Chapter Text
Liam’s father is a tall man that still seems short compared to Jacob, but he doesn’t shy away when he shakes Jake’s hand.
I hadn't noticed it for a long time, but it was almost like the wolves and the Cullens had the opposite sort of effect. The Cullens draw humans in, with their money and charming looks, while the wolves seem to unconsciously push people away.
It takes a very strong person to resist either sort of charm, I’d come to find out.
Both the boy and his father share fluffy blonde hair, although the latter’s is thinning at the crown and receding behind his ears.
“So, you’re looking for a job?” The man nods, as if he’s answering his own question. “Do you think that you can keep up with the workload and learn fast? Being a farmhand isn’t exactly easy work.”
“Yes, sir.” Jacob smiles. “I believe that I can keep up very well.”
“What are you looking for in pay?”
He glances over his shoulder, at me, and shrugs. “Your son told me that we could have a place to stay in the farmhand’s cabins. Food, a place to stay, and a hundred a week to keep gas in my car and a few nights in town would be perfect.”
Liam’s father considers Jacob’s wants, and nods. “That seems reasonable. I’ll give you a trial week, to see how you fit in at the farm, and if you do well during that, I’ll consider giving you a job for the rest of the summer.”
“Sounds great.”
They seal the deal with another handshake, and just like that, we have a place to stay and a steady source of income.
“Liam, can you give these two a tour of the property? I need to be back inside to help your mother with the young ones.” The man points to the ATV parked in front of the peeling barn. “Be back in an hour or so.”
The boy nods, beckoning us to follow him.
“It’s only a two seat, so you’ll have to squish. Sorry.” He apologizes, his voice fading as he enters the barn to grab the keys.
“That’s fine.” Jacob’s arm rests across my shoulders, and I lean into him. Despite the sun warming my face, his heat is greatly appreciated.
Liam glances between us with an expression I can’t decipher, and waves us along to the ATV.
It’s a small four-wheeled vehicle built vaguely like a jeep with a short front end and a singular cab. True to the boy’s word, there are only two seats, with the shift stick sitting between them.
I try to sit beside Jacob on the seat, but it’s really just not possible.
He laughs quietly and pulls me up on his lap.
I freeze, my heart pounding in my ears.
This-
“Is this okay, honey?” Jacob asks, his mouth right next to my ears. “I’m sure we can find something else if it isn’t.”
“It’s fine.” I manage to squeak out, leaning back so his breath doesn’t tickle my ear.
“Alright.” I can hear the smile in his voice as Liam starts the vehicle and backs it out from its spot beside the barn.
The property is beautiful. The house, from a distance, looks just like a picture in a painting that Renee would pay way too much for, with white paint and a wooden wrap-around porch, with baskets of flowers laying on the deck.
A small garden sits beside the house, with vines of various plants growing up the sides of the metal gates. It’s a stark contrast to the fields and fields of corn that grow to the side of the barn.
“I know, it’s really stereotypical of us to grow corn, but it’s what my great-grandfather and his father farmed. We changed their methods.” Liam informs us as he turns down the dirt road that leads to the trees that encompass one side of the farm. “There’s no reason to fix what isn’t broken.”
“Yeah.” Jacob agrees with a nod.
“Down here’s the creek. We have a pump in it that pulls the water that we need for the livestock, although the irrigation ditch gives us the water for our plants. My younger siblings come down here to catch frogs and salamanders.” He gestures to the stream, which can’t be more than six feet across and a foot deep.
“This is the forest. All the coons live here.” Liams gives Jacob a sharp look. “From here on out, them coons are your worst enemy.”
“Got it.”
I would take Jacob trash-talking forest creatures over dissing the vampires any day. I almost laugh thinking about it.
“Other than this, it’s pretty much all cornfields. Oh, and your house.” The boy turns a sharp U-turn that almost sends me flying out of the side of the vehicle, but Jacob’s arms wrap around my waist, pinning me in place.
“It’s a little beat-up, because we stopped employing year-round farmhands about ten years ago. Just seasonal ones. A lot of my friends will be coming over and working for a week or two at a time, but if they don’t leave your place alone, just tell Pa and he’ll get after them, alright?”
Both Jacob and I nod.
The farmhand’s house is small, no bigger than a trailer home. Probably a one bedroom, one bathroom situation.
Looks like one of us will be becoming very acquainted with the couch.
“I’ll bring you back to your car, if you want to take it down here and unload anything you have. Pa has the keys; I’ll get them from him when we get back.”
It’s a short drive back up to the house, and Liam is quick to get the keys.”
“Pa will show you everything you need to know tomorrow morning. We’re serving supper at six-thirty. If you’re late, don’t be surprised if you only get crumbs. My little brothers are pretty fierce.”
And, he’s gone again, leaving only a swinging screen door in his wake.
Jacob laughs as he jumps into the Rabbit.
I can’t help but laugh with him, at this, at everything.
“That boy is sure straight to the point.” He says, turning the key in the engine. “I don’t think that I’ve ever been given a quicker tour in my life.”
