•••
Jacob was standing near the cliff in his wolf form. He was watching Evie who was sat on a log before the sea. Jacob wanted to run to her but he restrained himself. He was no good to her. He better stay away. So he turned around and walked away. As he moved further into the wood, he smell a sugary and acid smell. The next second, near the treaty line, stood Edward Cullen.
"How long will you watch her from afar?" He asked, straight forward.
Jacob looked away.
How did you know? Jacob thought. Thanks to his abilities, Edward hears it crystal clear.
"You were careful to not be seen but I did hear bribes of your though from time to time," Edward said. "I wasn't sure it was you. Now I have my confirmation,"
Don't tell Evie, Jacob thought.
Edward frowned.
"Why? She's waiting for you,"
Jacob kept quiet. Suddenly, the memory of his conversation with Embry poped up in his mind but he quickly thought about something else, not wanting Edward to see. But it was too late. Even though the vampire hadn't seen or heard everything, he understood.
"Evie is hurt," Edward said. "She loves you and she's waiting for you. Even though you kept your distance to not hurt her, it only did the complete opposite. She needs you. Don't you think it's the right time to come back after these past two months?"
Why do you care? Jacob thought, irritated that Edward read through him so easily.
"Evie is my friend. I care for her," Edward said. "And I understand you. That's why I'm telling you this. I, too, left to protect the one I love. But it nearly ended up in a catastrophe. I only hurt her more. You are doing the same mistake that I made,"
Jacob didn't say a word. He listen carefully, thing that he never thought he would do with a vampire. But deep down, Jacob knew Ed was right. The Cullen left to protect Bella. He knew the pain Jacob was in. But he also knew how bad it could turn out. Bella was basically willing to put herself into deadly situation just to see him. Even though Evie wasn't like that (fortunately), Jacob didn't want to hurt her anymore. He then staying away was the bear solution, but thinking about it, was it really?
"Tomorrow, Evie will be at the wedding," Edward said. "I know her. I know she will feel lonely seeing all the mates paired up. It may be a good surprise for her if you come back,"
Jacob kept quiet again. But Edward knew Jacob would show up for Evie. Otherwise, he wouldn't be coming back every two weeks just to have a glimps of her.
Jacob sighed and pulled the cover over his head, Evie's necklace in his hand.
Was Edward right? He thought. Should have I came back?
The Black kid just got back from the beach. He went straight up to his room where he locked himself up. He didn't want to talk to anyone, to see anyone. All he could think about was Evie's last words.
"I wish I wouldn't have imprinted on you!" She said.
It broke Jacob's heart into millions if tiny little pieces. But he knew he deserved that. How could he expect her to just even glance at him when he screw the hell up? Actually, he expected her to try to kill him. But maybe it would eventually come? He wasn't fearing it. He knew he deserved it. All he wanted was Evie's happiness. But Edward was right. Staying away just made it worse. Bella got herself into deadly situations when Edward was away and Evie was miserable when Jacob was away. Bonds where making the distance ever more painful that it should be.
I should have thought about this. I'm so fucking stupid! He thought.
Jacob groaned and burried he face more into his pillow. He was feeling miserable. The simple thought of his beloved imprintee hating him and not wanting to be with him was like planting deep a burning knife into his heart. It was as if was draining the life out of him. He already felt like that when he was away, but now, it was worse. He felt like he had no energy left. He felt like he had no reason to start a day. His heart was broken. His spirit was broken. He was broken. He was rejected by his own imprintee and it was his own fault.
Jacob looked at the necklace he once gave her. He gently pressed his lips against the pendant and held it close to his heart.
"Hey, man," Jacob heard.
He only groan as an answer. But the light and bubbly voice, it was Seth.
"You look awful," another one said. That, that was Quil.
"Get out," Jacob groaned.
He told his father he didn't want to see anyone when he came back. But seemed like Billy didn't care about what Jacob said.
"Come on, get your ass up," Quil said. "You can't stay here all day,"
"No," Jacob said. "Evie hates me,"
"What did you expect? You left her," Seth said. And there was a hint of anger and reproach in his voice.
"I know...," Jacob muttered.
He hated himself to have caused so much pain to her, and such a situation. All started with a good intention and it ended in a catastrophe, just like Edward told him.
"And for Bella, at that," Quil added. "Imagine your imprintee loves someone else. I would be mad angry too,"
"What?!" Jacob exclaimed as he abruptly sat up, sending the cover away. "No way! I haven't left for Bella! I don't love her!"
"What?" Seth frowned, confused. "Then why did you leave?"
"I mean, Bella is the reason I first left but it is not in the way you think it is," Jacob explained. "And since the beginning I was planning to come back,"
"Wait, can you explain. I'm lost," Quil said.
But Jacob didn't say a word. He looked sideway, as if he was embarrassed. No, he just didn't want to show vulnerability.
"You cannot understand," Jacob only say.
"And why that?" Seth shot back.
