Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.
A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.
Thank you to my reviewers.
Chapter 27
Leah's flight was supposed to get in around noon and I sat in the airport lounge waiting for her. I'd sent everyone ahead to the cabin with the promise that I would meet them in a couple of hours. Taylor had offered to come with me but I assured him that I would be fine on my own. I didn't know what condition Leah would be in and I didn't want to crowd her.
Standing at Gate 7, I looked for Leah amongst the crowd of off-loading passengers. She wasn't hard to find. Her russet skin, tall model-like physique and fierce beauty drew stares as she strode through the airport, effortlessly tugging two suitcases. She'd let her hair grow back. It now reached her shoulders. As she approached me, I observed her facial expression. She wore the same bitter mask of betrayal but her eyes were filled with so much sadness that it broke my heart.
Not knowing what else to say, I said, "Hey."
"Hey." At least she didn't sound as hopeless as she did yesterday. After our phone call, she hopped on the first flight out of Washington. Leah needed this time away. She'd suffered more pain and disappointment than anyone I'd ever known and now she'd finally reached her breaking point. She allowed me to take one of her suitcases and we walked out of the airport together.
As we drove away from the airport, Leah peeled her eyes away from the window to look at me. "Thanks for letting me come with you guys. I just couldn't…" Unable to finish, her voice trailed off.
"I understand, Leah. It's no problem. Everyone's really looking forward to meeting you." Her dark eyes lit up with momentary surprise. "Don't worry, I didn't tell them much. I just told them that you're here for some fun and relaxation." I wanted to give her a fresh start with some new people. People that didn't know anything about her tragic past and who didn't already have any preconceived notions about her. How everyone saw Leah would be completely up to her.
"So how long can you stay for?" Sam and Emily's wedding was four days away.
"Two weeks. Then I have to get back." She pressed her lips into a thin line. She obviously wasn't looking forward to going back. I couldn't say that I blamed her.
I turned the car onto the Interstate. "I can't believe Jacob removed the injunction." After months of no contact, why would he suddenly allow Leah to have contact with me?
Leah smirked, "Believe it. He turned me down when I asked for some time off. The ass had actually expected me to stay and watch them get married." Leah paused and her expression darkened with malice. "He said that I should be there to give them my support. I told him he could support my ass." She snarled and for a moment her body quivered before she regained control of the wolf, much to my relief. I really didn't need Leah to burst into a giant wolf inside my car.
Shaking my head at Jacob's audacity, I couldn't believe how insensitive he was to Leah. How could he not understand how much it would hurt Leah to see her cousin marry her ex-fiancé? It would have been pure torture to have to stay and watch the wedding her and Sam was supposed to have. "So what changed his mind?"
"He was unmovable until I threatened to mess with-." Leah suddenly clamped her mouth shut and looked away.
She didn't need to complete her sentence but I prodded her to continue. "Go ahead, Leah. You can say it. He didn't want you torturing Carmen. Right?" Now I was the one wearing the stoic mask on my face. Guess Jacob didn't want his precious imprint upset. We can't have that, now can we?
I switched lanes and took the exit off the interstate. I knew the directions to the cabin, having previously been there with Taylor to check out the place and drop off groceries. "Yeah, but not without a couple injunctions though."
"What are they?" Taking a quick glance at Leah, I noticed she was looking back at me with sadness in her eyes. Sadness for me.
"I'm not allowed to tell you anything about his personal life and I'm not allowed to think about you at all when I'm phased." Suddenly, I remembered Edward's words in the woods, the day he left me. It will be as if I never existed. Leah warily eyed the rapidly increasing speedometer and the white, knuckled grip I had on the staring wheel. "Are you okay, Bella?"
Forcing my foot to relax on the gas, I replied, "I'm fine." Over and over I told myself that Jacob wasn't deliberately trying to hurt me. That he was just trying to move on with his life but it was getting harder and harder to believe that.
Leah touched my shoulder and said, "To hell with them."
I offered her a bitter smile. "Yeah, to hell with them." I decided to change the subject. "Anyway, as there are only five bedrooms at the house you'll have to share a room with me."
"You sure you don't mind?"
Smiling, I reassured her. "No. It'll be like sharing a room with my sister."
Leah rolled her eyes. "Who knows? We might end up becoming stepsisters if our parents keep going the way they're going." Charlie seemed so much happier the last time I'd spoken to him. Sue was really making a positive difference in his life. "Oh my God. I forgot to tell you. Once I'd actually caught them making out on the couch." Leah cackled. It was nice to hear.
I shouted in disbelief. "What?" The idea of my Dad making out with anyone was hard to believe.
