A/N: I don't own the Twilight characters or anything else.
Sorry I've been gone for so long, even though I keep promising I'll be updating the story as much as possible I never seem to find the time or the inspiration to actually sit here and make something happen. I've been working on this chapter for weeks now, but I think I got it to a point where I'm happy with it. Enjoy!
Chapter 7
"Is it okay if we meet in front of my hostel in like 20 minutes?" Nessie asked. Nahuel said yes and left her on the doorstep. They were getting ready to move on some place new, they were debating between Rio and Sao Paulo but they wanted to get going that same day. It was almost sunset so it would be easier for them to travel without having to worry about the sun.
Nessie didn't have much to pack for herself, she was carrying on her backpack most of what she'd brought with her. The 20 minutes she asked Nahuel for were so that she could be able to sit down and call home. She was still unsure whether or not it was a good idea, but she knew she had to at least let everyone know she was still doing okay. She decided not to say anything about Nahuel because that might give away her whereabouts and also because she wasn't sure if her family would be happy to have her be around someone that was mostly a stranger to them.
She sat down on the bed and grabbed the phone from her nightstand. She sighed and dialed Jasper's cell number, hoping he wouldn't be around the others.
She hoped in vain, to say the least.
Jasper answered on the first ring, but the phone got snatched away from him immediately. Bella's desperate voice came through.
"Renesmee, what in the world were you thinking?!" She exclaimed. It made Nessie cringe. "We've been worrying sick about you!" There was some sort of commotion going on the background. She recognized her father's voice and Rosalie's.
"Hi mom." Nessie said in a small voice.
"Hi mom?" Bella repeated. "That's seriously what you're opening with? You have a lot of explaining to do, so you better start by telling me where you are." She was clearly angry at her, but Nessie also detected concern in her voice. It caused her to feel an uncomfortable clench in the pit of her stomach.
"Mom, I'm sorry but I can't tell you that." She replied.
"We can trace the call back." Edward said in the background.
Nessie got up from the bed and paced around the room with the phone in her hand. "I'll be long gone by the time you do that." She said with conviction. She was prepared to make a run for it if she had to.
"Why are you doing this?" Bella demanded. "It's not fair, we've done nothing wrong! You just up and left because you felt like it, not to mention how dangerous it is for you to be on your own when you're not strong enough to defend yourself!" That struck a nerve. Nessie was aware of the fact that the rest of her family was stronger than her and more agile, but she hated feeling like the weakest link. She had always felt like she had to prove to everyone that she was strong, even though her family had always assured her she didn't have to. Until that moment, at least.
"Just because I'm not a vampire, it doesn't mean I can't defend myself. I'm smart enough to not put myself in danger, you know." Nessie replied, angrily.
"Well, you're putting yourself in danger right now." Bella replied. "And not just that, you're hurting us!"
"Bella." Edward warned in the background.
"No, Edward. She has to know that actions have consequences!" Bella countered. "Have you thought about Jacob at all and how incredibly unfair you're being to him? Or do you not care about that?"
Nessie had thought about Jacob every single day since she left. She felt absolutely terrible for hurting him, but he was the main reason she had wanted to get away. "Yeah, I've thought about him." She said in a small voice.
"He was sick a few days after you left, did you know that?" Bella said. Nessie heard commotion in the background and Edward reprimanding her mom. Apparently they had agreed not to say anything about Jacob being ill. "She has a right to know what's happening with him."
So that had confirmed Nessie's suspicion about the imprint. Them being so far apart for so long was having a physical side effect on Jacob as well, she felt a pang of guilt in her chest for being the cause of that pain. "I didn't know that, actually. I'm really sorry that happened". Nessie's response was quieter now.
"It's not me you have to apologize to for that, Renesmee". Bella replied. "You need to come home now". Her angry tone had turned more pleading. Bella was still angry, but her concern was become more apparent by the second.
