Jacob's Pov
I knocked on Syd's front door. Billie had persuaded me to wait until eight am to attempt to see Layla again.
I could hear a grumbled sigh and a shuffling of heavy feet. I crossed my arms and swayed side to side impatiently waiting for him to open the door.
Syd pulled back the curtain in the living room first. He narrowed his eyes at me before unlatching the door noisily.
Then Syd cracked it open enough for his body to wedge through. "How's Layla? I would have called but I didn't want to risk waking her-"
"She's still asleep. Now get on with your day. We're not taking any visitors." Syd grumbled. I pressed a hand against the door so he wasn't able to close it.
When the brass knob clanked against the wood he glared at me. "Why not? I'll be quiet."
"Listen Black. I don't want to see you, or any of your friends over here again. Accident or not, I know Layla wouldn't have gotten hurt like that alone."
"You think I'm responsible? I would never hurt her." What a ridiculous thing to say.
"I'm not saying anything." He pressed against the force I was exuding.
"What if she wants to see me?" I questioned unwaveringly. He frowned at me thinking about it.
"Then you wait for her call." Syd shut the door in my face.
I clenched my teeth and walked back into the yard. I'd have to wait until Layla was awake then. She'd want to see me right?
I looked up to see her window mostly drawn. I could climb the portico over the front door and onto the eave just to see... But what if that woke her?
Layla might think I'm a total creep. I groaned. Pacing in front of her house until I settled on heading back to my dad's place.
I waited all day by the phone waiting for her to call. I wasn't sure if Syd was going to be true to his word and I was starting to think I needed to run back by again.
"Don't bother 'em, Jake. She's alright. If she wasn't I'd be telling you to go over there." Billie set a plate of spaghetti down next to the neglected homework I had spread out on the table.
"Yeah." I glanced down at my math problems for the first time finally able to take it in. "If you get everything done I'll call Syd myself," Billie promised me. At least I could count on his word.
It was late, well past eight when I finished. Billie kept his promise. The phone rang a few times, then went to voice mail. He tried again then line picked up.
"Hello?" I heard her dulcet voice on the other end. "Layla, it's Billie. I was just calling to check on you."
"I'm fine. I slept most of the day. Could you tell Jacob not to worry? Syd said he came by earlier..."
"You can speak with him now if-" I snagged the line from Billie. The phone cord dragged over my cold plate of spaghetti.
"Hey, Layla." I blurted out eager to hear from her. Billie wheeled away to give me some privacy.
"Hey, I was just telling your dad. To tell you, not to worry. I'm fine." She rambled.
"That's good." I got all tongue-tied. "Yes. I guess, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Wait. Um, do you need anything? I could be right over."
"I'm good. Syd's got me on lockdown and we're living large off of Emily's generous donation. I can see why you guys hang out at her place so much."
"Yeah. That's part of it." I wanted to keep her on the line just so I could hear her voice some more.
"Was there anything else you needed?" She asked. "No. I just wanted to check on you," I admitted.
"Thanks, but you don't need to worry about me. I'm through the thick of it." I was still worried, and I haven't been able to sleep at all. Every time I tried to close my eyes I'd just see her in my arms with all the blood.
"Well, goodnight Jacob." Layla hung up after I took too long to answer.
"That was possibly the lamest conversation I ever heard." Rachel reached for the phone as I hung it up away from her.
"Hey! I was going to use that." She complained. "Can Paul not be at our house for once?"
"You really want to play that game, Jacob? Now that you have an imprint we're all family. No one's going anywhere."
I grumbled clearing my stuff off the table and headed to my room at the back of the house.
"Ugh! Jake!" Rachel must have caught the sauce off the line on her clothes. Ha.
My old room was vacant. Like a ghost town filled with remnants of my past.
At least Billie or my sister picked up my room a bit. I flopped back onto the bed made up of two twin mattresses shoved together.
The bed groaned under my weight. I clicked on my bedside fan. When it spun flecks of dust flitted like snow down at me.
