A/N: I know, I know, you hate me because I left you hanging for like, four days. I'm sorry. T_T I had a bit of writer's block and I lose interest when that happens, so I've had to make myself write. I got a little easier the more I got into it, and I've thought about what's going to happen next so it should be a tad easier from here on out.
Sophisticated Nonsense: I hope you're not in the hospital for anything bad! (meaning I hope you work there or something and aren't injured/sick) If you are, then I hope you feel better soon! And please don't apologize for rambling, I love it when people ramble because then they give nice long reviews. :)
timesarose: The first thing they teach you in chemistry is to waft, because if you take a big sniff you might die or melt your trachea or burn the lining out of your lungs. :) lol. So Ina told Jake to waft so that he wouldn't suffer from waffle overdose. That is some serious stuff. No kidding.
I have newbs! Thanks to Forever Blonde, Sunny xxxx, and Twilightno1fan2009 for reviewing! And also to 96 (you little man stealer, you!), corbsxx, and kiki for being faithful and returning reviewers!
This chapter has lots of Jakey loving, so do enjoy. ;) And if you enjoy, please review! :D
Thanks to everyone else who favorited/alerted/reviewed. You guys make my day!
Chapter 14
I took a deep breath before I reached Embry's truck, where Paul stood waiting. I walked up beside him, but he acted like he didn't know I was there as he stared angrily into the distance. I swallowed quickly and patted his shoulder. He kept looking forward, only grunting in reply to show that he knew I was there.
"Want to take a walk?" I asked quietly. He huffed and started walking out of the parking lot, and I had to run to catch up with him. Stupid wolf guys and their tallness. He didn't slow down though, making me keep up to his furious pace until we were far out of sight from the school. He slowed down once we hit the open road, then turned to look at me.
"I wish you would have given me a chance," he said quietly, anger edging his voice. He took a deep breath and looked down at the ground, kicking the asphalt with his shoe for a moment before he spoke again.
"I could make you happy too, you know. Imprinting isn't all that. It's not like something you read in a sappy romance novel or a chick flick or something. You know Emily, right? Those scars on her face? Sam did that. He got mad and phased too closely to her. And Leah? Yeah she was in love with Sam, then he went and imprinted on Emily and look who got hurt. It's stupid," he growled, yelling the last part. He walked even faster and I had to run to keep up with him.
"But you said it's the most amazing thing that could ever happen to a person," I panted. He stopped suddenly and I had to backtrack.
"Maybe to someone who imprints. But those of us without an imprint, or who are in love with another's imprint, it's horrible."
His expression was empty, lonely. He stared at the vacant horizon like a lost man, one who doesn't know where he's going or where he came from, only knows that he is. I touched his arm softly, trying not to startle him but to give him comfort at the same time. He looked down at my hand in surprise, like he had forgotten I was there. His eyes flickered to the ground and then slowly back up to my eyes, taking in my appearance. I blushed uncomfortably but stared back at him, trying to convey that I wasn't backing down. It seemed like he saw something he didn't like because he snorted in disgust and turned his back to me, crossing his arms.
"Don't look at me like that," he hissed.
"Like what?" I asked, confused.
"Like you pity me. I hate that."
I paused for a moment, trying not to let my anger take over me. I wanted to yell at him and tell him that it was not my fault that I got imprinted on, it wasn't even Jake's fault, and that if anyone he should blame himself for falling in love with me in the first place. I closed my eyes for a moment, gathering my thoughts.
"Paul, I don't pity you. I don't pity you because I know that one day you'll meet someone more beautiful than I could ever hope to be, who will be at your every beck and call and will love you unconditionally, not because you imprinted on her, but because you're an amazing guy. She'll be your world, and little ol' me will just be the crappy music in the background."
He snorted and said, "Not possible."
I walked around to his front and stared him down. His face was still, blank and carefully controlled. It unnerved me a little, it was the same feeling I had when I was around Bella, like I knew there was something unnatural standing directly in front of me.
"Paul, you know it's true," I reasoned. He sighed and looked down at me like I was crazy.