"Mom". Nessie started, she needed to choose her words carefully now to get her point across. "I'm not coming home. Not yet, at least. I didn't leave to hurt you, there are things I need to figure out and work through on my own and I can't do that from back home. I'm sorry this is how things turned out, I really am, but I love you and I want you to understand that I need space".
Nessie waited for her mother to keep arguing with her, but she was met with silence. There were still sounds coming from the other end of the line, but for whatever reason Bella was taking her time to answer. "For whatever's worth, I'm doing fine. I'm not in any sort of danger and I intend to keep it that way. I know that right now it feels like I've abandoned you, but I haven't. Home is still home to me, and I will come back, I promise you that".
"You're just so young". Bella whispered, her voice cracking. "I didn't think teenage rebellion would come around so soon. I thought I'd be prepared for it, you know?" Nessie laughed at that.
"It's not teenage rebellion; I'd say it's more like teenage confusion". Nessie replied. "I just want you all to understand that you didn't do anything wrong, not really. I just- I just hope I can explain myself a bit better someday".
"Me too". Bella said. After that exchange the conversation didn't last long, partly because Nessie was worried the call would get traced if she stayed on the line for too long, and partly because it was hard to talk to her mother and hear the heartbreak in her voice, it was soul-crushing.
After hanging up the phone, Nessie decided it was best if she just went outside to wait for Nahuel. She had already packed everything and after talking to her family, she just felt the need to move on. Talking to her mother had been good in some sense, but it had been too hard at the same time. Edward had refused to take the phone from Bella, he didn't want to talk to Nessie and that was painful. She'd always felt closer to him than her mom, although she'd never admit it out loud, and it was a strange feeling not being in contact with him.
Nahuel was already outside when she walked out. "Did I keep you waiting?" She asked as soon as she reached him. He was just standing with his hands in his pockets, his leather bag draped across his torso.
"Not long". He answered. "Are you ready?" Nessie nodded and they started walking in the opposite direction of the hostel. She was half expecting him to ask her about the phone call, but he either decided to ignore it or he hadn't heard any of it. He didn't seem too keen on asking a lot of questions about personal matters in general and Nessie couldn't help but appreciate it.
"So, where are we going?" She asked.
"That depends on whether you have a preference or not". Nahuel answered. "I was thinking maybe Rio would be good for now, but if you prefer Sao Paulo we can go there instead". He looked at Nessie, giving her a chance to decide.
"I dunno, you're the expert". She replied. "If you want to go to Rio, then Rio it is". Nahuel nodded, but didn't answer. They just kept making their way through the street. Nessie wondered if they would go by foot or take some form of transportation. Nahuel didn't seem to her like the type of person who took buses or taxis very often, she just couldn't picture him doing something so mundane.
They didn't take the bus, or a taxi. They made their way outside the city and switched to running as soon as they were out of sight. Nahuel pointed out certain things here and there every once in a while, but mostly Nessie just followed his lead. The trip to Rio didn't take as long as Nessie had thought it would and before she knew it, they were making their way through crowds of people. It was already night time by the time they arrived, so they decided to walk around and see what the city had to offer.
Nessie was mesmerized by all the colors and music all around. The streets were pulsing with life and energy in general, it was contagious. There were people dancing, selling street food, heading home from work. There was also poverty, which made Nessie sad, but she had learned very early in her life that those types of issues were just part of the world. Her father had made sure to make her understand that their wealth and the nature of where it came from was not at all a normal situation. Most people didn't have what they have, or the means to get it. Nessie had always thought it was a bit unfair, but then she remembered everything her family had given up to live the way they did and it seemed to balance it out in a way.
She was pulled out of her thoughts by Nahuel asking her something. "I'm sorry, what was that?" She asked him. He gave her a small smile, his signature 'barely there smirk'. "I was distracted".
"Yes, you were". He agreed. "I wanted to know if you were hungry".
