AN: Hi guys! How's it going?
To those of you who I mentioned the additional chapter/preview mistake to in my review replies… disregard! I've decided to combine the two into one MEGACHAPTER… this one right here!
And on that note, this chapter is huge. I've decided to post it as one big chunk because a) I couldn't find an appropriate place to split it up without major rewrites, and b) I wanted to find a way to say thank you all for being so patient with me while I try to keep writing and posting through some pretty tough RL stuff. I figured you might appreciate an extra- long chapter. I try to keep my regular chapters between 3000 and 4000 words… just to give you an idea, this one is over 6000. So yeah… um, have fun.
Oh, and there is SEX SCENE in the first 1000 words of this chapter. Those of you who want to avoid that stuff might want to avert your eyes =)
Thanks for reading, everyone! And especially to my reviewers… you guys are seriously the most awesome!
Enjoy!
~Crit.
Chapter 35: On the Top of the World
Renesmee hung up the phone and placed it gently on the kitchen table, where she was seated. The sun was just barely up now, she could see the rays shining in through the tall windows in the living room, slanting across the dark wood floors. She hadn't been able to get back to sleep following the dream, and after laying wide awake in Jacob's arms for several hours she'd finally caved and called the one person she thought might be able to help: her aunt Alice. There was nobody else she could think of who might be able to provide better insight on a dream that might be a vision.
But Alice hadn't known, and after almost an hour of fretful contemplation, Renesmee had decided to do what her family would have expected her to all along, and she called her father.
It was remarkable how much better she felt now, after hearing both her father and her grandfather say there was no immediate cause for alarm. It all made so much sense. She was still highly disturbed by the idea that her brain was producing such horrible images, but her father and grandfather had managed to sooth away most of the fear and worry. The sun was rising on a new day, and Renesmee vowed to make it a good one.
She was just starting towards the stairs when she heard soft footsteps in the upstairs hallway. It could only be Leah; the boys' footfalls were heavier, louder. Sure enough, the other woman appeared at the top of the stairs a moment later, clad in form-fitting running gear and trainers. Renesmee stepped slightly to the side to let her pass, and as Leah brushed by her, she offered a small smile. Her efforts were in vain, however… Leah ignored her completely, making a beeline straight for the door. Renesmee frowned slightly to herself before shaking it off and going up the stairs. She was not going to let Leah's attitude ruin her day.
Jacob was still comatose when she snuck into her room, and she took a moment to look him over. The covers had slipped down around his waist, so that his chest and arms were completely exposed. His muscles were relaxed, yet still clearly visible beneath the perfect bronze of his skin. One heavy arm was splayed across her side of the bed, and Renesmee wondered if it was because he'd tried to reach for her in his sleep after she'd crept out of bed. His face was worked into a slight frown, the heavy, dark eyebrows knitted together in the middle of his forehead. Was that also because she wasn't there?
Renesmee moved quietly and swiftly, pulling off her robe as she approached the bed. She went around to the other side, so that Jacob was laying with his back to her, and very carefully slid her own body in behind his. The contact with his hot skin immediately made her entire body flush with warmth. She slipped one arm over his waist, her hand coming to rest beneath the covers on his stomach. With the other hand, she smoothed down the hair on the back of his head, and then placed a gentle kiss to the nape of his neck. No response. She kissed him again, in the crook between his neck and shoulder. Still nothing. Smiling to herself, she leaned upwards again and gave him a small nip just behind his earlobe, while at the same time moving the hand on his stomach down a couple inches.
That did it. There was a low rumble in Jacob's chest, which Renesmee could feel vibrating through his broad back. She moved her hand lower still and nipped his neck again, a bit harder this time. The rumbling turned into a soft growl, and her smile grew wider. She plunged her hand towards its goal and gripped firmly. Jacob's growl was cut off by a sudden intake of breath. She pressed herself against his back as hard as she could, winding one leg over his, and moved her hand as slowly as she possibly could.
"Where did you… Mmm… go?" Jacob managed to get out. Renesmee placed her lips against his neck again, still stroking him slowly.
