's apartment.
"I still remember you coming here in the summer to stay with me when you were a little girl. You would go down to the reservation with me, make your little mud pies, and try to hide behind me when Rachel or Rebecca came over to you." He chuckled at the memory.
"And now look at you. The only kid you would play with was Jacob; now you're moving in with him."
I patted his arm. "I'm not going far, I'll call you often, and you know I'll be back here pretty frequently, too."
He smiled, leaning against my truck. "I know, honey. I know I have to let you go at some point to live your life, but…"
He trailed off, and I knew what he was thinking, even though he wouldn't say it. I had left him once before and he thought I was dead. My arms automatically went around his waist, and I laid my head on his shoulder. He held on to me, his arms tightening just a fraction more.
"Things are different now," I said quietly. "It's a very different situation. I've come to understand some things better now, and you know I'll never do anything like that ever again. Plus, you'll see me so much, that you'll barely even know I'm gone."
He kissed the top of my head and smiled.
"I know I said this already, but are you sure this is a good idea? I know your feelings for each other are pretty strong, and it certainly helps since you planned to move to Port Angeles anyway, but I don't want to see you rush into something if you aren't sure you're going to be able to work through things together."
I tossed my purse onto the passenger side seat as Leah came barreling up the road in her car.
I gave Charlie's hand a squeeze. "We're both dedicated to making this work, dad. I don't know what's going to be thrown at us, but we're both willing to do what we have to."
"Okay," he said, giving me a squeeze back. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with and help?"
"That's okay," I said as Leah came over. "You helped me out here, and Leah and Jake said they'd help unload. I'll call you later tonight, okay?"
Leah followed me to Port Angeles and we parked in the apartment lot. "We all know why you're moving in with Jake," she stated as she hefted three boxes in her arms to my one. "You just have the honeymoon hots. You want regular booty calls."
I snorted. "That's it, Leah. You nailed it right on the head."
"Nailed," she pondered. "On the head. See? You already turned into a pervert."
I jabbed her in the back with my box making her laugh. Jake was coming down the stairs; he tilted my chin toward his and gave me a quick peck before he continued on to get more of my stuff. Smiling widely, I hefted my box inside. With Leah and Jake - and their supernatural strength - we had the boxes in the apartment pretty quickly.
We set to unpacking a good chunk of it. When Leah decided to unpack my bras and underwear, and place them strategically around, I rolled my eyes and left her to it. I ordered a few pizzas and some wings. Jake came into the kitchen and looped his arms around my waist from behind. Leaning back into him, I relaxed as his lips pressed to my temple.
"I'm starving," he murmured, making me giggle. So much for sweet nothings whispered into my ear.
The food came and we pigged out in the living room.
"Well, I think I'm going to head out now," Leah said after. "Let you two christen the place as an officially moved in together couple."
I stopped Jake's hand from moving where it wanted to, feeling the heat flood my face. Leah's constant habit of saying whatever was on her mind - normal or not - would never fail to drive me up a wall. So, I pitched the empty pizza box at her in retaliation.
It was nice to hear Jake's uninhibited laugh; it was still a little rare these days. Leah had caught the box, though the corner of it had jabbed her in the forehead. She shook her head at me, but I could see the smile twitching at the corner of her mouth.
"You got your hands full with this one, Black. She's turned into a real pistol lately," she said as a parting shot. She wiggled her fingers over her shoulder at us.
I shook my head, turning to see Jake watching me. He wasn't really smiling, but his eyes were warm, his expression tilting more toward happiness. He leaned over, hauled me onto the sofa with him, and held me in place on his lap. When his mouth found mine, I sank into his kiss. The warmth of his tongue, the taste of him, the way his full lips angled over mine was delicious.
When he unbuttoned my shirt, I arched into his touch. His warm fingers spanned the width of my stomach, and he paused there, just holding me.
I slid my hands down the corded muscles of his forearms. "You okay?" I asked. I was a little worried, though he didn't really seem bothered; more introspective.
He smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm good. Do you feel like getting away for a couple days? I know we just got settled here, but I was thinking a change of scenery for a few days might be good."
Surprised, I eyed him as his hands began to caress my sides, easing their way down to just above where I ached for him. "That would be great, Jake, but what about work? I'd have to see if I could even get a day or two off. And what about you?"
He began to rub between my thighs, and I whimpered, my panties beginning to feel damp. "I have some vacation days stored up. I could work part of the day Friday, we could leave afterward, and we'd have all weekend and maybe Monday, too."
I bit my lip, my eyes nearly rolling in my head as he dipped his fingers below the waistband of my jeans. I arched into his touch, wanting his fingers to work their magic.
"I can ask," I said breathily. "If I work part of the day Friday, too, it might be easier to get Monday off."
He nodded. "Good. Do that Monday and let me know. A co-worker of mine goes to Seabrook, and he really likes it there. We'll rent a cottage; just us and spend some time together."
I loved that idea. When his eyes fixated on my nipples, he pulled me down with him to sprawl on the sofa. When his mouth closed over one, I let myself go, and we undressed to satiate our other appetites.