I sneezed knocking my head against the headboard. A small dream catcher clinked against the wood above me.
It was the dream catcher I bought for Bella.
I picked it up letting it dangle in my hand for a second. She must have brought it back here when I was gone.
I tossed it across the room, between my closet, behind the door, and into the trash.
Then I rolled over to shut the fan off. Stretching my hand back under the pillow I pulled out a crumpled-up note.
Jake,
I want you to have this back. I think you might need it more than me now. Please get some sleep.
Ps I hope one day you might forgive me, and give this long-distance friendship a shot.
Bella
I waited for the rage against Edward. I waited for the sorrow that used to claim my sleepless nights. I waited for the bitterness that used to make me spit or grind my teeth. My body didn't even waver. But a deep prick somewhere way down inside me...missed and worried about her. It was wrong now that she was gone. I wanted to move on. The feeling wasn't that hard to push away, but I still wondered if he'd turn her into a cold-blooded killer.
I didn't sleep that well last night. I had almost shifted in my sleep again due to the nightmares.
Ones that I hadn't experienced in a while. But this one was different.
I was walking down the beach holding hands with Layla laughing like we did the other night. This time it was early morning. Kind of misty.
Layla ran out in front of me. "Layla wait!" She stopped at a familiar bleached-out old withered tree. Its roots were all tied up in knots.
When I caught up I saw Bella sitting there in her oversized black parka. She stood up startled when she caught sight of Layla.
"Bella? What are you doing here?" I asked surprised. "I came to see you."
"Jacob?" Layla looked up at me with hurt in her eyes. It wrenched my gut.
How many days and months did I want another moment with Bella? Just to talk like we used to.
But with Layla, my imprint, I was blissfully happy. Sure we didn't know each other as well yet, but I loved every fiber and molecule of her being.
I opened my mouth to speak but words wouldn't come out. Layla stepped closer taking my arm. "Jake, Who is she?"
"Is it too late? Did it happen to you?" Bella got upset marching towards us. I shifted my body in front of Layla.
"What did you do?!" Bella asked her raising her voice. "I-I don't know." Layla let go of me and backed off.
"Bella stop. Layla-" My imprint shook her head looking betrayed. She backed up into the encroaching mist.
"Wait!" I turned to see Bella reaching out for me. I went back for Layla.
Pale arms reached out of the mist snatching my imprint out of sight. She screamed bloody murder. It made my whole body contort. I could feel the fire building down my spine.
"Jacob." Bella's voice changed melting into a hiss. "Not now. I have to -"
Her eyes were a crimson red and her teeth glistened like one of the cold ones.
I shivered at the haunting recollection of the nightmare. Stupid dream catcher. Dumb note I shouldn't have read.
The dew-filled grass soaked my damp fur as I sat in front of Syd's house. I'd feel better once I saw that Layla was alright.
Her desk lamp was left on from reading. That seemed to be a habit of hers every so often.
I had a partial view from the curtain she forgot to draw completely.
It was past midnight when she suddenly sat upright pulling her sheets to her chest as if we'd shared the same nightmare. I lifted my head in worry.
"It's only a dream... Only a dream." She spoke repeatedly to calm down.
Layla's Pov
Ever since I woke up, I've had a pounding migraine. Being at school didn't help either.
Maybe I should have listened to Syd and stayed resting at home.
I flinched as the kid near me slammed his locker. The loud noise echoed in my brain making it hard to think.
"How are you doing?" Jacob came up behind me as I gently shut mine.
"Good morning to you too." I addressed him properly. "Good morning." He grumbled rolling his eyes.
He peered over me to assess the stitches I had hidden in my hair. I had pulled it up into a messy bun to hide them, not sure how well of a job I did.
I narrowed my eyes at him for being so obvious about it. "I'm fine."
It seemed like he was determined on walking me to class. Jacob's feet dragged every so often and the darkness under his eyes worried me.
"Were you able to get some sleep, or homework done? I must have taken so much of your time with what happened."
