Author: Hannah

Hi guys! This is Hannah here, sorry if this is a bit late, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Please read and review (L) x

Chapter Five - Jacob's POV

Talk about dilemma. If only I could explain to Annie what was happening to both of us. Damien too, of all people on this earth, why Damien? I can only imagine what that scene looked like from his point of view. Me begging his 'girlfriend' to stay with me whilst she toyed with her conscience, unable for a moment to make a decision …

Whatever the scumbag thought though, I had to see Annie again. I'd gone a week without seeing her beautiful face, and I was struggling to stay in my seat as it was. All I wanted to do was tear down the door, search the whole of La Push and find her. I wondered idly to myself if Annie felt the same as me. If she dreamt about the tall, dark stranger last night, or if her feelings were taking a while to develop, even though mine were crystal clear.

Just then I heard the phone ring in the living room. Knowing Billy would be still asleep I jumped out of the chair eagerly, stupidly thinking that Annie would be on the other end of the line.

"Hello," I practically shouted down the receiver.

"Jake, thank god. I thought you'd be too busy drooling over a picture of your lover to answer the phone."

This was a perfect moment to think up some witty and sarcastic comment to get Embry back, but as soon as he mentioned her, I was away with my thoughts.

"No, no," I replied instead. "I'm here."

"Oh good, because Sam wants to talk to you. Get your ass over there a.s.a.p, okay?"

"Fine," I grumbled, rolling my eyes. This was going to be some 'coming of age, imprinting on your girl' talk. I could just tell. "I'll be there soon."

I hung up, not even sure what emotion I was feeling anymore. It was a mixture of everything, all combining together, but always resulting in the same face behind my eyes. I needed to see her again, but although it would kill me to do it, Sam had to come first.

I grabbed a jacket, forgetting that I actually didn't need one, and a random pair of shoes. Slamming the door behind me I called a hasty goodbye to Billy and set about going to Sam's house.

I took my time, feeling sluggish at the thought of doing something other than being with Annie, or even just thinking about her. I did that then, wondering to myself what she'd be doing right now. Maybe with Damien … but no, I pushed that thought to the back of my mind.

Taking my usual shortcut through the forest, I was about halfway to Sam's, when I sensed something. Call it a weird wolf thing if you will, but it was bothering me. Unease gripped me, as I closed my eyes and tried to zone out of the forest, and figure out what was happening. On the beach, I thought to myself. Whatever it is, it's on the beach.

Something unknown was drawing me towards this, whatever it was. I should have been heading to Sam's, but that could wait now. Whatever was on the beach, it was more important than a lecture from Sam.

I made my way back through the trees, re-tracing my steps, something telling me to resist the urge to phase and run faster. I ran down the incline of the hill, my eyes catching a figure on the driftwood logs. It was her. The unknown thing that my conscience was telling me to find was her.

What are you waiting for? I growled at myself. Go talk to her!

I knew however, that I should be tentative. I could tell by the angles of her body, and the way her breathing hitched slightly, that she was upset. Treading carefully, but trying not to scare her, I made my way down on to the beach.

"Annie?" I questioned, as if I'd only just noticed her.

She whipped around, her hair flying every which way from the wind. My hands longed to touch it, to wipe it away from her face. Fingers flexing just thinking about it, I made my way forwards.

"Can I sit here?" I asked tentatively, watching her face change as she recognized me; her eyes that were red raw from crying, softened somehow as she looked up at me.

"Sure," she whispered. "It's Jacob, right?"

"Yeah," I smiled reassuringly. "I hope I'm not interfering, but are you okay?"

"I-well-I …" she stammered, trailing off. I could tell she was unsure of whether to tell me or not, because after all, I was a stranger to her.

"Don't feel like you have to tell me …" I left it the sentence hanging awkwardly in the air, because more than anything, I wanted her to tell me. I wanted to be the one that she confided in.

She sighed heavily, and turned her head towards the ocean. Patiently, I waited for her to respond, and after a few moments I started to fear she wouldn't. Finally, she drew another deep breath and spoke.

"You'll think I'm stupid," she shook her head sadly. "I think I'm stupid."

