Disclaimer: Don't own any recognizeable elements of Twilight.

Thank you to all of the reviewers/readers! This is a relatively long chapter, so ENJOY!

Chapter Three. Penitence

:Addison:

The sun was too loud.

There was no other way to explain it. It was practically screaming through my window – Rise and shine you drunken pixie!

It felt as though my skull was trying to close in on my brain, crushing it. It felt as though my limbs were weighed down with lead. It felt miserable.

I wrapped my arms around my knees and curled up into a little ball under the covers. A little, hung-over ball of regret in a sea of screaming sunlight.

--

1:01 p.m. The neon green palindrome on the corner of the microwave leered at me. I stared back in equal disdain, slack on the kitchen stool in my pajamas.

When I heard the sudden thud, I would have turned around, reacted sooner, but my entire body's pace had been slowed down as if my limbs were tethered to various ropes like a puppet. Except the puppet master was apparently napping.

Layne walked into the kitchen slowly, also in pajamas, and I realized the sound had been the door opening. My auditory skills had evidently been heightened, much to my dismay.

We assessed each other wearily. Pale skin, gaunt eyes, knotted hair, and began to laugh. It started softly at first, but became contagious and soon we were shaking with it.

"Ow," Layne groaned, clutching her ears.

"Agreed," I mumbled, equally bothered by the ringing sound of our laughter.

She eyed my in amusement, "How did you get home last night?"

I searched my brain for answers, in response, it turned its back and resumed its resting, chiding me for my drunken escapades, "I have no clue."

"When the cab dropped us off at home, you wouldn't shut up about taking a walk. 'I have to, the sand is waiting for me'," she mimicked.

Not wanting to be put subject to any more of her taunts (a.k.a. examples of my varying degrees of idiocy) I slowly got up, "I think I'm going to take a shower."

"Hhm, good idea. I'll leave some coffee on the pot for you."

"Yea, thanks."

The first memory hit me as I was going up the stairs. The setting must have triggered it, because I suddenly remembered walking up these very stairs with Jacob Black.

Jacob Black? It wasn't possible. The same boy who had run away upon the moment he saw me most certainly did not aid me up these stairs.

The vague murmur of me informing him that he was 'fantastic looking' skittered across my mind.

Oh no.

A bout of fresh embarrassment gave me the energy to race up the stairs and slam my door. I slumped against it as if this would block out the memory from flooding in.

Little things trickled into my mind, like raindrops of terror. Staring into his back from a precariously upside-down position. The feel of my face buried in sand. Using my heels as a failed weapon. Warm skin pressed against the back of my hand.

His smile – no – his smirk.

I had made a complete fool of myself. It was irreversible. End of discussion. Idiot punch-buggy, no punch-backs.

I silently stepped into the shower, wanting to scream but scared of what it might do to my ears.

Using the loofah as my tool of absolution, I scrubbed viciously, willing Memory to Just. Go. Away.

--

The heat of the overused oven pulsed in slow waves, washing over my skin like a punishment. I was surrounded. Brownies, pies, a cake, cupcakes, cookies, flan. The smell of sugar had become intoxicating, but I didn't move from my stance behind the counter.

"I know you're having a hard time and all, but I love it when you get frantic like this."

I shot a glare at Layne. She backtracked, "Oh no, I mean – I'm just saying that it's a treat, for the rest of us. Not your pain, just…the results."

I rolled my eyes and resumed inventorying the baked goods with my eyes; I had fused all of my embarrassment and frustration into the sweet treats now laid out on the counter, as if stirring batter would absolve me of my stupidity.

I had always been a compulsive baker. Stress from school, anger from a fight, almost anything negative would trigger this. But I had most certainly outdone myself this time.

"So…what's your game plan?"

My head snapped to where Layne sat on the edge of the counter, "What?"

"Well, do you plan on baking yourself into oblivion or are you going to grow a pair?"

I shoved the plate of cookies aside and pulled myself onto the counter, sighing wearily, "I cannot show my face again." It was a fact this time, not a whine as my previous rants to Layne had been.

"You should…go talk to him," Layne said cautiously. My eyes bugged and she continued slowly, "At least try to acknowledge last night, show your poker face, he'll respect you more if you own up to it."

Moments passed in silence as I mulled over Layne's words, arguing with myself. It was shame versus pride, but I already knew which would win.

"Maybe I could take some of this," I waved to the plates of baked goods, "with me. He could be distracted enough by the frosting to not laugh at me, right?"

