Ash Over Seas

“Ugh, I can’t look at this anymore or my brain is going to explode,” Colby growled as she tossed her pencil down onto the textbook sprawled in front of her.

“Is it really that bad?” Jacob chuckled, admiring the way her forehead pinched just slightly when she was aggravated.

“Yes. History is so boring. Who cares about what happened in the past? Just live your bloody life and get on with it. Don’t dwell on this rubbish,” she huffed, waving her hand at the pile of books sprawled on Jacob’s bedroom floor.

He had made a mad dash to tidy it up the moment he’d received her call that morning, gathering up all the strewn clothes and papers and shoving them into his small closet, hoping she wouldn’t happen to open it. Luckily, he always kept the window open so it only smelled of the lightly drizzling rain outside.

“Come on, just a couple more pages and we’re finished with this chapter,” he urged her, nudging the book back into her hands.

Colby groaned, muttering a stream of curses as she set it carefully in her lap, pulling her notebook up and continuing to outline the highlights of the chapter.

Jacob watched as her elegant scrawl danced across the paper, copying down the information they would later try to turn into flash cards. Her silky midnight hair was pulled back into a loose knot, with several strands falling loose around her face. He noticed that occasionally she would zone out on a paragraph and her fingers would move to idly scribble a small sketch in the margin of her paper.

She seemed to notice his silence and peeked up at him, smiling curiously.

“What?” she chuckled and Jacob snapped out of his reverie, quickly preparing a response.

“You seem to like doodling,” he mentioned as he glanced down at her notebook.

She grinned, shrugging. “I’ve always loved art. I’m actually planning on going to art school next year. So is Atticus, though he’s going all the way to Europe.”

“Oh,” Jacob replied quietly, trying to speak through the lump that was rapidly forming in his throat. “Where are you going?”

She shrugged again. “I’m not really sure yet, but I know I want to stay in the States.”

Jacob relaxed slightly, knowing that at least she wouldn’t be crossing any oceans.

“That’s good,” he breathed. “It would suck if you went overseas.”

She nodded absentmindedly as her hand continued to dance across the paper.

“So what’s your… uh… specialty?”

“My medium?” she chuckled.

“Sure,” he frowned, not really knowing much about art.

“For the most part I like to draw and photograph, but I’ve dipped into the theater arts a bit. I sing in the shower a lot.”

Jacob bit his lip, trying to fight back the images that were now surfacing in his head at her mention of showering. He was horrible, he knew it, but he couldn’t help himself. He was addicted to her. The way her misty grey sundress flowed over her delicate frame, illuminating her dark eyes drove him crazy. She looked like she would shatter at the slightest touch, but he knew she was stronger than that.

“And you really want to stay around here?” he asked, changing the subject back to something more innocent.

“Definitely somewhere on this continent. I like this country. The people here are different than in Europe, though I must say the men aren’t quite as charming.”

“What? We’re plenty charming,” Jacob retorted defensively.

Colby chuckled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You're charming in different ways. You're all just not as… forward as the Europeans… for the most part. But sometimes that’s a good thing.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled, ready for another subject. “You want to take a break from studying for a while?”

Her eyes lit up as she quickly tossed the book off her lap. “Yes, please!”

Jacob chuckled, rising to his feet and reaching his hands out to help her up. He may or may not have tugged with a little extra force, causing her to stumble against his chest as he steadied her, smirking.

“Careful now,” he teased as her cheeks glowed slightly pink and she avoided his eyes.

They made their way down into the kitchen where Colby hoisted herself gracefully onto the counter, swinging her long legs idly as Jacob chewed on a leftover piece of pizza.

“What do you want to do?” he asked, folding his large frame into a chair at the kitchen table.

She glanced out the window, observing the weather and frowning slightly as she mulled over their options.

“Well, it’s not raining out… which means I’m allowed outside….”

“You can’t go out when it’s raining?” Jacob frowned, confused.

The tall girl shrugged. “Father’s orders.” Then her face lit up with an idea and she hopped off the counter eagerly. “Can we take your bike out again?”

“Will you wear a helmet?”

Colby scoffed, crossing her thin arms over her chest. “No.”

Jacob chewed his lip for a moment, debating. He didn’t want to risk her safety, even though she was fairly durable… but he also didn’t want to give up the opportunity to be in such close proximity to her. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist…

“All right, let’s go,” he said, making a snap decision as soon as the last though crossed his mind. His heart fluttered as she beamed and danced out the door in front of him.

He followed her into the garage, wheeling out his black motorcycle and seating himself on it, leaving enough space for Colby to position herself on the back. Jacob nearly melted into the ground, feeling her tiny hands locking together against his abdomen as she made herself comfortable.

