Endless Night: Chapter 5 - Chances

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CHAPTER 5 – CHANCES

When I awoke the next morning, Jacob was gone. Alice came and got me so I could shower and look presentable when I went to Charlie's.

"You didn't even tell me you were leaving last night! I was worried sick about you!" Alice scolded me while I picked through my clothes.

"Edward saw me leave, Alice, I figured he'd let you know." I was too lazy and hungover to bother with my hair or makeup. I threw on a pair of sweat pants, a t-shirt, and a hoodie, pulling my hair up in a ponytail. I slipped on my glasses and sat on the edge of Alice's bed.

"So did you and Jacob…" Alice winked at me with a mischievous grin. I flushed red with embarrassment and covered my face with a pillow.

"Please don't make me share all the details right now. My head feels like it's going to explode."

"What details are we sharing?" I looked up and saw Edward standing in the doorway.

"Bell and Jac-" I cut Alice off.

"We were just discussing how Charlie will disown me if I don't make it to his house before we go back to school." I glared at Alice and gestured towards the door. "Ready?" Alice rolled her eyes and headed downstairs. I was about to follow her when Edward grabbed my hand.

"Can we talk Bella? Please?" He looked pained. I felt a twinge of guilt in my stomach. I probably wasn't being fair to him but I didn't know what else to do. It was easier to avoid him than having to pretend I was comfortable being "just friends." And it hurt a lot less than having to see him with Tanya every day.

"I really need to get to Charlie's." I shook my hand free and his gaze fell to the floor. "I'll talk to you when we're back at school. I promise."

"What was that all about?" Alice asked when I was in the Escalade. I closed my eyes, rubbed my temples, and settled in to the cushy leather seat.

"I'm in love with your brother." Alice looked at me with wide eyes before breaking out in an ear-to-ear grin.

"I knew it!" She pulled the car over a few houses away from Charlie's. "What about Jacob?"

I waved my hand in dismissal. "There's nothing with Jacob. We had a good time and that's it. Neither of us has those kind of feelings towards the other."

"That explains why you've been avoiding him and Tanya. For the record, I would way rather see him with you than her. I've never liked that girl, I just care too much about Edward to say it." Alice leaned across the console and gave me a small hug. "I'm glad that's out in the open. Now, let's go surprise Charlie. We can figure your love life out when we get back to the dorm."

Surprise was a mild term for Charlie's reaction when he found us on his doorstep. He gave us both big hugs, brought us inside, and immediately got started making lunch. Alice and I told him about our adventures at school and what we'd been up to in Seattle. Charlie filled us in on the local Forks gossip and chatted animatedly about an upcoming fishing tournament the police department was hosting to raise money for charity. I wanted to stay longer and spend time with my dad but we had to be on the road by three.

"It was good to see you Bell! I'm happy to hear that everything is going so well at school!" Charlie gave me another big hug before turning to Alice. "Thank you for taking care of her, Alice. I'm glad she's made such good friends." We finished saying our goodbyes and drove back to the Cullen house. Edward had the car packed and was ready to go when we got there. I slept most of the way, trying to rid myself of my ugly hangover. I woke up when my phone buzzed in my pocket.

Sorry I didn't get to say goodbye this morning! I'll be in Seattle on Wednesday. We should hook up again, if you know what I mean. ;-) – J.

I smiled and texted Jake back, asking him to call me when he was in town. I might not have feelings for him, but I did have a sex drive and he could satisfy it. I laughed out loud when I imagined Charlie's reaction if he knew I was sleeping with Jacob Black.

"What's so funny?" Alice looked over my shoulder and read the message. She shook her head and swatted my arm. "Just let me know when he's coming over so I can go to Emmett's." A few seconds later, we pulled up in front of the dorm. I thanked Edward for driving, exiting the car before he had a chance to open the door for me. Alice and I grabbed our bags and headed inside. I crawled in bed without bothering to unpack, too exhausted to do anything other than sleep.

---

Time continued to pass quickly and before I knew it the semester was over. I'd gone back to L.A. for Thanksgiving, much to my mother's delight, and spent the week tangled between the sheets in the beach house with Mike Newton. Even though Renee infuriated me, it was nice to see my uncle Peter and his wife Charlotte and grandma Jane.

Edward and I barely exchanged any words since the weekend of the party. He'd apologized to me for the Tanya thing again, assuring me he wasn't trying to deliberately hurt me. I'd accepted his apology and that was that. We said a few "hellos" in class and when we saw one another at Emmett's, but for the most part we didn't have any contact.

Then there was Jacob. We'd been hooking up on a regular basis and I found myself really liking it. When we weren't busy fooling around, we'd go to movies, out to dinner, or just hang out in my dorm. I'd gone to Forks a few times and spent days with him and the tribe and I really enjoyed it. Jacob was just so … nice. We understood each other and we knew what the other one wanted. There were no complications, no feelings, just a really good friendship with some pleasing benefits on the side.

