"Told you I could get it for you."
"Wow. Look at that. You can break a plate. Just like you broke my cousins heart."
Emily lifted her head glancing past the customer at the counter to look at Sam who held a book in one hand and a spoonful of Clam Chowder in another.
When he had first arrived on her doorstep she thought he was a burglar and threw her leftover Chinese food at him. Then after picking the noodles out of his hair she decided to ask why her cousins ex-boyfriend made the trip all the way down to see her.
She thought at the time that he had come to his senses and was going to beg her to help him win Leah back.
She had her response planned. She was going to rip into him but after developing the kicked puppy look she'd oh so graciously agree to help him win her cousin back.
So when he got the last of the noodles out of her hair she crossed her arms and asked in as snarky a tone as she could
"Why are you here?"
She didn't know how to respond when he said
"You. I'm here for you."
Instead of shutting the door in her face she opened it wider and stepped back so he could enter her apartment. Then she rationalized it by saying that any normal person would offer shelter to a person covered in sweet and sour sauce but now she recognizes how foolish it is.
The entire time he was there she told herself that she was giving him a chance to realize he loved Leah. Told herself that he was just there to cling to a lifeline to his old relationship that he wasn't over yet. Told herself that Leah would be glad in the end that she's guiding Sam back to her cousins embrace.
But seeing him there...
Innocently eating and reading like he couldn't be bothered to do anything else other than just stay in the same proximity as her.
And remembering how last night she almost leaned forward to close the distance when he was just taking care of her hand when she accidentally cut it with a knife while cooking.
No she was not going to lie to herself anymore.
Pretending that everything she was doing was for Leah's benefit and not her own.
She was falling for Samuel Uley.
Or had fallen already.
She didn't even know when it happened.
All she knew was that one day she saw him as someone she didn't want to live the rest of her life without.
She loved him in a way that she felt she was looking at colors for the first time.
She loved him in a way that she felt as though her head had been underwater her entire life and she had finally hit the surface to break actual air.
She loved him in a way that she almost forgot about Leah.
Almost.
"What are you doing?" Hissed her best non-blood related friend. "Isn't that Samuel?"
Emily rolled her eyes ducking back into the kitchen and washing dishes. "Yes Gertrude it is." She tried to ignore the fact she immediately missed the sight of Sam.
Gertrude's nose wrinkled at the usage of her full name instead of her nickname. "Blue. They call me Blue. Why? Because I ate 50 Blueberry Pies in one sitting earning me free pies for life." Gertrude corrected. "Now what is my name?"
"Blue." Emily rolled her eyes at the stupidity of Gertrude. Stupidity but impressive. Especially considering the girls body was a stick so it was a wonder where it all went. After that Gertrude nodded in triumph before tilting her head to the side subtly demanding an explanation. Emily lifted an eyebrow feigning innocence.
"Emily!"
"Blue."
"I'm serious. Isn't that Leah's ex?" Gertrude questioned. "The same Leah that is your best friend."
"Leah's not my best friend. You are." Emily smiled looking away quickly to her dishes.
Gertrude's nose wrinkled. "You couldn't even keep eye contact with me telling me that blatant of a lie. You should be ashamed."
"Oh I am ashamed of you." Emily hummed but when Gertrude gave her another light tap to her shoulder Emily covered her face with her hands. "Look he just came down and I don't know what he's doing but I can't just kick the boy to the curb!"
Gertrude let out a rather unladylike snort. "You can't just hang out with Leah's ex like that either. If I didn't know any better I'd say you have feelings for him."
A pause.
"Holy! You're joking!" Gertrude's hands went to her forehead so quickly that Emily was disappointed the girl didn't knock herself out. "Emily. That's Leah's EX. The boy she's been dating for Allah Knows how long before he viciously ripped her heart out saying he didn't love her and said that he was Cheating on her with a minor???"
Emily was about to groan before she caught the last part of what was said. "Cheating with a minor? I've met the minor. She's more likely to penetrate him with a knife then to let him penetrate her. Where on Earth did you hear that?"
Gertrude took a moment, this wasn't a laughing matter. "Emily. The amount of gossip that's been circled around. That's why I can't take it anymore and why I'm telling you that you need to get him to leave. It's a miracle Leah hasn't found out yet and I know she's soon to find out."
Emily gave a slow solemn nod. "Right."
"Unless?" Emily hated how fast she lifted her head in response to Gertrude's possible other suggestion. Gertrude only gave a sympathetic smile towards Emily. "Unless you woman up, tell Leah that you fell in love with her Ex and ask to date him as per girl code rules. No matter what decisions happen, Leah deserves respect which honestly this whole thing is not giving her." Gertrude sighed.
"No. What would give Leah more respect would be the first option." Emily shook her head. "I'll get him to leave. Just gotta remind him what an asshole he is and then he's gone!" She declared.
