This Chapter has been edited and rewritten.
(I thought chapters 13-16 needed revision for better plot/story pacing.)
Layla's Pov
I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to buy lunch today. A dull ache pulsed in my temples.
"You did so well. Not a lot of girls could pull off both routines." Camille encouraged me. "I think Mrs. Fisk liked you too," Andrea added.
"That's good news." Tryouts always made me nervous.
There were a couple more days to push through, and not every girl was guaranteed a spot on the team.
Plus, I didn't want to assume a place for me was secured just because I had more experience.
"It seems like there might be more dancers this year. Maybe we could take over halftime." Andrea egged on Camille.
"Please," she rolled her eyes. They broke off into a discussion of their own.
I picked up a red plastic tray when we edged up in the cafeteria line.
"Hey, new girl." A girl behind me called for my attention. "Layla." I corrected, not liking the snide tone.
"Elu's attention wasn't enough? Now you have to whip Jacob Black into walking you to class?" Molly towered over me.
I recognized her as the flirtatious girl in gym class who was rumored to have had a fling with Elu.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, moving to step forward. However, her friend caught my shoulder, turning me to face them.
"She doesn't know what we're talking about." Molly scoffed. Oh, so now it was a 'we' versus me.
"So what did you do to get them glued to you?" I didn't know her friend, but she had an annoying trill voice with a pinched elfish face.
Compared to Molly, who could star in a sports magazine, this chick was almost her opposite.
Whatever, why bother me with this in the first place?
"Nothing," I stated. "Nothing." They repeated my word like a pair of disbelieving parrots.
"I'm not interested like that. Or whatever this is." I eyed them up and down, then quickly stepped off to rejoin Andrea and Camille, who were at the end of the line.
I was used to catty, cut-throat dance moms and mean girls, but I never found it enjoyable to deal with.
It was better to keep my distance. I blindly grabbed items from the kitchen line and headed to Camille's table.
Distancing myself from the one I hadn't figured out yet—Jacob, with his group of friends.
Packed with new faces, juniors, and seniors too, we wedged ourselves in where we could fit.
I was forced to sit diagonally from the girls and next to some unfamiliar but friendly enough faces.
I loosely listened to the table, making plans for the weekend. I quietly excluded myself, deflecting with my Seattle trip.
"What's in Seattle?" A boy sitting next to me said I hadn't noticed him before.
His shoulders brushed against mine as he twisted to talk to me. His hazel eyes were jarring.
"Um, what?" I asked. He laughed, enjoying my instant reaction, and asked the question again.
"Oh, I'm visiting my dad." I averted my gaze above the heads of other students.
"Is that right? If plans change, I hope you join us." "Sure." I agreed loosely.
"I'm Ahote," he introduced. "Layla."
"I know, I could give you my number if you'd like. You know, in case those plans change." He was confident, too.
I smiled sheepishly, and my face felt warm at my incompetent shyness.
Ahote took my phone from my pocket before I could say anything.
Feeling several eyes on me, I scanned the cafeteria for the source.
Tiffany and Paige seemed to be caught up in conversation with the rest of their occupied table.
Next to them was the supposed La Push gang. Hesitantly, I swept over them, too.
It looked like Jared was arguing with Jacob about something. I watched as Quil leaned over and placed a hand on Jake's shoulder.
Things had to be bad if he was playing peacemaker. Their faces twisted, and they spoke harshly.
That's when his black eyes caught me speculating.
My mouth gaped as if to say something, but that would be foolish to do across the room.
Besides, what would I say? I felt my face heat up again—this time for being nosey.
Jacob stood up and stormed out of the room.
"So, what brought you here? Did you move down from Maca or what?" Ahote continued talking to me.
"Um, it's a long story, but I'm living with my grandpa right now-"
When I turned toward him to distract myself, I caught sight of Camille and Andrea whispering, all smiley and glancing in my direction.
