CHAPTER THRITY FOUR
FOREVER
"So, I was thinking about horror film rules," Embry began. He lay on his front, chin propped up on his hands, elbows digging into the sandy beach beneath him. "And vampires and werewolves are horror movie creatures, right?"
Quil was looking straight at him, but Montana had noticed that his eyes were distant, probably only half paying attention to the conversation. Jacob's mind was entirely elsewhere, and had been all day, distracted by staring at the harsh waves lapping against the shore.
Montana was drifting between getting stuck in the anxious pit of thoughts in her head, and trying her best to stay present and grounded. She realised, as the only one actually actively listening to Embry's musings, it was up to her to give him the satisfaction of responding.
"Right," she said, tuning back into the conversation properly. Werewolves. Vampires. Horror movies – not something she was massively well versed on (Montana preferred Rom Coms) but she could handle it.
"So, as it goes in horror movies, the virgin never dies," Embry explained. "Which, you know, sucks for me, but at least you guys will be safe."
"Embry," Montana started exasperatedly. "We all know you're still a virgin."
He scoffed in offence. "Am not."
"And when did this happen then?" Quil joined the conversation properly, raising his brows expectantly.
Embry shrugged. "At the Cullen's party."
Montana shook her head dismissively. "As if."
"It happened!"
"Yeah, with who?" Quil interrogated.
Embry pressed his lips together. "Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to say."
Montana burst into laughter. "Because you're a fucking liar!"
Quil chuckled alongside her. "You come up with such bullshit, man."
"It's true!" Embry protested. "I'm not lying!"
"But you were with us most of the night," Montana pointed out.
"Not the whole night."
"Most of it."
"No, you and Jake were talking to Carlisle in his study," Embry recalled. "And Quil was downstairs with Dakota trying to hit on Dina and Sian."
"And you were with him," Montana reminded. Quil's brows drew together as he seemed to cast his mind back. "Right?" she prompted.
Quil looked up at her. "He wasn't actually."
Embry clapped his hands together. "Thank you!"
"Wait, so who is this mysterious girl then?" Montana questioned. "Assuming it's a girl..."
"It's a girl," Embry affirmed. "But thanks for checking."
"No problem," she replied. "Anyway, I'm having trouble believing it. The last time you spoke to someone you liked you tripped up the stairs at school and gave yourself a bloody nose."
Embry's eyes narrowed into a glare. "Dude, we promised never to mention that again."
Quil clutched his stomach as he fell apart laughing at the memory. "Oh my god, was that the Kiana Ryan incident?"
Failing to hide her own grin, Montana nodded in response. "It was."
"Oh man, that was a classic!"
"Guys, shut up," Embry groaned. "Can we get back to the subject here!"
Quil calmed down. "Right, yeah, you made up a fake story about getting laid when you were probably hiding out in the kitchen like you usually do." He made eye contact with Montana, the pair of them struggling to stifle their grins of amusement.
"You know, you guys dangerously underestimate me," Embry remarked.
"Give us a name and we'll believe you," Quil bargained.
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"'Cos I promised her I wouldn't!"
"Wow, was she really that embarrassed?" Montana teased.
"No actually, she said that I–"
Montana raised a hand to shut him up. "Please, spare us the details."
The corner of Embry's mouth tugged into a smirk. "So you do believe me?"
"Still a hard no," Montana replied. "However, I do believe in your abilities to concoct a wildly untrue story."
"Oh my god, fine, it was Diane!"
Montana stopped still, her eyes growing wide. "Diane?!"
"Wait. You fucked Montana's coworker?" Quil asked in disbelief. "Dude..."
"What? She's hot."
"I just..." Montana trailed, searching for the right words. "Didn't expect it?"
"Are you seeing her again?" Quil asked.
"Later." Embry smiled in satisfaction. "One last night of pleasure before we potentially die tomorrow."
Montana pulled a face of disgust.
"She must be desperate," Quil commented.
