The Consequences {Jacob Black}

Chapter XXIII

Spring break was beyond boring. Jake and the pack were running in circles trying to catch the vampire, but she managed to escape every time. I spent most of my days at Emily's, in the kitchen with her. I quickly learned why she baked and why she was so good at it. Baking took our minds off of the fact that the people we cared about most were chasing the undead.

Bella sat in the corner, usually sullen and somber. Every once in a while, she would sigh and look out the window, but Jake never came in. When any of the guys did come in, it was to grab food and crash on the couch next to Bella. There was a part of me, probably the sisterly part, that wanted her to be a part. If she would just participate, she would feel better. Emily and I baked foods we didn't even like. And we had fun doing it. For just a few moments, we could pretend that nothing was wrong.

If I wasn't at Emily's, absorbed in baking, I was in Jake's back yard, working on one of the bags Jake still had. It felt good, especially on days when Bella was pissing me off. I needed to hit something every once in a while. So I drowned out the rest of the world and listened to the rhythmic pounding of my knuckles against the bag. I paused to swipe my hair away from my face when I heard a distinctly feminine sigh.

"I have to go to work, so any time you're finished beating sand," she left the sentence hanging.

"Just take your truck, Bella. The keys are in Jake's top drawer," I said.

"But Jacob doesn't want me to go by myself," she said, innocently biting her lip.

"Well, Jacob didn't make me your babysitter. You can go to work alone or you can just stay here." I turned my attention back to the bag, landing low jabs with a steady breath.

"Jacob wouldn't be to happy if he heard that," she said lowly.

"I don't live to please Jake, Bella. If he wants you to be so safe, than he should hire one of the guys to tail you," I said, still working on the bag.

Bella scoffed. "You think any of this will protect you against one of the wolves or a vampire, for that matter," she said, storming towards me. "I couldn't do all this, but whether I could fight like a man or not, I still got bit!" she said, showing me her little crescent shaped scar.

"I know you did, Bella. We've talk about it. You got bitten and in some amazing act of self control, Edward sucked the venom out and saved you. I know; I get it! Edward saved your life and then he left. I know everything Bella," I said, turning on her. I could see tears in her eyes. "And I don't do this because I want to fight off vampires and wolves and the other supernatural shit that shouldn't exist. I do this because I love it. And it's one of the many things that you have taken away from me."

"What are you talking about? You barely even talk to me," she said, waving her hand in dismissal.

"What am I talking about? What are you talking about? I gave up half my home, a truck that I helped rebuild, my time with my father, my workout room in the house and that's when you were with Edward." She cringed. "He's not worth that!" I screamed. "I get that you love him, I really do, but he's not worth the pain that you have put yourself through. He sure as shit isn't worth what you've put me through."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she whispered.

"Really? You have endangered my life, blackmailed me, caused me to be exhausted beyond all belief, forced me to give up the sport that I loved more than anything else, and share the one person who I cared about more than anything else in the world. And I did all of this, without hesitation, without asking for anything in return. And you have just treated me like garbage."

I took a deep breath, hoping not to scream at her any more. "And not just me, Bella, but my friends; all of them are trying to protect you. Hell, Paul doesn't even like you and he's running triple patrols. Jake, Paul, Embry, Sam, Emily, Billy, all of them are just trying to keep you safe and you haven't even thought to thank them. Why? Because you're so absorbed in missing Edward?"