Oh great. I could only assume what they were thinking. It was nothing like that. Ahote just caught me off guard.
Behind them, a staggeringly sharp glare pierced me. Molly was at the other end of the long table with her friend group.
What was her deal? Elu was sitting right there beside her, and I wasn't in Jacob's proximity today.
The bell rang, and bodies bolted up, refreshed for class.
"Can I walk you to class? I think Matt and I are headed in the same direction." Ahote asked.
Was my schedule that obvious? Then again, I was an obstruction among students who had probably grown up together since pre-k.
With Andrea's eager expression and Camille beside her...I didn't think I could say no.
"Okay." I choked out, expecting the girls to join us, but they trailed behind to observe our interaction.
Anxiousness fluttered in my throat, keeping me from speaking.
I nodded here and there, listening to them conversate—something about basketball and their trip to Port Angeles.
Ahote looked like he was going to ask something, but I dipped into the biology lab.
"This is me. See you guys." "Later, Moon." Ahote flashed a smile.
Andrea and Camille walked by, grinning ear to ear. "Don't leave me like that again." I hissed from the door frame.
They giggled in response. I glared at them in their general direction before taking my seat.
"Ahote seemed friendly enough," Elu noted bitterly. "I guess," I muttered, wishing he would mind his business.
Jacob remained silent in his seat. He was not as upset as he was earlier, but I could feel frustration roll off him in waves.
I kept glancing at Jake, though he seemed focused on the lab.
So much of my day was spent thinking about him—much more than I would like to admit or let myself focus on.
The urge to say something resurfaced, although it was none of my business. I wanted to know what heated debate got him so worked up.
But for a moment, as I held my peace and while he was occupied, I let my eyes wander over him, comparing him to the flyer.
I unintentionally noticed more things I admired about Jake, from his profile, how his eyelashes were long for a guy to his muscular forearms shifting as he scrawled in his messy handwriting.
I thought Jacob caught me looking when subconsciously I reached out to touch his arm. I stopped breathing as he perceive me.
As I retracted my touch I expected him to scowl, but his expression softened into something else.
"Are you okay?" I blurted out. Jacob arched a brow.
"Yeah, why?" He went back to the lab. I could breathe again.
"You seemed upset at lunch," I said, letting too much of my concealed concern slip. His scrawling slowed to a stop.
"I'm glad things are okay then," I concluded. Anxious when he took too long to respond.
I was eager to leave the awkward lab encounter and the following hour-long torture of geometry behind.
English was next—a subject I regularly enjoyed.
Today, we were headed to the library to outline our upcoming report and swap out our old textbooks for some new editions that arrived a week late.
Seth and Joseph flanked Andrea and me on the way there.
Joseph seemed as outgoing like Quil, but he was not nearly as good a storyteller. Seth, as always, was sweet and sincere.
Andrea was uncertain and quiet, I think, due to the pack of boys' stigma. This made me bear the brunt of the conversational weight.
I had always preferred girl friends, but Seth made conversing with the guys easier.
Class dragged on, and I thought my fingers would cramp up with all the typing.
At the end of the period, Mrs. Springfield had asked Seth and me to carry all the new textbooks as punishment for chatting too much.
Not that we were loud, but it must have bothered her.
"I don't mind carrying them myself." Seth offered, holding his stack single-handedly.
"I got it." We'd get into more trouble if Mrs. Springfield saw his balancing act, so I declined.
I kept my heavy stack as penance and carried on far behind the other students.
The tower blocked my vision, but the stretch toward the classroom wasn't far of a walk, down some stairs and around the corner.
Without the burden of books, our peers had returned to the classroom by now.
Seth went ahead of me down the stairs. Another class passed us coming up.
I could hear their squeaky sneakers against the linoleum floor as they went.
I was slowly stepping down the flight of stairs when a somewhat familiar voice called out to me.
