Chapter 25 – Remembered and Forgotten
NPOV
A/N: Another long one, with a taste of something that many of you have wanted for a long while. ;-)
Thanks to DeeDreamer Essathetwerp21 for being awesome betas!
Douglas Island, in a word—sucked. There was a small town near the bridge to Juneau, which was home to most of the island's residents. The remaining twenty five square miles were practically uninhabited. While on the way to our temporary home, I noticed no more than six or seven mailboxes alongside the road. The houses were buried behind acres of wooded land.
It would be the perfect place for Kimber to…adjust.
Jasper and Alice had picked us up from the airport. The car ride was silent save for Jasper answering my few questions about the house and informing Jacob and me that we'd be rooming with Kimber for a little while. There weren't enough bedrooms in the house for everyone, and since Kimber was temporarily celibate, and Jacob and I were banned from so much as sleeping in the same bed, it made sense.
He failed to mention the mansion that was under construction farther back on the property. The thing was much larger than any of our previous homes.
"What's that?" I asked.
Alice sighed and smiled, just a small glimmer of her usual vitality. "Our new home. Isn't she beautiful? We've been working on it all week. If everything goes according to schedule – and it will – you'll be sleeping in your own room by next Thursday."
Jacob hoped to have a job and place of our own within a month or so. He had an interview scheduled in three days. Skyland Petroleum was setting up a new drilling site just outside of Juneau. Based on the qualifications listed in the online ad, Jacob would be the perfect recruit: a combination of brute strength and mechanical inclination.
I wasn't fond of the idea of him attending college and working, but he had all of his classes mapped out and would graduate in about two years. I admired Jacob's drive and persistence. He had it all together. He decided what he wanted to study, made plans, and was executing them.
I, on the other hand, hadn't the slightest idea what I wanted to study. If it weren't for my complete disinterest in all things engineering, I'd pursue Jacob's major just to spend more time with him.
Instead, I'd spend the next few months grateful for every second we had together. Because once school started, we wouldn't get to see each other nearly as much.
As Jacob and I exited the car, alabaster blurs flashed around the construction site, making their way to the front of the relatively small and outdated home. Alice and Jasper joined Carlisle, Esme, Rose, and Emmett, standing in a loose crowd at the bottom of the stairs that led to the front door. Their forged smiles and slumped shoulders and jerky gazes revealed things they'd never say, feelings of shame and regret at realizing that their 'good intentions' were something more along the lines of deception.
At the top of the brick steps, right in front of the oak door, my father stood rigid, motionless. His face was void of emotion, his true feelings buried just beneath the glacial surface.
Not that I gave a damn.
I was extremely upset with both my parents. Charlie's life seemed to have this gaping hole in it. He wasn't depressed, but it was evident that some integral part of his life was amiss: my mother. What they'd put him through was unforgivable. My parents had no right in the world to be even remotely upset about my meeting Charlie.
Standing at Dad's side, my mother gnawed her lower lip and shuffled her weight from foot to foot. Her honey eyes bounced from mine to the ground and back again. It took a lot to make a vampire that damn antsy.
Jacob and I walked toward the group of eternally youthful statues. Mom descended the stairs, leaving Dad alone with his hands shoved in his pockets, and linked arms with me.
"Welcome home, honey! I can't wait to hear all about your trip." She paused and took a long, deliberate breath. "Did Charlie seem…happy?"
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" I growled, pulling my arm from hers. I quickly slid his card from my pocket and flicked it at her.
Mom froze and her phony smile dropped. I shot her a disgusted glare and continued walking inside, bypassing shocked gazes and unhinged jaws.
I bounded past Dad with no acknowledgement and slammed the door behind me.
"Ness!" Kimber squealed.
I walked in the direction her voice had come from, needy for the breath of fresh air her presence would bring. I found her in the living room, sitting comfortably on the sofa. I sat beside her and leaned over, holding her against me closely. With her tummy pressed against mine I could feel how hard it was. I noticed the dramatic change in size as I pulled back.
