Chapter 21

I lay stroking a sleeping Leah's soft ebony hair as her head rested on my chest. One of her legs rested between mine. I was too lucky. This woman was too good for me. I didn't deserve a woman that was so forgiving, fearless, and beautiful. "Sweet, sweet Leah." I kissed her hair and thought back to last night. I really wished that Leah hadn't fallen asleep, that night was amazing. I remembered the soft and delectable skin on her belly and between her legs. I remembered how it felt on my fingertips; yes indeed I was a very lucky man. She shifted closer to me in her sleep; she could never be close enough. My mind went back to Melissa and how heartbroken she'd seemed when she saw the two of us together and then I told her about Eva, yet she still was here by my side … and she loved me, I was unworthy.

I needed to do something to show my appreciation. Leah needed to be celebrated; I wanted the world to know what an amazing woman I had. I knew I couldn't notify the word but at the very least I could bring all the people that cared about her together to celebrate another year of her life. My mind raced on how to set everything up. I really didn't know much about Leah's past. I knew of her mother and Sam but that it. I wouldn't know where to start and who she would want to see. I didn't have much time to get everything arranged and I needed to speak with the Cullen's to see what could be done and how we could make it happen. I went to slip out of bed and Leah clinched my t-shirt.

"Nook," she murmured. I chuckled; she wasn't going to make this easy. I ended up having to abandon my shirt and put on another. I watched and she held it in her hands and cradled it to her face. She was smiling in her sleep and I couldn't help but grin too.

"Beautiful," I whispered. As I stepped out of our room and went to Renesmee's room but the room was empty.

"Nahuel," I heard Esme call me from downstairs. I zoomed to the first floor and found Carlisle on the phone. Bella and Alice were looking over some decorations. Emmett came and placed his arm around me.

"Alice saw a party happening tomorrow, but she doesn't know who it's for or the reason why," Emmett chuckled. "Seth said tomorrow is Leah's birthday but he doesn't think she would want a party."

"Yeah, Leah never liked birthday parties, something weird always happens at them." Seth was sitting beside Shelly who was working with Ren to put a whole bunch of red things in a gift bag.

"She doesn't like parties?" I asked.

"I don't know how she feels about the parties; I know she doesn't care for the weird things that occur at them." I narrowed my eyes at Seth; for the most part he was a really chipper guy. He just had a bad taste in his mouth where I was concerned. I knew how much Leah cared for him and I wished that our relationship was better.

"I was thinking that, it would be nice if we did throw something together for Leah. I was actually coming down here to ask about it. I uh, was wondering if it were possible for her family and friends from Forks to come." Nahuel asked and the other and Alice chuckled and nudged Jasper.

"I told you I saw Emily!" She beamed she loved when she was right about something that happened with the shifters. She considered herself a detective of sorts where they were concerned because she couldn't fully see things around them. "I also had a feeling all of this was for Leah. So … Carlisle is on the phone seeing if he can't get some flight reservations settled." I eyes widened I was happy that the others were so excited to have a party but I wanted to do something for Leah. It seemed like all the work had been done.

"All you have to do is show up and you've done something for her." Edward intruded.

"It's not the same," I countered aggressively. "I just want to show Leah … that … I know how lucky I am to have her and that I'd do anything for her." Shelly looked up at me with wide sappy eyes.

"Awww, that's so sweet!"

"Thanks," I mumbled. "If you all do all of this what's left for me to do?"

"You could help me cook," Esme offered. "One of Leah's favorite things to do is eat so in a sense would helping out with the part of the event that Leah will probably like best. I'll probably work all night trying to get everything together. I could use a view hands actually." Esme offered a look Rosalie's way.

"Would you like me to help you Esme?" She said robotically and Esme chuckled.

"Yes, I would very much so appreciate it." Esme said as her mind went to work. "First we need to find a store open at this hour and do some shopping." The three of us stood up and so did Ren and Jacob. I guess they wanted to cook too. Again, I was glad for the opportunity to do this great thing for Leah, but it didn't seem like enough. I wanted to do something special for her. I wanted a precious moment between her and me.

The night flew by and we were almost set for the party tonight. I wished we didn't have to attend school because there was much more that could be done. Esme said that she should be able to handle getting the rest of it arranged by herself, plus their guest should be arriving in the afternoon if she needed any extra assistance she was sure that they would be able to assist her with it. I tried to create a little distance between Leah and I. I wrote her a little note and told her that I'd went hunting with Edward, which wasn't a lie, I was hunting, but for a gift for her. I couldn't find anything that I really like or fitted what I wanted to say to her.

"You know what you want to give her. I think that all we're doing is wasting our time," Edward commented after we exited the fourth store.

"I don't think we're ready yet," I said without looking at him. "Plus, I'm not even sure we can … I will really need to be able to connect with her if we do that."

"Fair enough," Edward sighed. "One more store before school?" I nodded and we took off.

We missed the first period of the day and as we walked down the hall the bell rang and classes let out again. Edward's eyes widened slightly and he looked at me with disgust.

"You didn't … what happened with you and Melissa?" He asked and I rolled my eyes.

"The girl came into my room in a state of undress and I told her to get lost. Leah saw her and it almost messed up my damned evening. That's what happened with Melissa!" I hissed slightly and dented my locker as I closed it.

"Well, that's not the spin she's putting on everything. She's saying that you two were intimate and Leah almost walked in on you. I just thought I should warn you, because if Leah's heard this she won't be a happy little she wolf." Edward chuckled and I frowned. I don't understand why people have to lie.