"No!" I cried, causing her to stare at me, alarmed. I stuttered, trying to think of some reason for my sudden outburst, but all I found was despair. I couldn't hear her talk about herself like that. She wasn't stupid!

"You aren't stupid," I said quieter, about to say something else until she cut across my breath.

"What, because I'm homeschooled?" She laughed emptily, all humour gone from her voice. "Try telling my dad I'm not stupid."

"Is that was this is about?" I pressed on, "your grades?"

"Yeah," she breathed, wiping her eyes and smudging the black eyeliner further down her face. "I told you it was a silly thing to be upset about."

"Well," I leaned back against the tree to make myself more comfortable. "Why don't you tell me about it? It helps to get things off your chest and bottling it up doesn't help anyone."

She shot me a look of confusion and slight awe, before shaking her head and sighing again. "Okay," she whispered. "But erm … just keep this to yourself, okay?"

Without waiting for an answer she plunged into her story, telling me every little detail. I found myself enraptured, as she spoke about her controlling father, her need to please him and his obsession with never letting her be good enough. All of a sudden I found myself hating this unknown man. He was making Annie upset on a daily basis, and that just wasn't on.

"So that's how I ended up here, I guess," she said, finishing her long story. "He found out my latest result and went absolutely crazy at me, shouting, on and on and on. I was one mark off an A plus, Jacob. All of that hysteria for one stupid, stupid mark. He told my tutor he wasn't doing a good enough job, and threatened to take away the hundreds of dollar bills he's paying him every week to teach me. But it's not my tutor's fault. It's mine. Lately … I've found myself distracted. You know, not being able to pay attention to the work we're looking at."

"Oh," I enquired politely, not wanting to stop her from talking. "How long have you been feeling like that?"

"About a week," she nodded gently. "I took my last test last night and got the result a couple of hours ago."

"Hmmm," I mused to myself, putting two and two together in my head, and hopefully creating the right answer.

"Oh my god," she said suddenly, rising up from the log. I stood too of course; I could feel the stress radiating from her. "I can't believe I actually made you sit through all of that!" She actually laughed then, shaking her head at me. "I'm so sorry, Jacob. I think I'd better go."

"No, please, it's okay!" I called after her, running in front of her path, but careful not to touch her. I knew I wouldn't be able to let go if I did. "It's okay," I repeated. "It was … interesting, listening to you talk about your life."

"Oh, I know right – poor little rich girl? Pathetic aren't I? Look, Jacob. You're lovely, you really are. And you're a great listener. And if I hadn't forced myself out of that I could have stayed and talked to you all day and night. But I hardly know you, and I have an angry father to get back to who'll no doubt have something else he wants to say to me." She paused, biting her lip. So cute. "So I'll see you around, yeah?"

"Wait," I held out my hand to stop her from going forward, relieved when she didn't touch it. "All of that 'poor little rich girl' stuff; I don't think that at all, you have to know. I think your situation is really unfair actually."

Annie pulled a strand of hair out of her face and set it behind her ear, looking at me intently. "I did too," she whispered. "Before I realised that there would be so many kids more than happy to swap places with me for just a day, and then I knew that actually, I'm one of the lucky ones."

A silence hung between us. How deep this girl was, it propelled me further in love with her. She really thought about stuff, had the right perception of the world. I don't know what made me do it, but just then I started to take her hand, holding it tight in mine and saying "walk with me."

Her hand quivered in mine, unsure, not quite yet trusting, but nearly there. "I don't know, Jacob. I don't know anything about you …"

"Then get to know me!" I whispered pleadingly. "You've shared so much with me, Annie. Let me do the –"

Just then an ear splitting howl echoed across the beach, making me snap back into my senses. Sam.

Shit.

Alpha's order, I could hear it in the howl.

"I should go," I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry, I'll see you again –"

"It's okay," she said, "if you don't want to, I mean. I have enough to be doing anyway, without spending hours discussing my life with tall, dark strangers."

I grinned, "you forgot the handsome part."

Smiling back for the first time since I'd seen her today, Annie let go of my hand and started to walk towards the car park. "Bye, Jacob," she mouthed back at me.

That damn howl sounded again, cutting me off from what I was about to call back. I'm on my way, I thought irritably, even though he couldn't hear me. Not yet.

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