"Yeah, I came home one night, turned on the lights in the family room and bam! They were on the couch going at it like two teens in the backseat of a car." Leah paused to catch her breath then continued. "He even had his hand up her blouse."
"Leah!" My God. I was officially grossed out. My mind suffered with images of Charlie and Sue tonguing and groping each other. Ew!
"What? I shouldn't be the only one stuck with that image in my head." Leah wrinkled her nose and we both cringed.
As I turned off the road and onto to the dirt path, the vacation house came into view and Leah whistled, "Wow… nice."
The Adirondack styled house was beautiful with a panoramic view of the lake and surrounded by pine and hardwood trees. I pulled the car in next to Ryan's, then Leah and I got out. With her luggage in tow, we climbed up the stairs and let ourselves into the house.
Hearing the television and their laughter, I assumed everyone was in the living room, so I led Leah in there. "We're here." I announced as I set down her suitcase. As I made introductions, Zach made his way over to Leah, smiling his trademark smile and I groaned inwardly. I recognized that look in his eyes. Oh no. Here it comes.
"Izzy didn't tell me you would be so breathtaking." He extended his hand but Leah didn't shake it.
Instead, she eyed his hand suspiciously then rolled her eyes. Before he could say anything else, she snorted, "Not interested."
My mouth fell open as everyone else responded with laughter. Liz quickly came to the rescue, picking up Leah's suitcase. "Leah, I'll show you to your room." She snickered softly as she led Leah away.
After they disappeared Ryan guffawed, "Damn, she totally shot you down." Zach wasn't paying attention though. He was busy staring off into space with the oddest expression in his eyes. His hazel eyes held a mixture of awe and… excitement? Zach wasn't the least bit put off by her attitude. What the hell?
Deciding to put an end to his thoughts I pointed a finger in his face. "Now listen here, man whore. You stay away from my friend." My words elicited more giggles from Angela and chortling from the guys. Taking a moment to rethink my words, I wondered if Zach could be the kind of distraction Leah needed. Maybe Zach should watch out. Leah could more than take care of herself. She certainly didn't need my protection.
As their laugh died down, Taylor said, "We were just about to head down to the lake to swim. Why don't you girls join us?"
I shrugged and replied, "Sure." Then I left the room with Angela trailing behind me.
Angela went to change in her room. Entering my bedroom, I found Leah unpacking. "Hey, we're going to hang out by the lake. You want to come with?" I dug through my suitcase for my bikini. Before coming here, Angela, Liz and I went bikini shopping in anticipation for some swimming.
"I'd like to, but I didn't bring a bikini."
"Thanks okay. I have some brand new ones you could choose from. You would probably fill them out better anyway." I was grateful for Liz's insistence that I buy more bikinis than I actually needed.
Leah chose a red, braided triangle top bikini and slipped into the bathroom to put it on. While she was gone I put on my purple halter top with a matching low-rise bottom. Looking at myself in the mirror, I chose to push aside my usual shyness. My pale skin really made the purple pop. Just as I was grabbing some towels, Leah came out of the bathroom in her bikini.
"Wow." It was all I could say. I was right. Leah filled out the bikini much better than I ever could. That bikini definitely brought out her feminine side. Her toned body along with her shapely, long legs was guaranteed to give Zach a heart attack. If he thought she was gorgeous before, she looked down right sinful now.
She gave me a smirk. "Thanks. By the way, you look hot. That's a great color on you."
"Thanks. Let's get outside." As we left the bedroom, we met Angela coming out of hers in wearing a sexy cheetah print bikini. "You look great in that bathing suit, Angela." I smiled.
"I saw some cute guys next door. Figured I'd go say hi." I shook my head at her forwardness. She was determined to get back on the horse.
Turned out, Angela wouldn't have to go to neighbors. When we walked around back the back of the house, they were there tossing a football around with the guys.
Liz was putting on some music. She wore a pink, double-string, triangle top with a skirted low-rise bottom. The lake was busy with people swimming, kayaking and riding jet skis. It seemed like a lot of college kids came out to vacation at the lake for the summer.
I helped Liz with the cooler then we spread our towels in the grass and settled down to watch the show.
Angela stretched out and sighed, "And we're back." She grinned and flirted with a tall blonde-haired guy that smiled at her.
Crossing one long leg over the other, Liz sighed in appreciation, "Isn't it great?" She then winked at Ryan.
"Yep, they're hot." I murmured. Zach glanced at us then did a double take when he saw Leah. His mouth fell open comically as his running slowed to a stop. Raising his hand, he offered a dazed wave at Leah before Ryan clocked him in the head with ball.
Leah rolled her eyes in amused annoyance and looked away when we all laughed gleefully. "I must say, Bella, they really are impressive looking." She gestured to Ryan, Zach and Taylor. "Especially the green-eyed one. And trust me I have high standards when it comes to men." I was slightly taken aback when she eyed Taylor appreciatively.
