Chapter -17
Lily was speechless. And motionless for that matter. Her mind went completely blank for a split second, and then everything came at her like a flood.
"Fuck!" Paul whispered
"Jake" Lily whispered jumping off the bed
Jake was no longer trembling, he was shaking so hard, he was blurry as he looked back and forth between Lily and Paul. She took a step towards him but he took a step back at the same moment Paul stood between them.
"Don't get too close" Paul warned pulling her behind him "He's not under control"
That seemed to further infuriated Jake.
"So what exactly are you tutoring him on right now?" Jake growled
"Jake, Paul is like your brother, he would never, I would never" Lily said from behind Paul
"Bro, let's go outside until you calm down, you don't wanna loose it so close to her"
"No!" Lily said holding Paul's arms.
The last thing she wanted was for Jake to lose it completely and shred Paul to pieces over a misunderstanding. The moment Jake saw Lily place her hands on Paul's arms, his clothes exploded and an enormous wolf that filled half her room stood in front of them. Jake took a step closer and Lily jumped from behind Paul to stand between them.
"Paul, go in my bathroom"
"Fuck no! Are you crazy!" he exclaimed "I aint leaving you alone with him like this"
"Just do it Paul" she ordered "He wants to kill you, he won't hurt me"
"I aint too sure about that right now"
"Damn it Paul, listen to me" she said looking into his eyes "Trust me"
Paul reluctantly backed into her bathroom; Lily closed the door and stood in front of it. Jake was growling lowly and baring his teeth as he came closer to her. His brought his head and inch from hers and she saw his eyes. They were filed with pain and disappointment that she understood because she knew what he was thinking, but it killed her to see hate in them, hate for her. Lily felt a mixture or pain and anger, pain that the man she loved more than her own life, hated her at the moment, and anger that Jake had just thrown away all their love, their trust and everything they had, out the window in a heartbeat. The pain in her was causing tears but the anger in was holding them back.
"You really think I would do this to you?"
He glared at her and the growl he let out, told her it was a yes. Fury washed over her and she wanted to punch him in the nose. At the moment he would probably rip her to shreds so she did the only thing she could.
"Get out!!!"
He growled
"Get the hell outta my house! Leave now! I don't wanna see you!!!"
Jake walked over to the window and looked back at her. Lily felt a tear begin to roll down her cheek; she turned away so he wouldn't see it.
"Stay away" she whispered
Lily stumbled into the bathroom and felt her knees turn to jello. She would've collapsed to the floor if Paul hadn't caught her. The tears she was holding in came bursting out as she rolled up into a ball. Paul carried her to the bed and held her as she cried.
"This can't be any good for either one of you" he whispered "We should tell him"
"No!" she answered "He won't listen, he didn't even try to talk, he made up his mind" She felt the anger again and began to pace around her room, trying to calm herself down "He threw everything away in a heartbeat Paul" she cried furiously
"He's mad, he's not thinking straight"
"All of our love, our trust, our promises, none it meant shit to him, he made up his mind and sent it all to hell. He didn't even try to talk, to sort things out, he made up his mind just like that" she cried snapping her fingers "The look is his eyes, it was hate Paul, his love for me turned to hate in a blink of an eye"
"Lil you're his world, he was just trying to hide his pain"
"You should leave" she stated "If he comes back and sees you still here it'll be worse"
"I aint leaving you alone because of his tantrum, especially if he comes back. He needs to calm down and cool off, that's not gonna happen anytime soon"
"Then I can't be here. I don't wanna see him; I don't wanna run into him. I need to get the hell out if here right now"
"What do you wanna do?"
She grabbed her cell and dialed
"Hey Lil"
"Alice, I need a huge favor" she cried
"What's wrong? Are you ok?"
"No. Can I stay at your house for a few days"
"Of course, you know you're welcomed here anytime"
"Can you meet me at the treaty line in half an hour?"
"We'll be there"
"Thank you" click
"You sure you wanna do this?" Paul asked
"Yeah. Will you drive with me to the treaty line?"
"It's my job, remember?" he smiled
Lily grabbed a duffel bag and packed enough stuff for a week. She knew if she forgot anything she needed, Alice would be more than glad to have an excuse for shopping. She talked to Jess and explained she'd had a huge fight with Jake and needed to get away. Her brother understood and gave her a hug. He knew it took a lot to make her cry and seeing her in tears, hurt him as much as it did Lily.
"You sure you don't wanna go to LA? Being with friends back home might help"
"No, our party is on Friday. I'll stay with Alice till then, after that we'll see how I'm feeling"
"Yeah, maybe things will work out by then" Jess smiled
"I'll call you and text you" she promised
"I'm here for you"
"I know bro" Lily said hugging her brother "See you Friday"
Lily walked back to her room, her purse and duffel bag were missing, so was Paul. She walked outside to see Paul already in the passenger's seat of her mini, her bags in the back.
