Chapter 6 - Trust

Tara began feeling more comfortable with the Cullens as the weeks went by. Edward and Bella took her around to some of the neighboring cities. They visited the Museums in Port Angeles and then drove to Olympia and Seattle to see some of the art museums.
Esme and Alice insisted on taking Tara on a shopping trip for new clothes since she only owned the one outfit she arrived in. Though Renesmee and Bella already gave Tara free rein of their closets, Esme decided she should have her own things, hoping it would make her feel as though she belonged there. She even considered redecorating one of the extra rooms in the house to give her privacy, but she held off on presenting the idea after seeing how well the girls bonded. They both seemed to enjoy sharing a room with each other for the time being.
Each day Jacob came by to see Renesmee, Seth tagged along. He desired to become more acquainted with Tara but tried not to make it too obvious. The Cullens didn't suspect anything since they were used to Seth always being around Jacob so his frequent visits didn't seem out of the ordinary to them. Tara took a liking to his presence, developing a fascination with him she couldn't explain. She hovered when he and Jacob came around and her bond with Seth grew stronger each day.
Eventually it became too difficult for Seth to control his thoughts around Edward however. He began to doubt his ability to keep the mind-reader out of his head, worrying about the reaction the Cullens might have to the imprint on their new family member. He worried most about Tara's reaction though and as much as he desired to tell her, he still could not bring himself to do it just yet. Not wanting to take the risk of Edward exposing him, Seth completely avoided visiting when Edward came around. It didn't take long for Tara took notice Seth's absences. His constant avoidance made her wonder if he'd lost interest in their friendship. She wasn't quite sure why it mattered, however. The emotion she sensed frustrated her. She tried to convince herself it wasn't in her best interest to care, though she knew deep down she really did.
Seth's ability to refrain from seeing Tara didn't last long. He craved to be near her and knew he would need to find another way to get closer, even if it meant bringing her to the reservation. Knowing his best option would be to find her when she was away from the other vampires. When she went off to hunt would be the best opportunity, he thought. Seth patiently waited for his opportunity to follow her.
Hunting animals appealed to Tara even more now. As she headed deep into the Olympic forest, she encountered a large black bear that satisfied her thirst. She understood why Emmett and Renesmee enjoyed hunting those most soon as she discovered that bears put up an entertaining fight. When she finished her meal, she curiously roamed through the forest following the sound of running water in the distance and came across a large body of water. A giant cascade spilled into the pool below. The remote area seemed completely secluded, hidden behind a dense cover of trees and vegetation. The water looked inviting. Upon deciding to take a swim, Tara removed all of her clothing under the assumption that she was completely alone. Once the rain passed, the clouds shifted and the moon lit up the sky and forest. Its light beamed off the surface of the water. She dove deep into the pool and swam all the way to the bottom, staying immersed under the cold depths for a long while.
Seth remembered to carry extra clothes with him this time, as he tracked her scent through the forest until he reached the waterfall where her trail ended. Sensing he was near her, he morphed and dressed quickly. He crept up to the water hole and searched for her, but she was nowhere to be seen. Feeling confused and worried, he started to turn away, but out of the corner of his eye he captured a glimpse of a head appearing out of the water. Silently creeping forward to get a better look, he realized it was her. He slowly crouched down, remaining completely motionless as he watched her dive under and resurface over and over. Then swam towards the waterfall and leaped out onto the rock basin allowing the water to beat down on her face and head. Seth froze and his eyes grew wider as he immediately noticed her lack of clothing. "Oh crap," he thought. He felt his heart pounding inside his chest and became fluster as he stared at her naked body. Feeling guilty he turned his eyes away, realizing his bad timing. Sweat began to stream down his forehead and his shallow breaths suddenly became deeper and more rapid.
Tara hadn't taken a breath since she resurfaced but even through the crashing noise of the waterfall, she heard the pounding of a heart beat. She stepped out of the current and inhaled deeply. "Wolf", she thought letting out a low deep growl. Immediately upon realizing she wasn't alone, she vanished.
Seth decided it would be best to leave. He knew this would be a really bad time to make his presence known to Tara but as he slowly began to stand and turn, he noticed she no longer stood in the waterfall. He snapped his head around, frantically searching for her. A feeling of uneasiness came over him and he stood up abruptly, ramming his head into a tree limb. His eyes closed as he stifled a yelp, reaching up to his head with both hands and clenching it tightly where he'd bumped it. He rubbed the sore spot while trying to straighten his legs so he could turn and leave. As soon as be spun around, fully opening his eyes, he came face to face with a dark figure standing only inches from him. He gasped upon realizing it was her.
Tara stood directly in his path, fully dressed again though droplets of water dripped from the strands of hair that hung over her pitch black eyes. Her angry eyes stared him down as she growled . "Oh shi...," he started to say just before she gripped his throat and cut him off.
"What the hell do you think you’re doing?" she hissed through her teeth. "Were you just peeping at me?"
"No!" he gasped, trying to get enough air to speak. He effortlessly grasped at her hands on his neck, trying to pry her fingers loose. It was like trying to bend iron.
"I should rip your eyes out you filthy mongrel! How dare you!"
Seth managed to suck in a breath of air to speak again. "Wait!... lemme… explain…" Tara only cut him off again as she tightened her grip. She was so blinded by fury she never saw the wolf as it came barreling at her with a furious rate of speed. Jacob snarled just before he knocked her flat on her back, leaping on top of her. Seth coughed as the air filled his lungs again when she released him.
Tara kicked her feet upward, throwing Jacob off and hurled him over her head. She leaped back into a standing position ready to fight. She quickly noticed a large gash on her arm that ran from her right shoulder to her elbow. Within seconds, the wound closed up, healing perfectly without even the trace of a scar. Her head snapped back in Jacob's direction, angered by his attack. "That's it Jacob Black! I've had just about enough of you! You wanna pick a fight with me? Let's go!"
Seth jumped in front of Tara before she could attack. "Stop!" he ordered in a raspy voice, trying to gain back his vocals. She just hissed at Seth and she shoved him out of the way, headed for her target.
Immediately another wolf appeared. Leah, who came with Jacob, had been standing just in along the border of the trees waiting for her opportunity to intervene. Jacob ordered for her to stay back until he gave her the word however she wasn't about to wait any longer. She protectively leaped to Jacob's side, letting out a violent roar, heeding a warning for Tara to back off. Neither Jacob nor Leah really wanted to start a fight, knowing there would be consequences to face if they harmed the girl. They only wanted to protect Seth.
Tara also wasn't so sure she would be ready to face two wolves at the same time. She hesitated but stood ready. "What the hell is your problem? This happens to be neutral territory so why are you threatening me?"
Jacob quickly transformed back to his human form so he could speak and Tara threw her arms up at the sight of him, trying to obstruct the view of Jacob's frontal extremities. "Ugh! Jacob, gross! That's way more of you than I ever wanted to see!"
"Hey, this is what I am so get over it! It's not like we can wear clothes over our fur out here."
"Well go grab a leaf or something! I'm not about to stand here and talk to you like that!" Just then, Seth's shirt hit Jacob in the face. He took it off so Jacob could use it to cover himself.
Leah decided against phasing back to human form. She didn't trust Tara and remained in her wolf form to protect her pack.
