Edward was coming! For the first time in a longtime I could think his name without the pain, without the pieces falling apart. Even if he didn't love me. He was coming. I started picturing his face, his perfect face. I became so lost in my own little world that it took an especially loud growl from Jacob to bring me back down, but even then I was still a little distracted.
I stared at the figures in front of me, trying to come up with a solution. If Jacob calmed down enough to faze back then I might be able to get Alice to let me closer to him, convince him that everything was alright. I also definitely needed to do something about the huge gash in the back of my hand before the blood starts getting to Alice. So, how to calm Jacob down…
"Jacob, breathe, please. I need you to faze back before Alice loses control and hurts you." Jacob whined, and paced back a little, obviously not willing to be human around a vampire. I noticed that Alice was no longer breathing, hopefully that was enough to help her keep control.
I sighed. There was only one solution that seemed available to me at the moment.
"fine Jacob. Just go." I could see he wasn't going to listen to me, so I braced myself to hurt him enough to force him to leave.
"Jacob, you're going to hurt me again if you stay. Please go." I hated to hurt him this way, but part of my mind was still reeling over hearing Edward's voice again, so it hurt me less than it should have.
Jacob whined again, but this time he edged forward, and I realized Alice and I were between him and the door. I touched Alice's shoulder lightly with my good hand, signaling that we should move. At the same time I wrapped my dripping hand in the bottom edge of my shirt oh well, I don't like this one very much anyway.
Once Alice and I were out of the way Jacob bolted through the open door. Alice never once relaxed her stance in front of me. Jacob's wolf form took out two good sized hunks of the door frame as he went. That was going to be difficult to explain to Charlie.
Once Jacob was gone, Alice was suddenly about six feet away across the living room, and obviously still wasn't breathing. She had a concerned set to her face and was gesturing towards my bloody hand.
"It's not that bad, just bleeding a lot, and I think he severed a muscle or two. Nothing that won't heal."
Alice moved forward to help me, but I held up my good hand in the universal 'stop' gesture.
"Don't make it harder on yourself Alice, I can handle this. Why don't you deal with the living room while I find a first aid kit?"
Alice winced as she sucked in a breath, just enough to say "first aid kit? You should be headed to the emergency room. Call Charlie and have him drive you or something."
I shook my head. Edward would come to the house. I couldn't leave the house. Plus, Charlie would find out about it if I went to the ER. I knew Alice wanted to make a bigger deal out of it, so I simply shook my head and left the room. Alice wouldn't come to near me until the smell of the blood faded.
In the kitchen I pulled my hand out of my T-shirt. Ouch. I could see now that Jacob had completely torn through the sets of muscles attached to my middle and pointer fingers, and added a neat slicing to the rest. The wound wasn't deep and would stop bleeding soon, as it was just my hand. I rinsed the cut in the sink and hissed in a breath when the hot water stung.
I pictured the way things should have gone. Jacob would have been in the bathroom or something when I picked up the phone. Edward would have realized I was alive. Then Jacob wouldn't be hurting right now but Edward wouldn't be coming either. The martyr in me and my sanity warred over whether or not I was happy Edward was coming. I didn't want to hurt Jacob. But that seems inevitable, and it pales in comparison to being able to see Edward again.
I made up my mind, Jacob could deal with his pain. I wasn't happy about that, but he could. I can't deal with mine. Edward has to come back, and I have to find some way to make him stay.
I know this one's shorter guys, but more is coming. =)