Chapter 18: Say You Will

(song: E.S. Posthumus - Arise )

Bella shifted in her seat trying not to feel like the walls were closing in on her. When Jacob turned his head to give her a questioning look, she just shook her head then turned to look out of the window. She felt Jacob take her hand in his as he continued to talk to Embry and Quil who sat in the seat in front of them.

They were in a van on their way to their hotel from the Las Vegas airport to spend a few days of their Spring Break there together. This time only Embry, Quil, Leah and Alice made the trip with them since everyone else was either busy or unable to afford the trip.

Bella glanced at the two men in the driver and passenger seats again, even as she heard Alice and Leah talking together in the seat behind the one she shared with Jacob. Those two men were security guards hired by both her father and Jacob’s since Vanessa was still at large.

No matter what Billy’s lawyers and the men he’d hired did, no one could seem to catch up with Vanessa. Since the call back in January, Vanessa had made one more call in February to Jacob to try to get Billy to call off the search. When that still hadn’t worked, Vanessa had told Jacob that she knew exactly who it was Jacob was dating and if he didn’t agree to get back together with her, things could get ugly.

That had prompted Billy, Charlie and Jacob to immediately beef up security not only at their homes, but also by providing guards to accompany Jacob and Bella when they left their homes. Bella hadn’t been as enthusiastic or as panicky as the three men were. She felt Vanessa was just trying to pressure Jacob into giving in to her, especially since it was now March and Vanessa was nowhere to be seen or heard from.

Still, when Alice had come to Bella and asked if she wanted to go to Vegas with her since her parents had agreed to let her use one of their comps, Bella had jumped at the chance. Alice had told her the suite would have two bedrooms, as well as a couch bed, so they could invite a few more people to go with them. Of course Bella wanted Jacob along, so he was the first one she’d asked.

At first, Jacob was actually not interested since he was still a little wary of Vanessa popping up somewhere unannounced. However, once Embry and Quil heard about it, they somehow managed to talk him into it as well as getting Alice to agree to let them go along. Since Ashley had gone back to California for a while, Embry was free along with the eternal bachelor, Quil.

Jasper couldn’t take off from work, just like Angela and Ben, while Jared and Kim couldn’t really afford to go. That left one more spot open and since Mark was not on Spring Break that week, he convinced Leah to go with them to keep the three musketeers out of trouble.

Once the list of people was known, it took a lot more to convince both the Black and Swan families to let their kids go. As usual, it was Charlie who balked the most, although this time it was because of safety rather than the fact that Bella was going off with Jacob again. However, Billy and Jacob took Charlie aside and said something that convinced Charlie to let them go, but that didn’t stop Billy and Charlie from making sure two security guards would be going with them too.

Bella had tried to talk them out of it when they had suggested six guards, but it had been useless from the start since Jacob was on their side instead of hers. In the end, she had no choice but to deal with having just the two guards along, although from the looks of it, she was the only one who had a problem with it. All of the others seemed not to notice the addition of them.

Especially Jacob, who took to having a stranger shadowing his every move with the nonchalance he was known for. He continued to be his usual flirty, fun self, even joking around with the bodyguards despite the fact that said guards weren’t smiling or laughing in return. They took their jobs seriously, eyes and ears always alert for any kind of danger towards their two main charges.

Bella resisted the urge to sigh in annoyance again as Jacob slid closer to her, curling an arm around her shoulders to tug her into his side. He nuzzled her temple before whispering into her ear.

“Do me a favor, honey? Try and enjoy the next few days with me?”

She forced a smile onto her face as she nodded at him, letting him know she would try. Yet she knew if she said it out loud, he’d hear the lie in her voice. She leaned her head against his chest, not wanting him to see the displeasure on her face. She really wanted to enjoy some time alone with her boyfriend, but something told her she wouldn’t be able to ignore the two silent figures trailing their every move.

It wasn’t long before the hotel came into view. Like many of the hotels in the area, it was tall and shiny with well-maintained grounds. It screamed extravagance and entertainment for those with the means to take advantage of it all. Not only that, but it was clearly not advertised as a family-type place. No sir, you weren’t going to find many children running about in a cold, high-security place like that.

