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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
"Okay, I take back everything I've ever said." Ellie started, staring at Bella like she had gone insane, and she probably had. Bella had chosen motorcycles, motorcycles, as her newest distraction. Although it was clear that there was another underlining reason that Ellie suspected it had something to do with Bella's 'hallucinations' or 'warnings' of Edward. "You've completely lost your mind, Bella. Pack your bags because we're going to check you into a psychiatric hospital starting tomorrow."
"Calm down, El." Bella returned as her hands gripped onto the steering wheel as she drove them to the Black's home. "I just like motorcycles."
"Yeah since when?" Ellie scoffed at Bella's lie. "Since the other night? With that stranger? It's one thing to get on the back of a stranger's motorcycle and another entirely to ride one yourself. Do you even know how to ride one?"
"I can learn," Bella dismissed. "It's just another hobby, Ellie. I don't see what the big deal is."
"Bella, I love you but I really don't know how your brain works most times," Ellie grumbled. "You know while you were doing your depression thing I was picking up every hobby under the sun, you've seen the booger painting. This isn't the way to do it, you know it."
"Besides I needed to get out and see Jake again, it was a win-win situation."
"Oh yes, Jacob who I have met once and am now showing up to his house with you with two large hunks of scrap metal. What a great welcoming gift." Ellie returned to Bella sarcastically.
"Oh please, he'll love you. And I wasn't going to leave you behind."
"Great," Ellie mumbled as Bella pulled into Jacob and Billy Black's driveway. "I promised you that we were going to get through this together and I guess that means this too. But you aren't getting me on the back of those things, ever. Is that clear, Swan?"
"Clear," Bella chuckled.
"Besides considering I can't drive a car, I'm pretty riding a motorcycle would be just as illegal," Ellie added before the car grew quiet once more.
"Do you miss them?" Bella asked softly.
"All the time, but all the advice I've been giving you over the last few weeks have been directed at myself as well. It hurts when I think of them all, Jasper especially but they aren't coming back, none of them are. So we have to just move on, but I'm glad that I still have you, Bells."
"Right back at you," Bella returned before stepping out of the car, Ellie soon following her movements.
Jacob Black appeared moments later, a wide smile on his face as he ran up to the two girls. Although Ellie had only met Jacob once on the beach and only briefly, she recognised him immediately, although he was just a little bit taller and more filled out.
"Bella!" Jacob called cheerily, pulling Bella into a hug, spinning the two of them around. "Where the hell have you been, loca?"
"I don't know where I've been," Bella returned awkwardly, before turning to Ellie. "But this is Ellie."
"Hey," Ellie smiled warmly at the boy. "We've met once before at the-"
"Beach, yeah. It's nice to see you again, Ellie." Jacob finished with a wide smile in Ellie's direction. His radiated joy making Ellie instantly smile back.
"I also brought you something," Bella revealed. She walked over to the bed of the truck, pulling the tarp off, revealing the two rusting motorcycles Bella had picked up before driving over to Ellie's. "It's a little crazy.
"Wow," Jacob breathed slightly confused. "Scrap metal. You shouldn't have," He sarcastically added.
"I rescued them from the junkyard," Bella explained. "They'll probably cost more to fix than they're worth, but I was thinking if I had a mechanic friend to help me out. . ."
"Since when are you into motorcycles?" Jacob asked.
"Since she developed a certain death wish for all activities," Ellie added but Bella ignored her friend's comment.
"Since now," Bella started. "I get it if you think that this is really stupid and reckless. Ellie certainly does."
"I didn't say that." Ellie retorted. "I just don't quite understand why you are doing this."
"It is completely stupid and reckless," Jacob agreed his smile widening. "When do we start?"
"Now, please," Bella said in shock as she slowly processed that Jacob was happy to help her, the teenage boy in question walking over to pick up the motorcycles. "Be careful, They're really-" She started but was soon interrupted by Jacob picking up the motorcycle and pulling it out of the back of the truck without a single bead of sweat or complaint. "Whoa. . . Jake, you're like, really buff. When did that happen? You're, like, sixteen. I don't get it."
"Age is just a number, baby." Jacob continued, beginning to wheel one of the bikes towards the garage. "Aren't you like forty now?" He teased before glancing back at Ellie. "And you, Ellie. Let me guess forty-one?"
"She's younger than me." Bella chuckled. "But it feels like that sometimes."
"Thirty-nine it is," Jacob decided.
"I'll take it," Ellie returned as the trio broke into laughter.
Ellie's eyes drifted over to Bella, who had some resemblance of joy on her face, the first true sight of it that Ellie had seen in a while. Maybe with both Ellie and Jacob filling Bella's days with laughter and joy, Bella could finally move on and forget even if it was just for a second. But Ellie wasn't going to stop anytime soon.
