Eclipse Page 0,113

expression that quickly turned into one of disgust.

"Who invited the werewolf?" she griped at me.

I scowled. "Guilty."

I'd thought I'd rescinded that invitation - not that I'd ever dreamed Jacob would come here, regardless.

"Well, you go take care of it, then. I have to talk to Carlisle."

"No, Alice, wait!" I tried to reach for her arm, but she was gone and my hand clutched the empty air.

"Damn it!" I grumbled.

I knew this was it. Alice had seen what she'd been waiting for, and I honestly didn't feel I could stand the suspense long enough to answer the door. The doorbell peeled again, too long, someone holding down the button. I turned my back toward the door resolutely, and scanned the darkened room for Alice.

I couldn't see anything. I started pushing for the stairs.

"Hey, Bella!"

Jacob's deep voice caught a lull in the music, and I looked up in spite of myself at the sound of my name.

I made a face.

It wasn't just one werewolf, it was three. Jacob had let himself in, flanked on either side by Quil and Embry. The two of them looked terribly tense, their eyes flickering around the room like they'd just walked into a haunted crypt. Embry's trembling hand still held the door, his body half-turned to run for it.

Jacob was waving at me, calmer than the others, though his nose was wrinkled in disgust. I waved back - waved goodbye - and turned to look for Alice. I squeezed through a space between Conner's and Lauren's backs.

He came out of nowhere, his hand on my shoulder pulling me back toward the shadow by the kitchen. I ducked under his grip, but he grabbed my good wrist and yanked me from the crowd.

"Friendly reception," he noted.

I pulled my hand free and scowled at him. "What are you doing here?"

"You invited me, remember?"

"In case my right hook was too subtle for you, let me translate: that was me uninvitingyou."

"Don't be a poor sport. I brought you a graduation present and everything."

I folded my arms across my chest. I didn't want to fightwith Jacob right now. I wanted to know what Alice had seen and what Edward and Carlisle were saying about it. I craned my head around Jacob, searching for them.

"Take it back to the store, Jake. I've got to do something. . . ."

He stepped into my line of sight, demanding my attention.

"I can't take it back. I didn't get it from the store - I made it myself. Took a really long time, too."

I leaned around him again, but I couldn't see any of the Cullens. Where had they gone? My eyes scanned the darkened room.

"Oh, c'mon, Bell. Don't pretend like I'm not here!"

"I'm not." I couldn't see them anywhere. "Look, Jake, I've got a lot on my mind right now."

He put his hand under my chin and pulled my face up. "Could I please have just a few seconds of your undivided attention, Miss Swan?"

I jerked away from his touch. "Keep your hands to yourself, Jacob," I hissed.

"Sorry!" he said at once, holding his hands up in surrender. "I really am sorry. About the other day, I mean, too. I shouldn't have kissed you like that. It was wrong. I guess . . . well, I guess I deluded myself into thinking you wanted me to."

"Deluded - what a perfect description!"

"Be nice. You could accept my apology, you know."

"Fine. Apology accepted. Now, if you'll just excuse me for a moment . . ."

"Okay," he mumbled, and his voice was so different from before that I stoppd searching for Alice and scrutinized his face. He was staring at the floor, hiding his eyes. His lower lip jutted out just a little bit.

"I guess you'd rather be with your real friends," he said in the same defeated tone. "I get it."

I groaned. "Aw, Jake, you know that's not fair."

"Do I?"

"You should." I leaned forward, peering up, trying to look into his eyes. He looked up then, over my head, avoiding my gaze.

"Jake?"

He refused to look at me.

"Hey, you said you made me something, right?" I asked. "Was that just talk? Where's my present?" My attempt to fake enthusiasm was pretty sad, but it worked. He rolled his eyes and then grimaced at me.

I kept up the lame pretense, holding my hand open in front of me. "I'm waiting."

"Right," he grumbled sarcastically. But he also reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a small bag of a loose-woven, multi-colored fabric. It was tied shut