"Let's go" she said getting in the car
They drove about halfway to the treaty line when they heard a loud howl.
"That's him isn't it?" she asked
"Yeah" Paul nodded
"Paul promise me something? You'll go straight to Sam's and let him know everything. Avoid Jake and remind Sam he gave me his word"
"I promise"
Lily stopped a couple of feet from the treaty line to let Paul off. She thanked him, giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks for everything and I'm sorry" she cried
"Why are you sorry? You're not the one being a dumb-ass" he smiled
"HHHHHHOOOOOWWWWWWLLLLL!!!!!!" was heard throughout LaPush and Forks
Alice and Jasper didn't ask her any questions. Jasper took over the wheel while Alice held her in the back seat. Once at the Cullen house, Alice towed Lily into the living room and sat her down on the couch where everyone was waiting. Esme sat next to Lily, wrapping he arm around her waist as the tears flowed nonstop. They didn't know what's going on and she couldn't stop crying long enough to explain so they looked at Edward for answers.
"Jacob" Edward answered the silent questions.
"What did that dog do to her?" Rosalie hissed
"Did he hurt her?" Emmett growled
"Not physically" Edward answered, trying to pick up the answers Lily was mentally trying to give him.
"Would you mind telling us the whole story" Alice complained
"Do you mind?" Edward asked Lily
No, Lily answered in her mind as she looked at Edward through blurry eyes. She thought over all the details of the night, allowing him to fill his family in as he caught them. The reactions varied, Carlisle and Esme were concerned, to no one's surprise, Rosalie got pissed, Alice was annoyed, and Jasper and Emmett were stunned.
"That stupid mutt, I'll kill him!" Rosalie hissed "He phases inches away from her, he could've hurt her!"
"He's young" Carlisle stated, trying to calm Rosalie "It's hard for him to control himself, especially with such intense feelings. We have to understand"
"I'm not defending him" Emmett added "But we have to take in mind the scene he walked into. If I walk in to dark room and see my girl in bed with a guy who has his arms around her, I would react the same way"
"You would" Alice snapped making a face "You're a hothead just like him"
"I would've done the same thing" Edward admitted, causing Alice to give him a dirty look
"He should've talked to her" Esme said "That's what's hurting her that he didn't bother to try to find out the truth"
"The hate she saw in his eyes" Edward stated "That's what's killing her"
"Idiot!" Alice yelled "Too proud to show he's hurting"
"Lily" Edward exhaled, obviously about to come to Jake's rescue "I know better than anyone just how much Jacob loves you. His love and devotion for you is as strong if not more than mine for Bella. I've never seen anything like it. That's exactly why he acted like he did. Jealousy is an intense feeling we can't control"
"Werewolves are very territorial" Alice added "And as we all can see, so are vampires"
"It's a male thing" Rosalie said rolling her eyes and shaking her head.
"Lily, you need to understand something" Carlisle stated "Jacob went through a lot of pain when he thought he was in love with Bella. The pain, the depression, the loneliness, it was very hard on him. All that changed when you came into his life. You brought him back to life and became his entire existence. The thought that you might be taken away from him, is unbearable. He can't handle that, it's 100 times worse than what he went through with Bella. Unfortunately he's young and can't express himself properly. You need to give him time"
"She needs time too" Edward answered for Lily
"You both need time, honey" Esme said "But your love is true, I don't need Edward's mind reading or Alice's visions to see that. All it takes it to see you two together"
"True love always works out" Alice smiled as she ran her fingers through Lily's hair.
"I think it would be best for you and Jacob to talk this out, but for everyone's safety, things need to simmer down first" Esme advised
"My children have adopted you as a sister" Carlisle smiled "You are family, which makes this your house. Stay as long as you wish"
"Thank you" Edward answered for Lily
"Rosalie?" Carlisle called in a warning tone "Jacob will be unable to stay away from her for long. He'll be roaming the house. I trust you to stay out of it"
"I'm not promising anything" Rosalie hissed
"Rosalie!" Esme scolded
"Fine"Rosalie groaned
"Jacob is too proud to come looking for her here" Alice stated
"He might come in, but he'll come" Carlisle answered
"You can have my room, Lily" Edward said "It's always empty; I spend my nights at Bella's. It has its own bathroom, you should feel comfortable there"
"Thank you"
Lily cried uncontrollably throughout the night. Rosalie and Alice stayed with her, keeping her company and trying to distract her, but the looks on their faces told Lily that if they could cry, they'd be crying right along with her. They filled Lily in on what had been happening with the psycho vampires, the newborns they created and the killing spree they were in. They hadn't made the decision to attack yet, which was what they'd been waiting for, but they knew it would be pretty soon, Lily hoped so. The sun came up and Lily was left alone only long enough to take a shower and get dressed. When she got downstairs, Esme was waiting with breakfast.
