"Hey Charlie" I said, faking cheerfulness as best I knew how. He didn't seem to notice.
"Hey Nessie!" he called from the porch. It was raining again, go figure, so I ran to avoid the rain into the house.
"How have you been kid?" he asked with fake curiosity as I brushed past him. He already knew the answer to that.
"I've been well, and how have you been? Sorry it's been so long since I've stopped by. Busy packing" I lied. The truth was that I'd spent every last ounce of energy I had avoiding this visit with Charlie. I couldn't bear to say goodbye to him, not yet. But then again, I had little choice in the matter. This whole non aging thing could be very inconvenient.
Charlie had done a good job accepting the supernatural way of our lives. He was on a need to know basis with my family, so he didn't know per say about Vampires but he figured out my family never aged and that I aged incredibly quickly. And he also knew about Jacob.. thanks to Jacob's thoughtfulness shortly after I was born. Poor Charlie, it nearly scared him to death to watch his best friends son turn into a wolf right before his eyes.
"Billy coming over today?" I asked.
"No, he's out fishing with Jacob" Charlie answered, grabbing a beer from the fridge.
"hmph" I muttered quietly… too quietly for Charlie to hear.
"That boy keeps getting bigger, I swear"
"Yea, a bigger idiot" I responded, a snarl escaping up my throat. This time, Charlie heard me.
"You two get into a fight or something?" he laughed.
"Something like that. He isn't thrilled that we're moving" I said carefully. I knew Charlie would take Jacobs side in this one.
"Well, can't say I blame him Ness"
"Well, I can.. he's being selfish" I said, slamming my fist down on the table. I heard it crack and I apologized quickly. "Sorry Charlie, I'll replace it" I still didn't realize my own strength.
"Don't worry about it, I'll consider it something to remember you by" he said sadly.
"Aw, don't talk like that Charlie. We're going to come visit as much as we can" I said hopefully. I hadn't really talked this over with anyone, but I'm sure my dad knew. He could read minds afterall.
"Well, I hope so" Charlie replied calmly. "Back to Jacob.. what are you two fighting about now?"
"I told you.. he is mad we're moving"
"Uh huh.. there has to be more than that. We've known for a year now this was going to happen" Charlie reminded me.
I sighed.
"Besides, he'll get over it. It's like that boy has a magnetic pull to you. He's never away from you for more than a few hours" Charlie noted. "You remind me so much of Bella" he added with a chuckle.
"They used to fight a lot too huh?" I asked, but of course I knew the answer. I saw it nearly every day. He may be my Jacob now, but there was a time when he was hers. This was a time nobody would tell me about. All I knew is that it had horrible effects on my mom, and Jacob saved her. Even Jacob wouldn't talk about it.
"You have no idea. But hey, you hungry Ness?" Charlie asked. He'd been trying to learn to cook for years, but to no avail. If possible, he just got worse with practice. Usually Sue would cook for him. Those two were something else. It's almost as if Sue imprinted on Charlie. She must be spending the day with Seth and Leah. Otherwise she'd be here with Charlie. I laughed at the thought.. if only Charlie knew.
"No, I'm not hungry Charlie, I ate before I came over. If you're hungry I can make you something though.. I know my way around the kitchen a bit better than you do" I joked.
"Hmph, just like Bella" He said, making his way to the living room where the game was playing. I sighed and joined him.
"How was your day with Charlie?" My mother asked me later that night on the phone.
"Fun. We watched sports and talked about Jacob" The mention of his name was sour on my tounge.
"You two still fighting?" My mother asked.
"I guess so… ya know mom, I wish he would be more understanding. I don't see why he doesn't want to leave La Push. The pack drives him crazy, and Seth and Leah? Seth's back with Sam, and Leah is as annoying as ever. He's just trying to start a fight these days" I vented. It felt good to able to talk to someone who understood Jacob like I did.
