Chapter 9- Chills

Why you gonna say goodbye when you know you're gonna come with me?

Viv

Dinner with Jacob Black was awkward- painfully so. As he shoveled food into his mouth, pausing only to converse with my parents by means of making them laugh or simply further charming, I sat next him, across from my mother who shot me approving looks, trying to crawl inside myself. I already knew what my parents thought of him- he was beautiful and he was bright and, damn it, he was downright enchanting. Throughout the painful meal, I found my stoic expression trying to give way to his jokes and his ultimate sweetness.

"So Jacob, how old are you?" my father asked after he and his wife finished their most recent bout of chuckles.

"Nineteen, sir," Jacob answered politely. That was another thing that infuriated me about Jacob. He was always so polite, always "ma'am"ing and "sir"ing my old-fashioned parents. I toyed with the thought that I might have actually liked Jacob a little if he could have at least made my parents dislike him. But seeing their appreciative smiles and nods got under my skin.

"Vivian, honey, you've hardly eaten," my mother suddenly commented after my father's appraisal of how mature Jacob seemed (gag me, I had thought, rolling my eyes). Much to my discomfort, Jacob's eerily dark eyes landed on me- I didn't even have to look at him to know; I could feel them probing.

I set the tomato-sauce-incrusted fork down and lightly pushed the plate of spaghetti away before smiling weakly at my mother in excuse. My hands found their way to my lap, where they fidgeted under Mr. Tall-Dark-Handsome's stare. Not that he would ever know that he was the source of my discomfort- and lack of appetite.

"I understand if you're dieting, Vivian, but really, you should do it in a healthy way," Dear Old Mom continued when I didn't answer. Huh, I didn't think my face could get that hot, I thought, bowing my head to attempt to hide my embarrassment. I had never thought of myself as fat- nor had I ever dieted. I wanted to open my mouth and tell her- something. I didn't know what. But with the disapproving look Dad was sending both our ways made me flush harder and quickly reconsider. I didn't think that my face could heat up anymore.

"Oh, Jacob, if only you knew how much this girl could put down!" Nope, my face could most definitely get hotter. "Why, she eats more than you!" she chuckled.

I didn't know if I wanted to join in or cry. I didn't know what reaction was expected out of me, so I simply didn't react. Just like Jacob, who was stiff next to me. I'm sure he was too sweet to find my mother's joking about my weight funny but too polite to outright say so. Or defend me.

Not that I wanted him to. That would be incredibly perverse, considering that I wanted nothing to do with him. If the adoration on my parents' faces were any indication, however, then what I did or didn't want had no baring.

Especially with my mother.

After finishing the last noodle on his third plate, Jacob finally sighed with content that I actually envied. He sat back from the island and caught my eye before finally announcing that it was time he left.

"I have to go to work soon," the giant explained. Mom and Dad slipped off the barstools and looked at me to do the same.

"I'm so glad that you dropped by," gushed my mother, going around my dad and the table to shake Jacob's hand with enthusiasm. "You can come over anytime you like, Jacob. I'm just so glad Vivian is making friends!"

No, I thought with a glower at Jacob's smile, Vivian is not making friends- not with Jolly Green here. The glare that met his beaming happiness indicated as such but he didn't seem to be bothered with it.

"I appreciate it, Mrs. Landcaster," he returned with astounding warmth, though his dark eyes never left mine; "and I hope to visit again soon." He pulled away from her and moved like he was coming towards me. In response, I stepped back. His arms, which were only slightly raised, dropped to his side and he grinned guiltily, settling for a defeated shrug.

"Vivian! Walk him out, will you?" I shot a glare towards my father, which he didn't catch, and rigidly obeyed the command, sidestepping the proximity of Mom and Jacob and leading out the kitchen, through the living room, and stopping at the front door. It was only then that I turned to see if Jacob had followed, which he had done so closely.

His never ending smile was starting to infuriate me. The idea that it would be a constant source of distress seemed hauntingly likely. At my appraising stare, it only widened. I narrowed my eyes and yanked the door open, hoping to make it obvious that I didn't want him around. After emphatically glancing at the threshold and back to his wince, I saw that I did indeed make it plain. The grimace didn't last long, though, and in mere seconds, he was back to being a ray of sunshine that glided- not walked but glided-through the door.

