Sunshine and Pine (A Sequel to Everything to me)

Gravity's Vendetta

Jacob explained that we were going to go try and talk to some of the guys. He wanted us all to go cause there was strength in numbers, and that's all the info he gave us.

I catch my reflection in the glass of the Cullens house on our way out, and even from the distance I was standing, I barely recognize myself. The color is gone from my cheeks. I look so ashy that I fit right in with the vampires just on the other side of the glass. And though I still definitely have the muscle that comes with being a supernatural being, there's just something about me that looks weak. It's all wrong and I can't stand to look at myself anymore. I turn my head and jog to catch up to my pack.

The sense of relief that I'm feeling is overwhelming. I'm finally following the pull that's been tugging at me since I left Paul. My instincts to reunite with him have me practically floating through the forest. I know in my mind that it probably won't be permanent at all, but right now all I can think about is seeing his face.

Jacob comes to a halt, scanning the darkness of the forest ahead of us.

"Jake! They're coming!" Seth says, panic all over his face.

"I know." is the only response he gets.

"We should phase, Jacob. We can't protect ourselves like this." Leah pipes in.

"They'll see it as a threat." Jake says, turning his attention back ahead of him.

My body is buzzing, I don't input anything into this debate. All it's doing is delaying their arrival. I can feel Paul. He's just over the hill. If I could just move a little closer. I start to inch forward, but Jacob throws his arm out to stop me. "Stay here." He barks.

"I wanna talk! Be easier if I could hear you, too."

The sounds of shuffling drifts to us, and then he's there. My heart is absolutely singing. Even though he looks about as bad as I do, if not worse. Jacob's arm is still thrown across my chest in an attempt to keep me from sprinting forward. Paul's eyes zero in on it and his voice turns to stone.

"This isn't your territory anymore." He turns to face me. "How's your new family working out?" The malice in his voice causes me to flinch back, and suddenly Paul's eyes are glistening with tears he won't let fall.

"You done?" Jacobs' voice is dripping with impatience.

Quil and Embry join their brothers. "You coming home, Jake?" Quil questions.

"Not until I finish this." He replies.

"What do you mean?" Paul asks Jake, but his eyes are still on me. His eyes are pleading with me, desperately trying to beg for forgiveness. I know Paul usually uses his anger to push down his pain. That he's lashing out at me to hide his hurt. But knowing that doesn't make hearing it any easier.

"I want Sam to take back Lucy, Leah and Seth." All of our heads whip to Jacob at this bomb he's dropping. Leah and Seth protest, but I'm so torn. I still fundamentally disagree with Sam's pack, but then I could take the pain off of Paul's face.

Jacob's voice is absolutely venomous. "Quiet." He hisses. And Paul is growling lowly at the show of force. "I want them safe. And I want this over."

"I need Sam to wait until Bella's been separated from the problem."

"You mean till she's dead." Paul snaps.

"Ease up, Paul." Embry urges, nudging Paul to look at me. The harshness of his words has me pulling back a few steps. Paul instinctually takes a few steps forward. "Then what?"

Jacob continues. "Tell Sam that when the moment comes, I'll be the one to destroy it."

I join in on the protests this time. But Jacob keeps talking like we aren't even there. "I'm the only one who can. They trust me."

The forest is suddenly flooded with howls. Someone's sounded the alarm. I turn to look at Jacob, I can see victory in his eyes. He'd had some sort of other plan, and it had clearly worked. Looking back at Paul, he's already looking at me. He looks so incredibly pained that the tears in my eyes that had been waiting for permission to fall start streaming down my face. Paul's voice is barely a whisper when he speaks directly to me. "You played us?" The hurt in his voice is like a knife twisting in my heart. He thinks I did this to him. "No, No Pau—"

It feels like Jacob's alpha voice is physically pushing me down when he whispers "Quiet." again.

I don't think I can handle walking away from Paul like this again. But lucky for me I don't have to. Paul's the one to walk away this time, and I'm left with fresh new images of his face twisted in pain. All I can do is crumple to my knees as the tears pour soundlessly down my face.

—-----------

Come on Lucy. You're stronger than this. Don't be the girl that can't function without her boyfriend. I'm mentally psyching myself up to get up off the ground. Jacob took off back to Bella immediately, but Seth and Leah are waiting patiently by my side. When I stand up, I feel like gravity has got a personal vendetta against me. Full on Hatfields and McCoys style. Like if I move the wrong way, it's going to flatten me like a pancake. I know there must be so much more imprint shit going on that I even realize. I'm fighting my very nature. It feels like I'm trying to pry my soul from my body. But I force myself to keep going without it. I'm not going to bend. Not to the imprint, not to gravity... I'm going to do what's right.

When we get back to the Cullens house, Leah and I shift so we can be prepared if anything happens. Leah doesn't have to ask to know how I'm doing, as soon as our mind connects she knows. It's me who finally breaks the mental silence.

"How are we supposed to fight them, Leah?" It comes out as more of a sigh. Up to this point, it's just been about defending my morals. But I'm finally having to face the fact that this was always going to end in a fight.

"Well I personally have a lot of pent up rage to let out." Leah's words finally pull a laugh out of me, after who knows how long. It comes out sounding like a wolf choking which makes us both laugh even more, which makes a choking sound.... It goes on like this until we're both out of breath, leaning into each other's sides.

Laughter still in her voice, she continues. "I think you just need to remember why you came here. Why you're choosing this. And then leave the future be. This is such a hard and weird situation. I don't know... that's the best I've got."

I let out a massive sigh. "Well, it's better than anything I've got."

We're looking out over the water and into the blackness of the night, when we hear the resounding crack of bone.