Chapter 6 "Long Time Coming"
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It's been a long time coming
And the table's turned around
'Cause one of us is going
One of us is going down
I'm not running,
It's a little different now
'Cause one of us is going
One of us is going down
"You're Going Down" - Sick Puppies
JPOV
-0-
I have to remind myself every few seconds to look away from Ness to make sure I keep all four tires on the road. The only reason why I even agreed to go to the hospital is because I know how much this means to her.
Her legs bouncing catches my eye. Her shorts are just that, short, and I'm itching to touch the exposed skin of her thighs. My hand actually moves toward her leg, but I manage to stop, pulling it up quickly to brush her cheek instead. Her eyes jump to mine and I can see her hands clenching the skin of her thighs just out of the corner of my eye. My hand moves so fast, I can't stop it this time. As I grip one of her hands in mine, I take note of the feeling of her bare skin beneath my fingertips; smooth and silky.
My need for her jumps to the forefront of my mind. I don't care that Lillah is about to have a baby or that Seth is crammed in the backseat of the car. She finally knows that she is my imprint and I want to start taking the next steps in our relationship. Starting with kissing her. Then quickly moving to kissing all over her body, including those thighs. My cringe is not at the thought, but at how much I have to fight myself to stop from acting on it.
Returning my eyes to the road is difficult, but my need to keep her safe pushes me. My hand stays wrapped around hers though. Now that she knows, I don't feel like I have to hold myself back from these small connections with her that mean so much to me.
An image of myself shaking violently while Edward stands in front of me jumps into my mind. Immediately I recognize that even though I'm shaking, my face is how Ness sees it, not what I see in the mirror. My eyes dart over to her but she is lost in thought. Did she mean to share that with me? Did I just imagine it? As far as I know, her ability only works when her hand touches someones cheek.
Looking back at the road, I let my mind wander back to that moment earlier this evening. I have never been so angry, so pissed off at someone in my life. When I made the agreement with Edward I never thought he'd take it so fucking far. I wanted to kill him, let my wolf loose and attack. However, as soon as Ness approached us I could feel myself calming down.
With the calm came a realization: my girl is stubborn, there was no way she was going to let this one go. When she demanded to be told what was going on, she made me so proud I felt like I could start glowing. I'll be eternally grateful to Bella for talking sense into Edward. Whether Edward liked it or not, the time had come to finally tell Ness.
"Renesmee Carlie Cullen, I imprinted on you the day you were born. You are my imprintee."
It takes everything in me not to jump when I hear my own words repeated in my mind. When I glance at Ness again, her eyes are on me, but they are glazed over. She is going through the events of the night in her mind and has no idea she's sharing. They are just flashes, not full memories like she normally shows me, but I know without a shadow of a doubt they are coming from her, from her hand being wrapped in mine. I need to tell her, but I'm selfish, desperate to have some sort of insight into what is going through her mind right now. I'll tell her later, I promise myself before my memories drift back to what she just showed me.
The moment I knew I could finally tell her, I let every emotion filter through my voice as I said the words I'd been practicing in my head for the last few months. I could feel the weight of the secret lifting off my chest. I hadn't felt so relaxed or relieved since she was born. It had hurt me so much, keeping the secret from her for so long. By hurting me, it hurt her as well.
It was so surreal that I felt like I needed to pinch myself to make sure I had really finally told Ness. It would be the cruelest nightmare if I were to wake up and find out it was just a dream.
However, the shocked look on her face was the splash of reality I needed. It wasn't a dream, but my Ness needed me. No doubt this was not what she expected her parents and I were arguing about. While I'd held out hope she would eventually figure it out on her own, the look on her face told me she'd had no clue until the moment I told her.
I'm prepared when she hits me with the next memory, almost expecting it. I look through her eyes as she runs through the woods and hears her mother's voice from a distance. "Go Jacob, you are what she needs now."
I couldn't tell which came first, Bella telling me to go after her or my instincts kicking into high gear and my body preparing to catch up with Ness. Even as she was speaking the words, I was running after my imprint. Seth's appearance irritated me, especially since Ness had such an odd reaction to seeing him right after I told her about imprinting.
