☼Rising Sun☼

☼ chapter eight ☼

JACOB

I wasn't expecting Billy to notice anything off about Ness and me. After all, we were acting natural: I couldn't keep my eyes off her, and she couldn't stop laughing at me. We were being normal.

And then my father asks for me to help him into the kitchen, and my heart sinks. He knows.

Still, I keep a calm, empty expression on my face. Stepping forward, I gently grasp Renesmee's upper arms in my hands as my chest momentarily brushes against her back. Listening to her raspy breathing as she stiffens, I let my lips twitch into a half smile as I move in front of her. "Of course." Looking back, I watch Ness carefully, judging her reaction. She's smart; she knows something's up. She doesn't know what, exactly, but she's hoping to find out.

"Hey Ness, can you wait out in the car for a sec? I want to take you somewhere." I ask her with a teasing half smirk, and her eyes narrow into slits.

That's right, baby girl. I haven't forgotten.

She wipes the annoyed expression off her face and smiles happily up at me. "Sure," she coos, looking far too sweet and innocent to be my Ness. "See you later, Billy."

My father waves at her, watching carefully as Nessie moves towards the door gracefully, acting as if she doesn't have a care in the world.

Just as she passes me, however, I reach out and grab her hand, pulling her to a stop.

"Wait..." I murmur quietly, but not quietly enough, because I can see Billy stiffen in his wheelchair as he witnesses me holding Ness's face in my hands and kissing her cheek intimately. Skimming my lips across her cheek slowly, I pull away just as the corner of our lips touch.

She stares up at me with wide, shocked eyes, and I can only grin lazily down at her as she stumbles over her thoughts. "I-"

"I'll be right out," I interrupt amusedly, my hands falling to my sides as I back up. "Don't steal the car again, okay? I had to run for miles to find you that time."

I'm hoping the comment will ease her confusion and awkwardness, but all she does is nod numbly as she turns away and exits the house without a word.

My father and I stand silently in the middle of the kitchen and living room for another minute. I can feel his gaze boring into the side of my head, but I'm too busy staring intently at the front door, battling with myself on just running outside and joining Renesmee.

Being without her for a handful of moments shouldn't be this difficult.

"Jake?" Billy murmurs, making me finally turn and face him.

Swallowing hard, I watch the ground as I move behind my father's wheelchair and begin to push him. "Right, the kitchen."

"Jake." My dad tries to grab my attention again, sounding slightly frustrated at my silence.

Parking him beside the fridge, I pull open the door and bend over slightly to look inside. "What can I get you? We have leftovers if you weren't able to grab something earlier-"

"Jake." Bill insists, his voice full of annoyance.

"-Ness and I finished off the potatoes though. Sorry. But there's still steak-"