I am soooo excited for you all to read this chapter! I hope you like it!
Twenty-six: In Plain Sight
Jane's POV
I woke up before Seth, and though I realized after seeing the small alarm clock next to the bed flash 8:00 am, that I had only gotten about four hours of sleep last night, I couldn't fall back asleep.
I cuddled deeper into Seth's embrace. Sleeping with Seth like this was heaven- it could have been heaven even in the middle of hell, I was sure of it. He was so warm and kind, and I felt like somehow, even while asleep, our bodies molded to each other like lava, like we were made to do that.
I pressed my cheek against his chest. I was tired. My mind was tired, but even knowing that, plus Seth's arms did very little in terms of putting me back to sleep.
With a sigh, I sat up and then carefully slipped out of bed, nervous to wake him up. Seth was sleeping deeply, and the last thing I wanted to do was disturb him.
Almost as soon as I awoke, I felt terrible about how selfish I had been last night; certainly I reacted out of fear, but Seth had been ten times as stressed as I was because my life had literally been in his hands! I wasn't about to wake him up.
I quietly stepped into the bathroom and then timidly cracked the door behind me. I switched the light on and then nearly moaned into the mirror.
I looked like hell.
I sighed and started the shower. I realized that I showered last night, but my hair could have been mistaken for a bird's nest, and I knew from prior experience that there was no saving this mess. As far as my dark circles...
Those would just have to do.
I quickly showered again, just washing my hair before twisting the knob.
I rustled my hair with a spare towel and then patted my face dry. To my surprise and delight, I looked much better than before.
I wrapped my wet hair into a messy, low bun and then, with much annoyance, placed the short pieces framing my face that never seemed to stay pulled back, behind my ears. After frowning at the bright blue circles under my eyes for a little bit too long not to be self-loathing, I frantically searched through the drawers for anything that would do, and somehow came across a tiny makeup bag.
As I reached for the concealer out of it, I immediately recognized Lena's initials on the outside bag, and realized that she must have left it here while she was staying over one night. A sudden wave of guilt washed through me as I dabbed some under my eyes, followed by a ton more.
I hadn't necessarily treated her badly, but I hadn't been the best of friend, either. Lena was just so... unfiltered. Ugh! I had been annoyed with her for the same reason that I liked her, and regardless of whether she was appropriate or not, she wasn't trying to be a jerk. I owed her an apology.
Actually...
I took a deep breath as I placed some blush on the apples of my cheeks and then some lip gloss on my lips. I owed everyone an apology: the pack for arguing with them when they were only trying to help, Sam for yelling at him for absolutely no reason, and Emily for rudely ignoring her kind hospitality.
I sucked.
I was the worst vampire victim ever.
After I finished up in the bathroom, I decided that I was going to try to make it up to everyone by making them breakfast. Sam and Emily's house was tiny, and it had been suspiciously quiet; I imagined that after being up half the night helping me, they were all just as tired as Seth and I.
If it was possible to feel any worse, I felt it right about now.
I grabbed a simple pair of black leggings, a white tank top with a built-in bra, and a clean pair of undies to silently slip into before sneaking out of the bedroom, leaving sleeping Seth behind as I descended the stairs.
As I was about to take my last step towards the kitchen, I suddenly stopped in my tracks. I heard a bunch of tiny, quick pounds, almost like a baby heard of elephants, coming right towards-
"Jane!" I heard in unison, and all at once, my heart ached in my chest.
I turned quickly, a wide smile on my face as five tiny humans pummeled me to the floor.
"Oh my Gosh!" I giggled, trying to hug each one of them at the same time. "Hi guys! Hi!"
"Hi Jane!" A few of them answered at the same time.
"I missed you all so much," I said, immediately feeling myself tearing up, but swallowing it down. I hadn't even had a second to think about how insanely I missed these little munchkins with everything that had happened recently. I had never shared this with Seth, but I had worried that they got mad at me for leaving; I hadn't just left Seth, I had left all of them, too.
Guilt nearly encompassed me.
"Hi Peter!" I kissed his head. "Hi Miles!" I continued onto his, "And Henry and Sky and River!" I kissed every single one of their tiny, little heads.
"Hi Jane!" They all responded, practically in unison.
I chuckled. "What are you guys doing?" I asked all of them. "Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"
"Mommy and daddy wouldn't get up!" Sky threw her arms around my neck.
"Sky!" Henry suddenly exclaimed. "My mommy and daddy were sleeping; your mommy and daddy aren't here!"
"Oh, I didn't remember that," Sky agreed sweetly. It was so cute that I just had to kiss the side of her head.