As much as I wanted to question him, find out what was going on, I followed her, shouting for Seth to protect us. Seth fell in behind me as I ran in human form. There was no time to pull off my shorts and as much as I wanted to let my wolf loose, that would mean nothing to cover myself with when I finally caught up with her. While I'm not modest by any means, staying clothed was important to keep her at ease.
Seth dropped back as I caught up to her. The clearing she stopped in was the same one I've been using to keep an eye on her over the last couple of weeks.
I slowly approached the downed tree she selected to sit on. There was no hesitation in my hand reaching out to touch her shoulder as soon as I reached her. When she looked up at me, the hurt on her face twisted my gut, bringing me to my knees in front of her. I will never forgive myself for being so stupid, for hurting her so much. I was stupid for agreeing to the arrangement in the first place.
Taking her hand in mine, I did my best to explain it all, pouring my heart out as much as I could. As she asked me questions, I answered honestly, hoping to make up for any heartache I may have caused her over the years. With every heartbeat, I was moving closer to her. All I wanted was to pull her into my arms and never let go. Just as my chest was about to touch her knees, she shocked me back to reality, asking about Bella.
I'm anticipating her next memory, hopeful she includes her emotions as well, but also scared to know what she was feeling then. It's hard for me to remember feeling something other than friendship for Bella. Once upon a time I did think I was in love with her but after Ness was born I realized how immature I'd been then. My feelings for Bella were nothing compared to what I feel for Ness. She's everything to me. My tether to the world.
The memory hits me like a ton of bricks, "Of course, I've loved you since you were born."
I wanted to say so much more, or for her to understand what I was trying to say. As much as I wanted to tell her how much I love her right that second, I held back. The wolf in me held me back; it wasn't the right time, we weren't ready. As anxious as I was, I would save those precious words for another time. I knew I was doing the right thing but it still cut me down to my soul to see the frown cross her face.
I waited patiently as she worked through her emotions. I was expecting her to jump to another subject, but I was not prepared for where her mind went to next. "Do we have to get married now?"
The question cut the thick air around us and I was unable to hold in my laughter as her words sunk in. My body returned to leaning closer to her as I explained that we didn't have to get married just because I imprinted on her. I wanted to tell her more, but the air around us changed again.
My eyes were drawn down to her mouth just as Ness started nibbling on her bottom lip. I was lost then, my focus completely shifted to my need for her. My brain was shouting that we had more things to hash out, but I ignored it as I nervously asked my beautiful imprint if I could finally kiss her. The words were out before I even realized I had formed them.
The next memory Ness puts in my mind is not of tonight, but from months ago. I remember the night clearly as soon as I see her pale fingers tracing over the lines of my hands. However, I don't have time to focus on that night before another picture jumps into my mind; Lillah.
"Lillah's going to be fine, Ness," I reassure her. "Don't be nervous. Embry will be freaking out enough for all of us." Her soft giggle comforts me, and I relax knowing that she hasn't caught on to the fact that she's sharing what's going through her mind.
"Too bad we can't really get him drunk. He's going to need it before she pops this kid out," Seth speaking from the backseat surprises me. I've been so focused on seeing these memories from Ness that I forgot he was in the car with us.
As he leans forward, propping his elbows on the back of the seats, my thumb slides over her hand. I really want to pull her into my lap and growl "MINE" at Seth, but my hand on hers will have to be enough for now.
Even though Ness and I are both quiet, Seth, like always, keeps talking. "Then again, we might be the ones that need a drink. He's going to drive us insane until Halona is here."
I know he's cracking jokes to ease the tension but it isn't helping. "Sit your ass back, Seth," I growl out. I want to say more, but I'm saving that for when Seth and I are alone and I can kick his ass like I want to. It gives me a little satisfaction to know he's uncomfortably stuffed in the backseat of Bella's car.
Ness again shares a thought, but this one completely blindsides me. It's of Seth, only the normally happy guy looks stoic and slightly uncomfortable. Ness' voice in my mind is pleading with him, "Please, won't you help me?"
I can feel Seth glancing at Ness' hand in mine and it sends me over the edge. The wolf is ready to escape as I catch Seth's eyes in the rear view mirror. I stop the car abruptly, ready to get out and find out what the fuck has been going on between Seth and my imprint.
