COLD ONES ― jacob black ✓

38. VOLTURI

"Good morning, wife."

I hummed when Jacob turned and placed a kiss on my cheek, seeing him squirm under the cover while he nestled closer to me. After our shotgun wedding, we spent the rest of the day together jumping cliffs, swimming, and lying on the sand, watching the rest of the day go by, and we went home—knowing we'd only got a few hours for what would've been our honeymoon. It was short lived but we promised we'd get a better one soon.

"I have to go." I murmured, kissing the hand that cupped my cheek as he groaned over the sheets.

"I know, I know." He mumbled, propping himself up to sigh.

"You have me for the rest of your life, wolf. I'm pretty sure you'll get tired of me halfway through the century."

He chuckled. "Yeah, no, I don't think so."

I stood up and shook my head, picking up my shirt from the pool of clothes scattered on the floor. I've already carelessly let a day pass and snow is upon us, there's guilt gnawing me away, but I knew I couldn't deny myself a sliver of happiness. Not when it came in the form of my forever. "I'll meet you back at the house later?"

"I'll be there, wife." My entire body would've been flushed if I were alive, but I merely huffed and reached back on the bed to kiss him. Knowing if I stayed there a second more, we'd probably have to buy a brand new bed, again. And there's a lot more to do than watch my husband sleep—there it was again, the reminder that I just married the man of my fucking dreams. The reality seemed so far away from my grasp and yet there it was, waving at me on our front door with a smile that raged fire in my guts. It's frightening how much I love him.

I trailed back to the house wearing the clothes I had on yesterday, intending to change out of them, when Bella crashed into me the minute I reached the door. "Jade! I've been looking for you all morning!"

"What's going on?" Suddenly, she ran and carried me along by my arm, trailing towards the part of the forest where we met the other day. Bella tried to walk farther but every step she took made me nervous so against my better judgment, I opened up my abilities to her. And it hit me like whiplash, threatening my chest to cave in and explode.

Bella turned to me, holding out a yellow envelope that I almost didn't have it in me to open, to see in front of me or else it'd be more real. It couldn't be, it could very well be just a hallucination induced by my anxiety but there it was.

Two passports and money—one for Renesmee, and the other for Jake.

"He said that Jasper only asked for two, nothing else." Not her, Edward, Seth, or me. I didn't want to believe it when the sight of the rings on my finger glowed loudly in my eyes. We just got married. "I don't understand, Jade."

I managed to force something to say despite my whole body threatening to shake, knowing exactly why Jasper and Alice did it, and I didn't even have it in me to get angry or lay blame. They were right. And I can't help but feel angry at how perfectly they've read my mate. "It's because they know Jake would do everything to protect Renesmee. Like what he did for you when you lost Edward, and for me, too." I handed her back the folder and turned, clasping my hands tight against my dead heart.

"I can't ask you that."

I almost laughed, because a part of me knew that I trusted Jacob to protect her and he'll do it in a heartbeat, we didn't even have to say another word. "You don't have to, Bella." I turned to her. "We'll do everything for Renesmee. Whatever happens, we'll make sure she's safe." She ran towards me, enveloping me tight against her arms as I felt her sob, so humanly, even in our inability to cry. "It's okay. Jake will understand. You know he will."