Layla's Pov
I kicked my feet up on Syd's dash re-reading the note cards we went over last night. I'd be helping with the presentation in the wolf's den today.
We'd get to the wildlife reserve well before the busloads of students arrived for the field trip.
The sunrise over the mountain pass crept over the hill we climbed. Its rays lit up mist making the landscape hazy.
Syd held the chain link fence door open for me to walk through.
After the staff fed the wolves and when they were satisfied Syd was going to reintroduce me to a few so that when all the visitors arrived I wouldn't spook them.
I knew Mika and the alpha Koda from when I was small. It didn't take long for them to warm up to me despite the years away. Then again, I was with Syd. Maybe they knew I was a part of his pack, so they were more friendly.
"Aren't wolves supposed to be bigger?" I voiced my thoughts aloud. Wolf Bear seemed like a horse compared to these guys.
"It's true that wild wolves are layered with more muscle. These are still four times the size of a regular mutt. How much bigger were you thinking?" Syd adjusted his clip-on mic.
"I'm not sure. It just seems like the wolves in La Push could have their own zip code." I laughed as Mika leaned into me for more pets.
"You've seen wolves in La Push?" Syd questioned, almost alarmed.
"Here and there," I stated vaguely.
The pale, burnt-yellow school buses began to arrive.
"Show time, kid. Grab a vest for me, will you?"
I grabbed a neon green vest for us both to associate ourselves with our guests and with the staff.
Embry's Pov
The guys and I jumped out the back of the yellow monstrosity of a bus.
"I wish they would just let me drive," I complained.
"We could have just run here in ten minutes," Jacob sided with me.
"That would just defeat the human facade." Joseph and Seth jumped down behind us.
The mass of students excitedly wove through the double-layered barrier of chain-linked fences. It felt like a narrow maze circling the perimeter of the wildlife sanctuary.
Jacobs's head was already on a swivel looking for Layla when we started to see staff members trickle out of the red brick center compound.
"Hey guys." Quil jogged up to us.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Oh, you know. It was my turn to scope the woods. Since I was already close by, I thought of hanging out with our old brothers." Quil grinned, referring to the wolves trotting out.
Five of them spread out on the sloping hill, scoping out the chatting students lined up against the fence of their domain.
Quil knew as well as I did that it was going to be hilarious watching Layla give a presentation on wolves in front of us werewolves.
"There's your girl." I jerked my chin up in Layla's direction for Jacob, but he had already spotted her.
We stood at the far end, away from the other students, so that we could banter in private.
Layla was behind her grandfather. The wolves circled cautiously and curiously. Students crooned when some were brave enough to trot the fence line.
"How do you think they'd react to real wolves?" Joseph grinned impishly, earning him a disapproving look from Seth.
"Welcome, everyone. Let us begin with a short introduction..." Syd listed the names of the pack. They brushed past him as he did.
Then the thirty-minute lecture began on the life cycle of wolves.
"Can anyone guess who the Alpha is?" Syd asked the group of students, breaking up the info dump.
One of the other students shouted the name of the biggest one.
"Nope." Layla stroked the fur of the wolf closest to her with thick pepper-grey fur. I couldn't help but mentally compare our wolf form to theirs. They were much smaller than we were and more anxious.
"It's not the largest or the one who paces the perimeter." She pointed out.
Jacob was leaning into the fence, hanging onto her every word.
"It is the most easy-going one. Koda here is the peacemaker of the pack. His job is to make sure everyone gets along and keeps everyone coordinated. " Layla explained.
"That's right. And the pack isn't just a random group of wolves, either. It's a family with a matriarch as its true head." Syd nodded in agreement.
"The Beta's job, female to the alpha, is to protect and alert the pack from most dangers." Layla continued.
Layla waved at us, spotting Jake first.
"Now pups sound like dogs until they Mature. When they're of age, wolves should only snarl, growl, or howl. It doesn't necessarily mean they're angry." Layla was on her knees with two wolves when a younger wolf approached. He spotted a bone from dinner the other dropped at Layla's feet.
Koda snarled deeply at the younger pup as it tried to push them out of the way to reach the bone.
