Disclaimer: This story is rated T/ M (Mature). Content may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. It will most likely contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and strong language. (Especially in upcoming chapters)
(I'm re-editing some old chapters; there are no important changes to the story.)
Layla's Pov
I was up late, balancing on furniture to hang my old band posters, trying to keep busy and not overthink the conversation Jacob and I had on the porch.
I was worried that I shared too much. and dwelled on the reason he inquired about my ex.
My cell phone rang. The ID was unrecognizable, but I would take a chance on a solicitor to separate my racing thoughts.
"Hello?" I wedged the phone on my shoulder.
"Hey Layla-" "Jake?!" I accidentally dropped a push pin I was using as a nail. I didn't ask Syd if I could redecorate, so I was trying to be careful.
"Guess who has a new phone?" I could hear the smile in his voice.
"Rachel's not going to get anything done. What was she thinking by not sharing?" I mused teasingly.
Jacob complained before about how his sister hogged the home line, so he had reminded me that if I wanted to call, I should try twice.
Of course, I've been too much of a coward too. "Funny, I'm free from her tyranny, so we can talk whenever now." Jacob clarified anyway.
"That's great, Jake. Ow!" I jumped off the desk to see if the posters were hung evenly, but I landed hard.
"You okay?" "Yeah, just hanging up stuff. If I had your height, this would be cake." I grunted, getting back up to fix a corner that had fallen.
"I could help. I'll head over now." Jacob offered. "It's late. I'm sure Syd won't let you in. Besides, I'm almost done."
I balanced on the rolling desk chair to stretch over my dresser and failed to post the last one.
"How about the window?" Jacob offered again. "Like you could fit." I laughed.
"We could see." There was a tap at the window, then another. "Look outside." He muttered impatiently into the phone.
I jumped over to my bed, yanking back the curtain. Then I fell to my knees, bouncing on my mattress.
"Jake! What are you doing?" I cracked open the window. It groaned, defying my pull.
He grinned up at me and hung up.
"Like I said, you won't fit, and now it's stuck." I tugged again. The window wouldn't go up or down now.
Jacob climbed the landing in one swift movement to sit on the portico.
"And, Like I said, we'll see." Jacob tugged the window slab up and down. The catch in the sill freed so it could slide smoothly.
"Thanks, I would've been freezing all night. It's already cold because of the poor insulation, but, um." I rambled nervously, a habit I only seemed to have around him.
"Can I come in?" Jacob asked. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea." I sat down next to him along the side of the window, pulling my knees up.
"Why not? You want help hanging stuff, right?" "It can wait," I said.
He seemed content to hang out with me.
"How was the Auto shop?" I asked, curious about Jacob's evening.
He told me all about his apprenticeship. Bob, who owned the place, seemed easygoing while his co-owner Allen ran a tighter ship. Dean, Bob's nephew, seemed to be there due to necessity rather than desire. While Darrel was the only other student genuinely interested in becoming a mechanic like Jacob.
"So, what sparked your interest in fixing cars? Has it always been your passion?" I probed attentively.
He was quiet for a moment, deep in thought as if no one had asked him that before.
"I guess it feels good to put something back together. When it all works out, it's exciting to see." He rested his arms on his knees when he looked over at me.
"Cool." My comment was for him, but the clouds parted for the stars again. He looked in the same direction.
"The stars? You can see them well up the mountain behind the skyline turnpike." Jacob shared.
"Really?" I stuck my head back inside my room. "I'll take you on a clear night." Jacob offered.
"That would be nice." I yawned, uncommitted.
"You're always apprehensive about making plans with me, but when we hang out, you seem to have a good time," Jacob was more observant than I gave him credit for, or maybe I was just that obvious.
A cold breeze blew in, making me shiver. "I-I" I stammered, pulling up my quilt. He waited for me to respond.
"I just haven't hung out with a guy, alone, this much before," I spoke slowly, thinking through my confession, making sure the statement was true, and it was.
"What do you mean? You had a boyfriend." Jacob scoffed. I shook my head.
"We were never alone much. I told you. It was a superficial, frivolous thing in a group setting." I suppressed another yawn.
I didn't want to talk about Liam anymore. He wasn't important. I sunk down in my bed to keep warm. Sleep wasn't far away from me either.
"Oh." That was all Jacob could say. Although, I felt like he had more burning questions for me.
My own question seemed to escape my tired mind without warning.
