Snap Decision

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!

Chapter Sixteen

Jacob revved the engine of the noisy black motorcycle. Bella jumped on the back seat, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. Even though she had promised Charlie she wouldn't ride the bikes again, she just needed the adrenaline rush. When she asked Jacob whether they could ride the bikes, she had expected him to protest. But he seemed to understand her need to do something a little daring to clear her head.

They raced off the blacktop so fast that Bella's stomach got lost somewhere behind her.

"Hold on." Jacob shouted into the wind.

Bella hid her face in his back as they sped down the highway. She knew he would slowdown when they hit the Quileute border. She just needed to hold on until then. She prayed silently in her head that Charlie wouldn't happen to see them….

It was obvious when they reached the safe zone. The bike slowed, and Jacob straightened up and grinned. Bella opened her eyes, trying to catch her breath.

"That was a rush!" Jacob laughed. "I've missed riding the bikes."

"Me, too." Bella shook out her windblown hair as she tried to comb through the tangles with her fingers.

"It was lucky Charlie didn't see us, though." Jacob's tone was rough with guilt.

"I'm completely safe riding with you."

"Yeah, but he doesn't know that." Jacob sighed.

Bella shared his guilt. She knew Charlie considered the bikes death machines-he had seen too many reckless teens lose their lives riding them-but it still should be her choice whether she rode them or not. She was tired of being dictated to about what she could or couldn't do all the time.

"Want to ride some more?" Jacob asked.

"I should be going to school." Bella winced. Not only was she riding the bikes again after promising Charlie she wouldn't, but she had just skipped school. She was literally breaking all the rules.

"It's probably for the best that you avoid school for the next couple of days. Just until Carlisle makes his next move." Jacob put his hand on her face, caressing his thumb across her cold cheek. "Are you okay?"

"Not really." Bella admitted tiredly, leaning into his palm. "Carlisle is not going to back down, is he?"

"I don't think so." Jacob said honestly. "Sam kinda knew that when he ordered him to go."

"I don't want a war to start because of me." Bella felt the walls closing in on her again. Fuck Edward and his obsession with her! He was ruining her life, and Carlisle was enabling him. If only she could get in touch with one of the others-Rosalie and Esme wouldn't stand for Carlisle protecting Edward-not if they knew the truth.

"I don't see how it can be avoided." Jacob looked into the distance, his body tense with frustration. He turned back to look at Bella and his expression softened. "I'm sorry, honey. You shouldn't have to deal with this."

"I'll be alright." Bella managed to muster up a smile. "I've got my best friend looking out for me."

"Yeah." Jacob murmured. A different kind of frustration built up inside him at the word friend. He didn't just want to be her friend, he wanted so much more. But Bella still wasn't ready to cross that line. He was just going to have to be patient and wait. She would see how good they were together eventually, wouldn't she?

They ended up on the beach again, wandering aimlessly. Both of their minds were far away as they strolled along the shore deep in thought.

"I don't know what to do about school." Bella was the first to break the silence. "I feel vulnerable there."

It was the first time she had openly admitted her fears about the place. High school was tainted now. Even though she was surrounded by people, she was afraid that Edward would be able to snatch her away at any moment. She assumed that Carlisle would pull the other members of the family out, he wouldn't want then to cross paths with her and find out what he was hiding.

"I've been thinking about that." Jacob replied slowly. "I have an idea."

Bella looked up at him curiously. She watched as he picked up a rock and chucked it into the waves. When he didn't respond right away, she got impatient. "Don't keep me in suspense."

"I'm not gonna tell you until I know it's a possibility." Jacob was acting all mysterious. He grinned when he saw how aggravated Bella was at being kept in the dark. Her pale cheeks were flushed with annoyance, her perfect mouth pursed into a pout. She was so lovely she took his breath away every time he looked at her.

"You are so irritating." She snapped at him.

"True." Jacob agreed amiably. "But you love me anyway."

Bella rolled her eyes at this statement, but she couldn't help but smile. She felt his warm fingers wrap around hers as they continued their journey down the beach. As they walked Bella thought of how they must look walking hand in hand across the sand-like a couple, certainly-and she wondered whether she should object. But this was the way it had always been with Jacob…no reason to get worked up about it now. She might not be ready to take things further, but it didn't mean she wasn't thinking about it. She glanced up at him again to find he was still smiling down at her. She smiled back. Jacob understood. He would wait until she was ready. Bella leaned into his warm body and felt herself relax.

"You skipped school." Charlie said bluntly as soon as Jacob dropped her home, in the VW Rabbit this time.

"Hello to you, too, Dad." Bella muttered irritably, shrugging off her jacket. She hung it on the hook and walked past him into the kitchen.

"Bella, you can't just skip school when you feel like it. This is an important year." Charlie called after her.

Bella counted to ten under her breath. "I couldn't face going in, okay. Not with everything that's happened."

"I had a word with Principal Greene today. He assured me personally that he takes matters like this very seriously. John told me that he would make sure that Edward Cullen is removed from his school. You don't have to worry about going back, Bells." Charlie assure her, his tone softening.

Bella nodded, giving him a strained smile. It didn't matter what Principal Greene did or didn't do. Carlisle would have forbidden Edward to go back anyway. He would want to avoid as much trouble as possible. He would have pulled the others out, too. She wondered what bullshit reason he would give them. Whatever it was they would believe him, like always. Carlisle Cullen wasn't the honourable man she thought he was. His treatment of her had soured her opinion of him. To openly accuse of her lying, it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Oh, a letter came for you today." Charlie casually passed her a non-descript brown manilla envelope.

