Disclaimer:
Twilight is the copyrighted property of Stephanie Meyer. No es mio.
Author's Note:
Sorry about the week+ length of time between this update and the last. This is sort of a transition chapter. The next chapter is gonna be awesome. I've been working on getting the finale plotted out. What I'm planning on doing is writing out the four or five final chapters and then posting them a few days apart each. It's a'comin.
Also, I've been writing The Nymph and the Waterfall which is lightyears different from this one. It's sort of National Lampoons meets Twilight or something similar. It's very disorienting to hop between the two. But seriously, have no fears, Waxing Crescent is on the forward march. This chapter should indicate that pretty clearly...
What I've been reading lately: Coming to Terms by GinnyW 31 (a different kind of preggers drama), Hey, Wanna Cyber? by Lucytheslut and Xo-ILoveEdward-oX (so funny and dirty and silly, if not particularly intellectual--I can't stop reading it.). Also, you all should check out the The Official Twilight SmutVent Calendar 2008, from BritishBitches to get your fix.
Chapter 29: So Says the Soothsayer
I held out my hand.
He grabbed it.
I told him the whole story.
Jake had his thumb pressed to his lips. His arms formed a cage around my body. He pulled in long, even breaths while staring me intently in the eyes. His eyes searched and interrogated mine. He even looked slightly hurt. There were so many things he didn't know, didn't realize. Why hadn't I told him before? Why had I shut him out? And there was anger. Hatred. Unvented wrath. Even jealousy and a dash of possessiveness. He loved me. I was his, I had always been his, and he wanted to shred and burn every last fragment of Olivier.
At the base of his eyes, though, was an intense sweetness. He wanted me to know that here, in his arms, I could only be safe.
Frankly, the "Let's keep Nessie safe vibe" irritated me.
I focused instead on the fact that my bum was bare and his was not. So while my eyes held steady with Jake's, my hands crept about searching out Jake's zipper. Normally, Jake wore very simple clothing and I think my hands would easily have found the zipper, but since Alice had chosen this set of clothes, there were several confusing flaps and buttons to be reckoned with.
When I found it, I slid the zipper down in single stroke.
Jake gave a little jump, his eyes popping slightly. He lifted my chin with his finger and gave me a devilish glare.
"You're trying to distract me."
"Is it not working?"
"Ness, seriously, do you even have to ask me that?"
I could feel the long length of him through the fabric of his boxers.
My phone chose that moment to go off. I drew it of my pocket out and chucked it at the wall.
Jake snatched it out its trajectory.
I hissed at him.
He gave me a peck and then flipped it open.
"Hey, it's Jake." Did I note a tinge of impatience in his voice?
"Hallo, Jakey," Estela's voice purred. "I see you found our little Nessie. And how ez she doin'?" More low purring.
I gripped Jake firmly through his boxers.
He swallowed heavily. "Eh, Estela, was there something you wanted to ask Ness?"
She laughed. "Oh, yes. Now, lemme think. What was it? Ah, yesss. It's just that her daddy is on his way." Jake's eyes widened. "And I thought someone should let you two know…"
We both cursed.
I heard Estela's laughter as Jake clicked off the phone.
"Jake, we'll think about what I just told you. That will keep him mostly out of our heads. Well, at least in part. He wanted me to "open up on my own," and he, himself, knows the worst of it, anyway. And as for the rest of it…" I took in a breath. The smells emanating from both us were so obvious. "You're going to throw me in the river." I started pulling on my clothes.
"What?"
"They think I'm brat. It's believable."
He laughed. "Fine, then. It'll mean I get to see you in a wet t-shirt."
"Off we go then."
And we went.
We were sitting on the bank, sopping wet, when my father, mother, and Rosalie arrived.
"Why do I smell wet dog? Oh, that's right, because the mutt is here." Rosalie pinched her nose with drama.
Jake said nothing but silently picked up a rock off the bank. He looked at Rose like he was going to hurl the rock directly at her, but instead shot it at the maple above her, causing snow and ice to fall. Rosalie had to skip aside to avoid the downpour. Mom clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. Dad looked only faintly amused.
Rose advanced on Jake. "If any of that had gotten in my hair…" she growled menacingly.
"Then you'd look like the ice queen that you are," Jake sang derisively.
Mom and dad both had to grab onto Rose to prevent her from swatting at Jake.
Jake sat cool as a clam, twiddling his thumbs nonchalantly.
