Paris held up a hand. "Don't talk, Seth, just listen. I know how exhausted you must be, and I'm leaving in a minute. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry I chased you away. I really never meant to do that. I love you, Seth, and I'll never hurt you if it's in my power."
Seth was shaking his head. He struggled to sit up, but the best he could manage was to gingerly roll onto his side to look at her. "I'm sorry too, Paris. Can't think straight right now…we'll talk when I can get out." His voice was weak and his breathing erratic.
She tried to smile. "I'd like that. And I think it's best if you come to me. I'm still not allowed to be here, and I won't ask your mom to step between me and the pack again. Rest now." She touched his face gently and was gone.
Sue finished crimping the last pie crust and popped three peach pies in the oven, just as the back door burst open and Jacob and Leah walked in. Leah was smiling widely, her jaw wires obviously gone. Sue hugged her tightly, smiling back, as Jake explained. "We just got back from Carlisle's. He removed the wires and declared the jaw completely healed." He bent down to kiss his bride, obviously delighted.
"We're doubling up on patrols these days," Leah explained to her mother as she snagged a left-over peach slice. "Sam wants to be extra vigilant until we figure out what Jane plans to do with the information she collected from Seth. How's he doing, Mom?"
Sue's expression sobered. "I haven't heard a sound from him since he got back, Leah. I've peeked in, but he's been sleeping for the last 15 hours."
Leah gave Sue a quick hug. "I need to talk to him, Mom. I'll see if I can rouse him." She took the stairs two at a time and tapped sharply on his door.
"Come on in, Leah." He had finally managed to sit up, propped against the headboard. He quickly buttoned his shirt, but not before Leah got a glimpse of the deep scars caused by the burns on his chest. "How's the jaw?" he asked.
She sat on the edge of the bed and clicked her teeth together, then smiled. "Good as new. You know how tough I am."
He didn't smile back. "I meant it when I said I didn't intend to hurt you," he said softly, "but you did ask for it." His voice was strained, and talking seemed to cause him some pain.
"I know," she admitted. "I deserved it." She rubbed her jaw. "You got me good, though. That's a pretty impressive right hook. Mom's still pissed; she says she's tired of us breaking each other's bones."
They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes until Leah spoke. "Was it really bad, Seth?" She shuddered. "I've only heard bits and pieces…"
Seth's eyes glazed over. "I can't talk about it yet, Leah." He paused to catch his breath. "And yeah, it was bad. And you know what the worst part was? She enjoyed it," he whispered. His attention was fixed on the aquarium again, and Leah realized that she had lost him.
With a quick hug, she left him alone with his sea creatures. Sue looked up expectantly as she came down the stairs, and Leah shook her head. "His depression seems worse to me, Mom. And it's no wonder. The kid just can't get a break!" She kicked the screen door open, slamming it against the side of the house as she stalked out onto the porch. Jacob followed quickly, wrapping his arms around her and holding her in silence. He gently smoothed her hair away from her face, kissing the top of her head.
Jacob looked over Leah's head at Sue, standing helplessly inside the door. "I'm gonna take her home, Sue. Please let us know if there's anything at all we can do," he said softly.
When they got home, Jacob went to the kitchen and made Leah a cup of tea. He set it on the coffee table and sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. "Do you feel like talking?" he asked softly.
Leah sighed. "No. Just hold me."
His smile was bittersweet. "That just happens to be my specialty. I love you, Leah." He cradled her against his chest and murmured softly to her of peach pies, motorcycles, plans for their house, and friends near and far. The sound of his voice soothed and relaxed her, and in a little while he could tell by her even breathing that she was asleep. Her breathing stuttered with a small sob, not loud enough to wake her but loud enough to break his heart a little.
Sue pushed Seth's door open with her hip, carrying a tray of food into his room. She pasted a smile on her face and kissed his forehead, then set the tray down on the dresser. "I figured you must have been napping when I called you for dinner, so I brought it up to you," she said cheerfully. At least she hoped it sounded cheerful. "Do you think you can eat something, honey?"
Seth dragged himself to a sitting position. "Sure, Mom," he muttered with a total lack of enthusiasm. "It looks good."
Sue sat carefully on the edge of his bed. "I know you haven't had much of an appetite lately, Seth, but you need to keep up your strength. Just try, okay?" His eyes stung as he looked at the tray, filled with his favorite foods. He knew how hard she was trying, so he resolved to try and choke down a slice of turkey, and maybe a few bites of the chocolate cake. He forced a smile. "Thanks, Mom." How could he possibly make her understand that he just didn't care any more? He didn't want to hurt her, and so he didn't try.
Leah woke with a start the next morning. Judging by the sunlight streaming through the window, it must be late. The bedside clock blinked over to 11:32 as she glanced at it. She looked down and smiled, recognizing her nightshirt as one of Jake's huge tee shirts. He had apparently undressed her and tucked her in without waking her.
She climbed out of bed and padded down the hall, barefoot, looking for Jacob. He wasn't in the living room or the kitchen, and she couldn't see him in the yard. She wondered briefly if Sam had called him for an extra patrol. Just then he walked in the front door, closing it softly behind him.
"Hey, sleepyhead," he greeted her with his dazzling smile.
She ducked away from his kiss, mumbling "gotta brush my teeth," and ran down the hall to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth carefully and rinsed her mouth, then returned to the living room and sat on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. He kissed her back, then set her on her feet and patted her backside.
"Time to get dressed. We've got places to go, things to do!" he ordered.
She looked at him quizzically. "What places? What things?"
He just smiled and shook his head. "All in good time, my dear. Now scoot!"
She dressed quickly in jeans and a blouse, then ran a comb through her hair. He took her hand and led her to his truck, opening her door. He drove toward First Beach, then veered off onto a dirt road. They bumped along until the road ended, and he grinned at her. "Looks like we walk from here."
They walked another half mile uphill, and suddenly they came out of the forest onto a rocky cliff. They were looking down on a small cove, frothy waves breaking on he rocks far below. "It's beautiful, Jake. How did you find this place?" Leah breathed.
He grinned. "I'm glad you like it, but that's not the surprise." He led her to a small patch of grass where a quilt was spread on the ground next to a large cooler. "I thought maybe you could use a picnic lunch," he said softly.
Leah turned to him, stretching up on her toes to kiss him tenderly. "I love it," she said with a genuine smile. "And I'm starving. I hope there's food in that cooler!"
He opened the cooler with a flourish. Inside was a lunch that would easily feed six people. She recognized one of Sue's peach pies, along with fried chicken, potato salad, cherry tomatoes, and iced tea. There were plates, napkins, plastic flatware, and paper cups. Leah grinned at him. "Who knew you were such a romantic?" She pulled him down on the quilt with her and started opening the containers of food.
They managed to make a good-sized dent in the feast, but there were some leftovers to wrap up. They packed them up together, then stretched out on the blanket. Leah took his hand in hers, bringing it to her lips before she turned to face him. Propping herself up on an elbow, she smiled at him. "How did you guess this was exactly what I needed?" she asked.
"Educated guess," he smirked as he pulled her down for a kiss. He wrapped her in his arms and held her close against his chest. In the bright sunshine and the cooling breeze, they let the cares of the world slip away just for a while.