Heartbeat

Her cheek still felt warm from Jacob's touch. It had been so soft, so gentle, that if it hadn't been so warm she might not have felt it at all. She had run away from him before he could say anything. Part of her wanted to stay and talk. He had been her best friend when they were children. He'd pretend to be as annoyed as Quil and Embry when she tagged along with them on their adventures and relentlessly bombarded them questions but she'd always known he really wasn't. He'd always held her hand as they traversed tree roots in the forest, and never let her fall. He never told her to go away either, he left that to Quil and Embry. So part of her had wanted to stay on the beach with Jake, but the part of her that wanted to get as far away as fast as possible had won. She saw the way he looked at her. Cameron had looked at her like that once upon a time.

Breeze shook her head, as if that would free her of the unwanted memories. It didn't work. She hadn't expected it to. With a soft sigh she nestled down into the soft blanket but did not close her eyes. She just laid there, awake, staring at the ceiling. She let her mind wander back to Jacob, better him than the alternative, after all. He had grown since their last encounter. Sure he had only been seven years old and naturally seven year olds are quite small in stature, but the Jacob who'd caressed her so sweetly on the beach was a giant in comparison to the Jacob who'd cried when he'd found out Breeze was moving away. He was definitely over six feet tall now, he towered over Breeze's five foot frame, and an every inch of his body rippled with muscles. Breeze wondered if maybe she had been staring and if maybe he had noticed. Why couldn't he have worn a shirt?

There was muffled creak somewhere downstairs and Breeze sat bolt upright. She held her breath as somebody padded up the stairs. Her hands curled into fists as the door of her room opened a crack. She shrank back towards the headboard then breathed a sigh of relief as Quil's face appeared in the crack of the door. Other than an apparent growth spurt, he hadn't changed much.

"Did I wake you?" he whispered, "I'm sorry."

Breeze shook her head no.

"Then why are you awake? It's almost four o'clock," he informed her in a hushed tone.

Breeze shrugged.

"Aunt Lynn told mom you weren't talking," Quil stated, traversing her room in what seemed like one giant step, and seating himself at the edge of the bed.

Breeze shrugged again. Quil ruffled her hair and smiled as she scowled. He studied her carefully for a minute or two before wrapping his arms around her small waist and pulling her into his chest. At first she tensed and drew in an uneasy breath. Then she exhaled and relaxed into his embrace. Quil, like Jacob, made Breeze look like a dwarf by comparison. His chest was hard as a rock and exceptionally warm, as Jacob's hand had been. Breeze was beginning to wonder if there was something in the water on the reservation.

Quil didn't say anything, he just held her. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair sweetly. He felt her nuzzle her face further into his chest and he felt her begin to tremble. He could feel moisture seeping through his shirt. Breeze was crying. He didn't ask her to stop or tell her everything would be okay, he just held her while she sobbed. After a while the trembling stopped and the sobs disappeared into tiny sniffles. She pulled away from him but Quil pulled her right back, kissing the top of her head again.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you, Breeze," he whispered in her hair, "but I'm here now."

"I missed you," she croaked, and Quil stared at her in amazement.

"I missed you too," he told her, "Does this mean you're talking now?"

Breeze shook her head.

"Well if you ever want to, you know where to find me," Quil smiled, "Now get some sleep."

He stood up and disappeared into the hallway, leaving Breeze alone with her thoughts. She hadn't meant to cry. She didn't want Quil thinking she was some helpless little girl. She couldn't help it though. There, with his strong arms tightly around her, Breeze had felt safe. He had always been like a brother to her when they were younger and clearly time had not changed that. She had felt safe in his arms; protected. She hadn't felt that way in a long time. Breeze had gotten used to always looking over her shoulder, always feeling that uneasiness gnawing at her bones. It was nice to let her guard down for once.