"How can I forget you when you've been my best friend, who I've loved, for basically my whole life?"
I smiled.
"Maybe so, but I'll be less than chopped liver compared to your imprint."
He sighed again and looked up at the sky with his hands out in front of him and mouthed, "why me?" I smacked his arm and he grinned, tugging on his hair sheepishly. My phone started ringing "We Are Family," Embry's tone. What? I liked giving everyone their personal ringtone. Don't judge. I flipped the phone open and stuck it to my ear.
"Yes dear," I sighed.
"Um, Ina?"
"In the flesh, uh, voice."
"Where are you?"
I told him where I was and that I was with Paul. He said he would come pick us up, a hint of worry evident in his tone. I closed the phone and stuck it back in my pocket. Paul was gazing out at the horizon again, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"Em said he'd come pick us up and take us home," I told him. He shrugged, scuffing the dirt with the toe of his shoe.
"I think I'm going to go run for a little bit," he mumbled. I was confused until he started unlacing his shoes. "Drop these at my house, will you?" he asked. I nodded and took them from him. He waved and walked off toward the trees, hands in his pockets. He soon disappeared, but I watched as a silver streak flew through the trees a few moments later.
I started walking back toward the school, hugging Paul's shoes to my chest and hunching my back against the cold. Embry came racing up not too long after Paul left, Jared, Seth, Brady and Collin in tow.
"So you weren't, like, doing it with Paul or something because if you were we'd be really mad at y—"
"Jared."
"What?"
"Shutup," I growled, chucking a shoe at his head. He caught it expertly and grinned. Embry honked the horn and I stuck my tongue out at him, immediately regretting it as I ate my hair. The wind blew hard and cold, chilling me to the bone. Oh yeah, winter is coming all right. I wiped my hair out of my face and went to go get in the truck. I closed the door behind me and buckled my seat belt, then looked expectantly at Embry. He was staring straight forward, mumbling something to himself.
"We going, Em?" I asked, poking his shoulder. He winced and kept mumbling, clamping his eyes shut.
"Em? Embry? Embear?" I called, poking him annoyingly. His head suddenly snapped in my direction and I gasped at how dark they were.
"You're my cousin and this is freaking weird," he grunted through clenched teeth. I suddenly noticed the still and utter quiet besides the whistling of the wind through the cracks. My heart thumped loudly in my chest as I slowly turned my head to see Jared, Seth, Collin, and Brady with their faces pressed against the back window, their heavy breath fogging the window as they panted. I reached for the door, hand shaking as I slowly opened it. It clicked open finally and I looked at Embry.
"Run," he said. I was gone.
I screamed as I ran at break neck speed down the highway, pumping my tiny legs furiously as I was chased by a pack of aroused wolf men. They hooted and called after me, and I knew they were merely enjoying themselves by snapping at my heels playfully. Compared to their full speed, I was a turtle that had been drugged with Tylenol PM.
"JAAAAAAKE! JAAAAAKE!" I screamed, hoping that he would somehow find me even though that was not possible. My lungs felt like deflated balloons in my chest and my legs like lead. I knew I was going to go down soon, but I was not going without a fight. I glanced behind me to see Jared grinning wildly, his canine teeth greatly enlarged since the last time I had looked back. The others were the same, their darkened eyes twinkling with the thrill of the chase. I was happy to see that Embry at least had managed to control himself, and was trying to get around them without actually running them over.
"Ina, I'm sorry!" he shouted over the noise of pounding feet and gasping breath. I just screamed again in answer and thought up new tactics, including zigzagging across the road (which only made them laugh) and playing dead, but then I remembered that only worked on bears. After a while (like two minutes), I was on my hands and knees gasping for air as the pack surrounded me, giggling like hyenas.
"Well, well, well boys, looks like our scared little rabbit finally gave up," Jared cackled. The others howled in unision. I glared at them, my limbs refusing to move.
"Touch me, and you die," I said between gasps.
They laughed.