Layne nodded encouragingly and I made to grab some of the plates (no point postponing it) but she stopped me by grabbing my hand, "Could you, maybe, leave the brownies?"

--

I stared at the wooden door, its paint grayed by the heavy rainfall, hoping I was at the wrong house. Taking a deep breath, I turned around and walked back down the porch steps for the third time. After walking a few yards away from the house, I squeezed my eyes shut, chiding myself for the cowardice.

For the fourth time, I turned back around and stared at the little house. Tightening my grip on the plate in my hands, I began to walk forward, kicking the sand in my wake.

I reached the door sooner than I had intended and came to an abrupt stop. Ripping one hand away from the plate, I reached towards the door, my hand curling into a fist, to knock.

"Wow, that's as far as she's gotten this entire time!"

I spun around, causing whip-lash and hissing to myself as I glanced around for the source of the noise. That's when I saw the coffee-brown skinned man-boy duck behind a red Volkswagen Rabbit. I recognized the sheepish grin on his face before he had ducked behind the car in a lame attempt to hide his gargantuan height: Quil.

"Great Quil, she probably saw us," I recognized the low pitch of Embry's voice and spotted a tuft of his hair peeking over another, larger, blue truck parked in front of the shed.

I blushed in outrage and stalked over to the shed, slamming the plate of cookies on top of the Rabbit, "Jacob Black!"

He stepped out from the shed, a dirty car part in one hand and a rag in the other, wearing a sheepish grin and khaki shorts.

"Hey Addison," he and Quil said at the same time as Quil stood up.

"Embry, I can see you, you're almost as big as the truck," Embry stood up from his stooped position, slightly put-out.

I turned to Jacob with a searching look, he retracted, "Hey, they were the one's hiding, I didn't even know you were out here."

"Liar," Embry grumbled, "You saw her first."

I looked to the three boys, and despite being almost a foot shorter than them, they visibly stooped under my glare, "Well, I made you something. They're called Sorry-I-made-an-ass-out-of-myself-last-night-Raspberry Cookies. Though, it looks like I'm not the only one making an ass out of myself."

"Sweet, can I have some?" I waved in consent to Embry's query and started to walk away.

"Addison, wait," a warm hand wrapped around my wrist and spun me around, "you should…stay."

I glanced to Quil and Embry who nodded encouragingly, and already my anger for them was washing away. I pulled my hand from Jacob's gently, "I was just going to drop these off, actually."

Quil seemed to take a visual cue from Jacob, "Hey, you could watch Jacob fix my truck's muffler. It's exciting stuff!" Somehow, I highly doubted that. I slowly inched away from the boys, and Jacob re-grabbed my hand, raising his eyebrows.

And then Embry, with his mouth full, said, "Hey you should get drunk and act in idiot more often! These are good."

This time, I ripped my hand away, "You told them?"

Jacob seemed to cringe at my words, "They would find out one way or another."

Quil smirked, "It's kind of hard to keep secrets between us."

"Impossible," Embry chuckled.

Angrily, I turned to Jacob, "Oh, and let me guess. You didn't even tell them, they just beat it out of you! Oh no? They must have just read your mind then!" He looked stunned for a second, then forced a small laugh. I heard Embry mumble something that sounded peculiarly like damn under his breath.

I felt a rant coming on, "I came here to say thanks, for taking care of me, and thanks for being nice. And sorry for me being a clown and -," wait, this didn't sound like a rant – it was an angry thank you, "…and I think I'll just leave now."

Why did Jacob have such a wide freaking grin on his face? "Or, we could call it even and you could stay."

I shook my head, stepping away from the group, "No," I said, slightly quieter.

"Let's vote on it. All for Addison staying?" All three of them raised their hands. "Oops, sorry, majority rule. I guess you get to watch me fix a car muffler today," he smiled triumphantly.

"We like voting here," Quil started laughing and walked with Jacob into the shed.

"It's a pack thing," Embry said as he put his arm around my shoulders and led me in.

"Oh, so you consider yourselves dogs too?"

"Ouch," they hissed, almost simultaneously.

At first, I kept silent. I sat quietly on the bench in the corner as the three joked around playfully, occasionally asking me questions about Seattle. Was it hard to move from such a big city to La Push? Kind of. Did I miss my friends? No – I would see them around. Were the women sexier in the city (from Embry, of course)? No comment.

I had thought that they all looked the same. In such proximity I realized that their bodies may have been similar, but their faces quite distinct. Quil's was round-shaped and had naturally soft features. Embry was more rectangular, his grin taking up the majority of his face.