"You know, you're just jealous," Embry claimed. "You'd rather wallow in self pity about your own crush than actually go out there and make a move."
"Well, you can't even comprehend having actual genuine feelings for a girl because emotion is not something you possess–"
"Oh, well that's a low blow coming from someone who–"
"Shut up," Jacob's voice silenced them both. "You're both idiots."
"Oh, so nice of you to join us," Embry said sarcastically. "Didn't want to interrupt you staring broodily into the distance, seemed like you were enjoying it."
"Better than listening to you two," Jacob retorted back. "By the way, you'd better be back on time for patrol tonight."
"Dude, don't worry, it's chill–"
"No, it's important," Jacob spoke firmly. Montana bit down on her bottom lip at the tone of his voice. "We have to be ready for anything. Sam will kick my ass if I let you screw it up."
"Jesus, why is it always me that everyone worries about fucking up?" Embry muttered.
"Because you possess limited brain cells," Montana answered.
"More than Jared and Paul, though," he said.
"That's standards at their lowest," Montana pointed out. "It's not an achievement you should be proud of."
Embry glared playfully at her and she smiled.
"So, what are you two doing tonight?" Quil spoke up, addressing Montana and Jake. "I thought you were supposed to be going out of town with your family."
"I wanted to stay. Mum and Dad finally let me, since Uncle Chey and Kaia are still here," Montana told him.
"I'm taking her to Sam and Emily's tomorrow before the fight," Jacob informed them.
Embry's eyebrows raised. "So you have the house to yourselves tonight?"
Montana opened her mouth to respond but Jacob beat her to it. "No, Kaia and Chey will be at the house."
"Uh, about that...they're training with the Cullens tonight," Montana informed him. "And then they're going back to Kaia's to practice spells. They're staying there because it's nearer."
Embry grinned at them. "So you have the house to yourselves?"
Jacob looked at Montana, who could already feel heat rising to her cheeks. "Uh, yeah."
"Interesting," Embry smirked. "Very interesting." Jacob shook his head warningly at him. "What? You might be dead tomorrow."
"With a bit of luck, you will be," Jacob snipped back.
"You're just deflecting," Embry assumed. "Anything to ignore the stifling sexual tension."
"You know, I hope those vampires really sink their teeth into you tomorrow," Montana said.
"Y'all are gonna feel very guilty when you're standing at my funeral."
"More like relived," Quil retorted.
Montana broke out into a smile. "Hey, what do you want as your funeral song?"
"Another One Bites the Dust?" Quil suggested.
"Bye Bye Bye?" Jacob added.
"Highway to Hell?" Montana chimed in.
Embry stuck his bottom lip out. "You guys are mean." Montana exchanged a look with the boys, the three of them chuckling at Embry's expense. "I'm gonna haunt the shit out of you." They only laughed harder. "Okay, but seriously," Embry's tone shifted. "If any of us die tomorrow..."
"Don't say that," Montana mumbled.
"But if we do," Embry pushed. "I mean, we had a good run. Right?"
"Right," Quil agreed.
Jacob nodded. "Right."
"Fifteen years of the Four Musketeers," Embry smiled fondly.
Quil frowned. "Wait, what? I swear it was sixteen?"
"And I thought it was the Awesome Foursome?" Montana asked.
"No, Fantastic Four is better, actually," Jacob said.
"Oh, you're right."
"Guys no, it's the Four Musketeers, we agreed this!"
"Can we get back to how many years it's been. I swear it's sixteen?"
"Wait, let's figure this out. When did we meet?"
"How old are we again?"
"Embry how did you even pass math–"
"I love you guys." The boys stopped suddenly, turning to stare at Montana, who had accidentally blurted the proclamation.
It fell quiet. And instead of responding, both Embry and Quil seemed to have the same idea in mind, lurching forwards and tackling Montana into a giant hug. The air was almost knocked out of her as she was pushed back onto the sand, the pair of them doing their best not to fall entirely on top of her.
