~10~

When I woke in the morning, Jacob had vanished from my side as I had expected. I knew my father would have never let him stay the whole night in my room and I quickly got up and stretched so as to go find Jacob and make sure he wasn't dead yet.

I opened my door quietly and went to the top of the stairs, where I heard yelling coming from the kitchen.

"You can't do this Jacob, she's too young!" I heard my father shout. I sat down on the top step quietly so I could get a better listen and so they wouldn't hear me there.

"She's sixteen Edward," Jacob said.

"That doesn't matter. You're still an eighteen year old boy that has matured too much for her and I don't trust you to get romantically involved with her!" my father shouted back at him.

"Oh what is that supposed to mean," Jacob spat in his face, "You knew how I felt about her from day one and you knew what would come of it!"

"But we didn't expect so soon!" I heard my mother say to Jacob.

"Yes, once she has stopped aging maybe, but not now!" my father said.

"Well why not? What difference does it make? She's not your little girl anymore. Why does it matter if it's now or in two years? She's almost stopped aging you know," Jacob refuted back.

"You could hurt her Jacob!" my mother screamed.

"Look, Bells, if you're thinking about what happened to Emily, it won't happen. I would never hurt her. You should know that better than anyone else," Jacob said back calmly to her.

"I know you would never hurt her physically," my mother said, "I mean emotionally. She still loves Aiden, Jacob. I know my daughter and she's not over him yet. She will feel like she's betraying Aiden if she gives into you. I don't want her to be torn over you and Aiden when he comes back. I don't want you to become angry with her if she chooses Aiden because she still loves him. I don't want history to repeat itself!"

I started making my descend down the stairs, when I heard Jacob yell, "Oh for Chrissake, she isn't you Bella!"

I stopped dead in my tracks in the kitchen doorway, but Jacob didn't see me there, otherwise he wouldn't of said what he said next.

"I know she loves Aiden," he said, "But I know that she doesn't love him the way she loves me. She won't leave me for Aiden when he comes back, just like you did Bella. I made sure and I know that she won't fall in love with me like you did and then leave me heartbroken when Aiden comes back. I know her better than that. She's not you Bella, and it won't kill her to be in love with me like it killed you."

I didn't know what to think, and I stood there in shock as I heard the words uttered by him that meant my mother had fallen in love with Jacob. It all seemed to add up now; their friendship that she told me and the way she felt like she needed him.

No one said anything, but I watched as my mother directed her glance to me and Jacob turned around to see the look of shock on my face.

"Nessie," he whispered hurtfully and I turned around and ran out the door.