Hey!Newchapteryay! As of right now, I have a somewhat rocky ending in mind, so I'm still working on smoothing out all the details. That's why these chapters are coming at a slower pace than my last story, because I don't want to say something that I could later regret. I DO have an ending though, so no fear of this story being left on hiatus for, like, 3 years. Just keep with me, and keep READING & REVIEWING! I love everyone's reviews! :D
I also wanted to give a shout-out to KatiePotPie really quick because our youtube channel was featured in one of the FantasticTwihard's videos recommending us. NICE WORK, K ONE! You can all check out the channel if you wish-it's linked on my profile. We discuss Twilight things. xD
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Jacob Black.
CLAIMER: I DO own Emma Cullen. xD
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"Why bother." I muttered to myself, tearing my glance from the mirror and flopping down onto my bed. I felt ridiculous and uncomfortable wearing a short black dress and high heels anyway.
The style choice was most definitely not mine, but Kara had insisted. She had been planning one last get together before everyone officially went off to college, which, coincidentally, was also two days before my eighteenth birthday. She rented out the only nice restaurant nearby, which was La Bella Italia in Port Angeles, and even instigated a dress code. A freaking dress code. I groaned and tugged at the strap of my dress.
I absolutely did not want to go spend one more night with my classmates. I'd been thankful enough the day we graduated. The only real reason I was going was for Kara. She'd managed to maintain a "good friend" status with me, the only one I really ever had at school. I figured I owed her one, and besides, she was considering this one of her ways of thanking me for what happened sophomore year.
Ever since "the accident," (or so I liked to refer to it) I could be labeled a bit of an outcast. People thought I was some type of mysterious person who only kept to them self, which in a way I had become. I hadn't pulled a stunt as drastic as that since then, so my acceptance at school had been slowly increasing, which was why I wasn't completely despairing going to the party tonight. But it's not like I really ever cared at all. There were more important things in life. Like Jacob.
He was single-handily the best that had ever happened to me. He'd gone from mentor to best friend to companion and kept going back to whatever role I needed at whatever time. He was always looking after me. The only thing we weren't was a bone-a-fide couple. Yet. He was still making me wait until I was eighteen, which I thought was pathetic because we were both always heavily aware of the sexual tension whenever we were around each other. It had taken all my will power (and probably most of his) one night a few weeks ago not to reach over and kiss him flat on the lips. Like I had done when I was sixteen.
But that had pretty much ended in disaster, no matter how wonderful the few seconds before it had felt. Even though we had made-up, I promised him that I'd wait. And it was hard to deny that over the past two years, the more time we spent together, the more obvious it became. We loved each other. I'd loved him since I was a child, and the bond was so immensely strong. Even now I was starting to have different feelings for him…in a good and "butterflies-in-your-stomach" type of way.
Because of this single fact, I had decided to wait a year to go to college. Surprisingly, my mother understood me completely. My father, on the other hand, was a little more stubborn. Eventually, I convinced him that it was just what I wanted to do, and he accepted it. Maybe it was a stupid thing to do, but I had this undeniable feeling in the pit of my stomach that told me to stay with Jacob for now. It was hard to ignore.
I exhaled deeply and rolled over on my bed, squeezing a pillow to my chest. I glanced at my latest hermit crab, Jane, as she scuttled around inside her glass bowl. Then I looked up at the clock. Ugh. I was going to have to leave within the next 10 minutes. Why couldn't time just stand still?
Suddenly my lungs constricted, and everything around me felt tight. The room felt like it was spinning, and I started to feel dizzy. I gasped and sat up on my bed, clutching my hands right below my collar bone. Not again.
I looked at Jane, who was suspended in mid-air after tumbling off her plastic toy castle. The something outside the window caught my eye. It was a bird, frozen in mid-flight. I looked over at my clock again, the ever-ticking second hand stopped. But the clock wasn't broken.
I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. This had only happened to me once before, when I was about seven, and it was about over within a minute. The longest minute of my life.
I curled up in a ball and sat on my pillow-case, staring at Jane. Plop. She finally descended to the sand beneath her, while the unmistakable caw of a bird echoed outside my window. I let out a breath, realizing I must have been holding it in.
As I stood up and fumbled with the strap of my purse, I only had one thought. Did time stand still like that for everybody? I shook my head spastically.
