Chapter 17

I walked through the sand calling "Jacob?" softly every once in a while. I was heading in the direction I'd heard him from, and I knew he could hear a lot better than a person. I was also too embarrassed to yell his name, so I hoped this would be loud enough for him to hear me eventually. A part of me still felt like there was no way he was out here, and I was caught in some sort of fantasy that manifested from how much I wanted to see him and everyone else I knew. I was pretty lonely here, after all.

I was also hoping Renée wouldn't notice that I had ran off. I think she would be immediately frantic with worry, which wouldn't be good for me at all. Especially after I had told Charlie that I wouldn't go out alone anymore. Yet, here I was! Very much alone! I couldn't really convince myself that it was any other way since I was looking for wolf-Jacob and not actually with him.

I sighed to myself, stopping for a moment to hop in place and try to get all my jitters out really quickly. I looked around once I was done and was startled when I saw a pair of reflective eyes looking at me.

"Jacob?" I asked hesitantly, squinting at them. I couldn't really make out much of his shape from the shadows, but I was pretty sure I was completely illuminated under the streetlamp. The eyes shifted slightly, shrinking out of sight and then the next moment I was wrapped up in a blistering embrace.

"You're ok!" I heard Jacob breathe with relief as he held me, tucking his face into the crook of my neck and breathing. I was so surprised I didn't know what to do with my hands. One of his large hands cupped the back of my head and pulled me in closer, and not knowing what else to do, I gently set my hands on his back, patting lightly. Jacob hummed softly in a pleased way, warm breath puffing over my neck and sending a shiver down my spine. I squeezed my eyes shut attempting to ignore the way his breath right there was making my toes curl.

"Yeah, I'm ok." I assured him as he kept me held close with no sign of letting go soon. I assumed this was some sort of werewolf thing or had to do with the fact that I very nearly died. My heart was still pumping in my chest though, so there was at least that he could be sure of from hugging me like this.

"You're really okay?" Jacob asked again, pulling away slightly but keeping hold of my biceps in his overwarm hands.

"Yeah." I replied with a nod. "I'm on the mend. I still have to take some antibiotics and stuff, but most of the damage is as healed up as it can be so far." I gave him a small smile as he stared at my face with an intense expression.

Jacob made a soft, almost whine when he reached up and touched one of the scars on my face, and I swallowed tightly suddenly feeling a rush of guilt again. I had told him I wouldn't go on the stupid date, and I should've listened. But instead I hadn't and now I had to see him looking at me all worried and pained and-

I sucked in a sharp breath and rolled my teeth over my lower lip as I stared back at him with knitted brows and felt my eyes burn with guilty tears. I was always crying over something in front of him; it was getting a little embarrassing.

"I'm-" I started, choking around my words, "I'm sorry- sorry." My hands flew up to cover my face as I felt myself heat with embarrassment and guilt. Hot tears slipped down my cheeks, and I tried to rub them away quickly. I shouldn't be crying right now.

"Sorry-" I gasped, and Jacob pulled me back into his arms tightly, pressing my face tightly into his chest.

"It's... It's okay," Jacob said in a soft voice. It didn't sound like it was, but it also seemed like he'd forgiven me for it anyway. I shuddered with another sob, feeling another wave of guilt wash over me. Jacob pressed his nose against the crown of my head and just breathed, slow and deep. We stayed like that until I settled down into soft sniffles. I rubbed at my eyes lightly.

"I'm always crying." I complained with a light tone, feeling better than I had before.

"Mhmm, you probably cried over spilt milk as a kid," Jacob said with a teasing tone to his voice. I huffed in mock annoyance, glancing at him with a pout.

"Of course, I did! That's 27 cents of milk," I replied with a chuckle. Jacob smiled back at me then his head tilted slightly and looked at me a little closer for a moment.

"Your eye is a different color." He observed. He looked more curious about it than anything else. I blinked back my surprise, and covered the eye with a hand.

"Yeah." I replied. I didn't really have much of an explanation for it. Jacob grabbed my hand gently.

"You don't have to hide it," he said gently, moving my hand out of the way. I expected him to immediately let go, but instead he twined our fingers together, holding on. Jacob had always been touchy-feely with me, but this was truly next level. I felt my cheeks warming at the contact.

"I can't see very well out of it." I admitted after a moment, not sure what else to say. Jacob only hummed in response. He continued to gaze at me softly, but I could tell something was still nagging at him as well.

"Are... you ok?" I asked. Jacob's thumb stroked the back of my hand idly, and it was comforting. More than I ever thought such a simple motion could be.

"I..." He furrowed his brows. "I don't know."

I nodded slightly in lieu of immediate response. I wasn't sure if he needed to think about it longer, but I was already beginning to wonder a lot. Like, what was he even doing here all the way in Florida? Did he have a ride? Did he run the whole way in wolf form? Did Billy know where he was?