"So, they left you little monsters all alone?" I feigned shock. "And you all haven't done anything crazy like broke into the cereal cabinet? What it wrong with you children? You're the most well-behaved kids I've ever met! It's not okay! You're all in trouble!"
They giggled wildly. "Can you get us cereal, Jane?" I wasn't sure which one asked that.
"Yeah, we're hungry!" River agreed.
"You're hungry?" I gasped. "How about I do better than cereal? Want to help me make breakfast?"
"Yeah!" They screamed in unison.
"Shhh! Shh! Shh!" I giggled. "You guys need to be quiet so we don't wake everyone up! Can you do that?"
"Of course we can, Jane!" Miles stated rather diplomatically.
"Yes! Yes! Jane," Henry cooed.
"Alright then!" I stood up with a giant grin; it was impossible to be upset or even worried around these kids. They were seriously the most perfect children I had ever laid eyes on.
"Hurry up, Jane!" Peter demanded.
"Okay, okay!" I laughed. "Let's get started! Come here Sky and River!" I ushered them over and then used the extra hair-dyes around my wrists to tie their long, beautiful hair back.
"You two have the softest hair," I shook my head at them.
"I have nice hair!" Peter exclaimed.
"Yeah but you're a boy!" Sky argued.
"You're supid!" Peter demanded.
"You just want to be Jane's favorite!"
"Woah, woah, woah!" I held my hands out between the two of them. "Here's one rule about making breakfast with me: There will be absolutely no fighting between any of the breakfast makers. Understood?"
Sky frowned. Peter sighed.
"That's my rule!" I held up my hands.
"Fine," They grumbled.
I hid my chuckle from them. "Now, apologize for calling Sky stupid, Peter, even if you couldn't properly pronounce the 't'."
"Sorry Sky," He grumbled with a serious pout.
"Perfect!" I clasped my hands together and then began lifting each one on the island countertop, one after the other.
"What are we making, Jane?" River asked, all of them giddy.
"How do pancakes sound?" I asked each of them with a hopeful grin and a box of unopened pancake mix.
"Yes!" Each one of them screamed in unison.
I laughed easily, and to my demise, I realized once we started working, that even these adorable, perfect children couldn't make me feel completely better. After a while, I couldn't handle the guilt of neglecting so many people whom had tried to help me, and I pulled out my phone from my pocket.
I dialed Lena's number.
She answered on the second ring.
"If it isn't the worst best friend in history."
I cringed. "I'm so sorry," I moaned.
"Yeah, yeah," She sighed. "Whatever. What's up? Being held captive by a vampire now or something?"
"No," I sighed, happy that Lena seemed to not be taking it personally. "I'm actually making breakfast with all of the kids. No one else is up."
"That's because usually after someone is attacked by a vampire, Jane, they tend to sleep in past 7 am."
I thought about that for a moment. "How are you up?" I finally asked.
"Five AM rehearsal," She stated simply, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Oh," I responded lamely, then. "Wanna come over?"
"Sure!" She responded sprightly. "Partially because I want to see your bright, beautiful, naïve face, but also because I'm starving and about to get hangry."
I giggled. "Hurry up, then!"
"I'm literally five minutes away!" She exclaimed. "Jeesh! You're so needy!"
I rolled my eyes. "Drive safe."
"Thanks mom."
With that, I hung up on her.
True to Lena's word, she arrived through the unlocked side door in exactly five minutes, and just as Sky was sticking her fingers into the batter for the fifth time, even after I reprimanded her.
I was taken aback for just a moment: Firstly, Lena always seemed to look good, even after an early morning rehearsal; and secondly, it seemed kind of counter-beneficial to be so worried about safety but then leave every door unlocked.
Lena raised an eyebrow at me. "Amazed by my beauty?" She joked easily.
I blinked. "Yeah, actually," I finally divulged. "How do you look good after a workout? I look like a dead rat."
"Please," Lena scoffed. "That's impossible. You literally have no idea how hot you are, Jane. It's super weird."
I bit the corner of my lip. "Really?" I whispered. It wasn't that I was self-conscious, I mean, I knew that I was pretty, but hot? Sexy? Seth made me feel that way, but I had never felt like I gave off that vibe naturally.
Lena laughed vibrantly. "Ugh, yeah," She flipped her perfectly curled hair. "You've got that exotic thing going on. You don't look like everyone else. I mean, yes, I'm hot and all, but I'm blonde hair, blue-eyed bombshell; you could model. You're tall and thin but still have great boobs somehow."
"Please do not pretend like your boobs aren't perfect," I narrowed my eyes at her.
"When will I get boobs?" Sky suddenly popped up.