*~*~*
JPOV
I finished going over the blueprints with my boss and a few other guys for the roof of the school. Bella was at work, and I kept glancing at my watch to see if it was time to leave yet. I wanted to get away from La Push and Port Angeles, even if it was just a few days, to continue to rid myself of certain memories. It didn't hurt now that we were together, but I'd had this restless feeling lately and this odd sense of paranoia.
Bella living with me helped me feel settled, though. It was pretty close to perfect holding her when we slept, waking up with her breath on my neck as she snuggled into me, and more often than not we'd have some more mind-blowing sex.
She was pretty insatiable, just as I was, and I loved it.
When it finally came time to leave, I waved to the pack, promising we'd have a guys' night soon.
"We better," Embry said. "You're too busy having sex to hang out much."
I rolled my eyes as they all snickered.
"Have fun," Sam called out, pulling his hard hat off.
"Pizza and beer night," I assured them as I jogged to my dad's house to take a shower and pick up my stuff. Bella was probably on her way to Forks right now.
I showered, got my stuff together, and sat with Billy and Rachel to catch up before leaving.
"Any plans while you're there?" my dad asked.
"Nothing set in stone," I said. "Karl had said it's just a nice place to get away, spend some time on the beach, and check out a few of the sights and restaurants, that sort of thing. The cottage I rented looks like a nice place, too."
"It'll be good to get away; spend some time together," Rachel said, taking a sip of her coffee. She looked a little wistful, and I felt guilty.
"If it's as nice a place as I'm hearing, maybe we should plan a family vacation come spring. We haven't done that in a long time. I think we could all use some time together."
Rachel perked up at the thought. "That'd be fun. We'll have to keep that in mind."
Bella called, so I said my good byes and left for Forks to pick her up. It took us a little over three hours to get there. We checked in and found the Wildflower Cottage I had booked for us. It was a white cottage with splashes of color; some late-blooming wildflowers, the brightly colored Adirondack chairs on the porch, and the bikes that were there for use were a bright red.
"Wow, this is really pretty," Bella said as she opened the front door.
The house was painted a tan, beach-y color and the furniture was in darker browns with beach-themed art on the walls. The kitchen and living room connected and the kitchen was stocked with all we could need. It had all the amenities you could want and one I was particularly stoked about was you could make your own homemade ice cream.
Bella laughed at the look on my face. "I take it we're getting supplies tonight so we can make ice cream?"
We agreed to take a walk through the little path in the forest to check out the beach and then walk through the town and get some of the food we would need. Bella's fingers twined with mine as we walked along the path. I pulled her in close, feeling myself relax and start to let go of the too many reminders that usually surrounded us.
She jogged toward the water, checking out the seashells, and running back to show me. Amused, I watched her run around like a little kid for awhile before we walked through the tree-lined town to the store. We stocked up on stuff we would need to make ice cream; cereal, bacon, and eggs were added along with juice and milk for the next morning.
The porch of the cottage we were renting looked out over North Alder Park complete with a community fireplace and chairs to sit out and enjoy the view. It was a little on the quiet side, being that it was in the middle of October now, but there were still some families in a few of the other cottages.
Bella poured some of the cheap wine we bought into plastic wine glasses, and we sat out on the porch. I tugged her down onto my lap, so she curled into me as we sipped our wine and looked up at the stars.
"This was a great idea," she said. "It's so pretty here; so peaceful."
I looped my arm around her and sighed, feeling content. "It is. I'm glad I found out about this place."
We drank glass after glass of wine until the bottle was empty. Bella was a bit buzzed, making me laugh as we tried to make ice cream later on, making a huge mess in the process. We managed it somehow, and our strawberry ice cream was pretty damn awesome.
Bella giggled and twirled her way into the bedroom. I chuckled, following her, watching her as she tripped her way to the bed. She flopped onto the bed belly-first, smacking her elbow on the wall. Giving a huff, she tried to shove her hair out of her face; and gazing back over her shoulder, she purred, "Come on, Jake, let's have some fun."
I couldn't help snorting with laughter.
"What's so funny?" she protested, pouting.
It was a totally ungraceful way to propose sex, which I told her, making her pout further. Chuckling, I added, "Don't worry, Bells. I still think you're sexy regardless."
"Why aren't you buzzed?" she growled petulantly.
"I may not be phasing anymore, but I still burn alcohol pretty quickly due to body temperature. Don't worry, though, I feel it."
She smiled at that, leaning back against the pillows and spreading her legs wide. I bit back a grin, liking this side of Bella. I began to tug my shirt over my head when Bella gave what I assumed was a wolf-whistle. To entertain her, I twirled my shirt around on my finger, releasing it. Incidentally, it landed on her head, making her collapse in giggles.
"Take it off!" she said. "All of it. Come on, Jake, dance for me."
That wasn't what I was expecting, but I went with it, turning my back to her. Slowly, I unbuttoned my jeans, lowering them to just below my ass. I smiled as she cheered. To entertain Bella some more, I gave her a bit of a booty-shake, making her laugh and whoop.
When I stepped out of them, I began to swivel my hips, moving much in the way I used to during the tribal dances.
I let loose, free of any inhibitions and moved sinuously, finally completely bare, my boxer briefs swinging from my finger. My body twisted and dipped, feeling strong and agile.
It actually felt good. I had missed the dancing we had done on the beach; it was powerful and made you feel like one with the earth; one of the things that was hammered into our heads as children. Respect and love the earth and it will come back to you.
