New Eclispe

3. Motorcycles and Movies

“Fly! Finally out during the daytime I see” Jacob joked as he ran out from behind the shed to the sound of my hand pushing Bella’s truck door closed.

“I-uh, I brought you something” I say pointing to the boot of the truck after Jake released me from our hug.

“Wow, scrap metal. You shouldn’t have” Jacob replied, every word filled with sarcasm.

“I know it’s crazy but I saved them from the junkyard. They’ll probably cost more than they’re worth to fix but then I thought that if I had a mechanic friend...”

“Ahh, me being the mechanic type friend” he interrupted.

“I get it if you think that this is really stupid and reckless” he must have seen the plea in my eyes or heard the shakiness in my voice because he seemed to have accepted without hesitation.

“Yeah it is… when do we start?” he agreed.

“Now, please?” I smile completely taken back by his kindness. I watched him pull the covers straight off the boot as he began lifting the motorcycles. He just picked them up and dropped them on ground like it was a pillow.

“Jake you’re really, like buh-“ there was a part of me that screamed ‘stop staring!’ but there was also another part, a smaller part that told me ‘to keep on looking.’

“Buff?” he finished as my cheeks reddened and I followed him into the shed where we spent that night and part of the next morning fixing the bikes.

I wished I could talk to Bella, I wished I could tell her about Jake how he made me feel better, he made me feel again. I was numb for so long when she left. The hole in my chest, it’s like it’s almost healed for a while when I’m with him.

________

As we drove in the truck Jake pointed out Sam and the others cliff diving, if I was ever in need of a full dose of adrenaline and recklessness I would find it there. Jacob didn't seem to keen on stopping to watch them though so we kept driving, he seemed almost frightened by Sam's presence.

“If I couldn’t fix these bikes what would you have said?” Jake asked as we drove to some secluded area to practise the whole ‘actually riding a motorcycle’ bit.

“Doubting your skills?” I ask with a raised eyebrow as he sniggered.

“No they’ll run fine it’s just… maybe if I was smart I would of dragged out the rebuilding bit” my blood froze as my mind registered what he meant.

“If you couldn’t fix these bikes then I would say that that was too bad but we would just have to find something else to do” I answered. I answered in a way that would hopefully make him see how much I loved his company and his friendship.

“Ok so you got your brake,” the touch of his warm hand over mine sent Goosebumps to the surface of my body as he sheepishly looked away, “clutch, good, gas.”

The three settings I needed to know completely left my memory as I saw what I thought was Bella. The illusion of her followed me as i rode, i kept looking back at her but soon lost my focus. I lost control of the bike as I took off passing each boulder faster than the one before, crashing into one myself. Without hesitation Jacob got his bike and met me by the blood covered rock as the gash on the side of my forehead trickled. "Are you ok!?" he asked alarmed as he supported my weak body, "Ah, you're bleeding." He tore of his shirt and used it to clean my cut as it seeped up the blood I couldn’t tear my eyes off his bare body.

“What are you staring at?” he whispered.

“You’re…beautiful” I reply, wishing I could take back the ridiculous words once they left my lips.

“How hard did you hit your head?” he playfully teased before lifting me up and carrying me back to the truck.

________

“Well if it isn't the little duckling!” Mike yelled from across the street as I was walking back home from the shops. “Hey look, a bunch of us were going to go see a movie if you wanted to come? We thought since Bella wasn't here you could use some company or i don't know?” he asks as he crosses the road to meet me.

“Only if it’s ‘Face Punch’ something with action” I condition, trying to find my next source of adrenaline. “And is it ok if I bring along my friend Jake?”

“Yeah yeah, sure thing.”

________

“Ok so Jessica bailed, action isn’t really her thing, and Eric and Angela came down with mono so yeah. Just us three tonight” explained Mike as we took our seats in the cinema.

The movie was horrible or maybe I was still too numb to feel anything? I looked down towards the arm rests where both Jake and Mike were waiting, with their palms held open, for me to grab on.

“Oh, ok I think I’m going to throw up” said Mike as he abruptly got out of his seat and ran down the stairs to the toilets as Jake and I followed laughing.

“What a marshmallow” thought Jake, making me giggle, as we continued to walk to the adjacent staircase. Somehow his hand had found mine as I felt my body being enveloped in warmth that sent Goosebumps shooting up to the surface of my skin once again, as he entwined his fingers with mine.

“I can’t hold your hand?” he asked as I bashfully released his grip and sat on the steps of the stairs.

“No you can it’s just…hard to explain” I murmur as he takes a seat next to me.

“Ok well tell me something. You like me right?” it took all the strength I had not to face him even though I could feel him smiling down on me, so I nodded. “And you think I’m, beautiful” he smugged.

“Jake, please don’t” I whisper as I turn to face him.

“Why?”

“I’m not like a car you can fix up. I’m never going to run right and it’s selfish of me to ask you to stay”

“Well I’ve got loads of time I’m not going to give up” the thought made me smile. “Look I know that you’ve been through a lot and you’ve been hurt before but Fly I will never ever do that” his words seemed genuine, like he knew even more than I did.

“I won’t ever hurt you, I promise, I won’t ever let you down” I believed every word he spoke. I knew I could count on him. I couldn’t peel my eyes off of his, I wanted to be closer to him and I sensed he felt the same way. We shared a moment and I haven’t truly let anyone in besides Bella but I found myself breaking down the walls for him. The distance between us seemed to lessen as he began to lean in to me and I did the same until our lips were only inches away.

“Well” sniffled Mike as he walked out the toilets and disturbed us from the serenity we were once in, causing us to spring apart.

“What is your problem?” asked Mike after moments of being stared down by a clearly  agitated Jacob.

“Right now you’re my problem. Feel sick maybe you should go to a hospital. Want me to put you in a hospital!?” bellowed Jake as he paced towards Mike.

“Jake stop" i exclaim grazing my hand against his. "Wow, you’re hot. Like you have a fever” I observed, holding his hand, it seemed to have calmed him down.

“I don’t know what’s happening” he said panic-stricken before running out the cinema.