Disclaimer: After watching Breaking Dawn Part Two for the fifth time since owning the DVD, I realize how much I truly love Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black. If Jacob and Nessie ever get a spin-off book and a movie comes out of it, I hope he reprises his character. Of course, this has nothing to do with the actual disclaimer. I just felt like sharing that with you all, because you know and I know that none of Twilight belongs to me. But if it did, Jacob and Nessie would definitely have a ton of books written about them. Anyway... Song by Nickelback!
Just one more moment
That's all that's needed
Like wounded soldiers
In need of healing
Time to be honest
This time I'm pleading
Please don't dwell on it
Because I didn't mean it
I can't believe I said
I'd lay our love on the ground
But it doesn't matter
I've made it up
Forgive me now
Every day I spend away
My soul's inside out
Life without Renesmee was barely a life—barely even half of a life. More quickly than anyone could anticipate, Jacob began his transformation into a shell of the man he used to be, or could have been. In fact, Jacob felt more and more like a shadow on the ground, attempting to blend in with the boring colors of the rest of the universe—a force not quite in existence, but breathing still.
Deep down, Jacob must have known that it was a waste of time to continue to allow himself to hurt this way, but without Nessie, it seemed now that he had too much time—so why the hell not waste as much of it as he could?
This was his decision to stay away from Renesmee.
His bed.
Forever spending it without her.
And now he was laying in it.
On the one hand, Jacob could no longer feel rage at Edward for doing this to Bella, now that he was doing the exact, same thing to Edward's daughter. Of course, now, Jacob had to admire Edward's willpower to stay away for a total of six months, if he felt even half of this way over Bella, as Jacob did for Nessie.
Often, Jacob discovered himself fleetingly contemplating if Renesmee was tortured by this never-ending division of their destinies as much as he was. On a level, Jacob realized that Nessie loved him deeply, more than she would ever love any other man. It was natural and perfectly logical to think that, yes, of course she was just as miserable and just as lonesome back in Tacoma without him. Admittedly, however, that wasn't what Jacob wanted for Nessie. He wasn't nearly selfish enough to revel in the knowledge of his imprint's agony over their separation. Jacob longed for her happiness, not her downfall.
Months passed after Jacob's reluctant return to Seattle—but it felt more like an eternity, or maybe just one, long day that would never see nightfall.
Jacob went to work, fixing all kinds of vehicles, and every once in awhile, a pretty girl with a decent smile would talk and flirt with him a little bit in the shop, trying to subtly slip him a phone number. He would then smile back, indulging them in a polite conversation, but every damn time when a girl wanted to see if he was interested in a date, Jacob could always be counted upon to chicken out.
In the past, he would have jumped at the idea, because that meant he would eventually have someone in bed to keep him company; but now—in the present—thinking of other girls, as well as spending the night with them, made him feel physically ill. No other woman could ever be precious to him the way Nessie would always be.
Nothing about a woman no longer drew Jacob in—not the sway of hips, the supple texture of breasts, nor the addicting feeling of tangled limbs. No one could compare to the true passion of holding on to something incredibly, magically real—someone real—and never want to let it slip away, but being forced to, all the same. There was nobody else for him, and his heart was left in ruins—for his heart was being burnt to the ground, until it would inevitably end up as ash.
What he wanted right to the very core of his soul was to share his heart with the only woman in the world that had the power to make him feel all right again. That would have been incredible—to be buried in her body one more time, and have her voice coaxing him to release every fiber of his being to her, then call it hers at last. She wouldn't have even had to ask him. All she had to do was tell him what she wanted, and he would hand it over to him without question. His brain, his right arm, his heart, his soul. But he couldn't tell her that now.
Jacob would have given his last breath just to catch a final glimpse into the vibrant milk chocolate hue of Renesmee's perfect eyes—through the window, finding him here, in that dreary café, waiting for her to arrive all this time. It was a dream he denied himself many a number of times, when his sleep would drift of to the bliss of memories of Nessie—remembering the safe, warm world of her embrace that was forever his real home, the sweetness of her fruit-flavored kisses. With a fiery yearn that ached in frosted heart, Jacob would stare out the dull, gray window into the silvery day, and sometimes envisioned his former wife appearing out of the blue.