"Hey, new girl." I turned my head in the direction of the hiss. "Watch out." Another nasal voice came from my other blind side.
My legs were kicked out from beneath me when I reached for the next step. I didn't have a chance to warn Seth.
Something hard had struck my ankle, coming down at an angle from both sides. I tumbled forward. Unable to stop the books from flying into him.
I had to let them go in an attempt to catch myself in the fall, and I failed miserably.
The dropping sensation scared me more than the actual fall. I let out a short shriek as the feeling reminded me of the free fall off the cliff.
Laughter echoed in the stairwell at me as I lay in a pile of paper and binding.
"Layla! Are you okay?" Seth pushed the pile of debris off me.
"Yeah." I was dazed, dizzily grasping after the pages of books to stack them upright.
"Are you okay?" I asked, remembering the rain of books. "I'm fine." He assured me, helping me restack the books on the floor.
Seth helped me up when we were done. He was stronger than he looked.
With one tug, he pulled me up from the floor, landing me on both my feet with some force.
"Ah!" When pressure hit my leg, it buckled. Tears sprung to my eyes.
He caught me by the arm and lowered us to the bottom steps.
I pulled my pant leg up to inspect the damage. My ankle was undeniably swollen with two inflamed red marks angled and wrapping each side.
"Dang, that looks like it hurts. Leave the books. I'm taking you to the nurse." Seth informed me.
"No, you go, Seth. I'll-" I looked up the steps. "-Take it slow."
"No way." Seth turned around so I could climb onto his back. He noticed my hesitation.
"I'll carry you either way. Your choice." Seth warned me, seeing the stubbornness in my face as he glanced over his shoulder.
I grumbled, wrapping my arms around his neck and legs around his waist for the piggyback ride.
Seth lifted me as if he was carrying his backpack, leaping up the stairs two at a time.
I would have found his agility and sound effects funny, but the throbbing in my ankle took away all enjoyment of the free ride.
"Here we are!" Seth set me down at the infirmary.
"I'm going to take the books back and tell Teach what happened." He was already out the door before I could tell him to be discreet.
"Are you having some bad luck?" The nurse circled her desk to meet me. Her gold-plated name tag was pinned crooked on her white coat.
Ms. McKenzie was a young, well-dressed woman in her late twenties. She pushed up her red-rimmed glasses and then helped me over to the patient's table.
"I guess you could say that." I lifted my ankle for inspection.
"What happened?" Ms. McKenzie stretched my leg out and gently twisted it in her hands. I winced, shifting away at her touch.
"I fell down some stairs," I explained. "These marks are incredibly swollen for 'some stairs." Her light brown eyes flashed up at me, studying me.
"I'll get you an ice pack." She wheeled away in her office chair. The door to her office jarred open.
"Clearwater, is it urgent?" Ms. McKenzie scolded Seth while wheeling over to me.
"I brought Layla's things. I didn't want you walking down those steps again." He thoughtfully set my stuff by the door.
"Thanks, Seth. I owe you one." "Don't mention it." He saluted.
"What's the verdict?" I asked Ms. McKenzie.
"I'm afraid that I can't let you walk around school like this. It's indefinitely sprained and too swollen to tell if it's broken. There could be a brake, so I need you off that foot until the swelling goes down," she explained.
"What?!" I had several more days of tryouts to complete.
I've danced on broken toes and bleeding blisters before; I thought I might be able to pull through.
I winced as she applied pressure with her fingertips along the bone. "Yes, it's too swollen to tell." She repeated to herself.
"Does that mean you're sending me home?" I questioned.
"Unfortunately. I need that leg elevated and iced. Be sure to see your health care provider or me first thing in the morning when the swelling has gone down."
I nodded once sliding off the patient's table. "Would you like to use the phone for a parent to pick you up?"
"No, thank you. I drove myself this morning." I hobbled over to the door.
"Wait here," Seth said to me in the hallway.