"Hungry? As in for human food?" She asked, confused. Nahuel had never made any attempts to offer her food before.
"Yes, human food". He said, the smile still dancing across his face. "Do you want to try something? Flavors here are different than what I assume you know". He guided her to the side, toward one of the street food trucks. He spoke to the guy who was selling and got a plate with a few things Nessie had never seen before and handed it to her while he gave the man some money.
Nessie was met instantly with a mixture of scents that were definitely different from anything she'd experienced before. "What are these called?" She asked Nahuel as soon as he was back by her side. She picked up something that looked like a pastry, shaped like a half circle.
"That is a pastel". He told her. "Usually they have cheese inside, sometimes they have meat. Try it." And she did, she bit into it and sure enough, it was filled with cheese. It was a bit more bland than she expected it to be, but it was nice. "Do you like it?"
Nessie nodded. "It's pretty nice, do you want some?" She handed it to him, but he didn't take a bite, instead he picked something else from the plate and held it up to her. "What's that one called?"
"Coixinha". He said. "This one has chicken, it's pretty common". It looked like a fried croquette of some sort. Nessie took a bite and immediately noticed the flavor of burnt oil, mixed with dough and chicken. It tasted better than the pastel, and it had a bit of a kick of spice which she really enjoyed. Nahuel picked something up and bit into it. Nessie couldn't help but stare, it was the first time she'd ever seen him eat something and for some reason she enjoyed watching him. His eyes met hers and he offered it to her. "This is called bacalhau".
Nessie examined it before biting into it. It was very fishy and salty. "That's salty. What kind of fish is it?" She asked, offering it back to him.
"It's bacalhau". He said with a laugh. "I don't really know the name in English, but I know it's white". He popped the rest of the treat in his mouth, finishing it. Nessie wanted him to keep eating, but the rest of the things on the plate didn't seem to interest him.
They kept walking among the sea of people and threw away the plate when Nessie was done. "How come you never eat any human food?" She asked him after a while.
He shrugged. "I have never had much of an appetite for it. Most human foods have very little taste for me".
Nessie could relate to that. Her family had tried their best to make her eat a variety of things before, but most healthy foods tasted bland to her. She tended to reach for things that had stronger flavors or spices like chocolate or hot wings. "My parents tried everything when I was younger, but I always preferred blood. There a few things I do like, but most of them are pretty bad for humans."
They were getting closer to a group of people enjoying some open-air samba. Nessie couldn't help but smile, the energy was incredible. "This is amazing!" She said to Nahuel, loud enough so he could hear her. He smiled at her in return.
"I thought you would like it here". He said. "Lapa has some of the best night life in Rio." Nessie smiled back at him. He guessed right, Nessie did love it. She'd never had much a chance to enjoy night life back home because she was supposed to be underage, and technically she still was but here that didn't seem to really matter and Nahuel didn't appear to mind the age gap between them.
They stayed walking around different areas for a couple more hours until they decided it was time to find a place to stay. They decided to stay in the first hostel-style place they could find, it wasn't glamorous, but they weren't exactly going for that so it was fine. Nessie suspected Nahuel was running low on money because he only booked himself for one night, but she didn't dare ask him about it. She had booked hers for tentatively four nights since she had no idea how long they'd be staying.
"I have a question". Nahuel said as they were walking up stairs to their rooms. "Do you think you could stay here alone for a day or two?" He gave Nessie an expectant look.
Nessie shrugged. "Yeah, I think so". She replied. "Are you going somewhere?" She asked, confused. By then, they were almost at the door to his bedroom. He switched his leather bag from one shoulder to another before answering. For some reason, the motion seemed strange to Nessie, too human.
"I have something I need to do but I expect to be back soon". He answered. His expression was unreadable, as usual, but he shifted to a small smile before it could register. He then reached over and brushed the hair off Nessie's shoulder so he could place his hand on it. "Please stay close. It will be easier to find you again".