Seth tried again to plead his case. "Tara, please just listen to me …" She turned and looked at him with a pained expression. Though she felt humiliated and angered she still decided to listen. "I had no idea you were swimming in the...um…the nude." Seth paused between words looking over at Jacob and Leah's reaction. Then he focused his attention back to Tara.
Jacob shook his head. "Huh?" he said, looking confused. "What's going on here?" How come you attacked Seth?"
"Because your wolf-boy here was peeping on me while I was taking a swim, and no, I don't own a bathing suit, so of course I was naked. Furthermore, I had no reason to think there would be anyone out here at this hour!" she shouted.
Jacob just shook his head again and chuckled, realizing there had been a misunderstanding. "Wow, well that's um, quite a story there Seth. I guess you have some explaining to do." Then he hesitantly turned to Tara, unhappy that he had to apologize to a vampire. "Sorry about the misunderstanding but you attacked my friend and I can't allow that. We were simply defending our own," he grumbled.
"Okay well, fine, I got it. That doesn't explain why you all feel the need to follow me around still! How long is this going to go on for? Are you all planning to track me for the duration of my stay or are you just hoping you'll run me out of town eventually?"
"No, that's not our intentions. I think we can safely assume for now that there's no immediate danger here, but that doesn't mean we can just let our guard down. You need to understand that. I'm only doing my job," Jacob warned. Then he looked at Seth who had a shameful expression on his face. "But as far as answering your other question, I'm just gonna leave that one up to Seth." Lastly he turned to Leah. "I think we're finished here." He nodded for Leah to follow him. She growled not wanting leave just yet.
"It's fine Leah, let's go," he ordered. "Seth can handle this. It's his mess." Jacob took one last turn back to Tara. "Can I trust you won't be harming my best friend then?" he asked for Leah's benefit.
"Yeah, I've pretty much calmed down now. You can go so Seth can beg for my forgiveness." Tara's eyes narrowed as she stared at Seth. She folded her arms across her chest.
Jacob figured he could leave safely now. He grinned as he handed Seth the shirt he used to cover himself with but Seth shoved his hand back with a grimace. "Uh yeah, you can just keep that now."
"Whatever!" Jacob threw it at him the he turned in a flash making a running leap into the air as he shifted back to a wolf. He and Leah ran for the tree line. Leah stopped just before entering the forest and turned her head looking back at Seth one more time before she disappeared into the green umbrage.
Seth looked back at Tara. She stood with her arms folded, silently waiting. He could see the variations of emotion in her expression. "I'm sorry," he said finally.
"What on earth were you doing? How did you know I was here? Did you track me again?"
"Uh, y-yeah," he confessed.
"Why? What are you stalking me or something? I don't get it….First you say we're friends, then you ignore me, and now you pull this! I thought you trusted me - I thought I could trust you!"
"I do...you can… it's …it's just… complicated."
"Well, what the hell does that mean?"
Seth let out a sigh. "I…I followed you because I wanted to see you, I mean... I didn't want to see you naked..." Tara's eyes grew wider as Seth put his foot deeper into his mouth as he continued to talk. "Not that I'm saying that you look bad naked or anything." He stumbled over his words nervously. Tara just frowned. Though his story didn't seem to improve the situation, he continued to ramble on. "But I had no idea what you were naked until I saw you come out of the water. I just thought I would surprise you and gosh did I ever but I just missed you and just wanted to come see you and that's all, I swear."
Her expression softened. "Y-you missed me?" Tara said surprised.
"Yes." He nodded.
"Well, couldn't you have just picked up a phone and called me? I could have seriously hurt you! I don’t see or hear from you in days and then you just show up out here spying on me like some sort of pervert."
"I know. Calling would have been the smart thing to do. I just…” he sighed. “I haven't been able sleep well and next thing I knew I found myself heading to your place but you were gone when I got there." Seth cautiously took her hand in his as he tried to apologize. "I really am sorry."
His hand felt warm and comforting. She found her anger slipping away but she didn't want to let him off the hook so easily. Nor did she want him to know how much she enjoyed his touch. She yanked her hand away. "You should be. What if I had hurt you? You didn't even fight back. Why didn't you change when I attacked you?"
"Because I didn’t want to fight you."
"So you would have just let me rip you to shreds?"
"No, I wouldn't have let it get to that point. I just hoped you'd let me explain first."
Tara shook her head. "That was very foolish of you." She frowned.
"I didn't want to hurt you. You saw what Jacob did to your arm. You're not as indestructible against us." Tara glanced at her shredded sleeve. She started to think Seth was right and that maybe she might not have fared so well fighting with Jacob.
"I won't hurt you Tara. Not ever. Do you understand?"
"No, not really." She shook her head.
"Why, what don't you get?"
"You're behavior! You're niceness towards me. It's not normal."
"Well what do you want me to be, a jerk? I'm your friend, how else do you expect me to treat you?"
"I dunno. I suppose I expected you to act like the others so towards me. I expected you to treat me like they did when we first met but you're different. I'm just really confused. I mean... you said were friends but you just stopped coming around, so I thought maybe you changed your mind."
"Is that what you think? I'm sorry, I had good reason for not coming by but it wasn't anything like that. I promise." Tara gave him an unconvincing look. "So, do you not want to be friends anymore?" he asked.
"N-no. I like being friends with you …even though I think it's a little strange."
"Okay, then tell me what's bothering you."
"I just thought you trusted me. I thought I could trust you too."
"I do trust you, and you can trust me."
"And them? She referred to Jacob and Leah. "They followed me too."
"No, actually…. they followed me," he confessed.
"You? But why?"
"They're just a little worried about me spending so much time with…you ...alone. They're just being over protective, especially Leah. It's hard for her not to."
Tara's expression shifted. "They're afraid I'll hurt you." she realized.
"Yes."
"Then I suppose it didn't help that I lost my temper in front of them."
"Don't worry about that. It's hardly your fault. I shouldn't have snuck up on you."
"No, you shouldn't have."
"So, how about it then? Will you give me another chance? Can we still be friends?" he hoped.
She sighed. "Are you sure that's such a good idea? Maybe it's not so healthy for you for have a vampire for a friend."
"I'm not worried."
"Well, you're friends are."
"They'll get over it." He persisted.
"That's not very reassuring. I don't like being followed when I go out."
"I know… But maybe it would help if they just saw more of you."
"Honestly I don't think they want to see more of me."
"Maybe so...but I think it would help." Seth paused, thinking. "I have an idea."
"And what's that?"
"Come to La Push with me this weekend. A few of us are going surfing and … "
"What! The Reservation? Are you kidding?"
"No I'm serious. What? ..can't you surf?"
Tara rolled her eyes. "Yes I can surf, but that's irrelevant. I can't go waltzing down there. The Pack will want to eat me alive!"
"Jacob already gave you permission to come on our land. It'll be a good way for them to see you and get to know you better. I'll be right there with you to make sure nothing bad happens." She stared at him like he was crazy. "You want to be trusted right?" he asked.
"Well, I don't think that's the best way." She folded her arms.
"Don't you wanna hang out with me anymore?" He used the puppy-faced guilt on her.
"Well yes, but…."
"Are you afraid?"
"No!" That got under her skin. She didn't like to be accused of being afraid of them.
"Okay then, I'll pick you up around nine."