Thunder clapped outside as I waited in the lobby, and I watched rain begin to trickle down onto the cement.
I limped through the hall to reach the glass double doors.
"What's this about going home early?"
Seth returned with Jacob, and I felt somewhat betrayed that he would retrieve him.
Before Seth could give him a play-by-play, I filled Jake in.
"Don't worry about me. I rolled my ankle." I said dismissively.
"How'd you do that?" Jacob frowned, looking down to decipher which one.
"I tripped down some steps." I pressed into the door again to escape.
"You'll stay in school if you fall off a cliff, but you'll go home over some stairs?"
I released my grip on the door. Due to his comment, I was now planning on staying the rest of the day.
"You can't tell me that's not sprained, Layla," Seth said, turning to Jake.
"She fell down a flight of stairs. I carried her to the infirmary myself." Seth piped proudly. Jacob's dark eyes widened.
"Thank you so much, Seth," I spoke sarcastically, wishing to retreat into the rain.
"Oops. Uh, see yah." Knowing he had said too much, Seth slipped into the oncoming crowd of students.
"Layla." Jacob followed me outside. I ignored him, gripping the handrail for support.
He tore the bag off my open shoulder. "Jake," I scolded, continuing down the front steps one at a time.
Jacob impatiently picked me up, and I stubbornly clung to the rail as he walked.
"Jacob." I gritted his name in two syllables. My hand slipped down the dewy metal rail with a squeaking sound.
"Let go. You're going to hurt yourself," He griped. "I didn't ask for your help!" running out of room, I had no choice but to let go and grip his shoulders.
Cool raindrops began to plummet around us. I held him tighter as he broke into a jog.
I swear I felt him chuckle as I buried my head into his neck until his pace slowed.
He lowered me so I could unlock my car.
"Get in. I'll drive you around front." I climbed inside the driver's side.
Jacob circled around, adjusting the seat for his long legs.
I hummed my car to life and went to drop him off.
"You're going straight home, right?" He asked me.
That wasn't any of his business. I had planned to go to the grocery store before the pain became too unbearable.
"Sure," Jacob's black eyes tightened as if sensing my lie. He reclosed his passenger door.
"I'm going to make sure you get home safely." He said decidedly.
I couldn't believe he was treating me like a child in my own car.
"Look, Jacob, how will you return to school if I let you ride with me? I'm not making you run miles back in the rain." My anger faded into guilt at that thought.
He paused to think about it. "I could borrow your car since you shouldn't be driving anyway." My jaw tightened at his jab.
"No." Hurt or not, there wasn't anything edible at home. I had promised Syd I would shop for us both.
"I'll bring your car home in an hour." He suggested. "No," I said again.
"If you're worried about gas, I'll pay you back."
"That's whatever. I don't know you well enough to hand over my vehicle to you." My defensive edge threw him off guard.
I knew that this was a stupid argument, but it freaked me out to be without my only means of freedom.
Especially since my only outlet of release was just ripped from me, my ankle throbbed in protest as if reminding me.
Dancing and hiking were now out of reach, and God knows how long it will take to recover.
We stared each other down, waiting for the other to cave.
I pushed to park and turned the car completely off. In the swift movement, my key chain swung, dangling from the ignition.
"Please, get out." "Stop it. You're being stubborn for no reason."
I went to undo his seatbelt while Jacob reached over to restart the car. Our heads collided.
"Oh!" I recoiled, and my hands flew up to my stitches. His seatbelt snapped back, clattering.
"Are you okay? I'm so sorry." Jacob's warm hands cupped my face.
"Yeah." The collision made my eyes water, and the pain brought back clarity of mind.
"Will you stop fighting me? I'm trying to help."
If we don't leave, someone's going to come out here.
Over his shoulder, I saw the office blinds facing the lot. A faculty member was peering out.
"Am I making you play hooky again?" I inquired with saturating guilt.
An increased wave of rain spattered on the roof and windshield.