"Sometimes the Alpha has to teach the pups manners, like now. Rudy is trying to steal the spotlight." Layla leaned away from them.
The pup circled back to nip at the hind legs of the other wolf.
Jacob gripped the fence. The next snarl wasn't just a warning, and being part wolf, we knew what was next. The fight broke out.
Students gasped in response. Layla did what she could by tucking into a ball to wait out the brawl.
"Stay calm, Kwolieshkah," Syd instructed. The chain-linked fence in front of us shook noisily.
"Jake!" I called out. He had already jumped over into the enclosure.
"Bro! What are you doing?" Seth whispered in haste.
"What happened to lay low?" Joseph hissed.
Layla tumbled over, getting up to escape the commotion. She stood up completely while backing away. The wolves' heads jerked up in her and Jacob's direction. Pack mentality kicking in. Layla double-took a glance over her shoulder to see Jake approaching.
The wolves snarled louder, teaming up against them now.
"Jacob?! What are you doing? Stay behind me." She spread out her arms to block Jacob from moving forward.
Quil, on the other hand, was trembling with laughter, and I was close to joining him now.
Jacob ignored her plea.
"Don't do anything stupid," Seth warned.
Jacob brushed Layla out of the way with one arm and stomped towards the wolves in question.
"Black! Get back." Syd's voice overshadowed the short growl erupting from our friend.
The wolves yielded in a whine and retreated up the hill.
A howl signaled the pack to move across the enclosure away from the humans.
It's not like we can read the animal wolf's mind, wolf form or not. Communication with them was more like a strong interpretation.
The entire class erupted with laughter and banter. This was the most entertainment anyone's had in a while.
Layla's Pov
The students along the fence were bent over in laughter or were blatantly making fun of what had just happened. Even Quil and Embry, who I thought were becoming my friends, were falling over chortling.
Seth was the only one mildly concerned, and he was chasing after Joseph, who was scampering off to find mischief.
The weight of humiliation pressed against my chest.
"Layla-" I shoved Jacob's hand off my shoulder.
"Out of the enclosure!" Syd barked the order at us.
"This way." I was too furious and embarrassed to look up at Jacob. I could feel my face heat up and my eyes glass over with frustration.
He followed me into the brick building and began to ask how I was.
"I'm fine." I snipped, holding the office door open for him and Syd closing in behind. It looked like a teacher was running to join them.
Jacob's black eyes pleaded with me while my expression held no comfort.
I left them to rip off my neon vest. Tossing it back in the designated bin. I traded it for my maroon zip-up hoodie and rushed for the exit.
Avoiding the other students, I hurried to the employee parking section where Syd's truck was sitting.
Once inside the vehicle, I remembered that I couldn't drive a manual stick shift that well at all. The road to Forks was mostly coasting down the mountain. I coaxed myself into action.
Jacob's Pov
After getting chewed out by the teacher and scolded by Syd, he decided to drop any repercussions. From his tone, it sounded like he had something else in store for me, off the records.
Once I was freed from the tiny windowless room, I followed Layla's scent. It led me down a hall and out the side door to the lot.
"Hey, Jake!" Seth called me.
"Where's Layla?" I asked hastily.
"I'm not sure, but we have a situation. Joseph shifted. He's showing off and scaring students."
"He shifted in front of people?!" That was the stupidest thing he could ever do. Sam would have his hide.
"No. He didn't go that far. Jo won't listen to me. But you're an Alpha, so he has to listen to you." Seth explained.
"I don't have time for this. You can't be serious." I marched over to the woods with Seth.
Layla's Pov
I guided the truck the majority of the way down. Managing to stall out the car twice at an idle stop light.
This only added to my frustration, so I chose to pull over to calm down.
Without much thought, I parked at the base of a random hiking trail.
I still had some time to kill before I reclaimed my car and continued to Port Angeles for theater practice.
A good power walk was what I needed to collect myself before I retried my hand at stick shift again.
The trail was full of reddish damp dirt and scattered pine needles. Small stones protruded up the inclined path. Excellent for leveraging myself up at the steep part.