My eyes widened. Lena was a terrible influence on me, but I just couldn't help it. Somehow, she was the only girl- no, person- I had ever met in which conversation just flowed so dang naturally. I completely lost all inhibition with her as we talked. I wasn't trying at all.
"If you take after your mom than never," Lena replied easily.
"Lena!" I gasped, though I couldn't help a giggle from slipping between my lips.
"But I want boobs!" Sky demanded.
"Ew! Boobs are gross!" Miles covered his ears with his palms as red blotched his cheeks.
"New rule," I laughed. "No one here under the age of 15 can say the word 'boobs' ever again. Great!"
Lena laughed, too, even though the kids seemed rather confused.
"Well," Lena let out a long breath as she came to lean against the counter. "Now that we've come to the conclusion that we're both perfect."
I giggled. "I should have found a best friend sooner. I feel like all we do is talk each other up. It's nice, actually."
"A wave of fresh air," Lena giggled.
I dropped the mixing spoon I was currently using and then grabbed her into a tight hug. She let out a surprised squeal at first before she suddenly squeezed me back, just as tight.
"Sorry about yesterday," I told her.
"Sorry for embarrassing you with bringing up your, ugh," She seemed to remember we were in the presence of five, very impressionable, young kids. "Extracurriculars."
"It's okay," I chuckled then gave her one last squeeze and then pulled away. "I wasn't myself."
"Jane! I think they're ready!" Peter suddenly exclaimed.
"I think you're right, buddy!" I smiled widely at him. "Let's get to work on those eggs!"
Though never mentioned before, I realized pretty quickly that Lena was a good cook herself, and so with her help, we quickly gave each kid a task and then stood back as we supervised; one reason was because they enjoyed being involved, another was so that we had more time to talk.
"So," Lena began, grabbing River's hand before she dropped an entire bowl of scrambled eggs on the floor. "How are you?"
I blew that stubborn piece of hair out of her eyes. "I'm... okay," I began uneasily.
Lena shot me a patronizing expression. "Jane."
I moaned. "I'm confused. I'm so confused, Lena." I bit the corner of my lip. "I mean, you don't think... my parents? They couldn't have anything to do with this, right?"
Lena raised an eyebrow at me. "I mean, it makes sense."
"But my parents," I began to explain, struggling with how to put this isn't words. "My parents were the most normal, parental people you'd ever meet! I mean, we went to church every Sunday and were best friends with our pastor for crying out loud! My mom was PTA mom. There's no way."
"It's just a theory," Lena shrugged. "There could be other explanations."
"Like what?"
"Like..." Lena pondered that for a moment. "No idea," She finally conceded. "But there could be. I don't know," She suddenly made direct eye contact with me, holding my gaze. "Maybe Seth won't kill the next one and they'll be able to interrogate it."
Immediately, I cringed.
"Aha!" She threw her hand out to point at me. "I knew it!"
I jumped a little bit, and then quickly put myself between me and Henry who was getting a little bit too close to the stove that was heating up.
"You have an issue with that, don't you?" Lena suddenly called me on it. "You have an issue with the fact that werewolves kill vampires."
"No, I don't!" I argued, but my voice was weak at best.
She rolled her eyes. "That's crazy, Jane. They're not even people. They're monsters. It was self-defense, anyways; you'd be dead if they weren't."
"I get it," I finally snapped. "I do, okay? I just... it bothers me. I don't know why, it just does."
"What part?" She pushes.
"All of it," My voice got quieter. "I don't know. I don't like anyone dying because of me."
"They're already dead, Jane," Lena sighed exasperatingly.
"I get it, but I just think it's not that black and white! I mean, werewolves are supernatural, too. What gives anyone the right to say it's okay to kill one but not the other? And what about Nessie's entire family? It's not okay to kill them. But it's okay to kill other ones? It doesn't make sense."
"That's because you're super confused," Lena raised her eyebrows at me. "Seriously. You should talk to Bella and Edward, they're Nessie's parents; they would tell you that you're wrong. They would say that vampires deserve to die."
I looked at her odd. "They would?"
She nodded. "They're different; there aren't many vampires like them. They're good vampires, and they might be the only ones that are. They fought with the werewolves to protect Nessie against the Volutri."
"The what?" I asked.
Lena sighed. "Ask Seth. I wasn't around so I get the details mixed up. Point is, vampires aren't human. You shouldn't have to feel guilty about that."
I frowned, "But I don't-,"
"Please," Lena scoffed. "Anyone who took one second to talk to you would realize why you have such an issue with the vampire killing. It's not the what, it's the why. You hate that they're being killed because of you. That's the whole issue."
