Helloo Readers! Welcome to Chapter 10!:)
Thanks so much for the faves & follows. I'm glad you are liking the story so far! I hope this chapter doesn't change your mind;) Not sure how I feel about it yet, I knew what I wanted to happen but it was hard getting there. Feedback is appreciated(:
Those who reviewed last chapter:
I Am Switzerland101: Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked chapter 9 so much, and I hope you continue stay in love with my story;)
Taurus Pixie: You are correct, Elyse does have to find out at some point...possibly soon? We'll have to see;) Glad you liked the chapter. Thanks!
DeeReadinQueen: Jake does want to tell Elyse, he's just not sure how...And glad you were surprised about Kathryn & Billy's past;) Thanks for your review!
daLeah: Thanks for your review! I'm sorry your confused, Jake is confused too;) He doesn't want to hurt Elyse by telling her he's pretty much her soul mate, and making her feel worse about going back to Colorado. We'll learn more about what Roger is up to soon enough;) Hope you like this chapter!
myblacktears: Thanks so much for your review! I'm glad you like the chapter. I will say that eventually Elyse will meet Bella, but I'm not going to tell you how they react towards each other;) That will have to remain a secret until it happens. Hope you like this chapter:)
Thanks so much! On with the chapter...
Chapter 10 – Stranger Danger
Friday July 11th
Elyse POV
This morning, my alarm goes off at 8AM, and even though I'd like to turn it off and go back to sleep, there's too much to do. I take a quick shower, dress in some comfortable clothes, and have a bowl of cereal. The downstairs is a maze to maneuver, boxes stacked all over, in every room, but at least they're priced and organized. Zooey left me a list of what is left to label, and a pricing chart, so I can finish the remaining items myself this morning.
Zooey came up with a brilliant plan for the tag sale, since we have so many items and such a small front yard. We're going to set up eight long fold-out tables, some of which Zooey helped us acquire, and display the smaller items like jewelry, CD's, books, toys, etc. The clothes, shoes, and other apparel will be placed under the table and remain in the big bins that are labeled with that item's price. Then, we're going to open the garage door, and leave all the big furniture items like couch, chairs, TVs, old dining table set, and other appliances in there for people to walk in and look at. I am so overwhelmed with this tag sale; I literally can't wait for it to be over and done with.
By 11AM, I'm finished with everything inside, and make my way outside to the garage to get started in there. Thankfully, Jacob already brought all the big, heavy furniture out to the garage for me on Wednesday, so I don't have to worry about that. I was expecting him to still be around to help me today though, so…I'm not sure what I'm going to do when if I need to move something. What the Hell am I thinking? I don't know what to do? Hello?! I guess I'll have to use my own arms and legs, and move it myself! So long as my 110-pound butt can manage to lift whatever it is…I'm surprised I managed to lift the garage door open by myself. I thought it was going to fall on top of me and I'd be stuck under there until Grams got home. How stupid-looking would I have appeared then? 'Oh, hey Grams…yeah, don't worry about me, just stuck under a door here, it's all good'…All right, maybe I did need a few more hours of sleep last night; I'm a little loopy this morning.
The problem with the garage right now is that even though all the items are in it, they don't look very appealing. I wanted to make rows are something, some way to give tag sale shoppers an easier time looking around. I wish Jake were here, because he could help me move this stuff a lot quicker. It doesn't help that him not being here is another distraction. I haven't seen or talked to him since Wednesday, and I still don't know what I did wrong. I regret looking through Mom's photo album with him now that it scared him off. How was I supposed to know, though?
"Ugh!" I grunt, trying to push a tall, wooden bookcase against the cemented wall of the garage, and not making much progress. "Go!" I sigh, muttering, "Stupid, big, dumb, heavy bookcase…"
I hear a low, gravelly chuckle coming from just outside the garage. Someone is laughing at me. It better not be…I straighten up and peer around the side of the bookcase. Nope. Not Jake. I have no idea who that guy is.
"Sorry," He says, his voice deep and husky, "I didn't mean to scare you."