Trudging up the trail, I muttered my scathing thoughts between breaths.
"What was Jacob thinking? That he could take on three wolves? That's crazy."
"He could have been seriously hurt." I panted, taking up another step.
"If something happened to Jacob because of me..." I let that thought trail off before my anger mutated into guilt.
"It would be hard to drag him to the nearest hospital." The incline was getting too steep for my ankle. I significantly slowed my pace, debating on taking a break. Maybe this wasn't a great idea.
I braced myself on a tree for a moment. How long was this trail? It was starting to make me tired, but that was the goal.
Howls echoed down the mountain. I froze, gripping the bark with my fingernails. The sound was getting closer. Thinking it was just the mountain carrying the reserve's howls, I cautiously continued.
With a thunderous smack and snap, two giant wolves fought into view, bumping into trees.
A smaller black wolf skidded in the dirt like he had been thrown, and my reddish brown wolf towered over him, growling like the Alpha in the enclosure I was just in.
I was too stunned to speak, and I didn't dare move, not wanting to be seen or detected.
My hands fumbled to pull up my maroon hood as if that could camouflage me or suddenly make me invisible to the wild animals.
I gasped as tuffs of fur flew, and ferocious growls erupted. My sound caught the reddish-brown wolf's attention. His mouth dripped with traces of blood.
Wide-eyed and terrified, I stepped back, tripping on the rock I just climbed.
"Oh!" I fell flat on my butt, looking back up to see two more wolves behind the ones already present. One grey, another a chocolate brown.
A loud creak crooned out of nowhere. A tree was falling between me and the wolves. I screamed as it came down. The light-tethered branches scraped my skin until I was covered completely by leaves.
A desperate whine sounded.
Heart racing, I checked my limbs under the foliage. The trunk missed me. Above, it sounded like more branches were breaking.
I needed to get out of here. But what about the wolves? Did they scatter in time?
I tried to stand up, poking my head above the leaves, only to fall again. Something had caught my foot.
Teeth tore through the branch above me, and I screamed again. "Stay back!" I fumbled for a broken branch to defend myself.
The reddish-brown wolf kept ripping off more branches until I was exposed.
The wolf's black eyes met my wide, fearful gaze. I hesitated with my crude weapon and looked down at what prevented my foot from getting up. My shoelaces were unraveled and stuck under the birch.
I yanked my foot frantically a couple of times. Feeling like a mouse caught in a trap.
The wolf reached down with his teeth exposed towards my foot.
"No!" I smacked him with my twig-like stick. He turned his head with a sneeze and wiped his nose with his front paw.
I took the opportunity to ditch my shoe and run for it.
I stumbled down the hill faster than I climbed without looking back.
Layla's Pov
I didn't have enough time to change clothes or switch vehicles before heading to the old theater in Port Angeles.
I was late for grabbing a cheap pair of black ballet flats from The Family-owned Shoe Store a block away.
Breathless, I entered the auditorium. I was damp from the coming rain, and the hem of my jeans was saturated in mud.
"Nice of you to join us, Ms. Moon. But I do expect you, as our main cast, to be on time." Mr. Thompson lectured me.
"Sorry." I shivered. It was colder inside than I expected.
"Oh my God, Layla! Are you okay? I saw what happened earlier." Tiffany bounded up to me.
"What happened?" Mr. Thompson asked.
"Layla gave a lecture at the wolf sanctuary-" Paige began. "Then the wolves fought in front of her, knocking her over," Daniel interjected.
"More like on top of her," Paige muttered.
I was still shaken up from the wolves and the trail and rushing because I was late.
"Can I sit down for a minute?" I asked. Tiffany pulled a leaf from my hair.
"Of course! Take all the time you need."
I nodded my head.
"No need for method acting, I suppose." He laughed.
I cracked a smile at that, and the others giggled among themselves as he began a lecture on stage instructions.
After much instruction and hours later, Tiffany and I walked outside. I shook out the remaining leaves from my hoodie under the overhang away from the rain.
"Want to fill me in on what happened with Jake?" Tiffany asked, prying.