"Have you ever been alone, much, with another girl?" I might as well asked him if he's dated anyone, let alone have a girlfriend.
It was too late to take it back now. Jacob was obscenely still.
The gesture sobered me up a bit. He was also quiet for too long, at least to me.
"I think I hear Syd coming up the stairs. You should get some rest." He turned away from my window and jumped down with a low thud.
My heart dropped with his descent, stunned and stung by his reaction.
I didn't know when I gave myself permission to become optimistic about Jacob Black.
Maybe it was because I was too vulnerable with him earlier that I expected something in return.
"Layla," I heard Jacob call my name from the dark. I shut my window and quickly pulled back the curtain.
Just as he had said, Syd opened my door to check on me.
"Get some sleep, Kowlieshkah. You need your rest." Syd flipped the switch to my overhead light.
"You're right; good night, Grandpa." I buried down in my sheets, facing away from my window, trying to swallow a swell of disappointment.
Jacob's Pov
I felt like a total ass since leaving Layla last night. Her question threw me off.
I was so caught up in getting to know my imprint... I didn't expect the topic of Bella to come up.
It was my intention to move on like nothing ever happened, but could I really do that?
Bella was so intertwined with my past and around the time of becoming a werewolf.
I didn't want to lie to Layla, so omission seemed like my best option as I devised a way to introduce her to the pack secret.
Embry had been out running with me last night. So he knew what I was struggling with this morning.
"Tough break, man. I wouldn't know where to start with that."
He patted my shoulder, walking off with Quil, who said. "You'd be better off telling her you're a wolf first."
"I'm sure she'll understand someday," Seth was overly supportive. I let out an aggravated sigh.
I perked up, watching Layla cross the parking lot. As she approached, I stood up from leaning off the back of Embry's truck.
And... she walked right by me to greet Tiffany instead.
I caught up to them. "Need help?" I asked, holding out my arm so Layla didn't have to limp across the lot.
"I'm good, Jake. See you in class." Layla linked arms with Tiffany instead, who glanced between us suspiciously.
"I thought you guys were, you know, 'getting along,'" Tiffany whispered in a hush.
"It's whatever. Here I have the CD you wanted to borrow. Also, didn't you say you wanted to-"
So Layla was blowing me off? I thought, a bit miffed.
Wait, if Layla was upset with me, maybe she was jealous? I perked up again at the thought, tailing them to class.
"What's up?" Layla asked as she pulled out the crutch.
"Nothing. I know you were having trouble extending it yesterday-" "I got it." She stretched it out without a clicking sound and placed it on the ground.
I crossed my arms, waiting for it to collapse. Two steps in, it folded on her.
Several students around laughed at her demise. I caught the top of her backpack so she didn't completely eat tile.
"Thanks," Layla muttered. I collected the crutch from the ground and clicked the adjustment in place.
"You're welcome," I said, handing it back to her.
"Are we good now, or what?" I asked. "We're fine." She went ahead of me, not sounding fine.
In the following classes, Layla continued to keep her distance.
From catching up with Camille to giving Elu the time of day when he rallied for her attention.
Toward the end of History, I stopped her again.
"Hey, Layla. I'm sorry about how I left things last night. It wasn't cool." "It's okay."
"Really?" "You don't owe me anything, Jacob." Layla collected her books into her bag and then finally glanced up at me.
"I was the only one obligated to answer your questions. I see that now." She stood up, heading for the door to get a jump start on the bell.
'You can ask me anything, Layla.' That is what I wanted to say, but that wasn't true. I could answer just about anything besides Bella and being a wolf.
Instead, all I could do was wait out her mood, which gradually eased as the day stretched on. It was good to know that Layla wasn't one to stay mad for very long.
I thought I'd invite her to our table when lunch hour came around. I waited for my imprint at the top of the stairs, where she was still having difficulty.
As all our classmates passed, she didn't arrive. Wondering if Layla had gone ahead, I went down to check the cafeteria, but she wasn't there either.
Layla's Pov
I sought refuge in the bathroom, splashing my face with cold water.
That should snap me out of imagining things between Jacob and me.
I peeked out of the girl's room to see him chatting with his friends as they made their way into the cafeteria.
My stomach twisted again—knots of nerves or butterflies. I couldn't decide.
I knew I was overreacting and needed to calm down. He didn't deserve my attitude.
Pacing back towards the line of sinks for a second rinse, I caught sight of an old metal fire escape exit door wedged in the back corner.