Jacob had a longer face, a surprisingly bright smile, and thick eyelashes that cast shadows over his chocolate-brown eyes. His lips were thin and a russet shade. The word kissable came to mind. I shook my head as if to empty it of its ridiculous thoughts.

Enough time passed that I was at ease, sitting on the floor next to Embry as Quil and Jacob worked with the car parts laid out in front of them. But my mission wasn't over – I wasn't going to leave without asking. I had to know.

"Jacob?" I had decided that if he had already told Quil and Embry, there couldn't be any more shame in asking, "What exactly happened last night?"

He stopped what he was doing and looked up, baffled, "You don't remember?"

"Barely. I remember hitting you, and being carried, and falling a lot," it all came in a rush.

"Well," he hesitated, then began, "you kind of threw a shoe at me, which woke me up -"

"You were sleeping on the beach?"

Embry chuckled, "Trust me, you're not one to judge today." I blushed furiously as Jacob rolled his eyes and Quil shoved Embry.

"I like the openness. Anyways, I offered to walk you home and…then you got kind of angry -"

"You beat him with your shoes," interrupted Embry once again, now with an amused grin plastered on his face.

"Shut up," Jacob said as both Embry and Quil chortled. Suddenly I remembered shouting at Jacob, asking him why he'd run away as if I were a leper.

"Well, I don't think it was completely undeserved," I glared at Jacob challengingly.

"You're right," he sighed, offering an apologetic smile. How was I supposed to hold a grudge if he was going to smile at me like that?

"Okay, what else?" I grumbled.

"Erm… and then I took you up to your room and you went to bed."

I gave Jacob a baffled look, "That's it?"

Embry and Quil were looking at him with expressions similar to mine, but I suspected for very different reasons.

"You are so whipped!" Embry guffawed.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, feeling utterly confused.

Resigned, Quil turned to me, smirking, "Well, if you want the full version, we'll tell you."

Jacob was looking anxiously between us and somewhere in my stomach I felt fluttering, "You told Jacob that he would make a good backstreet boy," jibed Embry,

"And followed that by informing him that he is fantastic looking," Quil began to laugh.

"And got lost in your own house and ended up in a closet."

"And when you finally got to your room, you invited him to stay the night," Quil and Embry looked to me as if they were expecting some fantastic explosion, which, obviously, came.

"WHAT?" They nodded vigorously as Jacob pursed his lips, holding back a laugh, no doubt. "I would never, ever invite you to stay the night," I vehemently hissed. When Jacob looked taken back, I back-tracked in a forced, kinder voice, "I mean, not that you are un-invitable for such a thing," with a surprised look from all three of them, I waved my hand as if to dismiss my last comment in nervousness, "I mean, I would personally never consider that. Not that there's something wrong with you. There's probably something wrong with me." My eyes bugged, "Oh, no, I didn't mean that way. I'm completely…fine. I mean, there isn't anything wrong with that. I just," I took a deep breath, "I like men, okay? Not that there's anything wrong with liking women, as a women. I have a friend who's probably a lesbian. Actually maybe asexual - " my rant was interrupted by my own shriek.

"What are you doing?" My voice came muffled for under Jacobs hand; he had covered my mouth.

He looked genuinely concerned and was examining me as if I had two heads, "I didn't know how else to make you stop. I think you stopped breathing somewhere during that rant." He couldn't conceal the amusement in his voice, "You looked like you were about to explode."

I looked at him pointedly, prompting him to remove his large hand from my mouth as Quil and Embry sniggered in the background.

"I wasn't going to explode," I countered, feeling sheepish. Jacob rolled his eyes and shot my a smug smile.

Another yelp sounded from my mouth, and this time my face turned furiously red. All three boys looked to me in concern. My leg was vibrating. I glanced down to see that my pocket had lit up and realized that my phone had rung.

What's taking so long? read Layne's text. "Um… dinner's ready," I lied. Jacob furrowed his eyebrows, seeming to see through the lie, but shifting to the side to let me go anyways.

"See you later," it could have been a statement, but in his lips it sounded like a question. I turned to see him sporting an amused expression which didn't match his previously desperate tone. I felt a tug somewhere behind my navel.

It became apparent that despite whatever answer I gave, I would be seeing him later, or sooner.

I rolled my eyes and shrugged, trying to seem blasé, "Whatever."

--

"Addison, can you get the door?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because it's easier if you get it."

"For you or for me?"

"Both. No work for me, and exercise for you."

"Brat."

"Hey, I didn't eat a whole plate of brownies."