I did mind the few eavesdroppers left waiting for parent pick up.
"I bet they made a stupid bet." Paige sniffed at Tiffany.
"Show-offs." Daniel scoffed, clearly crooning an ear.
A gold Camry rolled around the corner and stopped long enough for Syd to step out. He slammed the door, approaching me.
"I'll tell you guys later." I knew I was in trouble. After all, I took the truck without asking and stranded him at work.
Syd wasn't happy but wasn't too mad at me. He did assign me the responsibility of getting a part to repair the fuel injectors tomorrow morning.
I guess if you stall out a car too many times, something like that can happen.
"Kwolieshkah," Syd called.
"What?" I was finishing up the dishes from supper.
Syd was smoking a cigar outside on the back porch.
"You left a shoe out here." He passed me, heading to his favorite reading chair inside.
Confused, I went outside to check it out.
There, on the edge of the porch, was the shoe I abandoned on the trail to escape the wild wolves.
I crouched down to pick it up, scanning the land for signs of life.
I don't know why, but I expected the reddish-brown wolf to surface.
No one else was there on the path with me.
At least no one that I could see.
Jacob's Pov
I nearly dragged Joseph back to La Push by his hind legs.
By the time we made it to Emily's place, Sam had learned the whole story.
"We do not need you two wolfing around humans." Sam barked.
"We?" I snapped. He was the problem.
"How many times do you need to put Layla in danger? You should be more careful and watchful of your imprint." Sam started with me instead of the idiot.
My hackles rose in defiance. If part of me didn't feel guilty about that, I would've.
"And you," Sam growled, deviating to Joseph.
"You do not need to be showing off and getting overly indulgent about your shifting. The last thing you need to do is to expose us to humans. It's one thing being on our land where there is a hope of containing the secret, but this? While the enemy may be lurking?" Sam towered over him, baring his teeth.
Emily watched from a great distance, pressed up against the glass door, cringing as he addressed Joseph.
"It was just a prank." He yielded to him. Ears pressed to his skull.
"I don't care what it was." Sam's double tamber of the Alpha seeped into his words now.
"You are not to shift into wolf form in front of or near humans. I forbid you from transforming during the day. Unless there is a pending danger of a vampire."
When Sam's order was complete, Joseph buckled under the weight of his words.
That was a fair punishment.
Speaking of. I had to head back to face my father.
Not that he would do anything. Becoming a wolf was a right of passage into manhood. I was responsible for myself. Still, I didn't want to give him a reason to worry.
Once I explained everything to Billie, it was time for autoshop. He promised to call Layla to check on her for me as I ran up to Port Angeles.
I did see that Layla made it to her car in one piece, but my heart sank remembering the fear on her face.
What could I do now? To show Layla, I meant her no harm.
Layla's Pov (Saturday, The following morning.)
I was awake bright and early to pick up the parts Syd needed for his Chevy. I'd hit up an auto shop on the way before the theater began again.
I yawned, pulling up to the Call's house. Tiffany seemed happy that I swung by to car pull with her. Embry, her brother, was still passed out on the couch, snoring when I greeted Ms. Call.
"He was out all night again." She complained in the passenger seat. Tiffany was speaking of Embry.
I frowned. The nagging feeling of dishonesty dwindled in the back of my mind again.
I had to catch Tiff up to speed, but I left out my misadventures on the trail due to my fit of frustration. No need to worry anyone else about my stupidity. And more importantly, I didn't want to be banned from walking the woods alone.
"Did he at least apologize?" Tiffany questioned.
"I haven't heard from him. But his dad called." I shrugged.
"Mind if we stop by the cafe before practice starts?" She asked, hopeful to use the gas money I declined from her mom.
"Sure. I'll drop you off. There's this part I need to pick up for Syd first."
"Okay! See you inside." Tiffany bounded off for some breakfast while I took on my redemptive chore.
The bell chimed to Bob's Autoshop. People filled the seats available against the far wall. Plastered posters and an overfilled bulletin board greeted me on my way to the front desk. The tabletop was painted an obnoxious yellow.
"Can you get that?" I heard a gruff voice instruct from the garage.
