What's Left of Me (Jacob Black Fan Fiction)

Chapter 18 - Reasons

       Jacob didn't return to the Cullen house that night. I watched out the window for any sight of him but he never showed. It had grown late and the moon was now shining bright in the night sky. The stars sparkled on the unusually clear night. Paul came to take me home. He didn't say anything about Jake and I didn't ask. I sat quietly in the passenger seat of his truck watching the scenery speed by while music played softly in the background. When the truck came to a stop in the driveway, I got out slowly. I wrapped my jacket around me tightly. Even though it was getting closer to summer, the weather was always on the chilly side. I couldn't feel the difference in La Push.

        As I unlocked the front door, I noticed that Paul wasn't behind me. I turn around and see that instead of following me, he was heading for the woods. "You not coming in?" I ask. He wasn't too far away so I didn't have to yell. He stopped and looked over at me. "Sam's got us on patrol," he answered walking back toward me on the porch. "What about me? Will I be safe by myself?" I question looking over his shoulder to the woods. The wind blowing through the almost bare trees gave off an eerie scene in the night. "You'll be fine. Just lock all the doors. We'll be around here and we'd smell the vampires if they try to get through," Paul replied stopping at the bottom of the porch steps. I just nod in response. Paul sends me a small smile before heading back towards the woods. "Worthless cousin," I muttered to myself. "Heard that," Paul yelled back at me with a chuckle. I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see me. I watched him go, blending into the surroundings, before heading in. I locked the front door and made sure the back one was secure..

       As I trudged up the stairs to my room, I couldn't help but worry about the pack and Aaron's plan. The clock on my nightstand read 10:45 p.m as I threw my jacket on the floor. I decided to take a shower, hoping it would relieve the tension in my shoulders. The warm water washed over me, taking the day's stress with it if only momentarily. Once I got out, I changed into a pair of short shorts and a tank top in the bathroom. I threw my hair into a mess bun on top of my head before picking up my dirty clothes and towel. I strolled into my room and was surprised to see Jacob sitting on the edge of my bed in the darkness. I stopped for a second seeing if he'd say anything to me. His shoulders were slumped over, his forearms rested on his legs, and his head hung low, staring at the floor. He remained silent. I let out a sigh then walked over to my hamper, dropping the dirty clothes in.

        I wasn't exactly sure what to say. Jacob could still be upset and I didn't want to upset him more. I pivet on my foot to glance back in Jacob's direction. He hadn't moved but I knew he could hear me. He knew I was in the room with him. I cautiously walk over to him. He didn't look up as I kneeled down in front of him and place my hands on his. I tried to get my eyes to meet his but he kept them down. "Listen Jacob, I'm sorry I made you mad earlier. You just have to understand that I'm trying to keep you and the rest of the guys safe just like you're doing with me," I say quietly. His eyes met mine finally but they held no anger. His eyes looked worn and tired. His mouth was in a frown and it looked like the past couple of hours had been rough on him as they had been on me. I wanted to embrace him but I restrained myself. "I should be apologizing to you Dani. I should never have yelled at you. I put you in danger by getting that angry," He replied squeezing my hands.

       An image of Emily's scarred face flashed in my head but I shook it off. I send him a weak smile and he returns it. "I know you and the rest of the pack, along with the Cullens, are going to fight whether I want you to or not. I understand why you want to but you have to understand that I won't be able to stand it if one of you gets hurt. You may know what I told you about Aaron but you have no idea what you're getting yourself into," I state feeling the tears coming with the mention of the impending events. "Dani, I know that you're worried. We've fought tons of vampires before and we can defeat whatever Aaron is going to throw at us," Jacob said bringing a hand to my face and wiping some of the fallen tears away. "I'm just scared Jake," I say getting choked up. The tears were streaming now, all the stress of the days and the days to come hitting me like a train.

      Jacob pulled me onto his lap so that I was facing him and wrapped his arms around me in a hug. I pulled him closer to me by my arms around his neck and resting my head on his shoulder. We sat like that for a few minutes until I calmed down a little. "I'm going to protect you Dani. No one is going to touch you," Jacob cooed in my ear, sending a calming wave through my body. I pulled back so that I could look in his eyes. "I know you will. I trust you. I just can't lose you and be the reason for it," I exclaim placing a hand on his warm cheek. He pressed his cheek into my plam, putting his hand over mine. "You'll never lose me," he said turning his hand to kiss my palm. I smiled while wiping away some stray tears before leaning in to plant a soft kiss on Jacob's lips. His arm that was still around my waist pulled me closer to deepen the kiss before pulling away. "Let's go to sleep. It's been a long day," he finally said. I nod and pull the covers back on my bed. I crawl under while Jacob follows my action. He pulls me close and I turn to snuggle into his chest. "I love you Jacob," I sighed getting comfortable and feeling my eyelids start to get heavy. "I love you too," I hear Jacob say before placing a kiss on my head. I feel asleep that night in Jacob's warm embrace and no thought of what was to come.