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Renesmee
Faint sunlight crept in between the tall and slender pines, making the landscape in front of the Cullen’s house look magical.
Renesmee loved sunsets. With her face pressed up to the glass window, the golden light flickered into her deep brown eyes.
However, that evening there was another reason why the bouncing auburn haired beauty was even bouncier than usual. Unaware that her Aunt Alice was passing by her and had rolled her eyes, she was just as unaware of her huge, muscular uncle sneaking up from behind until she was already arched high up on his back.
“Stop!!!” Renesmee shrieked as Emmett clutched her legs.
“Aww! What’s this I hear? Renesmee Cullen dispensing a big o’ bear hug from her favorite uncle?” Emmett hollered, not letting go. In fact, he made a swaying motion as though he intended to swing her onto the nearest sofa, which would’ve been right where Alice was examining various dress designs.
“Not now and my favorite uncle’s Jasper!”
A musical giggle burst from Alice as she watched Emmett’s grin fade into a scowl.
“Princess…” Emmett pouted.
When Alice suppressed her laughter at last, she asked Renesmee, “Why are you getting so hyped up about Jacob? It’s only been a few days.”
“Weeks.” Renesmee clarified, turning her head to look at Alice from over Emmett’s massive shoulder.
“One week.” Emmett corrected, shamelessly. “And if that mutt was too tired to stop by after his shift then you shouldn’t waste your time-”
Razor sharp nails digging into Emmett’s cheek forced him to gasp, though Renesmee’s nails weren’t sharp enough to damage his stony skin, of course. It was more surprise due to her reaction.
“Put me down!” Renesmee commanded through gritted teeth.
Emmett did so immediately.
“Don’t call him that.” was her next command as she stepped away from him with a disappointed frown on her face.
“Nessie, I’m sorry, it slipped.” Emmett was still apologizing as Renesmee climbed up the staircase to the bathroom.
“Could you be any more discrete?” Alice prodded Emmett with a toss of her head.
A menacing growl erupted from downstairs when Emmett passed his large hand over the dress designs, sending them flying in all directions.
“Rosalie?” Renesmee knocked on the door of the luxurious bathroom. “May I come in?”
“Of course.” came the melodic reply.
Renesmee pushed open the door to find her gorgeous aunt sitting on the stool in front of the golden rimmed mirror, organizing different hues of lipsticks. Renesmee closed the door and approached Rosalie, reaching out a hand to stroke her lustrous golden waves. Renesmee always enjoyed touching Rosalie’s hair. The golden shade reminded her of the sunlight.
“Are these new?” Renesmee trailed her eyes over the line of lipsticks.
Rosalie beamed. “Ordered them from Mary Kay.”
“Can I try one on?”
“Of course!” Rosalie was always gracious when Renesmee was concerned. She knew that somehow Renesmee had changed her.
Renesmee bounced onto the stool and began unclasping the tops of various lipsticks.
“These go better with your skin type, eye and lip color.” Rosalie pushed a quarter of the lipsticks towards Renesmee.
“Isn’t the whole point of lipstick that you cover up your natural lip color?” Renesmee asked innocently as she inspected a light violet.
Rosalie grinned. “Well, they have to match your features. Alice, for instance, prefers smoother colors. I go for the deep vermilion.”
Renesmee reached her hand behind her back to place her palm on Rosalie’s cheek, displaying an image of Alice’s mini features made up with onyx eye liner and shadow that created a smoky appearance to her eyes.
“I think she looks so pretty with her eyes painted.” Renesmee made her opinion known, though it was evident in the mental image she had just shared.
Rosalie nodded. “All of us are unique in beauty.” She paused. “I recently learned that.”
“Aren’t you expecting someone?” Rosalie inquired as she dabbed Garnet Frost on Renesmee’s soft lips.
Renesmee grinned against the lipstick. Aunt Rosalie and Jacob were not exactly on the friendliest terms. Even without her father’s ability, she could tell by the way Rosalie diverted her eyes that she was attempting to keep a straight face despite the unscrupulous thoughts that she was having towards Jacob.
“Right, he’ll be here soon.” Renesmee turned to face the mirror with a pout. She wished she had more patience.
Rosalie guessed her thoughts and laughed.