I saw Angela and Liz exchange knowing smirks at my expression. "Zach's not a slouch in the hotness department either." Angela said slyly.
"Yeah, he's all right." Leah replied dismissively but I saw her eyes follow his well-defined frame. Smiling to myself, I was a tad bit relieved. Leah might have found Taylor appealing but it wasn't him her eyes were being continually drawn to. I watched as a soft breeze blew her hair across her face and for a second I caught a glimpse of the carefree, happy girl she used to be. I knew that girl was still inside her somewhere. It would just take a bit of time to bring her back out.
Liz raised an eyebrow. "Leah? So, you know Jacob Black, right?" Her expression darkened when she said Jacob's name. Liz was still upset about his phone call that night.
"Please don't hold it against me." Leah quipped, making us all laugh.
"Ooh, I like her." Liz tossed Leah a soda from the cooler after she asked. "So, are there more guys that look like him back in Forks?"
Leah cackled, "Oh, there are a bunch of men that look just like him where I come from."
Angela and Liz were practically salivating as they fantasized about russet skinned hunks. I felt a sting as I thought about Jacob. Leah must have seen something in my face as she decided to change the subject. "So, what are we doing tonight?"
Liz was bursting with excitement. "We have to go shopping because we're going to Jimmy's Bar later and tonight is cowboy night. Line dancing! Yay!" She raised her hands and her brown hair bounced around as she did a little seat dance.
Leah turned to me with raised eyebrows. "Did she just cheer, Bella?"
Whatever I was about to say was interrupted when I was unceremoniously lifted by Taylor and thrown into the lake. As I surfaced sputtering, looking like a drown rat, I was joined by a cursing Liz and a squealing Angela. Taylor, Ryan and the blonde guy stood on the dock laughing before they followed us into the lake.
Leah remained untouched as she laughed at us but I watched as Zach sauntered over and sat next to her. Her smile faded a little as she eyed him warily. However, Zach's body language was confident and relaxed as he spoke to her. I tensed and begged silently, Zach, don't you say something stupid. But my worry was in vain as Leah a small smile flitted across her face. As I was too far away, I wasn't able to hear their conversation.
My attempts at spying was interrupted when Taylor grab my foot and pulled me underwater. I surfaced, gasping for air to find him laughing at me. In irritated amusement, I splashed water in his face. "Jerk."
Jimmy's Bar was a popular watering hole for locals and visitors alike. In honor of cowboy's night, the bar had been decorated with horns on the wall and there was the skull of an ox on each table. The bar even had a mechanical bull in the back.
"Do any of you know how wrong it is to have Native Americans dressed up like cowboys?" Leah grumbled and adjusted the black cowboy hat on her head. She crossed one jean clad leg over the other and leaned back in her seat.
"That's what I said." Zach mumbled absentmindedly. He was much too busy staring at Leah's cleavage in her leather vest.
Seeing where his eyes were concentrated, she snapped her fingers at him and pointed to her face. "My eyes are up here, pervert."
Amusement flickered in Zach's hazel eyes. "Forgive me. Your body is enough to mesmerize any man." He grinned wolfishly at her and flicked the hat on his head.
Leah rolled her eyes and we all laughed. Zach was flirting his heart out but so far Leah had been resisting all of his pick-up attempts. It was entertaining to watch them. If nothing else he made her laugh more than I'd ever seen in all the time I'd known her.
I smoothed down my ruffle shirt and then turned my attention back to the dance floor where Liz and Ryan were dancing or groping each other, whichever way you wanted to look at it. Angela was in a corner dancing with the blond from the lake, Danny. Her eyes twinkled as she smiled up at him. She really looked beautiful in her tie-top and vest, with the matching skirt.
Even though tonight was supposed to be a cowboys theme, occasionally the DJ would play some hip hop, pop and alternative music to appease the youthful crowd that had taken over the bar.
I was trying to look at anything but the man sitting next to me as I drank my third beer of the night. Taylor was looking particularly sexy tonight in his dark blue western shirt that he'd rolled up to his forearms, black jeans with the large belt buckle and boots. He'd neglected to shave for a few days so he had a five o'clock shadow on his face giving him a rugged look. I swear I almost swallowed my tongue when I first saw him tonight. I was grateful for the distraction when Leah nudged me with her elbow, telling me that I was ogling him for too long. Of course, it didn't help that he was staring at me too. Even now as I drank my beer I could feel his gaze burning into my skin.
