Chapter Song: The Only One by The Black Keys
Bella and Jacob were just about to wrap up tutoring when he asked her, "Do you have plans this Saturday?"
She stayed quietly thoughtful for a moment. "I don't think so, but I'll have to let you know for sure."
He nodded with a small smile.
"Why?" she inquired, because she was truthfully curious now.
He scratched the back of his neck, peeking at her through his eyelashes before finally answering, "My band has a gig that night at a little coffee shop and I was wondering if you wanted to go."
She smiled. "That be great. Thanks for thinking of us."
"Us?" His happy expression sagged a bit.
"Yeah, me, Edward, Alice, Emmet, Rose, Ben, and Angie. Us. I'm sure they'd love to come. There is room for all of us, right?"
He looked at a lost for a second but quickly recovering with a shake of his head and easy smile. "Oh, yeah. Sure. I'm just loopy from lack of sleep. For sure, bring them along. The more the merrier."
"Great! Thanks. I'll let you know if we can go as soon as I can."
"No rush," he said with no real inflection of any kind in his voice as he gathered his books before Bella walked him out.
Edward was just rushing out the showers to avoid Leah, almost to the room Bella tutored at, when he halted. He almost couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Jacob and Bella walking out together, smiling brightly at each other. I'm not jealous. I'm NOT jealous.
He was jealous.
Dammit, he just was. Something about Jacob just set him off. He made himself calm down before he walked forward.
Bella was waving goodbye, Jacob doing the same with a stupid big grin on his face until his eyes caught Edward. Mr. Jolly grew pouty the minute Edward stepped into his focus.
It took all the years of his mother driving manners into his skull for him to wave with a forced smile that pinched his cheeks.
He kissed Bella before tucking her under his arm, secretly relieved when he saw Angela was still in the room. They waved goodbye to her as she walked out in the other direction with Ben, before he guided her outside. He knew he had to talk to Bella about his feelings he just didn't know how to bring it up.
He didn't have to worry about broaching the subject because Bella was quick to break the silence once they were in the parking lot.
"I have something for all of us to do this weekend."
He smiled, glad for the distraction because he knew what he wanted to tell her wouldn't be easy. "Where to?"
She paused, waiting for him to open his car door for her before answering. "To listen to a band...Jacob's band."
Edward paused mid door close, wrenching it open as she was buckling herself up. "Jacob's band?"
She nodded, watching him carefully. "Yes. Is that a problem?"
"No. Not a bit." The words choked him before he closed the door with strained calmness.
He didn't say anything as he slipped behind the steering wheel, turned on the car, and drove off.
Bella had to speak to get his attention. "What's wrong?"
He shrugged. "I'm just processing."
"What exactly?" She was nervous now. He couldn't blame her. He was sure he looked three kinds of crazy right then with his puffing chest and clinched fingers against the wheel.