I took a moment to digest Lena's very blunt statement. She was a wonderful friend, but it was very difficult to be in denial around her, which was a feeling that I was quite comfortable with.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore," I stated.
"Fine with me," She shrugged.
"Hey, by the way, I used your makeup this morning. I think you left a bag under the sink in the guest room."
"I've been looking for that!" She exclaimed.
I grinned.
"So that's why you look so good," She cocked her head. "I thought it was that near-death glow."
I smacked her with a spatula so hard she yelped.
Seth's POV
The smell of bacon lulled me out of what felt like the deepest sleep of my life.
I shouldn't have expected anything less; Emily's house always smelled incredible, but this particular smell was especially wonderful. I rolled over, happy to wake Jane this way, because no matter the night she had, Em's cooking would surely be the best possible wakeup for her. Only, Jane was gone.
Immediately, I sprung up in bed.
"Jane?" I asked, peeking my head towards the bathroom. I had no idea what time it was, but it was light outside, and there was absolutely no inclination of sound coming from the tiny guest bathroom.
I reached for my phone.
No new messages or missed calls.
With a frown, I dialed Jane's number and then pressed the phone to my ear. I wish I wasn't as relieved as I was when her phone buzzed on her side of the bed. Jane wouldn't have run off without her phone, which I momentarily worried she had done. It seemed crazy; we had been through so much, but I still felt uneasy about her commitment level, no matter how many times she said she was all in.
I felt like we were still going through the thick of things; we weren't out of the woods yet.
I brushed my feet and splashed water on my face before slipping on a pair of shorts and a clean tee-shirt out of my bag.
The sound of a chorus of giggles stopped me momentarily as I walked down the steps. More hesitant now, I descended the last few steps and then turned the corner, following that sound into the kitchen.
A surprisingly sight stopped me in my tracks.
Jane was up! She was the one making breakfast. But she wasn't alone.
Jane and Lena were laughing happily as they taught Jake and Nessie's three boys as well as Claire and Quil's two little girls. Lena was helping Sky and River with the eggs while Jane was flipping pancakes rather adorably with Miles and Henry. Peter was busy setting a pile of plates on the table. He wobbled a little.
"Woah!" I lurched forward, grabbing all the plates before they shattered on the floor.
Everyone turned towards the sound, and my eyes connected with a familiar, beautiful pair of brown ones.
She smiled.
"Hey," I murmured.
"Hi," Jane repied easily. Her smile widened. "We're making breakfast."
"I can see that," I chuckled. "Need some help?"
"We're already helping her," Peter narrowed his eyes at me as he snatched the plates out of my hands.
"Easy, killer," I laughed. "Jane's all yours for right now."
"Oh, yeah?" Jane cocked an eyebrow at me.
Was it wrong to be seriously turned on by her in the presence of so many little kids?
I walked over to her and then brushed her hair behind her shoulder. "No way," I kissed her cheek and then whispered quietly to her. "Keep your enemies close, right? Got to keep my eye on the competition."
Jane laughed easily. "Brilliant move."
"That's what I thought," I kissed her temple."
"Lena," I forced myself to step away from her. "How's it going?"
"Terrible," She sighed. "I hate children."
I couldn't help but laugh. These two were the oddest pairing, but they somehow worked.
"So, I'm guessing you're no longer at each other's throats?" I looked between the two of them.
"Nope," Lena popped the "p". "Your girlfriend apologized for being a boring, old prude. All is well."
"Would you-," Jane began, before swatting her on her backside with a spatula.
Lena giggled. "Are you trying to get kinky with me?" Her mouth dropped.
The side door slid open. I widened my eyes as I saw who it was. I didn't have a chance to warn her before she spoke her next words.
"Don't you remember, Jane? The only time I like getting spanked is when Embry's doing it."
"H-o-l-y mother of God."
Paul Lahote stumbled backwards as he continuously winced, his eyes squeezed shut and hands on his ears.
Both Lena and Jane's mouths dropped, as they realized what Lena's dad had just heard. Some of the group who hadn't stayed here last night came in from behind him: Embry, looking exasperated but not surprised, followed by Scarlett, Jared, and Kim.
"Daughters are the freaking worst," Jared patted Paul on the shoulder as he stepped inside.
Lena smiled guiltily. "Does it help if I say it was a joke?"
Paul moaned.
"Sorry," She shrugged.
"What's going on here?" Scarlett changed the subject, though when I took a closer look it was clear to see that her surprise was more of a reason for her question than anything.
"We're making breakfast!" Jane exclaimed happily.
Gosh, she was fucking cute.
"I see that," Jared ruffled Peter's hair. "I think we're just more surprised that Lena hasn't shoved one in the oven yet. Is it still pre-heating?"
