”The hospital?” he said, almost accusing.
I glowered at him.
”I thought you didn’t want—”
”Yeah, well now I do,” I said, a little too much rage in my voice. He looked out the window and I sighed. How would I put this in a good way? ”Jake, you have to help me,” I whispered as I turned onto the one-oh-one. He took my hand and turned towards me. I felt weird, dizzy. I was looking for something, though I didn’t know what.
”What’s wrong?”
I wasn’t really sure if he was asking about what I said or what I did — but I was focused on something else...
No. This wasn’t happening. Not again. I stopped the car and ran outside.
And then I threw up.
”Ew,” I heard myself say. Ew, ew, ew! ”You got a napkin or something?” I coughed. I heard the dry leaves on the ground rustle as he walked to a tree.
”Er, I hope this is okay...” He handed me a few leaves.
”Thanks,” I managed to say, and sat down on the wet road. For once I was glad we lived here. The rain would take away the smell. Not that many people wandered along the one-oh-one.
Jacob sat down beside be and stroke my back. I breathed heavily. I thought this was the time to... negotiate?
”What am I going to say to Mom?”
”Well, I am not an expert on planning difficult conversations—”
”Please, Jacob. Please help me.”
”I don’t know how!”
”You must have one idea, at least.”
”I’m not sure...”
I tried to be sneaky. ”Tell me something.”
”What?”
”How did Mom tell you about me?” Mohaha, it worked!
”That’s not my story to tell...”
Bastard! Are you trying to keep the truth from me?! ”Oh, I believe it is.”
”Why don’t you just ask Bella?”
You’re not just a liar, you’re stupid too. I glared at him. ”I sort of asked her yesterday, but she didn’t exactly answer my question.”
”What did she tell you?”
”That’s not my story to tell,” I hissed and repeated Jacob's earlier statement.
”Oh, come on!”
”Fine. She told me her ‘story’” I could feel him stiffen beside me.
”Okay...”
”But she stopped at the part where she got pregnant.”
”Oh...”
I waited for him to say something else. But he didn’t.
”So I was kind of thinking that you might tell me more about that.”
”I don’t know—”
”Or do you thing I should ask Rosalie?” I tried to sound really sarcastic, and I succeeded. But, obviously, that didn’t help a lot.
”That is a great idea.” He rose. ”Feeling better?”
”Depends...” I hurried to the driver’s seat and started the engine. There was a moment of silence, but then my phone rang. At first I thought I’d just let it ring, I had the feeling it was Dad. But I figured it might have been Carlisle, too.
I picked it up from my pocket. Carlisle calling, the screen said.
”Renesmee Cullen,” I answered it.
”Hey, it’s Carlisle. Where are you?”
”I’m on my way. Had to stop for a moment...” Such a wonderful moment.
”Okay, I see. Just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
”I’m fine. Meet you in five.”
”Bye.”
I hung up. I tried to stop the panic in my stomach, but it wasn’t easy.
”She showed me.”
What?!
”What?”
”Bella showed me she was pregnant.”
”How?”
”Well, Nessie, you see, when a woman is pregnant, her stomach gets kinda huge.”
”Do you think I’m retarded?!” I didn’t mean to sound so angry, but I couldn’t help it.
He chuckled. ”Calm down. She showed me her stomach.”
I thought about that for a moment. I glanced down at my stomach. No, it’s not big enough, my inner voice told me. But I had promised Mom to tell her what was wrong.
I didn’t have more time to think about that, we were already at the hospital. I opened the door to the car and walked slowly outside, staring at my feet. Suddenly there was another pair of shoes on the ground. I took a deep breath, and looked up to meet his eyes. My Jacob. He looked like he was trying to compose his face, but I knew he must have been more scared than I was. I took his hand in mine and smiled.
I love you, I thought as we started walking out of the rain and into the warmth of the hospital, though the temperature didn’t really matter.
He gave my hand a gentle squeeze.