"You mean falling off a cliff." He snorted. "Sh!" I pulled his elbow, and Jacob complied to be pulled aside in the hallway. I lowered my voice so that only he could hear.
"What?" "Could you and your friends not spread word about that? I don't need to be seen as new, wounded, and crazy."
"I think you might have already been crazy though." I smacked his arm with little force behind it.
"Jake. Please, for me?" "Sure, sure." We continued walking on our way.
"If you do something for me." His response stopped me in my tracks. Was he going to try to get me to do something for his gang? Because they saved my life did I owe them a life debt?
"Like what do you mean?" I looked up hesitantly. He laughed at my expression.
"I dunno. I haven't thought of it yet." His white toothy smile eased me.
"Okay, let me know." I took a step towards the classroom and then turned to point at him.
"With reservations." I swept into my classroom.
My eyes tiredly grazed over my classwork. It took me more time to complete things than I would have liked. I had to read things over twice to fully comprehend them.
Today was going to be a long one.
Jacob was there again waiting to walk me to my next class.
"What did you mean by reservations?" Jacob asked me as soon as I stepped out. "I just wanted you to know that I'm not going to do anything too outlandish."
Even though he saved my life. I bit the inside of my cheek.
"Oh." His brows furrowed in contemplation or confusion. It was hard to tell.
"How about keeping a secret, for a secret?" He began. We leaned against a wall waiting for other students to file out of our way.
"Okay?" I arched a brow. "Tell me one about you, and these lips will be sealed." He motioned a zipper over his mouth.
"I'm not sure that I have any..." I couldn't think of anything on the spot like this.
I mean there was my heterochromia, but I never wanted anyone to know about that. Only my immediate family knew about that.
Then there was my fake ID to get into clubs, but if he was a gang member they could easily use me.
"Um, I can't think of anything right now. I guess, I'm pretty boring." I smiled sheepishly up at him.
"I bet you can figure out something," Jacob smirked parting ways towards his class across the hall.
I had to try harder before his loose lips sunk my ego's ship.
The next class I had with Jake was gym, but we didn't have a chance to talk. It was the first semester's fitness test.
The simple stuff from the sit and reach to the timed mile. But why did that have to be today?
Everything went relatively well until the short sprints after the timed mile. There at the end, I became so lightheaded that I tripped over my own feet.
Andrea helped me up looking just as winded as I was. So maybe it wasn't just me.
"Get some water!" Coach called to us girls as the boys took their turn with sprints.
We dragged ourselves over to the metal bleachers. I was thankful they were cold for once.
"Fucking brutal. Doesn't he know tryouts for every sport start this week?" Camille threw herself down next to us. She wheezed catching her breath like the rest of us.
"Right? I think that the last sprint gave me a Charlie horse." Andrea lifted her leg massaging her calf. I winced empathetically and moved to the ground to stretch myself out.
"You can't be serious." Molly walked by us with her friend. "This is easy for those of us in real sports." It seemed like her snide comment was for us.
"When was the last time your cleat ever touched a field, Trish?" Camille snapped back at Molly's friend with her.
"If attention seeking was a sport." Molly rolled her eyes at them.
"You'd be the queen of it," Andrea smirked. I laughed at her good comeback clearly siding with her.
"I wouldn't laugh if I were you. Your mile was basically the worst." Molly scoffed at me like I made the remark before walking off.
"Forget her." Camille laid back on the bleacher. I stretched out my legs comfortably into the splits and leaned onto my elbows to deepen the stretch.
As we caught our breath we watched the guys in their final round of sprints.
It seemed like the basketball players were going all out, but it looked like Jacob and his friends were kind of holding back. Why was that?
When their timed sprints were completed I accidentally locked eyes with Jacob. When he caught me watching his whole body stiffened and he stared back.
I sat back up, self-consciously shifting my body weight into the opposite split so that I wasn't facing him.
"You sure there's nothing between you and Black?" Camille asked me. "I dunno," I mumbled brushing off the comment.
