It was hot outside. Extra hot. Unusually hot for northern Washington. School was out and I spent most of my days hanging out with Kim or Jacob. Until now. I had gotten (insert death march music here) a job. And of course being La Push there weren't very many good jobs available. So I was stuck working at the local Dairy Queen.

And the owners were not only mean and nasty, they were cheap as well. There was no air conditioning in the entire building. The humidity and heat was bad enough without the stuffiness of the building.

"Must . . .survive. . .the. . .summer," I muttered unhappily contemplating death by ice cream. I sighed and talked into the headset for the drive through window.

"Hi, welcome to Dairy Queen how can I help you today?" I told the car in a falsely cheerful voice.

I was greeted by uncontrolled giggling. I sighed. Not again. I looked out the window and sure enough Jacob's car was in the drive through line. Jacob, Quil and Embry thought it was hilarious to visit me at my menial job. I wanted to kick them in the face.

"Hey, Allie," my manager Sarah said to me, "I need you to stock all the cups and toppings, soon."

I fought the urge to punch her in the face. All day long I had been working non-stop with no help from anyone and cars piling up in the line. The last thing I needed was for her to get some attitude with me. Sitting in the back eating chicken and telling me what to do hardly constituted as being a manager.

"Um, we'd like three large vanilla ice cream cones," Quil's taunting voice brought me back from my reverie.

"That'll be 6.16," I told them grumpily ignoring their obvious amusement.

I rushed to get the four orders in front of them, spilling ice-cream all over me in the process. I was sweating and running all over the place. Dairy Queen was certainly my new personal hell.

Panicking slightly at the amount of cars coming through and the zero amount of help I was receiving my temper was reaching it's boiling point.

Jacob and Company reached the window and just as I was going to pay them out the Chicken Eater (aka Sarah) walked up towards me.

"I thought I told you to stock! What have you been doing?" she had the nerve to sound incredulous. And I'm sorry to say that I just snapped.

"DOING?! I'M FUCKING QUITTING IS WHAT I'M DOING! YOU HAVE THE FUCKING NERVE TO ASK ME WHAT I'M DOING? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" I screeched flinging the headset into her stunned face. I then proceeded to tear off my regulation polo and visor, and wearing only my bra much to the shock of the customers, stormed out the door and to Jacob's car.

I yanked the door open and slid in, slamming the door closed.

"Tough day at work sweetie?" Jacob asked insolently.

I threw him my death glare. He smiled and put the car into gear, smoothly pulling out of the hell hole's parking lot.

Jacob looked into the rearview mirror at me with an amused expression on his face. I was still angry as hell and glared back at him. Thankfully Embry averted his eyes from my half-naked body.

"Awww," Quil complained, "I really wanted some ice cream."

His eyes never leaving my face, Jacob reached out and cracked Quil on the head with his hand.

"Dude," was all Quil could say.

...

"So, now that you quit your job, you have more time to spend with me," Jacob said. We were at the beach later that night. He had brought a blanket which we now both sat on. Jacob held me in his arms as we watched the stars.

I turned my head to look at him. "You're the one who never has time for me," I told him reproachfully.

Jacob sighed again at our old argument. "I've told you time and time again, we have to be on our guard until we find out how that vampire got through our defenses."

I grunted and pulled Jacob's arms around me tighter.

"I'll spend as much time as possible with you," he reiterated, "there's no time I'd rather spend anywhere else than here, with you." I smiled at him. His eyes crinkled with a smile in response and I melted. I brought my face to his and kissed him lightly on the lips.

He pulled me into a tight embrace, practically crushing my ribs, but I didn't care. I loved kissing Jacob. This kiss though, was long over due. We hadn't seen each other in about a week due to my job and his werewolf stuff.

His hands roamed over my back and I shivered in delight. My hands traced the contours of his chest and my mouth opened with a sigh as I pushed myself closer to him.

Jacob pulled back and I froze.

"What?" I questioned.

"Please," he said tightly, "I don't think I have enough self control. . ."

My eyebrows raised, "Self control?"

Jacob rolled his eyes at me. "When a man loves a woman--"

"Oh."

"But, you could continue kissing me, just not as . . .um, passionately. After all, we don't want any accidents." His smile was wolfish now.

I acquiesced his request. My lips met his and he buried his hands in my hair.

"Allie," he whispered kissing my neck, my nose, my eyelids, my mouth.

I was putty in his capable hands, and lips. He brought his lips up from my collar bone and kissed me on my mouth again. I decided if he was going to tempt me like this I might as well tempt him.

I arched into his embrace, our bodies entwining. My arms linked around his neck and pulled him down a tiny bit, making us closer than before. I refused to let him stop kissing me. I felt his smile as he pushed me away.

He still held me close, our foreheads touching.

"I wasn't finished with you," I panted.

His smile grew wider and showed all his teeth. "I think I should take you home," his voice was embarrassingly steady compared to mine.

...

As I got ready for bed I contemplated mine and Jake's relationship. It wasn't a normal teenage relationship that was for sure. I mean, I was human and Jacob wasn't.

I had only known him for a few hours before I fell in love with him, that sure wasn't normal. My mother would be ashamed of me. I shook away the tears that threatened my eyes.

Don't fall in love. It's the worst thing that can happen to a person.

My mothers advice, some of the only she ever gave me, floated through my brain, infiltrating my thoughts. Sure, being in love hadn't worked out for her, but I wasn't going to make her same mistakes. No, I wouldn't make her mistakes. None of them. And she had made a lot of mistakes.

I threw my toothbrush down hard against the sink as the memories came back to me.

No. Stop. It wasn't going to be like that. Jacob would never--

"Allie? You okay?" Mrs. Costa's concerned voice came from outside the bathroom door.

I sighed, "I'm fine," I told her hoping she couldn't hear the shaking in my voice. Thinking about my mother brought back all the old anger and pain. I didn't want anyone to know that I still hurt.

"Okay. Well, good night dear," Mrs. Costa's footsteps faded into the background and I heard her bedroom door shut.

I sighed again and looked into the mirror at the reflection before me. I looked better than I had in back home in Chicago. Not so thin as I was, nor as pale looking. There was something else. Something more. My eyes were brighter, my cheeks not so sallow. I was happy. Something I hadn't been in a long time. And who would have thought that in what others might see as the most depressing place on earth, I would fine true happiness and true love as cheesy as it sounds.

Jacob had made me whole again. And I loved that.

And I loved him.

...

Howdy all. Well, as always i appreciate your reviews! So please keep reviewing! Thanks oodles and noodles!!