"Oh, honey" Esme exhaled as she held Lily's face "Look at your pretty eyes. If you were any paler, I would swear you were one of us"
Lily had no appetite, she picked at her food, eating bits of it, mainly not to hurt Esme's feelings. Edward and Alice came to her rescue as they arrived, ready to leave for school.
"Edward and I have to go to school" Alice stated"But Rose and Emmett will stay home with you"
"Do what you usually do" Lily answered"Don't worry about me, I'm fine"
"We're not leaving you alone" Rosalie yelled from upstairs
"It won't do you any good to fight it" Alice smiled
"Fine" Lily gave in "I'm just gonna be in the room doing my schoolwork"
It was when Lily got up from the table that she noticed Jasper. He was sitting in the corner farthest away from her, evidently avoiding her. She felt incredibly guilty as she realized the reason why. Everyone had an idea of what she was feeling, Edward knew exactly what she was feeling, but Jasper was feeling it right along with her. Jasper still had trouble with his 'diet' and preferred to keep his distance from humans. Due to his demeanor, humans preferred to keep their distance from him, something he was used to. So the look that crossed his face as Lily approached him was utter shock or maybe fear.
"Sorry" Lily whispered as she wrapped her around him in a hug
"I know" he whispered back. To Lily's surprise, he not only hugged her back, but held her in his arms "Everything will work out, Lily"
Lily gave him a kiss on the cheek and noticed his face that had softened, became serious. Afraid she'd crossed his boundaries, she immediately let go and backed away.
"I'm sorry" she blurred "I shouldn't have invaded your space"
"He's doesn't mind" Edward assured her "He's confused, not upset"
"Confused?" Alice asked with the same puzzled face Lily had.
"About Lily's scent" Edward answered
"Ok?" Alice said, still not understanding. Lily didn't understand either.
"What about my scent?" Lily asked
"Your blood doesn't attract us the way a normal human's would" Edward explained "Your scent is appealing, not appetizing, that's never happened before"
"We figured it was due to Jake" Alice whispered, more like thinking out loud "When Bella hangs out with him, she smells like him, quite honestly she stinks like wet dog. Lily never has. Why hadn't we noticed before?"
"We should've figured that out the day of her tattoo" Rosalie stated as she entered the room with Emmett "She was bleeding quite a bit but we were so hyped up that we overlooked that her blood didn't affect us because it didn't have a scent"
"I always thought it was some sort of defense mechanism, like with Alice's visions" Edward stated "That Jake's bonding scent somehow cancelled out the scent of her blood"
"Her blood's scent is sweet" Jasper stated "There is not a trace of Jacob on her and you smell like candy. It doesn't make sense"
"Is that a bad thing?" Lily asked
"No" Jasper laughed
Lily had never seen Jasper laugh. She'd seen him smile but never laugh out loud. She couldn't help but smile.
"Quite intriguing" Alice smiled
"But very good" Jasper interrupted "You are not in danger of us eating you"
"I never was" Lily smiled
Everyone was laughing when Alice grabbed Lily's hand, pulling her out the door.
"You have no idea what it means to him that you trust him like that" Alice smiled
"He doesn't give himself enough credit" Lily answered "He'd never hurt me. I know it"
"You don't know how long I've been telling him that"
The next hours were a blur, Lily couldn't recollect what happened if her life depended on it. Somehow Alice arranged to take her finals early on her last 2 classes and was able to leave after lunch. She insisted Lily needed to go with her to Port Angeles and Lily was so out of it that not only did she not fight her on it, it took her forever to realize Alice was driving towards LaPush.
"Where are you going?"
"The treaty line" Alice answered "Sam wants to see you"
"And how do you know that?" Lily asked a bit annoyed, cocking her brow
"Bella talked to him" Alice answered sheepishly "He's waiting for you"
"Why did you guys go through all that? I was gonna call him later"
"We wanted to make sure Sam knew you were ok" Alice explained "They're worried"
Alice pulled over at the treaty line, gestured for Lily to get out as she texted away on her cell. Lily took a deep breath, got off and started walking towards the trees when she saw Sam. The plan was to keep it together, pretend she was ok, convince him of it, but seeing him reminded her of Jake and she couldn't hold back the tears no matter how hard she tried.
"Oh, man" Sam whispered as he gave her a hug "You look just as bad as he does"
"What happened after I left?" Lily asked
"A lot of howling" Sam smiled "He came to talk to me this morning" he added "He doesn't know what to think, he doesn't know what to do"
"Does he know I left?"
