Act III
Chapter 28 ━━ Babysitter
━━━━━━━━☆★☆━━━━━━━━
Talking to Emily went very short but sweet. Sam isn't trusting the Cullens even though Cullens are the good ones. But Shelley understands his protective actions. She's his imprintee. Emily explained everything the blonde should know about the whole imprinting thing.
To what she gathered from her explanation, unlike her imprinter, the imprintee can choose whether she'll accept him as her 'soulmate' or not. It is, however, implied that rejection is highly unlikely since it is said that it would be very hard to resist the levels of commitment, compatibility and adoration. She also mentioned that the imprintee feels incomplete without her soulmate nearby.
If the imprintee chooses someone else, her imprinter will be in deep emotional pain. Nevertheless, he would still respect her choice as her happiness was all that mattered to him.
Shelley doesn't think it's totally true when it comes to the Jacob situation. He completely flipped at the mention of me being in love with Esdras. Maybe Jacob is a one of a kind nutcase to think she's in love with someone else other than him.
Esdras is still pissed. The blonde doesn't think his anger will slow down very soon. She's still expecting Jacob to show up even though send a few messages through Sam and Bella. But there's no sight of him yet. It's starting to worry her every single minute passing by. What if he doesn't want her again?
A knock on the door, snap the blonde out of her thought bubble and look up at the door. "Come in!"
The door opens revealing Jacob. His hair looks like he hasn't combed it lately. His face is pale and tired as dark under-eye bags are screaming out the lack of sleep he's having. He's the definition of a mess. Jacob's eyes slowly meet hers and then the large bandage. He looks so distraught and guilt-ridden at the sight of before him.
Shelley pulls on her sheets to cover to hide her bandage even though it's too late now.
"You don't have to hide what kind of a monster I am." He says with a low voice and takes a seat on the chair next to her bed. Neither of them talks for a while as Jacob stares at her silently and she looks everywhere but not him.
Then, he sighs and decides to cut the silence and talk. "I know that it's bullshit to ask you how you are because I know that you feel pain like hell. I want to say sorry for everything."
Shelley's throat begins to burn with the words struggling to get their way out of her mouth, but there's something that's stopping her. An invisible barrier that is shielding her.
It makes Jacob's lips quiver with a painful emotion and within the next second, he breaks down.
"Please don't stay silent. This is killing me." He cries at her silence and eyes brimming with tears. "Just tell me to kill myself. I can't bear this pain anymore. I hate myself. I hate myself for making you go through this pain."
"I'm not me anymore. You deserve someone better." Shelley says and his expression turns into something unreadable this time. The pool of tears is covering most of it. But she still can identify something in his eyes though. They're full of shock, maybe because it shocked him to hear me talking to him like he never expected her to. She also sees some kind of relief. Pain is very visible other than all the above.
"I don't want better. You're enough. A thousand times perfect enough for me." He takes her hand and places a small kiss on it. "Look, I know what I did was unforgivable. But I-I want to start over us. A fresh start."
She sighs and looks at him. "I don't know, Jake."
He swallows the lump in this throat, preparing himself to let out whatever in his mind. "You can think and make a decision. I'll wait for you. I'll always wait for you no matter what."
She nods in response. "Okay."
He forces a smile. An agonising smile, yet beautiful in its own way. "Okay."
The blonde raises her good hand to reach his face and wipe the tears. "You look like a mess."
"So are you."
Caressing his cheek with the pad of her thumb, she mumbles. "Looks like we both are a beautiful mess."
He relaxes under her touch and nods in agreement. "Yes, we're."
She smiles and it causes his face to light up immediately.
"Shells?"
"Mmm?"
"I have to say something to you. Something I didn't say to you before."
She looks up at him once again to see him looking at her with a serious face.
"Do you remember the day we first met each other? I still remember how you punch me for breaking Bella's weird glass box with multicoloured bulbs in it. It was very violent by the way."
Shelley lets out a loud laugh at the memory lane. Those days were the sweetest days of my life, so was he. "It was a magic box, Jake. And we were like three and I punched you because you made Bella cry."
"That was the first time I felt something for you. I felt some kind of a connection between us. I felt it even before I imprinted on you. I was afraid to let go of our friendship. So I pushed myself for Bella from the beginning. But it has always been you." He continues to look at her as he speaks. "I'm so sorry for everything. Everything I did to hurt you a lot. Please forgive me."
"Hey, it's okay. It's all forgiven. Come here." She motions him for a hug and next all she knows is his arms around her, embracing and trying their best not to hurt her in the process.
He breaks down once again as he apologises and repeatedly whispers into her ear. "I'm sorry, Shells."
"Shh... big boys don't cry." She comforts him, stroking his messy hair.
"I might be strong physically. But I'm weak in my mind, Shell." He says in his low voice. It sounds so vulnerable and guilty at the same time. "It's hard to keep myself together after seeing you go through so much pain. And it's worse when I remember that it's my fault."
Shelley cups his face with her hands and makes him look at her. "Hey, Jake. It's my fault too. I'm the one who pushed you into that. Let's forget that ever happened, okay?"
He slowly nods his head. "Okay."
"Now grab all of those chocolates for me." Shelley says, pointing at the bag of chocolate waiting on the dresser. "We gotta eat them all together to lift your mood."
For her relief, the next morning, Shelley finds herself resting on her bed at home.
"You heard Dr. Cullen. Do not even think about getting out of bed until you're fully healed." Charlie instructs her strictly.
