December

Renesmee's POV

December 18th was an exciting day, to say the least. Not only was it the beginning of my winter break, but it was also the day of Seth and Kaya's wedding. It was being held in Seaside Oregon, where Kaya was from. About a 3-hour drive from La Push, they had rented a small but beautiful bed and breakfast for the wedding party and family to stay at. This is where I currently was. Amid the pre-wedding preparations, I found myself tidying up the vanity in Rachel and Paul's room, having just finished assisting with her makeup.

Suddenly, Jacob's voice sliced through the air, breaking my concentration. "Rach?" he called.

"She's outside with the rest of the girls, taking photos," I replied casually.

"Oh, never mind then. Can you lend a hand? I'm in a bit of a pickle with this freaking bow tie. Normally, she's the one who—"

"Yeah, of course," I interjected, turning to face him.

But as my eyes met him, a sudden jolt of surprise shot through me, freezing me in my tracks. There stood Jake, impeccably dressed in a sleek black suit that hugged his frame just so, a crisp blue shirt peeking out from beneath. His hair was nicely styled and I could tell he had freshly shaved. It wasn't as if I usually was oblivious to his good looks—I mean, the guy spent most of his life shirtless. But this was different. He looked amazing.

"Ness?" Jake's voice broke through the moment, his tone light and teasing as he waved the stubborn bow tie in the air.

Had I really been staring too long? I mentally chided myself, quickly shaking off the unexpected reverie.

"Right, um, my bad," I muttered, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks as I stepped closer to stand in front of him.

As I reached for the bow tie, my fingers fumbled slightly, betraying the subtle tremor coursing through me. I focused intently on the task at hand, trying to ignore the intoxicating scent of his cologne—a heady mixture of cedar and sandalwood—that enveloped me, sending a shiver down my spine. It was familiar yet somehow electrifying, stirring something deep within me that I couldn't quite name.

With each deft movement, I couldn't help but steal fleeting glances at him. But each time our eyes briefly met, I quickly looked away, my cheeks burning with the telltale signs of a blush that I couldn't seem to control.

"Alright, there you go," I managed finally, attempting to regain my composure.

"Are you okay? Your heart is racing," he asked, genuine concern etched on his face.

Ugh, being half-human could be so embarrassing. Mustering my courage, I met his gaze. "I'm fine. It's just... your damn suit. You look... nice," I begrudgingly admitted, rolling my eyes at my own vulnerability.

He chuckled. "Pff, if I'd known a suit was all it took to catch your attention... I would've worn one ages ago."

I couldn't help but laugh along with him. "I'm just a woman, Black!" I retorted playfully as I exited the room.

The ceremony was beautiful – a perfect blend of simplicity and heartfelt emotion. It truly was a beautiful night. After a few lively dances and a couple of glasses of champagne, I decided to take a moment to catch my breath at the table and hang out with Emily's and Sam's youngest, 5 year old Tawiskaro. However, my attention couldn't help but stray to the dance floor, where Jacob twirled Kerry with ease. A strange sensation stirred in my stomach. I forced myself to look away, focusing instead on Leah and Embry as they danced nearby.

Suddenly, my heightened senses caught my name in a snippet of conversation from across the dance floor. It was Kerry's voice, barely audible over the music, but my supernatural hearing allowed me to tune in.

"So, Jake, I couldn't help but notice you and Renesmee dancing earlier. You guys looked really close out there."

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of my name, and I strained to hear Jacob's response.

"Yeah, Nessie and I are close. She's definitely one of my best friends".

I felt a weird mixture of relief and disappointment at Jacob's words. Of course, we were friends. But that word seemed too simple, too common to explain the importance of Jake in my life.

Kerry's voice drifted back to me, her sweet tone laced with condescension.

"That's lovely. You two seem more like family to me."

I frowned, sensing the direction of Kerry's words. Jacob was of course clueless, but sounded a little confused: "Yeah, I mean, she's part of the gang."

I could see her smirking from here. "Awe, she's like your little sister! Always tagging along, like a cute little sidekick."

I bit my lip, feeling a pang of anger at Kerry's words. I felt like an idiot, hearing her establish me as nothing more than a cutesy, immature little sister figure. Why did this bother me so much ? And then, as if her words weren't enough, Kerry's voice drifted back to me, this time commenting on my dress.

Kerry: "She looks adorable in that dress, don't you think? I wish I could pull something like that, but my boobs are too big. She's lucky she's not so curvy, eugh"

I felt a flush of embarrassment creep up my cheeks at Kerry's thinly veiled backhanded compliment. From the corner of my eyes, I could see that Jacob was blushing too.

"Um... yeah, I guess so."

As her words sank in, a surge of anger bubbled up inside me. I clenched my fists, trying to contain my emotions as I felt the heat rising to my cheeks. I guess that's what I got for snooping into other people's private conversations.I made my way outside.

