Puppies and Promises

Chapter 12: Purple Clouds and Pink Lines

Chapter 12: Purple Clouds and Pink Lines

Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight                                    Banner by LOS

. . . . .

Ugh! I didn't wanna haul my butt outta bed. I was way too comfy, what with Bella's bed having an actually decent mattress and all, but the sunlight was streaming in thru her window, hittin' me straight in the ol' eyeballs. Of all the days for the sun to come out. I wanted to strangle that Murphy guy and stomp on his stupid law.

Bella began to stir, and lifted her head from my chest. "Good morning, Jake."

"Yeah, it is." Her sweet smile put me in a better mood.

She hopped outta bed, and slipped into that Dragon Lady cover up. I just lay there takin' in the view.

"I'll go make us some breakfast."

"Wait ... I need a good morning kiss first."

She sashayed herself to the side of the bed, and with one knee on the mattress, leaned down to my expectant mouth. When she pulled away, I licked my lips, and sighed. "That's more like it."

In an instant, her pillow was being bashed about my ears. I caught it quickly, and she taunted, "Get up, sleepy head. You can help me in the kitchen ... since you do most of the eating around here."

"Jeez, did you get out on the wrong side of the bed, or what?"

"If I did it's because your hulking mass was in my way."

"Why you little ..." I sprang off the mattress, and chased her around the room, as she shrieked, and giggled.

. . . . .

"What?" Bella was givin' me that look ... the one that said, we need to talk.

She was twirling her fork between her fingers, and finally set it on the plate beside an uneaten piece of French toast.

"Okay, Bells, spit it out. You don't need to be afraid to tell me anything. It's me, Jake."

"I'm not afraid to speak to you, far from it. Besides, you said we could talk about it some more ... I mean about what happened yesterday."

I kept eyeing her plate, wondering if she was gonna eat that toast, or just play with it. So sue me, I was still hungry. "Yeah, so?"

"So, you know he's going to come back. He's used to getting his own way."

Pouring more warm syrup on my food, I explained, "It'd be suicide on his part. He's our natural enemy; our reason for existing. The pack won't let him flaunt his disregard for the treaty. Cullen's not a total idiot. He realizes the consequences.

I put the syrup bottle back down on the table. "Look ...you don't need to say it, but we can't let him cross our boundaries again. I'm sorry, Bells."

"No, that's not it. You don't understand. If he does return, I'm saying the pack can do whatever they feel is right. I just ... I just don't want to hear about it. I told you I didn't like it when you kept secrets from me, but I'll make an exception in this case."

"Listen, I'm making you a promise here and now, that if anything happens to him—and I'm not sayin' that it will—I'll cut out. I won't be involved."

She sighed deeply. "Thanks. And I promise I won't press you for any info having to do with him."

With her fork spearing the toast, she lifted it and said, "I can't eat any more. You want this?"

I had the plate ready for the remaining piece, and caught the toast as it fell from the fork. "You havta ask?"

# # # # #