Tara sighed, giving in only because she knew deep down she wanted to be with him. "I don't know how I'm letting you talk me into this," she said shaking her head.

The next morning. Somewhere after 10am…
Tara shoved a towel into her back pack, along with a hair brush and a change of clothes. She hadn't remembered ever needing so many items for a small trip before. She always lived very simple and carried few things with her. Now she needed to get used to the idea of being seen. For the first time in a very long time she, paid attention to her appearance.
Alice gave her a body suit to wear since she didn't own a bathing suit. She preferred to wear one since it covered her albino-like complexion. Alice also predicted bouts of sunshine throughout the day giving her another excuse to cover herself up. She didn't know how Seth would react to seeing her glittering skin and she promised not to disappear on them while she was on their land. Tara planned to keep her word.
As she sat on Renesmee’s bed waiting for Seth to arrive, she became engrossed in a novel she'd found in Carlisle's collection. The smell of axle grease and dog gave her the indication that Jacob had arrived. She jumped up and zipped into the bathroom. "I think your ride is here," she informed her. Both Alice and Renesmee looked up. "Hey, that looks cute," she added, complimenting Renesmee’s hairstyle. Alice had skillfully weaved it into a long French-braid.
"Thanks," Alice replied, taking credit for her work. "I'll do yours next," she offered going back to her work to finish quickly.
"Thanks Alice but I'm only gonna get it all wet anyways, how about tonight after I get back?" she said feeling guilty for rejecting her.
"Well, Rosalie will be here by then but... maybe I could squeeze you in."
"Oh… right." She remembered. Tara heard a variety of things about Rosalie, especially the jokes Seth and Jacob made about her. Their comments left her with the impression that she was quite vain.
Just then, Jacob popped his head in. "Hey beautiful, you ready yet," he asked.
"She's all yours." Alice said, releasing her.
Jacob nodded at Tara."Wuz-up Morticia?"
"Hey ..Cujo," she quickly snapped back. Tara squished the urge she felt to slash his tires. She glanced over Jacob's attire. He wore only a pair of swim trunks and a Tee.
"Looks like your boy is late. Get used to it, he's always late," he told her.
"No biggie," she shrugged.
"You sure you don't wanna ride with us? He can just meet us there," Renesmee offered.
Tara didn't have the least bit of desire to sit in the back of Jacob's Rabbit however, nor did she want to go to La Push without Seth at her side. The idea of being on wolf territory made her anxious, but being with him gave her a more guarded feeling. "No thanks. I'm in no hurry."
"Worried?" Jacob grinned.
"About?" she questioned.
"Being on the Rez. You look nervous." He grinned. Jacob liked the idea of putting some fear in her.
"Not at all." She lied. "Do I have a reason to be?"
"Nope, not as long as you behave," he warned.
"Of course." She said, giving him a stern look. Jacob's attitude towards her was getting on her last nerve. As he and Renesmee turned to leave, Tara called out to her. "Oh hey, Ness... do you know how to stop a dog from howling in the back of the car?"
"Um, no… how?" Ness asked.
"Put him in the front," she replied.
Renesmee giggled at her joke. Jacob just rolled his eyes and smirked as he led Renesmee by the hand. They disappeared out the door and headed for La Push. Alice however, still had her sights on Tara. "Last chance beauty call," she said, pointing at the little chair in front of her.
"Thanks Alice, but I'll be getting on a motorcycle in a few minutes and then heading to a beach. There's really no point."
Alice sighed. "Well you should really wear a helmet at least so least it won't get so wind-blown. I could give you some cute little braids that would stay in, even while you’re swimming."
Tara pondered the thought for a moment deciding she really didn’t want to be bothered with her hair too much so she plopped herself into the chair in front of Alice. She figured she had some time to kill anyways. Several minutes passed before she heard the hum from Seth's bike coming up the road. Alice sensed Tara becoming anxious to get up. "Almost done, sit still please." Her fingers were a blur as she weaved her hair in and out, working very fast.
Seth parked his bike out front and hurried into the house. When he opened the door, he heard the light melody of a piano that echoed though the rooms. The music suddenly came to a halt the moment he headed for the stairs. Before Seth's foot touched the first step though, he felt a cold hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Edward staring at him with a stern look on his face. "Edward," Seth jumped, startled to see him. He stared at him waiting, wondering what he wanted.
Seth's thoughts were no longer a secret to him. He leaned in close to his friend. "Be very careful." he said in a low, almost inaudible tone.
Seth's face changed. He tried to interpret what Edward meant. "I intend to. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things and make sure nothing goes wrong, if that's what you're worried about."
"I'm sure you will, however, that's not what I'm referring to." Edward didn't even blink once as he spoke very seriously. He glanced up at the stairs, listening to Tara's thoughts. "It's obvious to me that she knows nothing. I understand what you're doing, so I've been patient and kept my silence. However...I don't think you understand what you are dealing with. I just want to caution you. You're my friend, and I don't wish to see you hurt, in any way."
"Thanks Edward, but I got this one, okay? I think I can handle it."
"I hope so, for your sake." Edward nodded and stepped back, letting Seth continue up the stairs to get Tara.
As he headed down the hall he spotted Alice just coming out of the bathroom. "Hey Alice," he said to her in a friendly tone.
"She’s all yours…" was all she said, but before leaving, she turned back quickly to give him a word of advice. “Be sure you keep that pack of yours under control. I'm trusting you'll keep her well guarded for us."
"Of course Alice, you have my word on that," he assured her.
"Good," she said smugly then continued walking.
Seth almost passed the bathroom, until he spotted Tara looking at her hair in the mirror. She immediately turned towards Seth. When he entered she reached for her bag, swinging it over her shoulder. His grin grew wider while staring at her new hair style, admiring the braids Alice put on each side. Her new look made her look like a Native American porcelain doll, he thought.
"What?" she wondered as he kept staring.
Seth ran his finger under one of the braids. "I really like this look on you," he said as his finger reached the end of her braid and let it fall back in its place. "You know… you're very pretty…for a vampire that is," he added with a wink.
"Thanks, I think." They both smiled.
"Sorry I'm so late. I tried to power nap and I just ended up oversleeping."
"Hmm, well maybe you should try sleeping instead of lurking around the woods at all hours of the night. It's dangerous out there. You never know what creatures you might run into," she teased.
Seth laughed. He was happy to see her in such a light mood. "You're right and I'll have to think of how I can make it up to you."
"Oh, don't worry, I have an idea," she said before quickly disappearing before his eyes. He only felt the gush of air as she dashed out of the house.
Seth ran after her to see what she was up to. When he came outside she was sitting on the bike with her hands at the handles waiting for him. "Umm, what are you doing?" he asked as he got closer.
"Letting you make it up to me for being late. Hop on," she nodded her head at the back of the bike.
"I am so not riding on the back of my bike to La Push. I have my limits and that is definitely one of them!"
"Hey that's not right you owe me! You even said..."
"No way! Have you looked at me? Do you have any idea how silly I would look holding onto you on the back of this thing? An isolated trail is one thing but I do know people in this town and I would never hear the end of it. I'll take you riding off-road another day, I promise, okay?"
Her lips turned down into a pouty frown.
"Come on...Pale-Face, let's go while it's still high tide," he said, holding onto the clutch, refusing to give in.
