Emily entered and cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention but Jacob's. "Breakfast is ready." Her tone was warning and hard but Jake kept staring at me. His eyes were trained on mine, his irises darkening to almost black as he likely tried to formulate what happened. I let out a shaky breath and stood up, holding out my hand to him. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

He silently took my hand and led me out the front door, not slowing as we walked along the front porch and across the lawn. I knew he was probably heading toward the beach, but I stopped short.

Every memory I ever had of that beach was happy and lively. Jake and I had spent time there since I was a baby and it was one of my favorite places on Earth. I didn't want to tell him there.

He looked back at me with a question in his eyes, actually more than one but the most pressing being why I stopped. "Not there. Not at the beach." His forehead wrinkled with stress but he just nodded and moved toward his car parked in the driveway.

I climbed in on the passenger side and immediately moved toward him once he slid inside. He draped his arm around me kind of like a habit and pulled out of the driveway. I greedily inhaled his scent and allowed it to calm my building nerves. As he drove away from LaPush, I moved progressively closer until I was practically clinging to him.

He was warm and strong and safe around me. I didn't expect to feel so comfortable so soon because the past few hours had been anything but. Though, here in Jacob's arms I knew nothing would hurt me and I relished in that security. I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face in his neck, trying to just feel the weight of that safety and not dread our impending conversation.

I was so absorbed in my effort to block out everything but the feel of Jake holding me that I didn't notice when he pulled over on the side of the road somewhere. He shut off the ignition and turned to face me more directly, wrapping both arms around me. My hysteria was mounting and I fought off the tears brimming in my eyes as I lifted my head a little and stared at his chin.

He gently raised my face to look at him and gave me the most compelling, distraught look I'd ever seen. "Honey, please talk to me." His voice was quivering with intensity and small. My Jacob always spoke so confidently, even when his voice was lowered, it always held a note of authority or self-assurance. Now, it was raw and scared and unsure.

I felt my tears begin to spill over and he instantly brushed them away with his thumbs, cradling my face in his hands and pulling me impossibly closer. "Please, Ness, tell me what's wrong."

I struggled under the weight of his plea, never really able to deny him anything. I could see that I was hurting him remaining silent, but he didn't know the pain I would inflict when I spoke. I dragged in a heavy breath and tried to steel myself. I would be strong for him.

"Someone hurt me last night. Really badly." The effect of my words were instantaneous as the color drained from his face. He moved to lift the hem of my shirt, probably to see the spot where Paul touched, but I grabbed his wrist. He couldn't see the marks. I knew he wouldn't be able to handle it and he shouldn't have to.

"Jake, don't." My voice shook with fear and I internally cursed myself for not keeping my composure. I watched his expression carefully and my stomach dropped because the damage was already done. My shirt rode up slightly with our movements and he saw the first black and purple patches on my waist. His eyes, usually so full of warmth and light, were glazed over in horror as he lightly rolled up my right sleeve and stared at markings on my forearm. He winced as his fingertips just barely grazed over the indentations of teeth.

"Vampire?" His jaw was clenched and I swallowed thickly before nodding, "Yes."

His face contorted and I nearly threw up when a tear formed in the corner of his eye. "Renesmee," his tone was rigid and detached, but his body language remained gentle and cautious.

"Were you- Did he?" Jacob couldn't finish the sentence as the convulsions rippled through his body. I clutched him to me and tried to be just as consoling, tracing the lines of his face with my fingers and trying to convey with my expression how much I loved him.

His quivering subsided slowly, his eyes never leaving mine as he calmed his panting breaths. The question still hung in the air between us and I knew he knew, but I wanted to get it out. I wanted it to be over. I wanted to acknowledge it and be done.

I forced myself to calm down and face the reality of being here with him, completely safe and loved. I ran my fingers lightly over the taut muscles of his collarbone, encouraging them to relax. I finally broke our gaze and stared at his chest.

"Yes, he raped me." His ragged breath cut me off and I watched him start to cry for the first time in my life. I cupped his cheek and squeezed gently. "Please, Jake, I need to say this. I don't- don't know where to go from here. But I know one thing and I'm not saying this to make you feel better. It's the truth." I took another deep breath and glanced up at Jacob to see him utterly frozen.

"I've been dealing with this for about twelve hours now and every second has felt empty and forced. When I- when I saw you at Emily's this morning and the way you look at me and the way you protect me and the way you love me, moving forward didn't feel as much like a burden. I'm not saying the next part will be easy, but I feel like I can face it with you."

He listened patiently but as soon as I finished, he cradled me to his chest and I felt the sobs wracked his body. I felt my own pain fiercely but it was nothing compared to feeling Jacob's pain. I didn't speak or move or try to comfort him because I knew we were beyond that now. He just needed to feel it and let it out.

His heart was throbbing beneath my ear and he tangled one hand in my hair, wrapping the other protectively around my waist. His mouth moved to my ear and he started rambling in a shaky voice.

"Ness, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry baby. I'm so sorry I let this happen. So sorry I wasn't there. I'll never leave you again. No one will ever touch you again. No one will ever look at you wrong again. I'm supposed to protect you and I failed. You are everything- everything to me, Ness. I'm so sorry. I love you so much. I'm so sorry." His words devolved to sobs again and I fought to keep my tears silent. I couldn't process the feeling in my chest at his words. I had never felt so vulnerable and so broken in my life, but I'd also never felt so loved and so whole.

We stayed that way for a long time, just struggling to exist in each other's arms. At some point, his hand in my hair stopped clutching and began softly stroking in a lulling manner. In a normal circumstance, the action would make me fall asleep and I think Jake knew it calmed me. I carefully sat up and surveyed his red face, sure mine was just as swollen and blotchy.

"You know, you were the thing that finally scared him off." I said the words to comfort him, but I regretted it instantly because I didn't want to have to explain. Sure enough, his head tilted to the side in confusion and I internally cursed. It didn't really matter, everything else was on the table. Surely this wouldn't be the most upsetting thing I'd told him.

"When I realized I couldn't physically fight him off, I told him my coven size family of vampires and werewolf boyfriend would tear him to shreds." The confession was spoken into his neck, but I gave his face a furtive glance and saw only bitter satisfaction. We had never labeled our relationship as anything more than best friends, but I embellished for the purpose of the threat and it proved successful.

"I showed him images of you with my gift and how protective you are of me. I didn't expect him to actually run because of it, but I wanted him to know I wasn't his."

Jacob tilted my chin up to stare at me and his tone was grave again, "You aren't anyone's, Renesmee. Not his. Not mine. Yours." Unadulterated love coursed through my body for the man in front of me. I nodded and craned my neck to kiss his jaw, feeling his whole body shudder at the sensation.

He straightened up and tightened his hold on me. "Ness, I know I freaked out but I will be okay now. I love you for letting me break down, but I will be strong for you now. This isn't about me or anyone else. I should've been there and I wasn't." He shushed my immediate rebuttal. "I will be here now and forever. I know you're not just going to get over this and forget it. You can be vulnerable with me and I'll take care of you, always. I promise you, honey."

His words melted through my skin and grasped my stagnant heart, energizing it. I breathed out heavily, feeling a modicum of the grief lift from my chest. I wasn't alone and he would help me get through this. His strength was invigorating and I was overcome with my affection for him. I kissed his jaw again and spoke into the skin there, "God, I love you so much."

He bent his face to become level with mine and his breaths were unsteady, though it wasn't entirely pain anymore. I instinctively leaned up to kiss him, not caring for the rationale or repercussions. He stopped me about two inches from his mouth and exhaled forcefully, the proximity letting me practically taste him.