Making my way past the living room, I could see my dad out of the corner of my eye, cutting up watermelon in the kitchen. The whole watermelon thing is a very odd craving of his that I will probably never understand. The man eats it with every meal of the day. I guessed my mom was out talking with Jake, like she said she would be. I didn't know what they ever talked about, and it was beyond me how they were such good friends. When she was almost forty and he was probably around his late twenties. I never knew how old Jacob was, and frankly, I didn't care. He never seemed to get any older to me.
"I'm heading out, dad." I called out, grabbing the keys for the BMW from the door-side table. My dad had convinced me to keep the car at least until my aunts and uncles could come down next year to see me drive it. While I still didn't exactly like the car, I figured it was better than nothing for now.
"Hey, Emma, hold on a second." He said, dropping his kitchen knife and coming over to where I was standing in the living room. "Do you think we could talk for a minute?"
I shrugged my shoulders in agreement and walked over to our living room couch with him. Don't get me wrong; I love my father. Usually I was closer to my mother, though. Naturally, he seemed slightly uncomfortable in his position, too. But dad was always really good at covering things up, emotion wise. I could never tell what he was thinking.
"I just wanted to talk with you about…some things that have been on my mind." He started, staring at me intently.
I gulped. Oh please, God no. Not this talk with my father, right now. I'd covered this topic almost a decade ago with mom…
"I've been noticing your behavior lately, how you react to things…differently." He said, and I blinked. Okay, maybe this conversation was going in a different direction after all. A direction that I would have definitely swapped for the sex talk.
"Yeah?" I asked. "I don't understand what you're saying." Lie.
"Emma, I saw you catch that vase that with your heel that your mother knocked over a few days ago." He eyed me.
"So?"
"Over the past year, on a few occasions, you've ran to the door to open it without a knock preceding it." He pointed out.
"I…saw the company coming. Out the window." I sputtered.
He shook his head and let out a long breath. "Emma, you know what I'm talking about."
I closed my eyes and chewed at my bottom lip. He was right. And here I sat, stupidly, thinking this whole time no one had noticed but me. I had some major, freaky issues.
"Yes." I squeaked, my voice very soft.
"Is there anything you'd like to talk about with me?" He asked, looking at me sincerely. "You know, Emma, I'm always here to talk with. I've been through…a lot of things. More than you could guess. Maybe I could help you…?" He offered.
Just as I was about to question him about how he could possibly relate, I was interrupted by a sharp honk. I looked out the window to see Kara sitting in her car. I guess she wanted to pick me up.
"Dad, can we talk about this later?" I suggested, thankful to be saved by Kara's amazing timing.
"But Em-" He started to say, but I cut him off as I wobbled to the front door in my high-heels.
"I gotta go. I love you!" I said as I left the house, shutting the door behind me. I blew out a breath, thankful to be spared from that painful conversation. But I knew it wasn't over yet.
-
"I wish time would stop, I wish time would stop, I wish time would stop…" I kept whispering to myself as I swirled around an ice cube in my glass of water, cupping my chin in my hand as I slouched onto the table. Why wasn't time stopping when I desperately needed it to?
The party had been one big, adult-like snore fest so far, at least to me. Did people seriously grow up so fast? They were all talking and laughing with each other, not at all the rowdy school bunch I remembered. I'd chatted with a couple people, but it they were all obvious, forced conversations. What was this, our 20th high school reunion?
I was seriously tempted to drag Kara away from her socializing and beg her to take me home. It was her idea of a "favor" that she gave me a ride here. And now I know why. She knew I would be tempted to leave early, therefore by providing my ride here, she also provided my ride home. She thought this was her way of "helping me out." Little did she know this was the farthest thing from her said desire. Maybe I would ask Jason Newton…
Suddenly the sound of screeching tires filled the restaurant. I looked over my shoulder and out the window to see someone I knew all too well beckoning me to hop on the back of a motorcycle with him. My energy level must have hit the roof in a second flat. I jumped out of my chair, but not before someone grabbed my arm.
"Emma! Where are you going? Do you even know that guy?" She asked, eyeing Jacob with a mixture of fear and awe.
"Of course." I responded. "And if you don't mind…"
"Emma wait. If you go, you'll just be ruining what you've been building up these past years." She whispered the last part.
I raised an eye-brow, itching to meet Jacob, who was revving the engine. "Which is…?"
"Your popularity." She hissed, as if that meant everything in the world. Some friend.
I snorted. "Let's see if I care."