Bella frowned, wondering who it was from. Maybe Renee had sent her something, although she hadn't mentioned it in their last email exchange. "I'm just going to lie down for a while, Dad."

"Okay." Charlie gave her a fond smile. "Don't worry about cooking tonight. I'll get us some takeout. Order anything you want." He offered.

"Pizza?" Bella asked. "With extra pineapple?"

Charlie grimaced at the mention of pineapple. He could never understand why anyone would want that on their pizza. "How about extra anchovies instead?"

"I'd prefer pineapple." Bella laughed at his disgruntled expression.

"Fine." Charlie conceded ungraciously. "Just this once."

"Thanks, Dad." Bella stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, before escaping to her room.

Even her room didn't feel like hers anymore. She stared at the spot where her wardrobe used to be. It was now just one big empty space. There was no way she could tell Charlie the truth about how it really had been damaged. Another one had been ordered and was on its way, but just like school, her bedroom felt tainted now. Edward had invaded every safe area of her life and it angered her that he had such control over her thoughts and feelings. Even when he wasn't physically present, he was still impacting on her life, forcing her to take extra care of where she went and what she did. She blamed him for everything, even the situation with Victoria.

As she fumed silently, Bella remembered the brown manilla envelope Charlie had given her. She opened it up to find an acceptance letter from the University of Alaska. She felt sick inside. She hadn't even applied. This was Edward's doing. In anger she shoved the letter back into the envelope and scrawled return to sender across it.

"Fuck you, Edward Mason Cullen!" She cussed under her breath.

Running back down the stairs with the envelope in hand, she reached the bottom step to find two more thick envelopes sitting on the floor. They looked like they had just been slipped under the door. In the background she could hear Charlie on his cell ordering the pizza.

Feeling sick to her stomach, Bella reached down and warily picked up the envelopes. Of course, both were addressed to her. She put the acceptance letter from the University of Alaska down on the little side table in the hallway, before gingerly opening the others. She wasn't surprised to find an acceptance letter from both Dartmouth and Harvard.

"Bastard!" Bella wanted to scream and cry all at the same time.

"Pizza should be here in half an hour." Charlie strode into the hallway, not aware that he was walking into the eye of a storm. He saw the despairing look on his daughter's face and frowned. "What's happened?"

"Edward fucking Cullen is what's happened." Bella raged as she thrust the acceptance letters into Charlie's hands. "I never applied to any of them." She tossed the envelope containing the letter from the University of Alaska on top of the others. "He must have forged my signature. Or bribed them to accept me. He's never gonna stop, Dad! He won't ever stop!"

Charlie looked at the crumpled letters in his hands and felt his anger rising to match his daughter's. Enough was enough! He had tried doing everything by the book, but it had gotten him nowhere. The one thing he trusted in life, the law, had let him down. He was not going to let his daughter suffer any longer. He was going to put a stop to it here and now.

"Dad…Dad…where are you going?" Bella asked in alarm when she saw Charlie, his face puce with anger, grab his jacket.

"I'm going to sort this out once and for all. If he's not going to play by the rules, then neither am I." Charlie threatened.

"Dad, please, I don't want you to do anything you'll regret." Bella begged, grabbing him by the arm as she tried to stop him from leaving.

"Let go, Bells. I promised I'd keep you safe. And that's what I intend to do." Charlie said fiercely.

"You're not." Bella was getting hysterical now. "Can't you see that you'll only make it worse. If you go over there with all guns blazing, then Carlisle and Edward will turn it all around on you. I guarantee you'll be the one behind bars, Dad. Not him! Hand the letters in. It gives us more evidence against Edward, doesn't it? It'll strengthen our case against him if its proved he forged my signature or bribed someone to get me in. Please, think rationally! I beg you."

Bella's words finally pierced the red mist of Charlie's anger. He hugged her fiercely, his chin resting on top of her head. "I just want you to feel safe, kiddo. It's my job to protect you."

"And you do by supporting me." Bella's voice was muffled against his chest.

Charlie blinked a few times as he tried to compose himself. "I love you, Bells." He said gruffly.

"I love you, too." Bella said, closing her eyes in relief that another disaster had been averted.

The phone rang then, separating them. While Charlie took off his jacket, Bella went to answer it. "Hello."

"Bells, are you alright?" Jacob sounded breathless.

"I'm okay." Bella was glad to hear his voice. "How do you always know when I need you?"

"The imprint." Jacob replied quietly.

"Oh." Bella said.

"I can feel when you're upset or distressed. I was just about to phase and come over until Billy stopped me. He said that Charlie wouldn't appreciate a massive wolf rocking up on his doorstep and perhaps I should ring you first."

"Billy gives good advice." Bella laughed humourlessly.

"Seriously, honey, are you really okay?" Jacob checked again.

"I am. I promise."

"I'm glad."

Bella could imagine Jacob's smile of relief on the other end of the phone. "I'm sorry to have stressed you out."

"I don't mind." Jacob teased. "I was going to call anyway. I have some good news."

"Good news?" Bella echoed him. "I could do with some right now. Spill."

"I've sorted out your school thing."

"You have?" Bella asked curiously. "How?"

"Dad pulled a few strings. You remember he and old Principal Greene go way back…"

"They're old friends." Bella remembered.

"That's right. And Mr, Greene owes my dad a few favours. As from tomorrow you are looking at Forks High's newest student." Jacob boasted.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Bella asked hopefully.

"I enrol tomorrow. You have your own personal bodyguard, baby." Jacob laughed. "What time do you want me to pick you up?"

A/N-thanks for reading!