I stumbled into the house, wet from the never ending rainfall. I still hadn't had a moment to breathe, but that was more my own fault than Sam's. The girls were in the living room, Bella tucked under a few blankets. She hadn't tried anything about being cold again, so the extra blankets were clearly working. Annie had herself wrapped in one of my sweaters that fit before I phased. I was all too happy to see her in it. They were watching some sappy movie that girls loved on Hallmark. Annie noticed me first, patting the empty spot beside her. Her hand came up to scratch the base of my skull, moving its way down my back and back up. She made lazy circles, spirals, and other patterns, changing up every so often. I rested my head against her shoulder, despite the ten inches that now separated us. I was almost asleep when she leaned in and whispered,
"Why don't you go sleep?" I'd rather stay right where I was, thank you very much.
The irony of my situation almost made me laugh. Annie and I had been best friends for ages and I had never realized that I loved her. And when Bella came around, I fought for every little scrap of her attention. I would do anything just to stay right by her side. And though Annie gave me plenty of attention, I still thought about anything to do to stay around her. Even if it meant fall asleep in her lap.
But I couldn't ignore the fact that I had patrol... again.
"I have patrol in an hour." She wasn't happy with me, but she only sighed. At least she didn't try to fight me on it. I was only doing it to protect her. Protection, right. "Paul will be running around the house."
"Why don't you let Paul get some sleep? You've had him watching me and Bella for days." I couldn't argue with her. Someone had to be around to watch the imprints, and Bella, and Paul had been volunteering. Annie and Paul's shared sense of inappropriate humor made them quick friends. And even though Paul hated Bella, referring to her as leech lover more often than her name, he wanted to protect Ryanne. So when we needed someone to watch our girls, Paul volunteered. Unless he was sleeping... or eating. Either way, I was grateful for him. Annie was right; I had been asking him to run too hard.
"Are you going anywhere?" I asked before I conceded. Jared was finally telling Kim about the wolves. Embry was on patrol. Sam was getting some much needed and much deserved sleep. I had to go on patrol. I couldn't exactly ask Embry to run extra just to protect them. But if they were in the house and staying there, I could hear them and Sam was only a few doors down. If something went wrong he would hear it. But only if they were here.
"No; we'll stay here and work on dinner and stuff like that," she promised. "Go catch a nap." God, and Annie, knew I needed it. I looked at the clock. I could get forty-five minutes.
I swear it was only two seconds later when Annie plopped down on my bed, musing my hair to wake me.
"You have to get going," she whispered in my ear. I groaned, but quickly reminded myself that I had to protect her.
"What time are you off?" she asked. I liked that she talked about patrol like it was an on-call job. I wasn't sure if it was how she coped or what, but it made me feel like this was normal. Even if we were only sixteen; well, almost seventeen.
"Seven." She nodded.
"I'll have dinner ready then. And then you are going to sleep until tomorrow."
"But I have-" "I already called Sam. You're off until tomorrow morning at eight. That means that you can get twelve hours," she said quietly. I growled softly. "You look like shit, Jake. And you're not protecting anyone when you're this tired."
"Fine; be safe and stay inside." She nodded and I kissed her forehead. Maybe tomorrow morning would give us a chance to talk.
I phased once I hit the tree line, looking back to see Annie smiling from her spot on the front porch. I could get used to this.
You already are used to it, Embry shouted in my head. I'm glad you finally figured yourself out.
How long have you known? I asked as I realized what he was talking about.
Since freshman year, when you threatened to kill Tyler Begay for grabbing her ass in the lunch lines.
Come on, man, it wasn't like that back then.
Yes, it was; you just didn't see it. I watched through Embry's eyes as he recalled me and Annie driving to school in the mornings, the day that I'd forced her to go back to my place and sleep in the fall, the time that I'd saved her a seat at lunch when she had detention. Seen through the eyes of someone else, I guess I could see where my relationship with Annie got a little blurred.
Blurred? Dude, you've been in love with her for years. The imprint just opened you eyes. I couldn't argue with him there. I was finally starting to see Annie for what she was worth. And she was worth so much more than a best friend.
Well, at least you're realizing how stupid you've been for like seventeen years. Not to mention this whole Bella thing. What was with that?
I don't know, I just- I tested the air cautiously, the sticky sweet smell burning my nose. Leech, Embry growled. I howled, loud and long. Sam phased in first, then Paul, who grumbled about being woken up.
This better be good; Kim was taking this all so well. She even asked if she could see my wolf, Jared said as he phased. Then the smell hit his nose. Where is she? he growled.
We bolted after the scent, following her through Forks' forest. She was crouched over one of the hunters. Great, we were going to save the men out for our very destruction. Harry Clearwater, Sam said as he came upon him.
