Eclipse (Twilight #3)(129)

"That's Jacob's," I objected.

"Jacob has a fur coat," Edward hinted.

"I'll just use the sleeping bag again, if you don't mind." Jacob ignored him, climbing around us and sliding into the down bag. "I wasn't quite ready to wake up. That wasn't the best night's sleep I ever had."

"It was your idea," Edward said impassively.

Jacob was curled up, his eyes already closed. He yawned. "I didn't say it wasn't the best night I've ever spent. Just that I didn't get a lot of sleep. I thought Bella was never going to shut up."

I winced, wondering what might have come out of my mouth in my sleep. The possibilities were horrifying.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Edward murmured.

Jacob's dark eyes fluttered open. "Didn't you have a nice night, then?" he asked, smug.

"It wasn't the worst night of my life."

"Did it make the top ten?" Jacob asked with perverse enjoyment.

"Possibly."

Jacob smiled and closed his eyes.

"But," Edward went on, "if I had been able to take your place last night, it would not have made the top ten of the best nights of my life. Dream about that."

Jacob's eyes opened into a glare. He sat up stiffly, his shoulders tense.

"You know what? I think it's too crowded in here."

"I couldn't agree more."

I elbowed Edward in the ribs - probably giving myself a bruise.

"Guess I'll catch up on my sleep later, then." Jacob made a face. "I need to talk to Sam anyway."

He rolled to his knees and grabbed the door's zipper.

Pain crackled down my spine and lodged in my stomach as I abruptly realized that this could be the last time I would see him. He was going back to Sam, back to fight the horde of bloodthirsty newborn vampires.

"Jake, wait -" I reached after him, my hand sliding down his arm.

He jerked his arm away before my fingers could find purchase.

"Please, Jake? Won't you stay?"

"No."

The word was hard and cold. I knew my face gave away my pain, because he exhaled and half a smile softened his expression.

"Don't worry about me, Bells. I'll be fine, just like I always am." He forced a laugh. "'Sides, you think I'm going to let Seth go in my place - have all the fun and steal all the glory? Right." He snorted.

"Be careful -"

He shoved out of the tent before I could finish.

"Give it a rest, Bella," I heard him mutter as he re-zipped the door.

I listened for the sound of his retreating footsteps, but it was perfectly still. No more wind. I could hear morning birdsong far away on the mountain, and nothing else. Jacob moved in silence now.

I huddled in my coats, and leaned against Edward's shoulder. We were quiet for a long time.

"How much longer?" I asked.

"Alice told Sam it should be an hour or so," Edward said, soft and bleak.

"We stay together. No matter what."

"No matter what," he agreed, his eyes tight.

"I know," I said. "I'm terrified for them, too."

"They know how to handle themselves," Edward assured me, purposely making his voice light. "I just hate missing the fun."

Again with the fun. My nostrils flared.

He put his arm around my shoulder. "Don't worry," he urged, and then he kissed my forehead.

As if there was any way to avoid that. "Sure, sure."

"Do you want me to distract you?" He breathed, running his cold fingers along my cheekbone.

I shivered involuntarily; the morning was still frosty.

"Maybe not right now," he answered himself, pulling his hand away.

"There are other ways to distract me."

"What would you like?"

"You could tell me about your ten best nights," I suggested. "I'm curious."

He laughed. "Try to guess."

I shook my head. "There're too many nights I don't know about. A century of them."

"I'll narrow it down for you. All of my best nights have happened since I met you."

"Really?"

"Yes, really - and by quite a wide margin, too."

I thought for a minute. "I can only think of mine," I admitted.

"They might be the same," he encouraged.

"Well, there was the first night. The night you stayed."

"Yes, that's one of mine, too. Of course, you were unconscious for my favorite part."

"That's right," I remembered. "I was talking that night, too."

"Yes," he agreed.

My face got hot as I wondered again what I might have said while sleeping in Jacob's arms. I couldn't remember what I'd dreamed about, or if I'd dreamed at all, so that was no help.

"What did I say last night?" I whispered more quietly than before.

He shrugged instead of answering, and I winced.

"That bad?"

"Nothing too horrible," he sighed.

"Please tell me."

"Mostly you said my name, the same as usual."

"That's not bad," I agreed cautiously.