The Consequences {Jacob Black}

Chapter CXXXV

Jake and I packed everything into the one duffle bag again, the entire thing smelling sweat. We checked out and Jake paid for the room, refusing the little money that I had to contribute. Once he phased was phased and I had found my way onto his back, he sprinted back to the house, showing off and sliding to a stop by the tree line. With the stupid bag in front of me and blocking my hold, I flipped over his shoulders and slid a few feet on the ground. It burned a little, but it wasn't anything that I couldn't handle. In fact, I was lying on by back laughing, the duffle bag discarded somewhere beside me.

Human Jake ran up to my side, his chest heaving with panic. "Shit, baby, are you okay?" he said, dropping to his needs beside him. I was laughing still, my lungs struggling to push enough air out to form real words. "Annie, please; you okay?" He was begging me to say something, but I honestly couldn't. I tried to wave him off, but he only wrapped his hands around my shoulders and waist and pulled me upright.

"I'm fine," I managed to pant. "I'm okay." He looked a little relieved. "You could have like barked and given me a warning or something," I said breathlessly.

"I didn't think you were going to hit the ground," he defended. "You sure you're okay?" I nodded and let him help me to my feet. Dad was taking Nessie to seattle for new clothes and a shopping trip with Rosalie, accompanied by Collin. Billy was over at Sue's to get the last few things together for her big surprise. So Jake and I had the house to ourselves again. We walked over the threshold, Jake dropping the bag in the living room.

"I have to do my laundry," I said, turning around and reaching for the strap. A hot arm wrapped around my waist and drew me back.

"I think the laundry can wait for a little while," he said, his arms wrapped around my center. I laid my hands over his and rested my head against his shoulder.

"I love you," I whispered as he began swaying to a song in his head.

"I love you too, Annie girl. I'm so happy that you're mine," he murmured back, his voice a little huskier than usual.

"Well isn't that nauseating," a voice said from behind us. Jake quickly tossed me behind him, his stance shifting so that he was a crouched a little, ready to pounce at a moment's notice. "You two just never quit, do you?"

The speaker stepped out from her spot in the hallway. "What are you doing here, Rebecca?" Jake snarled. The arm that was behind him, keeping me back, wound its way behind me and drew me to his side. "I thought Dad told you to leave."

"This is my childhood home, Jacob; I have a right to be here too," she said. I saw the anger flash in her eyes when she realized that I was there. She had known it the entire time but the deadly look in her eyes made me flinch and crawl into Jake's side, trying to hide myself. "I see that they let you back into the house," she said venomously.

"This is her home too, Rebecca," Jake defended, his eyes and voice dark. "Where's your car?" She didn't answer. "Dad's out; what are you doing here?" he snapped now. I looked over Rebecca, trying to see beyond the anger. I was a part of this family, a part of this tribe; I needed Rebecca and I to be on sociable terms.

She looked a lot like Sarah. Her hair was parted down the center, falling straight to her shoulders. Her eyes were almost black, they were so dark. The hollow of her collarbone stuck out straight, a little too prominent if you asked me; like she hadn't been eating enough. The thought led me to examine the rest of her.

Overall, she looked too thin. The rims around her eyes were red, the dark circles underneath were puffy. She looked like she hadn't slept well in ages. Her arms were frail, the meat that was on her bones had fallen off. Something was horribly, horribly wrong here. I trailed my eyes over her sunken in cheeks, down her depressed shoulders. Her wedding ring was gone.

"Is everything okay, Rebecca?" I asked. I shouldn't be asking, I knew that I shouldn't be. She had made it clear that she hated me so I shouldn't care about her. But I did. She was still a woman that had lost her mother when she was still young. Her mom wasn't there to help her pick out her dress for her wedding, to help her redecorate her first home. So while it wasn't entirely my fault that her mother was dead, I was the person that she could yell at, the person that she could blame. Everyone needed someone that they could blame everything on. Mine was Jake; the difference was that I always apologized after I yelled at Jake for stuff that wasn't his fault.

"Why the fuck do you care?" she snapped.

"I just — — It's just that," I began stuttering.

She repeated me in a mocking tone. "Are you so stupid that you can't even formulate a sentence?" she whipped.

"Leave her the fuck alone," Jake shouted back at her. "She's just trying to be nice to you, Rebecca. Back the hell off or get out."

"I was just going to say that I noticed that you didn't have your wedding ring on," I whispered. Jake's eyes flashed down to mine and then to Becca's left hand. "I — — Is everything okay, Rebecca?"

The floodgates flew open and she stormed up to me, inches away from my face. Jake pulled me back a little, but I wasn't afraid of her. "No; nothing is okay. He left me because I was bitter, because I was focusing on things that couldn't be changed. You know what he said to me? He told me that my mother is dead and nothing would change that." I watched a little tear trickle down her cheek. I looked up at Jake, my lips pursed together with sadness. "I told him that he didn't know what happened to her and he shouted at me and told me that he would if I would've talked to him about it." She was sobbing now, sniffling and blinking hard to try to keep control of herself. "So he walked out; asked for the ring back and told me that I could call him when I was ready to stop being a bitter hag."

Jake was shaking, his arms quivering. I'm sure he was mad at the man who was supposed to be taking care of his sister. Billy and Jake had entrusted the care of one of their prized possessions to a man that had ripped the heart out of her. Rebecca was right, he didn't know what had happened. And I guess, her husband was right in her own regard. Rebecca should have told him about her mother, about all the things that were going on in her head. I tell Jake everything and that's what made our relationship so different, so healthy. "You should go hug her," I whispered to Jake quietly. Rebecca couldn't hear me, but Jake did, loud and clear.

He released my arms and walked over to his sister. She fought against him, obviously wanting the comfort but not wanting to need it. In the safe cage of jake's arms, she let herself fall. She clung to his back and sobbed into his chest. There was a look of desperation that I knew all too well; I had seen it for months on Bella's face when Edward had left her. Jake stroked her short hair and hushed her while she cried reassuring her that everything was going to be okay. I watched her knees start to buckle as she sniffled into his chest. Jake lifted her in his arms and carried her off to the girls' bedroom. I grabbed the duffle bag and Rebecca's suitcase and wheeled them off to the laundry room. I wasn't going to touch her stuff, but at least it would get it out of the living room. I felt so bad for her that it made me forget all the shit that she'd said to me over the years. Maybe this would be a chance for her and I to get on the right page together.

I turned around to leave to see Jake leaning against the wooden frame. "You're amazing, you know that, right?"

I just shrugged off the comment and leaned against the opposite side of the frame and looked up at him. "How is she?" I whispered.

"She's sleeping; she's a little worn out now," he whispered. "You're still incredible." I blushed and looked away from him, fighting the urge to bite my lip. It was a sure sign that I was nervous and Jake knew that. "I'm serious, baby girl. My sister has always been mean to you, Annie and it will never cease to impress me that you don't bite back at her."

"She clearly needed you, Jake," I replied, still blushing.

"And I wouldn't be able to be around someone who hurt me the way that Becca hurt you," he replied. "That's all I'm trying to say." I nodded, letting him draw me close and press him lips against mine in a chaste kiss.

The door banged open. "Where is she?" a voice demanded.