Not Harry! He only joined this damn force to keep the hunters away from us. For months now, he had been hiding us from them, erasing our trails and pointing them in the wrong direction. I snarled. The redheaded bitch straightened and hissed seconds before she bolted. Jared, Jake, chase her!
I didn't need to be asked twice. I pushed myself harder than I ever had before. We've got her this time, Jared said with confidence. I just grunted in response, not willing to focus on anything but her scent. I would get her, rip her to shreds, and keep her away from my Annie. Forever.
Harry's dead, Paul whimpered. Jared and I both stumbled.
We can't let this be for nothing, I shouted, chasing even harder. Fire burned my veins, searing through my without fail. Why Harry? Harry Clearwater never did anything to anyone. He knew about us because he was part of the council. He was so gracious, making excuses to our parents, getting us out of trouble with the school board. And that leech had killed him.
Mangos? Strawberries? I thought she said they were staying in the house. I growled. I was going to rip her a new one. How hard was it to do what I asked? I wanted to keep her safe; why couldn't she just understand that! The parasite bitch looked back at me with a grin and bolted towards Annie. I lunged, but missed.
I can see Bella and Rye, Jared said. They were trying to kill me. If she didn't want me around, all she had to do was reject the imprint!
Bella and Ryanne are on the cliff, Embry shouted. What was she doing? I thought she said that she was going to stay safe?
"It's too dangerous," I heard Annie said through Embry's thoughts.
"You really are selfish, you know that. I just want to jump," Bella said. I snarled. Annie was standing on a cliff and Bella called her selfish?
"Bella, this isn't a good idea!" she shouted above the wind. What were they doing if Annie knew that this was stupid? I was going to strangle her and then kiss her once I got her off the cliff. My legs were aching, but I wouldn't stop until I had her in my arms.
Jake, phase out. Bella looks like she's going to jump. In this weather? Was she insane?
"We'll be lucky if we make it out alive," Annie shouted again.
"I know," Bella said. I could only watch in horror as the older Swan dove off the cliff face, dragging Ryanne with her.
"She's got that right," the redhead said from somewhere behind me. I was too far to get to the cliff. I wheel around, more jumping than sprinting to get to the beach. I dove into the water, pissed that this bitch was close to my Annie and I needed air. I finally reached the place were the girls should've landed and dove under, grabbing the first thing that felt like fabric. Vaguely behind me, I could hear one of the guys swimming after me. I pulled up something cold, but definitely human.
Bella. I should just let her drown. She pulled her sister over the face of a cliff with her. How had I spent so long making up excuses for her? I told myself that she was good at heart, that she really cared about her sister. But I don't think she did. How could she love her sister and still pull her over the edge.
"I've got her," Embry said from behind me.
I all but shoved Bella at him and dove back under. The water blurred my vision, but I could still make out the colors. And buried amid the grays and blues was dark hair and a red sweater. I swam forward and wrapped my hands around that tiny waist, pulling it and me to the surface. Annie's head flopped limply against my shoulder as I backstroked towards the shore.
"I swear, Ryanne Lee Swan, if you die I will bring you back and kill you myself," I swore under my breath. I ran to where Embry had Bella sputtering.
"Jacob?" she called meekly. I growled and she shrank back. I knew that she was hurting; that I shouldn't want to rip her throat for saying my name when she first awoke.
"I'll take her back to your place," Embry said, gathering the shivering girl to his chest. I just nodded.
I pounded a fist to the center of Annie's sternum. "Breathe, Ryanne," I begged. How long had she been out? How long had she been without air? First I was going to lose her to some teacher and now to her sister. How was this fair? "Damn it, Annie, this is no time for your stubbornness," I said, lightly slapping her cheeks. I got nothing; no response, no cough. Not even a flutter of her eyelids. I smacked her chest again, but there was still nothing. I was out of options. I pressed my lips to hers, blowing air into her lungs.
Annie sat up like a woman possessed. I wrapped my arm around her waist, supporting her as she hacked, practically vomiting water. She coughed again and again until her airway was finally clear and she could gasp for air. She was shaking, her tremors almost as bad as they were the day I'd found her in Murphy's room. Her lips were a faint shade of blue, her eyes drooping lower with each passing moment.
"Oh no you don't," I growled. "Let me see those eyes, Annie," I whispered. Still her lids fell. I smacked her cheek again. "Don't be difficult, Ryanne." Blue peeked back at me between her dark lashes. "Oh God, Rye," I breathed and crushed her to me.
"You should get her somewhere warm," Sam said, but I growled at him. "Hey, I'm not going to touch her. But she's freezing, Jacob; you should get her somewhere warm." I looked at her little blue lips trembling, her hands ice against my skin, fighting against her exhaustion. "Jake, her heart is strong. You can hear it beating. She's exhausted and freezing. Let her rest. She'll be fine."