"Doesn't matter," she murmured against his skin. She noted with satisfaction that his breathing was becoming a bit shallower and faster. She was clearly getting good at this.
"I woke up and you… ahh… weren't in bed," he persisted. Renesmee stilled her hand.
"Are you serious?" She asked disbelievingly. "You actually want to talk right now?"
"No, no! I— " She pulled her hand away, noting with amusement how Jacob's own hands dove into the sheets to try and find her and hold it in place.
"Fine. We can talk," she said, backing away. It took about a quarter of a second before Jacob had her pinned beneath him, hands planted firmly on either side of her head.
"Do you ever get tired of being difficult?" He growled down at her, their face inches apart. With a mischievous smile, Renesmee shook her head. "Yeah. I didn't think so," Jacob said before crushing his lips against hers. Renesmee groaned every ounce of her relief into his mouth. It felt so good to just be with Jacob, and to not be consumed by worry. His hands slid down her sides, and she reveled in the feeling of them burning across her body.
They took their time. It was still early, and Renesmee had a couple hours before she had to start her day. She wanted as much of that time as possible to be filled with Jacob. She paid close attention to every detail, so that she could keep the morning with her throughout the day: the way he buried his face in her hair, the smooth hardness of his chest against the softness of her own, his weight, his heat. And in the final moments, she brought her hands to his face and held them there, and thought I love you, I love you, I love you as hard as she could. She knew he heard and understood from the way he held her hands and kissed her palms over and over after he fell down beside her on the bed, stated.
After they showered, while they were getting dressed, she told him about her conversation with her father. Jacob was glad to hear that Carlisle and Edward both agreed with him on the fact that her dreams probably weren't premonitions, not to mention a bit stunned to hear that her father had actually apologized for adding to her stress-load. She didn't tell him about the most recent dream, since the problem appeared to be solved, and also because she didn't really want to think about it herself. Jacob kissed her soundly and then kneaded her shoulders a couple times.
"We'll get you all relaxed," he said reassuringly. "Don't you worry."
"I'm not," She replied, and she meant it. She went to school with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. Things were starting to feel right again.
oooOOOooo
"What are you doing after the lecture?" Clara asked Renesmee and Rideau as she crouched down behind their chairs, one arm over each of their shoulders. All three of them were attending a special guest lecture at the school that afternoon, and had automatically fallen into their Monday class formation, with Rideau and Renesmee sitting together at the front of the hall and Clara sitting on her own, behind them. Renesmee narrowly avoided cracking up as she and Rideau exchanged a rather dubious look.
"Why do I get the feeling you have the answer to that question already?" Rideau said to Clara with a charming smile. She gave him a light smack.
"Smartass. I only ask because I want to show you guys something." She grinned widely. "Well, actually I wanted to show Ness. But you can tag along if you want."
"Gee thanks."
Renesmee snickered quietly at them. It surprised her how Clara and Rideau had begun to get along… they were so different. Her two friends had begun to develop an easy sort of banter in the time since she and Rideau had made up. He'd begun hanging out with her and Clara more often in between classes, and the three of them had turned into a sort of trio. It was strange; Renesmee had never really had a close human friend at all, and now she was officially part of a group. When she thought back to her days in high school, when she'd fit in with her classmates physically but not emotionally, she could remember how the others used to travel in packs, like wolves. They moved together as one, anticipated each others' movements, they had each others' backs. She'd always felt like a lone nomadic vampire next to them, devoid of the sort of camaraderie they enjoyed. Now she was part of a small yet similar group… and it was nice.
"I'm free," she said casually. "Coffee on the way to wherever it is?"
"Absolutely. My treat… call it a fair trade for monopolizing your Friday afternoon." Clara stood up. "Put on your listening caps, kiddies… lecture's starting." She turned on her heel and ducked quickly under the railing that separated the rows, popping up behind her own desk a moment later and settling back into her own seat with a satisfied smile, leaving Rideau and Renesmee snickering in front of her.