"I'm serious," I continued, somehow managing to stand up. My legs shook underneath me but I tried to look strong in the face of gang rape. "When Jake, you know, my IMPRINTER gets here, he is not going to be a happy camper. If you even dare to lay a finger on me, your whole arm is going to get ripped off. Not to mention you'll be castrated, thrown into a wood chipper, cremated, and then spat upon for good measure."
They laughed again and punched each other playfully.
"Fine, don't believe me," I warned, pretending to pick at my fingernails. Jared suddenly rushed forward at inhuman speed and grabbed my face forcefully, yanking it up so that I had to look him in the face. I have never been so terrified in my entire life. His eyes were nearly black they were so dark, and his fangs poked out from behind his lips like a peek at the horror that was to come.
"Just a reminder from your friendly neighborhood wolf that you're up for grabs until you mate with your imprint," he chuckled. I gulped and glanced around. The other guys were also closing in, their faces contorted into hideous looking grins.
"I'm Jake's imprint, so I'm his and his only," I said with shaky breath. Jared smirked.
"No, not reall—"
"DAMN STRAIGHT SHE IS!" I heard someone shout before Jared's face was being pummeled into the asphalt. The other guys stood wide eyed and still, and I noticed they were slowly becoming more normal looking. I looked up to see Jake standing in front of me, his great chest heaving with each angry breath that he took. Miracles do happen!
I reminded myself that I needed to pray more often.
Jake took a step closer, his huge muscles bulging as he drew himself up to his full height. Even I was a little intimidated, and I wasn't even the one in trouble. He drew me gently to his chest, bulging biceps surrounding me as he growled at the others. I glanced down to see Jared fully KO'ed on the concrete, his face one big, bloody scrape. I winced and gulped, hoping that he would be okay even though he had almost raped me. Seth was shaking in his shoes, and Brady was so pale he could have been a white kid. Collin looked ready to pee in his pants. That would be something funny to see.
"Leave," Jake said. His voice was deep and rang with authority, reaching a timbre too low for a human but not quite a wolfish growl. I watched as the other guys' faces became blank, and they stood up and jerkily started walking away like a bunch of puppets. Jake's chest vibrated with a low growl as he watched them leave.
"Thank you so very very much," I sighed, knees buckling underneath me. He caught me and deftly swung me up into his arms, eyes boring into mine with heavy concern.
"Are you okay? Did they touch you?" he asked, pain in his voice. I shook my head and smiled at him.
"Nope, you saved the day yet again."
I nearly fainted from the breathtaking smile he gave me. The sun suddenly burst through the clouds and encircled his head in a halo of light as he smiled. I looked up at the sky and grinned.
"Yes, God. I get the point now," I mumbled quietly.
"What was that?" Jake asked, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. Dawww, could he be any more adorable? I shook my head and gave him a small peck on the cheek, then hugged my arms around his neck and buried my face in his chest.
"I should save you more often if I get repaid like this," he chuckled. He nodded to Embry before trotting off in the direction of the woods.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"I know a shortcut to your house," he replied, smiling down at me.
"Oh, so you've been creeping on me in your spare time?" I teased.
"Perhaps just a little."
The ride to my house was pretty smooth, not bouncy like I had expected it to be. The cold was soon forgotten as I snuggled up against Jake's warm chest. I felt myself drifting off a little, but was sadly awakened soon after because we had reached my house. I grumbled as Jake set me on my feet and walked me to my door. I frowned.
"What?" he chuckled. I squinted at him.
"I was just getting to sleep," I mumbled. He laughed and mussed my hair before pulling me into a giant hug. He pulled back and bit his lip, looking thougtful for a moment. I stared at his lips. So plump and red and talking…oh wait, maybe I should listen.
"—can come over later if you want?" he said hesitantly. I nodded and his face broke into the biggest grin I'd seen yet. He captured my face in both of his hands and kissed me happily. I felt like I was going to melt, but luckily he pulled away before I was a complete pile of goo at his feet.
