Chapter 11: Apology

It was weeks before I could tell Jacob. Everyone else in the house knew, and my dad kept telling me that it wouldn't be any easier the longer I waited. But, the truth was that I wasn't ready to tell him. I was still trying to accept it myself, let alone trying to tell someone else.

Alice was the first to find out, that night it happened. Then my mom, and then Rose, Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme.

Tybalt had tried to talk to me at school, but I gave him one-word answers or less. I didn't want anything to do with him, and I really didn't want Jacob to think that anything was going on between us, because nothing was.

But, after almost a month of my parents pestering me, I finally rounded up the courage to tell Jacob.

It was Saturday afternoon, and he had just woken up from a nap, so he was at his happiest. I had asked everyone to scatter; I had to do this on my own.

"Hey, Jake?" I said nervously. "I gotta tell you something."

"Okay," He sat down on the couch next to me. "What is it?"

"I, um," My throat suddenly went dry. I swallowed hard and inhaled deeply. "I kissed Tybalt." I exhaled as I looked at his face for any sign of emotion.

His face went through many stages of emotion: first shock, then confusion, and finally, anger.

"I'm so sorry." I said sincerely. I wished that I had never even danced with Tybalt, let alone followed him near the bathrooms. "I really didn't mean to. It just happened. And I've been feeling bad about it since the moment it happened. I'm really, really sorry. Are you—"

"When did this happen?" He cut me off, his expression blank.

"At the dance," I replied in a small voice. "Are you angry with me?" I looked up at his face.

He looked back down. "Are you kidding me? I never could be angry with you, though right now half of me wishes I could be. I knew this would happen. Why did I let you go? I knew something bad would come out of it. And him," he spat the word, "He's going to want to stay away from me—"

"It's not your fault. I forced you to let me go. I wanted to go. And I'm really really sorry to say this, but I don't know if you could really fight him." I said, but immediately wished I hadn't.

"What?" He said in a voice like ice.

"Well," I began, "He can kind of turn invisible…"

That's when Jacob walked out the front door. I didn't try to stop him. My dad came in the room a couple minutes later.

"Are you alright?" He asked me.

I nodded. "Is he terribly angry with me?" I asked him.

My dad shook his head. "No. Like he said, he can't be angry with you, it's not in his capabilities since he imprinted on you. He's mostly mad at himself, and Tybalt. He hates that Tybalt has the capability to take you away from him."

"But he knows I love him, not Tybalt." I said. "Right?"

"Well," My dad looked wary. "Now this whole Tybalt thing is making him not-so-sure."

I buried my face in my hands. Great. Now my soul mate doesn't think I love him. What more could go wrong? I really shouldn't think that, what with the jinx and all…

"Is he ever going to come back?" I asked my dad, half of me not wanting to hear the answer.

"Well," my dad said, "He doesn't really have a choice. He can't stay away from you for long. I'd estimate a couple of days. He just needs a little time to digest."

I sighed. That made me feel a little bit better, but the pit in my stomach didn't shrink at all. I spent the rest of the weekend sulking around the house, and even Jasper didn't try to cheer me up.

When it was time for school on Monday, Jacob still hadn't come back. I tried to practice some normal facial expressions before we got to school, but I still looked completely depressed. Even the brand new outfit Alice got me looked bland with my sullen face.

Brendon, of course, noticed my obvious sadness, and asked me about it many times. I claimed it was just fatigue. He also asked where Jacob was. I told him he was sick.

Unfortunately, Tybalt caught up with me after lunch when I was on my way to Biology, alone.

"Hey," he said, easily keeping up with my power-walking.

"Hello." I said coolly, keeping my face forward.

"Where are you headed?" He asked.

"Biology."

"Wanna ditch with me?" He asked, sounding like he really hoped I said yes.

Well I hoped he enjoyed disappointment. "I don't ditch."

He snorted. "Okay, goody little two shoes. It's not like you'd get in trouble."

"That doesn't make it right. What are you going to do, anyway? Go to the grocery store with your dad?" I asked sarcastically.

"Oh yeah, I never got to that part, did I?" He recalled.

"What are you talking about?"

"My dad's dead. The Volturi killed him." He whispered.

I gasped and looked at him for the first time since he began talking to me.

"Come on. I know you want to hear the rest of my story. And it's only Biology…" He tempted me.

And I did want to hear his story. But I couldn't do that. Not after how much I had hurt Jacob. "No. I'm going to Biology. See you later." I turned into my classroom and left him in the hall, gaping.