Gertrude's lips pressed together. "Again... or you could just tell him to leave? Let him know you never want to see him again." She offered. "Any sane person would leave the second they're asked right?"
Another pause.
"Emily. That's gotta be-" she let out a scoff shaking her head. "Yeah I have no words for this." Gertrude heard the sound of the Bell informing a new customer and pointed at her coworker/best non-blood related friend. "Make your decision. And fast. Leah deserves?"
"Respect. Yeah. I get it Blue."
"Good." Then Gertrude's face turned soft. "Look, I'm here for you. No matter what your stupid decision is."
Making that no less difficult for Emily to make her decision.
~~~~
Emily discovered, much to a mix of annoyance and excitement, that Sam had gotten them two tickets to go to the small block fair at the edge of town.
It was both her dream and nightmare because the entire time Sam was being so cute and sweet and doing acts that could be taken as romantic if she wanted to.
And she wanted to. She so so wanted to. But couldn't.
He came bouncing to her holding a giant stuffed cow for her along with a smaller fluffy wolf. "Told you I could get it for you." He grinned handing her the stuffed animals.
"Wow. Look at that. You can break a plate. Just like you broke my cousins heart." Emily scoffed lips curling.
Sam's steps faltered and he turned his head to look at Emily. A question written across his face.
Confusion but not hurt.
Then finally acceptance. "I didn't want to lead Leah on. She deserves that respect to tell her I don't love her anymore." Sam answered.
There was sadness in his eyes but no Guilt.
Damn him. So that meant all the guilt was meant to fall on her shoulders then?
Emily spent the rest of the night acting petty. Allowing her guilt and annoyance to fuel some pretty underhand comments that Sam just accepted with the brightness of a sun.
And he continued his romantics that Emily figured later she would handle this. Tell him to leave politely and-
When did they get here?
It was a beautifully set picnic at the edge between the forest and the now empty fair grounds.
When did her hand end up in his ? And the other gently on her waist? Why was her head resting on his chest? Why were they dancing with no music? Why-
She looked up and she no longer questioned anything when her eyes met his.
It was a magnet pulling them together, she could smell the sweets from earlier and her eyes fluttered close when she thankfully snapped to her senses and jumped back.
No! That was not the plan! You were not going to kiss him!
Sam's cheeks were red and he stepped back in response. "I'm so sorry." He apologized. "I- what did I do wrong?"
"What did you do wrong?" Emily blinked trying to bring her head back down on Earth. "You want to know?"
"Yes." Sam's genuine care to improve for her made her realize that she must have been the reason why he dumped Leah. It was all her fault. So she'd have to fix her own mistakes.
"You're just like your father!!" Emily snapped eyes flashing. She had to hit him where it hurt to get him to leave her alone. "Apple doesn't fall far from the tree!"
Sam's put his hands up, to shield himself from the truth most likely. Well she wouldn't let him get away with it. "Please." His voice was strangled. She was right. That was a pressure point.
"No! You don't get to run from this!"
"Emily, stay back."
"I mean what was your big idea? Break Leah's heart? Then your own mothers when you left her. What about Azazel? And now you're here acting like you've done nothing wrong?"
"Emily. Please."
"No Sam! You know what? Your father at least had the decency to leave without causing anymore damage aside from abandonment. But you. Oh you!" She rolled her eyes and shoved him watching as he fell backwards to the floor. "You are worse then your father."
Sam's body trembled and then there was a yell of
"MOVE!"
And Emily felt her entire body thrown back and landed in the puddle. Her hands stung and cheek as the gravel burned but other than that she was left undamaged. When she turned to look at Sam she found a large black wolf in its place.
No way. They're true? They're- real. Protectors of Quilute? This was the secret. This was what Leah thought he was hiding.
As the puzzle pieces clicked she couldn't believe that Leah and herself could have ever thought the reason could have been so petty to think that Azazel and Sam had been the secret, a scandalous affair.
Azazel.
Her eyes shifted down to see the body lay at his feet. A small sixteen year old she had only met twice. A sixteen year old who got dragged into the reservation against her own reserves. A sixteen year old bitch.
A sixteen year old who pushed Emily out of the way of danger at the cost of her own well-being.
"Oh no." Emily stared at Azazel with the large realization that Sam's strangled pleas were for her own safety.
The black wolf huffed and then when the realization of what occurred struck, the wolf began whining nudging at the bleeding girl with its muzzle.
Emily crawled over , gravel flying as she scrambled to the girl. "Azazel what- I got to get you to a hospital." She panicked.
She cradled her head wincing when Azazel did. "Sam..." a hand landed on Emily's shoulder. She didn't even notice that he had turned back into a human at this point. "Your mom wants you home now." Azazel rasped out with a weak smile before her eyes fluttered shut.