“You got the impatience from your daddy.”
Renesmee rolled her eyes. She was still trying to forget the annoyance she’d felt downstairs at Emmett’s comment.
Her eyes followed Rosalie’s hand as she reached for some violet eye liner and a brand new idea popped in her head.
“Rosalie,” she eyed her aunt suggestively. “Could you-?”
Rosalie tried to imitate Renesmee’s eye roll as she smiled widely. Rosalie was never one to reject a request for a make-over, no matter who asked.
“Yes, I do believe I’ve found a cure for irritation.” Renesmee mused internally.
A few minutes later Alice’s knock on the bathroom door interrupted the giggles erupting from inside.
“Nessie, your escort is here.” Alice kept light on the sarcasm as not to offend.
“She’ll be right there.” Rosalie replied.
Before her sat a jittery red-head that was having trouble keeping any emotion fixed on her face for too long.
“Oh, for crying out loud, why are you so nervous?” Rosalie questioned. “If it was someone as alluring as Emmett or as handsome as Edward or Carlisle out there but the wolf descendant? Puh-lease!”
But of course, she didn’t say this aloud.
“I’m not nervous.” Renesmee objected a second too late.
From down the hall came a very familiar husky exclamation.
“What are you doing to her in there?”
Alice knocked again.
“Rose, if you don’t open up, Jacob is knocking the door down to rescue Nessie from the torture fest!”
“Let him try!” Rosalie defied.
“No,” Renesmee stood up, smoothing out her black blouse. “I’m ready.”
Rosalie unlocked the door just as Jacob reached for the knob, swinging it wide open with a proud grin spread across her snow-white face. Alice and Jacob both stepped back to admire a cowering Renesmee who Rosalie pulled to her side.
Alice took in Renesmee’s perfectly set curls, delicately carved eyebrows, colored lips, eyes lightly specked with blue metal eye shadow and extended lashes with pride that matched Rosalie’s. Only not so arrogant.
“You are definitely not your mother’s daughter.” Alice gushed.
Beside her, the towering Jacob spoke with his eyes. They met Nessie’s brown eyes first and discovered the blue trimming around them, then they wandered to the rest of her face. Her naturally rosy cheeks were barely dusted with blush, probably with none at all. Jacob had never thought much about make-up on a girl. He thought the girls who wore too much were typically fake and snobby. “Typically like Blondie over there.” He thought to himself as he noticed the light touch of lipstick that had been put on Nessie. She wore nothing around her neck, leaving the milky white skin bare. Under the neckline began the trim of her black blouse that ran long, covering the waistline of her sapphire jeans. Jacob’s eyes delayed a minute longer around Renesmee’s waist where a belt defined the exact slenderness.
“Well,” He drilled his eyes back to Renesmee’s face, smiling brightly. “At least, I’m glad the dead cheerleader here didn’t turn you into one of her kind.”
Rosalie didn’t bother holding back a sharp hiss.
Jacob raised one eyebrow, tauntingly at Rosalie but Renesmee clasped her hand around his arm.
“You took forever.” She glared at Jacob while leading him away from the scowling vampire.
Everyone waiting in the living room lifted their eyes when Renesmee paraded down the staircase with her hand clutched around her werewolf friend. What Emmett, Alice and Jasper were waiting for was the return of Renesmee’s parents. Edward, in particular, had asked his siblings not to let Renesmee go out before saying good-bye to her daddy. Carlisle and Esme were both out; Carlisle at the hospital and Esme had gone to Olympia to inspect a house she’d been asked to decorate.
“Mom!” Renesmee bounded to the front door where her mother gazed up at her.
“Hey, baby.” Bella pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “You smell good.”
Renesmee chuckled. “Aunt Rosalie did my hair and make-up.”
Bella widened her eyes in mock surprise. “And you endured that?”
Renesmee hugged Bella then passed over to her father, wrapping her arms around his waist. They had both been gone on a hunting trip for the past two days. Without Jacob or her parents around, Nessie had been able to do things that she wouldn’t have been allowed to do usually like watch Emmett wrestle with a grizzly or go with Alice on a shockingly short trip to Portland and back in her yellow Porsche. That was fun. They were back by dinner time when starting out in the morning. Those things, of course, were only kept between Nessie and her aunts and uncles.