I'm just about to reach for the door handle to get out when Ness speaks, "You can't be serious right now, Jake."
My eyes jerk back to Seth but before I can reach to rip him apart, Ness grabs my attention again. "Both of you are ridiculous. What is this all about? Because Seth and I are friends? We're suppose to be on our way to the hospital, Jacob Black."
Friends? I want to believe her, but what she just shared with me did not sound like friends. It looked like my imprint begging Seth for help with- something.
Ness' hand pushing against my shoulder returns my attention to her. She does not look happy, in fact, she looks like she wants to kick my ass right now.
"You drive, Jacob. Seth, you sit back there and be quiet," she huffs.
Seeing Ness so angry at me completely changes my focus. As much as I'm still seething at Seth, all I can think about is making her happy. "Sorry Ness," I whisper as I get the car moving again.
I don't stop again until we are in front of the hospital. I give her fingers one last squeeze before she climbs out. She gives me a nervous smile then she's gone. I watch her walk into the building, my eyes following her movements until she disappears from sight. Sighing, I slowly drive away from the entrance to one of the parking lots on the side of the building.
"It's about time," Seth's voice pipes up from the back seat. After Ness got so upset with me, my thoughts centered on her to the point that I once again forgot he was there. Now that she's gone, my anger at Seth returns with a vengeance.
As soon as I shove the car into park, I jump out, pull open the back door with one hand and reach in to grab Seth by his neck with the other. Now that Ness is safe in the hospital, I am going to find out what the hell is going on between them, even if I have to force the information out of Seth.
Before I can threaten him, Seth shakes his head, "You can kick my ass all you want, Jake. I'm not going to tell you. Like I said before, ask her."
Seth's calm demeanor enrages me more. "She begged you to help her with something. What was it, Seth?" I snarl at him as I shove his body against the car. I'll probably have to fix Bella's car later, but it'll be worth it to finally kick Seth's ass like I want to.
"Ask. Her." Seth says calmly.
Tonight has been the first time in a long time that I've had to fight to remain calm. I once again push the wolf in me back, but just barely, as I shout, "I'm asking you."
Seth shakes his head. "Jacob, she's my friend. I'm not going to tell you anything other than I turned her down and told her to talk to you."
Turned her down? This stops me cold. What could Ness have asked of Seth that he would turn her down? The possibilities are endless, and yet every single one is more concerning than the last.
"Screw your friendship, she's my fucking imprint. Tell me what the hell is going on with her!" My grip tightens on Seth's throat. He could push me off, but he's not making any moves to fight back. His lack of aggression is disturbing to me. Just as I'm considering swinging him around to the ground, I feel a hand on my shoulder rip me back from Seth.
I jerk around to fight off whoever dared to touch me. Paul hasn't moved his hand from my shoulder, continuing to pull me back even as I initially fight him. It isn't until he's pulled me back a few feet from Seth that I realize Rachel is standing on the other side of the parking lot.
"Go inside, Rach. I'll handle these two. We'll be in shortly." Rachel nods hesitantly before dashing across the parking lot for the hospital doors.
"Whatever is going on," Paul growls out, "get over it."
Pushing against Paul, I release myself from his grip before shouting back at him, "I don't know what's going on because he won't fucking tell me." I'm snarling and aiming for Seth again when Paul tackles me to the ground.
"Did you touch Ness, Seth? If you did I'm going to release him and let him tear your ass apart." Paul has my head pushed into the asphalt so I can't see Seth's face.
"I didn't touch her." Seth's voice sounds disgusted. Much like I feel.
Paul pulls me back up to standing then shoves my back against Bella's car. "You heard him. He didn't touch her. Now chill the fuck out. You can finish this another time. Embry needs us, especially you Jacob. He needs his Alpha to keep him calm during this."
Paul doesn't release me. I could fight him, but I'm guessing he'd call for back-up if needed. My only way of getting free is to agree to his terms. I nod once and he steps back, freeing me from his grip.
"We aren't done, Seth." Taking deep breaths, I try to calm myself down enough to walk into the hospital without raising suspicion.
