All Falls Down

Chapter 1

Love sucked.

Tears poured from her hazel eyes as Navy –her full name was Naveya, but she preferred to be called Navy- Dawson stared out the window of her Seattle apartment.  She shared it with her father, Mark Dawson, who owned a real estate company in Seattle currently.  He traveled all over the United States though and sometimes even to different countries, Europe being the primary one.  Navy was left alone a lot to say the least, only seeing her father once a week if she was lucky, so the apartment was pretty much hers.

She still couldn’t believe she was here, pining for a man who wanted absolutely nothing to do with her, while he chased a woman who merely used him for her own selfish needs.  It made Navy sick to her stomach every time she thought about him, shaking her head in disgust.  To think she’d wasted nearly two years of her life on him made her even sicker and Navy knew she couldn’t do it anymore.

Jacob Black had been her best friend since they were toddlers.  Navy was raised and grew up in Forks, Washington, which was roughly three and a half hours away from her hometown.  She remembered when Jacob would buy her a box of chocolates every Valentine’s Day and ask her to be his valentine.  They were merely eleven years old, but Navy already knew she would never love anyone as much as Jacob.

How that was so long ago; how so much had changed since the good old days.

Ever since Isabella Swan moved to Forks.

Navy narrowed her eyes and grabbed some tissues, wiping the tears away from her cheeks, hating the mere thought of Bella.  That was the woman Jacob pined for, the girl he loved more than life itself, the girl who simply used him and nothing more.  How many times Navy had tried making Jacob see the light she’d lost count, finally not able to do it anymore.

She would never forget the day Bella Swan arrived in Forks, Washington and how Jacob had been excited.  Navy vaguely remembered Bella from when they were little, though Jacob apparently had.  Bella moved away from Forks when she was five years old or so –Navy honestly didn’t remember- because of her parents divorcing…only to move back when she was seventeen years old to live with her father Charlie Swan.

She’d been over at the Black house when Billy, Jacob’s father, announced it was time to leave to go to Charlie’s.  Jacob nearly tripped over his own feet to get out the door and Navy remembered the excitement in his eyes.  It was almost as if his true best friend had finally come back to Forks and she was left in the darkness.  Billy had given Bella Swan his old rusty reddish orange truck that Jacob had worked day and night to finish before she arrived.  He rebuilt the entire engine for her, though Navy had no idea it was for Bella until that day.

Closing her eyes, Navy simply released her anguish and pain, allowing the past to fully consume her every thought…

~!~

“Are you going to the rink with me today?” Kendra Nelson asked, walking alongside her best friend Navy, a bright smile on her face. “You know you need to get the practice in.”

“Yeah, Jacob is busy.” Navy replied softly, holding her books against her chest, chewing her bottom lip, her long auburn locks pooling down her back hugging her waist. “I know I’ve been slacking lately.”

“Yes you have, slacker.” Kendra smirked, wrapping an arm around her friend’s shoulders. “But since I love you so much, I’m willing to overlook your flaws and give you one more chance.”

Navy couldn’t help laughing, rolling her hazel eyes, shaking her head. “How many chances have you given me?” She retorted with a smirk of her own, turning the corner with Kendra.

“Not enough apparently.”

Kendra Nelson was a pistol full of life and energy, rarely letting anything ever bother her, and lived in Forks like Navy.  She had shoulder length black hair with ruby red tips and deep sparkling grey eyes.  She was a professional figure skater –when she wasn’t at school getting straight A’s- and won a few championships already in the singles category.  The woman could do practically anything when she slipped her white ice skates on, feeling truly at home in an ice rink.

Aside from Jacob, Kendra was her best friend.

Jacob Black was part of the Quileute tribe and lived on the reservation in La Push, Washington.  It was around a half an hour away from Forks, depending how fast one drove.  He stood well over six feet tall and had beautiful long satin black hair, which was normally pulled back in a messy loose ponytail or left down.  His incredible dark eyes are what Navy the most because they were the deepest brown she’d ever seen.

“So what’s going on with Jake?” Kendra asked, breaking Navy out of her deep thoughts, knowing they had Study Hall next. “Woman, you need to stop daydreaming.”

“Sorry, what did you ask?” Navy sighed heavily, raking a hand through her hair, not believing how lost in thought she became whenever Jacob entered her mind.

“I said what’s going on with Jake today?” Kendra repeated herself, arching a black eyebrow, which contrasted nicely against her somewhat tanned skin.

“Oh, he’s welcoming a childhood friend home to Forks.” Navy replied nonchalantly, though deep down inside it seared her. “He redid Billy’s old truck and they’re giving it to her.  I think her name is Isabella Swan if I remember correctly.”

Kendra arched an eyebrow, knowing that name rang a bell, and snapped her fingers when it came to her. “Ohhh!  She’s Chief Swan’s daughter.”

“Charlie Swan?” Navy blinked, never knowing that man had a daughter. “Oh wow, so everyone probably knows about her coming to Forks.”

“Pretty much.  She’s already the talk of the town.  Apparently, she’s only visited here a few times since she was five years old.  The yearbook committee is making her front page news since they handle the school’s newspaper.” Kendra made a gagging motion with her finger, causing Navy to laugh. “I swear I wouldn’t know what to do if I had that much attention on me.”

“But you do.  Everyone knows how great of an ice skater you are.” Navy pointed out, smirking when Kendra simply rolled her grey eyes as they walked inside Study Hall, taking their usual seats in the back.

“Right and once you’re disciplined; you too will be as big of a figure skating star as I am.” Kendra announced confidently, refusing to back off of her best friend, especially since the woman was a natural on the ice.

Navy sighed heavily, looking down at her notebook in thought, nodding. “You have too much faith in me, Dra.” She stated and watched Kendra wave her off dismissively. “Do you really think I have what it takes?”

“Yes, that and more.  You have a god given talent, Veya.” Kendra stated assertively as she opened her book, sighing heavily. “Please explain to me why we need Trigonometry to graduate again?”

Navy laughed softly just as the bell rang, signaling it was time to quiet down their talking. “I don’t know, why don’t you ask the school board committee?” She retorted in a whisper, giggling quietly when Kendra flipped the bird.

“So, Jake knows Bella Swan because of their childhood?” Kendra asked quietly, knowing most of her subjects, Trigonometry one of them.  Navy nodded, not saying a word because she honestly didn’t want to talk about it. “I thought you and Jake grew up together.  Wouldn’t you know Bella Swan too then?”

“I honestly don’t remember her.  Then again, she probably didn’t come down to the reservation a lot and she was just five when she left Forks.” Navy replied, looking down at her English homework, beginning to write the essay that was due the following day.  She was nearly done with it, also a straight A student, just like Kendra.

“Hmm that’s interesting.” Kendra shrugged her shoulders as they both focused on homework, always putting school first before anything else. 

Navy sometimes put Jacob before her school work, but also managed to make up for it.  That required all nighters every once in a blue moon, but other than that, it wasn’t too bad considering Jacob went to school on the reservation.  She sighed heavily and knew it was ridiculous to be jealous of Bella Swan, but couldn’t help it.  This was usually the day when Navy and Jacob hung out, but it’d been cancelled because of her.

Study Hall ended and Kendra parted ways with Navy, going to gym with a grumble while Navy headed to English.  They were juniors and couldn’t wait to graduate in a year, both deciding to attend college nearby Forks so they could live at home.  Not only that, but Navy didn’t know if she could handle being away from Jacob by going away to college.  She knew it was stupid to base her future around him, but honestly, Navy knew she was falling in love with her best friend.

The problem was she knew Jacob did not feel the same way about her.

School seemed to drag on that day and, by the time Navy walked out of the building; she seriously never wanted to go back again.  Kendra caught up with her, knowing they had a date at the rink.  Navy didn’t know if she was in the mood anymore to skate, just wanting to find out how Jacob’s reunion with Bella Swan went.  Then again, he had cancelled their usual hangout time and Navy ached to feel the cold ice surrounding her.

“You look like you lost your damn puppy.  Just stop the moping already.” Kendra ordered gleefully, knowing this is just the distraction her best friend needed to get her mind off of Jacob Black.

Kendra already knew how Navy felt for the guy and, for the life of her, she didn’t understand it.  Jacob never gave any indication he felt even remotely the same way Navy did for him and that was dangerous.  Kendra didn’t want Navy to keep wishing for something to happen that clearly never would and get her heart broken.  Of course, she could only do so much and tell her so many times before giving up became the only option left.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it.  I haven’t hung out with Jake in a week and you know how I get when I don’t see him.” Navy knew she sounded retarded, but couldn’t help how she felt. “I already know what you’re going to say and I’m telling you right now don’t go there, Kendra.”

“No, I am going to go there because it’s bullshit, Naveya.” Kendra stated, refusing to hold her tongue. “Jacob doesn’t feel the same way about you that you do him and all you’re doing is hurting yourself by hoping that something will happen between you two.”

“I can’t just stop loving him, Kendra!” Navy snapped, clearly not wanting to have this conversation, hazel eyes narrowing. “Don’t you think I wish I could turn it on and off like a light switch?  I would give anything not to love Jacob Black, but it’s impossible.”

Kendra sighed as they walked to her car, knowing Navy had her own and would hopefully follow her over to the rink. “Look, all I’m saying is that you need to keep your options open.  Look at me and Rick, I thought he was the love of my life and he ended up screwing Stacey behind my back.” Rick was the captain of the football team and Stacey was the lead cheerleader.

“I know, but Jacob isn’t like Rick.  He makes me feel alive whenever I’m around him and we have a lot of interests…” Navy had heard all of this before and looked out the window, trying to push Jacob out of her mind.

“Oh and you think Rick didn’t make ME feel alive?  Christ, that boy made my toes curl and my eyes roll in the back of my head!  I gave my virginity to him and then found out two months later he’d also been screwing that blonde bimbo.” Kendra snorted, pulling her hair up in a messy bun, needing it out of her face as she arrived at her car. “All I’m saying, sweetie, is that you really need to stop pining for him.  Jacob Black is still maturing; he’s only fifteen years old…”

“Soon to be sixteen.” Navy cut her off, folding her arms in front of her chest. “I already know I’m two years older than him, but age is just a number to me, Kendra.  You know that.”

Kendra sighed, knowing she wasn’t getting anywhere with her best friend, simply nodding. “Fine, I’m done arguing with you about this.  Just remember, when you finally do come to your senses about him, I’ll be there to help you through the pain.” She slipped in the driver’s seat of her red Honda Civic, peeling out of the parking lot moments later.

Navy rolled her eyes, knowing Kendra was fed up with her, deciding she probably wouldn’t go to the rink as planned.  It was pathetic, Navy knew that and Kendra was constantly harping on her about it.  How could she just ignore how she felt for Jacob when her every thought seemed to be of him?  Everything right down to his toes she absolutely adored and that was hard to just shove aside.

Her cell phone ringing brought Navy out of her thoughts as she looked at the caller ID, flipping it open. “Hey dad.” She greeted, walking over to her blue Ford Focus he’d bought for her for her sixteenth birthday. 

“Hey angel face.” Mark greeted with a smile, sipping some coffee. “How was school?”

“It was fine, I just got out actually.  What’s up?” She asked, unlocking her car and slipping inside the driver’s seat, buckling up.

“I just called to let you know I won’t be home tonight.  I’m catching a red eye flight to Phoenix, Arizona to close a property deal.” Mark informed, knowing this was absolute last minute, but he wasn’t about to pass up a one hundred thousand dollar property sale. “I’m sorry angel face, if I would’ve known sooner…”

“That’s fine dad, no worries.  I know how it goes.” Navy replied with a sad smile, starting up her car, though she refused to drive while on the phone.

Navy’s mother, Nadine, had died during child birth so Navy didn’t know her mother very well.  Her father named her Naveya because that’s what her mother wanted, having the same initials as her.  Naveya Anne Dawson was born and her mother died a few short hours later due to severe hemorrhaging, basically bleeding to death.  Mark opened his real estate business when Navy was just three years old and had devoted his entire life to it and taking care of her.

“Are you going down to the reservation today?” Mark asked, breaking his daughter out of her thoughts.

“No, not today.  I’m actually supposed to go to the ice rink with Kendra, but I think I’m just going home.”

“Okay well I have to go, but I love you angel face and I’ll call you as soon as I get to Phoenix tonight.” Mark hung up after his daughter said she loved him too, going back to finalizing plans with this deal.

Navy sighed heavily and set her cell phone in her purse, pulling out of the school parking lot, heading home for the evening.

Chapter 2

Navy was not surprised when she pulled up in the driveway of her two story home, spotting the red Honda Civic, groaning inwardly.  Apparently Kendra wasn’t taking no for an answer as far as Navy skipping out on going to the rink.  She sighed, pulling up behind the Honda Civic and cut the ignition, stepping out with her book bag slung over her shoulder.

“Okay I know I crossed a line and I’m sorry.” Kendra immediately said, noting how irritated her friend was, sighing heavily. “I just worry about you, Veya.  I don’t want you getting hurt like I did.”

Trying hard not to cave, Navy folded her arms in front of her chest, pursing her lips tightly together. “I know, but you have to stop getting on my case about it.  If you do that, then I’ll stop talking about Jacob.”

Kendra raised a slow eyebrow, the seriousness clear in her friend’s eyes, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to do that.  I don’t mind hearing about Jake.  Just…all I’m asking is that you be careful when it comes to him.  Don’t wear your heart on your sleeve, Veya.”

Navy’s shoulders slumped in defeat as she nodded; knowing Kendra was simply trying to help her. “I know, I’m trying not to do that, but it’s hard.” She felt tears sting her eyes and accepted Kendra’s embrace, trying not to let them fall. “I’m sorry for snapping on you.”

“You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t.” Kendra chuckled softly, rubbing her back, and pulled back as she handed Navy a tissue. “Now go get your skates.  We’ll take your car since you’re blocking me in.  You’re not skipping out on me today.”

Navy laughed softly and nodded, knowing she had no choice.  She knew if Kendra had to, she’d kidnap her and there was no sense in doing that.  Navy unlocked the front door and stepped inside, setting her book bag to the side, sighing when her cell phone began vibrating against her hip.  She had a clip because she constantly dropped it.  She knew her father was sick of replacing cell phones left and right because of her clumsiness.

Not that he couldn’t afford it.

Flipping it open while heading upstairs, Navy didn’t even bother looking at the caller ID. “Hello?” She stopped halfway up the stairs, closing her eyes as the husky voice resonated in her ear.

“Hey Nave, what’s up?”

“Nothing much, I just got home from school and I’m going to the rink with Kendra.  She’s insisting that I’m slacking lately.” Navy snorted, causing Jacob to laugh, and the sound sent tingles throughout her body. “I thought you were busy with your friend’s homecoming?”

“I just got home actually.  Bella wanted some time to settle in, which I don’t blame her.  She really grew up.” Jacob sighed wistfully, raking a hand through his long satin locks, smiling. “It’s good having her back here.”

“Yeah I bet.” Navy tried sounding enthusiastic about it as she headed up the rest of the stairs, swallowing down the ache in her heart. “Did she like the truck?”

Jacob chuckled, nodding. “Yeah, she said it was perfect.  That definitely made my day because I worked hard on that engine.  I’m glad she liked it.”

“Yeah me too, you did work hard on it.” Navy agreed, remembering several nights in the past few weeks that Jacob pulled all nighters just to get it done for Isabella’s homecoming. “So what are you doing now?”

“Nothing much really, I didn’t know how long I’d be at Charlie’s today, so that’s why I cancelled our plans.  Sorry about that, Nave.” He felt guilty because he’d been neglecting Navy lately, wanting to find a way to make it up to her somehow. “So you’re going to the rink eh?”

Navy felt a twinge of hope enter her heart when he apologized because it sounded like he missed her. “Don’t worry about it, Jake.  It’s not every day a childhood friend comes back home you know?” She played the understanding friend part perfectly, having mastered it over the years of knowing Jacob. “Kendra won’t take no for an answer, but she is right.  I have been neglecting practice over the past few weeks.”

“I wanna make it up to you, Nave.” Jacob stated, walking down the porch steps of his small red house, knowing Embry and Quil were probably busy. “How about I come to the rink and after you’re finished practicing we can go out to a movie or something?” He suggested, needing a distraction.

Navy blinked, knowing Jacob didn’t care much for ice skating. “Sure, that sounds great.  Maybe we can go for a walk on the beach or something.” That was their special place and Navy lost count how many conversations they had there with the ocean waves crashing gently against the shore.

That was their sanctuary.

“Sounds good, I’ll wait two hours and then come to the rink.” Jacob said, not wanting to distract her from practice, knowing how serious Kendra took figure skating.  He still wondered why Navy was a part of it, remembering her saying something about Kendra saying she was a natural.

Navy could already feel her heart doing flip flops, knowing she was being ridiculous again. “Sounds like a plan, Jake.  Listen I really have to go before Kendra comes hunting me down.  I will see you at the rink though.” Her eyes closed again when his husky laughter echoed in her ear, trying not to sigh dreamily.

“I look forward to it, Nave.  See you in a few hours.”

“I love you.” She whispered after the call disconnected, like always, closing her eyes momentarily.

“Woman, what the hell are you doing up there?” Kendra called, causing Navy to groan, knowing she’d been on the phone with Jacob too long.

“I’ll be right down!” Navy called as she gathered the rest of her things, picking up her white ice skates, placing them in a bag along with her practice clothes. 

She knew her father had no idea she skated and he wouldn’t find out if she had it her way.  Seeing as how he was hardly home, Navy pretty much had free reign to do what she wanted, but never took it for granted.  She wasn’t the type of teenager to throw wild parties in her house, truly respecting everything she had.  Not to mention she didn’t want to break her father’s trust in her, knowing it was hard enough for him to raise her because she looked almost the spitting image of her mother with deep auburn hair.  The only difference is Navy had her father’s deep hazel eyes, which were currently more green than brown.

“Well hurry it up!” Kendra walked out of the house, shaking her head, wondering what kept Navy’s interest. “We’re losing precious practice time!”

Navy rolled her eyes as she walked out of her room and downstairs, grabbing her keys. “I need you to drive tonight.” She stated, causing Kendra’s eyebrow to slowly rise.

“Why?”  Kendra asked suspiciously, having a sinking feeling she knew why. 

Navy always had this dreamy expression on her face whenever she talked to Jacob Black.  That expression was currently on her friend’s face and Kendra bit back a sigh of annoyance.  Kendra was really tempted to have a private chat with Jacob; knowing Navy was too stubborn to see the truth in front of her.

Of course she never would.

“Jacob called, he’s going to meet us at the rink in a few hours and we’re going out afterwards.” Navy replied evenly, her tone daring Kendra to say one negative comment.

“I figured as much.” Kendra flashed a smile, though it didn’t reach her grey eyes. “Move your car then woman so we can get moving.”

Navy grinned from ear to ear with sparkling eyes, nodding, and slipped inside her Ford Focus as she backed out of the driveway.  Kendra came out next, parking in the street, while Navy put her back in the driveway before slipping in the passenger seat of the Honda Civic.  Both girls buckled up and Kendra put the car in drive, heading to the skating rink.

“So what are you and Black going to do?” Kendra asked curiously, watching Navy shrug her shoulders. “Probably a movie or the beach right?”

“You know us too well, it’s scary.” Navy commented, making Kendra laugh softly, turning on her Mariah Carey CD. “Is it really that obvious what Jake and I usually do?”

“Not to strangers, but you forget we’ve been friends since grade school sweetie.” Kendra reminded her, still not believing how long they’d been friends, considering they were completely opposites.

Kendra had a very strong work ethic and was sometimes borderline overbearing, while Navy was laid back for the most part, though she also had a passion for certain things in life.  Photography was one of them.  Kendra’s number one passion was figure skating, knowing she had regionals coming up and hoped Navy was ready because she wanted her to participate.  If Navy could just buckle down and get her head in the game, so to speak, she would be a force to be reckoned with on the ice.

“We’ll probably just end up going down to La Push and walking along the beach.  We haven’t hung out in a week and I know he wants to talk to me about his friend.” Navy sounded forlorn when she said that last part, feeling Kendra pat her hand encouragingly.

“You know you could just tell him how you feel.” Kendra suggested, watching Navy instantly shake her head in protest, sighing. “I’m just saying.”

“Oh yeah, I’m really going to go up to him and tell him how much I love him and I can’t live without him.  Uh huh, that’ll go off really well and then he’ll look at me and say he loves me, but only as a friend and nothing more.” Navy snorted, cringing at the mere thought of revealing her true feelings for Jacob. “No thank you, I’d much rather just be the supportive best friend.”

“Suit yourself.”

Kendra hoped her father was done with hockey practice by the time they arrived.  Kevin Nelson was a retired hockey player and coached the high school hockey team, having built Nelson’s Ice Dreams as soon as he moved into Forks, Washington with his talented daughter.  Kendra had started skating at the tender age of seven, taking after her mother’s gift; she died in a tragic car accident when Kendra was only five years old.  Though Kevin didn’t move to Forks until Kendra turned eleven, not able to handle living in the same town he fell in love with her mother in.

Another common trait between Kendra and Navy was both of them were being raised by their fathers, no mother in their lives.

About twenty minutes later, Kendra pulled into the parking lot of the skating rink and cut the ignition, squaring her shoulders.  Both girls stepped out, grabbing their gear, and headed inside with Kendra’s arm wrapped around Navy’s shoulders for support.  Rick Hall was walking out as the girls walked up; raising a slow eyebrow as he blatantly looked his ex up and down with a smirk.  Not only was Rick apart of the football team, but he also had a passion for hockey.

“Well hello there, Kendy baby.” Rick crooned, watching her simply roll her eyes back at him. “I was hoping I’d catch you here.”

“Oh really and why is that?” Kendra really didn’t feel like putting up with her ex-boyfriend right now, feeling Navy tensing beside her. “Shouldn’t you be getting an STD from that blonde skank?”

Rick’s eyes narrowed slightly, opening his mouth to say something, but stopped when Coach Nelson walked out. “I’ll talk to you later, Kendy.” He licked his lips at her before walking off, causing Kendra to flip him the bird behind his back.

“Not in this lifetime asshole.” She muttered, flashing a smile at her father when he just shook his head, trying not to laugh. “Hey dad, hockey practice over, I assume?”

Kevin chuckled with sparkling blue eyes, nodding. “The ice is all yours, princess.” He embraced her briefly, kissing the top of her head, more affectionate with his daughter than Mark was with his daughter. “Hey Naveya, nice to see you again.”

“Hello Mr. Nelson.” She smiled when he hugged her next, knowing he thought of her like one of his own, both girls not having siblings.  They considered each other sisters.

“Dad, how many times do I have to tell you to call her Navy?” Kendra sighed when he waved her off dismissively, shouldering the bag over her shoulder.

“I’ll call her what I want and that’s her name.” Kevin argued promptly, smirking when Navy just shrugged her shoulders. “Are you going to regionals with Kendra?”

“I don’t know yet.  I guess we’ll have to wait and see if I’m ready for it.” Navy replied, grunting when Kendra pulled her by the arm, knowing they were wasting time. “Geez you’re going to yank my arm out of socket!”

“Sorry, but we’ve already lost at least a half an hour because of your slowpoke ass.” Kendra grinned, causing Kevin to laugh from deep in his throat.

“Tell Mark I said to call me when he gets a chance, Naveya.” He called over his shoulder, chuckling when he heard a muffled okay, knowing his daughter was being overbearing again.

Kendra stretched and slipped her white ice skates on, tying them tightly, after flipping on a dark red leotard that hung off of the shoulders and shimmered under the lights. “Now then, we need to work on your triple axels today.” She announced, having taken the responsibility to be Navy’s trainer.

Navy nodded, slipping on black stretch pants with a long sleeved black top, a sequined blue short sleeved top over it.  She stretched before going on the ice, skating toward Kendra, who was already gliding around the ice gracefully.  No wonder Kendra won so many championships, she had a talent most could only dream of…including Navy.

“What makes you think I even have a shot at regionals?” Navy grumbled, beginning to glide with Kendra, their arms spread in an elegant position.

“Because you have talent, now stop doubting yourself.” Kendra ordered, knowing the negativity Navy had would have to be broken. “When you go out on that ice, you are the star and it’s your time to shine.  You are the center of attention and everyone is watching what you can do.  You have to have confidence or the competition will eat you up and spit you out.”

Navy nodded with a resigned sigh, stopping herself as she watched Kendra do a perfect triple axel jump, her body spinning in the air and landing on the ice with stealth.  Kendra told her to try one and Navy knew she had no choice, beginning to skate around the ice, closing her eyes as the cold enveloped her.  Jacob momentarily left her mind as she completely focused on the task at hand, knowing she was out of practice, no doubt hurting later. 

She looked behind her shoulder briefly to see where she was going, gaining speed, and felt when the time to jump was.  Leaping in the air, Navy spun her body three times and landed on the ice perfectly, arms spread out, the biggest smile crossing her lips in accomplishment.  The fact that Navy hadn’t practiced in two weeks, and came back to do a perfect triple axel jump, made Kendra believe that much more she was destined to be a professional figure skater.

“That was awesome; now do it again.” Kendra demanded, refusing to clap because they still had a long ways to go. 

Chapter 3

“Again.”

Navy groaned, feeling the burning in her legs, knowing Kendra wasn’t satisfied with her spinning, nodding stiffly.  She began doing a sit spin, left leg outstretched while her right was bent, arms outstretched to control the spinning.  She remembered Kendra telling her to bring her arms in before standing while still in the spin. 

Navy could feel the velocity, knowing her arms are what made the speed.  She tucked them in slowly as she moved to a standing position, looking like a blurred spinning angel.  She came out of the move flailing her arms gracefully, knowing figure skating was not only a sport, but artistry as well.

“Much better.” Kendra finally applauded with a smile, knowing Navy was probably hurting right now, but that was natural in this sport. “Now do it again.”

Navy knew better than to complain and simply began gliding around the rink again, gaining speed, not realizing the door to the rink had opened.  She spun faster this time, looking as though she’d trip over the skates, but instead came out of it beautifully and added a triple axel for added measure.  She had the triple down and was getting the speed with the spinning, but her movement on the ice and routine still needed a lot of work.

“Good, that was really great.  You’re done for the night.” Kendra announced, having glanced over her shoulder with a smirk, noticing who walked in. “Hello Jacob.”

Hazel eyes widened as Navy’s head snapped up, watching a tall figure walking down the steps, the biggest smile crossing her face. “Jake!” She knew he probably saw her spinning and skated toward him, laughing when he lifted her up in a strong embrace.

“I thought for sure you were gonna eat ice.” Jacob laughed when she scowled playfully, setting her back down. “I didn’t distract you did I?”

“Nope, I just finished actually.” Navy replied, looking over her shoulder at Kendra, who was gliding around the rink in pure elegance. 

She had one leg completely straight up the air while gliding, basically doing a vertical split, which was called an “I” spin position.  Kendra followed that up by doing a haircutter spin before picking up speed, executing two perfect triples in a row, positioning her arms simultaneously.  There was no way Navy could ever compete with that, though she did enjoy being on the ice, her eyes shifting back to Jacob.

“You ready to get out of here?” Jacob asked with a cheeky grin, wearing a long sleeved black thermal shirt with dark blue jeans and black boots.  His hair was pulled back in a low loose ponytail, a few wisps of hair brushing his forehead and face.

“Yeah, let me get out of these first and change.” She replied, knowing Kendra was totally zoned out in her skating, so she didn’t bother saying goodbye because Kendra wouldn’t acknowledge her. 

Navy walked over to the bench and sat down, beginning to untie her skates, chuckling when Jacob bent down to do her left while she did her right.  She couldn’t help enjoying the feeling of his hand grabbing her calf to hold her still, slipping the skate from her foot.  Even through the thin material of her pants, Navy felt the heat from his hand and it was pure heaven, not caring if he was only fifteen years old.  He didn’t look his age at all, more like an eighteen year old inside a fifteen year olds body.

“Thanks.” Navy murmured, their eyes locking briefly, before she shoved the skates inside her bag and went to change back into her clothes. 

Her legs were stiff and sore, knowing she would have to tell Kendra she wasn’t going to regionals.  As much as Navy loved skating, photography was her true passion, loving to snap beautiful pictures.  Her father bought her a nice Canon digital camera a few months ago and the pictures looked as though they were professionally done.

She slipped into her blue jeans and long sleeved white shirt that had a V shaped neckline along with a baby blue hooded sweatshirt and pulled her hair out of it to flow down her back.  She pulled her white sneakers on, groaning at how tense her calves were, though she wasn’t passing up the opportunity to hang out with Jacob.  Doing a few leg stretches to try loosening them up, Navy grabbed her bag and zipped it up before walking out, noticing Jacob watching Kendra with a mild interest.

“She’s great isn’t she?” Navy commented with a smile, watching Jacob shrug his shoulders, giggling softly. “You ready to go?”

“You look better out there.” He remarked, standing up as they both started walking out of the building.

“You’re biased.”

“Yeah, but that can be our little secret.”

Jacob winked, making Navy laugh harder as they walked over to his Rabbit.  It wasn’t finished yet, but could run, and Jacob was very proud of it.  He opened the passenger door for her like a gentleman and Navy slid inside, buckling up.  Within moments, they were pulling out of the parking lot and heading down the road toward the beach.

“How did I know you were going to skip the movies?” Navy smirked, causing Jacob to chuckle from deep in his throat.

“I figured we haven’t been to the beach in awhile.  Might as well do it tonight.” He replied simply, leaning back in the chair, the radio not working in the Rabbit yet, but that didn’t bother Navy. “So, how’ve you been?”

Navy sighed gently, shrugging her shoulders. “Fine I guess. My dad went on another last minute trip so I’m alone again.  I guess I should be used to it by now huh?” She tried not to sound sad about it, but the truth was Navy felt so alone in that big two story house.

“I’m sorry Nave.” Jacob frowned, not wanting her to be sad, and grabbed her hand as he squeezed it gently. “No frowns tonight, this is supposed to be fun.”

No matter what kind of mood Navy was in, Jacob could always make her smile and raise her spirits, which made her love him even more. “You’re right, I’m sorry.  It’s not so bad having the house to myself.” She loved the feeling of his hand in hers, never wanting the contact to end, and felt another piece of hope building inside of her. “How about you?”

“Nothing really, though it’s really nice having Bella back in town.” Jacob released Navy’s hand, sighing gently, the dreamy look coming over his face. “Nave, wait until you meet her and you’ll instantly like her.  She really has changed a lot since the last time I saw her.  Do you remember her at all?” He asked, watching her shake her head mutely, not thinking anything of it. “Man she’s something else though.  Her eyes sparkled when she looked at the truck and that smile just…”

Navy drowned Jacob out as he described how beautiful Isabella Swan was, fighting down the pangs of jealousy that ripped through her.  She knew Jacob would never see her like that and wondered if she should keep her guard up around him.  How could she though when he’d already broken through every barrier she tried tossing at him?  It wasn’t fair and irritated Navy, though whenever he asked her a question, she nodded to show support.

“It really sucks that she doesn’t go to school on the reservation.” Jacob sighed forlornly, turning down the street that lead to the beach, parking the Rabbit moments later.

That caught Navy’s attention as she looked over at Jacob, both of them slipping out of the Rabbit. “She goes to our school then?” When Jacob nodded, Navy felt her chest constrict, knowing she would have to acknowledge Isabella Swan and be friendly towards her. “What class is she in?”

“A junior, about to be a senior.” Jacob answered as they both began trekking through the woods, the breeze blowing, some melted snow still on the ground. “She’ll be graduating with you and Kendra and you two are the same age.”

“Oh.”

They walked the rest of the way in silence, each in their own thoughts, Navy mostly thinking about what Kendra said.  There was no way she could tell Jacob how she felt, especially when it could ruin everything they had between them.  Their friendship was more important than having a romance and Navy wanted Jacob in her life no matter what he was.  She’d seen him briefly at the Black house that morning when Billy announced it was time to go to Charlie’s house, but they hadn’t hung out like this in a week.