Jane laughed in surprise as Lena rolled her eyes.
"Whatever," She huffed.
"I have to say," Embry teased. "Jane has a unique talent at bringing out Len's soft side."
"Well than why don't you date someone like her, then!" Lena flipped her hair, turning her back to him and towards the stove.
Jane took a hesitant step away from her.
Embry merely laughed as the rest of us rolled our eyes. We were used to this. He stood up and then walked towards her. He wrapped his arms around her back and then nuzzled his face into her neck. "Because I want to date you," I just barely heard.
She giggled. Jane relaxed.
"Ugh, get me out of here," Paul mumbled, heading towards the living room.
"I think food's done, Jane!" Peter pulled on her shirt.
She ran a hand over top of his hair as she surveyed the kitchen. "I think you're right, buddy. Want to go wake everyone up?"
"Yeah!" He exclaimed, before all five of them took off sprinting up the stairs.
Jane cringed. "Should I not have done that?"
I shrugged. "I'm sure everyone's waking up around this time anyways," I reassured her. I closed the distance between us and then pulled her closer to me. Her hands rested delicately on my chest as I held onto her hip.
"You couldn't sleep?" I asked her knowingly.
Jane shrugged. "I slept through the night; I just woke up early."
"Were you scared?" I asked, the thought bothering me.
She shook her head, all of the shorter pieces of hair framing her face coming free from behind her ears. "No. Embarrassed. I feel so bad, Seth."
I froze. I fought the urge to shake her. "What, Jane?" I closed my eyes.
"I was a demon last night!" She whisper-yelled at me. I opened my eyes. "I kicked Lena and Embry out and then I yelled at Sam and I don't think I even thanked Emily once. I feel like the biggest jerk in history."
I opened my mouth to argue with her but then shut it again. I did that once more before slamming it together and gritting my teeth. I didn't want to yell at her; she didn't deserve it, but her thought processes were so frustrating. She had nothing to apologize for.
"I- I'm not going to touch that, Jane," I finally shook my head, kissing her forehead once before pulling away.
Jane frowned. "Are you mad at me?"
I gritted my teeth again. "Why the hell would I be mad at you, Jane?"
She flinched. Her lips quivered. "Never mind," She whispered.
I moaned, pulling her to my chest. "The last thing I want to do is hurt your feelings," I whispered into her ear. "But please, please stop being crazy. You have nothing to apologize for. Nothing. You did nothing wrong. Just stop it, please? For me? It's hard to watch."
Jane nodded, pulling away just as a very sleepy group of people came dragged down the steps.
"What's all this?" Emily asked, rubbing her eyes.
"I cooked," Jane blushed a little bit. "I hope that's okay!"
Emily's eyes widened. "Wow! It smells incredible in here, sweetheart! Thank you! I feel like we should be cooking for you, though."
Jane frowned. "Actually, I, I, I have an announcement to make!" She suddenly announced.
Every person in the room turned towards her, surprised by usually quiet and shy Jane being so bold.
She blushed at all the attention, which was much more Jane-like.
"Firstly," She began, "Breakfast is ready. Secondly," She took a deep breath. "I'm super, super, super, super, super sorry for how I treated you all last night." I took a deep breath as I stepped back so that I could lean against the wall. I hated having to watch this. "I was such a jerk and I yelled at- Sam, ugh! I'm so sorry! I yelled at you and you were all just trying to help and I was being so difficult and I'm really sorry for waking you all up in the middle of the night and for everything else, too."
Everyone stared at her, actually, gaped would be a better word.
"Shut up, Jane," Jared spoke for all of us, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a plate.
"Yeah!" Everyone voiced in unison, making her eyes widen as they all shook their heads and brushed off her apology.
"Don't do that again," Embry even added, looking at her funny.
Jane's lips parted. "Sorry."
"Apologize one more time," Sam nudged her shoulder a little.
Jane frowned. "Okay then..." She shrugged and then came over to me. "So," She sighed. I couldn't look at her. I knew that it wasn't at all fair, but I was pissed at her. I was so freaking pissed, and I couldn't help it. "You want me to make you a plate?"
My jaw tensed. "You know," I suddenly mumbled, heading for the door. "I think I lost my appetite."
I ignored the disapproving looks I got from the others as I left out the back-door, being a complete jack-ass, but not able to help it. I had never been anywhere near this angry with her ever before.
I only made it a mile before I heard the back-door slam.
"What the heck, Seth?" I suddenly heard her call.
I stopped walking, sighed, and then turned, only, I hadn't realized she had gotten so close. I stumbled back a little as she nearly collided with me.