What on earth would he do?
Probably, he would order that she return to her home with the Cullens to where her family would protect her better than he could here, in Seattle. Although, Jacob would certainly desire nothing more than have her wrapped up in his arms, with every purpose of keeping Renesmee to himself, and Faethra could go fuck herself. He wanted to hold Nessie, finally permitting the bitter side to him to dissolve away into the air and promise her that he was finished with quitting and running away from the place her belong, which was wherever she was—alive or dead.
Then, Jacob would kiss Nessie, recollecting the alluring nature of her taste once more, not that he had ever forgotten.
What on earth would Nessie do?
Jacob knew that exact answer.
For moments, Nessie would stand there, right in front of him, completely speechless—as she searched for the correct words to say in the moment of their reunion, before Jacob would shoo her away. But the words would never come to her. What could she have said? No words could have been more perfect than being in her presence one more time. Seeing her again would have been just too sweet and too good. Too wonderful.
If could muster any strength to send her away, it would have been the most miraculous cruelty. Her—she alone could heal every last of his scars with a single glance, but she couldn't erase what he had done once before. Nessie couldn't ever get rid of the fact that Jacob was destined to lose her, and that he had lost her in another life. And every time his ability to stay far away from Nessie would begin to deteriorate, those reasons would build up his resolve.
Her life was far more important to him than any desire he had to see her.
Anyway. . .
Then, he would go out to eat dinner at the café and talk to Lizzie. Sometimes, Fedra would be there, acting all friendly one minute, and then the next, she was making fun of his pain. It was all routine, honestly.
Breakfast. (Think of Nessie.)
Work. (Think of Nessie.)
Lunch. (Think of Nessie some more.)
Work. (Try not to think of Nessie, and fail miserably at it.)
Dinner. (Think of Nessie just a little bit more.)
Go to his apartment. (Which sucked, because it wasn't nearly as comfortable as the Cullen's couch when Nessie was on top of him.)
Go to bed. (Wish Nessie was there.)
Dream. (About Nessie.)
Wake up. (Without Nessie.)
And then he had to repeat the routine all over again for the following days.
On the weekends, Jacob would sit in his apartment on the couch and stare at the blaring light from the television screen, replaying that last kiss with Renesmee in his head over and over again, until he felt repusled to inhabit his own skin. That was all a part of his typical life now, though—wallowing in the darkening room of his world as thought it would eventually go pitch black. He tried not to think about her, but it was too damn hard. She was in his thoughts all the time, and a part of him really didn't want to let go.
Jacob felt nauseous on empty nights—his skin trembling cold, losing the happy, russet color of his flesh, despite the temperature of one hundred and eight degrees. He had a constant headache, his mind always running and pounding in his skull. Missing Renesmee like this was poisonous, slowly seeping into his veins, except this was much, much worse than being bitten by a bloodsucker.
It was okay, because he wanted to die this time. The pain was weighing him down and he was tired. Jacob didn't want to wait to become an old man to kick the bucket, but living out a temporary life without Renesmee was better than living forever without her.
So, Jacob didn't phase; he had stopped for months. Although, there had yet to be any physical signs of the change, Jacob predicted that it would only be a matter of time now before he was fully human again. He would start aging again soon. And if Faethra ever showed up, Jacob would be completely mortal, or at least he wouldn't phase to protect himself from her attacks. Let her come for him. He wasn't afraid to die. His life at the moment—this living hell—was a night come true all over again. And he was so done with all of it.
One day, Faethra found Jacob all alone in the dark woods of the forest. He made it easier for her to kill him and get it over with.
"Well, well, well. Look at what we have here—the mutt!" she laughed menacingly in a sing-song voice, her front-right hoof rustling at the leaves. "Where is your little flea?"
Jacob stared at the ground, wondering how he had been brought to this point of his life. Then, he spoke in a hoarse tone, as if he hadn't spoken in years, "What could you possibly want?"
"Your misery is a good start," Faethra answered, her fierce-colored eyes burning holes upon his face, until he finally looked up at her.
He forced a shallow exhale, and glowered darkly at the flaxen monster. "I think it's safe to say you already succeeded in doing that."
