Chapter Twenty-Two

When I woke up the next day, I realized Jacob was still beside me. I half-smiled sadly as I thought of how he must have felt when I had fell asleep right at the top of the stairs. I would have to apologize and make it up to him.

It was Tuesday, and we had been in Seattle for a week now; yet somehow, it seems like so much longer. Some much has happened during that time: I started dating Jacob, confronted my dad, twice, and now I'm engaged! I know that seems like a lot to happen in only a week, but you have to remember that this is not a normal family that I'm part of.

My back was against Jacob's chest, so I rolled over to face him. He was already awake, but had remained quiet this whole time.

"Sleep well?" he said, giving me a very dashing smile. Yes, dashing. I know that sounds a little old-school but there is not another word to describe it.

I gave him my best impression of his smile. I don't think I did a very good job, though. My face felt contorted and weird. I probably looked as ridiculous as I felt too.

"Great! Oh, Jake I'm sorry about last night! I did not mean to fall asleep like that! The kiss was great; actually it was amazing, so it had nothing to do with you! I was just tired from—"

"Don't worry about it!" he laughed "It's okay! I can understand that you were probably tired after an entire day shopping with Alice." He closed his eyes and shivered.

I giggled as I pictured him shopping with us:

"Come on, Jacob! It would look ah-mazing on you! Just try it on!" that was Alice.

"No! I would look like an idiot in that! Besides, it's unpractical for me!" he said as he stared at the white suit Aunt Alice was holding. She had paired it with a light pink dress shirt and Sperry's.

"You know how much I phase! I would rip it to pieces!" he whisper-shouted.

Aunt Alice only rolled her eyes. "First of all, this is completely practical! You don't have any suits for special occasions we may have to attend! And second, just don't phase while you're wearing it! Duh!" she grinned "See? Problem solved!"

He shook his head and closed his eyes as the scene ended in my head.

"Ness? Nessie! Are you there?" Jacob said through my laughing. "What's so funny?"

I almost couldn't answer him through my snorts.

"N—noth—nothing. Nothing at all." I said as I tried to calm down.

He gave me strange look, as if I had just told him I had decided to run for President.

"Okay?"

I leaned over to kiss him. That changed his crazy expression, which is just what I had set out to do.

"Am I starting to make up for last night?" I grinned.

He looked up, as if contemplating his answer. "It's a start, but you have a long way to go!" he said before leaning over and kissing me again.

This kiss was the kind that I loved. That I constantly yearned for. It felt as if the whole world was at my fingertips, yet I was far away from anything that could take me away from him at that moment.

I slowly, reluctantly pulled away. "We really need to get up."

"Do we really? Can't we just stay here all day?" he said playfully.

"No, Jacob. I wish we could too put that's kind of impossible." I laughed.

He gave me a smug smile as I laughed and kissed him again before sitting up in bed.

I had just now noticed that the radio on my nightstand was on. It was playing the song "Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS. I had to say, it was the perfect song choice for Jacob and I.

As I was listening, I suddenly remembered the movie Dirty Dancing. Baby's father didn't want her and Johnny together, but she continued to do what he heart told her to do. In the end, he accepted that Johnny was who Baby truly wanted to be with. I hoped that would happen for me.

I glanced over at the radio with a smile as the song changed to "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" by Muse. It only continued to get better from there.

These were the perfect songs to help me wake up. They made my love for Jacob grow deeper each time I heard them. I know crazy isn't it? How can a song do that for me? I don't know the answer to that question. It just seems to happen that way.

I unwillingly climbed out from under the covers. Before I could barely stand, Jacob was pulling me back down with him. I giggled and we rolled around, him holding me closely against his chest. I loved this. The idea of being this close to him was intoxicatingly irresistible.

I finally struggled from his grasp and skipped over to my closet, feeling even more awake and exuberant that before.

I saw as I walked in that Jacob must have carried in my bags from last night. All twenty of them, yes twenty, were sitting in a perfect row in the back of the room. I ran over to them and dug into the BCBG bag to find the tee I had bought, and then reached into the Buckle bag to grab my new jeans. I threw both on quickly and walked back to Jacob.

When I walked in, Jacob had already left. He had probably gone to his room to change as well. I shrugged as I turned back into the closet to sit at my makeup table.

As I looked at my reflection, my face was more radiant and flushed than usual. He had that effect on me.

I had just started applying my blush when I heard a knock at my door. Wondering why Jacob would knock, I sauntered out to the door.

Only, it wasn't Jacob.

Nahuel was now standing in the doorway. "Hey, Nessie!" he said when I had opened the door and let him inside my room.

"Nahuel, what's up?" I had no idea what he would want to talk to me about this early. I was sure it could have waited till I had come downstairs.

His expression suddenly turned serious, so I knew this couldn't be good.

"Ness, I've been thinking recently and while your Grandfather has been here, I have been discussing some thinks with him. Now I know what you're thinking and please don't overreact. I only want to talk about it once more to make sure that you are completely sure that this is what you want to do since you are now engaged to Jacob."

I had decided to forgive and forget about how idiotic he had acted last time. Now he's decided he wants to ruin every part of out friendship that we had only just rebuilt?

I had no idea what to say to him. Yes, Nahuel we can discuss this calmly and rationally? Is that what he expected from me? The heck with that! He most definitely was not going to get that response!

"Nahuel, we have talked about this over and over and over again! Can't you just realized and except the fact that I'm marrying Jacob and there is never going to be anything between you and I?"

"Reneesme! Are you willing to take the chances that you will be taking with Jacob? Are you willing to possibly hurt him in some way?"

"I would never hurt Jacob! I love hi—"

"Not that way. I mean truly physically hurt Jacob! You are taking some very immense chances! Are you willing to do that to him?"

He had rendered me speechless.

Was what he was saying true? Could I really hurt Jacob like that?

Was I really placing a gamble on his life?

"Nahuel, did grandpa tell you this? Or are you making this up as a ruse like before? Because if you are, it's not going to work! I have made my decision! I love Jac—"

"Yet why do you feel the way you do about me? I know you love me, Ness! We have a special connection! Do you know who it was that came in to your room those nights? Who helped you after the break-up? You put you to bed when you could barely make sense of things after the fight with Edward? That was me! Me, Nessie! I did that! And you fell right to me each time! Without a fight! Can't you just see that we are meant to be together?"

He swiftly lowered his head and let his lips meet mine.

This time, there were no feelings on my side. Not like before. I struggled to pull him away, pushing at his shoulders, but he only tightened his grip.

I suddenly heard my door slam against the wall. I jumped and Nahuel quickly pulled away. I ran to the door, just in time to see Jacob running down the stairs and out the door.