“So when you do meet Bella, I want you to call and tell me what you think of her, okay?” Jacob requested, both of them arriving on the beach.

“Sure, no problem.” Navy replied and closed her eyes, allowing the ocean breeze to blow through her auburn locks, feeling at peace. “I’m sure she’s a very nice girl.”

“Indeed she is.” Jacob agreed without hesitation, staring out at the water, wisps of raven hair brushing away from his forehead. “Though, she’s incredibly shy and quiet, so you’ll have to be the one to approach her.”

Pain entered Navy’s heart, knowing she couldn’t deny Jacob anything, even if it meant nearly killing her emotionally. “Being a new student in school will do that to a person.”

“Yeah, I really wish she went to school on the rez.” Jacob stated, picking up a rock and tossing it in the ocean. “It would give us a chance to really catch up with each other.”

Secretly, Navy was glad Isabella Swan didn’t go to his school because that meant they couldn’t get closer.  She was stuck going to Forks High School and Navy planned on welcoming her with open arms.  It was hard to believe that Navy could despise someone as much as Isabella Swan and she hadn’t even meant the girl yet.  Maybe Navy had to give Isabella a chance before judging her, deciding to do just that as they slowly walked down the beach.

“Yeah that does suck, but don’t worry Jake.  I’m sure you’ll find plenty of time to hang out with her and catch up.” Navy assured him, watching a big smile break out on his face, another shard piercing her heart.

“Yeah, you’re right!  I mean, it’s not like I can’t go to Forks because I do that a lot for you.” Jacob sounded more enthusiastic, an extra kick in his step, grinning from ear to ear. “Thanks Nave, you always know what to say to make me feel better.”

“No problem, I’m always here for you Jake.” She smiled back at him, doing her best not to look saddened, sighing when his arm wrapped around her shoulders. “So how’s school and everything?”

“Good, I have a stupid math test to study for though.” Jacob grunted, clearly not happy about it. “I swear that’s my worst subject.”

“Well if you need help, you know who to call.” Navy grinned, always having to help Jacob with his homework, not wanting him to fail the grade.  He was close to graduating and she didn’t want anything interfering with his education.

“Yeah I know.  So, have you decided what you’re doing about college yet?” He asked, knowing graduation wasn’t for another year, but time would fly by fast, glancing down at her. “Are you leaving Forks or…”

Navy sighed, remembering having this conversation with her father, who was considering moving his real estate company up to Seattle. “I really want to try staying close to home so I don’t have to pay for a dorm room.  My dad doesn’t care about the money, but I do and I love where I live.” Not to mention there was no way Navy could be away from Jacob, deciding as long as he was in her life in some way, that’s all she cared about.

“So you’re going to do the local thing then?” Jacob nodded when she did, wondering why Navy wanted to stick around this small town, when there was so much of the world to see and experience. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to a major university or something?”

Navy stopped walking as Jacob turned to face her, folding her arms in front of her chest. “No, of course not.  Do you want me to go to a major university far away from here?” She demanded, true hurt swimming through her hazel eyes, her heart dropping when he hesitated. “You want me to leave Forks, Jake?”

“No, it’s not like that!” Jacob immediately caught himself, placing his hands on her shoulders, seeing the tears shining in her eyes. “Look Nave, I know you love this place, but it’s not fair to limit yourself when there’s a lot more out there.  So many opportunities a lot of us won’t get in our lifetime.”

One of the many reasons Navy loved Jacob so much was when he spoke like an adult instead of a fifteen year old.

“There’s nothing better out there than Forks.” She stated confidently, meaning to say him, but that slip couldn’t happen. “Besides, my dad needs me.  He’s hardly home and I’m all he has, Jake.”

Jacob sighed heavily and nodded, removing his hands from her shoulders, a smile spreading on his face. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Nave.  I’m sorry, forgive me?” He flashed those big brown puppy dog eyes at her and Navy knew she was a goner, simply nodding.

“Of course I do.  It just sounded like you were trying to get rid of me or something.” She replied, leaning against him when his arm wrapped around her shoulders again, both of them beginning to walk.

“No, I never wanna get rid of you.  You’re one of my best friends.” Jacob chuckled, though he felt bad because Navy was sticking around Forks for her father’s well being and not her own.  “I just don’t want you regretting anything down the road.”

“I won’t.” She promised, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully.

“Good, now have you met any potential guys to date?” He asked, smirking when she shook her head, rolling his eyes. “Nave, you’ve had about two boyfriends throughout high school.  That’s not normal.  What are you waiting for?”

“The one.” She always said the same thing every time he asked her about this, knowing her right one was currently walking with her down the beach. “What about you?  I’m sure you’ve got your eye on someone.”

Jacob flushed a deep red, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Maybe.” He grunted, wondering how the conversation went from Navy to him.  It seemed like that always happened. “I know I’ve found her, I just have to find the right time to tell her about it.”

Navy felt her chest tighten, knowing she would be crying later on when she was alone, and simply flashed a phony smile up at him. “Do I know her?” She asked softly, staring straight ahead, and closed her eyes when the name she dreaded came from his lips.

“Bella.”

Sometimes fate could be really cruel and this was definitely one of those times.

Chapter 4

Jacob thought he was in love with Isabella Swan after only seeing her briefly the previous day.

“I don’t know what this feeling is, but I know it’s gotta be love, Nave.  I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.” He had confessed openly the previous night on the beach, which is where their sanctuary was supposed to be. 

“Idiot.” Navy snorted with a roll of her eyes, slipping out of bed, finally giving up sleeping and couldn’t believe it was only four A.M. “How can he be in love with someone he doesn’t even know?”

She’d feel the lack of sleep later, but right now, all Navy felt like doing was crying more.  Crying herself to sleep hadn’t been the best option in the world, but Navy couldn’t help it, surprised she managed to wait until Jacob dropped her off.  She’d asked him to take her home earlier than usual, blaming it on the ice skating even though it was really due to her broken heart. 

Navy was not looking forward to going to school today, especially since Isabella Swan would be there.  She’s already promised Jacob to befriend her, Jacob not wanting the girl to be alone in a new school.  How did Navy honestly wind up in these predicaments and how much more could she take?  Jacob didn’t know how she felt and that was Navy’s entire fault, knowing if he did know her true feelings, he wouldn’t be rubbing Isabella Swan in her face.

Making a pot of coffee, knowing Navy would need that extra kick to get through today, she pulled out the French vanilla coffee creamer and toasted a bagel with cream cheese.  She sat at the island and flipped the television on, frowning when the news said something about a missing hiker.  That’s pretty much the only crime that happened around Forks, though it was bad enough.  Normally it was because of a stupid hiker, who didn’t follow directions to stay out of certain parts of the woods.

“Depressing.” She sighed, flipping the channel to the Disney channel, shrugging her shoulders. 

Navy didn’t mind the cartoons, not really watching them, just needing some sort of sound in the very quiet house.  After eating her bagel and drinking two cups of coffee, Navy hopped in the shower, where more tears spilled down her cheeks.  Why did this hurt so much?  Navy felt as though her heart would completely shatter, if it hadn’t already, and knew she had to pull it together. 

Washing her body quickly, Navy stepped out and brushed her teeth and hair, deciding to part it in an angled style.  She pulled on a pair of dark blue hip hugger jeans with a red tank top and short sleeved black shirt with a plunging neckline in the shape of a V.  She did her makeup, which was simple black eyeliner with clear gloss and foundation to hide her current ache. 

When Navy was sure there was no sign of her crying could be seen, she walked out of the bathroom and pulled on her black leather jacket, zipping it up halfway.  She grabbed her book bag, making sure everything was in there she needed, and shut all the lights off before walking out of her house to head to school.  It was raining lightly, which wasn’t uncommon in Forks, another trait Navy adored about this small town.

Deciding she had a few minutes, Navy pulled her camera out that she always carried with her, even at the skating rink, and began snapping pictures.  The digital camera showed the rain perfectly and Navy suddenly felt a wave of contentment wash over her.  When all else failed to get Jacob Black off of her mind, Navy turned to her pictures, knowing they would never cause her an ounce of pain.

“I need to stop.” She grunted, really not wanting to, but knew she would be late for school.  Navy had perfect attendance and absolutely refused to break that streak, not even for her photography.

Slipping the camera back in her book bag and zipping it up, Navy slipped into her Ford Focus and buckled up, backing out of the driveway heading to school.  Three things went through her mind that Navy knew she wouldn’t enjoy today, starting with meeting Isabella Swan.  She was absolutely loathing that idea, gripping the steering wheel tightly, knowing it had to be done though for Jacob. 

He would be expecting her to call after school and Navy would once again have to put on an act of pretending she liked the girl.  The second thing was breaking the news to Kendra that she wouldn’t be going to regionals, just wanting to skate as a hobby.  The last thing was a test for Psychology, which Navy hadn’t studied for, but she wasn’t too worried about it.  She just hated the class because sometimes it hit sore spots with her, such as relationships and whatnot.

Pulling into the high school parking lot, Navy cut the ignition and leaned forward, pressing her forehead against the steering wheel.  She just needed a minute to breathe, knowing she would get through this rough patch in her life.  Maybe her feelings for Jacob would go away; Navy had already decided once Jacob finally began dating Isabella Swan, she would no longer hang out with him.

There was only so much pain and agony one heart could take and that would be Navy’s breaking point.

Once Navy was sure she could function, she stepped out of her car and grabbed her book bag, shouldering it before walking toward the school entrance.  She made sure to lock her car and clipped the keys to the loop of her jeans, humming softly to herself.  Navy was bound and determined not to think about Jacob Black today, not even when she finally came face to face with Isabella Swan, hoping she didn’t do something stupid.

“Hey woman!” Kendra greeted, wearing a jean skirt that went two inches above the knees with a brownish gold shirt that shimmered under the lights. “You did great last night on the ice!”

“Thanks.” Navy cracked a hesitant smile, knowing now would be the perfect time to break the news, taking a deep breath. “Kendra, about that…”

Before she could finish, however, commotion came from the hallway they were standing in.  Everyone was whispering and staring at the mahogany haired beauty that walked down the hallway, wearing a simple pair of blue jeans with a long sleeved cream colored shirt with a black bandana in her hair to pull her bangs back.  She was incredibly pale with simple gloss on her lips, nothing on her dark rounded brown eyes.

No wonder Jacob fell in love with her so easily.

“Wow, talk about timid.” Kendra snorted, once Isabella Swan was out of earshot, shaking her head. “Did you see how Eric acted toward her?”

Eric Yorkie worked for the school’s yearbook committee and also had a passion for photography, but he also looked too feminine.  He acted it too, which made Kendra crack jokes because she simply couldn’t resist temptation.  Currently he was single, though everyone could tell that Angela Weber really liked him.

“Yeah…” Navy was having a hard time breathing, taking a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart that currently ached.  She couldn’t do it, not yet, and definitely not this soon. “I have to get to gym.” Before Kendra could respond, Navy had already headed down the hallway, not realizing Isabella went the same way.

Kendra arched an eyebrow as she watched how hastily Navy rushed down the hallway, sighing heavily.  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why she acted that way and suddenly Kendra felt a surge of anger flow through her veins.  It wasn’t at Isabella Swan either because, honestly, the girl had done absolutely nothing wrong except move here.  She was livid at Jacob Black for hurting her friend as much as he was, even though he didn’t realize it.

Navy arrived in gym and changed into her uniform, walking over to the mirror with her brush in hand, needing to pull her hair up in a ponytail.  They were playing volleyball today, which was one of her favorite sports to play in gym.  She held the holder between her teeth and pulled it up, not realizing someone walk up to stand beside her until their eyes met in the mirror’s reflection.

It was Isabella Swan.

Navy had two choices.  She could simply ignore the girl and walk out of the locker room or she could do what Jacob wanted.  Not believing she was doing this, Navy turned to face Isabella, who simply stopped washing her hand as her head timidly looked over.

“Hi, I don’t believe we’ve met.  I’m Naveya Dawson, but most people call me Navy for short.” She extended her hand, introducing herself, and watched a hesitant look cross Isabella’s face. “You’re Isabella Swan right?”

“Just Bella.” She immediately corrected in a quiet voice, eyes immediately moving back to the mirror.

“Oh sorry.” Navy cleared her throat awkwardly, wondering what else to say to this girl. “How do you like Forks?”

“It’s fine.” Bella replied and walked out of the locker room, fingering a silver necklace around her neck nervously.

Navy just stood there for a few seconds, wondering what the hell Jacob saw in this girl, and walked out after her before she was late for gym.  Mr. Parson nodded when Navy finally joined them, sitting down just as the bell rang, and immediately went through the motions of stretches.  That was followed by running around the gym for five minutes, since the track outside was too wet to run on.

Finally, it was time to start volleyball and Navy served, making it over the net with ease, smiling when she scored the first point for her team.  Bella had somehow managed to make it on her team and hit the volleyball, only for it to bounce over in the court behind them, whacking Mike Newton in the back of the head.  Bella blinked and immediately started apologizing, stammering over her words, only for Mike to wave her off with a warm smile. 

Jessica Stanley, who was supposed to be Mike Newton’s girlfriend, came rushing over with her annoying giggle, making Navy fight back an eye roll.  She was very tempted to buy a muzzle and put it on Jessica because that giggle got on Navy’s last nerve.  However, Navy simply turned back around when Bella reluctantly rejoined the team, rotating like normal. 

Turns out Bella cost their team the win, but Navy didn’t care.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, though Navy wasn’t surprised when she had the same lunch hour as Bella.  She and Kendra sat at their table like always, though Navy couldn’t help noticing how Bella kept glancing at the Cullen table.  The Cullens consisted of Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie and Edward, who Bella was currently stealing glances at. 

That was very interesting, though Navy wasn’t sure if she should tell Jacob about it.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about earlier?” Kendra asked, breaking Navy out of her thoughts, deciding to look at what caught her friend’s attention. “Hmmm well what do you know?  The Swan girl has a thing for the Cullens.”

“Yeah apparently.” Navy sighed as she bit into her sandwich, but had absolutely no appetite. “Jake wanted me to call him after school so I can tell him my first impression of her.”

Kendra raised a very slow eyebrow, trying hard not to snort, fighting it back. “What the hell are you going to tell him?” She would love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation and bit into her own sandwich.

“I have no idea.  She was very timid and quiet, withdrawn.  Jake told me she was shy and quiet, but she almost acts like she’s resigned to be here.” Navy replied quietly, not wanting anyone else to overhear their conversation. “I’m probably just going to lie because I don’t want to upset him.”

“You keep lying to that boy and you’re going to end up in a web of them.  You’ll just keep accumulating them until finally one day you slip up.” Kendra warned, already knowing she was right, and Navy couldn’t help thinking how true that statement was. “Now I’m only going to ask you this one last time, what did you want to talk to me about earlier in the hallway?”

Navy sighed heavily, knowing this wasn’t going to be easy for her best friend to hear, but had made her final decision. “I’m not going to regionals with you.” Before Kendra could protest, having stopped eating her sandwich, Navy kept going. “Look, as much as I love skating, I don’t want to consume it with my life, Dra.  I don’t have the same type of passion for it that you do.  I’m sorry, but I love my photography more.”

“So you’re giving up.” Kendra accused with narrowed grey eyes, arching an eyebrow when Navy simply nodded. “Alright fine, it’s your choice and your mistake.”

“Kendra, that’s not fair.  I love skating, but I can’t see myself competing on the level with you and the others.  I don’t have the passion to do it or the drive.  I just want to keep going with my photography.” Navy wished Kendra would understand, sighing when her friend just held her hand up, knowing the conversation was over with.

“Whatever, I don’t want to talk about it anymore.  Let’s talk about something else.” Kendra ordered gruffly, not believing she wasted her precious time on Navy, but should’ve known better.  Navy honestly was a natural on the ice, but she had to have drive and passion for the sport to make it big. “So what lie are you going to tell Jacob now?”

“I’m going to tell him what a complete bitch you are.” Navy snapped and stood from the table abruptly, not believing the attitude Kendra was throwing at her.

“Whatever.” Kendra rolled her eyes with a snort, watching nonchalantly as Navy stormed away from the table, proceeding to eat the rest of her lunch.

Navy was so angry that she needed to go outside for some air.  The cold wind hit her face as Navy began walking the school grounds, shoving her hands in the front pockets of her leather jacket, rarely ever taking it off.  It was her mother’s, but fit the style these days, though Navy didn’t care if it did or not.  It was one of the only special items Navy’s mother left her.

“Are you alright?” A twinkling voice sounded from behind, causing Navy to whip around, blinking at the sight of Alice Cullen. 

She wore a black and white dress shirt with a black vest over it and black dress pants with two inch black boots.  Her black hair fanned out perfectly to rest on top of her shoulders in an angled bang style.  She had soft topaz eyes, as did the rest of the Cullens, though they weren’t related according to the rumors.

“I’m fine.” Navy lied, wrapping her arms around herself, wondering what Alice wanted with her.

Alice narrowed her eyes slightly at the auburn haired girl before nodding once, heading back inside without another word spoken.  Navy looked confused, wondering what that as about, and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly just as the bell rang.  She knew it was time to head to her next class, Trigonometry, deciding she wouldn’t be speaking to Kendra for the rest of the day.

Sister or not, Kendra had to learn to respect Navy’s decisions about what she wanted in life, no matter if they were right or wrong.

Chapter 5

A month later, Navy was at home sitting on the couch, her feet curled up beneath her reading a book.  Her dad was gone on yet another business trip to foreclose on property, so Navy was alone.  Kendra was at the rink, getting ready for regionals and Navy hadn’t heard from Jacob.  She kept stopping herself from calling him, knowing she had to start distancing herself from him.  No matter how much she hated admitting it, Kendra was right about wearing her heart on her sleeve.

Navy turned the page in her book and raised an eyebrow when her cell phone began blaring Indestructible by Disturbed, Jacob’s ringtone.  Folding the corner of the page so she didn’t lose her place, Navy reached over and flipped the phone open, putting it to her ear.  A frown crossed her face as soon as she heard his voice, wondering what happening.

“Jake, are you alright?” She asked hesitantly, hearing him shouting at someone over the line, cringing. “Jake?”

“NO!  Does it SOUND like I’m alright, Naveya?!” He demanded angrily, rarely ever using her full name, which immediately gained her attention. “I can’t believe this!!”

“Okay you need to calm down and breathe, Jake.” Navy stated evenly, sitting up a little more on the couch, only to stand moments later. “Jake, I can’t understand a word you’re saying, you have to calm down…”

“Calm down?!  How the hell can I calm down when…?” Jacob couldn’t even finish his sentences because of how angry he was.  He wanted to break something and stormed outside, trying very hard not to break his cell phone. “Nave, how fast can you get over here?” He demanded, knowing she was the only one who could settle him down. “Please I know it’s late, but I need to talk to you.”

Navy sighed heavily, knowing it was a school night, but Jacob sounded desperate.  She could never deny him anything and wasn’t about to start now. “Sure, I’ll be over there within a half an hour.” She said, knowing she would have to change out of her pajamas.

“You promise?”

Navy didn’t like the way Jacob asked that question, frowning, raking a hand through her auburn locks. “Of course Jake, you can count on me.” She assured him, frowning deeper when his breathing became ragged over the phone.

“At least I can count on someone in this damn place.” He grunted before disconnecting the call, leaving Navy to stand there blinking at the phone.

“What the hell happened?” She wondered aloud, rubbing her temples, deciding she had to hurry and get to La Push as fast as she could.

Ten minutes later, Navy ran down the stairs in blue jeans with a black hooded sweatshirt on, leaving her lavender nightgown on.  It didn’t matter how she looked, having tossed her hair up in a messy bun, knowing Jacob didn’t care what she looked like.  He didn’t find her attractive and Navy accepted that long ago, even though it hurt.  She grabbed her car keys, cell phone and purse before rushing out the front door, locking it behind her, rushing to her car.  A minute later, Navy was peeling out of her driveway and heading down the street toward La Push, hoping Jacob was alright.

Jacob was pacing a hole in the ground when the blue Ford Focus pulled up in front of the house, the headlights instantly dimming.  Navy blinked when Jacob stalked over and opened the passenger door, sliding in before slamming the door shut.  He was literally shaking from head to toe, wearing a simple black, red and white flannel shirt that had the top three buttons undone on top with grease stained blue jeans.

In all the years Navy knew Jacob, she’d never seen him so irate.

“Drive.” He ordered in a grave voice, tone gruff, not caring that it was pouring down rain. 

Swallowing hard, Navy knew better than to ask Jacob what was wrong right now, knowing he would probably just snap at her.  So instead, she put the car in reverse and pulled out of the Black driveway, heading down the road away from the reservation.  The radio wasn’t on because she’d been too focused to get to La Push, worried sick about her best friend.  She blinked when Jacob rolled the window all the way down and stuck his head out, the rain drops stinging his face.

“Where do you want to go?” She whispered, looking over at him hesitantly, though it was raining incredibly hard. “Jake…”

“Keep driving.” He ordered, tossing her a ten dollar bill for gas, causing Navy to bite her bottom lip.

“Jake, I don’t want your money…”

“Take it.” He stated, refusing not to pay her for wasting her gas on this joy ride, though there wasn’t anything joyful about what he currently felt. “Just drive until we get to Forks.”

Navy nodded, leaning back against her seat, wishing Jacob would tell her what was going on.  The questions were dying to erupt from her mouth, but Navy held back for two reasons.  One, Jacob looked in NO condition to tell her without exploding and possibly taking half of the state of Washington with him.  Two, it really was none of her business, Jacob being her best friend or not.

The rest of the ride to Forks was made in sheer silence, Jacob slowly calming down because the trembling subsided.  When Navy stopped at a red light, he slowly looked over at her through blackened eyes, the anger coursing through them actually scaring Navy.  She never saw this side of Jacob, sighing heavily, chewing her bottom lip as the light turned green, but she didn’t drive.

“Go to your place.” He said in a softer tone, though it was still too gruff and not the huskiness she was used to hearing. 

“Alright.”

Navy turned right and headed home, knowing Jacob would probably stay the night, both of them having to get up early in the morning.  Why he didn’t want to talk in La Push was beyond her, but Navy wasn’t complaining, really glad her dad was away on business.  A few minutes later, she pulled in the driveway and cut the ignition, glancing over at him before both stepped out of the car.  Jacob followed Navy up to her front door as she unlocked it, both of them stepping inside and removing their shoes, padding into the living room. 

Jacob looked around the house, not having been here in awhile, and sighed heavily as he sank down on the couch with a lowered head.  The anger was drained and replaced with sorrow, his entire body radiating with it.  Navy’s heart broke as she sat beside him, placing her hand on his shoulder, wondering what was wrong with him.

“Jake, please talk to me.” She whispered in agony, pressing her forehead against his muscular arm, hating to see him in any kind of pain. “Please.”

“Nave, I want to commit murder right now.  Is that wrong?” He asked completely out of left field, not looking at her, his head still lowered. “I want to tear someone’s head off with my bare hands.”

Navy swallowed hard with wide hazel eyes, wondering who ticked Jacob off to the point where he’d want to actually contemplate murder. “Okay…what the hell is going on?” She finally demanded, pulling back with furrowed eyebrows. “Jacob Black, look at me!  You’re really starting to freak me out!”

“I can’t help how I feel right now, Naveya.”

Slowly lifting his head, Navy completely shattered at the look in his eyes, not believing how much pain swam through those brown eyes. “Jake…” She reached out, cupping his face with her soft hand, searching his eyes for the answer. “What’s wrong?  What happened?  Is it Billy or Embry or Quil or your sisters?” Navy was running out of people to think of, trembling slightly. “Please tell me.”

“I swear on the tribe I will kill him if he harms one HAIR on her head.” He growled viciously, causing Navy to pull her hand away from his face, feeling as though she’d been electrocuted.

“What?” She blinked when Jacob stood up from the couch, staring up at him, having a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Who are you talking about?  Jacob Black, you need to tell me what’s happened right now!”

“I’ll kill him, Nave.  I swear I’ll find a way to kill him.” Jacob vowed, pacing back and forth, beginning to tremble with anger again. “I mean what the HELL is she thinking dating someone like THAT?  Has she lost her damn mind?!”

Navy could feel a headache coming on because Jacob was talking in riddles, hazel eyes narrowing to slits.  She peeled the black hooded sweatshirt off, deciding Jacob was staying the night regardless, refusing to drive him back to La Push this late.  Not to mention she was confused, didn’t feel good, and Jacob was not helping matters.

“Fine, you can stand there and be pissed off all you want.  I’m going to bed.” She went to walk out and gasped when Jacob stopped her, grabbing her arm, turning her around to face him.

“I’m sorry.” Jacob whispered, immediately deflating by the anger in his best friend’s eyes, pulling her toward him. “I’m just so damn angry right now, all I’m seeing is red and I’m taking it out on you.”

“No, you haven’t said anything remotely disrespectful or rude to me.  You’re beating yourself up about something though and refuse to tell me what happened.” Navy stated, correcting him as he took her hand, guiding her over to the couch as they both sat down again. “Are you ready to talk or am I wasting more time sitting here with you?”

“I deserve that.” Jacob cracked a hesitant smile, though it didn’t reach his still painful, blackened eyes.  Usually they were a deep chocolate brown, but right now, they were two large black holes full of despair and anger mixed. “I’ll tell you what happened because you’re going to find out sooner or later.”

“Okay, well start at the beginning.” She suggested, leaning back against the couch with arms folded in front of her chest, waiting for him patiently.

Jacob took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down a little more so he didn’t snap at Navy, knowing she didn’t deserve that. “Bella is dating that pale faced…” He couldn’t finish, gritting his teeth, clenching them together tightly. “She’s dating the Cullen.”

Navy sighed heavily, knowing Jacob finally found out about Bella, lowering her eyes when he stared over at her. “Jake, I have a confession to make…” She didn’t know how to say this, swallowing hard because his eyes were boring holes into her. “I knew about it already.”

“WHAT?!” Jacob exclaimed, bolting up from the couch, eyes burning with hidden rage at Navy. “What do you mean you KNEW already?!  You knew and you didn’t TELL ME?!”

“Jake, I didn’t know how to tell you!” Navy groaned, seriously not believing this was happening, wishing a hole would form and swallow her whole. “The first day I met Bella, Kendra and I noticed she already liked Edward Cullen…” She cringed when Jacob let out a deep animalistic growl from low in his throat. “I’m sorry Jake…”

“I can’t believe this. I seriously can’t believe you kept something like this from me, KNOWING how I feel about her, Naveya!” Jacob shouted, raking hands through his black raven locks, gripping it between his fingers. “I could've stopped this if you would’ve been honest with me!!”

Now Navy was getting pissed as she stood up from the couch as well, placing her hands on her hips. “Oh really?  You honestly think you could’ve stopped Bella from being with whom she wants, Jacob?  Do you honestly think you have that much power?  Because let me tell you something right now, Bella Swan doesn’t want you and she never will!!” Navy shouted louder, causing Jacob’s eyes to narrow to slits, both of them facing off. “There is nothing you could’ve done to stop it from happening, no matter what you may THINK, Jacob!”

“I could’ve tried!!  Now everything is ruined because of HIM!!” Jacob snapped, completely irrational at the moment, still not believing Navy kept something like this from him. “How long have you known about this?”

“Well if you would’ve called me over the past month, instead of pining over a girl who clearly wants nothing to do with you, I would’ve told you sooner!” Navy stated heatedly, refusing to back down from Jacob, knowing these were harsh words she was saying to him.

Sometimes the truth hurt though.

Jacob knew Navy was right, immediately deflating again, trying to find an argumentative comeback, but nothing was coming to mind. “I haven’t been pining for her.” He grumbled, shoving his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “I’ve been busy with the Rabbit and school.”

“That’s a load of bull because you’ve been busy with the Rabbit and school before and STILL managed to somehow call me.  Try again.” Navy couldn’t believe he was actually trying to lie to her, knowing Jacob couldn’t do to save his life.  He never could, especially when she knew him like the back of her hand. “But of course when you called tonight, I came running because, silly me, I thought something SERIOUS actually happened!”

“It did.” Jacob growled angrily, eyes flashing back at her. “You have no idea what kind of people the Cullens are, Navy.”

“Well it really doesn’t matter because Bella obviously wants to be with Edward and not you.” Navy stated evenly, walking over to stare out the window, seeing the rain coming down in buckets. “You’re staying the night here tonight and if you even think about leaving, I will call Chief Swan.”

“No you won’t.” Jacob snorted, though he immediately lowered his head when Navy’s eyes narrowed at him threateningly. “I was gonna stay here anyway, chill out Nave.”

“No, YOU chill out, Jake.  You made me go out in that freezing cold rain to drive to La Push all because Bella Swan is dating Edward Cullen.  Do you have any idea how ridiculous that is?!  I missed sleep I need for SCHOOL and so did you.  You really need to learn to grow up, Jacob.  Good night.” Navy didn’t wait for him to wish her it back, running up the stairs, so angry right now she wanted to scream.

Of course, as soon as she stepped inside her bedroom, the tears instantly slid down her cheeks as she shuffled out of her jeans, tossing them to the side.  She thought Jacob actually needed her and all it turned out he was doing was pining over Bella Swan.  Why did it always come down to her whenever Jacob had a problem these days?  He hadn’t called Navy in nearly three weeks and the only reason he’d done it tonight was to talk about a girl who obviously found someone else.  Navy felt sick to her stomach and closed her eyes, hoping for once, her dreams weren’t filled with the boy downstairs.

All Jacob did was lay on the couch staring up at the ceiling, trying to figure out a way to get Bella away from Edward Cullen, and didn’t even realize his best friend was currently upstairs crying her eyes out over him.

Chapter 6

Kendra couldn’t believe she’d practiced for nearly seven hours straight, looking up at the clock, frowning.  Her father was going to kill her, though he probably knew she was here.  If Kendra wasn’t hanging out with Navy, she was at the skating rink practicing and preparing for the regionals coming up.  She’d be taking Friday and Monday off to fly to Chicago for the competition.  Beyond stoked, Kendra sighed happily, finally content with the routine she’d developed from scratch.

Sighing, Kendra picked up her cell phone and noticed her dad called twice, knowing he was worried about her.  She quickly texted him back, apologizing, and smiled when she received one a few minutes later that simply said thank you.  Kendra laughed and ran a hand through her black hair, deciding she would be dying it for the competition, having a beautiful purple outfit.  She slipped out of her skates and stretched, really not wanting to get another leg cramp while driving home again. 

Once she finished and changed back into blue jeans with a long sleeved deep lavender shirt, Kendra shouldered her gear bag and headed out, keys in hand.  She couldn’t believe how tired she was, but that could’ve been due to seven hours straight of practicing.  Sometimes Kendra wondered why she put her body through this, knowing one had to have a deep passion for the ice to deal with the pain.

Kendra remembered the first time she slipped on a pair of skates, her dad having bought her a pair so she could feel like a part of his hockey team.  They were baby pink and she’d only been seven years old, instantly gaining a passion for the sport.  To her, it was worth landing on her ass countless times trying to perfect a move that was full of elegance.  Whenever she was on the ice, Kendra felt like a princess and knew it was her time to shine.

With this upcoming routine she had planned out, there was no way Kendra could lose, refusing to give up her place on top.

Of course, Kendra had been crushed when Navy announced she wasn’t going to regionals…that she wouldn’t be practicing anymore.  Kendra knew she was wrong for getting an attitude toward her best friend.  She’d gone to Navy’s house the following day, after Navy stormed out of the cafeteria and apologized, admitting she was wrong.  That wasn’t easy for Kendra to do, but knew she’d been wrong to pressure her best friend into something she clearly didn’t want to.  Of course Navy accepted her apology, telling her not to worry about it, and Kendra promised she would try to be more supportive of Navy’s decisions.

