Chapter Two

The throng of teenage bodies laughed and danced, enjoying Alice's efforts – it was probably the best party Juneau had seen in years; but Renesmee felt completely isolated from it. It was as if she was standing there, suspended in slow motion as the all the others moved around her at the speed of light – vital and alive. She felt like she was dying a slow death. What a strange feeling to realise that you have come to depend upon someone so completely, that even the smallest absence causes you to be bereft. Her heart ached at this realisation. The minutes and hours in between his daily calls had always been bad. The prolonged length of time that had elapsed since he was physically present in her life was worse – but the complete lack of contact? She knew that in a few days, she would die of the separation; the recognition of why she felt this way had hit her like a freight train a week ago. How blind and naive. She stood in the shadows that gathered at the bend of the elaborate staircase watching her friends and family enjoying themselves below so effortlessly. How strange to realise that your sense of self, the meaning of everything in fact, was wrapped up in one person. She looked down and tried to stave off the tears that threatened to escape. Then the front door opened.

She turned instinctively towards the door, despite the throbbing baseline of the music, in spite of the number of teenagers that danced wall to wall in her house. She turned and looked straight at him: her Jacob. She squealed in delight, "Jake! Jacob..." she called out as she began to make her way down the stairs and push her way through the crowd towards him.

He was just coming through the door with Quil, Embry and Seth; as her voice reached him he looked up and met her chocolate brown eyes. A wide smile stretched his full lips. She continued to push herself through the crowd until she stood in front of him. As soon as she reached him she stopped, unsure of what to do next. It had been easier when she was younger, she would have simply flown into his arms; but now as she stood before him, she was struck by his height and his exquisite beauty, the sheen of his tanned skin, the intensity of his dark brown, almost black eyes as they stared into her own. She felt the blush creep up her body and on to her face as she noticed his musculature, his broad shoulders, the way his powerfully defined arms stretched the fabric of his black t-shirt, the flat solidness of his stomach, his tapering waist and long legs; he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Across the room Edward watched, raising his eyebrow at the direction of his daughter's thoughts. Quil, Seth and Embry had long since drifted off into the party, leaving Renesmee and Jacob to continue to stare at one another.

"You came..." she whispered, sure that he was a figment of her imagination.

Jacob rolled his eyes, "As if I had something more important to do..."

"I just mean...you haven't called and I..." she trailed off embarrassed; she looked down at the wooden floor.

Jacob reached out, touching her chin he tilted her face upwards so that she had to look at him, "There's nowhere else I'd rather be Ness," he said earnestly.

The hand tilting her chin dropped to her right hand. He took hold of it and began walking backwards, pulling her out of the door. She followed him without any hesitation, they crossed the threshold and still he pulled her until they reached the outer edge of the deep porch that wrapped around the I-house; he stopped and pulled her towards him, a smile that made her melt playing at the corners of his lips, as he stared intently in to her eyes. His hands went to her waist, the heat of his fingers searing her skin through the thin fabric of her pale gold strapless sheath dress.

He lifted her, pressing her to his body, his arms banding around her to hug her to him, "You look beautiful Ness. You've grown..." he smiled in to her hair as he held her like she was a delicate flower.

"Jake," she breathed, her feet level with his knees, he held her like she weighed nothing, "I missed you," she whispered, embarrassed but desperate to let him know how she felt, "I missed you and you didn't call and I thought..."

When she failed to finish the sentence, he held her away from him and he frowned, "You thought what?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter," she said, looking away.

"Don't do that Ness, we don't hide things from one another..."

He placed her back on her feet; she felt the loss of his touch instantly. Instinctively, she reached for him, he allowed her back into his arms, but with a warning tone said,

"Ness..."

"It's just that….you haven't called me in weeks and I thought that...I thought that you might have met someone." She stumbled over the words as dread crept over her body in fear of his impending confirmation of her most horrific fear.

He pulled her away from her, causing her to look into his eyes. They were serious now and contained real hurt in response to her confession.

"Someone else? Never Ness...that will never ever happen. You are everything Ness. You always will be everything to me."

She ducked her head in embarrassment.

"Come on," he said, tugging her towards the steps, "Come walk with me."

She followed him down the steps onto the drive way. Together, they walked towards the forest.