Flames [Completed]

(Dark Clouds)

"Sometimes...in order to keep one person, you have to lose another. And sometimes, it's worth it."

*

A preoccupied silence fills my car as Jasper and I head to Charlie's. The effect of the summons has been quite extreme since I received them last night, and I'm still trying to get my head around it.

Once we've spent some time with Charlie, I'm going to speak with Zara again, see if she can explain all this to me.

The chevy wheels crunch on the stones outside. Bella's truck has taken up a large amount of space, as has Edward's volvo parked down the street.

Jasper and I share a glance before jumping out of the car. Bella is standing between Edward and Jacob, with Charlie at the side.

"...I kissed Bella...and she broke her hand...punching my face," Jacob says.

His simple words have a surprising effect on me when they reach my ears and processes in my brain. Heat explodes in my stomach, curling and turning like a trapped snake.

I am put in the backseat, and merely watch as Bella, Edward and Charlie's faces grow closer, while Jacob's eyes widen. Before he can speak, my fist connects with the side of his face.

"Jordan!" Bella cries, reaching for the werewolf now splayed over the ground.

I ignore her, enough fire in my eyes to wilt the hardiest of people, "It didn't fucking break mine, you flea-bitten dick!"

Jasper slides up next to me, keeping close to my shoulder but instead of holding me back, he joins me in glaring at Jacob. With the weight of three vampiric stares on him, he picks himself off the ground and backs off.

A slight tint of red drips down his face where my knuckles met his nose. Interestingly, the scent is beyond repulsive, and not one of us feels the need to pursue it.

"I'll..." Jacob trails off, apparently thinking better of speaking, and turns around, disappearing into the night.

My fingers are still curled in tight to my palms, shaking from the tension holding them in place. Slowly, I come back to Earth and take a shuddering breath to release the heat from my body.

"What the hell did you do that for, Jordan!? After all he's done for us, how could you do that!?" Bella shrieks, face red and her teeth clenched tight.

Pure disbelief makes it almost impossible for me to speak, too shocked to do anything but stare at her. Thankfully, I have someone at my back to remind me to be angry.

"You said "thank you" wrong," Jasper says, eyes flashing dangerously.

"I wasn't talking to you, soldier boy! Butt out!" Bella snaps viciously, rounding on him.

"Don't you dare speak to him like that!" I retort, stepping between them with a seething gaze.

Edward stands behind Bella, watching with a strange expression. He joins no one's side, seemingly too caught up in his internal dialogue.

Charlie is also staring at Bella, but with wider, more horrified eyes than Edward. An underlying layer of anger has begun to seep from under his calm exterior.

"How dare you put your hands on Jacob!" Bella says, "Why did you punch him?"

"Because you did, Bella! If you were okay with him kissing you, you wouldn't have done that. I heard Jacob say "I kissed Bella without her consent, and she broke her hand in self defense", alright?" I say, taking a step back from her.