Chapter 4

"Everything okay?" Edward asked when he called that night. His tenor was calm, but not without his usual constant undercurrent of anxiety.

"Yes, thanks for asking," I said.

"Do you mind if I…take a peek?"

Touched by the concern in his voice and the graciousness of his request, I did not deny him.

"Yes, of course." I opened my mind for his perusal. I shared the details on campus regarding the murder. Afterwards, I showed him the campus, friends and classes. I specifically withheld anything about Jacob.

"It appears everything is indeed alright. Thank you," Relief breathed out with every word he said.

"No, thank you, Daddy," I was grateful that my father treated me with respect by asking to read my mind instead of just invading it as he did with disturbing regularity in the past.

"You're welcome." A wave of homesickness passed over me as I longed to wrap my arms around him. "Me, too," he said.

"How is everyone?"

"Your mother and I are back at T-V for our senior year." Tri-Valley was the all-inclusive school in Healy where I graduated from just last December. "Same place, same people. Jennifer says hello."

I smiled at the name of my best friend. I made a mental note to email as soon I got off the phone. She was a senior this year, too. I graduated early, at only sixteen 'human' years because of my superior intellect, at least that's what they called it. I attributed it to just paying attention. I was homeschooled and only attended formal school for one semester. I learned a lot, the vast majority of which had little to do with classroom lectures.

"How is Carlisle and Esme, Rose and Emmett?" Rose and Emmett as way to protect me last year willingly ran off to Las Vegas to get married for the fifth time and have been relishing the role while living in Europe.

"Rosalie and Emmett are in France now. Carlisle is working with the Red Cross for a blood drive. His staff is pestering him mercilessly as to why his children aren't participating."

I chuckle. "And Alice and Jasper?" They would be juniors now.

"They are doing well, but Alice say's it isn't the same without you."

Another pang squeezes my heart.

"I have to second her sentiment. You are deeply missed. But I am also pleased you are doing so well. You make me proud.

"I'll check with Alice about that poor girl and I know she'll see the police putting that abomination behind bars soon," Edward promised.

"Let me know what she finds out. Send everyone my love. I have to go—homework." I knew I would start crying if I didn't get off this phone soon. Talking to my dad was always very emotional for me.

"Of course. And, say hello to Jacob, as well," he requests.

I braced myself for some snarky comment about Jacob and me and 'us', but it didn't come, another surprise from the new and improved dad. If I knew he could be this reasonable I would have moved away months ago. I was certain Mom had a bit to do with his attitude adjustment.

"I'm glad you approve, but don't push it," Edward chuckles.

"I won't, Dad. Love you."

"I love you, too, Sweetheart. Good night."

A consequence of the internet/twitter age was that attention spans could be measured in nanoseconds especially in self-centered young adults. The incident on campus was still remembered, but life had slipped into comfortable normality again within days. The vigil outside Anderson hall had diminished. By Friday morning the whisperings around campus centered on making plans for the first football game on Saturday.

Mandy had been blissfully absent from the dorm by extra practice sessions, which was a good thing, since I needed the solitude to study. It appears that my courses at UT Austin were a bit more rigorous than U of A. My English professor requested that we finish reading our first novel by next week. He promised a quiz which would serve as sufficient motivation to do so. I admit I didn't read much. My mind stumbled over all the black letters on white paper. I was much better with charts, illustrations and graphs. Therefore biology, which was supposedly a make it or break it course for many freshman, proved easier to handle.

"Good Morning, Nessie," Nita said using my old nickname at breakfast. Spending time with my La Push friends had obviously rubbed off on her.

Speaking of which, I nodded a welcome to Brady sitting beside her. I smiled. He had made himself a fixture in Nita's orbit. I noted the close proximity with which they were sitting and determined that their conversations haven't only been about Native American customs. I took my seat beside Jacob. Our eyes locked for a moment of unspoken communication before returning to our plates. I proceeded to ignore the mouthwatering aroma of the sausage patties on his. I needed to rethink this whole vegetarian thing, I thought as I seasoned my oatmeal with honey.

"Morning, everyone," I said. "You guys should have just gotten a dorm room with how often you eat on campus."

"No way I want to be in that close of quarters with this dog," Brady smiled as he elbowed Jacob in the ribs. I hoped Nita believed the 'dog' reference was a term of endearment in the same vein of Randy Jackson. "The food is better here. Neither of us can cook."

I knew Jacob could at least boil water. One night he made dinner for me, spaghetti and Ragu with garlic bread. Maybe eggs and bacon were out of his reach, but the meal was delicious. I remembered the red-checkered tablecloth on his father's dining table illuminated with a dozen taper candles. He looked so handsome in the flickering light. He served the food on real dishes and flatware. The centerpiece of Chianti woven bottle added a romantic touch. We held hands and shared a strand of spaghetti that we slurped in Disney's 'Lady and the Tramp' tradition. I recalled bopping our heads together instead of ending in a sweet kiss. But, all the more reason to try again and we did, repeatedly. In retrospect, maybe the company was more appetizing than the food, but we had a great time, regardless. That was until Edward texted me with some whatnot. I frowned at the memory, but I remembered the phone conversation from last night and decided to not dwell on Mr. Nosy's old antics anymore.

