Nessie's POV
By the time I wake up it is almost 11am. I can't believe we slept in that long. I look around; morning light has filled my bedroom. The room becomes dark and then light again as a cloud drifts over the sun.
"Good morning," Jacob whispers, lying beside me with his eyes closed. He looks exhausted.
"It's almost noon," I whisper to him and pull on his arm, to be let inside of his embrace. He smiles at me, opening his arms for me and pulls me down between him and the bed. I chuckle a little when he kisses my lips softly. I could live my entire life in mornings. It's like reuniting with Jacob but less bitter and more sweet because I know that even though we were in separate dreams we were both beside each other the whole time. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down closer to me, kissing him deeper. Last night's drama seems a million miles away from the here and now.
"Noon-shmoon," he mumbles against my lips to my comment about it almost being noon.
"Mmmm, I could go for some shmoon right about now," I tease him.
"Smoon a real thing?" he asks me, pulling away from the kiss to look at my face for a fraction of a second before diving back in for another long kiss.
"mmm, no," I whisper against his lips, "sounds yummy, though."
"You're funny," he says nuzzling my hair and taking in a long breath. I have yet to wash it from the other night so it is still straight. I run my hands over his bare back and feel every muscle shift beneath my fingers as he sides his arms around me tighter.
"You're tickling me," I complain and laugh when he goes to the other side of my neck and breaths me in. "It's too early, Jake."
"Baby, it's never too early," Jacob smiles and gives up on trying to get to my neck when I pull both my shoulders up.
"I need a shower," I mumble and lightly smack his hand away from my arm when he starts to pull down the spaghetti strap of my night gown and kiss my shoulder. "God, is that all you think about?" I chuckle at his pout.
"Pretty much, yes," he replies honestly, "I can't help it, I'm married to the sexiest woman in the universe."
"Yeah, well I'm married to the hottest guy in the universe but I manage to maintain a little self control," I tease him and peck his lips, "seriously, Jake, I need a shower. Let me up."
"Alright, fine," he grumbles and rolls over onto his back and lays there staring at the ceiling. I smile, shaking my head and get up, walking over to the connecting bathroom. I glance over at his depressed expression. It would almost be heartbreaking if it weren't so adorable and funny.
"Jake."
"Hm?" he glances over to me. I give him a small grin and walk into the bathroom leaving the door open for him.
After we're done showering… and other things, we go down stairs to the kitchen to scrounge up some food. I hold my lips together when I am given eight wary looks from all of my family.
"What?" I shoot a glare back at them and look back to Jacob who is just smiling to himself and toweling his short hair dry. Beads of water have made parts of his white t-shirt see-through around his shoulders. I didn't bother to blow dry my hair; it is already starting to form big curls all around my jaw.
"Like a couple of horny teenagers," my father mumbles and tries to distract himself with a newspaper.
"It's the middle of the day," Rose tilts her head from side to side as if she would pop her neck. No sound comes from it. I take it that it was just a human habit she acquired from her last life.
"Passion doesn't wear a watch," Jacob snickers and wraps an arm around my shoulders from behind. "Besides, we're married now so she belongs to me."
"Baby, I belong to no one," I tilt my head up, looking at him upside down. He smiles and pecks my lips.
"That's my girl," Mom says, proudly.
"Femi-Nazis," Emmet replies.
I hear the click of the door look past Jacob to see Kat come in, she is soaking wet, wearing last nights clothing.
"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," I tease and see a rare smile on her lips.
"Oh coffee, sweet, beautiful, caffeinated beverage. You'll never leave me, right?" she whispers in a romantic tone to her coffee mug as Esme pours Kat's drug into the cup.
"Wow, someone is in a good mood," I whisper and inspect her expression.
"Do we have any food?" She asks, ignoring my gaze.
"Yeah, I'm starving too. I think I'm probably going to hunt something, though. Do you want to come with us, Kat?" I ask, Jacob has already gone to get his shoes and my big clunky black boots that I love so much. Kat starts to unwrap a package of poptarts.
"Sweetie, there is nothing in that which is actually food," Esme says disappointedly to Kat.
"What are you, my mom?" Kat sips her coffee and then rolls her eyes when Esme takes the poptarts away from her and starts taking eggs out of the fridge.
