Chapter Fifteen - EJ's POV

"And this is my room."

I whistled, astounded by the color. The entire space was decorated in shades of pink, white, and beige. But it wasn't the eye-popping bright kind of pink, yet a lower and softer tone that matched the girl who stood in it. Pastel pink curtain hung from the windows, and white fluffy rugs lined the floorboards. Off to one side was a mahogany bookcase with a battered yet well-loved collection of books, some classics thrown in with more modern literature. The bed was constructed of the same wood, sturdy yet girlish with its pink covers and beige pillows. On the nightstand sat a pair of glasses as well as a lamp with a pink lampshade, turned off as the natural light lit the room.

"It's nice," I replied, and meant it.

Reelie flushed, her dark gold eyes sparkling. "Thanks. You can just set your bookbag down over by that chair."

Walking over to the space she'd pointed out, I took a seat at the neatly organized desk, dropping my bag to the side as I straddled the chair to face my friend. She stood before me, tugging on the hem of her light pink sweater nervously before blurting out, "I'll, uh, go get us some drinks. Be right back."

I managed to hold in my chuckle as she nearly sprinted from the room, shaking my head at her obvious embarassment. Reelie was pretty cute, but I felt nothing more for her than a basic attraction and friendship. It was a shame, since I'd liked her before and made it very obvious. Frowning at my previous actions, I wondered how to break the news to her. I wanted to ask Mei for help, but she'd put up the wall between us after I'd scolded her about Manny. Sighing, I leaned back against the desk. Love sure is complicated.

Studying the room once more, the tip of a hastily hid notebook caught my eye from underneath the bed. Curious, I stood up and walked over, bending down to pull it out and examine the cover. The door opened behind me, and I turned around, caught in the act. Reelie's gaped, dropping the tray she held before launching forward with a loud squeal. Not quite caught off guard, I made sure to gently catch hold of her so that she wouldn't feel like she was attacking a brick wall, letting us both fall back onto the bed.

"EJ, what are you doing with my diary?!" she shrieked, her face as red as I'd ever seen it. I couldn't help but laugh as she snatched the book back, her pale blond hair in disarray.

Pushing back the strands from her face, I noticed how her breathing had grown still, and suddenly realized how Reelie was laying atop me. Our eyes locked, and as I saw her bending her face closer to mine, I snapped out of my dazed state and rolled over and off the bed, leaving her there staring up at me in confusion. So, I said the first thing that came to mind. "I'm with Ciel."

To my utter surprise, she began laughing. However, I could hear the pain in my friend's voice. "I knew it. After all, why settled for me when you could have her? God, I feel so stupid."

"Don't," I ordered quietly, bending down to face her as tears filled her eyes. "Don't cry. You're beautiful, Reelie, in a way that Ciel could never be. So stop comparing yourself to her."

"But what made you choose her over me?" Reelie asked, trying to hold back a sob. "I mean, I knew you first. I liked you first. And I thought...I'd thought that..."

Not caring whether it was a good idea or not, I hugged her to my chest so that I wouldn't have to keep looking at her heartbroken face. I'd known she had a crush on me, but I didn't know it was this big. It made it even harder to say what I knew I had to say. "I'll be honest with you. At first, I did like you. There's plenty of things to like about you, Reelie. But with Ciel, we just had this connection, one that we couldn't deny no matter how much she or I wanted to. And I'm sorry for leading you on like this. Really, I am. I understand if you don't want to be friends anymore."

Her tears soaked my shirt as she sniffled against my chest, loosening her arms from around my waist and pulling back. I wiped the moisture from her cheeks, and she gave me a watery smile. "Wow, I'm feel like an idiot crying like this."

"You're not an idiot."

"Yes I am. But it's okay - I'm okay. And there's no way you can stop being my friend - you still gotta help me with my project."

Grinning back at her, I ruffled her hair and turned around, heading back for my chair. "I shoulda known you only wanted me for my brains."

Reelie giggled, but as I changed direction to pick up the tray of milk and cookies she'd dropped, I heard her quietly confess, "I want you for a lot more than that."

But I simply acted human and pretended that I hadn't heard her, cleaning up the mess and squaring my shoulders to face the girl who I feared could be falling in love with me.

