reaching for her | J.B x B.S

FIVE

the next morning, bella woke up to her alarm going off. she was a little disoriented, normally she was up before her alarm—but a large hand turned it off before she could. that's when her mind caught up to her. jacob was here.

jacob stayed.

a smile pushed its way onto her face while she watched his arm retract back to his side.

jacob stayed.

she felt the sheets ruffle as he sat up groggily. he was leaning on right arm—the one closest to her. his left hand was rubbing his face and trying to smooth out his hair.

jacob stayed.

for a minute he stayed like that, then he groaned quietly and hunched forward using both hands to rub his eyes. pouting, he looked over at her, reached out and shook her gently muttering "wake up honey, i'm gonna drop you off at school. so we gotta get up now." he sighed unhappily. bella sat up easier than she ever remembered.

jacob pushed his feet over the edge of her bed and stared the search for his socks. while jacob looked for his socks, bella got up and started to pull out a clean outfit.

bella chose a green top from the back of her dresser and her only pair of black boot-cut pants. embarrassment flooded through her before she looked back and hurriedly grabbed a clean pair of underwear.

she hugged her clothes to her chest and rushed out of the room to the hallway bathroom. since bella was up so much earlier that normal, she could really take her time during her shower.

while bella showered, jacob redressed himself then left a note for bella on her pillow and headed downstairs. charlie was down there, eating toast and having his morning coffee.  when jacob offered to cook some breakfast, he readily accepted.

when bella reentered her bedroom, she was relieved and horrified to see a note laying on her bed.

went downstairs to make breakfast, come down when you finish this note

-J

quickly sliding on her Converse she skidded down the stairs, hoping he hadn't left. she didn't think jacob was the type of person to leave, but she also didn't think edward was either.

when she crossed the threshold of the kitchen, she nearly sighed in relief to see his figure sitting at the kitchen table. both he and her dad were eating scrambled eggs with a plate at the empty spot next to him. "hey bells, jake made breakfast!" with a stern look from her friend she sat and ate the food he'd prepared for her.

charlie beamed happily, his daughter was finally eating again. he'd done everything could think of doing to try and coax her to eat but he didn't have any success. maybe jacob was magic? or was just jacob in general?

"come on bella, i'll drop you off at school. i'll pick you up and we can do something after school too, kay?" she nodded and stood after him, grabbing her bag on the way out the door. jacob's car—an '86 Volkswagen Rabbit— was red and faded on the outside. it was just as worn on the inside too, something bella adored.

when jacob pulled up to the front steps of the school, he put the car in park he slid out of the car grabbed her bag for her and brought her into a tight hug. bella clutched the back of his sweater, anxiety creeping into her head easily.

jacob was leaving.

"i'll see you after school, right?" with a small laugh he said "of course honey, we'll drop your stuff off at your place real quick then we can go for a drive. sound good?" bell only nodded and smiled in his embrace.

jacob was warm. jacob was safe. jacob stayed.

unhappily, they both pulled away from each other and he watched her walk into the school before he got into his car and rode home to change before school.

*****

since she was so early, bella went into the library and pulled out the stack of papers and homework she hadn't done since he left her.

bella managed to do the recent assignments she'd missed and a few of the older ones before the warning bell rang. hastily, she walked into her first period and handed over the completed work quietly promising to finish the rest.

the day blurred together, until lunch. with much hesitation, she approached angela and asked if she could sit with them again. the girl, happily agreed and defended her against lauren and jessica. "no, it's okay. you all deserve to know why i—did that. and i'll explain, just not here. after school." smelling gossip, lauren said they'd be there.

the day went much slower after that.

*****

jessica was asking wild and made up as to why bella disappeared. but was stunned when bella finally got the chance to actually say what happened. "edward was my first boyfriend, and i thought that nobody would like me like he did after he left me. because of how he left me." the schools gossip queens look at each other and nodded.

a silent pact was made that day, they wouldn't spread what bella said. no girl deserved that. "how..how did he leave you?" tears sparked in her eyes but she blinked them away and wished jacob was here.

"he-we- went into the woods and he told me that he didn't want me, and then left me there." gasps of horror involuntarily left their mouths and sympathy spread like wildfire through them. "my god bella..i'm so sorry. you didn't deserve that." jessica hugged bella tight and felt her tears on her jacket. she didn't mind though.

lauren joined the hug soon too, and so did angela. the group stayed like that until bella pulled out. she felt like jacob was going to be here soon. "my-my ride is gonna be here soon. but thank you, maybe i could sit with you tomorrow?" they all agreed, jessica even invited her to a sleepover that weekend. bella nodded and told her to text her.

jacob pulled up not a second later, and not a minute later they were pulling out of the school parking lot.