Let’s Re-Read Eclipse Together! Chapter 22

Welcome to the ‘Eclipse’ Community Re-Read! Join us by reading a chapter every Monday & Friday.  I’ll post a thread for each chapter in the book, counting down the days until the official release of the film on June 30th. So, dig out your old or new copy of Eclipse, read the chapter and then come back here, and discuss anything you find of interest that you might have missed the first time around.

 Chapter 22: Fire and Ice

My mind wandered as I waited for sleep to find me. This warm little space made me think of the early days with Jacob, and I remembered how it used to be when he was my replacement sun, the warmth that made my empty life livable. It had been a while since I’d thought of Jake that way, but here he was, warming me again.

Here it is one of the most anticipated scenes of the book! The tent scene! Let’s get right to it. Shout out to TeamSpaceHeaters!

• Pg.488  It’s now 2A.M. and Bella is shivering her behind off. Edward is in the tent with her far away in the corner afraid to even be inside of the tent with her because he makes it that much colder. “What can I do?” he almost begged. I just shook my head. Out in the snow, Jacob whined unhappily. “G-g-g-get out of h-h-h-ere.” I ordered, again.  “He’s worried about you,” Edward translated. “He’s fine. His body is equipped to deal with this.” Jacob whimpered, a high-pitched, grating sound of complaint. “What do you want me to do? Edward growled, too anxious to bother with politeness anymore. “Carry her through that? I don’t see you making yourself useful. Why don’t you go fetch a space heater or something?”     A sudden howl ripped through the roar of the wind, and I covered my ears against the noise. Edward scowled. “That was hardly necessary. And that’s the worse idea I’ve ever heard,” he called more loudly. “Better than anything you’ve come up with,” Jacob answered, his human voice startling me. “Go fetch a space heater,” he grumbled. “I’m not a St. Bernard.”  Jacob has now joined Edward and Bella inside of the tent lol.  “I don’t like this,” Edward hissed as Jake zipped the tent door shut. “Just give her the coat and get out.” “The parka’s for tomorrow-she’s too cold to warm it up by herself. It’s frozen. You said she needed a space heater, and here I am.” Jacob held his arms wide as the tent allowed. As usual, when he’d been running around as a wolf, he’d only thrown on the bare essentials-just a pair of sweats, no shirt, no shoes. “J-J-J-J-Jake, you’ll f-f-f-freez-z-z-ze,” I tried to complain. “Not me,” he said cheerfully. “I run at a toast one-oh-eight point nine these days. I’ll have you sweating in no time.” Edward snarled, but Jacob didn’t even look at him. Instead, he crawled to my side and started unzipping my sleeping bag. Edward’s hand was suddenly hard on his shoulder, restraining, snow white against the dark skin. Jacob’s jaw clenched, his nostrils flaring, his body recoiling from the cold touch. “Get your hand off of me,” he growled through his teeth. “Keep your hands off of her,” Edward answered blackly. “D-d-d-don’t f-f-f-f-fight,” I pleaded. “I’m sure she’ll thank you for this when her toes turn black and drop off,” Jacob snapped. His voice was flat and frightening. “Watch yourself.”

• Pg. 491 “Scoot over, Bella,” he said, zipping the sleeping bag open farther. “N-n-n-n-n,” I tried to protest. “Don’t be stupid,” he said, exasperated. “Don’t you like having ten toes?” He crammed his body into the nonexistent space, forcing the zipper up behind himself. And then I couldn’t object-I didn’t want to anymore. He was so warm. His arms constricted around me, holding me snugly against his bare chest, The heat was irresistible, like air after being underwater for too long. He cringed when I pressed my icy fingers eagerly against his skin. “Try to relax,” he suggested as another shiver rippled through me violently. “You’ll be warm in a minute. Of course, you’d warm up faster if you took your clothes off.” Edward growled sharply. “That’s just a simple fact,” Jacob defended himself. “Survival one-oh-one.”  “C-c-cut it out, Jake.” “Don’t worry about the bloodsucker. He’s just jealous.” Of course I am.” Edward’s voice was velvet again, under control, a musical murmur in the darkness. “You don’t have the faintest idea how much I wish I could do what you’re doing for her, mongrel.” “Those are the breaks,” Jacob said lightly, but then his tone soured. “At least you know she wishes it was you.” “True,” Edward agreed.   As Bella begins to thaw out, Jacob makes a suggestion about her blue lips and offers to warm them up for her as well. Lol.  So who here would do exactly what Bella has done? As anemic as I am, I’m constantly running cold and once I get cold, it takes forever to warm me back up. Sorry Edward, I would have to snuggle up to Jacob for the night.

