Purple Sky by A. Teller (unputdownable books .TXT) 📕

“…venomous,” I finished boldly. He looked where he stepped, paying close attention to the ground.

“It’s not something I needed,” he said softly. “It makes you feel different, knowing that you’re the barrier between someone’s normal life and a life like this.”

“Jake?”

“Hmm?” he asked dreamily in thought.

“I’ve told you. About how I never wanted to become a vampire. What if I—”

“No way. Hell no!” he shouted. He set me down on my feet. I leaned against a pine tree for balance on one foot.

“Jake, it’s something that would solve everything!”

“The hell it is! What could possibly be wrong with being you!” he barked. I wanted to add a joke to the barking, but my confusion and desperation for this new option was too great. I could be like Jacob, if it came down to it.

“But Jake, if I were to…I don’t know…if I were to need it, would you—”

“No.” He was stone cold now. Hard, menacing. He was already shaking violently. He held his head between his fists for stability. “I don’t even want to talk about this right now,” he hissed.

“Jake I need to know. Would you do it? If I needed it, and being a vampire was the only other option. I can’t be one of them. Would you do it Jacob?” I asked. My ankle burned, but I focused my eyes on Jacob, melting away his anger.

“NO.” He said again. My heart broke halfway from the top. It was Jake’s choice, I know, but the fact that he wouldn’t save me from a life of cold and bloodthirsty murder pained me.

“Let’s just…go home,” he said, calming at every moment.

“I’ll rather walk,” I spit.

“Fine,” he shrugged. He started walking and whistling. How could he be so comfortable after the fact that he just broke a little piece of my heart off? I limped along as angrily as I could.

“You really should get off that leg,” he shouted from far away. I finally realized how far I’d fell behind.

“When your nice again, I‘ll let you carry me. Ouch!” I shouted back. I pulled a little splitter out of my already swollen ankle. No blood. Phew.

I could hear Jacob’s thundering laughter from here. I felt his warm hands, like he’d been standing next to me the whole time, scoop me up. My legs hung over his right arm as he carried me, supporting my back with his left.

“You’re a jerk, you know that?” I asked. He rolled his eyes.

“Well, I still care,” he defended.

“Do you?’ I asked quietly.

“Your still in trouble,” he whispered.

“The hell I am,” I mumbled, feeling drowsy from the warmth.

“Hey, at least we’re in the same boat. And if I’m going to get in trouble, I might as well be carrying you. Imagine Edward’s delight at the fact that I let his crippled daughter walk on her own,” he said in a faux fancy voice. I rolled my eyes again. A suddenly gleam in the distance made me shiver as I shrank in Jake’s arms.

“Almost home,” he whispered in my ear as he walked across the log that went across the river.

“My stuff’s still at your house,” I said, trying to forget that once we were across the river, my family could hear us. And trying to forget our heated conversation.

“Don’t think I won’t be back.”

I smiled, filling up with warmth and happiness. In Jake’s arms, there was nothing but safety. The world’s dangers didn’t exist, and if they did, we were untouchable.

“It seems like I’m always bringing you home broken and Carlisle has to fix it,” Jake admitted, guilt tinting his perfect face. I kissed his cheek.

“All it takes is a little glue and duct tape,” I giggle. He laughs to himself, keeping quiet since we both know what’s coming.

As expected, Alice and Rosalie raced outside to my voice and heartbeat. Shouts and chirps, like angry songbirds, hit Jacob’s ears and mine. Rose shouted at Jacob, calling him a mix of every insult she’d ever had. Alice simply shook her head as Jake set me down. Her smile was almost glad. Rose’s yelling continued, though Jacob just rolled his eyes. Both me and Alice giggled. Alice took me up in her arms and carried me toward the house. It always surprised me, how dainty Alice looked, yet how strong she was. She always seemed so breakable, even as a vampire. Jake followed, still being shouted at by a fuming Rosalie. You could almost see the burning red color in her smooth, white face.

Alice set me down on the white couch in the second living room that overlooked the outside scenery. You could see the river, and the giant trees running down the small hill our house (I usually called it mansion-sized. It had four stories and a garage in the basement.) Jake brought me a black blanket. I asked him to sit with me, but he said that him lying next to me without a shirt might not be the best impression for my family. I agreed, huddling under the thin blanket. He walked out of the room, and I closed my eyes, focusing instead on my hearing.

“How could you endanger her like that! I should just kill you now dog!” Rose bellowed. The kitchen counter squeaked. I figured Jake was leaning on it casually. I was surprised at his coolness.

“Relax, Blondie. She left the house early, I came down to La Push to look for her, and there she was in Seth’s arms. Swollen ankle, exhausted, limp. I told her—”

“Well, I want to see it from her,” Alice’s voice chimed calmly. I shut my eyes and focused on the memory. I felt Alice’s cold, stone hand against my forehead. She gasped, but she wasn’t scared. Alice never got scared. Except for when it came to family.

