Sorry this took so long to get up, it's not that great, but it's necessary to the story.... I have the next 2 chapters written, i am just editing them.

Jake took his time washing every inch of me. His strong hands sent shivers through my body. I barely quivered under the heat of his skin, which was nothing compared to the steaming water. Again, I wanted more, but we stopped before the touching got to be too much. Jake dried us both off before heading down stairs for dinner. As always, Jake had left me alone to get changed. I was tired and didn't feel like going back downstairs. I got dressed and got into bed with my book. I had neglected my reading and really missed some of my schooling sessions with my Grandpa. Maybe I should look into some courses. Wouldn't that be normal? Is there was somewhere I could register in this town? I didn't think there was a university or even a college here, but maybe I could find something online, or at a community centre.

Jake came up to check on me after he ate. He wasn't ready for bed, but he came to lay with me anyway. Sometimes he would do anything just to be beside me, and I could never complain. He knew when to talk, and when to leave the silence.

He turned on the hockey game quietly and before I knew it, it was morning. Jake was still asleep when I woke up. I looked at his face; although many of his features were prominent, his sleeping face was delicate and soft. I shifted my body closer to his to feel the heat from his body. His face twitched slightly and is eyes began to open to see me watching him. The corners of his mouth lifted and pulled me closer to him, closing his eyes again. I didn't know what time it was, but I could have stayed in bed all day in my warm nook.

"I guess I should try to get a job today." Jake said, breaking the silence.

"Why do we need to do that again?" I was trying to convince Jake to stay in bed with me all day. I rested my leg on his and squeezed him into me.

"As much as I love this, what if it's months of this? I think you would get sick of me fast, and I don't think we could exactly blend in if neither of us worked." He paused brushing my hair down my head. "You said you wanted to settle somewhere and not stay on the move, right?"

"Ya"

"Well then let's take this opportunity to be as normal as we can, we may never have a time like this again, let's take advantage of it."

He was right, I would never be able to be on my own again, or at least I never thought I would. "Ok, well lets get up then, get your unemployed self a job."

"You thought about what you want to do?" he questioned, pulling his face back to look at mine.

"I was thinking about trying to take some classes or something. I actually miss my school stuff."

"Didn't your grandpa give you enough stuff?"

"Ya, but you're right, I don't want to be alone all day, and this is the only time I can get out and do things as a human"

"Glad to hear you may be embracing this a little bit." He squeezed me into him a little more. "I am going to get some breakfast, you hungry?"

"Sure, I didn't eat dinner last night, I should probably eat."

"Your not feeling hungry these days are you?"

"No, not really, I feel like I need to hunt more then I need to eat, which is weird."

"Maybe it's just nerves and habit, but anytime you want to go hunt, I'll come with you."

"Thanks, but I think I'll do that on my own" I did not want Jake to do that with me. it was the one thing I hadn't done with him growing up.

"I don't really want you going out into the woods on your own. It's not safe."

"Jake, I don't need a babysitter, for god-sakes." I sat up.

"I know you don't, but why cant you see my side, it's dangerous, especially now."

"Ok, DAD!" Jacob had a way of getting under my skin like my dad could. He laughed back at me, annoying me a little more.

"Whatever Nes, just let me know when you want to go" he said going into the bathroom

"Jake you said you weren't going to put limits on me." I called after him.

"Ya, as long as I could be there, and you agreed. What is the big deal anyway?"

"I just don't feel comfortable."

"I can see you naked, but I can't watch you kill a few animals?" he said as he closed the door. I could hear him laugh

My face went hot with embarrassment. Jake never made me feel uncomfortable, and maybe he felt comfy enough to reference me being naked off the cuff like this, but I wasn't.

"You can't compare the two"

"Yes, yes I can. It's about being comfortable! You think I wont like you after I see you do that?" he mumbled through brushing his teeth. He re-opened the door and walked towards me.

I kind of did, I was worried it would gross him out a little, but it was something I only ever did with my family.

"Fine Jake, I'll let you know" rolling my eyes as I lied. I would try to sneak away once he got a job. He smiled back at me showing all of this teeth with his mouth full of toothpaste. I couldn't help but laugh and him as he walked away.

I returned to the coffee shop, hoping to see Stella again. I was eager to interact with her again, it felt easy and I thought she would be able to help me find somewhere to take classes or at least the internet could help if she wasn't there.

Jake was going down to the dockyard where the fishing companies were to see if they needed help on the docks. He planned to pick me up in a few hours, but I think he was nervous to leave me. He didn't want to seem like he was being overbearing, but I could tell he was apprehensive. Jake dropped me off at the coffee shop and I kissed him goodbye, suddenly insecurity came over me a little. I didn't want to seem like a stalker, but was so curious to know more about Stella, and this town.

"Morning Carlie" she said as I walked through the door into the relatively empty coffee shop. "You here for more internet or another hot chocolate?"

