Breaking Dawn

Chapter Three: Thursday, August 10th

"Why didn't you come to me sooner?" Alice asks when I finish explaining my story to her.
"I didn't think much of it, I guess, and I just found out myself."
"Well, you should have, and you should've come right to me."
"I'm sorry," I sigh. "It's just so confusing and it's basically dismembering my brain, little by little. I don't know what to do."
"You know Edward loves you, even more than Jacob does. It seems difficult for you to understand that, but he really does. Vampires can't imprint or anything, so it probably seems like Jacob does love you more, but it really isn't that way."
"How do you know?" I toss my legs up over the side of the chair and rest my head on the arm of it, closing my eyes.
"I can tell."
"But how?"
"You'll just have to trust me. There's not a day that goes by where Edward doesn't talk about you or make plans to see you, or even make wedding plans."
I feel the redness on my cheeks, and if it weren't for the butterflies in my stomach, I'd assume it's because I was just out in freezing weather,  which is odd for this time of year. "Does he actually do that?"
"Yes, oh my. It gets so obnoxious having to see that all day. It's even worse seeing the honeymoon." She jokes.
A smirk plays on my lips. "Yeah, I can see how that would be annoying. Can't you, sort of just shut your mind off?"
"Oh, I wish. I do get breaks, but the visions come randomly. They can be good and bad, but either way, I have to deal with it," she sighs and smiles a little.
"I wish I could help," I say.
"If you want to help, you could invite Jacob over. When I'm around him, my mind can take a break. It's so peaceful."
"Well, that probably wouldn't work. Edward would rip his head off."
"Oh, right. I completely forgot, please ignore that," she laughs.
"Don't sweat it," I laugh.
Alice stares at the floor, her expression blank. I stare at her, waiting for her to pick her head back up.
"Let's go for a ride," Alice smiles.
"What did you just see?" I ask.
"What are you talking about?" She asks, trying to cover up.
"In your vision, Alice, don't act like I'm stupid, I know you saw something that you don't want me to know about."
"Let's go for a ride, quickly," she insists.
"Not until you tell me what you saw."
I hear a knocking on the door, and walk over to it. It may seem rude to answer a door that isn't mine, but Alice wasn't going to answer it, and no one else is home.
"What are you doing here?"
"Bella," he says, rubbing his neck.
I glare at Alice. Perhaps she didn't have a vision, perhaps she heard Jacob with her superhuman hearing. "What do you want?"
"I really do love you."
"I know, you have told me this time after time."
"But," he stutters out. He drops onto one knee, pulling something from his pocket.
"Jacob," my jaw drops.
"Please," his lip quivers.
"I can't..."
"Bella, please," he holds the ring up.
I show him the ring that is already on my finger.
"That doesn't matter, please Bella, just don't marry him, marry me."
"Jacob, stop."
"Please," he asks again. "Please."
"I... Jacob, no," I shake my head.
"Please, please Bella. Please."
"You showed up to my fiance's house, so you could ask me to marry you. Jake, no."
"I can approach it another way," he offers, standing up.
"Jacob," I sigh. I shake my head and close the door, only to have him stop me.
"Come with me, please Bella."
"Jake, please don't do this."
"Jacob, I suggest you get away from my wife-to-be," Edward says, appearing in the driveway.
"Bells," Jake says quietly, "come with me."
"Jacob," Edward says louder. "Go."
"Not unless Bella comes with me," Jake says back.
"I'm staying here, Jake..."
"Then I am too." He puts a foot into the doorway, but Edward runs quickly to throw him into the driveway.
Jacob stands up quickly, shaking the dirt out of his hair.
"Are you okay?" Edward asks me.
"I'm fine," I tell him.
As Jacob starts back up the stairs, Edward kicks him into my truck, smashing one of the headlights and causing part of the bumper to fall to the ground.
"Stop!" I yell. Edward looks at me, and I look at Jacob, trying to fix his obviously broken arm.
Edward's head slowly turns towards Jacob. "Bella, I am so sorry."
"Get Carlisle please," I tell Alice, who is now right next to me. She does so, calling to him and talking too fast for me to understand.
I run to Jacob. "Are you okay?"
"Fine."
"Your arm?"
"Just a little busted, the bloodsucker will fix it."
"I can't believe you just did that," I tell him.
"I couldn't bear another minute of being away from you."
"Well, you need to learn."
"It's not something I can learn!" He says loudly.
Alice quickly stands next to me, "Come with me, Jacob."
Jacob listens to her and grins when he walks past Edward because he is getting what he wants- to stay here. Alice is also getting what she wants- to be near Jacob so her mind can have a break.
"Do you want to go?" Edward asks me.
"Yes, please."
He pulls me into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry about your truck, I promise I will fix it."
"Don't worry, I'll bring it to the shop on Saturday."
"Don't bother, I'll have it fixed before then."
I nod and get into his car, him following and getting into the driver's seat.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Edward, I told you I am fine, just a little shaken up."
A long, awkward silence settles between us.
"Were you going to say yes?"
"What?" I puzzle.
"Were you going to say yes to Jacob?"
"No," I bite my lip, trying to explain. "He showed up somewhere he wasn't invited, and that place is my fiance's house. Who would say yes?"
"If the location were to be changed, would you say yes?"
"Edward," I watch him. "I don't want to talk about this."
"So that's a yes," he sighs.
"That's not what I said, not even close."
"Then how would you respond?"
"That's my question. What do you want me to say?" I ask. "Don't answer that. Just drive."
"I need to know," he looks intently at me.
"You don't need to, you're bothering me. Please, just stop."
"Bella, tell me, please."
I get out of the car, walking back into the house. I see Carlisle, Alice, and Jacob. Carlisle is just bandaging Jacob's arm, and Alice is watching T.V.
"Ready?" I ask.
"Huh?" Jacob says, hopping off the kitchen table and walking over to me.
"Ready to go? I'm ready."
"Uh, yeah," I see Jake look behind me, and I know it's Edward.
"Where are you two off to?" Carlisle asks.
"To our wedding," Jake smirks.
"We're going to the reservation," I glare at Jake.
"Why so soon?" Alice asks with a questioning look stuck on her face.
"I just need a break, maybe the pack can teach me to play football," I say, jokingly.
"You? Play football? This I need to see, let's go!" Jake says excitedly.
"Jacob, I wouldn't do that," Edward says quietly, obviously having read Jacob's mind.
"Who's gonna stop me? We'll be on the res'."
"Knock it off," I tell them.
"Okay, boss. Let's go." Jacob grabs my hand, pulling me towards the door.
Edward grabs me by my waist and pulls me into a hug. "I'm sorry, I don't need to know."
"I'm just going over for a break," I say into his chest.
"I love you, Bella."
"I love you too," I pull away.
"Were you serious about learning to play football?"
"Uhm, no. You seriously thought I was going to play football? I'm the least athletic person ever."
"Well, you're going to play football now, you aren't letting me down."
"Is that a threat?"
"No, it's a command," Jacob laughs.
"Shouldn't I be commanding you, 'dog'?" I tease.
"Too far," Jake jokes.
We pull into Jake's driveway, and I see Billy out front of the house.
"Nice to see your face around here again, Bella."
"Nice to see you too, Billy."
"It's been a while, huh? Has Jake told you...?"
"Yes, I told her," Jacob says, putting an arm around me.
"And? Anything yet?"
"No, she's still stuck on that bloodsucker."
"Guys, I am right here," I interrupt.
Billy looks at me sadly. "I know."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," I say quickly.
"Don't be sorry, Bella. It's just a fight I have within myself, sort of," Billy says.
"Well," Jake says, changing the subject, "let's go get the boys."
"The boys? Why?" I ask.
"To play football."
"How about just you and I, so I don't make a complete fool of myself, or get hurt," I suggest.
He grins. "Afraid of a little rough play? Come on, we'll take it easy."