"Because you two love to be shifters," he said. Again, both Seth and Quil frowned, confused and lost. Jacob sighed. "I just want to go back to the time where there was no such things as vampires, shifters, newborns, nomads, or Volturi. I just want a normal life. I want the time where Evie and I were close and always together. No supernatural things, nothing,"
"I didn't know you hated being a shifter so much," Quil said, mostly to himself.
"Why do you think I refused to be the Alpha?" Jacob said as he passed a hand on his face, tired.
"What about my sister?" Seth said. "What will you do?"
"Nothing,"
Seth frowned.
"Can you be more specific?"
"I won't do anything," Jacob said. "Evie said she wished she wouldn't have imprinted on me. She hates me. She wants me away. So I'll give her space,"
"Jacob-" Quil tried but Jacob cut him off.
"No, I'm her imprintee and I must do what she wants," he added. "If she wants me away, I'll stay away,"
Both Quil and Seth said nothing. They just watched, sadly, their friend lying back on his bed and pulling the cover over his body.
"I'm done doing things on my own, it always ends up badly," he muttered to himself. "Now can you please let me sulking?"
Evie went back home right after her lash out at Jacob. She spent the remaining of the day in her room. She also took the opportunity to cut her hair short. Phasing and having long wolf hairs was very bothering. But besides from that, her head felt lighter in both senses of the word. Her heart felt lighter too. She had let go of the fury she was holding for so long. There was a constant crushing over her heart. Now it disappeared. Evie was glad Jacob was back. Heck, she was hella hapoy. But the pain he caused her, for days, slowly shifted into anger without her even knowing. And last thing she knew, the middle child of the Clearwater family was releasing all of her anger on Jacob. But what did he expected? He left, no goodbye, nothing, and he thought they would be all lovey dovey again? Come on, man.
It took some times for Evie was finally calmed down and stop pacing in her room, lashing out her anger again by finding new insults and reproach she could have made to Jacob. The Clearwater eventually decided to crash at Sam's house. The most of the pack members would be there, minus Jacob of coursr. She kind of knew he wouldn't be showing up. After all, when the person you love expresses her fury they had held against you to you, you wouldn't really feel like going out and hanging with your friends. Jacob was in this state of mind.
"I've never seen Evie so furious before," she heard Jared said as she came closer to the house. "I thought she was scary at the bondfire months ago but it is nothing compared to what just happened,"
"They are imprintees. She'll forgive him anyway," Paul shrugged it off. Leah (and Evie) scoffed.
"I hope she won't," Leah said.
"Leah," Sam warned.
"What?" The oldest Clearwater snapped. "That is the problem with you men. You think you are all mighty and unreplacable, that you can do whatever you wanna do and that we will always forgive you. Breaking news, you are not. It's not because they are imprintees that she has to forgive him right away. She's rightfully and legitimately angry. It's not because Jacob is her imprintee that he gets to behave like a fucking jerk just because "she'll forgive him anyway". He hurt Evie. And he keeps disrespecting her knowing she's his imprintee. So excuse me if I don't want that damned bastard near my sister. Being rejected and heartbroken will do him no harm. It's nothing compared to what he put my sister through. If it wasn't for the damn imprinting, Jacob would already be dead by now. Even the leech is a better fit for Evie than him,"
"Edward? You must be mad angry to even consider the leech," Jared said.
"I'm beyond mad angry," Leah groaned. "And everyone is a better fit than Jacob anyway,"
"Edward and I are friends, and he's married now," Evie said as she stepped into the house, catching everyone's attention. And as she expected, Jacob wasn't there. "So don't make it weird between us," she added as she sat next to her sister.
"You were pretty harsh with Jake earlier," Embry said.
"He deserved it," Evie said.
"Yeah, but-"
"Don't find him excuses, please," Evie asked. Embry didn't add anything and just looked down. He seemed deep in his thoughts. Evie frowned at him. Why was he defending Jacob? He told her himself Jacob was an idiot? Did he change his mind? Or was it some boy code? Or was there something else? Something she was aware of? Did Embry know something she didn't?
"The last part, you meant it?" Sam asked.
Evie knew he was referring to the "I wished I wouldn't have imprinted on you" part.
"The bitter part of me wants to say yes," Evie said. "But you know I didn't mean it,"
"Wish you did," Leah muttered.
"Leah," Sam warned.
"Okay, okay, sorry," she rolled her eyes, not meaning it at all.
"Man, you better watch out with her," Paul told Aaron. The latter only chuckled.
"Don't mind her temper. It's kinda hot actually," Aaron admitted. As Leah scoffed and tried to hide her blush and that the rest of the pack oo-ed (minus Sam because it was still weird for him to see Leah with a soulmate eventhough he was happy for her). Leah just tried to play it cool and unbothered. But Aaron knew she was all flustered and embarrassed. On the other hand, Seth and Evie shared a disgusted look.
"Ew," Seth whined, pressing his hands over his ears.
"Don't talk about out sister like that in front of us, I'm begging," Evie whined too, as the rest of the pack burst out laughing at the two overreacting Clearwaters.
After the sun always comes the rain. But the rain can sometimes turn into a storm.