"I missed you," I said, kissing her cheek.
"Me too. We've got so much to catch up on! Go change into some comfy clothes and come hang out with me."
I got up and followed Jacob's scent to our transitory bedroom. He'd already started unpacking our luggage. I dug through the piles of clothes and pulled out my favorite pair of yoga pants and a tank.
Just as I'd finished dressing, Dad came to the doorway looking highly pissed. Like I care.
His approach was almost aggressive. "You owe your mother an apology. You will not speak to her that way."
He towered over me, standing less than a foot in front of me. But I wasn't intimidated, especially not with Jacob standing at my side. I craned my neck and met his dark gaze. "Are you kidding me? Both of you disgusting, callous fucks can kiss my ass."
The next second was a blur. Dad growled, his arm reared back to slap me in the face. Jacob slid between us and grabbed his steel arm mid-swing, stopping him dead in his tracks.
"Move, Jacob," Dad said viciously, eyes burning through me.
Jacob didn't obey. "I can't let you hit her, Edward." His voice was calm, almost pleading, but there was a threatening edge to it. Yeah, fuck with me and we'll see what happens.
Dad's neck muscles tightened and his mouth formed a thin line. The hatred I held for him in that moment was magnanimous in comparison to how much I'd loathed him when I ran away.
"MOVE, Jacob," he roared.
"It was my fault, Edward. Blame me. But no matter what, I will not let you hit her." I couldn't see Jacob's face, but I'd bet it was pretty damn scary right then.
"She is my daughter and deserves to be punished for speaking to her mother so disrespectfully. Bella is very upset right now. Renesmee has been nothing but insolent for over a year and I'm absolutely sick of it. I won't allow it anymore." Dad stared hard at Jacob, but he didn't budge.
"Edward! What's going on?" Esme wailed from the doorframe.
Dad's arm fell to his side. Jacob scooped me up and had us across the room in under a second.
"Nothing," Dad lied.
Esme knew better than that. "Were you going to hit Jacob?"
I stuck my head out from behind Jacob. "No, Grandma, he was going to hit me!"
"Edward! Is this true?" she asked, absolutely stunned. Dad had never come close to putting his hands on me.
"Bella would be in tears if she had them to weep," he said defensively, lowering his head.
"Come with me," Esme said firmly.
Dad followed her down the hall and outside. I heard a car engine start and assumed they left together.
"I need a run," Jacob said gruffly. "Hang out with Kimber. I'll be back in a little while." His large hands pulled my face to his, kissing me hard and hot, but not long enough. "I love you."
"I love you, too. Watch your back." I doubted my dad would hurt Jacob – especially after the scolding he was likely receiving from Esme – but there was no way to be sure.
How dare he try to put his hands on me. He was the one that was wrong.
I passed the bedroom my mother was in on my way to the living room. Her high-pitched weeps didn't rouse the slightest bit of sympathy from me. She deserved much more than a card being thrown in her face. She made her bed and now she'd lay in it.
I rolled my eyes and went to the kitchen. Digging through the fridge, I pulled out all of my favorites – birthday cake ice cream, strawberries, raw cookie dough, and a soda. The pantry beckoned me next and I withdrew a can of Pringles and some cashews. Then I saw the bread and suddenly wanted a sandwich.
A few minutes later, I was pushing Esme's antique serving cart through the house to the living room where Kimber was watching some cheesy Lifetime movie. I spread the food across the coffee table and handed Kimber a fork and a spoon.
"Dig in," I said, grabbing the ice cream first.
She chuckled. "Ness, are you seriously going to eat all that?"
"No, I got some for you, too, silly," I said through a mouth full of decadence.
Her nose curled. "I don't really eat that stuff anymore."
I rolled my eyes. "You're pregnant and even if you do put on a pound or two, it'll be gone with the change. Come on, indulge."
"I don't think you understand. I can't eat that. It doesn't smell appealing at all. I haven't had human food in three days."
I grinned smugly and shrugged. "Oh well, more for me."