And with that, I flung open the door, sprinting out into the parking lot, as fast as my heels could take me. I flung one leg around the side of the bike as Jake tossed me the helmet.
"THANK YOU!" I raised my voice over the roar of the engine as he kicked up the stand. Even through the loud noise, I could hear his laugh.
"Anytime. Hang on tight." He commanded as I wrapped my arms tight around his torso. With that, he made an ear-splitting, sharp u-turn, and the last image I caught was of the entire crowd at La Bella Italia gawking at my display of spontaneity. I laughed out loud.
"Where are we going?" I asked Jacob, getting my mouth as close to his ear as possible so he could hear.
"Does it matter?" He asked, and I could hear the smile in his voice as he navigated the road back to Forks as the night grew darker.
I laughed again, feeling giddy and wild and free. "Nope."
-
"Jacob Black, you are my savior!" I laughed into his ear as he rode the bike through the La Push woods and finally parked it against a tree.
He laughed, his voice rich and comforting. "Then you're going to love me even more after this. Here, put these on." He said, tossing me a pair of my favorite jeans.
I smiled wide. "Thanks. Turn around." I commanded as I slipped the jeans underneath my black dress which was probably short enough to be a long shirt.
He laughed as he covered his eyes. We were both feeling the adrenaline rush, making everything seem ten times brighter and carefree.
"Alright. I'm decent." I declared once I zipped up the jeans. Much more comfortable.
Without warning, he scooped me up onto his back piggy-back style and began jogging through the trees. I couldn't stop giggling. This was ten times better than any old party.
He was so warm, I couldn't resist resting my head in the crook between his neck and shoulder. Everything felt so right just then, it was almost like I was dreaming. But I never wanted to wake up.
He stopped and put me down when I realized that we were on our dock. I kicked off my stupid high heels, sending them flying into the forest and laughed. I smiled at him as we both sat down on the wooden planks, the sound of the waves lapping up on the beach below us. It was gorgeous out.
"I knew you'd come get me." I pointed out to him matter-of-factly as I leaned against his bare shoulder. He was wearing a tight black, sleeveless t-shirt.
"That predictable, huh?" He asked lightly.
"Not that I mind it." I said, resting my head against his shoulder. "I wouldn't trade anything in the world right now to be anywhere else." I said, and as I spoke them, my voice got softer. "With anyone else."
There was a comfortable silence between us until he spoke again. "I wouldn't, either."
I looked up at him and grinned sheepishly, biting my bottom lip slightly. We sat there together on the dock for minutes, hours, days. I wasn't sure, and I didn't care. I was totally at ease with him as we let our adrenaline drain out and the waves mesmerize us.
"How well do you know me?" I asked after a while, surprising even myself with the question.
He looked down at me and blinked, a smile spreading across his face. "I'd say I know you better than you know yourself."
I let out a quick laugh. "What's my favorite color?"
"Blue." He answered without hesitation.
"My favorite outfit?"
"Jeans and a sweatshirt. Can't you think of more challenging questions?" Jacob asked, raising one eyebrow.
I stroked my chin, pretending to think intensely of my next question. "What's my favorite thing to do in the world?" I asked, making the question harder than the last.
"You mean besides hang out with me?" He asked with mock-offense on his face.
"Yeah." I laughed, the grin spreading across my face.
"You love to read. Not magazines or anything, but actual books." He answered correctly again.
"Hmm," I mused, deciding that my next question would be doubly hard. "When I was six, my mom bought me a pet hermit crab. What was the color of his shell and his name?"
"Blue and Hermy." He answered easily, and we both laughed softly, letting the sound mix with the gentle crashing of the waves on the beach.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him lift his arm as he gently wrapped it around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him.
"Hey, Em." He said after a while.
"Hmm?" I asked, tearing my gaze from the ocean to look at him.
"Hold out your hand." He said, reaching into his pocket.
I did as I was told, closing my eyes for effect. I opened them when I felt something cold slide onto my wrist.
"Jake," I whispered, all the breath sucked out of me. "It's beautiful."
On my wrist was a silver bracelet with a hand-carved wolf charm dangling from the front. It was absolutely stunning, and not because it looked pretty or detailed, but because it was from him.
"I made it…a while ago." He said, hesitating slightly. "Do you like it?"
"Do I like it?" I repeated. "That's a stupid question. I love it." I said, turning my wrist around over and over again, watching the little wolf tumble from side to side.
