Only in the Moonlight Does This Feel Right

Days and soon weeks had gone by — each one was as good or even better than the one before. Jade's brother, Christian, had been unintentionally ruining the time and fun she was having with the guys and Emily.

Christian had become distant and it was worrying Jade tremendously. Her brother had never acted like this before. He was always confined in his room, however, when he did come out, he was throwing tantrums nonstop and snapping at anyone who rubbed him the wrong way.

Jade missed the old Chris, not this new version that attacked anyone who opposed his thinking, suggested an idea to get out of the house, or even attempted to talk to him...!

The sound of knocking on her door made Jade snap out of her deep thinking and look up at the door. "Come in," She called.

The door swung open and a very happy Jacob popped his head inside. "Hey, Emily says that dinner's ready and you can come down whenever you want to." He relayed the message.

Jade nodded and walked down the stairs with Jacob in front of her. Surprisingly enough, Christian sat at the dinner table tonight — not off in his room eating by his lonesome. He sat at the usual spot at the table and had already served himself a large helping, however, instead of eating, he was merely picking at his food.

Jade took her place at the table beside him and Emily, and grabbed herself a plate. She then served herself her normal helping and observed everyone that was gathered around the table.

For once, the guys were acting mature and weren't flicking spoons of mashed potatoes at one another, which meant Sam had no reason to scold them, which also resulted in an awkward silence. Jade believed that she now preferred dinner with a riot instead of this solemnity.

"So, how was everyone's day?" Emily inquired thoughtfully, attempting to get people to act livelier than they currently were.

"Fine" and "Good" were chorused throughout the room. Jade noticed from the corner of her eye that Christian was rolling his eyes and huffing in annoyance.

"I thought it was a bit boring today." Jade voiced her opinion. "Could be better. Do you think so, too, Chris?"

"Will you please just shut up? Your voice is so damn annoying." He grumbled, glaring at his younger sister cruelly.

"But you know what's more annoying, Chris?—Your damn attitude." Jade remarked. "You're being worse than a mood-swinging, PMS-ing bitch."

"Jade," Emily said in her motherly tone, warning her that she was going across the line.

"There's no way that I'm worse than you, Jade."

"Christian, stop that." Emily ordered.

"That's it!" Jade bellowed as she quickly stood up, sending her chair screeching back as she then pummeled her older brother to the hardwood floor.

"Jade!" Emily yelled.

"Whoa...!" All the boys chorused, standing up to watch the brawl that began between the two siblings.

Jade punched Christian in the face with all the force she could muster up, and felt slightly better afterwards. It was like a stress reliever for her. In slight anger, Christian rolled over, sending Jade onto her back before slapping her resentfully across the face in return. The slap seemed to echo in the room, leaving everyone in shock.

Jade's cheek stung terribly as she realized what had just happened. Her eyes watered and she angrily kneed him where it would hurt him the most. Air left his lungs and he slumped right next to her on the floor.

Jacob rushed over and helped her up within seconds, worry coating his brown orbs. "Are you alright, Jade?" He asked hurriedly.

"Yea..." She mumbled in reply.

"Jacob, take her upstairs." Emily ordered, and she was soon being led to the staircase, one of his arms around her shoulders while the other held her quivering hand.

"Yea, go upstairs so he can fuck you, you whore!" Christian yelled crossly.

Everyone could only stare at Christian in the utmost shock as his words rang through their ears. Jade stared at her brother, absolutely stupefied, before rushing up the stairs, tears finally escaping her eyes.

"Jade...!" Jacob called, racing up the stairs after her. Jade ran into her room, slamming the door shut and locking it before he could even get close. She leaned up against the wooden door and slumping onto the floor, letting the tears continue to freely cascade down. "Jade, please let me in!" Jacob begged.

"Jake, I... I just wanna be alone right now, okay...?"

"No, it's not okay! Let me in, Jade...!" He yelled, taking a deep breath to calm himself down a bit so he could stop yelling, knowing it wouldn't get him very far.

Jade looked over at her full body mirror that was against the wall and noticed her cheek was a pinkish hue. It was just more evidence to her that the fight between her and her older brother really did happen.

"Jade..." Jacob whispered, sounding more pained than she could ever feel. "Please... please let me in."

Jade, not being able to ignore his request, slowly turned to the door, unlocked it, and twisted the handle with care. She scooted forwards and the door began to open up for him. Jacob eagerly jumped inside the room, afraid that if he took his time she would change her mind abruptly and close the door on him, and looked down at her with sympathy.

Jade couldn't believe that she looked like this in front of Jacob. She knew he probably thought she looked pathetic right about now, and so she hung her head down in embarrassment.

Jacob knelt down beside her, picked her up, and carried her to her bed, setting her down onto the furniture with the greatest standard of care that she felt like she were some kind of fine china. He sat down next to her and put his index finger under her chin, lifting it up so their eyes met, sending the oh-so familiar and pleasant electric currents throughout her body. His eyes flashed to her cheek and she knew that he was examining the reddening mark.