"Don't worry, Charlie. I'll keep her company." Jacob says. He volunteered to be her babysitter until Bella returned. Bella and Edward left in the morning to drop Renee off at the airport and it makes leaving both Jacob and her at the house alone.
"That's what I'm afraid of." Charlie mutters under his breath.
"Dad!"
"What?"
"Jake, can you bring me a glass of water?" She requests from Jacob, who is looking between the blonde and Charlie with a lost expression.
"Yeah." Jacob looks at her and walks out of the room to bring her a glass of water.
"What was that for?" She whispers at Charlie, not wanting Jacob to hear any of it.
"He's the reason why you ended up in the woods, twice." Charlie says in his normal tone without even giving a damn about Jacob hearing it or not. Sometimes, he makes the blonde wonder if he knows the truth about everything. The supernatural world and stuff.
Shelley opens her mouth intending to defend Jacob for the thousand times. "I went to the woods by my choice both times."
"He once broke your heart, Shells. He's indeed my best friend's boy and he used to be a nice kid, but he's not the guy for you anymore."
"Dad!"
"Your friendly boyfriend will be here with the notes of the lessons you missed. And heard you two got into a fight. Be nice to him. He thinks about your safety more than others." Charlie advises her and she rolls her eyes as the response.
"Ezra was being nothing but an asshole yesterday."
"That boy was worried, Shells." Charlie points out. "And mind your language before I ground you for the rest of your life."
She gulps, making a mental note not to curse in front of Charlie again. "Sorry, dad."
"That's better."
"Keep in mind what I told you."
"Curse again equals grounded for the rest of my life thing?"
"No, Jacob's not the guy for you thing."
"Okay."
"Alright. Be careful with the bandage and rest well. I mean it, Shells when I say rest. I'll be back for lunch, okay?"
"Okay, dad."
"Do you want me to stay?" Charlie asks for the hundredth time. "I can take a day off-"
"No, I'm fine, dad. I swear." She cuts him off. "I'll give you a call if something goes wrong."
"One call, I'll be here in the next minute." Charlie informs.
She nods and salutes. "Got it, Sheriff."
Charlie smiles and places a kiss on her head and walks out of the room and she looks at the door to see Jacob leaning into the door with a troubled expression.
"Friendly boyfriend?" Jacob asks, pronouncing each word carefully like it's burning him.
"He's talking about Esdras." She chuckles, shaking her head. "Charlie thinks I'm secretly dating Ezra."
"Do you?"
"Nope. Not yet. But I can consider it. I mean look at him. He's hot!" She winks and his face falls. She frowns at his reaction. "Come on, Jake. I was just joking."
"You said you're in love with him. In the woods." He reminds and lets out a sigh. "Charlie's right. He thinks about your safety more than me."
"They were just words, Jake. I love Esdras as a friend. But nothing more." She shrugs it off and notices his bare hands. "So? Where's the glass of water?"
He scratches the back of his neck, nervously. "I thought you wanted to chase me away from your conversation."
"I am thirsty for real, dude."
"Oh... I'll bring you water then."
"You ruined my mood for water. Now get your ass here and kiss me."
"You're nuts." He mutters, smiling before moving himself to the bed.
"Guess, I am." She says and wraps her arms around his neck as he connects his lips onto hers. He's hovering her but giving all his weight on his arms which are resting on the bed beside her two sides to avoid him contacting her with the bruise. Their lips begin to move in perfect sync, slowly, cautiously as she sneaks her hand under his shirt, tracing her fingertips all over his abdominal muscles. He grunts and it makes her retreat her hand away. But he grabs her hand and places it back on as if he's asking her to continue doing it.
As they part she sees his eyes sparkle and lips curve up into a smile and she cannot help but smile back.
"Now that was fire. Good job, Little bro."
He scowls at the nickname. "I'm not your little bro, alright?"
"Then what?"
"I told you once. But here again. I'm your guardian." He says and leans into her ear, whispering the last part with a raspy voice. "And sex slave."
"Yeah. Yeah. Whatever." She shivers, feeling the blood rush on her face and it makes him smirk. "Glad to know that my babysitter is a pervert."
He laughs and plops on the bed next to her, taking her hand into his, interlocking them. "Did you make a decision?"
Shelley raises an eyebrow, puzzled. "About?"
"About... us." He says with his voice low as if he's not sure if it is the right time to unload it on her.
"No." She shakes her head. "Not yet."
Jacob nods his head, trying to hide his disappointment. Which fails.
She sighs, feeling awful. "I'm sorry, Jake."
"No, no. It's fine. Take your time." He gives her a smile within his painful eyes. "I can wait."
She decides to change the subject, not wanting to see him drown in pain and sadness. "Billy once told me you're dropping your grades now. How's your schoolwork?"
"Don't remind me of that shit." He grimaces at the mention of school. "It's not important anyway. I wish I could drop school and open a garage of my own."
"You're right. School sucks. But you can't drop school just like that, Jake. Next time onwards, bring your books of every single subject you're weak at. I'll tute you." She suggests and he groans.
"Shells, no!"
"If you study well and show good grades next time, I'll give you anything you want as a reward." She states, playing with his hair. "How about that?"
His eyes widened at her offer. "Anything?"
"Yeah." She shrugs casually, not thinking deeply of what he means by anything. "Anything."
His face turns into a mischievous grin. "Why not?"