Jacob
Angela stared up at me, an unfathomable expression on her perfect face. Every part of me, my whole being, longed to be near her. I would follow her to the end of my days, but I had to wonder- did she feel the same way?
I suddenly felt self-conscious of how hasty I had been. Normal guys don't embrace a girl they just met, no matter how beautiful and sad she might be. God, she must think I'm insane! I should probably get up, allow some space between us. My heart and soul screamed rebellion against this well meaning sentiment and I battled internally over what to do with myself.
Finally, I forced myself to stand and look at the ocean. But I couldn't keep myself from staring at her. She now looked sadder than ever, and she was shivering violently. I'm an idiot! I was keeping her warm, and now she's freezing. It must be a cold night for a regular human. I'd better get her inside before she gets sick or something.
I reached down and offered her my hand to help her up, and said,
"So, Angela… I don't think you should sit on the beach all night, in this awful weather. Why don't you wait the storm out over at my house? My dad should be expecting me for dinner pretty soon. What do you say?" I asked, trying desperately to sound casual.
She gripped my hand with her small, slight fingers and looked up at me as she rose gracefully from the sand. "Sure, Jake. That sounds nice." she said, grinning for the first time since I met her.
It was soft and sweet and absolutely glorious, just like everything else about her. Her smile was so dizzying, it took me a minute to collect my thoughts and realize she had accepted my offer. Indescribably happy, I led her slowly by the hand to my home.
Angela
I had never been more confused inside. Jake's touch, his eyes, his warmth- it was so …overwhelming. I was still broken over Ben, but I was capable of healing, as long as Jake and I were together. I wondered if he really liked me or if he was just a naturally compassionate person. It didn't really matter either way; I was falling for him, falling fast and hard.
Then, he began to pull away from me, and the feeling of abandonment I had been experiencing earlier began to creep back into my heart, tearing into me. He had been so warm that the night felt twice as cold as it had before, and I began to shake.
Thankfully, instead of leaving, he gave me his hand and pulled me up from the beach. He looked into my eyes and began,
"So, Angela… I don't think you should sit on the beach all night, in this awful weather. Why don't you wait the storm out over at my house? My dad should be expecting me for dinner pretty soon. What do you say?"
I felt so happy and relieved. I had been hoping he would stay with me, and I didn't really care where we were… but I wouldn't mind getting in out of the rain and having some food. I smiled at him and said, "Sure, Jake. That sounds nice."
We walked through the forest together, our fingers intertwined. The sky was a soft grey murmur; the canopy beneath it was shining with rain, shielding us from most of the storm. The forest was perfectly still, and for a long time, neither he nor I broke the silence. I wanted to thank him for being so nice to me; I wanted to ask him a thousand questions about his life. But he beat me to the chase.
"So, Angela… how has your summer been, otherwise?" he asked.
His eyes stared at me, dark and curious, as I answered slowly, "It's been pretty good… but a little lonely. Before, when Ben and I were… you know… he does soccer, so… we didn't see each other much. And a lot of my friends are gone to college already… Bella's been really busy, with the wedding and all, and…"
I stopped. Stupid, stupid, stupid Angela! I had heard that Jake and Bella were very close, and that Jake hadn't wanted Bella to marry Edward- and some people said he had been in love with her, and she had broken his heart. He looked like he was in pain.
"Oh, Jake, I'm sorry, that was thoughtless of me…" I said,
putting my arm around his shoulder. I didn't want him to be sad. I knew Bella had made the right choice for her, but I was surprised by how angry I felt at her for hurting him. Nevertheless, another part of me whispered that if Bella had chosen differently… I wouldn't be walking through the darkening woods with sweet, kind, fascinating Jake.
Jake
As Angela and I walked hand in hand through the twilight forest, I was amazed at how significant a change had come over me since this afternoon. Before, I would have been absorbed in my own lonesome thoughts. Maybe I would have looked at the forest- it was beautiful at this time of day. But I was completely captivated by the girl beside me, aware of her every breath, her every movement. I wanted to know everything about her, but I didn't know where to start. I finally said, "So, Angela… how has your summer been, otherwise?" In her quiet, sweet voice, she answered me: "It's been pretty good… but a little lonely. Before, when Ben and I were… you know… he does soccer, so… we didn't see each other much. And a lot of my friends are gone to college already… Bella's been really busy, with the wedding and all, and…"
There it was. Bella had hurt me so much, and the mention of her marriage made me cringe in pain. How I hated that leech for taking her away. But now I was confused. As much as I had loved Bella, Angela was now my soul mate. And as much as I hated Edward, I would rather Bella have him than be left, broken and alone, once I imprinted. Losing Bella had been painful, but finding Angela more than made up for that.
