Ebb and Flow (Twilight x Reader)

Chapter 37

Jacob's eyes went wide with horror. "You too?" he asked with a gasp.

"What do you mean 'me too?' What are you talking about?"

Now it was Jacob's turn to look confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about what happened in Italy."

"Saving Edward?"

"Wha—no! The agreement with Aro!"

"Who the hell is Aro?"

"Oh my god." I massaged my temples. My head was starting to hurt. "To avoid any more miscommunication, can you please tell me exactly what you think I did?"

"You're just going to let Bella be turned into a vampire." His eyes narrowed. "Now it makes sense, though, since you apparently want to be a bloodsucker too."

I huffed. He had it so, so wrong. "No. I'm becoming a vampire so Bella doesn't have to."

Jacob hesitated. "...What?"

"Jesus Christ." I sighed. "Okay, all you need to know is that when we went to Italy, we made this deal with this very old vampire family. They gave us a choice—either Bella or I becomes a vampire, or we were to die then and there. Edward and I made an agreement—one Bella does not know about—that I would be the one turned so that Bella could still live a normal life."

Jacob was quiet. "...Oh."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, 'oh.' Honestly, Jacob, I don't know how you and your pack get anything straight. You guys make hasty conclusions all the time."

"So Bella isn't going to be a vampire?"

I shook my head. "No. I am."

"Then why did Edward say she was?"

My eyes went round as marbles. "He what? When did he tell you that?"

"Well, I guess he didn't say it outright, but he didn't discourage the idea."

I let out a frustrated little groan. "I swear, I'm going to strangle him!" Was Edward going back on our deal? If so, then I was furious.

But that might have not been the case. There was a good chance he just let Jacob think Bella was going to be bitten so that Edward could gain some sort of personal victory or something.

Men.

We both lapsed into a small silence. Jacob's ears suddenly went red. "I, uh...I'm sorry I ignored you. I didn't know what was really going on."

I reached out and slapped him gently (ish) upside the head. He winced. "Yeah, that much is obvious. Next time please just talk to me, okay?" I sighed.

"Yeah, okay." He was rubbing the back of his head, but there was a tiny smile playing across his lips. He suddenly laughed. "I missed you, Y/n."

"Yeah, I missed you too, idiot."

***

I spent the rest of the day with Jacob. We didn't do much, just sort of meandered through the reservation and talked. Jacob was practically bouncing as he moved, and I had to remind him a few times that my legs weren't ten feet long.

Our exuberance lasted through the first few topics of conversation: how we were doing, what we were up to, how much we both wanted to punch Edward in his stupid perfect teeth, etcetera.

But then, as we ambled past the back of the store and shoved through the thick scrub that ringed the far edge of First Beach, we got to the hard parts. I watched as the face of my friend hardened into the bitter mask that was already too familiar.