Jacob's face darkened with anger. "I'm going to kill him." He muttered under his breath.

"Don't." Jade whispered, shaking her head in disagreement.

"Why?"

"He's my brother."

"Which makes it all the more worse, Jade." He argued. "He's your older brother. He shouldn't be doing this to you, especially when you love him as much as you do!" His thumb found its way to her cheek and caressed it softly.

"I can take him yelling at me, calling me a bitch, even slapping me around... just not him calling me a whore or a slut..." She whispered sadly, playing with a few strands of hair, trying to occupy herself.

Jacob wrapped his arms around her and pulled Jade into a hug, which she was more than happy to accept and return. The two of them stayed as such for a little longer and Jade could feel more tears spill over.

As the salty tears slid onto the crook of her neck, he pulled away and looked at her sadly. "Don't cry over him anymore, Jade. He isn't worth your tears."

Jade laughed a bit to herself. "I'm not crying over him, I'm crying because I'm so happy to have you here with me." She explained. "I really don't know what the hell I'd do without someone like you, Jake."

Jacob could only smile happily and engulf her in yet another hug, making her feel safe and secure. From downstairs, Jade could hear Emily's muffled screams at Christian and she couldn't help but feel guilty. Nonetheless, Jade was soon lulled to sleep by Jacob's steady heartbeat.



Hours passed before Jade woke up. Her eyes darted to the clock on her nightstand and found it was around two in the morning, Jacob was snoring away softly beside her.

Jade was stunned that he had stayed with her. She couldn't believe Emily hadn't made him go home — not that she wanted him to go home, she loved his company — it simply took her by surprise.

Jade's cheeks flushed as she realized that they had slept together. She was praying that she hadn't done something embarrassing like mumble his name in her sleep...

Well, I know that I'm not going to be able to go back to sleep. Jade told herself, and so she decided that she would leave the room and go downstairs to maybe watch some television.

She descended the stairs and into the living room where everything was dark and dead. Jade flipped the switch and light flooded the room, slightly blinding her for a few seconds before she got used to the environment around her.

Jade didn't know what to do as the thought of watching television became unappealing to her when she realized most channels played infomercials at this time and nothing might be on to watch.

Instead, she sat upon the sofa and looked out the window. She saw the dark line of trees that surrounded the house and sighed in boredom. Part of her wanted to go out and explore, but knew that Emily would surely worry about her if she found her gone.

A flash caught her eye and Jade squinted to try and enhance her vision by any means. It disappeared and she saw the outline of a person retreat into the woods.

Her body moved on its own and she couldn't believe she was doing something so crazy. Jade grabbed an LED flashlight from the kitchen and slipped on Emily's rain boots that were beside the front door before rushing out the door and to the spot where the person's outline vanished from.

Minutes passed and Jade had found nothing. Her mind had deceived her and she felt stupid for actually thinking someone had been out here at this time of night. To make matters worse, she had no real idea of where she was.

Wonderful...

"Why the hell did you leave the house?"

Jade screamed bloody murder as she spun around pointed the flashlight in the direction of the voice. A hand was clamped over her mouth and she closed her eyes tightly in fright.

"It's me, Christian, now calm the fuck down." He snapped. Jade immediately did so and stared up at her brother in confusion as he took his hand off of her mouth. "Now why did you leave?"

"I don't have to answer you."

"You're right. You don't." He agreed, a smirk rising upon his lips. "And I'm sure as hell gonna enjoy the story that you tell Emily when she finds out about this."

"You wouldn't...!"

"Try me."

"I thought I saw someone out here." Jade mumbled.

"That's got to be the worst excuse that I've ever heard. There's probably a good two miles of forest before you get to the rest of the houses here." He retorted. "I think you could've made up something better than that."

"I'm telling the truth! I thought I saw someone out here!"

Christian sighed, frustrated with his sister. "Fine, fine, I believe you." He rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. "Come on, before Sam or Emily realize that we're gone."

"You go, I can find my way back just fine."

Christian couldn't help but laugh in his sister's face. "You always get lost, Jade, don't think I'll fall for that!" He bellowed, and then pointed in the opposite direction. "Just make sure you come back soon because there is no way I'll be able to make up an excuse as to why you're gone at three in the morning."

"Fine, I'll be back in a few."

"Good." He replied. "And Jade..."

"What, what, what do you want?" She growled.

"I'm sorry... for acting like such an ass lately. And I'm sorry for slapping you and calling you a whore."

"You're only apologizing because Emily told you to."

"No, I'm not actually. I'm apologizing because I feel like an ass to have hit my baby sister and call her a whore — especially when she's not." He paused for a moment before resuming. "I'm just really sorry, Jade. I really am. I do't know what's come over me lately, I just feel like a completely different person, and it's freaking me out..."

"It's fine, Chris..." Jade replied. "I forgive you, and I'm sorry for punching and kneeing you."

"Don't be, I earned those."