Even when it came to Jacob Black.

“You have to promise me you won’t give me anymore grief about Jake.” Navy had stated, a stipulation she’d laid out, and it took everything inside of Kendra to agree. 

Though, it’d been done very reluctantly.

Kendra was truly worried for her Navy and how deep her feelings for Jacob were growing.  The boy didn’t even realize it either, which made it that much harder for Kendra to blame him.  He was totally oblivious and it took everything inside of Kendra not to drive to La Push and just tell him what Navy was scared to death of.  Her true feelings…that wasn’t Kendra’s place though and she’d accepted it, deciding to let Navy handle the Jacob fiasco.

When Jacob finally did rip Navy apart, Kendra would be there to pick up the pieces, not about to abandon her sister.

Kendra was brought out of her thoughts when she walked out of the rink, locking up behind her tightly, raising a slow eyebrow at the silver Ford F-150 FX2 Sport Extreme vehicle.  She knew exactly who it was and felt every nerve-ending of her body tense, wondering what the hell he was doing here at this time of night.  Deciding to just ignore him, Kendra headed to her car, groaning inwardly when she heard the door open and close to the Ford.

“What do you want Rick?” She demanded reluctantly, knowing there was no way to get away from him right now.  That didn’t stop her from trying to reach her Honda Civic before he could catch up to her.

Rick was the quarterback of Forks High School football team and the star for the Spartans.  The star was considered as the top player on the ice having the maximum goals.  He was nearly everyone’s hero, but to Kendra he was the lowest form of scum on the face of the earth.  He could win a gold medal at the Olympics and she wouldn’t give him the time of day, though right now it was nearing midnight.

“I was wondering when you’d leave this damn place.” He grunted, remembering how much time she devoted here when they dated.  It was no wonder he turned to Stacey for attention because Kendra simply had no time for him with her ice skating constantly interfering. “I wanted to talk to you, if you didn’t already figure that out.”

“Yeah I did, but I’m not interested,” Kendra paused, rolling her eyes when he blocked her path to get to her car, wishing she would’ve left sooner, wondering how long Rick had been out here waiting for her. “If you didn’t figure that out already, asshole.”

“I’m not an asshole, Kendy.” Rick argued promptly, folding his arms in front of his chest. “We never had our talk about what happened.”

“I really don’t need to hear this nor do I want to, Rick.  I’m exhausted from a seven hour practice and need to get home.  My dad is expecting me.” She went to walk around him, only to feel his hand wrap around her arm, stopping her abruptly. “Let go of my arm right now, Rick or so help me I’ll…”

Rick smirked wickedly, his cold blue eyes piercing hers, having always found her grey eyes intriguing. “Now why are you being mean, Kendy?” He asked in a mocking hurtful tone, frowning, though his eyes shone pure evil. “I simply wanted to talk to you and you’re acting like an ice bitch.  What gives?”

“The list is way too damn long to get into with you tonight, Rick.  I am TIRED and I’m going HOME now let go of my arm right now!” She growled, yanking it out of his grasp, grunting when he whipped her body to slam back against his Ford, eyes narrowed and filled with acid. “What the HELL is wrong with you, Rick?!”

“What’s wrong with me?  You really have to ask that damn question, you stupid bitch!” Rick was fighting back from hitting her, knowing that would be a bad move considering who her old man was. “You’re just lucky your precious daddy is my coach or you’d be sorry.”

“Oh really?” Kendra raised a very slow eyebrow, wondering if he was serious, folding her arms in front of her chest.  He was so close to her that she could smell his foul breath, making her skin absolutely crawl. “Rick, you are a sorry excuse for a person and I really hope my dad realizes just how useless you are to his team.  Now get the fuck out of my way NOW.”

“Your daddy knows a good thing when he sees it, Kendy baby, and I’m a natural at what I do.  You can’t deny that.” He argued promptly, showing just what a true schmuck he could be, stopping her again when she tired getting away from him. “I’m not done with you yet, ice princess.”

“Don’t call me that.” Kendra growled angrily, grey eyes darkening with hidden rage, tempted to just haul off and kicked him right where it hurt most.  But she didn’t, knowing how upset her father would be if he found out what his daughter did to his star hockey player. “I’m warning you, Rick, stay the hell away from me.  You chose that blonde skank over me and now you have to deal with it.  I don’t want any part of you and I’m sorry I wasted even a SECOND on your sorry ass. NOW, for the LAST time, move the fuck out of my way!”

“What if I don’t?” Rick smirked when she went to slap the taste out of his mouth, only to catch her hand, pressing a soft kiss to her wrist. “Kendy, you know you miss me…”

Kendra ripped her hand out of his grasp, completely fed up with his antics and shoved him as far away from her as she possibly could. “DON’T TOUCH ME, LOWLIFE PRICK!  YOU MAKE MY SKIN CRAWL AND I HATE YOU!!”

“It doesn’t matter if you hate me or not, you’re not leaving until I say so, Kendy baby.” He growled, wrapping his hand around her throat, slamming her back against his truck harshly. “Now, are you ready to stop fighting me?”

“I do believe the girl said let her go.” A raspy voice sounded from behind, causing Rick to whip his head around, hand not removing from her throat as ice entered his eyes.

“Who the hell do you think you are and what’re you doing off your lands, savage?” Rick growled angrily, feeling Kendra trying to get away from him, and tightened his grip warningly.

Kendra gripped his wrist, knowing she would have bruises around her throat the next day, deciding she would be telling her father about it.  Her eyes widened at the rather muscular figure standing before them, who towered over Rick, swallowing incredibly hard.  Judging by how he stood, Kendra knew he was from the Quileute tribe on the reservation, though she couldn’t believe he was bare from the waist up in this freezing weather.  The guy’s eyes narrowed to slits when Rick called him a savage; one second Kendra was being held by the throat and the next Rick was FLYING through the air, having been bodily tossed away from her, hitting the parking lot with a sickening thud.

“A savage I may be, but I know better than to lay my hands on a girl.” The guy stated heatedly, standing over Rick’s groaning body, and kicked him in the stomach for added measure.

Kendra knew her eyes were as wide as saucers, coughing because of how bad her throat throbbed.  Rick wasn’t a small man by any means, though he only stood at five foot nine.  She knew this guy was at least six feet tall and it showed, especially the way his muscles rippled down his back. 

Her entire body trembled; not believing Rick actually laid his hands on her, and tried getting her hands to move.  She was frozen though against the truck, wondering if this russet colored guy would hurt her, blinking as huge tears slid down her face.  Never in her life had Kendra been as scared as she was at that moment, feeling as though her heart might leap out of her chest from how fast it was beating.

He didn’t say a word, dark eyes daring Rick to make one move, and simply brought his hand to point to the red Honda Civic.  Kendra suddenly regained feeling in her legs as she sprinted to her car, having the keys in hand, and slipped in her car before peeling out of there.  Jared sighed heavily and raked a hand through his hair, walking over to the creep’s truck and lifted the bag, reading the tag.

Kendra Nelson.

He would definitely have to return it to her as Jared slung it over his shoulder, knowing she would make it home safely, and disappeared back into the dark woods that surrounded the skating rink.

~!~

The following morning, Navy was up before Jacob and already had a pot of coffee brewing, needing the energy boost.  She’d cried herself to sleep again and took a shower so Jacob didn’t notice.  Hell, with his mind frame, she could probably say she loved him and he wouldn’t care.

Navy sighed and walked over to the couch, staring down at him, loving how peaceful he looked sleeping.  It was too bad she had to wake him up, knowing her father would be home shortly.  He always caught the earliest flight possible to come home, though Mark wouldn’t mind Jacob staying the night. 

“Get up.” She ordered, shoving him a little, watching Jacob’s dark eyes pry open, obviously not getting a lot rest either.  Good, at least she wasn’t the only one. “Coffee’s ready if you want any.  You have ten minutes and then we have to get going.”

Jacob nodded and sat up, stretching his arms in the air, seeing how withdrawn Navy was from him.  He knew why and sighed heavily, deciding he had to make it up to her.  He walked into the kitchen, stopping her from pouring a cup of coffee, turning her around gently as their eyes locked.  Navy nearly lost her breath, hating the effect Jacob always had on her.

“I’m sorry about last night.” He rumbled gently, placing a hand on her shoulder, closing his eyes briefly. “I didn’t mean to make you mad, Nave.  I was out of line to blame you for what Bella did.”

“It’s fine.” She muttered, really not in the mood to listen to him swoon over Bella Swan, especially after the night she had. “Forget about it, Jake.  Go get cleaned up so we can leave.”

“I want to make it up to you somehow…”

“There’s no need for you to do that.” Navy assured him quietly, finishing pouring her coffee, groaning when he turned her face in his strong hands, their eyes locking. “Jake…”

“No, I am going to make this up to you and I don’t want any argument.” He stated strongly, refusing to back down, watching her shoulders slump in defeat. “I want you to come down to the rez today after school.  It’s Friday and we can do whatever you want.  I want to spend time with my best friend.”

Navy wanted deeply to believe him, wondering if he was telling her the truth, chewing her bottom lip when his finger ran down her cheek.  Those eyes always captured her in ways Navy couldn’t even begin to understand or comprehend.  No matter what Jacob Black did, Navy couldn’t stop loving him or resist anything he wanted from her.

Even though she knew he was using her to get over Bella dating Edward Cullen.

“What time?” She finally whispered, watching the biggest smile cross Jacob’s face, her heart lighting on fire.  Navy chuckled when he lifted her up and spun her around in circles, his embrace feeling wonderful. “Excited much?”

“I’m totally stoked about this!  I’ll have Billy make something really special too and you can stay at my place since we’ll probably stay up late.” He grinned from ear to ear, already thinking of things he could do with Nave, knowing she was the answer to completely forgetting Bella Swan existed. “Right after school if you can.  Though you’ll probably come home first and say hi to Mark.”

Navy rolled her eyes, not believing how well Jacob knew her, but that wasn’t a big shock considering they’d been best friends since toddlers. “You know me too well.” She smirked when he grinned wider, feeling him take her hand, knowing they had to get going.

“This is going to be great.  I’m going to build a fire too so we can make smores like the old days.” Jacob informed her, refusing to give away all the details, waiting patiently for Nave to lock the front door. 

A few minutes later, they were headed to the reservation, knowing Jacob would be late for school, though it didn’t matter to him.  Apologizing to his best friend was more important, especially with all the hell he’d put her through the previous night.  Jacob knew he was wrong for blaming Navy, deciding he would try really hard not to mention Bella Swan around her again.

He had to lock away his heart somehow and knew Nave was the key.

Chapter 7

“He ATTACKED you?” Navy was absolutely floored, not believing Rick laid his hands on Kendra, though the dark handprint black and blue bruises that covered her neck spoke volumes. “What the hell did your dad say?”

“I didn’t tell him.” Kendra held her hand up before Navy could berate her, really not wanting to argue about this. “He was scared off by someone from the reservation.” Her voice had dropped to a low whisper, both of them walking down the hallway. 

“Whoa, are you serious?” Navy knew it couldn’t be Jake because Kendra knew who he was and, judging by how she spoke about her mystery savior, it was someone neither of them knew. “Did you get his name?”

“No.”

Kendra absentmindedly moved her hand up to the dark pink turtleneck she wore with a black vest and blue jeans, her way of hiding the bruises.  She knew it was wrong not to tell anyone about Rick’s attack, but that would open up a can of worms she simply didn’t need right now.  Regionals were a little over a month away and the last thing Kendra needed was controversy, knowing she had to win at least third place to advance to nationals.

“You need to tell someone about this, Kendra.” Navy stated, sighing when Kendra shook her head stubbornly. “You do realize that if he thinks he can get away with it once, he’ll more than likely try again?”

“Yes I know.” Kendra couldn’t help worrying about that, wondering when Rick would strike next, swallowing hard. “I just…I need to get through regionals and he would just cause a bunch of problems.  It’s more trouble than it’s worth, Veya.”

“I’m sorry, but a guy grabbing you by the throat and threatening you IS worth the trouble of saying something, Dra.” She argued promptly, refusing to drop this, both girls stopping just before the staircase.

Kendra pulled Navy out of people’s way, knowing they were rushing to class, her serious grey eyes locking on worried hazel. “You have to promise me you won’t say anything to ANYONE, Naveya.” Navy knew she was serious because Kendra NEVER used her full name unless it was extremely important. “I know you think I’m doing the wrong thing, but I respected your decision about not harping on you about Jacob.  Do this for me, please.”

“That is so not fair, Kendra!  Jacob doesn’t hurt me!” Navy hissed angrily, not believing Kendra would throw that in her face, sighing when tears stung Kendra’s eyes.  She could clearly tell how afraid her best friend was, knowing she had no choice except to agree not to say anything. “I’ll take it to the grave, but I don’t like it, Kendra.”

Smiling shakily, Kendra embraced Navy tightly, letting a few tears slip down her cheeks. “I didn’t say you had to, but thank you for respecting my wishes about this.” She whispered, pulling back to wipe away her tears, sniffling slightly. “Come on, we need to get to class before our perfect attendance is destroyed.”

Navy rolled her eyes and simply nodded, shouldering her book bag, suddenly wondering where Kendra’s was. “Did you forget your bag today?” She asked curiously, causing Kendra to nod.

“Yeah, I left it at the rink on accident.  I’ll get it today when I go practice.” She replied, knowing the teachers would understand, both girls heading to World History.

World History was their favorite class because, not only did they have it together, but Mr. Daniels was easy on the eyes…at least to Kendra.  The teacher was cute, but nobody compared to Jacob Black in Navy’s eyes.  They took their seats in the middle and Navy pulled her book out while Kendra asked Mr. Daniels if she could borrow one.  Mr. Daniels gave her one without hesitation, knowing Kendra very rarely ever showed up without her book.  That was another reason why the girls liked this teacher so much; he usually understood when promises arose.

Navy looked up when the door opened, Bella Swan walking in alongside Edward Cullen, both of them looking sheepish as they handed over their written excuses.  Edward was very fluent in his motions as he guided Bella to her seat, topaz eyes only for her, and Navy knew Jacob would blow a gasket if he ever saw that.  She bit her bottom lip and looked down at her notebook, beginning to write notes down while Mr. Daniels began the lecture again.  Navy was totally oblivious to the fact that Edward Cullen was not only immortal, but could read every mind in the classroom aside from Bella’s.

This meant Edward knew exactly how Navy felt about Jacob Black.

When class ended, Mr. Daniels having assigned a study packet for an upcoming test, Navy walked out behind Kendra, both of them having Biology next.  Though before Navy made it to class, she was stopped by a quiet voice, slowly turning around as hazel eyes locked on topaz.  It was Edward Cullen and he was alone, Bella not attached to his hip.

“Naveya, correct?”

“Navy.” She corrected evenly, holding her books against her chest, knowing she didn’t have much time to get from World History to Biology. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Yes, actually, there is.” Edward took a step toward the girl, his eyes narrowing slightly, trying not to be rude about this, but refused to back down. “I would greatly appreciate if you did not think poorly about Bella.”

Navy blinked several times, wondering if she heard him right, arching a very slow eyebrow. “Umm I don’t think anything bad about her…” She watched Edward’s eyes turn to nearly black, swallowing hard, actually taking a step back.

“Please be kind enough not to lie to me in my presence, Naveya.” Edward refused to call her anything else, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. “I assure you she does not have remotely any of the feelings as you do for Jacob Black.” His face scrunched up when he spoke that name, a funny taste being left in his mouth. “Thank you for your time.”

Navy could only watch him walk away, wondering what in the hell was going on, raking a hand through her hair.  Then she realized she was trembling and not in a good way, causing her to swallow hard.  What did Edward Cullen mean by her thinking poorly of Bella and how did he know that?  An even bigger question entered her mind as Navy headed down the hallway…how did he know how she truly felt for her best friend?

After Biology, it was time for lunch as Navy robotically walked in the cafeteria, still completely blindsided by her earlier brief conversation with Edward Cullen.  She sat down at the table, waiting for Kendra, and pulled her sandwich out slowly.  No matter how hard she tried, Navy could not get Edward’s words out of her mind, glancing over at the Cullen table with worried eyes.

“Hey, are you okay?” Kendra asked, sitting down beside Navy, who looked to be a million miles away.

“Yeah, I’m fine…” She whispered, immediately lowering her gaze when the Cullens began looking over toward her, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

Meanwhile, at the Cullen table, Edward was being berated by his adopted sister, Alice, for his stupidity. “Edward, do you have ANY idea how dangerous this is?!” She exclaimed quietly, the rest of the Cullens staring a hole through him.

“She had to be warned.” Edward stated simply, wrapping a protective arm around Bella’s shoulders, eyes narrowed to slits. “Nobody is going to take her away from me.”

“Edward, please calm down.   She is Jacob’s best friend, I asked my dad about her.  Apparently, they’ve been friends since they were little.” Bella replied softly, looking down when he refused to look at her, clasping her hands together in her lap. “Edward…”

“You were a complete fool, Edward.” Rosalie spoke up, a hint of annoyance laced in her tone; beautiful golden locks flowing down her back in loose curls. “You nearly destroyed our cover because of how overprotective you are of her.” A hint of disdain came into Rosalie’s voice on the word her; not liking the fact her adopted brother was dating a human.

“I’m sorry.” Bella whispered solemnly, feeling Edward’s arm tighten around her shoulders, slowly looking up at him with tears in her eyes. “Can we get out of here?”

Edward nodded mutely, shooting a deadly glare toward Rosalie, and stood up swiftly as he guided Bella out of the cafeteria.  Rosalie, Emmett, Alice and Jasper all watched them, shaking their heads in disbelief.  Ever since Edward started dating Bella, things hadn’t been the same and the Cullens knew they would only get worse.

“I can’t believe he actually threatened her.” Alice murmured quietly, gesturing toward Naveya Dawson, feeling Jasper grasp her hand underneath the table. “We have to tell Carlisle.”

“I think you two are overreacting.” Emmett stated, leaning back against his chair. “I mean all Edward did was told her to stop thinking poorly of Bella.”

“EXACTLY!” Rosalie growled, nudging her husband angrily, wondering what was going through that thick meathead of his. “That’s the POINT, Em!  He put our existence in jeopardy with what he said!  He told her he knew what she was thinking basically, you don’t find that just a LITTLE dangerous?”

Emmett sighed heavily, lowering his head, knowing he couldn’t disagree with his wife.  Edward had definitely crossed a line, but he would’ve done the same thing for Rosalie had the roles been reversed.  He knew Jasper would for Alice because love made people do crazy insane things…like put their existence in jeopardy.

“I mean don’t get me wrong, I do NOT like the fact that he’s already risking our existence by being with her.” Rosalie immediately stated, wanting to make it absolutely clear she was against this relationship. “Why couldn’t he have gone with Tanya?”

“He doesn’t love her, he loves Bella.” Alice stated evenly, standing up from the table as well, deciding she’d had enough of lunch for one day. “I’m telling Carlisle about this just in case that Dawson girl decides to open her mouth about what Edward said.”

The Cullens couldn’t help agreeing with Alice, tossing their untouched food away, and walking out of the cafeteria.

“Girl, will you stop daydreaming?” Kendra grunted, clearly not amused with her best friend, who had her eyes fixated on the Cullen table. “What’s wrong with you?”

Navy bit her bottom lip, wondering if she should tell Kendra what happened, deciding she had absolutely nothing to lose. “Edward Cullen stopped me outside of World History and had a small…talk…with me about Bella.” She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself, feeling chills run throughout her body. “Kendra, his eyes…”

“What did he say?” Kendra demanded, eyes narrowed, wondering who these guys thought they were to intimidate poor defenseless girls. “Navy, you look like you’re either going to faint or throw up.”

“He said he…knew what I was thinking.  He didn’t say it in those words, but the basic gist of it was he wants me to stop thinking badly of Bella.” Navy’s voice was a mere whisper by now, staring straight ahead, knowing she sounded absolutely insane, but it was the truth. “Then he proceeded to tell me that Bella had absolutely no feelings for Jake like I do and walked away.  Kendra, how the HELL does he know how I feel about Jake?!”

Kendra didn’t say anything for a minute, trying to wrap her mind around this. “He said he KNEW what you were thinking?” When Navy nodded, Kendra looked more confused than ever. “But…how is that possible?  So he basically said he reads minds?”

“He didn’t say THAT, but it sure as hell sounded like it.  Kendra, NOBODY knows how I feel about Jacob except you.  I’ve mastered hiding my feelings from him and you know I’m right.” Navy was officially freaked out, swallowing past the lump in her throat, more chills forcing their way throughout her form. “I can’t help how I think either, so what the hell am I supposed to do?”

“The next time he threatens you, you go straight to the principal and report it.” Kendra ordered, not even suggesting it, eyes narrowed when Navy just arched an eyebrow. “Don’t even suggest the same thing for Rick.”

“Why shouldn’t I?  You’re the one who said it yourself you didn’t want problems arising with Rick.  So how is this any different?” When Kendra actually sat there somewhat stunned, Navy decided it was time to change the subject, knowing she was right.

Before either girl could say anything else, the cafeteria door slowly opened, causing all eyes to fixate on the individual.  He was an outsider and didn’t belong with the pale faces –that’s what the people on the reservation called people from Forks-, but he had a delivery to make.  Ignoring their shocked gasps and narrowed eyes, he squared his shoulders and walked over to where Kendra Nelson stood, her book bag in his hand.

Navy blinked when a near six foot tall russet colored guy came walking up to them, watching Kendra slowly turn around as their eyes locked again.  She knew instantly this was the guy who saved her friend the night before and wanted to give him the biggest hug, thinking it was incredibly sweet that he was returning her bag on school grounds.  Normally, the reservation students weren’t allowed on Forks High School property, but it seemed as though this guy didn’t care.

“You left this at the skating rink last night.” His raspy voice was low and soft, slowly handing over the book bag to a shell-shocked Kendra, smiling softly. “I know I shouldn’t be here, but I figured you’d need that for classes.”

Kendra couldn’t help staring up in his deep brown eyes, swallowing hard, trying to force some sort of response to come from her mouth. “Thank you.” That was the best she could muster up, watching him nod once before walking away.

“Get up and go after him!” Navy ordered as she practically shoved Kendra out of her seat, holding onto her bag, knowing she didn’t have much time. “GO!”

Kendra didn’t know why she was doing this, but felt she had to thank the guy somehow.  She took off out of the cafeteria, everyone having witnessed the moment, honestly not caring.  The Cullens were currently in a group as she rushed past them, spotting the guy a few hundred feet from her.

“HEY!” She called, knowing she was making a huge spectacle, but Kendra couldn’t let him get away from her.

He turned around with a black eyebrow raised in wonder, tilting his head slightly to the side, and waited for her to run up to him.  He couldn’t help smirking at how heavy she was breathing from running, folding his arms in front of his chest.  She was absolutely adorable for a pale face, though her best feature was no doubt those hypnotizing grey orbs.

“Yes?”

Kendra bit her bottom lip, staring deep into his eyes again, holding her hand up in a one second gesture to catch her breath. “What’s…your…name?” She asked in between gasps, blushing when he chuckled at her.

“You ran all the way over here just to ask me that?” He couldn’t help asking, finding it extremely amusing, watching her nod emphatically. “Jared….Jared Tinsel.”

“Well Jared Tinsel, I want to thank you properly for what you did for me today and last night.” She said, once her breathing became normal again. “If you’ll let me that is.”

“Depends how you want to do that.” Jared sounded a little skeptical, watching a soft smile cross her lips as she stepped toward him.

Without a word, Kendra cupped his face in her gentle hand, feeling as though it was burning because of how hot his skin was.  It didn’t matter as her lips softly touched his, her entire body shivering from the contact, slowly pulling back, blushing furiously.  Jared just stood there blinking and Kendra simply winked before heading back to the cafeteria, a triumphant smile on her face.

Chapter 8

“Navy!” Billy Black grinned as he embraced her warmly, having watched her grow up with his son, thinking of her like a daughter. “I haven’t seen you around here lately.  It’s so great seeing you!”

“You too Billy.” She replied with a smile, a soft kiss being pressed to her temple. “Thanks for having me.”

“Always sweetheart.” Billy looked over at his son, who was busy trying to finish his homework, shaking his head. “I’m sorry about Jake’s actions last night.”

Navy waved Billy off dismissively, assuring him she didn’t mind, even though Jacob had hurt her with his words.  He apologized though and was trying to make it up to her, so that made all the difference in the world.  Not to mention, Navy had to talk to Jake about several things…Edward Cullen being one of them.  Ever since earlier that day when Edward warned her to stop thinking poorly of Bella Swan, Navy couldn’t shake the chilling feeling that something definitely wasn’t right with that family.

“Do you need help?” Navy asked knowingly, standing over Jacob, watching a scowl mar his handsome features.  His long black hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, a few wisps of hair fanning his face. “You know all you have to do is ask.”

“I have to make up for what I did last night and I’m not asking you to help me.  This is supposed to be me making things up to you.” Jacob reminded her, trying not to sound frustrated, but couldn’t help it.  He was about ready to take his Algebra book and hurl it through the window, knowing that wouldn’t make Billy happy. “You’re not helping me.”

“Yes I am now shut up.” Navy ordered, already sitting down beside him and took the book, nodding at what he was doing. 

Within twenty minutes, Navy had Jacob understanding the material and breezing through the problems, smiling from ear to ear.  Jacob looked very accomplished as his deep brown eyes sparkled back at her, hugging her tightly, thanking her profusely for the help.  Navy just melted into his arms for the brief moment, loving his hugs, feeling her heartbeat pick up in pace.  She sighed to herself when he stood up, breaking the embrace, and went to put his book away since homework was finished.

“Now it’s time for some fun.” Jacob announced with a grin, extending his hand to her, pulling her up with ease from the couch. “Billy warned me to stay out of the kitchen while he cooked.  Though, I’m making the steaks.” He winked, making Navy laugh softly, all of her problems seeming to drift away every time she was around her best friend.

“So, what do you have planned for us?” Navy asked curiously, watching a wicked gleam come over Jacob’s eyes, groaning inwardly.  That was not good, though as long as Navy was with Jacob, she didn’t care what they did. “Do I even want to know?”

“You’ll find out and like it.” Jacob assured her with another wink, placing the steaks on the grill quickly, Billy having already seasoned them. 

Jacob then took Navy’s hand and guided her down the stairs, both of walking over to where the fire pit was already set up.  There was a package of Hershey bars, marshmallow and a box of graham crackers with two long sticks with the tips carved.  Navy couldn’t stop grinning, not believing he actually wanted to make smores, which they hadn’t done in quite some time. 

She remembered when they were little and how every time she would stay on the reservation with the Blacks, they would always make smores in front of a roaring fire and tell stories.  Navy truly missed those days, wondering if she could rekindle that same spark in their friendship again.  She missed Jacob and, even though he was standing in front of her with that heart melting smile, Navy knew he wasn’t fully here with her and hadn’t been for awhile.

“This is amazing.”

Dinner consisted of steak, baked potatoes and cheesy vegetables, which was delicious as always.  Sighing in contentment, Navy sat down on the blanket in front of the inferno, though it was far enough away to where it wouldn’t catch on fire, her and Jacob eating dinner silently.  When dinner finished, Jacob quickly brought the plates back up to the house, grabbing a bag of chips for munchies, and headed back down to the fire.

They sat side by side, though Jacob moved to where she was sitting between his legs, resting his chin on her shoulder.  Navy was in pure heaven, trying not to melt in his arms, but already knew she was as they both held their sticks with the marshmallow on the ends.  For just a moment, Navy pretended like everything between them was the same, that nothing had changed; that Jacob Black really did feel the same way about her as she did him.

“Yeah it is.  I’m glad you came down tonight, Nave.” He murmured softly, his mouth right by her ear, both of them not realizing Billy Black was watching from a distance.

“Thanks, I am too.” Navy replied in barely above a whisper, staring into the flames deep in thought.

Chewing her bottom lip, Navy felt Jacob take her chin in hand to turn her face to meet his eyes.  This would’ve been the perfect opportunity to feel what his lips felt like, Navy having only dreamed of the possibility.  They looked soft to the touch and Navy suddenly couldn’t breathe, wondering if he was actually contemplating making the first move.  The firelight reflected in his soft brown eyes and Navy held her breath when he leaned forward, brushing her forehead with those soft lips, her heart sinking to the pits of her stomach.

“Something’s bothering you.” He stated, pulling back to stare in those deep hazel eyes, knowing Navy better than she thought. “Want to talk about it?”

Navy sighed heavily, wondering if she should mention Edward Cullen in such a perfect moment, honestly not wanting to ruin it. “You won’t like it.” She finally admitted quietly, lowering her eyes from his, and turned her head to stare in the flames again.

Jacob instantly tensed, his arm tightening somewhat around her waist, eyes narrowed slightly. “What happened, Naveya?” He demanded gruffly, having a sinking feeling he knew what she wanted to talk about. “Just tell me.”

“Edward Cullen came up to me today after World History and told me to stop thinking badly about Bella, which I don’t.” She bit her bottom lip, wondering why she couldn’t just let this go, sighing heavily. “He actually said he knew what I was thinking, Jake, and it really freaked me out.” She turned around fully to where she was facing him, sitting on her knees with worry in her eyes. “I just have a feeling that family isn’t normal, if that makes any sense.”

“You’re right, they’re not.” Jacob replied evenly, trying not to show how angry he was, not believing Edward Cullen had the audacity to threaten his best friend.  Now he really wanted to rip his head off, taking a few deep breaths to calm down. “Do you remember that story awhile back Billy told us regarding the Cold Ones?”

Navy nodded, remembering how much that story had sent chills throughout her body, and she was right next to the fire. “Yeah, he freaked me out with that tale.” She admitted, cracking a hesitant smile, though Jacob’s lips remained in one fine grim line. “The Cold Ones are the creatures that hunted on Quileute lands right?  Your ancestors made a treaty with them.” She recalled, tapping her chin in thought, looking thoughtful.

“Right…” Jacob sighed heavily as he stood up, suddenly not able to sit anymore. “I met Bella on the beach a few weeks ago.  She was down there with some of the pale faces from your school and they were surfing.  Bella didn’t though and we walked on the beach.  She asked me about the Cullens and I told her I didn’t know anything, but somehow we started talking about that same tale about the Cold Ones.  I told her about how legend says our tribe is descendents of wolves and explained how the tribe made a treaty with them to stay off of Quileute lands.”

“How did the conversation come about though?” Navy couldn’t help asking, her curiosity soared, arching an eyebrow when Jacob hesitated.

“Apparently she invited Cullen down to the beach and the guys I was hanging out with one of them said the Cullens aren’t allowed here.  So she got curious and started asking questions, mostly about why that was.  I didn’t think anything of it and told her about the treaty and whatnot.  It’s just a legend anyway so it’s not a huge secret.” Jacob explained, sitting back down because the anger diminished from his body. “He said that he could read your mind?”

“He didn’t say it outright.” Navy reminded him, suddenly feeling like a complete jerk, lowering her head with a heavy sigh. “I think I’m just overanalyzing this too much, but I don’t think badly about Bella often.  I only did last night because you snapped at me about not telling you about her and Edward Cullen.”

Jacob wasn’t convinced though, remembering how intrigued Bella had been when she mentioned the Cullens.  He couldn’t believe what an idiot he’d been not to cotton on that she liked them.  All of this could’ve been avoided and Jacob completely blew it because he’d been blinded.  No wonder Bella had asked him about the Cullens…or more specifically…Edward.  Jacob suddenly threw another huge piece of wood into the fire, watching the fire rise higher, snorting.