Right on time, Layne stalked into the living room where I lay on the couch smirking back at her and narrowed her eyes. Without a word she proceeded to open the front door, which was right next to the couch on which I lay.

I got up from my seat and bounded over to her, setting my chin on her shoulder as she glanced over with a small smile and pulled open the door.

"Hi," rumbled the baritone voice.

I immediately ducked behind her.

"Hi Jacob," Layne beamed.

So much for see you later.

"Addison?" Jacob sounded hesitant.

"She's not here," I said from behind Layne's shoulder. I was sure she was rolling her eyes right about now.

"Jacob, would you like to come inside and wait until Addison shows up?"

"That sounds great," they shared a look that didn't go unnoticed. I pinched Layne, still cowering behind her and occasionally peeking over her shoulder to glare at Jacob.

"We just finished dinner, but there are still some slices left over if you'd like to help yourself." Suddenly I regretted pinching Layne.

Jacob glanced at me, smiling slyly, "Yea, I think I'd like that."

When Layne turned around to lead him into the kitchen, I ended up facing at both of them. I tried an odd sort of maneuver to get behind her again, but realized this would just expose my back to Jacob and settled on reuniting with the couch as they left for the kitchen.

Maybe a full thirty seconds passed before I burst into the kitchen.

"What are you, a stalker?"

Jacob spun around on the seat of the barstool and grinned brightly, his face lighting up, "Something like that."

Layne seemed reproachful at my attitude towards our guest and settled with glaring at me. She changed tactics, and I could tell she was feeling exceptionally cruel today, "I'm going to go drop some pizza at Carver's store. He might be working late."

Despite the fact that Carver had been working late, what with it being summer and the fishing season gaining, I knew this was more of a ploy to irritate me. I delivered a good kick to her shin as she left the kitchen with a triumphant smile.

"What's wrong Addison? Aren't you happy to see me?" He said with mock concern.

I sat myself down on the barstool next to his angrily (if it is actually possible for one to sit angrily), "First you run away from me and now you follow me around. Care to explain, Dr. Jekyll?"

"Nope," Jacob replied, seeming to exude a certain giddiness.

I slumped, unable to stay angry at someone who kept grinning at me like that, "I wish you hadn't told your friends."

He shrugged apologetically, "I can't hide much anything from them. Though, I am sorry for Embry's perverseness, although he's usually worse."

I shuddered jokingly, "You should have him tied up."

"We tried once; he made a jibe about it being kinky and I haven't been the same since."

My laughter resulted in me slouching into the barstool, quickly realizing that my legs had found their way to his. I quickly retreated, chiding myself for relishing the contact of our bare skin.

He pretended not to notice, "Still mad?"

I shook my head and replied, feeling bold, "But you'll have to make it up to me."

He raised an eyebrow playfully, "What makes you think that I will?"

"I'll kick your ass if you don't," I replied nonchalantly, trying to ignore his sculpted torso.

"No chance, you're too weak," as if to make his point, he made to grab my wrist. In return I kicked his leg, only to feel immense pain jolt through my leg.

Ouch.

I cursed and tried to grab my foot to ease the pain but he had it in his hands before I could blink.

He clutched my foot tightly, "You okay?" His hands burned into my foot as he gently massaged it, and I wondered if it was because of the pain.

I laughed at my prior arrogance, "I'm fine. I guess I won't be kicking your ass anytime soon." Jacob still stared at my worriedly, but I began to giggle uncontrollably until I finally had to wrench my foot out of his hands. "That tickles," I said simply.

Jacob finally relaxed, "How can I possibly make it up to you? How does someone amount to your one-girl freak show exactly?" I realized he wasn't talking about my foot anymore and we were back on the subject of his payment.

"I'll think of something."

He leaned back into his chair and folded his hands in his lap, "I'm sure you will."

Eight slices of pizza, a liter of soda, and cheesy horror flick later, we found ourselves at my front door.

"You won't be too scared of the dark tonight?" Jacob teased.

"I'll survive. And if I don't, I'll show up on your doorstep with a night-light."

He started backing away, stepping backwards down the porch steps while still looking at me, "Good night Addison."

"Good night Jacob," I laughed lightly, confused by the surge of déjà vu.

He finally turned away and bounded down our driveway and along the sidewalk, occasionally glancing back as I stood on the threshold, unable to look away.

I would GREATLY appreciate any and all feedback on the story so far. Tips for improvement, favorite quotes, creative ideas, criticism, you name it.

Have a fantastic day!

Cetesy