She smiled when he called her that name. Then she let out a small sigh. "Fine, but you better! I won't let you forget either." She let go of the front of the bike and scooted back allowing him to hop on in front. Then she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"I'm sure you won't," he grinned, shaking his head.
Tara recognized the route they took through town as Seth turned out unto the 101 interstate. He drove north until he came to a turn. She read the sign at the intersection: La Push Road. They crossed over a long river then continued on for several miles more. Tara smelled the briny air as Seth turned his bike onto a dirt road, much like the one that led to the cliffs. The road was edged by beautiful dense green forests.
He pulled into an open lot that appeared deserted except for Jacob's car. After pulling up next to it, he cut the engine. Tara hopped off the bike and waited while he removed his bag from the back and swung it over his shoulder.
"This is it, there is a small trail this way," he said. Just as she started to turn and follow the path, he stopped her and reached for her backpack. "Wait," he said as he slid it off her back, gesturing to carry it for her. He began walking again and she gave him a funny look, not understanding his actions. When Seth noticed she wasn't moving he looked back. Her odd stare made him do a double take. "What's wrong?" He wondered.
"You realize I could easily carry you on my back, right?"
"Well, that doesn't mean I don't have to be a gentleman does it?" he replied.
"Oh." Tara wasn't used to that kind of treatment since she always had to be very independent.
"Does it bother you?" he asked.
"Oh.. no, I'm just not use to that sort of thing...I think I could get used to it though," she smiled.
"Good." He smiled back.
Leading her through a long trail, he thoughtfully held all the branches out of her way along the path and even offered his hand to her when she had to leap over a fallen tree. She played along with his chivalry. As they broke through the confines of the forest, she saw the rock shore in front of them. A thin border of sand edged the water, turning into millions of large smooth stones and drift wood trees. A brisk, cool breeze came in off the waves. As she looked out toward the ocean, she spotted Jacob and Renesmee out in the water already, but no one else. "Where are all the people?" she asked looking out at the empty beach figuring on a day like this there would be a mob of people there.
"Oh, this is our private spot. We always come here. Too many tourists and kids on the other side."
Tara suspected that was more for safety rather than privacy. She accepted the conditions since she was glad it would only be them - actually preferring it. She noticed something else, though. She was quite sure she smelled more than one wolf nearby. Even through the thick salt air, their scent was very strong. "So... how many of them are out there?" she asked.
Seth stopped walking and turned around to face Tara. He didn't expect that question from her.
"I know they're watching me. I can smell them," she added.
He sighed. "There's six of them that came...I'm sorry...this is a first since Renesmee and they're a bit nervous about having you here so close to their families."
She nodded figuring that was to be expected. "Well aren't you too?" she wondered.
"No, I told you….I trust you."
She shook her head, still perplexed by Seth's trusting nature.
He dropped their things in the sand where the group had set up a small camp. Two blankets lay on the sand with piles of towels and a few bags filled with a variety of items for the beach. Two large coolers sat off to the side, little closer to the edge of the forest filled with enough food feed a pack of wolves. A single surf board stood erect out of the sand. She assumed it was left for Seth. "Guess we're short one," she said looking at the board.
"Oh yeah, well when they come in I'm sure you can use Ness's board, unless you wanna take mine now...I'll hang back for a while, I don't mind."
"No...that's okay...I'd rather wait for you."
Seth smiled. "We'll wait then."
Tara didn't mind the idea of spending time alone with Seth without the others, in fact, she desired it. She studied him closely and quickly observed a familiar look in his eyes. "I'll bet you didn't eat this morning did you?"
He seemed surprised by her observation. "Actually, I was in such a rush, I totally forgot. How'd you guess?"
"Because I know hungry when I see it." Her eyebrow rose up.
"Hmm, well I guess I'd better take care of that then." He walked over to one of the coolers and opened it pulling out two sandwiches wrapped in foil then opened and sniffed it. Ham and cheese, something he liked. Then he grabbed a soda from the other cooler.
He watch as Tara stepped over to examine the surf board while he sat down to eat. "I wish I could offer you something. I feel rude eating in front of you all the time." he said, peeling away the foil from one of his sandwiches.
"I'm good. I don’t mind watching," she admitted, circling the surf board. "So is this one yours?" she asked.
"Yup," he said just before taking a bite.
"It's nice. These are expensive." She ran her hand down the side of the board.
"Thanks. It was a graduation present from Charlie. He told me if I graduated with honors he'd buy it for me. I don't think he knew what he was getting into when he offered but he stood by his word."
"Charlie?" She looked puzzled.
"Yeah...um, Bella's dad." He explained. Though Tara knew who Charlie was, she didn't understand the connection or why he would give Seth such an elaborate gift.
"That was nice of him. Are you close to him or something?"
"Well yeah, ..he's dating my mom." He explained in more detail.
"Oh." Tara paused, thinking again. She didn’t know there was that close of a relationship going on. She then wondered about Seth's father. "So…are your parents divorced then?" she asked bluntly.
Seth turned his head down. "Uh, no." He said shaking his head slightly. "My dad passed away." His voice faded at the last two words.
Tara noticed Seth stopped eating. She didn't think it was good sign. Then she remembered when he said he knew how painful it is to lose a parent but she hadn't realized he was talking from personal experience. In a flash, she was crouched in front of him. "I'm sorry, were you close to him?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.
"Yes...very."
"What happened?" she pried again.
He just stared blankly at his sandwich though not answering. He hadn’t spoken about his father in quite a while. She noticed the obvious silence and the sadness in his eyes . "If this makes you uncomfortable, we can talk about something else." She worried the question might have upset him too much.
"No, it's okay. You answered all my questions and told me about what happened to your family. I don't mind, it just that I haven't talked to anyone about it, except Leah."
Tara sat curling her legs in and wrapping her arms around her knees, waiting patiently for him to speak. Seth paused, taking a few sips of his soda before he spoke. "My dad had a heart attack. The doctors said it was his diet, but I think it was something else that brought it on because….it happened just after he found out about Leah and I… when he found out we were both wolves. I think he was really upset over it and that's what I believe really caused his death."
"You blame yourself?" she asked but he didn’t reply.
"Seth...look at me," she said. His glossy eyes turned in her direction. Her face was stern. "It's not your fault. It's not something you could control."
"I just… always have. I don't talk about it though, except with Leah. She feels even worse. It's why she's become so protective over me."
Tara kept her gaze focused on him. She liked that Seth confided in her enough to talk about something so personal. She didn't like to see him in pain though. It really bothered her. She felt it was time to put the subject to rest. "So, you haven't always been like this…been able to change?"
"No, I was fifteen when it happened."
Her golden eyes widened with curiosity. "What was it like for you?"
"Scary, at first. I didn't know what was happening to me. I was pretty young for the change to be happening. Leah was already nineteen. Apparently it has something to do with the vampires being here though. It made all of us change."
"All of you?"
"Well, all of us that have the gene for it. After a while I was pretty excited about it. I thought it was cool ya know?"
Tara smiled. "So, how old are you now?"
"Eighteen," he replied.
Her eyebrows rose. "Oh, you're younger than I thought."
"Why, how old did you think I was?"
"Mmm, well I guessed about twenty. You and your friends are all very ...large." Tara was glad to see Seth continued to eat his sandwich.