"Yes. He's going crazy" he answered "If I hadn't given you my word…"
"Everything will be ok, Sam. Soon this will be all over with, you'll all be safe and I'll be on my way"
"What are you talking about?" Sam asked
Lily let Sam know about the vamps in Seattle and everything she knew.
"We'll be waiting" Sam said with hatred and fury in his voice "But you can't leave"
"I'll keep in touch with you. I'll call you"
Lily thought of the meaning of her words. Would she be keeping in touch and calling while the ordeal went down, or would it be while she led her life in California? Truth was she didn't know yet.
"You're family, you can't bail on us" Sam stated
"I'm not leaving yet" Lily answered "Not till all this is over with"
That she was sure of. About the only thing she was sure of at the moment.
"Lil? No more crying, ok?" Sam said with a hug
"I'll try"
"You're soulmates, everything will work out. It's meant to be" he said "Meanwhile I'll try to talk some sense it to him"
"Good luck" she smiled before walking back to the car.
Alice dragged Lily shopping in Port Angeles, buying her all sorts of things she thought Lily needed. When they got home, Esme guilt Lily into eating something so she picked and pushed the food around the plate before heading up to the room. She laid on the bed, tears streaming down her temples as oldies played. Well, oldie, the only song that played, over and over again, was Otis Redding's 'These Arms of Mine'. Lily left the bedroom door partially open, there was no real point in closing it since Edward's room consists of 2 glass walls to the outside, privacy was not a concern. She kept her eyes closed but was aware of everyone stopping by to check on her. The room got dark as the sun set; she remained in the dark listening to her song, aware that she wasn't alone. Emmett's text was not a surprise.
Jake's outside
Chapter -18
Everyone said it wasn't what he thought, Sam, the pack, even his dad. His dad went as far as getting mad at him for doubting Lil, but his dad wasn't there. His dad did not see Lil in bed with Paul, he did not see Paul's arm around her, he did not hear Paul talking to her with so much affection, he did not see Lil protecting Paul, he did not hear Lil kicking him out, he did not see Lil hugging and kissing Paul goodbye, his dad did not see her drive away.
Jake was confused, he was hurt, he was angry, had a million feelings at the same time and didn't know what to do. He couldn't live without her, he needed her like he needed air, and he was dying without her. Without a second thought, Jake ran to the Cullen house. He picked up her scent immediately, due to the rooms consisting of glass walls, he could see Lily in a corner bedroom. The lights were off; she was lying in bed, listening to the same song over and over, sobbing. She was crying, she was hurting too. Jake wanted to run in, hold her in his arms, console her, but he couldn't. She told him herself, "Stay away". Jake was debating what to do when he heard footsteps; the scent informed him it was Emmett.
"Damn, bro" Emmett shook his head as he sat "This is fucked up"
"Tell me about it"
"I think you're both acting like idiots" Emmett stated shrugging his shoulders "You're hurting, you're dying without each other yet both of you decide to sit on your high horses. Both of you have legitimate reasons to feel the way you do and you need to talk about it, but you're being stupid, not wanting to give in"
"You know something I don't, don't you?"
"I can't tell you cause I gave my word" Emmett answered "Well my word was given for me but anyways, what I can tell you, is that it's not what you think"
"I'm getting pretty tired of everyone telling me that"
"That girl has been crying nonstop since she got here" Emmett stated "She was crying so hard last night, she couldn't talk, and Edward had to do it for her. She didn't sleep, she won't eat, and you see her right now? She's been like that for the last 4 hours"
"It's not like I'm any better" Jake admitted
"Carlisle is thinking of giving her something, at least so she'll sleep"
"She defended him, she kicked me out, that was her choice" Jacob blurred
"Bro, you came at her as a wolf, you wanted to kill Paul, you didn't talk to her, you didn't give her a chance to say anything. You. Fucked. Up." Emmett said
"I snapped. I lost it" Jake admitted "You're right. I fucked up"
"You judged her without giving her the benefit of the doubt. You forgot the trust, the love, what she means to you, everything she's given you. All of it went to hell because you got pissed. You know what's killing her right now? The last thing she saw was the hatred in your eyes, that's the last memory she has of you"
"I'm dying without her" Jake whispered "What the hell should I do?"
"I dunno, but you better figure it out real quick, she's thinking of going back to LA"
"For good???"
"Jake, everything will come into the light very soon and you'll feel like such an ass about all of this. Don't allow her to leave, you'll lose her, and it'll be the biggest mistake of your life, one you'll spend eternity paying for"
Emmett got up and walked away. Jake was more confused than before. What is it I don't know? What are they hiding from me? Why couldn't he tell me? What am I supposed to do? He sat looking into a dark room hearing her cry and tears rolled down his cheeks as well. Jake felt his phone buzz; it was a text from Tinkerbell:
Didn't feel I needed 2 b4 but due 2 circumstances guess I do. Ur invited 2 our graduation party 2morrow 8pm
He closed the phone and received a second message
It's the last chance u'll get 2 talk 2 her. Don't blow it!