Now winter break had arrived and I was preparing to spend a month in Forks. Alice and I were riding up together today. Edward, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett would be up on Friday.

"Did you hear the good news?" Alice was in a frenzy trying to fit as much of her closet as possible into two suitcases. "Tanya is going to Fairbanks for the entire break! That means you won't have to see her until we get back here for spring semester."

"That also means your brother won't be in Forks." I pointed out. Alice smirked.

"No way, our parents would kill him if he wasn't!" I picked up my suitcase and trudged down to where I'd parked the Jetta. Alice met me a few minutes later and we were off.

"Are you sure you don't mind driving? I feel bad pawning it off on you."

"Seriously Bella? Have you ever driven in snow? I'd rather get to Forks in one piece!" I punched Alice lightly in the shoulder and grabbed my phone.

Looking forward to tonight! I'll pick you up at 8! – J.

"You know, this whole thing with Jacob is cute and all, but how can you expect Edward to consider leaving Tanya if you're attached at the hip to another guy?" My heart fluttered when Alice said his name. Girlfriend or not, I couldn't stop myself from feeling something for her brother.

"Edward made it pretty clear to me that he and Tanya are a permanent fixture." I twirled a lock of hair between my fingers absentmindedly. "Besides, Jacob is just a good friend and Edward knows that."

"Good and fuck buddies are two very different things Bella." Alice pulled the Jetta to a stop in front of her house. A blonde haired man was waiting on the porch. He was built like Edward, with the same golden eyes and pale white skin. A woman stood next to him. She was about the same height as Rosalie with straight brown hair and golden eyes. Her skin was pale and she had a beauty mark to the left of her lips.

"Bella, I'd like you to meet my parents, Carlisle and Esme Cullen." I expected a formal greeting from them but I was hugged instead.

"Alice has told us so much about you Bella! I've been looking forward to meeting you ever since I found out you'd be spending the holidays in Forks." Esme gave me another hug.

"My wife and I wanted to invite you and your father to join our family on Christmas. Alice says you don't have any other family in the area and nobody should have to spend Christmas alone."

"That's a very thoughtful gesture Mr. Cullen. I'll ask my dad about it and let Alice know what he says."

"Please, call me Carlisle." He smiled at me before grabbing Alice's bags and bringing them in the house.

"Think you can make it home?" Alice teased. I tilted my head up and tapped my chin.

"I'm pretty sure I can get two miles up the road without causing too much damage." I hugged Alice, assuring her I remembered our plans to go Christmas shopping in Port Angeles tomorrow. I drove the two miles to Charlie's house with no troubles.

"Bell! Welcome home!" Charlie greeted me with a hug and kiss on the cheek. He carried my suitcase up to my room, which hadn't changed much since my days of adolescence. We chatted in the kitchen for a while before the doorbell interrupted us.

"Jacob! What are you doing here?" Charlie returned to the kitchen with Jacob following close behind. His eyes lit up when he saw me. He gave me a hug and spun me around.

"I'm here to steal Bella for the evening, Charlie."

"Well now, I didn't know the two of you were friends! That's great! You kids have fun and be safe." Charlie grabbed a can of beer from the refrigerator and headed off to the living room. I pulled on my coat, grabbed a hat and some gloves from the front closet, and followed Jacob to his car.

"Charlie must not know I take it." Jake revved the engine a few times and started for the reservation.

"Oh my god no! I wouldn't dream of discussing my sex life with him! He'd probably be out for blood." Jacob laughed.

"Well I'd like to thank you for taking my well being in to account." When we arrived at Jacob's house Paul and Leah greeted us. A pretty girl I'd never seen before accompanied them.

"Bella, this is Leah's sister, Emily." I smiled and shook Emily's hand. "We were thinking of hitting up the diner in Forks, then having a bonfire on the beach with some other tribe members." I looked at Jacob with wide eyes.

"Bonfire? It's December!" I squeaked out. The four friends looked at one another before breaking out in to laughter.

"Jake can keep you warm Bella." Paul winked at me. I rolled my eyes and looked at Jacob. He shrugged his shoulders.

"What can I say? I can't keep a secret. Besides, I'm sleeping with the Chief's daughter. That's definitely something to brag about." I swatted Jacob in the back of the head and followed him back out to his car. I didn't even want to go to the diner, and definitely not to the bonfire, but I agreed to anyway. What I really wanted to do was get in Jacob's warm, cozy bed, the one place in Washington that could take my mind off of Edward Cullen.

---

Much to my surprise, Charlie accepted Carlisle's invitation to the Cullen Christmas. He was eager to meet the newest family in town and, of course, excited to see Alice.

"Bell, c'mon! We're going to be late!" I'd spent the past hour rifling through all the clothing I brought with me. I didn't want to overdress but I didn't want to look like a bum either. I finally settled on a pair of flared jeans and a red sweater. I gathered up the gifts I had for Alice and her parents and ran downstairs.