"Andrew is coming over tonight." Kimber's eyes sparkled. She couldn't deny the little tumble her heart did the moment she uttered his name.
"What did you guys do the other night?" I asked, chomping on my sandwich.
Her heart thumped again. "We went to his house in Juneau."
"Aaaaand?"
"He's got this balcony with an amazing view of the waterfront. We talked out there for a long time until it got too cold for me." Her cheeks tinged pink.
"Mmmhmm," I mumbled, nodding and raising my brows in curiosity. My mouth was too stuffed for words.
"So we watched a movie…in his bedroom."
I choked down my mouthful of cookie dough. "Kimber, please tell me you didn't—"
"No, no! He wouldn't have anyway; he covered that when we were talking on the balcony. We just, you know…messed around a little." She wouldn't meet my bulging eyes.
"Uh huh, and what does 'a little' mean exactly?"
She held up three fingers. That could mean a couple of different things. I placed my hand on her warm face gently. The first image was of the two of them making out. She nodded.
I continued to him groping her breast. Her heart thundered and she nodded again. His hand slid down her body and into her panties, dipping low to massage her most sensitive parts. Kimber's eyes became hooded; she bit her lip and barely nodded once more.
I wasn't comfortable thinking of his parts, so the next image only showed Kimber's head moving back and forth in front of his groin. Her arousal permeated the air around us.
She leaned in close to me and whispered, "He tasted like nothing I've ever put in my mouth." Her lips lingered at my ear. Her heavy breath moved across the sensitive skin of my neck and ear like a soft, warm caress, eliciting a chill down the side of my body, bringing my nipples to full attention.
"Ness," she murmured. Her lips brushed against my earlobe. My breathing turned ragged. Just like when we were at that frat party, I was completely lost in her. Without thinking, I closed my eyes and let her take control.
Her soft lips moved down my neck without kissing, just touching. She traced the shell of my ear with the tip of her nose. Then her hand slid up my tank top and into the built-in bra, rolling my taught nipple in her small fingers. I gasped and arched against the touch.
My hand tangled in her curly hair as she moved her mouth down my clavicle, seeking my breasts. Her tongue came out to taste here and there.
She paused when she reached the top of my stretchy tank, her fingers grasping the hem, ready to free my left breast and take it into her mouth. "Will Jacob be angry?" she breathed.
Jacob.
Jacob!
At once, I awoke from my lustful stupor, bringing my body upright again and gently moving Kimber to my side.
"Kim…I…I want to…so much…but I can't do this without talking to Jacob. I can't do anything he wouldn't approve of."
Alice came bounding in the front door carrying a three foot stack of flooring samples. "What wouldn't he approve of?" she chirped. Then she actually looked at us, sniffing the air around her. "Tsk. You pervs." She flitted off with an impish giggle.
Kimber rolled her eyes playfully. "She cracks me up. Anyway, so yeah…Andrew is pretty awesome."
"I can tell. It's like this whole new side of you is showing." We went from almost-lovers to sisters, just like that. Weird.
"Yeah, I can't wait to have him. I mean really have him."
"There's something else there, too. You can't hide it from me. You like him."
There her little heart went, skipping and tumbling all over the place. "Do not! He's nice and all, but I can't commit to him like that."
I cocked an eyebrow. "Stop being ridiculous. You can't lie to me." I placed my fingers lightly against her aorta. "Your heart pounds at the mere mention of his name…Andrew." Tumble. "See?"
She swatted my hand away. "Cheater."
"I don't need to feel your pulse to know what your heart is doing. What time is he supposed to be here?" I asked just so I could see her reaction.
She quickly shot her eyes to the clock on the wall, her heart just a' bouncing. "Ten hours."
"People don't count the hours without a connection, Kim. But it's okay, I'll leave it alone. You can confess your undying love and devotion on your own time."
She pursed her lips and squinted her eyes at me. "Where's Jacob?"
Go ahead, change the subject.