“What’s wrong?” Navy asked, furrowing her eyebrows at her best friend, who did not look happy at the moment. “Jake…”

“I’m such a damn idiot!” He growled, berating himself repeatedly, closing his eyes tightly shut as his head lowered. “Naveya, I should’ve known better when she came to ask me about the Cullens that something wasn’t right.  She used me to gain information about that…” He gritted his teeth, stopping himself from saying what he wanted. “She was being flirtatious with me and it was all to gain information!  How could I be so stupid to fall for that?!”

Navy’s eyes narrowed slightly, suddenly feeling a surge of anger and resentment toward Bella Swan. “What do you mean she used you for information?” She asked, trying to keep her voice even, though annoyance clearly shone through.

“She was batting her eyes at me and begging me to tell her about the Cold Ones, saying she could keep a secret…” Jacob clenched his fists tightly in front of him, taking deep calming breaths because he knew he would end up doing something reckless if he let the anger consume him fully. “I’m such an idiot.  I really thought she liked me and all she was doing was using me to gain information about…HIM.”

“I’m sorry, Jake…” Navy hated seeing him in so much pain, wondering if there was something she could do to cheer him up.  Then a thought occurred to her and Navy knew exactly what to say to change the subject. “Oh I forgot to tell you what happened to Kendra today.”

Jacob’s eyebrow shot up, seeing the wicked sparkle in Navy’s hazel eyes, knowing this was going to be really bad for Kendra. “Do I even wanna know?” He gruffly asked, trying to push Bella out of his mind for the moment, watching a mischievous grin spread across her lips.

“Yes because I need you tell me something, but let me explain first.” When Jacob nodded hesitantly, Navy giggled as she settled back on the blanket, suddenly feeling better. “Okay, well, first let me tell you the bad part.” She proceeded to explain to Jacob about Rick’s attack on Kendra, which fired Jacob up all over again.

“HE WHAT?!”

“Relax and let me finish before you blow your top, alright?” Navy sighed when Jacob nodded stiffly, knowing how much he thought of Kendra like a sister, even though she rarely came down to La Push. “Before Rick could do too much damage, Kendra said someone from the reservation saved her and she left her bag at the skating rink.  That’s where Rick attacked her because she practiced until nearly midnight.” Navy ignored the snort that came from Jacob, continuing as if she didn’t hear him. “Anyway, at lunch today, that same guy showed up and brought the bag to her.  Kendra went after him and thanked him properly by kissing him!  It was seriously the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.  Kendra was in a daze for the rest of the day and kept whispering the name Jared.   Now my question is, do you have any idea who he is?”

“Jared Tinsel?” Jacob practically spat that name out, gritting his teeth to the point where he was sure they’d crack from the pressure.  He watched the grin fall from Navy’s face as she slowly nodded, raking a hand through his long black hair. “Yeah I know him.”

“Who is he?” Navy asked in a timid voice, chewing her bottom lip nervously. “He didn’t hurt her or anything, Jake.  If it wasn’t for him, Kendra could’ve seriously gotten hurt by that prick.”

“Jared is a part of Sam Uley’s cult.  He’s one of Sam’s disciples.” Jacob replied evenly, trying to calm down because usually he was pretty laid back.  Lately though, with everything that happened with Bella, Jacob couldn’t seem to let the anger die. “You need to stay away from them, Naveya.  Kendra too.  They are not people you two want to get to know personally.”

“Why do they bother you so much?” Navy asked, causing Jacob to sigh heavily, shrugging his shoulders.

“They just think they run La Push.  They show off and think they’re on top of the world.  Embry and I call them hall monitors on steroids.” He snorted when Navy started laughing, not able to help doing it as well. 

One thing he enjoyed about Navy was, no matter how upset or angry he was, she always managed to make him laugh with her addictive mirth.  Navy couldn’t help giggling to the point where she was rolling on the stomach, holding it tightly because it hurt so much.  Jacob joined her as the laughter filtered through the air, the fire roaring brightly beside them.

“Hall monitors on steroids?” She finally gasped out, only to start laughing again, causing Jacob to join her. “Wow really?  I seriously have to tell Kendra that one.  She’ll probably piss herself from laughing so hard.” Navy was rolling again, tears streaming down her face.

“Hey, it’s the truth!” Jacob crowed out, both of them leaning against each other because they were laughing so hard. “Embry came up with it, not me!”

“Embry is my new hero!” Navy shook her head, sending a mental reminder to her brain to make sure she thanked Embry the next time she saw him. “Oh that’s too great.  Hall monitors on steroids…”

Jacob grinned from ear to ear, Bella Swan suddenly forgotten as his eyes gleamed wickedly, rubbing his hands together. “Stop laughing at me or you’ll be sorry.” He warned, though Navy couldn’t stop even if her life depended on it.

“I…can’t…BREATHE!”

“That’s it, you asked for it!” Jacob growled playfully, grabbing her and began tickling her mercilessly, loving the sound of Navy’s laughter.

“JACOB, STOP!”

Navy squealed as she tried squirming away from him, finally managing to someone get away, and ran from the fire laughing harder.  Jacob caught her, his arms wrapping around her waist, and began tickling her again.  This is what their friendship was all about, laughter and fun, and Navy felt like things were finally piecing back together between them.

Neither of them saw the cool dark eyes watching from the woods.

Chapter 9

Regionals arrived before Kendra knew what hit her and she was ready for them.  It was one month before junior year ended and the summer began, though she would miss a week of school to go to Chicago for the competition.  It was the day she was leaving and of course Navy was there to see her off.  Kevin couldn’t take his daughter to the airport so Navy offered, both of them standing at the terminal.

“You’re going to do great.” Navy stated confidently, a huge smile spreading on her face, trying to keep the tears in her eyes. “I mean it, you’re going to win and then come back here and we’ll have a huge celebration.”

Kendra chuckled watery and pulled Navy into her arms, knowing this was hard for Navy because Kendra was her only friend besides Jacob.  Usually, they said goodbye at Kendra’s house whenever she had to leave for an ice skating competition.  Knowing now how Navy reacted, Kendra couldn’t help letting a few tears slide down her cheeks, chuckling softly.

“We’re being ridiculous cry babies.  We’ll see each other in a week.  Then you can torture me with more Jacob talk.” Kendra teased gently, causing Navy to laugh, both of them wiping their tears away.

“Okay, wait, you can’t leave yet.”

Navy came prepared with her camera in hand, grinning from ear to ear, and stepped back to snap a few pictures of Kendra.  She laughed when Kendra did some silly poses, one with her knees bent, hands resting on them, and her ass sticking in the air looking innocent.  That one was definitely going in the scrapbook Navy had started when they entered high school together.  Losing track by how many pictures she snapped of them together and of course Jacob.

“Flight 837 to Chicago, Illinois now boarding!” The announcement rang throughout the airport, knowing Navy couldn’t follow Kendra to the terminal. 

She snapped one last picture of Kendra, wishing she was going with, both of them embracing again. “Wish me luck.” Kendra whispered in her best friend’s ear, knowing it would be a long lonely week without her.

“You don’t need it.  Now get moving before you miss your flight.” Navy ordered with a smirk, pulling back to snap a picture of both of them, finally allowing Kendra to walk away from her. “Safe journey.”

Kendra nodded, glancing one last time over her shoulder at Navy, winking before walking down the hallway of the airport with bouncing black loose curls that had deep purple tips.  Navy sighed heavily and blinked, allowing the tears to really fall, knowing she was being a wimp, but couldn’t help it.  She was going to miss her partner in crime so much, staying and watching out the window as the plane to Chicago took off.

An hour later, after having a small break down in her car in the airport parking lot, Navy drove back home, the tears having subsided.  She knew Kendra would do beautifully and come home with first place without a doubt, especially after seeing her routine on the ice the previous day.  Kendra wanted an honest opinion who wouldn’t lie to her and Navy was just the girl to give it.

Once Navy arrived home, she immediately began developing the pictures and adding them to her scrapbook.  Her father was once again gone, this time somewhere in Boston, Massachusetts, and wouldn’t be home for several days this time.  Navy sighed and just buried herself in the project, knowing this was going to be one of the longest weeks of her life.

The following day at school, Navy was somewhat surprised when Rick walked up to her, immediately on her guard with narrowed hazel eyes. “You have five seconds to get away from me.  Don’t even THINK I’ll let you touch me like Kendra did.” She stated evenly, having taken a few self defense classes, arching a cool eyebrow.

“Whoa, relax Naveya; I just had a question for you.” Rick had his hands up in surrender, showing her he didn’t mean any harm, though his cold blue eyes said something entirely different. “I just wanted to know where Kendy was.”

“Number one asshole, my name is NAVY, not Naveya.  Only certain people get away with calling me that and you’re certainly not one of them.  Number two, her name is KENDRA, not Kendy.  She hates your pet name and always has, even when she dated your sorry ass.  And three, it’s none of your business where she is.  Now get out of my way, I have to get to class.” She shoved past him with a snort, daring him to lay a finger on her.  Navy would drop him so fast; he wouldn’t know what hit him.

“When you do see her again, will you tell her…?” Rick scowled when Navy flipped him the bird over her shoulder, clenching his fists tightly, jaw tightened.

The audacity of him to even SPEAK to her after he laid his hands on her best friend!  Navy wished she would’ve dropped him anyway, glowering, not caring if she pissed Rick off.  If he didn’t watch it, he’d find himself a position that would force him out of both football and hockey for the rest of his life.  Navy walked inside World History and sat in the back, missing Kendra something fierce as she sighed heavily.

If Navy thought the confrontations were done for the day, she was sadly mistaken.

Navy walked out of the school, after a very long first day without Kendra, feeling incomplete because usually she and Kendra were laughing about something stupid.  This week was seriously going to drag and Navy wasn’t looking forward to it, deciding she would completely bury herself in homework until Kendra returned.  Unless Jacob wanted to do something, then Navy would oblige because she simply couldn’t resist him.

She was heading toward her blue Ford Focus and stopped at the sound of a voice behind her. “HEY BITCH!” Navy knew exactly who it was and slowly turned around; crossing her arms in front of her chest, watching as Stacey Winters came strolling up with her bleach blonde hair flowing behind her.

“What do you want Stacey?” Navy asked resignedly, wondering why people decided to mess with her when Kendra was away.

“Oh only this.” Stacey reared her hand back and slapped the hell out of Navy, watching her head snap to the side, smirking wickedly. “That’s for flipping MY boyfriend off in the hallway, bitch!”

One thing about Navy that hardly anyone knew was she knew how to defend herself and only fought when someone ticked her off.  Navy touched her burning face, knowing that would leave a nasty bruise, and suddenly felt a surge of rage rush through her.  She stopped Stacey by grabbing her by her blonde hair and rammed her face first into the hood of the nearest car. 

“LET GO OF ME BITCH!” Stacey shrieked out, crying out when her face rammed again into the hood, not expecting this attack. “STOP IT!!”

“You wanted to fight and now you got it!” Navy shouted back as she rammed Stacey’s face one last time into the hood, lifting her up by her hair, and whipped her around before punching her directly in the face.

Stacey screamed and held her nose, blood instantly rushing out of it, scrambling away from a very irate looking Navy. “YOU CRAZY BITCH!!  YOU JUST BROKE MY DAMN NOSE!!” She screeched, tears pouring down her face, trying to stop the bleeding by bringing her long sleeve up to her nose.

“That’s not all I’m going to break if you and that bastard, who hurt my best friend, don’t leave me the hell alone.” Navy promised gravely, hazel eyes flashing, and squared her shoulders before turning around to head to her car.

Rick had just walked out of the cafeteria, hearing something about a fight breaking out involving Stacey, and saw what Naveya did to her.  He immediately rushed over to Navy, stopping her by grabbing her arm, only to for Navy to punch him directly in the face.  The velocity caused him to stumble back and land on his ass, blinking up in shock at her, his lip busted because of the ring she wore on her middle ring.

“So you like playing rough too, little bitch?” Rick growled, standing up in a quick flash, and slapped her as hard as he could across the face. “You’re nothing but a little whore just like that little cock teasing whore of a friend you have!”

Navy held the side of her face, having hit the pavement hard, tears stinging her eyes.  She watched him slowly crouch down to where they were eye level and glared hatefully. “Fuck you!” She spit blood in his face, causing him to slap her again, this time forcing her head to snap back as it hit the parking lot.

“I wouldn’t waste good dick on you, sweetheart.” Rick growled back and proceeded to kick her several times in the ribs, causing her to cough out as blood began coming from her mouth and nose.

Navy had never felt pain like this in her life, crying out again when he kicked her right in her midsection, rolling over away from him curling into a fetal position.  Her wrist was killing her, having landed hard on her wrist when he first struck her.  Everyone in the parking lot was just watching, nobody lifting a finger to help her, all because he was quarterback of the football team, the high school’s number one. 

Stacey saw what Rick was doing and immediately tried stopping him, only to be shoved away. “Rick, stop it before you really hurt her!!” She shouted, the tears never stopping, knowing her boyfriend had absolutely snapped. “RICK!!”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW, STACEY!” He exploded, kicking Navy again and whipped around, putting his arms up with ice shooting out of his eyes. “ANYONE ELSE WANT A PIECE OF ME HUH?  ANYONE ELSE WANT A SHOT AT THE CHAMP?!” He kicked Navy again, hearing her mere grunt in pain, forgetting how many times he kicked her. “This little bitch is a prime of example of what WILL happen if ANY of you decide to cross me!!”

Stacey blinked, having never seen Rick like this, and simply stumbled away completely terrified.

“You lay one more hand on that girl and you will know what the meaning of pain is.” A dark baritone voice resonated from behind, causing Rick to whip around, staring at a very irate Quileute Indian from the reservation. 

This one hadn’t saved Kendra because Rick remembered how scrawny he was, even though the strength was unbelievable.  His back still hurt just from the memory along with his pride.  This man stood over six feet tall and had angry eyes with short cropped black hair, wearing just a pair of black cut off shorts with white sneakers.  Rick snorted, squaring his shoulders, and proceeded to kick Navy again to test this Indian’s patience.

That’s all it took.

One second Rick was standing over a battered Naveya and the next he was on his back, thanks to a spear from the Quileute man.  He felt a hand wrap around his waist, his feet instantly leaving the ground, coughing and gasping for air as Stacey screamed for him to stop.  The man wasn’t listening though, his dark eyes full of pure murderous intentions. 

A sickening crunch echoed throughout the school parking lot as blood instantly rushed from Rick’s broken nose, causing him to screech out in pain like a little girl.  His body crumbled to the ground, holding his broken nose, only to receive multiple kicks to his stomach and upper torso, the Indian completely unleashing the beating of a lifetime on Rick.  Stacey’s screams became hoarse, begging and pleading for it to stop, but the russet colored man wasn’t letting up.  Soon after the beating, Rick’s body was FLUNG about five feet in the air, only to crash through the windshield of someone’s car, instantly setting the alarms blaring throughout the air.

Everyone was staring in pure awe as they watched Rick’s body slide from the hood of the now destroyed car to the ground, curling up in a fetal position.  The Indian squared his shoulders and snapped his head to the side, eyes full of evil intentions, and stalked toward a petrified Stacey Winters, who was begging on her knees for him not to hurt her.  He simply lifted her up by the arm, shoving her back gently but firmly, refusing to let her off the hook because she’d started this.

“When your piece of shit boyfriend wakes up, make sure you warn him NOT to mess with a family member of the Quileute tribe.” He stated in a deadly tone of voice, making sure everyone heard, and turned away from her to go over to a battered Naveya.

Navy was in a bad way, every part of her body hurting, and the Indian knew she couldn’t be moved. “J-Jake…” She managed to whisper out, closing her eyes, and allowed the darkness overtake her entire body.

“Someone call an ambulance!!” He ordered in a growl, his eyes never leaving Naveya, knowing she needed medical attention immediately. “NOW!!”

Eric Yorkie was the one to make the call, his girlfriend Angela staying right by his side, still not believing absolutely nobody jumped in to help Naveya.  It was a sickening display of cowardice; even though she hadn’t jumped into help either.  Nobody had, everyone in the parking lot that witnessed Naveya’s beating was equally responsible.

The Indian didn’t leave, keeping his eyes trained on Naveya, brushing a strand of auburn hair away from her face.  The ambulance arrived moments later, the principal having finally made his presence felt, and immediately called the police on the trespasser –in his eyes-, thinking he’d beaten Naveya.  Chief Swan arrived within five minutes and arrested the man, though he wasn’t going to book him until he heard the story. 

“Take this CRETEN away from my school!” The principal ordered immediately, staring helplessly at the star of his school, which was currently being loaded up in another ambulance. “He’s RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS!!”

“No I’m not!!  You can ask that blonde over there who decided to start the entire fight!!” The Indian growled, causing Charlie to place a hand on his shoulder, not having cuffed him.

“Paul relax, I believe you didn’t do this.” The principal spluttered in shock at the sheriff, watching Charlie’s eyes narrow, and immediately kept his mouth shut.

“We will get to the bottom of what happened.” Charlie Swan promised, holding his hand up to Paul, wondering himself how this started.

“I can tell you exactly what happened.” Paul stated heatedly, shooting a deadly glare at the red faced principal, the blonde sticking to his side like glue, shaken from the events. “You better tell him the truth, Blondie.”

Stacey didn’t make eye contact, lowering her gaze from the Indian as he was placed in Chief Swan’s police car and driven away.  Naveya and Rick were taken to the hospital immediately, the paramedics already stating the girl had internal injuries, which immediately made Charlie suspicious of Rick.  He knew the Quileute people were in no way, shape or form violent people, which is why he was going to get Naveya’s statement before taking any further action.

“EVERYONE GO HOME!” The principal demanded angrily, not believing he didn’t notice what was going on in his own school.

Chapter 10

So this was the famous Naveya he heard so much about.

Carlisle Cullen was a doctor for Fork’s local hospital and wasn’t thrilled about his current patient being Naveya Dawson.  He knew her father, Mark Dawson, having bought his house from the man.  Of course, it was done privately and nobody knew, Carlisle not wanting to start controversy with the man or cause him issues.  Some people in Forks did not like the Cullens and Carlisle fully understood why, they were definitely unique.

Navy’s injuries were mostly internal and would need time to heal, no surgery required, which was good.  She had several broken ribs, lacerations and dark bluish purple bruises covering her entire upper body from neck to hip.  Her face was heavily bruised as well, having been cleaned up, a white small butterfly bandage on her right cheek. 

Both of her eyes had black circles around them and her nose was badly bruised, but not fractured, which surprised Carlisle.  Her right wrist –the one she’d landed on when Rick first hit her- was the only broken part of her body, which was currently in a heavy white cast with a black sling.  Other than the clean break of her wrist, it was just a lot of bumps and heavy bruising they would take time to heal from.

Another surprise was Naveya did not have a concussion, but her body had sustained a great amount of damage, which is why it shut down.

Carlisle walked out after checking over her vitals, knowing she would have to stay overnight in the hospital for observation.  His eyes narrowed, going to look over his other patient, who he hoped did not recover from the injuries sustained.  He knew one thing; Rick Martin would NEVER walk again as long as he lived, having been permanently paralyzed from the waist down.  For the rest of his life, he would be in a wheelchair because of how hard his body hit the car.  It completely ruptured his spine and Rick had to have emergency surgery, but nothing could be done.

There was simply too much damage.

Charlie took Paul’s statement and sent him to the reservation, ordering him to stay in La Push until this was taken care.  He already believed Paul, knowing the man had no reason to attack Rick Martin without good reason, especially the condition Naveya Dawson was found in.  The first thing Charlie did, after sending Paul home, was call Mark Dawson to inform him of his daughter’s condition.

“WHAT?!” Mark had shouted over the phone, completely floored as Chief Swan described what happened to his precious baby girl, tears stinging his eyes. “I’ll be on the first redeye flight home!”

Sighing heavily, Charlie looked up at the clock, realizing that’d been around six or seven hours ago.  He didn’t know where Mark Dawson was flying in from, but one thing was certain, the man was going to be livid when he saw firsthand what Rick Martin did to his daughter.  Deciding to go keep an eye on her, just in case, Charlie stood up from the desk and looked up as his own daughter walked in.

“Hey Bells, what’re you doing here?” He asked in a surprised tone, seeing the worry swimming in her chocolate brown eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Dad, I just heard something bad happened to Naveya Dawson.  She was beat up in the school parking lot by Rick Martin?” Bella sounded the same as Mark had over the phone, staring at her father with wide eyes.

“Yeah Bells, I was on my way over there to check on her.” Charlie said quietly, watching her eyes widen even more, covering her mouth with a trembling hand. “Bells, she’ll be okay.”

“Has anyone contacted Jake?” She demanded, already knowing how close Naveya was to Jacob, swallowing hard when Charlie shook his head. “Dad, you need to call him IMMEDIATELY and…Never mind I’ll do it!” She rushed out of the station and whipped her cell phone, pacing back and forth.

Edward had driven her to the station was currently in his silver Volvo, waiting patiently for her to make her phone call.  He knew, just by the look on Bella’s face, that what happened to Naveya was true.  Alice had a vision of it happening, but by the time they arrived at the school, it’d been too late to stop it.

“Jacob, its Bella Swan.  Listen, I don’t know how to tell you this, but you need to get to the hospital immediately.  Something’s happened to Naveya.” She swallowed hard and disconnected the call, turning around, burying her face in Edward’s cold chest. “My dad is on his way over there right now.”

“We’ll go too.  I need to speak with Carlisle.” Edward stated softly, hating seeing his girlfriend so upset about this, and guided her over to the Volvo.

Charlie was already there when Bella and Edward arrived, sitting in Naveya’s room, Carlisle having given her a private one.  Bella covered her mouth with her hand again, her heart clenching painfully, and blinked as tears slid down her cheeks.  Edward simply wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her back against his chest, knowing even though Bella didn’t know this girl personally, she still felt terrible because Naveya was Jacob Black’s best friend.

“She looks really bad, dad.” Bella whispered, feeling Charlie pull her into his arms away from Edward, needing warmth at the moment. “Is she…going to be okay?”

“WHERE IS SHE?!” A loud baritone echoed down the hallway and Bella’s head snapped to the side, knowing exactly who that was.

“Jake…” Bella took off running out of the room with Edward hot on her trail, skidding to a halt at a panic stricken Jacob, the tears not stopping. “Jake, she’s in here.”

Jacob’s head snapped to the side, looking confused at the sight of a crying Bella.  He didn’t acknowledge her, especially when Edward Cullen was beside her a second later, rushing past both of them inside the room.  He stopped in the doorway and felt the breath rush out of his body, clutching his chest tightly at the sight of his best friend in the hospital bed. 

He wore a long sleeved white and black flannel shirt that buttoned up the front with greasy jeans, having been working on his Rabbit when Bella called.  He hadn’t answered the phone because he didn’t want to talk to her, though when he heard the message on the answering machine, Jacob instantly rushed over.  Charlie didn’t say a word, already knowing how close Jacob Black was to Naveya, remembering whenever he’d go over to the Black house he’d see a beautiful little auburn haired girl running around with him.

“Nave…” He whispered, slowly walking toward her, not believing how horrible she looked. 

His blood boiled at the heavy purple and blue bruises that marred her face, eyes blackened, and tubes up her nose to help her breathe since she was in a coma.  There was an IV in her right arm to help keep her hydrated and she had a cast on her right wrist, Jacob very gently running his fingers over it.  Jacob felt angry tears burn in his dark eyes as he squeezed them shut tightly, swallowing extremely hard, and leaned down to press a very soft kiss to Naveya’s forehead.

Whoever was responsible for this was going to be eating and drinking through a straw for the rest of their life, Jacob vowed.

As soon as she felt his soft lips brush against her forehead, Navy’s body instantly became alive, hazel eyes slowly fluttering open to stare up at him. “Jake…” She whispered weakly, hearing shocked gasps surround her, but her eyes were only for him right now.  “Jake, you’re crying…”

Jacob felt his knees give out as they hit the floor, not expecting Naveya to wake up, tears streaming down his face like two raging rivers. “Naveya, thank god.” He whispered, pressing his forehead against her hand. “Of course I’m crying!  My best friend got the hell kicked out of her!”

Navy grimaced; every part of her body wracked with pain, slowly glancing over, shocked to see Bella Swan and Edward Cullen.  Her eyes moved further until they landed on Chief Swan, swallowing extremely hard, wincing because her throat was killing her.  Suddenly, the events of what happened crashed over Navy and she blinked, feeling huge tears slide down her cheeks.  It was almost as if she could feel every kick and hit Rick Martin delivered; the crying quickly turning to heart wrenching sobs.

Jacob was on his feet instantly, sitting on the bed and wrapped his arms around her carefully, being careful not to hurt her.  He knew she needed the comfort and felt her cling to him for dear life, scowling darkly, running his fingers through her hair.  He didn’t know who attacked her, but he was going to find out, knowing Billy was going to be livid when he found out what happened to Naveya.  He whispered soothing words in her ear, apologizing profusely for not being there for her when she needed him the most, the guilt washing over him.

“NAVEYA!!”

Her head snapped up from Jacob’s chest, crying harder at the sight of her father, who immediately rushed to her side.  “Daddy…” She whimpered, instantly wrapping her arms around his neck, sobbing even harder now. 

“I’m here, sweetheart, I’m right here.” Mark whispered soothingly, rubbing his daughter’s back, not believing how badly she was trembling against him. 

“Daddy…it hurts…” She gasped out through sobs, the internal injuries growing fiercer with pain because of how tensed her body was from crying.  “Daddy…”

Jacob’s heart shattered and he stepped back, allowing Mark to take over, storming out of Navy’s room with a purpose. “Who did this to her?” He ordered Bella as soon as they were out of earshot, staring into her brown eyes, his blazing with fury. “Who did it, Bella?”

“Jacob, he has already been handled.” Edward stated calmly, standing right behind Bella, knowing she was shaken up from this. “He’s currently on the floor above you and will be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.  I’ve spoken to my father, who treated him, and also found out that her attacker has a broken arm, leg and permanently shattered back.”

The anger momentarily dispersed as Jacob raked a hand through his hair, knowing full well Naveya was not capable of dealing that much damage. “Who did it?” He demanded, looking straight into Cullen’s topaz colored eyes. “Who stopped him from hurting Naveya worse?”

“He lives on the reservation and his name is Paul.” Edward answered blandly, watching as Jacob’s eyes nearly fell out of his head, placing his hands on Bella’s shoulders. “There is nothing more we can do here, Bella.”

Bella nodded and went to say goodbye to her father before leaving with Edward.

It didn’t bother Jacob to see them together, not when his best friend was currently laid up in a hospital bed broken and battered.  He couldn’t believe Paul, of all people, had been the one to save Navy.  What the hell was going on with Sam’s cult lately?  First Jared saved Kendra and now Paul saved Navy…it didn’t make a lick of sense to Jacob as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Obviously the steroids are having a reverse effect.” Jacob mumbled under his breath, shaking his head, and headed back to Navy’s room.

Navy slowly calmed down and looked up from her father’s chest when Jacob walked back in, cracking a watery smile.  Mark sighed heavily as he kissed the top of his daughter’s head, looking in the doorway when Dr. Carlisle Cullen walked in next.  Good, this is exactly who he wanted to speak to and held his hand up to Charlie before he could speak.

“The first thing I want to know is how my daughter is.” Mark stated gruffly, folding his arms in front of his chest, for once acting like the father he should to his daughter. “I want to know what’s being done about her attack too, Charlie.”

Carlisle nodded in understanding at Mark Dawson, walking over swiftly to check on his patient.  He turned to face Mark and went over the list of injuries Naveya sustained.  He sighed when Mark’s face went as red as a tomato, the anger burning in his eyes. 

He did not blame the man a bit, but hoped Mark didn’t make a scene in his hospital because he would be forced to have security toss him out.  Carlisle decided, even though this was against his medical license to do so, explained the extent of Rick Martin’s injuries, which immediately made the angry red color to Mark’s face disappear.  If the tables were reversed and this happened to Bella, Carlisle would’ve reacted the same way along with Charlie, already thinking of her like a daughter of his own.

“How the hell did this happen to my daughter anyway?” Mark demanded, turning back around to stare down in Naveya’s eyes, running a finger gently down her bruised cheek. “What happened sweetheart?”

Navy exhaled shakily, knowing she would have to give her statement, nodding silently at Chief Swan to take this down.  She started at the beginning of the day when Rick Martin first approached her and told them exactly what she said, not ashamed in the slightest.  Then she explained about Stacey confronting her in the parking lot and striking her first, which immediately made Navy defend herself. 

When she got to the part about Rick Martin, Navy had to take several shaky deep breaths because she started crying again.  Through sobs and having to repeat herself several times, Navy explained what she remembered of the attack, including someone from the reservation showing up.  Charlie nodded, both Paul and Naveya’s statements matching perfectly, deciding he would be booking Rick Martin as soon as he was out of intensive care since he was eighteen, a legal adult.

Jacob wanted to rip Rick Martin’s head off worse than Edward Cullen’s, completely livid by what he heard, the details making him physically sick to his stomach.  When Mark ordered him to leave, wanting some alone time with his daughter, Jacob obliged and promised to call Navy tomorrow.  He kissed her forehead and walked out, right past Carlisle, who simply smiled at him in return.

Even though Navy didn’t want Jacob to leave, she knew better than to argue with her father right now.  He was worried sick about her, having flown all the way from Boston, Massachusetts, also dealing with connectors which took him longer to get back home.  Navy felt very blessed to have a father like him in her life and yawned loudly, the pain killers Dr. Cullen gave her kicking in.

“Dad?” She whispered half groggy, feeling his hand grab hers instantly, opening her eyes to stare in his briefly. “Don’t tell Kendra.”

Mark frowned as he watched his daughter’s eyes slowly drift shut, knowing he couldn’t deny anything she wanted right now, nodding.  He hadn’t called Kevin yet, deciding he would wait until Kendra returned from Chicago to explain what happened.  Then again, he knew hockey practice wouldn’t be good after Rick Martin’s fellow team members explained the ass kicking he received from a Quileute Indian because of Naveya.

“I love you angel face.” He whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, and closed his eyes. “Get some sleep.”

Chapter 11

Tears poured from Kendra’s grey eyes as she sat on the couch, listening to her father explain what happened to her best friend while she was in Chicago.  Kendra felt completely numb and could do nothing except cry, allowing her father to hold her, burying her face in her hands.  She couldn’t believe Rick would stoop to this level, guilt flooding her because she knew exactly why Rick attacked Navy. 

It was because of her and Navy paid for what happened at the skating rink…the night Jared saved her from possibly the same fate as what happened to Navy.  Kendra felt a SLIVER of justice when her father told her the extent of Rick’s injuries and how he’d never be able to walk again…that he was stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.  In her eyes, Rick Martin deserved far worse than just being paralyzed for life, especially with all the injuries Navy sustained at his hands.

“I hate him!!” She cried out harder, shaking her head, trembling from head to toe as the anger completely consumed her. “Navy didn’t do a damn thing to him except defend herself against that blonde whore I caught him with!!”

Kendra vowed that if she EVER laid eyes on Stacey Winters again, all bets were off because she was going to beat the holy living hell out of her.  Navy didn’t deserve what happened and, all because of Stacey slapping her –several people had come forth, who witnessed the entire thing, and testified against Stacey and Rick on Navy’s behalf to Chief Swan-, she’d gotten the hell knocked out of her at the hands of Rick.  Taking the tissues from her father, Kendra dabbed her eyes, feeling even guiltier before leaving Navy behind for her stupid ice skating competition.

Then again, how the hell was Kendra supposed to know Navy was going to be attacked by the two people she loathed most in this world?

“What did Mark do?” She asked through tears, looking up at her dad, who rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Mark wasn’t happy and I’m going to leave it at that.  The only reason I found out about Navy is because I heard from some lady at the damn market talking about it.” Kevin felt a little stung that Mark hadn’t called him, but then again, Navy probably didn’t want Kendra finding out about this while she was in Chicago.