I smiled and my insecurities started to fade. "Hi" I hesitated, not even knowing what I was going to do. "Sure, another hot chocolate and internet."

"You liked it did ya?" I just smiled and nodded. "Is your boyfriend with you again?" she smiled softly.

"No, no, he went to try to get a job. I am on my own today." I felt like I was babbling giving too much information.

"Sounds like fun" she laughed. "What does he want to do?" she didn't seem to mind me providing too much information.

"I don't really know…" I went on to tell her about what he is thinking he can do, either logging or fishing, I made up a little story about him having knowledge of that from his reservation. She thought with his Native status he wouldn't have a problem getting on with any number of fishing crews. Uncle Jaspers's note looped through my mind.

"What about you?" she asked. Sitting on s stool behind the counter handing me my drink.

"I don't really know, I was in school, and I kind of miss that." I missed learning from my grandpa, I wasn't sure if I would even like school.

"I can't really imagine that…." She laughed. I felt insecure again, like I was saying things that normal people wouldn't. "But then again, I didn't do school after high school, I am sure it's great, I just had to start working here."

I looked at her peculiarly. She obviously picked up on my furrowed brows asking a question because she quickly answered. "This was my mom and dad's place and my mom got sick a few years ago and I had to take over. She is fine now, and works some days, but I have just gotten so into routine, I haven't broken it."

I smiled with her, silently thanking her for letting me into her life a little bit. The door opened and we both turned to look. Stella greeted a man named and asked about his dog and wife. He paid for his coffee to go and smiled at me on the way out the door.

"Small town, I told ya" she said shrugging her shoulders at me as he left. "It seems like nothing ever really changes. It's nice, but it's not, at the same time."

"I like it here" I blurted out, knowing that I didn't know the half of the town, I just liked that it was different, and I could have hated it for many reasons, the most being that it wasn't home and my family was no where near.

"Why did you come here again?" she asked politely, as I leaned against a barstool close to the counter.

"Family stuff" I tried to sound casual, but I felt my voice shake a little. "We wanted to get away for a while to give our family some time away from us." It was her turn to have her brows furrow in question. "My family wasn't really OK with Jake and I. They wanted me with some university type, someone going somewhere" I raised my hands wrapping air quotations around my last words.

She laughed softly, but allowed me to go on. I told her some of the story Jake and I had contrived and other parts I made up on the spot. She was calm and asked questions through out the story, forcing me to think about the potential holes in our story that I should fill Jake in on later.

"Why here though? It's not somewhere you can really even get your life going or prove them wrong." Her cynicism in this town was evident.

"We don't want to prove them wrong, we just want to be able to be us without a lot of complications. It's also somewhere they wouldn't expect."

"So they don't know where you are?"

"They think we are in Victoria" I lied. "I told them I might register for school there" I prayed there was a university or college there to cover my lie.

"You could" she laughed. "They have a lot of on line courses. You said you missed school, that's the closest school that is good and offers that kind of thing." She walked me to the computer and opened up the University of Victoria's web page. "I have a few friends that have done courses on here." I felt relieved that my story came together.

"Thanks, I'll for sure check it out"

"So what else are you going to do here? Err, I mean, sorry, that's forward."

"No, no it's fine." I liked that she was forward. I noticed that she was quite pretty and petite I tried not to stare at her, but I couldn't help watch her movements. She wasn't as fluid or smooth as my family, but she had something very beautiful about her. I could smell her blood and knew I had nothing to question. She smelled like Sue a little bit when she hadn't been around Leah or Seth. My mind drifted to my Papa, I really missed him and knew he must be lonely with retirement coming along as well. I was in a trance again, and Stella was still standing beside me.

"Sorry," I shook my head slightly. "I don't know what else to do." I really didn't. I didn't know what people my age did. Knowing what was cool was beyond me. "Any suggestions?" maybe she could shed some light without knowing it.

"Do you want to work?"

"I don't really know, I don't have to, but it might be good for me"

"What do you mean?"

"I have never had to work before, but it might be a good change."

"How old are you? You have never had to work?"

"twenty one, I was in school and my parents supported me." I shrugged my shoulders, feeling a little embarrassed that I had lied, and that I knew I would never have to work.

"Oh," she paused thinking. It made me nervous, was this not the case with many people? "so what are you going to do now?"

"I don't really know" I needed some sympathy after sounding and feeling like a spoiled child. "We left so quickly, and we didn't have a plan. It's all a bit overwhelming." I said looking down, hoping she would see that I was lost and this was overwhelming, just not in the same way I was leading on.

"Well you could get a job, what do you like to do?" another person walked in the front door and Stella greeted them by name again and went back around the counter to serve them, giving me a chance to think of an answer. I was pretty sure she liked talking to me, but I wasn't sure of my story as every lie felt weird. Lying just wasn't an option in my family because of my dad.

so do you like the action or the plot?

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