Seth shrugs at me, but as much as I want to attack, I know Paul is right. I let Paul pull me toward the building in front of us. He pauses about halfway, glancing over his shoulder as he speaks, "I'd recommend staying out here for a little while. At least until Ness can return to keep him under control."
I don't bother to look back to see if Seth agrees. When we enter the waiting room the rest of the guys are the only ones there. Paul takes a seat one chair over from Jared while Embry paces back and forth. Embry is nodding at whatever Sam is saying to him from his spot by the door. All of the girls must be back with Lillah, which would make sense, with Embry being out in the lobby with his brother.
A shrieking noise grabs all of our attention, but Embry is the first one to dash out of the waiting area. We all easily catch up with him as he reaches what I assume is Lillah's room. The door swings wide and my eyes seek out Ness. I'm pushing forward into the room along with Embry, Sam, Jared, and Paul.
"Guys, Sam, stop." Emily steps in front of us, quickly followed by Kim.
Kim reaches out for Embry, "She's fine, it was Rachel."
"Rachel?" Paul gasps.
Emily shakes her head, "Excitement only, nothing for you to worry about."
"Are you sure Lillah and the baby are fine?" Embry chokes out.
Emily and Kim both nod, but it's Kim that responds, "I'm sure. I promise you, Embry, I'm monitoring both of them very carefully. I won't let anything happen to your girls."
This assurance from Kim eases Embry. Emily gives Sam a look and Sam nods before taking Embry by the shoulders and turning him around. We file back into the waiting room. The silence is deafening. Glancing around the room, I feel the helplessness in each man like it is my own. Each of us has the power to tear apart a vampire, but that does us no good right now.
We all know Lillah is in safe hands with Kim and the staff of the hospital, but the worry is something we all live with every day. Our imprints are a part of us. The fear of losing them can be overwhelming if you let it. At times like this, that fear creeps up on all of us. I take a deep breath to calm myself down a little. As long as I know Ness is ok, that's what matters to me. Sam, Jared, and Paul return to their seats while Embry continues his pacing. Being so full of agitation myself, I start walking back and forth too, the route I take opposite of Embry's.
Seth arrives a few minutes later, but I ignore him, continuing to pace. I hear Sam ask Seth what's going on once when I pass him. He mutters something but I choose not to pay attention as I walk by. Since I walked into the building I've tried to keep myself focused on pretending he's not here. If I think about what Seth said too much the lava in my veins will boil over and things will get nasty quickly; which would be bad, especially in the tiny waiting room.
It seems like forever until Kim comes walking out, telling Embry it's time for him to return to Lillah. He nearly trips over Sam's feet in his haste to get down the hallway. Shaking my head I watch the corridor, looking for Ness. Finally I see her trailing behind Emily and Rachel, who are talking animatedly. When she spots me her face breaks out into a smile. Before I know it, she's pushing past the others, running to me. My arms spread wide and I brace myself for the slight impact of her tiny body. As soon as she's close enough, I wrap my arms around her, lifting her off of the floor. I would give anything to not be standing in a room full of people. Pushing her hair out of the way I nuzzle into her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her skin. Every bit of tension that remained in my body oozes out in relief.
I'd like to do nothing more than hold her like this until Embry reappears with the announcement that the baby has been born. Even more than that, I wish we were at a more solid point in our relationship. Or we had a title for it, other than imprintee and wolf. I'd like to kiss her, apologize for everything, tell her I love her. That I'm in love with her. But that all has to wait. This is not the time nor the place for it.
Reluctantly I release Ness. As she slides down my body I suppress my groan. I haven't had her this close since she was an infant. For a while now every time we've hugged I've made sure there is a little distance between our bodies. I was so afraid of making things uncomfortable between us in a physical sense, especially the last few months. But now I don't have to worry about any of that.
"Let's sit down," Ness' voice pulls me out of my thoughts and I glance around the room. Everyone else is getting settled in a corner of the waiting room. Taking Ness' hand in mine I lead her over to two chairs placed a seat down from Sam and Emily. They are talking quietly with Rachel, who had asked where Claire and Eli were. As Emily explains that they are with Sue Clearwater I quietly slip into a chair. Ness sits next to me and my body automatically gravitates to the side, leaning toward her. She leans her head on my shoulder and my eyes slide shut as my head rests atop hers. I'm exhausted and I realize, she has to be too. What time is it? I've lost all track of time with everything that happened after the bonfire. That seems forever ago.