Rose fixed her glare on me, as if I was somehow to blame for their exchange, but then her gaze changed, becoming appraising, and she gasped, "Ness, your beautiful curls are frozen! They're going to snap off if you're not careful."
Her eyes narrowed and swung back to Jacob. "The tail-wagger threw my niece in the river, didn't he?"
I shrugged.
My dad turned to Jake, eyeing him skeptically. "And why did you throw my daughter in the river?"
"She wouldn't talk to me."
"But she did talk to you," he finished, hearing the rest of Jake's thoughts. He looked at me as he spoke, relief evident on his face. My mother had a similar look, and the anger had left Rose's face.
I gave my head an irritated shake. That's right, folks. Little Renesmee had a conversation with her boyfriend. Let's put a shiny star on Nessie's mental report card.
I stood up. "Let's go," I pronounced. I did not need them to launch into a full-blown therapy session.
I started marching back to the house. Jake ran up and caught my arm, and together, we all headed back.
Life at St. Clair was rather calm for the next few days. There was only one major problem. I wanted time alone with Jake. He was leaving on Monday evening. My parents, aunts, and uncles didn't seem to want me to have time alone with Jake. Thus, I suppose I may have acted out a bit…
Since I wasn't allowed to do things with Jake, I took it upon myself to "show" Jake the things I'd like to do to him. I would gently reach over to push the hair out of his eyes and then pop an image of me bent over the table into his head. It was rather amusing to shock Jake, but these little images didn't go over so well with dad. He hissed a lot, yelled at me, and snarled at Jacob. Mom had to spend a good part of the day calming him down.
When you're bored and suffocated, these sorts of things are funny.
Emmett and Jasper egged me on in this. While they insisted that they didn't wish to see their niece up to any "funny business," they had apparently doubled the odds on a Jake-Edward showdown.
I also finally sat down with Alice.
"So where is he? What's he planning? Why haven't you all gone and smacked him down"
"Hmmm…" she murmured, not looking up from her book.
I placed my hand on her knee.
The murder. The would-be rapist. The vampiric embodiment of an asshole. Who else? Olivier.
She set down her book and sighed. "I don't know."
What do you mean you don't know? You always know.
"You've inherited your mother's attraction for trouble, it seems, Nessie. It's just the trouble in your case is infinitely more dangerous and clever. Whenever I try to see Olivier, I only see him in nondescript places, like a tree in the forest or a dark lit room. He's cunning. I occasionally see him with another vampire—a female, but I can never make much out of it. I always seem to catch the tail end of things. It's like they understand my power—and only ever make plans to meet at the last second. That's why we haven't been able to track him down—we haven't been able to find him."
But what about me. Do you think he's given up? Do you think he'll leave me alone?
"No. I still see flashes with fuzziness."
And I'm the fuzziness.
"Nessie, they're never clear, and they're always short."
Sooooo…
"So that means he's still focused on you, he just hasn't made any decisions."
I spoke aloud. "He's waiting for me to come to him."
Alice brushed some invisible dust off the cover of her book. "It would seem that would be the case."
I'd like to rip him limb from limb.
Alice sighed. "Don't think I haven't seen your decisions, dear. Know this—if you even think of pulling a stunt like you did before—it will not end well. You cannot face such a powerful vampire on your own."
I huffed. I've been training.
"The training might, and I say "might," be enough to save your life long enough to run away, but don't even think about taking him on by yourself, Nessie. " She picked up her book again. "Let things run their course, dear. All will resolve itself in time."
So says the soothsayer.
Alice smirked slightly.
"So says she."
She turned to the next page in her book.
Late Friday afternoon, Estella stuck her head over the top of the sofa and stared down at me, beaming like she'd just won a prize. "Nessie-Sexy, you and me and Jakie and Nahuel—we're a'hittin' the town."
"Oh, really?" I sat up on the couch. This actually sounded exciting.
"Ah, sí. I made your daddy say yes. You need some tiempo sans vampires, no?"
I raised an eyebrow at her. I couldn't help but wonder what she had done to get my father to say yes. "That would actually be pretty cool, Estela. When do we leave?"
"Soon. You come with me, Sexy-Nessie. I already picked out your thingies." She grabbed my hands and pulled me off the couch. I grumbled but followed her to the carriage house. I had hit rock bottom. I was bowing to Estela's style choices. This would surely mean beads and bangles and flora in strange places. But all of this I was disposed to bear, because, if everything went alright, I'd get some time alone with Jake.
And I really wanted more time alone with Jake.
* * *