The Third

C13

" Chayton, are you okay?," Bella asked, concern lacing her voice, when he reached Sam and Emily's house after having a good flight through the skies above La Push.

She stood on the porch, seemingly waiting for him, her arms immediately encasing him tightly when he halted by her to give her a hug and a quick kiss.

" I'm good . I just needed to get Mike from my mind. How did you get here?"

" I drove to Billy's. I left my truck there. I was so worried. I just couldn't stay at school without knowing how you are, so I skipped."

He smiled, pressing another kiss to her lips. " I love you," he whispered against her lips before pulling away and pressing his forehead against hers for a moment.

" I love you too,Chay," was her quick response. She pressed herself tightly against him, her lips meeting his again in a sweet lingering kiss.

Someone tapping Chayton's shoulder, startled them apart after a few breathless moments of pure bliss.

It was Paul. " Sam says to come in for lunch."

Bella blushed and hid her face against Chayton's chest, feeling quite embarrassed about  Paul having  seen them kiss.

Chayton laughed softly and hugged her close to him for a few more moments before leading her inside.

Emily smiled at them and Jacob....Well, Jacob just glared at them like he wanted to kill them.

Bella looked a little uncomfortable with that as Chayton walked her over to the table, sitting down and pulling her onto his lap. Chayton shot him a nasty after smiling back at Emily.

"How have you been?," Sam asked once everyone's plates were full of food.

"Just peachy. Just so you know, I'm thinking of leaving school. I'm not graduating anyway, so why go?"

Sam frowned. " Why aren't you graduating? I thought you said that graduation is in a few months."

" Well, because of my little , and I quote, " drug" problem, I was told that I'm not going to graduate."

" Now that's bullshit," Paul retorted," You don't have a drug problem. You're as clean as all of us. We can't even get drunk anymore. Geez, don't the damn gossips have someone else's life to destroy?"

Chayton shrugged, his one  hand coming to rest on Bella's stomach, his fingers rubbing soothing circles around her belly button while he ate with his other hand.

"You know, Paul, it's called small town mentality. I'm caught up in that, and there's no way out for me." He shrugged.

Bella shifted sideways on his lap to look at him. He could see she wasn't happy with his words.

He lifted a hand, pulling  her face to his, giving her a long soft kiss.  She smiled  into the kiss , her cheeks turning red again because she didn't forget where they are.

" I'm going to be sick," Chayton heard his cousin say. 

Chayton pulled away from the kiss, looking towards his cousin, his heart suddenly twisting painfully with guilt. Yet, he couldn't help it. Bella's his and not Jacob's. There's nothing he can do to change it, except maybe let her go, but he wasn't going to do that. He loves her too much.

" Can't you go kiss somewhere ,where I can't see you ?," Jacob asked.

Bella turned to look at Jacob, her eyes sad. " Jake, I'm sorry." The words left her lips without her wanting them to. " I love you as a friend, but I love Chayton more than that. I can't change the way I feel. I really am truly sorry."