Emmett winked at Nessie as she grinned at him over her dad’s shoulder. It was impossible not to forgive Uncle Emmett.
“So what did you do to pass the time?” Edward inquired as he rubbed Nessie’s back.
“Nothing much.” Renesmee tilted her head upwards just long enough to give Edward a docile version of his crooked smile before tightening her arms around his waist. “I missed you.”
Edward kissed the top of her head. “Uncle Jasper didn’t try to take a bite out of you, did he?”
Renesmee pushed against Edward’s chest, playfully. “Dad!”
“Well, she does look appetizing right now.” Emmett declared from the side in a serious voice.
Renesmee watched as Edward’s eyes drifted to Jacob standing awkwardly at the foot of the stairs. “He’s kidding, Jacob.”
“Where are you taking her?” Edward asked as Jacob slipped Renesmee’s coat over her shoulders.
“The beach.” Jacob answered shortly. Edward raised an eyebrow to something in Jacob’s thoughts but said nothing.
“Why do you keep taking her to the same boring places?” Bella prodded from her place on the sofa. She had picked up a book.
“I like the beach.” Renesmee protested.
“And you didn’t think going to the beach was boring.” Jacob tossed at Bella.
She diverted her eyes to the book in her hands. “Not every weekend.” She said curtly.
“I won’t let him keep me out too late, daddy.” Renesmee stood on her tiptoes to reach Edward’s cheeks as she kissed him good-bye. Sometimes Renesmee’s gestures really matched Bella’s and Edward would recall how Bella had always reached on the tips of her toes to kiss him and how she would always hug him around his waist as Nessie did now.
“That’s my girl.” Edward returned the kiss.
When it was Bella’s turn to be kissed, Nessie bounced onto her lap with a jostling movement that shook the sofa slightly.
“Will you ever be too big for that?” Bella exclaimed as Nessie folded her arms around her neck, planting a kiss on her cold cheek
“Nope.” Nessie chimed.
In front of the door Jacob watched with a sudden longing to feel what it’s like to have Nessie sit on his lap like when she was a baby.
“Oh Renesmee,” Alice whipped her head from the designs in her hand. “I almost forgot. You two are taking the car, right?”
Jacob frowned. “You all know I always run up here.” He said dejectedly only to irritate Alice. He might be half animal but he was considerate of what Nessie thought of him. Probably, Nessie wouldn’t mind but Jacob had become a bit more self-conscious about showing up all sweaty from his run.
“But Nessie can’t get fur all over her clothes.” Alice finished skeptically.
Bella scowled at her.
“Alice.” Renesmee groaned.
Scowling too, Jacob pulled the door open for Renesmee. “Don’t worry, Miss Fang, I brought my car.”
Bella watched from the window as Jacob opened the Volkswagen’s door for Renesmee and got into the driver’s seat.
“You know,” she said absently. “Renesmee’s just a big a cheater as her father is.”
Edward came to lope at Bella’s side. His hands encircled around her waist and he laid his head in the nook between her neck and shoulder.
“What do you mean?” He asked as though he hadn’t a clue to her reference of him.
“As if you don’t know.” Bella countered. “Emmett winked at her.”
“Really?”
“What was he thinking about?”
“He was thinking about how he called Jacob a mutt and how Renesmee was mad at him all day.”
“Right…” Bella replied with suspicion in her voice.
Renesmee stared up into the navy blue heavens from the passenger window.
“Wow. It’s really gotten dark.” She said dreamily. “I wish I could see the stars from here.”
“You get to see them from where I’m taking you.” Jacob smiled as he maneuvered down the road away from the classical mansion hidden in the deep forest.
“But they’re mostly hidden by the pines even though First Beach has fewer trees than here.”
“I said we were going to a beach. Not necessarily First Beach.”
Renesmee turned to stare at Jacob with fascinated eyes. “And not telling me is part of your plan?”
“Of course.”
Trees started to clear as they crossed into La Push. Renesmee kept her eyes on the different shades of blue and lavender spewed across the evening sky. Her mind seemed faraway and Jacob, though wondering where it was, could be more patient than her father ever could with Bella’s silent mind.