It was hard to believe business was booming this early. Then again, it was cheaper than Dowlings in Forks.
I was leaning against the counter in waiting for an employee when Jacob appeared. My jaw almost dropped, and I was tempted to walk out.
Duh. Of course, his internship. I thought to myself.
"Layla." His brows shot up in surprise, and his husky voice calling my name made my heart flip. I could feel my face flush, so I narrowed my eyes at him tight-lipped.
I hated that he could pull this reaction from me with just one word. It wasn't fair.
"Did my dad call? I know it was late..." He started.
The dark circles under his eyes concerned me and connected my thoughts to what Tiff said about Embry.
"I know. I spoke with Billie. I'm here on Syd's orders." I cleared my throat.
"What do you need? I got you." He leaned across the counter, a little too close.
"I kind of stalled out Syd's truck too much yesterday. The manual is not my thing." It was embarrassing admitting this to him.
"Clogged the fuel injectors?" Jake nailed it. "Yes, how did you know?" I asked, surprised.
"It's kind of my job." He smirked. Jacob went behind some shelves to look for what was needed for the job.
"How much do I owe you?" I questioned. He came back with a few items.
"How about I bring it over later when my intern hours end, and I'll clean it up for you." Jacob volunteered.
"I think Syd can figure it out." I reached for the item in his hand. "No dice." Jacob persisted, setting the items aside.
"Jake, just let me pay for it." I insisted. "It's covered," Jacob assured me.
"By what?" I asked. I didn't want him to do any more nice things for me. I owed him too much, and after yesterday...and the stupid charm I gave him. I felt out of my depths.
"Just take 'the help' sweetie." An old lady waiting on the bench winked at me.
"I need to know if my Toyota is ready for pickup. Hey, if I give you a kiss, too, will it be free?" An older man wedged himself up front, teasing Jacob.
"I got you, Greg." The owner came forward, keys in hand.
I turned for the exit, embarrassed the man assumed we were a couple. Jacob gave me one last longing yet determined gaze.
My stern expression faltered. Those dark eyes made me weak.
"Fine, if you mean it," I whispered to myself. Jake perked up as if he had heard me.
I headed out before his beautiful, answering smile could persuade me to forgive him right there.
By the time I left the old theater, I had memorized most of my que's across the stage. I still had plenty of gaps when it came to memorizing lines and stage directions.
The noonday sun blazed overhead. Seldom clouds in the sky today meant plenty tomorrow.
Tiffany had to head back to help out with the Call's convenience store.
Meanwhile, I had afternoon plans with EJ to keep.
Esme made us lunch while EJ gave me a formal tour of the upstairs.
It was wall-to-wall with music and books. His own private library.
"I bet Iris would be more than impressed with this." I gawked, craning my neck. The shelves reached the high ceiling.
"I think you're right." He laughed, watching my reaction carefully.
"But does it impress you?" EJ asked shyly.
"Of course. Like, I think that goes without saying." I sat on the edge of a modern black leather sofa pressed up against his canopy bed. It was wedged into the wall, hidden between bookshelves. You had to walk by to notice it.
"Tell me. Do I get a free admission to EJ's library?" I leaned back, taking in his expansive room.
It was way cooler than mine back in LA, but it made me homesick. I missed my modern room and round king-sized bed. Even if my eclectic cave at Syd's place was comfy. I longed for my own space where I could walk around, do yoga, come up with dance routines, and there was my walk-in closet...
EJ's hand brushed against my wrist as he sat down next to me.
I didn't think EJ noticed how he brushed up against me all the time. I was beginning to get used to his familiar touches. Harmless as he was.
"Am I bothering you?" He asked, brushing my hair away to see my full expression.
"No, not at all." His gentle emerald eyes studied me.
"I don't think you could ever bother me," I answered honestly. Hanging out with EJ was like escaping to a secret garden. Just us two where time was a concept.
His smile broadened, pearly white canine teeth poking out. I sat up further. He dropped his hand.
I wondered if what I said gave EJ the wrong idea. Sure. I liked him and maybe even cared for him, but it was in a brotherly way. My eyes saddened, and I pulled away further, not wanting to hurt his feelings.
