Chapter 25

Conversations stopped mid sentences and everybody looked towards me.

"She shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous," Alice said.

The doorbell rang again and I picked up on her scent. Of course Emma would try and come and see me. I hadn't been to school in a week and she knew better to believe that I had a stomach bug that Mum made up.

"Do you want me to answer it?" Carlisle asked.

I owed her that much. "Yes."

"Hello, Emma," I heard Carlisle say as he unlocked the door.

"Where is she?" I could hear the frustration in her voice.

I heard their footsteps as they walked up the stairs. Emma stopped in her steps and gasped at me.

"Are you still going to tell me you're fine?" she said grimly.

"Can you give us a minute?" I watched as my family left the room and Jacob gave me a reassuring smile as he left. The room was silent as we gazed at each other and Emma came over and sat beside me.

"You shouldn't have come here," I said. "You need to go home."

Her face crumpled up and she stared at me incredulously. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what is going on!"

I shook my head and turned my gaze away as tears welled up. "I can't. It's too complicated."

"You say that every time. I think I can keep up."

She wasn't going to give up. As much as I loved away, she drove me mad sometimes with her persistence.

I ended up telling her everything – about Nahuel, Joham and the Volturi and even about drinking the blood today.

"So, you're telling me Joham poisoned you with this drug he created and you're going to go to Chile to get the antidote off him?" Emma summed up. When she said it out loud, I realized it sounded totally absurd.

I nodded. "That's the plan."

"Do you realise you could be walking straight into a trap?"

I sighed. "Em, we don't have another choice. Without the antidote, I'm not going to survive for very long. And I don't intend to keep drinking human blood."

She sighed too. "You're right. And I can't believe you drank human blood. What'd it taste like?"

I giggled. "I'm half vampire you know. Blood is appealing to me."

She grimaced. "Ew, forget I asked."

We both laughed and then turned serious again.

"When are you leaving?" she asked quietly.

"In a few days. Emma, you can't come here again. I promise I'll come see you when this all over."

She dropped her gaze and her gold hair fell down the sides of her face. I watched a tear slide down her cheek and she swiftly wiped it away. Emma hardly cried and it hurt me like hell to see her like this.

"Hey," I slid closer and squeezed her hand. "I'm going to be okay."

She tilted her head up and nodded slowly. "I know. Promise me you'll fight no matter what."

"I will." I embraced her and we rested our chins on each other's shoulders. I wiped the streaming tears that were now staining my face and we pulled away.

"I should probably go..."

"No," I croaked. "You're here now. Please stay, for a short while. Mum and Grandma are almost finished on dinner."

Emma sat back and smiled. We gossiped about the recent scandal at school and anything we had our minds. It was nice to talk to someone outside the family and forget about the Volturi for just a couple of hours.

"So, you and Josh are a couple now?"

Emma blushed. "Yeah, I guess we are. He's really lovely."

"I'm really happy for me. Just be careful, okay?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

We had lasagne for dinner and afterwards I walked Emma to the door. I hugged her one last time before she drove off, and it kicked in that this could be that last time I see her. A shiver ran down my spine - from the cold and the actuality that I could never see my best friend again. I excused myself from dinner and curled up on my bed, letting fresh hot tears stain my pillow.

o o o

When I woke up, it was twelve thirty am. Isat up in my bed, disoriented and my eyelashes matted. I rubbed sleep out of my eyes and walked to the bathroom. My eyes were red and puffy and dark circles were etched under my eyes. It looked as if I hadn't slept in days, even though I was sleeping most of the time. Beads of sweat formed at my temple and my hair was matted. I probably wasn't going to get sleep anytime soon, so I stripped out of my pyjamas and stepped into the hot spray of the shower.

As I pulled my dressing gown around me and went back to my room, Jacob was sitting on my bed holding a plate of pie.

"Hey, you missed out on dessert. Esme and Bella made apple pie." He held up the plate helplessly and we sat on the middle of my bed as we consumed it.

"I'll let you get some rest," Jake said getting up.

I grabbed his hand. "No, please, stay. I...want to show something." Really, I just needed an excuse to make him stay. But I did want to show his something. I went over to my desk and grabbed my sketchbook. "It's something I've been working on."

I flicked to the almost-done picture I was drawing of Jacob. In the right corner was the actual image I had cut myself out from. He had his head slightly tilted away from the camera like he didn't want his picture being taken and he was wearing the crooked grin I adored. Jake smiled up at me.

"I want to go to art school after I graduate," I declared.

"You're very talented, Nessie. You will definitely make a career out of this." He smiled playfully. "And, I find it rather hot that you're drawing a picture of me." Jacob winked and I stifled a laugh.

"I think you need to work on your flirting skills."

Jacob grinned. "Don't worry. I'll find a better line to use."

I laughed again as I sat cross legged and Jake lay his head on my knee. I played with his hair absentmindedly with one hand and worked on the drawing with the other. We sat like this for almost an hour sharing casual thoughts here and there, until I suddenly had a violent coughing fit and Jake jerked up and stroked my back. He handed me the glass of water on my bedside table and I chugged it down.

"Maybe you should get some rest," he suggested.

I shook my head stubbornly. "I'm almost finished."

"Nessie." He grabbed my hand and the pencil fell out and clacked on the paper. "There will be plenty of time to finish it later."

What if later never comes? I suddenly thought in a split second and then realised Jake's hand was on top of mine. I turned my gaze away and he didn't say anything.

"Stay," I pleaded. I tucked myself in and Jake hesitated before he lay next to me in the dark. He propped his head on one elbow and I could barely make out his perfectly carved face. I reached up to his chin where a stubble was growing and he kissed me goodnight.

"I love you," I suddenly heard myself saying. I blushed lightly and was glad it was dark. I watched the corners of his mouth tilt up and he touched my cheek delicately.

"I love you, too. Always and forever."

"Always and forever," I repeated and he kissed me softly again.