"Well, I'm the youngest out of the whole pack but... I'm still older than you. You're just a sweet sixteen."
"Uh, wrong..." she rolled her eyes. “I’m seventy remember?"
"That's just a technicality. But in that case, you do look great for an old lady," he winked. The comment made her chuckle. "So anyway...where did you learn to surf?" he wondered.
"While I was in Australia."
"Australia?" His face was full of surprise. "How did you get there?"
"I swam," she said as though it was as common as doing laps in a pool.
"Uh…you swam...to Australia?"
"Vampires don't tire easily, unless we're weak from not feeding. Nor do we need to breathe... I could literally swim forever if I wanted."
"Wow, even still, it seems like a lot of work. Couldn't you have just did that cloaking-thing and smuggled yourself on a plane?"
"Sure I've done that before but have you ever been to the bottom of the ocean?"
"Um, no."
"Well I have, and it's actually quite spectacular. Nothing like you what you see in pictures. You'd be amazed at what's down there – creatures that never come to the surface."
"Like what, the Loch Ness Monster?" He looked at her completely serious. Tara just laughed hysterically shaking her head. Seth smiled, continuing on with his barrage of questions. "So... you were in hiding in Australia right? Because it's sunny?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Bet the others are jealous that you can go anywhere, huh? I mean, you can feel more normal."
"Well, being invisible doesn't really make me feel normal. It gets very lonely after a while."
"So, can you look human too?" he wondered.
"Of course, anything I want really…human….wolf…." She winked. "I could make you disappear too, or even make you look like a goat if I wanted." She chuckled, thinking about it. "Maybe I'll try it on you sometime, just for fun.”
He laughed. "That's neat. I didn't know you could do all that. I'd rather you didn't make me look like a goat though."
She chuckled followed by a sigh. "Oh alright, ruin all my fun then." They both let out a nervous laugh.
"So, why did you hide all the time at the college? I mean if you can look any way you want you can just blend, right?
"Yes, but looking human doesn't change what I am. I'm cold, don't sleep or eat and...I drink blood...I can't mask those things...eventually people would sense the difference. It was easier for me to just hide and never been seen."
Seth thought about it for a moment. "So you've been alone for a long time then...since you left the Volturi?" he asked.
"Yes. You have no idea how happy I was to meet the Cullens. I never would have thought there were Covens such as theirs. Carlisle and Esme are pretty amazing. I feel really lucky to have them take me in like that."
"I'm really glad that they found you too." Seth smiled at her.
Just then, clouds separated, exposing a large patch of blue and the sun broke free from its captivity. Tara's skin glimmered in the sunlight. Her eyes looked even more golden as the sun lit up her face. "Wow," he gasped as he stared at her.
"Oh, yeah .. freaky huh?" she said feeling embarrassed of what he must think of her sparkly appearance.
"No way! That's so cool!"
"Seriously?" she asked with a smirk. Her tone sounded unbelieving.
"Yeah. Totally!" He studied her curiously, wanting to touch her skin. "Um, may I?" he asked nervously as he slowly reached his hand up to touch her face.
Tara nodded silently allowing him to touch her face. His fingers moved along her shimmering cheek. It was cold and smooth like a stone. She closed her eyes, taking pleasure in feeling of his warm skin against hers. His burning touch, triggering a sensation that made her nervous. She clenched her fists, staying perfectly still. "You're hands are so warm," she exhaled in a whisper.
"Is it uncomfortable when I touch you?" he asked, noticing how tense she seemed.
"No. That's not exactly how I'd describe it."
"How would you describe it then?"
"Mmm, it's more like a static current." She felt the hairs on the back of her neck, stand straight up.
He pulled his hand away. "That doesn't sound pleasant."
She opened her eyes. "You'd be surprised at what I find pleasurable."
He smiled. "Are you trying to freak me out?"
"No, it's true. But I am a freak," she winked.
He chuckled. "Well, aren't we all? I mean, none of us are exactly normal."
"Well to be honest, I like being around you because you make me feel more, normal. I think you're fun to be around. I can't even remember the last time I laughed before I met you. Thank you for that."
"You're welcome." He stared at her longingly. He desired more than anything to kiss her but the fear of how she might react stopped him.
"I wish…" she stopped mid-sentence looking away.
"What?" he wondered.
"Nothing." She shook her head.
"Now you've got me curious. Please tell me what you're thinking."
"I just wish I wasn't... what I am. It doesn't matter though. There's no changing things now."
"Well, other than the obvious, is there some other reason you're thinking that?" he pried.
"I guess…it would just be nice not to have certain, limitations."
Seth tried to interpret her cryptic answer. It wasn't quite what he was hoping for but it seemed like a subtle hint. "You know, if you weren't a vampire, I would have never known you. I mean technically you shouldn't exist right? So, that's a positive way to look at it anyway."
She smiled. "Yes. I am glad I met you."
"Me too." He smiled back, thinking about reaching for her hand when his plan was interrupted Jacob and Renesmee.
"Hi guys!" Renesmee said with a pleasant tone as her and Jacob walked over.
"Late much?" Jacob said to Seth.
"I'm so glad you came.” Renesmee plopped herself down next to Tara and hugged her. “So what'dya think of our beach?" she asked.
"It's great... I love the ocean. I never tire of it."
Jacob already began rummaging through the cooler. He pulled out a couple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for himself and an egg salad sandwich for Renesmee who made a scrunched up face at her food when he handed it to her. It wasn't a grisly for sure. "Eat,” he ordered. “You need the energy." Then he grabbed a large blanket and wrapped it around her body for warmth.
Tara observed how Jacob always cared for her. At first she watched Renesmee pick the pieces of egg out of her sandwich, eating only the whites. Then she shifted her attention to the ocean watching the waves crashing on the shoreline, silently hoping Seth would take her out to the water soon. She no longer wished to spend time near the forest, sensing one of the wolves had moved in closer. It made her uncomfortable.
"Hey Ness...you mind if Tara uses your board?" Seth said as he stood up, brushing the sand from his shorts.
"Not at all. You guys gonna head out there?"
"Yup." Seth stretched his hand to Tara. She paused at first then put her hand in his palm and she felt him pulling her to her feet. "Ready?" he asked giving her hand a squeeze.
"Yes, " She replied but forgot to let go of his hands as he tried to move.
"Uh, I kind need those." He chuckled.
"Sorry." She said nervously and released him.
Then Seth pulled off his shirt and removed his shoes before grabbing his board and walked with her into the crashing waves to paddle out. They both disappeared into the water for a long while.
Leah, Quil and Embry became very hungry as they waited and watched, guarding their territory. Finally they emerged from the forest, unable to resist the temptation to grab some food from the coolers. They sat with Jacob and Renesmee while eating and monitored the situation still. Everything seemed to be going quite smoothly until suddenly something caught Leah's attention out in the water. "What the hell?" she blurted as she looked out at the water's edge. They all jerked their heads around to see what the commotion was about.
"Something's wrong!" Jacob shouted as they all turned and saw Tara pulling Seth's limp body from the water.
"Seth!" Leah shouted just before she started running towards them. Jacob chased her and the others followed.
"I knew bringing her here was a bad idea!" Leah snarled.
Jacob crouched over Seth. Blood streamed down his face. "What happened?" He examined Seth's body while trying to keep Leah back.