"Alright, captains are me and Paul," Sam says loudly.
Most of the pack is here; Sam, Jake, Paul, Quil, Embry, Seth, Brady, Leah, and Collin. It seems like only Jared is missing.
"Embry, you're on my team," Sam announces.
"Jake, over here," Paul says.
This continues on for a while, and I get sick of them fighting over who gets who. On Sam's team, there's Embry, Leah, Collin, and Brady. On Paul's team, there's Jake, Quil, Seth, and me.
"I'm glad you're here this time, I'm sick of being the only girl," Leah says, watching the boys tackle each other.
"Is it difficult?" I ask.
"Is what difficult?"
"Having them all know your entire mind, being able to hear everything you think."
"It's not as difficult as it is embarrassing. I wish they couldn't know my thoughts, especially when I still have feelings for one of them."
"That must really suck... I'm sorry Leah, I've always underestimated things for you."
"It's fine, I've done that with you, too."
"How so?" I ask.
"Well, I hate the Cullen's because I'm their natural born enemy, but if I was human I might appreciate them a bit more. I've never been in the position where I have to decide between two enemies, and have them constantly fight over me. It would be nice, to have someone appreciate me for once, but not like that. That just seems stressful."
I keep quiet. I could not imagine having no one to care for me in the way Edward and Jacob do. Sam did love Leah, but now that he's imprinted on someone else, there's no one left for her. She has Seth, but he's her brother, so it isn't the same. She needs someone to love her, not in a sibling way or a friend way, but as a lover. She can be hard to get along with and she's always confined to the reservation, so I imagine it is hard for her to meet new people.
I hear a ripping sound and a loud growl and pick my head up quickly, seeing two giant wolves going after each other.
"Embry! Quil! Knock it off!" Sam yells. The two wolves continue after each other, rolling towards the woods.
I watch as Sam's clothes rip off of him, flying in every direction into little shreds. As soon as he goes from human to wolf, Quil and Embry stop fighting and kneel down to him as he lets out a low growl.
"This always happens," Jake says, laughing and walking towards me. "Once they change back, they'll be laughing and act like nothing happened. It's pretty cool to be able to fight like that then just forget it happened."
"That is not cool! One of these times someone is going to get hurt, Jake!"
"Bells, calm down. Trust me, everything is alright, as long as it's not Sam fighting with someone." Jacob puts his arm around my shoulders.
I watch as the three wolves run off to the woods, I assume they're doing that so they don't change back to human and be completely naked in front of everyone. The other's may be used to it, but I surely wouldn't be.
"Are you going to play?" Jake asks.
"Not after that."
"How about we go for a walk then?"
I look at Leah, wondering if she wants to join.
"I'll be fine, you two go ahead. I'm probably going home soon anyway," Leah says.
"So I'll take that as a yes," Jake smiles.
"I guess so, but don't try anything, you know Edward would tear you limb from limb," I warn him.
He waves his hands in the air, showing he doesn't plan to try anything. "If that makes you happy."