I Thought I Was Your Average Tomboy, That Was Until I Met HIM- He Changed Everything (Edward Cullen Love Story) Chapter 21

Edward’s POV1

There’s a constant ache in my chest. I never ending pain and yearning. Riley is always on my mind. But I’m doing the right thing, even though I know both of us are dying being separated. I keep getting these “visions” from Riley. They’re a lot like Alice’s, only they aren’t the future. Or at least I don’t think they are. I spoke to Carlisle before I left about the night I first went to her room, when I knew she was crying. It’s her “power”, the thing she will carry over with her if she’s turned. At least, that’s what Carlisle thinks. It can be a huge number of things but… if that is her “power” showing, which is rare for humans, than it’s a powerful one. If it’s as powerful as it is now, when she’s human it would be extraordinarily strong if she was turned. Whatever it is, she’s sending me images of her, but not consciously. Some come with her emotions, sadness, hurt, anguish, heartache, everything I’m feeling. 2

I’ve been going Southeast. Why I have no clue, maybe there’s nothing behind it, maybe there’s everything behind it. But something seems to be pulling me this way, like there is something I need to find out.3

Why did I leave? Leaving feels like the stupidest thing I could have done. But if it will save her, keep her from me… well then it’s worth my pain a million times over. 4

I look around apathetically when a sign catches my eye. 5

Indiana State Line.6

So that’s why I’ve been going this direction…7

Riley’s POV8

I’m taking this harder than I ever thought was possible. The ache in my chest hasn’t gone away, just gotten worst. I’ve been trying to push it all out of my mind, but not seeing the Volvo everyday, sitting alone in biology, and no night visits is hard to ignore. I’ve done a pretty good job pretending around my family, though I can tell they know something’s wrong. I think they think that I’m just under stress, with so many advanced classes, the FWRA, and everything else, I actually have been busy. But it still doesn’t keep me from thinking of Edward. 9

What’s really killing me though, is the fact he said he loved me so many times, and I couldn’t get the guts to say it back even once. I’ve long given up calling him, but only after two days. No one knows where he is. Alice says, with me around it’s hard for her to read anything else but my future and so far- he’s no longer in it. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I’m messing with Jasper, Alice, and Edward’s “powers”. Maybe I’m just weak, venerable. Edward said he was going to ask Carlisle, but he left before I heard any more from him. 10

“Riley,” my mother’s voice snaps me back to reality.11

“Hmm?” I say looking up from my uneaten food. Cereal, cold… like Edward’s skin.12

“Will you take Tater to his new friend’s house? Your father has to go on a business trip and I have to clean and go buy groceries.”13

“Sure,” It’s not like I have anything better to do.14

Nathan’s new friend. I don’t know much about him. What’s his name again? J something. John, Johan, Jordon, Jason, Jacob. Jacob that’s it, Jacob Black. I’ve only seen him once briefly, at the beach where he and Tater met. He looks a little older than Nathan, but not by much. He’s got black wavy hair and dark skin and lives on the reservation. That just about all I know about him. 15

“Riley, what’s wrong with you?” Tater asks as we pull into the reservation.16

“Nothing.” I say automatically and uncaringly. 17

“Yeah, we all believe that.” 18

“What do you mean?” 19

“We all know something’s up. You’re even more distant than normal.”20

“It’s nothing, really.” I lie. 21

“Fine, don’t tell me.” he replies. “Take a right here.” I turn where he tells me and pull in front of a cozy house, a garage a little ways from it, and a ramp leading up to the house. The front door opens and Jacob comes out. Tater gets out of the car and walks over to Jacob, who’s looking at me. They talk for a second and Jacob shakes his head. Nathan nods then jogs towards the car and opens my door.22

“Hey Riles, come hang with us for a bit.” he laughs. Okay he is obviously up to something. I look at Jacob, who has a look of pure embarrassment and horror. 23

“What are you up to?” I ask. 24

“Nothing. I just thought you would want to hang out.” Okay he is defiantly up to something. But, it’s not like I have anything better to do.25

“Fine.” I say getting out of my truck. 26

Jacob’s POV27

“No! Don’t Nathan.” he is seriously going to get Riley. “You know I like her.”28

“Yeah, I know. Which is why I’m getting her. Once you know her more, you won’t like her… or you’ll just be embarrassed.” he smirks and walks to the car. He talks to Riley for a bit and she gets out of the car and walks towards me. 29

“Hey Jacob,” she says her voice sounding like she’s in another place, thinking about something. 30