-----
The next two days were the same. Jake moped around all morning, rounds in the afternoon, and then sat outside the Cullen house looking at Lil through the window all night. Every night the room was dark, every night she played the same song while the vamps checked in on her, even though she talked to no one. The only thing that had changed was that Dr. Fang was coming in at night, giving her something to sleep. Lily cried herself to sleep every night and Jake cried right along with her.
With graduation being less than 24 hours away Jake didn't know what to do. He knew she was staying for the party, but from what the bloodsuckers had said, she was planning on going to California after that. No one knew if for good because Lil herself didn't know yet. It was killing him to be away from her, but at least he could see her from afar, but if she left he would die. She'd be taking with her his heart, his life and his will to live.
Lil's slow intakes of air announced she was fast asleep. Jake needed to talk to someone. Everyone was taking Lil's side, the pack, the bloodsuckers, even his dad, he couldn't talk to them without them telling him the same thing, "it's not what you think" and "stop being an ass, swallow your pride and apologize". Maybe Bella as his best friend, and as a girl, might help him sort things out. Jake ran to her house, stopped to phase when he smelled Edward and Tink were there. He was about to make a run for it when he heard Edward let Bella know of his arrival, Bella ran out and called him. Crap! Jake pulled his sweats on and walked to her front door. She gave him a hug and towed him into her living room where Edward and Tink were sitting on her couch. They looked at him, shaking their heads.
"I better not hear 'it's not what you think' or I'm gonna loose it" Jake snapped
"Well it's not" Tink said making a face
"Ok, then tell me what it is" he snapped back
"I'm sorry Jacob but we can't tell you" Edward answered "We gave our word"
Bella shook her head and looked at Jake with a sad expression.
"When was the last time you slept?" Bella asked
"I sleep a few hours here and there" he lied
"Liar" Tink blurred out "He spends all night in the woods, looking at Lily"
"This is not right" Bella complained to the bloodsuckers "None of this is doing them any good. He should know everything. That would clear everything up once and for all"
"We can't" Tink answered. Then smiled as if a light bulb turned on in her tiny head "We gave our word, and the pack gave their word"
"But I didn't" Bella smiled, catching on to whatever Tink was going on about.
"How can something so small, be so sneaky?" Edward smiled
"Talent" Tink smiled "I wish I would've thought of this sooner"
"Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Jake yelled
Bella sat Jake down on the couch, sat on the coffee table, facing him, and placed her hands on his knee as she leaned over to him.
"I need you to please stay calm and let me finish before you say anything" she nodded
"I promise, but please just tell me" Jake complained
"Jake, the day Lily's car broken down, she was attacked in the woods" Bella stopped the moment she saw his form began to blur, giving him a second to get himself under control before continuing "Victoria picked up the Cullen's scent on her and thought it was me" she said apologetically, obviously feeling somewhat at fault "She was gonna kill her when she picked up your scent and figured out Lily was a wolf's mate. It seems Victoria is working with another vampire named Irina, Laurent's mate; she's been after the pack ever since you guys killed him in the meadow. Victoria let Lily live, taking her scent with her so Irina can hunt her down, mate for a mate. Lily knew how you would react and made everyone give their word not to tell you anything. She wants you to be focused on the fight and your own safety rather than hers"
"Paul was given the job of bodyguard" Tink added "Whenever she wasn't with you; she was with him or with one of us. Lil hasn't been alone for a second since that day"
"We had bits and pieces of the puzzle" Edward stated "Lily helped us fit everything together. We had no idea who the mystery vampire in Bella's room could be, we knew all the murders in Seattle were done by newborns, but couldn't figure out why someone would be creating them, and we couldn't understand why Alice was not seeing anything"
"Now we know the mystery vampire was someone working for Victoria and Irina, that the newborns were created by them to outnumber us in an attack and that I can't see any of it because they've been avoiding decisions to keep me in the dark" Tink added
"They eventually have to make the decision to come" Edward stated
"That I won't miss" Tink smiled "I've been looking for it. Once they decide to come, we'll meet them before they get anywhere near Forks. Lil's been keeping us and Sam on the same page, that's the reason you've been on guard so much"
"But if the main target is Bella, why did the leeches go into Lil's room first?"
"I can t figure that one out yet" Edward admitted "The vampire in Bella's room was a test, test to see if they can get in without being detected but Lily was different. Nothing was taken and from what we could come up with, she was watched, enough for them to know she is a witch"
"She's been watched for weeks" Jake growled
"Jake, you're not exactly good at self control" Bella smiled "If you knew Lily was in any danger you would've driven yourself crazy trying to protect her. So much, you'd forget to protect yourself. Lily knew that. That's why she decided to hide this from you"
"So all this was to keep my head in the game?"