"You'll have to teach me how you got there," Andrea asked eyeing my form.
"It took me stretching every day for about a year. After that, it's just maintenance."
The bell rang in a horrible trill. I leaned forward in pain pressing my forehead against my knee suppressing a groan.
Jacob's Pov
I loitered in the hall waiting for Layla by the top of the stairs that led down into the cafeteria below.
Pressing my back against the tile I let the crowds of students pass me.
Then I felt a hand run across my core. Like someone was feeling me up. I frowned at who it was and immediately brushed the hand away.
"Sorry, it's so crowded." Molly apologized fluttering her eyelashes oddly. I didn't respond. Ignoring her until she left.
That was weird.
I caught sight of Layla approaching. As she waded behind other students her face contorted in pain.
"What's up?" I asked her when we lingered at the top of the steps. "I'm not hungry. I think I'll go catch up on some work in the library." She half turned to leave.
"I'll come with you." I insisted. "That's okay. You should eat." My sensitive hearing caught the soft grumble of her stomach.
"I can bring you something." "No, that's alright." She made the face again and headed off toward the front of the school where our library was.
I let her have a head start as I went to grab her some food anyways.
Layla sat at one of the back tables by a computer. Her books remained untouched as she typed.
It looked like she was typing out a long email. As I approached she clicked one more key to log off.
When she turned over to me a granola bar was hanging out of her mouth.
"I said you didn't have to." She mumbled with a full mouth. "Never said I couldn't join you." I slid the stash of collected snacks between us on the table.
"I guess not." She smiled. Layla took a chocolate chip cookie halving it for me.
"What if I'm allergic?" I referenced our conversation that night on the beach. "Oh, are you?" Her face fell into all seriousness leaning away.
"No, I was kidding... Bunny bones don't bother me either." I tried to make the inside joke more apparent. She frowned again looking more confused.
"Wait, Do you not remember? Our conversations on the beach Friday night...we had a good time." Layla took a bite of the cookie looking away from me.
"Layla?" "I have work to do." She whispered flipping open a random page in her textbook.
I placed my hand over it. Layla paused before looking up at me with guilt-ridden eyes. "I am okay, really. I just don't remember that part."
"Then what do you remember?" I tried to keep my voice steady so that she would answer me.
"I remember meeting everyone, your surprise welcome home, and you finding me on the beach afterward..." I cringed out of embarrassment over what my friends conducted.
"What about after twilight? At the bonfire or our walk after?" I probed for more specifics.
Layla shook her head no slowly. "Not really."
"Then do you recall anything from your fall?" At this point, I debated dragging her butt back to the doctor to check her head again.
"Um, I remember..." It took her a minute.
"The ground giving way, and Seth trying to reach for me? I think." She touched her temple rubbing it tenderly with two fingers.
"Maybe you should go home and rest." That was a reasonable request. With more rest maybe Layla could remember.
"I don't want to get left behind. I just got here." She pulled the textbook back towards herself.
Perhaps too reasonable of a request. She's stubborn. "I think falling off a cliff merits a sick day." I retorted.
More students trickled into the library. "Shh. Now you're sounding like Syd!"
"He might have a point this time," I grumbled. "If I get my homework done now, I'll have more time to sleep later." She concluded.
I didn't interrupt after that and just gave in to watching her work.
Layla was the first to break the silence after a long while. "Jacob?" I lifted my head I was resting in one hand.
"I can't think of anything. Per our agreement I mean." She confessed.
"That's alright. I was just messing with you." I admitted. Her shoulders seemed to relax at that. Was she that stressed over it?
"Really? Oh, I was going to over an alternative..." "Let's go with that then," I answered eagerly.
"Instead of a secret, how about I answer instead?" "Any question?" I asked.
"Anything you can think of. I'll answer it honestly." Layla began shoving books back into her bag.
"Do I have a time quota?" "Hm, I'll give you a week." She decided.