"Why are you being such a jerk?" She asked, and I knew she was beyond angry with the way her eyes watered so intensely.
"Me?" I finally exploded. When a tear fell down her cheek I rubbed my face and calmed my voice. "I'm sorry for how I'm acting, okay? But what is wrong with you, Jane? Why do you always blame yourself for everything? How could you even think for one second that you needed to apologize?"
"I was rude, Seth!" Jane argued. "Everyone was just trying to help me and I was rude; I'm not going to just pretend like I wasn't."
"Sweetheart," I scoffed, completely mind-blown at this point. I grabbed her cheeks in my hands and pulled her face close.
"Do you even know what being rude looks like? You're never rude, Jane. I don't even think you could do it if you tried! That's how non-rude you are!"
"So, you're mad at me for my definition of rude?" She shook her face out of my grip.
"No!" I yelled at her. "I'm mad that you're apologizing for almost dying, Jane!"
Jane's eyes spilled over.
I moaned. "Jane," All the fight left my voice. "Come here."
"No," She angrily swiped at her eyes. "You're not being nice to me."
I took a deep breath. "No, Jane. You're not being nice to you. That's why I'm so upset."
"I was just trying to do something nice!" Jane argued. "I made breakfast and I wanted everyone to know how appreciative I was of their help.
"Then thank them," I encouraged. "Thank them, Jane, but don't apologize. They're two different things."
"I don't like you at all right now," Jane angrily placed her hands on her hips.
"Honestly, I don't like you all that much right now, either."
Jane's mouth dropped.
I sighed. "But I love you, though. I love you a lot."
Jane's eyes narrowed. "I love you too," She grumbled. "But you're being an ass."
I chuckled, and then I finally engulfed her in a hug. I took a deep breath in my hair as she grabbed a fist-full of my shirt.
"You try watching me almost die multiple times, blame myself for it, and then try to be nice to me. I've never been so frustrated with a human being in my life, Jane."
Jane melted into me. "Try being berated after almost dying those two times."
I deflated. "Fine."
"What?" Jane shoved me away.
"Fine," I sighed. "I'm not mad at you anymore."
Jane cocked an eyebrow at me. "Aren't you going to apologize?"
I shook my head. "Not sorry."
Jane gasped. "What is the matter with you!"
"Sorry for hurting your feelings. That's all I've got, baby."
"You're acting like Lena," She narrowed her eyes at me.
"Not even close," I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and started walking us back to the house.
Jane obliged, but with crossed arms and a sour expression.
"Am I in the dog-house?" I sighed.
Jane narrowed her eyes.
I leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I'll make you cum like I did last night again, tonight, if you promise not to apologize anymore."
Jane gasped; she fought a blush. She lost.
"No thank you," She stuck her chin in the air. "Every time that happens I get attacked by a vamp. I'm going on a sex strike."
My whole body turned to ice. "Woah, Jane, I-,"
"Joke, Seth," Jane rolled her eyes and sighed. When she looked at me now, she wasn't angry anymore. "My jokes suck; I've told you this before. Now, can you pull your attitude together so we can go eat some pancakes? They're delicious. I know because I made them."
I chuckled. "I'd love to eat your delicious pancakes, Jane. And I'll eat other, delicious Jane things, later." I winked at her.
"Seth!" Jane gasped.
I was laughing easily as I opened the back door and pulled her inside, red cheeks and all.
The rest of breakfast went much better. No one commented about Jane and I's argument, though I was sure they had noticed. Thankfully, Jane didn't attempt to apologize again; I was grateful that everyone had, had the same response that I'd had, though.
After breakfast, Emily practically has to shove Jane out of the kitchen to keep from helping clean up, and then the kids monopolized her time for a while after that, playing with her and asking her to read stories before Jake and Nessie announced that they were going home, and that they were dropping Quil and Claire's kids off on the way, too. They basically had to pull them away from her, but once they left, the mood immediately shifted.
Without a verbal announcement, everyone began gathering at the kitchen table. Jason Black and Micah Uely arrived, too, along with some news.
"We have a new phase," Jason announced, sitting at the table next to his dad.
Jacob threw out his hands. "And I'm just hearing about this now."
"My apologizes," He cleared his throat. "We will have a new phase. Badden Locklear, Aden's kid? He's got the flu," He did air commas as he said the word. "I told his dad I'd let you know."
Jacob sighed, running his hand through his hair. "All the new vampires," He seemed to suddenly realize something.
"Who knows who else more," Emily interceded quietly. The room silenced with this new fact; we had all accepted our fate, and honestly, had grown to love it. With this came some incredible things, like the ability to imprint, and run, and protect people. But it wasn't an easy life. The first few years were... rough, to say the least.