“I can’t believe this…” Kendra whispered, running a hand through her black hair, knowing she had to go see her best friend. “I never should’ve left Forks, this is my fault.”

Kevin raised an eyebrow at his daughter, wondering how in the world she could blame herself for this. “Princess, you had nothing to do with this.  You didn’t know that Martin kid was going to do what he did.  This isn’t your fault, do you understand me?” He demanded, lifting her chin up with his strong hand, frowning when Kendra just started crying harder.

“But it is!!” Kendra wailed, not caring if she sounded like a five year old, wrapping her arms around her midsection and rocking back and forth. “Dad, there’s something I need to tell you…I didn’t think anything of it really, but after what happened to Navy…”

“What are you talking about, Kendra?” He watched the guilt enter her grey eyes and took a deep breath, placing his hand on hers. “What happened?”

Kendra sniffled and lowered her eyes to her lap, lacing her fingers together, looking extremely scared at the moment. “Do you remember that night I practiced at the skating rink until nearly midnight?” She asked quietly, refusing to meet her father’s gaze.

Kevin had never raised a hand to his daughter, but did have quite a temper on him when sparked. “Yes…” He already knew he wasn’t going to like this because his daughter started crying harder, sighing heavily.

“Rick was there…waiting for me outside of the skating rink...” She admitted, after calming down, knowing she had to tell someone other than Navy about this. “He wanted to talk to me and I blew him off because I just wanted to get home.  I told him to let go of me when he grabbed my arm and he ended up shoving me back hard against his truck and cornered me…” She swallowed hard by how red her father turned, knowing instantly what he thought happened. “No dad, relax, he didn’t rape me.”

Kevin physically relaxed when he heard that, knowing Kendra wouldn’t lie to him, having released her hand because of how badly he was shaking. “What did he do then?” He asked in a monotone voice, trying not to get upset…yet. “Kendra Diane Nelson, if he laid a HAND on you…”

“He did.” She whispered, watching her father stand up from the couch, swallowing hard as she grabbed her throat instinctively. “He grabbed me by the throat and choked me because I wouldn’t talk to him.  I was fighting him the whole time and I knew he was probably going to try going further, but he was stopped by a guy from the reservation.  His name is Jared.  He stopped Rick from hurting me worse, which is why the prick came to hockey practice with a limp.”

Kevin remembered that, feeling an ounce of justice for his daughter, not believing she kept something like this from him. “Kendra, why didn’t you tell me?” He demanded gruffly, running a hand through his hair. “Don’t you think that would’ve been…I don’t know…SMART to mention?”

“Dad, would you honestly believe your hockey and football star attacked your daughter for kicks?” Kendra shot back, standing up from the couch, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Look, I know I made a mistake by keeping it to myself and I was an absolutely coward for it.  If I would’ve told someone sooner, that attack might’ve never happened to Navy…”

Walking over, Kevin pulled his daughter in his arms, thankful she wasn’t beat down the way Navy had. “I would believe you over anyone, including the stars of my teams.” He stated emphatically, forcing her eyes to meet his, meaning exactly what he said. “You are my ice princess, my entire life, Kendra.  Why wouldn’t I believe my life?”

Kendra started crying harder, burying her face in her father’s chest. “I’m sorry daddy.” She whispered, rarely calling him that, but right now she needed his comfort and love. “I’m so sorry…”

“It’s alright princess, everything is going to get better.” He promised, rubbing her back, kissing the top of her head repeatedly. “Calm down, I’m not mad at you.  But I am going to tell Chief Swan about this attack so it’s on record.”

Kendra nodded, knowing she would have to give a statement, and pulled back to wipe her tears away. “I’m gonna go visit Navy, see how she’s doing.” She murmured, seeing the hesitation in her father’s eyes. “You can come along.”

Kevin smiled, deciding he wanted to talk to Mark anyway, nodding. “Let me grab my keys.  I already know you’ll probably stay the night with her if Mark allows it.” It did his heart good when she laughed softly, the smile on her face always lighting his world up. “Go pack a bag.”

Ten minutes later, they were on her way over to the Dawson’s, knowing Navy was out of the hospital.  Though on the way over, Kendra and her father stopped at a local flower shop where they bought Navy a huge bouquet of beautiful colorful tulips with a few sunflowers and daisies added.  They were placed in a beautiful cobalt blue vase and Kevin paid for them, not even flinching at the price, along with a Get Well Soon card.

It’d been five days since Navy was released from the hospital, having only stayed overnight for observation.  Dr. Cullen informed her she was on strict bed rest and she couldn’t go to school until her ribs were healed again.  He knew there were stairs that the students had to climb and that wasn’t happening with her internal injuries, broken ribs, broken wrist and heavily bruised torso. 

Navy was going to stir crazy, her father having gotten all of her homework from the teachers, and she’d already had it all done.  That’s how bored she became being on strict bed rest.  Her father had cancelled all of his upcoming appointments with potential clients, refusing to leave his daughter’s side, and he was starting to drive her mad as well.

Playing her Nintendo DS, Navy looked up when a knock sounded at her bedroom door, sighing as her father walked in with a tray of food and juice.  Though that’s not what caught her eye as she looked around him, the biggest smile crossing her face when Kendra walked in behind him.  The bruises on Navy’s face were a yellowish brown, though the black circles around her eyes were gone.  She didn’t look too worse for the wear all things considered.

Kendra blinked as huge tears slid down her cheeks, feeling her heart shatter in her chest at the sight of her best friend. “Oh Veya…” She whispered, walking over with the huge vase of flowers, setting them on her dresser while Kevin shook Mark’s hand. 

Navy couldn’t stop her own tears from falling as Kendra sat down beside her, grey locked on hazel, and very carefully Kendra hugged her. “I’m alright, Dra.” She whispered, feeling how badly Kendra was trembling against her. “I hardly hurt thanks to the wonderful drugs Dr. Cullen prescribed me.”

Kendra could help laughing softly as she pulled back, wiping her tears away. “Only you could even think of cracking a joke about something like this.” She sighed resignedly, not releasing Navy’s good hand, shaking her head. “I’m never leaving you again.”

“Now you know that’s a big fat lie.” Navy snorted, rolling her eyes, and squeezed Kendra’s hand to assure her she was fine. “This isn’t your fault and if you even think about blaming yourself, I’ll tie you up and hang you upside down by your toes until you agree with me.”

Laughing harder, Kendra hugged Navy again before standing up to hand her the flowers, causing Navy to smile.  Mark noticed it first and felt his heart lift, knowing Navy had been distant ever since the attack. “Thanks for bringing Kendra over.” He murmured to Kevin, both men walking out of the room to give the girls some privacy.

“So tell me all about the competition.  I want to hear how you smoked everyone’s ass.” Navy had been looking forward to Kendra coming home all week, even before the attack, and Kendra couldn’t help letting a cocky grin spread on her lips.

Before she started the story about her victory, Kendra slipped her shoes off and climbed into bed beside Navy, wrapping a careful around her shoulders, Navy’s head resting on her shoulder.  They were sisters, not just best friends, and Kendra wasn’t leaving Navy’s side until she was back to normal.  For an hour straight, Kendra described the competition and the routine she used, having taken a few pointers from Navy’s expertise.

“So you won first place?” Navy was grinning from ear to ear, clapping her hands very gently so she didn’t jostle her broken wrist. “Wow that is incredible, Dra!  I wish I could’ve been there to see it.”

“Believe me, I wished every day you were there with me, Veya.  It wasn’t the same without you, but I understand that you don’t have the same type of passion as I do for ice skating.  You love our photography and I hope you do something great with it.” Kendra truly meant that and kissed the top of Navy’s head, smiling as she snatched a chip from the tray, winking.

“Thief.”

“You love me.”

Another knock sounded at the door at that moment, causing both girls to call ‘come in’ in unison, giggling.  Jacob Black tapped on the door and pushed it open, smiling softly at Kendra, knowing she returned that day. “Got room for one more?” He asked, holding up a bouquet of white lilies in a clear crystal vase.

“Of course we do, Jake.  Always for you.” Navy smiled, glad she was in the middle of her huge king sized bed. “Aww those are beautiful!”

“Yeah, it’s from everyone on the rez.  They’re worried sick about you, especially Billy.” Jacob replied, having visited every chance he could, and walked over to slip into bed on Navy’s right side, Kendra being on her left. “How are you feeling?”

“I have both of my best friends here.  I’m fabulous.” Navy smiled up at him, seeing the worry in his dark eyes, and knew he was still reeling from the attack. “I’m really fine, Jake, I promise.”

He nodded and leaned back against the headboard, taking her injured hand in his, being extremely gentle with it. “I figured I’d come over and see how you were doing.  I bet you’re going nuts being stuck in bed eh?” He chuckled when she scowled, knowing he hit the nail on the head so to speak. “Don’t worry, Nave, you’ll be back to normal in no time.”

“Damn right she will.” Kendra piped in with a grin, refusing to leave, honestly not minding Jacob being here. “By the way, I’m staying the night.”

Navy grinned, already knowing that was going to happen, and simply nodded.  Mark wouldn’t mind, just as long as Navy was smiling, Kendra was sure of that.  Hell, Jacob could probably get away with sleeping over too, though Kendra kind of wanted a girl’s night only with Navy.

No matter how injured she was, the butterflies and heat rushing though her body never stopped whenever Jacob touched her.  Navy snuggled against him, sighing in contentment, and closed her eyes as the pain killers began kicking in.  Jacob watched her, running his fingers gently through her hair, Navy being his number one priority ever since the attack. 

“What happened, Jacob?” Kendra asked softly, having heard something about another Quileute boy coming to Navy’s rescue. “Was it Jared who saved her?”

“No.” Jacob replied gruffly, sounding a little jealous, wishing he’d been the one who stopped Rick Martin from possibly killing Naveya. “His name is Paul.  He’s part of Sam Uley’s cult just like Jared.”

Kendra nodded, chewing her bottom lip, not liking the fire that erupted in Jacob’s eyes when she mentioned Jared. “Are they really that bad?” She whispered, keeping it down because neither of them wanted to disturb Navy’s rest. 

“Yes, though I am grateful to Paul for what he did.” Jacob admitted grudgingly, knowing nobody else in that school parking lot would’ve come to Navy’s aid.  Her room was covered with flowers, cards, balloons and stuffed animals, everyone from Forks High School wishing her well. 

In Jacob’s eyes, it didn’t mean anything and he knew Navy felt the same way.

“I’m grateful to Jared too.” Kendra replied evenly, not knowing what Rick Martin was truly capable of until now, swallowing hard as she glanced down at Navy’s bruised face. “I wish more damage would’ve been done for what he did to her.”

“Oh believe me, there was.” Jacob smirked wickedly, dark eyes flashing, and watched Kendra’s grow wide. “Promise not to tell anyone ever, including Nave?”

Kendra bit her bottom lip, knowing that would be hard to do, but she was dying to know what else happened to her ex. “I promise, now spill it.” She ordered, both of them deciding to leave the room so Jacob could tell her what happened.

The only thing Kendra could truly think, when Jacob was finished telling her, was she wished she’d been a fly on the wall during that moment.

Apparently, Rick Martin would need permanent care for the rest of his life and he could never function on his own properly again.

Chapter 12

“There is no way I’m moving away from Forks, dad!”

“Yes you are, Naveya Marie Dawson!  You were nearly killed and that school is far too dangerous for my daughter!”

“NO!  I’m not leaving!!” Naveya screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks, not believing what her father said. “I would rather DIE than leave my home!!  This is my home, not Seattle!!”

“You will get used to Seattle.” Mark stated sternly, eyes narrowed, arms crossed in front of his chest. “You don’t have a choice in this matter, Naveya.  You’re moving to Seattle to finish high school, you will NOT be stepping foot inside that piece of shit school again!!”

Naveya could feel the panic rising within her, the tears falling even harder, covering her mouth with her hand. “How could you make me do this?” She whispered heartbrokenly, shaking her head. “NO!  I’m not going and you can’t make me!!  I’ll move out!!”

Mark snorted, sitting behind his desk in his study, rolling his eyes. “You have nowhere to go.” He countered, already knowing she wouldn’t be able to survive without him. “Young lady, I pay for EVERYTHING you have and I can take it away just as easily!  Now stop fighting me on this and get out of my office.  I have to get my work done.”

“I HATE YOU!!  I’M NOT LEAVING FORKS!!” She screeched at the top of her lungs and ran out of her father’s office, the front door to the house slamming shut moments later.

Mark’s eyes widened, knowing his daughter was not permitted to drive yet, and stood up as she rushed to the front door.  It was too late though.  Naveya had already peeled out of the driveway in her blue Ford Focus and raced down the street.  Sighing heavily, Mark knew his daughter would thank him for this one day because he was right. 

Forks High School did NOT lift a FINGER to help his daughter with ANYTHING after the attack.  It was almost as if the attack never happened because the people in Forks refused to acknowledge it.  So what if their star player was permanently out of commission?  Maybe if Rick Martin hadn’t laid his hands on Naveya, he’d still be walking and playing sports.  Mark snorted angrily and walked back inside, knowing he had properties to sell, having already finalized plans to move that following weekend.

Navy’s vision was blurred as she punched the gas, flying down the street as fast as she could go.  Her hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly; her knuckles were pure white, trying in vain to stop the tears from falling.  She couldn’t though, refusing to leave the place she called home since she was born.  Her father had lost his mind if he thought for a SECOND Navy was moving away from not only Kendra, but the secret love of her life, Jacob Black. 

It would simply not happen.

Kendra was home for once, studying for an upcoming exam in World History, when she heard tires squealing.  Standing up from the table, knowing her father had heard it too, they both walked to the window to see what was going on.  As soon as Kendra saw the blue Ford Focus she rushed out the door, knowing Navy was NOT supposed to be driving yet.  It’d only been two weeks since the attack and she was still healing from all of the injuries.

“What the hell are you doing dri-” Kendra immediately cut her words off at the sight of a very distraught; tear streaked faced Navy, immediately going to her side.  She wrapped an arm around Navy’s shoulders, hearing her blubbering, not fully understanding what she was saying. “Sweetie, you have to calm down…”

“What’s happened?” Kevin immediately demanded, rushing out the door as he watched his daughter help Navy inside, seeing the condition she was in. “Naveya, are you hurt?  Do you want me to call your dad?”

“NO!!” Navy practically shouted, sobbing by now, burying her face in her hands while Kendra guided her inside. “Please don’t call him!!”

Kevin blinked and glanced at his daughter, who had her fully attention on Navy at that moment, nodding. “Okay sweetheart, we won’t call him.” He stated soothingly, knowing this was not good for Navy’s recovery. “I’m gonna get her some water, princess.”

Kendra nodded, cracking a hesitant smile at her father. “Thanks dad.” She guided Navy into the living room, who broke down completely, and kept whispering how she would never leave Forks. 

It took nearly an hour before Navy finally calmed down and Kendra stared at Navy expectantly knowing Navy rarely lost it like she had. “Are you ready to talk to me?” She asked softly, refusing to push Navy into anything because of how much trauma she’d been through both physically and emotionally in the past two weeks.

Navy hiccoughed several times, her breathing coming in sharp gasps because of how hard she cried. “My dad...is forcing us…to move away.” She managed to get out, sipping the glass of water Kevin handed her, thanking him.

“He’s WHAT?!” Now it was Kendra’s turn to explode, standing up from the couch so fast, she nearly tripped over her own feet, shaking her head repeatedly. “NO!  There’s no way you’re leaving!!  This is supposed to be our year coming up and he’s going to take you away?!  Why so you can make friends for a freaking year and then have to leave again?!  NO!!”

Kevin was staring at Navy in shock, his eyes widened, not believing what Mark was planning.  He knew why though, the man was terrified for his daughter’s safety after the attack.  Still, he would never even think about taking Kendra away from the place she knew and called home, not to mention during her final year in high school. 

“Okay we need to all calm down.” Kevin finally stated, trying to be the voice of reason, seeing how upset his daughter was becoming.  He sighed when she blinked, huge tears sliding down her cheeks, immediately pulling her into his arms. “Princess, there’s nothing we can do about this…”

“I’m not leaving Forks.” Navy stated in a final tone of voice, folding her arms in front of her chest, shaking her head emphatically. “I don’t care if I end up on the streets; I refuse to leave this place.  I won’t!”

“That’s right!  He can’t make you leave because you’ll be eighteen in August…” Navy had started school a year later, along with Kendra, another similarity between the girls.  Kendra suddenly felt a light bulb go off in her head, tapping her chin in thought, turning to stare at her father. “We’ll figure this out, Veya, don’t worry about it.”

“How can I NOT worry about it, Kendra?!” Navy began crying again, burying her face in her hands, shoulders shaking. “He wants me to leave my home, the only place I’ve ever known!!  You and Jake are my life and he doesn’t even understand how much shit you two have been through with me, including this!”

Kendra walked over and wrapped her arm around Navy’s shoulders, knowing this wasn’t healthy for her. “You have to calm right now, Naveya.” She watched her best friend instantly do as she asked, looking over at her father expectantly. “I can’t believe what a dickhead Mark is to bring this down on you during your recovery.” Kendra wanted to kill Mark and Kevin honestly felt the same way, knowing this could seriously set back Navy’s recuperation time.

“She’s right sweetheart.” Kevin said, walking over to sit on Navy’s other side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Just…let me talk to your dad and see what’s really going on here.  I know he’s really scared for your safety to go back to that school and I honestly can’t blame him…”

“Then I can try going to another school.  I’m sure they’d let me in on the rez and I can live with Jake and Billy.” Navy refused to give up hope that she’d be able to stay in Forks, wiping her tears away, ignoring her cell phone when it started ringing.

Kevin took it from her, knowing it was Mark, and flipped it open as he walked out of the room. “I only have one question for you, Dawson.”

Mark wasn’t expecting to hear Kevin’s voice and cleared his throat awkwardly, running a hand through his hair. “You know I’m right in taking her away from here, Kevin.” His voice was low and gruff. “I want to speak to my daughter now.”

“No because right now she’s too busy sobbing her heart out to Kendra about leaving Forks.” Kevin stated angrily, trying to keep his temper in check. “Mark, do you realize what kind of turmoil, not to mention emotional pain, you will cause her if you rip her from the only environment she’s ever fucking known?”

Mark was silent on the other line, closing his eyes, not realizing just how much pain he caused his daughter.

“You take her away from Forks and, not only will she resent you to the point where she grows to truly hate you, but when she turns eighteen in August, she’ll just end up coming back here and god knows WHAT will happen to her then!” Kevin growled, having to step outside so the girls didn’t overhear him, the rain beginning to pour down in gallons outside. “Do you understand what I’m saying, man?”

“What the fuck do you expect me to do then, Kevin?” Mark snarled, clearly not appreciating his interfering, but wasn’t surprised because his daughter usually went to the Nelson’s whenever they had a squabble. “I already bought the damn property in Seattle; I can’t very well cancel it after it’s been paid for!”

Kevin sighed heavily, pacing back and forth, and looked over his shoulder in the window, his heart aching for Naveya.  He knew what he had to do and it was clear as day, knowing it was the only way to keep Navy in Forks.  After remaining silent for a few more seconds, Kevin finally made a decision and hoped Mark didn’t argue with him on this.

“Let her live with us then.”

Mark’s eyes nearly shot out his head when he heard that, blinking, trying to get his brain to function. “WHAT?!” He finally shouted, the surprise apparent in his tone, standing up abruptly from his desk. “That’s ludicrous, Kevin!  That’s my daughter, not yours!!”

“Don’t you think I realize that, Mark?” Kevin grunted, rolling his eyes at the man’s dramatics, running a hand through his hair. “Look, you can’t take Naveya out of Forks.  It’s not right, Mark.  I know you’re scared for her safety, but you also have to realize that shit like that does NOT happen in this town often!!  Hardly ever!  Naveya will never forgive you if you take her out of Forks and, since you can’t cancel the property you bought in Seattle, let her stay with us for the rest of her school years.  When she graduates, then she can decide what she wants to do, but do NOT take her away from my daughter.  Do not destroy them, Mark.” Kevin’s tone held warning because, if he had to, he would make this legal with Naveya’s help. 

Technically, she was old enough now to decide where she wanted to live and, if Mark fought him on this, he would take the man to court for custody of Naveya.  Kevin really didn’t want it to come to that, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He refused to allow these girls to be separated when they were so close and had grown up together.  Mark Dawson was going to make the right decision or Kevin would slap him with a custody suit.

“You really want to keep her there?” Mark finally asked, his voice full of pain because Naveya was all he had left.

“Yes, if it means keeping her in Forks, she is more than welcome to live with us for the remainder of her school years.” Kevin replied without hesitation, knowing Mark needed to hear confidence in his voice to contemplate this. “Make the right decision for your daughter, Mark.  Think about how much it would kill her to go through her senior year knowing absolutely no one and being away from Kendra and Jacob Black.”

Mark hadn’t thought about it that way and looked at the picture of his beautiful deceased wife, Nadine, wondering what she would do about this.  He sighed, hearing her voice in his head, telling him what a foolish bastard he was being to take their only child out of her home.  Nadine would’ve divorced him and gotten a place of her own in Forks, that much he was certain. 

Mark knew what he had to do, even though it was going to the second hardest decision of his life.  The first being when he had to say goodbye to his wife at the hospital while holding Naveya in his arms.  He would never forget that moment, but also knew Nadine was watching over both of them from above, and also knew she would find a way to fry his ass if he didn’t do the right thing by Naveya.

“Alright.”

Kevin raised an eyebrow, having waited patiently for Mark to respond, swallowing hard. “Alright what?  She can live with us?” When Mark whispered a faint ‘yes’, Kevin felt his heart give a painful lurch, not knowing what he would do if the tables were reversed. 

Then again, anything to make Kendra happy Kevin would do because he loved his daughter unconditionally.

“Come over here, man.  We need to tell them together.” Kevin stated, hearing Mark exhale shakily. “You’re doing the right thing, Mark.”

“I know I am, that’s why this hurts so much.” Mark replied and disconnected the call, putting his work to the side, knowing he had to see his daughter first and foremost. “Nadine, I hope I’m doing the right thing.”

Kevin took a deep breath as he ended the call, sitting out on the porch, the girls not having a clue what was about to happen.  It took Mark ten minutes before a black Escalade pulled into the Nelson driveway and Kevin stood up, greeting a solemn looking Mark.  They shook hands briefly before walking inside, both girls looking up when they walked in.  Navy swallowed hard, having calmed down considerably, but didn’t stand to greet her father because she still incredibly angry at him.

“We have something to tell you girls.” Kevin announced, causing both of them to raise eyebrows, looking at each other and then back at their fathers.

“What’s going on, dad?” Kendra asked hesitantly, slowly standing up with Navy, who began trembling beside her.  Her arm never moved from Navy’s shoulders, ready to fight to the death for the girl she considered not only her best friend, but a true sister as well.

“Everything is fine, princess.” Kevin assured him, both men walking inside the living room and sitting down in the recliners.  The girls hesitantly took their seats back on the couch, eyes never leaving their fathers.

“Angel face, I talked with Kevin for a bit earlier and…he made some very good points,” Mark paused, leaning forward with his hands clasped in front of him, trying not to let the tears sting his eyes.  He couldn’t help it though, this was his baby girl and he was about to let her go. “Kevin made gave me a proposition and I’m taking it.”

“W-What are you talking about, dad?” Navy asked softly, though her voice was rough from all the sobbing she’d done, feeling Kendra squeeze her shoulders supportively. “Dad…”

Mark looked up and locked his tear filled eyes on his daughter’s, the heartbreak shining clearly. “You’re going to live here with the Nelson’s until your senior year is completed.” He whispered, not trusting his real voice at the moment, and finally let a few tears slip down his cheeks. “Your mother would absolutely annihilate me if she found out the pain I was causing you, Naveya.  So…Kevin told me that you can stay here to finish out your schooling and then after that, you can decide what you want to do from there.  I’m letting you go, angel face, and I can only hope you forgive me someday.”

“Daddy…” Naveya blinked as huge tears slid down her face, Kendra sitting there in absolute shock, and stood up as she walked over to bend down slowly in front of him.  She raised his head and kissed his lips softly before throwing her arms around his neck, squeezing him as tight as she could without hurting herself. “I love you daddy.”

“I love you too, angel face.  Just promise me you’ll be careful while living here.” He whispered in her ear, knowing he would be sobbing his heart out later over a glass of bourbon. “You’re all I have left.”

“I promise, daddy, and I’ll call you every chance I get.”

Kendra walked over to her father, not believing how generous he was being, and hugged him tightly as tears of her own fell. “Are you sure about this, dad?” She whispered, causing Kevin to nod without hesitation, kissing the top of her head.

Mark left with Naveya soon after, wanting to spend as much time with his daughter as he could before he moved to Seattle, knowing deep down he did the right thing for her.

Chapter 13

If Navy thought everything was wonderful, after moving in with the Nelson’s, she was SADLY mistaken.

Navy was broken out of her thoughts about the past by the tea kettle whistling from the kitchen, wiping a few stray tears away, and stepped away from the window.  The rain literally pounded out a sad melody for her and Navy wished things could be as they once were.  She was tired of the complications and heartache, finally coming to terms with the one truth that her feelings for Jacob had blinded.

He never would see her the way he saw Isabella Swan.

Walking into the kitchen, Navy reached up and grabbed a tea cup from the cabinet, knowing her father would be gone for several days.  Mark was currently in England, the main country he flew too for his real estate practice.  Navy was eighteen so she ran the apartment herself, writing checks out for bills and whatnot, not believing she’d been here an entire month.

Kendra had finally accepted her decision with a heavy heart, though it killed Navy to leave Forks, knowing it was for the best.  There was only so much abuse a heart could take and Navy finally reached her limit with Jacob Black.  He couldn’t hurt her in Seattle, or so she thought, because the heartache was more powerful than ever. 

She wondered briefly if it’d gotten worse.

Of course, moving in with the Nelson’s had been a huge mistake, even though Navy didn’t regret it at the time.  She did it for a selfish reason, to be closer to Jacob, though Kendra knew that.  Hell, everyone seemed to know how she felt about him except HIM! 

Jacob never knew that her father threatened to take her away from Forks either because Navy made Kendra promise not to say anything to anyone.  When Jacob asked why she’d moved in with the Nelson’s, she simply told him that her father had work in Seattle and would be back when he was finished.  Being in the type of business he was, Jacob bought it, too naïve for his own good…too trusting.

Navy cut a piece of lemon and plopped it in her tea, watching it swirl around, sighing heavily as she thought back to that summer she lived with the Nelson’s.  School ended at the very beginning of June, though it was still seasonably cold, only in the sixties.  Forks never saw much sun during the summer like the other states did, though Navy wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world.

How long ago that seemed.

Kevin was very welcoming to her and Navy appreciated that, especially since her father had left soon after to move to Seattle.  She’d asked him if he wanted help, though he’d hired movers and whatnot.  No matter how hard Navy tried not to feel guilty, she couldn’t help it, wondering if she had abandoned her father out of selfishness.  If Jacob Black could only FATHOM how much Navy had truly done for him over the years, including moving in with the Nelson’s to stay near him.

Again, all he cared about was Isabella Swan though. 

Navy scowled bitterly as she stirred her tea so the lemon would soak up, putting the cup to her lips, and took a careful sip with a wistful sigh.  Her head snapped to the side when a knock sounded at the apartment door, immediately setting the cup down.  She had a blue silk robe on that went to her knees, tied around the waist, along with matching slippers and nightgown underneath.

Shock filled her eyes when Navy opened the door, not believing who was standing in front of her.

“What are you doing here?”

~!~

Navy couldn’t believe how much stuff she had, though was thrilled when it was all moved into her new room at the Nelson’s.  She was still floored by Kevin’s offer to have her stay there for the rest of her high schooling, Kendra absolutely ecstatic about it.  Honestly, so was Navy because it meant she was staying close to Jacob. 

She felt as if the fates were finally giving her the opening she desperately craved because of how much he came to visit her after the attack.  He even helped move her things in and Navy couldn’t help admiring how his muscles flexed with every movement, especially when he removed his shirt.  Jacob Black was indeed going to be the death of her and Navy would happily go with a smile on her face.

Because of her injuries, Navy missed nearly two months of school, though she didn’t fall behind in homework.  Whenever there was a test or quiz, she would simply study for it and go to the school after hours to complete it.  Dr. Cullen told her that was fine because she couldn’t fall behind in her grade, but he wanted her resting mostly.  A little activity wouldn’t kill her, though Navy knew she couldn’t push it if she wanted to heal fully and correctly.

Before Navy knew what hit her, summer vacation arrived –she’d gone to school for the last month of schooling- and things were slowly getting back to normal.  It was only in the sixties, but that didn’t stop Navy from going down to the beach with Jacob and Kendra.  Navy knew Kendra was dying to spot her savior, Jared Tinsel, somewhere, disappointed when it didn’t happen.  Jacob warned both of them, especially Kendra, to stay away from Sam’s cult because they were nothing but trouble.

Throughout most of the summer, Jacob and Navy hung out while Kendra trained or her next competition, this time it being held in Seattle surprisingly.  She was going with for the week and couldn’t wait; knowing Kendra would reign supreme again because it was nationals.  Jacob fully understood why Kendra wanted to take Navy, even though he vowed to never let anything like what Rick did happen again.

Kendra was dying to tell Jacob how Navy felt for him, but figured when the time was right; Navy would just bite the bullet and tell him.  She couldn’t wait for that moment because, anyone could clearly see, they really liked each other.  Jacob hadn’t mentioned hide or hair of Bella Swan, which was a good thing because Kendra was really starting to think of him as a superior friend. 

She didn’t realize just how wrong she was.

The summer was filled with mostly hanging out in La Push, both girls camping out on the beach a lot of the time.  They would literally drag a double tent down there and Jacob would always join them.  They were like the three musketeers, just enjoying each other’s company and, surprisingly, Kendra didn’t feel like a third wheel.  That’s how much Navy incorporated her into the conversations, all three of them enjoying the simplicity life offered. 

Some other things they did together were go for walks, shopping, swimming in the ocean whenever the weather permitted it.  During downtime, when there was absolutely nothing else to do, Navy would read and watch movies.  Though, she also devoted a lot of her summer to snapping pictures of anything and everything, as well as calling her father at least three times a week or more.

She missed him something fierce, promising to visit when she went to Seattle with Kendra.

It was early September when Kendra and Navy left Forks for a week to go to Seattle.  School just started, though they’d made sure to grab any homework from their teachers, promising to make up anything else they missed when they returned.  They were driving as it was much cheaper than flying.  The girls decided a road trip was in order, though the hardest part for Navy was saying goodbye to Jacob. 

She’d gotten so used to him being around, but knew he couldn’t go with them.  He would be bored out of his mind and, as much as Kendra liked him, she was afraid he’d do something to distract her.  Navy couldn’t agree more, promising to call Jacob whenever she got a chance.

Seattle, Washington was a beautiful town and Navy was thrilled to find out her father had taken the week off from work to spend with her.  She and Kendra stayed with him during the competition and Mark shocked both of them by coming to one of the shows.  Kendra showcased her true ability on the ice, the best by far in both Dawson’s eyes.

When it was time to leave, a week later, Navy could already feel her heart break as she hugged her father close, thanking him profusely for having her.  Mark held onto her like a lifeline, afraid to let her go, and Navy promised to be up for Thanksgiving.  A huge smile spread on her face when Mark informed her he’d be coming to Forks for Thanksgiving, having already spoken to Kevin about it.  They said their tearful goodbyes and Navy felt the tears spill down her cheeks as she looked in the rearview mirror of Kendra’s red Honda Civic, not believing how broken her father looked.

“I seriously hate this.” Navy murmured in between sniffles, wiping her tears away with some tissue Kendra handed her. “Why do I feel like I’m making a mistake living with you in Forks?”