"Deal." I reached out a hand. "It's not a bet to shake on Jake." Layla giggled slinging the bag over her shoulder.
"But a promise." She grinned holding up a pinky. "Really, a pinky swear?" I grumbled.
"Hey, don't underestimate the power of a pinky swear." Layla's natural smile was beautiful. Not like the confined polite one she normally used.
The bell rang in a sharp trill in the hall echoing into the library. Layla covered her ears.
So that's the reason for her skipping lunch. She needed to hide somewhere quiet. I should have known.
"Thanks for keeping me company Jake. I have to catch Andrea before bio." Layla took off distracted before our pinky swear.
Layla's Pov
Jacob was quiet in Biology with a thoughtful expression. He kept stealing glances at me the entire period. Probably trying to come up with the question.
I preferred the ball in his court and it bought me time.
Chayton was busy chatting up Sally who no longer looked enthused with his petty flirting.
"So what did you do this weekend?" Elu asked, turning around in his seat to face me.
It took me a moment to respond. "She went cliff diving with us," Embry answered for me. Thank goodness.
"Really? Didn't know you were a part of the La Push 'Protectors' pack now." Elu seemed almost disgusted.
"Do you have a problem with that?" Jacob leaned onto his forearms intimidatingly.
I didn't like where this was going. "I'm not 'with' anyone," I spoke up uncomfortable.
"Well then. What are you doing this weekend?" Elu somehow interpreted this as an invitation to invite me out.
"I already have plans, but I know Andrea is free. She's been talking about you lately..." I fiddled with the ends of my hair.
Then I glanced back up at him knowing he'd be curious.
"Well, what did she say?" Elu probed pretending not to be all-encompassed.
"Can't say." I looked away pretending the subject bored me. "Come on. You can't just-"
"Elu, let's get back to the lab." The teacher called his attention back to the classwork.
Jacob gave me a prolonged glance and then frowned when he looked away.
What did I do? No one had asked me to join their crew. What was I supposed to do?
"The bell is about to ring." Jake notified me later. "Oh!" I lifted my hands to cover my ears.
When the noise stopped Jacob nodded to me the okay to remove them.
"Thank you." "No problem." He lifted his pinky out to me. Oh shoot, I forgot.
"Promise," I whispered intertwining my last finger with his.
Seth and Joseph were entertaining as ever in English. My last class after that paled in comparison. Here in history, I didn't know anyone.
Mr. Baker was already asleep at his desk along with a few other students at theirs. The documentary of Pearl Harbor flashed on the whiteboard.
Taking full advantage of the lull I slipped out of the classroom. I wouldn't miss much and I only had my purse. For what anyone knew I could be right back.
Peaking around every corner I noticed this school didn't have cameras or hall monitors. Just the occasional staff member migrating in or out of the teacher's lounge.
I headed for the entrance, succeeding to my car. I'd promised EJ that I'd sign up for book club. So that is what I would do. I could make it to Forks Highschool before dance tryouts.
Forks High wasn't hard to find. A large wooden sign outside was my billboard ticket. Not far behind that were several buildings conjoined together like small red-roofed houses.
I circled the lot to find a guest parking spot by the front office. I snuck up the stairs and entered the school as if I was in attendance. I paced up the main hall cautiously waiting to get caught. The rooms were marked alphabetically and numerically so my sense of direction was seriously lacking.
"Can I help you?" A round man with thinning hair pushed up his glasses. "I was just looking for the library." He pointed to my right.
"Down this hall. To the left, and keep going straight. You'll see the sign." "Thanks." I followed his directions and found a small sign that jutted out from the wooden frame.
I entered what looked like the back of the library and found a large bulletin board over a wobbly table. It was scattered with various sign-up sheets. A tall thin girl with a boxy frame and short flaming red hair removed a few flyers. It looked like she was reorganizing the section.
I scanned the board first then discovered the sheet I was looking for was in her hands.
"What do you need? Sports, arts, choir... the yearbook committee is already full." She removed a pin letting that sheet fall.