My eyes caught Bella's… she had stopped laughing, and I noted she looked mesmerized, which pleased me immensely. I shimmied over to her, giving another shake, making my rock-hard cock bob. She giggled again, but was now licking her lips, making my body heat up.
I leaned down and unfastened her jeans, taking her zipper between my teeth and pulling it down. Her gulp was audible. She allowed me to get her undressed, but she gently pushed me back, easing off the bed and onto her knees. Her hands rested on my thighs to keep her balance.
"Bells," I murmured. "What are you…?"
When her mouth closed over the tip of me, I threaded my fingers through her hair, mostly to keep myself steady.
"Mmmm," I sighed. Her little pink tongue flicked out, dragging it up one side, and then the other.
When she took me in as far as she could, I closed my eyes, leaning back against the wall for balance. Her fingers grasped me at the base, the nails of her other hand digging into my ass, as she began to suckle and hum low in her throat.
My body was beginning to shake with the eagerness of her mouth and the vibration.
"Bells," I groaned. She scraped her teeth lightly over the length. When she reached the tip, she began to treat my cock like a Popsicle she couldn't get enough of.
My hips started to jerk forward, my body primed to explode. "I'm going to…" I gasped trying to warn her.
She met my eyes, her lips still wrapped around me, and nodded. It was so fucking hot and all I needed to see. Cupping her head in my hands, I came with an intensity that had me gasping and straining. My fingers clenched in her hair as she swallowed, and my whole body was throbbing. I pulled her up, my arms a little shaky, and lifted her so I could kiss her.
When I set her down, she murmured, "That was my first…" She hesitated and looked away, embarrassment on her face.
I deposited her on the bed, leaning down to nuzzle her neck, thrilled knowing I was her first for that at least. "It was fan-fucking-tastic," I whispered in her ear. "And now I'll reward you…"
I gave one swipe from bottom to top with my tongue, and her hips arched up immediately. "Jake," she practically purred. I zeroed in on all the sensitive spots, sucking and biting, and sent her up and over the edge. It was just the time I needed to get rock-hard again and take her with one fast thrust.
*~*~*
BPOV
The following morning, I woke when the sun rose; thankfully with no headache, though my stomach felt empty and I was thirsty. My body was pleasantly sore and supple; Jake had delivered more than once last night, and I was happily satiated. I rolled over to find Jake on his stomach, one arm still flung over me, the other curled under his pillow.
I wiggled out from underneath him, wanting to get a better look at him in repose. The weak sunlight trickled in through the partially opened blinds, highlighting his strong cheekbones. His full lips were parted slightly, and he was snoring quietly. Memories of last night came to me:
Jake's long, muscled body moving in the sexiest dance I had ever seen. His russet skin gleamed under the light, his muscles rippling; especially his backside. The way it flexed was incredibly hot.
His booty shake, the swinging of the shirt and underwear as he grinded his way over to me made me laugh. The look in his eyes, the smile on his lips; it was the old Jake, the Jake that made me laugh and who liked to have fun. It was entirely evident in the silly moves and his laughter.
His fingers tangled in my hair, my mouth wrapped around him, his tongue exploring between my thighs over and over, driving me crazy.
I was torn between a little embarrassment over my buzzed state and desire. Last night had been fun and incredibly hot, though, and I wouldn't have traded it for anything. I skimmed my finger over Jake's cheekbone, brushing against his long eyelashes, and felt him stir. Abruptly, he rolled over on top of me, nuzzling into my neck and making me laugh.
He looked at me all sleepy-eyed and smiled. "How are you feeling this morning?"
I flushed a little. "Hungry. Thirsty. Happy."
He chuckled. "Okay, I'll make this quick," and before I could react, he was inside me. His hips were slow, and he built up the heat which didn't take long at all.
Afterward, we devoured eggs, pancakes, and cereal before heading out for the day. We spent some time on the beach, playing Frisbee, building sand castles, and just relaxing. We stopped in Blind Dog Books and poked around the market for dinner.
There was an indoor pool and hot tub by the cottages, so we made use of that. The windows overlooked the pretty rentals and we paddled around the pool lazily.
"Do we have to go home?" I asked, feeling more than content.
He smiled, catching my hips, and tugging me underwater. He made fish lips at me, making me giggle. I hooked my arms around his neck as he propelled us to the surface hard enough that we popped quite a bit out of water.
"Dork," I teased.
He kissed me. "Let's just stay here."
After a long soak in the hot tub, we bundled up and headed back to the cottage to shower and change into warm clothes so we could cook on the grill outside. Jake grilled some steak and potatoes while I chopped up some vegetables. We even ate outside; though I bundled up in a sweater and a jacket. There was another bottle of wine which we opened, though I refrained from having more than a glass and a half.
There was another couple that had ventured out to cook, too, and we ended up chatting with them for awhile.
We watched a movie, snuggled up on the couch, and made love again before passing out from sheer exhaustion. The next day was spent hiking the paths through the forest, checking out the ceramics studio where Jake painted a ceramic vase for me, and I painted him a ceramic wolf. We caught the sunset on the beach that night; my head rested against his chest as orange, purple, and red lit the sky and faded.
