Fire and Ice
This is Chapter 22 from Stephanie Meyer's Eclipse. It was my favorite one, but I was always wondering exactly what the conversations between Edward and Jacob were about. This is the whole chapter through Edward's perspective. Enjoy…
The ferocious wind smacked our tent, and shook my poor Bella. The weather wasn't getting any better; somehow it was just getting worse and worse.
"W-w-w-w-w-what t-t-t-t-time is it?" Her teeth chattered, barely making her words legible.
"Two," I answered grimly. I was so worried and filled with anxiety. I prayed that she hadn't seen through my phony veneer. Being as meticulous as she was, she probably did. Despite my yearning to be close to and hold her, I positioned myself as far away from her as possible—in the cramped space that fit us both just barely—afraid that even my smallest breath would freeze her to death. The most painful thing about Bella being my one true love and destiny was the fact that at times I had to put myself away from her because of our differences. The lack of proximity tortured me. I decided to put my pain now aside since this was nothing compared to what I had happened last September…
"Maybe…" I suggested quietly.
"No, I'm f-f-f-f-f-fine, r-r-r-really. I don't w-w-w-want to g-go outside."
I sighed. Bella just had to be so stubborn. I had been pleading for her to escape while she could, but she wouldn't hear any of it.
"What can I do?" I asked desperately. I hated to see her shivering and shaking like a lost leaf in the wind. She just shook her head.
Outside of our little shelter, Jacob howled into the wind. If I hadn't been immortal, my eardrums would have burst from the anger in his loud screaming thoughts.
"Get out of the fricking tent and let me stay with her, you stupid bloodsucker!" Jacob thought fiercely. I frowned.
"G-g-g-get out of h-h-h-ere," Bella weakly said again for the nth time.
"He's just worried about you," I told her. "He's fine. His body is equipped to deal with this." I miserably eyed Bella's frail body hidden in her sleeping bag. Her heart rate was uneven which frightened me. And then my muscles tensed as the thought of his disgusting wolf fur filled my mind. I was even more irritated that I couldn't read Bella's mind at this time. There must be something I can do. What was she thinking right now? What was it about her that made her mind so different? Why did she have a wall that I couldn't get through? It didn't matter. I had been waiting for her for a hundred years and complaining would be an act of utter shameful disregard to my luck. Despite all the pain I had been through with her, it was nothing compared to the joys I had shared with her and the happiness that I brought to her and as she did so to me. She's the reason that I stay…alive, if that's what I am. She's what's worth living for in my world. She—
My thoughts were interrupted with the sudden ones of Jacob's. That idiotic mutt…
"Don't just sit there like a statue, you filthy parasite!" His upset and demanding order had come out as a high-pitched whining complaint.
"What do you want me to do?" I growled through my teeth; tired and weary of being polite and patient. "Carry her through that? I don't see you making yourself useful. Why don't you go fetch a space heater or something?"
"I'm ok-k-k-k-k-k-kay," Bella interjected. Jacob growled the same time I groaned and rolled my eyes. She was such an awful liar.
"That's it!" Jacob fumed in his thoughts. "I can't take anymore of this. I'm not going to let you stay there and do nothing! I'm going to warm her up—old school style." I shivered as Jacob flashed me an image from his thoughts. An image of Bella naked, strewn out across a bed.I frowned and rubbed my temples sighing. "I'm coming in whether you like it or not!" He let out a sudden raging howl that pierced through the violent wind that scraped the air. I could hear Bella's shocked heart hasten; she quickly reached out to cover her feeble human ears.
"That was hardly necessary," I muttered. "And that's the worst idea I've ever heard," I called out more loudly. It turned out to be that this dog was almost as stubborn as my Bella. I could hear him morphing into his human form, making his way towards the tent.
"Better than anything you've come up with," he answered haughtily. I moaned quietly. His human voice was even more irritating than his wolf cries and thoughts. "Go fetch a space heater," he grumbled. "I'm not a St. Bernard." As mad as I was, I tried my best to stifle my laugh. Jacob—the werewolf. A St. Bernard—a dog. The comparison was hilarious.
My happy mood vanished when the tent's zipper dashed down and let the blistering wind enter. Small flakes of snow drifted onto the floor. Jacob squeezed himself through the small whole he had made. I was shocked he had fit through, considering his large and burly size. Stupid werewolf hormones.
"I don't like this," I said as he closed the door. "Just give her the coat and get out." Bella chattered incoherently. I worried so much for her pitiful state. I just wished that there was something I could do…
"The parka's for tomorrow—she's too cold to warm it up by herself. It's frozen." He dropped it at his feet. "You said she needed a space heater, and here I am." Jacob held his arms as wide as the tent allowed. He proudly showed off is perfectly toned muscles that other teen-age girls would gawk at. But Bella was different. That was one of the countless reasons that my love for her was immeasurable.
"J-J-J-J-Jake, you'll f-f-f-freez-z-z-ze," Bella complained.
"Not me," he said cheerfully, as if his werewolf-defined temperature was something to be happy about. Please. "I run at a toasty one-oh-eight point nine these days. I'll have you sweating in no time."
I scowled, trying to ignore his conceited, narcissist-like behavior. I folded my arms and glowered at his disgusting russet-colored body that was approaching Bella. Wait, what was he doing? He didn't actually think that he could do what he desired under my consent, did he? He couldn't have possibly been serious! Why that son of a—
I snatched his shoulder just before he could finish unzipping Bella's sleeping bag. My lips curved into a small fiendish grin when I saw his jilted reaction. He suddenly twitched, and recoiled from my shocking touch. His flared nostrils and widened eyes satisfied me just enough.
"Get your hand off of me," He hissed through his teeth. "Don't ever touch me. I'm doing you a favor by keeping your girlfriend alive. Besides, you wouldn't want Bella seeing me killing you, would you?" He thought.
"Keep your hands off of her," I answered blackly.
"Psh. Like that will ever happen" I was so close to breaking his stupid neck off his shoulders if it weren't for Bella's shaken chatters.
"D-d-d-don't f-f-f-f-fight," She said. Her heart fluttered nervously. The cold was slowly killing her; sooner or later…I couldn't think of it.
"I'm sure she'll thank you for this when her toes turn black and drop off," Jacob added arrogantly. I reluctantly dropped my hand from Jacob's shoulder.
Even though my whole being was crammed with fear for my Bella, I tried to maintain my flat, frightening, yet strong aura. That was easy with Jacob around. "Watch yourself."
Jacob chuckled.
I rolled my eyes as I trooped back to my corner.
"Scoot over, Bella," he said, zipping the sleeping bag open farther. Her eyes widened. Finally she realized what Jacob was planning to do.
"N-n-n-n-n," Bella chattered.
Aw, come on Bells! I know you want some of the Jake-a-nator! Ugh. I groaned silently. Would his stupid adolescent thoughts ever end?
"Don't be stupid," I could hear the irritation and impatience in his voice. "Don't you like having ten toes?"