"Dad tried to slap me, Jacob stopped him, now Dad is with Esme and Jacob went to the woods to blow off steam," I said, bored with the subject already. My salt and sugar feast had me in a fabulous mood, the last thing I felt like doing was rehashing that drama.
I polished off the can of Pringles and spared a glance down to my normally-flat tummy. It protruded slightly from the immense amount of food I'd crammed in there.
"Wanna take a nap?" Kimber asked, yawning.
I'd spent most of the night on a plane, unable to sleep for any length of time. I was definitely in need of a nap. "My bed or yours?" I asked jokingly, wagging my eyebrows.
"Watch, Mama!" Lauren called from midway up a tall oak. She had to be at least forty feet up.
I leapt from my chair on the back porch and ran to her. "How'd you get up there? Stay put, I'm coming to get you," I said as I began to scale the tree with practiced ease.
"No, Mama. Watch! Daddy said it was okay."
Of course Daddy said it was okay, he also let the kids eat raw animal flesh and jump into the pool from the roof.
My heart thundered, nearly shooting right out of my ribcage as I watched my precious daughter gain her footing. She looked intently at another tree and then leapt. I nearly fainted. She landed gracefully on a thick limb, grasping a couple of smaller branches for balance.
"Did you see?" she squealed, pleased with herself.
"Yes, I saw! Great job! Now come on down, baby, before I have a heart attack." My hands were trembling.
Jacob wrapped his arms around my midsection from behind, placing a soft kiss on my neck. "She's fine, babe. You've gotta let 'em be kids."
I let out a single laugh. "Kids don't jump from tree to tree, Jacob. They're too human for this behavior."
In true Jacob fashion, he protested, "Ness, they're not that human. Of all the shit they get into, they've never once been hurt. Not even when Jay shoved that fork in the electrical socket, remember?"
"It's my nature to be protective. And apparently it's your nature to test the boundaries of their ability to recover," I said, slightly irritated.
"Naah, they do enough of that themselves."
My other two caramel-skinned gifts from above, Jay and Brandon, whipped around the side of the house. Brandon was chasing Jay, whose small hand was clenched around his precious slingshot – a gift from none other than Emmett.
"Jay, B, look!" Lauren called from up the tree. The boys stopped and ran to my and Jacob's side, staring up at their sister with matching expressions of horror.
Jacob looked at the three of us and resigned. "Alright, alright, I'll get her."
Before he could take a step, she jumped. Jacob and I centered ourselves at her projected landing spot and extended our arms to catch her, but she moved in the air, away from our reaching arms. She gracefully landed on Brandon's shoulders.
One day I'd find out the hard way that I was in fact capable of having a heart attack.
I enveloped my dark haired babies in my arms, pulling all three to my chest, kissing each one.
I was abruptly awakened by a painful churning in the bottom of my gut. I'd become all too familiar with this feeling lately. I freed myself from Kimber's tight embrace and staggered to the bathroom with my hands clutched against my stomach, as if it'd keep the contents from spilling.
Luckily, I lived in a house of vampires. Kimber had been the only person to use the toilet, and Esme had a habit of cleaning germy fixtures daily, so I wasn't completely disgusted by the concept of my cheek resting against the icy cold porcelain. Everything I'd eaten earlier was flushed down the drain. My face was covered in a clammy sweat.
Well that's the last time I gorge like that….
I thought about the dream all day. It wasn't often that I remembered my dreams, and when I did, they tended to hang around for a while. This was the second time I recalled dreaming about my and Jacob's children, but it felt like I'd done more than that.
The images in the dream were familiar to my subconscious, the names rolling off my tongue casually, like I'd uttered them a thousand times. Without trying, tiny flickers of other dreams came to mind. Nothing comprehensible, though. The three little ones were so beautiful, and waking from the dream was saddening.
That evening, Kimber hobbled around the house eagerly, getting ready like a giddy little teenager. She could say whatever she wanted, but the girl was crushing on Andrew hard. She came into our bedroom wearing a super cute sweater dress and ballet flats. Her red-brown curls and makeup were flawless, her pink lips smiling wide and bright.
