Chapter 12: The Truth can be so Surreal
I stepped out into the pale moonlit night, alone. I felt terrible that I wasn’t enjoying myself. Sienna had tried to cheer me up, but I kept bursting into tears. I told her what happened and explained everything (within reason) about Jacob. “Well then go get him, true love only comes once in a lifetime” she insisted. My aunt Alice had worked so hard trying to beautify my puffy eyes, I was wearing a shimmering sleeveless silver dress that fishtailed around my feet in little gauzy pieces like it was torn. “Like my heart” I thought darkly. My hair was loose and billowing around my shoulders in the soft breeze. A diamond tiara that Aunt Rosalie had insisted on, was firmly in place on my head. I didn’t feel like a princess though, I had no Prince Charming. I couldn’t stop thinking of Jacob, why hadn’t I ever noticed how perfect he was when I had the chance? A tear rolled down my cheek as I remembered his kind eyes, his beautiful face, his lips, how we used to laugh, his strong arms. How I longed to be tucked into those arms. I noticed someone walking up behind me, I wiped the tears that were now freely flowing down my cheeks, and turned around ready to put on the happy face for whoever it was. My eyes met the eyes of my dreams. He was gorgeous he was wearing a tuxedo and he carried a tiger lily, my favorite flower “Jacob!” He stepped out of the shadows and his eyes lit up he looked at me from head to toe and gasped, “Nessie you are so beautiful.” I said “You came, I didn’t think you would.” I started crying then and fell into his arms he held onto me tightly “I am so sorry I missed you so much. I said such horrible things to you they aren’t true Jake. I love that you have always looked out for me, I love you…” I looked into his eyes; he smiled at me his eyes taking me in hungrily. “I have waited for so long to hear those words from you”, he traced my eyelids to wipe my tears away, and then leaned in and kissed me so gently I barely felt it, I had never felt like this about anyone before. He was all I cared about all I needed. I ran my hands through his hair and pulled him closer I kissed him feverishly. It was like a dream come true to lose myself in him, his scent encircled me. I pulled away, “Promise me you will never leave me again,” I exhaled. He smiled at me and kissed my forehead “I promise.” He took me by the hand and said, “we need to talk.” Just then Seth and Leah walked up. I wiped the tears from my eyes and smiled brightly at them. “Hi guys, thanks for coming!” I was so happy that Leah had come I knew she was still kind of unsure about my family. Seth gave me a hug “Happy birthday Nessie” he handed me a present “it’s from me and Leah” he said. I opened it up it was a pendant with a beautiful sand stone encircled with wire on a chain. “We made it” Leah offered warily. “It’s a stone from your and Jacob’s beach” Seth said as he winked at me. Jacob smacked him. Another tear rolled down my cheek “It is amazing, I love it” I thanked them and hugged Leah as well. She seemed a little pleased by my reaction. “Everyone is out back help yourselves to whatever you want.” Jacob took my necklace and put it in his pocket for me. They disappeared and once again I had Jacob all to myself. I put my arms around him, “Now what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?” I asked him with a smile of contentment. He led me into the woods he took off his jacket and set me down on top of it he sat next to me. “This is going to come across as strange…” “I think I can handle it Jake I’m a Cullen my middle name is strange. He smiled “Fair enough, well according to Quileute legend every wolf in the pack has a mate that is made just for them. It is like preordained, from the moment that the wolf lays eyes on that person. There is no changing it and no overpowering it. I watched almost all of my friends go through it. It never happened for me though. Until the first day that I laid eyes on you.” He smiled at the memory, and he tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “So you mean you fell in love with me when I was a baby?” I asked in confusion. “well it’s not necessarily like that, he explained. I have loved you in different ways throughout your life. As a baby and child I loved you as a little sister or perhaps a child of my own I was always very protective of you.” My eyes widened as I remembered something, “You were going to run away with me to save my life if the Volturi won when they came that time weren’t you?” I whispered. “Yes I was going to do whatever I needed to make you safe. That has always been my first priority, my purpose in life since your birth was keeping you happy and well.” “So you loved me ever since I was born and you have waited all of these years just for me? What about now” I asked him bringing my face close to his, “how do you look at me now?” He stroked my cheek, “When I look at you I see the most attractive woman in the world, I would be lucky to have you by my side for the rest of my life. I love you Renesmee Cullen I love you with every fiber of my being. I would do anything for you.” I kissed him then I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him ardently I had so much lost time to make up for. He returned the kiss stroking