A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous. -Ingrid Bergman

The first time I made a move, I wasn't even sure what I was doing.

I hadn't planned on it, but she was looking at me as if she knew me. It was like she really understood what was going through my mind, and she wasn't judging me for it or disapproving. She got it. I had the urge to kiss her and before I could be shocked at myself, I was doing just that.

It had been nearly a month since the night we realized we weren't so different. Jake took this as a reason to assign me as Renesmee's personal security whenever he wasn't in Forks, which seemed to be a lot lately since he was trying to keep himself from jumping her bones. Of course, he hadn't explained that part to his pseudo-girlfriend. He just dashed off with barely plausible excuses and instructed me to stay with her. I didn't mind, though, because it meant less time spent listening to the guys' thoughts- something that would drive any girl crazy.

One day in late spring, we went out to the edge of the Hoh Forest. It was a nice day out- mid 70s and actual sunlight. There was a constant mist in the air, but that was the norm when real precipitation wasn't available. It didn't bother either of us. She brought a blanket and a bunch of candy, 'cause apparently her only interest in human food stemmed from a massive sweet tooth. She stretched out on one side with a book and I did the same on the other with my head in the opposite direction listening to my ipod. Hershey kisses and miniature candy bars and a tub of Twizzlers sat between us.

We lay in silence enjoying our preferred media. That was another reason I didn't mind hanging out with her: she didn't mind comfortable silence. At one point, I reached into the giant skittles bag just as she was pulling her hand out and knocked most of the candy to the blanket. She just laughed and moved to clean it up.

"I guess I owe you." I offered her the heaping handful I'd just retrieved, still bobbing to some song. She reached for my forearm instead, using her other hand to pull my earbuds out.

I opened my eyes to find her practically leaning over me. Her finger rubbed across my wrist and I knew exactly what had caught her attention. I tried to pull away, but she held on gently, yet firm.

"These scars are old," she pointed out quietly, and I flipped my free hand over, even though it wouldn't change the fact that she'd already noticed it. She continued to brush her finger over the raised skin and it was oddly relaxing. The soft shimmer of her skin ricocheted onto me, creating dancing spots of light. "The way they healed and… Why so much trauma? They're worse than any scars I've seen on the rest of the pack."

"We can recover from practically any injury with barely any evidence, but it doesn't make us flawless like vamp venom. Our scars from before we phase will always be there." I tried to shrug it off. "I know for a fact that Seth has a pretty nasty one on his shin. I gave it to him."

"What happened?"

"I was eight, so he musta' been about 5 and I-"

"Not that," she clarified with tempered amusement. We both knew I was evading.

I closed my eyes again, worried about what she might say. Even before I phased, I couldn't die. I was just collecting scars.

"After Sam," I murmured, hoping she hadn't heard me, but also hoping she had so I didn't have to repeat myself.

There was a moment of silence, save for a bird off in the forest. There was nothing else to say.

I wasn't going to rehash the year I spent watching Emily move to the Rez, being courted by the one guy I had thought I was gonna spend the rest of my life with. Why explain how completely isolated I'd felt when even my own mother told me to suck it up and forced me to the engagement party? My dad had been alive then and had let her in on the secret of imprinting, but I was left in the dark, forced to believe that I had never really been that important to my first love in the first place. There was no reason why I should still be upset by any of it, and yet here I was shedding tears over it yet again. I hadn't even realized I'd actually babbled all this information until I heard Renesmee issuing sounds of comfort and felt her wiping away my tears.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized as if she'd been the one to steal the most stable aspect of my life. Well, she had the second time around, but I was honestly over that. And then she said the words that no one had ever bothered to say. "You deserve better."

It was an odd thought. Not once had anyone expressed that Sam might be the loser in the situation. I didn't click with girls, even before phasing, so I didn't have a Sam-bashing brigade of friends to feed me ice cream and hand me tissues when I'd been dumped. Everyone else had been in on the joke. That or they just didn't care about the end of an obvious case of puppy love.

For the first time in years, Renesmee had managed to make me feel valued- wanted. I was worth someone's concern and, possibly, somebody's affection. I wanted to reciprocate the feeling, but I didn't know how.

So I kissed her.

Or, at least I tried.

In reality, I sat up and used my hold on her arm to keep her close enough to initiate contact, but she whipped away from me so quickly, I'm still not sure if our lips even touched.

I think she was in shock, because aside from sitting back, she hadn't moved. She was frozen. She stared at me with wide eyes for a full minute before she angrily hissed the same question I was thinking.

"What the hell was that, Leah?"

My brilliant response didn't even include words. I just shrugged.

She tried to stand, but I felt the minute movement, clasped my own hand around her arm and stood with her. We looked like we were engaged in some intense handshake.

"I'm doing the one thing Jake won't do," I blurted. I went into panic mode and began spewing words that, while I had no clue where they were coming from, I knew they were true. She knew it too, and made eye contact. "This is the one thing you want the most and he won't give you. Think about it, Renesmee: he's never gonna let another guy near you, and he's not gonna touch you until your father gives him the okay, and who knows when the hell that'll be. Are you supposed to be a nun until then?"

Her eyes softened and I knew my words were sinking in. I pulled her flush against me. I could feel every breath- the moisture that permeated our clothes made it that much more intimate.

"He'll never touch you like this or hold you this way. He'll never give you what you want- what you deserve-not for a long time, Renesmee. I know what he wants to say to you and how he wishes he could do this, but he's too afraid. Are you willing to wait for Jake to get the courage to do all the things you want or can you accept that I'm right here offering that now?"

It was a low card to play, I'm aware, but it was true. And it worked.

I kissed her and she kissed me back.

Thanks for reading guys. As always, please let me know what you think. I'd love to know if you like the girls any more or any less now, or where you think they should go from here.

A special thanx to everyone who already reveiwed and a super huge thank you to Lyrics2Soul. u rock my multi-colored toe socks, girl. If you guys want to enjoy some lemony Jake&Ness goodness, check out her stories. She's in my favorite authors list.