"We love you too," Embry told her, wrapping his arms tightly around her neck. "So much."
Jacob joined them as they all sat up again, looking at Montana with a softness that was only ever reserved for her. "I second that," Jake said sincerely.
Montana's eyes locked with his, a smile forming on her lips. He reached hand out to cup the side of her face, gently brushing away a stray tear that had fallen down her cheek.
"Ugh, just ask her to be your girlfriend already!" Embry exclaimed impatiently, ruining the moment.
Quil smacked him on the arm. "Dude! You'll spoil the surprise!"
Montana's attention was suddenly ripped away from Jacob. "What surprise?"
Embry hit Quil back equally as hard. "Now look what you've done!"
"Nice one guys," Jacob said sarcastically. "Really. Thanks."
"Look, I'm sorry but you two have been teasing us for weeks with this whole 'we're taking it slow' thing!" Embry burst out. Quil nodded his head hurriedly in agreement. "We already know you're gonna be together forever, just agree to be boyfriend and girlfriend so I can finally sleep peacefully at night!"
A smile teased at the corners of Montana's mouth. "I didn't know you felt so strongly about it."
"I'm invested!"
"Clearly."
"Now, Jacob," Embry turned to him, his voice resuming to it's normal pitch. "Please just do us all a favour and stop dicking around–"
"I'm not doing this with you two here," Jacob snipped.
"Oh my god!" Embry exclaimed dramatically. "You guys are actually trying to kill me, aren't you?"
"Ah, it appears that he's fumbled our plan," Montana grinned at Jacob, who reciprocated the smile.
"Guys!" Embry groaned.
"Oh, fine," Montana gave in. "Jacob, I'll be your official girlfriend, since apparently labels matter so much."
"They do!" Embry defended.
"Shut up, Embry," Jacob said, his attention remaining on Montana. "You'll be my girlfriend?"
"Absolutely."
"Embry," Jacob spoke again.
"Yeah?"
"Get out the way so I can kiss my girlfriend."
"Hell yeah!"
Montana chuckled as Embry practically dived out the way, watching them eagerly with Quil. Jacob leaned forwards and kissed Montana, gently, but with enough pressure that left her craving more. His face inched away from hers slowly, and Montana had to resist the urge to grab him by the collar of his shirt and pull him back towards her.
"All right, jeez guys, that's enough," Embry said. Montana reluctantly parted fully from Jacob, who raised his middle finger at an unbearably smug Embry. "Naw, look at you two. All in love. Aren't they cute, Quil?" He nudged his friend's side. "Quil."
Staring unresponsively past them and into the tree line, Quil released a heavy sigh. "I'm gonna confess to Dina."
"What?!" All three voices responded at once.
Quil blinked, their high-octave shouts prompting him to come back round to reality. "I'm going to tell Dina."
"Everything?" Montana queried unsurely, referencing the imprint bond.
Quil hesitated. "Maybe not everything but..."
"Holy shit!" Embry yelled. "This is incredible. Go on, buddy!"
"Now?" Quil asked them hesitantly.
"Now!" The trio shouted back in unison.
Quil nodded to himself. "Okay," he said, seeming to come to the realisation of what he was planning on doing. "Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I'm gonna do it."
"Yeah you are!" Embry cheered.
"Woo go, Quil!" Montana added to the hype. "Tell us how it goes!"
Jacob clapped him on the shoulder, smiling in encouragement. "Good luck, man."
"Fuck," Quil swore under his breath, getting to his feet. "Uh, what the hell do I even say?"
"Nothing, just kiss her, man!"
"Whatever's in your heart," Montana offered alternatively.
"Tell her how you truly feel," Jacob suggested. Montana glanced over at him and smiled.
"Okay, great," Quil nodded to himself, seeming to be in a slight daze still. "See you guys later!"
The three responded with a chorus of "bye" and "good luck", huge smiles on their faces as they watched him leave. Jacob wrapped an arm around Montana's shoulder, moving her closer to his side.