"Pretty much" Tink answered "To protect you"
"She would never forgive herself if something happened to you because of her" Edward added "She loves you more than you can ever imagine, Jacob"
"Emmett was so right" Jake laughed "I fucked up"
"About time he was right about something" Edward smiled
"So what do I do now?" Jake asked
"Apologize, dummy" Bella answered
"She won't talk to me"
"Show up at the party tomorrow night" Tink smiled "I'll take care of it"
"Be ready to beg and plead" Edward smiled
"Tears might help" Bella added
"I'll do anything she wants me to do"
"Charlie's coming" Edward announced "We should go"
Jake hugged Bella goodbye and ran out the door with Tink and Edward right behind. Tink grabbed Jake's hand before he headed into the woods.
"Jacob, I really do like you" she said "But if you ever come at Lily as a wolf again, you'll be running on three legs, got it?"
For the first time ever, Tink looked like a lethal vampire. But rather than get upset, it really touched him that she cared so much for his Lil.
"If it ever happens again" Jake smiled "You can kill me"
*****
The yellow graduation gowns were hideous. The only ones that looked good in them were Alice and Edward, everyone else looked like they were about to be sick. The auditorium was filled with weeping parents and cheering friends and relatives. Bella had not only the largest group, but also the loudest. In one corner sat Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett and Lily, and at the opposite corner sat Charlie, Billy, Sam, Emily, Jared, Paul, and to Lily's surprise, Jake was sitting between Quil and Embry. Jake was desperately trying to make eye contact with her; she was avoiding it at all costs. Somewhere along the way Emmett challenged the pack to see who could cheer the loudest. Thanks to that, Bella turned beet red as the auditorium trembled when her name was called. After the ceremony, all graduates congratulated each other, then came the time for the congratulatory hugs from friends and family. A part of Lily wanted to run to Jake, the other wanted to flee. She didn't have to make the decision, next thing she knew, Jake was gone.
"I'm so proud of you honey" Billy said Bella with a cracked voice.
"Congratulations, Bella" Billy said as she bent over to hug him.
Sam, Emily, Paul and Jared hugged and congratulated her next.
"Congratulations" Quil said before tilting his head to whisper into Lily's ear "Jake was here, did you see him?" Lily nodded
"Talk to him, Lil" Embry said as he placed his hand over her shoulders.
"Do you see him here?" she snapped "I'm not about to run after him"
"He's scared you might punch him" Sam whispered with a smile
"I wanna do a lot more than that"
"What's this I hear you're leaving us?" Emily asked
"She needs some time away" Bella answered "Nothing definite, right?"
"You wouldn't leave without saying goodbye, right?" Jared asked
"Of course not" Lily smiled
Charlie came to the rescue as he walked over, not allowing everyone to continue their questioning. Things got awkward as Alice and Edward joined the group. Charlie congratulated them, but everyone else stiffened something that didn't go unnoticed.
"We gotta go, girls" Alice smiled "We have a party to set up and get ready for"
"Hope things don't get too wild" Charlie laughed "Hate to be forced to break it up"
"Don't worry" Edward smiled "Our parents will be home the whole time"
"You're all welcomed to come" Alice added
"What party would that be with a bunch of geezers around?" Charlie laughed
"We should go" Bella said, pulling Lily's hand
"Be careful girls" Billy said with a double meaning Lily and Bella clearly got.
"Always" Lily smiled
Lily hugged everyone goodbye and met up with Bella and the Cullen's outside, where they took turns congratulating Bella. Edward took off with her, as they usually did, as did Carlisle and Esme, Lily drove home with the rest. As soon as they got home Alice ordered Lily into the shower, and then placed her hair in curlers, claiming there was just enough time for her hair to be ready for the party.
Lily offered to help set up for the party, but the only thing she was allowed to do, was deal with the caterers. Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie were taking care of everything else. Alice never doing anything half-way had a caterer from Port Angeles deliver every appetizer imaginable, two huge cake, palettes of sodas, and all the ice in the state of Washington. There was enough food and drinks for the entire town and surrounding counties. Forks High's school colors were burgundy and yellow, and Lily's favorite colors were pink and black so the caterers set up several picnic tables in the dining room, decorating half of them with burgundy tablecloths, yellow napkins, plastic forks and spoons and yellow and burgundy balloons with 'Congratulations Graduates' on either side of the them and the other half with black tablecloths, pink napkins, same clear plastic forks and spoons and pink and black balloons with 'Happy 17th Birthday'. The picnic tables were overfilled with food, and the cakes took an entire picnic table. Bathtub-sized tin buckets filled with ice and sodas were placed in every corner of the living room, room that was converted into a replica of the club they had gone to in Seattle.