"Actually, I was looking for the AP book club."
She stopped what she was doing to step down from a chair I didn't see. Okay, maybe she wasn't that tall.
"You don't look like the bookish type." Her deep blue eyes assessed me critically. A dusting of freckles danced across her cheeks.
"A girl can't have a hobby?" "Sure. Name a book or books you've read in the past month." The redhead smirked at my hesitation.
"Pride and Prejudice," I admitted. "Is that the best you could come up with?" She shuffled some papers and stacked them using the tabletop for support.
"For the fifth time," I mumbled embarrassed by my guilty pleasure.
"Fine, you're just in time. I was picking up the sign-up sheet so I could get started on sending out memos."
"Thanks." "I'm Iris Turstin. Student council secretary and student overseer for this function. Let me know if you need anything."
Iris tapped a stubby mint green polished nail over the info top of the spreadsheet.
"Cool." I pulled out my phone to log her number. "Layla!" A familiar boyish voice called me. I smiled while knowing full well who it was.
"What are you doing here? School is still in session." EJ hugged my side gently.
"Sh! I had to make a quick stop. I almost missed out." I leaned over the table to fill out the sign-up sheet.
"What?" EJ's emerald eyes accused Iris. "I let her in, didn't I? And what do you mean by 'doing here'?" She asked suspiciously.
"I go to the La Push school. EJ told me about this great opportunity though." I explained.
"I didn't know you had any friends Mason." Iris arched a brow in surprise, sounding slightly condescending.
"And you do?" EJ countered, but he didn't sound mean. His inflection sounded like a mere observation.
Iris scoffed. "I'll leave it to you 'friends' then." She marched off.
"What did I do?" EJ whispered to me. "Don't worry about it." I went to finish writing my email when I felt EJ's cool fingers in my hair.
"What happened?" He gasped. "I fell."
"Of a cliff?" He whispered astonished. "How did you know that?" I dropped the pen I was using. I swear if those La Push boys opened their big fat mouths-
"My Godfather is a doctor at the Forks Hospital. There, um, was some talk..."
"Okay." That made sense. "Please, don't go telling people about it." My stress melted when I met EJ's compassionate green gaze.
"Okay." He picked up my pen before it rolled off the table.
"Are you finished?" "Yeah," I confirmed.
As I passed my eye caught a picture in the bottom corner of the bulletin board. What I saw stopped my stride. EJ went on ahead unbeknownst to my discovery.
It was Jacob Black. On a missing person flyer. A younger version with longer hair and softer features. I plucked it from the wall in shock.
The gossip had solidified into something real. So I wasn't jumping to conclusions last week. He really went missing, and his gang was in on it.
"Layla?" EJ surprised me with how close he was.
"Yes?" I folded the paper up and stuffed it in my bag. "What are you doing?" He asked.
"Just removing an outdated flyer," I mumbled.
"Okay, Can I give you a tour?" "Sure." I smiled taking the hand he offered.
We snuck out into the hall dodging open classrooms as he told me all about his schedule, and the kids he sat with at lunch. Iris was one of his peers along with several others that made it sound like a hodge-podge group. I was happy he was making progress despite being an oddball homeschooler himself.
I still didn't know where I belonged either. Maybe it would take time for us outsiders.
Before the final bell rang EJ had walked me to my car.
"Are you sure you don't want my Godfather to look at your head? I'm sure he'd be able to help in some way."
"No thanks. I'm good." He nodded, turning to head back towards the school. "Would you like a ride home?"
"I'll ask!" EJ excitedly whipped out his new cell that looked just like mine. I waited in my vehicle.
"Emmett is cool with it." EJ hopped in. He gave me directions past most neighborhoods in Forks.
We circled back to a farther forest turning onto a road of sparse houses near Pine Crest Hill.
And all of it looked familiar.
I was in the midst of telling EJ what I remembered before falling off the cliff when I slowed the car.
"Something wrong?" EJ leaned forward. He peeked around me to look where I was staring.