We left Monday afternoon to head home, vowing to go back again. It had been a perfect few days, though my stomach felt a little queasy on the ride home. I felt that way the next couple days, prompting Jake to tell me I should make a doctor appointment when he found me resting in bed after work one day.
"Bells, maybe it's a bug, but its lasted a few days now. I think you should get it checked out," he said, laying the back of his hand on my forehead. "You don't feel overly warm, but you look a little worn out."
I agreed since both he and Charlie told me the same thing. I made the appointment, but I went out to the drugstore, realizing afterward that my period was late. My stomach was rolling as I picked out the first HPT I found. Shaking, I paid for it, and headed back to the apartment. Jake would be home in an hour, so I had time.
I followed the instructions and stood at the sink, waiting, my heart pounding, sweat beginning to bead at my hairline. I took a few sips of water, trying to take deep breaths, as I waited to see if two blue lines would appear. My mind replayed the images from long ago; the ones when I had kissed Jake before the fight and saw a little boy and girl running hand in hand into the forest. They had been the life I didn't realize I wanted.
But to have a child now? Just when we were getting back onto even footing? I kept going over and over in my head if I had messed up with my pills. We didn't use condoms, but I figured I was relatively safe. Maybe I had been late in taking a pill one day, therefore lessening the effectiveness of it.
It had crossed my mind more than once when I was in Alaska; wanting a life, and children, with Jake. But I didn't want to saddle him down right now, make him feel obligated to marry me and raise children. He would do it in a heartbeat, I knew that, but he could resent me for it later.
My stomach heaved, and I bent over the toilet and got sick. Tears were running down my cheeks, partially from nerves and getting sick. My eyes finally landed on the stick, and I felt almost faint. It was negative. I wasn't pregnant.
"Bells?"
My head shot up, shocked at how long I had been in the bathroom. I wrapped the stick in toilet paper, put it in a paper cup, and buried it at the bottom of the trash can. Splashing water on my face, I called out, "Be right there!"
I brushed my teeth quickly and smoothed my hair. Downstairs, Jake was holding a bag of Chinese take-out. His warm lips pressed to my cheek, and my insides trembled. Part of me wanted to tell him, but I couldn't. Not yet. Instead we ate our Chinese food and watched a movie together.
The next day at my appointment, the doctor asked me when my last period was. I relayed that I had just taken a pregnancy test that came out negative. "Hmm," she murmured, checking my vitals. "Your blood pressure is a little elevated; you said you've been sick, and your heart beat felt a bit irregular a couple times?"
When I nodded, she marked something down. "Okay, I'm going to do an ultrasound of the stomach and chest area, just to see what's what. I don't want to scare you, because it sounds like you're suffering from anxiety more than anything right now. You said you're marriage fell apart; you came home, and have been reconnecting with people from your past to fix things? That could definitely make your period late, cause you to have latent anxiety, and it sounds like a bug you picked up on top of that."
I nodded, wishing Jake was there with me to hold my hand. She set me up to check and was looking at the machine when she paused. She frowned, sliding it over my stomach again.
"Bella, there seems to be a blockage in your fallopian tubes. That's actually something that can keep you from getting pregnant if it isn't taken care of. It doesn't look like anything I've seen before, though…"
My heart gave a sickening thud. I had been scared I was pregnant, and now I was being told I might not be able to in the future? My eyes landed on the ultrasound machine and what I saw had me freezing on the table. It looked silvery to me and disturbingly familiar. When I had been bitten by a vampire, Edward had extracted the venom from me. Even in my half-passed out state, it had looked like something silvery.
Vampire venom. I couldn't have the doctor operate.
My heart was breaking. If this stopped me from having babies…
"I h-have to go," I said as soon as she pulled the wand away. "I n-need to talk to my boyfriend and f-father," I stammered.
Her face was wreathed in concern. "Okay, Bella, but remember this doesn't mean you're never going to have kids. We can take care of this…"
I nodded, making my escape. All the way home, my mind raced. Did this happen because I'd had sex with Edward? No one had mentioned the repercussions, but maybe they didn't know, especially since I was alive with venom inside of me. If I went off birth control to have kids one day, would I be able to conceive? I was going to have to call Carlisle. I'd sent them something about a divorce, but hadn't heard anything yet, but now I was going to have to talk to him.
Jake was in the apartment, standing with his back to me. He turned around, the pregnancy box in his hand. His face was pale, mouth twisted into a strange shape. "Bella, what the hell is going on?"
I couldn't decide if there was blame in his eyes, if he thought I was trapping him or if I was overreacting. I opened my mouth, but all I could do was sway on the spot and then everything went black.
Chapter 16
*~*~*
AN: Ok, yeah, I know that was a bad place to leave it, but this chapter kept growing in length. Just remember not all is always as it seems. :o) So, what'd you think?
And Seabrook looks like an awesome place, IMO. The link to the Wildflower Cottage that can be rented: Here
Author: exquisite_ugly
Rating/Warnings: M (language, future explicit sex)
Summary: Bella returns to Forks a few years after having married Edward and moving to Alaska. Mistakes and regrets, loneliness and grief, she severs ties and returns to those she truly loves to start over. What will she come home to? AU, A/D/R, M-language/sex
*~*~*
Love, love is a verb/Love is a doing word/Fearless on my breath/Gentle impulsion/Shakes me, makes me lighter/Fearless on my breath/Teardrop on the fire/Fearless on my breath
*~*~*
Charlie helped me heft a box into the back of my truck. He groaned, arching his back a little. "I'm too old to do this heavy-lifting anymore," he said teasingly.