"Yeah, the food is surprisingly decent," I said. Well, that which I permit myself to eat, I didn't add. "Any news on the murder?"

"It's not on the front page anymore," Nita said as she checked her Blackberry. "Tomorrow's game is the headline."

"As to be expected. What are everybody's plans for tonight?" I asked.

"Definitely not the pep rally," Nita said with disdain.

"What would Mandy think?" I gasped then chuckled.

"Whose Mandy?" Brady asked. His heaping pile of eggs was rapidly disappearing. He ate like Jacob.

"My roommate." I guessed they had not met yet, lucky him. "She's a cheerleader and is busy with practices, pep rally and the game, of course. I don't know when she goes to class or studies."

"How about a movie? " Jacob offered. "I hear good things about 'Destiny: Alliance'." He loved his science fiction movies.

"Oh, Brady and I were thinking of attending the lecture tonight on race relations in the U.S. It'll probably focus on African-Americans but we're hoping for a question answer session afterwards," Nita said while Brady nodded his head and kept his eyes on her. I wondered which held the most appeal, Nita's presence or the lecture.

"Sounds like fun," I chuckled. I had listened to enough lectures this week. " But I think I'll pass. I'll go to the movies with you, Jacob."

"Figures," Nita teased.

By mid-afternoon the campus climate had changed to a more jovial mood. The greenbelts across campus filled with students lounging with books and tossing Frisbees or footballs despite the mid-nineties temperature. My classes were finished for the day and I gave myself permission to not open another book until tomorrow.

Jacob and I met at the track for a run. We weren't the only ones with this brilliant idea; however, Jacob and I maintained a pace that few could match.

"We should slow down. That poor kid is going to pass out if we don't," I said. A well-toned twenty-year-old was huffing a few yards behind us. He was desperate to keep up.

"You're no fun," he pouted, but he did slow down a bit. As we rounded the next turn, that kid passed us with a smile of triumph. "Happy?"

"Very." I smiled.

"This full-time human thing is a pain sometimes," Jacob lamented. Our footfalls landed together as he shortened his stride so I could stay by his side. I was breathing normally on our fourth lap and had yet to break a sweat, but Jacob, while not panting, breathed heavily through his nose as beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

"Are you alright?" I asked not breaking stride. He rarely showed any signs of exertion regardless of the task.

"Yeah." He wiped his brow and looked at his sweat covered hand. "This heat is getting to me."

"I guess you're human, after all," I gently teased. Jacob's core body temp measure at well over 100 degrees and with air temperatures to match, he suffered. I listened for his heartbeat and noticed its unusually accelerated pace. "Maybe we call it a day," I said keeping the alarm out of my voice.

"Okay." Jacob, breathing through his mouth now, jogged to the sidelines where we left out backpacks. He opened his, pulled out a liter sized water bottle, no doubt warmed by the sun, and drank it all without a break. "Ah, that's better." He tossed the empty bottle at the green trash can.

"Man, I'm sweating a like a pig," he said and proceeded to strip his shirt off and held up the damp garment. Every girl and a few guys in the immediate vicinity stopped to admire his revealed physic. He didn't work out other than his daily run but his developed arms, pecs and six pack abs said otherwise. Glistening with sweat he looked ready to enter a lightweight body-building competition. I fought to control my own breathing and heart rate as my eyes raked over his form. Damn, he was hot.

All too soon, he pulled on a clean t-shirt from his back pack after he threw the old garment away in the orange trash can.

"You don't do laundry?" I teased.

He laughed. "I don't want to carry that thing home," he said.

The runners still on the track resumed their regular pace. A few girls looked at me with curiosity probably trying to determine the nature of our relationship. To answer their unspoken question, Jacob picked up his backpack and put his arm around my shoulders. The girls turned away disappointed. I wore a smug smile as we walked to the parking lot.

We stopped at his cherry red 1996 Ford Mustang. Not quite the same as the Shelby he restored last year (oh, how he hated to return that car when he was finished) but it worked. He got bit by the Mustang bug and scoured all of Denali until he found a shell of a car that fit his modest budget. He spent the summer restoring it. I had to admit, and I was not a car person, that it was a sweet ride. The convertible ragtop was down revealing the smooth leather seats. Jacob opened the door for me. When he turned the key in the ignition, the engine made a satisfying growl. He pulled out of the parking lot bringing more attention his way.

We drove just three short blocks before we approached a modest apartment community made up of three two-story brick-faced buildings. We ascended the stairs to the far left building and Jacob inserted his key into the corner door lock.

"It's not much, but it's home," Jacob said and he waved me through the threshold. Actually it was quite an improvement over his garage apartment in Alaska. Clean carpets and intact blinds on the windows as well as unstained countertops indicated that this community maintained its units. The furnishings looked familiar as did the electronics and scattered clothing. The dining table functioned as office space with dual laptops and stacks of textbooks.

"It's nice," I said as I sat down on the leather couch after moving a stack of laundry to the coffee table littered with old chip bags and video game controllers. And it was a nice apartment. I wondered how long it would remain so with two bachelors living here.