Truth be told, it wasn’t exactly the type of place Bella would have normally gravitated towards, but she knew that if she was going to have a few days of uninterrupted time with Jacob, this was the best place to give her that chance. The others weren’t as disappointed as she was since a chorus of ‘oohs’, ‘aahs’, squeals and whoops echoed throughout the car. The excitement continued as the van came to a stop in front of the entrance to the grand hotel where valets were waiting to help visitors with their belongings.

Before the van had come completely to a stop, the guard in the passenger seat hopped out and directed the valets to the back of the van to retrieve the luggage. He refused to let anyone handle the side door which would give them access to his precious cargo. As he opened the door and let the others out, the driver walked to the back of the van to watch over the valets who were removing the luggage.

When Jacob tried getting out, their guard shook his head, telling him to stay put until the others had gotten out first. Bella frowned at Jacob’s back as Jacob chuckled and sat back in the seat. He turned an amused look on Bella who quickly hid her frown from him.

It turned out to be quite the chore just to get the group signed in, then safely escorted to their suite where the guards had to sweep the room before they could finally relax. By that time, Bella just wanted to curl up on the bed to take a nap, allowing the tension to seep away during her sleep.

When she woke up a few hours later, the sun had gone down and the suite was quiet. She was also alone in the bed. Yawning, she crawled out of bed and stretched her arms over her head. Feeling better after her nap, she went into the bathroom to refresh herself, grinning as she shook her head over the small pile of clothes Jacob had already made on the tiled floor.

Once she was done and dressed in one of her favorite silk shirts with a pair of jeans, she walked out of the suite to find Jacob flicking through the channels on the slightly muted TV. He grinned at her as she plopped down next to him and snuggled into his side where he put his arm around her shoulders.

“Hey, I was wondering if you were going to sleep all day,” he teased.

She poked him in his side as she responded, “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

He shrugged as he looked back at the TV. “You looked like you could use some rest.”

His words and the way he wouldn’t look at her made her scowl. “You mean I needed a break.”

He sighed, but didn’t answer her for a few moments. She continued to glare at his profile until she got tired of waiting for his answer. Reaching out, she grabbed the remote from his hand, pressed the off button then tossed it on the coffee table.

Jacob turned to her with a raised eyebrow. “Maybe you need some more sleep.”

Her scowl deepened. “I don’t need anymore sleep! What I need…”

“I know, Bells!” He interrupted before she could launch into another one of her spiels. “I know this isn’t what you wanted, but this is all we get right now, so can’t you at least make the most of it?”

She pursed her lips as she folded her arms over her chest and huffed. She had pulled slightly away from him, but now he moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her as he brushed his lips over her neck.

“Please,” he whispered against her skin. “Please? For me?”

She closed her eyes, trying to resist the affections of the one person who could convince her to do anything without any effort at all. As his lips trailed butterfly kisses up her neck to her ear, she knew she was losing…badly.

“Come on, Bells,” he urged as he nipped at her ear, “Let’s have a great Spring Break.”

She turned her head to his, tilting her head back to accept his kiss. He didn’t disappoint. Covering her mouth with his, he kissed her until he was breathing for her. Until her heartbeat matched his and she was impatiently tugging him off of the couch and back to the bedroom where she was determined to take advantage of the fact that none of their friends were going to interrupt them for the rest of the night.

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(Song: No Doubt - Hella Good)

Alice’s loud giggle caused Bella to look up at her in the middle of getting her groove on in the middle of the crowded dance floor. When Alice saw Bella’s arched eyebrow, she leaned in to be heard over the music.

“Don’t look now, but Quil is once again getting shot down by another smart woman.”

Bella rolled her eyes before looking over her shoulder to see Quil’s latest attempted conquest storming away from him as he rubbed his cheek. Quil’s continued attempts to pick up women still hadn’t improved, making them all wonder if he was forever going to be alone.

