FOREVER • jacob black

7 | OPENING UP

She stopped dead in her tracks as the realisation hit her like a truck. Tears streamed from her eyes - mixing with the rain, her chest heaving up and down - a feeling of suffocation took her over. She couldn't breathe. How did she not realise this earlier? How did she not connect the dots all those years ago? At her realisation everything, things that she never understood over the years, suddenly fell into place.

"Tessa!" Jacob boomed and Tessa turned to him, the girl was glad that it was raining - he wouldn't be able to make out her tears. He stopped infront of her, an concerned expression on his face. He reached out to her but she recoiled from his touch. Hurt and pain flashed across his face from her actions but he masked it and looked at her.

"Go home, Jacob!" She yelled over the rain.

"No." He said shaking his head.

"I want you to leave me alone." She said sharply.

"No, you don't." He said matter-of-factly, not needing to yell as the rain had lessened but it didn't stop. "You're hurting, and I'm not leaving unless you tell me why, we can stand out her all day." He said stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest - rain rolling down his bare chest - making Tessa stare at the way his muscles flexed.

"Go home." The girl said again, not knowing how long she could keep resisting him.

"Why?" He pushed and Tessa snapped.

"Because you have an imprint. A soulmate. And I'm not her." The words slipped out before she could stop them and she threw her hands in the air for dramatic effect, her heart paining as she let the words leave her mouth. Not wanting Jacob to see the hurt look on her face, she turn around and started walking again.

Then it all clicked for Jacob. Why she ran, why she is hurting, why she is leaving. She is hurting because she thinks he found his soulmate in someone that isn't her. He catches up to where she was, spun her around, placed his warms hands on her shoulders and looked straight into Tessa's eyes as he said his next words.

"You're wrong. You are my imprint. My soulmate." The weight was lifted from her chest at his words and she could breath again. Then it hit her, what he said. Really hit her.

"Me?" She asked in a whisper, the rain still going on, not as strongly as before though. Jacob heard her though, with his werewolf hearing it was impossible not to.

He nodded before answering, removing his hands from her shoulders. "You. It's always been you, Tess."

Joy filled Tessa and she attacked Jacob in a hug. He didn't hesitate to hug her back and that's when he felt that she is freezing. He picked her up bridal style and started walking back to his house. A small shriek of surprise let her mouth and as quickly wrapped her arms around his next so that she wouldn't fall.

"Would it kill you to give a girl a warning?" She asked with a glare, in a mock irritated voice and they both knew it.

"No, but this way is more fun." He told her, giving her a wolfish grin, she shook her head and laid it on his shoulder as he continue to carry her to the house. On the porch, he crouched a little so that she could open the door as his hands was full and he didn't want to put her down. Entering the house, Jacob finally set hear down.