A/N: As always, thank you to my lovely betas, DeeDreamer and EssatheTwerp21.
Thanks to those who have listed my story as recs on their profile! That is so awesome of you.
And of course, thank you for reading :-). Your enjoyment and encouraging words are cherished.
Chapter 20 – When I grow up…
NPOV
We decided at the last minute that Atlanta might not be such a good idea. We needed somewhere new. Somewhere that wouldn't remind us of last weekend's tragic events.
We drove east aimlessly for a while until settling on Myrtle Beach. I didn't know what the shopping would be like but a trip to the beach would be perfect, especially since we would actually be able to go out during the day. That line of thinking led to thoughts of why I couldn't go to the beach in California during the day.
I quickly focused on imagining the memories Jacob and I would make on this trip. Memories that would trump any beach visit I ever had with the bastard from hell.
Jacob voiced his concern about my sleeping so much. He thought I was depressed. On some level, I was. More than anything, though, I was exhausted. I explained to him that the stress was probably wearing me out and that my mental state wasn't that bad. Sure, I was pretty down and still very hurt, but I would come out of this alright. My issues paled in comparison to Kimber's.
I just needed time to heal. That's all.
Coming here was the best idea I'd ever had. The oceanfront was pretty and our room was awesome. Naturally, we stayed in a suite at the nicest hotel in the area.
I wasn't allowed much time to enjoy it, though. Jacob kept me out and about all day and night. I guessed he was trying to keep me preoccupied and awake.
The beach was pretty much deserted since it was so damn early in the morning and school was in session. It felt so good to be out in the sun. The sticky ocean breeze seemed to carry away my burdens and sadness. The sound of the waves crashing was soothing. It wasn't the most beautiful place I'd ever been, but it was definitely paradise.
"Here you are, miss," a waiter said, sitting a tall frozen drink on the table beside my poolside lounger.
"I'm sorry, I didn't order this," I said politely.
"The gentleman with you did, ma'am."
Jacob returned holding a huge beer and an even bigger smile on his face. He nodded a silent thank you to the waiter and sat in his lounger beside me. I eyed him curiously but he pretended not to notice.
"Did you know I've never been to a sunny beach?" he said nonchalantly.
I chuckled and waited for him to answer my unspoken question. What's up with the booze?
"I've never gotten trashed during the day either," he continued.
"Is that our plan? Getting trashed?" I asked sarcastically.
He took a long chug of his beer before replying, "Yup!" a grin permanently plastered across his face.
I shook my head in mock shame. He was so cheerful and adorable. I couldn't say no, so I took a sip of my drink and smiled.
" 'Atta girl," he said playfully.
I smirked. "You realize it's only eleven in the morning, right?"
His shoulders slumped and his head hung down. "You're right. I knew I should've gotten you up earlier. DAMN!" he shouted. It was hilarious. He was really playing the part well.
"We've got catching up to do!" he said eagerly, tilting my glass higher as I sipped.
The waiter saw us finish our first round and came back to see if we wanted another.
"Two more and a couple of Jager Bombs…Wait, make it four. We had a late start," he said, looking at me with this cute grin.
I rolled my eyes and laughed. "You are incorrigible."
The drinks kept coming…and coming…and coming.
I was pretty loaded by noon. It felt awesome to let go and have fun for a change. No worries. No drama. Just having fun with my man.
We were walking on the beach as best as we could in our state. Supernatural agility or not, booze and sand was a tough combination.
"So what's your plan, Jacob? Whaddya wanna be when you grow up?" I slurred.
We admired the scenery as we walked. "Something that pays a lot. You've got expensive taste." He laughed.
"I'm not that bad. I just put my resources to use. And I don't hear you complaining," I joked.
"Whaddabout you?" he asked.
"Shit, I don't know. Something fun and colorful."
We continued rambling about nothing important. Being with him was so easy. Somehow he made me smile even during the worst time of my life.
We walked from the beach to the bar and back for refills countless times, keeping up our buzz… er…yeah, we were far past having just a buzz.
"D'you wanna have kids? I mean…like ever. One day. Not like, now. With me or anything," Jacob stammered.
I was too hammered to keep my thoughts from spewing right out of my mouth. "What, you don't wanna have kids with me?" I said defensively.
He looked around the beach uncomfortably. "I figured it would be a little creepy to ask you if you ever wanted to have kids with me. It's been what, two weeks?"
Not two weeks. Twelve days. Most of them the best days of my life.
"Do you not know how in love with you I am? It's insane. I wanna fuckin' marry you and have a million kids. Like those Duggar people. Except our kids would be awesome. Those kids—"
"You wanna marry me?" he asked in a tone I couldn't quite place in my drunken state. Surprise? Happiness? Confusion?
I stopped walking and looked at him. He had this sparkle in his eyes that made me want him in so many different ways. It gave me butterflies. Suddenly the moment had turned from playful and fun to serious.
"Yeah, I mean, I know it sounds ridiculous and borderline psycho, but I love you. Like, really love you."