my hair, we pulled away from each other our breathing ragged. “How does this work? I asked “Are we going to get married?” He looked up at the stars “Someday if that is what you want” he told me. I will be here if you want me. My concern is your happiness” I pulled his face to mine, “All I have ever wanted is you Jacob I just never knew it until you were gone. I need you, I want you for the rest of my life.” He leaned his forehead against mine, “I feel the same way, but you are young yet let’s take it one day at a time, otherwise your father might kill me” he smiled. His face became a little darker, “That reminds me, what about Nahuel.” I had to think, to myself who is Nahuel? Then I remembered “He started to get strange Jake really angry” “Did he hurt you? He growled. “No , It was so odd it was like he was warning me to stay away. I was honestly attracted to him, but not anymore you are all I want it’s bizarre; it’s like a switch went off inside me and you are all I live for.” I suddenly had a realization, “ It’s the imprinting isn’t it?” I asked him. He nodded and then looked down, “it’s not fair to you Nessie you should have choices.” I stopped him, “I did have choices Jacob and they were wrong you are all that I want.” He kissed me then I started to push him down but he stopped me, “we should head back, your father has been exceptionally understanding this far let’s not push our luck.” I blushed as I realized that my father was probably following every word we were saying. “Before we go back I want to give you your present” he handed me a little leather pouch, “What is it?” I asked excitedly. He laughed, “You are still so much a child even though you are grown” he teased “open it.” Inside the pouch was a beautiful necklace it was a crystal amulet with beading and coral stones. I gasped “Jake this is gorgeous.” He smiled at me and helped me put it on. “It was my mother’s wedding present from my father.” I looked down I felt horrible for him “You must miss her I said. “I do, but I know that she would have loved you and she would have been thrilled to see you wearing it.” He stood up and held his hand out to me to help me up and then he picked up his jacket, wiped it off and draped it over my shoulders. He turned to face me and looked at me seriously, “If this is too weird for you…” “Jake, I said “Stop I love you and I would love to spend forever with you.” He smiled at me and whispered, “I love you too” he leaned in for another kiss and then we headed back. I couldn’t help but notice how brightly the stars were shining they had never seemed so bright before. It was as if I was seeing them through new eyes for the first time.
I stepped out into the pale moonlit night, alone. I felt terrible that I wasn’t enjoying myself. Sienna had tried to cheer me up, but I kept bursting into tears. I told her what happened and explained everything (within reason) about Jacob. “Well then go get him, true love only comes once in a lifetime” she insisted. My aunt Alice had worked so hard trying to beautify my puffy eyes, I was wearing a shimmering sleeveless silver dress that fishtailed around my feet in little gauzy pieces like it was torn. “Like my heart” I thought darkly. My hair was loose and billowing around my shoulders in the soft breeze. A diamond tiara that Aunt Rosalie had insisted on, was firmly in place on my head. I didn’t feel like a princess though, I had no Prince Charming. I couldn’t stop thinking of Jacob, why hadn’t I ever noticed how perfect he was when I had the chance? A tear rolled down my cheek as I remembered his kind eyes, his beautiful face, his lips, how we used to laugh, his strong arms. How I longed to be tucked into those arms. I noticed someone walking up behind me, I wiped the tears that were now freely flowing down my cheeks, and turned around ready to put on the happy face for whoever it was. My eyes met the eyes of my dreams. He was gorgeous he was wearing a tuxedo and he carried a tiger lily, my favorite flower “Jacob!” He stepped out of the shadows and his eyes lit up he looked at me from head to toe and gasped, “Nessie you are so beautiful.” I said “You came, I didn’t think you would.” I started crying then and fell into his arms he held onto me tightly “I am so sorry I missed you so much. I said such horrible things to you they aren’t true Jake. I love that you have always looked out for me, I love you…” I looked into his eyes; he smiled at me his eyes taking me in hungrily. “I have waited for so long to hear those words from you”, he traced my eyelids to wipe my tears away, and then leaned in and kissed me so gently I barely felt it, I had never felt like this about anyone before. He was all I cared about all I needed. I ran my hands through his hair and pulled him closer I kissed him feverishly. It was like a dream come true to lose myself in him, his scent encircled me. I pulled away, “Promise me you will never leave me again,” I exhaled. He smiled at me and kissed my forehead “I promise.” He took me by the hand and said, “we need to talk.” Just then Seth and Leah walked up. I wiped the tears from my eyes and smiled brightly at them. “Hi guys, thanks for coming!” I was so happy that Leah had come I knew she was still kind of unsure about my family. Seth gave me a hug “Happy birthday