The time spent
He did everything he could just to pass the time, back then. Back when his heart ached for a pale, clumsy girl whose eyes could soften his soul.
He spent his days fixing cars, bikes, running, and hanging with Quil and Embry and of course with Seth and Leah too.
She smacked the back of his head, the force of it shocking him from his daydream.
“What the hell was that.”
“Snap out of it Black,” She said, eyes filled with amusement.
The bitch.
He took a deep breath to stop himself phasing in the middle of the living room, they’d destroyed far too much of the furniture already.
“Why are you even here Leah?”
“Mom asked me to bring over some food for Billy,” She shrugged, “’sides, I had nothing to do, so I figured I’d annoy you out of your Bella fantasies.”
He glared back at her, which only caused her smirk to widen.
Things weren’t quite as biting as they used to be between them, not since she’d joined his pack. But God she could still make him want to punch something.
He grinned thinking of another tactic.
“What makes you so sure, its Bella I’m fantasising about?” He asked closing the distance between them before she had time to even think about what he’d said.
Her eyes widened and her body stiffened.
“What are you doing?” She spit out.
“I think I know the answer” He said, tracing her face with his eyes “as to why you’re such a bitch all the time.” He braced forward on both arms around her, “How long has it been Leah? I think I could help you with your…frustration.”
No reaction.
Try as he might, and he did try to keep a straight face but he just couldn’t do it. Looking at her affronted face he chuckled before he leaned back into the chair laughing as he saw her scowl with understanding.
“Ah relax, I was just kidding, you don’t have to maul me in my sleep. Although for a second, I gotta say you went from looking completely horrified to actually kind of interested.” Which of course was a complete lie, if he were actually capable of feeling anything other than weariness he’d probably be offended. Was he that unappealing?
“Ha. Ha. Ha. Jacob you are fuckin hilarious.” She said putting some distance between them. “Ass.”
“What do you want Clearwater?” He asked, suddenly feeling more tired than he had in days.
“You’ve been sulking for days. Seth’s worried, He’s been pacing around for hours worrying that you might fly off the handle since your vampires are officially off to Alaska.”
He smiled slightly. Seth was a good kid, how he put up with his bitch of a sister, Jacob would never know but he had a whole lot of respect for it.
“Tell Seth, Im fine, I’ll be fine.” He said, “I just gotta figure this thing out, but for a while you guys might not want to phase, my heads not really a good place to be right now.” Jacob got up, he had the sudden urge to go run, to see the forest in a blur. He almost missed her words.
“You’re our alpha, we’re here.” Her tone made him turn back around in surprise. She chuckled and slipped past him, “Dumbass” was all she said as she closed the door behind her.
**
**
Jacob and Embry were waiting at the reservation for Quil to get back from taking Claire into the city.
“Jake, she wasn’t worth it.” As much as he didn’t want to admit it, something was different. Since he’d left the pack, there was this distance between them that they just couldn’t seem to bridge. Maybe it was just that conversation, maybe he just didn’t want to talk about the hell that was his life.
“Yeah, she was Embry. She might not be now, but she was,” He said, his tone resigned to the fact.
Embry’s mouth opened and shut with a snap, he didn’t know what to say to help his friend.
“Sam doesn’t think we should stop phasing.” That, Jacob hadn’t been expecting, the thought never even crossed his mind, werewolf/ shapeshifter it was too big a part of him to give up.
“And he wants you guys to come back.”
Jacob was glaring before he knew it, somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that this was his friend, they were his brothers. But the alpha in him couldn’t go back to Sam. He wouldn’t.
“Can’t do that Embry.”
“Jake th-“
“No.” He cut in firmly, “The one thing im sure of right now is that I made the right decision.”
Embry looked saddened by his words, “And what about Seth? And Leah? It’s not fair to them to be cut off like that.”
“Seth and Leah are where they want to be right now, I wouldn’t stop them from coming back.”
They walked around the back of their old school taking the same route that they used to every day, it felt like a lifetime ago. Things were so much simpler back then. Spending days at the beach, barbeques, racing. Maybe someday they could get back to that.
**
**
Seth was excited. But then again Seth was always excited.
“This is gonna be so cool Jake.”
All Jacob could do was smile, he wanted to do something other than making those guys worry and this was his solution. He was pretty excited too if he were honest.
Embry and Quil made their way over, Seth grasped them, in a manly way of course. Quil pumped his fist and ruffled his hair. Seth swatted his hand away and they laughed. It had been way too long since they’d done this.
“Seth your mom doesn’t know you’re doing this right?” Embry asked.
“No way, I just told her me and Leah were doing pack stuff with Jake. As long as she doesn’t find out we’re good.”
“Leah’s coming too?” Embry said the words but Quil was silently questioning too, why would Leah come, the boys suddenly remembered the phrase ‘too good to be true.’
“Yeah man. She’s not gonna stand a chance this time though. I’ve been practicing.”
Seth hadn’t heard the displeasure in Embry’s voice but Jacob had and looked over with his eyebrow raised. Jacob knew that they wouldn’t be jumping with joy but he found it hard to relate to how he used to feel about Leah to how he did now. Sure, she was a bitch. But there was a lot more to her than the shit that came out of her mouth.
“Speak of the devil.” Quil muttered as Leah came into view. Leah smirked,
“Oh im not the devil Quil but treat me right, I’m sure I could make you burn.” Seth twisted his face in disgust, and both he and Jacob rolled their eyes.
“Alright guys quit flirtin’ and lets do this.” Jacob said moving to mount the bike from behind him. The trees and the rock the perfect backdrop for the race to come. He’d spent the morning to make this interesting, there were a few obstacles, a tree here, a boulder there. All in all Jacob couldn’t wait. Speed was good to them.
They were all in position, Seth did the honors, “Alright guys on a count of three” He said, licking his lips in antcipation, “Three, Two, One, Go.”
Everyone was off in a fury, Jacob set the stride at the front weaving in and out of the trees in his path leaving the space beside him for Seth who was closely following.
Leah, Embry and Quil weren’t far behind.
Leah hopped up on a ledge and quickly overtook Quil as he dodged the rocks in his way, Embry noticed, impressed and did the same leaving Quil trailing behind. The sounds of their bikes resonated in the forest, followed by the startled birds in their flock.
Jacob had never felt more free.
**
**
It came as no surprise when Quil and Embry joined Jacob’s pack, everyone knew it would happen eventually. Sue invited them all for dinner one night. The table was packed with food and so many place settings they found it hard to eat, but looking around the table at his father and his friends, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Jacob leaned back in his seat, “Hmm. That was great.” He said and rubbed his stomach.
“Oh was it Alpha? We didn’t notice, would have been nice if you left some for the rest of us,” Leah quipped.
So he ate a plate extra, or two, Sue always knew to make enough. Jacob stuck out his tongue and rolled his eyes, And of course, Leah just scoffed looked blankly at him for a second then gave him the finger. Sue frowned and shook her head Jacob didn’t hear exactly what she said but it definitely wasn’t ‘Leah sure is ladylike.’
Making the most of the distraction, Quil stole a potato wedge off her plate that he’d been eying the last ten minutes. Her head snapped back towards him so fast Jacob couldn’t help but laugh. It came straight from his stomach and reverberated throughout his entire body.
She bitched about it the whole night, but to him it felt an awful lot like family.
Back then he did everything he could just to pass the time, now he only wished that there was enough of it.
**
** here.