He continued maneuvering the steering wheel and from time to time sending discrete glances towards Renesmee. Sometimes she noticed and turned to smile at him. Other times she was lost in her own musings.
“Here we are.” The Volkswagen slid to a stop on the side of a road laden with forest on either side like every other road headed that way. “Taylor Point.” Turning off the engine, he got out and went around to open the passenger door. “Now we go down to Hidden Beach.”
“ ‘Hidden Beach’?” Renesmee raised an eyebrow. “Why does that sound perfect?”
Jacob chuckled as she stepped down from the car. “Exactly. I wouldn’t have Paul or Embry showing up on First Beach and ruining our moment.” He flinched at the last word, realizing that he had dubbed it inadequately. They had yet to have a ‘moment’. Yes, Nessie was sixteen now and already considered date-able by her parents and Jacob knew that she loved him just as thoroughly as he loved her but he had never asked her if she saw him in that sense. And with her staring up at him with that sweet face all made up in a new sophisticated look it was hard for him to think straight.
Alas, Nessie was gazing up at him with a quizzical gleam in her eyes that would not last long before she’d know the truth so he grasped her hand and started leading the way down to the beach. As they continued down a slightly cleared pathway, Nessie noticed the train of mushrooms growing against a hemlock. Her eyes were as sharp as human eyes could be but she accompanied Jacob’s sure steps without hesitation through the piney, salty forest.
Her wolfy companion also noticed her unwavering enthusiasm.
“You know, you’re much faster than your mother ever was on a trail.” Jacob commented at one point.
“That’s hard to imagine.” Renesmee laughed, unable to keep the vision of her stunning mother tearing through the forest near her house as she hunted.
“Why?” Jacob inquired. “She was human, after all. And slower than most.”
Nessie shoved against Jacob’s shoulder with actual force, though it might have looked playful. “She’s not slow anymore.” she chided.
There was a crescent moon that peeked in between the trees overhead, casting a silver trail across the moist soil below.
“And besides, Mommy confided in me that you weren’t any better at dancing than she was.” Renesmee completed her teasing as they pushed the brambles out of the way and the smell of seawater grew stronger. A swooshing sound met them at the cove.
“And it would matter to you if I was a better dancer because…?”
Renesmee didn’t answer as she walked past him and started descending to the shore. She turned around, lighting another teasing smile across her face when she got to the bottom. “Because I just may be pretty excellent at waltzing. My daddy’s been teaching me.”
Grounding to a halt, Jacob observed Renesmee turn around and gaze up at the moon before making her way closer to the slowly rolling waves. Her face was reflected by the moonbeam, casting light upon the arch of her perfect eyebrow, her dreamy brown eyes, her rose petal cheeks. “She’s really a mixture of Bella and Edward.” Two beings that would never leave his life. One that he had loved so strongly, and another that he’d resented, even hated at one point. But Jacob found that even the resemblance of Edward in Renesmee that came in the form of her reddish brown curls was mesmerizing, he had to admit.
“Come on!” Nessie was glaring at him from the water’s edge. Her shoes were off and cast aside. “I thought you were the guide!”
Incapable of hiding his excitement for being alone with Nessie and unable to conceal the pride of being the second fastest in his pack (the honor went to Leah), Jacob raced down to the shoreline, swooping down on Renesmee and knocking her over. She was quick to roll over and escape out of his grasp, though she didn’t laugh until she’d leapt on a small boulder a safe distance away from him. The tiny smirk on her lips faded and she drilled her eyes back up at the star encrusted darkness above.
“The tide is low.” She murmured.
Jacob approached the rock and climbed up behind her. There was barely room for both of them and he wrapped his long legs on either side of the boulder.
“Nessie, can I ask you something?” Jacob peered over Renesmee’s bronze curls at her face which was still pointed upwards at the stars. His eyes accidentally slipped to her ivory throat and he swallowed.
“Sure, you can ask me anything.” Renesmee cocked her head to the side but still did not turn to look over her shoulder.
What he intended on asking went around the lines of his most recent observation of her. What he asked instead was, “Is this okay?” while encircling her tiny waist with his large russet hands.
