Fic: The Calm Before the Storm
She took a long drink from the bottle that rested between her legs, the cold amber-colored liquid burning as it flowed down her throat. She wiggled her feet, enjoying the feel of the sand squishing between her toes.
Lightening flashed in the sky. She closed her eyes and began to count as she always had when she was just a stupid kid.
“One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi…” she trailed off as a clap of thunder interrupted her. The storm was getting closer. Only Five minutes before, she’d gotten to ‘nine Mississippi’.
She opened her eyes, startled to find two brown ones staring back at her.
Her first impulse when she saw Jacob Black crouched down in front of her was to punch him. So she did.
“You stupid, egotistical, arrogant ass! Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been?” Each word is punctuated by a punch.
Jacob laughs which only causes Leah to glower at him.
“Aren’t egotistical and arrogant the same thing?” he asks, clearly attempting to goad her. A year ago, she would have risen to the occasion, but now…
“You would know,” she mutters, averting her eyes away from his.
He snatches the bottle from her and takes a drink. He runs his hands through his messy hair.
“So, miss me?” he asks with that condescending smirk on his face. He’s all black hair and bravado, and she isn’t sure if the sudden dizziness that has crept up on her is because of the alcohol in her system or his close proximity.
Her eyes narrow as she glares at him. The dizziness dissipating as quickly as it came, leaving behind only a fiery anger she hasn’t experienced in months. She opens her mouth to insult him again, but before she can say a word, his lips are on hers, hot and hungry. His hand finds it way into her windblown hair, pulling her closer to him. It’s over just as suddenly as it began, and he pulls away, the same smirk playing on his lips.
“What was that?” she sputters.
“A kiss - a pretty damn good one, too. I think I’m getting better at this all the time.”
He takes another drink from the bottle before getting up. “See you around,” he says.
Lightening flashes in the sky as she watches him walk away, her unspoken words dying in the wind.
She closes her eyes to count once again, but before she can even say one Mississippi, the thunder rumbles in the distance.
Rain begins to fall softly on her, but Leah doesn’t move. She’s frozen in place, shivering with her fingers gingerly touching her lips. It takes her a minute before she realizes it’s the heat of him that she’s missing. She stands up quickly, knocking the bottle over with her sudden movement. The wind is blowing - howling - now, the rain whipping around her, soaking her to the bone. A storm is coming, and for the first time in her life, she isn’t afraid.
“Hey Jake, wait up,” she yells over the thunder.