Since her part of the set up was done, she was sent upstairs to get ready as the rest finished up. Alice said she had placed her outfit on the bed, knowing Alice, she was a little apprehensive to see what it was. But no doubt Alice knew her style well, laying out a short, strapless Fendi dress in sparkly fuchsia. The dress was form fitting up top with an A style free flowing bottom, ending about half thigh which went perfectly with the black suede platform Fendi MaryJanes that Alice picked. Thorough as always, she also got Lily an Agent Provocateur set of fuchsia colored strapless bra and panties. The outfit was any teenage girl's dream. She got dressed, did her full make-up, since Alice would kill her if it was anything less, and left her curls loose. She was done by 7pm; the party was at 8pm.
Lily looked out the window to see trees were lighted from the driveway, as far as the eye could see. Alice thought of everything. Lily put her oldie on, opened Edward's floor to ceiling windows and sat on the edge, dangling her feet outside. As usual, she began to think of Jake. Alice must've up picked up on it.
"No crying!" she yelled from somewhere in the house.
It had been four days and he hadn't made any attempt to contact her. No calls, no texts, no visits, no notes, nothing. He showed up at the graduation only to run out later without even congratulating Bella. Is he so proud that he can't bring himself to talk to me? Or worse, is his hate for me so much that he can't bear to deal with me? If you love someone, you give them the benefit of the doubt, you give them a chance to explain, you talk things through, and Jake did none of that. How could she be with someone that was gonna bail on her at the first sight of a conflict? Someone who threw everything away over anger? Jake doubted her, he doubted her love. So much for promises. Lily looked at the ring on her finger, her eyes filled with tears. Suddenly all that hurt became anger, no it was beyond that, it was rage. With a touch of the remote she changed the music. She wiped her tears away as she slid the ring off her finger, playing with it while thinking of what it was supposed to stand for as she sang at the top of her lungs.
The ring had become meaningless. Lily glared at the trees, knowing well Jake was there, kissed the ring, and tossed it out the window as far as she could.
"Come on Lily" Alice said walking in "People will be walking in any minute"
"Yes, cause I can't wait to party" Lily answered sarcastically
"Lily" Alice shook her head as she sat next to her "You're living here at the moment, which makes you an honorary Cullen. As a Cullen, one the most important things is to play your part. You will march downstairs, greet everyone with a big smile, you will mingle, you will dance and you will enjoy our graduation slash birthday party. Got it?"
"I'll try" Lily answered trying to smile
"You have to try harder than that" she smiled
Alice got up, pulled Lily up with her, giving her a look over.
"I did good" she smiled "That color looks lovely on you. You look perfect."
"For three grand, I better" Lily said crossing her arms across her chest "Fendi dress and shoes?" she added accusingly
"And Agent Provocateur lingerie" Alice smiled "So it was closer to four than three"
"Alice!" Lily complained
"That's what friends are for" Alice interrupted "Consider it a birthday present from all of us, along with this" Alice added pulling out a small box from her red leather pants.
"Most teens get gift cards from Hot Topic" Lily laughed " I get four grand worth of designer clothing and a jewelry box probably holding the Titanic's 'Heart Of The Ocean' Diamond"
Alice rolled her eyes as she held up the little box even higher. Lily smiled, shaking her head as she took it. After removing the elaborate wrapping, she opened the box to see a silver necklace with a circular charm the size of a nickel.
"It's platinum, not silver" Alice stated. Lily was about to say something when she added "You were expecting diamonds" she laughed "This isn't as bad"
Lily took good look at the unique pendant; it was the Quileute tribal symbol. The same one Jake and the pack had tattooed on their upper arms. It was beautiful. Lily was utterly speechless as she looked up at Alice.
"Turn it around" Alice beamed
On the other side was the Cullen crest. The same crest Alice wore as a choker, Rosalie as a pendant and Jasper, Emmett and Edward wore as wrist bands.
"Oh my god" Lily whispered as a giant knot filled her throat.
"Honorary Cullen" Alice smiled "Regardless of what happens, you will always be part of both families. Thought it would remind you of it"
"It's perfect" Lily teared up as Alice put it on her "It will always hang close to my heart, where you all are"
"Now let's go before you start crying" Alice smiled towing Lily out the room.
They got downstairs where the living room was lighted by multi-colored flashing lights. Rosalie, Emmett, Edward, Bella and Jasper were standing around since all of the furniture had been removed. Esme and Carlisle were nowhere in sight, Lily wondered where they were.
"They are in the study" Edward answered her mental question and she smiled.
Lily suddenly thought of something and rushed to Rose and Emmett before anyone arrived.
"Rosalie, can I ask you for a huge favor?"