I drove us the two miles to the Cullen house. Even though Carlisle and Esme insisted we didn't have to bring anything, Charlie had picked up a few bottles of wine.

"Bella! Merry Christmas!" Esme greeted me with a warm hug. I stepped aside and introduced her to Charlie. They shook hands and she led us in to the living room.

"This is quite the place you've got here! What year was this built in?" Esme steered Charlie to Carlisle, who happily answered his barrage of questions.

"Bella!" Alice ran excitedly across the room and threw her arms around me.

"Geeze, you'd think you hadn't seen me in months or something." I laughed. Alice laughed with me.

"Well, it has been two days. I was starting to get withdrawals." We both burst out laughing. It was nice to have someone as close to me as Alice was. I'd lost touch with the majority of my high school friends, but those friendships couldn't even begin to compare to the one Alice and I had formed in just a few short months.

"Merry Christmas Bella." Edward appeared out of nowhere. I smiled politely at him, trying to maintain my composure. He looked good in a pair of cuffed baggy jeans and a red and navy plaid polo shirt. His hair was gelled up in his trademark messy style and his eyes were brighter than ever. A smile danced on his lips and for a moment I thought I might pass out.

"Merry Christmas to you too Edward." Across the room, Charlie narrowed his eyes and stood up.

"I don't think we've had the opportunity to meet yet, son. I'm Charlie Swan, Bella's father." He crossed the room and gave Edward a firm handshake.

"I'm sorry Charlie, I didn't even think to do introductions!" Alice went around and introduced Charlie to each of her family members. Edward hung back from the rest of the group, his eyes on me the entire time. I tried to distract myself by looking at the Cullen's elaborate Christmas tree, which had a zillion neatly wrapped presents beneath it, but it was no use. My eyes always made their way back to him."

Let's eat!" Carlisle's voice boomed from the kitchen. Christmas dinner went well. Charlie and Carlisle spent the majority of the meal talking and planning a fishing trip in Alaska next summer. Alice and I talked about the possibilities of getting an apartment off-campus next fall, and she begged me to spend the summer after freshman year in Forks instead of returning to L.A. I was more than happy to oblige her given my disdain for Renee. I would miss the beach house – and Mike Newton – but I had my Forks booty call now and I was pretty sure I'd spend the majority of the summer at the Cullen's house anyway. Alice and I were so absorbed in planning out every detail of our place that we didn't even realize it was time to exchange gifts.

The Cullens showered both Charlie and me with Christmas presents, and I felt a little embarrassed by the fact that I'd only gotten something for Alice and her parents. Before I knew it I was sitting alone on the loveseat. Emmett and Rose had gone upstairs, Esme was off working on a painting, Alice and Jasper were curled up together by the fireplace, and Charlie was busy telling Carlisle everything a Forks newcomer could possibly need to know. I smiled and sighed contentedly, closing my eyes. This was easily the best Christmas I'd had in the last five or six years.

"You look happy." Edward observed, sitting down next to me. I opened one eye and smiled at him, too relaxed to act avoidant.

"I am. Your family is wonderful. This was such a beautiful day."

"They all love you and Charlie." Edward reached his hand out and dropped something in my lap.

"What's this?" I picked up the object and turned it in my hands. Tiffany & Co. was printed in silver letters across the top of the blue box. It was secured with a neatly tied white ribbon.

"Your Christmas present." His eyes seemed soft, filled with an emotion I'd never seen on him before. He rubbed his palms together nervously. "Go ahead, open it."

I tugged the bow off and opened the box. Inside was a beautiful necklace. The chain was sterling silver, and a small sky blue colored heart shaped gemstone hung off the end of it. Edward took it from me, brushing the hair back from my neck and fastening the necklace. I shivered involuntarily.

"Edward, this is beautiful! I love it, but you really didn't have to get me anything." I was suddenly embarrassed by the fact that I didn't have a gift for him. He smiled sheepishly and took my hand in his, tracing the lines of my palm with his index finger.

"I wanted to get it for you Bella." His voice was gentle, almost a whisper. "I want you to know that my heart will always belong to you, regardless of who I'm with."

I ran my fingers across the cool blue heart, biting my lip to prevent any tears. Shit, Bella, you've never let a guy make you cry. This one has done it how many times in how many months? I had no idea what to do, so I leaned over and kissed Edward on the cheek.

"Thank you."

"No, thank you Bella." He held my face between his hands, pressed his forehead against mine, and stared in to my eyes for a few minutes before standing and leaving the room. A moment later I heard the front door open and close and a car start and pull down the driveway.

I took a few shaky breaths, my fingers still holding the necklace. My head was telling me to take the necklace off and leave it in his room with a note explaining why I couldn't accept it. My heart, on the other hand, was singing a different tune, and in the end it won.

Merry Christmas Edward, I thought to myself. How the fuck am I ever going to escape these feelings for you?