"I love you," he breathed, looking directly at me. I swooned, my face probably turning an interesting shade of red. He chuckled and waved as he trotted down the steps and down the sidewalk, glancing at me over his shoulder once. I stood there for a moment, smiling like a fool. I managed to collect myself enough to open up the door and walk inside, only to be startled by a pile of what I can only describe as fluff on the couch.
"Mom?" I asked, digging through the blankets until I found my mother's face.
"Hello dear!" she said cheerily. "How was school?"
"Mom why are you dressed as an amoeba?"
She giggled and moved to sit up straight, struggling for a moment before an arm shot of out the folds with a piece of paper. I took and realized it was cut out from the pages of a phonebook.
"Sam's Home Repair? Is something broken?" I asked. She nodded gleefully and I worried that her head would snap off at any moment.
"The heater."
Oh no. Oh no no no no no. Not the heater! Not my beloved source of warmth and comfort!
I glanced down at the paper worriedly and then back at Mom.
"And you're happy about this because?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.
"Because it means our house will be filled with sexy men!" she shouted happily, throwing her fist in the air. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Mom really needed to get remarried. I told her so.
"Why on earth would I do something like that when I could be single and play the field?" she answered, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"Mom that's gross!" I hissed, covering her face back up with the blanket. I stomped out of the living room and went into my room. I decided to work on homework, but realized I had left my backpack in Embry's truck. So I groaned and flopped onto my bed, deciding that if nothing else, YouTube would keep me occupied. After a while I started feeling the cold seeping in through my clothes and poking at my skin with icy fingers. I tunneled under my blanket, bringing my computer with me. At least inside the house I was protected from the wind, but it was still pretty chilly.
After hours and hours of gut wrenching laughter, a delicious aroma wafted in through the cracks in my door and I poked my head out of the blanket to sniff.
"Ahh, fooood," I sighed, sticking my feet out and shuffling to the door. A blast of warm air kissed my exposed skin and I immediately dropped the blanket, then walked into the kitchen. Spread out before me was a tasty looking buffet of glistening ham, steaming mashed potatoes, vegetables, and buttery rolls. I inhaled deeply, my eyes rolling back in my head in ecstasy.
"What's the occasion, Mom?" I asked, reaching to grab a roll. She smacked my hand and smiled devilishly. Uh oh, she was up to something.
"Well, I thought that maybe you could invite that boyfriend of yours over for dinner," she said lightly while sliding a pecan pie into the oven. I drooled for a moment before the words sunk in.
"Jake over for dinner? Uh, sure. I think he'd like that," I said, smiling. Of course he'd want to come over for dinner. I just worried that there wasn't enough. I thought about not eating as much so he could have more, but instantly denounced the idea. It wasn't often that Mom cooked like this, and I was going to stuff myself silly before the night was over. She giggled and stuck her oven mitts back on the hook over the stove.
"I invited your brother, too," she said. My happiness took a fall and I slumped against the counter in defeat. This is not going to end well. She shushed me and told me to call Jacob, so I retreated into the confines of my cold room to where my phone was. After a half a ring, Jake picked up.
"Hello?" he breathed. His voice was sweet heaven to my ears, and I paused for a moment, cheeks heating up.
"Hello? Ina? You there?" he asked. I nodded, phone clutched to my ear like my life depended on it. "Are you nodding? I can't see you, silly goose." He chuckled as I cleared my throat.
"Um, yeah. I'm here," I mumbled. Why had I not noticed how sexy his voice sounded before? Oh, right, because I was too focused on his appearance to notice much else. He laughed again.
"So you were nodding. I ask yet again, do I make you nervous Ina Call?" he inquired, making his voice deep and husky and oh so delicious sounding.
"No," I squeaked in reply. I cursed at my puny girl voice and cleared my throat again. "No," I said more clearly.
"Oh, really?" he asked doubtingly. I pinched myself repeatedly and bit my lip, nodding furiously.
"Yes, really. Nothing you do phases me, Jacob Black."
He snorted.
"We'll see about that tonight."
