Thanks everyone so much more keeping the comments coming. We have so much story ahead of us, I am so excited for what I have planned. ^^
Jacob's POV
After explaining everything to Seth I watch as he comes back around the house, phased. I help Nessie get a secure grip on him so she won't fall off.
"Just until you get to the Cullen's," I warn Seth, helping Nessie put on the backpack with Seth's clothing in it. I don't like Nessie riding on his back like that. I'm afraid she will fall off.
"I can be carful, Jacob," Nessie rolls her eyes at me.
"No motor bikes, I want you to take one of the cars," I warn Seth who lets out a little huff, "no lip from you either," I glare. I feel very protective over Nessie—more so then usual.
"Fine," Nessie says rolling her eyes, "mush, puppy," she said petting Seth's ears and he looks back at my girl and gives her a big slobbery mutt kiss on her face. I shake my head and watch them take off into the woods. Great, now I have the pleasure of distracting Leah for however long this is going to take those two. I watch until I can no longer see or hear them and I go back into the house.
"Where did Nessie go?" Leah frowns, Misty was almost asleep again and Leah gave her a little jiggle waking her back up.
"Oh uh…" got to think up something clever, "She is going to spend some time with Alice."
"God have mercy on her," Leah says knowing how much Nessie hated playing dress up with her aunt."
"Yeah, no kidding," I mumble and sit back down at the table, a little awkwardly. This whole keeping secrets thing is tough. Leah is already looking at me like I am hiding something. "Sam, why don't you head home—I'll keep an eye on the squirt," I feel guilty as I say it.
"Not fucking likely," Sam bellows out. I knew that the reaction would come to that but the longer that they bicker and bitch at each other the longer I can avoid the inevitability that Leah will realize that Kalan is gone. If he left early this morning then Nessie might not be able to get him to come back until tomorrow morning.
"You know, Sam, I can do just fine on my own. I never needed you and you've hardly been here the entire time!"
"That's not true, I am here all the time," Sam argues back.
"Yeah, after I moved into this house with Kalan. Before that you were content with your Sundays with Misty," Leah grumbles. It's actually true. Before she moved in here and lived with Sue and Charlie Sam never complained about not seeing Misty. It's not that he was neglecting her or anything. I think he was just respecting Leah's space.
"All the way across the res!" Sam shouts, banging his fists on the table so roughly that the sugar cube dish in the center bounced up into the air and smashed on the table on the way down.
"Hey! Watch it!" I push my chair away from the table.
Misty starts to cry at the loud noise, "Now look what you did! It's okay baby, shhh, shh, sh… well at least she's not sleeping!" Leah yells at Sam.
Sam sighs and gets up from the table, "give her to me, Leah," he says his voice more gentle then before. Leah hesitates but she looks exhausted and she hands over the baby to Sam. Now I feel really horrible for what I started. As if it isn't hard enough for Leah, losing Sam, having his baby and now having him around every moment.
"Come here, pumpkin-angel," Sam says taking baby Misty and holding her securely against him, rubbing her back. I glance to Leah, her nostrils flare a little and she stomps outside onto the porch. I look to Sam who is completely occupied, trying to calm Misty; I go outside to check on Leah. Her hands are gripping the rail to the porch as she leans over it, staring at the grass. Her hands are shaking in anger. I don't say anything because she looks so angry and probably wants two minutes to think.
Her hand disappears into her pocket and pulls out the cell phone that Kalan got her. She flips it open and presses two buttons before putting it to her ear. "Hm, voice mail—go figure. I don't want to bother you because you're probably knee deep in those summer school papers but… I really need you," Leah sighs deeply, longingly. "When you get this can you please come home or call me or something. Sam is driving me nuts and I know… I know you're all like he's her father; he needs that little control," she said doing a British accent then laughed at herself. "Sorry, I don't know why I go British when I mock you. It's probably because you're all bookish and proper and… sexy," she laughed lightly again. She's not even talking to him directly but she seems so much happier to the illusion that he is going to hear the message later.
I go back into the house and listen from the screen door.
"You know what, I'm sorry, darling," Leah says with a light hearted voice. "Take your time, I can handle Sam. Just… when you come home you better bring Chinese food and ice cream. Lots of ice cream—big buckets; we can watch Casablanca. I know it's not Saturday but I need a date night. Alright, so I've probably eaten up all of your voice mail space, sorry. I'll see you when you get home. I love you, bye," Leah closes the phone and puts it back into her pocket.