"I knew it," Faethra murmured, her yellow lips adorning a viscous smirk. Satisfaction was scribbled all over her expression. "You don't know how to not love that stupid girl. You can't fool me for a second, you wretched, mangy, old dog."
"So, kill me, Faethra," Jacob said slowly, not caring one way or the other. "What the hell is stopping you?"
"Oh, nothing," Faethra replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "I've just it a fun hobby of mine to toy with you."
"I think," he began in a fed up voice, dangerously cocking an eyebrow at her, "you've been toying with me long enough."
"Here's the thing, you and I obviously don't share the same opinion," the golden hind whispered, shaking her head.
"I'm not with Nessie. You won," he told her, beyond drunk with exhaustion. "Isn't that enough for you?"
"No," Faethra answered matter-of-factually and giggled softly. "If you had a bundle of children, I would enjoy taking away their lives one by one. You stole my sister away from me. I will never forgive that."
"She was going to kill Nessie!" Jacob reasoned, clenching his fists against his sides to keep the wolf at bay.
"And you should have let her die!" Faethra roared, her liquid gold eyes hardening dangerously. "But you made the wrong choice, dog. Now, I will make you pay." Her voice grew deeper and deeper while her anger flared out of control.
"Don't you understand, you heartless bitch!" he growled between gritted teeth, the onyx tint of his dark chocolate irises solidifying. Jacob staggered over to the yellow butt with sadness pounding within his black pupils, and then he fell upon his knees. "I'm dying here! Faethra, you have my word—I will never see Nessie again. Just take me—my life—and spare hers!"
The golden hind squared off her shoulders before she emitted a fiend cackle—sinister and high-pitched, that Jacob was reminded of the Wicked Witch. "What?" she questioned, genuinely confounded as well as highly amused. "I have never seen such stupidity in all my years. Would you actually sacrifice your own life to save the life of that hideous, little monster?"
"She is not a monster," Jacob replied with a low-toned snarl, his voice nervous voice radiating with heated tremors. "And yes, I would."
"Do you believe that thing would do the same for you?" Faethra queried, her mouth bleeding out disinterest.
"Yes. I know for a fact Nessie would," Jacob retorted honestly, and blinked—seeing the woman that would have been his wife covered in rain and mud, lost to him forever.
"Awww!" she gushed sarcastically, clasping her hands together as if it was the sweetest thing she had ever heard.
The golden hind lifted up her iron-strong elbow at angle, until it made contact with Jacob's chin. The impact of the hit sent Jacob soaring backwards, his back colliding against the sharp bark of a tree. It took a while longer for his skin to register what happened—whether or not he should be in pain—once Jacob had landed on his right skin with the sound of two bones crunching like twigs. Both legs were broken.
"How sickeningly noble of you. . ."
"You. . ." Jacob coughed, hissing as the sting of his injuries finally caught up to his nervous system.
"Me. . ."
"You're the girl from the cafe."
"Oh, I am so glad you remembered."
"Wh-Why?"
Faethra twirled a finger through her golden strands of hair, a teasing smirk plastered on her angular face. Perhaps long ago, when there was any real emotion in her soul, the golden hind could have been beautiful.
"I wanted to see if you would remain faithful to your mate. I knew you would. Fools, the both of you. However, I won't lie. I would have enjoyed pleasuring you, Jacob, and tear down the walls of your precious love to reveal how truly weak you are," Faethra deliberated, fixating her flaxen gaze at him pointedly.
A sour grunt emanated from Jacob's chest, while he found himself waiting for whatever was left of his wolf genes to heal his legs already. "Maybe we are fools, Faethra, but at least we have known what true love is."
"I know what true love is!" the hind bellowed, stalking closer. "Why else would I take pleasure in seeing it pummeled?"
"Faethra, listen to me. . ." Jacob begged, the bones and muscles of each leg rattling slowly. "I will fully surrender to you if you promise to leave Nessie alone."
"You bear far too much faith in me, wolf," Faethra said, shaking her head at Jacob's compromise.
"Please, Faethra? Just please!"
"What makes you think I would honor our agreement?"
"Because if you really go to know Renesmee, you wouldn't want to hurt her either," Jacob responded through strained wines, willing himself to stand.