• Pg.  494-497 Bella finally drifts off to sleep. The bickering between both guys continues. Edward demands that Jacob shut up. Jacob in turn tells Edward to get out of his head, lol. Jake decides to talk to Edward in depth about his future with Bella and their jealousy factor. “Does that bother you? Do you wish you could see what she’s thinking, too?” “Yes…and no, again. She likes it better this way, and, though it sometimes drives me insane, I’d rather she was happy.” The wind ripped around the tent, shaking it like an earthquake. Jacob’s arms tightened around me protectively. “Thank you,” Edward whispered. “Odd as this might sound, I suppose I’m glad you’re here, Jacob.” “You mean, ‘as much as I’d love to kill you, I’m glad she’s warm,’ right?” “It’s an uncomfortable choice truce, isn’t it?”  Jacob’s whisper was suddenly smug. “I knew you were just as crazy jealous as I am.” “I’m not such a fool as to wear it on my sleeve like you do. It doesn’t help your case, you know.” “You have more patience than I do.” “I should. I’ve had a hundred years to gain it. A hundred years of waiting for her.”
• Pg. 500! Woo hoo! Jacob talks to Edward about when he left Bella, and Edward talks about 4 different alternatives for Bella’s life. “I like option one,” Jacob muttered. Edward didn’t respond. “You know exactly how much I hate to accept this,” Jacob whispered slowly, “But I can see that you do love her…in your way. I can’t argue with that anymore.”  ‘In your way?” Jacob please! Edward loves Bella in EVERY WAY. “Given that, I don’t think you should give up on the first alternative, not yet. I think there’s a very good chance that she would be okay. After time. You know, if she hadn’t jumped off that cliff in March…and if you’d waited another six months to check on her…Well, you might have found her reasonably happy. I had a game plan.”  Cute.

• Pg. 502 Jacob explains that he would be a better fit for Bella. Us vampire lovers deep down inside realize from a family stand point this is extremely true. Bella could be with Jacob and have a somewhat normal life, watch her parents grow old, and have babies, but werewolf babies? Again somewhat normal. “Can you consider the idea that I might be better for her than you are?” “I have considered it,” Edward answered quietly. “In some ways, you would be better suited for her than another human. Bella takes some looking after, and you’re strong enough that you could protect her from herself, and from everything that conspires against her. You have done that already, and I’ll owe you for that as long as I live-forever-whichever comes first…I even asked Alice if she could see that-see if Bella would be better off with you. She couldn’t, of course. She can’t see you, and then Bella’s sure of her course, for now. But I’m not stupid enough to make the same mistake I made before Jacob. As long as she wants me, I’m here.” “And if she were to decide that she wanted me?” Jacob challenged. “Okay, it’s a long shot, I’ll give you that.”  “I would let her go.” “Just like that?”  And my lovelies this is where my Edward Cullen pulls his trump card. “But I would keep watch. You see Jacob, you might leave her someday. Like Sam and Emily, you wouldn’t have a choice. I would always be waiting in the wings, hoping for that to happen.” Jacob snorted quietly. “Well, you’ve been much more honest than I had any right to expect…Edward. Thanks for letting me in your head.”

No matter the teams we represent, Edward is right. The reality of the situation is yes Jacob loves Bella, for now. I’m not exactly convinced of this, only because he is immature and wishy washy. Also the fact that he has had numerous times to imprint on Bella and it has not yet happened. Even if Edward was never in the picture, say for instance if Bella was dating Mike Newton. Jacob could try and try but if he can’t imprint on Bella, then she isn’t meant for him. This is an undeniable fact.

Category: Eclipse Re-Read