"Good. Because I enjoy spending time with you." He confessed.
Esme came and went, leaving us with a tray of goodies. EJ bounced up and brought over the food.
"Can I share something?" EJ questioned. "Sure," I answered, nibbling on a brownie.
"This isn't just my room. It was my father's." He explained. "Oh." I coughed, not expecting that.
"Do you miss him?" I spoke softly. "I haven't met him." EJ shook his head.
"But being in here makes you feel close to him?" I qualified.
EJ lifted his head and nodded once. His eyes were glassy. "Everyone has been so good to me. I know they love me, but..."
"You wish he was with you. I get it." A pang of empathy prodded me.
He nodded again, sniffling. I wiped away a stray tear from his freckled face.
"You're not ungrateful. It's okay to feel that way." I affirmed him.
"But it feels bad or wrong." EJ's hands clenched at the end of the couch we sat on. Nails almost ripping into it.
"Yeah. But that feeling doesn't mean you're a bad person. It means him not being here hurts."
EJ paused in thought. I felt like there was more he wanted to convey but somehow couldn't.
"You don't have to tell me. It's okay to keep some things for yourself until you are ready to share them." I assured him.
"Thanks, Layla." He half smiled. "Of course, I'm always a phone call away if you need me." I got up from the couch, brushing the crumbs off my front.
"You have to go?" He asked sullenly. "Afraid so." I had already stayed longer than I intended.
By playing games, reading books, and listening to Esme sing downstairs.
As I descended the stairs, I came across an old Renaissance painting. It looked like an Italian scene. Important monarchs were painted like old philosophers above on a balcony, looking down at the subjects below. It was as if the viewer were the one catching a passing glimpse.
"Voltora?" I tried to make out the script at the bottom.
"The Voltori. An old important monarch in Italy." EJ whispered, grasping my hand as if we lingered too long, we'd be in trouble.
"That one kinda looks like your Godfather," I noted.
"An ancestor." Esme met us at the bottom of the stairs.
"I see. Well, it's a beautiful painting. No wonder you have it on display." I complimented.
She smiled sweetly in response.
My mind wandered to the wolves again, and my stomach twisted in knots. How was I going to confront Jacob about yesterday?
Images of claws and snapping wolves flashed through my mind both in and outside the reserve. I flinched at the memory.
EJ frowned, then looked appalled.
"You know you could stay as long as you like." He pressed.
"Thanks, but I have to get back to help my grandfather out," I answered.
"Will you be at your dad's house tonight?" EJ probed.
Right. The house I needed to continue cleaning and renovating. It had been a while since I'd continued that project. I thought greedily.
My plan to keep my schedule busy was working. Because if I stayed occupied, I wouldn't have time to worry about my estranged family or my pending future.
"Layla-" EJ started to say something with urgency when Esme appeared behind us.
"You can't hold Layla up. I'm sure she has things to do." She said.
EJ's lips curled up into a tight, polite smile at her.
"Come back soon." He hugged me goodbye.
Despite the full day I've had, it went by quicker than I anticipated.
It seemed Jacob had already come by and worked on Syd's truck.
"Billie wanted some of these. Drop them off for me." Syd shoved a ziplock bag of homemade elk jerky sticks in my hands. I had a feeling they were a reward for Jacobs's handiwork. I sighed, climbing back in my car. He reminded me of my new curfew. I rolled my eyes.
He didn't have to worry about me. I was one awkward encounter away from hiding under my bed sheets forever.
My Ford escape squeaked to a stop. That was new. Rain must be getting to it.
A hand pulled away a checkered curtain in the living room. Billie poked his head in the window as I approached the wooden incline to the front door. I smiled sheepishly at him and lifted the bag of nasty jerky. He was greeting me before I had a chance to knock.
"Layla! It's so good to see you." I bent down to hug him and passed along Syd's gift. "A parting favor from Syd. I think he's warming up to you guys." I confessed.
"About time." Billie laughed.
"Come on in," Rachel called from the living room. Jacob nearly tripped over his father's wheelchair to get to me.