There'd always been a mutual, underlying attraction between us but tonight it was palpable. It was getting harder and harder to deny the tangible chemistry we shared. Taylor was also drinking more than usual tonight which would have accounted for the way he was feeling me up with his eyes. In fact, we were all high tonight, well… except for Zach and Leah.
I heard the intro for 'Sex On Fire' playing then Taylor's deep voice broke through my inner musings. "Do you want to dance?"
No, I want you to keep your hands to yourself, you sexy bastard. But my body reacted, against the wishes of my rapidly diminishing common sense and I took his hand. Over the course of the night, I'd caught several woman gawking at Taylor and I didn't blame them. Dressed in that cowboy get-up and armed his sexual magnetism, Taylor Reed looked like the kind of cowboy you saw on the cover of bodice ripping novels.
You, your sex is on fire
Consumed with what's to transpire
I groaned inwardly, he just had to pick a sexy song. Taylor placed his hands on my hips and pulled me to him. And just like always I allowed my hands to trail up his arms to find their resting place on his shoulders. We fell into an easy rhythm, almost as if we had been dancing like this for years.
Hot as a fever, rattling bones
I could just taste it, taste it
If it's not forever, if it's just tonight
Oh, it's still the greatest, the greatest, the greatest
Trying to justify my feelings, I told myself that Taylor was forbidden fruit and that was the only reason I wanted him. People always tended to want what they couldn't have, right? So, this was nothing more than me wanting to taste forbidden fruit. He pressed his hand on the small of my back pulling me even closer to him. I stared up at his face and his eyes smoldered as he looked back at me. My hand itched to brush away the black lock of hair that had a habit of falling into his face. But instead I leaned my head on his muscular chest, closed my eyes and pretended. I pretended that he wasn't Liz's brother and therefore off-limits to me. I pretended that I wasn't the damned secret keeper for every freaking supernatural creature on the planet. It felt nice to pretend I was normal and dancing with a guy it was okay to like.
For a moment I wondered if my life would always be so messed up and complicated. Would I ever be able to just have a simple, happy life? Alice said I hadn't made the decision to be happy yet. But what the hell did that even mean? Pushing those thoughts aside, I went back to my pretending and we continued to dance.
We continued dancing in the same slow, steady pace regardless the song. When I felt I'd done enough pretending for one night I pulled away from Taylor. He eyes reflected disappointment but he had to have known that I would pull away eventually. I tipsily made my way back to my seat and sat down next to Leah. Zach was nowhere in sight and I didn't see Taylor when I looked back toward the dance floor.
Raising an eyebrow, Leah inquired, "So, you and Spanish, huh?"
I rolled my eyes at her question and her nickname for Taylor. "No, we're just friends." Now it was Leah's turn to roll her eyes. I decided to change the subject before she had the chance to make one of her sarcastic comments. "So why aren't you dancing?"
"Zach asked but I don't know…" Uncertainty flickered in her eyes and I wondered when the last time she danced with someone was. I figured it was probably with Sam.
"It's just dancing, Leah. It's no big deal." I tried to encourage her.
A challenge flashed Leah's eyes. "I'll make you a deal. If you ride that mechanical bull in the back, then I'll dance with Zach."
She smiled smugly and I was slightly annoyed. She was so sure I would back down. Well, I would show her. I took her drink and finished it off in one gulp. It burned my throat as it went down. Tequila, not a smart choice. Steeling myself, I grabbed my hat, stood up and marched to the back of the bar. In hindsight, it probably wasn't a good idea to ride the bull whilst drunk but a deal was a deal and tonight I just wanted to be crazy, cut loose and have fun. After everything I'd been through, I think I deserved that much.
Several blurry and confusing hours later…
Argh! My senses were assaulted by the blinding rays of the sun. Pain ran rampant in my head and I concluded I had the hangover from hell. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes to a room I didn't recognize. Dear God, where am I? My eyes took in a male wrist watch on the nightstand. Whose room is this? Raising a hand to my head, I messaged my throbbing temple. As I shifted my body I felt a pain in my lower back. Why does my back hurt? I let my hand flop to the side but instead of hitting the soft fabric of sheet, as I'd been expecting, my hand smacked hard flesh. What the hell? I turned my head to see the sleeping form of a man lying on his stomach next to me. I recognized the body and hair of a man I'd stared at many times over the past two years.
Taylor? What. The. Fuck!
A/N:Lyrics to the song Bella and Taylor were dancing to is from Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon.
So what do think of Leah and Zach's first meeting? I thought at making Leah imprint but then I said nah, way too easy.
What happened at the bar? Why is Bella in Taylor's bed. Dun dun dun!
Coming up next: The next chapter will be in Leah's POV as she explains what happened in the bar and talks about what's going on back home.
You know what to do if you want your chapter before next Thursday. Review!