“Me neither.” I agree, thinking of Mike’s elaborate tour of Fork’s high school.
“This is so great.” Jake hums to himself as he drives the short distance to the farmhand’s house. “I… well, I never thought that I would see you… alive again.”
I shrug. “I hadn’t realized that life was worth living.”
“Did… did this make you change your mind?” He asks cautiously.
“About what? Being human?” I can’t help but sigh. “Yeah. I’d forgotten what it felt like to be normal. Well, as normal as a girl living with a werewolf can be.”
“Fair enough.” Jacob smiles. “I love spending time with you while you still smell good.”
I smack him on the shoulder as he shakes from laughter. “Jerk. You know, I wouldn’t be entirely too shocked if I found out that you guys were all making up this smell thing to mess with me.”
“Trust me. I’m not.” He wrinkles his nose. “Imagine a dirty dumpster filled with the most foul-smelling biohazard waste that you’ve ever smelled in your life. That’s what it’s like being near the Cullens. Honestly, I should get an award for being somewhat nice to some of them.”
“So brave.” I say mockingly, patting his upper arm. “So heroic.”
“Thanks, Bells. It’s nice to be appreciated.”
I roll my eyes as he laughs again.
There’s not much to bring into the house, just a bag of clothes for each of us, a few trinkets that we’ve collected over the last few weeks, and a half-sack of leftover food.
“Jacob.” I warn him as he throws his bag all over the couch. “Those better be destined for a dresser.”
He groans as he regathers them. “Women.”
“Oh, hush.” I head to the bedroom and begin to hang the few shirts I have on the hangers that I found there. My underwear and pants are a small enough collection that I’m able to fit it all into one top drawer.
Jacob joins me, but he doesn’t even bother to fold the sweatpants that he isn’t wearing, tossing them into a drawer without a care in the world.
Goodness. Even Charlie was better at keeping his things organized than this.
The bed in the main bedroom is small, only half a size above a twin bed.
When Jacob sees it, he sighs. “It’s gonna be a tight fit.”
“For one of us, it’s not.” I tell him, reordering the few trinkets that we had along the top of the dresser. “You can take it. You probably won’t fit on the couch, anyways.”
There’s a beat of silence, as if Jacob is carefully deliberating his reply.
“I… kind of just assumed that we would share.” His words leave in a rush. “That’s what we have been doing for the last few weeks, and…”
“Oh.”
I hadn’t even thought of that.
It seemed better when we were just under a ceiling of stars, lying on the grass beside each other. There was no way that I could excuse wanting to be close to Jacob when we were in bed together.
It was times like this that the ring on my left hand throbbed painfully, reminding me of Edward.
I couldn’t cheat on him like that.
Could I?
Was it considering cheating, since Jacob and I were nothing more than friends? Sleeping beside him had helped to chase away my nightmares these last few weeks.
“Right.” I clear my throat and go back to reordering our things.
“We don’t have to if you don’t want to. I just figured that it would be more comfortable for both of us.” He laughs softly. “There’s no way that I would take the bed while you were on the couch, Bells. I may be half wolf, but I’m not an absolute heathen.”
“It’s fine.” My words feel rushed as my face flushes. I’m very, very glad that Jake can only see my back.
“Are you sure?” I can hear him settle on the bed. “Your heart is beating awful fast for being ‘fine’ with it.”
“It’s okay.”
Damn those wolf senses.
“Bella.” I turn around, trying to keep my face hidden behind a curtain of hair.
“Come here.”
I make my way over to my friend on shaky legs, all but collapsing until he sweeps me up in his arms.
“This feels comfortable, right?” Jacob murmurs, his voice soft against my hair.
I nod, my heart slowing from racing to just fast.
“Exactly.” His hands tighten around my waist and upper arm. “It doesn’t have to be anything that you don’t want it to be.”
We sit there for a few minutes of silence, and the sound of his breathing comforts me, just as it has these last few nights.
“I told you that I wouldn’t tear you in half anymore. I meant it.” He sweeps the hair out of my face, so I can see the serene look in his eyes. “If you don’t want me to be that for you, I won't be. I’ll just be a friend, the same thing that I have been and always will be, until the day that you take your last breath.”
I nod.
“However, it makes me nervous to have you in another room.” He admits. “I hate this part of me, but it’s just like Cullen. I know that he would want me to make sure that you were in absolutely no danger during this whole escapade, and this is the best way to make that happen.”
“But if I want to sleep on the couch?” I venture. I know what Edward’s answer would be, that he would stay with me or sit beside me the whole night, even though I had admitted to him that his watching me sleep was a bit creepy.
Jacob sighs. “I wouldn’t like it, but it doesn’t matter what I like. It’s your sleep, not mine.”
“Well, I happen to sleep better when I’m beside you, too.” I confess. “I hate being cold.”
My friend laughs, and the sound makes me smile. “So, I’m just here for space heater privileges?”
“Absolutely.”
His head rests on mine, and I can hear the lingering laugh in the back of his throat. “Well, I guess that I know my place, then. Right by you.”