"That's okay," I reply with a shake of my head, taking a few steps towards the door to the garage to get a better view of the stranger. He is tall, maybe six feet, with golden bronzed skin, almost like a California surfer guy would have. He looks to be in his late-thirties, possibly early-forties, with medium-brown hair that is buzzed down practically to his scalp. He is a stocky guy, but looks to be made entirely of muscle. What is this guy, a wrestler or something? A friggin body builder? My Lord...
"Do you need a hand?" He offers, with a closed-mouth smile. His eyes are a cool grey-blue, and even though he is smiling, it doesn't reach his eyes. Something about the way he's staring, almost like he's studying my every movement, it's a little creepy.
"Thanks," I reply slowly, "But I'm actually waiting for a friend to get here. He's supposed to be doing all the heavy-lifting for me."
"Ah, I see," The man nods, his grey-blue eyes narrowing to nearly a squint as he glances around him. "Is the sale not today then?"
"No, it's actually tomorrow and Sunday," I inform him. Duh, that's why a strange man is approaching the house! There are signs all over town with this address printed on them! I was starting to get a little worried, but that makes much more sense than what I was thinking.
"I must have misread the sign," He says with a shrug, his eyes not leaving mine. After a moment of hesitation, he speaks again, "Elyse, right?"
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and I take another couple of steps towards the stranger as I answer, "Yeah, how did you know?"
"I knew your mother," He answers with a slight frown, lines appearing in the crease of his two dark brows and giving his face a much harder appearance as he does so. "I'm sorry for your loss. It must have come as such a shock to you." I nod, but say nothing. "Are you living here now?"
"Oh, no," I shake my head back and forth, red-orange curls bouncing off my shoulders. "I'm staying with my Gramma for a bit; help her get the house re-organized and stuff."
"That's very nice of you," He comments with another smile, this one also tight-lipped. "Well, it was nice seeing you, Elyse. Maybe I'll stop back over tomorrow and buy something from your tag sale."
"Thank you…" I return, trailing off since I don't know his name. He doesn't supply it for me; he simply smirks. He's really starting to make me feel uneasy.
The stranger waves, and then starts walking away from the house, back to the sidewalk. He looks over his shoulder once and calls out, "Oh, and have a safe flight back to Colorado next week, eh?"
I open my mouth to answer, but I find I have no words. Why would he say that? I never said I was…How did he know I'm from Colorado? How…? I hold my breath the entire time he's walking to his car, and don't let it go until he's started the engine and taken off down the street. I don't know why, but suddenly I'm shaking all over. I feel light-headed and have to sit down on one of the chairs that matches Mom's old dining room table.
"Elyse, are you in here?"
I jump at the sound of another male voice, even though this one is familiar to me. When Jake comes into view I sigh and whisper, "Oh, you scared me!"
"What, why?" Jake questions with a frown.
"Well, I didn't think you were coming," I reply with a shrug. And I thought you were mad...Then I add, "And there was this guy here before…he-he creeped me out a little."
"What did he do to you?" Jake asks, checking me over in a concerned way. He scans the front yard, but the stranger has been gone for over ten minutes now.
"Nothing, he just-" I tap my knee with my fingers nervously as I retell, "He said he knew my mom, and that he thought the tag sale was today. But when he left...he told me to have a safe flight home, to Colorado, and I never told him that's where I live. Or when I was leaving, and he knew it was next week." My heart starts beating faster as I think about it again, and I'm panicking. I don't want that guy to come back tomorrow. I don't want to see him ever again. He was creepy. There was something not right about him. And he knowing where I'm from was just the icing on the cake.
"Hey," Jake grabs my shaking hand and bends down to my level, looking me in the eyes, "Its okay. He's gone. I'll stay with you. It'll be okay."
"But how did he know, Jake?"
"I don't know." Jake suggests, "Do you think he knows your Grams?"
"Maybe..." I start chewing on my bottom lip. I don't think that man knew Gramma, but I don't know for sure. Jake's hand over mine is comforting though, and knowing he's here now does make me feel better. "Just the way that he said it...it was like he wanted to catch me off guard." Like he was warning me he's watching me or something. Am I right? Or am I just being paranoid?!