After class (and after they'd gotten their mid-afternoon Starbucks), Clara lead them just off campus to a waiting towncar. It immediately stated uptown. Rideau teased Clara a bit about their extravagant transportation, while Renesmee reclined against the soft leather seat and watched them tease each other, amused by their banter. Finally they pulled up in front of a tall skyscraper, and Clara ushered them all out of the car. As they approached the huge building she looked up, shading her eyes against the glare of the sun.
"Well, here it is," she said proudly. "Sixty-one stories, nearly a thousand rooms, Swimming pool, ballroom, five-star restaurant and ten separate bars… Welcome, lady and gentleman, to the new Wilder Luxury Suites, the newest jewel in the family fleet." She clapped her gloved hands together and grinned at them. "There's no place like home."
Renesmee was sure her facial expression matched Rideau's rather closely. "You're moving… here?" She asked incredulously. Clara's grin was almost blinding.
"I've been playing it close to the chest until I knew it was for certain, but now that building is complete and the doors are just about ready to open, it's safe to come out with it. It's still a couple weeks until Christmas, but my father apparently couldn't wait to give me my present." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a key on an expensive-looking ring emblazoned with the word "Penthouse". Rideau nearly choked on his coffee.
"You're going to live on the top of that thing?" He asked doubtfully, looking up into the sky. Clara nodded gleefully.
"But that's not the best part," she said conspiratorially.
"I can't even begin to imagine what is."
She shot Rideau a withering look. "Listen, Greenwich, if you're bored with this you can just skedaddle. I'm sure there's a poetry reading somewhere that you can attend." Rideau just laughed in response.
"The Mean-Girl act doesn't really scare me, Clara," he said lightly. Clara rolled her eyes.
"So I've heard." She turned to Renesmee. "What I'm trying to tell you guys is that, until the new flagship hotel officially opens in the spring, this place will be completely vacant. With the exception of security and the staff who come and go during business hours, I'll be the sole inhabitant of this little nest."
"Wow," was all Renesmee could say. Rideau's jaw was practically on the ground.
"It's good to be you, isn't it?" he said when he'd recovered. Clara flashed that same mischievous grin.
"It's good to be me." She rattled her keys on the chain. "It's also good to be you, right now, because you happen to be on my good side. So… you two ever been inside an empty hotel before?"
Renesmee shook her head, while Rideau said, "Nope."
"Well, come on. It's an experience." She headed for the doors. Before they even got within five feet of the building, a security guard had emerged through the revolving doorway.
"Afternoon, Miss DeWalt-Wilder," the hulking giant of a man said, nodding his head. Then he looked searchingly from Rideau to Renesmee.
"Roscoe, I really must insist that you call me Clara. Listen, I need a favor," She said lowering her sunglasses charmingly to peer over the tops of them at the guard. "These are my very dear friends, Rideau Linley and Ness Cullen. I want you to put the word out that they are to be admitted to the building whenever they wish. And I do mean whenever, whether I'm in or not. They're to have full access to the gyms, the pools, whatever they like."
Roscoe the guard looked a bit conflicted. "You know I'm not supposed let anyone in without Mr. Wilder's permission, Clara." He leaned in towards her. "I don't want to get canned."
"You won't," Clara said with absolute certainty. "Don't worry about my father… I'll handle him. You just take care of letting the other guys know, and leave the rest to me." She winked, and Renesmee was surprised to see the enormous man blush. She just barely managed to swallow her laughter by biting the insides of her cheeks.
"Well, all right then," said Roscoe the guard, stepping ever-so-slightly to the side and gesturing towards the doors. "Welcome to the Wilder."
"Uh, thanks," Rideau said as he sidestepped the other friend and stepped into the revolving doors. He looked like a child next to the guard, who Renesmee guessed was probably about half a foot taller than her Uncle Emmett, until now the largest man she'd ever seen in person. Herself, she was a little more than half his size.
"Nice to meet you, Roscoe," she said as she passed him.
"Miss," Roscoe replied with a smile and a nod.