"His board pearled and he went under. He hit his head on the reef." Tara explained.
Renesmee and Leah gasped when they saw the gaping wound on his forehead near his hair line.
"Seth! Hey Seth can you hear me?" Jacob tapped at his face with the back of his hand. He seemed unresponsive.
Tara knelt next to him. The red fluid dripped down his face and into the sand. Though she heard Seth's heart beating, she didn't hear him taking any breaths. As soon as she tried leaning in close to his mouth to check his airway, Leah lunged at her and tried shoved her back.
"Hey!" Tara hissed at her.
"Back off, bloodsucker! This isn't meal time for you!" Leah snarled as she hovered over her brother.
Tara became furious. "He's not breathing you idiot! You gonna start CPR or would you like to let the brain damage to set in first?" She hissed.
They all looked at each other, not moving. Tara growled and let out a huff. She inched closer Seth's body and shoved Leah back. Leah started to lunge again when Jacob grabbed her and stopped her.
"Wait," he told her, holding up his arm to keep her back.
Tara gently lifted Seth's neck and put her ear to his mouth. Nothing.
She turned her face and carefully pressed her mouth to his blowing a breath of air into his lungs. She stopped and listened again. Still nothing. As she began to blow another breath of air into his lungs, Seth’s arms reached his arms around her body and held his mouth against hers. Her eyes opened wide as she realized she'd been tricked. She shoved him breaking his grip on her and he let out a laugh.
"Ugh!" Tara blurted aloud. She balled her hand into a fist and punched Seth in the sternum but only hard enough to knock the wind out of him.
"Agh!" Seth gasped, grabbing his stomach and rolling over on his side. "I can't breathe!" He winced in a raspy voice.
"Good!" Tara huffed as she stood up and walked back to where her things were.
"Tsk!" Renesmee blurted out rolling her eyes. Then she followed after Tara.
"Smooth move dude," Jacob said grinning at him, helping him to his feet.
"Yeah man, what were you thinking? Why'd you go and kiss her like that? You're lucky she didn't bite your face off," Quil said.
Seth could barely speak. He stood hunched over, his hands on his knees gasping for air. "What?... All I know is I come-to and I have a girl pressing her lips to mine."
"No, a vampire. You had a vampire on your lips." Leah corrected him.
"Ick!" Quil blurted out.
"Hey shut up already." Jacob spat. His attachment to Renesmee made him more sensitive to the vampire comments.
Once Seth came to his senses, he looked for Tara and spotted her near the tree line grabbing her bag. He dashed after her before she could get out of his sight. "Tara wait….Come on please," he pleaded, following her.
She considered running off, but figured he'd still follow. Seth reached for her arm to get her attention but she pulled it away. She finally stopped and turned to face him with a scowl.
"Don't be mad. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened back there." His head was still spinning and he stumbled trying to catch up with her. Tara grabbed him quickly to help him get his balance back.
She could no longer avoid looking him in the eye. Taking a deep breath to calm herself first, she finally spoke up. "Seth… tell me. Are you… insane?" Her eyes became narrow as she spoke in a cool tone.
"Well that would certainly explain a lot," he mumbled to himself.
"What?" she snapped back.
"Nothing," he shook his head. "No I'm not insane, though I know I have been acting pretty crazy."
"Yeah, ya think?" Tara waved her arms in the air in frustration. "Do you have any idea what kind of situation you put me in back there? I mean seriously thought you drowned and then you go and pull a stunt like that on me?"
Seth' eyes widened when he suddenly noticed the blood all over Tara's hands. He hadn't realized his head was cut open. "W-why are you covered in blood?" he froze.
"You hit your head stupid." Tara reminded him.
He felt the stinging now. His hand touched his forehead feeling the oozing wetness that seeped from his wound. Then he pulled his hand back, seeing the bright red blood on his fingers. He quickly tried rubbing it on his shorts realizing that the smell must be driving her crazy. "Shoot! I didn't know. I'm so sorry."
"You apologize an awful lot you know." She put her hand on her hip.
"Yeah, I seem to be screwing up a lot around you." He looked at her with his big brown eyes, hoping to gain some sympathy.
She spotted a tiny piece of coral still stuck in his head that needed to be removed. "Don't move." She ordered.
He stood still as she stepped closer to him and slid one hand behind his neck so he couldn't run, then she reached up with her other hand and pinched the coral with her petite fingers and pulled it out.
"Ow!" Seth howled.
She held it up to his face so he could see what it was she pulled out. He barely saw the tiny rock covered in his blood. She dropped it to the ground. Then unzipped her backpack and pulled out a towel. "Here - and you should probably get Carlisle to look at that," she said tossing it at him.
"Thanks," Seth said, pressing the towel to his head. "No need for that though. I'm a fast healer."
"If you say so." She shrugged. "Well I should go. I think I've had enough excitement for today." She said coldly then started to turn towards the road to head back. Seth reached for her arm and grabbed it this time. His hand nearly set her arm a blaze. It started her and she turned.
"Wait, at least let me take you back to Forks. Don't run off… please?" Seth warmed her over with his eyes again.
Tara frowned at him trying to decide if she should let him. She finally caved. "Fine," she sighed and she began to walk back towards his bike.
"Isn't the blood bothering you at all? You seem pretty impassive. I'm impressed," he said, while keeping up with her.
"No it's not too bad. Though human blood is very appealing, I've worked on desensitizing myself to it over the years. You're blood however… it doesn't seem to bother me."
"Why's that?" Seth asked almost hurt.
"It just smells… different. I don't know how else to describe the scent really, and no offense or anything but, your blood is more like vampire repellant."
"Oh…great." Seth wasn't sure if he should feel insulted or relieved by her remark. It was certainly for the best that she didn't desire to drink his blood but he didn't like the idea that anything about him repelled her.
"You sure you're okay to drive?" she asked when they got to his bike. "Perhaps I should drive you," she suggested.
"Nope perfectly fine," he said pulling the towel away. "See? The bleeding has stopped." She pouted, watching him climb on his bike. "Hey you know, I think we're even now," he said.
"Oh no…." she huffed climbing on the back of the bike. “You still owe me."
When they pulled into the Cullen's driveway, Tara hopped off. Seth shut the engine down hoping to talk to her but Tara just started to walk towards the house without saying anything. "Hey wait! Am I forgiven yet?" He took off his helmet and jumped off the bike chasing her.
Tara stopped and twirled around on one heel and started to stroll back towards him. She gave him a cooked grin and sighed. "Well I suppose I shouldn't hold a grudge, you did smack your head pretty good out there. I'm sure it must have been what impaired your sense of rational."
"Ah no, I don't think so."
"Well why the heck did you kiss me then?" she said in an irritated tone.
"All I remember is, I was on my board and then the next thing I know you had your mouth on mine. I thought it was a dream or something."
"You thought you dreamt of kissing me?"
"Y-yeah, guess so," he admitted shyly.
"Well you scared the hell out of me. You stopped breathing and it certainly didn't look like your friends were about to save you."
He chuckled. "Yeah well I think even they have their limits. Where did you even learn to do CPR anyways?"
"I sat in a lot of classes at the college, just observing…. and I also catch a lot of TV when I'm bored. Baywatch was one of my favorite shows.
