Stranger Love

14

It was early the next morning when Jacob woke up, his crazy schedule messing with his sleep. He smiled when he remembered what he'd spoken to Billy about the night before. He laid with Eleanor in his arms for a short while before knowing they had to get out of bed.

"El, wake up," Jacob said quietly. He brushed her hair from her face. "We need to get back."

Eleanor rolled in his arms and squinted up at him through the sleep in her eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's early," was Jacob's answer. "You'll probably want a heavier sweater today. Billy said it's supposed to be getting chilly."

Eleanor nodded as Jacob untangled their limbs. Both of them had slept better than they had while on the couch at the Cullen home. Jacob was amused when he woke up to find Eleanor curled into a tight ball, taking up the smallest space possible on the mattress. He kissed her head and searched through their clothes until he found something warm for her to wear. Eleanor was still half asleep.

"I have to talk to Billy for a minute," Jacob told her. "He won't exactly be happy we're leaving so soon."

Eleanor nodded sleepily. Jacob kissed the side of her head before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. She struggled into her clothes and shoved her feet into a pair of hiking boots without bothering to tie them before she plucked one of Jacob's old sweaters from the pile of unfolded laundry and left the room.

"El, honey, come here for a minute," Jacob said, holding an arm out toward her.

"What is it?" Eleanor asked groggily. She'd never been a morning person, and last night was the best sleep she'd had in a while. It was hard to wake up completely when she'd slept like the dead. She allowed Jacob to pull her down to his lap and rested her head on his shoulder. Her eyes drooped closed as she took in his warmth.

"Billy has some paperwork he needs us to sign," Jacob answered carefully. "Think you can stay awake long enough for that?"

Eleanor yawned and held out her hand for a pen. Jacob instructed her where to sign and rubbed her back soothingly. "When can I go back to bed?"

Jacob and Billy chuckled. Billy spoke as he gathered the papers. "Jacob actually had something he wanted to show you."

Eleanor looked up with curiosity, slightly more awake now. "What is it?"

Jacob smiled. "You'll see."

Eleanor was placed on her feet and Jacob held her hand. He thanked his dad and led her outside before turning to walk in the opposite direction she expected. Eleanor furrowed her brow, waking up a bit more with the cold morning air in her face. "Where are we going? I thought it was the other way..."

Jacob just smiled down at her and continued walking.

"Wherever we're going, it better not be far..." Eleanor grumbled as she hurried to keep up. They stopped a short while later in front of a house Eleanor hadn't noticed before. "Okay... I don't get it. One of the guys live here or something?"

"Not exactly," Jacob said. He produced a key from his pocket. "Billy wanted Rebecca to live here. Someone in my mom's family left it to her, but it hasn't really been touched since she died. Rebecca's in Hawaii now with her family, so she doesn't exactly need a house here. She doesn't really visit, and I know she isn't planning to move back anytime soon. So I was talking with Billy after you fell asleep last night and he said we could use it. I thought you might like a bit of privacy. Rachel already said she was moving in with Paul after Christmas."

Eleanor tried to sort out her confusion as Jacob unlocked the door to the small home. "Still not following."

Jacob looked down at her, suddenly nervous. He knelt down, still almost as tall as her, and took her hands. "Please don't be mad."