I laughed. "Nice try, dad."
He chuckled and helped me carry the last two from my room to my truck. When we finished, he had a wistful look on his face. We had just packed up all my belongings that I was moving to Jake's apartment.
"I still remember you coming here in the summer to stay with me when you were a little girl. You would go down to the reservation with me, make your little mud pies, and try to hide behind me when Rachel or Rebecca came over to you." He chuckled at the memory.
"And now look at you. The only kid you would play with was Jacob; now you're moving in with him."
I patted his arm. "I'm not going far, I'll call you often, and you know I'll be back here pretty frequently, too."
He smiled, leaning against my truck. "I know, honey. I know I have to let you go at some point to live your life, but…"
He trailed off, and I knew what he was thinking, even though he wouldn't say it. I had left him once before and he thought I was dead. My arms automatically went around his waist, and I laid my head on his shoulder. He held on to me, his arms tightening just a fraction more.
"Things are different now," I said quietly. "It's a very different situation. I've come to understand some things better now, and you know I'll never do anything like that ever again. Plus, you'll see me so much, that you'll barely even know I'm gone."
He kissed the top of my head and smiled.
"I know I said this already, but are you sure this is a good idea? I know your feelings for each other are pretty strong, and it certainly helps since you planned to move to Port Angeles anyway, but I don't want to see you rush into something if you aren't sure you're going to be able to work through things together."
I tossed my purse onto the passenger side seat as Leah came barreling up the road in her car.
I gave Charlie's hand a squeeze. "We're both dedicated to making this work, dad. I don't know what's going to be thrown at us, but we're both willing to do what we have to."
"Okay," he said, giving me a squeeze back. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with and help?"
"That's okay," I said as Leah came over. "You helped me out here, and Leah and Jake said they'd help unload. I'll call you later tonight, okay?"
Leah followed me to Port Angeles and we parked in the apartment lot. "We all know why you're moving in with Jake," she stated as she hefted three boxes in her arms to my one. "You just have the honeymoon hots. You want regular booty calls."
I snorted. "That's it, Leah. You nailed it right on the head."
"Nailed," she pondered. "On the head. See? You already turned into a pervert."
I jabbed her in the back with my box making her laugh. Jake was coming down the stairs; he tilted my chin toward his and gave me a quick peck before he continued on to get more of my stuff. Smiling widely, I hefted my box inside. With Leah and Jake - and their supernatural strength - we had the boxes in the apartment pretty quickly.
We set to unpacking a good chunk of it. When Leah decided to unpack my bras and underwear, and place them strategically around, I rolled my eyes and left her to it. I ordered a few pizzas and some wings. Jake came into the kitchen and looped his arms around my waist from behind. Leaning back into him, I relaxed as his lips pressed to my temple.
"I'm starving," he murmured, making me giggle. So much for sweet nothings whispered into my ear.
The food came and we pigged out in the living room.
"Well, I think I'm going to head out now," Leah said after. "Let you two christen the place as an officially moved in together couple."
I stopped Jake's hand from moving where it wanted to, feeling the heat flood my face. Leah's constant habit of saying whatever was on her mind - normal or not - would never fail to drive me up a wall. So, I pitched the empty pizza box at her in retaliation.
It was nice to hear Jake's uninhibited laugh; it was still a little rare these days. Leah had caught the box, though the corner of it had jabbed her in the forehead. She shook her head at me, but I could see the smile twitching at the corner of her mouth.
"You got your hands full with this one, Black. She's turned into a real pistol lately," she said as a parting shot. She wiggled her fingers over her shoulder at us.
I shook my head, turning to see Jake watching me. He wasn't really smiling, but his eyes were warm, his expression tilting more toward happiness. He leaned over, hauled me onto the sofa with him, and held me in place on his lap. When his mouth found mine, I sank into his kiss. The warmth of his tongue, the taste of him, the way his full lips angled over mine was delicious.
When he unbuttoned my shirt, I arched into his touch. His warm fingers spanned the width of my stomach, and he paused there, just holding me.
I slid my hands down the corded muscles of his forearms. "You okay?" I asked. I was a little worried, though he didn't really seem bothered; more introspective.
He smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm good. Do you feel like getting away for a couple days? I know we just got settled here, but I was thinking a change of scenery for a few days might be good."
Surprised, I eyed him as his hands began to caress my sides, easing their way down to just above where I ached for him. "That would be great, Jake, but what about work? I'd have to see if I could even get a day or two off. And what about you?"
He began to rub between my thighs, and I whimpered, my panties beginning to feel damp. "I have some vacation days stored up. I could work part of the day Friday, we could leave afterward, and we'd have all weekend and maybe Monday, too."
I bit my lip, my eyes nearly rolling in my head as he dipped his fingers below the waistband of my jeans. I arched into his touch, wanting his fingers to work their magic.
"I can ask," I said breathily. "If I work part of the day Friday, too, it might be easier to get Monday off."
He nodded. "Good. Do that Monday and let me know. A co-worker of mine goes to Seabrook, and he really likes it there. We'll rent a cottage; just us and spend some time together."