It was too much hope that he'd simply leave. On his way out, he grabbed my free hand and pulled me with him, and since my other hand hadn't left the doorknob, the door swung shut behind me.

"What. The hell. Is your problem?" I gritted out. The curving of his lips fell but in no way took the warmth from his eyes, which scanned my reddening cheeks.

"I meant what I said," Jacob husked, bending close to me. What had he said? I racked my brain trying to remember, but it was suddenly feeling quite sluggish. What had he meant that made his eyes so soft?

He stepped back and I felt cold air rush around me, making me realize how warm Jacob was. God, I was dizzy.

Jacob must have sensed it because he grabbed my elbow to help steady me- why hadn't I realized I was swaying? I gathered my wits around me and yanked my arm from him with a glower.

"I don't care what you meant," I snapped in response. "You should leave."

Just like that, he was back to beaming and stepped away, waving as he walked backwards to his Volkswagen-like car. When he finally turned to climb inside, the thought struck me that he really looked too… big… for such a tiny car.

Before he drove off, I slipped back inside the house and secreted myself up to my room. Without pause, I leaped onto my bed, automatically reaching for any source of comfort to draw to my chest. C'mon, Viv, there's no cause to be so… so shaken, I tried to reason with myself. But there was a reason, and that reason was Jacob Black. He in himself was the perfect justification to be so scared.

There, I admitted it. Jacob Black terrified me. Not because he was mean or menacing, but because he was the exact opposite. And I would never get over how easy it could be to simply trust him, even after he betrayed that trust. There was just this sense comfort around him, something that told me that he'd be the very best friend I could ever want, if only I'd let him. If I was being honest, that was the very reason why I would never allow him in.

Jacob may have physically ran away that day on the cliff, but after telling him such a secret, it was me who built up a wall and ran into hiding.

"Level up!"

I sat up, vaguely noticing that my source of comfort turned out to be the 'I Love You' bear, and scanned my room in search of my phone, only to feel the vibration on my thigh. After wrestling the device from my pocket and flopping on my back, I unlocked my phone and checked the text message.

Seth: there's a bonfire Friday night. You down? ;)

I blinked incomprehensively at the message, trying to understand what it could possibly mean. I knew he was great friends with Jacob- but I couldn't see why that would matter at all. On impulse, I exited out of the message and started writing one to Dorothy.

I got invited to a bonfire Friday. Come with me?

Two seconds later brought Dorothy's eager reply.

I'd love to! Who invited you?

With that in mind, I finally replied to Seth's message with the affirmative, minus the possibly dire information that I was dragging my love interest along. Just in case.

Great! First beach. Will you need to be picked up?

Nope, was my simple reply. With a second thought, I followed with a smiley face so that I didn't sound as ungrateful. I decided not to wait for a reply and threw my phone onto the floor, then dragged my stuffed bear back to my chest.

Sometime later, a knock sounded from my door. I opened my eyes to see my mother smiling in that gentle way that made me feel like a kid again. I returned the smile then sat up. She walked in and to my bed, where she sat gently next to me. I was trying to tell if the silence that settled over us was awkward or comforting when Mom finally spoke.

"He's nice."

"I guess."

"You don't think so?" She sounded so surprised that I had to smile sardonically.

"I like Seth better," I replied, intended as a taunt. A wave of self-directed irritation rolled through me as soon as the words left my mouth because I instinctively knew she wouldn't sense the sarcasm. At least, until she smiled with relief, making my heart ache and my eyes burn.

"Really? What's Seth like?" The excitement in my mother's voice was both soothing and irritating. I didn't want her to be happy about some boy. But I was glad that she was happy- with me.

"Like Jacob, just nicer. And not old," I replied frowning. Actually, this wasn't a bad idea, I conceded. If she thought I liked some male, then I'd be home free with Dorothy, who I really liked. A lot. Thinking of her now and how excited I was about Friday warmed my cheeks, which my mother mistook.

"Aw, you have it bad, don't you?" she ragged, nudging me with her elbow.

"No," I protested, knowing that it was what I was supposed to do.