“Oh… uh.. Hey Riley,” I reply blabbering like an idiot. 31

“Nice Chevy.” she says looking at the old red truck sitting in our driveway. I turn and look at the truck. None of the Chevy logos were showing, only someone who knew cars could tell what brand it was.32

“Oh, thanks. We’re trying to sell it actually. No buyers though. My dad isn’t happy about me building another car while we have that one.”33

“You’re building a car?” she asks, sounding interested. 34

“Uh.. Yeah you want to see it?”35

“Yes I would love to thanks for asking Jacob,” Nathan says suddenly.36

“Oh well, um. It’s in the garage, it’s kind of muddy though.” I say after no one says anything.37

“A little bit of mud isn’t going to stop me.” she says kind of annoyed. 38

“Okay, well let’s go.” I turn and start walking towards the garage.39

Riley’s POV40

We walk on the well worn, bumpy and tree root filled path. I look down to keep from tripping over the knarred roots in the small dirt path. Looking up I see hidden by trees and bushes a garage. Well, garages. As we get closer I can see it’s smaller sheds put together with the inside walls taken down, or at least that’s what it sincerely looks like. We walk inside and sitting in the middle of the crowded garage is a mostly completed car sitting on cinder blocks.41

“Well there it is.” Jacob says gesturing towards the car.42

“What kind is it?” Tater asks.43

“Volkswagen Rabbit.” I answer before Jacob can. “1986, right?” I ask Jacob turning towards him.44

“Yeah…” he says in disbelief. “How’d you know?”45

“It’s a classic.” I say smiling at the car. “Mind if I take a look?” I ask indicating under the hood.46

“No, go ahead.”47

I walk over to the Rabbit and opening the hood I examine the inside. It was mostly complete, but it was still missing some major components. But from what I could tell, the biggest thing missing was a master cylinder. 48

“You seem to know a lot about cars.” Jacob’s voice says from behind me. 49

“Yeah,” I reply without taking my head out from under the hood. “You’ve done a nice job. Still missing some parts though, like the master-”50

“Cylinder. Yeah I’ve been looking everywhere for one.” 51

I life my head out from the hood and turn around to see Jacob and Tater looking at me. Tater shakes his head at me. I look down at my dirty hands and before I can wipe them on my pants Jacob hands me a rag. I thank him and take the rag, then clean off my hands. I look back at the Rabbit knowing it will me a great car when it’s done.52

“So how long have you been working on it?” I ask to cut through the silence. Normal I wouldn’t have to since Tater never shuts up, but he is unusually quiet. 53

“A few months. I want to get it finished in a few months tops, but unless I get that cylinder I don’t think it’ll happen. And it doesn’t look like I’m going to find one anytime soon.”54

“Well, I’ll keep an eye out. And when you finish it, I’m looking forward to a ride.” 55

“Uh… yeah sure. Of course.” he replies a bit flustered. 56

I open my mouth to say something more but I’m interrupted by a distant voice. “Jacob.” the voice calls.57

He all turn our heads toward the doorway where the voice drifted in. 58

“Oh, that’s my dad. We’d better go.”59

“Okay.” Tater and I reply before walking out 60

Billy was nice. We walked up to his small house an Jacob introduced us. The resemblance between Jacob and his dad was pretty obvious. Billy was in a wheelchair and he was sitting on a wooden ramp to the house when we walked up. Jacob introduced us to Billy and Billy invited me to come inside, despite me insisting I had to get home. I guess it isn’t really hard to make me do anything now. I mean, he’s gone… I really am nothing anymore but an empty shell. I really need anything to distract me from this constant pain in my heart. 61

So I finally agreed.62

“So I see Jacob here was showing you his… project.” Billy says to me and Tater. 63

“Yeah,” Tater replies. “It’s really cool. I can’t believe Jake’s actually building it.”64

“Neither can I.” Billy says, annoyance barely hinting in the undertones of his voice as he looks at his son. “Though I don’t know why he wants to build it so badly. He has a perfectly good car sitting right there in the yard.”65

“Dad that thing is so old. It can’t even go over 60 without nearly blowing up.” 66

I smile at them as they go back and forth arguing, but neither truly mad at the other. I realize it’s the first time since he left that I’ve smiled without having to think about it to keep up the fact that I was broken inside. 67

After half an hour of talking, telling Tater mom would pick him up later, and promising to hang out some time again I reluctantly left Jacob’s house to head home.68

But I left there a little more alive than when I had arrived.