I loved that idea. When his eyes fixated on my nipples, he pulled me down with him to sprawl on the sofa. When his mouth closed over one, I let myself go, and we undressed to satiate our other appetites.
*~*~*
JPOV
I finished going over the blueprints with my boss and a few other guys for the roof of the school. Bella was at work, and I kept glancing at my watch to see if it was time to leave yet. I wanted to get away from La Push and Port Angeles, even if it was just a few days, to continue to rid myself of certain memories. It didn't hurt now that we were together, but I'd had this restless feeling lately and this odd sense of paranoia.
Bella living with me helped me feel settled, though. It was pretty close to perfect holding her when we slept, waking up with her breath on my neck as she snuggled into me, and more often than not we'd have some more mind-blowing sex.
She was pretty insatiable, just as I was, and I loved it.
When it finally came time to leave, I waved to the pack, promising we'd have a guys' night soon.
"We better," Embry said. "You're too busy having sex to hang out much."
I rolled my eyes as they all snickered.
"Have fun," Sam called out, pulling his hard hat off.
"Pizza and beer night," I assured them as I jogged to my dad's house to take a shower and pick up my stuff. Bella was probably on her way to Forks right now.
I showered, got my stuff together, and sat with Billy and Rachel to catch up before leaving.
"Any plans while you're there?" my dad asked.
"Nothing set in stone," I said. "Karl had said it's just a nice place to get away, spend some time on the beach, and check out a few of the sights and restaurants, that sort of thing. The cottage I rented looks like a nice place, too."
"It'll be good to get away; spend some time together," Rachel said, taking a sip of her coffee. She looked a little wistful, and I felt guilty.
"If it's as nice a place as I'm hearing, maybe we should plan a family vacation come spring. We haven't done that in a long time. I think we could all use some time together."
Rachel perked up at the thought. "That'd be fun. We'll have to keep that in mind."
Bella called, so I said my good byes and left for Forks to pick her up. It took us a little over three hours to get there. We checked in and found the Wildflower Cottage I had booked for us. It was a white cottage with splashes of color; some late-blooming wildflowers, the brightly colored Adirondack chairs on the porch, and the bikes that were there for use were a bright red.
"Wow, this is really pretty," Bella said as she opened the front door.
The house was painted a tan, beach-y color and the furniture was in darker browns with beach-themed art on the walls. The kitchen and living room connected and the kitchen was stocked with all we could need. It had all the amenities you could want and one I was particularly stoked about was you could make your own homemade ice cream.
Bella laughed at the look on my face. "I take it we're getting supplies tonight so we can make ice cream?"
We agreed to take a walk through the little path in the forest to check out the beach and then walk through the town and get some of the food we would need. Bella's fingers twined with mine as we walked along the path. I pulled her in close, feeling myself relax and start to let go of the too many reminders that usually surrounded us.
She jogged toward the water, checking out the seashells, and running back to show me. Amused, I watched her run around like a little kid for awhile before we walked through the tree-lined town to the store. We stocked up on stuff we would need to make ice cream; cereal, bacon, and eggs were added along with juice and milk for the next morning.
The porch of the cottage we were renting looked out over North Alder Park complete with a community fireplace and chairs to sit out and enjoy the view. It was a little on the quiet side, being that it was in the middle of October now, but there were still some families in a few of the other cottages.
Bella poured some of the cheap wine we bought into plastic wine glasses, and we sat out on the porch. I tugged her down onto my lap, so she curled into me as we sipped our wine and looked up at the stars.
"This was a great idea," she said. "It's so pretty here; so peaceful."
I looped my arm around her and sighed, feeling content. "It is. I'm glad I found out about this place."
We drank glass after glass of wine until the bottle was empty. Bella was a bit buzzed, making me laugh as we tried to make ice cream later on, making a huge mess in the process. We managed it somehow, and our strawberry ice cream was pretty damn awesome.
Bella giggled and twirled her way into the bedroom. I chuckled, following her, watching her as she tripped her way to the bed. She flopped onto the bed belly-first, smacking her elbow on the wall. Giving a huff, she tried to shove her hair out of her face; and gazing back over her shoulder, she purred, "Come on, Jake, let's have some fun."
I couldn't help snorting with laughter.
"What's so funny?" she protested, pouting.
It was a totally ungraceful way to propose sex, which I told her, making her pout further. Chuckling, I added, "Don't worry, Bells. I still think you're sexy regardless."
"Why aren't you buzzed?" she growled petulantly.
"I may not be phasing anymore, but I still burn alcohol pretty quickly due to body temperature. Don't worry, though, I feel it."
She smiled at that, leaning back against the pillows and spreading her legs wide. I bit back a grin, liking this side of Bella. I began to tug my shirt over my head when Bella gave what I assumed was a wolf-whistle. To entertain her, I twirled my shirt around on my finger, releasing it. Incidentally, it landed on her head, making her collapse in giggles.
"Take it off!" she said. "All of it. Come on, Jake, dance for me."
That wasn't what I was expecting, but I went with it, turning my back to her. Slowly, I unbuttoned my jeans, lowering them to just below my ass. I smiled as she cheered. To entertain Bella some more, I gave her a bit of a booty-shake, making her laugh and whoop.