I twitched and I bet he could sense it because his voice lost the deepness as he said, "I mean, not like that!"
"Like what?" I asked, feigning innocence.
"Oh, um, nothing," he said quickly.
"Nice save. Pervert."
He started protesting nervously, and I could just envision his blushing cheeks and arms waving around in the air to make his point.
"So you want to come over for dinner?" I interrupted. He immediately stopped his barrage of words and squealed like a little girl.
"Really?"
"Yes, real—"
"I'll be right over!" click. I stared at my phone, dumfounded. In what seemed like seconds later the doorbell rang and I rushed to open it.
"Hey sis," Jathan said, kissing the top of my head as he walked by. I frowned in disappointment and shut the door, then stalked over to the couch and flopped down. "Geez, what kind of greeting is that? You know, 'hello big brother!' or something equally endearing would be nice," he teased. I just stared at the floor. He rolled his eyes and walked over to chat with Mom. After hours and hours of waiting (three minutes), the doorbell rang again and I leaped across the room and almost tore the door off its hinges.
It was Paul.
"Hey," he said flatly, waving a little.
"Hey," I answered, sighing. He looked a little confused. All traces of confusion left his face as he sniffed the air curiously, then swallowed.
"Um, do you have my shoes?" he asked, trying to peer around my head to see what was inside. I smacked my palm against my forehead and groaned.
"Gah, Paul, I'm so sorry! I left them in Embry's truck because they got all weird and I had to run for my life and then Jake brought me home," I said hurriedly. He frowned, his face getting the vacant look it had earlier.
"So you don't have them."
"No, I'm really sorry!"
"It's okay," he mumbled, sticking his hands into his pockets and turning to leave. "See you around, then."
"Bye Paul," I said softly, watching him walk down the sidewalk barefooted. The sky was dark, the in between blue-gray and black color of twilight. A chill wind swept across the porch and I shivered, closing the door behind me and leaning my forehead against it. I hated seeing Paul with that look, the look that made him seem as empty and lifeless as a corpse. In his eyes were nothing, as if he had put on a thick, opaque mask that hid his true identity. He was no longer Paul, my giddy, hyper, over protective Paul, but some kind of emotionless shell. And I had caused it. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, willing myself not to cry.
"Who was that, honey?" Mom asked.
"Just Paul," I replied, my voice flat and monotone. Jathan's attention perked up at that.
"Oh, how is he doing? Those ribs giving him any trouble?" he asked curiously. I shrugged.
"He's okay, I guess."
He smiled and rubbed his chin thoughtfully as Mom looked between the two of us confusedly.
"It's nothing, Mom. Secret wolf stuff," Jathan added, winking at me. Mom sighed and rolled her eyes. We all jumped as the doorbell rang a third time. I wasn't so excited to open it this time, since it would probably be someone else who wasn't Jacob. I wasn't disappointed, however.
There he stood, cheeks red from the cold and smiling brightly in a long sleeved gray shirt and black jeans that accentuated his physique nicely. My disappointment immediately melted away and was replaced by a warm feeling in the middle of my chest. I smiled back at him as he opened his arms.
"Hey Jake," I sighed, melting into his embrace and inhaling his wonderful scent. He chuckled and squeezed me into a bear hug before setting me back down on the porch.
"Hey beautiful," he teased. He leaned in and pressed a searing kiss to my forehead, his plush lips lingering long enough to make me blush.
"Is that Jacob?" I heard my mother call.
"Jacob?" Jathan's voice questioned. Jake pulled back quickly as Jathan's head popped into the doorway, his face looking slightly irritated. "What's he doing here?" he growled.
"I was invited over for dinner," Jake said matter-of-factly, staring right back at Jathan as he slipped his arm around my waist. Jay narrowed his eyes, his lips forming a tight line as he glared at Jake. He stepped aside as we walked in, his eyes following Jake all the way through.
"Jacob dear!" Mom cried cheerily, walking around the counter with her arms held out. She gave Jake a quick hug and patted his biceps affectionately while wiggling her eyebrows at me. I blushed and glanced up to see Jake smiling at me. Jathan snorted and walked back into the kitchen.