It was assumably cracked open for vinylation. I took advantage of this opportunity to step out for some fresh air.
The atmosphere was humid, and the clouds were creeping over from the seascape's direction, swirling to initiate more weather on the land.
The semi-sun had illuminated the greenway path, so I hurried along before anyone could spot me limping into the woods.
Once behind the tree line, I slowed my pace. The scent of moss and wet dogwood was the exact remedy I needed to clear my head.
My cell phone disrupted my momentary peace with its vibration.
I took a seat on the closest thing available, recognizing the carved-out log from my first week when Jacob took me here.
"Hello?" I answered. I figured it would be Ashely calling about this weekend's plans to Seattle.
"Layla, honey?" My mom's voice was rough like she had been sick.
"Mom, thank goodness you're alright. Did you get any of my messages?" I asked eagerly.
"I haven't checked them yet. Please, listen to me. If you need or want anything, don't hesitate to contact Bethany. She will help you, and more importantly, she knows how to reach me."
"But I don't want to talk to your assistant! I want my own mother. Why won't you tell me what's going on?" I pleaded, not masking the pain I felt.
"Layla." My mother used the stern voice she reserved for the few times I got in trouble.
"I need you to put aside your childish vendetta with Bethany. She's family. And not the one you should be upset with." Lily's cough was chest-deep.
"Mom?" "I'm limited on time, but I wanted you to know that I love you and am proud of you." The way she said this scared me. It was as if she was saying goodbye.
"I love you too. When will I see you again?" I questioned desperately. This was the longest I'd been without her; she must have known that.
"It won't be for a while." Her voice became garbled. "When? Mom! Can you hear me?" The line cut back in. I must have missed something.
"You're a strong girl...more than you know. Take care, my sweetheart." My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach when the line disconnected.
Tears sprung to my eyes. "Mom? You can't do this to me." I held the cell phone in my lap.
A sudden burst of tears built up and spilled over. I missed her, and she didn't seem to care.
I continued to sit here because I was furious that she had chosen to leave me in the dark.
After all we'd been through, I moved here in this dump of a town in blind obedience. I felt robbed of the answers I deserved.
What was the result of my sweet sixteen that night?
On the adult side of the party, was the drug bust really for real? Were we being investigated?
Was that the reason I was sent away to stay with my dad? Technically, Syd, but still.
I could have stayed with Ashely until the revised divorce settlement was complete.
When my fit of emotion was over, I sniffed, wiping away the residue of my outburst on my sleeve. I didn't want to return to school like this, but I had to.
Trudging through the damp earth, I encouraged myself that I would have an opportunity for answers tonight when I went to Seattle.
Jacob's Pov
"If she doesn't come to class, I'll cover you," Embry whispered lowly behind me.
I was about to take him up on his offer when my imprint trudged in. She apologized to the teacher before heading to her seat next to me.
Fresh mud from the outside caked her shoes. No wonder I couldn't find her; she wasn't in school.
Layla sat down without glancing in my direction. Her nose was red, and her eyes were glassy like she'd been crying or something.
Guilt settled in. When Mr. Moore was consumed with the lesson, I whispered to Layla.
"Where were you at lunch?" She shrugged and sniffed.
Something wasn't right; I undeniably smelt the hint of salt water.
"Hey, you okay?" I whispered softer. "Yeah, thanks, Jake." Layla flashed a small smile in my direction.
I took her hand under the table, giving it a light squeeze when she didn't pull away.
"Sorry," I rubbed my thumb over the top of her chilled hand, warming it. "It's not you." She murmured back.
"Really," Layla assured me. That was a relief, but what bothered her was troubling me.
Layla's Pov
"Hey, Jake." I didn't expect to see him waiting on the front steps this late after school.
I had almost forgotten about the hour-long theater tryouts at the end of the day. They were mandatory for the club that I joined, in place of dance, to satisfy my father's academic requirements.
"When I said I'd like to talk later, I didn't think that you'd wait for me." "It's fine. I got some homework done." Jacob escorted me across the lot.
"I want to apologize about this morning. I was being too...much." I stopped to pull out the car keys.
"There's nothing to worry about." Jacob reached out, tucking a stray piece of my hair behind one ear.
"Okay, um, can I offer you a ride?" I asked, smiling instinctively up at him. "Nah, I'm heading to Port Angeles after this." Jacob shook his head.
"I'm already headed in that direction." I tried to sound persuasive. "You are? Then how can I refuse." He mused.