“Because he’s your father.” Kendra simply replied, honestly not knowing if she could ever leave her father, even if it meant staying in Forks. “You feel guilty because you’re not there for him anymore, but you have to realize that he’s doing what’s best for you, sweetie.”

“I know, I just can’t help feeling like I should be with him instead of in Forks.”

Kendra didn’t know how to reply to that, arching a slow eyebrow. “I know why you really stayed, Veya, and I’m just warning you again for the umpteenth time to BE CAREFUL.  Jacob is a great guy, but he’s also very young and naïve, you just turned eighteen.”

Mark was in Greece and couldn’t be there for Navy’s eighteenth birthday, though that didn’t stop the Nelson’s from giving her a small party.  Jacob and his father were invited, along with people from school they actually liked.  It was small and absolutely perfect, Jacob giving her a beautiful bracelet with a hand carved wolf dangling from it.

Navy would never take it off as long as she lived, having cried when she opened it.

Most of the drive was made in silence, each girl in their own thoughts, Kendra mostly thinking about her own eighteenth birthday coming up.  As luck would have it, she was born on Hollow’s Eve, the day before Halloween.  She was planning on having a costume masquerade Halloween bash to celebrate turning eighteen and already knew what she was going as.  Kendra was very excited about it and grinned at the thought.

They arrived home around seven o’clock that night and both girls were completely bushed from the long drive.  Navy raised an eyebrow, spotting Jacob sitting on the steps, and smiled because she knew he missed her.  Kendra chortled and muttered something incoherent, which Navy would find out later, trudging into the house yawning loudly. 

Navy stepped out of the car and smiled when Jacob came walking towards her, wearing a long sleeved green thermal shirt with dark blue jeans and black boots.  His long black hair was pulled back in a haphazard ponytail and Navy instantly frowned at the look in his eyes.  He looked nearly psycho with how much fire burned in his dark eyes, causing her to actually take a step back.

“Jake, what’s wrong?” She finally asked, pulling her bag from the backseat, sighing when he took it from her hastily. “Thanks…”

“It’s finally happened, Naveya.” He couldn’t contain the excitement anymore and Navy wondered briefly if he’d drank too much red bull again, remember the last time.

“What has Jake?” For once, Navy actually sounded irritated because of how tired she was, not to mention she cried halfway home from Seattle because of her father.  She was drained and wasn’t up to playing twenty questions or guessing Jacob’s riddles. “Just tell me please.”

“He’s GONE, Nave!  They’re GONE and they’re NEVER coming back again!” Jacob practically shouted out with glee, clasping his hands together before grabbing hers, his eyes filled with that same psychotic excitement. “Do you know what this MEANS?”

Navy was more confused than ever, feeling her head swimming, arching a slow eyebrow. “Who’s gone?  Jacob, what are you talking about?” She groaned when he just lifted her up and spun her around in circles, feeling even dizzier than before. “Jake…”

“The Cullens are GONE, Nave!!  They left Forks, including Edward Cullen!!”

Jacob was acting as if he won the lottery and Navy suddenly felt her heart sink, knowing exactly why Jacob was so excited.  It wasn’t because she was home from Seattle, after being gone a week, or because he missed her.  Oh no, why would it ever be?  Navy could already feel the tears threatening to fill her eyes, blinking them back, trying to maintain her composure.

“Why did they leave?” She asked softly, leaning back against the car, folding her arms in front of her chest.

“I don’t know and I don’t CARE!!  Edward left Bella in the woods and she got lost.  Sam found her and brought her back, though I still don’t like or trust him.  Nave, I finally have my shot!!” Jacob began pacing back and forth, chewing his bottom lip. “Of course I’ll wait until she gets over him and comes to me.  I don’t want to pressure her into anything she’s not ready for because they were together for six months…”

“Right…” Navy felt sick to her stomach, knowing she would end up throwing up if she didn’t get away from Jacob at that moment. “I hope it works out for you, Jacob…”

“Yeah, me too.” Jacob sighed wistfully, running a hand over the top of his black satin locks. “I mean, I know it’ll take time and I have plenty of that.  She’s just so perfect, Nave, ya know?  She’s the one and now that Cullen is out of the picture, I finally have my chance to be with her.  I’m not gonna blow it either, I’m going to make her wish she’d picked me to begin with.” He laughed with gleeful joy, never noticing the absolute heartbreak fill Navy’s eyes.

That’s all Navy could take as she cracked a smile at him, clearing her throat awkwardly. “Well I’m glad everything is working out for you, Jake.  But I really need to get inside and take a shower and get ready for bed for school tomorrow.  I’ve been gone a week so…” She trailed off, seeing he was barely paying attention to her, hazel eyes suddenly narrowing. “GOOD NIGHT, Jacob.”

“Oh…Oh okay, night Nave.  See ya around.” He was definitely distracted and walked away from her, not even bothering to give her a hug or anything. 

Navy blinked as huge tears slid down her cheeks...that familiar pain and heartache filling her once more, not having felt it since before Rick’s attack.  She could barely breathe because of how badly it hurt; knowing she’d probably just lost her best friend again to Isabella Swan.  The Cullens were gone and that left her wide open for Jacob to step in, which Navy absolutely loathed.  With a broken heart and shattered hopes, Navy trudged inside the house and went straight to her room, proceeded to cry herself to sleep for the first time in months over Jacob Black.

Chapter 14 

Navy was at the end of her rope.

Jacob was treading on thin ice with her and Navy was ready to strangle him.

After Bella was found in the woods, she completely shut herself out from the world, going to school and coming straight home.  She sat at the Cullen table and looked completely dead inside, acting as if life didn’t have any meaning without them.  Navy knew it because she and Kendra often watched Bella in the cafeteria, their hearts actually going out to the poor girl.  She looked so lost and confused; nobody knew the real reasoning why the Cullens left either and it was very last minute.

Jacob didn’t stop hanging out with Navy, though their conversations were always about the same thing.  Isabella Swan.  Navy honestly didn’t dislike the girl because she could tell how much pain Bella was in with the absence of the Cullens.  Hell, that’s how Navy felt every time Jacob mentioned her name because it wistful and full of longing.  Why couldn’t he feel that way about her, his supposed best friend, who loved him more than life itself?

Navy didn’t understand it.

Tonight was no different and it was in the middle of December, which meant they were wearing heavy winter wear.  That still didn’t stop them from walking along the beach, though currently they were sitting on the porch steps of the Black house.  Navy had on a pair of blue jeans with a long thick black sweater that rested over her hips and black knee high moccasin boots.  Her hair was down to keep her ears warm, even though she had a black winter headband that went over her ears for even more protection.  She had matching black gloves and a scarf, refusing to get a cold because this was her senior year. 

Jacob wore a simple long black coat with a black beanie hat to keep his ears and forehead warm, his long black hair flowing over his shoulders in satin waves.  He had black gloves on, no scarf, and light blue jeans with a black and white flannel shirt underneath, black boots on his feet.  There was about two feet of snow on the ground, the first snowfall completely nailing Forks and La Push harshly.  That’s probably one of the only things about Forks Navy despised…the callous winters.

“So what are you doing for the holidays?” Navy asked while sipping a cup of hot cocoa, looking up a rather frustrated Jacob, knowing the reason behind it. “Jake?”

“What?   Oh sorry Nave, what did you say?” Jacob was a million miles away and had been lately ever since the Cullens left Forks.

“I asked you what you were doing for the holidays.” She repeated herself evenly, rolling her eyes when Jacob shrugged his shoulders. “You and Billy aren’t doing anything?  No hunting or putting up a Christmas tree?”

“I don’t know.” Jacob replied quickly, kicking the snow, pacing back and forth hastily as he mumbled incoherently under his breath.

Navy knew she was going to regret asking this, but had to play the part of the supportive friend. “What’s wrong?” She asked resignedly, forcing Jacob to stop, turning around to face her.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.  Nave, you know what’s wrong, that’s a stupid question.” Jacob snapped, folding his arms in front of his chest at the look that came over her face. “What?  Don’t look so wounded, okay?  You’re not the one who wants someone you can’t have.”

If Jacob only knew the truth.

“You’re right, I do know what’s wrong with you and, for the life of me, I don’t understand what is so special about Isabella Swan.” Navy snorted, setting her cup of cocoa down, standing up as the sharp cold wind whipped around them.

“She’s PERFECT okay?!” Jacob growled, dark eyes narrowing to slits at Navy. “Look, it’s been over three months since Cullen left and she’s STILL sulking over him!!  How much time does she need to get over him?”

“Heartache affects people differently, Jacob.” Navy stated evenly, walking over to stand beside him. “I’m not trying to sound insensitive, but maybe you should consider the possibility of…”

“Of what?  That she doesn’t want me, that I’m wasting my time waiting on her?” Jacob shot back, cutting Navy off, and driving that knife of despair deeper into her own heart without even realizing it. “Well I’m sorry if my problems are mediocre compared to yours, Naveya.”

“I didn’t say that!!” She shouted, finally having enough of him, throwing her hands up in the air. “Jacob Black, I never said anything remotely CLOSE to that!!  I know you’re hurting and I’m trying like hell to help you with this, but you’re not LISTENING to me!!”

“Because anything you say isn’t worth listening to right now.”

That cut Navy to the core as she stared at him in shock, hazel eyes widened and could already feel the tears sting them. “What did you just say?” She whispered, swallowing past the lump that formed in her throat, the anger slowly consuming her.

“I said NOTHING you say is worth listening to right now because it’s garbage!” Jacob shouted angrily, clenching his fists tightly through the gloves. “You’re just jealous that I found someone and you can’t handle that my attention is on her and NOT you!”

That’s all Navy could take as she took her glove off, a second later the sound of a smack echoing throughout the yard.  Navy had just slapped the taste out of Jacob, stumbling back through the heavy snow, blinking as huge tears slid down her cheeks.  Jacob stared at her in shock, rubbing his cheek, not believing she actually just slapped him, blinking stupidly.

“You know what?  I’m DONE with you, Jacob Black!  You think you know everything and, no matter what anyone else tells you, you’ll NEVER see the truth!!” Navy shouted, slipping her glove back on, glad she’d shocked Jacob because now she could finally say what she wanted ever since Isabella Swan came to Forks. “I’m only going to say this once, so pay attention, because I’m not repeating myself.  Bella Swan does NOT want anything to do with you and do you know why?  Because she doesn’t WANT you!  She wants Edward Cullen and, no matter how long you wait for her, no matter how hard you fight, you will LOSE because her heart belongs to him, NOT you!!  The sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be.  When you finally come to your senses and realize that you’re throwing your friends away for her, you let me know.  I’m really disappointed in you right now that you would even say something that cruel to me, that my words aren’t worth listening to right now.  Well guess what, they are NOW!”

Jacob could only watch, while rubbing his stinging cheek, as Navy trudged through the snow to her Ford Focus.  She slipped inside and started the ignition, peeling out of there, sliding in the process.  Navy nearly hit a tree, but she was so angry and heartbroken that she had to get out of there.  Judging by how fast she flew out of there, Jacob knew he just made the biggest mistake of his life and lost Navy possibly for good.

That was the last time Navy saw Jacob and every day without him hurt worse than the day before.  It was almost as if a piece of Navy had died when Jacob decided to stop hanging out with her, but Navy knew she couldn’t let this beat her.  Kendra had warned her about this possibly, more than likely, happening and Navy had nobody to blame except her stupidity.

Kendra was incredibly upset with Jacob Black, not believing what he said to Navy, wanting to rip his heart out of his chest.  That’s exactly what he did to Navy and Kendra hoped her friend finally got it in her brain that Jacob wasn’t and never would be interested in her.  As much as it killed Navy to hear, she knew Kendra was telling the truth, finally deciding to just give up.

She had to move on with what was left of her heart.

Several times Navy had to stop herself from getting in her car and going to La Push to see Jacob, to apologize for slapping him.  All Navy was trying to do was help him and she took it too far, though she didn’t regret doing it.  It was the only way to get him to listen to her without constantly cutting her off with another statement about Bella.  She couldn’t believe she’d done it, though Kendra actually applauded when Navy told her about it.

“Serves that jackass right!” Kendra had crowed, proud of Navy for standing up to Jacob Black and telling him off.

January came and the girls noticed how much more alive Isabella Swan was.  She had light back in her eyes and an extra kick in her step, even sitting with her old friends instead of at the Cullen table.  Navy didn’t even care what made Bella Swan happy because she was in too much pain from the absence of Jacob from her life.  She put up a front with her father, pretending everything was fine, when in reality Navy felt dead inside.

Navy went through the motions of school, completely delving herself into anything to keep her mind off of Jacob.  She did extra credit, even though her GPA was already a 4.0, took on more projects on the yearbook committee she became a part of because of her photography skills.  Attending all the sports events for Forks High School was required and it kept Navy so busy, that all she wanted to do when she got home was crawl into bed and sleep. 

Kendra was worried about Navy running herself ragged, but knew there was nothing she could do about it.  They still hung out and Kendra made it a point not to mention anything about La Push or Jacob Black, not wanting to upset her best friend.  They had at least one movie night a week, usually on Sundays because that’s the only day of the week Navy had free these days.  On top of everything Navy took on, she also managed to get a part time job at the local market as a cashier.

Mark sent his daughter a check every week that was anywhere from two to five hundred dollars, which made Navy feel even guiltier.  She was eighteen years old and hand to stand on her own feet, finally calling her father to tell him not to send her anymore money.  Mark was shocked to find out his daughter actually took the imitative to get a job while going to school full time.  He finally told her to open a savings account and put all of his checks in there so she had a backup when she graduated high school.

Reluctantly, Navy did as her father asked, not able to deny him anything.

“Do you want to do something tonight after school?” Kendra asked one day while they were walking down the hallway, glancing over at Navy.

“I can’t.  I have double shifts at the market and I work early in the morning again.” Navy replied in a monotone voice, sighing when Kendra stopped her, having barley gotten any sleep the night before.

“Veya, you’re going to run yourself down if you keep on this path of destruction.” Kendra was truly concerned about her friend, her eyes shining with worry. “Please, you need to slow down before you end up crashing and burning.”

“I’ve already crashed the moment I slapped Jacob and ended our friendship.” Navy sighed when Kendra placed her hands on her shoulders, refusing to change her mind. “You can find someone else to hang out with tonight, Dra.”

“But I don’t WANT to hang out with anyone else, don’t you get that?” Kendra sighed in frustration, releasing Navy’s shoulders abruptly. “God, you act like your life is over just because Jacob Black isn’t in it anymore.  Have you forgotten there are OTHER people who actually WANT you around??”

Navy’s eyes narrowed, the anger flashing in her hazel eyes. “That’s not fair, Kendra, and you know it!  Do you think this is easy for me not having Jacob in my life?” They hadn’t talked about what happened since that night Navy came home in tears, the night a slap to the face severed her relationship with him. “You have NO IDEA what I’m feeling right now.”

“No I don’t and that’s because you’re so damn stubborn that you refuse to talk about it!” Kendra shot back, knowing they had to have this out before it completely destroyed their friendship. “Naveya, you need to realize that you’re better off without him.  The sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be.”

“Oh that’s really great advice, especially coming from someone who dated the biggest prick of them all!” Navy immediately regretted the words that came out of her mouth, watching the color drain out of Kendra’s face, sighing heavily. “Kendra…”

“No, don’t you even THINK about saying a word to me right now.” Kendra blinked as tears slid down her cheeks, backing up slowly from Navy. “Like you told Jacob that night a few weeks ago, I’m done with you Naveya.  I’m done trying to compete with Jacob Black because, as usual, I’m always wrong.  I’m going to class.” She whipped around and took off down the hallway, leaving Navy standing there with tears of her own.

“Damn it!” Navy growled and hauled off, punching the nearest thing she could, which was a locker.

Navy hadn’t meant to say those words and felt even worse than she had before the argument started.  She knew she was running herself down, but what else could Navy do?  She cried herself to sleep every night because of what happened between her and Jacob, trying to mend her shattered heart, knowing he would always have it.  Feeling helpless, the last thing Navy needed to hear was Kendra telling her she was better off without Jacob Black.  That wasn’t true; Navy couldn’t let him go no matter what she did, which is why she tried keeping herself as busy as possible. 

Did Kendra understand that? 

Of course not, why would she? 

She’d only felt heartache once in her life and it was nothing like this because Kendra didn’t love Rick Martin unconditionally the way Navy did Jacob.  If Kendra could only feel an OUNCE of what Navy had felt since that cold night in La Push, she would never fully understand the amount of pain Navy felt on a daily basis.  Navy didn’t care about her attendance at that moment, even though she had an hour to kill, usually spending it in the school library.

Instead, Navy took off down the hallway with her book bag slung over her shoulder, going outside for some cold air.  She needed to feel numb and knew that was the way to do it, the tears never stopping.  Navy arrived outside ten minutes later and just walked over to her car, slipping inside as she leaned her head back against the seat.  The bitter chill enveloped her and Navy welcomed it with open arms, wrapping her arms around herself, having not brought her coat with her.

“Jacob…” She whispered heartbrokenly and started crying, burying her face in her hands, shoulders shaking.

Navy knew this pain she felt would eventually cripple her if she didn’t do something soon.  Pulling out her wallet, Navy flipped it open and looked at the picture of her and Jacob, his arms wrapped around her waist; chin resting on her shoulder, both of them smiling for the camera.  Billy had taken the picture and it was at Jacob’s fifteenth birthday party in La Push. 

Pressing the picture close to her shattered heart, Navy could only hope the misery that consumed her ended soon.

While Navy cried her heart out, she never noticed the dark eyes that watched her every move.

Chapter 15

Kendra was so upset with Navy that she decided to go to the skating rink for awhile, knowing the ice would help calm her down.  There was no way she could go home right now, not in her current state, knowing her father would instantly know something was wrong.  Navy wouldn’t be there because of her job at the market, but Kendra honestly didn’t want a confrontation with her father. 

What happened between Navy and Kendra was their business, not his.

Stepping out of her red Honda Civic, Kendra shouldered her gear and walked inside the building, trying to stop the tears from falling.  She cried for most of the day, trying to hold the tears in, and couldn’t be more relieved when school finally let out.  Navy was already gone, only having four classes since she was so ahead in credits, which is how she’d gotten a job at the market to begin with.  Kendra didn’t realize how much work Navy had done as a junior until they compared schedules and Navy realized she only needed four classes both semesters in order to graduate with a perfect GPA.

“Damn brainiac.” Kendra had muttered, though she was happy for Navy, hugging her to show support.

Slipping into her golden garnet skating dress, which had a strap that went over her left shoulder, her right bare, Kendra proceeded to do her normal stretches before pulling her matching red skates on.  Some ice would do her good, especially since Kendra had an upcoming competition in Los Angeles, California in April she had to prepare for.  Taking a deep breath, Kendra slid on the ice and allowed it to completely take her away, all thoughts of Navy and what happened vanishing.

Kendra couldn’t lost herself when skating, Celine Dion’s ‘I’m Your Angel’ blasting through the speakers.

Kendra skated for hours, not realizing how late it was until she did her final triple axel jump, landing perfectly as always with grace.  She finally skated off of the rink, completely exhausted, and looked up at the clock with widened eyes.  It was a quarter after midnight, she hadn’t skated that long since the night Rick waited for her outside of the building.  She swallowed hard, having to keep reminding herself that Rick Martin was in a wheelchair permanently, and couldn’t hurt her or anyone else anymore.

After doing her stretches, so her muscles didn’t cramp up, Kendra proceeded to take her skates off along with the dress, hanging it up so it didn’t get ruined.  She loved the golden symmetrical design on the front, knowing it would definitely be an eye opener at the next competition.  Pulling on her blue jeans and long sleeved dark red top that went off the shoulders, Kendra slipped into her black boots before walking out of the rink, having a can of mace in her hand just in case.  Ever since Rick attacked Navy, Kendra had taken extra precaution and didn’t trust anyone.

Honestly, who could blame her?

Kendra slowly walked out of the rink, shouldering her bag and purse, heading to her car that was across the way.  She’d arrived earlier just as the hockey team was getting out for practice, her dad not there because of a meeting he had with the Forks football team.  Honestly, she thought her father was running himself ragged coaching both sports, though could do nothing about it.

Grey eyes narrowed slightly at a dark figure leaning against her car and Kendra instantly brought the mace forward, refusing to let anyone touch her again. “Look buddy, I don’t know who the hell you are and I honestly don’t care.  You have five seconds to step away from my car or I’ll blind you for life.” She threatened in a cool tone, walking slower toward her car.

“Is that any way to greet someone you kiss on a whim?”

That raspy voice made Kendra stop dead in her tracks, dropping the mace to the ground, grey eyes instantly becoming soft. “Jared?” She watched him step into the dim street light, her car having been parked in a dark spot, sighing with great relief at the sight of him.

“In the flesh.”

He looked better than ever with messy cropped black hair and those deep dark eyes that she couldn’t get out of her mind for the past months.  She hadn’t seen him since that day he returned her bag to school, during junior year, and still remembered how warm his lips felt against hers when she kissed him to properly thank him.  He wore cut off black jean shorts with no shirt –Kendra had to wonder if he had a death wish or was trying to catch pneumonia- and white sneakers on his feet. 

“What’re you doing here?” Kendra asked, walking toward him, shivering from both the cold and sheer anticipation of seeing him again after all this time.

“I was in the neighborhood and noticed your car was here.  Wanted to make sure nobody else was trying to put their hands on you.” Jared replied casually, making it sound as if he was talking about the weather, staring deep in her grey eyes. “What are you doing here this late at night?”

“I was practicing for my upcoming regionals and lost track of time.” Kendra replied, chewing her bottom lip, the sadness instantly entering her eyes when she thought about her argument with Navy. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to threaten you, I didn’t know who it was though.”

Jared chuckled softly, waving her off dismissively. “Don’t you dare apologize for defending yourself, Kendra.  I’m relieved to know you carry protection, especially after what happened last time.” He was standing maybe two feet away from her and, when she shivered, Jared instantly pulled her into his arms to warm her up.

Kendra blinked, not expecting him to do that, and once again his skin felt like it was on fire.  It was so comforting and she immediately melted against him, allowing the warmth to spread throughout her body.  She remembered his burning lips from that kiss and closed her eyes, just enjoying this moment with her savior, sighing gently.

“Better?” His raspy voice murmured in her ear, gentleness to it, rubbing her back soothingly.

“Thank you.” She whispered, the cold air that whipped around them shielded with Jared’s body.  Kendra frowned and pulled back, looking up into his dark eyes with confusion and wonder. “How come you’re so hot?”

Jared couldn’t help laughing, especially when the roses in her cheeks bloomed, not releasing her. “Hot huh?  Hmmm I don’t think I’ve been asked that before.” He couldn’t help letting the amusement shine in his tone, eyes sparkling down at her mischievously.

“You know what I mean.” Kendra mumbled, clearly embarrassed, and lowered her head while chewing her bottom lip. 

Jared lifted her chin with his burning hand as their eyes locked, pulling her closer to him. “Let’s just say I have some secrets I can’t tell you, Kendra Nelson.” He finally said, running the pad of his thumb across her soft lips, remembering how wonderful they felt against his.

Kendra understood that, feeling his forehead press against hers, frowning again as she pulled back. “You are incredibly warm and it’s not even twenty degrees out here.” She pointed out, watching Jared sigh heavily, and slowly stepped out of his arms. “Why are you even here, Jared?”

“I don’t know…that’s a really good question considering I’m supposed to be doing my job right now.” He smirked and Kendra nearly dropped right there, having to hold onto her car for leverage so her knees didn’t buckle. “I wanted to see you.”

“Why though?  You haven’t seen me since that time you brought my bag to Forks High School.” She reminded him, causing Jared to sigh heavily, wishing he could tell her the reasoning behind that.

“I know, believe me it wasn’t what I wanted to do.  I was sort of…forced to stay away from you.” Jared admitted, shoving his hands in the front pockets of his jean shorts. “But I’m no longer forbidden and I’m here now.”

Kendra arched an eyebrow, feeling Jared grab her hand as it practically seared hers, pulling her back against his scorching body again. “Why were you forbidden?” She asked quietly, looking into his eyes, sighing when Jared simply shook his head.

“I can’t tell you.  Believe me, Kendra, if I could I would tell you in a heartbeat.” Jared stated, hoping she believed him, and pressed her back against her car. “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to see you again since that day you kissed me.  I haven’t been able to forget about it and it’s all that’s been on my mind for months.”

Kendra swallowed hard, feeling the breath nearly escape from her body when his head lowered, their lips mere inches from each other. “Me too.” She breathed, snaking her pink tongue out to wet her suddenly very dry lips and Jared groaned from low in his throat.

“Damn it.” He growled, not able to resist any longer, and gently took her chin in his burning hand, eye contact never faltering. “Damn it, Kendra.”

“Jared…”

His lips captured hers and Jared felt something intense explode inside of him, wrapping his strong arms around her waist, nearly crushing her to his blazing body.  Kendra instantly melted against him, gripping his arms to keep leverage, and gasped moaned softly when he lifted her from the ground.  She could feel the strength he possessed, her hands sliding up his arms as the muscles rippled beneath her soft touch until her arms wrapped around his neck, kissing him back with a fever pitch.

Kendra was in complete heaven being in Jared’s arms.

Every tendon of his body sparked and lit a forest fire that spread throughout Jared’s body, knowing Kendra felt the same thing.  He growled against her lips, swiping his tongue over them as her mouth opened, instantly tasting her.  She tasted better than he ever thought possible and Jared ended up planting her on the trunk of her car, standing between her legs, never breaking the kiss.  Kendra scooted as close as she could to him, wrapping her legs around his waist, the kiss never breaking and didn’t care that she needed air to breathe.

At that moment, Jared Tinsel was all the air she needed.

When both of them needed real air to breathe, the kiss broke simultaneously, both of them breathing incredibly having and aching for more.  Jared smiled, loving how swollen Kendra’s lips were and ran the pad of his thumb across them again, kissing her softer this time.  He didn’t want to scare her away, not after waiting all this time to be able to finally see her again, loving the feeling of her hands resting against his chest. 

“I’d apologize for that, but I’m not sorry it happened.” Jared finally said, once he regained his breathing, and blinked when Kendra pulled him down for another scorching kiss.

Jared completely lost himself in Kendra, not believing he was actually making out with a pale face, but couldn’t help it.  His hands gripped her hips, yanking her closer to him and reluctantly his lips left hers to travel down her jaw line to her throat, capturing the tender flesh in his mouth.  Kendra moaned louder, burying her hand in his hair, the other running up and down his chest, the heat building between them almost suffocating.

“Jared…” She whispered, not caring if she barely knew this man, hoping he didn’t stop. “Mmm…”

Jared didn’t stop until he realized they were getting carried away, slowly pulling back as his eyes locked on hers, running a finger down her cheek. “I want to see you again.” He stated, knowing she had to get home before her father had a conniption fit. “Please, I need to see you again, Kendra.”

Kendra nodded, completely dazed from the intense make out session she just had with Jared, cupping his face gently in her hand. “Of course I want to see you again.” She kissed him softly, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, breathing in his incredible scent of pine. “Just tell me when and where.”

“Tomorrow, come down to La Push.  Bring someone if you want.” Jared stated, wanting her to be completely comfortable, watching her eyes narrow slightly.

“Like who?”

Jared chuckled, loving how suspicious she became, and kissed her lips again. “Naveya Dawson.  My friend wants to meet her.” He watched Kendra’s reaction carefully, her arms instantly folding over her chest.

“Who is this friend?” She demanded gruffly, refusing to bring Navy down to La Push if it was who she thought. 

“His name is Paul.  He’s the one who saved her from the attack at your school.” Jared answered, Kendra’s eyes instantly widening in realization as it hit her.

“Oh wow…” Navy never got to properly thank him for saving her and Kendra remembered Navy saying something about doing so if she ever saw him again. “I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything else.  We’re sort of fighting right now…”

Jared nodded, having watched from the woods with Paul earlier that day, kissing her forehead softly. “She’ll come.  Just tell her that Paul wants to meet her.” He sounded confident, his raspy voice having a high pitch to it, and Kendra found it absolutely adorable.

“If I come alone, will it still be alright?” Kendra honestly didn’t know if Navy would agree to go down to La Push, not with Jacob Black there, chewing her bottom lip. “You do realize she used to be friends with Jacob Black right?”

Jared sighed heavily with a nod, eyes narrowing slightly. “Yes and he’s too busy having his nose stuck up Bella Swan’s ass right now to notice how much she loves him.” Kendra’s eyes widened again, causing Jared to chuckle. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out, sweets.”

“Wow, I thought I was the only one who thought that.” Kendra giggled and kissed Jared’s lips, cupping the back of his neck to keep him from pulling away, the kiss breaking moments later.

“I have to go.”

“I know.”

Kendra didn’t want him to go though, knowing she would definitely be seeing him first thing tomorrow.  She would get up extra early just to have more time with Jared, already knowing she was falling in love with him.  She told Navy she couldn’t stop having dreams about him and it hurt Kendra when Jared didn’t come see her…until now.

“Just promise me one thing.” She stated, running her fingers through his hair, smiling when he lifted her off of the trunk to set her back on her feet.

“Anything sweets.” Jared grabbed her bag and handed it to her, his arm never unwinding from her waist, guiding her over to the driver’s side of the Honda Civic.

“Don’t disappear on me again.”

Jared sighed heavily with a nod, knowing he had hurt her, and kissed her lips softly. “You have my word.  I won’t disappear on you again, Kendra.  You have me hooked.”

She grinned from ear to ear, grey eyes sparkling, and sighed resignedly because it was time to say goodbye for now. “Tomorrow I’ll be there.” She promised and giggled when Jared kissed her one last time, this one lasting longer than the others.

“Drive safely.” He whispered and took off from the car into the woods, leaving Kendra sitting there with a thudding heart and racing pulse.

There was no doubt in her mind that Kendra was in love with the boy.

Jared knew he was in love with Kendra as well, more so than she probably realized.

Chapter 16

When Kendra arrived home, Navy was up in the living room waiting for her.  She had to work at seven o’clock in the morning, but Navy couldn’t sleep without making things right between her and Kendra.  She wore a simple pair of black pajama pants with a matching long sleeved shirt, hair hanging down.

“Where have you been?  Do you have any idea how worried I was, Kendra?!” Navy exclaimed, standing up from the couch, having thought something happened to her best friend.

“Sorry.” Kendra sighed blissfully, practically floating into the living room, causing Navy’s eyebrow to slowly rise. “What a glorious night!”

Navy had expected Kendra to yell and berate her for what she said, not act like she was on a cloud.  It made Navy scratch her head as she slowly walked toward Kendra, who sat down on the couch, that same dreamy gaze in her grey eyes.  There was absolutely no anger or resentment in them and Navy was absolutely floored.

“Kendra, are you feeling alright?” She asked hesitantly, watching Kendra flash a grin at her.

“I’m more than alright.  I’m GREAT!” Kendra giggled, sounding like a school girl, and Navy couldn’t help blinking at her repeatedly.

“Kendra Diane, what is wrong with you?” Navy finally demanded, crossing her arms in front of her chest, grabbing Kendra’s shoulders and shaking her. “I stayed up, when I’m supposed to go to work in six hours, to apologize to you and you’re acting like a giddy moron!”

“I can’t help it.  Veya, the most amazing thing happened to me tonight.” Kendra was on a cloud, touching her still slightly swollen lips with her fingertips, giggling in almost disbelief. “I still can’t believe it happened.”

“You could stop talking in riddles anytime and just tell me.” Navy mumbled, clearly off her game with Kendra’s behavior, chewing her bottom lip nervously. “What happened?”

“I went to the rink for awhile after school today to work on my routine and when I walked out; you’ll never guess who was waiting for me!” Kendra got the biggest smile on her face, standing up from the couch, needing something to drink.

Navy was hot on her trail, eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Who was there?” She demanded, feeling her heart rate pick up suddenly, trying to stay calm. “Kendra!!”