Quiet small talk was made as we passed plates and utensils around before digging into the 'buffet.' Jathan went to go sit on the couch and Mom followed, so Jake and I grabbed a stool and sat near the counter where it wasn't covered by food. I eyed my food hungrily, and had a delicious, juicy piece of ham nearly to my mouth when Jake stopped me, an evil glint in his eyes.
"But wait, Ina. You have to appreciate your food first before you eat it," he teased. I growled menacingly, but he wasn't intimidated.
"Remember, first you have to inhale." I inhaled quickly. "Then you have to stare at it for a minute. Stare for exactly a minute, okay? Then you have to waft." I ignored him and went to go take a bite, but my fork was out of my hand in a flash. My ham!
Jake waved it under his nose and breathed in. "Mm! Smells delicious," he breathed. I clenched my hand around my knife. "Maybe I should taste it first, just in case it's rotten or something." He stuck his tongue out and brought it threateningly close to my delectable piece of ham. I raised the knife in the air with a shaking hand while glaring at him. He put his tongue back in his mouth and smiled.
"Do you appreciate it fully now?"
I growled. He grinned and leaned in closer, bringing my fork up to my mouth. I gave a very unlady-like chomp and took the fork away from him. I almost cried it tasted so good. Jake laughed at me some more as I put a protective arm around my plate and started eating. He soon had his plate cleared and went back for seconds after a bit of goading from Mom. She beamed happily at me when he was busy shoving food into his mouth, and I laughed at how opposite Jathan's expression was. He glared angrily at the television and refused to look at me.
After everyone was stuffed, Mom whipped the pie out of the oven and sat it in front of our drooling faces. Oh there's always room for dessert. She gave an extra large slice (nearly half the pie) to Jake, then gave a slice each to the rest of us. Jake didn't even wait for it to cool off before he started eating it. He made a funny noise and twitched before downing his entire glass of ice water.
"Yes, Jake, it does happen to be three hundred and seventy-five degrees," I smirked. He grinned and made sure to blow on the next piece before sticking it in his mouth. We watched one of those funny video shows while we ate, making comments and laughing every now and then at the misfortunate people on the screen. It felt nice, even though Jathan exuded an aura of anger. Around nine thirty, Jake stood up.
"I should probably go, since we have school tomorrow," he said. My mom beamed at him, nudging me in the ribs.
"Why don't you show Jacob to the door, Ina?" she said. Jathan rolled his eyes and retreated into the kitchen. I blushed and shuffled to the door behind Jake. We made it outside and I closed the door behind me, hugging my arms around me against the chill. It was now completely dark outside, save for a few street lamps and porch lights around the neighborhood. I felt Jake's warm hands cover my shoulders and I looked up to see him smiling at me.
"I'll see you soon," he whispered. He leaned down and I closed my eyes, but was disappointed when he only kissed my cheek. I frowned as he walked off and returned into the house. My mom sat waiting on the couch with a huge grin on her face.
"So?" she said, wiggling in her seat.
"So what?" I asked flatly.
"Is he a good kisser?"
I paused and looked up at the ceiling, sighing.
"I'm going to bed, Mom."
"But!"
"I'll talk to you tomorrow," I said, quickly giving her a hug before heading off to my room. I met Jay in the hallway and tried to shuffle past him, but he stopped me.
"Ina, I thought you were mad at him. Wasn't he the one that hurt Paul?" he asked accusingly.
"You don't know the whole story," I mumbled. I had left out the part about being in heat when I had retold the story to him. He sighed and I gave him a hug.
"It's okay, Jaynini. You can trust him," I said. He tightened his arms around me and rested his cheek against the top of my head.
"I don't know about that," he grumbled. I thumped his side and pulled back to look him in the eyes.
"I promise he's a good guy. I know we had some bad experiences in the past, but now I understand what was going on. Just give him a chance, okay?" I pleaded. He stared at me for a moment before nodding.