"I'm visiting my dad in Seattle this weekend. My suitcase is already in the back." I gestured.
Jacob adjusted the passenger seat to fit his long legs in my Ford Escape.
"When will you be back?" He inquired, sounding a bit disappointed now. "Sunday," I stated, casually turning on the techno-dance playlist Brianna burned for me.
Jacob made a face. "No?" I laughed. "You listen to this stuff?"
"I listen to whatever I can dance to." I proceeded to switch stations until we settled on a mutual rock band.
After a few good songs, Jacob spoke up.
"Not to put a damper on things, but what happened earlier?" He turned the volume down, and I subconsciously accelerated the gas pedal.
"I had to step out for a phone call. It took longer than expected." I replied, knowing exactly what he was asking about.
"Who called you?" He pressed.
I sucked in a breath, not wanting to talk about those things. Not when I've already shared too much as it is. I needed to know more about him first.
"Things have been complicated with my family lately. I hope this trip will clear some stuff up so things can start returning to normal."
I reached for the volume dial to turn up the tunes. "What's wrong?" Jacob asked, blocking me from using music as a buffer.
"Enough of my complaining. Tell me what you like to do for fun around here." I intentionally made my voice lighter, hoping he'd indulge my topic change.
"Slow small town, slow small town activities. Sometimes we have to get creative," Jacob admitted with a shrug.
He wasn't fooled, but at least he was going along with it. "By creative, do you mean get in trouble? What's the worst you've been in for?" I questioned inquisitively.
"Billie doesn't care much for what I do. I'd say Quil is our troublemaker champion."
Then he indulged me in a story of how Quil asked out a senior's steady girlfriend this past spring.
"What about you and your friends? Any hoodlum activities I should know about?"
"Oh yeah, you know that's why they kicked me out of Cali." I laughed teasingly. He waited for a counter-story I wasn't willing to give.
"But, no, everything I like to do requires more mobility than I have to offer." "Right. I don't mind helping you hike or something," Jacob said.
"I thought you'd be sick of me by now. You'd be willing to carry me as your dead-weight adventure pack?"
"Of course not; you're not dead weight. I bet I could run miles without wout getting remotely tired." Jacob snorted a laugh.
I thought he was exaggerating, but it sounded like he meant it. "Sure." I rolled my eyes.
The spritzes of rain gradually increased as we exited Forks and inched towards the coast.
"Do you have a favorite holiday?" I asked randomly, deviating from the plan-making. "What are we playing, twenty questions?" He asked with a smirk.
"Maybe. Is that okay?" I kept my eyes on the road. "Sure, I'd say Thanksgiving. Everyone's home, and there's plenty of food."
I should have guessed. "And you?" He reflected on my question. "You don't have to ask the same thing." I encouraged. "I know."
"Hm. It's a tie between the Fourth of July and Halloween. I love fireworks, but I think my sweet tooth has me overruled."
"Huh," Jacob sat back, absorbing what I said. "Why? Were you expecting Christmas?" "Yeah, sort of. It's the classic girl answer," He admitted.
"Well, There's more to life than presents, lights, and commercialism..." I paused midsentence to rethink my criticism.
"Maybe it's unfair for me to judge since I've never actually had a real Christmas. Not since I was small."
"What do you mean?" "I've never been anywhere cold enough to snow, for starters."
"You've never seen snow? Living in California, you've never been skiing or snowboarding?" The tone in his voice sounded dubious.
"No. My mom always ensured we'd always spent it somewhere warm instead." I made a sour face.
"Where have you traveled?" He carried on with our game. I
listed the warm places south of the equator, then two trips abroad for spring break. The South of France was the one, and Austria was the other.
"Which one was your favorite?" "No, It's my turn. Where would you like to go? Anywhere in the world."
Jacob just stared at me for a long moment. I almost forgot I was driving when he cleared his throat.
"Maybe Hawaii, to visit my sister, Rebecca," "I didn't know you had another sister."
"Yeah, Rebecca is Rachel's identical twin. Becca married a Samoan surfer; now they live in Kauai."
"Wow, and you guys haven't visited since?" I questioned, "No, we haven't in almost three years." He counted the time in his head to make sure.
"Plane tickets are pricy," I nodded. "She hasn't really asked for us to come either. I assumed Rebecca just wanted to escape," Jacob thought aloud.
