The Rise of Lydia Rowe ↠ Jasper Hale (ON HOLD)

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She was glad she'd found them. It was nice to have friends that weren't Gwen and the Cullens. 

"Hey, River Phoenix," Embry said, lightly kicking her foot underneath the table. "What's got you thinking so hard?" 

"Life," she answered, earning an amused snort from Embry. 

"Don't think too hard about it," he teased. "You might blow a fuse." 

Lydia kicked him n the shin, earning a pout from him. Her phone buzzed in her pocket with a text message. She took it out and read it quickly. 

Jasper: Bella wants to hold a family meeting tonight. I can pick you up if you'd like to come? 

Lydia frowned, wondering what Bella could want to hold a meeting about, and why Lydia was invited. Nevertheless, she texted back an affirmative and got a time from him. 

"That Jasper?" Gwen asked, nodding at Lydia's phone. 

"Yeah," Lydia said quietly. "Uh, Bella wants to talk to the Cullens and me later." 

"What about?" Embry asked curiously, though his brow was pinched together in concern as he spoke. 

Lydia shrugged, locking her phone and sliding it back into her pocket. "Guess I'll find out tonight," she said, giving Embry a look that said she'd tell him if it pertained to the pack.  

"You and Jasper still talk?" Leah asked, the slightest hint of judgement in her tone. "Didn't he abandon you a few months back?" 

Lydia doubted Leah meant much harm by her comment, but it still stung a little. 

"Leah!" Gwen scolded. 

Embry glared at her. "Not cool." 

"Sorry," Leah mumbled, though Lydia could tell it was more for Gwen than Lydia. 

"It's fine—not like it's not true," she said quietly. "But we're... we're working things out." 

Lydia knew about the tensions between the pack and the Cullens. The fact that the age-old idea of vampires and werewolves being enemies would have been funny if Lydia wasn't friends with both sides. She prayed nothing would ever drive the two species to war. 

Seth glanced at Embry, as if trying to gauge his reaction. Embry was already aware of Lydia's mending relationship with Jasper—truth be told, he was the first person she told. He'd only asked her if she was happy, which warmed her heart and put to rest any lingering doubts about whether Embry's feelings for her were truly platonic or not. 

"So, the Cullens are back?" Seth asked without a hint of the contempt Lydia would expect from Leah or another member of the pack. He'd only ever voiced curiosity about the Cullens and vampires in general. Seth wasn't the kind of person who could hate another, especially not without even knowing the other person. Lydia just wished some of his kindness would rub off on his pack mates. "For good?" 

Lydia nodded. "Yeah," she answered. 

"Just be careful," Gwen murmured, giving her best friend a gentle smile. "For me." 

"And me," Embry added, stuffing another spoonful of yogurt into his mouth. Gwen rolled her eyes at him fondly.

"Of course," Lydia promised them both. 

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When Lydia got home, she spent the time before Jasper would come to pick her up starting on her homework for the weekend. A little before the time Jasper had texted her, she changed out of the sweatpants she'd put on after returning from the fro-yo shop and put her jeans back on. She didn't bother with a jacket, seeing as she couldn't feel the cold anyway. After putting on her sneakers, she went down the stairs, peeking her head into the living room where her mothers were both reading next to each other on the couch. "Hey, I'm gonna go over to the Cullens, if that's okay. I shouldn't be gone too long."