"You look pretty," I said with a grin.
"You think? I don't feel like it. But Andrew…he makes me feel…ugh Ness, he makes me feel…beautiful," Kimber said, lost in thought.
I put down my laptop and went to her side. "You are beautiful."
She slumped. "I'm not good with this stuff; the whole 'having feelings for someone' thing. I need help." She looked at me hopefully.
Kimber only ever had one serious boyfriend, and he was the biggest bastard to ever walk the earth. Well, the biggest human bastard, anyway. I wouldn't doubt it if she killed him one day. He was verbally and physically abusive. He threatened to kill her on more than one occasion, and one time he actually tried. She still carried the mental scars even though it'd been nearly four years since she finally left him for good. It was something she didn't like to talk about, but she'd opened up to me.
I held her hand in mine and looked her straight in the eye. "Andrew isn't that guy." She never told me her ex's name; I think she did that on purpose. Maybe she was protecting him, or maybe it hurt her too much to say it. "Give him a chance. Dad doesn't freely talk about people's thoughts, but I know for certain that he wouldn't let Andrew anywhere near you if he wasn't trustworthy."
The Warren issue proved my dad's talent to be less than infallible. Dad said that Warren snapped. He wasn't psychotic to begin with, he just lost it. But maybe he managed to conceal his obsession with me somehow. We'd never know for certain.
"I've kept myself closed off for so long. I'm comfortable with him, though. I want to let him in. But what if it's just that vampire dazzling thing? What if he doesn't have any true interest in me?" Her brows knitted together, forming a little crease in the middle.
"You'll never know unless you try. If he's just 'dazzling' you, someone would have noticed the first time. Just go slow. Time will tell if he really likes you."
She released the tension that had been holding her shoulders rigid, sagging a little. "I hope you're right."
The old doorbell chimed through the house, and with the sound came Kimber's thundering heart and flushed cheeks. She was in deeper than she'd ever admit. She sprayed some of my perfume in her hair – as if she needed it – and we walked down the hall together.
Andrew's physical appearance didn't match his demeanor at all. He stood tall, almost as tall as Jacob, maybe six foot five. His wide shoulders pulled at the cotton of his black Tap Out t-shirt. Both forearms were artfully tattooed. The one on his right arm continued up the inside of his shirt sleeve and onto his neck, the only bare skin was the crescent bite mark at his jugular.
His thick neck led to a strong jaw, deep-set eyes, and prominent cheekbones. He was handsome, very much so – but nothing compared to my wolf. I'd met him when I was maybe ten or eleven physically, but I didn't find him handsome then. With his brawn and dark spiky hair and red eyes I thought he looked scary.
Andrew's wide, genuine smile flashed when his eyes met Kimber's, revealing dimples in his cheeks. I understood why Kimber was able to fall for him. That smile had even me entranced.
He met us where we stood on the steps, discarding Kimber's crutches and lifting her into his solid arms. She didn't protest like she would have if it were Jacob or one of my family members. She just grinned affectionately – an expression I'd only dreamed of seeing on her face.
Once downstairs, he sat her gently on the sofa and extended a hand to me. "Good to see you again. I wouldn't have recognized you if it weren't for your hair. You're all grown up now."
I'd heard that last line so many times in the last couple of years. Every time we visited someone they'd look me over as if they were viewing some scientific phenomena.
Although I liked him already, I wasn't going to let him know that. "Good to see you, too. I hope you've been good to my new sister," I said with a hint of malice.
"She's amazing. I've been nothing but a gentleman." He smiled at her. The longing and warmth in their eyes wasn't lost on me. I'd be replaying that one to Kimber later, when she tried to deny her feelings again.
"Good." I pulled him to me as if to hug him and placing a firm hand against his bicep. Hurt her and it'll be the last thing you do, I projected to him.