“It’s okay.” Renesmee replied in a carefree tone but she was slow in answering. The incredible warmth seeped in through her blouse the same way that her family’s chill reached her skin through her clothes. They were quiet for awhile, which was not normal for either of them. They always found something to say. Not that the silence bothered her much. It didn’t. Perhaps it was just the feeling that was off about the silence. It wasn’t natural. Kind of a stretch between awkwardness and strangeness…
If they were talking about the pack or about Jacob’s runs, her torturous make-over, even her fight with Emmett, that would’ve been normal.
Soon Renesmee felt too warm to be comfortable. She shed her jacket (which was a look-alike of Edward’s gray one) off, folding it in her lap.
“That’s better.” She thought as she felt the sea breeze against her face. A nice combination of chill and heat. Nessie leant her head backward so that it settled against Jacob’s shoulder. He wore a black short-sleeved shirt and she was thankful. She’d seen him with his shirt off a bunch of times but since that evening was already weird, if he’d left his clothes behind it would’ve been ten times weirder.
“It feels nice.” She murmured. “The warmth.”
Hearing this, Jacob didn’t know whether to hold her tighter or keep his hands loosely around her waist for fear of scaring her with the sudden proximity. Though a side of his brain doubted that Nessie would react badly to anything he said or did, another more rational side warned him of the consequences. Despite her being physically sixteen now, what if she was psychologically still too young to feel anything but friendship for him? He felt torn apart again, torn apart as he’d felt with Bella between the friendship and romance barriers. This time he wanted to act more wisely. Especially, since the object of his eternal affection was Renesmee. Bella had been special, of course. She had been his first love. But Renesmee was his imprint. Even if their destinies were entwined, one false move could still mean that he would lose her, right? Jacob could barely bear the idea of doing something to hurt Nessie and thus, having the Cullens keep her away from him forever. Naturally, he’d try with all his might to see her again if that happened, but for Nessie to not want to see him…?
“Jacob?” Nessie hesitated.
“Hmm?” Jacob asked, putting an end to his negative thoughts.
“I wonder if- never mind.”
“Just tell me.” Jacob peered around to see her face but she’d turned it the other way and was staring down at her hands clutching the jacket in her lap.
“If you don’t want to answer, I understand.”
“Nessie, if you don’t say it, I’ll pull you off this rock and pin down on the ground. Your hair and clothes will fill with sand and your Auntie Alice will hack you up.”
Renesmee smiled. “Sounds thrilling.” Then she sighed. “I wanted to ask you if, you know, when you were in love with my mother…” In the middle of the pause in her question, Jacob stiffened just a tiny bit. “What it felt like, I mean, how did you give her up or was it not so strong?” He’d never heard her struggle with her words before. She was always so articulate that he admired and felt ashamed at the same time for his lack of eloquence to match hers. However, he felt like asking why she wanted to know. Remembering all those times that he’d stood by Bella when she was in pain and miserable didn’t bring back painful memories for him. In fact, he rather enjoyed recalling the effortless feeling that their friendship had had back then. It was the memories that came afterwards, the ones with Bella dying on a bed in the Cullen house, of him pounding on her chest, trying to keep her breathing that pierced daggers into him now.
Renesmee didn’t know what to make of his silence. The only idea she had was that probably her question was indeed inadequate. Twisting around, Nessie placed her hand against his cheek. “Jacob?”
He saw her face drawn in a worried frown, her eyebrows pulled down almost in distress and then he saw why.
“No, it’s okay.” He clasped her hand, drawing it slowly down from his cheek. His eyes traveled to the small waves rolling onto the sandy shore. “It had been strong, what I’d felt for Bella.” He explained slowly. “She was the first girl I’d ever loved, ever looked at. But I knew she wasn’t mine all along and I acted stupid sometimes.”
“Mommy said that even when she was dying you still fought for her.” Renesmee took the opportunity that he’d made a pause.
Jacob didn’t answer. He didn’t know what to say.
“It hurts you, doesn’t it? Remembering?”
He still couldn’t answer.
“I really am sorry.” Renesmee rushed through her next words. “I only asked because this feeling is new to me.”
Jacob’s head snapped from the position it had been bent in.
“New?”
Renesmee nodded and bit down on her bottom lip.
“It feels weird.” She whispered. That was all she said.