"Hey." I greeted awkwardly. Jacob stared at me with that same longing as this morning. Billie rolled over his foot.
"Ow!" He hissed."Show her around," Billie instructed, heading for the kitchen. "Right." Jacob's russet skin darkened under his cheeks.
The house was half the size of Syd's main floor, yet three people lived there. Jacob showed me the layout, giving me a peek into every room. Last was his bedroom in the back right corner beside the laundry poking out from the end of the main hall and beside the single bathroom they had.
"Sorry about the mess." Jacob apologized sheepishly. The shy expression on his face made him look more boyish than a man.
"I told you to stop being such a pig!" Rachel called down the hall.
"Shut it." Jacob hissed at her.
His room was underwhelming compared to EJ's. It was small, with two twin beds shoved together to make a queen. I had no idea how Jacob could sleep there without dangling a limb over the side. The walls were green, similar in color to the forest in Forks. A tiny window was placed above his desk, pressed next to the bed and against the wall.
Jacob kicked his sprawled-out clothes across the floor and crammed them at the base of his flooded closet. My eye caught the trinket I made him on the desk while he fought for floor space.
"You haven't thrown it away yet," I spoke my thoughts aloud.
"Of course not. Why would I?" Jacob strode over in a single step. I shrugged in response.
"It's not perfect or that pretty." Not compared to Syd's work. "I think so." He lifted it from my hands carefully as if it were some important gem.
"And most of all, it will get you in trouble, like yesterday." I shot him a stern expression.
"Jake, Rachel is starting dinner. Any requests?" Billie wheeled by his room.
"Oh, I can't stay." I declined.
"Why not?" Billie's friendly face was hard to turn down.
"Because Syd is as helpless as me in the kitchen. My odds are better at concocting something edible, so-"
"Then we'll invite him over, too. I'm sure we could find a game." He wheeled away. I guess I was here to stay. "Let me show you my garage." Jacob took my hand and led me outside past a thicket of trees. I think he just wanted us away from his nosy family members to sort things out.
"It's more of a shed, but it keeps the rain off while I'm working." Jacob let go of my hand, letting me take a gander myself.
It looked like a former carport turned into a workshop. Bolted plastic sheets adhered in a random array to block the rain. Either way, it worked and seemed functional enough space for Jake.
"Cool." I crossed my arms, looking around some more. The twilight hour casted light through the discolored plastic, making it glow a greenish-blue hue.
"As I was saying inside..." I started.
"I don't want my bad luck to affect you. You shouldn't try to help me out anymore. Especially when you could get hurt." I meant it as seriously as I stated it.
Jacob's irresistible smile spread across his face while I kept my best poker.
"I can handle myself, honey. You'll find I'm a lot more durable than you think." Jacob stepped uncomfortably closer, making me cross my arms in defiance.
"I don't care who's more durable." My lips jutted out in a pout.
"I'm not going to allow you to get in harm's way or confront wolves on my behalf, Jacob." I wasn't sure why I was getting so worked up about this.
"So you want me to stand aside and do nothing. While you trip and disassemble yourself again or get torn up by animals three times your size." He stated this matter of fact.
"I can handle myself," I repeated the words back to him.
"I've been trained by Syd, who has worked with wolves his whole life. You haven't and had no right to jump in to play hero." Stubbornness was taking hold, and I wasn't letting go.
Jacob laughed with a smirk and shook his head in what seemed to be condescension.
"That's funny because you haven't proven to be able to handle anything." Jacob retorted.
My mouth fell open with a slight popping sound. Shame shivered down my spine.
He was right. To him, and since I've been here, I haven't been able to prove to be anything other than a walking disaster.
I looked down. My throat tightened, and my vision blurred rapidly. On top of that, I'm such a crybaby.
"Layla, I'm sorry." Jake's arrogant facade broke.
"No, you're not." I choked, rushing out of the garage. I couldn't cry in front of him over something so stupid.
I went to drive myself to Moon Ranch or maybe my dad's abandoned house. That's when Jacob caught up to me.
