Chapter Eleven: Unexpected

It was usual for Jacob to come by the diner two or three times a week, but this week he came Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. He had looked angry Friday and Saturday, something was up, but I figured it wasn't any of my business. He paid his bill as I was packing up to leave Saturday night and held the door for me as I left. I thanked him and started for my car, but he followed me. When I looked at him he was looking at me intensely with a frustrated expression on his face. I didn't say anything till we got to my car.

"Jacob, what's wrong?" I asked as I spun around to look at him dead on. Something was up and I didn't like the hurt and frustration I could see on his face. His personality was like night and day compared to the other times that I had seen and talked with him. He continued to stare at my face before suddenly he leaned down, putting his hands on the car on either side of me, pinning me in. His lips crashed to mine in a hard, passionate kiss. I didn't respond for a couple seconds and he started to kiss me harder, evoking a reaction from me as my lips started moving against his without my consent. There was an almost electric current passing through our lips, this was more than I had ever felt from the kisses I had shared with any boy.

I melted into the kiss and my hands traveled behind his neck, linking to pull me closer to him without me even thinking about it. As I responded Jacob's kiss became gentler and his hands left the hood of the car to move to my hips. He slowed the kiss till eventually we had to break apart to breath. He leaned his forehead against mine, both of us gasping to catch our breath as we stared into each other's eyes. There was something unresolved in his eyes, but the hurt had disappeared. As I began to breath evenly again he placed a couple soft, warm pecks to my lips before fully pulling back.

"What was that?" I wondered out loud, leaning back against the car for support. Jacob smiled smugly as he took a step back.

"I wanted to know if it would change you mind?" I stared at him, wondering what he was talking about. Was he talking about refusing to date him?

"Change my mind about what?" The question sounding stupid as I spoke.

"Is a little baggage enough to keep you at arm's length or will you let me take you on a date?" He asked cockily as he leaned back against a blue Toyota parked in the spot next to me. I took a deep breath.

"It's not just a little baggage, Jacob. It a carry-on and a couple suit cases. I can't possibly expect you to handle all of it." I could feel a constricting around my heart as I spoke, like denying him caused my heart to ache. Why did denying him hurt so much?

"I'm a strong guy, Aideen. If you can handle my baggage, I'll be able to handle yours." He said assuredly. I watched his face, seeing his pure sincerity as he spoke. I sighed before looking away and then back at Jacob. He was trying to hide it, but I could see that he was hopeful. He really wanted this for some odd reason, even though he knew he could get hurt.

"I'll go out with you..." A smile started spreading across Jake's face.

"But.." The smile dimmed for a second.

"Baby steps. We take it slow and nothing extravagant. I don't have a dress." The smile finished spreading across his face. He quickly leaned down a gave me a soft sweet kiss before pulling back.

"I know exactly what we can do. How about Friday?" I smiled and nodded. He gave me a final kiss before walking away.

"I'll see you later!" He called over his shoulder and I yelled goodnight before climbing into the car and let my head fall back into the head rest. What was I getting myself into? It's like that boy can talk me into anything and it drove my heart wild. Right now it felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. I gathered myself and drove home, almost in a daze. What was it about Jacob that did this to me? Was it his sweet talking or was it the way his eyes made me melt when I could see the hurt buried under the pleading? Was the hurt that I could feel in my own heart, the reason that I caved so easily to his will? Not wanting him to feel the same pain as I did, so I did anything to sooth it?

Sonas meet me at the door, barking and wagging her tail. I leaned down to scratch her head, getting kisses all over my face as I did so. I laughed as I pushed her away gently to wipe off the slobber. Jack was on the couch, the TV was playing, but I don't think he was paying any attention to it. He looked up as I leaned against the back of the couch. When I saw the look on his face I knew there was something on his mind. His eyebrows were furrowed and he kept twitching his fingers, almost as if he was using them to count. It was a habit he had picked up in school, he would blankly stare out into space, ticking off his fingers as he tried to think of an answer that challenged him.

"What's up?" I asked.

"The sky." Jack smirked and I shook my head. I walked right into that one.

"Really, what's on your mind?" Jack sighed and leaned back into the couch.

"I asked Annie to be my girlfriend."

"What! That's great! When do I get to meet her?" I smiled brightly at him before I saw he wasn't smiling, too.

"What's wrong, Jack? This is good news, right?" I started getting concerned when he wouldn't look at me.

"She said 'no'. Said that she just wanted a friend and not a boyfriend." He looked pained as he confessed. I moved around the couch and took a seat next to him. I sat on my knees and pulled him into a hug.

"You really liked this girl, didn't you?" He nodded against my shoulder before taking a deep breath and sitting up straight. He had always taken care of me, he didn't want me to have to take care of him.