-0-
An hour later we still haven't heard anything. Emily and Rachel ask Ness to join them to grab coffee and snacks for all of us. Sam turns to me as soon as they are out of ear shot. "Everything ok?"
Taking a deep breath, I hold it for a few seconds before I look over at him. "I told her," I exhale, running a hand over my face. A few more people have joined us in the waiting room, so there's not a lot more I can say. He nods at me and we fall quiet again. The girls appear shortly after, each carrying coffee and bags of chips. While I watch Ness, I also notice the strangers in the room watching her. I tap down my irritation at the other people, focusing on her alone. She's beautiful; her pale skin glowing, her dark hair a mess of curls around her shoulders, her movements graceful and enchanting.
Ness hands a cup of coffee to Seth and my body stiffens up a little as he thanks her. She nods and turns to come over to me, her hand outstretched with the cardboard cup holder nestled in it. I take the bags of snacks from her, place them in an empty chair then reach for the holder. I sit the whole thing on the floor next to my feet without pulling a coffee from it. Ness looks tired, as well as confused and I smile softly at her as she stands in front of me. Placing my hands on her waist I don't take the time to rethink what I'm about to do. Her body tenses up since I'm touching her in such an intimate spot. This is new for us but it doesn't feel as awkward as I thought it might.
Pulling her toward me I maneuver her so she's sideways when her thighs bump against my knees. As I keep pulling her she realizes what I'm doing and her own knees bend. It's been forever since I held Ness in my lap so I go slow, giving her the chance to pull away once she realizes what I'm after. After a split second of contemplation she finally sits sideways on my lap, just barely past my knees. I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her a little closer, stopping just short of my groin. Definitely don't want to go there. I know that anything physical between us will have to be eased into. Plus, we are in public and still have a lot to talk about. Even though I can't wait to kiss her I want it all to happen at the right time.
Once she's settled into my lap I encourage Ness to lay her head on my shoulder. "You should get some rest. You look tired and I'm sure it'll be a while before we hear anything."
Her body relaxes against mine even though she protests, "I doubt I could sleep, Jake. I'm too keyed up about Lillah. Besides, I could lay on that chair that doesn't have arm rests."
I crinkle my nose in disgust as I glance at the chair she's talking about. It looks smaller than a loveseat, old and dirty. No way am I letting my imprint touch that with her bare skin. There's no telling how many people have slept on it over the years. Shaking my head I refuse to release her and before I know it, she's relaxed against me and her breathing has slowed. Ness is out cold.
I drop my face to the crown of her head, kissing her soft hair and letting my eyes close briefly. With her body fully relaxed in sleep her legs start to slide a little. I place a hand on the outside of her thigh, where her shorts stop. I try to ignore the fact that my fingers are touching her bare skin and just think about holding her gently on my lap.
Slowly, I become aware of eyes on me and I open mine as I lift my head. I catch Seth's stoic gaze with my own. We stare at one another for a long second then Seth drops his eyes in respect. This isn't about me being Alpha, it's about Ness being my imprint. Mine. I realize then, Seth would have never done anything to hurt her, or me. Especially not by trying something with Ness. While I haven't completely gotten over my anger toward him, I know I need to talk to Ness and get the entire story.
I don't know how long I'm lost in my thoughts before Ness wakes up. She burrows against my chest, pressing her face into my neck and I kiss her temple before she sits up.
"Anything?" she looks at me with hope filled eyes.
"Not yet. Hopefully Kim will update us soon." Just like that, as if she heard my words, Kim comes walking through the double doors at the end of the hall. We all stand up, looking at her expectantly.
Before she can speak, William and Caroline Hunter, Lillah's parents, come rushing in. They both look excited but anxious; I can only imagine how fast they must have been driving to get here in time. They live in Seattle but Caroline has managed to make the trip quite often to visit since Lillah discovered she was pregnant.
"She's about to arrive," there's a beaming smile on Kim's face as she speaks to all of us, "Lillah's almost ready for the final push and Embry is holding up much better than expected." Her words are followed by a round of laughter.