"Mhm, sure. So what about Mr. Black, then? He's pretty smitten with you," she giggled like she was my age. I had to bite my tongue to keep from gagging.

The ongoing week was long. Though I spent excessive time with Dorothy, with whom I had begun to be careless around, flirting with her openly, I was ready for it to end. From the morning after dinner with Jacob to the Friday I was supposed to go to the bonfire, the said giant had made his presence known. Every. Day.

Tuesday, I came home to him pulling up just as Mom was. She was, of course, delighted to see him, not at all thinking it the slightest bit creepy. He climbed out of his car, which really looked too small for him, and met me at the front door, which I had reached after Mom had practically ran inside the house.

Wednesday, he called from Seth's phone, which I stupidly answered, thinking that Seth was cancelling on me. Instead, Jacob's husky voice answered my "Hello?" with a "hey" that made me stumble in mid-stride towards Mom's waiting vehicle. When I demanded to know what he wanted, he told me that he only wanted to see how school went- which was badly, but I wasn't about to tell him that Dorothy didn't talk to me because she found out it was Seth who invited me to the bonfire.

Thursday, Jacob showed up again at the house, but was expected because Mom had requested his presence the day before when she found out who I was talking to on the phone. By then I was angry enough to pull my hair out- if not his, and dragged him outside to call him all kinds of asshole. He just looked at me like a kicked puppy until it was time for dinner, and then proceeded to attempt to be at my beck and call the rest of his visit, which included pulling out my chair, opening doors, and generally hovering until I was ready to pull my own hair out.

Friday was the last straw. It was a great day at school, since Dorothy was no longer cross with me. She had even gone as far as stealing a chaste kiss when no one was around. I was still grinning sappily on my way out of the school, not even caring if my mother decided to cross-examine me, when a honk and a yell of my name brought my attention to an annoyingly familiar red car.

That was it.

I stomped to the vehicle- a Rabbit, Jacob had mentioned once, one that he had built himself- and yanked the passenger door open so that I could talk to him easily.

"Why. Are. You. Here?" I demanded tightly.

"Seth asked me to pick you up…" He had the kicked puppy dog look that was increasing it's effect rather than losing it. I was too terrified to dwell on what that could mean.

"I told him I didn't need I ride," I growled. Jacob flinched and I felt guilty again. Could it really hurt to get a ride? Honestly, what could happen? I scoffed at that thought because the answer was clear- a lot. I was already struggling with keeping my guard up around him and spending time with him alone in a car would only increase that struggle.

One thing to be said about Jacob Black was that he was persistent.

Instead of offering any likely excuses, he simply shrugged as if to say 'that's life' and gestured to the seat I was hovering over. "'Sides, your mom agreed to let me pick you up from school." I winced at that. It was a really dirty move, bringing my mother into this. The worst part was that I wasn't sure if I was angry with either of them

I yanked my backpack off my shoulders and clambered into the car, then fairly slammed the door. Jacob flinched at the sound but said nothing about it. I studied his expression for any sense of triumph that I could strip him of, but there was none. In fact, his lips were drawn in a tight line and his eyes were solemn, and I couldn't for the life of me understand why there was no satisfaction in his unhappiness.

"Are you okay?" came my timid voice, a little more high pitched than I intended or liked. The corner of his mouth quirked a bit and gave me some mysterious relief that I didn't bother to analyze.

"I am now," he muttered softly. Neither of us said anymore after that.

PLEASE READ:

So.. Hey. Sorry again for this taking so long. I actually have a legitimate excuse this time though! I went out of town to visit my mother, which honestly just consisted of my brother and I hanging out at the apartment driving each other batshit crazy the entire day. There wasn't any internet and after the first few days, my phone broke. I don't think I've ever been as relieved as I am now to be back!

Anyway, that's my reasoning. I forgot last chapter to thank RMJ because this person is an amazing human being who has faithfully reviewed.

Not that I'm hinting or anything...

But, seriously, thank you all for reviewing, reading, and alerting my story. And favoriting. You're all amazing human beings.

Sorry for the shortness! And lack of action. And the general poor quality. Next chapter is in Jacob's point of view.