CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

(BPOV)

Jacob hadn't left my side in the hours that followed his return home. He held me while I slept and was there when I woke up afraid, fearing that he wasn't really with me. That it had all been a dream. He never left me - not once. He drew me to him every chance he had, always keeping me close and telling me more about the woman I had seen with him when he first returned. He explained to me that Rana was like a sister to his mother and that she had been turned against her will. He was nervous about the packs reaction to her and he was eager to explain her abilities to them. The way he spoke of her told me she had already become like family to Jacob and I knew that meant he would protect her from them if needed. I myself wanted to get to know her better.

We joined Billy and Charlie downstairs for dinner and I had managed to keep down some soup and crackers. Both were more than happy to see me actually eating better. When we were finished, Billy told Jacob he would be staying here with us and that he planned to catch a ride home in the morning so he could get back to the Reservation. I thanked him for being so supportive to me while Jacob had been gone and he offered me a genuine smile in return.

I was beyond distracted while Jacob talked with Charlie, apologizing for things that were far beyond his control. My father told him that he held no resentment toward him and was happy to have him back home with us. I couldn't focus on their chatter for long, my mind was solely fixed on the possibility of being pregnant. The possibility of carrying Jacobs child.

My father had been oblivious of my distracted state, but Billy didn't seem as ignorant to it. I was quick to excuse us, telling Charlie that I still wasn't feeling the best and wanted to turn in early for the night. He didn't question us and told Jacob he was welcome to stay with me for as long as I needed. I knew he did this out of pure concern for me after seeing how sick I had been over the past few weeks. He was justifiably worried.

When the door to my room closed, leaving Jacob and I alone again, I began to tremble. My mind creating a hundred different ways that Charlie could try to kill Jacob if I was pregnant. I thought of his gun collection downstairs, seeing Jacobs eyes meet mine when he latched the door closed behind him.

"Come here, honey." He sighed, taking me by the hand and pulling me down onto the bed with him. His eyes full of a light that made me believe he secretly hoped I was.

"We have to get a test."

"Okay, we'll go when they crash." He replied, brushing a stray lock of hair away from my face.

I soon stood in the long aisle of the local drug store, staring aimlessly at the many different brands of pregnancy tests that lined the top of the shelf. The store was nearly desolate as the time was fast approaching after nine at night. My eyes widened as I read the many labeled descriptions of them all, my hands beginning to shake when I reached for them.

"Faster results in just one minute."

"The only trusted name for 99.9% accuracy."

"Clear blue easy to read digital test and confirm."

I shook my head, feeling dizzy and disoriented from the many choices in front of me. I nervously counted the days again since my last period, being sure my calculations were correct and unable to stop the panic that flooded through me from the thought of being pregnant.

I knew my body and with the symptoms I'd been having, I feared that the test was just a formality at this point. All signs pointed to that I was in fact pregnant. I drew in a shaky breath, unable to choose which box to pull from the top shelf for purchase. I glanced around, seeing a store clerk at the very end of the aisle. I began to approach her, but paused when I saw the clear agitation and revulsion on her face. She was clearly put out with her job and didn't want to be bothered. I sighed, hesitantly looking up at the pink and white cardboard box that read "First Response Early Detection." The sound of Jacobs warm voice from behind me made me freeze mid- reach, his caring gaze sweeping over my face as he approached me.

"Honey..."

"I thought you were gonna wait in the truck?"

"I did... until I couldn't." He softly admitted, his hand reaching for mine and lacing our fingers together. He drew me closer to him, his whispered words erasing some of the fear that was trying to suffocate me. "No matter what the result is honey... I love you."

"I love you, too." I replied, feeling his hand tighten in mine as his eyes wandered to the top shelf.

"Have you chosen one?"

"There's at least a dozen to choose from. How am I supposed to know which one is the most accurate? This is enough to give someone an anxiety attack."

Jacob moved himself behind me, pulling me against him with a tight embrace as he reached up and took hold of the one I had previously contemplated myself. He flipped the box over, reading the printed info as my heart began to beat faster with each passing second.

I wasn't ready for this.

Were we even ready for this?

"I think we should get that one." I whispered, noticing the worker at the end of the aisle now closely watching us. Anyone with a pair of eyes could see what was happening here. Couple of scared teenagers trying to pick the right test to find out whether or not their lives were about to drastically change. Jacob could pass for someone who was twenty-five, while I on the other hand looked my actual age. I shuddered as I thought of Charlie's reaction. Of what he would do if we were.

