CHASING CARS

nine. bribe

▬▬ AFTER BREAKFAST, which was pretty much silent after the conversation they had, they went to the beach ― it was the one place Paul was certain she loved. So they walked down the beach. She wanted to asked more about his dad and why he hadn't trusted her with it in the first place. Her dad was a cop after all.

Cassie shoved her hands into the pocket of the hoodie she wore and her mind went straight to the owner of it. She knew that if Jacob knew that she had cut school to spend the day with Paul he would be mad. But the thought confused her, she wanted to know why he got so mad when she'd mention the Lahote boy. Was it jealousy? Or was it just him being overprotective of the girl he's know since he was born? She wanted to know how he felt so she could sort out her feelings, then again, Jacob had always had a crush on Bella.

"You have your thinking face on." Paul stated as he looked down at the girl beside him, she hadn't said much since breakfast. "Whatcha thinking about?"

"Oh." She shook her head, trying to shake the thoughts away. "Nothing. Just that Jake would be mad if he knew about me skipping school."

"Because you skipped or because you're with me?"

"Both." She shrugged. "He doesn't like you."

"Why?" Paul asked and she looked up at him. "Why does he hate me?"

"Jake has been my best friend since forever and after losing you, both times, he was there for me. He said that I changed after you left, that I wasn't myself anymore." She told him, her hands clutched together in the pocket of the hoodie she wore. "He thinks you're bad for me."

"And what to you think?"

"I think . . ." She started then paused to think about how to word it. "I think that you thought were protecting me, but you did it the wrong way."

"Maybe." He nodded, shoving his hands into the pockets of his cutoffs.

"Okay, I have to ask." Cassie huffed, reaching up to push her hair out of her face before pulling her beanie down over her ears. "What's with the shorts? It's December. In Forks. I'm in three layers and I'm freezing!" He let out a small laugh.

"Oh, I don't really get cold." He shrugged, a smile on his lips.

"I wish I didn't get cold." She mumbled she looked back at her shoes. "Then I wouldn't have to take Jake's hoodies, but I love his hoodies." She tightened the one she wore around her torso. "It's funny when he realizes I stole them." She laughed as she looked up at the boy and despite the jealousy he felt he smiled, because he just wanted her to be happy.

"So, you like Jake?" He asked and her smile fell as her eye grew wide and she came to stop, he stopped next to her.

"How'd-"

"You're smile gets two times bigger when you talk about him."

"Oh." She mumbled, looking over at the dark water ― the sky was overcast and it was gonna snow within the next few days ― it was early December. "Don't tell anyone. I haven't even told him and I'm pretty sure he has a thing for Bella."

"No he doesn't." He shook his head. "I've seen the way he looks at you."

"Really?" She asked and he could see the hopefulness in her eyes, something he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Yeah." He nodded, but it was killing him. He clenched his fists in his pockets and he tired to take deep breaths without being too obvious. His stomach twisted into knots and his chest ached, but there was a part of him that felt. . . lighter simply because of the smile she wore. All he wanted was for her to be happy, and she looked happy with just the thought of Jacob liking her. "And I won't tell anyone, your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks, Pauly." She smiled up at him, then old nickname rolling off of her tongue without a thought.

"Always." He smiled at her then she turned and started her walk again, he sighed before falling into step beside her. "So, for the rest-"

"Cassie!" They both turned to see an angry Jacob a few feet behind them and Cassie's eyes went wide.

"I'll talk to him, you wait here." She didn't give Paul a chance to answer before she ran down the beach towards the boy.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Walking on the beach." She gave him an innocent smile.

"Don't be cute." He told her. "You know what I meant."

"He showed up at school and he wanted to talk, so I agreed." She shrugged. "And I know that you're mad-"

"Yeah, I'm mad." He cut her off. "This guy hurt you, Cassie. He put you through Hell and you're falling right back into his trap."

Paul sighed, he had seen Cassie a few times since he broke off their friendship after he phased and she never looked truly happy but he didn't think it was really that bad. He hated himself for putting her through that, but he couldn't change it.

"How'd you even find out I skipped?"

"Charlie got a call from the school and he called me. I went to your house and I saw your truck but you weren't there and I called but you didn't answer."

"I left my phone at your house this morning."

"I don't get why it's so easy for you to trust him."

"Me either." She shrugged. "But I know that I want to. I know that I've missed him everyday for a year. And I know that there's a chance it's gonna end the same way, but I don't care."

"I care." His voice grew soft. "I care about you, Cassie."

"I know that." She nodded. "But I'm a big girl, Jake. I can make my own decisions and I can choose who I spend my time with."

"I don't want to see you get hurt again."

"Jake." She sighed as she stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't deserve you."

"Hey, Cas." Paul walked over to them, his eyes on anything but the two, even as the girl pulled away from the boy. "I can go and-"

"No." She shook her head. "You said you had the day planned and I'm curious."

"Cassie." Jacob sighed, running his hand down his face.

"You'll be the first to hear about it later tonight." She told him.