“What do you mean?” Jacob slid one hand up her waist to rest on her shoulder, turning her slightly to see her face. But she instantly hid her face in his chest. Realizing that she did that whenever she was embarrassed about something, Jacob pressed his lips down to impede a laugh and brought his hands to her hair, stroking it. She looked adorable when embarrassed.
“I don’t know what it means.” Renesmee exclaimed in a voice muffled by Jacob’s shirt. “I just feel different with you now. And I don’t know if it’s because you’ve never been away from me for more than one day so-”
“Yes,” Jacob cut in. “That was excruciatingly weird.”
Renesmee pulled her head up. “But it’s weirder still that you were only gone a week and that I should miss you this much in such a short amount of time.” There was reason in her big brown eyes that could not be mistaken for insensitivity. Her lips pulled at the corners in a small smile and she raised her hand to stroke his chest. “I just became so used to you running around my house.”
Jacob sucked in a great amount of fresh sea air. “What you’re saying is..” He knew exactly what she was saying. Somehow she knew that at any given moment a strange, fire would incinerate between them. That given moment had come so soon. Jacob was half amazed. Renesmee would always continue to amaze him with her intuition. He cut himself off, rephrasing his statement. “You know that I feel it too.”
Renesmee bit down on her lip once more.
“Do you feel guilty?” She asked quietly.
“Not if you don’t.” Jacob responded with total honesty.
Renesmee just met his gaze for a moment, her hand still flat against his chest, his heart speeding sporadically underneath.
A wider smile crept across her face then, showing her perfectly straight and milky white teeth that glistened in the moonlight. “Daddy would be disappointed. He was much more articulate with his declarations.”
Jacob chuckled quietly. “Forgive my lack of romanticism, please.” He murmured.
Nessie pulled herself up in a more upright sitting position. Her hands crept up his chest to his nape and hid into his beautiful rich raven black hair.
“You are romantic in your own way.” She said, nonchalantly.
“I’m afraid that you may be too young, Nessie.” Jacob’s husky voice was serious.
“My parents think-”
“It’s not them that I’m worried about.”
Before she could think of the next question to ask, Renesmee discovered that she possessed the sudden urge to bring Jacob’s face closer to hers.
“It’s better not to think twice right now.” She decided as she touched her lips only lightly to Jacob’s.
“Nessie, what are you doing?” Jacob asked against her lips. His breathing had caught in his throat.
“Checking if it will feel weird.” Renesmee blurted out. Afraid that he would pull her hands from around his neck, she parted her lips around his. It wasn’t meant to last long and so she pulled her head back carefully, measuring Jacob’s dark eyes which were shining now.
“Okay, doesn’t feel weird. No need to worry about me.” Nessie said lightly.
Closing his eyes, Jacob slid off the rock. He started walking towards the water while Renesmee sat confused for a moment still atop the small boulder, before comprehension crossed her mind and she grinned.
“If you think I’m climbing down from this rock and going over there just so you’ll tackle me, you should know I’m smarter than that!”
Seeing that he didn’t turn around, not even to smirk back, Renesmee jumped down from the boulder. After putting her shoes back on she turned back in the direction of the forest.
When Jacob turned around, she was already making her way through the brambles.
“Nessie? What the-”
“I want to see what’s in here!” Her wind chime voice called back.
Tackling Nessie down was not exactly the idea he’d had in mind when he’d gotten up off the rock and gone to gaze out over the darkened sea. Jacob didn’t really know what he’d been planning to do when Nessie had caught up to him. Maybe say the words aloud- say his feeling out loud. Perhaps even bend over and gather her in his arms again. Kiss her again.
Now he just found himself hurrying after her, worried that she would get lost.
Without his animalistic eyesight, the forest would be a great deal darker and unfamiliar. Indeed, Jacob had only been there one time when he’d discovered Hidden Beach. The forest shone beautifully under daylight and he had to bring Nessie here when she could see the blooming wildlife and the starfish in the tidal pools.
“Now I just have to find her..” He groaned silently while whipping his head around, scanning the hemlocks and fern bushes. Sounds coming from the few nocturnal creatures scampering about the forest floor echoed in the growing night.
“Nessie, it’s getting darker!” Jacob called. No reply. “This is getting frustrating.” It made him nervous how he couldn’t even hear the sweeping sound of feet against the ground.