My stomach churned at the thought and my face paled as I took the box from Jacob and started to head for the checkout. His voice stopping me when I reached the end of the aisle.

"Should we buy more than one?"

"No, I don't think-"

I paused then, feeling the weight of the situation come crashing down on me as a tall red head passed by us, her arms holding a screaming two year old as she tried to calm him down and make her way out of the store with her sanity still in tact. The floor spun beneath me as the box dropped from my hands and all the blood rapidly drained from my face.

I was too young to be a mother.

Jacob had barely finished the majority of his junior classes on the Reservation and was thinking of testing out early. He had just taken over as Alpha for Sam a few months ago.

We couldn't have a baby.

"Bells? Honey." Jacob called out to me, retrieving the forgotten box on the floor and stepping in front of me. His eyes laced with concern when he tried to hand it back to me and I didn't take it. His hand found mine and he lead me to the front of the store, digging out his wallet to pay for the pregnancy test. The clerk was kind and made meaningless small talk with him, her hazel eyes widening some when she saw what our purchase was.

Everything began to close in around me. The very walls feeling as if they were shrinking in on us, trying to crush me inside with them. I tried to breath and focused on Jacobs solid presence beside me, but the lump in my throat made it impossible for me to ignore my overwhelming anxiety and fear.

Jacob was quick to grab the bag and thank the clerk before swiftly moving me outside with him. I leaned against the brick building as the cool air surrounded me, the feel of it refreshing enough for me to finally drag in a solid breath. I forced my feet to move as he lead me to my truck, placing the bag inside and reaching for me. Warm hands cradled my face as I tried to get ahold of myself, my tears blurring my vision and my head still spinning.

"I'm scared." I admitted.

"I know honey." He replied, wrapping his arms around me.

The ride back to Charlie's was silent. My head rested on Jakes shoulder as he drove us. His hand held securely to mine and his silence told me that the gravity of the situation was not lost on him. When we pulled in behind Charlie's cruiser, all the house lights were still off and I breathed a sigh of relief that we hadn't woken Charlie or Billy when we snuck out to the store.

I glanced over to see Jacobs gaze fixed on the tree line at the border of our yard, his breathing more labored than before and his jaw tight now. I leaned in closer to him, kissing his cheek and seeing his warm brown eyes meet mine in response. His words hushed but full of conviction when he said them.

"I had a vision of you... of our future, Bells."

I turned further toward him, seeing the worry in his eyes when they held mine.

"You saw us? You mean through the pack mind?"

"Yes- and no." He replied, taking the keys out of the ignition and handing them to me. "What I saw wasn't all through the pack mind. I saw your pain from me leaving and what that had done to you... and I saw you- pregnant."

My breath hitched from hearing this, but I knew he believed it with all of himself and I couldn't bring myself to doubt him. The adoration on his face told me it was true. That what he had seen, no matter how fleeting it may have been, was far more than a hopeful wish in his mind.

"I know it sounds-"

"I believe you, Jacob." I interjected, knowing he needed that from me. "It's not crazy."

He pulled me over into his lap, guiding my legs over to straddle him as his soft lips grazed mine with his whispered reply.

"I know you're scared Bells. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't too."

I pressed my forehead to his, feeling his hands come to firmly rest on my hips.

"So- we'll be scared together."

He nodded, pressing me tighter to him, the warmth from his closeness seeping in through my clothes.

"Are you staying with me the rest of the night? I know Sam needs you-"

"I'm not going anywhere. The pack can wait until the morning. I'll meet with them then. Get things back in order. The way they should be."

I reached for the test as Jacob opened the door, his eyes searching mine as I clutched the bag tightly in my shaking hands. My nerves making it hard for me to even breathe.

"I don't know if I can bring myself to take this-"

"I'll be right there with you, honey. It's gonna be okay. I promise."

I stared at him in clear disbelief from his calm demeanor with this. The light in his eyes telling me that he was a bit more hopeful than scared. Like he wanted the vision he had of me to be true.

"How can you be sure of that, Jacob?"

"I'm sure of us, honey. I'm sure that I love you with all my heart- forever. You're the girl I want to build a family with. The girl I want to give my last name to. I'm sure that I don't work right without you. I'm sure that I want to be wherever you are and no matter what that test says in a few minutes, I know we'll be okay."

His words left me speechless and I marveled at his devotion.

A/N: Will be another update soon! Please feel free to review! Love to hear from you!