Stepping out into the cool night air, I took deep breaths, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging within me. I struggled to rein in the urge to confront that bitch and give her a piece of my mind. Why was I letting this affect me so badly? After all, I already knew Kerry was a bit of a mean girl. I always prided myself on not letting other people's opinions get under my skin. But this time was different. The venom in Kerry's words had cut deeper than I cared to admit. What if her insinuations were true? Did Jacob see me as nothing more than a little sister, too cute and immature to be taken seriously? Why would I even be bothered about that in the first place?

Lost in my thoughts, I barely registered the sounds of footsteps approaching. Glancing up, I saw Leah emerging from the warmth of the reception hall, plopping herself down to sit right next to me and promptly taking off her heels.

"Hey Ness. What's with the sour face?" Leah chimed in, her eyebrows raised.

For once, I was unsure of what to say. I placed my hand on Leah's cheek, relaying to her the conversation I had overheard. Leah, who usually was always on my side, surprisingly didn't immediately jump into the "Let's trash-talk Kerry" mode. Instead, she burst into laughter.

"Holy crap. You caught feelings for Jake." Leah exclaimed

"What? No! I'm just annoyed at her. Why would she say stuff like that?" I protested, my voice a mix of confusion and irritation.

"She's a bitch. But why do you care? You're totally jealous," Leah pointed out, unable to contain her amusement.

"I'm not jealous! I just, I don't know, I want to smack her head against the wall!" I shot back, my frustration bubbling over.

"Yup, that's jealousy," Leah confirmed with a grin as if she'd just cracked the code to a centuries-old mystery.

"Is that what this is... Jesus Christ. Do I have… feelings for Jake? Oh man," I muttered, feeling a wave of panic wash over me. This was horrible, horrible timing. After spending all summer convincing Jake I only wanted to be friends, my stupid heart had now decided otherwise?

"Finally! The truth comes out," Leah cheered, clapping her hands together gleefully.

"Well, it doesn't matter what I might be feeling anyway. He has a girlfriend," I muttered, feeling a pang of disappointment wash over me, my head sinking between my knees.

Leah, ever the optimist, shrugged casually, her expression mischievous. "So what? Just because there's a goalie doesn't mean you can't score," she quipped, a playful glint in her eyes.

"Leah! I'm not that type of girl," I protested, unable to suppress a laugh at Leah's irreverence.

"Relax, Ness. I'm just teasing. But let's be real, she's been a total bitch to you. If anything, tonight's the perfect opportunity to prove her wrong. Go flirt with a guy or something, make Jacob jealous. Girlfriend or not, he clearly doesn't see you as his little sister. Or if he does, the way he's looking at you tonight is seriously wrong," she replied with a wink, clearly relishing the chance to stir up some mischief.

I mulled over what she said. Girlfriend or no girlfriend, I certainly wasn't ready to say anything to Jake. I needed time to figure out my feelings, if I truly was ready for something more than a friendship or if this was just a little possessiveness overtaking my hormones for the night or something. And besides, he was happy with her. I couldn't selfishly ruin this for him. Who knew how he now felt about me?

Leah was right about one thing, though. Kerry had not been nice to me, and I certainly didn't appreciate her trying to belittle me. I would prove to her I definitely could be more than cute.

Stopping my inner monologue, I gave my best friend a pointed look, hoping to turn the tables. "Alright, you've had your fun laughing at my expense tonight. Want to address the elephant in the room now?"

In true Leah fashion, she frowned at me. "I don't know what you're talking about," she deflected, her tone laced with feigned innocence.

"I was watching you and Embry dance earlier. Lots of lovey-dovey looks for two people that are just 'friends with benefits'," I teased. To my surprise, she blushed and gave me a sad little smile.

"Well, um... You might not be the only one who has caught feelings for a guy in the pact," she admitted sheepishly, her usual confidence faltering for a moment. This unexpected vulnerability from her caught me off guard.

"Ha! I knew it! That's great news! How does he feel? You guys would be perfect together!"

"He's actually asked me out on a date a couple of times. But it doesn't matter," Leah replied, her expression now clouded with disappointment. "I won't ever date a wolf again if he hasn't been imprinted."

I reached out and placed my hand on hers, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"I understand where you're coming from. But in a way, isn't that what you wanted? To fall in love normally, like a human girl?" I suggested gently, hoping to offer some perspective.

"I guess... but I can't go through this again, Ness. I don't want my heart broken," Leah confessed, her voice tinged with vulnerability.

"That's love, though, isn't it? . There's never a guarantee. Maybe you'll date for three months and call it quits. Maybe you'll get married and end up divorced ten years later. Maybe you'll imprint first. You can't guarantee anything. You just have to believe that the happiness will be worth the pain if there's some" I reasoned with her, hoping to offer some solace.

"Oh, you're one to talk," Leah retorted with a playful smirk, reminding me of the irony in our conversation.

I laughed lightly, realizing the truth in her words. We did make quite the pair.

"Have you talked to Embry about all of this?" I asked her softly.

"No... I guess I should," Leah replied, her usual grin returning to her face. "I'll tell you what. You prove little miss Bitch wrong tonight, and I'll talk to Embry. Deal?"

I couldn't help but chuckle at Leah's proposal. She was my best friend, but she was also undeniably crazy.

"Fine. Deal. "