I frown and move far away from the door and sit on the stairs before she realized that I heard her. I had no idea that she and Kalan were so deep. The way she always refuses to talk about their relationship together I never imagine that it could be too serious. After hearing that now I am certain that if Nessie comes back empty handed that this is for sure going to break Leah's heart. I don't think that she ever for a second loved Sam as deeply as she does Kalan. Kalan is good for her, he has given her so much and he treats Misty like she is his own.
"Why are you here?" Leah frowns when she comes back inside and sees me on the steps.
"Oh uh… had to get away from the crying," I lie but it seems to work and Leah shakes her head, "You're a terrible godfather," she teases me and heads back to the kitchen. I follow.
"Sam?" Leah looks around, "where'd he go? Where is Misty?"
"Calm down, Leah," I grab her shoulders before she spins around four more times.
"Calm down? Sam is gone with my baby!"
"He couldn't have gone far, Leah," I sigh, can this day get any worse.
"I am calling the police," Leah said pulling her phone out of her pocket again. The stairs creak and both of our heads snap to look. Sam comes down the stairs without baby Misty.
"Oh, thank god," Leah puts her phone away, "where is Misty?"
"She's sleeping. Look I know you want to keep her up and I respect that but she is just too cranky. Let her sleep for two hours and I promise that I will be the one to wake her up after those two hours and put her back to sleep tonight if there are any repercussions."
"Fine," Leah said simply.
"Fine?" Sam says and looks to me. I shrug; I am as surprised as he is.
"It should be interesting, you've never tried to put to sleep a baby that is not willing to sleep so good luck with that," Leah says and starts to pick up toys around the kitchen. Sam goes over to the table and starts to clean up the broken glass.
"I'm sorry about the dish, I'll buy you a new one."
"Oh, you can't buy a new one," Leah says, "that was Kalan's."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sam snaps up and both me and Leah jump.
"Jeez, don't be so touchy Sam," I put my hands up, sometimes he acts like he is the pack leader to everyone.
"Just because I'm not some rich hot-shot professor with family money lying around does not mean I can't replace a fucking candy dish or provide for my daughter!"
Oh lord. Here we go.
"That's not what I meant, Sam," Leah says, calmly to my surprise, "Kalan made that. We did this glass blowing class last year for fun. It was stupid; everything I made ended up in the garbage but it was fun," Leah said without looking at Sam but finally her eyes connected with his. "You know, Sam, I know what you think. You think that I am just with Kalan because he has money and you couldn't be more wrong. You've made it quite clear that you don't like him and what makes me sick is that he always takes your side! Whenever I complain about you being over bearing he says he's Misty's father, that's his job or he does it out of love."
I stay quiet and observe. I have to admit that I am glad that they're at least distracted; if they work a few things out while we're here, all the better. Sam looks down with a guilty expression.
"He does?" he asks sounding like someone just slapped him.
"Yes, he does. Kalan isn't trying to replace you but you need to accept that he isn't going anywhere and he is apart of my life and he is apart of Misty's life too," Leah drops the toys into an empty laundry basket and puts it on top of the counter.
"Emily is apart of Misty's life too, Leah," Sam says and I watch Leah flinch. "You need to accept that too."
"No… not when you encourage her to call Emily Mama-Emmy. I am her mother, no one else," Leah says swallowing hard.
"Emily is her step mother, Leah," Sam says gently.
"So Misty can start calling Kalan Daddy?" Leah asks and I watch Sam recoil like he was stabbed with a knife.
"Don't you mean papa-Kalan?" he asks to compare the name with Mama-Emmy.
"No… sounds like a chicken place in St. Louis," Leah mumbles and Sam laughs lightly. Wow, never thought I'd hear him laugh with Leah around.
"Let's make a deal then. Kalan stays Kalan and Emily can stay Emily," Sam offers.
"I can live with that," Leah says and hands Sam the garbage from under the sink so he can clean up the glass and sugar cubes. Nessie better hurry up and bring Kalan back here before Leah loses it!
Weeeeeeeeeee, next chapter is road trip! Please leave your reviews, I adore reading comments!