"Come hunting with us," I tell Kat and lace up my boots that Jake just brought me.
"I don't drink from the taps," Kat says in such a tone that reminds me of Fox and I feel my stomach sink for a moment. Fox always used to say that exactly how she just said it. I can see him perfectly in my memory now like hot white light. His big shark grin, his blonde hair, his perfect suits, the way he looked as he spun me around and around on the dance floor. My mouth floods with saliva as I remember that sweet drug in the golden goblet. Then the abandonment fills me up so full that I feel my throat become tight.
"What's wrong?" Jasper asks me. I look up and realize that my father isn't saying anything, just pretending to read an article. He looks at me quickly, sideways, then goes back to the article. I suppose he wouldn't want to comment on those thoughts especially if they're about my ex-husband while my new husband is just a meter away.
"Nothing, I promise," I reply to Jasper's concern. He can make the emotions go away and make me feel calm again but I told him to never do that with me. He respects my wishes. I quickly excuse myself from the kitchen and out the back door, Jacob follows close behind.
"Ness, stop. What did Jasper mean back there?" he asks me and lightly puts his hand on my lower back.
"Nothing, I'm fine now," I don't want to talk about it but I know that Jacob is going to push the issue so I start to think up excuses.
"Nessie, come on. It's me," he says softly and leans in.
"I.. I—I was just thinking about Misty," I think fast, "just how close we came to losing her. I can't get the image out of my head," I feel guilty for using the girl's near death experience to cover up for my thoughts about Fox but what can I do? Tell him the truth? Not likely.
"Aw, baby," Jacob wraps his arms around me and even though he is consoling me for worry of Misty I feel comforted from my thoughts of my ex-husband who is god knows where and probably dead. "It's okay, she's fine now."
"I know, I'm just being stupid," I reply and pull away.
"No, you're just being sweet," great now he thinks I'm sweet. "Will it make you feel better if we go and check on Misty?" he asks me.
"Sure," I whisper, "we should take your truck because we have the haul back Dad's car anyways," I remind him.
"Alright, come with me," Jacob takes my hand and leads me to the side of the house, opening the door to his pick-up truck for me. On the drive over to Leah's I can't quit thinking about Fox. I hate that he is on my mind. I wish that I could just make him go away like he was never here to begin with. I glance out the window and can't believe my eyes. We're here already? I am so unobservant of time when my mind is occupied. My dad says that I get that from my mother. I'm sure there is a deeper meaning to go with that comment because they always smile at each other when he says it. I just don't want to know. I hop out of the car and smile at Jacob when I realize that he was about to open the door for me.
"Sorry, beat ya," I tease him and give him a peck before heading into Leah's house through the kitchen. I am surprised to see that Sam is there at the table. "When did you get here?" I ask him.
"He never left," Leah gritted her teeth, baby Misty is on her hip as she made herself some toast.
"Oh," Jacob glanced at Sam a little awkwardly. I don't blame him, this whole situation is awkward.
"How is her head?" I ask and look to Misty who still has hello kitty bandages on her little forehead.
"I think the bandages bother her more then the cut," Leah says and looks down to Misty who is a little sleepy looking.
"She looks tired, maybe she needs a nap," I suggest.
"Well she wouldn't be so tired if someone who shall remain nameless—Sam—didn't wake her up ever hour on the hour all night long," Leah said glaring at Sam, sitting at the table eating sugar cubes from the dish. Jake is sitting there too, also eating the sugar cubes.
"She might have had a concussion, I didn't think we should let her sleep at all," Sam defended.
"Well thanks to you she barely did," Leah argues back.
"Well can't she sleep now?" Jacob asks.
"No!" Leah glares at Jake as if he just suggested she'd feed Misty to a snake. "If I put Misty to sleep right now she'll be up all night. I just have to keep her eyes open until 7pm. Just until 7, that way she'll stay on schedule."
"Well now I think that is stupid," Sam mumbled.
"Oh do you? I don't remember asking for your opinion," Leah shoots back.
"What's the harm in letting her sleep a little now?" Sam crosses his arms.
