Jake's warm body lie underneath mine, both arms wrapped around me in a reverse bear hug. My arms were pinned beneath me, elbows pinned to my ribcage. He moved me up and down with his breathing, his breath fanning across my hair and forehead with each exhale.
"You're staring," he informed after I'd been resting my chin on his sternum and looking up at him.
"You always stare," I reminded him.
"It doesn't count when I'm staring at you," he said simply. I rolled my eyes and rested my head against his chest again.
"We should get into the house before my dad realizes that we never came home."
"Your dad drank so much last night, I doubt he remembers his name," I laughed. "Thank you for last night," I added.
He rolled me underneath him, my naked skin chilled against the cold morning air. Jake chuckled and rested most of his body against mine, the warmth surrounding me like it had been all night. He pressed his lips against mine in a tender morning kiss that drove me crazy.
"Good morning to you too," I chuckled when he pulled away from me. He laughed back at me and drove his hips against mine in delicious friction.
"So how was the wedding?" he asked, his heart thudding against boob. "Was it beautiful and romantic? Are you and Leah planning things now?" he laughed.
"I don't swing that way, Jake," I teased. To my astonishment, he growled.
"Oh please; like I'd ever leave you." He smiled again at me. "No, the wedding was nice and large. Nothing like what I would picture for me and you." His heart stammered in his chest. "What was that? I didn't say it!"
"I know, but saying that you want to marry me is pretty much the same as saying it," he informed me. I just laughed at him. "So what exactly does this wedding of ours entail of?" His lips hit my cheek, moving his way down to my jaw, up behind my ear.
"The beach," I began, my breath catching in my throat as he hit the little hollow were my skull met my neck. "And the blankets and the waves," I continued. Jake continued his own way down my neck and into my shoulder. "And our families. You know, the pack and the Council and my parents." His hand wavered in the space between our chests like a human radiator. "A little early, don't you think?"
"Never." He raised his head and caught my lips again, growling eagerly into my mouth.
"Ryanne?" Jake groaned and lifted, but I pulled his head back to me. "Ryanne Lee Swan, I know that you're down here." Jake puled away again, but I followed him. "Ryanne!" He finally snarled and pushed off of me.
"What is she doing here?" he snapped.
"Probably because I was a bitch yesterday," I sighed. "You better monkey man your way into the house because if my mother catches me naked in a treehouse with you, she's liable to kill me."
"She'll be back in Florida before she can kill you," he said with a scoff. "But my dad will actually kill us. No funny business, remember?" I draped the sheet that we were lying on around my body like a dress and climbed into Jake's arms. He kept me steady with one arm cradling me like a child and the other sneaking us out the door and down the stationary ladder that we had used maybe once in our lifetimes. He tossed me through the window that led to his bedroom before puling himself up and in. I pulled on one of Jake's long t-shirts and a pair of leggings before heading to the door.
My mother banged her fist against the door again. "Ryanne Lee! I know you're in there," she shouted.
"Jake, go check on your dad," I whispered in the moment before the door opened. Mom came in then, not even bothering to wait for her invitation.
"Please, Mom, come in to the Black home," I said with a touch of sarcasm.
"Don't be rude to me, Ryanne," she snapped. "We have so many things to talk about. The first of which is your behavior." She began pacing the floor in her manic manner. "Your behavior yesterday was beyond ridiculous. You refused to be a part of your sister's wedding. You walked away from the bachelorette party. You then refused to be a bridesmaid even after she begged you again."
"You begged me, Mom."
"You were rude about taking pictures. You caused a scene in front of the Cullen family. You embarrassed me, your father, your sister, yourself! And you brought someone who wasn't even asked to be at the wedding! I mean really Ryanne."
"Mom, there was nothing wrong with my behavior yesterday. You are the only one who noticed."
"Your sister noticed." I didn't care. "And she was so upset, Ryanne. How could you disappoint your father and me like that?" I rolled my eyes. "Speaking of him, he wanted me to give you this." She handed me some letter and continued on her rant. "I always knew that you were high strung, Ryanne, but to behave the way that he did yesterday was just inexcusable." Jake appeared in the hallway opening then and my mother turned her attention to him.
"And you! To just not go to a wedding after you had said that you were going is insane. Do you know what happened to our plans?"
I slid my finger along the lip of the envelope and pulled it open, yanking the letter out of the envelope. M
Request your testimony. That was all that flashed through my mind. And then there was James T. Murphy. My breath stopped coming. For the life of me I couldn't get air in my lungs. I was shaking like a leaf in autumn when Jake stepped closer.
"How are you, Renee?" It was probably safest to just call her by her first name.
"If I wanted to talk to you, don't you think I would be? Of all the irresponsible things that the two of you have done, and we all know there's a lot of them, this has got to be the most inconsiderate. I mean it was a wedding! Did you two have to ruin this? How would you feel if this was your own wedding?"
"I see where your sister gets her personality," Jake murmured, but he had yet to look at me.
I had to do this. I mean, it had always been the plan if it was necessary. But it wouldn't be; it shouldn't be. Murphy'd had too many complaints, too many students that were willing to step forward and testify. Did I really have to do this?
"How did your fathers just allow this to happen? I knew that I should've taken both of you, but your father insisted that it was the wrong thing to do. He wanted to see his daughters and more than just for one season. Oh, if he had just listened to me!"
I moved to the kitchen, still staring at the paper in front of me. I laid it down on the counter, still staring at it while I started the coffee. Seattle, Washington. I was kept the coffee grinds flowing until Billy tapped my leg. I jumped a mile high, scattering grinds all over the place.
"I didn't mean to scare you," he said. "Just hoping for a cup of coffee." I took a deep breath.
"Yeah, it'll be ready real soon." I turned to grab the broom, but the papers fell to the ground, Billy stooping at the waist to grab them.
I watched his eyes flit over the screen, his mouth dropping into a frown.
"You told Jake yet?" I just shook my head. I was being a coward and I shouldn't be. I was stronger than this, stronger than Murphy. He had done nothing but hurt me. But I wasn't going to let him hurt me anymore. But I was scared. And if people didn't know about this, about the trial, there would be no one there to be disappointed in me for my fear.
"Tell Jake what?" God did he have to make this hard for me?
"Is my mom still here?" He nodded, but frowned at me. "I'm going to get her to leave. Billy can you, uh -" He was nodding before I'd even finished my sentence.
"Mom, this isn't my home. And I don't think it's right for you to just barge in here."
"Your father certainly didn't teach you how to speak to a parent, did he?"
"And you didn't teach Bella," I countered. I sighed before I let my anger get away from me. "Look, Mom; you haven't been here and you don't know what's gone on between me and Bella. If you did, you wouldn't be upset with me. I went to the wedding because it was my family that was getting married. But I was only invited, Bella only threw a fit because she wanted Jake to go. And he didn't want to. I'm not here to force him to do the things that he doesn't want to do, Mom."
Dad's cruiser pulled into the yard and he jumped out before it was completely off.
"God damn it, Renee, I told you to leave the girl alone," he thundered as he marched up the stairs. "Did you at least give her the letter?"
"Yes, Charles, I gave her the letter. That was before she decided to talk back to me, of course," Mom retorted. I left them there bickering about parenting and who had done a better job and ended up in the kitchen. Jake's arms were shaking, his father trying to comfort him.
I gave a quarter smile and told myself to buck up, moving forward and touching his bicep. He jumped and snarled, but quickly calmed when he realized it was me.
"What are you planning on doing?" he asked through his teeth.
"I don't know."