With a gasp, Jacob reached for the thing that had fallen on top of his shoulders, prying it off of him. Had he not caught a glimpse of the bronze wisps of curls shining in the moonlight he’d thrust the creature on the forest floor.
Renesmee’s big brown eyes widened with shock before she burst into giggles.
Jacob let out a long, exasperated sigh as he cradled Nessie in his arms.
“Alice taught me that.” Renesmee continued to giggle. But her laughter rapidly ceased when she encountered Jacob’s eyes boring down at her with a distraught set to them.
“Are you mad at me?” She asked quietly, placing her palm against his russet cheek.
At first Jacob’s frown seemed to not be ready to leave. Renesmee’s eyes went from wide to narrowed slits as he suddenly exploded in laughter.
“What’s so funny?” She demanded while struggling free out of Jacob’s arms.
Jacob set her down without hesitation, trying to breathe between the chuckles. “You just look so guilty!” He gasped.
Renesmee rolled her eyes and stalked past him into the thicket ahead.
“Nessie, you do realize that I could’ve thrown you down?” Jacob’s voice was more stable as it appeared just two feet behind her, making her release a tiny gasp.
“Why do you always sneak up on people?” She hissed, not lifting her eyes from the brambles ahead. Once they were pushed out of the way the winding road could be seen.
“I’m sorry but wouldn’t you know something about sneaking up on people?”
Renesmee didn’t answer as she continued towards the spot where Jacob had left the car. Her arms were folded over her small chest, her big milk chocolate colored eyes glaring when Jacob came out of the shrubbery. He made no move to approach the Volkswagen. They both seemed to stare each other down and Jacob considered how that looked…attractive coming from Renesmee. How she didn’t turn her face away whenever he made her angry the way Bella used to.
Renesmee, on the other hand, was secretly measuring how her werewolf friend looked especially sinister standing against the dark shadows of the forest with his midnight black hair cascading to his shoulders. At least, he would look threatening to any normal person passing by at that hour.
Biting back a laugh, she taunted “Aren’t you going to open the door for me or is that too gentlemanly for you?”
Jacob rolled his eyes and hurried to the passenger side of the car.
“Thank you.” Nessie muttered, climbing in.
Once he was inside, Jacob turned the key in the ignition and smirked at Nessie. “You’re the one who attacked me back there.” He pretended to scoff sarcastically.
Despite her teeth still pressing down on her bottom lip, a light chuckle was released. “Two can play at this melodramatic game. I am half vampire, after all.” She deliberately turned her head towards the window. The glass had chilled immensely. “If you didn’t like it, you should’ve let me know.”
Jacob grinned big in the rearview mirror.
During the drive back neither of them said much. Actually, except for a few banters about the classical music station that Nessie had turned the radio to, not a single word was uttered. Nessie watched out the window the thick clouds cover the stars pretty fast. She pouted a bit.
“I’ll have to ask Alice to take me to Seattle after school…maybe on Thursday. We could have dinner and see a movie so it’ll be late enough. Or if the weather isn’t clearing up we can drive to Phoenix over the weekend. There will be plenty of stars there.”
Jacob interrupted her musings.
“I’ll bring you back here during the day.” He smiled invitingly. “You up for some hiking?”
Renesmee grinned, suddenly remembering her argument with Emmett earlier. “It’s too bad I can’t bring Emmett. He’s loads of fun on a hike.” She laughed openly when Jacob stiffened.
“No, really.”
“What does he do, tear a tree in half to make a bridge for you over the river?”
Renesmee laughed again. “Precisely.” She didn’t have to hide the fact that she never did go just hiking with Emmett. Jacob didn’t need to know about that. He’d probably flip more than her parents would have.
Only one light was on throughout the who white house. Nessie recognized it shining from the living room. But she decided that she’d rather walk a few ways to the cottage.
The sight of Jacob getting out of the Volkswagen made her smirk.
“You really do take things into consideration, huh?” She teased, glancing discretely at a window high up in the white Cullen manor where tiny golden eyes were staring down from. Quickly, she fixed her gaze totally on Jacob’s face before he could look up as well.
Jacob stalked to her side and cupped her small ivory hand in his. He enlaced his fingers through hers protectively as they descended the grassy lawn into the surrounding forest.
