Bella's POV

I didn't realize how broken and empty I was until I saw Jacob's smiling face.

My father, Charlie, had been constantly badgering me to get out of the house. Until one day, he threatened to send me away to my mother in Jacksonville, Florida; I refused to extremities.

Maybe I should explain a little bit. My name is Isabella Marie Swan, Bella to you. I live in a dreary little town called Forks, in Washington State; the rainiest place in the continental U.S. This little town had once held the most precious thing on this earth… Edward Cullen. He was beautiful, godly so, as were the rest of his family…my family – NO! I couldn't think of them like that anymore! Edward left me; he doesn't love me any longer. The most extraordinary part about him is not his ungodly self control, or his god like appearances, but, he is a vampire. As are the rest of his family. He doesn't love me, and since he left, I go about my day, and my life in a trance. My number one rule is to keep busy. Not have any time on my hands.

As I was saying before, Charlie has been badgering me to do something. So I told him that I was going to La Push (the Indian Reservation). That satisfied him.

"Bella, just know that I'm calling Billy and telling him you're coming down for a visit!" he called after me as I trudged outside on one of those rarely sunny days that we get. Ugh, like I needed him to check up on me. I walked down my drive way to the curb and got into my old, red Chevy truck that Charlie bought off of Billy. I started it up and it roared to life.

I kept looking in the mirror to look at the shadows beneath my eyes. I looked like the undead, possibly, even more so than the real thing… I drove carefully the whole way there. It took me twenty minutes. I eventually rolled into Jacob's driveway. He obviously heard the engine of my truck because he walked out of his garage with a confused look on his face.

I watched his face go from a scrunched up confused look, to one of pure delight, and a goofy grin was plastered on his face.

"Bells!" he yelled to me. He ran to the side of the truck and opened the door for me. He handed me out and grabbed me into a huge bear hug. I couldn't breathe. He set me down after he heard me gasping for air.

"Bells, no offense, but you look horrible!" he said it jokingly, but I could hear the concern behind the façade. He put a finger under my chin and lifted my head so he could look at me. He stared deep into my eyes, scrutinizing my face. His eyes narrowed at me and I could feel a slight shake coming from him.

He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. "I'll never forgive him for what he's done to you," he whispered, more to himself than to me. I jerked my face out of his grasp and ran for it. I didn't want him to see me cry. I wouldn't be able to handle it.

I ran down his driveway and onto a forest path that looked well worn. I didn't pay attention to where I was going. I was stumbling over rocks and branches. But I was lucky enough to catch myself most of the time. I came to a stop in front of a large log that was obstructing my way. I was looking in front of me, into the abyss that was the forest. I could feel heat on the back of my neck, and I thought it was the sun. Boy was I wrong! A pair of hands grabbed my side gently.

"Bella?" Jacob asked me softly. But I had no idea that he was there, and I spun around to look at him. Doing so cause me to back up, and trip over the log that I had stopped at. It was coming; the impending ground that would probably give me a concussion when I hit my head on it. But it never came. As swiftly as I had fallen, I was in Jacob's arms. He was holding my body tightly to his. It was comfortable; the forest was getting colder by the second and his body warmed me. I felt my knees give out and I sagged until he quickly supported my weight. I hugged myself to him. This is what I needed from my Jacob. I needed his support. I needed his comfort and friendship. I barely noticed when Jacob picked me up threshold style. I normally would have been mortified. I probably would have smacked him and yelled until he put me down. But now that I had started crying, I curled up into a little ball his arms wrapped tightly around me. He was holding me together so I didn't need to. I was balling into his bare chest. Why wasn't he wearing a shirt? I thought to myself. I felt him moving, and his breathing was ragged.

"Bella, shhh, honey, it's going to be okay! I'm here for you…forever and always" I heard him talking to me, but my sobs were getting louder. I didn't want to hear it. I couldn't use let him think that I was falling for him when I wasn't capable to fall for anyone. I closed my eyes and cried. Jacob took me back to his house. He kicked open the front door and took me into the small living room. He laid me on the couch. He gently lifted my head up and sat down where it had been. He put my head in his lap.

He was looking down at me, stroking my hair back from my face. With his free hand he took his thumb and wiped away the tears from each side of my face. I should have told him it was useless, that more would just replace them. I don't know how long I laid there, my head in his lap. With him stroking my hair, and wiping the fresh tears away from my face. He was looking at me with a concerned look on his face, but there was so much love in his eyes. It was almost unbearable to look into his eyes.

"Bella, honey, I need to tell you something. I know that you're hurt, bu-"

"Jacob? Bella's truck is here, where is she? I've missed her! Come help me into the house son," Billy was home.

"Yeah, Dad, I'll be right there." He looked at me apologetically, "I'll be right back honey, he told me quietly. I got up and went into the bathroom to see how puffy my eyes were, and if I could pass for normal in front of Billy. I tripped on a rug on the way there. When I got there, I closed the door and locked it.

I looked cautiously into the mirror that was hanging on the wall. I looked almost presentable. I turned on the faucet and let the cold water pour out into my cupped hands. I let enough gather in my hands, and I splashed it over my face. I dried my face on a towel that I realized smelled like Jacob. He had a soft woodsy smell. It smelled incredible. I finally unlocked the door and put on a brave face for Billy.

I walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen where I heard Billy and Jacob talking.

"Dad, she's not doing so good, she was balling her eyes out right before you got here. I suppose she went to clean herself up." I started to walk into the kitchen like I hadn't heard anything. They both looked up at me when I walked into sight.

"Bella!" Billy said enthusiastically towards me. I walked over and gave him a hug, "How're you holding up kid?" he asked me quietly.

"Dad!" Jacob yelled at Billy, "I told you not to say anything."

"No, Jake, it's okay. I'm fine Billy, how are you?" I asked politely.

"Hey, Bells, let's go for a walk!" Jacob jumped up suddenly asking me.

"Um, sure Jake, I guess. If that's what you want," I told him suspiciously. Jake grabbed my hand and he was dragging me behind him out the door of his small house. He went into his garage and grabbed his bike. He jumped on and kick started it to life.

"Jump on Bells!" he sounded enthusiastic. I loved the bikes. I had brought them to him a while ago. That was before he decided to ignore me. That was before I had found out that my best friend was a werewolf. It was amazing how little it took for me to trust him again. I trusted him with my life. I jumped on and we were flying up a path that looked like a badly constructed dirt road.

I yelled up to Jake, "Jake! Where are we going?" we were going up a large hill now. I looked to my right side. Whoa! This was more than a hill! We were on a cliff face. He slowed to a stop at the top of the cliff.

"We're going cliff diving, Bella!" he told me excitedly. He put the bike on its kickstand and I hopped off. I was immediately excited.

"Oh yes!" I was so ready for this. Jake grabbed me from behind and put his arms all the way around me.

"Okay, Bella, I'm going to hold onto you. Don't try and get out of my grasp. I need to keep a hold of you the entire time. I don't want to get separated. Just make sure you take a deep breath right before we go underwater, okay?" he asked me.

"Yes, whatever you say Jake." I told him.

"Bella, one last thing," he said softly into my ear as he wrapped his arms around me once again.

"Yes, Jacob?"

"Do you trust me, Bella?" he asked me solemnly.

"With my life, Jacob," I told him quietly. I knew wholeheartedly that it was the truth.