"Don't get in too late." He sighed and she nodded. "I've gotten used to you sleeping next to me." He gave her a small smile and she let out a small laugh, her eyes closing for a moment and the boy looked over at Paul, his smile morphing into a smirk. He knew that the fact that he and Cassie had been sharing a bed would bother the Lahote boy, and he was proved right by the clenched jaw and the narrowed eyes.

"People are gonna get the wrong idea if you say stuff like that."

"So?" He shrugged and she rolled her eyes. "Well, I should get back to school."

"See ya later." She gave him a smile and he leaned down and kissed her cheek, she flushed almost instantly and his smile grew.

"Bye, Cassie."

"Bye, Jakey." She waved and he gave her another smile before cutting his eyes to Paul, who was fuming but covered it seamlessly.

"So..." Cassie walked over to Paul, her smile intact. "What else ya got planned?"

"Do you really-"

"If you're asking about Jake, I've been staying at his house the past few months."

"A-and Charlie lets you?"

"It was his idea." She shrugged. "After the Cullen's left Bella's been... not herself and she has these nightmares. She screams the entire night which is exhausting and I hate to leave my dad alone but if I don't keep my grades up I won't be able to graduate this year."

"Oh. So, I take it you and Bella aren't any closer then before." He changed the subject.

"We used to talk." She told as she started down the beach. "Or we strated to, then she got with Edward and that dude creeps me out." She didn't notice how the boy beside her tensed up at the mention of the vampire. "He's freakishly pale and he talks like he's out of some old movie and he just kind breaks into her room at night - well, he did."

"Did he hurt you?" His hand clenched into fists so he shoved them into his pockets.

"No." She shook her head. "I didn't stick around long enough to even get to know him."

"Good." He let out a small breath.

"All right, no more talk about anything other then what you have planned because I'm dying to know what it is."

"I know it's early, but I got you something." He smiled small and the girl gave him a confused look. "A Christmas present of sorts."

"Is it a bribe?"

"It's not a bribe." He shook his head.

"I'm not sure I believe you but . . . I really wanna know what it is." She grinned and he let out a small laugh.

"Come on." He nodded towards the parking lot and they started towards his truck.

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▬▬ "WHY ARE WE BACK AT MY HOUSE?" The girl asked as they climbed out of the boy's truck; he made sure to grab the bag that was in the backseat.

"Cause the surprise involves your truck."

"Should I be concerned?"

"Uh . . . No?" He answered, his eyebrows furrowed. "Just get in." He pulled the driver-side door open and waved her into the truck, she gave him a confused look but did it anyways. Once her door was closed, he made his way to the other side of the truck and got in.

"Man, it's freezing." She huffed, then she crunk the truck up and blasted the heat. "So, what's this surprise?" She looked over to see him messing with the radio, or more specifically, the cassette player.

"I figured it out in my truck." He told her, taking the frame off the radio then he reached over and turned the key, turning the truck off.

"Come on, I'm cold."

"I need the truck off." He laughed a little, then he reached into the backseat and grabbed the blanket he knew she kept back there before handing it to her and she covered herself up.

"If you mess up my radio, I'm gonna smother you with a pillow."

"Relax." He chuckled. "I know what I'm doing . . . sort of."

"Sort of? Paul?" She sighed, moving her hair out of her face as she watched him pull the cassette tape out of the spot it had been stuck for a few years. "How'd you. . .? I don't . . . ? What?"

"I figured out how to get it unstuck." He handed her the tape and she flipped it in her hands, she never thought she'd see it again. "And since the player is jammed, I got you a new one ― well, newish. I got it from the junkyard, I asked Billy to make sure it would fit." He explained as he pulled the bag into the seat and unzipped it, pulling out a screwdriver and the cassette player.

"You didn't have to do this."

"I know." He nodded, looking over at her for a moment. "I wanted too."

"This doesn't change anything." She added quickly and he let out a small laugh. "What?"

"I know it does." He told her, looking back at the radio before taking it apart. "You've always had expressive eyes."

"Well, I don't want it to change anything." She mumbled.

"Know that, too."

"I hate that you know me so well. It's infuriating. Makes it easy to forgive you."

"But I'm really not going anywhere this time, you gotta believe me." He looked over at her, she still shook a little due to the cold.

"I want to." She nodded. "But . . ."

"It's gonna take time." He filled in where she trailed off. "I know that. I got time and I'm not giving up."

Paul smiled over at Cassie as they listened to an Asia tape, she had her head back against the seat and a smile on her face; it had been a while since she heard anything other then the radio coming out of the speakers in her truck.

She was surprised that Paul knew what he was doing when he fixed the radio, and it was a present she wasn't expecting. But she loved it, she loved that she wouldn't have the listen to the radio with all the commercials, she loved that she could use her collection of cassettes for more than just her boombox.

"So, how'd I do?"

"I love it." She grinned as she looked over at him. "But I still think it was a bribe."

"Okay, maybe it was." He sighed and she laughed, throwing her head back against the seat again.

"Thank you." She gave him another smile. "Even if it was a bribe."

⚘‎ nova speaks┆ this chapter is dedicated to that_one_writer_chik for being so amazing and so helpful with not only this book but with ever book it write. Thank you so much for being my best friend!! I love you bestie!!