He just stared at me, eyes sparkling.
"Say something," I whispered.
"I just…wow…I never thought someone could…love me and want me that much." He stopped talking to place a soft, slow kiss on my lips. "I love you."
I kissed him the same way he just had. "I love you, Jacob."
I felt eyes on us and looked around. Just as I thought, there were a couple of people watching our little exchange. They diverted their attention when they saw me look, but it didn't do them much good.
"C'mon, sexy, buy me a shot," I said playfully.
We began walking hand in hand back to the pool bar.
"So does this mean…we're engaged?"
I laughed. "Not quite. You forgot a couple of things."
He raised a questioning brow.
I held up my left hand and wiggled my fingers. "I'm not superficial, but a ring of some sort is a prerequisite. And if my father's opinion of you matters to you at all, you'll need to ask him first."
Jacob winced. "Well, guess I've got a few decades to save, because it's going to take that long to earn his approval," he half-heartedly joked.
I didn't give a shit what my dad approved of, but unfortunately Jacob did. "Why d' you care about what he thinks?" I slurred.
"Family is forever. Especially when you're part of a family of vampires. I don't want to fuck things up with him. He probably wouldn't give me a second…err…third chance."
"Whatever babe," I sighed. "Buy me a shot."
We spent the remainder of the day in much the same manner as we had that morning – drinking, joking around, and attempting to have serious conversations that were slurred yet blatantly honest.
Jacob was such a fun, energetic person to be around. He radiated happiness and positivity. It was impossible to stay depressed around him. When it was just the two of us, I felt like a different person. Like the person I wanted to be. Not who my parents thought I should be. Not the ridiculous, stubborn, rebellious person I usually was. I was just me.
That night, we went to an all-you-can-eat crab buffet. I normally didn't eat much unless I was PMS-ing. Sure, I ate human food, but not much, and I didn't usually enjoy it with such zest. Maybe it was Jacob. Maybe because he's a bottomless pit, constantly eating. Or maybe he just brought out my human side.
As we gorged, Jacob seemed a little…off. His features lacked that carefree ease that they usually held.
"Jacob," I said, trying to pry his attention away from the pile of steaming food between us. It was surprising to see that his huge hands could crack even the smaller crab legs without ripping the meat in two or sending it hurdling through the air.
He didn't respond for a minute, but instead looked around the restaurant nervously. He swallowed hard and didn't meet my eyes when he finally spoke. "I've been thinking…"
When it was obvious he wasn't going to continue, I pressed for more, "About?"
With his eyes locked on the faux wood grain table, he finished, "I want…I want you to meet my family."
WOW! He wanted me to meet his family! We'd talked about doing it one day, but it sounded like he meant in the near future.
"That would be great!" I squeaked. I felt honored to be so important to him that he wanted me to meet his family. Jacob didn't seem to share my enthusiasm, though.
"The only thing is…I can't really afford to get both of us there and back." His eyes flicked up shyly to gauge my reaction. "This is humiliating," he said lowly, looking down to his plate.
"Don't be ridiculous!" I said sweetly, but perhaps with a bit too much insistence. "Do you not understand the limitless amounts of money we have access to? There should be special laws against the things Alice does! Not that it would stop her. Anyway, my family spends huge sums of money all the time. Hell, my purse alone could pay for both our flights."
I tugged my Nancy Gonzalez croc-skin hobo from the seat and rested it gently on the table. Personally, I wouldn't have spent that much on a handbag, but Alice would. She'd given it to me as part of my college wardrobe.
Jacob clearly had no idea the difference between my bag and any other he'd ever seen, so I elaborated. "Three grand worth of gator, here."
His mouth hung agape for a moment before he shook his head. "It's still hard to let my girlfriend pay for something so expensive," he admitted shamefully.
I huffed. "To us, money is nothing. We get it, spend it, and anything that can be donated winds up at Goodwill after a month or two. We don't hoard money, we give it back. And probably use it more wisely than some people would. You can be ashamed of using my family's money when you're not a college student…or when we're married with five kids and can't afford to pay for a flight down to my grandma's island for a weekend away. See what I mean? My grandma has her own island."
The look on his face made it clear that I wasn't convincing him.
"Are you always this stubborn?" I asked jokingly.
He just grinned. "When do you want to go to Washington?"
It was my turn to stare at the table. I didn't know how to tell him that I never wanted to go back to campus. Ever. I felt pathetic for making that decision, but at the same time I knew that the only way I would ever be able to get past all of this. How could I ask him to uproot himself after such a short time? Sure, he wanted to be with me forever, but it seemed a little too soon to start dictating his life for him.
I knew what would happen next. It didn't make me any less ashamed of my choices. I knew he would tell me that he supported my decision and would come with me to any other school. He would comfort me and tell me that he understood. It had only been twelve days, but in that time I'd quickly learned that he would do absolutely anything to make me happy.
"Next Monday?" I said meekly. I couldn't even gather enough courage to flat out tell him my intentions.