* * *

"Thanks for your help, EJ" said Reelie from her porch steps, tucking back her hair behind one ear in a nervous gesture. "Are you sure you don't need a ride home?"

"No, my grandpa's coming to get me," I explained. "And it was no problem. Glad I could help."

A faded red pickup truck idled up to the house, so I began making my way down the driveway. "See you tomorrow?" the blonde called from behind me.

I shot her a grin over my shoulder. "I wouldn't miss it. Later, belle fille."

Climbing into Grandpa's truck, I hit my head against the dashboard lightly as we drove off. Argh, I probably shouldn't have used the nickname. Good going, EJ.

"So, who was that pretty lady?"

"Reelie is just a friend, Grandpa," I told him, leaning back into the seat as we continued down the road. I'd spent a little over an hour finishing the project with my friend, working at a fast pace for a human and generally goofing off. It had been fun, I was willing to admit that, but the tension from Reelie's confession and my rejection had lingered. Night had not yet fallen as the clock passed five, and so I hoped to spend some more time with Ciel and perhaps uncover some of the secrets she was hiding.

"A girlfriend?" he teased, brown eyes twinkling in mirth.

Groaning, I placed my hands over my face and said through them, "Just drive, don't theorize."

Grandpa snorted at my intentional rhyme and kept quiet, the low hum of the radio and our breathing the only sounds left in the car. Reaching the driveway to the main house, I instructed him to drop me off here. "Are you sure, EJ? It's a long walk up."

"Not for me," I reminded him. He grimaced slightly, as he always did when the supernatural world was mentioned or hinted at, before nodding once and taking off with a short wave. Waving back, I turned around and had just begun to make my way up when I caught the scent of my sister. Slowing down, I made my way back and caught the trail, making out Jacob's earthy odor as well. What we the two of them doing out here?

Pushing past the wall between Mei's mind and mine, I started down the path and asked her, What's going on?

Jay! she replied, startled. What are you doing?!

Coming to find out what you're doing with the dog all the way out here alone... My mental voice trailed off as I gaped at the sight of the two of them, nearly nude and scrambling to collect the rest of their clothes. As my brain quickly pieced together the situation, rage flooded through me.

"Wait, Jay, stop!" my twin pleaded, holding a jacket that wasn't her's to hide the fact that she was only wearing a bra. Her words reached my ears, but I took no heed of them, flitting to face the mutt with a snarl before pulling him up by the shoulder and throwing him into a tree several yards away. He grunted at the impact, and the scent of wolf's blood began to permeate the air. It didn't satisfy by lust for violence or the urge to see him bleed. I began moving forwards once more when Mei threw herself onto me.

Still snarling, I tried to peel her off, but she wouldn't let go. "Get off me, Renesmee, and let me kill that vile animal who defiled you!"

"It's not what you think!"

"So you were just tangled with this mongrel in the woods, naked as the day we were born, and not copulating?"

Mei's body began shaking against mine, and her sobs broke through my haze of bloodlust. Setting her aside carefully, I quickly found her jeans a considerable distance away and dressed her carefully, zipping her up in the leather jacket since I couldn't find her shirt. I gathered my sister up in my arms and was preparing to take her back to the main house when I heard a voice come from behind me.

"Is she alright?"

I turned to see the shifter now clad in a pair of torn jeans and bare-chested, concern stamped on his bloodied face. Glaring at him, I said a voice as cold as ice, "If I see you anywhere near my sister again, I'll bury you alive - that is, if my father doesn't get to you first." I rejoiced at how he flinched at my threat. "Don't come back on the Cullens' land if you know what's good for your health."

Before he could reply, I turned my back on the dog and took Mei home.

~~~~~

Dramatic ending, wouldn't you agree? How do you think Edward and Bella will react to what Jacob and Nessie did? Will he really keep away from his imprint? What does Nessie truly feel about the wolf now? And where does Ciel always go off to?

Comment below and tell me what YOU think the answers will be! Thanks for reading this chapter, and if you enjoyed it feel free to vote. Sorry it's a day late, but hopefully the next chapter will be right on time next Thursday, the fifth of June. Tata until then, lovelies! <3