Chapter 11: Hearts Get Broken All the Time (revised)

A/N: I really have to take a moment and thank my reviewers! You know who you are. You're anticipation spurs me onward. Tashay789, since you can't wait, here you go!

**Hearts get broken all the time**

Renesmee stood frozen at the bar unaware of anything around her. Not the blaring music, the admiring stares not even her parents in a dark corner.

Everything that passed through her mind played before Edward's eyes and a smile of sympathy formed on his perfect lips.

"She's angry." Edward said in a low whisper against Bella's ear as they danced in a corner attempting to avoid being detected by their daughter. "Livid. She can't believe he would do this, but there is nothing she can say about it. Their earlier conversation is playing back to her." Edward spoke the words going through Renesmee's head in order for Bella to understand.

He said he loved me, this isn't love. This sucks. Jacob's words flashed in Nessie's memory 'You were right, I don't own you and it's not a big deal. You were just having fun. You are free to have fun. Don't worry about it. It's just chemical remember? You aren't even technically my girlfriend. I told you I love you, but we never came to any…understanding'. Those words freed him from any culpability now.

Renesmee contemplated the situation: does he not care about me anymore? Will he just pick someone else? But love isn't anything, it's just a myth, the reactions we have are only chemical. Chemical. Chemical.

Renesmee looked at the boys around the bar. There were several who were hot, one in particular who was definitely hot. Tall, slick hair, white smile, bulging muscles…

Renesmee waited, but she felt nothing. She crossed the room making eye contact with him and he smiled. She smiled in anticipation of the feeling she was sure would come.

Without speaking she circled her hand around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips.

In surprise the random guy kissed her back, she pressed against his body and he in turn pressed his hand against her lower back and inching down with every second the kiss progressed.

Renesmee however, not getting the feeling put more of herself into the kiss winding her body closer and kissing in earnest. Joe Blow accepted the entrance of her tongue in his mouth with glee and rewarded her ass with a tight grip. She stopped suddenly.

Within an instant the conclusion was made: she didn't get the feeling she was used to from randomly making out, she didn't get the flutter when Jacob was around either.

Renesmee was beyond irritated; why wasn't her brain reacting correctly? These realizations happened before the guy could really realize she'd disengaged. Smiling, she pushed the guy away from her body, turned and walking away returned to the bar.

Behind her, Nessie heard the sound of a hand connecting to a face in a 'slap!' followed by a commotion of some sort. Unaffected, she ordered several rounds of drinks and went to a dark booth awaiting their delivery.

"What was that?" Bella asked Edward in horror at the scene she had just witnessed.

Edward tried to suppress a chuckle, "She's trying to create the same 'chemical reactions' she's used to and is beginning to realize that there is something missing. She placed so much stock in what she had learned. She thought it made so much sense and that with this new power, she would never become victim of a broken heart."

"What would she know about a broken heart?" Bella scoffed.

Edward laughed this time and turned to Bella, breaking his concentration from his suffering daughter.

"Byron, Tennyson, Poe, Stein, Shakespeare" Edward began.

"I guess we did read far too much poetry in her early years." Bella mused.

"Vandross, Houston, Evanescence, Etta James, Gloria Lynne, Billie Holiday, The Blues, Angry Girl Music, Modern Pop, Rock ," Edward continued.

"Okay, okay, so she's had a lot from music, but that's nothing that's actually happened to her.

Edward laughed, "She's a thinker; the best defense is a good offense. She figured she would never be a victim if she was never vulnerable."

"I suppose we never explained that the connection Jake shared with her would void that completely. We just didn't speak of it at all. She just loved him from the beginning, and he was always her friend." Bella said pensively.

Edward centered back on the thoughts of Nessie, and began to translate again, "She had never given a second thought to the people that she would use for her 'high', but now she realizes that there is someone who can affect that against her will. She was under the belief that everything was in her power and right and wrong were a matter of opinion."

Renesmee drank enough rounds for ten people in immediate succession.

Opening her phone, she dialed a number and only got voicemail. Slamming it shut, she put it back in her clutch, threw a wad of money on the table and left.

"Edward, go after her," Bella urged.

"I think she needs to think this one out on her own, love." Edward soothed.

*…*

Renesmee roamed the streets in silence with her own thoughts and conflicts. Jacob on the other hand having left the bar, followed Stephanie to her car, lovely vixen, and they went where she drove.

"Where are we going?" he asked finally after they had gone north, away from Seattle.

"There's this cute little café on Greenlake that I adore."

"Greenlake? The lake is called Greenlake, or is it actually green as well?"

"You've never seen it?" the siren asked.

"Nope."

"Well, it's not the ocean at the reservation, but it's nice." She said with a smile.

Jacob started but was silenced in shock, "Wait, what! Why would you? How…"

The girl laughed and enchanting laugh before speaking, "Don't worry Jake, I'm a friend. Actually, I made friends with Alice and Edward earlier today."

"Wait what?" He asked truly confused now.

"Alice and Edward approached me; they told me your situation with your friend Nessie. They asked for my help, and I was helpless to say no." She explained.