Glancing in the direction of their table, Bella could see both Jacob and Embry trying not to laugh over their friend’s usual futile attempts. As she and Alice shook their heads, Leah sashayed up to them with water bottles. Alice and Bella each took one, thanking Leah before downing the water, then going back to dancing.

It was their second night in Las Vegas and the day had been better than Bella had expected despite having shadows following her and Jacob everywhere they went. The group had spent the day at a nearby amusement park, imbibing in all the things that made one scream, laugh, cheer, howl, shriek, cry and even nearly vomit.

After that, they’d all returned to the hotel suite to rest, shower then change into dressier clothes so that they could go out to a nice dinner before hitting the clubs. They were now at their third club of the night which Bella was certain was the last one for both her and Jacob, even though some of the others might be going on to yet another one.

As the song finished, she leaned towards Alice and Leah, telling them that she was going to sit down. When they nodded, Bella walked off of the dance floor, ignoring one of the shadows who stood nearby watching her every move. She continued on to the table where Jacob lifted his arm so she could slide beneath it as she settled into her chair.

She glanced to the other empty chairs before looking up at her boyfriend. “Where did Embry go?”

Jacob leaned down so that he wouldn’t have to yell over the music. “He’s at the bar with Quil, getting him a consolatory drink since he got shot down and slapped.”

Bella grimaced. “Yeah, I saw that, poor Quil.”

Jacob snickered. “Um, I wouldn’t go that far, but yeah, something like that.”

She playfully slapped his arm. “Jake, be nice!”

Yet try as she might, she began laughing along with Jacob until Embry and Quil returned to the table with their drinks. She was still giggling over the way Jacob was teasing Quil about getting a girly, fruity drink when Alice and Leah finally joined them at the table.

The six of them continued to drink and tease each other until a mellow song began to play. When Jacob recognized it, he reached out to take Bella’s hand with a smile.

“Dance with me one more time, then we’ll call it a night?”

Alice pouted. “Oh come on! You can’t be tired already.”

Quil chortled. “Um, no, that’s not why they’re ready to go to bed.”

Leah slapped him upside the head as Embry covered his laughter with his hand to keep from getting slapped too.

Leah glared at Quil. “And you wonder why you can’t pick up a woman? You have absolutely no tact whatsoever! Geez!”

Quil grumbled under his breath as he rubbed the sore spot on his head while Alice ignored them and continued to pout at Bella. She apologized to Alice, telling her that Leah and Embry would be more than happy to keep her company before letting Jacob lead her to the dance floor.

She ended up dancing for two slow songs in Jacob’s warm embrace before the music turned rowdy again. When it did, Jacob took her hand in his, then led her back to the table where they said goodnight to their friends before heading back to the hotel with the two guards in tow.

The moment their bedroom door was closed, they were both up against it in a race to tear each others clothes off while tangling their tongues together.

“Mm, didn’t think I was ever going to get you out of there,” Jacob mumbled against Bella’s lips.

“What do you mean?” Bella gasped between breaths.

“Want you so badly,” came his response against her neck where he was leaving little nips, then laving the sting with his tongue.

She moaned, trying to lift a leg that was caught in her thong. “Jake! Bed! Now!”

She shoved him, managing to make him stumble back. He chuckled then grinned at her as he removed his shoes and the rest of his clothes. “Wow, didn’t think you were that eager to be with me.”

She raised an eyebrow as she tossed the offending thong over her shoulder before stalking towards him. “I always want you, why would you think differently?”

He sat on the edge of the bed, then leaned back on his elbows to watch his naked girlfriend saunter towards him. “I didn’t think I’d ever get you off that dance floor.”

She gave a throaty laugh before she began to fold her body around his. As she settled her core against his groin, they both moaned softly before she leaned close enough that her lips brushed over his. “That, dear Jacob, was just another version of foreplay.”

Jacob growled as his arms went around her waist. Lifting her up, he quickly seated her on him, both of them knowing there was no need to get her ready since the hours of dancing had done the job for them.

Bella bit her bottom lip and threw her head back as he filled her up. The feeling of completeness made her whimper before she began to grind her hips against his. His hands on her hips gave her the help she needed to get them to the destination they both aimed for.