"Oh yeah…great, cause TV is a really credible tool for learning life saving techniques," he joked.
"Hey! I think I did pretty good, next time I'll probably just let you drowned!" she swatted him.
He ignored the stinging sensation where her palm impacted his skin. "Next time? Does that mean we still get to hang out?"
"Mmm... I dunno, you sure that's a good idea? Your friends seemed to think I was gonna have you for lunch out there. Aren't you worried?"
"Uh nope…I believe you said I smelled like …uh, what was it again? Oh yeah, vampire repellant." Seth placed a lot of emphasis on the last two words.
She shook her head. "Gosh, you say that like you're insulted or something. Honestly it's for the best. I certainly wouldn't want to be worried about wanting to bite you all the time. I mean I suppose if I was hungry enough I'd eat you. Does that make you happy?"
"Ah no, but I think I see your point, biting me would not be good, your venom is deadly to us."
"It is?" she gasped.
"Yup, deadly once it reaches the heart."
The corners of her mouth turned down. "Seth, you should have told me! I wouldn't have done that today if I had known….. I could have killed you!"
"Well apparently ingesting it isn't dangerous. I'm still alive."
"You're just lucky." She frowned. It pained her to think she could have hurt Seth or worse…killed him.
"Was it so horrible…kissing me?" he asked.
"Well, no I wouldn't say it was… horrible…interesting maybe. I just wasn't expecting it at all. I thought I was saving your life."
"Sorry. I promise not to scare you again but thanks for caring about me."
Tara just shook her head. "Just try to watch what you're doing next time," she warned. Then she looked at up at the spot on Seth's head where he'd hit it. She reached her hand to his cheek and turned it so she could see the spot where the gash had been. The wound was completely healed. Only a small, hint of a scar was left with a little bit of dried blood covering the area. "Oh, you really do heal fast," she said reaching up to touch it rubbing some of the dried blood away and exposing the fresh pink scar. She gently traced it with her fingertips.
The cool touch of her skin gave Seth goose-bumps. His eyes closed for a moment as he slowly, exhaled. His heart beat began to speed up. When he opened his eyes, he looked right at her face, focusing on her lips thinking about his next move. As she ran her fingers along his temple, he reached up and placed his hand over hers, holding it. There was a silent moment between them when their eyes met. Still holding her hand in his, he inched forward and reached his other hand up to her face and then slowly leaned into her lips.
Tara stood perfectly still, lowering her eye lids as he got closer until he was kissing her. His lips were pleasantly warm to her and very soft. She could hear the sound of his heart like it was trying to break out of his chest and she found herself fighting back a strong craving. Within seconds she became nervous and leaped away, looking him in the eyes with a rigid stare.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yes."
"You look terrified. You're all like...tensed up. Are you nervous?"
"Sort of…you did it again."
"What?"
"You kissed me again."
"I know…I meant to this time though. I'm sorry if it startled you." Tara's stare fixated on Seth. It worried him. "Tara, you look frightened." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "I swear I would never hurt you. You know that, right?"
"Of course." She still stood frozen.
"What's wrong then?" he asked, inching closer to her.
"I'm not scared of you…," she paused. "I'm scared of …me."
"Huh, why? I thought you said my blood doesn't bother you."
"It doesn't…..I don't want your blood." Her eyes were wide and dark. She displayed look he hadn't seen before, as if she was restraining herself.
"I'm not sure I understand." He stepped closer to her and took her hand in his, then reached up to touch her face with his other hand and stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers caressing her cool skin.
She closed her eyes. The feel of his hot skin on hers was surprisingly pleasing to her. She tensed up again and squeezed his hand tightly.
"Ow…ow…OW! Tara! You're crushing my hand."
She shoved him back, scared that she might hurt him but that's not how he interpreted her reaction. He stumbled catching his balance. Her black eyes pierced right through him.
"I have to go. ..inside….right now," she said coldly. She turned quickly and zipped in the house.
Seth sighed as he watched disappear. He looked at his aching hand and rubbed it. "Nice going dumbass," he thought.
Then he stomped over to his bike and threw his leg over, hopping on. He sat for a moment, staring blankly, deep in thought, toiling over what happened. He realized that he probably ruined his last chance to confess his feelings to Tara. He didn't get the reaction he'd hoped for from her. After taking one more look at the house, he put his helmet on and sped off.
Tara stood at the door, looking out the stained glass window watching as he drove away. Suddenly she noticed the voices that came from behind her. She wasn't alone.
The voices quickly came to a halt and she nervously turned to see who was there. All of the Cullens stood there staring at her, including two new faces. The expressions on their faces changed when they instantly saw the blood all over her hands.
"Oh crap." she thought. "This looks pretty bad right now," she realized. She'd come back from her first visit to La Push with blood on her hands. Not good.
Esme gasped.
"Tara, what happened?" Carlisle asked, immediately worried.
"It's nothing. Seth had a little accident."
Suddenly they realized the blood stunk of dog. It had no appeal to them. Their tensions relaxed, though they curiously wondered what happened still.
"Is he alright?" Esme asked. She adored Seth and hoped no serious harm came to him.
"Yes, yes he's fine now. He just hit his head on some coral. I had to pull a piece out and that's how I got blood on me. He's okay though…he even escorted me home." She explained, leaving out several details. She couldn't stop the recent events from racing through her head though. Then she glanced over at Edward, realizing he was probably listening the whole time. It was suddenly obvious from the look on his face. "Great." she thought and hoped Edward wasn't going to say anything.
Emmett spoke up suddenly. "So are ya switchin' sides on us or what?" he asked Tara.
"Oh no!" Tara thought wondering if they saw the whole event outside. "Um…excuse me?" she mumbled in confusion.
Esme realized they hadn't been properly introduced just yet and spoke up. "Tara I'd like you to meet two other members of our family. This is Rosalie and Emmet,." she said. They had both just returned from a long trip to Kodiak Island in Alaska, where the bear population is at an historic high. They also just finished their second year of college.
Emmett threw his hand up and gave her a short wave of his fingers accompanied by a friendly smile. "Hey I'm just kiddin'. The others were telling us you got to go to La Push today. So what was that like?"
"Whew," she felt relieved. Everyone waited for her to say something. "Oh, well uh… it was interesting, to say the least." She stumbled over her words nervously.
Rosalie's expression didn't change. The idea of mingling with wolves still seemed revolting to her. She tolerated Renesmee's relationship with Jacob but she had no love for the wolves still and didn't like the idea of collaborating or socializing without good reason, or force. When Tara spotted the displeasing look on her face she knew. Even through her grimace Rosalie was even prettier than she expected she thought. Rosalie reminded her of a movie star.
"You're back earlier than we expected. Where's Ness?" Esme asked.
"Still there. I uh… didn't want to hang out anymore," she lied.
"Couldn't stand the smell huh?" Emmett asked.
"Yeah….wet dog." she chuckled, playing it off. The others laughed. Tara had very little to talk about at the moment. She politely sat and listened to the Emmett and Rosalie as they returned to their conversation they were having about school and their trip with the other. Tara hoped the distraction of them being there would keep them from asking her any more questions.
Before long, Jacob and Renesmee returned to the house. Jacob made sure to bring Renesmee back early enough to spend him with Rosalie and Emmett before she was too wore out from the day. He was almost too late as she'd fallen asleep in the car on the way back. H opened the door to his Volkswagen and softly rubbed her arm to wake her. "Come on sleepyhead. The blonde ice-queen is waiting for you."