"Yeah, sure". Nessie breathed. She still didn't know how to react when Nahuel touched her unexpectedly. He seemed to be doing it more often now that they were more comfortable around each other, but it always felt like it was more than just an innocent gesture. Sometimes Nessie caught herself wanting it to be more, but it most likely meant nothing. Those were the kind of thoughts that made her miss her human friends. Teenagers for some reason seemed really good at picking up when someone was trying to flirt with her. "Uhm, are you leaving right now?"
Nahuel moved his hand from her shoulder to the doorknob and unlocked it before answering. "I will be leaving later tonight or in the morning. I haven't decided." Nessie tried to mask her facial expression so it wouldn't be so obvious that she wanted his hand to reclaim its former position. "Can I leave my things with you? I would leave them here but I only rented for one night."
"Of course". She said. "Here, you can just give me your bag or put it in my room now when I open it." She added quickly, while she walked over to the door immediately next to his. She opened the lock and flicked the light on, eyeing the space she'd be occupying for the next few days. It was simple, just a double bed, two night stands, a dresser, a chair and another door that lead to the closet and bathroom. Nahuel walked in behind her and lingered by the door while she finished inspecting everything.
"Where should I put this?" He asked, pulling her attention back to him. He held up his leather bag to her.
"You can put it on the chair right there". Nessie replied. He walked over and set the bag down where she'd said and lingered for a moment. He seemed hesitant for a second but turned to her quickly before she could ask him what was wrong. "Are you leaving right now or are you gonna sleep for a bit before?"
"I think I will sleep first". Nahuel said as he walked over to her, putting his hands in his pockets. "I will leave when I wake, probably before morning."
Nessie nodded slowly. "Okay". She said. Nahuel looked at her closely, his eyebrows drawing together in the middle of his forehead. He was standing fairly close to her, close enough that she could smell his breath. It smelled like the food they'd had earlier, mixed in with Nahuel's regular scent that Nessie still couldn't put a name to; the words "alluring" and "calm" where all that came to mind whenever she thought about it. "What?" She said, her voice barely a whisper.
"Are you sure you will be alright by yourself here?" Nahuel asked with a concerned voice.
Nessie finds his question just a little bit confusing. He's acting like she'd never been alone before, like he doesn't think she can take care of herself. "I've been alone before, Nahuel. I can take care of myself."
He steps even closer to her, leaving almost no space between them. Suddenly Nessie becomes very aware of how dark the room is and how the door is slightly ajar. Her face tickles as Nahuel's breath blows the hair on her forehead.
"I know you can." He says in a low voice. "It is not you I'm worried about".
"Who are you worried about?" Nessie replies. She can't seem to make her voice louder than a whisper and her ears feel hot. Nahuel stares at her for a moment and then he slowly relaxes his expression into the faint smile he sports at times. His eyes look playful and a beautiful shade of green reflects the moonlight that shines through the window. Human eyes wouldn't be able to detect the specks of yellow that dance within the green of his irises, but Nessie's can. She smiles at the thought, her previous question completely forgotten.
"Buenas noches, Renesmee". Nahuel says, his accent curling around her name. He squeezes her arm and runs his hand down to her wrist before releasing her and stepping back towards the door. "I will see you when I get back".
"Goodnight, Nahuel". Nessie answers with a shaky voice. "Be safe". She adds quickly. Nahuel looks over his shoulder and winks at her before closing the door behind him. Nessie's pal presses to the middle of her chest and she notices how fast her heart is racing, faster than usual. She's shaking.
A/N: Hope you like this chapter! I wanted things to heat up a bit between Nahuel and Nessie, but somehow only managed to do that at the end. I have an idea of what I want to see happen next, but I'm still not sure how to make it happen just yet. I can promise I'll be introducing a very important and interesting character, hopefully next chapter.
Let me know what you think and don't forget to leave prompts or suggestions or ideas you might have for this story to see if I can work them into the narrative.
See you next time!