“Ready?” he murmured, his heart hammering in his chest as he revved the engine to life. Colby nodded against his back and he knocked back the kickstand, easily spinning out of the driveway and onto the road, turning off at the first exit to the highway.

The wind ripped through his hair and only added to the euphoric feeling of hurtling past the trees at an alarming rate. He felt Colby’s arms squeeze lightly around him as the speedometer pushed 80 and he turned his head, concerned that he was frightening her.

“I love this,” she breathed as she rested her chin on his shoulder, peering over it at the rapidly disappearing ground in front of them. He grinned, turning back to the road and admiring this perfect day as her breath on his neck sent shivers down his spine.

They were silent for a while, just enjoying the freedom of the ride and each other’s presence. Colby’s thumb would occasionally brush lightly across Jacob’s stomach, sending it into pleasant knots as a smile stretched over his face.

It wasn’t until the clouds darkened that Colby nervously suggested they start heading back.

“Fuck,” she muttered quietly as large, fat droplets began splattering down on them. “Can’t catch a bloody break.”

“Are you going to be okay?” Jake asked as he pulled off on the nearest exit, taking a jug handle turn to get back on the highway in the other direction. The rain was cold, freezing almost and, though it didn’t affect Jacob in the slightest, he could feel Colby beginning to shiver against his body.

“Just get back as fast as you can,” she whispered, her voice tense and fearful as she buried her face in his back, shielding herself from the onslaught of rain.

Jacob didn’t know why she feared the rain so, but he knew she was being serious so as her shaking arms wrapped tighter around him, he shifted into a higher gear, racing for home like his life depended on it.

By the time they pulled off the exit into La Push, they were both soaked to the bone in the freezing water and Colby was trembling violently, her black hair plastered against her face and back.

Jacob skidded to an abrupt stop in his driveway, quickly dismounting and pulling the freezing girl against his body, shielding her as much as possible as they ducked out of the rain and into the house.

“God, Cole, are you okay?” he asked, wrapping his warm arms around her as they got inside.

“F-fuck,” she chattered against his chest. “M-my father is g-going t-to kill me.”

“How are you so cold from that?” he asked worriedly, as his heat wasn’t helping much.

“G-genetic,” she replied, her eyes looking frighteningly glassy as he pulled her away to examine her.

“Here, do you think warm water would help?” he asked. When she nodded he quickly pulled her up the stairs and swung open the door to the bathroom. He reached into the closet and grabbed a large towel, along with a pair of his sweats and a t-shirt, setting them on the counter for her. He walked over to the shower, swiftly turning the water on and running it until there was steam pouring over the side.

“You’ll be fine in here? I mean I don’t want to… yeah….”

She chuckled softly through her tremors and nodded, sniffling a little. “Y-yeah. I’ll be fine. Thanks.”

Jake nodded, giving her one last worried look before gently shutting the door behind him and wandering into his room, quickly changing into a dry pair of sweats and making his way to the living room. For the next twenty minutes he listened intently to the shower running upstairs, waiting for any indication that she’d faltered in any way. The rain still raged outside and he breathed a sigh of relief when he finally heard the shower turn off and her soft footsteps climbing out of it.

He thought back over their ride and how strongly the cold had affected her. She was part human, so he supposed that it made sense for her to react to temperature changes. But the vampire in her should have protected her from getting so cold she could barely move or talk. She’d said it was genetic… so maybe it was the tiny part of siren she’d inherited from her mother? Jacob didn’t know a whole lot about sirens so he figured it could be possible.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard a soft thud from upstairs. He was immediately on his feet and bounding up the staircase, two at a time.

Colby leaned heavily against the wall in his upstairs hallway, her hands clutched tightly to her head as her legs buckled and her frame slipped down the wall slightly.

“Colby!” Jake breathed as he rushed forward to catch her in his arms. “Colby, are you okay?”

She grunted a little as she found her footing, leaning on him for support. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” he chuckled, almost hysterically. “What happened?”

She squinted, running a hand through her wet hair. Jacob took a split second to notice how her thin frame was practically swimming in his clothing, though she couldn’t have looked more adorable.

“Just a dizzy spell,” she replied, her voice stronger as she took a step forward but Jake lifted her easily into his arms. He wasn’t taking any chances and she wasn’t objecting so he continued to carry her down the stairs and into the living room.

“Has that ever happened before?” he asked worriedly as he sat down on the couch, keeping her close to his body as his hand rubbed along her arm.

“It… yeah it has,” she replied, already seeming to recover to her normal self. “It’s really nothing to worry about.”

Jake wasn’t entirely convinced but didn’t want to press her so he just nodded.

“Mmm, what do you want to do now?” she asked, changing the subject and seeming to be perfectly comfortable in his arms as she pulled her knees up to her chest.

“We could watch a movie or something,” he offered, trying for anything that allowed him to keep her like this.