"Aw man, they grow up so fast," Embry commented. He tore his eyes away from Quil and turned to face them. "I suppose I better leave you guys to it," he said, a dangerously mischievous smile forming on his expression. "I have a final night of pleasure to attend, after all."
Montana pulled a face, nose scrunching in disgust. "Please just say hook up."
"Hook up sounds so cheap," Embry complained. "What else could I call it? Diane O'Clock?"
"Please just leave," Jacob said.
Embry looked up at him, his grin widening. "I see how it is. Farewell, best friends. Montana, this might be the last time you ever see me."
"I'm literally gonna see you tomorrow morning at Sam's place," she reminded him.
"Right, forgot about that," Embry said, taking a step backwards. Montana and Jacob both shook their heads, looking down at the ground to disguise their smiles. "Well, have fun tonight, kiddos!" He tripped up on something, stumbling and almost falling flat on his face. Montana bit down on her bottom lip. Jacob let out a breathy laugh. "Ha ha, very funny. Clumsy Embry."
"Bye, Embry," Montana waved him off. "Say hi to Diane for me."
"Will do!" Embry called back, starting up the hill. He paused and turned back to them. "Hey, I was serious about that horror movie rule thing, though. Just keep it in mind, yeah." His eyes shifted to Jacob, stare hardening. "'Cos she's like a sister to me, man."
"Make him stop," Montana pleaded with Jacob under her breath. "Please make him stop."
"Just kidding guys! Love you!"
"Love you too," Montana and Jacob chorused flatly.
Montana shook her head in amusement as they watched Embry finally disappear through the tree line.
Jacob turned to her, chuckling. "He is living proof that you can't choose the people you love."
"Oh, absolutely."
—
"Stop."
"What?" Jacob asked cluelessly. He stood in front of Montana's bedroom window, watching the the darkness outside with narrowed eyes.
He'd been on edge ever since they arrived back at the house, on hyper-alert to any sight or sound that he deemed suspicious. Montana understood why he'd be a little wary, all things considered, but Jake's behaviour only worsened as the night went on, and it was gradually driving her insane.
She exhaled heavily through her nose, setting her book down beside her on the bed. "If Victoria was here already, Alice would have warned us."
Jacob shook his head dismissively. "I don't trust the bloodsuckers to tell us anything."
Montana's eyebrows raised. "I thought we'd moved past the name calling."
He shrugged. "I changed my mind."
Montana lay back down, head falling against the pillows. "You're on their side tomorrow."
"I know."
Montana expressed another sigh. "Seriously Jake, will you stop staring out that window for five minutes."
"Depends."
"On?"
Jacob finally turned around, the corner of his mouth drifting into a smirk. "How you're offering to distract me..."
Montana's gaze travelled over him, standing on the other side of the room, no shirt on, of course, looking at her with playful but sincere eyes; looking at her like that.
She'd had a feeling that something was building. The longing stares over the past few weeks had been lasting even longer. The soft fleeting touches had become progressively more flirtatious. She'd notably felt the warmth of his hand resting on her thigh the journey back from the beach, fingers trailing softly against her skin. Now that space felt cold. She craved that touch again. His touch.
"Jake."
"Yeah?" When Montana didn't respond, he quirked an eyebrow. "You know, you're usually supposed to follow that with something more."
Montana scowled at him. "I'm currently occupied with debating whether or not to kick you out of the house."
"I won't go quietly."
She rested her head back against the wall with an irritated groan. "Jake," she warned.
His smile only widened. "You're adorable when you're mad at me."
"Shut up."
Disguising any further amusement, Jacob turned back to face the window. He could tell how much it was bothering her, and what she was saying did make sense, they'd surely have been warned if the army of bloodsuckers turned up early. But Jacob was, admittedly, enjoying riling her up.
Montana sighed again at his action. She dropped her book down heavily on the side table and huffed impatiently, crossing her arms.
Jacob bit back another smile, hoping she couldn't see his face through the window's reflection. He assumed it would only be a matter of seconds before she'd lose it completely, and he was looking forward to what that might entail.
