Chapter 8

Nessie POV

I couldn't help the jealous thoughts running through my mind. Apart from all the "sweetie act" pretense Leah gave me in front of Jacob, she was even more of a bitch than Rachel had described. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Rachel glowering at Leah.

Leah leaned away from Jacob and was immediately challenged by Rachel with a glowering contest. Jacob appeared lost for words, as was I, and his black eyes drifted from Leah, Rachel, and then back to me. I bit my lip in slight apprehension as I pondered my next move, half of which I really felt like doing but couldn't bring myself to. For example, running right over and kissing Jake full on the lips as though he was my long-term boyfriend already, or getting myself into a dirty catfight with Leah.

Finally I made up my mind with the safest choice. I strode over a few steps to where Rachel had moved to block Leah's straight path, and tugged impatiently on her arm like a kid begging her to go.

Leah pulled Jake close to her again and whispered something into his ear, to which he didn't immediately respond and then slowly shook his head. Rachel was still glaring at Leah, her sapphire eyes more intense than ever, as we stalked off (or, rather, she stalked off and I slouched).

By the end of the afternoon, Rachel had successfully talked me into buying a ton of stuff that could last me for my entire life and even beyond. She'd bought twenty tops, twelve bottoms, seventeen accessories including barrettes and bags, and six pairs of shoes.

"Are you sure your parents won't mind?" I asked nervously as we got into her car and prepared to drive home.

Rachel ignited the engine, snorted and rolled her eyes at me. "Of course they won't! Mom will be all too happy that I'm finally "following in her footsteps" and becoming a "fashion advisor" for my friend. Dad will be too tired, busy and lazy to care. Financial issues and other money-related problems aren't exactly the main happenings in our family, since you've got a fashion designer and a chef."

"Do you want to work in the fashion industry? I mean, getting a job isn't all those years away since you're already twenty now, right?" I picked at the hem of my bright pink hoodie.

Rachel considered my question for a moment. "I haven't exactly thought of it before. When I was young, much younger, I dreamed of becoming a supermodel!" She laughed, as though at the absurdity of that aspiration, but I felt otherwise. A girl as beautiful as Rachel was shouldn't have had any problem becoming a top supermodel, anyhow. I was about to voice that opinion when she continued speaking.

"Now, I realize I quite enjoy getting into the fashion way of things. Maybe I'll take over my mother's fashion store when I'm slightly older. Well, anyway, Rhetta's the more studious one out of the two of us and she's already expressed disinterest in fashion, much to Mom's disapproval. She says she thinks of becoming a professional volleyball player. It's strange, though, unusual for a girl to be interested in sports and outdoor activities while she's studious and way smart." Rachel frowned out the windshield as gray clouds darkened the sky and pouring rain began to fall.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" I found myself asking on impulse.

Rachel seemed surprised at my question. "Well, no, but I myself have broken up a couple of times. I find myself quite lucky, in fact, because I'm not the type of girl who is really emotional; you know that kind. I get over those boys, but I told you that Rhetta is the exact opposite of me, and she's more emotional, she doesn't get over ex-boyfriends that easily, especially if they have a new girlfriend right after they broke up with her. But I'm glad for Rhetta now. She has a steady boyfriend named James and says he's the best boyfriend on earth. Oh, well…"

"Hmmm…" I hummed softly, unable to think of another suitable answer.

When we arrived back at Leah's house, Rachel and I took turns in holding the umbrella as the other struggled to heap the shopping bags onto her arm and get them safely indoors. Jacob and Leah had already arrived home. Leah was sprawled out untidily on the big couch watching TV. Jacob was nowhere to be seen, but I assumed he was home because I saw his brown leather jacket hanging on the hook in the corner of the hallway.

Rachel and I spent the rest of the evening arranging my new clothes and accessories in my walk-in wardrobe.

Halfway through, we started to hear Leah's signature high heels clicking in the doorway. In a few moments' time she swiftly unlatched the basement door and walked into my closet.

I stopped in the middle of my task to freeze-stare at Leah, a white silk blouse still draped over my left arm. Rachel dropped a pair of shoes into a basket and turned to stare at Leah as well.