"Looks like it." Jacob's smile spread, setting me at ease.
"I'm such a bad influence," I muttered, reigniting the car and the windshield wipers.
"Hardly." He scoffed. "It's the second time I've made you skip." I pointed out.
"I don't remember it being against my will."
"There's barely any food at Syd's house. I was planning on grabbing something before I went home." I confessed.
"Is that all? That's why you were trying to get rid of me?" He spoke disapprovingly.
I nodded once in confirmation, biting my lip. I glanced down at my purse, kicking myself for not tossing the flyer away yet.
"You can hardly walk," he griped. "Syd hates going into town, and he won't return from work until late," I explained.
Natural banter like this felt like something an old married couple would do.
"Well, it's a good thing you have me." He spoke encouragingly. I faintly smiled to myself at his thoughtfulness.
"So, does this make you my accomplice?" I questioned. "Sure." Jacob's grin widened, making my heart skip a beat.
I quickly turned my focus back toward the road so I wouldn't accidentally go off-road.
There was a rain-filled stoplight between us. I turned on the radio low to eat up the auditory space.
"Even if you abducted me, I'd be fine with that, too," Jacob noted.
I laughed. Physically, that would be impossible, but imagining it was still fun.
"I couldn't imagine that." I shook my head humorously.
"Why, do I bother you?" He questioned self-consciously. "What? No." I said, uncertain.
The light turned green, and I lurched us both forward jarringly with the sensitive gas pedal.
I realized what I said was true. Jacob didn't bother me. I enjoyed his presence, and he seemed like a good person.
The rumors tainted my outlook, and I silently wondered again if this was all a mere misunderstanding—at least, I wanted it to be.
Was it wise to ask Jacob if he was really part of a gang? More importantly, would he be honest?
I glanced over at him, keeping my eyes away from the flyer jutting out of my purse.
"Then what's wrong with hanging out or getting to know each other?" He asked.
The closest parking spot I could find was near a cart collection slot. I paused, collecting my keys from the ignition.
I chickened out about the question. If the rumors were true, we'd have an awkward drive home.
"Um, Nothing's wrong with that," I assured him. "Good. Wait there." Jacob hopped out into the rain first.
Where was he going? I leaned down to break the elastic in my tube sock, which was suffocating my injured ankle.
"Get in." He opened my driver's side wide with a shopping cart pulled towards me.
"You can't be serious." I stood up, collecting my purse. "Come on. It'll be faster." Jacob and the heavy rain made me cave.
"Fine." He hoisted me into the cart's basket. It felt silly at first, but as he gained speed, I couldn't help but giggle.
Despite Jacob's efforts and speedy pace, my hair was drenched and beginning to curl.
"You got a list?" He asked, pushing us through the double doors.
I pulled a piece of damp paper from my pocket. My swerved half cursive script bled over the faint blue notebook lines.
"I'm not sure if it's legible, but it's mostly produce and some snacks. Maybe the freezer section, too."
"Fancy," He mumbled, carefully studying my handwriting to decipher it.
I knelt in the cart and leaned over to pick out some honey-crisp apples.
Jacob covered more ground for things I couldn't easily reach with what he could read.
"I think that's it." He came back, dumping his findings beside me.
Before the produce manager could scold us, Jacob wheeled us around to the cold section, where I stacked bags of frozen vegetables, pizza, and frozen dinners for Syd around me like a fort.
"Best for last!" I pointed to the ice cream section.
The water was seeping through my clothes caused me to shiver. Jacob pushed me toward the freezer.
"What's your favorite flavor?" I asked him, hoping to pay him off. "Don't worry about it."
"I'm warning you now. I won't share my carton when we get back... Or cartons." I whispered, giggling as I grabbed three more into my arms.
Then I paused, collecting one more for Syd in a coffee flavor. Jacob chuckled, seemingly enjoying my antics.