He stood in the driveway, forcing me to slam on the brakes. The car squeaked again, louder than before.
"Move Jake!" I rolled down the window. "No way. You're going to stay so we can work this out."
What was with these boys and not letting me go home today? I sighed in defeat, leaving my car in park.
Jake jogged over. I blinked ahead, not wanting him to see the tale end of the waterworks.
"Everything alright?!" Billie crooned from the house. "Bad brakes!" Jake called to his dad.
"Put it in neutral," Jacob instructed me. I did as he said. I steered my car to his workspace as he pushed it there.
"Are you serious?" I sniffed, not willing to get out right away.
"Yeah. Brakes get run down fast around here. All the elevation creates a lot of wear and tear." Jacob explained.
When I didn't move from my spot, he got into the other side to sit with me in the dark.
Right about now, I was feeling exceedingly lame.
"You're not wrong." I blurted out when Jacob opened his mouth.
"Everything has been a mess since the night I arrived." I could feel the catch in my throat come back as I looked over at him.
"I-I don't know why." I stammered.
"I'm more capable than this. I know that I am. But I can't seem to put my right foot forward or stop stumbling..." My ramblings of self-pity felt repulsive on my tongue. I needed another journal break, but the truth flowed so easily with Jacob that I found it hard to stop.
His hands slid over mine, taking them off the steering wheel and into his wordlessly. The gesture comforted me.
"You're afraid." He said.
I was.
"And I'm not going anywhere." Jacob's words sounded like a vow.
A warm, magnetized current flowed from his fingertips into mine. The sensation ran up my arms and spread throughout my body.
Calming me down as if my emotional outburst never happened. I was speechless.
When the warmth stopped, I trembled in his grasp.
He gave me a kind smile. I looked into his eyes, debating if I should trust him.
As we seemed to be getting closer, someone turned on the fluorescent light above us.
"Jacob." I expected one of Jacob's family members to have found us compromised in the dark like this, but Sam stood in the opening of the carport.
As we dismounted my vehicle, Sam cleared his throat. "I need your help... with that thing from earlier." He vaguely requested Jacob's assistance.
"Right. How could I forget?" Jake grumbled.
Sam departed without another word.
"Jake?" In one word, I pleaded for him to stay.
"I've got to help him with this one thing. Have dinner with my family. I'll be back soon." Jacob wrapped me in a big bear hug until I almost felt my back pop.
"Okay." I managed to say. Forcing the corners of my mouth into a complacent half-smile.
"Turn left and stay straight until you see the house." Jacob ran in the opposite direction. Pulling my heartstrings with him.
Rachel welcomed me inside this time. Billie, Charlie, and Syd sat around the Black's TV, watching a football game. I explained Jake had to complete a task with Sam. I tried not to look too disappointed when I said it.
Paul, Rachel, and I sat around the table to eat dinner. She barraged me with questions while I tried to squeeze in a few of my own.
"You're in safe hands. Jake's worked on all our cars since he was fourteen." Rachel said.
He was so young to be helping with that. I thought.
"If you don't mind me asking, you once said you and your sister did your best with him. Is your mom around or-"
Rachel's cheerful expression faded. Paul, as if sensing her mood, grasped her hand.
"Excuse me a sec." Rachel got up for what I assumed was the bathroom.
"I'm sorry." I apologized. I was two for two when it came to hurting feelings and making blunders tonight.
"Sarah passed away eight years ago," Paul answered lowly for only me to hear.
"Oh." A lump of emotion built in my throat. I wouldn't ask any more questions tonight.
"It's okay. She passed away when I was eleven. Jake was eight." Rachel came back with a dusty photo album.
She showed me old family pictures of their childhood. Reminiscing and sharing stories. A few embarrassing ones of Jacob I was sure he wouldn't be pleased with. I was grateful to be included all the same.
I noticed that he was always handsome, even in his quirky stages as a kid.
Toward the end of the album was a picture of Rebecca's wedding on the beach.
Author's Note:
Technical issues continue to prolong the writing process. Thank you for your patience. I know mine is being tested.
I'm going to make each chapter longer for fewer chapters. Expect a post every other week.