Jake sits next to me and silently holds my hand until I've calmed down. How can he do that? How can he make me feel better just by sitting next to me? Just by being here? I smile at Jacob gratefully, "I'm glad you're here. You're not still mad about-"
"No," Jake cuts me off with a shake of his head, "I was never mad at you. Just caught off guard, and…reacted very stupidly."
"I don't really blame you for being a little surprised, I mean, I was too," I tell him with a smile, twisting the hand he is holding around so I can wrap my fingers around his. "Grams said that must mean our destinies are 'intertwined' or something like that." I force out a little laugh so he doesn't take my statement too seriously.
Before Jacob has a chance to share his opinion on the subject matter, my phone starts to ring.
"It's my dad," I announce after pulling it out of the pocket of my jeans, "I haven't talked to him in days, so I should probably answer."
"Yeah, of course." Jake releases my hand reluctantly so I can stand up. For some reason, I always end up pacing when I talk on the phone, especially when it's Dad.
Normally, I'd answer 'Hey Dad, what's up?' or 'Hey Dad, I miss you!' but since I'm still mad at him, I simply answer with an annoyed, "Hello?"
"Well hello to you too," Dad replies, surprised. "I take it you're still mad. You've been mad at me since I left you, Elyse."
"You never answer when I call you," I remind him, trying not to sound too pissed off so Jake doesn't know I'm arguing with my dad. "I haven't talked to you since Sunday."
"I know, I'm sorry," He returns sincerely, "I'll make it up to you."
"With what? Father-daughter camping? How are you gonna make it up to me, Dad?" I am so fed up with the 'I'll make it up to you' crap.
"How about we start with flying you home? Monday?" Dad ignores my sarcasm. He's used to it, believe me. "And what's so bad with camping? You used to love camping when you were little."
"Exactly, when I was little," I repeat his words, "Not anymore. What time is my flight? And are you ever going to answer me about the extension for Grams? I don't want to leave her like this."
"Slow down, Elyse, one question at a time." Dad laughs. "What question should I answer first?"
"Grams!" I reply impatiently.
"I can get her an extension to September 1st," Dad says cautiously, "If she can pay the bank three thousand dollars by this Monday, the 14th."
"Really?!" I ask, excitement obvious in my voice.
"Yes, but Elle, honey, that's a lot of money," Dad warns me, "And Gramma Perrot didn't sound like she has any more money for the bank, not if she's going to get a place of her own at the end of the month."
"We'll make the money this weekend, with the tag sale," I tell Dad confidently, flashing a smile at Jacob, who has been watching me curiously from the table I left him at when I answered the phone. "Anything else?"
"A tag sale?" Dad sounds doubtful, "Do you really think you can make three grand at a tag sale?"
"Dad, I said we'd do it, right?" He's so pessimistic. "And we will."
"Okay," Dad sighs. What's he sighing about? I got my stubbornness from him..."Well, I'm flying out of San Diego Sunday night, so I'll pick you up at the airport on Monday. Your flight leaves at 7:20AM. Hopefully your Gramma can bring you to the airport? And good luck with your tag sale." San Diego, as in California? He's been in California this whole time? What's so secret about that? Why didn't he just tell me before?
"7:20?" I can't believe he did this to me. "7:20?! Come on..."
"It was the only flight they had available before noon. We have things to do when you get back."
"Like what?" I wonder. What could possibly be more important than my sleep?!
"We'll talk about it when you get here," Dad compromises, "And I'll tell you about your mom, too, okay? Anything you want to ask me, you can ask."
I make him promise before allowing him to hang up, and then apologize to Jake for that since it must have been awkward for him. He doesn't seem to mind. His only concern is when I'm going home. I tell him the day and the time, and I feel horrible when he truly looks sad. He asks me if I'll come to his house for an early dinner on Sunday; so I won't be out late. He's so thoughtful and sweet. He says he'll pick me up in his car, finally, and drive me there and back. How can I say no? So of course I say yes.