"I trust that you know what you're doing," he said. I clapped and gave him a kiss on the cheek before heading off to my room. I shut the door and changed into my favorite oversized T-shirt and polka dotted pajama pants, then headed off to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I came back into my room and flicked the light off, but before I could retreat from the cold there was a knock at my window. I crept over to it and peeked out to see a grinning Jake. I flung it open and looked at him in confusion.
"What are you doing here?" I asked. His face fell.
"You said I could come over tonight," he mumbled, looking at the grass. What? …OH.
"You meant to stay the night?" I squeaked, teeth chattering as an icy breeze blew through the open window. He nodded seriously.
"I wasn't planning on doing anything, um, bad," he whispered. He looked sad that I had actually had that thought. I sighed and thought for a moment before waving at him to come in. His face immediately brightened as he clambered through the tiny window and into my room. I quietly shut the window, then hugged my arms around myself as I shivered.
"You cold?" he asked, a worried look on his face. I nodded.
"Yeah the heater went out today. Sam is supposed to come fix it within the next few days," I answered, looking at the floor. I watched his feet come closer and my heart pounded inside my chest as he wrapped his arms around me. I sighed and sank into his warmth.
"Good thing you have me then," he chuckled. He took a deep, long breath and I tensed, eyes widening in fear.
"J-Jake, maybe this isn't such a g-good idea," I stammered, pulling away from him. His eyes were darkened slightly as he smiled.
"Don't worry. I know how to control myself," he reassured. I frowned.
"That's what all the other guys said," I mumbled quietly. He shook his head and slid his shoes off, setting them at the end of my bed before pulling his shirt off. I gasped and flung myself against the wall, face aflame from all the blood rushing to it. His head snapped in my direction and he paused.
"Too much? I'll put my shirt back on if you want," he said quickly, yanking the shirt over his head. I exhaled and relaxed a little, though my heart was still trying to leap out of my throat. I gulped as he walked over to me, his hands skimming up my rigid arms.
"You okay? I didn't mean to scare you," he whispered, his eyes full of concern. I shook my head and blinked a few times, then took a deep breath.
"You didn't scare me. I was just…startled is all," I panted. I could feel the heat radiating off of him and longed to snuggle close to him. He smirked and I suddenly felt very worried.
"So if you're not scared, I can take it off?" he asked, lifting the shirt up and over his head. He threw it on the ground and stood in front of me in all his glory. I squeaked and clamped my hands over my eyes. Jacob is not standing shirtless in your dark room, Jacob is not standing shirtless in your dark room. When you open your eyes he'll be fully clothed! I told myself. I peeked through my fingers cautiously.
"Still here," he chuckled, taking my hands away from my face. I squeezed my eyelids together and flattened myself against the wall as he stepped closer and closer until finally we were toe to toe.
"You don't have to be scared of me. I'm not going to hurt you," he said quietly, his voice like pure honey. I sneaked a glance at his face, noticing that he looked a little hurt but determined at the same time. I took a deep breath and kept my eyes on his face.
"I know you won't. It will just take some getting used to," I answered.
"It's not like you haven't seen me like this before," he chuckled. I shrugged.
"Not shirtless, in my dark room, alone with me." I looked at the wall to my right, embarrassed. He was right, I had seen him shirtless before. It was just shirtless for crying out loud, not like he was buck naked or something. Most girls would be flinging themselves into his waiting arms by this time.
He cupped his hand to my cheek and turned me to face him, his eyes burning with something I couldn't quite place. It was a deep, intense sort of look that made me feel …weird. My heart thumped against my chest and I scowled at it before quickly looking back up, eyes wide. I had forgotten there was a pack of abs down there.
"Ina Call, you never ever have to be scared of me," he breathed. "I'm here to protect you. I promise that you can trust me. So don't be scared, okay?"
I flinched as he took my hands and placed them on his chest, pressing them firmly against his skin. I felt his heart beating beneath my right hand, a quick, hard thumping similar to my own heartbeat.