"The reason she lied is because she wants the two of you broken up! Misery loves company and Leah and you look very happy when you are together." I smirked; I was in even when I was with Leah. I couldn't even begin to express how much I missed her this morning. I was annoyed that when I finally do get the opportunity to see her she would probably be in a foul mood.

"I'll make Leah see reason. I have to before the party anyway."

My first opportunity to reunite with Leah was left empty handed. At lunch Seth informed me that he'd seen his sister transform and run away from the school. He also, made clear that if the rumors were true he'd make sure that I'd hurt as badly as she did. I had no reason to worry because I wasn't with that child. I felt empty, frustrated, and confused. Why wouldn't Leah have just talked to me? She had to have known that Melissa was making up this horrible tale. I made it through the bland day hoping that Leah would come back and be in a good humor. I wanted her to be happy enough to enjoy the events to come.

She didn't arrive back at the school until our last class of the night. The sickened look on her face made me feel ill. She ran a hand through her hair and then wrapped her arms around herself.

"Ms. Clearwater?" Our teacher was about to stand up and fuss at Leah. I didn't want Leah to be upset any further and though I was happy to see her, the fact that Leah was here created a buzz around the classroom.

"Sorry, Mr. Copper I'm not feeling well," she groaned, holding her stomach. I frowned, I didn't know it was possible the Leah to look pale. She glanced at me and then quickly looked away from me. Mr. Cooper allowed her to take her seat without giving her the general spiel about tardiness. She plopped down beside me and exhaled. She sent a sorry excuse for a smile to Shelly but seemed to be ignoring me completely.

"Where were you this morning?" I whispered while the teacher went on with his lecture.

"Out," she snapped and I was shocked. She fiddled with her pencil and wiggled her legs nervously. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I needed some air," she mumbled.

"Oh … I see," I said I turned and looked at her and waited for her to return my stair. She gave nothing, all I saw was sadness, and confusion with her eyes. I wanted to remind her that these school age children were immature and Melissa was a liar. "Leah …," I started but the teacher began to give his instructions.

"Okay class, you will be working in groups of four today," Mr. Cooper instructed us to maneuver our seating so that we could perform the task at hand. Luckily I ended up with Leah and Shelly, but when I heard Mr. Cooper instruct Melissa to sit with us I thought that someone was playing some serious cruel joke on me. Melissa sat right in front of my and gave a small seductive smile and I heard Leah murmur something under her breath. The tension was so intense and nobody really wanted to say anything. Mr. Cooper laid the paper in the middle of our four desks. None of the ladies even acted as though they wanted to look at the assignment. I huffed out a sigh and examined the task in front of us.

"So, the sooner we start this, the sooner we can separate," I explained and read off the first question on the sheet and asked for insight from the ladies. I looked at Shelly, Leah, and then to Melissa. Melissa was the only one who issued me eye contact. She licked her lips suggestively and I cringed internally.

"Leah?" I looked back and she was looked fiercely at the young woman. Leah glanced at me and her eye widened, she fallen into another trance induced by me. She finally readjusted and leaned back in her chair and clasped the bridge of her nose.

"I don't know Nahuel; The Raven was a very depressing Poem about a man and his loss love. The bird was a constant reminder of his heartbeat, you know things like that." She fiddled her pencil between her fingers and then refocused her glare to Melissa.

"Excellent." Leah was always surprising me with her intellect. "Poe was an extremely depressed man, but he was also extremely brilliant to turn his torment to art that will forever be known across the world. This is one of my favorite pieces. I can actually feel his hurt through this piece," I elaborated as I wrote down the answer to our first question and then flipped a few of the pages in our book to add more to our answer.

"That was so deep Nahuel," Melissa cooed at me and then reached across the table. She placed her hand on my arm and I really thought the child had lost her mind.

"Stop it, JUST STOP!" Leah snapped as she moved Melissa's hand off me and placed her hand on her side of the table. I noticed that Leah was shaking a little. I wanted to pull her to me and relax her, but I was afraid it would have the opposite effect.

"What are you doing? Don't touch me!" Melissa had the audacity to become indignant, she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at Leah.

"Trust me if you would keep you little hands to yourself, I would have nothing to do with you. However you seemed to be intent to flirt with my boyfriend and I have a problem with that!" Leah was behaving jealously, but for some reason I kind a kick out of it.

"Is that all you think I've done," Melissa's thought trailed off because Leah was still standing upright and glaring at the poor girl like she wanted to rip her head off.

"Oh no Melissa, don't stop now go ahead and put your whole foot in your mouth," Shelly chuckled and her green eyes were now bright and attentive.

"Shut up Shelly," Melissa said darkly. She was embarrassed and she looked at her fingernails and examined each one in detail.

"So Melissa," Leah leaned even further into Melissa's personal space. "I heard about your little rumor you've been spreading. I'm flattered that you find Nahuel attractive, but I'm sure you're not of his type." Melissa's eyes seemed nervous her jaw dropped and then she let out a huff.

"I never touched you in that way. The only physical interaction we shared in that room was my attempt at trying to get you to leave. How could you spread such an impossible lie?" I saw this as an opportunity to gain some answered. I knew it was a juvenile act of jealousy but Melissa had to have had some sort of logic behind start such an obvious lie. Melissa attempted to say something again but she looked around the classroom and noticed the stares and giggled. The child hopped up and exited the classroom in tears. After Melissa left Leah sat back down and I wrapped my arm around her. I hopped that now that the rumor had been put to rest she could enjoy the rest of her birthday. She looked up at me and gave me a genuine smile and I smiled back.

"That's right serves the wench right! People are going to know her for the liar she really is!" Shelly giggled and clapped her hands. I was so glad the drama was over and we were now on to bigger and better events. I hoped that Leah would be in good spirits about it.