Jacob was seething as he read this, feeling both guilty and angry about what his book self had done.
I supposed this meant I was now free to slaughter the small, defenseless tribe on the coastline, were I so inclined. Ephraim and his pack of protectors were long dead...
"NO!" Bella said furious as Jacob looking angrily at the book; seeing how dangerous this slip really was.
"He just thought it was a silly superstition," Bella said suddenly, her voice edged with a new anxiety. "He didn't expect me to think anything of it."
"You must have realized how he was reacting to this," Jacob hissed in a tight, angry voice.
"He never would have hurt your family anyway," Bella said; she knew that was true, no matter how mad he was at the moment, he wouldn't do that.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her twist her hands uneasily.
"It was my fault," she said after a brief pause, and then she hung her head as if she were ashamed. "I forced him to tell me."
Jacob raised an eyebrow at that. Forced me, he thought, how could she force me?
"Why?" It wasn't so hard to keep my voice level now. The worst was already done. As long as we spoke of the details of the revelation, we didn't have to move on to the consequences of it.
"Lauren said something about you - she was trying to provoke me." She made a little face at the memory. I was slightly distracted, wondering how Bella would be provoked by someone talking about me... "And an older boy from the tribe said your family didn't come to the reservation, only it sounded like he meant something different.
"Well, at least you're not the one that mentioned the Cullens," Bella said and Jacob felt slightly better about that.
So I got Jacob alone and I tricked it out of him."
And now he looked completely hurt. That really didn't make him sound too good... nor did it sound like they were remotely friends.
Bella put her head in her hands, she felt horrible. How could she have done that to Jacob?
"I'm sorry," Bella said quietly.
"Whatever," Jacob said bitterly.
Her head dropped even lower as she admitted this, and her expression looked...guilty.
I looked away from her and laughed out loud. She felt guilty? What could she possibly have done to deserve censure of any kind?
"Tricked him how?" I asked.
"I tried to flirt - it worked better than I thought it would," she explained,
"You flirted with me," Jacob said, yeah that would do it. He couldn't lie, he definitely thought Bella was beautiful, and if she would be up for it, he would love to go out with her. But, that option clearly wasn't available to him, not with Edward. And that was okay, because he liked hanging out with Bella... it was nice being around her... Her friendship was enough.
Still, to hear that her book self had flirted with him, just so he would spill the beans about his family heritage... that wasn't nice at all. Nor was hearing her say she tricked him... like he was some kind of fool. Did she even like him? He wondered as he gave her a cold look.
Bella didn't say anything, she heard the hurt and anger in his voice, and she really hated herself at the moment. How could she play with a boy's affections so carelessly like that? She wanted to apologize again, but the words didn't come out. So she just sat there waiting for him to start reading again. The garage they were sitting in seemed to have gone cold as she waited for him to read...
and her voice turned incredulous at the memory of that success.
I could just imagine - considering the attraction she seemed to have for all things male, totally unconscious on her part - how overwhelming she would be when she tried to be attractive. I was suddenly full of pity for the unsuspecting boy she'd unleashed such a potent force on.
"Thanks," Jacob spat bitterly and Bella flinched. Was she really that attractive to guys?
"I'd like to have seen that," I said, and then I laughed again with the black humor.
I wished I could have heard the boy's reaction, witnessed the devastation for myself.
Jacob hissed at that.
"And you accused me of dazzling people - poor Jacob Black."
Jacob spat his words as he read and Bella just kept feeling worse.
I wasn't as angry with the source of my exposure as I would have expected to feel. He didn't know better. And how could I expect anyone to deny this girl what she wanted? No, I only felt sympathy for the damage she would have done to his peace of mind.
I felt her blush heat the air between us. I glanced at her, and she was staring out her window. She didn't speak again.
"What did you do then?" I prompted. Time to get back to the horror story.
"I did some research on the internet."
Bella let out a tiny sigh, knowing for sure they were done talking about Jacob now.
Jacob glared at her when she sighed and she tensed as her lip trembled.
"Do you even like me?" Jacob asked sharply at that point, he wasn't one to run away from conflict and he needed this question answered now.
Bella looked at him shocked and hurt that he had to ask that. "Of course I do."