After Jake and I straighten out the garage for the sale, he has to go, so I decide to make dinner for Grams. When she gets home, we eat while I tell her the news about the possible extension on the foreclosure date. Gramma seems to think the same way as Dad when it comes to the tag sale; we'll never make three thousand dollars. I tell her the same thing I told Dad: We will make the money. I just know we will.
Saturday July 12th
Today is the big day: the tag sale! I've been working my butt off on this for over a week, along with the help of Jake and Zooey and Grams, so people better come prepared to spend their money. I only wish I'd gotten more sleep last night. I have a feeling I'm going to want a nap around three this afternoon, seeing how I've been awake since three in the morning. I had this awful nightmare, and I couldn't fall back asleep. I know, what am I, five years old? But it was scary...
I guess that stranger from yesterday must have really gotten under my skin. In my nightmare, I was sitting on the swing on the porch outside the house, and it was dark. I heard footsteps on the pavement; someone was walking down the sidewalk. Then they stopped, right in front of the house. And I realized it was a man, but I couldn't see his face. The only reason I know it was the stranger from yesterday is because he chuckled, that deep, gravelly laugh that I'd hoped was Jacob and not some creepy guy. In the dream, his chuckle turned into a growl, and his eyes started to glow red. He slowly started coming closer, but I couldn't move; I was stuck to the seat of the swing, frozen with fear. I woke up before he got me, but...my skin was crawling. I jumped out of bed and looked outside the window because I had this itching sensation someone was watching. For a moment, it looked like someone was there, but when I blinked, it was nothing. I convinced myself there was nothing there, but I still couldn't fall asleep. Instead, I read a book, took a bath, painted my nails, re-organized my clothes, and cleaned the entire room.
By the time I hear Grams wake up, I'm craving conversation with another human.
"Hey Grams," I greet as I bound down the stairs two at a time.
"You're up early," Grams notes as she fills the coffee maker with water and turns it on. She still has her light pink bathrobe on and matching slippers.
"Yeah, I couldn't sleep anymore," I relay. "I think I'm too eager for this day to get started."
"I'll be happy when it's all over with," Grams comments.
"Don't worry Grams," I tell her, patting her back as I pass her on my way to the fridge, "We're going to get you the extension on the house."
"If you say so, Elyse," Grams sighs.
I pour myself a glass of milk, and add some chocolate syrup, stirring it up with a large spoon until the white milk is a rich, dark brown. I love chocolate milk! I sit at the small kitchen table, across from Grams, and sip my milk through a straw. Gramma scans the morning paper while she waits for the coffee to brew.
"Will Jacob be over today?" Gramma asks, her eyebrows rising in hopeful curiosity.
"Yeah, he'll be over to help," I reply with an involuntary smile. I can't believe tomorrow will be the last day I see him for...who knows how long? I wish I could pack him in my suitcase and take him with me. Dad wouldn't be too happy to find a super hot guy in my belongings, no matter how sweet with me he is.
Grams smiles in a pleased way, "Good. That's good. Peggy said Zooey will stop over tomorrow afternoon to help out."
"Okay." I offer, "I'll make us some eggs and toast."
"Thank you, honey."
After we eat, Grams retires to the bathroom to have a shower while I clean up the dishes. I like the quiet, calm mornings here in Forks. In Colorado, mornings are never quiet or calm. Dizzy is usually running around like crazy, Gemma is usually complaining loudly about Dizzy, and besides the noise those two make there's the TV in the living room that is almost always on. It's going to be strange going back after being here for two weeks. I do miss the girls though, and Gavin and Nora and Dad. I miss my room and all my things. Now there are going to be things I miss about here when I'm there. I wonder what I'll miss the most?
When Grams is ready, we start setting up the folding tables out on the front lawn. It's very easy to then place the bins on the tables and move on to the next one. It only takes us a half hour to set up everything outside. Gramma tells me she'll finish straightening everything up out here, and gives me some money and her car keys to run down to the donut shop. She thought it would be a nice touch to buy a couple dozen donuts and have them available for the early-morning tag sale shoppers. She is too cute.
I am happy to make a donut run. In the shop, it's a bit busy, so I have to wait in line for fifteen minutes or so. I order three dozen donuts, assorted flavors. They look delicious.
