Stranger Love

4

It had been two weeks since the incident. John had finally moved Eleanor and his daughters to La Push to be closer to Emily. Eleanor sat at the table in the small kitchen, slowly unpacking a box with her good arm. She was just starting on a second box when there was a knock on the door. She quickly stood up and went to the door, yanking it open. "They're sleeping!"

"Sorry," Jacob offered sheepishly, a brilliant smile on his lips. "I brought pizza?"

Eleanor rolled her eyes with a smile and allowed him into the small house. "I'm unpacking."

"Take a break," Jacob insisted. "I mean, he can't expect you to unpack the entire house yourself."

"Quil helped Claire and Lily with their room already," Eleanor answered. "And I'm not touching anything that belongs in John's room."

"Seriously, come take a break," Jacob repeated. He sat on the loveseat in the living room with two boxes of pizza in his lap.

"Fine," Eleanor sighed. She plopped onto the couch next to the wolf. "Only because you insist so much."

Jacob smiled. "How's the arm?"

Eleanor shrugged with her right shoulder. "Healing slowly. It'd be a lot further along if... well, you know."

The two sat in silence as they ate their dinner. When they did speak, it was at the same time.

"So I was wond-"

"I wanted to-"

Eleanor blushed, biting her lip and looking down at her pizza. Jacob smiled. "You first."

"I just wanted to tell you something," Eleanor admitted. She glanced up at him before studying the greasy pepperoni on her pizza once again. "I mean- it's just- Jacob, you're really great-"

"Take a breath, El," Jacob teased. He squeezed her shoulder. "It's just me."

Eleanor swallowed and looked up at him. "I don't want to give you the wrong impression. You're a great guy, and I'm so glad that I know you. I'm just not really looking for a relationship right now. I don't want to give you mixed signals or anything. It's been a rough few weeks with moving and my arm and everything."

"Oh," Jacob said without looking at her. "I see."

"Did Quil tell you how I got hurt in the first place?"

"He said it was a car accident."

Eleanor took a deep breath. She avoided looking at him as she spoke. "Kind of. I'd gone on a date with this guy I'd been seeing. We went to dinner and I... Well, I broke up with him. I just couldn't see us together, you know? I couldn't picture the house and the kids and the white picket fence. We were on the way home and he was going too fast. I guess he ordered some drinks without telling me, because I really didn't know he'd been drinking. He didn't make it. If I hadn't been wearing a seatbelt I would've gone through the windshield and been ejected from the car. John was home for the weekend, and I was really lucky my injuries weren't worse. Two days later he had me bring the girls to La Push while he talked with some people and found a new place. I was terrified to get in a car again but I knew it was best for Claire and Lily."

Jacob said nothing for a while. His appetite was gone and he was fighting to control his temper. His hands were shaking and he fisted them to try and stop it. How could something like this happen to her? She was the best person he'd ever met. She didn't deserve to be caught up in this mess. She didn't deserve the guy who nearly killed her. Eleanor deserved so much better than that. "You're better off here. The pack can protect you and the girls better."

"What did you want to say?" Eleanor said suddenly, looking up at him and hoping the change of topic would calm him down.

"Oh, uh, nothing important," Jacob mumbled. His hands relaxed and he looked away. "We can talk about it later."