Chapter 7: High Stakes (revised)

**High Stakes**

Fear moved in over Jacob's countenance and clouded everything as if the immediate future could only be seen through murky water. The stark difference from when he knew positively the difference in Bella when she realized she loved him too, was maddening. This was so, so different. The fear held him in his gut and ripped through him like the energy of transformation used to rip through is body transforming him. There was no release that this fear would have.

It was here in this moment of fear, that doubt budded and in that doubt, three futures stretched in front of Jake. One was a happily ever after, that seemed less and less likely with every passing heart beat, one was a rough road of maybe's and what if's and the other was a blatant 'no'.

The silence was unbearable, but at least in silence it wasn't as definite the rejection as when Bella broke her hand against his face. Jacob had a moment that he wanted to close his eyes and go back in time. Another part of him raged on, that if this never happened, how would she know the difference? Yet one other was just 'you should have let her flirt with you. It's not like it was so bad'. In this space of time that there were no words, just Renesmee looking up at him, his heart was beating wildly. Again, no punch in the face… this could be construed as a good thing…

Warring against self preservation and the instinct to run, he knew he couldn't leave.

One couldn't feel any more trauma if they were gambling high stakes and they were all in, and it all came down to this; time to turn the cards up. No time for bluffing, no time for changing the stakes… time to come clean… His heart beat louder in his chest and he knew she could hear it. Her heart in its turn was thrumming faster than he had ever heard it.

This all seemed to pass as hours to Jacob, but was only the passing of seconds, several at least, minutes at most… Jake was too far gone to be able to tell.

"Jacob," she hesitated, and the hesitation was all it took for Jacob to begin to compensate for his losses. He would rather undergo the death by vampire venom than to hear her speak words of rejection. He valued her too much, he valued living. There would be no way to continue if he were rejected by her.

"Shhhh" he said placing his finger over her lips again. "Don't say anything. I just wanted you to know. There is a difference. You don't have to do anything about it. I told you, I'm your friend. I want what's best for you. But now you know why I said… you know, what I said before." He smiled wryly and took her hand and pulled to encourage her to keep walking.

He knew in an instant what he would need to do. He would need to wait it out. She would come around; she just needed to have him to measure everything and everyone else against. That was it. He made his decision. He would wait. I waited for Bella, he reasoned, and she wasn't the subject of my imprinting, how much more would I do the same for Renesmee. The thought had occurred to him, if she absolutely rejected him and there was no way around it, he knew that Edward would do for him what he had once asked. He would give him death if there was no way to have Renesmee. At least there was that. He wouldn't have to live an eternity of rejection. There were still two possible ends to this story…

I wonder if she'll still flirt with me? He said to himself in attempts of lightening his mood.

He could love her and still be her friend…couldn't he?

"Jake, no, I don't want to just skip over this." She said pulling against his lead to walk back.

Fear returned to Jacob's heart, and the fluttering of his stomach seemed like it was the butterfly exhibit at the Seattle Science Center; except it was him and his insides that were on exhibit.

"Jacob. There is something you should know about me."

What in God's name could it be? Was she a lesbian? His mind flew back to the images she showed him… was that one of the terrible secrets she was harboring. That was something he hadn't planned on facing. What if she was? What would that mean then?

"Jake!" she said shaking his face with her delicate fingers. "You're a million miles away. Come back," she coaxed.

Jacob heard the jingling of her bangles on her wrist and realized he had stopped breathing…

"Jacob. You should know,"

Here it comes…

"Jacob, I don't believe in love."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, his brow furrowed together and a look of incredulity spread across his face. While immediately he was in disbelief, the other instant it was overjoyed because the glass coffin he had placed himself in shattered into a million bits and fell as if tinkling crystal all around him, and again he was free, if to do nothing but hope…

"I know what you're thinking. With all the love around me, how could I say that? Right?"

She had read his thoughts, at least the incredulous thoughts.

"It's simple. It's purely chemical with humans, with vampires it's instinctual. So for me, it's both chemical and instinct."

Jacob tried to stifle a laugh. Could she be serious?

"No really, I learned in my human sexuality class that it's truly chemical; that how you get from perceiving someone as romantically appealing is simply your brain responding to endorphin boosts based on visual stimuli and pheromones. It's a biological response. It's probably why I wanted to jump your bones the moment I saw you. But the emotion that is the basis for so many songs, movies, books, poems; all that stuff, that's the real myth."

Wait! Edward let you take a human sexuality class? What the hell was he thinking? Whatever that's not the main issue Jake, focus!

"Oh, my Nessie, that's only because you've never experienced what it means to be in love."

"Are you going to show me?" She asked tilting her head to the side.

"Would you let me? Would you believe me when I show you what love is; when I make you realize, 'yes this is love, I'm in love'?"

"I don't know." She said honestly.

"I can work with that." Jake said, and smiled. He had plenty to work with. It wasn't a definite no, and she wasn't a lesbian. These were two definite triumphs.

Nessie laughed as she pulled him along. "You are so cute Jake, you probably used to believe in Santa Claus when you were a kid too, didn't you?"

When they reached the bike, she had come to her own decision- that there should be a compromise. She turned to face him again, "will you let me teach you about having fun, and compare your so called 'love' with infatuation, with lust and with fun and compare them objectively?" She asked.

"I don't know." Jacob replied looking into her eyes deeply. Renesmee laughed at his response and pushed him to get on. Jake straddled the bike and looked at Nessie turning her body to get on the bike.

"You're just afraid because I drink more than you do, and I party harder than you too!" she laughed swinging her leg up over the back of the bike pressing her body scandalously against his back.

"Tell you what, if I make you fall in love, you have to admit it." He said glancing back at her.

"And if you don't?" she challenged reaching her arms around his torso.

Jake smiled and shrugged unsure of what would be a fair compromise.

"If you can't make me fall in love, you appease daddy and agree to be my sex slave." She said pulling her pelvis against his ass.

Jacob revved up the bike "You better hang on for your life little girl."

"You better hang on for yours." She laughed.

He laughed kicking up gravel behind them, "you're on."

Nessie laughed and squealed and squeezed around his tight abdomen in delight as he sped through the reservation and onto the highway at very unsafe velocities.

A/N: THANKS GUYS! I love you already. I'm so stoked for this story. College should be fun! Thanks to my reviewers! Keep reviewing. Personally this is one of my favorite chapters so far!