Imprint - Jacob Black X Reader

03

Jacob finished the bikes in a matter of weeks. He had become engrossed in his project, so engrossed that I had to force him to spend two nights a week working on his assignments. Embry recovered from his sickness, but joined the ranks of Sam's posse.
"I don't get it." Jacob seethed, pacing the garage, "He hates Sam just as much as we do."
"Hate is a strong word. I don't know Jake, maybe you should just let it go." Jacob had tied his hair back, his jaw set, eyes dark. He had been tying blue ribbons to one of the bikes when I joined him, waiting for Bella and still trying to wrap his head around the whole situation. "At least the bikes are done." I offered, his shoulders relaxed.
"Yeah. You're right." My favourite lopsided smile returned to his face, "Do you think Bella will like it?"
I chewed the inside of my cheek, I wanted to tell him to snap out of it, she didn't like him like that. "I think the ribbons are a nice touch."

As if on cue, the truck tumbled in the distance. Jake ran out to meet her, bringing her back to the garage. "Ready?" He asked, his voice low and eyes sparkling.
"Yeah." Bella's smile faltered a little.
"Let's go. I know the perfect spot, no one will catch us there."

We drove south of town, to the dirt track by the beach at La Push, the dense green giving way to beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean. The weather was good today, maybe we could go to the beach after Bella's riding lessons. It had been a while since I'd waded into the waves.
We drove along the the of the cliffs, ominous walls of dark rock that rose out of the sea. I was enjoying the view when Bella hit the break.
"No!" She exclaimed. I was suddenly grateful that it was a squeeze in here, chances were that I would have gone through the windscreen if there wasn't.
"What's wrong?" Jacob was alert at once.
"That guy - he just jumped off the cliff! Why didn't they stop him? We have to call an ambulance." I tried to stifle my laughter at her words, but failed when Jacob gave way to his. She looked at us incredulously.
"They're just cliff diving Bella." I explained, "Recreationally. La Push doesn't have a mall, you know." This set Jacob off even more.
"Cliff diving?" She repeated, staring as a second figure leapt into the air. He fell into the dark waves below. "Wow... it's so high. It must be a hundred feet." She slid back into her seat.
"Well, yeah, most of us jump from lower down. That rock that juts out about halfway." Jacob explained, "Those guys are insane. Probably showing off how tough they are. I mean, really, it's freezing today. That water can't feel good." I nodded in agreement. I didn't mind cold water swimming, but diving today was out of the question.
"You jump off the cliff?" She looked at us in disbelief, still processing.
"Sure. It's fun." I answered.
"A little scary," Jacob added, "Kind of a rush."
Her eyes widened, her expression changing. "You guys have to take me cliff diving."
"Bella, you just wanted to call an ambulance for Sam." He reminded her, she furrowed her brow for a moment.
"I want to try." She insisted, starting to get out of the truck. I grabbed her wrist.
"Not today. At least, not until it's warmer." She thought about my words, then nodded, sitting back down.
"Okay, fine. But I want to go soon."

"So, who were those guys?" Bella asked, I was leaning against the side of the truck while Jacob unloaded and checked over the bikes. "The ones on the cliffs."
"Those guys? That's Sam Uley and the La Push gang."
"You guys have a gang?" She asked, I shook my head.
"No. Not like that. They don't start fights, they're more like tribe vigilantes. Jacob says they're hall monitors gone bad. There was this guy once, pretty big, scary looking, apparently selling meth to kids. They ran him out of town.
They're all about tribe pride, all our land this and our land that. They call themselves The Protectors, or something like that. It grinds Jacob's gears the most."
"Why?" Bella asked, I watched Jacob as he lifted one of the bikes with ease, muscles rippling.
"They treat him differently. They act like tough guys, following Sam's command, and they watch him. They do with me and Quil, but it's different with Jacob. It's expectant, like they're waiting for something."
"And Embry?"
"He's with Sam now. He got sick, disappeared for weeks. Now he hangs around with Sam and the others."
"How old is Sam?"
"He's twenty."
"Isn't he a little old for this type of thing?"
"Yeah. He was meant to go to college, but didn't. Nobody gave him any crap about it. But god forbid Jacob's sister gets married. The whole Council pitched a fit when she chose that over a scholarship."
The conversation was interrupted by Jacob calling us over, the bikes were ready to go. "Are you learning too?" Bella asked, I shook my head.
"I can already ride. Jacob's a good teacher. I'm just here for the moral support."

Jacob talked Bella through the different parts of the bike, the clutch, throttle, the break. He explained everything slowly, running over it all a final time and warning Bella not to use the back break.
I thought back to my own lessons with Jacob, it had been a sunny day, I'd grown tired of holding on to him as a passenger and wanted to learn myself. If only I'd known two years ago that I would miss that contact.
Bella stalled the bike, it fell to the ground and Jacob helped her back on. She had more luck the second time around. "Now release the clutch slowly." He instructed, the bike snarling with every movement. Within a moment she was off, thrusted forward down the track. I watched as she hurtled away. "Jake, don't you think she's going a little fast?" I asked, "I don't think she's seen that - Bella!" She hit the back break with her foot, jerking the bike beneath her and sending her through the air. She landed in the treeline.
I hopped onto the other bike and raced down to her, pulling the bike away.
"Wow..." She breathed, blood trickled down past her eyebrow.
"Bella, are you okay?"
She flexed her arms and legs, "I'm great!" She exclaimed, as Jacob joined us, "Let's do it again!"
"Actually, I think you'd better go to the hospital."
"I'm fine."
"Um, Bella? You've got a huge cut on your forehead and it's gushing blood." Jacob informed. Bella's eyes widened, her hand pressing to her head.
"Im so sorry." She checked her hand, as if not believing that it would be stained crimson.
"Why are you apologising for bleeding?" I asked, "Jacob, get the truck."
He nodded once, then pulled his shirt over his head and handing it to me. I pulled back Bella's hand and pressed it to the wound.
Once in the truck, she took over. Holding the ruined shirt to her head. It was hard to focus on the task at hand with Jacob shirtless beside me. My stomach fluttered, my whole body humming as I tried to ignore it.
"If you take me to the ER like this, Charlie will be sure to hear about this." Bella warned.
"Bella, I think you need stitches." Jacob talking was not helping the dizzying sensation spreading throughout my body right now. I focused on the road ahead.
"I won't, let's just take the bikes back first. Then make a stop at mine so I can hide the evidence."
"What about Charlie?"
"He said he had to work today."
Jacob drew in a breath, thinking about it.
"Trust me, I'm an easy bleeder. It's not as bad as it looks."
Bella turned out the window as we drove towards Forks. "And what are you going to tell Charlie when you come back in bandages?" Jacob finally spoke.
"Oh that's easy." Bella smiled, "I'll tell him I tripped in the garage."