"Isn't he a dear?" Clara whispered to them as they approached the elevator. Renesmee didn't answer; she was too absorbed by her surroundings. It was surreal to see such a beautiful and ornate hotel lobby, completely empty of patrons and staff. There were a couple more security personnel stationed throughout the room, but beyond that the lobby was empty and silent.
"This is weird," Rideau said, voicing her thoughts. Clara laughed, the sound slicing through the silence and echoing through the room.
"I know… but then you get used to it and it's actually really nice. Like the whole world exists just for you, kind of." She shrugged. "I mean, there's no housekeeping staff or room service yet, obviously. But my suite has a kitchen, and I bring in a lady to do all the tidy-up, so really it's just the way it'll be once we open up, minus all the people. It's great: it feels completely private, like having just the most massive house you can imagine all to yourself."
Rideau had barely stopped shaking his head from the moment they walked up to the building. "I repeat: It's good to be you."
"It's good to be me."
The elevator doors opened right into the penthouse, and Clara strolled right into the room and spread her arms wide. "Welcome to my humble abode," she said, spinning around. "Come in, make yourselves at home!" They did, with Rideau moving straight to the windows to check out the view.
"Wo-o-ow," was all he said.
"That's nothing," Clara said with a wave of her hand. "You might want to keep your coat on… and follow me."
A minute later, they were stepping onto the open terrace that surrounded the penthouse suite. Rideau pulled his coat further around himself as the wind buffeted them from all directions; Renesmee made a bit of a show of doing the same, although the cold barely registered against her impermeable skin.
"Check it out," Clara said, gesturing over the railing. They stepped forward, and Renesmee looked out over the edge. The city spread before them, loud and bright and vibrant. She could see the water, gleaming between the tall, beautiful buildings, and thousands of people milling around on the sidewalks and in the parks, their different colored coats and scarves making them appear as a small rainbow of moving dots.
"Incredible," Renesmee said, taking a breath of cool air into her lungs. She had certainly seen things in her short lifetime that were perhaps more strange and wonderful, but looking at the normal human activity of this beautiful city from such a height, in the open air, was an unexpected thrill. Leaning over the railing to look straight down, she felt Rideau and Clara do the same on either side of her. It was a startling realization that she felt just as safe here, with these two humans, as she did with her strong, immortal family, or with Jacob. As if her love for her friends could knock down any adversary. It was an odd, heady feeling. She laughed, suddenly and loudly.
"What?" Clara said, giving her a look that was both curious and amused. Renesmee shook her head, feeling the strong wind toss her curls away from her face.
"Nothing. I just… like it up here." Clara grinned.
"Well, now that I'm going to be living here full time, you'll have to make yourself at home. And often." She peered around Renesmee to look at Rideau. "You too, Greenwich."
"Thanks." He said it sarcastically, but Renesmee could tell by his look that Rideau was impressed by Clara's offer, and flattered.
They took a tour around the hotel, and Clara showed them several of the more impressive features: the beautiful indoor swimming pool, the gym, a couple of the bars and the lounge. Renesmee couldn't understand why the hotel couldn't open, if all of the rooms were finished and everything was ready for guests to start checking in. When she asked, Clara's response was a scowl.
"Insurance," she said, sounding like she thought it was ridiculous. "There was some sort of snag with our coverage… some miniscule building code thing that apparently is going to take a couple months to iron out. Something to do with wires or pipes or… well, I really don't know, but it's silly, and it's being fixed. My father's not exactly thrilled about it… but these things happen. He'll make up the lost profits eventually." She gave a quick snort of laughter. "I actually had to sign a waiver saying I wouldn't sue if anything happens, since we're not insured and I'm going to be moving in before everything's all set. I mean, did you ever?"
Rideau looked at her askance. "Does your father actually think you'd sue him?" He asked, incredulous. Clara shrugged.
"Dunno. He has a lot of lawyers… generally speaking, they tell him what to think. It really doesn't bother me."