On my way out, I catch sight of something out of the corner of my eye. On the telephone pole, where I hung a sign for the tag sale last week, another sign has replaced the one I made. I saw a man in a police uniform post it while I was inside the donut shop. I step closer to read the big, bold-face words on the sign. I almost drop the three boxes of donuts in shock.
Missing:
Jacob Ephraim Black
Last seen on Saturday June 28 in La Push, Washington.
Age: 16 Height: 6'7" Description: Black hair, dark brown eyes.
If anyone has seen Jacob or knows of his whereabouts, please call the number below.
Then there's a picture of Jacob followed by a phone number. I don't understand. This is crazy! Jacob isn't missing. He's been with me almost every day this week. He...
Across the street, I see something that makes the blood drain from my face. Standing there, watching me is the stranger who showed up at Mom's house yesterday. He waves when he sees I've spotted him. I stumble back in surprise. I rip down the Missing poster of Jacob and take it with me back to Gram's car. I get in and speed off, back to the house, hoping and praying that Stranger Danger doesn't show up at the tag sale today.
Back at Gram's, I stay in the car for a few minutes, staring disbelievingly at the Missing poster. I just don't understand how Jacob's family hasn't known where he's been the past two weeks. Where has he been if he hasn't been home? If he's been lying to them, what's he been lying to be about? Do I even know him like I thought I did? Is what I've been feeling even real?
Before I can think twice about it, I dial the number on the poster and place my cell to my ear as it rings.
"Hello?" A deep, male voice picks up the line.
"Hi," I say, my voice coming out quiet and squeaky from being so nervous. I clear my throat. "Hi, um, is this Jacob's dad?"
"Yes, this is Billy Black, who's this?"
"My name is Elyse, Elyse Chevalier." I announce, "And I was just at the donut shop a few minutes ago when I saw this poster of Jacob. I don't know where Jake is right this minute, but I know that he's not gone far, Mr. Black. He was at my Gram's house with me in Forks yesterday, and on Wednesday. And Monday he took me to the beach. I've seen him almost every day the past week. I had no idea he was avoiding his home."
"He's all right?" Billy asks, the concern in his voice reminding me of Jacob.
"Yes, well he seemed all right when he left yesterday. He should be coming over soon; he's helping me and my grandmother with a tag sale. I'm so sorry, Mr. Black, I don't understand why Jake would lie to me. He told me so much about you and he never said anything about not staying at home or being angry or…" I trail off, unsure what else to say.
"It's all right, it's all right," Billy says gently. "I was only worried about him. I'm glad to hear he's all right. Will you tell him to call me, please? Tell him to come home."
"I will," I promise. "But, do you know why he left? Was he angry? Did something happen?" I'm so curious to know because it doesn't make any sense to me why he'd lie? Or why he'd run away from home just to stay so close-by?
"You should ask him," Billy Black suggests before politely telling me good-bye.
I will ask him, but how do I ask him that?!
Before Gramma starts to wonder what is taking me so long, I bring the donuts, car keys and change inside to her. She is brewing another pot of coffee, this one to share with whoever would like some with their donut. Gramma had set up a 'check-out' table with a money box and two chairs so that she and I can sit outside and watch for customers. We take our seats and have a donut while we wait. I am anxiously looking out for Jake's arrival and starting to feel sick to my stomach at the thought of confronting him about his secret.
Once the first few shoppers show up, I'm distracted enough to forget about the conversation I had with Billy Black a little while ago. By the time Jake arrives, we have around fifteen people milling around the front lawn, rummaging through the bins for whatever treasures they can find, and I don't have time to stop and confront him. I feel my stomach flutter nervously, and not the happy nervous flutters either, when Jake approaches, but I put on a smile and greet him casually. I ask him to help some woman carry the old TV she just bought from us to her car, and he is happy to oblige. For the next hour or so, I watch him like hawk, searching for any clues as to why and how he's pulled off being 'missing' for the past two weeks. Who the Hell do I think I am? Steve from Blue's Clues? There are no signs, or I would've already seen them! I think the reason I'm so shook up over this is because normally I'm really good at reading people; especially guys. It's something I'm kind of proud of, being able to tell a genuine nice guy from a fake Prince Charming. Jacob never set off any warning signals…or maybe his hotness distracted me? That's it! His good looks must have my dick-dar all fucked up!