"Moose tracks." He tossed it in from the highest shelf. "Pizza?" I questioned. "Pepperoni."
The cashier shot me a disapproving look as we approached to check out. Jacob loaded the belt while I pulled out my debit card.
She told us, "Please refrain from misusing our carts in the future. There is a weight limit."
Jacob scoffed as the cashier scowled.
Soon enough, we braved the rain again—something I wasn't looking forward to, seeing that I was already shivering so hard that it rattled the squeaking metal frame I road in.
I was thankful for Jacob. Without him, this trip would have been impossible. My left ankle was so swollen that I couldn't bend it now.
He ran us to my car just as he had before.
Despite the noiselessness from inside the establishment, the rain was still pouring down in heavy sheets.
The cold penetrated my skin as if there was no barrier. Jacob unloaded the cart, and I did my best to help.
"I'm almost done. Go start the car," he instructed. I would have protested, but my teeth were beginning to chatter.
I hopped on one foot, sliding in behind the wheel. My numb fingers shook as I thrust the key toward the ignition slot.
I missed several times, making it on the third try. Jacob's hand beat me to the heater's dial, turning it up all the way.
"S-seat warmer?" I asked him. "Nah, I'm good."
I nodded. My hoodie, caked to my scalp, dripped over my face.
It was strange. The more time spent with Jacob, the more natural it felt to have him near, and the harder it was to imagine him as big, scary, or intimidating.
Here, with him, I didn't have to try to fit in, and the desire to replicate my normalcy in LA waned.
I looked over to Jacob. He was humming to the radio, an old dad-rock alternative song.
The cold didn't seem to bother him, and the wetness looked like it was evaporating off his clothes, as if his body heat had that effect.
I was sure any guy in their right mind wouldn't ditch school for such a mundane task like this without provocation.
I pulled up to an intersection, looking both ways before I made a turn.
Either way, I was happy he didn't treat me like an alien, even when I felt like one, with everything so unfamiliar.
"What is it?" He asked, catching my gaze. We approached the school's road.
"Last chance to make it to class." I offered, knowing he might pass on that.
"Who's going to believe me if I don't watch you down four cartons of ice cream alone?" He teased.
"Hey, one's for Syd. Only three are for me." I grinned."How generous of you." He snickered.
Minutes later, we wound up the long winding pathway to Moon Ranch.
The pouring rain lessened a fraction under the canopy of trees.
Once up at the house, I popped the trunk, preparing to take a load into the house. Jacob refused to let me help.
I grumbled thanks and shuffled off to find something dry to change into while he finished up.
The stairs were too intimidating to climb, so I checked the laundry room first.
To my luck, I found a few dry items. I peeled off my layers quickly and let them flop to the floor.
It was a balancing act to slip on into my leggings. I also found a baggy band T-shirt in the bin that smelled good enough to wear.
When I was done, I used the wall to hop towards the kitchen.
Jake beat me to the freezer for an ice pack.
"Maybe you should take it easy. Mind if I pop in a pizza?" Jacob was entitled to anything after all his help.
"Sure." I shuffled for the remaining pain meds on the counter from my fall last Saturday.
"How's the leg?" "I'll be happy to ice it," I confessed, traveling toward the long leather couch in the sunken living room.
He met me there as I propped up my leg on the coffee table, gently lowering the pack of frozen peas to my tender flesh.
It felt like a heavy bag of marbles. I grimaced to myself.
He sat next to me on the couch, dipping it. The movement almost caused the bag to fall.
"Shoot. Sorry, Layla." His hand covered mine to catch it. "It's okay." I re-adjusted it.
"Can I see?" He asked. "I think it needs more time to ice," I spoke with a defensive edge.
He lifted it anyway. The pink lines that wrapped around it previously were now a deep, angry purple, and my ankle was twice the size it was supposed to be.
"I knew I should've made you drive to the hospital. Where are your keys?" Jacob chided, standing up.