"So, if you're moving in here, what's happening to your rooms at the old hotel?" Renesmee asked, an idea forming in her head.
As she spoke, Clara ushered them toward the elevator, and she hit the button for the foyer. "For now, I've got both places, but I guess once I'm all settled here, it'll be vacant for a while. They'll probably do some renos, match the décor of the rest of the place and make it into another luxury suite for the flagship. It's all business, you know. But I don't think my father's in any real rush… he seems to be fine with me taking my time moving."
Renesmee nodded slowly. It could work, if she was able to convince everybody involved that her idea was a good one.
"Um," Rideau piped up, checking his phone, "I've gotta head out… it's almost 4:30."
Clara raised an eyebrow at him. "Somewhere you need to be?"
"I have a… uh, a thing." He fiddled with the zipper of his coat, pulled out his phone again, looked at it, put it back. "This hotel is amazing. Thanks for inviting me to hang out. I'll definitely take you up on that soon."
Clara looked amused. Renesmee was just bewildered. "My driver should be hanging around out front, if you need a lift back downtown," Clara offered, a tiny ghost of a smile on her face. Rideau nodded quickly.
"Thanks, Clara… I'll probably do that."
"Let us walk you out," Clara said, taking Renesmee's arm and guiding them out of the elevator. When they reached the entrance, she leaned out the door and waved at the driver, then pointed to Rideau, before ducking back inside. Roscoe watched them silently from across the foyer.
"Huh," Renesmee said, watching through the door as Rideau climbed into the towncar.
"Well," said Clara, "That was weird."
"Extremely." Renesmee puzzled it over. It wasn't like Rideau to be strange or secretive with her… or with anyone, for that matter. She couldn't help but feel a little bit hurt.
"Don't think about it," Clara ordered, and Renesmee decided her friend was right. Dwelling on Rideau's strange behavior would only lead to her feeling upset and paranoid. And she'd been experiencing too much of both of those things lately.
"Okay, then… I won't!" She smiled over at her friend. "So, I've got this mission, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me out with it?"
"Ooh, a mission!" Clara gave her a conspiratorial look. "Top-secret mafia business on behalf of your Papa, the Godfather?"
"My father is not in the mafia." Renesmee couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's commitment to the running gag. If only Clara knew the truth… she couldn't even begin to imagine how the other girl would react. "But actually, it is something to do with him, I guess." It was strange… when she talked to Clara about her father, she had a sort of hybrid construct of her actual father and Carlisle on which she based her stories. It didn't really matter how she portrayed her family, since the likelihood of any of her human friends actually meeting them was slim to nil, but she thought it was a good idea to at least partially stick to the cover story in which Carlisle and Esme were her adoptive parents, just in case.
"Do tell," Clara said, taking her arm again as they went back into the elevator.
"Well, you remember how I told you my father is a doctor?" And then she launch into a highly edited version of the conversation she'd had with her father and grandfather (or brother and father, as far as Clara was concerned) about her horribly vivid dreams, and how she'd been handed a prescription for relaxation. Clara listened intently, without making any off-the-cuff remarks. When Renesmee had finished, she gave her friend a doubtful look. "Do you think I'm nuts now?"
"Oh, Honey… I grew up with a bunch of debutantes. I'd say you're probably the least crazy person I've ever had the privilege of calling a friend." Clara gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "It makes total sense, though, what your father said… You've got school, a new relationship that your family's being weird about, that big blow-out with Rideau and the subsequent make-up, and on top of that you've got houseguests. No wonder you're stressed out… I'd have hulked out by now, for sure."
Renesmee laughed, relieved. She should have expected Clara would be easy-going about the whole thing. "Come on… I'm sure you'd handle it much more gracefully than I do."
"Well, maybe… but that's probably because I'd end up paying people to handle it for me."
"Touche. So I was wondering if maybe you wanted to help me find something fun and low-key to do?"
"Oh, absolutely!" Clara clapped her hands together, a scheming look on her face. "Maybe a spa trip? No, definitely a spa trip."
"I'm going to tell you something a bit shocking… promise not to freak out."