“Jared.” Kendra answered, after downing an entire glass of water, her mouth still feeling dry and lips tingling from his kisses. “Navy, he’s absolutely amazing.  He was waiting for me when I walked out to make sure nobody else was messing with me.  He’s so warm too!  His body feels like it’s on fire and…”

“Wait…Wait…Wait a damn minute here!” Navy held her hand up to stop Kendra’s gushing, blinking. “Are you telling me that I stayed up waiting on you for nothing?”

“Well…no…I mean I had to tell someone and who better than my best friend?” Kendra retorted with that same dreamy smile, completely forgetting about their argument because of Jared. “Veya, I’ve never felt this way about anyone in my life.  He’s just…I don’t know how to describe him, but I already know I’m in love…”

“Okay now you’re really starting to freak me out.” This couldn’t be the same Kendra Diane Nelson who always believed true love didn’t exist and was an overachiever.  It couldn’t be because the girl standing before Navy right now was acting like a giddy little girl with a huge crush and had doe eyes. “I’m going to bed.  I’m sorry for what I said at school today.”

Kendra shook her head, stopping Navy by grabbing her arm. “No wait, you can’t go to bed yet!  I have to ask you something first.” She noticed how tired Navy was, sighing gently, squeezing her hand to let her know all was forgiven. “You’re going through a rough time right now and I shouldn’t have been so harsh.  I’m sorry too.”

“Thanks…” Navy still couldn’t believe how forgiving Kendra was being, wondering what exactly transpired between her and Jared, deciding she didn’t want to know after getting a rather sick image of them in her head. “What do you want to ask me?  Hurry up, I have to go to bed so I can get at least four hours of sleep before work.”

“What time do you get off of work tomorrow?”

“Noon, why?” Navy asked suspiciously, watching Kendra’s eyes light up like stars, swallowing hard.

“Well…Jared invited me down to La Push and he wants me to bring you.” Before Navy could protest, Kendra held her hand up. “Let me finish before you say no.” When Navy just stood there with pursed tight lips, Kendra knew this wouldn’t be easy, but she had to try. “The reason Jared wants you to come down to La Push with me is because Paul is going to be there.  You remember Paul right?”

It took Navy a minute to remember because of how exhausted she was from work, nodding. “He’s the one who crippled Martin.  What about him?” She asked rather gruffly, not really wanting to talk about this.

“He wants to meet you, Paul does I mean.  I promise, PROMISE, we won’t go near the Black place, Navy.  I just really want you to come and get out of the house and do something FUN besides work and doing school stuff.  Please?” Kendra clasped her hands together, big grey eyes widened with excitement.

“Kendra…” Navy hesitated, chewing her bottom lip, not having been down to La Push since that cold winter night she severed her friendship with Jacob Black. “I don’t know…you know how I feel about that place…”

“This is why I’m promising you that we won’t go near HIS place.” Kendra stated, placing her hands on Navy’s shoulders, staring deep in those tentative hazel eyes. “Please, Naveya, it would mean a great deal to me if you came with.  You need to get out of this house and live a little.”

No matter how much Navy wanted to deny Kendra, she knew she couldn’t, finally nodding resignedly.

“Fine, I’ll go with.”

Kendra grinned and hugged her best friend tightly, thanking her profusely for agreeing to go.  Navy cracked a timid smile in return, which felt foreign since she hadn’t smiled in the past few months, nodding before heading upstairs to bed.  Navy just hoped she wasn’t making a huge mistake by going down to La Push, wondering why this Paul wanted to meet her.

As soon as Navy walked out of the market the following day, Kendra was waiting for her in the Honda Civic, not at all surprised.  Kendra had on a long sleeved cream colored top that went past her hips, a black belt wrapped around the middle for style, and dark blue jeans with black boots.  Her hair was down in an angled style, having gotten dark red streaks in it a few days ago.  So now her hair looked nearly blood red and it fit her to perfection.

Navy slipped in the passenger seat and grunted when Kendra handed her a bag of clothes, grinning from ear to ear with sparkling grey eyes. “I figured you wouldn’t want to wear your work uniform down to La Push.” She stated before taking off, stopping at a local gas station so Navy could change.

The outfit was a simple deep blue fleece sweater with black jeans that flared at the bottom and black boots.  Navy hadn’t done her hair or makeup, refusing to do so because she wasn’t impressing anyone.  Grabbing a coffee –she needed the caffeine rush after only getting four hours of sleep- Navy walked out a few minutes later and slipped inside the car, buckling up.

“You look great.” Kendra complimented with a grin before pulling away, heading on the road toward La Push.  It would take about twenty minutes to get there and Navy simply sat back, trying to stifle a yawn. “You look exhausted, sweetie.  We won’t stay long.”

“Don’t worry about it.  Once this java kicks in, I’ll be good to go.” Navy promised with a small smile, sipping her coffee, trying not to think about Jacob Black.  That was hard considering she refused to take off the bracelet he’d gotten her for her eighteenth birthday.

Kendra laughed softly, nodding. “You and your java.” She hoped this trip did both of them good, already knowing she would have a great time with Jared.

Especially if the previous night’s events were any indication.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived in La Push and Navy was feeling a little more awake; sucking down a twenty ounce coffee would do that to a person.  She was awake and felt sick because Kendra passed the street where she’d normally turn to go the Black house, trying not to let the tears sting her eyes.  She missed Jacob so much that it physically hurt, closing her eyes, holding her hand up when Kendra asked if she was alright.

“I need a minute.” She whispered and Kendra fully understood why, simply nodding, driving the rest of the way in silence to the Tinsel residence.

Jared had somehow gotten her number and called her earlier that morning to make sure they were still on.  Kendra didn’t bother questioning him; the man was a complete mystery, which intrigued her even more.  Jared gave her the directions and said he couldn’t wait to see her, making Kendra’s heart leap nearly into her throat.

Navy was fine when they arrived and stepped out of the car, looking around, having never been to the different parts of the reservation.  Both girls had black winter headbands on with black coats –a Christmas present from Kevin- and matching gloves.  A gust of cold wind blew across Navy as she closed her eyes, having missed coming to La Push over the past few months.

“Hey sweets!”

Jared grinned as he walked out of the house, jumping from the top of the porch to right in front of her, once again shirtless.  He lifted her up and spun her around in circles, laughing when Kendra squealed out in surprise.  Setting her down, Jared cupped her throat very gently in his burning hand before kissing her passionately.  Kendra instantly forgot where she was and wrapped her arms around Jared’s neck, completely melting against him, just like she had the previous night.

“Jared, man, do you mind?” A low, gruff voice sounded from behind, causing Jared to break the kiss as he looked at Paul with narrowed eyes.

“Nope, don’t mind if I do.” He replied cheekily and Kendra laughed before their lips met again.

Navy slowly looked up at the owner of that deep voice, slowly walking around the car as Paul walked down the steps, shoving Jared away gently from Kendra.  She knew just by his voice this was Paul, the man who saved her from Rick Martin doing more damage, chewing her bottom lip nervously.  Paul immediately stopped as he looked over at the beautiful auburn haired beauty, remembering the last time he saw her she was beaten and battered.

It was nice to see her healthy without any bruises or injuries.

“Hi, I’m Paul…if you didn’t know.” He smiled gently, extending his hand to her, and Navy hesitantly stepped forward to slip hers into his.  It felt like her hand would singe through the thin fabric of her glove, staring deep into his dark friendly eyes.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Paul.” She replied softly, shaking his hand briefly, and released it as she looked around.

“We’ve already met, though last time wasn’t the best of circumstances.” He chuckled, trying to make a joke, frowning when she merely nodded at him. “Did you want to go for a walk?  I have a feeling our friends want to spend some time alone.”

“Sure.”

Navy followed Paul away from the house, both of them really not wanting to watch Jared and Kendra play tonsil hockey.  She sighed gently, the breeze blowing through her auburn hair gently, remembering when she would walk on the beach with Jacob.  Her heart filled with fresh pain and Navy suddenly stopped when she realized where they were headed, shaking her head.

“I’m sorry, I can’t.” She whispered, turning around and heading back to the car. 

Paul stopped her, gently grabbing her hand, forcing Navy to turn around to face him with tearful hazel eyes.  His heart instantly broke for her, knowing exactly what the cause of her pain was, wanting to rip Jacob Black apart.  Navy felt her bottom lip trembling and blinked, a few tears sliding down her face, just wanting to go back to Forks.  She didn’t want to be here, it hurt her too much as the memories flooded her of her and Jacob walking on the beach.

“Don’t leave.” Paul rumbled in that soothing low voice, feeling an overpowering protectiveness wash over him for this woman. “Please, don’t leave Naveya.”

“Navy.” She corrected him in a whisper, not trusting her voice at the moment, afraid it might crack.

“Navy.” Paul smiled, thinking that was a beautiful nickname, nodding. “We don’t have to walk on the beach.  Let’s walk through the woods.  I’ll protect you, I promise.”

Navy wondered what it was about Paul that made her trust him so easily, chalking it up to the fact this man saved her from possible death.  She didn’t know if Rick Martin would’ve stopped the beating, swallowing hard as the memory crashed over her.  Paul waited for her answer patiently, seeing how nervous she was, lacing their fingers together to show he meant no harm.

Without a word, Navy allowed Paul to guide her with him into the woods, both Jared and Kendra noticing.

“She’s still hurting.” Jared observed with a heavy sigh, looking down into Kendra’s worried eyes. “She really does love him doesn’t she?”

“In her words, unconditionally.” Kendra replied solemnly, warmed by Jared’s arms wrapped around her, resting her head against his chest. “I just wish she could heal and move on.  Jacob Black isn’t good enough for her.  She can do way better than him, but she doesn’t believe that.”

“Maybe Paul can help her see that.” Jared suggested, looking down at Kendra as their eyes locked, each of them thinking the same thing.

“Paul likes her.” It wasn’t a question; Kendra knew it by the look that came over Jared’s eyes, wondering how Navy would react to that once she found out. “How long?”

“Since he stopped Rick Martin from killing her.” Jared replied in a raspy voice, tightening his arms around her, eyes narrowed at the thought of that monster. “He’s been wanting to meet her, but we were forbidden…”

“You never did tell me why.” Kendra pointed out, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow, seeing the hesitation in his dark eyes. “In time, I know.”

“I will tell you, Kendra.  Once I know the right time.” Jared assured her, nuzzling Kendra’s neck, inhaling her intoxicating scent of sunflowers. “Come on; let’s go get to know each other better.” He began guiding her away from the house, just wanting some alone time with her.  “By the way, will you be my girlfriend?”

Kendra couldn’t help laughing at how subtle Jared sounded, nodding as she stood up on her tiptoes to kiss his lips softly. “I thought I was last night.” She winked, causing Jared to chuckle, lifting her in his arms and spun her around again.

Both of them hoped Paul could somehow open Navy’s heart and make her feel alive again.

Chapter 17

Navy sighed, wondering what she was doing here and how Kendra had convinced her to come.  She missed Jacob and it killed her to be in La Push without going to see him.  How was Navy supposed to heal from this if she couldn’t let him go?  Was Kendra out of her mind to bring Navy to the reservation, knowing Jacob was just down the street a little ways? 

She felt Paul’s hand squeeze hers gently, jolting her out of her thoughts, and slowly looked up at him as the tears once again shined in her eyes. “Paul…” She felt his finger press against her lips, his thumbs once again wiping the stray tears away.

“Relax, let’s just walk and talk.  You can tell me anything you want, I won’t pressure you.” Paul promised, pulling her slowly against him, eye contact never breaking. “Please don’t cry, Navy.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it.” She whispered, feeling Paul pull her into his arms, holding her against his burning body. “You’re so warm…”

Paul chuckled softly, nodding, and kissed the top of her head. “I know.” He murmured in a husky voice, slowly pulling back to stare into those hazel eyes. “I know we just met, but I already like you a lot, Navy.”

Navy swallowed hard at that confession, having not looked another man’s way since Jacob Black, sighing heavily as Paul laced their fingers together. “You do realize I’m damaged goods right?”

Paul snorted, rolling his eyes. “No, you just think you are.”

“Why do you say that?” She demanded with slightly narrowed eyes, walking with him further into the woods, slightly irritated.

“Navy, I’m not one to sugarcoat anything and I’m sure you know that.” Paul was a hothead; this is why he’d completely lost it and went too far with Rick Martin, even though he didn’t regret doing it. “I know you love him, but you have to realize something.  Jacob is a moron and he’s lovesick over this Swan girl.  You need to let him go and move on because honestly,” He turned around to face her, watching her blink as huge tears slid down  her face. “He’s not worth these.” He whispered that last part, wiping them away once more with his burning hands. “He’s not worthy of you, Naveya.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Navy could feel her chest constricting painfully and wrapped her arms around herself, shaking her head repeatedly. “No…No, it’s not true!”

“Yes it is!  Look at yourself, Naveya!”

“IT’S NAVY!!” She screamed, covering her ears with her gloved hands, not wanting to hear anything else Paul had to say. “Just stay away from me!”

Paul wasn’t letting her leave that easily and wrapped one strong arm around her waist, pressing her back against his chest, the heat searing through her thick winter coat. “No, I’m not letting you leave here until you come to the realization that Jacob Black is NOT good for you.” He stated, mouth right by her ear, feeling her trembling against him. “I won’t hurt you, Naveya.”

“It’s Navy.” She whispered as more tears fell, knowing there wasn’t any way to hide them from Paul.

“To me, you are Naveya.  I’m not calling you Navy like the others.” Paul stated, turning her around as their eyes locked again, her gloved hands pressing against his chest. “You have to stop holding these feelings inside before they completely destroy you.  He’s not worth it.  He’s not worth you not living your life and finding happiness because, obviously, he’s found it with Bella Swan.”

“Please stop…”

“No because you need to hear this.” Paul refused to let up, cupping her face in his strong hand. “Every tear that falls from your eyes is a piece he’s stealing from you, don’t you see that?  It’s time to move on and forget him.  Look at what’s standing right in front of you rather than what’s behind and what you can’t have.”

Navy tried in vain not to listen to him, but Paul wasn’t making it easy, especially when his voice dropped an octave and became deep.  She felt something stir inside of her and it felt strange, yet oddly good, his eyes never leaving hers.  She couldn’t help wondering what he meant by that last statement, feeling as though her heart would leap out of her chest from how hard it was pounding.

“What do you mean?” She finally whispered, asking the question that burned on her tongue since this whole conversation came about.

“Do you really want to know?” Paul asked in a huskier voice, his arm never unwinding from her waist, pressing her even closer to him, his hot breath on her ear as he breathed her scent in. “Do I really need to say it, Naveya?”

“Paul, I…”

His finger pressed to her lips, cutting her off, shaking his head slowly. “No, don’t say it because I already know you’re damaged and you still love him.  It’s not easy to forget something like that, but I can help you heal from it.  I’m a patient man and I know one thing.” He ran a finger down her cheek, the tears having subsided, which Paul was grateful for.

“What’s that?” She muffled against his finger, causing him to laugh, pulling it away reluctantly.

His eyes darkened slightly, guiding her back against the nearest tree.  He smirked, feeling how hard her heart pounded because he could hear it, taking her hand one by one and removing the gloves. “I want you.” He said it with such confidence and feeling that it brought a fresh batch of tears to Navy’s eyes. “I want every part of you and I know it’ll be a long road, but I’m willing to travel down it and wait patiently.” He removed her gloves and pressed them against his rock hard burning chest, his lips mere inches from hers. “I know I’m crazy to want this, Naveya, believe me I know it.  But it’s time for you to heal from this; you can’t pine forever for a guy who is too blind to see what’s right in front of him.  I’m not blind, I see you and I want every piece…no matter how long it takes.  No matter what I have to do.  And maybe it is hopeless, but damn it, I’m not backing down without a fight.”

Navy was speechless from how much passion she saw swirling through Paul’s dark eyes, feeling her mouth go incredibly dry.  Could she do this?  Could she honestly let him in and slowly allow him to help her forget about Jacob Black?

Maybe Paul is exactly what Navy needed in her life because it was obvious Jacob didn’t want anything to do with her.  She knew who he loved and it was time to move on, time to find her own happiness like Paul said.  This was the same man who saved her life, knowing Rick Martin would’ve killed her if he had half the chance that day. 

Was she strong enough to do this though? 

Could she overcome the heartache and pain Jacob Black made her feel for the past near year? 

There was only way to find out.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.” She finally said in a soft voice, watching the biggest smile cross Paul’s face, and couldn’t help reciprocating the gesture.  She slowly slid her hand up from his chest to his cheek, cupping it in her hand, those dark eyes completely full of promise and want. “You’re definitely a strange one, Paul.”

“So are you.” He retorted huskily, her touch feeling incredible against his heated skin, knowing he would have to tell her eventually his secret.  He placed his hand over hers, their fingers lacing together, and leaned down to press his forehead against hers. “I want to do something, Naveya.”

“Kiss me Paul.” She requested in a somewhat shaky voice, her body trembling from pure anticipation, watching his eyebrow slowly quirk. “Please kiss me; I want to feel loved again.”

Paul couldn’t deny her that request even if his ass was on fire, though right now a forest blaze was spreading throughout his body. “Whatever the beauty wants, the beauty gets.” He smirked when the roses in her cheeks bloomed to life and lowered his mouth to hers, softly kissing her soft lips.

Navy tensed for maybe three seconds before instantly relaxing against his body, feeling sparks erupt through her body.  She sighed against him, her hands gripping his arms for leverage.  Paul lifted her up in his arms, feeling her legs instantly wrap around his waist instinctively, not believing how light she was. 

She felt like a feather as he held her against his strong body, the kiss never breaking.  The cold wind was completely blocked out because of how scorching Paul’s body was against hers, though Navy was chalking it up to being lost in the moment.  She felt him lower himself on the ground to lean back against the tree, straddling his lap, feeling him unzip her winter jacket and pushing it from her body as his hands gripped her hips.

Navy moaned softly against his lips, his strong hands running up and down her back, and that just made her completely melt.  Her fingers buried in his hair, kissing him back with a fire she didn’t know existed within her.  It had built up ever since Navy realized how she felt for Jacob, but right now sitting in Paul’s arms, he was the furthest person from her mind. 

It was all Paul, the man who saved her life, the man who wanted every piece of her.

Paul groaned from low in his throat, his lips very reluctantly leaving hers as he began trailing warm wet kisses down her jaw line to the nape of her throat, his hands delving beneath the sweater she wore.  She was absolutely gorgeous and he’d been watching her for quite some time, including that night at Jacob’s when they had the bonfire.  Paul couldn’t believe how blind Jacob Black was not to see how much Navy truly loved him.

One man’s lost was another’s gain, though Paul didn’t consider Jacob Black a man fully yet. 

“Am I going too far, beauty?” He whispered in her ear, trying not to slide his hands further up her back because he’d end up tearing the fabric away.

“No.” She breathed, the passion haze completely clouding every rational thought right now, turning his face back as her lips met his again hungrily.

Paul didn’t believe her and pulled back, holding her hands captive against his chest, both of them breathing incredibly heavy. “Naveya, I don’t want to push you.  I want to take this incredibly slow with you.” He watched the smile spread on her lips and it was genuine, which nearly stopped Paul’s heart. 

She was so breathtaking; he couldn’t believe how sightless Jacob Black was not to see it…not to see her.

“I know.” She whispered, nodding in agreement, and felt him lace their fingers together. “So are you going to ask me?”

“Ask you what?” Paul asked perplexed, blinking when she began giggling, kissing his lips softly.

“You said you want every piece of me.  I don’t give myself to just a random guy, Paul…” She hoped he cottoned on, hazel eyes sparkling back at him, feeling more alive than she had in a year.

It took Paul a little while to catch what she was saying, chuckling from low in his throat, nodding. “Naveya Dawson, will you be my girlfriend?” He asked, causing the biggest smile to spread on her face, and Paul could swear she lit up the entire forest. 

Her long auburn locks flowed freely down her shoulders and back in soft natural loose curls, absolutely no makeup on her face.  She didn’t need any because she possessed natural beauty that Paul wanted to see every day.  Her skin was somewhat flushed, pale underneath, and her lips were red and swollen from his passionate kisses.  She was a complete angel in his eyes and Paul suddenly brought her lips to his again, kissing her breathless.

“Yes.” She breathed once the kiss broke again, causing her head to whirl, and rested her forehead gently against his. “I know I hardly know you, but I already fully trust you and I know you won’t hurt me.”

“You’re right on both accounts.” Paul nodded, refusing to screw this up because he planned on forcing Jacob Black completely out of Navy’s life.  “I won’t ever hurt you intentionally, beauty.  I promise.”

Navy knew what he meant by that and nodded, kissing him softly again, and looked up at the sky began growing dark. “We’d better get going, I know Kendra is getting worried.” She didn’t want to leave though, feeling Paul brush his lips against the spot just below her ear. “When will I see you again?”

“When do you want to see me again?” He retorted huskily, his voice sending tremors throughout her entire body, forcing Navy to tremble from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

“Is tonight too much to ask for?” Navy felt him pull back and loved how the smile spread on his soft lips, running the pad of her thumb across them. “I’m not ready to say goodbye to you yet, Paul.”

“You’ll never have to say goodbye to me, beauty.  I’m not going anywhere and I’m entirely yours.” Paul vowed, placing her hand over his heart. “From the moment I first saw you, you’ve had this, Naveya.  My heart is in your hands and what you do with it is your decision.”

“Paul…”

She moaned when his lips captured hers again, wrapping her arms around his neck, knowing eventually she could give him her heart.  The only problem was Jacob Black still had it captive and Navy vowed to somehow get it back.  Paul knew her heart belonged to someone else and he was fine with that, knowing if he worked at it hard enough and kept the patience, he would eventually be the only guy she thought about.

“Come on, we have to head back.” He whispered against her lips, standing up with her in his arms, and reluctantly slid her down his body until her feet landed on the ground. 

He helped her into her winter coat again, handing back the gloves and captured her lips softly with his one last time before guiding back through the forest.  Navy couldn’t help feeling tingles rush up her arm from his touch and soft kisses, laughing when he stole several more on the way back to Jared’s place.  Navy wondered how she was supposed to tell Kendra, though the woman was a pretty good judge when it came to what happened to Navy.  She would notice the haphazard hair, swollen lips, dazzled and piece the puzzle together.

“I’ll see you tonight, beauty.” Paul whispered, kissing her lips softly one last time, letting it linger. 

Kendra was going to flip when she found out what happened between Paul and Navy in the woods, though Navy didn’t regret it.  He then guided them fully back toward the red Honda Civic, where Jared had Kendra in a mean lip lock of his own.  Jared broke the kiss from Kendra and glanced over at Paul, instantly noticing how happy the man was, silently nodding his approval.

It turned out that meeting Paul was one of the best decisions Navy ever made in her young life.

Chapter 18

“NAVEYA!!” Kendra shouted, rushing into the house completely out of breath, heart pounding furiously in her chest.  Navy had stayed home from school that day because of a sinus infection, knowing shouting probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but right now she didn’t care. “NAVEYA!!”

Navy came stumbling down the stairs, holding her head, though right now it wasn’t throbbing like earlier that morning. “Dear god woman, where the hell is the damn fire?” She growled, hazel eyes narrowed slightly, wearing a long sleeved navy blue shirt with matching pajama pants.

“Cullens…”

Kendra couldn’t believe how out of shape she was considering how much time she spent skating.  Then again, running wasn’t a part of the regime as far as getting in shape for ice skating.  It was all about practice and perfecting moves, which was more than enough to get one in shape, even though some ice skaters did run laps to keep their cardio up.

Raising a very slow eyebrow, Navy walked down the rest of the stairs, following Kendra into the living room. “Take a few deep breaths and then tell me.  What about the Cullens?” They hadn’t heard that name in six months, it was the middle of March and spring was around the corner, even though their spring wasn’t like the others in the country.  It wasn’t as bad as winter, but snow still sprinkled every once in awhile.

“They’re back.” Kendra looked up at her best friend, watching her eyes widen slightly, nodding. “I saw them today at school.  They were sitting at the exact same table…including Edward Cullen.”

Navy swallowed hard, already suspecting Jacob had to know about this, especially when Kendra stated that Bella Swan had been sitting with them. “Wow…” She honestly had no other words for it, walking past Kendra into the kitchen, chewing her bottom lip. “She actually went back to him?”

“Yeah, isn’t that messed up?  That man practically ripped her to shreds when he left and as SOON as he comes back to town, she instantly goes back to him!” Kendra exclaimed, shaking her head in sheer disbelief, running a hand through her long blood red colored hair. “I couldn’t believe it.  I was dying to call and tell you, but I had to make up a test with Mr. Sachel.”

Navy nodded, not surprised by that considering Kendra had been sick the week before with the flu virus.  It took her nearly a week to get back to normal and she missed three days of school because of high fevers.  It wasn’t pretty and Jared had been over here every day to tend to her.  Kevin was busy getting his hockey team ready for the state championships coming up in April and Navy did what she could to help Kendra as much as possible.

She couldn’t believe her and Paul had been dating a little over a month and Navy had never been happier in her life.  She mostly saw him on the weekends, though that was perfectly fine because she still worked as much as she could at the local market.  Schooling was becoming a little more challenging what with projects due and whatnot, but Navy was balancing it pretty well all things considered.

It helped she had a very supportive and understanding boyfriend.

“Well it’s her decision and, if Edward Cullen makes her happy, that’s all that matters.” Navy replied with a soft smile, having completely changed ever since meeting Paul.  He made her feel alive and wanted, cherished, three things Navy never felt from another man besides her father in her life.

“I know I shouldn’t bring this up, but I need to know.” Kendra was hesitant, looking at Navy with knowing grey eyes. “What are you going to do about Jacob if he decides to contact you?”

Navy sighed heavily, having a sinking feeling Kendra would bring that subject up. “It’s taken me a long time, but I’m finally starting to understand that he won’t see me the way I want him too, Dra.  And I’m really happy with Paul.  Jacob won’t contact me anyway, he’s probably still chasing Isabella around.”

Kendra smiled, satisfied with that answer and snagged a piece of banana bread that Navy baked the previous night, winking. “So I take it you called off of work today?” She watched Navy reluctantly nod, a small scowl on her lips. “Oh lord what happened?”

“Paul made me.” Navy grunted, spreading the butter on the pieces of banana bread, popping it into her mouth. “Don’t think I didn’t put up a fight.  He actually took my cell, called my boss and proceeded to tell him I would not be in today because I’m sicker than a dog.  Then he hung it up and grinned at me with those damn eyes.”

By now, Kendra was rolling, holding her stomach from laughing so hard.

“Wow!  You actually LET him do that without castrating him?” Kendra asked into between gasps of breath, laughing harder when Navy just scowled deeper. “Remind me to give him a big hug the next time I see him.  That’s too great!”

“No it’s not because now Tom is going to walk up to me tomorrow when I go in and probably demand why my boyfriend had to call me off.” Navy was not looking forward to that, feeling Kendra’s wrap around her shoulders, rolling her eyes when the woman just laughed even harder. “It’s not funny, Dra.  This is not at all amusing.”

“The hell it isn’t!  That’s priceless!  I can totally see Paul snatching your phone and saying ‘this is Naveya’s boss right?  Yeah this is her boyfriend and I’m calling to inform you that she will not be coming into work today because she’s sicker than a dog.  Thanks.’ Click.” Kendra stated in a horrible rendition of Paul’s voice and had tears stinging her eyes from laughing so hard, especially when Navy flipped her off.

“Have I told you lately to kiss my ass?” Navy grunted, wrapping the rest of the banana bread up, and placed it on the microwave as she walked into the kitchen. 

“No and, as enticing as that offer is, I’d rather kiss Jared’s ass.” Kendra retorted with a devious smirk.

“I think I just lost my appetite.”

Kendra was rolling again and had to run to the bathroom before she pissed herself.

Navy just shook her head and proceeded to eat her snack, refusing to let her best friend get to her.  She had to admit that was a pretty good comeback, chuckling softly, and turned the television on.  After Kendra was through messing with her, she headed off to the hockey rink, promising not to be out too late.

“Uh huh, you say that every time and every time you come home after midnight.” Navy snorted when Kendra flipped the bird this time, reciprocating the motion.

“Right back atcha babe.”

Kendra laughed and slipped into her red Honda Civic, pulling out of the driveway, knowing Navy was right.  Navy watched her drive off and sighed gently, throwing her paper plate away while sipping her Arizona lemon iced tea.  She was addicted to it, though she also had a bottle of water to keep herself hydrated, the medication taking a lot out of her.

“I better be better by tomorrow.” She mumbled, laying down on the couch, and closed her eyes as the darkness instantly consumed her.

A few hours later, a loud abrupt knock sounded on the front door and Navy snapped her eyes open, yawning loudly.  She glanced at the clock, frowning, seeing it was well past ten o’clock, not believing how much she slept.  Sitting up, Navy groaned as she cracked her neck and stood up, groaning when the banging became even louder.

“Yeah, yeah hold your damn horses!” She called out, blowing her nose with some tissues she grabbed on the way, unbolting the door and opening it.  Her heart nearly lunged in her throat at the visitor, every part of her body temporarily going numb. “What are you doing here?”

Jacob Black stood there in just a pair of cut off black jean shorts with no shirt on, his once long satin locks completely cut off.  He had short hair, which shocked Navy because she never thought in a million years he’d ever get his hair cut.  That wasn’t all she noticed had changed on Jacob either, though her eyes were too busy bugging out of her head from the mere presence of him. 

It’d been nearly four months and he had changed considerably, especially with the fresh tattoo on his right bicep.  It looked like some kind of tribal marking and then Navy realized something…it was the exact same one Paul had in the exact same place.  Come to think of it, the more she looked over Jacob Black, who once had been the most important person –aside from her father- in her life, the more he looked nearly identical to what Paul usually did.

Then it hit her like a ton of bricks.

He must’ve also had the gene.

Two weeks into their relationship, Paul had told Navy about his deep dark secret, refusing to start it out hiding something.  He took her to the cliff, refusing to go to the beach because he knew that was her special place with Jacob Black.  He wanted no part of their past, just wanting to focus on them and the future. 

Paul took her hands in his and told her to have an open mind, that what he was about to tell her would probably be unbelievable at first, but he had no reason to make up stories or lie to her.  Navy nodded and assured him she trusted him fully and would believe anything he told her.  Then Paul dropped the bomb about the legend of the Quileute tribe being descendents of wolves. 

Navy remembered Billy Black telling that story when her and Jacob were younger, having never forgotten it because it was so mystifying.  To find out that the legend was actually true and knowing Jacob Black was a part of the tribe, was overwhelming to say the last, but Navy handled it like a pro.  She simply cupped Paul’s face in her hand and kissed his lips softly, telling him she believed what he said.

Paul was confounded and made absolutely sure she did, finally asking why she wasn’t as shocked as he thought she should be.

Then Navy told him about Billy Black telling her the legend of the Quileute tribe.  Apparently, Billy Black didn’t have the gene because the only thing that could bring out the gene in the selected tribe members was vampires.  Navy believed that fully, finally grasping onto the concept of the Cold Ones. 

That’s what the Quileute tribe referred to them as…or bloodsuckers…and then Paul dropped another bombshell on her that Navy didn’t expect.  The Cullens were the Cold Ones that the tribe made the treaty with.  Paul made Navy promise not to go near them off of school grounds, not liking the fact she went to Forks High School with the bloodsuckers, but there was nothing that could be done to change that.

“Hey Nave.” Jacob greeted gruffly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, not believing it’d been four long months since he last saw her.

“Hey.” Navy honestly didn’t know what else to say to him, feeling awkward right now, and wrapped her arms around herself.

“I need to talk to you, can you come out here for a minute?” Jacob asked, his tone implicating he wasn’t sure what was going to happen, and Navy knew why. 