Could Alice have seen his decision this morning and she and Edward arranged this… buy why? He couldn't figure.

"Edward said that it would kill you to lead a harmless girl on, and eventually you would hate putting someone in such a sad predicament, so they asked me."

It made perfect sense, and he found himself indebted to Edward for his insight and to Alice for her intuition.

"Figured, you will need to be gone for a little while at least, so how 'bout coffee and then a stroll around the lake?" She said with a smile.

"Sounds great," Jake said relieved.

"You can tell me about Nessie too. She sounds like quite a handful, spoiled little brat type."

Jacob laughed unable to deny it, "yeah, that's pretty much right."

A few silent moments passed between them before Jacob spoke again, "Thanks Stephanie."

"My pleasure, I've done my share of heartbreaking and home wrecking, it's nice to be a good guy for a change…Although it wouldn't appear so," she laughed in her enchanting laugh again.

Jake settled into an easy version of himself, thankful for the fact that he wouldn't have to be guilty of breaking the heart of such an enchanting girl.

"So tell me about your Nessie," Stephanie urged again as she pulled her Jetta up beside a little café, as promised, very neatly placed across the street from a lake.

Jacob and Stephanie found themselves walking around Greenlake until early in the morning, talking about everything from Renesmee to Stephanie's previous adventures; science to philosophy, art, music, literature and traveling. Stephanie had been all around the world and she was only a freshman in college. She spent years in England, two years in New Zealand, six months in Australia, and six months in Africa touring different countries on the west coast. She wanted to go to visit Kenya and Tanzania this summer.

"Well, I should get you back, huh?" Stephanie said reluctantly.

"I've had a great time Steph, thanks again for everything."

"No worries Jake, my pleasure! You know you aren't the most difficult guy to spend time with you know," Stephanie said laughing.

Having exhausted most topics for discussion, they listened to music quietly on the drive back.

"If you need anything, you know you can always ask. My number is in your phone already," she said with a wink pulling up in front of the Fiji house.

Jake laughed and kissed her cheek, "you're sweet. See you in class tomorrow," he said while getting out of the car.

"Uh Jake, tomorrow is Saturday, so if you go to class, you'll be alone," Stephanie said giggling.

"Oh wow. Guess I'm really off, see you Monday then." Jake laughed and closed the door.

Waiting until Stephanie drove away, he waved goodbye and bounded up the walk, into the house and up the stairs.

Silently he opened the door to his room, faced his closet unbuttoning and pulling his shirt out of his pants. He could hear the snoring of his sleeping roommate and taking off his shirt, turned around to see the one who's presence he detected immediately upon entering the house.

Renesmee was standing silently in the corner watching him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked quickly taking off his pants and replacing them just as quickly with a pair of sweats, folding his arms over his bare chest he awaited her answer.

"Have fun with that skank? See you Monday, really? Why don't you just…" Renesmee pinched the bridge of her nose. She had not meant to lose her cool like that.

Jake crossed the room in two steps and grabbed her by the arm in a painful grip.

"Keep your voice down." He commanded in a low whisper and pulled her toward the window. It hadn't really surprised him that she could have heard them out on the street from the room. He could hear three times that far, and she did have amazingly sharp senses, thanks to her, parental heritage.

They both climbed out onto the terrace and jumped down into the backyard. "Let's walk." He said in a low tone.

Leading the way, he jumped the low hedge and took to the sidewalk, shoving his hands in the pockets of his black comfy sweats.

It was in this instant that Renesmee saw the Jacob she left so long ago, before she had changed.

Her heart fluttered with remembrance of the times they used to spend, and suddenly memories that spanned back to when she first laid eyes on him filled her mind. My Jacob... Suddenly the remembrance of that phrase had a different sound in her heart. He wasn't her Jacob… was this because of what she had become? Was that connection going to be lost forever, completely changed now?

Jake, noticed her hesitation and the moments that had passed with her only looking at him.

"What's the matter Renesmee?"

Nessie couldn't find her voice. Jacob kept his menacing glare upon her face until she spoke, after all, he didn't owe her any explanation.

"Where did you go? What did you do with her?" she finally asked after what seemed to her and infinite silence.

"Don't you mean to ask 'what'd I do to her'?" he asked pointedly.

He could see the jealousy plain on Nessie's features, the flame rose to her eyes and the pain swiftly followed. The fact that she was tortured was torturing to him, but Jake refused to back down.

She still was silent. Jacob had to commit himself.

"What's the matter Nessie? This is your life, this is supposed to be fun, it's just chemical, remember?" he said with a light laugh mimicking her free spirited nonchalant statement.

"You're right," she admitted unable to renege.

Jacob recognized at once, he had more to deal with; her blasted pride.

"So this is love then?" She asked turning the table.

"This is me trying what you said, have fun, have sex, be free, isn't that right Renesmee?"

His words stung her, but she couldn't speak.

"What's good for the goose…" he said, knowing she knew the rest.

