Aunt Rosalie drove up a little later, avoiding all eye contact. Dad kept a smug smile on his face as he read her embarrassed thoughts. She held her head up high as she tossed Jacob's keys to him. "Your engine is terrible, oleh the way," she said. She walked in the house, her nose still in the air, trying to hold on to what dignity she had left. I would have laughed, except I liked my head on my body. "I like it that way!" Jacob yelled after her. As soon as she was out of earshot, Jacob turned to Dad, his face falling a little. "Does it run badly?" he asked. Dad shook his head. "No," he grinned. "She thinks it runs great. She's jealous of how anda can put together a car so well." Jake grinned, and Uncle Emmett laughed, the sound echoing off the trees. Aunt Rosalie hissed from inside, and there was a crash. "Crap!" Uncle Emmett berkata under his breath. He raced inside to see what had been damaged.
We had a reunion that lasted most of the night. Grandma and Aunt Alice made my favorit foods; pancakes, berbuat curang, fudge cake, carmel popcorn, and I ate until I was stuffed. We watched my favorit movies. Alice gave me a makeover. I had been greatly missed, I could tell.
I thought lebih about imprinting. I had seen the difference from Sam and Emily's relationship to other human ones at Brenton. I had always been jealous of Uncle Emmett's and Aunt Rosalie's relationship. It was deep and passionate. They often just gazed at each other, memorizing the other's face. I had always wanted a relationship like Mom and Dad's, though. They were obviously very very in love; that hadn't changed when Mom became a vampire. I thought that no one could cinta lebih than them, but I was wrong. There was only one exception: Jake and I. This made me extremely happy.
Before I could stop myself, I let out a huge yawn. Uncle Emmett laughed. "It's only two a.m!" he teased. "But I guess it's bedtime for the little hamp." 'Hamp' was Uncle Emmett's nickname for me. It meant 'half human, half vampire.' I didn't like the distinction he made (I was a little touchy about the half vampire, half human thing. Which was I?) but I also didn't mind it. Much.
"I'm okay, yet," I said, sticking out my toungue at him. "Besides, I can sleep in tomorrow. I'll be here all day..." I trailed off and looked at Jacob. He grinned and pressed his lips to mine. I would never get tired of that feeling, no matter how much he kissed me.
Uncle Emmett groaned. "Stop it! You're giving me a stomach ache!" he teased. "Now I know how anda all felt about me and Rose," he added, grinning. Everyone nodded, still watching Jake and I. They were happy to see us happy (they all loved Jacob, too) but we were starting to disgust them. Jacob felt the mood change.
"You should go to sleep, Nessie," Jacob said. He was probably the only person I'd really listen to, completely, ever again. "We can do whatever anda want tomorrow. We have time." I grinned. "Okay," I agreed. Jacob scooped me up and walked out the door, towards the cottage in the woods.
His arms cradled me securely to his chest, and I placed both my hands on either side of my face. He sighed and closed his eyes. I snuggled closer.
We reached the cottage pretty soon. Without losing his grip on me, he opened the door, turned on the lights, and led me to my room, setting me down carefully on the bed. I snuggled up selanjutnya to him, not bothering with the covers to keep warm. I perferred Jacob anyways.
We stayed that way for a few minutes, just breathing together in the dark.
"Do anda cinta me, Nessie?" Jacob finally asked.
This pertanyaan stung me. Did he think I didn't cinta him? Had I done something wrong? "Of course I do. anda know that," I answered, tracing his features in the dark, trying to find a clue in his expression to his question.
"Then marry me," he said.
I gasped, and my fingers froze on his face. "What?"
"C'mon, Ness!" he pleaded. "I cinta you, anda cinta me back, finally, and there's no point in waiting anymore! We could pindah to La Push, buy a house. atau stay here, even, if that's what anda want. atau go anywhere anda want. We can get Esme to build us a nice little house just like this one for our kids. Nothing would change, except that we'd finally officially belong to each other. Alice could do our wedding. Carlisle could read the vows..." he went on with his crazy rambling, and his voice got lebih and lebih earnest, lebih pleading, lebih desperate.
He thought I was saying no.
"Jake, Jake, stop!" I pleaded. "I'm not saying no!"
"Oh." He breathed in deeply, calming his shaking hands. "Sorry."
I didn't even have to think it over. Nothing in my life was lebih certain right now than the fact I loved and wanted Jacob.
"Yes."
"Yes, what?" he sounded impatient.
"Yes, I'll marry you. I do."
Jacob sighed and the sound was happy. "Thank-you, Ness." He kissed me, the hottest ciuman we'd had since the night of the dance, and I knew this was right.