𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒖𝒏 {𝟏}

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕: 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤

"Billy!" Charlie called as soon as he got out of the car. I turned toward the house, beckoning to Jacob as I ducked under the porch. I heard Charlie greeting them loudly behind me.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't see you behind the wheel, Jake," he said disapprovingly.

"We get licenses early on the rez," Jacob said while I unlocked the door and flicked on the porch light.

"Sure, you do," Charlie laughed.

"He has to get around somehow." Billy defended Jacob with a wink. The door opens and I stepped aside, letting them into the house. The warm, familiar scent of lunch wafted from the kitchen, mingling with the scent of rain that clung to their clothes.

"This is a surprise," Charlie was saying.

"It's been too long," Billy answered. "I hope it's not a bad time." His dark eyes flashed up to me again, their expression unreadable.

"No, it's great. I hope you can stay for the game."

Jacob grinned. "I think that's the plan — our TV broke last week."

Billy clears his throat and looks at Jacob "That's because someone was rough housing inside the house. And, of course, Jacob was anxious to see Beau and Bella again," he added.

Jacob's eyes widened slightly at the mention of my name, and I felt a flush creep up my neck. The tension between us was palpable, the kind that could be sliced with a knife.

"Are you hungry?" Bella asked, turning toward the kitchen. She was eager to escape Billy's searching gaze.

"Starving," Jacob replied, following her into the warm embrace of the house. The sound of their footsteps echoed off the wooden floorboards, and I felt a strange mix of excitement and apprehension. It had been days since we'd last seen each other, and so much had changed.

"How about you, Dad?" I called over my shoulder as I fled around the corner.

"Sure," he replied, his voice moving in the direction of the front room and the TV. I could hear Billy's footsteps follow.

The grilled cheese sandwiches were in the frying pan, and I was slicing up a tomato when I sensed someone behind me.

"So, how are things?" Jacob asked.

"Pretty good." I smiled. His enthusiasm was hard to resist. "How about you? Did you finish your car?"

"My dad seemed to know him from somewhere."

"Jacob, could you hand me some plates? They're in the cupboard over the sink."

"Sure."

He got the plates in silence. The tension was thick, like the slices of cheese we were placing on the bread. The rain outside grew heavier, adding a rhythmic background to our quiet kitchen activities. I felt Jacob's eyes on me, his gaze a physical presence that seemed to warm my back. When I turned to hand him the sandwiches to plate, our fingers brushed together, and a spark shot through me.

Jacob then looks at Bella with a serious look. "So, I see Edward Cullen dropped you off today."

"How did you know?" Bella asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

"He passed by us just before we got onto the driveway." Jacob answered, placing the sandwiches onto the plates with a gentle touch.

"Oh. I guess his silver Volvo gave it away, eh?" Bella said, trying to sound casual.

Jacob's eyes darted to me, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. "I don't know why you're still hanging around with that guy."

"Because we're friends now." Bella replies, her voice firm but measured. She placed the sandwiches on a plate and handed them to Billy, avoiding Jacob's gaze.