"Thanks," Jacob said as tossed me a bottle of water he grabbed from the fridge. He walked into the living room, drank half of his bottle in one sip and announced, "I stink. I need a shower. Make yourself at home."

I nodded. I didn't notice any scent difference, just Jacob – intensified. Then I thought about him in the shower and I blushed. Feeling a bit warm myself I drank heavily from the water bottle as I tried to refrain from thinking about Jacob's naked chest in the shower.

I grabbed my cell phone in preparation for the inevitable call. Thinking about Jacob unclothed usually prompted an urgent text from you-know-who, especially if I am sitting, alone, in his apartment. I cradled the phone for several minutes and was stunned when Jacob materialized in the living room and the phone remained silent. I was putting down the phone as Jacob reached across me to grab some jeans from the clothing stacked on the coffee table.

With eyes wide I gulped as his bare and still damp chest was inches from my face. I pulled back as I also noticed that he was only wearing a beige towel around his mid-section. He disappeared from the living room within a second, but it was long enough to wind me more than the kid on the track today. I eyed the phone suspiciously; expecting that old familiar ringtone to sound, but nothing came. Soon Jacob reentered the room wearing a t-shirt and jeans and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"You want to play Grand Theft Auto six?" He offered as he casually plopped himself down beside me.

"Sure." My voice cracked.

We got a quick bite to eat at an Indian restaurant Jacob found that specialized in vegetarian dishes. I noticed Jacob paid with the check card that Carlisle provided for him. I smiled warmly at him.

Jacob, being Jacob and Lord knows I loved him, resisted Carlisle's suggestion at first. A couple of weeks before we traveled to Texas, my parents and Carlisle meet with Jacob. It seemed that a new scholarship program opened up at the Quileute reservation for those who wanted to study tribal culture and Jacob qualified. It was no secret who funded the generous program that included a monthly stipend. Carlisle finally convinced him to accept their generosity by appealing to his sense of family.

"Carlisle sat me down and said, 'Jacob, you are a member of this family despite whatever relationship you have with Renesmee. Because of your continued loyalty we are still together, so please accept this token of appreciation and thanks'," Jacob said as he recounted the story. "How could I refuse? He's very persistent. He's a great doctor and knows exactly what to say to get his patients to agree to anything. They probably thank him when he tells them they got cancer because he has such a bedside manner."

I laughed knowing exactly what Jacob meant. "Well, I for one am happy you accepted because now you don't have to work while in school and can spend more time, and money, with me."

Jacob gave my lips a quick peck and took one last bite off his plate. I tasted the spices as the waiter took the bill.

We laughed through the movie earning us some glares from the patrons sitting by us, but we didn't care. The movie was a good one, better than most, but had its share of cheesy moments and plot holes big enough to drive a truck through and we took pride in pointing them out to each other.

Jacob walked me to the dorm a few minutes before midnight. The balmy night cooled the air and the wind swirled my hair about my head. Jacob pushed it back into place and with his hands still cradling my face brought his lips over mine in a lingering kiss that made me light-headed. I gasped for air as we broke apart and saw Jacob's eyes smolder. I knew then the kiss affected him as much as me.

"Good night," he said.

"Good night," I said to his parting form.

With feet as light as air I made my way into the building and bounded up the stairs two at a time. I unlocked my door and stopped in my tracks.

In Mandy's bed I saw two bodies, both naked. A decidedly male form with blonde hair was moving methodically despite having two feminine legs wrapped around his bare buttocks. Moans escaped from both of them as I backed out the door unnoticed. I closed the door as gently as I could and slid down the wall. I sat in the hallway as I listened for them to stop. I blushed at some of the colorful language emanating from within and decided it was best for me to move and made my way back down the stairs to the lobby area.

I picked up a discarded newspaper from a table and began to read:

Additional details have been released by Austin detectives regarding Monday's UT Campus murder. Robin Welks, 18, from Ponder, Texas has been positively identified by her parents on Wednesday. Ms. Welks was a freshman at UT Austin planning to study English. Mrs. Preston Welks commented that her daughter was "a bright and sweet soul and will be sorely missed by her two younger brothers." Autopsy results on Wednesday proved that Ms. Welks was indeed murdered. Cause of death was ruled as exsanguination from multiple wounds. It did not appear as though the body had been moved suggesting that the crime took place in the courtyard where the body was discovered on Monday morning with hours of her death. Police have been interviewing family and friends as well as UT students to determine who and why anyone would want to hurt Ms. Welks. As of yet, no suspects have been reported. Students are still advised to use caution when traveling at night—

The sound of the stairway door startled me. I looked up in time to see Mandy's mysterious lover adjust his fly as he walked to the front door. I put the paper down and climbed the stairs to my room.

I dreaded the conversation that awaited me and was pleasantly surprised to find Mandy quiet in bed, pretending sleep. I listened as her heart rate and breathing slowed into a mellow cadence. Without warning, I remembered Jacob's bare chest inches from me and for a brief moment I wondered what it would be like for Jacob and me to--. I shook my head and willed myself to self.