Leah is sitting as far as possible from Jacob as the tiny loveseat will allow. They are both grinding teeth, determined to show the other know how mad they are.
Jacob finally breaks the silence. "It's okay, Leah, don't thank me," he forces through his clenched jaw. His words puncture the atmosphere like bricks through windows.
Leah doesn't even stop to think before she retorts, "I won't, so don't worry."
Heat rises to Jacob's neck and threatens to wash over his face. The knuckles of both of his fists are bone white. For once, he has to actually concentrate on not phasing. He closes his eyes and takes eight calming breaths. His jaw is clamped so tight that he is afraid he is going to break all of his teeth.
"I would rip you to shreds right now," he says, as calmly as possible, "if I wasn't such a gentleman."
And Leah laughs at this. "Gentleman!" she snorts. "Okay!"
In a flash, Jacob is up and lunging toward her, planning to claw into her, break every one of her ungrateful bones, but something changes. His hands are on her hips, and instead of crushing her ribs into tiny bits, he is blindly grabbing for something to hold on to. Her arms are wrapped around his neck, and her legs are wrapped around his waist.
And they kiss. Fiercely, unabashedly, almost violently. They are breathing heavy into each other's mouths, gasping for air. Jacob slams Leah against the wall, and a framed picture of Rachel and Rebecca crashes to the floor.
For ten seconds more, Leah is running her hands feverishly through Jacob's shaggy hair, kissing him, breathing him in. Then in the same time it took her to assume this position, she is back on her two feet pushing Jacob away from her.
"Never forget that I hate you," she spits.
And Jacob laughs at this. "Okay!" he snorts, before pinning her against the wall again.