Disclaimer - Twilight is not mine--but the fantabulous world of Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter 15 – In Response

"Ness, whose scent is that?"

"It's Olivier's, Jake."

And then Jacob phased.

"Jake! Jake! Come back! JAAaaaaacob." My call ended in a growl. Jake sped through the trees—nose close to the ground, bounding after the scent. As a wolf, he was faster than I was—but I did not plan on letting him get too far ahead.

At the river, Jake stopped short, staring ahead. There was a sizable hole in the ice several feet out.

Olivier had disappeared into the water. End of the trail.

Jake did not relax—he was running up and down the river bank.

"Jake, he's in the river—there's no trail, and you are not going in the river after him."

Jake ignored me and stared at the hole, as if he expected Olivier to pop out at any moment.

"Alice will be able to see him. Jake, do not even think about going in after him. He has the advantage in the water. Let's just go back to the house."

I was not having this. I yanked Jake's ear.

He turned a shocked expression on me.

Home.

He huffed and finally gave me a nod, and we turned and headed back.

Men could be such idiots.

When we got back, the uproar ensued. My dearest father temporarily forgot that he wanted to detach Jake's head from his body, and they both focused on all the possible ways to bump off Olivier. Emmett and Jasper happily joined them in their plotting, and they all sat like great chums on the couches in the front room.

Ridiculous.

Although, perhaps, if he got a good fight out of it, Emmett would forgive me for the mutilation of his sweatshirt, and I could skip out on many long stretched hours of ice-hockey evilness. Getting checked into a boulder by Emmett was not my idea of family fun.

There was clearly nothing I could do in the meantime, so I checked my phone.

Figures. I had eight texts, plus however many messages they had left on my voicemail.

Nessa-Pleeeeassse Call Me.
I want juicy details. May.

The onslaught begins…

Nessa-Hot.Hot.Fucking Hot.
That was a goddamn Dirty Dancing jump
--and in the middle of the parking lot.
Details. You PROMISED. Alyssa.

I snorted—I had given no such promises.

Sorry, Ness—Alssya and May said I had to text you too…
Since I know how you love being smothered.
Ha Ha. Love—Abby.

Sure, because she looked so incurious herself with that tight little smile in the parking lot.

Oh, ok, I am curious, too.
I'd be a liar not to tell you that.
I hope you have fun with Jake. ;-)
Abby.

Nice, honest girl.

Nessa-You can't dry hump a deity
in the middle of the parking lot
and believe your friends don't
know what's going on.
You can't hide from us, little missy.
And I want you to tell me exactly
what is going on.
--Alyssa.

I loved how a nice hug with an old friend automatically gave her the right to assume: 1. I would later "jump" Jake, and 2. That I would indulge her voyeuristic tendencies.

Nessa-Wear your Ferrier skirt (the black
leather one) with that tailored chiffon top
—then match with the JQZ boots and you
are so set for sex-cess .Voice mail with
further suggestions. –May Li

If I actually wore that outfit my dad would be leaving bloody remnants of Jake all over the orchard.

Nessa-I just left you a message. We need to
Double. You must call me.-Alyssa.

Humph. She would bring Luke into her shenanigans.

You fucking little over sexed Shirley Temple—
you had better call me in the next two hours
or you I am going to tell Kevin-Satan that
his little cherub wants to spend some time
in hell with him. –Alyssa

Not nice. She would fight dirty wouldn't she? Huh, although it would be pretty funny to see Jake's reaction to meeting Mr. Douche Bag in the flesh…

I stared at my phone for a few more minutes.

I adored my human friends, but how could I ever be fair to them? It's not like I could really tell them much of anything about my life.

So, yeah, hey guys… you know the vamp dude who tried to suck Alyssa dry last weekend? He's got a whopper crush on my six year-old self—dropped an avalanche on me—and then gave me his number and everything—but just now he shredded Uncle Emmy's favorite hockey shirt because he (oops!) saw me trying to violate a gigantic wolf-man in the bushes…

Yep. That would go over so super.

I sent a group text:

Talk tomorrow.
Stop harassing me.
Love and more. Nessa.

There—now I just had to figure out what to tell them…

And then I was going to see if I could sneak Jake into my room.