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JACOB'S POV
Quil gives me a ride back to the garage. I'll have to take a look at the truck to see why it wouldn't start yesterday. Hopefully, I can get it fixed. My bike is still parked at the hospital, I'll need to swing by and get it.
I still can't believe I caved and am allowing River to stay with Nessie. Honestly, though, I could use the break. Being a single parent is not easy. Even if you got a great kid like River.
I texted Sam earlier to arrange a meeting tonight. We need to talk about Nessie. He is going to have to be cool about her. Technically, the oceanfront area where Nessie is staying-and where Leah and Kalen live-is not on the res. It's close but slightly outside. I don't want a war to break out between the packs over Nessie.
When I get to the front door I see that the mail has piled up. I sort through the junk and stack the bills. Mortgage, electric, phone and internet… then there it is. The hospital bill.
I take the stack upstairs to the sweltering apartment. I toss the envelopes onto the table and head to River's bedroom and start packing a bag with some more of his things, mainly clothing. I try to push the nagging feeling aside. The hospital bill…
I zip the bag shut and inhale deeply, staring at the table from the doorway of River's bedroom… Fine. I quickly make my way to the table and tear the envelope open.
"Fuck, you've got to be kidding me!" I can't believe my eyes. $1200 for a fractured arm and bump on the head? I clench my teeth together as I retrieve my phone from my pocket and open the banking app only to see what I suspected… A negative number. We've already overdrafted this month. The apartment suddenly feels hotter.
Okay. Okay… nope. Everything is going to be fine.
I tuck the hospital bill into my pocket and open the junk drawer in the kitchen and start sorting through the unpaid invoices of clients who owe me for repairs. I sort them into two piles. One pile is for people who I can probably get an installment payment from. The other is for those I know have nothing and I shouldn't even bother asking. Why is the pile for the don't bother clients so much larger? I take another calming breath. It doesn't work. I'm still anxious. I flip through the papers. Even if I do manage to get some installments I can't see myself acquiring any more than $600… $800 at most. I'm so fucked.
The bank won't give me a thing. I already owe too much. Maybe I can sell the bike but that could take a while and I don't know anyone around here who would be able to pay for it.
I cross my arms contemplating my options. I mean… there is one way to make it go away. I recoil… ask Nessie to pay the rest of it. My mouth feels dry. Cullen money. I scowl. Why is it always like this? Never a way to get ahead. Every red cent that comes in alway gets funneled right out again and then something like this happens and I am left scrambling to figure it all out on my own.
While I work on the truck in the garage, my mind continues to grind through every option I can think of. It always leads back to me asking Nessie for help. I turn the key in the ignition. When the engine roars to life I feel relief but also dread… Relief because I have my truck back in order… dread because now I have to see Nessie.
The first thing I do is drive by the hospital and pick up my bike. Then I make my way around to the folks who owe me for repairs. I manage to collect $780. If Nessie agrees to take half the bill I can have an extra $180 left over to take care of my bank account's overdraft and some left over to put food in the kitchen. The entire drive back to the beach front cottage, I feel nervous. The last 24hrs for Nessie and I have been tense. Now I have to ask her for money.
By the time I make it to Nessie's the sun is beginning to set. I park behind Nessie's Volvo. I can't believe she ended up with a Volvo like the lot of them. I'm not sure I should be surprised. Nessie is so different from the girl I remember… But so am I so who's to judge. I grab the duffle bag I packed for River and head up the long steps to the front door. The cottage's main entrance is elevated a full storey up. Just when I am about to knock on the door Nessie opens it, almost walking right into me.
"Oh, hey!" she says holding a box. She seems to be in a good mood.
"I uh… brought River some things," I say. I'm a little taken aback. Nessie's hair is no longer straight, her bouncy curls that I haven't seen in years are back. "Your hair…" It's not just the hair, though. She is wearing a loose fitting red plaid shirt and black tights. I am having a difficult time looking at her and not seeing my Nessie.
"Hm? Oh… yeah… There isn't enough hair spray in the world to keep it straight while I live next to the ocean." she says. Then I notice the yellow rubber gloves tucked into the waistband of her tights. Nessie puts the box down and pulls out a couple of light bulbs. She climbs up on a deck chair and starts unscrewing a dead bulb from the fixture.
"Did the owner not clean?" I ask when I see the yellow gloves. I get frustrated watching her try to balance on the chair and unscrew the bulb. "Let me do that," I take the bulb from her. She climbs off the chair. I discard the burnt bulb back into the box and screw in the new one. I don't need to climb on furniture to do it either. Benefit of extreme height. "There's something I need to discuss with you."
"Oh?" she says. Her face changes as though she is preparing for me to say something punishing.
"River's hospital bill…" I pull the folded paper out of my pocket, "it's a little bit out of the budget this month," I reply, apprehensively. I don't like how my voice sounds.
"Oh… Okay, yeah. Sure… Of course," Nessie says, "come inside," she says leading the way into the cottage. I follow. The place is incredible. Cottage? Can you call an over-the-top beach house a cottage? It smells like she is cooking something. Nessie cooks now? Nessie disappears into a room and comes back digging in her purse. She retrieves a checkbook and pen.