The two smiled at each other and soon shared a small hug, the tension that once hung in the thick air easing up a bit. As they separated from their embrace, Jade stepped back onto the root of a tree, losing her balance and falling to the ground onto some twigs. One scraped her arm, making a lengthy cut on her forearm.

"Ow!"

"You alright — is it bad?"

"Not really, it's bleeding."

"Jade!" Jacob's voice could be heard in the distance and Chris extended his arm out to help his sister stand up on her feet.

Jacob burst into the clearing and his eyes widened. Jade knew that this had to have looked bad from his point of view. She was lying on the ground, one arm covered in red ooze while her brother, who she had just had a physical altercation with earlier that night, towered over her.

"Look at what you did now...!" Jacob hollered, tackling Christian to the floor.

"Jake! Stop it now! Jake!" Jade yelled, jumping up from the ground quickly and attempting to get him off her brother. "Damn it, Jacob, sto—!"

Jacob's arm then collided with Jade's stomach, shoving her backwards into a tree a few feet away. The wind was knocked out of her and she gasped for air, her eyes wide in distress. Jacob heard her gasp and he turned to her to find out what had happened.

Jade couldn't comprehend that it was her best friend that had just hurt her...

"Jade, I'm so sorr—!!" He began, taking a step towards her.

"Get the fuck away from her!!" Christian roared in pure anger, attacking Jacob before he got too close to Jade.

"What's going on...?!" Sam's familiar voice was heard as he stepped into the clearing. His eyes studied the scene before him, flashing from the fight between Jacob and Christian to Jade's tear stained face and bloody cut. "Jacob, stop now!" Sam hollered, pulling the two boys away from each other.

"Jade, are you alright?" Emily quickly asked, rushing towards her in nothing but her pajamas and a bath robe.

Jade looked over at the boys and saw their concern for her upon their faces instantly. Her eyes landed on Jacob who looked very pained by her appearance.

"Yea... I'm fine."

"Come on, let's get you home and cleaned up."

In the background, she could hear Sam lecturing both boys about how dangerous and irresponsible their fight was.

When Emily and Jade arrived home, Jade was sat down at the dining room table while Emily rushed into the kitchen to retrieve the First Aid Kit. Emily grabbed a wash cloths and cleaned the wound, soon rubbing some iodine onto it as well. After it was clean, she put gauze onto it and applied pressure to help slow the bleeding.

"Why were you out there?" She interrogated.

"I came down when I woke up, I thought I saw someone outside and I decided to go and check it out." Jade explained. "I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble."

Emily simply nodded. "Well, don't even think about going out anywhere at these hours of the morning again, especially if you see someone in the woods. If you see someone you don't know, then you avoid them at all costs — this place may not look it, but it's filled with... with creeps." She lectured. "What happened next?"

"Chris came and asked me what I was doing out. I didn't know he had been following me so I screamed. He apologized to me for earlier, I forgave him and then we hugged. When we separated, I fell over because of a tree root and that's how this happened." Jade then gestured to her wound that Emily was covering with more gauze and adhesive tape. "After that, Jacob came and I guess he thought Chris had been the one to give me the cut because then he tackled him. I tried to stop the fight and..." Jade's voice cracked and she didn't want to continue talking.

"And...?" Emily urged on.

"And Jacob hit me in the stomach and knocked me into a tree." She sobbed out. "I didn't think that he was like that, Em..." She looked up at her aunt with red, puffy eyes that streamed salty tears.

"He isn't, Jade. I don't know why he would do that to you." She told her niece. "Jacob sometimes can't control his anger and how he vents. He didn't mean to do that to you — I can guarantee you that. It was an accident."

Jade wasn't sure what to say next, and so she stayed quiet, wiping away her few tears. "I'm sorry for being such a nuisance, Emily."

Emily could only chuckle and wipe away a few tears from her cheeks. "Jade, you're anything but a nuisance, and you never will be. To be honest, this is how life normally is here. Nothing's ever going to change that fact." Emily handed Jade a tissue and gave her a warm smile. "Why don't you go back upstairs and get some sleep?" She suggested. "I'm sure this has been enough adventure for one night."

Jade nodded and walked up the staircase after bidding her aunt a good night and thanking her for her cleaning her wound. Jade closed the door behind her and flopped onto her bed after changing into her pajamas.

The image of Jacob shoving her away was replaying over and over again in her mind. It was taunting her and making her emotions for him so scrambled hat she wasn't sure how she felt about him anymore.

Did she still like Jacob Black, or did she now fully loathe him...?

Pebbles collided with her window and she walked over to it to see what was happening. She pulled back the curtains and saw a worried Jacob standing below.

"Jade, open up! Let me in!"

Jade's stomach sent waves of pain to her brain and she remembered that Jacob had hit her there. She lifted up her nightgown just a bit below her breasts and saw the now forming purple bruise. Jade looked back at Jacob who looked ready to cry from the sight...

"Jade, I'm so sorry...!"

Jade felt her bottom lip quiver and she closed the curtains quickly as the tears once again began to fall down her cheeks.

She knew that she was now over Jacob Black.