"Just wait a couple weeks and if she doesn't come around, there are plenty of other fish in the sea." Jack tried to give me a small smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Thanks, Deen." I smiled and stood to get ready for bed.

"Hey?" Jack said as he glanced up at me. I looked at him questioningly.

"You looked a little dazed when you came in, something up with you?" I hesitated on answering.

"Yeah, but nothing big." I shrugged and Jack looked at me suspiciously.

"Come on, Deen. You've never been afraid to tell me anything before." I grimaced, knowing he was right, but I didn't wait to add salt to the already open wound he had.

"Just tell me, Deen or I'll talk to Jared tomorrow and he'll tell me." Jack smirked knowing Kim told Jared almost everything.

"He won't know, Kim wasn't there." I stuck my tongue out at Jack.

"Just tell me, I'll find out eventually." He threatened and I sighed with a nod as I flopped back down on the couch.

"Fine, but remember that you wanted to know." I Jack nodded as he watched me closely.

"Jake asked me out and I told him 'yes'." I braced for the information to register with Jack.

"What?!" He exclaimed, jumping up from the couch. His arms flew up over his head as he glared down at me.

"I thought we talked about this! I thought we agreed that you wouldn't be some damn rebound for some guy that you've only known for two months!" Jack demanded and I flinched back.

"Yeah, but I'm being careful. I'm not going to jump in to this with both feet. I'm going to take it slow, see where this all goes. We'll never know unless we give it a shot." I said softly, trying to calm Jack down.

"Fine, it's your decision, but be smart about this. I'd hate to see you hurt more than you already have been." Jack sighed and flopped back onto the couch next to me. I nodded and gave Jack a smile.

"So when is this 'date'?" Jack asked as he ran a head through his hair.

"Friday." I smiled.

"What time is he going to pick you up?" I shrugged.

"We didn't plan much out. Just agreed that we would go out on Friday." Jack nodded.

"Make sure he comes here to pick you up and that you take your gun with you. If he oversteps, he better not be going home the same way he left." Jack said sternly and I giggled.

"It's just a date, Jack. I made him promise to take it slow. You have to reach kissing, before you can start pushing for sex." Jack's expression became almost pained with the last word. His hands flew to his ear, pushing them against his skull to prevent hearing what I was saying.

"No, no, no, no, no, no! I don't wait to hear about that! Nasty images! I don't ever what to think about you doing that stuff!" He groaned and stood, walking down the hallway to his room as I giggled on the couch.

"Good night, Jack! See you in the morning!" I called after him and stood to let the dogs out for the last time before going to bed. I was about to close the door when Póilín started barking at the trees. He growled, but didn't run toward it, instead he had his tail tucked between his hind legs as he barked. Sonas stood behind him, her own tail tucked away as she hid behind Póilín. I reached over, yanking open the top drawer under the counter; Jack kept a gun there at all times. I also grabbed a flash light. I stood on the porch scanning the trees with the light. I knew whatever Póilín was barking at wasn't human. If it was he would have attacked them, this had to be an animal of some sort. As I scanned the trees I caught as glimpse of a pair of reflective eyes, before they quickly disappeared. Póilín stopped barking when the eyes disappeared, but still stood protectively in front of the porch.

I stood out and waited for the dogs to finish their business, watching the trees with my gun ready. I would have to get Jack to buy a bigger gun. Whatever had been in the trees had been huge. The eyes had stood about six feet off the ground. The bigger the animal, the bigger the rifle you needed to take it down. I had no idea what the animal could have been, being as massive as it was. I feared what it could do to Póilín or Sonas if it had the chance. I quickly called the dogs back into the house and made sure that I locked the door tight and checked all the windows before walking down to Jack's room. I knocked on the door, waiting for a reply.

"I'm decent." He called and I opened the door. I walked over to the windows and made sure they were shut and sealed tight.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked as he sat on his bed. He was watching my strangely as I checked the last window.

"We're going to need a bigger gun. Hand guns take care of humans, but not large animals." I said and walked toward him.

"Why?" He seemed confused.

"When I let Poilin and Sonas out there was something in the trees. The eyes were well above the ground. Whatever it was must have been huge." I explained. Jack seemed to understand now and nodded his head.

"Oh. Might have been a bear. They can stand pretty tall on their hind legs." Jack suggested and I nodded as I thought about it.

"Still, get a bigger gun. I don't want have that thing show back up and us not have the fire power to take care of it." Jack nodded.

"We can go out to Port Angeles or Seattle next weekend." I smiled and said a final good night before heading to my own room for the night. Sonas still seemed a little scared as she stood by the door with her tail still between her legs. I scooped her up in my arms and sat down on the bed. She was getting a little too big to carry, but I couldn't stop myself when she seemed so scared. She nuzzled her little nose into my neck with her head on my shoulder. Though we've only had Poilin and Sonas for two months now, I couldn't imagine losing them.