“If Miss Cullen doesn’t mind, I’m far from complaining.”
Idly, Renesmee wondered if that name meant something completely different to him now than it had long ago.
An owl hooted and the tall hemlocks surrounded them. This forest smelled totally different from the other one.
“Jacob, why do you think my mom was angrier at you for imprinting on me than my dad?” Nessie asked at random. “I would think that it’d be the other way around.”
Jacob grinned, though he was taken aback by the question. “I would to.” After a pause in which he thought the answer over, he continued. “I think you should ask her yourself. She would give you a more accurate answer than I can.”
“I think I know why my dad didn’t get so mad.” Renesmee peered up at Jacob as they trudged on at a slower pace. “He knew you’d be good to anything you love. My mom knows that too but maybe she wasn’t so eager to accept because-”
“She’s your mom.” Jacob completed what Nessie made sound so under stable. “She thought I was taking you from her. Setting a claim on you.”
Nessie nodded.
Then she glanced up at his face again.
“You don’t hate him anymore, do you? My dad?” Her tone was casual somewhat. Jacob wondered, though, if it really bothered her more than she let on.
His throat twisted tightly and he halted. “I don’t.” He answered, bending his head to hold her stare. “How could I now?” With the hand that wasn’t holding Nessie’s hand he caressed the side of her ivory face from her cheekbones to her jaw, again taking into account how similar some of her features were to Edward’s. Those cheekbones especially.
“We love the same people. I did hate him viciously before…”
“I thought he was killing Bella.” But Jacob didn’t say that out loud. He didn’t think it necessary to pain Nessie like that. “But never think that I hate you, Nessie, it-” That possibility took the words right out of him.
Fortunately, Nessie cut him off with a playful grin.
“Silly, I know you don’t.” She jumped up to plant a tiny kiss on his cheek.
Jacob chuckled then sighed, feeling a tranquilizing calm taking over.
“So…” Jacob stalled as they walked deeper into the wood, nearing the center. “Do you want me not to think about the kiss?” His tone dropped an octave lower.
“Why?”
“Well, so your father won’t get the wrong idea.”
Nessie chuckled.
“My guess is he can already hear us.”
Jacob pretended to frown. “Ooh. Right. In that case, he’ll have to deal with my detailed memory.”
Renesmee’s ivory skin blushed faintly. “Don’t go overboard or it won’t be Edward Cullen you’ll have to worry about.” Her thoughts drifted to Emmett again.
Jacob’s eyes narrowed as he recalled the mention of her big uncle and he wondered if it was he who she meant. After a moment he shrugged.
“I’ll take the trade any day.” He gave Nessie a cocky grin.
She rolled her eyes. “Really?” She prodded. “Even against Emmett?”
Jacob nodded once. “If he breaks any of my bones I’ll have you as my daily visitor.”
“What about Rosalie?”
That cocky grin turned excited, full of adrenaline. Renesmee laughed, not needing a broader explanation.
Jacob untangled his hand from Nessie’s. She continued springing one step ahead of him and he wondered if she secretly felt nervous being with him. Was that why she was so eager to get home?
“Nessie.” He wound both his hands around her waist, pulling her slowly towards him. Even her stare seemed to waver. She glanced discretely to her right but he caught it. “Do I make you nervous?” He asked softly.
Renesmee’s deep brown eyes focused entirely on his face. She took a step back so that she could give the once over which made him feel slightly self conscious. A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.
“ I do think it’s funny when people are intimidated by you.” Her hands raised to his chest but they traveled all the way up to his shoulders, her arm stretched all the way.
Jacob began to bend his head, focusing on the strawberry blush on Nessie’s left cheek.
“I think my parents are worrying.” Nessie declared quickly.
Jacob began to shake his head but she slid her arms from off his shoulders so he realized that this was her decision. Nessie wrapped those arms around his waist, however, hugging him.
“Thanks for tonight, Jacob.” Nessie whispered.
One of Jacob’s hands slid up her waist to her nape. Bending over, he kissed her perfect ringlets.
“Good night, Nessie.”
Renesmee turned around and dashed across the clearing, leaving her own personal werewolf wondering when she would let him return the favor.
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