"Perhaps." Faethra shrugged casually, her merciless grip wrapped tight around Jacob's upper arms, and she hurdled him across the woods. She could the snapping of bones and branches.
He cried out softly, whispering his pain. This was it. Jacob was giving up.
"Nessie. . ."
. . .
Jacob swallowed back a nervous lump in his throat, noticing that he had not been breathing for quite some time while the pad of his thumb dragged over the outline of his imprint's bottom lip. Her mouth felt so mesmerizingly soft, like sheer silk created from a shop in ancient China, and as supple as the flower petals from a blossomed wild rose. The bow shape of her lips and the strawberry were both alluring to Jacob, drawing him in further for a sweet kiss that would tempt him to wander into oblivion.
"Nessie. . ." he murmured.
The young half-human half-vampire girl's milk chocolate eyes flickered to Jacob's darker brown ones, and scooted closer to him. "What is it, Jacob?"
"Nothing," he answered, draping an arm around Renesmee's shoulders and brought her even closer to him. "It's just. . . Your lips. I can't get enough of them."
Nessie smiled her characteric gentle smile, her mouth formed the encouraging shape of a 'W' and invited Jacob in for a kiss—and that's exactly what he did, for what kind of man could resist such a splendor?
Their lips came together; Jacob's mouth tenderly moved against hers. The sensation was amazingly cosmic, as though the hot sun would implode right along with his heart if he was ever able to let go of Nessie's lips. Her mouth tasted like sweet fruit juice, or perhaps more like his personal paradise. She lightly moaned against his mouth when Jacob's lower lip scraped hers a little more roughly than either of them anticipated. The melodic sound echoed in his ears. He was already aware that Nessie enjoyed their sessions in the woods almost as Jacob did, but the involuntary noises of reassurance never went unappreciated. Jacob was inspired to allow his lips to linger for a little while longer, their lips created for this brand of passion.
Heaven.
This was heaven.
For many months now, ever since their first kiss underneath the wondrous mistletoe, Jacob hadn't been able to yet resist the sweet beckoning of Renesmee's lips, all pink and perfect for him. To keep from getting caught by anyone in his soul mate's nosy, vampire family, Nessie and Jacob would either sneak off to his place or the forest—as long as Edward Cullen was not in listening range of their minds. It wasn't like Jacob and Nessie were ashamed of the fact they both loved kissing each other, but without a proper to description to define their relationship, Nessie was the one who was hesitant to mention anything to her parents.
Today, the two had devised a plan that consisted of traveling to Jacob's home, being that Nessie always said that his bed was the most comfortable place to make out; but the motorcycle ride there was torturous—Nessie kept shaping her flawless lips around Jacob's earlobe, her temptress of a tongue dancing under the edge. Twice, the little minx nuzzled her face into the exposed, russet skin of the shape-shifter's neck—her teeth gently sinking down, careful not to damage the flesh, and she sucked as if her life depended on it. Several times, he nearly swerved off the road and could have possibly crashed against a tree. They hadn't even made it a full two miles before Jacob parked somewhere off to the side and rushed to get his mouth on top of Nessie's, which she hadn't objected to.
She groaned, placing a hand over Jacob's bare chest and stopped him. "Jacob," she murmured in an attempt to catch her breath while her heart race a thousand miles a minute. The poor thing. "Are we friends?"
"Yeah," Jacob replied, grinning wolfishly at her and chortled, hoping that answer would be satisfactory. "The best of."
"Best friends don't exactly sneak off into the woods and make out with each other," Nessie stated rationally, pulling the autumn tendrils of her hair over the top of her right shoulder—this oh-so, very sexy action had inadvertently exposed the side of Renesmee's creamy neck for Jacob's hungry eyes to drink in, and it was all he could do to not attack her with even more kisses.
"Who says?" Jacob joked, arching an eyebrow.
"How normal is this for you, Jacob?" Nessie questioned, resting her head on Jacob's shoulder. "Do you leave during patrols with Leah and kiss her like this?"
Jacob's face contorted into disgust. "Don't make me sick."
Renesmee scooched away. "No. We wouldn't want that."
"What's wrong with this, Nessie?" he asked, genuinely concerned for her. He would never force Nessie into anything. Not in a hundred-million years. "Do you want to stop?"