"No, I just remembered something I forgot to do when I moved here." "What was that?" He asked.
"See that house?" I pointed to the white farmhouse on its own inclined hill surrounded by pines. Its lawn was overgrown and the bushes were so big that they blocked the first-story windows.
"Yeah?" "It's my dad's. He wanted me to help restore it in my free time."
"Do you want to go up there?" EJ's interest peaked. "Do you mind?" He shook his head no and my Ford Escape climbed the steep incline.
"I just need to grab the key." I waded through the grass to the paved step looking for something that could conceal a key. A fake rock? A rug or a potted plant?
EJ came up behind me looking around too. "What's that?" He pointed. I pulled up a fallen windchime and tossed it to the side. "Nope."
"Darn." He kicked something in the grass. "Sorry, Layla. I broke... uh it?" EJ looked incredibly guilty holding up the ceramic pieces of a garden gnome.
His face twisted as if he didn't know what it was.
"Perfect!" I snagged the bronze key from the inside its torso and tried it out on the lock. "It works!" I grinned then relocked it.
"I'll have to come back when I have time...to deal with all this." I ogled the overgrowth. That was going to be a challenge, especially the thorny holly bushes.
"Does that mean we'll be neighbors?" EJ's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Sometimes, yeah." "Yes!" He hissed.
EJ then frowned lifting the pieces of gnome to me. "Just put it down anywhere. It's whatever." "Okay." He set it down carefully anyways.
We waded back to my car.
"Wait, this is the last house on the block. Where do you live?" "Up there." He pointed to a road I'd never noticed before.
"Okay?" I shrugged and we wove through the tunnel of trees. The driveway was incredibly long and dark I considered turning on my headlights.
"How was your trip to Goat Rock?" This question caught EJ off guard.
"Oh. Um. I don't think I like camping." The displeasure on his face almost looked like grief.
"Did the mosquitos get yah?" I tried to lighten his mood. "No." He cracked a smile. "What didn't you like?"
"I just think Emmett has his own way of doing things. He likes to...go off trail." EJ grimaced.
I could totally see his Uncle Emmet take things to the extreme. There was just something in his smile that said 'Bring on the challenge.'
"Would you still be up for hiking? We could take a marked hiking trail." I offered. I had hoped and assumed he'd be my hiking buddy here in Forks.
But if he wasn't up for it I'd have to go alone.
"That would be good." EJ seemed to relax at the thought. Like the rain cloud over his head had drifted away.
I was really starting to enjoy EJ's company. His conversations were always easy, and his presence was refreshing.
When the sun peaked again a beautiful white home almost glowed against the green of the open wood.
It was something out of a fairytale. An old mansion with column-like pillars with subtle hints of eighteenth-century iron light fixtures and detailing.
Out front was a woman who was almost the perfect reincarnation of snow white. She descended the stairs delicately and gracefully glided over to meet us.
I rolled my window down. "Thanks for letting me borrow EJ."
"Of course. It's nice to officially meet you. Layla, was it?" "Yes Mrs." I reached a handout my window to shake hers.
"Esme Cullen." She introduced herself without moving. I reeled myself back in.
"My Godmother." EJ chimed exiting my car. She was too young to be considered that, right?
Esme smiled and gave EJ a loving hug. "Did you know she's neighbors with us too?"
"You are? Then we must have you for dinner sometime! Rose does enjoy her kitchen time."
"Yes! She makes the best apple pie." EJ's dimples matched Esme's. Maybe she wasn't too young for them to be related after all.
"If you'll have me, I'll come. I have dance tryouts tonight though." "Good luck dear." Esme smiled.
"I would say break a leg, but you already fell off a cliff!" EJ cackled at his own joke. Weird kid, with a weird sense of humor.
I kind of liked it.
Esme's smile wiped clean off her face and was replaced with an unexplainable complex emotion in my rearview mirror.
"Maybe it took away all my bad luck!" I laughed to myself knowing full well they couldn't possibly hear me this far down the drive.