Nessie” he handed me a present “it’s from me and Leah” he said. I opened it up it was a pendant with a beautiful sand stone encircled with wire on a chain. “We made it” Leah offered warily. “It’s a stone from your and Jacob’s beach” Seth said as he winked at me. Jacob smacked him. Another tear rolled down my cheek “It is amazing, I love it” I thanked them and hugged Leah as well. She seemed a little pleased by my reaction. “Everyone is out back help yourselves to whatever you want.” Jacob took my necklace and put it in his pocket for me. They disappeared and once again I had Jacob all to myself. I put my arms around him, “Now what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?” I asked him with a smile of contentment. He led me into the woods he took off his jacket and set me down on top of it he sat next to me. “This is going to come across as strange…” “I think I can handle it Jake I’m a Cullen my middle name is strange. He smiled “Fair enough, well according to Quileute legend every wolf in the pack has a mate that is made just for them. It is like preordained, from the moment that the wolf lays eyes on that person. There is no changing it and no overpowering it. I watched almost all of my friends go through it. It never happened for me though. Until the first day that I laid eyes on you.” He smiled at the memory, and he tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “So you mean you fell in love with me when I was a baby?” I asked in confusion. “well it’s not necessarily like that, he explained. I have loved you in different ways throughout your life. As a baby and child I loved you as a little sister or perhaps a child of my own I was always very protective of you.” My eyes widened as I remembered something, “You were going to run away with me to save my life if the Volturi won when they came that time weren’t you?” I whispered. “Yes I was going to do whatever I needed to make you safe. That has always been my first priority, my purpose in life since your birth was keeping you happy and well.” “So you loved me ever since I was born and you have waited all of these years just for me? What about now” I asked him bringing my face close to his, “how do you look at me now?” He stroked my cheek, “When I look at you I see the most attractive woman in the world, I would be lucky to have you by my side for the rest of my life. I love you Renesmee Cullen I love you with every fiber of my being. I would do anything for you.” I kissed him then I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him ardently I had so much lost time to make up for. He returned the kiss stroking my hair, we pulled away from each other our breathing ragged. “How does this work? I asked “Are we going to get married?” He looked up at the stars “Someday if that is what you want” he told me. I will be here if you want me. My concern is your happiness” I pulled his face to mine, “All I have ever wanted is you Jacob I just never knew it until you were gone. I need you, I want you for the rest of my life.” He leaned his forehead against mine, “I feel the same way, but you are young yet let’s take it one day at a time, otherwise your father might kill me” he smiled. His face became a little darker, “That reminds me, what about Nahuel.” I had to think, to myself who is Nahuel? Then I remembered “He started to get strange Jake really angry” “Did he hurt you? He growled. “No , It was so odd it was like he was warning me to stay away. I was honestly attracted to him, but not anymore you are all I want it’s bizarre; it’s like a switch went off inside me and you are all I live for.” I suddenly had a realization, “ It’s the imprinting isn’t it?” I asked him. He nodded and then looked down, “it’s not fair to you Nessie you should have choices.” I stopped him, “I did have choices Jacob and they were wrong you are all that I want.” He kissed me then I started to push him down but he stopped me, “we should head back, your father has been exceptionally understanding this far let’s not push our luck.” I blushed as I realized that my father was probably following every word we were saying. “Before we go back I want to give you your present” he handed me a little leather pouch, “What is it?” I asked excitedly. He laughed, “You are still so much a child even though you are grown” he teased “open it.” Inside the pouch was a beautiful necklace it was a crystal amulet with beading and coral stones. I gasped “Jake this is gorgeous.” He smiled at me and helped me put it on. “It was my mother’s wedding present from my father.” I looked down I felt horrible for him “You must miss her I said. “I do, but I know that she would have loved you and she would have been thrilled to see you wearing it.” He stood up and held his hand out to me to help me up and then he picked up his jacket, wiped it off and draped it over my shoulders. He turned to face me and looked at me seriously, “If this is too weird for you…” “Jake, I said “Stop I love you and I would love to spend forever with you.” He smiled at me and whispered, “I love you too” he leaned in for another kiss and then we headed back. I couldn’t help but notice how brightly the stars were shining they had never seemed so bright before. It was as if I was seeing them through new eyes for the first time.
