Can't Stand To See You Cry (Jacob)

Chapter 2

"Renesmee!" Jacob called, careful not to be too loud in case she had fallen asleep in his bed. He bent over, hands placed firmly on his knees and breathed deeply. His headache was back, or rather his hangover had already begun. He glanced down at the bottle of alcohol at his feet and carefully considered whether or not he wanted to pick it up and start drinking again.

He stood up slowly, blowing out a big breath while deciding that being sober was the best thing he could do. As he raised his head, her face came into view. She slowly sauntered toward him and he immediately noticed that her face had been scrubbed clean, all remnants of the smeared makeup were long gone.

She looks better without it, he mused, trying not to smile as she approached him.

Her wet, messy curls had been pulled back from her face in a ponytail that rested high on her head, that could not be described as neat. She must have noticed him staring because she brought a hand up to her own face and pushed a loose hair away nervously.

"Is this better?" she asked, while smoothing her hands over her legs. Just then he glanced down at her choice of clothing and nodded nervously.

Before she could get any closer, he motioned toward the kitchen and asked, "Can I get you something...to drink?" he quickly added.

She smiled sweetly as he slipped away from her. "What can I get you? he called, opening the fridge and remembering there was nothing inside.

She joined him in the kitchen and pulled herself up to sit on the counter, next to the sink and across from the refrigerator. The tiny kitchen was even too small for a table and chair set but Jacob didn't care, it was all his.

Jacob closed the fridge and turned to look at her. She had stolen a red and black plaid flannel shirt from his room. It was big on her, but not big enough to cover her completely. Her legs were exposed and she had them crossed at the ankles. The cut of the shirt curved high on the side and showed much of her thigh. He tried not to stare.

"How about some hot tea?" he blurted, not completely convinced he even had tea in the house. But he knew had a tea kettle.

She nodded almost imperceptibly, so he began searching cabinets for a tea bag. "Maybe make yourself one too," she suggested. "Looks like it's been a rough night for you too?"

Jacob reached for the cabinet just to the right of her head and opened it. She leaned over a bit to let him gain access to it and he sighed when he came across a packet inside. "Will hot chocolate do?"

Renesmee lowered her head and whispered, "Yeah." She tried to escape his presence by sliding down from her perch, but he held her still. She knew that look in his eyes and soon she would have to tell him everything about her date with Wyatt.

He reached around and retrieved the teakettle from behind her. She watched him fill it in the sink next to her while his commanding frame still blocked her from an easy escape. "Wanna tell me about that?" he asked, purposefully trying to stay calm while running the back of his fingers over the bruise on her forearm.

Quickly, Renesmee tried to cover the mark with the shirtsleeve. Clumsily, she shoved the material down, but it was too late. He had already seen it.

Jacob snapped the water off, set the kettle on the stove and lit the flame, all in one motion. He then turned his attention back to her arm. With one hand, he slid the material back up her arm and held her elbow. With the other hand, he gently gripped her wrist as his eyes inspected the damage that went all the way around. "He hurt you," Jacob stated, no questions because he already knew the answer. And he couldn't bear to utter that little punk's name because he could already feel his temper flaring.

Renesmee could feel it too. She raised her gaze in an attempt to distract him from the mark on her arm. The longer he looked at it, the worse this was going to get. "Really...I'm okay," she gently reassured him.

When Jacob began to lower his gaze back to her arm, she brought her palm to the side of his face and redirected his vision back to her face. She repeated her earlier sentiment, that she was okay, but the glimpse of the memory she showed him when they connected, had Jacob fuming again.

Renesmee cursed herself for showing him what she'd been trying so hard to hide. Often she envied her mother's shield because her own gift sometimes revealed more than she cared to share. Jacob fumed as he turned and stalked out of the kitchen. She jumped down from her spot on the counter and chased him, catching up to him as he stepped out onto the porch.

"Stop!" she gasped, grabbing his arm in a dismal attempt to swing his body back around to face her.

Jacob's whole body tensed as he stared out into the night, wanting more than anything to phase into his wolf form and tear that little punk's head off. But she still had a hold of his bicep, still begging him to listen to her and not run off on her.

He turned slowly back around to face her, still seething but making an effort to slow his breathing down and listen to what she had to say. "Come back inside," she pleaded softly. She withdrew her hand from his arm and instead wrapped her arms around herself, reminding him she was cold.

He nodded slowly and guided her back inside, just in time to hear the kettle whistling in the kitchen. Renesmee moved closer to the fire as Jacob finished making her beverage. When he returned to the living room, he didn't see her at first. Panic set in as he prayed she hadn't run off in the night. She must have sensed his fear, because she called his name and as he stepped around his oversized chair, he found her sitting in front of the fire, knees pulled up to her chest.

He breathed a small sigh of relief as he set the two mugs down near her and then reached for the fluffy blanket hanging over the back of the matching leather couch. He crouched down to wrap her up in the blanket's warmth and as she looked up at him, her eyes shone brightly in the dark room.

Jacob tore his gaze away from hers and made quick work of stoking the fire. He added two more small logs and pushed the embers around with his brass fire poker before turning back to face her. "You should have told me," he began as she glanced up him with that sweet face he'd loved for so long.

"Come here," she urged, grabbing his hand and pulling him down to sit with her on the floor.

"I have furniture," he teased, finally cracking the first smile she had seen all night.

She nodded as sat down next to her, "I know...but I'm cold," she reasoned, tipping her head toward the fire and glancing back at him to see if he understood.

Jacob sighed as he finally started to relax. He stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed them at the ankles. His hands went behind him on the floor, as he used them to prop himself up. He tried to be patient and let her further explain what had happened, but when a minute or two passed and she had said nothing, he began, "Ness, you gotta..."

Renesmee didn't even let him finish his thought before she brought her body around to face him, legs now tucked under her knees. She was close enough to reach his face and show him what had happened after Wyatt had made a pass at her. She pressed her open palm to his cheek and watched as his eyes opened wide.