I could see her fighting, trying to stay away. "You're safe, Annie," I whispered to her. She shook her head, but I couldn't tell if she was telling me no or if she was just cold.
"Jake," she whispered. I had never liked the sound of my name as much as I did at that moment. "I'm c-c-c-cold." I pulled her tighter to my chest. What was I doing keeping her out here in the wind? Sam was right; she needed to be warm.
"I know, baby girl. I'm going to get you warm," I vowed. I stood then, looking over at Sam. "I'm sorry."
"Just get her warm; Emily will probably be over later," he warned. He set his hand on the top of her head and I fought the urge to rip it off. "We'll all come by and check on her."
"Jacob," Bella croaked as I walked in the door, curled up on her bed and swathed in blankets.
"Bella, I can't yell at you right now. I can't deal with it. You almost killed my best friend today, Bella. I get that you're depressed and whatever bullshit you had going on in your head, but you almost killed your sister and I don't understand why. So you sit there and get warm. I have to save her," I said.
I laid Annie on my bed and wrapped her in the extra blanket that I hadn't used since I'd phased. I bolted from the room then, tossing any towel I could find into the dryer and pressing 'Quick.' I didn't know where to start, but I had to stop her from chattering. I unwrapped her from her little cocoon, attempting to ignore the moan she gave as the cold air hit her.
"Please don't hate me, Annie," I whispered as I pulled her shoes and socks from her feet.
My hands shook as I unbuttoned her jeans, trying not to stare as I peeled the denim down her long legs. I held her up with one arm while I struggled with the zipper of my jacket with the other. I gave up, ripping her shirt and my old sweater away. She sat before me, shivering, in nothing but her bra and underwear and I couldn't help myself. She was so beautiful, so tempting, I barely knew what to do with myself.
Finally, I settled her on the bed, tossing the thick blanket over her and running into the washroom again. I wrapped one hot towel around her shoulders and piled the rest of them on her, layering them like they were blankets and shawls. She was shivering violently when I finally cupped her head in my hands. "I'm going to get your pajamas, Annie. Can you get yourself dressed?"
Her eyes didn't open; her lips didn't stop their involuntary quivering. I sighed; I could ask Bella to do it. The thought entered my head, I couldn't help but growl. We were in this situation because of Bella; I didn't want her anywhere near Annie.
I pulled open her drawer in my dresser and found the largest t-shirt she had in there. This was mine what was it doing in her drawer? I shrugged and walked back over to her. "I'm really sorry, Rye. If there was another way to do this I would," I said, as I pulled the shirt over her head.
My fingers fumbled with the clasp of her bra; I had never done this before. And I had only ever dreamed of doing this to Annie. I managed to get the damn thing undone, sliding the straps down her arms and the whole thing down her body. How in the name of God did she ever manage to get that thing on? My hand grazed the top of her boyshort underwear, but there were drying. I reached for a pair of my flannel pajama bottoms, knowing they'd be warm and too big. But it was the warmth that I was after.
I pulled a brush through her hair, braiding it like my sisters had taught me when I was a boy before I laid her in bed. Her lips were no long blue, but she was still shaking. I covered her with all the blankets on my bed before I went to check on Bella. I didn't want her to die; not anymore anyways. Bella was curled up on the bed, her eyes shining with tears.
"I'm sorry," she whispered as I moved towards the fire. "I didn't mean for this to happen."
"I just don't understand why, Bella," I murmured. Why did she try to take Annie with her? Wasn't it bad enough that she had tried to kill herself.
"I wasn't trying to kill myself; I just wanted to try it."
"I told you that I would take you," I shouted. I heard Annie's heartbeat pick up in the other room. "I don't understand why you thought that taking your sister with you was a good idea. Did you want your dad to lose both his daughters?" She flinched at the thought.
"Embry told me about Harry Clearwater; I'm sorry," she whispered. Was that supposed to make it better? The fire was going, strong and warm.
"You might want to put some wood on that in a few hours," I said as I walked.
"You're not going to?" she asked, panicked.
"If I'm up; otherwise I'm going to stay and take care of your sister." I left Bella there, not a second look back.
"Jake," Annie managed between her chattering teeth.
"Hey, Annie-girl," I said, sinking onto my mattress. It was like someone had set off a starting gun for a race. Annie rolled towards me, wrapping her toned arms around my waist and pressing her frozen toes against my bare calf. I held her back, winding my arms around her waist and settling her against my chest, grateful for my extra body warmth.
"Don't leave, Jake," she whispered, but she was more asleep than awake.
I gathered some stray strands of hair and tucked them behind her ear. I heard her heartbeat slow and her breathing even out. "I'm not going anywhere, Annie." She snored lightly in response and I chuckled quietly. "I love you, Ryanne Swan." Maybe it's about time she knew that.