"Ina, look at me," he pleaded. I let my eyes wonder up to his face. He looked determined, but I could see the love in his eyes. He smiled brilliantly and I felt myself weakening under his loving gaze.
"This is how I sleep, so you'd better get used to it," he chuckled. I nodded in agreement, cheeks burning as he set my hands on his shoulders.
"Close your eyes and trust me," he ordered. I did what he said and jumped as I felt him guiding my hands over his collar bone and down to his chest. He let go of my hands but I kept them on his bare chest, willing myself not to freak out.
"Come on, you can do it. Feel me up," he teased. I laughed despite myself and bit my lip as I quickly skimmed my hands over his abdomen. It was weird how soft he was even though he was made of pure muscle. I cracked one eye open and giggled as I poked at his pec.
"What?" he grinned.
"It's squishy!" I giggled.
"Oh hush," he said, grabbing me into a hug. I squirmed uncomfortably for a few moments, but he kept his arms tight around me.
"Trust me," he whispered into my ear. I nodded and tried to settle down a little. It's just Jake, nothing to be afraid of. He's your imprint, you can trust him, I told myself as he shuffled backward to my bed and pulled the covers back. He let go of me so he could climb in, and I immediately missed his warmth as the chill bit into me once more. At least in the kitchen it was warm because of the oven, but my room was the farthest from it so it was as cold in here as it was outside. He watched me shiver with an amused look on his face, his head propped up on his elbow.
"It's nice and toasty in here," he teased. I took a deep breath to calm myself and sat down on the bed, glancing at him unsurely. He held the blanket up and waited for me to get in, a smile on his face. I took another breath and slid my feet into the warmth under the covers, then slowly lowered my body down onto the mattress, my back stiff. I had a secret agent moment and really wanted to say, 'we're in!' but I didn't. He pulled the blanket up around my shoulders and held his arm up invitingly.
"Free space heater, right in front of you."
I scowled at him and wiggled a tad closer, then had to keep myself from squawking loudly as he pulled me flush against him. He wrapped his arm around me and buried his face into my hair, inhaling deeply. I could feel his lips smiling against my forehead.
"Better?" he asked. I had to admit, it was quite toasty. I could get used to this…eventually. "Just relax," he soothed, petting my hair.
Ah what the heck.
I sighed and snuggled closer, pressing my cold nose to his skin as I gingerly placed my hands on his chest. He was warmer than any normal person could ever be, and I liked it. I wormed my left leg in between his knees and stuck my toes against his calf, curling them against the warmth of his skin. He chuckled.
"See? Nothing to be afraid of. I'm just a big heater."
I smiled against his skin and breathed in his ever comforting scent. I felt myself getting tired and fought to keep my eyes open. Jake rubbed my back in warm circles and whispered things in my ear. I was losing focus, and only caught a few things that he said.
"I can't believe you're mine, Ina," he whispered quietly, placing butterfly kisses on my forehead after each sentence. "You're so beautiful, so very beautiful…"
He continued whispering, his words getting quieter and quieter. He moved his hand to stroke my cheek, then leaned down to kiss it gently. I felt myself drifting, melting away in his comfortable warmth and sweet words. He pressed his lips to my cheek again and moved to whisper one last thing.
"Goodnight, my love…Que quowle."
A/N: Oh, one last thing that is highly relevant and may just save your life. After the last chapter, I was craving waffles suuuuuuuuuuper bad. So I went to Waffle House the next morning and got two chocolate chip waffles with extra syrup, just the way Ina likes them (and I like them too, if they're not embedded with chocolate chunks of doom). I got about three quarters of the way done before I felt like I was going to puke, they were so sweet. Delicious, but super duper sweet. So if you want to go try some, by all means do so (Waffle House is the best ;D)! But be warned...you may fall into a sugar coma. And because of this chapter I'm probably going to make a pecan pie tomorrow. Stupid Ina and her having to describe food deliciously. T_T
By the way, anyone going to be attending Hendrix College in the fall? ;D I'd love to have a fanfiction buddy. XD Kay I'm shutting up now. X)