"So you're just paying me back?" She said flinging the accusation at him with all the force she could muster.

"Oh, that would mean that you have to feel something." He returned, bringing his hand from his pocked pointing toward his heart in frantic motion, "That's an emotion, not a chemical response, Renesmee. Chemicals have no feelings. No regrets."

She stood there unable to look him in the eye or speak a word in reply.

"You mean to say you feel…Jealous?" He asked as if surprised, stepping closer and lowering his voice, "If you are jealous you are afraid of losing something. What are you insecure about? It's all just fun and games right?" Jacob felt a moment where he had gained some ground; letting the silence bear the full weight of his words. At length, he spoke again, closing the space between them with his body "are you afraid of losing…me?" he asked, his voice growing darker.

Ness ran a hand through her hair. The air became thick with silence and Jacob noticed how haggardly she looked. "What did you do to yourself?" He asked in wonder.

"You know better than to hint that a lady isn't looking her best Jacob." She said with a wary smile and stepped away from the heat of his body as well as the heat of his reproaches.

"So, where are we?" he asked turning his back to her.

"Well this isn't going to work for me. If we are going to continue this…experiment, we should set some rules."

"Oh," Jake scoffed, turning around to face her again, "so you don't go insane with jealousy," Jake said the word letting it drip off his lips.

"Fine. I'm jealous." she admitted in a peep, stepping closer to Jacob with tears welling up in her eyes.

That was enough to crack Jake's resolve and he closed the gap between them, in one quick step, taking her in his arms to comfort her.

"Did I make you this jealous last night?" Renesmee asked sheepishly against his hard chest and warm embrace.

"No,"

Pushing herself back to look into his face, she stared in horrid disbelief.

His eyes looked as if into her soul, breaking her heart, "it was a million times worse," he said delicately holding her chin with his fingers, preventing her from looking away.

The words seeped into her heart and she sighed, tears streaming down her face. She leaned back into his chest to hide her pain and he enveloped her in his arms.

"I was insane," he began to explain, "If it hadn't been for Jasper, I would have torn the place apart…" Jake let one strained dark bark of a laugh "in my wolf form."

"Jake no!" Renesmee whispered in horror, pushing back to look up into his face, "you could never."

"I was mad the moment I saw you in his arms… I could feel my tendons one at a time bulge out, like in the beginning of my transformation. Jasper felt it instantly then, by magic, I was overcome with an easy feeling. It was barely enough to help my tremors subside. I could still see my skin blur once or twice before I started breathing again to calm down." Jake took another strained breath, "I saw his eyes raking you, his hands on your body, the way you curved into him" Jake inhaled deeply, feeling the rage begin to return to his heart, he pushed the image away successfully by concentrating on the thrumming of her heart, here in his arms, where she stood. "You can't do that to me anymore. Nessie, you have to promise me."

There were no words she could speak.

"If you can't promise me that you won't torture me with your random romps with guys on campus Nessie," he began, "I'm leaving tonight and going back home; I can't risk hurting people if my jealousy transforms me."

Renesmee remained silent.

"It was like those early days of transformation, before you were born. I couldn't even be around Bella for risk of hurting her…" Jake's brow darkened with the memory, "it's uncontrolled and dangerous. If I happened to see you with someone like that, and Jasper wasn't there, what would happen?"

Still she remained silent, pressing her face against Jacob.

"I understand." She finally said, "I wanted to rip her head off. I've never been much of a vampire, but I was going to turn into one tonight." Her body tensed for a moment, unsure if she wanted the answer to the question that was raised in her head. Images flashed of the prospect of the answer…had Jake slept with her? Before she could chase the images away visions of the dark haired vixen writhing in pleasure beneath Jake's touch brought trembling to Renesmee's heart, body and soul. The more she would chase the images away, the greater the fear became. The thought of that woman moaning Jake's name as she pushed and…

"Jacob," Ness started, pulling back; not knowing the answer, she decided instantly, would drive her mad, "did you sleep with her?"

Jacob wanted to laugh, but saw the torture in Renesmee's eyes, "No, honey."

Seeing instantly the truth and the devotion in his eyes, all her worries were quieted when Jake spoke words that seemed more profound this time around, "I love you. I wouldn't do that to you."

The sneer on her face was telling. "But she was so..."

"Amazing?" Jake finished.

Again she tensed immediately, but Jacob assured her, "she's nothing compared to you, because I love you." He lowered his face to hers and kissed her sweetly.

Renesmee leaned in for more, but Jake pulled away, "Promise me."

"I promise."

All her fears disappeared instantly, when he began kissing her again, and the feeling she sought, and more flooded her as she abandoned herself to his lips and to Jacob's love and in that moment Jacob's mind filled with Renesmee's memories of him from the day she first saw him; all her dreams of him, and her desire.

A/N: Thanks you guys. I'm really happy you are enjoying the story. It really means a lot that you enjoy the way these characters come to life. That means that their story can continue. Also a shout out to Luther Vandross who is resting in peace, his music fueled the intensity of this chapter as well as a very special Tango.