Their bodies, which had already been a little sweaty from club-hopping, began to produce more heat as the friction built between them. Jacob leaned in to capture a breast in his mouth, sucking it in as far as it could go. The tug of his mouth and the flick of his tongue on her hardened peak was almost too much for Bella.

She ground against him as more moisture made their bodies almost too slick to create the friction she wanted. “Jake! Please!”

In answer to her hoarse plea, he flipped their still connected bodies onto the bed so that she was now beneath him. Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her chest to his, buried his face in her neck and began thrusting his hips into hers as fast as he could go.

Bella wrapped her legs and arms around Jacob, holding him tight as he pounded into her. She squeezed her eyes shut, letting herself feel the rhythm of their bodies moving together while losing herself in the grunts he made mixed with her breathy moans.

The next thing she knew, she was flying apart at the seams, yet somehow remained grounded through the fingers she dug into his shoulders and the heels she pressed into his behind. Above her, Jacob threw his head back with a shout of her name, yet he never once let her go as his body jerked against hers.

When they both floated back to earth, Jacob pressed a soft kiss against her forehead then rolled to his side, taking her with him. They both softly laughed over the perfection of their slightly rushed lovemaking before crawling under the covers to cuddle up together, letting their tender kisses and hushed words soothe each other into a deep, restful sleep.

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(Song: Pink - Glitter in the Air)

Jacob did his best not to look nervous at all the following day, especially after the night he and Bella had shared together. Still, he couldn’t help the jitters that kept threatening to seep through his skin. He had big plans for that evening and he just hoped nothing interrupted them.

After waking up a bit late in the afternoon, Bella had been dragged by Alice and a surprisingly chipper Leah to spend a few hours at the hotel’s spa. This was all a part of Jacob’s plans, of course, but Bella didn’t know that. Jacob just hoped that Alice and Leah were able to play their parts without Bella being any wiser.

He was still pacing in the bedroom when he heard a knock before Embry’s voice floated through the closed door. “Jake? Man, get your butt in gear! We only have a few hours to get this suite ready before Bella gets back!”

Jacob threw the door open and stared at Embry with wide eyes. “Em, I don’t think…”

Embry held up his hand. “Uh uh, no thinking bro! Let’s get this show on the road! Leah told me to make sure you didn’t get all flustered and screw this up, because if you do, she’s gonna kick your ass and Alice will mop the floor with whatever’s left. Got it?”

Jacob took a few deep breaths before nodding. “Okay, you’re right. Let’s get started.”

He followed Embry into the main room that connected the bedrooms together where Quil was supposed to be waiting for them. As soon as they saw Quil standing over the dining table rubbing his hands together, they came to a stand-still.

Embry was the first to break out of his shock. “Quil Ateara the fifth! You had better step away from that table this instant or I swear I’ll call Leah to come beat your ass right this second!”

Quil threw his hands in the hair in surrender as Embry stalked towards him. “What? I wasn’t doing nothing!”

Embry got in his face and poked Quil’s chest. “Yeah, but you were about to weren’t you? Geez, you fool! If you can’t be productive enough to help Jacob pull off a perfect evening then you need to get lost! Go…find a casino or something!”

The last was said with a flutter of his hand towards the front door.

Quil pouted. “Fine! I’ll behave!” He turned towards his best friend. “Sorry Jake, we’ll get this done. It’ll be perfect, you’ll see.”

Jacob simply nodded as he stood there still taking deep breaths to keep himself as calm as possible. Please, he silently begged, please let this go well.

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Bella tried not to grumble as she tugged on the dress Alice had managed to coerce her into wearing while ignoring the shadow that continued to walk close to her. After their day at the spa, Alice and Leah had dragged Bella into a nearby boutique where they found what Alice considered the perfect dress for another evening of clubbing which Bella wasn’t so sure she wanted to do.

Since Alice and Leah both got their own dresses too, Bella knew she couldn’t say no, not even when Alice insisted that they wear their dresses out of the shop in order to go find shoes to go with the dresses. Then after they had their new shoes on, they stopped to get their hair and make-up done at another boutique.

