The Consequences {Jacob Black}

Chapter II

Much to Jake's displeasure, Sam Uley had found my sister, curled in a tight ball on the forest floor. I didn't care who found her, so long as she was safe in our house. I didn't like Edward Cullen much to begin with. Hell, I called him "The Boyfriend"; I wouldn't even dignify him with a name. But after seeing my sister with a bandaged arm and blue lips, I hated him even more.

Dad asked me to take Bella upstairs and help her get changed. I listened to her chattering teeth and decided that a bath was definitely necessary. It took little effort on my part; Bella weighed nothing. Once I had her settled, I ran into my room and grabbed Chanda Hahn's latest and greatest. I have an addiction. It's not a problem, right?

I took up residence on the toilet seat, reading and peeking over at Bella at the end of every paragraph. I didn't like my sister too much. We weren't really close. If we were being honest, we didn't really no each other. But if there was one thing I learned from all my time with the Blacks it was that you loved your family and defended them until the, sometimes bitter, end. I wanted her to be okay; I needed her to be okay. Whatever our differences were, she was still my sister.

"Bella, you want me to add warm water or are you ready to get out?" I asked after almost an hour and a half.

My sister looked up at me with dead eyes. "He left me," she whispered. "He doesn't love me."

I wanted to shake her. I wanted to tell her that you don't tell someone that you love them when you've dated them for a few short months. I wanted to call her naive, stupid, and many other names. But I couldn't. She looked so empty, so emotionless. I didn't know if yelling at her would help. I had always been one for yelling. My emotions centered around my anger. I showed affection by insulting you. If I was angry, I walked away and went to the gym, where I could actually hit something. If the gym was too far... Well then I'd actually hit something-or someone.

"Come on, Bella," I said, picking up the towels from the ground and placing them on the toilet. "Let's get you in bed." I hoisted her out of the now cold water like a child, wrapping her in the towels and guiding her to her room. I helped her get dressed and tucked her in.

"He left me," she murmured again.

I sighed and stroked her hair. "I know, Bella." She was still shivering, but I wasn't sure if that was from the cold or her depression. Either way, I left her alone, meeting Jake halfway down the stairs.

"You okay?" he asked. I wanted to snort and make some witty remark. I wanted to tell him he was stupid; I wasn't the one who'd been found comatose in the wet forest. But I needed Jake. So I just shook my head. He took my hand and led me to the living room. Dad looked at me expectantly.

"She's in bed now. She had a bath to get her warm again." Dad simply nodded before going up the stairs. I'd once heard Bella say that Dad wasn't much a parent. I don't think she realized how much he actually cared about us.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked as we sat on the couch.

I frowned and bit the inside of my lower lip. I looked away from him and tried to gather my chaotic emotions. "Is this my fault?" I said it so quietly, I wasn't sure that he'd actually heard me. But he must've. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and tugged me into his side so that my head was resting on his shoulder.

"And how exactly is this your fault, Annie?" My lips twitched at the nickname. His mom had once told me I was too pretty to have a boy's name. She and Jake started calling me Annie. They were the only two that were allowed. Well, now it was only Jake.

"I wasn't exactly nice to Edward. Or his family, for that matter. I could've put in more effort. I could've been kinder. I mean, would you stay with a girl whose sister treated you like shit?" I wouldn't allow myself to cry, but my breath shuddered like I was about to cry.