This was already very out of character behavior for him as far as I was aware. Jacob and I had never been close enough for him to travel across the country to make sure I was ok. Did he know something he wasn't telling me? Had one of the vampires followed me here? I scooted closer to him, suddenly feeling a lot more vulnerable than I had moments ago.

"Am I...? Am I safe here?" I asked in a small voice. Jacob's hand squeezed mine before letting go to tuck me into his side protectively. I felt very small pressed into him like that, but also much safer and much more at ease.

"You're fine." He answered. "I just needed to know you were fine."

"I'm fine." I echoed, feeling somewhat relieved. At least I knew there were no vampires in my immediate vicinity.

"Is that why you're here? In Jacksonville?" I prodded, raising a brow curiously. I craned my head to look all the way up at him, refusing to budge from where he currently had me against him. I was drinking in as much of this physical contact as I could get.

A group of drunk people laughed loudly as the stumbled down the boardwalk nearby, and Jacob started pulling me along further down the road. I wondered if he was trying to find somewhere quieter to talk, but it was too early in the evening to hope for that near the beach.

"Yes." He answered, waiting a beat before adding. "I think so." Then after a longer moment he spoke again.

"Where are we?" I stared at him, my eyes stretched as wide as they could go.

"Where are we?" I repeated in a frantic, hushed tone. I knew better than to raise my voice and draw attention to us but this was ludicrous.

"Jacob! How the hell did you get here?" I hissed in a low voice, feeling suddenly very worried that I was the only one who knew where he was. What if Billy had filed a missing person's report? People were probably frantic about this. How long had he been gone?

Jacob blinked, suddenly looking rather embarrassed. I stared at him with both brows raised in an insistent expression.

"I, uh, followed my gut?" He answered after an altogether too long stretch of silence. I groaned in response, staring up at the sky as I gathered my thoughts. Jacob at least had the sense to look guilty. It was clear that the both of us were full of dumb decisions. No wonder it was easy for him to forgive me earlier.

"Ok... ok!" I said aloud to reassure myself as I thought about what to do about this.

"Does Billy know where you are?"

"No."

"You have his number or your phone?"

"No phone, but I can tell you it." It was something at least. I touched my pockets quickly. Empty. I hadn't really been thinking when I climbed out the window of my room to sneak out that I might need money. I guessed a payphone was out of the question for now.

"Um. We'll have to go back to the beach house so I can get my wallet. I don't have a phone either." I admitted. Jacob nodded, but he also looked worried about me being out with no phone. I made a face at him.

"If you don't want me wandering alone at night with no phone don't howl like that near my window," I said, pretending he was entirely to blame for this and that my tomfoolery had nothing to do with it. I slipped out of his grasp to lead the way, but made sure to catch his hand in mine when I did. I tugged him along for a little while as I did my best to remember the way.

"Your trail leads the other way." Jacob pointed out suddenly. I froze, glancing back at him. He smiled in amusement at me.

"I know you're not great at directions." He pointed out. I wanted to strangle him, just a little bit. I sighed.

"Lead the way, bloodhound," I said, motioning with my free hand. He laughed at my reply.

"Happily." We trekked through the sand for a bit before finally coming up to the beach house. We stood under the porch for a moment, quietly listening for any panicked voices that had discovered I wasn't in my room. Of course, I was relying more on Jacob's ears than my own.

He gave me a thumbs up, and I slowly let our hands slip apart.

"I'll be right back." I whispered to him. Jacob nodded quietly, giving me an encouraging smile. I then started making my way up the wooden stairs as quietly as I could. I don't think I had been trying quite this hard when I had originally snuck out.

I slipped back in through my window and for a moment, I thought I was home free. Then the light flicked on, and there Renée was, standing in front of my door with her arms crossed. I swallowed tightly, trying not to visibly sweat.

"Welcome back, Maddie. Did you have fun?" Renée asked. "I did not think you had gone out enough to find someone you wanted to sneak out to visit. I suppose this is good news for me wanting you to stay here with me a little longer, huh?"

"Nooo?" I responded slowly because I definitely had not been out kissing anyone like she was implying. Would have loved it if I had been out getting some kisses in with Jacob, but we were definitely just friends, much to my chagrin. In fact, he was probably laughing at me right now with his supernatural hearing.

"Uh huh," Renée said, sounding very much like she did not believe me. I apologized internally to Billy because I did not think I was going to be able to get out again tonight.

I think I got hit by the kudos bot on ao3 lmao, but since lots of people don't have accounts ig I'll just have to hope it doesn't give me too, too many.

Anyways, writing ch21&22 now of this and I think I'll start dumping the chapters today and tomorrow. Whenever I finish it all just drop the rest of the chapters for it all at once. I was gonna try to drag it out some, but nahhhh. Not my speed.

Emotionally manipulate me with a review if u dare.