KARA'S POV

So we're sparring then.

"Fine. Ready?" I ask.

"Yeah." he says. I strike hard, but he bats my hand away easily. Both times, lightning fast. His guard is up after I shoved him, and the more time that passes the guiltier I'm feeling about it. I shove that thought aside too.

"Why are you always making decisions for me?" I demand. He's still on the defensive as I hit again. Then I really start to think on it.

"Fuck, Jacob. This whole exercise was you knowing I have too much energy, wasn't it? This was you trying to handle me all along."

"This was me trying to help you all along." he counters.

"Helping," miss.

"would be telling me," miss again.
"what was going on this whole time!"

He catches my hand and I want to scream. But I don't give up. Not even as he just stands there, dodging all my energy like I'm a fucking child.

"What did you want me to say? You've missed out on two years but don't worry because it looks like you're more than on track to get them back?"

"YES!" I shout and punch him square in the face. I gasp, putting my hands over my mouth as he recoils, rubbing his jaw and working it. With a slight quirk of his eyebrows, he stares at me, impressed.

"Fuck." I mutter, shaking my head. "I'll get some ice."

"No. I don't need it." he stops me.

"I'm sorry. Jacob, I really am. I'm sorry." I sigh.

"You want honesty? I'm still stronger than you are. Especially the more that time passes so try not to worry about it." he says. He doesn't even seem to be worried about his jaw anymore.

"So this is going to fade in time? I won't always be this fast? This...powerful?"

"Probably not. It's a thing with all new vampires. When you first turn, it's the strongest you'll ever be. Bella beat Emmett at arm wrestling when she was new." he says. I nod, even though it doesn't really make me feel better. "You're something in between. We don't know what, really. But it doesn't even matter that much. As long as you can still be happy with knowing all of this."

I force a deep breath, really looking at him. I'm still riding on the adrenaline of it all, but I can see that he's waiting for a response. And I can see that he's nervous about it.

The question he wants is really: if you can still be happy with me?

"Jacob. I'm not going anywhere. I'm the problem here, you're the one who should tap out." I sigh. How could he possible worry about me leaving him?

"Tap out? Please." he scoffs.

I call his bluff and touch the side of his face where I hit him. Sure enough, he winces and I'm disgusted with myself.

"I'm getting ice. Come on."

We don't talk again for a minute while I wrap an ice pack in a rag as he sits down at the kitchen table. I press it into his hand and guide the touch to his face.

"Dr. Cullen wants to talk to you about all of this tomorrow. He wanted to tonight but I stopped him." Jacob admits.

"Why?"

"It's going to be overwhelming for you and I..." he sighs, taking my hand and pulling me closer. I stand between his knees and run a very tired hand through his hair as if to encourage him on. "I don't know what you'll want me for afterwards. If I only fit into what things were. Not what they are."

"You didn't fit into what things were." I say bluntly. He laughs, but it's bitter. Very gently, I turn his face to mine again. "I was broken and angry and stubborn. Now, we're together. And whatever this is, I'm not going anywhere. Either you tap out, or we're together. As simple as that."

He looks up at me and I see a storm in his eyes stronger than the one outside the window. It's intense, with a certain power I could never understand. He puts the ice back on the table and settles his hands on my hips.

"I don't think you know how much I need you." I say.

"Kara, I don't know what I would do without you." He says as if we hadn't been at war with each other for an entire year before everything happened. But he's also right: I could never really leave him. For the first time in a long time, I get the feverish sense of knowing something. A premonition.

"Jacob...no matter how this ends, I love you. Really. We can scream at each other," I tease thinking back to perhaps our biggest fight. "And I will try my best not to shove you into walls anymore, but I love you."

"It doesn't have to end." he says. I don't know why, but I know it will. I don't say that, though. I don't want to know more myself.

"Can we just go to sleep and forget about this for now? I'm exhausted and I just want to act like things are right." I sigh. He stands so there's practically no space between us before sweeping me into his arms.

"If you can sleep through," he's interrupted by the storm outside and looks at me wryly. "That."

"Ha. We'll see."

But that night, we press against each other in silence and I only close my eyes when I can feel him beside me. And whether it's the horrible sense I have or just a general want, I hold on tighter than I should.

Tomorrow, things are going to change. And whatever that means for me...for us, I'm determined to hold on and premonition or not, I'm not letting go.