Author's note: The dialogue at the bar between Leah and Nessie was 100% inspired by 500 Days of Summer, one of my faaaaaavorite movies. Leah takes a while to warm up to people, but don't worry, I have plans to make them friends in the future. I love a friendship between strong-willed women!
Nessie's POV
What does one wear to a small-town bar? Having grown up with my aunt Alice and Rosalie, I loved fashion. To my mom's despair, we had dragged her on countless girls' trips to London, Paris, Milan… For the first time in my life, I was stumped on what to wear. Every outfit felt too try-hard.
I finally settled on my most flattering pair of jeans. You know, those jeans that aren't too tight or too loose and fit just right? I paired them with a thin sweater that hung delicately off my shoulders. I applied a thin layer of makeup and kept my hair natural, flowing down my back. Deciding I looked decent enough, I headed out the door and went to the bar.
The Landing and the Wharf turned out to be a pretty cute spot, with tables set up on a cozy outdoor terrace that offered a picturesque view of the water. I spotted Seth, kicking back at a table with the pack and a couple of girls. As I strolled by the bar, I grabbed a pitcher of beer and joined.
"Renesmee! I'm so glad you came! Meet my fiance, Kayatha, and my sister, Leah. You already know Embry and Jacob." Seth stood up, offering a warm hug. That guy was so nice. "It's good to see you guys. I'm happy to meet you two," I said, giving a nod in the girls' direction. Leah responded with a nonchalant shrug, but Kayatha greeted me with a friendly smile.
Leaning back in his chair, Embry grinned at me, "You bought beer for the table? Damn, I'm glad you came!"
The rest of the night whisked by almost too quickly. Don't get me wrong; I've made some good friends in college. However, this was different. It was the first time I could truly be myself around people my age. There was no need to make up stories about where I grew up or what my family was up to. With the pack, I felt an authentic sense of camaraderie. They were a lively group. Seth was a history teacher at La Push High School, and Kaya, was a nurse. Embry worked at a construction company in Port Angeles, dividing his time between there and La Push. Leah didn't speak to me much, but I learned that she was a banker and had moved to Port Angeles 2 years ago. And then there was Jacob. The good thing was that he had stopped angrily staring at me. Now, he mostly ignored me, occasionally furrowing his brow at my answers during conversations with the others. If he wasn't openly hating me, he seemed perpetually annoyed by anything I said. Great.
Jacob's POV
As soon as she entered the bar, my eyes locked on her, navigating her way toward the outdoor terrace where Embry, Leah, Seth, his imprint Kaya, and I were seated. Sure, I could blame my keen awareness on imprinting, but truth be told, it wasn't just me. The entire bar seemed to take notice. My super-enhanced hearing caught every disgusting comment guys were muttering to their friends. The anger that rose within me caught me off guard, and I felt a slight tremor. Damn, it had been years since I'd come close to phasing in public like some hormonal teenager.
"What are you getting so riled up about, macho? You don't even like her." Leah sighed.
Right, I didn't like her. As the night progressed, I had to constantly remind myself of that fact. It didn't help that when Embry cracked jokes, her laugh turned out to be the most adorable giggle imaginable. It also didn't help that the more I got to know her, the less I could remember why I had decided to hate her in the first place. Smart, she was in her second year of law school at Stanford. She loved fashion, but also to spend time in the backcountry, especially running and hiking. She loved old cars and wanted to learn how to cook better, having grown up the only one needing food in her family.
"Oh, if you want to learn how to cook, you should come to Emily and Sam's house for Sunday lunch. They host it every week; she's an awesome chef" said Seth. Both me and Leah scowled at him. What was his problem? The only way I would be able to resist the imprinting was by avoiding this girl at all costs. Could he stop inviting her places? Probably sensing the awkwardness, Renesmee got up to buy another round with Kaya.
"Jake, this is ridiculous. We heard you complain for years about how no girl was interesting enough for you; you would never like a girl again, bla bla bla… Well now, you've imprinted, and she's great! What the hell are you doing!"
I was about to talk back to him when Embry cut me off.
"She is great, Jake. You're being ridiculous. You don't have to marry her on the spot either, mate. Just stop being rude. You're killing the vibe."
Embry rarely contradicted me, even more rarely so commented on my relationships. That shut me up. I sipped the rest of my drink, mentally cursing my friends and wondering how the hell did I end up in this situation. Imprinting had disrupted the delicate balance I'd maintained for years, and now I was entangled in conflicting emotions. Eventually, the girls came back, Kaya drunkenly giggling as she sat back at the table.
"Some guy bought Nessie a driiiiiiiiink" she sang, clearly a little tipsy. Renesmee blushed, looking embarrassed. "Does somebody want it? I don't really like sugary cocktails." She held out a fluorescent pink drink with a huge pineapple to the table. Leah snatched it and downed it in one sip.
"So Renesmee, this guy wasn't your type? Are you more into century-old bloodsuckers like your mommy?" Leah teased in her usual bluntness.
"Shut up, Leah," Seth snapped.
Fully locking eyes with her for the first time tonight, I thought I glimpsed a hint of hurt in Renesmee's eyes, but she responded calmly.
"It's okay, I know my parents' age gap was a bit… much. And no, I don't have a boyfriend."
"Why not?"
"Don't really want one."