"I'm not going anywhere. The nurse said the swelling had to go down first. They can't do anything right now."
Replacing the ice forcefully myself, I winced. Jacob shot me a stern look I willfully evaded.
It was silent for a measurable moment as he considered what to do. The trickling of rain and the gargle from the gutter outside felt loud.
"If you're mad at me for being difficult, you don't have to stay. I think the car keys are on the counter. Just promise me you'll pick me up for school tomorrow." I said softly, apologizing in a low whisper.
Jacob sighed and brushed away wet strands of hair to see my expression.
"I'm only frustrated that you keep getting hurt. And I wish you would stop pushing me away, so I can help," Jacob continued.
His husky voice was so soft and sweet that I turned my face towards him.
"Can I ask you a question?"
The oven beeped over my words, and Jacob's stomach growled loudly.
I instinctively went to stand up. His hand on my shoulder kept me from doing so.
"I'll get it." He got up instead to serve the pizza. "Plates are up high. Left of the sink," I noted.
Jake came back, balancing a pile on one plate and two slices on another. It was easy to tell which was his.
I began peeling off the pepperoni and set them one by one on his plate. He looked at me questioningly.
"Vegetarian," I mumbled, lifting a cheese slice to my face.
"You've been wondering why I've kept my distance," I started out, rethinking about how to go about this.
Jacob glanced up from his plate, a long stretch of cheese dripping from his mouth. He cursed, slurping it up.
I giggled in response. "Yeah." He coughed, embarrassed. I waited for him to collect himself.
"Um. How do I put this? Please, don't take offense. I'm honestly just curious."
"Okay?" He seemed hesitant, bracing himself for whatever I was about to say.
"Everyone- Okay, maybe not everyone. But some classmates have mentioned that you and your friends are some gang."
I confessed, fumbling over my words anyway. Jacob unexpectedly burst into laughter.
His response aided in my relief, but I was still nervously waiting for confirmation that this wasn't true.
"Is that it?" He asked, wiping a tear from his eyes. I nodded yes.
"Well, kind of." Jacob shrugged. "What do you mean?" My smile faded.
"It's nothing like that." I could tell he was holding back another bout of laughter, but the seriousness on my face held him at bay.
"Look, we're just a group of guys appointed by the tribal elders to look after the La Push lands," he explained measuredly.
I pursed my lips, contemplating if he was telling the truth.
"That still sounds like a gang, Jacob." "I don't know what else to tell you." He grinned.
"So you guys don't sell or do drugs?" I asked, interrogating him now. "No." He stifled another laugh.
"And there's no violence?" I continued.
"Not really. Sometimes, we roughhouse with each other, but that's about it. Sam's only had to kick out that one big guy from Maca off our turf. He was trying to sell meth to middle schoolers," Jacob explained.
"Honest?" My suspicion lifted exponentially. "Honest." His grin spread wide like on the flyer. It was more beautiful in person.
"And the only one close to joining me on a motorcycle might be Quil. His mom is being a kinda way about it, though."
Jacob kicked his feet up on the coffee table and draped an arm behind the couch where I sat.
"Oh." I didn't have much to say now. Of course, I'd keep an eye open for anything fishy, but it seemed Jacob was telling the truth.
"I guess that's okay then." "Are we allowed to hang out now?" He reached over to grab the remote.
Jacob clicked on the TV and started scanning for something we could watch. "Sure, I guess so," I said, content with my questioning in the meantime.
I pulled the throw blanket over myself to compensate for the frozen pack chilling my leg. He settled on an action movie.
"Do you have a question for me?" I inquired curiously about our agreement.
"I have a lot of questions." He answered.
My brows furrowed in confusion. I knew this small town was boring, but I couldn't be that exciting to him.
"What would you want to know?" I subconsciously leaned into the warmth radiating off him.
"Everything." The smile in his voice made the corners of my mouth instinctively pull up.