Clara narrowed her eyes. "I'll try."
Renesmee took a deep breath. "I've never been to a spa."
"WHAT?" Clara's mouth hung open, her jaw slack. "You have got to be kidding me. What kind of rich girl are you?"
"The reclusive kind?" Renesmee shrugged. "I've got very aesthetically-gifted sisters… with the amount of attention they've paid to my hair, nails and skin, I don't think I could have even managed to fit a spa visit into my schedule."
Clara just shook her head. "This is a travesty. You give me ten minutes, I'll set us up right away."
"Today?" Renesmee took out her phone and looked at the time. "I should call Jacob… he's probably expecting me to come home…"
"Give me your phone." Clara put out her hand, a very firm look on her face.
"Why?" Renesmee asked slowly. Clara raised one eyebrow, otherwise staying perfectly still.
"Just give it." After a moment's deliberation, she handed it over. Whatever Clara was planning to do, it couldn't be that bad, and it was likely to be amusing.
Clara touched the screen a few times, then held the phone up to her ear. Renesmee could hear the ringing very clearly, and she could hear when it stopped and a very familiar voice said, "Hey!"
"Is this Jacob?" Clara asked, giving her a wink. Renesmee winced.
"Who is this?" Jacob's voice said from the other end of the line. He sounded worried. Maybe she should take her phone back, Renesmee thought.
"This is Clara DeWalt-Wilder… you know, Ness's friend who you for some reason still have not met." She gave Renesmee a pointed look. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be kidnapping your girlfriend for the rest of the afternoon. Don't you worry… she's in good hands, and I promise to return her in better condition than she was in when you last saw her."
"Um… okay?" Renesmee stifled a chuckle at Jacob's confusion, evident even through the tinny sound of the phone. She put her hand out for the phone, at the same time that Jacob said, "Can I talk to her? Is she there?"
"You have thirty seconds," Clara said firmly before handing her the phone.
"Hi, Jake," Renesmee said, narrowing her eyes at her friend. "Sorry about that."
"No she's not," Clara piped up, loudly enough for Jacob to hear. Renesmee swatted her away and turned her back, shielding the phone from her friend's reach.
"I'm starting to think we may have a crazy person on our hands," Jacob said. Renesmee chuckled.
"You may be on to something there," she admitted, "Anyway, we're just going to do some stuff… I'll be home later, okay?"
"Okay, Sweetheart… have a good time." It sounded suspiciously like Jacob was humoring her. She didn't really care, as long as he didn't get freaked out about her going missing for a few hours.
"I will. Love you."
"Love you too." She hung up before Clara could tell her that she'd used up her thirty seconds. The blonde girl already had her own phone out and was booking a spa appointment.
A little over an hour later, they were seated side-by-side in a private room at the back of the very expensive-looking spa, their feet submerged in the miniature whirlpools attached to their giant armchairs, while two very friendly manicurists sat at their sides, polishing their nails. Clara rolled her head across the headrest, the rest of her body completely still, and grinned over at Renesmee.
"You see?" She said loftily, "Relaxation."
Renesmee felt a bit awkward carrying on a conversation while completely ignoring the manicurists' presence in the room, but Clara didn't seem bothered by it at all. A woman in a crisp black and white uniform entered the room with a tray, bringing to them the beverages they'd ordered off a menu with no prices. She hadn't known what to get, so Clara had ordered on her behalf, and from the looks of things she'd ended up with something tall, frosty and probably alcoholic. She smiled in spite of herself.
"I'm beginning to get it," she said, a bit sarcastically. With her free hand, she picked up her drink and took a long sip through the straw. It tasted like a tropical vacation.
"So," Clara said casually, swirling her own drink in its glass, "How much longer do you have to play hostess to your boyfriend's buddies?"
"It's not like that," Renesmee said quickly. "They're my friends too! They've just known Jacob a lot longer. And I like having them around, really…"
"…But you want your place back. Right?"
