Jacob called Kaylee the next morning. She was laying in her bed, reading over the pamphlets that the doctor had given her and her mother, when her mom knocked on the door. "Kaylee, sweetie, there's a boy on the phone for you." She handed the phone over. Kaylee assumed that it was Embry, but she was surprised when she didn't recognize his voice.
"Hello?" She asked, putting the phone in between her ear and shoulder, continuing to flip through the pamphlets.
"Kaylee?" She felt her heart begin to race, and her cheeks grew warm. "Kaylee, this is Jacob. How are you feeling?" His deep voice sounded so concerned, and a stupid grin spread across Kaylee's face.
"Hey Jacob! I'm doing fine. Don't worry about me." She assured him. She didn't want to have to tell him about her illness quite yet. She didn't want to scare him off, because she really liked spending time with him.
"Are you sure? You were so sick." He sounded sad.
"Oh, I'm fine. Seriously, don't worry so much." Kaylee tried to make her voice sound light and cheerful.
"Okay .. Did you have any plans for today?" He asked, and she felt herself blush again. She had planned on going to the hospital and looking around the cancer center again, since she felt like she was going to be spending most of her time there anyway, she wanted to be comfortable in there.
"No, nothing. I was just going to sit around the house." She grimaced as she said it. She thought she sounded like such a loser.
"Well, Emily was wondering if you wanted to come over to her house today. The gang and I were going to go over there for dinner, but she said she wanted to spend some time with you and get to know you." Kaylee couldn't help the smile that spread over her face.
"Sure, that sounds great. When am I supposed to go over there?" She sighed internally, she needed to get gas for her car soon. She debated on walking; it couldn't be that far.
"I was hoping that I could actually come and get you now. I was going to go over to see Sam, and the other guys should all be there." He sounded so hopeful.
"Yeah, that sounds great! I just need to get dressed and I'll be ready to go." The two hung up and Kaylee jumped up, searching her closet for a cute outfit. She decided on a pair of skinny jeans and a plain blue shirt. She quickly brushed her long hair quickly and threw it up in a sloppy bun. She went downstairs to tell her mom where she was going, but she was on the phone again.
"Momma, I'm going to my friend's house." She told her quietly, not wanting to interrupt her phone call. She held up her hand to make Kaylee stop, and she sat down at the table beside her. "What's going on?"
She held the phone out to her daughter. "It's your dad. He wants to talk to you." She cringed. She must have told dad about her being sick. Her mom and dad got divorced when she was seven, and it really hurt him when she moved in with hrt mom and decided to stay with her. For a few years, they split the holidays up so her dad wouldn't feel left out, but she eventually got tired of that. Her dad was never really home anyway,because he was the owner at a construction company. She would sit by the Christmas tree, watching movies, and her dad would be at the table doing paperwork.
"Hey dad. How's everything going?" Kaylee asked, glancing out the window to make sure she didn't see the familiar Rabbit parked in the driveway.
"Baby girl. I can't believe this is happening." He completely ignored her question. She could hear the sadness in his voice.
"I'll be fine, dad. I start my treatments this Monday, and then I'll have radiation three days a week. I'm not scared." Lies. That was such a lie. She was terrified. She heard her dad sniffle, and her heart ached a little to think about him sitting there crying over her.
"You're my baby girl. I don't want anything to happen to you." He was sobbing now. "Do you need anything? Do you need money? You aren't going to be able to keep working, are you?"
Kaylee hadn't really thought about her job. "I'm going to work as long as I can. I don't need you to give me any money, I'm okay." There was a loud knock on the door, and Kaylee and her mom jumped. "Dad, I have to go okay? I love you. I'll call you after my first treatment on Monday." She went to give the phone back to her mom, but she had already answered the door.
"Kaylee, sweetie, you didn't tell me that you had a boyfriend." She said teasingly, but her eyes held a bit of seriousness in them. Kaylee normally told her mother everything, and she had always been her number one supporter and best friend.
"He's not my boyfriend," she muttered, "but we have to go. I'll tell you everything when I get home." She whispered the last part, kissing her on the cheek and handing her the phone. She knew that should would be telling her dad what just happened, so she rushed Jacob out of the house.
"Hey Jacob." He gave her a grin.
"Kaylee, you look beautiful." He opened the door to the Rabbit for her, and she slid in. He closed the door behind her and then quickly hopped in the other side. Her face was hot from his compliment, and she looked up at him through her lashes. He was wearing khaki shorts and a black muscle shirt, which emphasized the muscles in his chest and arms.