"You're silly, Jacob." I sighed. I was the one who wanted to know more about him.
With a full stomach, warmth, and the sound of mulled rain behind the TV's backdrop, my eyelids grew heavier.
Jacob's Pov
"Why's that?" I shook my imprint's shoulder for a response. Her head drooped against my shoulder.
"Layla?" Soft snores erupted beside me, and she leaned deeper into my side.
Layla was out cold. I readjusted us on the couch so I could discreetly hold her.
The tension I've felt these past few days lifted, and I eased into bliss as she rested in my arms.
Layla was soft and fit into my core perfectly. It made me feel whole, like another missing puzzle piece was sliding into place.
She sighed contently in her sleep, wrapping an arm around me. I held her there, not wanting to move.
A loud commercial break with neon lights emitting from the screen woke me. The room was darker than before.
"Shoot." I had fallen asleep. I sat up carefully with Layla in my arms.
The clock in the kitchen read 7 p.m.
Syd had to be home soon, and he wouldn't like catching us on the couch like this. Not that I would mind, but I knew Layla might not want to hear it from him.
I hoisted her up, deciding to take Layla to her room so she could sleep in peace.
The small room was cluttered with a few half-packed boxes on the floor. I stepped around them carefully to lower Layla to the bed.
When I went to pull away, she made a face and locked her arms around my neck.
The subconscious gesture made me smile. "You need your rest," I whispered.
I unhooked her grasp; she wasn't strong at all.
Pulling the quilt up, I waited until Layla's breathing returned steadily, indicating a deep slumber.
"Goodnight, Layla." I leaned over, kissing her forehead.
Then disgracefully, I stubbed my toe on her crappy little desk. The movement caused me to topple an envelope of photos onto the floor.
"Shoot." I had no idea what order she had them in.
As I placed them back on her desk, I lingered, peering into her life before we met.
A past where Layla was young and awkward, skinny but still pretty. Where former braces blocked her now perfectly straight teeth.
I shuffled through a short stack of family pictures. Her older brother, Zach, was tall and lanky, but resembled their father.
Lily, the mother, was tall and blond, having fewer features in common. Looking more like a celebrity photobombing the three from our community.
I moved on to recent pictures of Layla and her friends, by the looks of it, uppity-rich kids.
Most repeating pictures included two girls.
Ashely, a seemingly nice girl-next-door pretty type, and Brianna, a curvaceous party girl who didn't look like the best influence.
Layla, although camera shy, seemed happily wedged between them. Why she hung out with these people was beyond me.
Fancy pants places and parties with a cloned crowd resembling a fraternity catastrophe.
Through the popped collared shirts and short skirts, the next photo I flipped over took my breath away.
Gorgeously tan in a swimsuit, Layla wrapped a baggy white windbreaker around most of her.
In the middle of my admiration, I followed a forgein limb snaked around my imprint's waist, finding it to be attached to a modelized version of Mike Newton.
My stomach knotted uncomfortably. I flipped the photo over to see big, bubbly handwriting that wasn't hers.
'Liam and Layla. Here's to a memorable summer. Hopefully, one of many firsts.'~ Ashely.
Frowning, I folded the image in half and slid it into my pocket.
I guess I had my question, I thought sourly.
I glanced at my sleeping soulmate one last time before I parted for the night.
Author's Note:
I wanted to clarify a question a reader had. Per my first author's note, I stated the timeline would be shoddy for writer/plot convenience.
For reader's imagination's sake, Eclipse Chapter 26 Ethic and 27 Epilogue did take place.
In this story, Jacob had run around in wolf form since his recovery from the newborn battle. He also showed up at Bella's wedding in human form, like in Breaking Dawn, but then directly reverted to wolf form until friends and family coaxed him to return home.
At this point, Bella and Edward have not returned to Forks since their honeymoon.
I hope this helps alleviate any confusion.