"Escape the small town?" I asked. "Something like that." He directed me to where to drop him off. I pulled over to the curb, parking illegally.
"We'll have to do something 'normal' when you get back." He outstretched one leg onto the curb.
"Hey, can you do me a favor?" "Sure." I committed without knowing the requirements or repercussions.
"Call me when you get to your dad's place." Jacob continued. "Okay, why?" I blinked, confused.
"I want to know you made it safe." He leaned in unexpectedly, pecking a kiss on my cheek before slipping out into the rain.
His warm lips burned a memory into me, turning me pink.
"See you Sunday." Jacob lit up, exposing his beautiful white toothy smile. That only made me blush harder.
"Bye, Jake," I mumbled with my windows rolled up. I bet he couldn't hear me, so I just waved shyly.
A horn honked behind me, waking me for the adrenaline I needed for this lengthy road trip at dusk.
Jacob's Pov
I walked down an alley between the beaten-down warehouses and then passed the small junkyard where cops like to pull repossessed cars.
Where the rough parts began to bleed into downtown, Bob's Auto Shop emerged in bold neon yellow letters.
"Good to see you, Black," Bob was chowing down on a sub in his cramped closet of an office. The bottom half of his sandwich fell out on the documents on his desk.
"Shit. I'll be right over." He smeared more of it when he tried to pick up the affected papers.
"Hey, Bob. Don't worry about it." I signed in, heading to the garage with Bob's other apprentices and employees.
AL seemed to be leaving for the night, locking up the main building. Meanwhile, Dean and Darrell made themselves comfortable at a side table in the back.
There they were playing with a deck of cards, and by the looks of it, Darrel was teaching young Dean blackjack.
"Alright, I have a few customers' cars for you to learn from." Bob gestured for us to follow.
After an hour into the session, he trusted me to work independently. I was working on the brakes of an old Ram Dodge Charger.
Usually, working on cars is my peace and a place not to think, but I kept replaying Layla and my conversations with her when I was bored.
Would telling Layla I was a wolf, like Quil said, be easier? Or did Embry have a point in asking her out first?
I wondered how Layla would respond to my shifting. Would Layla take it as well as Bella did? But then again, she was already down with the vampires.
On the other hand, Layla is my imprint, so I should trust the bond.
I finished up the front brakes and moved on to the back ones. Four-wheel drive was a bitch when it came to this.
I tried to picture Layla's reaction. I could only imagine her horrified expression in the woods when she first caught me in wolf form hunting behind her house.
I winced at the memory. The old brake pad I had removed crumbled in my grasp.
"Everything all good?" Darrell bent down to watch me work. "Yeah, why?"
"You've got the front brakes in backward." He pointed out. "Crap." "I got it." Darrell offered to help.
Later, I got up to wash my hands; I had just finished patching up another car's coolant leak.
The shop guys gathered around the break zone, a corner table pushed up against the wall. They were all staring up at the tiny TV mounted above some shelves.
"Did they find another one?" Bob asked. "Try five more." Dean pointed up at the news playing.
"Damn, I thought all that was over and done with." Darrell whistled. "Five more what?" I asked, wiping residue on my jeans.
"More bodies were uncovered in Seattle." Dean half turned in his seat.
"Do you think it's gang activity again?" Bob leaned against the door frame and adjusted his toolbelt around his pot belly.
"Doubt it. I call serial killer." Darrel denied the claim. My blood ran cold, then burned hot.
"Mind if I step out for a phone call?" I asked Bob. "Go ahead, kid," he said.
I stepped out behind the brick building and dialed Layla's number. It took two rings, but she answered, to my relief.
"Hello?" "Layla, have you arrived in Seattle yet?"
"Yeah, I'm almost at the restaurant to meet my father. Why?" It was too late to ask her to turn around.
"Can you call me when you return to his place?" I pleaded."Okay. Are you alright, Jake? Did something happen?" She sounded skeptical.
"I've just seen the news and..." I explained. "Oh, Don't worry. I don't plan on going anywhere alone." Layla was placating me now.
"Okay, but-" "I'm sorry, Jake, but I have to go. Talk to you later." She hung up.
"Girlfriend?" Bob hovered in the doorway. "Something like that. She's headed to Seattle for the weekend." I grumbled begrudgingly.
He nodded. Probably heard everything, too.
"Why don't you give yourself a break? Go grab something to eat on the main strip."
"Thanks, Bob, but I'd rather keep working," I mumbled, heading inside to finish my last project.