DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyers owns these characters. We've only borrowed them for this story.
Chapter 15
I looked over and saw him--Jacob was making his way through the group. He looked so distraught. What could be bothering him? Last I saw he seemed elated. On top of the world. Ready to move on with my mother--the memory stung me and I felt the bile in my mouth. He moved toward me "Don't even think about it Jacob Black. I do not want to speak to you." He stopped in his tracks, shock spread across his face. Then…anger.
"You damn well will speak to me Nessie. You owe me that-all of us for that matter! What the hell is going on? Why did you leave in such a hurry with not a word to any of us?!" I snapped back.
"OH! Like you don't know! You liar. You cheating bastard!" Everyone's mouths dropped open and they all turned to Jake. I had no idea how to read him right now. He came toward me in a flash and grabbed me by my arms and shook me. I could have easily gotten away had I not been so surprised. Jacob never got physical with me like that.
"What the hell are you talking about?! What do you mean Cheat?"
"Oh don't act like you don't know Jake. I saw you, I saw you with her!" and I pointed toward the hut where I knew my mother had gone. "I saw you propose to her. I heard you say you didn't want to stay friends any longer and that you had to keep it from my father! How could you do this to me Jake? I love you. I wanted to marry you!" I fell through his grip to the ground and began to cry. My hands covered my face. Seconds passed, though it felt like an eternity. Jake knelt on the ground in front of me and pulled my hands away. He tilted my chin to face him. Tears streaked down my face.
"You thought I was proposing…to your mother?" I nodded with my chin still in his grip, then he started to laugh. "Oh, I get it now. You saw us talking behind the house in the woods--You saw the ring?" I nodded again but I couldn't meet his gaze. All he said was "Nessie. You crack me up."
I snapped my head up and screamed back at him "I crack you up?! I tell you I caught you cheating on me, with my mother nonetheless, then you conspire to keep it all a secret…and all you have to say is I crack you up?!" He stood us both up but moved away from me. He started waving his hands in the air in frustration.
"Yes. That's right. You crack me up." And he pointed into my face. "How can you think I would cheat on you? And with your mother? What's wrong with you?! Not to mention what you must think of me. Don't you know me at all Nessie?!" He reached for me gently, locking his arms around my neck and pulling our faces toward each other. "Renesmee Carlie Cullen. I love you. I have always loved you. I wasn't proposing to your mother. I was showing her the ring I was going to use to propose to you. I said I didn't want your father to know yet, because I wanted wait for the right time to ask him permission myself. I didn't want him read my mind before that, so I asked your mother to shield me until I got the chance."
It took me only a moment to realize it as those events passed through my mind again.
He was telling the truth.
I misread everything.
What a fool I was.
"OH Jake! I'm so sorry! How could I have been so stupid? I don't how I got it so wrong. Can you ever forgive me?"
A burst of giggles and laughter rang out from my family, lead by my uncle Emmett "You mean you came all this way because you thought he was going to propose-to Bella-um I mean your mom?" Jake gave him a wary glance and then looked into my eyes
"Yes, Nessie I can forgive you, even though you doubted me, because I know you now realize this was a ridiculous mixup. But it wasn't only me you doubted, it was your mother too…you have to apologize to her." Then my grandparents, aunts and uncles gathered themselves. Grandfather spoke as he approached us.
"Nessie my dear, this has been a huge misunderstanding. I'm so glad this has been straightened out. However, I'm sorry to cut this short, but we still have your father's health to consider."
"Oh my god, dad." I turned to Jake. "He's so sick Jake. He's been this way since yesterday. I'm so scared." He took me in his arms and hugged me tightly. Aunt Alice then interrupted.
"Carlisle is there any hope for a cure? My vision is fuzzy, nothing concrete but I keep seeing a dead ape." Grandfather then turned his face toward the jungle then turned back with a half smile…it looked like maybe he had an idea. I only hope it would be enough to save my father.