"New... werewolves," Jane asked nervously, breaking the silence.
I pulled her closer to my side, remembering how new she was to all this. "When vampires are around, it's almost like an... alarm. It sounds and young people with the gene are more susceptible to phasing."
Jane's forehead creased as she tried to understand. "Okay," She answered uneasily.
"With new, confused werewolves, and vampires coming for Jane," Jacob shook his head at the two of us. "You have to stay on the reservation, Jane," He looked directly at her now. "I'm sorry but it's not feasible for us to be here for the new wolves and to protect you from-,"
"Whatever you need!" Jane quickly cut him off. "I'll stay wherever you want me."
I squeezed her hip, happy she was quick to agree. Jane disregarding her safety definitely had the ability to cause another argument; there were some things worth fighting for.
"Perfect," Leah clasped her hands, looking encouragingly at Jane. I hadn't even noticed her slip in. "This is going to be easy than, Jane," She attempted to comfort her.
"Yeah," Nessie came behind her to rub her back. "And plus, Jake's going to talk to my family. They'll help us. You're more than safe, Jane."
Jane nodded, biting the corner of her lip.
She opened her mouth three times, closing it every single time, as she obviously wanted to say something.
Jake raised an eyebrow at her. "What is it, Jane?"
She blushed. "Well, is it- would it be okay if I stopped at home and just packed a few bags. I'm not trying to be difficult! I just-,"
"Oh my God," The entire table moaned in unison.
Jane appeared taken aback as everyone ignored her.
"Go," Jake waved his hand. "You're the most accommodating victim we've ever had. I don't know how to even respond to you."
"Oh," Jane's face pulled down in confusion as I shook my head and reached for her hand, pulling her towards the door.
Jane's POV
"You do realize," I huffed as Seth tossed our overnight bags into the back and I got into Seth's passenger seat. "That you all are annoyed with me for being agreeable, right?"
Seth rolled his eyes. "I'm just happy that maybe you'll finally believe me if everyone keeps reacting this way. You're too nice, baby," He reached for my hand and then brushed his lips over top of my knuckles. "I've told you."
I finally sighed, resting my head against the seat.
"I love you, Seth," I murmured to him.
Seth squeezed my hand. "I love you more, Jane."
I sighed out the window. "No, you don't."
"Yes, I do."
"Don't."
"Do."
"It's equal."
"Except I love you more." Seth's lips pulled up into an easy smile as he winked at me.
I bit the center of my lower lip, thinking. "Where am I going to stay?" I asked him.
"With me," He answered easily. "Unless you'd rather stay with Embry. I mean, you'd have more access to Lena, but I heard they can get pretty lou-,"
"Oh my God! Seth!" I burst into laughter. "No! You! Please, you! I don't think I could handle that!"
Seth laughed along with me. "I was kidding, Janesie," Seth kissed the back of my hand once more. "Of course you'll stay with me."
I couldn't help my stomach fall. I turned my face to look out the window so that he didn't see me cry. Of course, he noticed anyways.
"What's wrong, Jane?" Seth asked sweetly, in that way that soaked through my skin and sang to my soul. I felt like Seth touched a part inside of me that no one else could when he talked to me like this. "Tell me."
I turned my blurry eyes to meet his. "I've never not lived in my parent's house, Seth," I managed to get out, though after that I had to press my lips together to keep from breaking into hysterics. I was an emotional mess.
Seth's face contorted into an expression of pain as he understood. "Your house is not going anywhere, Jane. I promise, love. Just view it as a... vacation. Once it's over you'll go right back home, alright?"
I bit the inside of my cheek and nodded as I swallowed down the lump in my throat.
Seth noticed.
"Jane," He murmured sweetly.
"I know," I took a deep breath. "I trust you."
The rest of the car-ride was silent.
Once we got back to my house, Seth was quick to ask what he could help with. Even though he was trying to appear discreet, I could tell how unsettled he felt being alone and off the reservation; I knew that he was trying to be quick, even though he wasn't saying the words.
"Could you grab some clothes? I'm not picky, just fill a suitcase. There's one in my closet. I'll grab my school stuff and chargers and things that you wouldn't know where to find."
"Alright," Seth nodded, turned around, then turned back to me. He pulled me in for a giant hug and then kissed my neck gently.
"I'm sorry about this," He said, his voice dripping with honestly.
I sighed. "If I'm not allowed to apologize, neither are you, Seth Clearwater."
"You're right," He pecked me quickly. "Little do you know, this was all some plot to get you to move in with me! Mwahaha!"
"Seth," I giggled, shaking my head.
He chuckled. "I'll get your clothes."