"Oh, Jake, I'm sorry, that was thoughtless of me…" she said. Then, she put her arm around me and pulled me closer to her. That was all the comforting I needed. Every minute spent with her, my heart healed a little more
"It's ok, Angela, you didn't do anything. That was a hard time for me, and I'm still hurting, I have to admit. But I realize now that maybe things were supposed to turn out this way."
"Maybe…" she agreed.
Soon, the trees began to thin out and I could see my home emerging from the misty woods. I was worried about how Angela would react to the small, cluttered, and slightly worn down old house. When I let her inside and I apologized for the mess, she said:
"Don't be- I have a lot of siblings, so I'm used to it. Now, I feel out of place anywhere too neat and organized."
"I feel the same way. An orderly house has no personality… it's like no one lives there, or something." I said. She smiled at me again, and my heart filled with light. Then I heard my father Billy approaching. "Who do we have here, Jacob?" he asked as he rolled into the room on his wheelchair. I said, "Dad, this is Angela. She got caught out on the beach in the storm and I invited her here to wait it out."
His face crinkled into a smile and he shook her hand. "Nice to meet you. Angela… you must be Reverend Weber's girl. He's a good man. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like. I'm William Black, but you can call me Billy."
"It's good to meet you too, Billy." she said in her soft voice. Some people were afraid of my father. He commanded respect, and it could be intimidating. But Angela seemed to like him.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Billy said, "Oh, I almost forgot. Jake, I'm going over to the Uley's tonight- there's someone here to pick me up now. Can you kids fend for yourselves tonight?"
"Sure, Dad," I said. "Have fun."
Angela
I was afraid that my comment had hurt Jake- Jake, who had spent his afternoon comforting me. Why did I say such a thing? I'm as bad as Lauren. I felt terrible, and Jake did seem unhappy, but then he said, "It's ok, Angela, you didn't do anything. That was a hard time for me, and I'm still hurting, I have to admit. But I realize now that maybe things were supposed to turn out this way."
"Maybe…" I said. It was funny- I felt the same way about what had happened between Ben and me. I was slowly recovering, and Jake was definitely the reason for that. I wondered if I could ever help him get over Bella. But I shook that thought away- Jake and I had just met, and I had better not get ahead of myself, or I would end up with a broken heart once again
Eventually, I could make out a shape amongst the whispering trees. Jake's house- it was grey, smaller than most of the houses in Forks, with a white porch and an expansive lawn. From one of the many giant oaks surrounding the property hung a tire swing, and I thought I could make out an old tree-house in one of them. I could tell that, long ago, someone had planted a garden in the front yard, but it had been abandoned for years, and now only wildflowers and weeds grew there.
Jake opened the door for me and I walked inside, taking in my surroundings. It was a very old house, with faded wallpaper and furniture that had seen years of use. It had a chaotic, run-down atmosphere.
I loved it.
"I'm sorry about the mess, Angela…" he said, but I cut him off.
"Don't be- I have a lot of siblings, so I'm used to it. Now, I feel out of place anywhere too neat and organized." I said.
"I feel the same way." He agreed. "An orderly house has no personality… it's like no one lives there, or something."
I was about to inform him that we had that belief in common when I heard a muted rumbling sound. I looked around and saw an old Quileute man enter the room. He had wrinkled features and eyes which were the same color as Jake's, midnight black, but without Jake's flashing spark… more serene, somehow. It was hard to describe. He was on a wheelchair, which took me by surprise at first. I must have known about Mr. Black's disability, but I couldn't remember, and I hadn't been thinking about it. He smiled at me and said, "Nice to meet you. Angela… you must be Reverend Weber's girl. He's a good man. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like. I'm William Black, but you can call me Billy." He seemed very nice, and so I wholeheartedly replied, "It's good to meet you too, Billy." He seemed to be the sort of person who was easy to please. He told Jake that he was going out and that we could order pizza. Then we were alone.