When I stepped out of them, I began to swivel my hips, moving much in the way I used to during the tribal dances.
I let loose, free of any inhibitions and moved sinuously, finally completely bare, my boxer briefs swinging from my finger. My body twisted and dipped, feeling strong and agile.
It actually felt good. I had missed the dancing we had done on the beach; it was powerful and made you feel like one with the earth; one of the things that was hammered into our heads as children. Respect and love the earth and it will come back to you.
My eyes caught Bella's… she had stopped laughing, and I noted she looked mesmerized, which pleased me immensely. I shimmied over to her, giving another shake, making my rock-hard cock bob. She giggled again, but was now licking her lips, making my body heat up.
I leaned down and unfastened her jeans, taking her zipper between my teeth and pulling it down. Her gulp was audible. She allowed me to get her undressed, but she gently pushed me back, easing off the bed and onto her knees. Her hands rested on my thighs to keep her balance.
"Bells," I murmured. "What are you…?"
When her mouth closed over the tip of me, I threaded my fingers through her hair, mostly to keep myself steady.
"Mmmm," I sighed. Her little pink tongue flicked out, dragging it up one side, and then the other.
When she took me in as far as she could, I closed my eyes, leaning back against the wall for balance. Her fingers grasped me at the base, the nails of her other hand digging into my ass, as she began to suckle and hum low in her throat.
My body was beginning to shake with the eagerness of her mouth and the vibration.
"Bells," I groaned. She scraped her teeth lightly over the length. When she reached the tip, she began to treat my cock like a Popsicle she couldn't get enough of.
My hips started to jerk forward, my body primed to explode. "I'm going to…" I gasped trying to warn her.
She met my eyes, her lips still wrapped around me, and nodded. It was so fucking hot and all I needed to see. Cupping her head in my hands, I came with an intensity that had me gasping and straining. My fingers clenched in her hair as she swallowed, and my whole body was throbbing. I pulled her up, my arms a little shaky, and lifted her so I could kiss her.
When I set her down, she murmured, "That was my first…" She hesitated and looked away, embarrassment on her face.
I deposited her on the bed, leaning down to nuzzle her neck, thrilled knowing I was her first for that at least. "It was fan-fucking-tastic," I whispered in her ear. "And now I'll reward you…"
I gave one swipe from bottom to top with my tongue, and her hips arched up immediately. "Jake," she practically purred. I zeroed in on all the sensitive spots, sucking and biting, and sent her up and over the edge. It was just the time I needed to get rock-hard again and take her with one fast thrust.
*~*~*
BPOV
The following morning, I woke when the sun rose; thankfully with no headache, though my stomach felt empty and I was thirsty. My body was pleasantly sore and supple; Jake had delivered more than once last night, and I was happily satiated. I rolled over to find Jake on his stomach, one arm still flung over me, the other curled under his pillow.
I wiggled out from underneath him, wanting to get a better look at him in repose. The weak sunlight trickled in through the partially opened blinds, highlighting his strong cheekbones. His full lips were parted slightly, and he was snoring quietly. Memories of last night came to me:
Jake's long, muscled body moving in the sexiest dance I had ever seen. His russet skin gleamed under the light, his muscles rippling; especially his backside. The way it flexed was incredibly hot.
His booty shake, the swinging of the shirt and underwear as he grinded his way over to me made me laugh. The look in his eyes, the smile on his lips; it was the old Jake, the Jake that made me laugh and who liked to have fun. It was entirely evident in the silly moves and his laughter.
His fingers tangled in my hair, my mouth wrapped around him, his tongue exploring between my thighs over and over, driving me crazy.
I was torn between a little embarrassment over my buzzed state and desire. Last night had been fun and incredibly hot, though, and I wouldn't have traded it for anything. I skimmed my finger over Jake's cheekbone, brushing against his long eyelashes, and felt him stir. Abruptly, he rolled over on top of me, nuzzling into my neck and making me laugh.
He looked at me all sleepy-eyed and smiled. "How are you feeling this morning?"
I flushed a little. "Hungry. Thirsty. Happy."
He chuckled. "Okay, I'll make this quick," and before I could react, he was inside me. His hips were slow, and he built up the heat which didn't take long at all.
Afterward, we devoured eggs, pancakes, and cereal before heading out for the day. We spent some time on the beach, playing Frisbee, building sand castles, and just relaxing. We stopped in Blind Dog Books and poked around the market for dinner.
There was an indoor pool and hot tub by the cottages, so we made use of that. The windows overlooked the pretty rentals and we paddled around the pool lazily.
"Do we have to go home?" I asked, feeling more than content.
He smiled, catching my hips, and tugging me underwater. He made fish lips at me, making me giggle. I hooked my arms around his neck as he propelled us to the surface hard enough that we popped quite a bit out of water.
"Dork," I teased.
He kissed me. "Let's just stay here."
After a long soak in the hot tub, we bundled up and headed back to the cottage to shower and change into warm clothes so we could cook on the grill outside. Jake grilled some steak and potatoes while I chopped up some vegetables. We even ate outside; though I bundled up in a sweater and a jacket. There was another bottle of wine which we opened, though I refrained from having more than a glass and a half.
There was another couple that had ventured out to cook, too, and we ended up chatting with them for awhile.