"Oh Will," Caroline gasps and tears jump into her eyes as she holds onto his arm. Kim offers to let them peek in to see Lillah. William declines, saying he doesn't want to see his baby girl in pain but Caroline hurriedly follows Kim through the double doors back to Lillah's room.
Caroline doesn't stay in the back long but when she comes back out she's brushing tears away. Her assessment is similar to Kim's; it should be any minute now. We all breathe a sigh of relief as Emily comments that Lillah has been in labor almost as long as she was. She and Lillah's mother fall into a conversation about giving birth. I quickly tune it out.
Emily's words do manage to break me out of my cloudy mind. Checking my phone, which Seth gave back to me while we waited for Ness to change earlier, I'm shocked to see hours have gone by without me even realizing. The sun should be rising soon. Ness turns to look at me and we smile at one another. Her face is lit up, her brown eyes shining in excitement as she glances down at the time on my phone. "I must have been asleep longer than I thought," she says abruptly, speaking my thoughts for me.
I reach up and twist a curl of her hair around my finger, twining the silk gently around and around. When I speak my voice is a whisper, mindful of our two newest arrivals. "You look a little more rested. I really wish you would go hunting, Nessie." She sighs my name and I'm not sure if it's because I'm bringing up her need to hunt or because I called her "Nessie".
It's been a long time since I've called her that. When she was around the physical age of ten she asked me not to call her Nessie because it sounded childish, so I stopped. That's just what you do when you have an imprint. They ask you to do something and you nearly break your neck to make sure you do it right that second. To say that she has me wrapped around her finger would be an understatement, but I wouldn't change that for a second.
I nearly apologize to her but change my mind. If she's annoyed that I'm pushing her to go hunting, then she'll just have to get over it. I smirk to myself. All I want is for her to be healthy and she needs to hunt. Normally she loves our hunting excursions but we've both been busy lately and haven't had time. "The next free second we have, we're going. Actually, I don't have to work at the shop tomorrow, or later today I guess is more accurate, so we'll go then." I nod my head, leaving no room for argument. Ness watches me closely for a second and then her eyes flutter down and back up to meet mine.
"Ok, Jake, we'll go later, I promise."
"Thank you," I whisper when she agrees with me. Pulling her toward me I kiss her forehead without even thinking. When I pull away I catch Sam watching me, a smirk on his face. I roll my eyes at him before turning back to devote my attention to Ness. I'm surprised when she doesn't move from my lap but keeps sitting there as we talk quietly. I do my best to keep her mind busy and distracted while we wait for more news. After a few minutes we join in on the conversations around us.
Sam, Jared, Paul and I discuss a new work schedule for the shop as well as a vintage car William is interested in buying to restore. Ness, Emily, Caroline and Rachel chatter about Lillah and the baby. The nervous energy can be felt around us as we all fidget in our seats. Sam stands to start walking back and forth in front of us. Rachel comes over to sit next to Ness and I.
"What's up sis?" I ask her. She looks pretty smug and I can tell she has something to say.
"I have some news. The girls already know, but I've been anticipating telling you too."
"Oh?" the tone of her voice has me interested and I notice that the others have stopped talking and are watching closely.
"Paul and I," she begins, reaching her hand out to Paul, and he grasps it, "we're having twins."
"Twins?" I ask, confused for a second. As the word finally sinks in my head jerks back as I look at my sister. She has a big grin spread across her face. My smile matches hers as I glance at Paul, "Seriously? Twins?"
"Yeah dude, possibly two Rachel's, can you imagine?" Paul teases lightly.
"Hey man, I grew up with her and Rebecca. They were double trouble," I say playfully as Rachel swats a hand at me. "Twins. Wow. Congrats you two, really. I'm happy for you." I reach over and hug Rachel while holding a hand out to Paul, shaking his in mine. After I pull away from both of them I wrap my arm around Ness' waist and pull her closer to me so that her hip hits my stomach. Her thin arm goes around my waist and I look down at her face to see her smiling happily at me.
"I'm going to be an uncle, Ness." I grin at her, vaguely hearing the others, including the Hunters, congratulating Paul and Rachel.
"And Ness is going to be an aunt!" Rachel tells me enthusiastically. "She's part of our family, Jake."