She hesitated, then decided if she was going to vent to anybody, it might as well be Clara. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't. It was just so perfect when it was just me and Jake. And like I said, I love having Leah and the guys around… but it's kind of close quarters, and they're… well, they're really big people." Clara chuckled and took another sip of her drink. Renesmee continued. "Embry's not really any trouble, aside from the fact that he eats all the food in the fridge before I can get to it. Seth is… okay, I love Seth, but he's so loud. And Leah…" She gave a heavy sigh. "Leah's a bit more drama than I can handle sometimes. And she's not exactly speaking to me right now, which you might think would help with the drama thing… but trust me, it doesn't." She exhaled slowly, and then gave Clara a small, apologetic smile. "Sorry, didn't mean to rant."
Clara shook her head. "Rant away, my friend. That's what I'm here for." She took another sip of her drink and said, "So the scary girl's mad at you? Let me guess: a snag in the romantic set-up plot?"
"I don't know!" Renesmee narrowly resisted throwing her hands in the air, remembering at the last moment that somebody was currently applying polish to her nails. "She won't tell me what happened when they went out, and Rideau's no help at all… I tried to ask him, but he just mumbled and then changed the subject." She scowled. "Leah's punishing me because I tricked her." Clara obviously knew about the plan to back out of the skating date; Renesmee had gotten her approval before she'd done it.
"I hate to say 'I told you so'," Clara said, and then abruptly stopped for a moment. "Well, no, actually… I love to say 'I told you so'."
Renesmee gave her a withering look, hard to do when her feet were currently being massaged with some sort of peppermint-scented lotion. "Oh, shut up."
Clara gave her best attempt at a sober expression. "So what do you think happened between Little Miss Sunshine and our Downtown Romeo? Disaster?"
She shook her head. "I'm not sure. Jacob says he thinks it went well, and that Leah's just pissed because I tried to trick her."
"I guess that's possible." Clara looked down at her hands, examining her fingernail polish with a pleased expression. She turned back to Renesmee. "I've gotta ask: Why do you even care? I mean, it all seems pretty random, this set-up, and if it's just not working… well, why do you want to push it so hard?"
How was she supposed to explain the situation to Clara without giving too much away, Renesmee wondered with a frown. She realized how it must look to her friend, like she was trying to shove two very mismatched people together for her own bizarre interests. "It's hard to explain," was what she finally settled on. Clara nodded knowingly.
"Okay… honesty time, Ness," She said, looking Renesmee straight in the eye. "Tell me, seriously: are you just doing this to make up for breaking poor Rideau's little heart?"
Renesmee was taken aback. "What? No!" She shook her head vehemently. "Not at all!"
Clara looked at her searchingly, a fleeting look of confusion crossing her face. Renesmee couldn't help but compare Clara's searching look to the one her father got when she was scrambling her thoughts and he was trying to interpret them. It was a strange association to make. Then, suddenly, Clara's normal, pleasant expression had returned. "Okay. I just wanted to make sure. Because as much as I rag on him, I think Reed's a good guy, and I wouldn't want him to get too much more messed up over you." She winced. "Ouch, that sounded really harsh. I didn't mean it like that."
"I know what you meant," Renesmee said quietly. It was harsh… but she actually felt good about the fact that Clara had said it. It meant that she, too, had their friend's best interests at heart. "I did hurt him. And I do want to make things right, make up for that. But that's not why I'm hoping he and Leah hit it off. Not even close."
Clara had a rather apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry, Ness… I didn't mean to reprimand you. I'm supposed to be helping you relax, and here I am grilling you about you intentions! I think I'm failing at my mission." She looked genuinely disturbed at the idea, and Renesmee had to laugh at her look of utter distress.
"Don't worry about it. You're just looking out for a friend." She smiled a little. "I'm sure Reed would appreciate it, if he knew."
Clara rolled her eyes. "I can't help it… I like that little nerd." And then she changed the subject completely.
Renesmee insisted on paying for their spa visit, despite Clara's insistence that she should be the one to foot the bill. After everything was settled, they stepped outside and into Clara's waiting towncar. Renesmee assumed that her friend would offer to take her back downtown, but to her surprise Clara turned to her and placed a hand on her arm.