"Yes, Jacob," Nessie nodded, and then made a face like she wasn't sure that had been the answer she meant to say. "I mean, no. Maybe. I don't know."
He couldn't help but smile at her indecision, tucking a loose strand of copper hair behind the shell of her ear. "Tell me what you want, Nessie. It's still just me. Just Jake."
"I know it's still you, Jacob. That's kind of the whole problem," Nessie said, catching Jacob's hand in hers and held it close to her cerise cheek. He could feel how nervous she was—how nervous he made her. "Are we jeopardizing our friendship by. . ."
"By?" Jacob inquired.
"I want you, Jacob," the hybrid girl confessed, and molded her beautiful shell-pink lips to Jacob's to demonstrate the point she was trying to make, leaving him momentarily breathless, "like this." She then pushed Jacob on his back, straddling his hips—with her inner thighs squeezing the frame of his own. "And like this."
Either hand went to rest around her waist, her warm, porcelain flesh bare against his curious palms. He could get easily accustomed to seeing her like this—with her angel-like tresses of autumn casting a shadow over his face, with her perky breasts only inches away, making his mouth water. "Really? Like this?"
Nessie nodded. "Mhmm." She learned down, flattening her voluptuous breasts against his chest. "I started to notice how attractive you are a little while ago," the half-human half-vampire admitted, placing her hands against his stomach and propped herself up in a sitting position. The gentle, golden rays of the sun started streaming in through the trees, highlighting the smooth surface of her curves. "Whenever you're without a shirt, I go crazy inside and I just want to attack you."
"Would it make you feel less crazy if I wore a shirt more often?" the shape-shifter inquired, sitting up and rested his back against a tree. His fingertips bit into her soft skin and Nessie's heart roared with approval. "Huh? Would that make you feel more at ease around me, beautiful?"
Pouting in a manner that Jacob found to be the perfect combination of adorable and sexy, she answered, "No, I don't think that would change the way I'm feeling. . . Is this just a physical attraction, Jacob, or this real between you and I?"
"What answer would you like to hear?" Jacob inquired, weaving his russet digits through her soft strands of hair.
"The truth," she retorted solemnly, her orbs of sweet milk chocolate shifting to and fro—searching for meaning in his.
"Then the truth is what you'll get," he promised his imprint, and locked their brown sets of eyes together in a tender stare, "and the truth is I would never hurt you, Nessie. Never. If you want to stop this-"
Shaking her head from side to side, she hushed him by simply placing one index finger over the center of his lips. "I don't want to stop this, Jake, but I don't want to hurt you either. Our friends means more to me than-"
The shape-shifter interrupted Nessie in that second by flipping her over so that he was now on top of her, careful as not to crush her with the weight of his body. She giggled at the sudden switch, the infectious sound causing him, in turn, to chuckle huskily. Jacob cupped the back of Nessie's smooth knees, urging her legs to hook around his waist, and she groaned at the notion of their sexes being pressed together, despite the annoying barrier of clothes. Nessie shifted from under him, her head turning to the right, and subsequently exposed the delicious skin of her neck to him once again. He, as a response, lightly feathered his tongue along the side. This action elicited another groan—or at least two that were created in unison. She was just too good.
Grinning, Jacob spoke, " Our friendship means more to me than being touched like this?"
"Um, y-y-yeah. . ." Renesmee stammered wearily, letting out a heavy sigh.
Jacob slid off her, and the two sat up. "You and I don't have to do anything you're not ready for. I will be anything you want me to be."
"What about what you want?" Nessie questioned, fanning the flames out of her cheeks. "If we had never been under that mistletoe, would you have ever kissed me?"
But Jacob already knew that not what Nessie truly wanted to know. "You're asking me if I felt pressured to kiss you. . ." He shook his head. "No." Jacob wanted to kiss Nessie; he had wanted to discover the sweet taste of her lips for himself. "I did what you wanted me to do. And then I wanted to kiss you again."
"You did?" Renesmee gasped, genuinely stunned. "Really?"
"Of course," the Quileute man nodded, smiling matter-of-factually. "Look at you—you're beautiful. It was the best Christmas of my life."