"She is part of our family," I say while looking into Ness' eyes, "she's my girl." Ness' face lights up and her eyes shine. She glances down and blinks a few times then looks back up at me, placing her hand on the side of my face. As her thumb moves along my cheek Ness shows me a flash of myself from a few seconds ago. Seeing the way I look at her through her eyes is like a kick in the gut. It would be obvious to anyone by the way I was looking at her that she is everything to me. I know in my heart she was able to see that, even if she hasn't been able to before now. There were times before that I held back a lot of emotions because I knew they would be plain to see on my face. Now that she knows she's my imprint, I'm free to be more honest.
Before anyone else can say anything, Embry comes bursting out of the labor and delivery area. He is wearing a look I've never seen on his face before. It's a tie between excitement and fear. At first my body goes on alert, thinking something has gone wrong but then I realize he's grinning like a fool and his eyes are swimming with tears.
"She's here. Our Halona is here and she's beautiful and perfect," he breathes.
Ness jumps from my lap and the rest of us stand to surround Embry, a tumble of questions falling from all of our mouths.
"How's Lillah?"
"When can we see the baby?"
"How much does she weigh?"
"Who does she look like?"
Embry's hands shoot up in the air, telling us to stop our line of questioning. "Lillah is- amazing. They are cleaning up and weighing Hallie now. She has a head full of dark auburn hair. I'm going back but I wanted you guys to know I'm a lucky man. My wife is fine and our baby girl is here and healthy."
We all give rounds of quick hugs and the girls send messages of love to Lillah through their own tears. Ness glances over her shoulder at me, looking so thrilled for her friend. I reach out for her, putting my arms around her waist. Wrapping myself around her, I squeeze her gently as she giggles and bounces against me, her back pressed against my chest. Dropping a kiss on her shoulder it hits me that I've touched her more tonight than I ever have. It feels amazing, being able to openly hug her or take her hand in mine when I want to. Before, I was so worried that other people would judge or it would make it obvious to Ness that something was up. The last thing I ever wanted to do was confuse or hurt her when I couldn't tell her she was my imprint. I couldn't be more thankful that almost everything is out in the open.
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When Halona is finally cleaned up, Embry leads us to the nursery to point her out while William and Caroline are led back to see Lillah. As Emily, Rachel, and Ness discuss features and decide who she looks like more, all I see is a squished up alien with auburn hair on top. A cute alien, but still, an alien. I remember Eli looking like this too, so I'm assuming it's just a newborn thing.
Once the fawning is over, I see Ness yawning. Leaning down, I whisper to her, "Come on, let me take you home." She doesn't argue, which is surprising. I keep an arm around her, my hand on her hip as we tell the others goodbye. Ness hugs the girls while the guys and I fist bump and throw insults.
Seth is standing back, watching everyone when I remember that he rode to the hospital with Ness and I. Scratching the back of my neck I look at the others, "Someone think they can get this idiot home?" My words are followed by a half smile in Seth's direction, letting him know we're- mostly- cool.
"Don't worry about it, Jacob. We'll take care of him," Emily speaks up as she hugs Ness and gives me a look over her shoulder. She's grinning at me and I can't help but wonder if she realizes I'm not planning on going home.
"Thanks, Em," I wink at her playfully as she and Ness break apart. As Emily steps back over to Sam, Ness moves toward me, reaching out to touch the back of my hand with her fingers. I flip my hand over, placing my palm against hers and her fingers automatically slip through my own. Tugging Ness gently I guide her toward the hallway that will take us through the lobby area. When we pass Jared he slaps me on the shoulder and we say goodbye.
Ness is practically asleep on her feet when I open the passenger door and help her inside. Quickly moving around the car I climb behind the wheel and crank the motor. It purrs quietly as I back out of the space and we leave the parking lot as the sun officially makes it's appearance for the day.
"Halona is beautiful," Ness' sleepy voice says quietly.
I nod in agreement, knowing Ness is nearly out again. It's been a stressful night for her, with the arguing and the emotions and then the excitement over Lillah and the baby. "She's awfully tiny," I mutter as pictures of her flash in my mind. I remember when Eli was that small; I was afraid I might break him when Emily offered him to me to hold.