We watched a movie, snuggled up on the couch, and made love again before passing out from sheer exhaustion. The next day was spent hiking the paths through the forest, checking out the ceramics studio where Jake painted a ceramic vase for me, and I painted him a ceramic wolf. We caught the sunset on the beach that night; my head rested against his chest as orange, purple, and red lit the sky and faded.
We left Monday afternoon to head home, vowing to go back again. It had been a perfect few days, though my stomach felt a little queasy on the ride home. I felt that way the next couple days, prompting Jake to tell me I should make a doctor appointment when he found me resting in bed after work one day.
"Bells, maybe it's a bug, but its lasted a few days now. I think you should get it checked out," he said, laying the back of his hand on my forehead. "You don't feel overly warm, but you look a little worn out."
I agreed since both he and Charlie told me the same thing. I made the appointment, but I went out to the drugstore, realizing afterward that my period was late. My stomach was rolling as I picked out the first HPT I found. Shaking, I paid for it, and headed back to the apartment. Jake would be home in an hour, so I had time.
I followed the instructions and stood at the sink, waiting, my heart pounding, sweat beginning to bead at my hairline. I took a few sips of water, trying to take deep breaths, as I waited to see if two blue lines would appear. My mind replayed the images from long ago; the ones when I had kissed Jake before the fight and saw a little boy and girl running hand in hand into the forest. They had been the life I didn't realize I wanted.
But to have a child now? Just when we were getting back onto even footing? I kept going over and over in my head if I had messed up with my pills. We didn't use condoms, but I figured I was relatively safe. Maybe I had been late in taking a pill one day, therefore lessening the effectiveness of it.
It had crossed my mind more than once when I was in Alaska; wanting a life, and children, with Jake. But I didn't want to saddle him down right now, make him feel obligated to marry me and raise children. He would do it in a heartbeat, I knew that, but he could resent me for it later.
My stomach heaved, and I bent over the toilet and got sick. Tears were running down my cheeks, partially from nerves and getting sick. My eyes finally landed on the stick, and I felt almost faint. It was negative. I wasn't pregnant.
"Bells?"
My head shot up, shocked at how long I had been in the bathroom. I wrapped the stick in toilet paper, put it in a paper cup, and buried it at the bottom of the trash can. Splashing water on my face, I called out, "Be right there!"
I brushed my teeth quickly and smoothed my hair. Downstairs, Jake was holding a bag of Chinese take-out. His warm lips pressed to my cheek, and my insides trembled. Part of me wanted to tell him, but I couldn't. Not yet. Instead we ate our Chinese food and watched a movie together.
The next day at my appointment, the doctor asked me when my last period was. I relayed that I had just taken a pregnancy test that came out negative. "Hmm," she murmured, checking my vitals. "Your blood pressure is a little elevated; you said you've been sick, and your heart beat felt a bit irregular a couple times?"
When I nodded, she marked something down. "Okay, I'm going to do an ultrasound of the stomach and chest area, just to see what's what. I don't want to scare you, because it sounds like you're suffering from anxiety more than anything right now. You said you're marriage fell apart; you came home, and have been reconnecting with people from your past to fix things? That could definitely make your period late, cause you to have latent anxiety, and it sounds like a bug you picked up on top of that."
I nodded, wishing Jake was there with me to hold my hand. She set me up to check and was looking at the machine when she paused. She frowned, sliding it over my stomach again.
"Bella, there seems to be a blockage in your fallopian tubes. That's actually something that can keep you from getting pregnant if it isn't taken care of. It doesn't look like anything I've seen before, though…"
My heart gave a sickening thud. I had been scared I was pregnant, and now I was being told I might not be able to in the future? My eyes landed on the ultrasound machine and what I saw had me freezing on the table. It looked silvery to me and disturbingly familiar. When I had been bitten by a vampire, Edward had extracted the venom from me. Even in my half-passed out state, it had looked like something silvery.
Vampire venom. I couldn't have the doctor operate.
My heart was breaking. If this stopped me from having babies…
"I h-have to go," I said as soon as she pulled the wand away. "I n-need to talk to my boyfriend and f-father," I stammered.
Her face was wreathed in concern. "Okay, Bella, but remember this doesn't mean you're never going to have kids. We can take care of this…"
I nodded, making my escape. All the way home, my mind raced. Did this happen because I'd had sex with Edward? No one had mentioned the repercussions, but maybe they didn't know, especially since I was alive with venom inside of me. If I went off birth control to have kids one day, would I be able to conceive? I was going to have to call Carlisle. I'd sent them something about a divorce, but hadn't heard anything yet, but now I was going to have to talk to him.
Jake was in the apartment, standing with his back to me. He turned around, the pregnancy box in his hand. His face was pale, mouth twisted into a strange shape. "Bella, what the hell is going on?"
I couldn't decide if there was blame in his eyes, if he thought I was trapping him or if I was overreacting. I opened my mouth, but all I could do was sway on the spot and then everything went black.
Chapter 16
*~*~*
AN: Ok, yeah, I know that was a bad place to leave it, but this chapter kept growing in length. Just remember not all is always as it seems. :o) So, what'd you think?
And Seabrook looks like an awesome place, IMO. The link to the Wildflower Cottage that can be rented: Here