"Thank you," I laughed, at the same time heading for the living room to collect my laptop.
I finished collecting my things in only a few minutes, long before Seth was done, and decided to go up the stairs and help. Only...
I made it one step before the familiar handle to a familiar room that I hadn't been in, in so long caught me off guard.
I took a deep breath. I passed by this door every day, multiple times a day, but no matter how many times I stepped inside of it, it always had the ability to take me to my knees.
If I wasn't going to be here for who knows how long, I knew that it was time to step inside of it again.
With shaking fingers I turned the knob, and then I slipped inside my parent's bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind me. And just like that... it took me back.
To crime TV show marathons on mom and dad's bed. To curling my hair for prom. To fashion shows for my dad when my mom would take my shopping. To stumbling in here in the middle of the night when I was sick.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The memories weren't bad, but they were terrible at the same time.
I found myself in my mother's closet before I realized I was even going there. I hadn't touched her things, and still, to this day, her clothes smelled like her. Not her perfume, or her particular laundry detergent, like her. I pulled a sweater over top of my head, something that I rarely allowed myself to do, and then hugged myself tightly.
"I'm okay," I whispered oh-so quietly. "I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay." I knew that they were listening, and I just wanted to make sure that they knew.
I sighed.
Seth would come looking for me any minute, and I didn't want him to find me like that. I pulled the sweater over my head, but got it caught on my necklace, the one that was Seth's dad's chain with my mom's ring on it. The ring must have caught it, because suddenly I went stumbling forward, tripping over a pair of shoes on the ground, as I face-planted against the floor, hearing a crash as the dresser in the back of my mom's closet missed my head by a mere inch.
I moaned.
"Jane?" I heard Seth's frantic call. My bedroom was right above this room.
"I'm okay!" I called back quickly, not wanting him to freak out. "Just clumsy!"
I moaned as I sat up and then struggled to untangle myself from the sweater. Finally, I managed to free myself, and then was able to take in the damage I had done.
To my delight, I had only managed to knock the dresser onto the floor. I shook my head, the dresser was ridiculously light, which made it a blinking, red caution sign for my clumsiness. It was like a cruel joke. I easily lifted it back into place, but, not expecting it to be quite to light, I banged it against the wall, wincing as a part of the wall suddenly fell off.
Wait.
I leg go of the dresser as my mouth dropped. A part of the wall fell off.
A part of the wall fell off.
That wasn't supposed to happen.
I looked down at the small, square piece of drywall that was somehow on the floor, but that wasn't what knocked the wind out of my stomach.
There was a door. Correction. There was a handle to a door. Only, there was no door itself! I squinted as I tried to look for it, and then reaching timid fingers out and began tracing along the wall.
I gasped, pulling my hand away as if I felt something hot before placing it back. I rubbed the pad of my finger against the undeniable indent, almost impossible to feel, that went all the way up and around and then back to the floor, in the exact shape of a door.
A keypad that I hadn't noticed before caught my eye.
It was hidden underneath the handle, 10 little tiny dots, all numbers.
I knew better than to think I was dreaming.
What the hell?
I didn't believe it; I couldn't, but something was making me reach out my hand for those numbers. I had to get in there, if anything to prove that it wasn't anything other than ordinary. Mundane. I had to get into this room.
I just had to.
I pressed the number 1, and suddenly the numbers lit up.
1, 2, 3, 4... they flashed red.
So it was a four digit code.
I rolled my neck as I wondered what the hell was happening. I felt like I was thrown into the middle of a sci-fi film. This wasn't my life. For God's sake, there was a secret room inside of my parents closet!
I tried their wedding anniversary, with no luck.
I should really get Seth.
Our address.
My mom's birthday.
Our dad's birthday.
My birthday...
The flash of unfamiliar bright green erupted on the keypad. I heard the indisputable sound of a click, and then I opened the door.
Seth's POV
The indisputable sound of Jane screaming sent me flying down the stairs and towards the sound. The sound was blood-curdling. Overwhelming. Terrifying.
I burst through a door, barely taking into my surroundings before I barreled into a closet, reaching for my around the waist as soon as I saw her.
She was suddenly quiet.
My brain was on high-alert as I took in my surroundings. Who was here? Who was trying to hurt her? Was it a vampire?
Frantically, I went to ask her, when her expression stopped me mid-breath. It wasn't a person or a monster that she was scared of. It was a... room. It was this room.
For the first time, I looked to where her eyes were opened wide with fear, and my mouth dropped.
We were in a room.
It was small, but every single inch was covered in things. Weapons.
Knives and bows and arrows and guns and shackles and, and... a metal cage.
What the hell was this?
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