At that point, Bella was beginning to wonder just what kind of club they were going to that required them to get all dolled up like they were. Granted, the dress she wore was a simple soft pink sundress and the shoes she wore were low-heeled sandals. Her hair had been left mostly loose and wavy with the exception of one side being pinned back by a barrette shaped like a pink-tinted flower. Even her make-up was light, the blush barely there and a tinted lip-gloss on her lips.

Out of the three of them, Bella knew she was the most comfortably dressed. Alice was wearing a mini-skirt and sparkly silver shirt that hung off one shoulder. Leah was wearing skin-tight jeans and a burgundy see-through shirt with a black camisole beneath it. Both were wearing high heels and had their hair and make-up done to the nines.

Yeah, something was up and Bella wanted to know what it was.

As they made their way down the hall towards their suite, Bella tried once again to get it out of Alice. “What club did you say we were going to tonight?”

Alice giggled. “I didn’t, but just wait, you’ll see.”

Bella huffed as they reached the door. Folding her arms over her chest, she grumbled. “Why do I have a feeling you’re keeping something from me?”

Leah turned to grin at her as Alice opened the door. “Because we are.”

Then before Bella could retort, Embry sauntered out with a grin. “Hey girls, looking good.”

He leaned over to kiss Bella’s cheek. “You look great, Bella! Have a good night.”

Leah laughed as she followed Embry back to the elevator while Quil came out of the suite.

“Hey Bella! Knock him dead, kid!” exclaimed Quil as he waved to her on his way to the elevator.

Bella turned to Alice, feeling completely lost, her mouth opening and closing silently. Alice giggled before she leaned in to give Bella a hug.

“Don’t worry about it. Everything’s going to be fine! Have fun!” With that, she hurried off to join the others at the elevator.

Bella stared at her friends until she heard Jacob’s husky voice come from the doorway. “Hey Bells.”

She turned towards him and the confused look promptly left her face to be replaced by widened eyes. Jacob Black stood in front of her wearing dark brown slacks and a button down pale blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The entire outfit looked fresh and fit his physique so perfectly that she knew it had been tailored to fit only him. His hair, which normally looked tousled, had been combed back with some gel.

Altogether, Jacob looked like he meant business, yet Bella had to admit if this was what he looked like when he conducted business, she’d never be able to concentrate on getting any work done. She’d never seen him look so sexy and that was saying something since Jacob was always sexy to her.

His smile widened when she continued to simply stare at him. Holding out his hand, he spoke to her. “Come on in, Bells. Dinner’s ready.”

“Dinner?” she squeaked. “We’re having dinner in here?”

Jacob led her into the suite, where candles and dishes adorned the coffee table in the living area. She could tell that the rest of the furniture had been moved back and rearranged so that there was plenty of room for her and Jacob to sit on the floor around the coffee table. There were large, comfortable pillows thrown on the floor and soft music filled the air along with the scent of the candles and the food.

Jacob helped her to get comfortable on one of the pillows before uncovering the plates which held an assortment of meats, cheeses and fruits meant to be eaten with their fingers. He picked up a grape and held it out to her lips.

Bella leaned away, a question on her lips. “What’s going on Jacob? Alice told me we were going clubbing tonight.”

He smiled at her. “They’re going clubbing, we’re not. We’re going to have a night in, okay?”

She arched an eyebrow. “I know Alice didn’t drag me around the entire day for nothing, Jacob!”

He sighed. “Bells, do you trust me?”

She blinked, “What?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do!”

“Okay, then just enjoy this evening with me.” He lifted the grape back to her mouth, asking her with his eyes to go along with him.

This time she opened her mouth, taking the grape from him and chuckling when his smile lit up his face. She continued to let him feed her from the assortment on the table, eventually taking her own turns at feeding him. Jacob had ordered some champagne to go with their meal which they both enjoyed.

Soon, they were leaning back on the pillows, feeling a bit sated and flushed from the food and champagne. Jacob was trailing his fingers over the skin of her arms and face while Bella trailed her fingers along his jaw and through his hair.

