Epilogue: Katie

KATIE'S POVMarch 29th

I stand, leaning my hip against the countertop as I wait for the cookies to bake. For some reason, this fifteen minute stretch feels like it's the longest I've ever had to wait for anything. I'm practically drooling.

"Those smell good," Bella sighs, leaning her head back. It's close to the time when she'll retreat to bed and spend the last few hours of the weekend holed up in her room. And talking to Edward, I'd assume.

"Right?" I sigh in return, slumping onto my elbows as I stare at the oven impatiently. "Can't they bake any faster?"

She chuckles softly, shutting the book in her hands. "Who are you giving them to?"

"Who says I'm giving any away?" I grin mischievously, containing my laugh.

"Let me rephrase. Mind if I eat one?" Bella sits up straighter, clasping her hands together in front of her.

"I suppose," I agree, giving her a cheeky smile. I open my mouth to add, only one or two, but a knock on the door startles us both.

We eye each other warily. Suddenly, the familiar feeling creeps up on me.  It's a werewolf, not a vampire. I relax, pushing off the counter to walk towards the door.

"No guests!" Charlie shouts from the living room. "They're grounded!" He adds, loud enough that the person at the door can clearly hear him.

I hear a gruff laugh. "Not even for baseball?"

Charlie amends his decision. "Let Billy in," he calls to me, pausing the game on the TV.

I smile, reaching over to twist the door handle. When I open it, I see not just Billy, but Jake, too. "Hello Katie," Billy says brightly, gesturing for Jake to sneak past him and into the house. Go, he mouths. "Care to wheel me into the living room?"

"Tell Jacob to go home!" Charlie calls, and my eyes dart to him.

"I didn't let Jake get out of the car," Billy huffs back at Charlie, gesturing out the window. I peek out and see what appears to be Paul in the driver's seat, waving. "So, you'll need to give me a lift back."

"Deal," Charlie says, relieved at the sound of a car driving away, and I hear his footprints approaching. Jake sneaks up the stairs, turning down the hallway just as Charlie comes into view. "Hey, Billy. Ready to watch the first preseason Mariners game?"

"Hell yeah," Billy agrees, waving me off. "I got it from here."

"Ok," I agree. "I'll be upstairs. Let me know when the oven goes off."

I try and take the stairs as casually as possible, but as soon as I'm out of view, I run down the hallway and into my room.

As soon as I close the door behind me, Jake grabs me by the waist and lifts me in the air. "Jake!" I exclaim quietly, chuckling, and he sets me down so that I'm looking at him. "Hey," I whisper.

"Hey," he says, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. "Y'know, I miss the un-grounded Katie. She saw me a lot more often."

"I miss her too," I agree solemnly, fighting a smirk. "Fortunately, Charlie told me she will be back tomorrow." I pretend to think for a moment, tipping my head to the side. "Unless we get caught."

He guides my chin so I'm looking up at him again. "Then we should probably not get caught. Sneaking around so I can see you once is dangerous. Twice? I must be stupid."

I tsk him. "Well, not much has changed there."

"Hey!" He protests, tugging me towards his chest. "I thought you were supposed to like me."

"Where did you get that impression?" I tease.

He scans his eyes over my body as if giving me an inspection. "Well, for starters..." he trails off, looking down at my arms, which are wrapped around his waist. "You're giving me a hug."

"Second?" I ask, deflecting.

"Second," he continues, leaning in to whisper in my ear, "you ran down the hallway to see me."

I shrug. "So? I'm always running."

"Third," he adds, leaning back so he's only inches from my face. "I'm pretty sure I recall you saying that you loved me once or twice. Maybe a few more times than that."

I pretend to think about it. "Are you sure that was me?" I try to make myself coy, but my grin gives it away.

He leans in ever so slightly, as if to kiss me, but makes the gap between our faces ever so slight. I try to close the gap, but he leans back, anticipating me. "I also think you just tried to kiss me, Katie."

I melt. "Okay, fine. You got me. I do like you, Jacob." I like you a lot, I add silently.

Jake takes a moment to consider. "Now, was that so hard?" He grins his oh so charming grin, leaning back in to press his lips to mine.

I lean up into the kiss, my lips parting against his immediately. Jake groans softly, snaking his arms around my waist. Every part of me that's touching his body warms. When we break for air, I whisper,  "Promise me that from now on I'll get to see you everyday?"

"You can't get rid of me that easily," he says, moving his arms up to my shoulders to hug me closer.

"Jake," I complain, suffocated, as I'm pressed his chest. "I'm going to die from a lack of oxygen!"

He laughs, lessening his grip slightly. "When did you learn to be so dramatic?"

"In the long six days since I saw you last."

