If you didn't already know, all the characters in this story that seem familiar belong to Stephenie Meyer. I appreciate them joining this story and inspiring some new characters as well.
PS: If you've been here before, I'm still trying to figure out how to use fanfic, so the look may change, but the story is the same!
Chapter Two
I knew that I needed to call Billy and let him know that I was still alive. I knew he would be worried sick about me, but I was dreading making this call. I took a deep breath and waited…
"Hello?" A deep voice answered after the fifth ring.
"Dad?" my voice sounded small, like a child waiting to be reprimanded.
"Jacob?!" His voice was filled with relief. "I have been so worried about you! Are you okay? Where are you? Are you coming home?"
"No…I am not coming home," I sighed. Home…there were too many memories, to many fresh wounds right now to even consider going home. I didn't know if I would ever be able to go back home. I knew that he would be disappointed, but he didn't understand what I was going through.
"You're not coming home until when?" His voice sounded tired. "What about school Jake? You still have another year, your senior year. You can't just skip it! What about your friends, Quil, Embry, Sam? What about me Jake? What about your life here?"
"Dad," I sighed. "I will come home…I just can't come home yet okay?"
"You can't run forever Jake." Billy whispered.
"I'm not running dad, I'm talking to you on the phone!" I tried to lighten the mood, but he wasn't interested.
"Jake," Billy sighed. "She's married."
"I know!!" I whispered intensely. Of course I knew she was married, what I didn't know was whether or not she was still human. I wasn't entirely sure I even wanted to know the answer. It would change everything…permanently.
"Dad," I struggled to form the right words aware that Edyn was leaning a little towards me. "Have there been any other…changes?"
"Jake, what does your heart tell you?" Billy asked.
"No." I breathed a sigh of relief. At least she was still human…not that it mattered to me anymore. It did kind of take the sting out of all that had transpired. I felt some of my anger melting away. "Nothing has changed…but it will soon enough!"
"So you are going to give up your life here based on what could happen?" Billy questioned.
"What life dad?" My voice was gruff with emotion. "She was my life!"
Out of the corner of my eye I saw something flit across Edyns face. Curiosity and what…pity? Great! I didn't want or need anyone's pity, especially not Edyn's! She looked away quickly as our eyes met, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.
"Actually Dad," I smiled as a plan began to form in my head. "I think I am going to stay where I am at for a while, but I do need a favor from you."
Of course Jake," Billy sighed in defeat. "What do you need?"
"Well," I laughed. "Clothes and money for starters!"
Billy laughed jovially on the other end of the line as I gave him the address of the lodge. I knew couldn't go back to Forks yet, and I knew that I wanted to stay in Jacob's Lake for awhile longer. I felt like I had been drawn to this place for a reason, and I wouldn't leave until I figured it out.
"So," I turned slowly to face Edyn. "Learn anything?"
"Yep!" She slid a plate of food towards me. "I learned that you are hungry, penniless, and half naked!" She flashed a dazzling smile that slowly faded as her eyes grew more serious. "I also know that you have a broken heart."
We stared at each other, something connecting between the two of us. I looked away first; it was too intense for me. As I glanced up she was still staring at me with those big blue eyes.
"You make me sound like that thing on the Statue of Liberty!" I laughed.
"You mean the inscription by Emma Lazarus?" she arched her eyebrow.
"Yeah, that!"
"Well," she jumped off the stool and walked behind me. "If the shoe fits…oh that is right you don't have any shoes!" She giggled as she walked through a set of swinging doors and into what I assumed was the kitchen. I liked her laugh, it was warm and friendly and it made me feel…
"Excuse me," a hard hand clamped on my shoulder. I was shocked I didn't start to shake all over. "You're going to have to leave. No shirt, no shoes, no service. See the sign?"
"Oh…I…" I stammered not knowing what to say.
"Its okay Daddy," Edyn came back through the swinging doors carrying two glasses of water. "He's with me. Daddy this is Jacob, Jacob this is my dad and the owner of this establishment, Byron Frank. I found Jacob lost on the mountain, and I brought him back to use the phone and get something to eat."
"I wasn't lost!" I smirked.
"You had no idea where you were!" she challenged. "I had to…"
"Lost or not," Byron interrupted. "No shirt, no shoes…"
"Daddy!" Edyn almost whined. "Please! Can't he borrow something of yours?"
"Doesn't he have his own stuff?" Byron eyed us both suspiciously.
"He doesn't have anything but what he has on." Edyn explained.
"Why?" He turned his full gaze onto me.
"Well," I started to explain. "I left home in a hurry. I wasn't thinking of what I was…or wasn't wearing…I just wanted to get away!" Truthfully, I was lucky that I even had my shorts! I hated carrying my clothes in my mouth, but I knew that they were all I had and I couldn't lose them. Byron's eyes narrowed into tiny slits as he studied my face. I was positive that he was trying to piece together the puzzle and figure out how truthful I had been.
"So," he stroked his chin. "Where exactly is home?"
"Forks, Washington," I answered quickly as I saw astonishment cross both of their faces. "Actually La Push. It's a tiny Indian reservation just outside of Forks."
"Washington, huh?" Byron's eyes were back to the suspicious slits. "Where is your car?"
Uh-oh! I was trapped and I had a sinking feeling that Byron knew that too.
"At home." I looked him straight in the eye. "I hitch hiked out of town and off and on for awhile. That got old kind of fast so I started walking and I wore the soles right off my shoes. I know that it was stupid for me to leave without thinking it through first…but I had to leave."
"Dad," Edyn sighed. "Leave him alone. He's a good guy!"
"Edyn, how do you know that he is a good guy?" Byron threw up his hands.
"I just do!" Edyn almost shouted back. "I can feel it in my heart!"
"Edyn, you can't just…"
"Dad…enough already!"
"Fine!" he humphed. "I have bigger problems than fighting with you about a boy!"
"I'm sorry Dad." Edyn hugged his shoulders. "What is the problem?"
"Oh, I can't get the blasted truck started!" He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really know that it warrants a trip to the mechanic, but I've got to have it to check the cabins later today."
"I can take a look for you." I spoke up. "If you want me too that is. I rebuilt a Volkswagen Rabbit from the ground up."
"It's no 'Rabbit'!" Byron said sarcastically. I kept my gaze on his hoping that he would at least give me chance to look at it. "Fine! It's the big blue dually out front. Come on!" I jumped off the stool to follow him out. "This doesn't mean I think that you are a good guy. There is something I don't trust about you."
I shrugged my shoulders. He really shouldn't trust me I was trouble with a capital "T". I wanted to stay here in Jacob's Lake, but was I endangering Edyn and her father by staying here? There was no threat of vampires here…too sunny and hot for those leeches. So why was I staying? And if the time ever came…could I leave?
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