Falling To The Sun | B. Swan + E. Cullen

trente-sept

There was a special word for the kind of tension that thrummed through her, Roman was sure of it, but her mind was fuzzy, swimming fragments of the words she had screamed at Sam until she was red-faced and Emily and Seth were buzzing around her nervously.

Because consent wasn't a matter to be taken lightly even if Jacob had done something that could be viewed as innocent to them.

She had forced them to understand, had shoved his sudden transformation into a werewolf down his throat as a simple comparison for him to relate to -- because he didn't ask for this, none of them did.

And Bella hadn't asked him and had gotten hurt trying to defend herself. What would have happened had the boy been very persistent? She wouldn't have been safe.

He had agreed in the end, Emily and Leah joining her cause with a few silent words from Kim, pushing him to pass the command over the whole pack -- a command that they all knew was meant solely for Jacob.

No one really stood in her way when she left the small cottage home to sit on the wooden steps as she waited for him to make his way over to join the pack. He would be hungry and the best place to get free food was at Sam's and Emily's.

It definitely wasn't a good idea to leave her alone though, no matter how calmly she had appeared after educating them relentlessly as she defended her girlfriend's, and every other girl's, honour. They should have known better, truly, that she was the kind that wouldn't take something like that lying down to fight with words.

Roman believed in love between family and friends, she believes in true love -- the type of love that was sacred and special, and Jacob didn't seem to understand that love wasn't about you. It was so much more than that... and she had warned him, she really did.

"What do you plan to say to him?" Seth asks, elbows resting on the railing as he looked down at her where she sat on the small steps.

"Not much."

"You're not going to try and hit him, are you?" he worries.

She smiles soflty, kindly. "No. No, I can leave that to you if you would rather."

"I'm not sure if I would do any damage against him, but I can try if you want."

"No, do what you want, Seth. You shouldn't have to worry about my problems."

"It's my problem, too. All of our problems."

"He's right," Quil adds, plopping down next to her. "We all knew he's been obsessing over Bella but we didn't think he would do anything like that."

Roman smiles bitterly. "No one did. Even if it was just a kiss."

"Doesn't matter. Girl's taken. Jake has no right making a move like that even if he was allowed," Embry says, leaning against a post.

It was an odd collection that came outside to wait for him to show up with her. Jacob's closest friends Embry and Quil, and the Clearwater siblings -- Seth at her side and Leah lingering around somewhere.

She didn't want to know what her friend might be thinking at the moment. Leah didn't take kindly to romance as it was, it was getting better, but it still wasn't what it used to be. No, she wouldn't think highly of Jacob trying to be a little homewrecker at all.

Roman realizes with a start how true that statement was. Jacob was trying to be a homewrecker and she wasn't sure how to feel about that.

There had been a time when she had felt much the same way, but that didn't mean she was. Edward hadn't been there and Bella had felt the same, had told her as much and welcomed her. Roman had never gotten punched in the face.