Hanging out with Jake is nothing unusual. He has been around as long as I can remember. When we moved to Carlisle's Island 7 years ago, Jake came too. After the Volturi left, my entire family decided it would be nice to take an extended vacation. My grandparents had just built a house on the north side of the new island, so my parents had a house built on the south side. Aunt Alice and Uncle Jaz built a house on the east side, and Uncle Em and Aunt Rose built their house on the west. Jake and his best friend Seth built an awesome, elaborate, super-lux tree-house in the middle of the island, so he was always close by. Seth has been around my entire life too. He met his girlfriend Katie on the mainland in California a year ago and she comes to the island almost every weekend. She knows all of our secrets; Jake says she is good with weird. Seth and Katie have the most amazing relationship. He can't be without her, so my Aunt Alice and I pick her up with the helicopter every Friday night. We use the trip as an excuse to shop of course. We look the same age now so we usually pretend to be sisters. My mom is always yelling at Alice for letting me spend all my money every weekend on new clothes. Alice and I are pretty much the same size now, I am barely aging anymore so why not? My mom just doesn't appreciate fashion. She is really cool though, I can tell her anything. My dad is the overprotective one. My life is perfect. I wouldn't ask for anything to be different...almost.

Sometimes I feel like I am the odd one out. Seth and Katie have a really intense relationship. Every time she steps off Alice's helicopter it seems like Seth can't get to her fast enough. We are always hanging out and it's like they don't want to take their hands off of each other. Each member of my family has a match. My mother and father have an amazing relationship. It used to gross me out when I was a kid, they are always kissing and hugging and staring at each other. They don't even sleep, but I don't think they would ever get sick of just being around each other. There is only one person in the world who I don't think I'd ever get sick of, and that is Jake. And it is only a matter of time until a girl catches his eye on the mainland, just like Seth. I don't want to lose him to anyone, especially a girl. He is my best friend, and we spend all our time together.

Most nights Jake hangs out with me until my father makes him leave, but this night was special. My father the vampire mind-reader wasn't home AND it was the night before my 18th birthday. Of course, I am not really going to be 18. I could probably pass as 19 or 20 if I wanted to but age doesn't REALLY matter in my family. My family decided a couple years ago my growing had slowed to a regular humans pace, so I have been celebrating real birthdays for the past 8 years.

My dad had left a couple hours earlier on the boat to go pick up my Grandpa Charlie from the airport. He was coming in from Forks to spend a week here for my birthday. My mom was outside preparing the guest house for him.

Our house is not as big as Aunt Rose and Uncle Ems but it's pretty nice. The whole top level is mine. I have my bedroom, game room, closet and bathroom up here. My parent's bedroom is downstairs, off the side of the house. The guest house is around back next to the pool. It was pretty much made for Grandpa Charlie.

We were in my game room hanging out when it first happened.

My mom usually never goes against my dad's requests, but tonight my dad didn't specifically say Jake had to leave at the usual time. So my mom was letting it slide. My mom and Jake have been friends since before I was born. I have heard the stories my entire life. Things about my mom before she was changed, Jake trying to stop her from marrying dad. As a new werewolf I guess it was his instinct to protect my mom. My dad has always had something against him. As I have gotten older I have picked up on it more and more. He trusts Jake implicitly with me, but sometimes there is a warning in his look. I never question it. You would not want to see MY dad angry.

Jake and I were on the huge leather sofa in my game room playing Halo 2 on the flat screen, and I was crushing him as usual. We were on our 2nd hour straight of back and forth shoot outs, and I had the perfect vantage point to snipe him. Just as he walked into my crosshairs and I was about to hit the trigger there was a bright flash of lightening, the crashing sound of it hitting something outside, and the power went out.

"I know its storming outside but come ON!" I yelled at the now black TV.

"S'okay," Jake said as he patted my hand, "you will just have to TRY to kill me another day!"

He leaned to the left just as my punch missed his shoulder. Jake was always too fast for me. He caught my second attempt mid-punch with his hand and held it down on the sofa between us. I jumped up to get him with my free hand but quickly fell back against the cushion laughing as he started tickling me. Our eyes met in the dark and I saw my favorite smile forming at his lips. I don't know what happened but suddenly all I could see was that perfect smile. It was like everything started to happen in slow motion. The hand that was tickling my side tingled as Jake warmly slid it around my waist and across my back. He stopped holding my other hand down but didn't let it go. I felt our fingers intertwine. I looked up at his eyes I could see something new sparking in them. I was overcome with the urge to kiss him. I know he felt it too because the smile turned into something… different. He stared down at my lips, then back to my eyes, biting his bottom lip the tiniest bit. Just as he leaned in and I could taste his breath on my lips I heard my mother come in the house.

I knew the moment was over. Jake cleared his throat lightly and sat me up. I leaned my head back against the back of the sofa, completely confused by what had just happened. He scooted over to the other end of the sofa where he had been and raked his fingers through his short hair.

"Okay Jake, time to go." I heard my mother walking up the stairs, completely unaware of the shift apparently imperceptible to anyone but us. My mother's voice was like bells, with just a hint of panic talking as she walked in the room from the hallway. "Ness, you got your birthday wish, Jake hung out for a couple hours later than usual, but your father is going to be back with Charlie from the airport any minute and I do NOT want him seeing his baby girl and JACOB in a room with no power!"

"Got it mom" I said too quickly and stood up. She didn't miss the urgency in my voice. My mom didn't miss much. Sometimes having a vampire with super-senses as a mom was a pain in the ass.

"Ness, are you oka-" she stopped talking when she looked at Jake, head in hands. She nodded knowingly. "Ness, can you find your way to your room?"

"Mom, I am half vampire. I will be just fine, I can see."

"Okay. Goodnight sweet heart" she said as I hugged her quickly.

"Eww you're soaked" I scrunched up my face. "Yuck, you got me wet!" I did NOT have my mother's rough and tumble attitude about life… or clothing.

"Good night, Renesmee" she kissed my head.

"Good night mom." I rolled my eyes. I looked back at Jake. "Night Jake"

"Night Ness, sweet dreams" Jake said into his hands, not moving.

As I started down the hallway to my room I heard my mom's hushed whispering and the low rumbling responses of Jakes voice. Already dreading the conversation I knew would happen tomorrow morning I walked into my room and collapsed onto my huge 4 post mahogany bed. I ran my fingers across the stitching on my emerald green quilt, re-playing in my mind what had just happened. So many feelings all at once.

I was excited because it was Jake, and I felt like I have loved him forever. So many times we were hanging out, he would put his arm around me or touch my hand and it would tingle when he moved it. When did I start having a crush on him? He has been around since I was a little girl. He has always been my best friend but he has never been just a friend. We have been flirty for the past year or two. This felt different. This felt intense.

I was relieved that my dad wasn't here. Not only would he have stopped it from happening in the first place but I wouldn't want him to hear what Jake had been thinking. I was also relieved my dad hasn't been able to hear my thoughts for years unless I touch him like everyone else. How embarrassing! I was so confused. Everything was going to change now wasn't it? Jake obviously liked me too, he almost kissed me. I got all tingly inside just thinking about it.

I opened my cell phone to call the one person who would understand the best.

"Hey, Katie" I sighed, relieved she answered on the first ring.