"I know honey. He can be very persistant and stubborn. You leave first thing in the morning. Something tells me that as soon as he comes over tonight, he'll have a bag packed and ready to go. He goes where you go."
"Yes, I know. I just wish he would go by choice, not because he felt he had to because of some invisible pull he has to me. Charlie said we were like magnets"
"You talked about this with Charlie?" my mother asked with a laugh.
"Not because I wanted to. He wants me to cut Jacob a little slack. He says I'm like you."
"Well, the apple didn't fall far from the tree dear. Unfortunately, you've inherited my temper and human grace"
"Hey, I didn't trip or stumble over anything today. Maybe the gracefulness is on it's way out. I'm supposed to be fully changed now, right?"
"I don't know honey, the few we've met that are like you.. they have, but whose to say everyone is the same." Leave it to my mother to be the voice of reason. She was still stubborn as ever, but more graceful than anyone I'd ever met. Me? I was more human than vampire. Although my pale skin was tough as elephant hide, it only helped me when I fell, or when danger came lurking out of the shadows. Why me?
"Here darling, Edward would like to say hello" she said before passing the phone over.
"Hey dad" I said. Talking to my father was a relief. He was always on my side with the Jaocb arguments. He'd come to tolerate Jake more and more throughout the years, but it wouldn't ever be more than tolerance. It mainly had to do with hearing Jacobs thoughts. Not all of them were pure ones, so if he really wanted to anger my dad, all he had to do was think raunchy thoughts. Granted, he'd had no experience in this area to base his thoughts upon, and my father knew that luckily for me. Still, the thoughts were there and Jacob had little shame.
"I'm not going to help you bash on Jacob. He's almost to the house anyway" He replied to my thoughts. That's weird.. he's away on vacation. How is it he heard me from that far away? And how did he know Jacob was on his way over..
"We're right outside sweetheart" he answered. I should have heard, or smelled them coming. Jacob especially, he reeked like a wet dog. I clicked the phone shut and walked to the door. They were all standing in the doorway, shaking the wet from their hair. I smiled at my mother, happy to see her, and she was quick to embrace me. "Be good" she whispered in my ear.
I laughed. My father was next. He pulled me in and kissed my hair, "Do your worst" he joked.
They both left me then. Upstairs probably to finish packing. That left me and Jacob, alone. What a night for the Cullens to go hunting. Now I had to talk to him.
"Hey Nessie" he said playfully. I remained silent and glared at him.
"Alright.. so I guess I should apologize huh?"
"Whatever you want Jacob." I said bitterly.
"Listen, I'm sorry Ness, you gotta see my side of things though.." he pleaded. I wasn't sure I liked it when he pleaded with me like this. Granted, it gave me the upper hand, but it also attracted an unwanted audience.
"Let's go for a walk" I suggested. That would be the only way to ensure privacy from my fathers talents and my mothers somewhat wandering eyes.
"So, am I forgiven?" Jacob asked me a few hours later. We both lay on the grass, my head resting on his warm chest. The night was very cool, but you couldn't tell. I had made my transition from warm blooded to cold blooded a few years ago, and Jacobs hot skin felt like an open flame to mine. I ignored it though, I liked it when he held me like this.
"I'm still thinking on it" I said. "Jake, I don't mean for you to have to leave Billy, but the Cullens can't stay in Forks, and I'm not ready to leave my family yet."
"I know, it's just.. Billy. He is alone without me Ness"
"Not true. Him and Charlie hang out every day. You should tell Billy to just move in with him. They already act like a couple of old women" I joked, but Jacob didn't smile. I knew leaving Billy was hard, but I couldn't stay, which meant Jacob couldn't stay. We weren't whole if we weren't together.
"I know. I just worry about him. I have my bag packed.. it's in Edwards car" Jacob admitted with a yawn. I smiled.
"Thanks Jacob"
"I love you Renesmee" Jacob said, kissing the top of my head.
"I know, I love you too" but Jacob didn't hear me, he was already asleep.