The house was big enough for each "Group," to have their own room, not that they were necessarily needed but, of course, they wanted their privacy.
And that included Nessie and me.
"You're kidding," I gasped when Rosalie guided Nessie and me down one of the many upstairs corridors.
She huffed a laugh, "We're gonna be here a while, hopefully. You're gonna need a place to sleep and I doubt Gladys will be thrilled about a half-naked, drooling mutt on her leather couch."
I couldn't argue there.
She opened the first door to reveal a quite spacious room, with dark walls and a dark floor but great, open windows; it might've been evening but the snow outside, turning blue in the night, still lit up enough of the room. Two doors branched off from this room, one leading to a small bathroom and another to a closet! Already filled with clothes that, although were dusty, would fit me for sure but my focus was on the bed; the grand, four-poster king-sized bed against the far wall adorned with six pillows and three sheets and duvets. I approached and pressed my fingers into the give of the mattress…and smiled.
"Big enough for us both!" Nessie smiled, flopping onto the mattress.
"You've got your own room," Rosalie interrupted before I could reply.
At this, Nessie's head lifted her hair now a messy curtain over her round, rosy face. "Really!" She skipped back to Rose and followed her just across the hall to another, similar room only they'd prepared this one specifically for Nessie. Smaller than mine but cosier, and lighter too. Light, airy, soft colours decorated the space, alongside stuffed animals, shelves of Nessie's favourite books, notebooks for doodling and a real dollhouse that took up an entire corner of the room.
"Ohmygod," Nessie whispered, stepping into the room. Slowly, she faced Rosalie and me watching her by the door. "Please tell me we get to stay here, Jacob?"
The question itself shocked me and hurt me. My breath caught and for a second, a heat stung my eyes. I closed my mouth and blinked the tears away so she wouldn't see when she faced me again. I looked to Rosalie, desperate for help but she shrugged and waited, listening.
I'd known it had been hard. I couldn't possibly imagine what she must've been going through, losing your family, losing your home, on the run for your life and at her age? I'd known it hurt her, traumatised her but she'd always remained so calm and collected, she hadn't been afraid to joke and play and smile and it was only then when she begged me to let her stay here, that I realised it had all been for me. Every second of her laughter, every moment of joy she'd had, had all been for me.
God, how I wished I could help her, promise her that this could be forever but…I couldn't, and it killed me inside.
"Uh. Yeah, Nessie." I replied. "For as long as we can. For…as long as its safe."
She understood that and nodded. "Can I play?"
"Yeah!" Rosalie continued for me, "Jacob will be just next door, alright? And We're only down the hall?"
"Okay," She smiled and Rosalie closed the door, leaving Ness to enjoy her room.
I leaned back against the corridor wall and put my face in my hands and held my breath, biting my lip, refusing to let go. Rosalie surprised me by opening the door to my room and beckoning me in.
"Jacob, you did all you could have done for her. You did exactly what Bella asked you to do and you protected her daughter. She's safe. Go and get some rest, okay? You deserve it."
Words I'd never have expected to hear from her of all people, but I didn't retort or scoff and instead, accepted the invitation to myself and headed inside.
"Relax," She instructed, "Because tomorrow we work."
"Work?" I asked, sitting on the puffy bench by the bed to untie my boots.
"Training," She corrected, "This isn't just a safe place, it's an army. We're preparing for war, Jacob, and sooner or later, it's going to come."
Asher's Note:
Hello! Hope you are all well. In this chapter, Jacob and Renesmee experience a little bit of ordinary life, having been given their bedrooms.
There were no reviews on chapter eight to respond to.
~Asher~