“He’s right,” she said, almost happily proving Rose wrong.

“It wasn’t his fault Rose,” I said hoarsely. Wow, my foot hurt.

“Mutt,” she spitted before stomping away. I smirked on the inside.

“Jacob, could you fetch…bring me Carlisle’s bag from upstairs?” Alice asked. Quiet. Probably Jake’s nod, I couldn’t tell. My eyes were shut, and I was trying to appear to be sleeping. Alice’s next few words confirmed my suspicion. “Thank you,“ she chimed. I laughed inside. Jake knew Alice didn’t mean it, so he silently walked down the hall. His footsteps faded into the background. A sudden stony poke sent my silence away with a yelp.

“Ouch!” I rubbed my arm. Not a hard pinch, but since Alice’s fingers were like sharp ice picks, it left a small, red mark.

“You’re a bad actor, but Jacob bought it,” Alice said softly. She sat next to my head and ran her fingers through my hair.

“My God Renesmee! Your hair is a mess! You need a makeover after this. Look at your hair! All unkempt and afrizz!” Jake’s footsteps faintly returned.

“Alice, ‘afrizz’ isn’t a word,” I reminded, cringing when she caught a knot. Then again, how could she avoid one? My hair was messy.

“Well, it is now, thanks to you,” she said, picking up a few strands of hair and dropping them back into place. I huffed a laugh as Jake tossed the pack on the couch. It hit with a thump! and the whole couch shifted.

“Where is she?” Edward shouted. His voice shattered Alice’s laugh, and all calm, happy feelings escaped me, running for cover under the couch. Jake held onto my hand. I held to his like a grappling hook on Mt. Everest. Edward sped through the house, grabbing Jake by the neck. Our hands released with a jerk as Jake grabbed Edward’s throat too. Jake punched Edward in the mouth, and they both back away into corners of the room, growling at each other like animals.

“Stop it! Your acting like idiots!” I screamed. My father glared at me, and I glared back in the same intensity. The next thing I did, I wasn’t even thinking. But I did it. I stood up and stomped on my bad foot. A crack rippled through the floor, and I collapsed. I screamed in a shrill torment. My foot felt like I’d just stuck it into a pit of fire, then stabbed it with a bunch of splinters.

Jake, Alice and Edward surrounded me, picking me up. They began ranting in my ear. Words of, “Why the hell would you do that?” and “You’re your mother’s daughter,” surrounded me. My foot ached like hell, but I ignored it and let my audience get to work on my foot. Over the pants of pain, I managed a hissing voice to Jake. “Now you have to get along.” He rolled his eyes while everyone else scattered around the room. I figured out, afterwards, that I broke my whole foot. Shattered it to pieces, actually. But it was so that everyone to work together. To stop fighting as just get along, even for a short time. Focusing on anything but their anger was my goal. Even fourth graders can manage that. And I think it helped, since no one focused on the previous subject. After poking me with all kinds of needles, Edward let Jake sit by my bedside. I was laying the hospital bed, the center of Carlisle’s in-home medical room. Of course, with my clumsiness, I was a regular in this room. Jake held my hand while Alice pressed the button on the mini x-ray machine. The blue hologram line slid over my foot. The pain was lesser now, thanks to a bag of morphine attached to me by IV.

After passing in and out of consciousness, thanks to a blue bag of liquid Edward attached to my IV tube, I finally woke up. My eyelids felt dead, but I willed them open. A little, silver box next to me blipped and beeped like music. But after I laid there a minute, I noticed it was bleeping to my heart pattern. Great, another needle in me. I glanced around the room. Light, because of the giant window that let in the Washington winter sun. The room had silver tile and light grey wall paint. A black dining table was in the far left corner, covered in books and a home computer. There was light colored, wooden beams going up and down the ceiling, and other hospital equipment was neatly organized in a large, black-paneled closet. I was so absent in the head, I hadn’t even noticed Jake’s hulk-sized hands encasing mine. I was beginning to overheat.

“You’re pretty dumb, you know that?” he asked in his bemused voice. I ignored the too-warm feeling in my arm. I was so glad to see him. The room lightened a little once I heard his voice. My eyes before felt dull. I’d need to hunt soon.

“I’m pretty. Let’s pretend dumb wasn’t in there, so I don’t have to hurt you,” I whispered. My throat was dry and sore, but no thirst. Surprising…

Jake’s hand, filled with heat, brushed my freezing face. I shifted in my bed, trying to sit up. It surprised me how limp I felt. Jake stood up, walked behind me, and repositioned my pillows. He then wrapped his hands around my small frame and pulled me up to sit.

“Thanks,” I said, pulling and tugging at my blankets.

“I