He slowly nodded and seemed to at least somewhat understand the implication of my response. He took my hand in his from across the table.
"You don't have to go back there," he said protectively, staring into my worried eyes.
It was as though he knew exactly what I was thinking. I didn't respond. I just bit my lip and focused on the tablecloth.
"We can start fresh next semester. I hear University of Alaska is nice. And imagine the hunting there," he said lightly, trying desperately to reanimate me.
I sighed. "I can't do that to you."
He rolled his eyes and huffed. "And I can't have you going back to UGA just to be miserable, either. I don't have any ties to Georgia. Honestly, I'd rather go to UA."
His other hand came up to my chin and gently lifted it so I would meet his gaze.
"You make me want to do the right things; to be a better person. I want to be closer to my family. I abandoned them and my pack and it's time for me to be a man. UA is running distance from home. And Alaska is beautiful. Your family could visit…if you wanted them to…and not have to worry about the sun."
Instead of it sounding like he was trying to make me feel better, it was more like he was trying to convince me of something he'd already decided. My face softened and he smiled.
"This will be a good thing. C'mon. You know you'd rather spend the next four months adoring Kimber's baby anyway."
I cracked a grin. "You sure about this? What about Embry?"
He shrugged. "He's a big boy. Besides, he's finished after next fall. I guess Hannah will have to find someone else to get nasty with in hotel hot tubs."
And just like that, I was never returning to UGA.
Making plans to meet his family was scary. I'd never interacted with humans much outside of school, and even then it was minimal.
I barely spoke when I was younger; if I had something to say, I would use my gift. I preferred it, and I think my family did as well. Instead of simply using words, I could vividly show what I was talking about and share raw emotions through my connection. So to say I was socially awkward was an understatement.
I was most nervous about meeting his sister, Rachel. I'd heard stories about how protective she was growing up, how she was the mothering type. His father would likely accept me right away, given the imprint and all, but she might take some convincing. Maybe I was over-thinking things.
After all, I was part of the reason he decided to come home. Had we never met, he would likely still be the way he was before – hollow and alone. Kimber may have filled a portion of the void, but he told me that I'd made him whole again.
Was it feasible that Jacob spent so many years in misery because his imprint was somewhere out there and he didn't know? It was a possibility. I, too, felt empty before he came along. I always felt like something was missing. I thought it was my lack of friends, but it was probably the lack of having Jacob in my life. He said I made him whole, the same could be said for me.
We finished out the night by booking our flights and hotel. I was completely exhausted from such a long day of drinking and being out in the sun so we went to bed as soon as we were done. It had been such an eventful day and I sure felt it. Jacob enveloped me in his warm, boxer-clad body and I was in heaven. Feeling his skin against mine was arousing, but my fatigue ultimately won. I succumbed to sleep with Jacob's thick fingers skimming the sensitive skin on my back.
The phone rang at some God-awful hour of the morning, or so I thought. With my eyes closed, I felt around the nightstand for my phone.
"This better be good," I grumbled.
"You're not even awake yet? God, I thought you guys would be halfway here by now!" Kimber said with disappointment.
I allowed my eyes to crack open just a little bit. The sun was pouring in from the windows. "What time is it?"
"Noon! Now hurry up! I expect to see your beautiful face by three. Oh, and the baby has a surprise for you!" She was way too chipper for someone who was carrying a half vampire baby. She sounded like she'd spent entirely too much time around Alice.
It sure didn't feel like noon, more like seven in the morning.
"Ugh fine. Are my parents there?" I said while stroking Jacob's soft hair, trying to wake him from the dead.
"For now. I think they're leaving tonight…but hey, go easy on them, okay? For me?"
I sighed. "Have you gone over to the dark side?"
"I'm not on any side. But Ness, your dad wants to have a good relationship with you. He's willing to make compromises. He loves you…aaaand now he's standing in front of me giving me the evil eye."
Jacob's hand began roaming around my torso, making it difficult to continue our conversation. "I'll be there by five," I said distractedly, trying to not sound aroused.
"Five? Edward said Myrtle Beach is only a three hour drive from here." Kimber was flat out whining now. Definitely pregnant.
Unsure of whether or not my dad was within earshot of the phone, I tried to gain some composure, a difficult task with Jacob's mouth now making its way down my neck. "I gotta pack and…take care of some things."
Jacob took the phone from me. "Kim, stop being a cock block. We'll be there soon," he said, hitting the end button and tossing the phone across the room.
We managed to leave the hotel in an hour, cutting our lovemaking time down to just half an hour. I needed more, though. I always needed more.
Too much of a good thing was never enough.
A/N: Reviews will be responded to with a teaser of chapter 21. It's is definitely one of my favorites and I so can't wait to post it! It's one of the longest chapters in the story, too.
I would also like to point out that my submission to the After Your Heart Stops Beating contest, Two Seconds too Late, won Host's Choice from TwiCharmed! Check out the banner and the story on my profile.