Leah smirked. "Had I known I would have received such a warm welcome upon coming in," she remarked casually, taking in the room she was enclosed in with two of her enemies. Over my time shopping with Rachel, I had learned true fashion and good taste. Boy, if I was right, looking at Leah was like looking at fashion straight in the eye. I wondered if Rachel was thinking the same thing, too. A white cropped top underneath a black semi-blazer and a splash of colour added with the obviously-self-customized red length trim and a black vintage skirt, topping off the look with a vintage leather bag and leopard-print fuzz flats.

"Going out again?" I asked, trying to sound as casual and cool as she had sounded.

Leah smiled at me; a sweet smile on the surface with hidden daggers beneath it. "Yes," she replied in a mockingly breathless voice, "with Jacob."

I gasped, and my breath began to hitch in my throat. Before either Rachel or I could pull off a clever comeback, Leah said snidely, "Haven't the little twits gone shopping again?"

Rachel pursed her lips, then said comfortably, "And hasn't the puny bitch made a mistake again? You can't possibly be referring to such beautiful, fashion-forward women as twits, can you?"

Leah laughed. "Oh, yes, I can. For anyone in the right mind to call me a puny bitch can't be in the right mind. They've certainly gone mental, in my opinion." She paused, and then added, "And if you can ever say that bright pink hoodies with dark brown pants are fashion-forward, the fashion world would be in total turmoil."

Just then Jacob appeared at our door. "Leah, are you ready?" He asked impatiently. One, he sounded so eager to go out with her…I hated to think the possibility of a date, where they would go out to some couple-favored restaurant and eat while having kisses and sweet whispers all the way. Two, he didn't once look in my direction when I was so desperately searching, trying to get him to meet my gaze.

"Oh, yes," Leah said sweetly. I didn't miss the dagger gaze she gave us before turning her back, and surely neither did Rachel. "I was just lecturing those two twits on the importance of fashion and making a good impression on others."

Rachel was about to make a protest to Leah's false claim, but I quickly stopped her. "Don't," I whispered softly, that Leah and Jacob could not hear me. "It'll just make things worse."

I saw Jacob checking Leah out like he couldn't wait to ambush her in a secluded corner and kiss her, and my heart shattered into a million tiny pieces, with no one willing to pick them up and glue them back together.

"Where are you guys going?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Leah opened her mouth and was obviously going to toss off some snide comments when Jake answered for her, "We're just going to meet up with a few friends for a casual dinner, Quil, Embry, Sam, Paul, and Jared. Nothing special." He emphasized the words 'nothing special' and for a moment hope returned to my heart. Leah stared at him with her 'cold daggers look' that she'd used on me so many times. It was a ferocious look meant to shut people up.

I looked at Leah's fancy and fashionable outfit and then looked over at Jake's simple tight black tee and jeans, and found myself almost smiling at the comparison.

After they left, Rachel continued to help me sort out the new stuff that we had bought, and I told her that I would be getting a shower. Sighing, I took out an ensemble of all my favourite "bath stuff". They included my very favourite mint apple bath lotion, fresh vanilla shampoo, cooling silk body powder, and lavender-scented cream conditioner.

I stepped into the hot tub and then stopped in pleasant surprise. Beside the towel rack was a piece of the unmistakable rose-and-honey-scented notepaper I had given Jake on our one-month anniversary years ago, although of course now the smell wasn't there anymore. On that very piece of paper, in Jake's very own handwriting:

Dear Nessie,

I hope you forgive me for not spending proper time with you since you've moved into Leah's house. Please don't think I hate you. I could never hate you, and there's a lot of things I need you to forgive me for. Another example is for leaving without notice all those years ago. Well, I'm sure you remember telling me the story of your abusive family, just before I left. All will be revealed on Wednesday.

Nessie, please meet me in the clearing near the cliffs on Wednesday. Leah will also be there. I have to make things clear, not just to her but to both of you. I hope you will understand.

However, if you don't have any feelings for me at all, be it friendly, brotherly or romantic feelings, destroy this letter and leave it to burn in the fireplace. Forgive me for being such a coward. I see you've made a good friend in the girl you met at the cliffs that day…Rachel Zane-Whitley, and I'm happy for you, also grateful to her for taking care of you when I couldn't.

You can't miss the clearing. It's just there, beyond the jagged rocks of the second slope. Meet me there at two o' clock in the afternoon sharp.

Sorry but thanks.

- Jake

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