“Okay,” she grinned as he grabbed the remote and flicked through the channels.

“Oh! Stay at this one!” Colby ordered as he flipped past The Illusionist.

“You like this movie?” Jacob asked, eyeing his imprint as she settled in more comfortably, wedging herself under his shoulder as she sniffled a little.

“Is there something wrong with liking this movie?” she asked, as if daring him to contradict her.

He scrunched up his nose. “Well… I dunno… it’s just kinda… weird isn’t it?”

She shrugged, grinningly contently as she looked back at the screen. “Maybe. But Edward Norton’s in it. That makes any movie ten times better.”

Jacob rolled his eyes, suppressing a growl. What the fuck was it with women and men named Edward.

“You like Edward Norton?” he asked, trying to keep them resentment and jealousy from his tone.

“Oh, yes,” she nodded. “For a human, he’s quite attractive.”

Jacob snorted. “How? He has a beard.”

Colby frowned in confusion, chuckling as she glanced up at him. “So? Beards aren’t always a bad thing.”

“Yeah?” he chuckled, raising his brows at her. “Should I grow one, then?”

“Oh my God, please don’t!” she laughed as she shook her head vigorously. “You could not pull that off.”

He scoffed in mock hurt. “I take serious offense to that, woman!”

“I’m sorry!” she giggled. “But it’s true!”

He huffed loudly, unwrapping his arm from around her as he crossed them over his chest, stubbornly turning his eyes to the screen. She watched him, eyes dancing with amusement but he didn’t budge as he stared resolutely in front of him.

“Oh, come on, Jake,” she chuckled, trying to pull on his arm. “You're going to be mad at me cause I said you wouldn’t look good with a beard?”

“I don’t know what you're talking about,” he said, his voice light and airy with nonchalance.

“Oh, come on,” she said, still laughing. “Would it help if I told you that you looked good without a beard?”

He pursed his lips, thinking it over as he eyed her for a moment. “Better than Edward Norton without a beard?”

She laughed heartily and his stomach did joyous somersaults at the fact that he was creating this reaction out of her.

“Better than Edward Norton without a beard,” she confirmed, smiling as he gave in and wrapped his arm around her once more. She scooted her body closer, allowing her head to rest in the crook of his neck as her laughter died off.

“You know, Jake, I’m really glad I met you,” she said and he could hear the smile in her voice. She turned to look up at him; her eyes alight with sincerity. “You're a lot of fun to be with. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so comfortable so fast with someone in my life. You're very easy to be around.”

“Yeah?” he asked, smiling softly as he took a chance and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes fluttering slightly as his fingertips grazed her cheek.

“Yeah.” Her voice was a soft breath of air, her smile still tugging at the corners of her lips as her eyes remained locked with his. He was falling helplessly into the navy depths of them, feeling lighter than he had in ages. His hand continued down the strand of hair, lingering at the base of her neck as he toyed with it between his fingers.

The house had fallen silent, the only noise coming from the falling rain outside. He slowly lifted his hand, allowing his thumb to graze lightly along her jaw line. She blinked slowly, not looking away from his eyes, as she seemed to search in them for something.

He held his breath and bent his head slightly lower, and when she didn’t pull away, he continued, watching her eyes until their noses finally brushed and he allowed his eyelids to fall slowly down as he pressed his lips to hers ever so softly.

An electric current seemed to jolt through his limbs, stealing his breath as he pulled away, hovering merely centimeters from her parted lips as he waited for her next move, her breath dancing lightly over his face.

He felt her delicate hand wrap softly around the back of his neck, tangling in the roots right behind his ear as she pulled him back down to her, capturing his lips once again in a slow, deep kiss.

His arms slid around her waist, squeezing her hips gently as he pulled her closer.

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway caused them to slowly pull apart, breathing deeply and peering out the window to see Charlie Swan helping Billy out of his car.

“I should probably get going,” said Colby softly, her hand still lingering on his chest as his heart raced.

Jacob nodded and as the front door opened, she stood quickly and he helped gather her things into her bag.

“Ah, you must be Colby,” Billy said as he wheeled in, smiling kindly.

“Yes, sir,” she said, smiling politely as she slung the bag over her shoulder.

“Billy,” he corrected her warmly and she nodded. “Got to be going, I take it?”

She nodded. “Yes, my Father will want me home for dinner.”

Billy nodded in understanding, reaching out to shake her hand lightly before she bid a polite goodbye and disappeared out the door, climbing gracefully into her tiny black Cooper.

Jacob beamed, his spirits soaring at the new turn in their relationship as he settled back further into the couch. He’d just gone out on a limb and kissed his imprint… and she had kissed him back. Things were definitely looking up, right?

Right.

Little could he have known that life was planning out something else entirely for him.

Something that would break him to the very core.