Let me be your shield [Twilight Fanfic] - On Hold -

Ch. 16 I do not mind being friends with you

Twenty-two minutes later, the Swan Family and Stefan safely arrived at the Quileute Tribe in La Push Reservation, Washington. The two cars drove passed the Welcome to La Push sign as they drove to the Black Family House. A few minutes later, Charlie and Stefan entered the Black Family's property as they parked their vehicles in front of the home. 

Stefan and Bella decided to stay in the car while Charlie and Caroline got out of the police cruiser, and they walked towards the Black Family House. Stefan turns his gaze to Bella, who is quietly looking out the window. Stefan couldn't help but eye Bella from head to toe because he thinks that she is beautiful. 

' Isabella might think that she isn't pretty because Edward dumped her, but in my eyes. I find Isabella rather beautiful. Her name even means beautiful one in Italian,' Stefan tells himself. 

Bella blinks when she feels a burning sensation coming from her left. Isabella turns her head, and she blushes when she sees Stefan intently looking at her. 

Bella's chocolate brown eyes stared into Stefan's forest-green eyes. 

" Everything okay?" Bella softly asked Stefan. 

Stefan softly smiles at Bella.

" I'm fine. So, Isabella. Have you always lived in Forks?" Stefan curiously asked Bella wanting to get to know her. 

Bella softly smiles at Stefan. 

" Well. I was born in Forks, Washington. But when I was three months old, my parents got divorced. My Mom decided to take me with her, and we left Washington to California. We briefly live with my grandma in Downey, but then Mom found a place in Riverside after she got a job as a Kindergarten teacher in some public school. When I turned six, my grandma died, and then my Mom and I moved to Phoenix, Arizona. I lived in Arizona till I was seventeen and then I decided to live with my Dad in Forks after my Mom got remarried," Bella comfortably tells Stefan. 

Stefan worriedly stares at Bella. 

" Do you miss your Mom?" Stefan asked Bella. 

" I do miss my Mom even though she and I had a rocky relationship. You see, my Mom never saw me as a daughter. She mostly saw me as a best friend," Bella explains to Stefan. 

' Weird. I feel comfortable telling Stefan about my childhood unlike I did with Edward,' Bella curiously tells herself. 

" Even though my Mom and I had a rocky relationship. I still care about her, and all I wanted was for her to be happy. I mean, I like my Mom's new husband. His name is Phil Dwyer, and he is a minor league baseball player. Because of that, Phil is always on the road, and my Mom would stay home to take care of me. I could tell that my Mom missed being around Phil since he makes her feel young and all. And that is why I decided to move in with my Dad in January of this year. I only needed to complete my Junior and Senior year of high school," Bella tells Stefan. 

" I'm sorry," Bella nervously laughs. 

" Why are you, sorry?" Stefan worriedly asked Bella. 

" I am probably boring you about my life," Bella tells Stefan. 

" No. I'm not feeling bored," Stefan smiles at Bella. " I can tell with the way your mother treated you as her best friend. You grew up maturely at such a young age and took care of her, right," Stefan softly tells Bella. 

Bella sadly sighed. 

" Yeah. I didn't have that many friends back in California and Arizona because of that," Bella whispers. " The only friends I had while growing up were Jacob and his sisters. That's because their Dad is childhood friends with my Dad," Bella explains to Stefan. " Heck. I feel as though I am not even that close with Jacob as Caroline is with him," Bella mumbles. 

" It's okay," Stefan gently placed his hand on top of Bella's head, which causes her to look at him. " You know. I do not mind being friends with you," Stefan smiles at Bella. 

Bella lightly bites her lips, feeling strange, but in the right way. Bella didn't know why, but she feels happy that Stefan wants to be her friends. 

" I like that," Bella tells Stefan. 

Stefan opened his mouth to say something, but he gets cut off by Caroline knocking on the driver's window. Stefan turns his gaze to Caroline, and he blinks when he sees Jacob standing behind her. Stefan unlocks the door, which causes Caroline and Jacob to get inside the vehicle. 

" Hey, Stefan. Hey, Bells," Jacob happily greets Stefan and Bella as he gets inside the vehicle. " Thanks for letting me come with you guys to the mall. Dad is going fishing with Bells' Dad and Mr. Clearwater, so I didn't want to stay home," Jacob tells Stefan and Bella. 

" Hey, Jacob," Stefan and Bella politely greet Jacob. 

" And it's okay. Caroline insisted that you should hang out with us," Stefan tells Jacob while Bella amusedly stared at Caroline. 

Caroline's eyes narrowed at Stefan. 

" Stefan," Caroline intently stared at Stefan. 

Stefan raised his hands in surrender as he turns his head to look forward. Stefan blinks when he sees Billy carefully eyeing him while Charlie is talking to Harry and Sue. Stefan politely smiled at Billy, which causes the older man to nod his head. Stefan turns his car on as he drives away from the Black Family House to the highway, which will take him to Seattle, Washington.