"Yeah—you can say that because it's not you who is going to be up all night with her after she's gotten her sleep today!" Leah snaps.
"I'm going to go say hi to Chuck," I say quickly, I don't want to be here when hair starts flying and eyes start rolling.
"He left early this morning," Leah says.
"Where'd he go?" I ask, curiously.
"I don't know. I think he went to the school to grade summer school papers," she replies and bounces Misty a little on her hip. "Come on baby, stay with me. You can sleep at 7, I promise," she said to Misty. "Nessie, do me a favor and go into my room and get that worm doll that beeps, she thinks it's hilarious. Usually I have to take it away from her at night or she'll play with it till dawn."
"Sure," I nod and muss up Jacob's hair on my way by and head up the stairs. This is such a nice house. Its smaller then where I live now but when Jake and I start looking for a place in La Push I want it to be like this. It looks like a big wooden cabin but new. I walk into Leah's room and look around. Worm… I don't see a worm.
"Leah, I don't see a worm!" I shout down the stairs.
"It should be on the night table!" she shouts back.
I look over to the table. Nothing is on there, maybe it fell behind the table. I look in behind the night stand and sure enough there is a big green worm toy, "gotcha!" I grab it and pull it up from the floor. A loose leaf of paper flutters from the night stand and I catch it mid-air. It's in Chuck's pen.
Dear Leah,
Please understand that although I love you with all my heart I can no longer keep putting you, Misty and all whom I hold dear in danger. I have wired some money into your account so you and Misty will never have to worry about payments on the house, food or whatever expenses living requires. Last night was a close call and I was foolish to have forgotten that it was No Moon. You will never have to fear again.
With all my love,
-Kalan
I put my hand up to my mouth and look to the door to make sure no one has discovered me, then I look back to the letter. Leah is too collected, she hasn't seen this yet. When did he leave? How far has he gotten?
"Nessie, did you find it?" Leah shouts up the stairs.
"Yeah, I'm coming," I shout back and crumple the note up in my pocket. I hurry down the stairs. "Here you go," I pass off the stuffed worm to Leah. "Jacob I need to talk to you," I say and smack the sugar cubes from his hand and back into the dish then drag him outside with me.
"What? What's wrong?" Jacob asks me with concern. I take the note from my pocket and give it to him. He looks at my face for a moment and then frowns reading the note. His eyes widen and he looks back up to me.
"I know!" I answer his gaze.
"Did Leah see this?" he asks me and hands the note back to me.
"No, I mean—by the way she is acting I doubt she has," I put the paper back in my pocket.
"Nessie this isn't what she needs right now. Not after everything. Sam left her and you remember what she was like. She was going to kill herself, Nessie. Kalan saved her."
"I know, so what do we do? She's going to find out sooner or later," I fold my arms across my chest.
"There isn't much we can do. We have no idea where he took off to," Jacob sighs, running his hand through his short hair. I feel my stomach sink a little bit. I have an idea where he might be.
"Stay here with Leah," I tell him and watch him frown.
"What? What? Nessie what are you planning? Don't do anything that is going to put you in the middle of this," Jacob says with a disapproving tone.
"I brought Chuck here, Jake. If Leah flips out it is because of what I did. I'm going to find him and convince him to come back. Stay with Leah and distract her. Whatever you do just don't let her know that Kalan is gone, alright," I look at Jake hesitation to agree.
"Nessie, I don't like this. I don't want you running around alone," he looks nervous and I wrap my arms around him. He locks his strong arms around me and draws me into his chest.
"I can take care of myself. I won't be alone when I meet up with Chuck."
Jacob breaths me in and then kisses my head before letting me go, "no, I'll get Seth to distract Leah and I'll go with you."
"Jacob, Seth has a big mouth and can't lie to Leah. She will see right through him," I rub his arms. "I'll be fine."
"What am I lying to my sister about?" Seth appears out of nowhere and is standing behind us with his arms crossed.
"Take Seth," Jake's eyes twinkle with brilliance.
"Come on, Jake. Stop."
"It's him or Edward."
"Road trip!" I pull Seth's arm.
Sorry for the short delay but here is more drama. Dun dun duhhhh. As promised. Please leave a comment! ^^ I luv reviews!
