Chapter 1: Forgive Me

(Song: Within Temptation -  The Promise)

Bella Swan started at the sound of her balcony door opening. Whirling around, she was shocked to see her best friend, Jacob Black, walking into her room sporting a sheepish look on his face. She knew why he wore that look. It had been quite a while since he’d come to visit her via her balcony door. Then again, she hadn’t visited his balcony in a while either which was highly unusual for the both of them since their balconies had seen almost daily use ever since she could remember.

She rose to her feet, her studies already forgotten, and threw her arms around him. “Jacob! It’s good to see you!”

She ignored the slight speeding up of her heart when his arms enveloped her in one of his familiar bear hugs. He held her tight to him for a few more moments longer than he usually did, but she attributed it to the fact that it had been a while since they’d met like that. Granted, they practically saw each other everyday in passing, due to the fact that they were both taking business courses at the University of Washington and they both often worked with their dads at the boat manufacturing business they owned there in their hometown of Seattle, Washington. Still, these days they were often too busy to actually sit and talk like the best friends they were supposed to be.

When he finally released her, she practically skipped to her bed and sat on one side as she grinned at him while he sat down in her futon chair in the corner between her bed and balcony.

“Not that I’m not thrilled to see you here, but it’s been a while,” she joked. “What’s up?”

He shrugged before leaning back and lifting his hand to bat at the whale mobile hanging from the ceiling. “Nothing much, just needed a break from studying. Too much info in my head driving me crazy.”

She arched an eyebrow at the nonchalant way he said it, but she knew he was hiding something. He only played with her mobile when something was on his mind. However, she knew he’d get around to it on his own time so she let it go for the moment.

Jacob stopped playing with the mobile long enough to look at her with a cocky grin. “Figured your balcony door was getting a bit lonely and was due for some attention by yours truly.”

Bella laughed as she picked up one of the throw pillows on her bed and chucked it at him. “Ha ha, very funny Jake! My balcony door is perfectly fine!”

He caught the pillow in his lap and tsked. “Oh come on Bells, you know it missed me like crazy!”

She rolled her eyes at his flirty attitude. Of the two of them, Jacob had always been confident and sure of himself. Not only was he smart, but he was also a very talented boat builder and handsome to boot. And he knew that which meant sometimes he let his ego get in the way. Still, he had often said he was glad she was his best friend because she was the only one who could bring him back to earth when he got full of himself.

“It did not! Seriously Jake, the world does not revolve around you!”

He gave her a shocked look. “It doesn’t? Who’s been spreading that lie?”

Bella huffed as she folded her arms around her chest and glared at him. “Oh get over yourself Black!”

He chuckled and tossed the pillow back at her. “So, how’s your studying going?”

She shrugged as she set the pillow aside. “It’s going. I’m just glad we only have one more year of this and then it’s time to start taking the reins from Charlie and Billy.”

Jacob nodded. “Yeah I can’t wait for graduation! These courses are kicking my ass!”

“Whatever Jake! You and I both know you have a much higher GPA than I do!”

He grinned again. “What can I say? I’m a genius and good-looking too! What a combo, huh?”

Bella sighed. “Would you stop!”

“Sorry, you know I love watching your reactions.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, same ole Jake. By the way, I didn’t get the chance to ask you at the party last week. How does it feel to be legal now?”

He laughed. “It’s cool. At least I’m the same age as you again. And you still owe me a couple of shots!”

“I do?”

“Yeah, you said you’d take me to your favorite club and buy me a couple of shots as a belated birthday present remember?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I did no such thing!”

Jacob pouted. “Okay fine, I tried to get you to say that but you were being stubborn, as usual.”

“It’s called being responsible Jacob. I’m not getting you drunk! Your dad would kill me for corrupting you more than you already are. Geez! He still blames me for the way you are as if I had a hand in raising you!”

They stared at each other before breaking into laughter. What she said had some truth to it, but they knew William Black was always joking when he said things like that. Billy attested it to the fact that Bella was the older child by four months which meant she was supposed to be the leader. However, everyone knew Jacob was clearly the leader in their friendship.

For her part, Bella had always blamed Jacob’s mother for spoiling her son and inflating his ego. It wasn’t intentional. Sarah was a wonderful mother and loved her family like nothing else, but sometimes she doted on her son a little too much. Bella was glad that both of her parents were more down to earth than Sarah was. Her mother, Renee, was often so practical that those around her would remind her jokingly that she didn’t have to watch every penny the way her parents had.

Renee was the only one of the parents to have come from a low income family. Charlie and Billy were both middle class children and Sarah was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Billy and Charlie had grown up together and decided to go into a boat business partnership since Billy made wonderful boats and Charlie was good at retail. Once their business had boomed and they were raking in the big bucks, Sarah’s parents had allowed her to marry Billy. Granted, Sarah had been so in love with Billy that she claimed she would have married him without her parents’ consent, but Billy didn’t want Sarah to lose her family or her inheritance for him.

A year after Billy and Sarah married, Charlie had met Renee in the bar she had been a waitress in. She’d accidentally spilled a drink on Charlie’s shoes after tripping over her own feet and it had been love at first sight. Charlie had swept her off her feet and six months later they were married and expecting their daughter. The Blacks soon found out they were expecting too, so Bella then Jacob were born into two close-knit upper class families who tended to spend so much time with each other that it had only been natural for Bella and Jacob to become joined at the hip.

Bella and Jacob had grown up together like brother and sister or the closest of best friends. They shared everything together and had always found ways to sneak into each others rooms via their balcony doors, although Jacob did it more than Bella did. Nothing had  been kept from each other and they had always been each others shoulder to lean on. They were also very competitive with each other despite the fact that things seemed to come easier for Jacob. Bella had long ago conceded that Jacob would always be smarter and more talented than she was, so now it no longer bothered her as much.