"Happy early birthday." He said, and his voice made me look up into his eyes. He was staring intently at me, his brown eyes melting in the moonlight. I felt my breath catch in my throat as the softness of the night sky pressed down comfortably around us. I could almost hear my heart thudding away in my chest as he dipped his head down to kiss me firmly on the lips.
I was a little hesitant at first, even though my body had been aching for the very contact with his lips for such a long time now. I pulled back slightly, so that our noses were touching. I didn't want to stop, and I had to make sure we weren't.
"Are…are you sure?" I whispered, meeting his brown eyes again. "I'm not eighteen yet…"
He shook his head, his shaggy black hair falling into one eye. "I don't want to wait anymore, Emma." He said, and pressed his lips softly against mine, sending small shivers down my back.
I pulled back once more, so that our lips were touching when I spoke. "Neither do I." I whispered, and let him move his lips with mine in a way that I had craved for so long. It was like the long two years of waiting had finally exploded in one single moment, and every emotion came pouring out at once. It just felt right. He raised his hand, letting his finger-tips gently stroke my cheek as our lips moved in synch with one another. As the kiss began to deepen, I felt my thoughts becoming hazy and everything around me become warm as I enveloped myself with Jacob.
We never broke the kiss as he stood up and scooped me in his arms, our mouths playing with each other's the entire time. I was lost in time, wrapping my arms around his neck as he bent down to sweetly kiss my collar bone. He began jogging deftly through the forest again, but I didn't care where we were going. I whimpered when I couldn't find his lips, and he responded by pushing his mouth tenderly down on mine.
"Jacob," I breathed raggedly as he pushed open the door to his house and kicked it shut. I didn't know how we had gotten here so fast, but I couldn't care less. The only thought on my mind was Jacob.
He pushed his lips warmly against mine, opening them and filling my mouth with his sweet breath. He pulled back, planting soft kisses on my lips between each word. "I love you."
I swung one leg around so that both my legs wrapped around his waist tightly. Our lips never parted as he moved us over to the couch and sat down with me still entwined with him.
I didn't object when he gently but firmly began guiding me down against the arm rest, my back arched against his body. I wasn't thinking when I let my hand slide under his shirt, slowly pushing it up as my fingers traced his muscles, heat exuding from every pore. Heck, I wasn't thinking at all. I was just feeling, feeding off of my emotions, my heart.
He continued to pursue my lips with his in a way that was so soft and so urgent at the same time. When I had succeeded in pushing his shirt over his head, I paused to absorb the heat radiating off of him and on to me. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, breathing in his woodsy scent as he began kissing my neck-line. Our bodies lay there, entwined on his couch, as we continued to kiss each other like it was our last day on earth. He gently stroked his hands through my hair as I let my fingers trail along his muscular backside.
He dipped his head down to me ear, nibbling softly on my earlobe. "I need you, Emma." He whispered, as if the message needed to be repeated over and over again. But I understood perfectly. "I love you." He whispered again, kissing me lightly behind my ear.
I could only whimper in agreement, turning my head around and guiding his lips back to mine. He kissed me with such passion I knew right then that I was in love with him. It wasn't like I hadn't felt such a strong connection with him before, but now I was certain. I was absolutely, undeniably, and irrevocably in love with Jacob Black.
He kissed me tenderly on the lips, decreasing his tempo as he rolled off of me, wrapping his arm around my waist securely. We sat there cuddled up next to each other, letting our erratic breathing slow down. With every breath, I could feel my eye-lids drop lower and lower as the exhaustion of the day finally caught up with me. But I was fighting the sleep every step of the way, because I wanted to savor every second of this moment with Jacob.
"Hey, Jake," I whispered to him in the darkness, followed by a slow yawn.
"Yeah?" He asked, stroking my hair with his fingertips.
"Did you know that I love you?" I asked, the question sounding silly and distant to my hazy mind.
I heard his deep chuckle beside me as I tilted my head to look at him. I bit my lip to prevent a ridiculous looking smile from spreading across my face, which probably made me look like a dopey, love-struck teen. But wasn't that what I was? No, the feeling was much stronger than that. It was like a connection I'd never felt before, with anyone else. I couldn't focus hard enough to come up with a good word for it.
"I think you always have." He whispered and lowered his head so he could sweetly close both of my eyelids with a soft kiss.
I fell asleep as his mouth pressed against mine.
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(A/N: Hey, KatiePotPie, STEAMY enough for yah? xD)