His expression won me over – the creased brow and wide eyes of an honest man who'd just been insulted. Lowering his voice so low that only I could hear, he said, "I'd never. She's everything I've ever wanted and never thought I deserved."
Watching Kimber and Andrew interact was interesting. I'd never been witness to the awkward first stages of dating someone. Jacob and I went from strangers to practically engaged.
But not, I thought to myself, a little dejected.
Andrew was definitely the one putting on the moves, touching her skin and hair every time opportunity presented itself: gently running his fingers through her hair, nuzzling her cheek as she settled against his chest, skimming his fingertips across her forearm. Neither were focused on the movie, though both their faces were turned toward the TV screen.
I settled deeper into the sofa and thought about the dream I had earlier. The dark-skinned angels looked no older than three. Jacob's eyes, as he'd watched our—our kids run around, had sparkled in a way I'd never seen, not even when he had played with his sister's kids. It was all fluid warmth and pride and adoration. The smile touched every part of his beaming face.
My remembrance had my stomach fluttering. The thought of Jacob as father to our children roused feelings a "nineteen" year old college freshman should never have…a longing for something I'd only ever considered in the abstract, fifty years from now. But now I had faces and names for the cast, and the distant future wasn't soon enough.
I didn't realize the movie was over until Kimber threw a pillow at me, snapping me from my trance. "I said, do you want some of my dinner?"
I hadn't gone on a proper hunt in weeks. Instinctively, my mouth salivated and I could smell the human blood as if it were right under my nose. My body tingled at just the thought of that warm, sweet fluid dousing the burning in the back of my throat.
I shared a couple of pints of O-Negative with Kimber, though I'm not sure if shared is the right word, since I would have fought for every drop like a savage animal hovering over its prey had it been anyone else.
When there was nothing left, not even a glass to lick clean, I got in the shower. The steamy heat of the water reminded me of Jacob. I hated what happened earlier, but I had to admit, seeing him defend me like that made me proud, honored even. He was willing to take on my father – and thus, every vampire in the house, even if they had no idea what was going on or why they were about to rip each other's throats out.
I sat on the shower floor, letting the thick steam carry me somewhere far from shitty ol' Douglas, Alaska.
La Push. That's where I'd rather be.
I thought back to our campsite, how it felt like home. We could have been anywhere and it would have felt the same. Just me, Jacob, and our bare necessities. That's all I'd ever need in life.
The first time we'd made love in the forest, I was sort of shy. What if someone saw or heard?
"No one's going to hear. Don't you think we'd know if someone was around?" Jacob asked, wrapping his arms low around my waist from his spot beside me in the tent, peppering my lips with light kisses. He stopped for a second, his face hovering over mine so closely I could feel his warm breath brush across my skin. The pleading look in his eyes could get him anything.
I resigned with a soft sigh. He'd never have to beg much to get my clothes off.
Jacob's kisses became hotter and deeper. His hot soft lips melded to mine in such a divine way. Thick fingers grasped the hem of my tank top and pulled it upward. Our lips parted just long enough to get it over my head. His hands weren't off me for long, coming to grasp the back of my neck, holding me firmly as he assaulted my mouth. The intensity made my thighs clench and rub together, searching for any sort of friction.
My hand came up to my nipple, teasing it as Jacob had; only my fingers were tiny in comparison.
"I love you," he murmured against my neck as his hands slid down my sides.
"Mmm…I love you."
Jacob pushed my shorts down as far as he could reach and I kicked them off the rest of the way. He caressed my inner thigh as he ascended to the place that longed for him.
My fingertips trailed along in a similar manner, inching closer to where he'd taken me. It'd been so long since I'd touched myself, but doing so while remembering such a beautiful moment felt like an act of reverence. Besides, I was too far gone at this point to wait for Jacob to satisfy my desperate need.
He kissed and licked his way down my neck, finally reaching my taught breasts with his tongue, grunting as he tasted. A hand dipped down and he slowly massaged my clit.
I moaned and quickly covered my mouth, still afraid someone would hear.