"I see," he nodded.

"No really. I also taught myself another language and wrote a book."

"Oh yeah?" His eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," I said, trailing my hands up his back. "I can now talk to you mind to mind."

"Hmm. I'll believe that one when I see it," he teases, rubbing a knuckle along my spine.

"Really." I nod convincingly, making eye contact so I can purposefully narrow my eyes. See? Boom. Aren't you shocked?

"So shocked," he nods along.

"Katie!" Bella's voice interrupts us. "Your cookies are done!"

"Cookies?" Jake raises an eyebrow.

"Cookies." I detangle from his grasp, tucking my hair behind my ears. "I'll sneak one up for you."

I jog back down the stairs and pad into the kitchen. Bella's crouched over, grabbing the pan of cookies from the oven, and stands to set them on the stovetop. "These look so good."

"You can have as many as you want," I say, wanting to rush back upstairs. "I just need one."

Bella gives me a knowing look. "I'd say with an appetite like that, you'd better take two." She glances to make sure the coast is clear, then adds quietly, "it is an even number, after all."

"Good to know," I say, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks slightly. Can you hear us upstairs?

Bella shakes her head. "No," she says softly. "I just guessed. Before Billy got here, you were more than happy to watch the oven."

"Yeah, well, I've never been the biggest fan of baseball."

Charlie comes in and asks to take the sheet to the living room, which gives me an excuse to bring my stash upstairs. I don't run this time, balancing the cookies carefully in my hand, and when I am back in my room, Jake is browsing through my collection of songbooks.

"Two chocolate chip cookies, fresh out of the oven," I say. "They're still hot," I wince, setting them down to relieve my hand.

He sighs happily. "Those look amazing."

"I was flipping through one of my books and I found my mom's old cookie recipe being used as a bookmark. Thought they sounded good," I smile slightly, sitting on the edge of my bed.

He picks up one of the cookies and takes a bite. "Oh... wow."

"In a good way or a bad way?" I frown.

His eyes widen, and he nods, scarfing it down. "This is the best chocolate chip cookie I've had in my entire life."

I roll my eyes, taking a bite of my own cookie. I know all chocolate chip cookies taste the same, in theory, but Mom's are just better than most. Always crisp on the outside and melted in the middle. "I agree," I say, laying back on my bed contentedly.

"So," Jake says after a moment, still sifting through the songbooks. "Care to play me a song?"

I sit back up uneasily. "No thanks."

"Please?" Jake pulls one out— The Beatles Songbook— and holds it out for me. "I'm not picky."

All I can do is stare. "Too loud. They'll hear the guitar and think something's up."

He doesn't push me, just sets the book next to me and sits down on the other side. "For the record, every time I've heard you play the guitar, it's sounded great."

I shake my head. "That's different. I already knew those songs by heart. When I'm learning them, I make all sorts of mistakes."

"Play me a lullaby then. Something I can fall asleep to."

"You're staying over? Billy's okay with that?"

Jake shrugs. "He understands the whole imprint thing. Seen it enough with Sam and Emily. And I want to be here with you, Katie."

I hesitate. "Okay. Just let me get ready for bed first."

"That's fair," he says, settling on my bed. He stays on top of the covers but leans his head back on a pillow.

"Okay. I'll be right back," I say, taking my things to the bathroom. When I emerge, less than five minutes later, having told everyone else that I'm going to bed, he's flipping through the songbook again.

I grab my guitar and try and settle on my bed. When I get close enough, Jake tucks me in so that my head is resting on his shoulder, and the warmth is delicious. "Can you play Blackbird?"

"I can try," I say, flipping the book open so that I can read the chords. I do a few from the first line, realizing that I already somewhat knew the progressions, and make myself restart. It's a slower rendition of the song, and I pluck the strings softly, just in case anyone downstairs can hear me. Jake doesn't seem to mind. He just trials his knuckles up and down my arm soothingly.

When the song is over, he asks me to play And I Love Her, and when that one's done, then Here Comes the Sun. When I rub my eyes, he takes the guitar from my hands gingerly and turns off the lights, cuddling me to his body. "Don't you want to go under the covers?"

"You're warm enough," I whisper.

That makes him laugh quietly. "I love watching you play. It's like you go into another world. Like half of you is here and half of you is up in your head."

I shut my eyes. "It feels that way too."

"It suits you. Should I add that it's very, very attractive?"

I chuckle, tucking my head into his chest. "That's up to you."

He laughs in response, running a hand over my hair. "Goodnight. I love you, Katie."

"I love you too, Jake," I whisper. "Please don't leave before I wake up."

"I won't," he promises.

"Only if you hear Charlie coming," I amend.

That makes him laugh again. "I promise."