"I take back what I said the first time we met. I never could have been more wrong."
"Oh, and what would that be?"
"Every thing about you - every thing you do, or say, or even when you scrunch your nose when you don't really like something - just ma...
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WE HAD ESCAPED A TRAGEDY. Of course, that wasn't without Isabella's show of dramatics to emphasize her importance. On the same day that Harry nearly died, Isabella had jumped off a fucking cliff. As I sat in the hospital and checked in on Harry, Isabella ran away to Italy with those damn leeches. She left a heartbroken Jake in her wake. I had only known small details, but from what Jake told me, the two had been dating. She left him in the dust as if he was a mere speck of dirt to chase after a man who had left her in the same way.
To say my father was furious would be an understatement. Our house had become even more insufferable to live in than before. It was filled with Isabella's constant groveling that she was forbidden from seeing her beloved. I, of course, blew up on her: right on schedule. She tried to defend her actions, and why she was in the right. Once again, however, she didn't see the repercussions. Our father sat by the front door day and night, chewing at his nails in worry. Our father didn't sleep--he hardly ate. He as beside himself with fear and anger. When she came home, as careless as ever, she merely brushed him off and told him that there was no reason for him to worry.
"Jake, I need out of this fucking house," I growled, running a hand over my face, frustrated. Bella had been knocking on my door probably once every hour, begging me to at least open up and hear her profuse apologies, both for the way she had acted over the past year, and for leaving to Italy so suddenly. But I had made myself clear last week. And she'd been very decisive with her own actions. Boyfriend drama was more important than family.
"Well, you've only got one solution then," Jake chuckles. With that, I groaned, grabbed my wallet and keys, and threw open my bedroom door. Her head popped out of the doorway directly across the hall from me like a gopher would in Whack-A-Mole. I just scoffed, not sparing an extra moment's glance her way, and jogged down the stairs briskly. Koda's collar jingled loudly beside me like a song that narrated my journey. The door to my decade and a half old Defender swang open and snapped shut with equal amounts of force and irritation. It roared to life and I took no hesitation in peeling out of the driveway and accelerating down the road.
When my car rolled up to the small home with dust blooming around its sides, Billy and Jake emerged from the house quickly to stand – or in Billy's case, sit – right in my line of vision. Jake looked unsurprised, while Billy held a small, content smile on his face. "We were gonna head over to Harry's for some fish fry and a bonfire in an hour or two. Are you game?" Billy called as soon as I took my first step out of the high car. Harry had just gotten released from the hospital a day before; we were due for a celebration.
"Always," I grin, happy that the Rez would always be my place to go. Jake met me halfway to the house and wrapped me in a tight hug. "Hi," I muttered.
"What's cookin'," he chuckles. I smile faintly, amazed at the ability he had to make me completely content and comfortable. He knew exactly what to say and do, and in the tone that I needed to hear, in order to relax every bone in my body and make me feel at ease. Jake knew me like the back of his hand, and he was truly the brother that I never had. I groaned, and he laughed again.
"So help me God, it's suffocating," I mumbled into his firm chest. "Bella keeps hounding me and hounding me and houndingme. It's like she's an STD."
"Hey," Jake muttered in the same quiet tone that I had begun with before to grew exponentially louder. "Why don't we go over to the garage. You can help me rebuild the engine, and throw shit at the walls."
"Okay," I agreed, nodding and wrapping an arm around his waist. Jake and I had an understanding. He was in pain, and he would always have my shoulder to lean on if he needed it. He, of course, didn't take me up on it very often. He preferred to hear me complain about how awful she was so he could feel slightly better. Paul was busy a lot too, trying to help Seth and Leah with their shifts. Sam had asked Paul to take the lead on Leah, seeing as the two of them had become closer. Of course, that was mainly because of me. They got along because Leah was my best friend and Paul was the love of my life. I felt so hopelessly stupid saying that, but it was true.
After about an hour of yelling, throwing, and fixing things, Paul's truck could be heard clambering up the road. With a grin, I stopped everything I was doing and ran out of the garage. "Sure, just leave me to pick everything up!" Jake yells sarcastically.
"Sounds good to me!" I tease, looking back to him for a split second before jumping into Paul's arms.
"Hey Swan," Paul grins, looking down to me with adoration in his eyes.
"Hey handsome," I giggle, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. "Missed you."
"Missed you more," Paul winks, pulling me into a kiss.
The Fish Fry was full of loud laughter and conversations as the crew of us pulled up. I recognized my father's cruiser on the lawn and smiled. The truck barely stopped moving before I jumped out, jogging over to the crowd. "Harry!" I grin, running faster to make it to him.
"There she is," Harry laughs, sitting proudly in a chair. He was told to keep his movement to a minimum, so when he tried to push himself up to walk over to me, I brushed him off.
"No way," I giggle, rushing over. "We'll be having none of that." I wrap him in a tight hug, eyes watering when I feel him hug me back. "You had us scared for a moment there."
"Well, they would have been more than scared if not or you, Miss Josephine Swan." I frowned. "I told everyone to keep that on the down low."
"Nice try," Harry chuckles.
"Well, I'm going to grab some food, okay?"
"Be my guest." The smile doesn't leave my face as I pull away and nod. Before I can make a step in the direction of the fish, Harry grabs my hands.
"Josie?"
"Yeah, Harry?"
"Thank you." For the first time in my life, I see a vulnerable look in Harry's eyes.
"Anything for you," I assure, squeezing his hands.