"For the love of god, Jacob!"
"What?" He asked innocently, sparing a glance at her over his shoulder.
Montana was wearing one of his t-shirts, far too big for her smaller frame, material hanging off one of her shoulders and exposing the bare skin he wished he was pressing his mouth against.
Jacob bit down on his bottom lip, turning his attention back to the window.
"Will you please get away from there?!" she snapped. "I don't need you watching outside every second, and the boys certainly don't need you to do that either!"
"Actually, as second in command–"
"Don't you dare pull that card."
He chuckled, facing her. "What?"
Montana lifted her chin. "Come back to me when you're alpha."
"You'd like that, huh?" He asked, a teasing edge to his voice.
"Hm, Chief Jacob..." she matched his tone, pretending to think it over. "Kinda hot."
Jacob tilted his head to the side. "Maybe I should think some more about it then."
"Maybe you should." They locked eyes. Montana's heart was pounding so loud she could have sworn Jacob could hear it. She breathed out slowly. "Don't you dare even think about going back to that window."
"Is your offer for a distraction still on?"
"You can't just do what I say?" She asked him. Jacob shook his head, still smirking. "Fine," Montana said confidently. "I want you to come over here and let me distract you."
At her words, a smile curved across Jacob's lips. He took a step away from the window, crossing the room towards her. Montana sat up, back pressed against the headboard, her eyes following his painstakingly (and purposely) slow movements until he reached the foot of the bed.
"And what now?" He asked her, failing to disguise a teasing grin.
Montana's gaze trailed over him, hovering a little longer over his shirtless chest, until she met his eyes. "What do you want?"
"What do you want?"
There was a brief pause, until she said "You."
Jacob took that as permission, moving forwards as she did the same. Montana eagerly pulled away from the headboard, meeting him in the middle of the bed. His larger hands cupped the sides of her face, lips pushing hungrily against hers. She wasted no time kissing him back, hands drifting up the back of his neck until her fingers tangled in his hair.
Jacob's hands soon started to trail down her sides, resting at the waistband of her shorts. He slipped them underneath her shirt, the contact on her skin sending a small shivering running along her spine.
He tugged at the hem of her shirt, disconnecting their lips momentarily. Montana gave him a small nod, allowing him to pull it over her head. Jake discarded it across the room, eyes hovering over her bra.
Montana had expected to feel a little uncomfortable, but was surprised to find that she didn't. She did feel nervous, but her pulse was racing with a mixture of both apprehension and excitement. Montana knew Jacob would be patient and gentle with her, and she was beginning to crave the intimacy that would deepen their connection.
Her eyes flickered up to meet his, a newfound confidence striking her. "You can take it off."
Jacob searched her eyes momentarily for confirmation, but did not need to be told twice. His hands roamed around her back, finding and undoing the clasp of her bra. He carefully pulled the straps down her arms, a gentle smile working its way onto his face. Montana leaned back on her elbows, smiling back up at him.
"You are..." Jacob trailed, leaning forwards to hover over her until his face was inches apart from hers again. "So beautiful."
He pressed his lips against hers before moving them elsewhere, grazing gentle kisses along her jaw, and trailing them down her neck. She gripped tightly at his shoulders as a wave of pleasure washed over her, fingernails leaving marks against his skin.
Montana ran a hand down his chest, feeling the prickling warmth of his body heat, drifting over the solid definition of his abs until she reached the waistband of his shorts.
Jacob's lips continued to pepper kisses against her neck, whilst his fingers travelled along her thigh, the gentle sensations against her bare skin sending tingles of pleasure through her body. Soft moan escaping parted lips, Montana's head sank back against the pillow, her back arching in anticipation.
Jacob drew back from her momentarily, his face inches apart from hers. "Are you sure about this?" He whispered.
Montana looked up at the boy she loved. "I'm sure," she said.
And then she pulled him back down to kiss her once more.
A/N