“Sure, let me grab my coat and shoes.” She stated evenly and slipped her red coat on with fluffy blue slippers, walking out to stand on the porch. “What do you want, Black?”

Jacob knew he deserved the cold shoulder from Navy, honestly not blaming her a bit, though she’d been the one who slapped him.  That didn’t matter anymore, that’s not why he came here and Jacob had to focus.  His eyes stared into her cold hazel orbs, taking a step back, knowing she probably wanted nothing to do with him.

“I came here to talk to you about Paul.” He watched her eyebrow raise, not sure how to say this as he paced back and forth, raking a hand through his hair. “Nave…”

“It’s NAVY.” She corrected him hastily, lips pursed tightly together, not caring that pain shot through his dark eyes. “And I don’t care what you have to say about Paul.  Just do it fast because I’m sick and I can’t be out here that much.”

“I thought I told you to stay away from the guys?  Did you not hear me the first time I told you they were dangerous?  Kendra too!” Jacob had found all of this out that day, wondering how the hell Jared and Paul kept the fact they were dating his two pale face friends, growling. “You two need to end things with them immediately.  They are dangerous and you could seriously get hurt, Naveya.”

Navy actually looked incredulous, wondering if he was serious, a disbelieving look coming over her eyes. “You are unbelievable, Jacob Black.” She stated heatedly, trying hard not to lose her temper or let the tears burn her eyes. “Let me get this straight: I don’t hear from you for FOUR months…FOUR DAMN MONTHS…and you have the audacity to come over here and ORDER me to leave Paul all because you think he’s DANGEROUS?!” Before Jacob could talk, Navy held her hand up as a few tears slid down her face, the anger radiating from every pore of her body. “SHUT UP!  Don’t you DARE say a word to me!  You think just because Isabella Swan went back to that bloodsucker that I’m just going to welcome you back in my life with open arms?!  Jacob Black, you can go square to fucking HELL if you think for a SECOND I’m leaving Paul just because you don’t like the fact  that I finally found someone who wants me!!”

Jacob blinked, the shock registering on his face, wondering how the hell she knew about the Cullens being vampires. “How did you know…” He stopped talking when her hand rose again, scowling, not believing how she was treating him. “Naveya Dawson, don’t you dare…”

“FUCK YOU!!  You broke my heart time and time again, Jacob Black!  I tried SO hard and SO many times to tell you how I felt, to SHOW you how much I loved you, and you didn’t see it!!  You don’t see anything except your own selfish wants!!  You wanted that bloodsucker lover and, guess what, Jacob?  Just like I told you that night at your house, she doesn’t WANT you and NEVER will!!” Navy was getting the feelings off of her chest that she’d kept bottled up for a very long time, forgetting when she actually fell for this boy standing before her.

“Shut up, Dawson!” Jacob growled, feeling every tendon in his body light on fire, the anger beginning to consume him. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!!”

“Yes I do and you know what the worst part is?” When Jacob simply glared spitefully at her, Navy felt another wave of anger consume her. “You will NEVER see the light.  You will NEVER fully understand what it means to love someone unconditionally to the point where you give up EVERYTHING to try being with them.  You keep chasing her and watch how fast the Cullens take you down, Jacob Black!!” She blinked as huge tears slid down her face, the true heartache shining in her hazel eyes that she’d blocked out for the past month. “I loved you so much, Jacob.  I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life, young or not, and have you be the one to hold and kiss me…to LOVE me.  I would’ve given up everything for you to just look at me ONCE the way you look at her, a woman you will NEVER have because her heart belongs to someone else.  It’s like my boyfriend said to me a month ago before we started dating: you don’t see what’s right in front of you, only what’s behind you.” She turned around and began walking back inside, but stopped to turn and face him, the tears never stopping. “Oh and by the way, Paul told me all about the legend being true because we don’t keep secrets from each other.”

Leaving Jacob standing on the porch in pure bewilderment, Navy stormed back into the house and slammed the door shut, finally allowing the sobs to overtake every part of her body.

Would she ever stop loving Jacob Black?

Chapter 19

“April showers bring May flowers my ass!” Kendra snorted, shaking her head as she drove down the road toward the reservation. “Whoever came up with that phrase needs to have their ass kicked so hard.”

Navy blinked, not expecting to hear that from Kendra, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Wow, someone is bitter.” She commented, causing Kendra to roll her eyes heavenward.

“You don’t know the half of it.  I’m just so sick of this rainy weather.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the rain, but not twenty four seven.”

“I don’t mind it.” Navy shrugged, having grown accustomed to the rain, looking out the window as she sighed gently.

They were on their way to the reservation for a small get together at Emily’s house.  Emily was Sam Uley’s beautiful fiancée and the girls had only met her once before.  She was a complete sweetheart with a heart of gold and the fact that half of her face was scarred –Sam lost it one night and phased on her standing too close- made her that much more beautiful.  Emily called them her badges of honor and assured both of them she loved Sam unconditionally.

Navy wore a simple pair of dark blue hip hugger jeans with a long sleeved wine colored top, her auburn locks hanging down her back and over her shoulders in loose curls.  She had dark blue eyeliner with clear gloss, no foundation needed, and fingered the bracelet around her wrist she tried so many times to take off.  No matter how hard she tried, even after telling Jacob Black off a little over two months ago, Navy couldn’t find the strength to remove it.  When Paul asked who gave it to her, Navy told him the truth and Paul completely understood why she still wore it.

Kendra wore a long jean skirt that went past her knees, flaring out with black lace trim on the hem, with a long sleeved blood red sweater that went past her hips, a black buckle around it for style and left her shoulders bare.  Her hair was pulled back in a French twist with black eyeliner and clear gloss on her lips.  She looked breathtaking as always, though Navy had never once been jealous of her sister.  There was no reason to be, especially since Kendra didn’t let her beauty go to her head like other bimbos.

The red Honda Civic pulled up a few minutes later to Emily’s place, parking in front of the house since there wasn’t a driveway, both girls stepping out.  Paul and Jared had both heard the car and walked out of the house, actually having shirts on.  Paul had a black beater while Jared opted for a white one, both colors contrasting well with their skin.  They had their usual cut off shorts and sneakers on and Kendra instantly went to Jared, kissing him breathless.  Paul met Navy halfway, wrapping her up in his strong arms, and kissed her lips very softly.

“Hey beauty.” He whispered against her lips, causing her to smile brightly, hazel eyes shining up at him. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” She murmured, kissing him softly again, and immediately pulled back by the troubled look in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Paul hated how well she could read him, still not believing they’d been dating nearly four months. “There’s something I need to tell you before you-”

“What the HELL is SHE doing here??” Kendra growled angrily, grey eyes instantly becoming stormy as she glared daggers at Jared. “Are you KIDDING me?!”

Navy blinked, seeing how angry Kendra was and watched the hesitation wash over Paul’s face, feeling something bubbling inside of her stomach. “What’s going on?  Tell me right now, Kendra.”

Kendra couldn’t believe this and extracted herself hastily from Jared’s arms, trying not to let the others inside overhear their conversation, and grabbed Navy’s hand.  She pulled her aside, knowing this was going to kill her best friend, wishing she didn’t have to the one to break this news.  Paul was obviously not going to do it so Kendra had to take the initiative.

“Isabella Swan is here with Black.” Kendra informed Navy and bit her bottom lip, waiting for any type of reaction.

As much as it hurt to hear that, Navy was not at all surprised and simply nodded, smiling reassuringly. “I’m fine, Dra, really.  There’s no reason for me to be upset because I have a wonderful boyfriend and we’re here to have a great time.” Navy chuckled at the perplexed look on Kendra’s face, hugging her close. “I’m really alright with this, sweetie.  It’s his decision.”

Kendra had expected several reactions and all of them ending violently with tossing Isabella Swan’s body into the ocean.  She stared deep into Navy’s hazel eyes and smiled, very proud of her for not letting this get to her.  Maybe Paul was helping her move on and forgetting Jacob Black ever existed, breathing a huge sigh of relief.

“Are you sure you’re alright, beauty?” Paul asked, wrapping his arm around her waist, turning her around to face him. “I didn’t know about this, I swear.  Jacob just showed up with her and pissed everyone off because she smells horrible from those bloodsuckers.” Paul wrinkled his nose, instantly calming down when she touched the side of his face gently.

“I’m fine, come on.  I want to go see Emily.” Navy kissed his lips and took his hand, their fingers laced together, and walked into the house. 

Everyone was hesitant as soon as Navy walked through the front door and she had the biggest smile on her face, winking up at Paul. “Hey you guys.” She greeted softly, Kendra walking in moments later with Jared, who was sticking to her like glue.

“Hey Navy.” Sam greeted, walking over to give her a hug, knowing she was the only one who didn’t see the deathly glare he shot Jacob. “How are you sweetheart?”

“I’m fine, glad graduation is gone.” Navy had graduated a week ago with Kendra and Isabella Swan, all of them in the same class. “School really kicked me in the teeth this past semester.” She replied, causing a round of uneasy chuckles to resonate around the house. “So, what’s for dinner?”

“I made a casserole, hope you’re hungry.” Emily replied gently, wanting to kick Jacob in the teeth for inviting Bella Swan to this get together. “Have a seat, make yourself comfortable.”

Jacob watched from across the room as Paul guided Navy over to the kitchen table, pulling a chair out for her, and folded his arms in front of his chest hastily.  Bella was standing beside him, not saying a word, knowing the pack wasn’t thrilled with her being here.  She wore a simple pair of jeans with a long sleeved white shirt that had roses all over it, a brown jacket over since she felt the chill from everyone in the house.  Her mahogany hair was down, which didn’t help because she wreaked something fierce.  Of course, to Navy and Kendra she smelled fine and Jacob was dealing with the scent the best he could, knowing it would vanish sooner or later.

“You remember Bella Swan, right Nave?” Jacob piped up, causing her cool to hazel eyes to meet his, arching a black eyebrow.

“She went to our school and graduated with us, so of course I know who she is, Black.  And it’s Navy, remember?” She smirked when Paul whispered something in her ear, giggling softly, and sighed as his arms wrapped around her shoulders comfortingly.

Jacob scowled, eyes narrowed, not liking how close Paul was holding Naveya, wanting to attack him right then and there. “Jacob, calm down.” Bella ordered, already feeling the anger leaking from every pore of Jacob’s body.

“Here’s a question for you, Black.” Kendra couldn’t keep her mouth shut anymore and stood up from the table, eyes narrowed. “You seem really bothered by the fact that Navy and I are dating two of your fellow pack members.  Now, forgive me if I’m wrong, but you came to Navy a little over two months ago and told her how dangerous Paul and Jared were to us.  Yet, you stand there with a girl who is supposedly in danger of you because of what you are.  Am I right or are you just one big hypocrite?”

Sam had to bit his lip hard to keep from laughing because he knew Kendra was exactly right.  Emily was snorting into her cup of juice and the guys all had to go outside to keep from bellowing out in laughter.  Navy was burying her face in Paul’s chest, who was sitting right beside her, shoulders shaking because of how hard she was laughing as well.

All Jacob could do was stand there and blink in shock at Kendra, for once not having anything smart to retort.

Bella shifted uncomfortably against the wall, chewing her bottom lip nervously.

“I rest my case and, for future reference Black, the next time you warn us away from something or someone, make sure you’re not double dipping if you know what I mean.  I’m going outside for some air.” Kendra kissed Jared’s lips and walked out, not able to stand being in the same room as Isabella Swan.

“You know she has a point.” Sam stated knowingly, already liking Kendra, hoping Jared kept her around for a long time.  He knew Jared would because he’d already imprinted on Kendra and was waiting for the right time to tell her. 

Jared excused himself because he was laughing too hard and walked outside to join his girlfriend. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Black so shell shocked in my life!” He crowed, wrapping an arm around Kendra’s shoulders, shaking his head. “Have I told you how much I love you?”

“Only every day.” Kendra grinned from ear to ear, not at all regrettable by what she said, folding her arms in front of her chest. “I’m sorry, but that really pissed me off.  Navy was really hurt that he came over just to try demanding us to stop seeing you guys.  Like that really was gonna happen, number one.  And number two, he’s STILL pining for that bloodsucker lover.  It makes me physically sick.”

“Believe me, Kendra, you’re not the only one.” Embry stated, shaking his head. “When Jacob walked up holding her hand, we all had to fight from phasing because she reeks of those bloodsuckers.”

“Yeah, I can just imagine.  She also reeks of shit because I can smell it all over her.” Kendra snorted, causing another round of laughter to spread throughout the group. “He has no idea what he’s doing to Navy by bringing her here.”

“I thought Navy wanted to be with Paul?” Quil demanded, folding his arms in front of his chest, eyes narrowed. “Please tell us she’s not a user too.”

“No of course not!  I asked Navy point blank what she would do if Jacob came back into her life and she told me that she’s finally come to the realization that he’ll never feel the same way about her as he does THAT.” Kendra refused to use her name and walked off of the porch, needing to feel the cold rain slap her face a few times to calm down. “He’s got a lot of nerve bringing her here KNOWING Navy was going to be here tonight.”

Meanwhile, back inside the house, Navy decided she knew what she had to do and stood up from the table, smiling softly at Isabella Swan. “Do you mind if we talk for a second?” She asked, ignoring Jacob’s protective stance that he used to have for her. “Please?”

Bella looked extremely hesitant, looking up at Jacob, and slowly nodded as she walked outside with Navy.  Everyone parted as soon as they arrived on the porch, staring at Navy worriedly.  Navy looked over her shoulder at Kendra, silently asking her to tag along, both girls walking into the woods with Bella.

“Uh oh, should we follow them?” Jared asked hesitantly, causing both Paul and Sam to shake their heads at the same time.

“Jacob, don’t even think about it.” Sam ordered in a deep voice, knowing he had to listen to what the alpha of the pack said.

Jacob scowled harder and kept quiet.

“What’s this about?” Bella demanded as soon as they were a little ways away from the house.

Navy turned around slowly to face the woman who stole her best friend away from her, taking a deep breath. “I’m going to make this short and sweet.  And I want you to pay very close attention because I don’t repeat myself.  Do you understand?” When Bella nodded timidly, Navy’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell do you think you’re doing with Jacob?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Oh bullshit you don’t!” Kendra snapped, already knowing why Navy brought Bella out here to talk to her, folding her arms in front of her chest. “You’re with Edward Cullen, the bloodsucker, right?”

“His name is Edward.” Bella scowled, not appreciating the tone Kendra Nelson was using with her, turning her attention back to Navy. “And yes I am.”

“Then why are you here with Jacob holding his hand and acting like you’re with him?” Navy demanded, raising an eyebrow at Bella, who immediately began flushing a deep red.

“I’m not…”

“Look Bella, I have nothing against you all things considered.  But I am warning you right now, if you’re using Jacob Black for your own sick and twisted amusement, you better stop right now.  I don’t care if we are fighting, the fact that you’re here is still instilling hope inside of him that you two have a chance together.  If that’s not the case, you need to stay away from him.  You’re hurting him for your own selfish reasons and he’s still my best friend.  I love him with all of my heart and that will never change.  But I swear to god, Isabella Swan, you better knock this back and forth crap off with my best friend or I will bring you DOWN.  Do you understand me?” Navy’s eyes were blazing with fire, watching Bella swallow incredibly hard, knowing her words cut deep. “And that’s not a threat, it’s a damn promise.”

“He’s my best friend too and I’ll hang out with him if I want.” Bella stated in a forceful tone, chocolate brown eyes narrowed to slits. “He’s my sun, the reason why I lived after Edward left me.  I can’t just forget about that and move on.  I don’t know who I want, but I’m trying to figure that out.”

“Well, let me tell you one thing, you’re breaking Jacob’s heart every time you come down here and leave to go back to that bloodsucker.  Edward completely ripped you apart, shattered you when he left Bella and, yet instead of choosing the man who pieced you back together, you chose the man who damn near destroyed you.” Kendra stated, her voice even and low, completely agreeing with everything Navy. “And every time you’re with Jacob, using him like you have been, you’re hurting MY sister and that don’t fly with me.  So you better figure out what you want and fast before we both decide to make the decision for you.  And don’t even THINK about sending your precious Cullens after us because you know damn well the wolf pack will tear them apart if they even TOUCH a human.  And Navy and I are human.”

“Are we done here?” Bella demanded, really wanting to end this conversation, lowering her head to keep from lashing out at them. “Just so both of you know, it’s Jacob’s decision if he wants me to be here and I can’t change that.  So think about that the next time you two decide to threaten someone.” She flipped her hair practically in their faces, moving her left hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and gasped when Navy suddenly shot out to take it. “What are you-”

Navy’s heart completely shattered as she stared at the item around Isabella Swan’s left wrist, the tears already sliding down her cheeks.  “That mother fucker…” Kendra hissed, her eyes widened in pure shock, covering her mouth with her hand. “Navy…”

Bella’s eyes moved to Navy’s right wrist and felt sick to her stomach, both of them having matching bracelets. “Where did you get this?” Navy asked through gritted teeth, Bella snatching her wrist out of the woman’s grasp, looking scared to death by the look that came over Navy’s eyes.

“Jacob…he gave it to me at my graduation party a few days ago…”

Navy didn’t say a single word to her and stormed past Bella out of the woods, practically ripping the bracelet off of her wrist.  The guys could feel the anger radiating off of her as Navy stormed past all of them toward Jacob, who was talking quietly to Sam.  She hurled the bracelet as hard as she could at Jacob, nailing him right in the face, followed by the loudest and hardest smack to the face Navy could muster up.

“I HATE YOU!!  I HATE  YOU SO MUCH, JACOB BLACK!!” She screeched, Kendra instantly coming up behind her to pull her away from Jacob, who was rubbing his cheek angrily. “YOU GAVE HER THE SAME BRACELET AS ME?!  HOW THE HELL COULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!  DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LOW I FEEL RIGHT NOW, KNOWING THAT BRACELET MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING?!”

Paul wanted to rip Jacob’s head clean off of his shoulders and it showed, a snarl ripping from his mouth, though Sam was trying to calm him down. “You did WHAT?!” He growled menacingly, causing Jacob to look down at the bracelet, the guilt instantly coming over his features.

“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal…” Jacob muttered, clearly embarrassed by this outburst from Navy, eyes narrowing to slits back at her. “It’s not MY fault you can’t get it through your head I love Bella and not you!”

Navy couldn’t take it anymore and broke free from Kendra’s grasp, running as far away from Emily’s as she could. “I didn’t think you could sink any lower, but obviously I was wrong.  You better NEVER come on my property again or I’ll have a sawed off shotgun waiting to blow your ass AWAY!” Kendra shouted before taking off after her best friend, not caring about anything else, knowing Navy was on the verge of having a complete breakdown.

Chapter 20

“What are you doing here?”

This sounded like déjà vu as he stood in front of her, arms folded in front of his massive chest, staring down at her through those dark eyes. “I’m here to see you.” His deep husky voice stated, staring into those cold hazel eyes that were once filled with warmth.

“Well, I don’t want to see you.” Navy retorted and went to slam the door in his face, scowling when his foot caught it to prevent it from doing so. “Go away.”

“No, I’m not leaving, not until we talk.” He shot back stubbornly, stepping inside the apartment out of the cold, even though it didn’t affect him in the slightest.

“There’s nothing to talk about.” Navy absolutely refused to acknowledge his presence, walking back into the kitchen to retrieve her tea. “I told you everything I needed to say.”

“I know, that’s why I need to be the one who talks this time.” He stepped closer to her, watching her lean against the counter staring down at the cup of tea, frowning because of how much pain he caused her. “Nave…”

“Please go away, Jacob.” She whispered agonizingly, the tears already stinging her eyes, and felt him slowly take her hand in his own. “Haven’t you caused me enough pain?”

Jacob sighed heavily, knowing he couldn’t leave without talking to her to first, slowly turning her shoulders until her tearful eyes met his. “I know I’ve hurt you, Nave, and I’m so sorry for that.  Please, I just need to talk to you about some things.  I know what Paul did to you.”

“It was out of his control.” Navy muttered, stepping away from him, knowing his touch was already bringing those old sensations back that only Jacob Black could cause her to feel. “Fine, you want to talk?  Let’s talk.” She walked past him out of the kitchen and into the living room, setting her cup of tea down on a coaster.

Jacob followed silently, wearing a long sleeved black thermal shirt with dark blue jeans, his hair still cropped short, which Navy still couldn’t get used to.  She had to admit though, only to herself, that he looked better with short hair.  No matter what happened in the past, no matter how much pain and heartache Jacob caused her, Navy still loved him, not understanding why.

She probably never would either.

“How are you holding up?” Jacob asked, knowing he was only partially the reason why Navy decided to leave Forks and move to Seattle with Mark. “Nave…”

“I’m fine okay?” She snapped, leaning back against the black leather recliner, curling her feet beneath her.  It was practically a blizzard outside and Navy knew it didn’t bother Jacob because his body ran between one hundred eight and one hundred nine degrees.

“No you’re not because, if you were, you wouldn’t be snapping at me like you are.” Jacob shot back with a snort, leaning back against the couch, refusing to budge unless she decided to move. “He didn’t mean to hurt you…”

“He didn’t.” Navy lied, staring down at the cup of tea she held, gripping it tightly because she was trying so hard to keep the tears from falling.

“Yes he did, stop lying to me.  I don’t care if we haven’t been friends for awhile, I still know you better than you think.” Jacob stated with a smug tone to his voice, arching a challenging eyebrow.

Navy scoffed with a roll of her eyes, sitting up to set her tea down. “Fine, you’re right, he did hurt me,” She paused, seeing the triumphant look cross Jacob’s features. “But nothing compared to how much you did.”

Jacob flinched, the cockiness instantly deteriorating, his dark eyes lowering to his lap. “I didn’t know I was hurting you, Nave.  He did.” He tried countering, not really wanting to talk about what happened between them, but knew it would happen sooner or later.

“Right again, but at least he was honest with me about everything, Jacob.  He didn’t have to be.  He could’ve kept me on the side while being with Rachel, but he didn’t because he loves her.  He imprinted on her and I accept that because, honestly, I would never be able to give him what she can.” Navy explained evenly, trying not to show any emotion, but also not removing her eyes from him.

Two months after that fateful night at Emily’s, Paul came to Navy with news about Rachel being back in town from college.  He’d explained to her what imprinting was, which was basically more powerful than love at first sight.  Paul admitted as soon as he saw Rachel again, he imprinted on her and would never love anyone as much as her. 

It hurt Navy, but she wasn’t angry with him or anything, and wished him well.  He didn’t cheat on her with Rachel because he wasn’t that type of man and Rachel was very lucky to have him.  Navy knew no matter the circumstances, no matter what, Jacob would always have her heart and was doomed to find love.

She left Forks that night on a fairly warm July evening and never looked back, having already spoken with the Nelson’s about moving to Seattle to live with her father.  Mark welcomed her with open arms, glad to have her back with him, and Navy knew this is where she belonged.  She’d stayed in Forks for her own selfish reasons and stupidity…truly believing she had a shot at being with Jacob Black, even though she knew all along it would never happen.

“Why did you leave Forks?” Jacob asked gruffly, looking up at her finally, watching as she blinked and huge tears slid down her face, his heart giving a painful lurch.

“Why do you think, Jacob?” She choked out, standing up from the chair, wiping her tears away angrily. “Please just leave.” She went to walk upstairs and felt a hand grab her arm, knowing Jacob was stopping her from walking away from him like he had done to her so many times.

“No, I’m not done talking to you yet, Nave.” He stated, sighing when she ripped her arm out of his grasp, eyes narrowing slightly. “Why are you always so damn stubborn?”

“I take after my mother.” Navy snapped and headed up the stairs, knowing Jacob would be hot on her trail. “I mean it; you need to leave right now, Black.” The apartment had two floors to it, technically it was a condo and she had the entire upstairs to herself. “Why are you even here?”

“To talk to you.” Jacob replied, refusing to let her on anymore details…at least not yet. “Nave, things ended badly between us and I had to see you.”

Navy sighed heavily, walking into her bedroom that overlooked the Seattle skyline, sitting on her dark blue comforter, bending her knees up to press against her chest. “Shouldn’t you be busy with Isabella Swan?” She shot back callously, the malice dripping in her tone of voice, not able to hold back asking him that question. “Since she’s your entire world.”

“Bella is no longer a part of my life.” Jacob said softly, causing Navy’s head to snap up, staring into his eyes in somewhat shock.

“What do you mean?” Navy wiped her tears away, looking away from him, that glimmer of hope sparking within her and she tried in vain to put it out. “What do you mean she’s not a part of your life anymore?”

Jacob sighed heavily, shoulders slumping in defeat, knowing he would have to tell Navy what happened. “You were right about everything.” He admitted, walking over to stare out the window, glad the roof was tall enough to where he wouldn’t smack his head on it. “Soon after that night at Emily’s, Bella’s life became in danger because of a bloodsucker named Victoria and an army of newborns she spawned.  They came to Forks because Victoria wanted revenge for Cullen killing her lover over Bella.  Something like that, I don’t fully remember the details.  The only thing I cared about at the time was keeping Bella safe.”

Navy really didn’t feel like hearing this, but had a feeling she didn’t have a choice, simply leaning back against her headboard remaining silent.

“Cullen and I took her up to the mountains and a huge snow storm hit and it was just the three of us.  I ended up having to keep Bella warm because of my body temperature while Cullen watched in jealous torment.  It was amusing.” Jacob chuckled, remembering thinking several rather positions he would’ve liked seeing Bella in while they were zipped up in that sleeping bag. “Anyway, that following morning…I found out that Cullen asked Bella to marry him and she accepted.  I was heartbroken and wanted to die, Naveya, because I truly thought she would choose me in the end.  So I played one final card and it was ruthless, but I had to try.  I told her Cullen wasn’t the only one who could be self-sacrificing and she thought I meant I would get myself killed by the newborns.  Then I told her to give me a reason to stay with her and she told me to kiss her.  So I did and…I went to fight anyway and left her standing there in tears, wanting her to feel a sliver of the pain she caused me by choosing that bloodsucker over me.  But you were right, she loves that bloodsucker unconditionally and they’re planning the wedding as we speak.

“What did you do?” Navy whispered, not believing the story she was hearing, remembering her threat to Bella about using Jacob, trying not to become angry over the situation.

“I ended up getting pretty badly injured and Dr. Cullen ended up healing me back to health.  You have no idea how much damage my pride took to actually let him treat me.” Jacob rubbed his side, knowing he didn’t have a scar, but also knew how close he’d been to dying that day out of sheer stupidity. “I stayed in La Push for a few days to heal properly, was on strict bed rest, which absolutely sucked.  Now I know what you went through after that attack from Martin.” He growled, still wishing he could’ve been there to rip his head off for touching Naveya. “Anyway, Bella came down to La Push and told me that even though she did love me…she finally admitted it…she knew who she could live without and told me goodbye.  I let her go…I couldn’t do it anymore because I came to the final realization that day that I’m not meant to be with her.  In a perfect world, with no monsters or bloodsuckers, we probably would’ve been together, but this isn’t a perfect world and I finally came to that conclusion.”

“I’m glad.” Navy practically spat out through gritted teeth, feeling her blood boiling, more tears falling from her eyes. “Is that all you wanted to tell me, Black?”

“No, it’s not.” Jacob turned from the window to stare at Navy, walking over to sit beside her on the bed, taking her hand in his strong one. “Bella told me what you said to her that night in the woods, Navy.  You threatened her because you were afraid she was using me, which in a way she was, and she said you loved me no matter what.  Then I thought back to what you said to me that night on the porch when I tried getting you to leave Paul and it all came crashing down on me like a ton of a bricks.  I truly didn’t fully understand what you were trying to tell me that night because I’m a little wet behind the damn ears.  But Bella put it all into perspective for me and said she would’ve done the same thing had the roles been reversed.”

Navy blinked, not believing Bella actually told Jacob what was said that night in the woods, swallowing hard as she took her hand away from his. “That was a long time ago…” She tried standing up to get away from him, but Jacob wasn’t letting her go that easily. “Stop it.” She whispered and ended up straddled on his lap, her hands resting on his shoulders.

“No.” Jacob wiped her tears away with the pads of his thumbs, feeling her trembling against him, and hoped it wasn’t from fear. “Naveya, what you don’t know is that night…that night at Emily’s when you threw the bracelet at me and slapped me across the face…something happened.  I didn’t know what it was and tried for months to ignore it while I helped Bella.  I tried convincing myself that I was meant to be with Bella, that you wanted nothing to do with me after finding out I gave both of you the same gift…I’m sorry for that by the way.  I honestly have only given those to four women in my life and two of them are my twin sisters.”

“It doesn’t matter…” Navy whispered, trying to squirm off of his lap, only for his strong secure arms to wrap around her waist, pressing her closer to him. “Jacob, let me go…”

Jacob shook his head, refusing to do that, and forced her eyes to meet his. “No, I’ve done that so many damn times in the past and I’m not making the same mistake again.  I’m never letting you go again, Naveya Dawson because…” He trailed off, pressing his forehead against hers, hearing her heart pounding in rhythm with his. “Because I love you.”

Navy felt her eyes widen to the point where she thought they might fall out of her head, slowly pulling back to stare back at him, angry tears burning in her eyes. “No.” She began struggling against him, finally releasing her emotions and feelings. “No!!  You can’t just come here and say that to me after all this time, Jacob!!  No, I don’t believe it!!  Just let me go and leave right now!!  You don’t want me, you never did, and you’re only using me as a replacement for your precious Bella Swan!!” She cried harder and ended up sobbing against him, finally wrapping her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. “I-I can’t take it…”

Jacob held her close to him, knowing he would have to make up for everything he put her through and more, but was willing to do it. “Nave, Nave sweetheart, please you have to listen to me…” He whispered, his mouth right by her ear, feeling his heart split right down the middle as she shook her head against him. “Nave, listen to me!”

“Why should I?!” She shouted and pulled back, feeling him grab her wrists, forcing her to stare at him as the hope began igniting inside of her. “Why should I believe anything you say to me, Jacob Black?!”

“Because I imprinted on you, damn it!!” Jacob shouted right back, both of their eyes widening and Navy instantly stopped struggling, her wrists dropping on her lap with his hands.

“What?” She breathed out; chest rising and falling so fast, she was afraid she might hyperventilate. “W-What are you...”

“Do I have your damn attention now?” Jacob demanded gruffly, really not wanting to tell her like that, but her stubbornness sometimes brought out his temper. “That night at Emily’s when you slapped me and threw the bracelet at me is when it happened.  I tried ignoring it because you were with Paul and I figured I was always meant to be with Bella.  Do you understand what I’m saying, Naveya?  Do you NOW understand why I’m here?”

Navy opened and closed her mouth, but absolutely nothing came out, the look in Jacob’s eyes holding the truth in his words.  He loved her and was staring at her like he had Bella Swan…like the way she wanted him to stare at her for the past nearly two years.  She remembered that night and often had nightmares of Jacob phasing into a wolf and tracking her down with the bracelet, but he never came.

“You love me?” Navy finally asked once she could learn how to breathe properly again. “Jacob…”

“Yes, I love you Nave, even when it all falls down around us, I will never stop loving you because you’re it for me.  You’re the one I’m supposed to be with and if you don’t want me, I’ll understand.” Jacob only prayed she forgave him, feeling her forehead press against his, holding her closer to him as he pressed her hands to his warm chest through the thin material of the thermal shirt. “This is yours.”

“Even when it all falls down, I’ll never stop loving you, Jacob Black.”

Navy did something she wanted to do ever since she found out how she truly felt for him and cupped his face in her hands, kissing him completely breathless.  Jacob growled softly and lifted her up from the bed, spinning her around in circles, her legs wrapping around his waist.  No matter how many times it all falls down, Navy knew her love for Jacob never changed and was glad he finally saw the light.

The End.