Ness laughs and turns toward me, leaning her back against the door so she can look at me. "She'll grow fast."
"Mmm, not as fast as you though. I liked that I didn't have to worry as much when you were a baby. Fewer concerns I'd hurt you." I laugh.
Ness takes my hand in hers and I side eye her when our hands rest in her lap. She has her legs pulled into the seat, crossed over one another in an uncomfortable looking yoga pose. My thumb rests against her calf and I move it back and forth across her skin. She doesn't speak for a while so I glance over to check on her. Ness' head is resting on the back of the seat, her eyes shut in a deep sleep. It's always surprised me how quickly she can be out like a light.
As I drive us back to the cottage I keep stealing glances at her. When I notice Ness has dark circles under her eyes and her cheeks have lost their normal rosy hue I frown. I feel like a jackass for not noticing she was under pressure and stress before now. Had she felt comfortable enough to tell me about school, instead of keeping it a secret, she would not have been having trouble sleeping. That is all my fault. Obviously I need to work harder at making her feel like she can tell me anything. I've failed my imprint in that department.
The car eases up the long driveway and I see Edward standing in the garage, waiting for us. I'm unable to stop myself from rolling my eyes at the hard expression on his face. There's no doubt that Edward loves his daughter, and I respect that, but he can't keep me from her now. Neither Ness nor myself will allow that to happen.
I pull into the space reserved for Bella's car and release Ness' hand from my own. She stirs only slightly as I open my door and step out. Edward is looking at me with a raised brow and when he nods his head at the dent I realize he wants to know what happened.
"I'll fix it, Edward, don't worry." I tell him wearily. I'm so not in the mood to argue with him. The last thing I want is for our voices to wake Ness in the passengers seat.
"How exactly did you dent my wife's car?"
"Seth and I had a little- talk in the parking lot of the hospital."
"Were you two fighting about Renesmee?"
I run a hand across the back of my neck before looking at Edward. "Something like that."
"Did you really think she and Seth were-" he trails off, obviously having been dipping in my head. I hate when he does that shit. A smile appears on Edward's face and I push past him, moving to the other side of the car to lift Ness out.
Edward continues speaking just as I put one arm around her back and the other under her legs, "I'd appreciate it if you just carried her in and left."
My entire body coils up and I know this could turn into an argument quickly. I try to remain calm as I speak softly. "I can't leave her, not now that she finally knows. She can decide moving forward, but right now, I just need to hold her."
Edward's face looks furious and his hands tighten into fists. I know I'm bordering on being disrespectful. She is his daughter and this is his house, after all. It's just that right now, I couldn't give a shit what he wants. I've spent every year of her life playing by his rules. Letting him dictate every little thing I can do or say around her. The part of me that has grown tired of being pushed away has had enough. I will not let her go.
"I know you think I don't respect the imprint but that's not true, Jacob. And there is no reason to act like I've been trying to keep you away from her."
"You were going to take her away from me, without question. You owe us both a peaceful nights sleep, at the minimum."
Shaking my head at him I move toward the cottage, not waiting for any further response from Edward. Our disagreement on this will not end anytime soon, I know. We are both protective of her and neither of us is willing to back down. I know Edward is aware of my refusal to give in to him just as I'm aware of his. He just doesn't quite realize how far we'll go for our imprints. I'll happily show him.
Bella doesn't seem at all surprised when I carry Ness into the cottage and head straight for her room. Just to be an asshole, I shut the door behind me. Wanting to piss Edward off, after I place Ness in the bed, I pull off my shirt and remove my jeans. I don't want to freak her out so I pull on my shorts from earlier. I intend on lying on top of the covers but I know I'd be hot in my clothes. Before I can lay down, I search for my pillow that is normally at the top of the bed. At first I begin to think it's gone, but then I finally find it under the blankets. Too tired to try to figure out why, I climb onto the bed and pull Ness as close to me as possible and fall asleep soundly.
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A/N: Jake likes to hear what you think, so make sure you click that little review button. In case you didn't know, we post stuff on stupidleeches dot com, including teasers and chapters. If you sign up for those emails, it might help out with not missing updates, since FFn alerts have been iffy.