She sighed when Jacob slid his arms around her, tucking her into his side so she could rest her head against his shoulder. “Thank you for tonight Jacob, I’m glad we stayed here together.”

He pressed a kiss against her temple. “You’re welcome. I’m glad too.”

She tilted her head back, parting her lips slightly in invitation. Jacob took it, sliding a hand behind her head to hold her to him as he deepened the kiss. He could feel Bella’s fingers curling into the front of his shirt, an indication that she was affected by his slow, gentle kisses.

When they finally parted for air, Bella took a few breaths before whispering, “Wow! I don’t want this part of the night to end. I want this feeling to go on forever.”

Jacob’s husky laugh teased her skin as he replied, “It’s not over yet, honey. I promise you, we have the whole night to ourselves.”

She looked into his eyes, grinning. “Really?”

“Really,” he answered before kissing her again.

This time as the kiss deepened, Bella pushed Jacob to his back as she stretched her body over his. Jacob allowed her hands to roam just as his were doing, but when she went to undo the buttons of his shirt, he gently pushed on her shoulders.

Sitting her up at his side, he pressed a finger against her lips. “Wait, before we go any further, there’s something else I want to do.”

Bella nodded before sitting back on another pillow, rearranging both her hair and dress. While she did that, Jacob disappeared into their bedroom, then quickly returned to kneel in front of her. Taking her hand in his, he looked into her eyes.

“Isabella Marie Swan, you’ve been my best friend since the day I was born. We’ve spent our whole lives together. Living, laughing, loving. I want to spend the rest of our lives doing all of that and more. I want to continue to be your best friend, your lover. I want to give you my every breath, every laugh and every smile. And I want to always be the one to put the light in your eyes, the smile on your face. I want to spend the rest of my life with my best friend, the woman I love more than life itself.”

He opened his hand, revealing the ring he held there. He heard Bella’s swift intake of breath as he asked, “Will you marry me, Bells? Will you make every day and every night from here on out better than the last?”

Glittering eyes met his as she breathed, “Yes, Jacob, yes!”

His breath whooshed out as Bella tackled him to the ground where they kissed, laughed and somehow managed to get the ring onto her finger before celebrating their new engagement in their bedroom…blessedly alone without any interruptions.

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(Song: Evanescence - Say You Will)

Vanessa tucked the blanket around her sleeping five-month-old daughter before making sure pillows were placed strategically around her to prevent her from falling off the full-sized bed in the motel room. Once she was satisfied that everything was as it should be, she walked to the tiny, lackluster bathroom nearby.

Flicking on the lights, she leaned over the sink to wash her hands, removing the stench of dirty diapers and baby spit. She scrubbed until her hands were pink, then turned off the faucets and reached for the stiff dirty white towel that hung next to the sink. As she dried her hands, she looked at herself in the mirror and frowned.

Her once long, dark lustrous hair was now lifeless and cut to just below her ears. The tan she once wore with pride was now non-existent, replaced by a washed-out beige hue that emphasized the dark circles beneath her eyes. Even her eyes didn’t sparkle the way they used to, as if all the shine in them had been sucked out by the birth of her baby.

Vanessa didn’t blame her daughter for the way she looked now. No, she blamed one person and that person would one day pay for ruining her life. She had plans. She knew what she wanted to do, it was just a matter of trying to find the right moment to do it that was the problem. After all, she had her daughter to worry about too.

She knew she couldn’t just leave her daughter alone in the hotel room. She knew that would be like practically handing over the baby to those goons who kept trailing her. For Riley’s sake, they said. Even her parents tried to convince her of that the last time she had talked to them on the phone.

Well, they were wrong! Vanessa was not handing over her daughter to Riley, she was not letting him get his hands on something that wasn’t his! She had already let someone else take something that belonged to her which was a mistake she was going to rectify as soon as she could.

As soon as she was sure her daughter could stand to be alone for a few hours in a place where no one could find her, she was going to put her plan into action. That was the only thing preventing her from getting the life she wanted. The life she deserved.

All she had to do was try to be patient enough for everything to fall into place. Staring at the forlorn face in the mirror, she silently prayed her patience would pay off soon.