Leah scoffed, dismissive. "Oh, come on, I don't buy that crap."
"What, you don't think a woman can enjoy being free and independent?"
I had to give it to her; she could hold her own in a conversation with Leah. At that last comment, Kaya and Seth snickered while Leah got even more riled up.
"So what, you'll just be a virgin Mary forever? Sounds lame."
"No, I mean, I go on dates here and there like everyone else. I just don't want to be anyone's girlfriend or get into anything serious like that."
Leah didn't respond, simply giving her a piercing glare. Renesmee continued, feeling everyone's incredulous eyes on her.
"I mean… It sounds selfish, I know, but I just like being on my own. I think relationships are messy, and feelings always get hurt. We're still young… Why not have fun for now and leave the serious stuff for later?"
I stared at her once again. It was like the pieces of the puzzle clicked. Any lingering skepticism I harbored about the mysterious concept of imprinting vanished. She mirrored the very core of my thoughts, echoing the opinions I would have said regarding relationships merely three days ago. In that moment, there was no room for doubt – soulmates were undeniably real, and she was mine. Whether I liked it or not.
Embry clapped her on the back loudly. "Nessie, you're a dude! Amen to that!"
Leah shot both of them a dirty look, but the rest of the group laughed, and the tension dissipated. A few rounds later, Seth and Kaya declared they were going home. Despite our superfast metabolism making it hard for us to get drunk, we sure gave it a good try on Friday nights. Nessie rose to join them, and a subtle restlessness crept into my seat. I was torn between wanting to make sure she got back home safely and knowing full well that if I had only one conversation alone with her, I'd be hooked. The moment passed while my head fought with my heart. I settled for staying in my seat. Still, with my wolf senses, I could watch them leave and make sure she got to her car okay. She exchanged hugs with Seth and Kaya.
"So, will we see you Sunday?"
"Oh… maybe? I'd love to come, but... Jacob and Leah are clearly not big fans of me. I don't want to annoy them further or crash too many of your gatherings. I'll catch up with you guys another time, though!"
Her tone was playful, yet as she turned away from Seth and Kaya, she looked sad. She shook her head and headed toward her car. God, I was a complete idiot. This girl didn't deserve me being a jerk to her. The imprinting wasn't her fault, and she probably wasn't even aware it had happened. It occurred to me that she might not even know the full story between me and her parents, the reason for my resentment toward the Cullens. It's unlikely that the weird teenage obsession I had on Bella twelve years ago would be a topic of discussion at their family gatherings. Fuck it. I ran out the door to follow her.
Renesmee POV
"Renesmee!" I heard Jacob call out, hurrying after me.
"Oh, what, you finally decided to talk to me now?!" I snapped.
He seemed a bit taken aback, and truth be told, even I was surprised by my aggressive tone. I didn't usually have such a short temper; my parents had raised me to be polite above all.
"Sorry, didn't mean to snap at you like that. The last rounds of shots must have gotten to my head," I chuckled lamely.
"It's okay, I deserved that. Look, I'm sorry for being rude since you got here."
I didn't say anything, simply raising my eyebrows. I hadn't imagined it; this guy had clearly disliked me from the moment he met me. I wasn't too concerned about his apology; what he owed me was an explanation.
"I, um, honestly don't know. It's just, that I was, like, so determined to stay the hell away from you. Me and your mom – we were close when she lived in Forks, you know? I think I always resented her for leaving and turning into a vampire… I mean, vampires, right? Our natural enemies and all that. I let those, uh, prejudices get to my head. I'm stubborn as a mule, seriously, ask anybody. And I don't know why I decided to dislike you just like that... you're great, though. Really great. I guess I forgot you're not your parents, and uh, I shouldn't have taken it all out on you like that, really, it was dumb."
Jacob was rambling now, talking fast and looking nervous. I found myself conceding—the whole thing was surprisingly endearing.
"Wait, is that your ride?" Jacob asked, suddenly distracted.
"Yeah, that's my baby! Got her for my undergrad graduation. She's vintage."
"Oh, I know. That's an awesome car. Love 'em; I'm the assistant manager at Forks Garage, although it's quite a boring job. We never see cars like that, Jheez."
"I like driving cars more than I like working on them; that's more my aunt's hobby, actually. If ever you want to check out the motor or anything, be my guest! I'd love to make her even faster."
Jacob and I exchanged a genuine smile. Without his sour face, he truly was, well, attractive. I couldn't find it in myself to stay mad at him.
"Let's do this again. Hi, it's nice to meet you. I'm Renesmee Carlie Cullen." I extended my hand.
He shook it, answering, "I'm Jacob Black."
His touch was surprisingly warm, which caught me off guard. My temperature ran naturally warmer than usual, and no one's touch really felt warm to me. That last round of tequila shots had definitely gotten to my head. The intense way he was looking at me, his smile, and this weird flutter in my stomach were unfamiliar sensations. I wasn't used to feeling this way around guys; usually, I was the one in control, aware of the effect I had on them. Eventually, I said goodbye to Jacob and slid into my car. As I turned the key in the ignition, the engine roared to life, echoing the excitement still lingering in the air. The street lights flickered on, casting a warm glow on the pavement. This summer seemed charged with good moments, but for now, I relished in the solitude of the driver's seat, the hum of the engine, and the sense of independence that came with it.