Renesmee opened her eyes to Jacob's smiling face. He swept the long curls that fell in front of her face with his fingers. Her face lit up when she realized she was home.
As they came through the door, Renesmee squealed with excitement seeing Emmett and Rosalie, and ran over to give each of them a hug. Emmett lifted her off the ground with a giant bear hug.
"Aunt Rose! Uncle Emmett! How's school and the bears?" she asked once he put her down.
"It was quite an adventure. Still got your puppy I see. Is he housebroken yet?" Rosalie snickered.
Jacob interrupted before she could reply. "Hey Rosalie... know what the blond said after she finished college?" She ignored him as usual but Jacob continued on with the punch line. "Will that be paper or plastic?"
Rosalie hissed. "Don't you have some escaped convicts you should be searching for, dog?" she snapped.
"Nope," he said popping his P on the end. "I'm not a bloodhound."
Tara felt glad she wasn't Jacob's target for the moment. She had too much on her mind to get into a battle of wits with him right then.
"I've missed you Rosalie. I've got a ton of jokes I've been saving for your visit," Jacob said, provoking her.
Renesmee rolled her eyes at the two of them, but when she saw Tara staring out the window in a fog she focused her attention on her. She walked over and poked Tara's arm. "Hey are you still upset? You don't look right."
"Upset? About what?" Rosalie instantly became nosey.
"Seth nearly drowned and Tara gave him mouth to mouth. Then he kissed her and she hauled off and punched him. It was comical," Jacob said chucking.
Tara scowled gave him the, "shut the hell up" look. She wanted to turn invisible now.
"Ha! Really?" Emmett chuckled. "You didn't tell us about that part. Is that when he hit his head or did you help him hit it on the coral?"
"Uh gross! You should have ripped the little fleabag's face off!" Rosalie sneered.
The others knew Seth had a playful side to him but they were surprised he'd be brave enough to attempt to kiss a vampire, even as a joke. It seemed a little odd, even for him. Carlisle seemed pleased that Tara had been a good sport about it. He knew it could have ended violently, even if it was a playful gesture.
Jasper also seemed impressed by her self-control, but as he hovered her he sensed an unexpected emotion from Tara. Glancing at Edward, he wondered if he was right about his intuitions.
"Nah you wouldn't do anything to your buddy like that, huh Tara?" Jacob said.
He and Renesmee seemed to be the only ones not entirely disturbed by the event.
"Oh? Are you so sure Jake? I seem to recall you examining him for bite marks when I pulled him out of the water," Tara argued.
"Well, I had to be sure. Just doing my job." he shrugged. "I thought all that blood might be too tempting for you."
"Ick! I'm sure Tara has better taste than that!" Alice perked up.
"Well, it seems you handled the situation quite well Tara," Carlisle commented. Though he would never wish any harm to come to Seth, he felt the accident was a fortunate event for them. The new vampire not only made a save, she ignored a bleeding head injury. He saw it as a good move on her part and hoped it reinforced the Pack's feelings about his family and their values.
Tara wanted nothing more than to hide at the moment. She couldn't stop thinking about the warm sting that still lingered on her lips from Seth's kiss, nor could she ignore the fact that she enjoyed it. That part worried her the most.
"Why would Seth even do something like that?" Alice questioned.
"Uh who knows…. maybe the lack of oxygen got to him. I think he was already low on some brain cells anyway," Jacob said jokingly, trying to divert the issue.
Everyone laughed except Rosalie who took the situation more seriously than the others. Jacob fixed his eyes on her. "Hey Rosalie, know how to make a make a blond laugh on Saturday?" Rosalie stood with her arms folded, gritting her teeth together. "...tell her a joke on Wednesday." He finished.
Emmett tried to hide his smile. He got a kick out of Jacob whenever he provoked Rose. She only behaved herself for the sake of her niece but her patience with Jacob grew thinner. Emmett and Jasper had a bet on when she would finally snap. "Hey, maybe Seth has crush on our new vampire," he said jokingly.
"What? That's absurd! He really does have brain damage if that's true," Rosalie said.
"Or a death wish," Alice added.
"Well I always suspected he seems to like vampires too much. What do you think Tara?" Emmett asked.
Everyone stared at her waiting for an answer. It made Tara uneasy. Though they all seemed to accept Seth as a friend, she didn't think they would find it feasible for a vampire to respond kindly to his bizarre display of affection. The conversation was starting be too much for her. "I think he's definitely got a death wish. If I knew he was going to pull that kind of stunt would have let the stupid dog drowned," she retorted in a nasty tone.
Edward knew she was lying but the others laughed. Jacob looked at Tara, square in the face. He took her words very seriously. Tara wondered if it was for the best. What could possibly become of them anyway, she wondered. Wolves and vampires don't mix well. It was a foolish thought, or at least that's what she tried to convince herself. "Well if you'll all excuse me, I'd really like to shower and get this smell off me." Tara excused herself, eager to leave the room.
As she departed, everyone turned their attention back to Rosalie and Emmett, except for Edward and Bella whose eyes, bore into her back as she walked away. Before she made it the shower, Bella stopped her. "Are you okay Tara?" she asked.
Tara stopped and turned to face her. "I-I truly don't know Bella." She said quietly.
"Tell me then, I might understand," she said as she put her hand on her shoulder.
"When you and Edward were together, when you were human...you two had a ..um…physical relationship?" she wondered.
"Uh… yeah…we had a baby together," she said rolling her eyes.
"Oh..right." Tara felt foolish for forgetting. It was just something that seemed so unreal to her. "So then, it's possible?"
"Tara…do you have feelings for Seth?" Bella asked.
She nodded. "But I shouldn't. It's all wrong."
"Does your mind tell you it's wrong, or your heart?"
Tara grimaced. "I have no heart."
"Course you do. If you have feelings, you have a heart. Just because it stopped beating doesn't mean you don't have one. Do what your heart tells you. Don't worry about what the others might think."
Tara exhaled and smiled. "Don't tell them though, please?"
"I won't."
"Edward already knows though, doesn't he?"
"Yes, probably more than you think." Tara's eyes widened. "Don't worry, he won't say anything either. He's been keeping this secret for a while now. It makes him nervous though. He's noticed the way you look at Seth. It reminds him of when he was falling for me when I was a human. He just has concerns, having experienced it before. That's why I wanted to talk to you."
"Yeah, it kinda frightens me too. I don't know how this works."
"Don't worry, it will work itself out. Trust me."
"Thanks Bella."
"Welcome." She hugged her and then zipped off to be with the family before she was missed.
Tara threw her backpack on the floor of the bathroom and jumped in the shower. As she undressed, the sand fell from her clothes into the basin. She shoved them into her bag so she could wash them later then pulled curtain and turned on the water. Tara stood there for a while allowing the water to beat on her head. Seth's blood ran down her leg and washed away into the drain as she stood in the stream. She closed her eyes and when she did, she kept seeing him leaning in to kiss her. The image ran through her head over and over. After a few minutes, new images ran through her head, ones that hadn't happened but she was imagining they would. She turned the water to the coldest setting.
"Damn! Wish that worked", she thought.