The Bonds Between Us • E.Cullen x Fem oc x B. Swan

Chapter 58

Pulling into the Blacks drive, Cori blew out a small puff of air. "It's just Jake, he's not gonna hurt you." Bella said sweetly as she tried to reassure the red head next to her but she was met with a blank stare.

"Bella!" Jake called out seeing the brunette climbing out of the familiar red truck, embracing her in a hug. "Come to help work on those bikes?" He asked hopeful. "That, and maybe another favor." Bella said and Jake nodded along without knowing any information, as usual. "Of course."

Rounding the passenger side of the truck, Jacob then noticed how there was another person in the truck. His mood immediately dampened at the sight of the redhead girl, but he tried slap on a decent smile for Bella.

Though she had been hanging out with him, one of their main topics was Cori. How Bella wishes she would call her back. How Bella wished to just see her. As far as Jacob knew Cori had seemed to fall off the face of the earth, which he couldn't say he was mad about, so why was she back now.

"See you finally decided to reach out to the land of the living." Jake teased, his jab hitting harder than he realized as both girls flinched. "Jake, it was more complicated than I thought." "Wait, you talked to him about me?" Cori asked, not meaning to sound as upset as she did, but it happened.

"I didn't have anyone else Cori, and well things were more complicated back then." Bella told her, her brown eyes pleading with her to understand and for once Cori backed down. "You're right. They were." She agreed and Bella's jaw went slack for a moment, thinking that the girl was going to fight her on it, but she would take the small victory.

Seeing the small interaction, Jacob's hope of getting with Bella seemed to disintegrate in front of him. They were back together, or well trying. He could tell by the way they looked at each other.

"What was that other favor?" Jake asked as Cori got her bag out of the truck, following behind the pair as they headed to the shed behind the main house.

"I figured since you worked on cars, you were good at math." Bella said, leading into her question gently. "Yeah." Jake said glancing between the two as he opened the door, Bella pausing as two other faces came into view, Cori almost running into her as she was digging in her bag for her laptop and a notebook. "Algebra?" Bella asked hopeful and Jake cringed. "No, that's an Embry thing." Jake redirected the math related question and as Jake said his name, the boys head popped up.

"What?" The russet skinned boy asked as his black hair seemed to flop in his eyes. The one beside him looked up as well eyeing the two girls, smacking the first one in the arm, something that Cori found funny.

"Embry, Quil. This is Bella and Cori." "Cori as in the Cori that hates you Cori?" Embry asked and she smiled lightly. "The one and only." "It's nice to finally meet you. You're kinda a legend around here." He told her.

Her eyebrows furrowed as her head tilted much like as puppy. "Jake talks about you, so does his dad, Billy. Rumor has it so does Sam Uley, though I don't know how you would know him." Embry said aloud.

Cori tensed but nodded nonetheless. "It's a long story. Anyway, Jake said you were good at Algebra?" Cori questioned and he nodded. "Passed top of my class." "Can you help me?" She asked as she held up the notebook and laptop. "What's in it for me?" Embry asked. "Free food." Cori told him and immediately nodded his head. "That's all it took? Food?" "And to get on Jake's nerves, oh yeah." Embry said and Cori smiled.

"Do you know a diner around here, or something? I have an assignment due tomorrow and when I showed Bella my work she got a headache, so I think they're wrong." She said and Embry laughed.

"Yeah, there's one just right down the road a bit. Jake! We're headed out!" Embry called out making Bella and Jake's head both pop up. "Where are you going?" Bella asked. "To a diner just down the street. Meet us there in a bit?" Cori asked and Bella smiled. "I didn't bring my wallet." "My treat." Cori told her and Bella smiled as she nodded. "Okay. Yeah, we'll be there." Bella told her.

Cori smiled as she put away her laptop and notebook. "Lead the way." She told the taller male and he did. "So I'm gonna need information." "What kind?" Cori asked. "Is Bella really Jake's girlfriend?" Embry asked as they walked on the side of the road and Cori snorted. "He wishes. No." "What about yours?" He asked. Cori's cheeks bloomed pink as she rubbed her neck. "It's complicated." She told him and he nodded. "I understand complicated." He told her as they seemed to have a lull in conversation until the diner showed.

"There she is." Embry said pointing out the establishment. "It's cute." "It's my mom's." "It's-" "It's okay. You don't have to say anything nice about it." Embry told her and Cori frowned. "I was gonna say it seemes like it belonged here." She told him.

The door chimed as they entered and a woman with dark hair that Embry seemed to take after greatly appeared from the back. "Em?" "Hey mom. I brought a friend to help her study for algebra. This is Cori." Embry told his mother and the woman looked over at Cori, a slight brow raised.

"I promised him free food." "That sounds more like it." Tiffany Call chuckled as she nodded to the booths. "Grab anyone you want, sweetheart. I'll bring you some water." She told the two teens as they found a corner booth, big enough for when their friends join later on.

"So let's look at this math." Embry said as she took out her laptop and notebook, Embry taking the notebook as she pulled up she school work on the computer.

"What is all this?" Embry asked as he pointed to the jumbled notes and half assed equations. "My attempts." She told him and his eyes got slightly wider. Ripping out the page, she freaked. "What are you doing? Those are my notes!" "That is garbage. I'm gonna write you out notes my way, and we'll go from there."