A blush, the color of fresh cherries, stained the alabaster of her cheeks. This girl was the most beautiful in the world.
"Do you have a crush on me, Jacob?" Nessie asked bashfully.
"You could say that." It was an understatement. He was in love with her—a fact he had been aware of for quite some time now. "Do you have a crush on me?"
"I think what I'm feeling is a lot stronger than that."
"It is?"
"Is that okay?"
"Better than okay, honestly."
"Do you really mean that, Jacob?"
"Sure, sure. Have I earned another kiss yet?"
"A thousand more," Renesmee murmured, pressing their foreheads together.
"Then, don't leave me hanging here, Nessie."
For the remainder of the afternoon, Jacob and Nessie were all but rolling around in the dirt, kissing and laughing. It was a little bit unorthodox that Jacob wasn't actually making out with his girlfriend; although, he was desperate to actually commit to Nessie, but he was still elated to be making out with the girl he was in love with, and she wanted this, too. Nessie wanted him. Maybe this wasn't exactly a relationship, but he could live with that. After all, Jacob didn't want to lose the chemical sensation of Nessie's mouth. He would stop if that was ever what she wanted, but he prayed that would never be the case.
Once it was starting to get dark, the non-couple went back to the Cullen house for supper. Unfortunately for Jacob, Rosalie was there.
"Oh, look!" the blonde vampire exclaimed sarcastically. "It's everyone's least favorite mutt!"
"Put a cork in it, Blondie," he grunted.
"Why can't you two ever be civil with each other?" Nessie laughed, flopping down on the sofa.
"What are you talking about, Nessie?" Jacob queried with a small chuckle. "Goldie Locks and I get along just fine."
"Yeah. See? I'm about to be a really good friend to the dog," she giggled, cocking an arrogant eyebrow. "Edward and Bella went to go visit Charlie, but they should be back any minute."
Jacob blinked in confusion. "So what?"
Rosalie walked right up to Jacob, who was leaning against a tall window, and gestured to his neck. "I think your imprint gave you a couple of huge hickeys, mongrel. Cover them up, or you're going to be Edward's new throw rug."
"What?" His eyes widened in shocking, slapping his hands over his neck.
"Imprint. . ." Nessie gasped beneath a long breath, immediately rising to her feet and whipped her head around to look at Jacob. Both eyebrows were perched atop her forehead, shock etched all over her perfect features. "You already imprinted, Jacob? Did you imprint on me?"
"Some friend," Jacob grumbled, glowering at the flaxen-haired bloodsucker.
"Whoops," Rosalie muttered nonchalantly.
"Jacob," the half-human half-human hybrid murmured in a tone of breathy surprise, studying the tan features of Jacob's face. "It's true, isn't it? All this time. . . I've been your imprint. You imprinted on me. I'm your imprint. That's why we've always been so in tune with each other."
He could decipher if she was angry, disappointed, or pleased by this sudden news, but Jacob's brain registered rejection (even though, that was not what Nessie meant to happen). "I have to go." And Jacob was out of there like a bat out of hell.
"No, Jacob! Wait! Come back!"
. . .
"Jacob!"
He whispered again, his voice cracking like a vase. "Nessie. . ."
What was he doing? She would never stand for this, and whatever it was that he wanted to do always too second place to Nessie's will.
Faethra walked over to Jacob, readying an arrow to strike. "Goodbye, you pathetic wolf. It's been fun." She smirked, the corners of her mouth dripping with evil fantasies. "Don't worry. Your beloved monster will be joining you soon," the golden hind promised.
Jacob's eyes squeezed shut as he listened to Faethra's threat, and he was consumed by a ravenous rage. He began to tremble, bones growing three times from their average size and transformed beneath his skin. Fur of coarse russet sprouted through his pores, his pearly-white teeth lengthening into dangerous fangs. As the change became more and more inevitable, a ferocious, rumbling growl reverberated throughout his chest—a sound of undeniable truth.
Then, the wolf stood on all fours. He raised his front legs and knocked Faethra right out of the way. She let out a deerish cry, accidentally releasing the arrow straight into the air. Jacob couldn't pause to look up now, but instead thrashed his claws over shoulder—moving swiftly as not to catch any poisonous blood, but deeply enough to tear out a meaty chunk of skin. Again, Faethra emitted noises of sheer pain, clutching her wound, and then hissed. Finally, the arrow descended down in the yellow butt's direction, and pierced right through the skin of her opposite shoulder like paper.