Still, she was smart in her own way and loved school, so it had only been natural for her and Jacob to decide to attend UW together with the intention of taking over their dads’ business one day. They had made a pact to go to the university, obtain their respective business degrees then start taking over their fathers’ business before they let anything else interfere with their lives. In other words,  they both wanted to follow in Billy and Charlie’s proud footsteps.

Jacob sighed as he began playing with the mobile again. “Yeah, I don’t think he can blame you for anything anymore. I’m gonna have to talk to him about that.”

Bella’s smile faded at those ominous words. Something told her that whatever was on his mind wasn’t going to be good. She didn’t say a word though. She simply sat on the edge of her bed and watched him bat at her mobile, waiting for him to be ready to talk to her.

A long silence followed as various emotions seemed to flit over Jacob’s face. He never stopped playing with the mobile even though he’d opened his mouth a few times as if he was going to speak. A few other times, she had seen his adam’s apple bob as if he were swallowing nervously. A knot began to form in her stomach, she knew this was going to be bad. Probably a lot worse than she could imagine.

He batted at the mobile one last time before looking at her. She noticed his smile didn’t reach his eyes this time.

“So, you got plans for Spring Break?” he asked.

She gave him an incredulous look. “Since when do I do Spring Break? You know I’m gonna be working with Charlie, just like you’re working with Billy.”

Jacob ran a hand through his hair. “I’m getting married.”

The ground seemed to split between them. Shock and disbelief shone on Bella’s face. Silence filled the room so much, you could hear a pin drop. Bella’s mind couldn’t comprehend what her best friend had just blurted out and Jacob could only look at her with eyes full of fear and pleading.

Finally Bella began to laugh a little hysterically. “Be serious, Jacob!”

He swallowed as the fear in his eyes seemed to multiply. His voice came out hoarsely. “I am…serious Bells.”

She shook her head. “You can’t!”

He simply stared at her, eyes begging her to understand.

“Why?” she whispered.

He frowned. “Vanessa’s pregnant.”

Bella’s eyes went wide. “What!”

Vanessa was Jacob’s current girlfriend. The two of them had been dating on and off for the past couple of years, but Jacob had never given any indication that he was even remotely serious about her. Jacob and Bella had dated others on and off through the years but neither one of them had really found anyone who made them want to invest in a serious relationship. Jacob had admitted that he had thought he’d been in love twice and Bella had admitted to it only once, but that had been years ago.

“She’s pregnant,” Jacob reiterated.

“How is that possible?” she snapped as she jumped to her feet.

“Well you see, when a guy…”

“Oh stop it Jacob!” Bella interrupted what was sure to be his way of making light of the situation. “You know that’s not what I meant! You and I both know you’ve always been careful, just like I have been. We promised each other we wouldn’t let anything mess up our plans to take over the business! How could you let this happen?”

Jacob was now on his feet too. He ran agitated hands through his hair as he began to pace.

“Look, all I know is that Vanessa is pregnant and before you ask, yes I’m sure. I saw the test results okay! So, I’m doing what I have to do! I have to be the man my parents raised me to be! I asked her to marry me and she said yes.”

He sat down in defeat in the chair and put his head in his hands. Bella’s anger deflated since she could clearly see that he wasn’t happy about this anymore than she was. Sighing, she walked to his side and gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you Jacob. I know accidents happen and it’s unfortunate that you have to be put in this position. But you’re right of course. You have to do what’s right for you. You know I’ll be here for you if you need me.”

Jacob wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head against her stomach. “I’m sorry too Bells. I know we promised each other that we’d wait to start families later like our dads did, but I can’t just let a child of mine suffer from my mistake. I have to take care of this.”

Bella ran her fingers through his hair trying to comfort him although she wasn’t exactly sure how to fix this one. They remained that way for a few moments before she spoke in a hushed tone.

“Have you told your parents?”

“No,” came his own hushed reply. “You’re the first person I told.”

“Oh. Um, do you want me to go with you when you tell them?”

He sat back and shook his head. “I have to do this myself.”

She nodded. “Okay. Well, you know where to find me if you need me.”

Jacob sighed as he rose to his feet. “Thanks Bells. It means everything to me to know you’ll still be at my side.”

Bella gave him a sad smile. “You know I always will Jacob. Friends forever, remember? Plus, we’ll always be family since we will have the business together.”

“Yeah, I know.”

She looked at her mobile as she asked, “So, I take it you’re planning for a Spring Break wedding?”

He shrugged. “The sooner the better, I guess. Once I tell mom, I know she’ll be able to pull something together. I figured over Spring Break so it won’t interfere with my studies or Vanessa’s.”

Bella arched an eyebrow. “She’s still gonna go to school? Even with a baby?”

Again he shrugged. “At least finish out this semester. Not sure after that. We haven’t really talked about it.”

She nodded, understanding that he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. She kept her mouth shut even though there was one more question on her tongue. It was a question not even she wanted to know the answer to and that was the main reason she refused to ask him. She knew his answer could have the potential to hurt both of them, so she avoided it.

Jacob looked at her with a sad smile. “It’s late. I should get home. I’m going to tell them in the morning.”

She nodded. “Okay, thanks for the heads up…and good luck.”

He hugged her one last time. “Thanks Bells…for everything.”

“Always Jake. Always.”

He finally let her go and slipped out of the balcony door, waving to her before climbing down the wall. Bella waited until he had disappeared from sight before closing the curtains over the door, thus hiding her room from the outside world. She stumbled over to her bed and sat down heavily, staring at nothing in particular as the reality of what had happened came crashing down on her.