"Ya like what you see?" He asked jokingly, placing his hand on her knee. She stared down at his tan appendage, surprised by his boldness. But, life is short, so she decided to be brave. She took his hand in hers and intertwined their fingers. He gave their hand a little squeeze.
"Well, I'm not going to lie to you. I like you in that shirt." He laughed loudly, and it was a beautiful sound.
"I like you in that shirt. Blue is a good color on you." He complimented her as he pulled into Emily's driveway. She opened the door and hopped out, and he quickly ran around to meet her on the other side. Emily's house was very small and cute, and it seemed like something she would take a lot of pride in. Jacob didn't even knock on the door, he just walked right in. Kaylee smacked him on the arm, making him look at her incredulously.
"You don't just walk into someone's house like that!" Emily was standing in the kitchen in front of the stove, stirring a big pot. She laughed a little tinkling laugh.
"Trust me sweetie, I'm used to it. The boys are in the living room." Kaylee heard their loud voices as soon as they stepped on the porch, she didn't even have to tell us. Kim was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping a cup of lemonade.
"Go ahead, Jacob. I'm going to sit in here and talk to them for a little bit, I'll be in there soon." She promised. He looked at her for a minute before leaning in and kissing her on the forehead. He was so direct and forward, and she felt her face burn with a blush. Kim and Emily were smiling knowingly at the two. She heard the boys yell at Jacob, and she turned to sit at the table with Kim.
"So, Kaylee, how are you doing? Is Jacob treating you nicely?" Emily asked jokingly, but she didn't understand the joke. It seemed like they knew something that she didn't.
"Jacob's great. He treats me like a princess, which is crazy because he doesn't even really know me. But I like being around him. He makes my life .. better." She said, smiling down at the table. Emily poured her a glass of lemonade and then sat down beside her.
"He talks about you all the time. He's very fond of you." Kim said quietly. She raised her eyebrows.
A loud sound erupted from the living room. "They're playing some game." Emily shrugged it off. "They all practically live here. They're like my little family."
"There's nothing little about any of them." Kaylee scoffed, making both girls laugh. She was looking at Emily's face, not trying to stare at her scars, but she was very curious as to how they happened. Emily must have noticed, because she gave the girl a sad smile.
"It was a bear attack." She explained, and Kaylee winced. She couldn't imagine being mauled by a bear. She thought that maybe she should tell them about her illness, it would give her someone to talk to when she needed them. She may have Embry, but having a few female friends would be a plus.
When she went to open her mouth, Emily stood up to go back to the stove and Sam slid into the kitchen. He bent down, whispering sweet nothings in her ear and kissing her cheek. Kaylee smiled down at the table.
"Is the food done yet?" Paul complained, bounding into the kitchen. The rest of the group followed behind, all looking eager for food. Jared swooped Kim up out of her seat and placed her gently on his lap. Jacob pulled an empty seat beside Kaylee, placing his arm around her shoulder.
"Not quite, Paul. It shouldn't be too much longer." Emily promised, stirring the large pot again.
"So, Kaylee. We don't really know much about you. Tell us some stuff." Quil said, earning a look from both Jacob and Embry.
"Well, I just graduated from high school this year, and I plan on going to college to be a nurse. I work at the little grocery store in town. I live beside Embry, we've been best friends for years." She finished, looking happily at them.
"And you love Jacob, right?" Paul interjected, laughing loudly. Jacob scowled at him, but the other guys thought it was hilarious. Kaylee shrugged her shoulders.
"I wouldn't say that I love him, but I sure do like to spend time with him." She said, smiling up at his handsome face. He kissed her temple and she leaned into his shoulder.
She felt like she was in a fairytale.
"Have you told her?" Jared asked quietly, noticing that Kaylee was spacing out. Jacob shook his head, hoping that she wasn't looking, but she saw it. She wondered what secret he was hiding from her? She would have to find out. But she guessed that she couldn't really hold it against him, because she had her own secrets.
Emily's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "Food is done! Ladies first." She scolded as the men jumped up, giving Kim and Kaylee a bowl. She had made a huge pot of chicken noodle soup, and she filled her bowl up greedily. This is something that she knew she could eat with no problem, and she sat down happily back in her chair, inhaling the delicious scent.
Kim didn't fill her bowl up as full as Kaylee did, but she didn't care. The phone rang shrilly, and Emily answered it. "Hello? Hi Billy, yes Jacob is here. I'll be sure to tell him, no problem. Okay, bye." She hung up the phone, giving Jacob a look.
"Bella called. She is on her way to come see you."
Bella? Who the hell is Bella?