"Ness, do you think you might be able to come back to the penthouse for a bit? I… want to talk to you about something."
There was a look on Clara's face that Renesmee had never seen there before: doubt. It threw her completely off balance, and she just nodded dumbly, patting her friend's manicured hand with her own. "Sure. Just let me call Jacob." She pulled out her cell phone, then paused. "Are you okay?"
"Mmhm." The answer was fully unconvincing, and Renesmee began to worry as she punched in Jacob's speed dial number and waited for him to answer.
"Hey," she said softly when he picked up, "I'm going over to Clara's for a bit… I might be a bit later than I said earlier."
"Is everything alright?" Jacob said, sounding really concerned. "You've been weird all day."
"I haven't," Renesmee said automatically, even though she knew it was probably true. Running out of bed early in the morning to call her family, and then jumping him immediately when she was done, the strange phone call earlier, and now this… Jacob was probably freaking out. She cast a sideways glance at Clara; her friend was oddly withdrawn, staring out the tinted window at the now-dark streets. "Look, Jake, I'll be home later and I promise I will explain everything. I just need a couple hours." She paused. "Okay?"
There was a long pause from the other end of the line. "Okay." Another pause. "Let me know when you're on your way home."
"I will. I love you."
"You too."
It was a fairly silent ride back to the hotel, and Renesmee's sense of creeping dread only grew. It wasn't like Clara to be so silent, or so secretive. And no matter how pleasantly her friend smiled at Roscoe the security guard as they went into the huge, empty building, it never reached her eyes. They rode the elevator up to the penthouse in dreadful silence.
"Do you want a drink?" Clara said as soon as they reached the penthouse. "I would like a drink."
"Clara," Renesmee said firmly, "What's going on?"
"Just give me a minute." Clara wouldn't look at her as she bustled about getting glasses and ice. After a moment, she crossed the room, two glasses of clear, fizzing liquid in her hands. "Here… Gin and tonic." Renesmee took the glass she offered and sat down. Clara knocked half of her own drink back immediately, then sat across from her.
"Okay. I didn't want to do this now, when I'm supposed to be all about helping you. But I just… I have to tell you, before this goes any further, before I…" She took a deep breath. "You just have to know."
Renesmee took in the torrent of words that came flooding from Clara's lips with a modicum of shock. "Clara," She said softly, "What the heck are you talking about?"
It was there again, that unfamiliar expression of doubt. It looked so strange on the other girl's normally confident face that Renesmee almost felt she was looking at another person. "I've been keeping a secret from you, Ness," Clara said, looking over at her, her gray eyes wide and watery. "And I can't do it anymore."
"A secret?" Renesmee's thoughts immediately flew to her own secrets, the many, many huge details of her life that she'd been keeping from her friend. She tried her best to laugh it off, but all that came out was a sort of hoarse burst of sound. Even her laughter sounded guilty. "How bad could it be?"
Clara pursed her lips. "Well, it's a big enough thing that I've never told anybody else, not in my whole life."
"Oh." What could it be, she wondered? Clara was human; what could she possibly be hiding that would surprise a half-vampire? She almost wished she could tell Clara all about herself, just to remove that weird look of anxiety from the other girl's face and bring back her carefree, easy-going friend. It had to be bad… she knew Clara, and she knew that only something major could possibly cause her this much anxiety. In a split second, she made her decision: Clara was her friend. It didn't matter what her secret was… she would stand by her, no matter what.
"Tell me," she said finally. And then she braced herself for the impact of whatever the answer might be.
In the Next Chapter:
And there it was again, that line that Renesmee didn't know if she should cross. Clara had just laid bare her innermost secret. Could Renesmee really lie to her, tell her she was just an accepting person, and that it wasn't a big deal? Could she keep her own secret, after Clara had risked so much to be honest with her?
No, she decided. She couldn't.
Questions? Comments? Review! I'll answer!