When there's a break in the crowd, I plan to pull Jake aside, but he beats me to it. He pulls me over to the garage and asks, "Are you okay?"
I sigh, still unsure what I'm going to say to him. "Not really." Before he can ask what's wrong, I query, "Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead," Jake says, gesturing with his hands that I can ask him anything. Like he doesn't have anything to hide, only he does!
"Is there anything you've…not told me?" I ask, unable to look him in the eyes. I realize the question is pretty vague, but since Jacob immediately starts to fidget, I know he must have figured out he's been caught.
"What?" I look up at him, confusion written on his features, and I frown. He's not really going to play dumb, is he?
I blink a few times. "Okay…I'll ask you a different question then. Where were you last night?"
Please don't say 'home'. Please don't say 'home'.
Jake shrugs and replies, "Home?"
I can't keep the hurt and annoyance out of my voice when I demand, "Why are you lying to me? I know that's not where you were."
Jake closes his eyes and licks his lips slowly, like he can't believe this actually happened. Like he really thought he was going to get away with his charade, probably until I went back home to Colorado. But now that he's been figured out, what's he going to do? What's he going to say? He was just playing a game with me this whole time? He wanted to have some fun with the tourist girl? I just don't understand any of this.
"How?" That's the only thing Jake says.
I can't believe how angry that makes me. "How?That's the important question here? Because, Jake, when I went into town this morning to get donuts, I found a missing kid poster, with your face on it! And then I called the number on the paper, because I just didn't believe it. And guess what? I talked to your dad, and it's true! He hasn't seen you for two weeks. You lied about everything. Why would you do that?" Up until that last question, my voice was dripping with sarcasm, but unfortunately the drama of all of this caught up with me, making my voice tight with emotion. But there is no way I'm crying about this. Not here, not now, and not in front of Jake.
"I don't know." Jake's dark eyes are open and fully focused on mine, proving his honesty. "Elyse, I never meant to take it so far. I didn't think any of this would happen. I was going to tell you, I swear."
"You're not even making sense," I point out bitterly. "You don't have to tell me anything, okay? If you can't, then don't. But you have to go home. Your dad is so worried about you that he called the police and reported you missing. I mean, obviously it's not because he's fearing for your personal safety; like, who'd kidnap you anyway? Doubt that'd go over well. But that's not the point. The point is, you need to go home and tell your dad you're sorry." When he's still standing there after I'm done, I order, "Seriously, now. Go."
"You really want me to leave." Jake states, disheartened. His face is so sad, like he's a puppy and I just kicked him or something. But I can't be distracted by his cuteness. He lied to me, and he doesn't even have the words to explain himself.
I hesitate before nodding, "Yeah, because your relationship with your dad is more important than my tag sale. You shouldn't be here; you should be there. Don't you think he deserves an explanation more than I do?"
"Are you going to let me explain it to you after I go home?"
"If you want to tell me about it, then I'll listen." I say indifferently. I'm not going to beg him for answers. I'm not even going to act like I want to know, which I do. I'm dying to know, but I can't show Jake that. "Just don't lie to me anymore."
"I swear, I won't," Jake promises, hugging me awkwardly since I'm not really returning it. Quietly, he says, "Don't be mad at me, please? I will tell you everything. It was all make sense then. Okay?"
I nod, even though I don't know what I'm agreeing to. I can't help how I feel right now. I feel angry and betrayed, and stupid and blind. I don't know that I'll believe his story even if he does tell it to me. All this time I felt like Jacob and I share this connection, but was it even real? Is he any different than the boys from Colorado, or New York, or anywhere else I've been? I thought he was, but I don't feel like I know anything anymore. All this talk from Ava and Grams and Zooey, convincing me that destiny has something to do with me and Jake meeting, it got me really believing that it was true.
Kismet-schmizmet. I don't believe in any of that crap.
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