Jacob quickly moved it away. "Don't. I want to hear," he said huskily.
What my man wanted, he got. I threw caution to the wind and let him know just how amazing he was making me feel.
As I remembered Jacob sliding a thick finger into my body, I pressed in two. The slight surge of pleasure it brought paled in comparison to what I'd experienced every time Jacob touched my body.
I longed to feel him deep inside me. "Unh…Jacob…I need you."
He spread my legs with his knee gently as he climbed on top of me. With a powerful thrust, our bodies were one.
I massaged my swollen clit rapidly with two fingers, letting out a few gasps of pleasure but wishing I'd brought a vibrator or something with me. Unfortunately, the shower head wasn't the detachable kind. This wasn't going to cut it. I needed him.
As if Jacob heard my thoughts – well, more likely my moans – he came into the bathroom. Through the glass shower door, he stared at me stunned. I was lying naked on the floor with a hand on my breasts and one between my legs. My entire body turned crimson.
I'd just been caught masturbating.
He must've liked what he saw, because anxiously he jerked his sweats off and had his naked body stretched across mine in mere seconds. Jacob's scent – thick with the smell of fresh sweat and the outdoors – further aroused me. His erection pressed firmly against my thigh as his hands explored, groping and caressing.
With a shift of my hips, Jacob's cock was at my entrance. Our eyes met as he slid inside, filling me to the hilt. The shower sprayed Jacob's back, water running all down his hard muscles and dark hair. It was like we were in the midst of a summer rainstorm, like in La Push.
He brought me to climax twice with ease. Out of respect for the others in the house, I tried to keep my voice down, not that they ever did.
We exited the bathroom and found the house almost empty – well, four people seemed pretty empty when there were eleven living under one roof. Only Emmett, Rose – whom I'd still not spoken to – Alice, and Jasper remained. Kimber left us a note on the bed she and I shared, saying that she was going to Andrew's for a while and would be back in a few hours.
I put my mp3 player into the docking station and scrolled down to my newest playlist – a bunch of songs that reminded me of Jacob.
"What do you want to do for your birthday?" Jacob asked, sprawled across the bed, consuming the whole damn thing.
I sat cross-legged at his waist, caressing his rippled abdomen. "Camping sounds nice right about now." I laughed inwardly, my thoughts wandering back to my time alone in the shower earlier. "It'll probably be too cold by then, though."
It was already pretty chilly out. It'd be much too cold for camping in a few more weeks.
"Naah. Especially not with your own personal space heater. But if you'd rather do something else, that's fine. It's up to you," he replied with a loving smile that melted my heart.
Jacob's eyes sagged and closed as my hand skimmed lightly across his collarbone and neck. He was so relaxed and comfortable…and incredibly sexy, wearing nothing but simple gym shorts that sat low on his hips.
"Something nearby. I get tired and queasy just thinking about getting on another plane."
"Take your time deciding. Just let me know by Thursday," he mumbled, peeking his eyes open for a second.
I looked at him curiously. "Why Thursday? You got something up your sleeve?"
He raised his brows. "Umm…maybe because your birthday is Friday?" he said jokingly.
"No, my birthday isn't for another two weeks at least." I glanced down at my watch to check the date. No way, it can't be the third already. I haven't had my…
Oh God…
Where's my pill pack?
When was the last…
Oh God…
My brain whirled through numbers and dates, calculating the impossible.
July twenty ninth
August thirteenth…the day we met…the day I would've…
August twenty sixth….it should've…but…no way…
…..September Third
My heart absolutely pounded. I could feel my blood pumping through every capillary and vein and artery. As if to confirm my suspicion, my stomach churned. I felt faint. A cold sweat broke out over my body.
The nausea….the constant fatigue…the eating...
It wasn't from all the traveling.
Or from being around humans who actually ate.
I'm…I'm…
No. Impossible.
I can't be….
Pregnant?
A/N: Congrats to Lena0123 for being the first to guess, all the way back on chapter 19. I'll hopefully have a Second Chances update here soon.