Even still, as she and Jacob fought to gain the upper hand of their battle, Faethra had enough strength to toss him away from her. In one blink, the golden hind was gone, and Jacob couldn't linger in the danger. Although, she might never learn of it, Nessie had again saved Jacob from certain death, but this time, it was himself she had rescued him from.
"Hey there," Lizzie greeted him at his table, her typical and perky disposition washed away
"Good morning," Jacob yawned, but smiled. Ever since his encounter with Faethra a week ago, he had been feeling just a bit better—hopeful. It still didn't matter whether he lived or died, but it would have mattered to Nessie. She was the factor that made Jacob a better man.
"What makes it such a good morning?" Lizzie inquired, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"Nothing," he answered. "I was just trying to be optimistic"
"On a Monday? Are you insane?"
"Always."
"You want some coffee?"
"Yep. How else am I supposed to cope with Mondays?"
"Coming right up," Lizzie retorted slowly, not exactly in a hurry. It was going to be a slow morning at work for certain. Within in three minutes, she had returned with a mug full of hot coffee.
"Hey again," Jacob smiled. "That was quick."
"That's the good thing about Mondays. Nobody wants to be here, including myself," the tired waitress grumbled, then sighed.
"Lousy break," Jacob commented sheepishly.
"Whatever," she shrugged nonchalantly. "Just don't forget to leave me a juicy tip."
"Sure thing, waitress."
"I'll be right, mechanic."
"Don't rush."
He brought the steaming, black liquid to his mouth and drank it in greedily. "Mmm." Jacob inhaled the warm scent, and then exhaled in a world of content. He took no time at all to consume the contents of the mug, the bitter, caffeinated drink calming the ache of of his early morning exhaustion. Yet another day would go by without Nessie, such was the fate he doomed himself to, but he would be all right. Not whole, but all right. A part of Jacob knew that her love was still with him, and that had enough power to get him through.
"Did you already finish?" Lizzie inquired.
"Yeah," he replied, laying down a ten-dollar bill. "I'm gonna head out."
Lizzie nodded. "I'll see ya later."
Jacob went to pay the cashier, fishing money out from his pocket. He gave the guy a five and didn't bother to ask for any changed back, when it was obvious he had been cheated out of it. Upon turning around to leave—it was like slow motion—there was a beautiful girl standing outside of the window in front of the table he always sat at. Her abundant, reddish-brownish ringlets framed the angelic shape of her face, even more stupefying gorgeous than his memory gave her credit for, but a memory could never compete with the real thing. For a myriad of seconds, Jacob's feet were rooted to the tile ground and all he could do was stare—this must have been a dream, because luck like this just didn't happen to him. She couldn't be here. But it was real; she was here, gazing back at Jacob like she, too, couldn't believe what her eyes were trying to register.
With a smile as graceful and as agile as a dove's wings, written like calligraphy upon the girl's shell-pink mouth—it was all a sign to let Jacob's brain know that this was all real, that this was his life, that this was actually happening.
He rushed out of the door, eager to view her more closely, but by the time he was outside, Jacob was panting—only now realizing he had stopped breathing. "Nessie. . . You. . . What're you. . ."
Nessie shrugged nervously, her beautiful eyes glazed over with tears. "This is the place we said we would meet again, right? You waited for me, Jacob."
Words would not come to him, but words were not needed right now. None would perfectly define the bliss that was in his heart. Jacob cupped Nessie's flushed cheeks in either of his palms, his sizzling onyx orbs finding home in her lighter brown ones. He had missed her and was once again warm, no longer concealed from the warm light of the sun. And his lips took her captive, kissing her with such an unforgettable passion that they were both out of breath and in love.
Finally, Jacob learned his lesson. He would never let her go again.
Gotta be some way
That I can make it up to you now
Somehow
By now you know that
I'd come for you
No one but you
Yes, I'd come for you
But only if you told me
And I'd fight for you
I'd lie
It's true
Give my life for you
You know I'd always come for you