"Of course" she smiled
"Can I borrow Emmett for the night?" Lily asked, causing everyone to look at her
"You wanna borrow me?" Emmett laughed
"Last thing I want is to spend the night dodging questions" Lily explained "Or worse, horny teenage boys. If Emmett's with me, I'm certain to be safe from both"
"Aw" Emmett complained "Here I was getting excited"
"Sure you don't wanna keep him?" Rosalie teased "I'm dj tonight; he's yours for the night"
"Thanks" Lily smiled with a hug "And you" she said pointing at Emmett "Stick to me like glue"
"Ok, everyone" Edward called for attention "They're here"
Rosalie began the music, bass vibrating the house seconds before the doorbell rang. Jasper hung out with Rosalie, Bella and Edward held hands by the door alongside Alice and Lily who had Emmett's arm around her shoulders. Evidently everyone decided to show up together. Outside the door was a line of kids as far as the eye could see, every senior and junior in Forks High had showed up. They walked into the infamous Cullen house as if they were walking into a fun house, quick greeting, slowly making their way in, amazed by everything they saw. At first they stood in clusters, afraid of being alone, which was funny. After a while, they seemed to relax, eating and mingling, but even though many were bobbing their heads to the music, no one had the guts to be the first to dance.
"Should we start the dance off?" Alice asked Edward
"You might as well" he answered "No one else will"
Alice called Japer with her head; he had his arms wrapped around her tiny waist in a flash.
"Come on" she said to Lily and Emmett "Let's go dance"
"Lily?" Edward said calling her over "The room is filled with guys that are set on watching your every move. They'll be waiting for a chance to catch you alone"
"Glue" Lily warned Emmett
Within a song or two, the room was filled with dancing teenagers. Emmett took his job very seriously, never leaving Lily alone. When they weren't dancing, he had his arm around her shoulders or waist. Even when she went to the restroom, he waited outside the door for her.
*****
Sam didn't trust the Cullen's enough to allow Jake to go to the party alone. Forcing him to drag Quil and Embry with him. They arrived pretty early, sat in the woods outside Lil's window, watching her as she sat out her window, thoughtfully listening to her song before her beautiful face hardened, filled with anger. She changed the music and glared at the trees, obviously knowing Jake was there, his eyes filled with tears as she removed her promise ring. She played with it for a while, tears filling her glorious eyes, kissed it, then tossed it out the window with all the force she had. Tink arrived to give her a present and drag her down to the party. As soon she walked out of the room with Tink, Jake picked up the ring and placed it in his pocket. They heard her request from Emmett, saw all the kids arrive, saw them go in, and then sat and watched as Lil danced and hung out protected by Emmett.
"She wants to keep guys away" Embry stated "That's a good sign"
"You're dying to go talk to her" Quil grumbled "Are you gonna get the balls to do it, or are we gonna stand here all night?"
"The party's been going on for over an hour" Embry complained
"And we've been here for over two" Quil added
"Fine, let's go in"
Edward must've tipped off Tink, because she greeted them at the door with a big smile.
"About time" she laughed "We thought you were gonna stand outside all night"
Tink towed Jake in, Quil and Embry close behind, their eyes widened as they saw the room. It looked just like the club in Seattle, vibrating music, lights, smoke and all. It was filled kids, many of who were dancing as the rest hung out.
"When they throw a party they don't mess around" Embry whispered
The moment they walked in, Akon's 'Lonely' began to play. Of course Blondie was the dj, looking directly at Jake with an unmistakable "I wanna kill you" look. Jake and the guys stood about a head taller than everyone else, going unnoticed was impossible, everyone turned to take a look at them, the whispering began immediately . Jake hugged Bella hello and greeted Edward and Jasper. He scanned the room and found Lil dancing with Emmett. She looked amazing as always, and from the looks across the room, he was not the only one enjoying the view. Emmett looked up and smiled at Jake before ducking down to whisper in Lil's ear.
"Jake's here" Emmett whispered
"He's Bella's best friend" she answered "Of course he'll be here"
"Go talk to her" Everyone chorused
"She don't wanna talk to me" Jake answered
"Don't you wanna talk to him?" Emmett asked Lily
"He's done nothing to try to contact me in the last 4 days" she answered too calmly "I'm right here. If he wanted to talk to me, he would. I'm sure as hell not gonna look for him"
"You two" Tink said calling Quil and Embry "Come here"
Tink and Jasper walked away with Quil and Embry while he stood with Bella and Edward. Jake stared at Lil, but he couldn't see her beautiful face, she was doing her best not to turn around. Minutes later Tink and Jasper returned with the guys, Jake noticed Edward holding in a smile. Before he could say anything, Jake was being dragged up the stairs by the four of them. He was thrown into a room, room he recognized as Lil's.
"What the hell are you doing?" Jake yelled
"Taking care of things" Tink sang as she locked him in