"You're writing me a check? Are you like 80-years-old?" I smirk, I was expecting an e-transfer.
"How much is it?" Nessie asks, ignoring my snarky remark.
"I just need $600," I reply.
"No, really, how much is it?" Nessie asks, looking up from her checkbook.
"You don't need to pay for the whole thing, Ness," I reply.
"The way I look at it, Sam came looking for me. This kind of happened because of me. Stop arguing. Is that it?" Nessie pointed to the paper in my hand.
"Uh… yeah," I nod with a sigh. Nessie pulls the paper from my hand and glances at it.
"Twelve hundred," she whispers as she scribbles on the check. Nessie tears the rectangular paper from the book, folds it in half and hands it to me.
"You really don't need to do this," I say again but take the check.
"You take care of everything with River. Just let me do this… please," Nessie replies.
"Okay," I say quietly. It's kind of a humbling moment.
The oven timer goes off, "be right back," she says disappearing into the kitchen.
I unfold the check and look down at the slip of paper. $1,200.00. My eyes wander to the signature line and I freeze. Renesmee C. Black… Black? … She kept my name... I feel flustered; the back of my neck is suddenly hot. Why would she do that? After everything? I swallow. A rush of emotions come over me. Seeing her first name like that in print with my last name reminds me of my Nessie. My wife… back when I could call her that. I don't know what we are. I need to get out of here.
"Hey, I'm gonna take off," I say, and turn to the door.
"Ah! Dammit!" I hear Nessie gasp and then curse followed by the sound of glass breaking.
I stand still wondering if I should just leave… I'm sure it's fine, she's a big girl… Fuck.
"What happened?" I ask, making my way to the kitchen to see Nessie clutching her hand.
"There was a hole in the goddamn oven glove," she hisses. I look to the floor to see shattered glass from the baking dish and whatever she had been cooking, all over the floor.
I step over the mess and turn on the cold water in the sink, "come here," I reach for her hand. She allows me to take it. I gingerly remove the oven glove and then move her hand under the icy water of the expensive looking stainless steel faucet. After a few moments, I pull her hand back to inspect the burn. "It's almost healed already," I whisper. She has superhuman healing. Doesn't mean she doesn't experience pain, though.
"Mom?! Is everything okay?" River calls from upstairs.
"Everything's fine!" Nessie replies. I notice that she is breathing heavily as though she had been holding her breath this entire time. Her eyes connect with mine. I realise I am still holding her hand.
"I should go," I say under my breath, releasing her hand.
"Stay," she whispers in the same hushed tone, her eyes fixed on me.
"What?"
"I don't know," Nessie says, shaking her head.
We stand still, face-to-face for what seems like a long time. Then seemingly out of nowhere Nessie rocks forward onto her toes and kisses me, gripping my biceps to keep her balance.
I am completely caught off guard by the sudden affection. For a moment, I just stand there, completely frozen. Finally, my good senses prevail and I kiss her back, holding her by the waist. I forgot to breathe for a moment. I inhale deeply once my chest begins to ache. I lift Nessie up and set her down on the kitchen island so that reaching her lips is not such a chore. Our kiss increases in intensity as my hands wander up the back of her shirt, caressing her soft skin. For a moment I think she might object when her lips take a brief pause. Instead, she threads her fingers into my hair and slides closer to the island's edge so that our bodies are flush against each other.
Our behaviour over these past few days can only be described as bipolar. First, we made love. Then we were at each other's throats. Now we're making out in the kitchen of the beach house where Nessie is staying. My mind keeps spinning with thoughts of how close she is going to be and how easy it will be for me to come here… Come here and do things like this… It's confusing but also exhilarating. I should walk away from these situations. I don't know. I just can't help myself.
Nessie breaks from the kiss in order to catch her breath. I take the opportunity to kiss her neck exactly where I know she likes it. A small moan escapes her lips and she tilts her head to the side, allowing me greater access. My hand locates her bra hook.
"Jacob," Nessie mumbles when she detects my attempt to relieve her of the inconvenient undergarment, "we can't do this here," she says, out of breath.
"Yes we can," I whisper against her neck and then make my move to kiss her lips again.
"River is upstairs," Nessie says dodging my lips.
"Ground him," I mumble, completely serious.
Nessie softly chuckles, "for what?"
"Doesn't matter," I reply, returning my lips to her neck, "just act like you know what he did. I'm sure he'll confess to something," I say with a smirk between kisses.
"I don't have a condom," Nessie mumbles. Another good reason why this can't go any further.
"I'll pull out," I offer, completely void of my better judgement.
"Jake!" Nessie laughs.
"Okay.. okay," I inhale deeply, sliding my hands back from under her shirt, resting them atop the counter on either side of her thighs. I hang my head, trying to regain my composure. Nessie's breathing slowly returns to normal as well. My eyes wander to the broken dish on the floor. "What was that even supposed to be?"
"A lasagna," Nessie replies.
"But… There's only noodles and cheese. Where's the rest of it?" I frown.
"That's it… That's what lasagna is, right? Noodles and cheese?" she asks.
"You missed a few ingredients."
"Like what?" Nessie asked, following my gaze.
"Everything," I whisper and look back to Nessie. The expression on her face is one of cluelessness. I smile and shake my head then peck her lips softly.
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