RENESMEE'S POINT OF VIEW

"Are you ok?" I heard a handsome husky voice behind me.

I gasped and sank off the rock hiding myself behind it. Had I really been crying hard enough that I didn't hear anyone come behind me?

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." The voice was familiar and calming. Had I heard it before?

I sniffed at the air and it was an incredible aroma, much like the one I followed here, but so much better. I peeked my eyes out over the boulder and scanned the surrounding area. There was no one there. They must be hiding back in the thick covering of the trees. I slid back against the rock.

He asked again, "Are you ok?"

I paused before answering. "I'm alright." Hearing the purr of my own words made me smile.

"Are you lost?" Confusion flooded through his delicate words.

"No, I can get home."

"Then what are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"

I opened my mouth to answer but couldn't come up with a good reason. "Why are you out here in the middle of the night?" I retorted.

A small laugh caught in his throat as he said, "Fair enough." His voice was gentle and sweet. It brought a smile to my lips. I heard him stir through the brush close to where I was. "Are you hurt?"

I answered a simple, "No." I didn't need to tell a strange man my inner pain.

"I heard you crying."

I crouched lower down, "I thought I was alone."

He mistook the calm in my voice for annoyance, "Oh, sorry. Should I leave then?"

My answer came quickly as I stood up next to the boulder, "No please." As I realized what I said I slid back down. Why did I want him to stay? He's a strange, handsome voiced man, in the middle of the woods at three in the morning. Sure I could take him down one handed, but why would I put myself in this situation?

He laughed a deep and resonating laugh at my anxious answer. It made my body shiver. It felt like music. It was amazing. I smiled to myself and wondered what I could do to make him laugh again.

In my pause he asked, "Why were you crying?"

A quiet gasp escaped my lips. He fumbled, "oh, ah, you don't have to tell me."

I exhaled, wondering why I was going to open up to this complete stranger. "I ran away from home."

"Why?"

"My parents." I whispered. "We have been fighting a lot lately." My tears started to fall again.

His footsteps sounded close as he rounded the rock. I moved to the other side at vampire speed. "I'm sorry for" he paused as he noticed I wasn't there, "you." He inhaled deeply then seemed to look to where I had stopped. "Why did you move?"

"You startled me again."

"What's your name?" He asked innocently.

"Re.." is all that left my mouth before I stopped myself. Why am I giving this man truthful answers? "I'd better not say."

"Why not?" He sounded hurt.

"If my parents coming looking for me I don't want them to know you were with me."

"I won't tell."

"I believe you, but there are other ways they could find out." I sighed. If my Dad hears your thoughts, I added silently.

His body went rigid as he skipped a breath. He struggled with some inner turmoil. He steadied himself and then seemed to loosen a bit. "I'm Jacob."

My mind went blank. Jacob? That name? I turned against the rock and peered over the top. He was leaning on it faced away. His long dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail and it shimmered down the rock. I almost wanted to touch it. I leaned in further as I saw the pronounced muscles in his shoulders. I took another deep whiff of his smell and almost melted. It was perfect. The woods and honey, pine and grass after a rainstorm. It was wonderful. He heard me and turned his face. I sunk back down as quickly as I could.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Um. Yes. Sorry. I've just heard the name Jacob around my house a few times. I wasn't ready for that, but there are lots of Jacob's right?"

He laughed. I closed my eyes and listened to his music again. "Yeah I guess. Why is the name Jacob said around your house?"

"I really don't know. I hear my parents say that name once in a while but only before I completely wake up in the morning. It's always been odd to me."

"So you don't live around here?"

"I'm from Maine actually." I cursed myself for giving that information out so easily.

"Wow, Maine is a ways away. You really ran away." He paused as if he was giving his next words some thought, "What made you come here?"

"I was born near here. My parents moved quickly after. I thought maybe I would come back here and find something."

He was intrigued, "Find what?"

I sighed and whispered shifting my gaze to the pond. "I don't know."

We sat in silence for a moment. I heard him step a foot closer. I saw the reflection of him on the waters edge. It was large and muscular. I moved silently to the rounded corner of the rock and peered around the side hoping to see him more clearly. His dark skin was beautiful. He was wearing only cut off jean shorts. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the ridges of the muscles in his chest. So bold. He was very handsome. I shifted and a rock nosily clacked to the ground. I sped back to my position.

I heard the snap of the edges of his lips as his face must have turned to a smile. I imagined his teeth a brilliant white against his dark skin. "So Jacob," I let his name roll sweetly off my tongue, "what kind of man walks around the forest at night not wearing shoes?"

He laughed again. I could hear that sound every minute and not get tired of it. "A man like me I guess." I laughed back at him and heard his breath catch. He cleared his throat before speaking. "I haven't seen any cars around here. Do you need help getting home?"

"Oh no that's fine. I can manage."

"I can help you get where you need to be." His voice sounded anxious. "Where are you headed?"

"I have a hotel in Port Angeles." I can't believe I'm giving out this information! What am I doing?!

"Port Angeles?!" He was shocked. He took a second to compose himself before speaking again. "You're a while away from there now. I can take you back to my house and let you stay there tonight, it's pretty close."

I laughed. "I don't know what kind of girl you take me for Jacob, but I don't go home with strange dark men wearing only shorts that I meet in the middle of the night in the forest."

He laughed again. Nope won't get sick of that sound. "I take you for a girl who cries in the middle of the forest, forty-five miles away from her motel without a car." I giggled back. He moved around the rock and I moved too. "Come on. I'll take you to my parent's house then. You'll be safe there without big dark half naked men standing over you."

I laughed and heard his breathing skip again. Maybe he likes my laugh too. I slid down in the shadows as he came around the rock edge. My whole body froze as he came into the moonlight. I gasped deeply as I saw his beautiful face. I knew his face from all my forgotten dreams. Him. He is what I was looking for. Jacob. The first vision from my birth appeared. He was the man standing over my mother. He was who I reached for. He was the warmth I urged to be close to. Jacob. My Jacob.

I could barely get my mouthed formed around words, "it's you."

He stopped. "You know me?"

"Yes."

His eyes narrowed. "Let me see you."