Yay, it's the 20th chapter!!!! I can't believe I got here once again and I wouldn't have been able to without the support of all of you reading this story. I can't tell you how much it means to me. Sorry for the delay and if it seems sort of boring. After a few chapters full of some drama, I wanted to lighten the mood in this one. This chapter is just a cute filler and it will probably be the last one for a while. The drama is coming!! Don't forget to vote and comment! Enjoy :)
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The sun glaring through my bedroom window caused my body starting to waking up. I could feel the cool sheets beneath my bear arms. Everything was the same except for the new sound that I had become accustomed to waking up to. I smiled to myself before turning over and opening my eyes.
Embry was laying on his back, snoring loudly. The first night he stayed over, I didn’t get much sleep because of it. Of course I didn’t tell him that but once the others saw how tired I was Monday at school and started teasing me about it, he got the hint. Now though, I actually found the sound calming. It makes me feel warm and happy. Safe.
It had been weird for me those first few nights that Embry stayed over with me. I tried to talk him out of it but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He wanted to be here and I did too. I was alert whenever he was over. Now that the whole “parent” lie was told, I had no excuse for keeping him out of the house. The files and pictures remained hidden where they were and every day that goes by, I find myself not freaking out that he’d find them. I was falling out of my job. I knew it and I wasn’t stopping it. That would be my downfall in the coming month.
Every morning, I would wake up to him being beside me. I couldn’t help but think about what it’d be like if I didn’t have to after the week at school, I got used to his presence being around me all the time. It was a comfort that I wouldn’t trade.
I blushed at the memory of the first night he stayed the night. I had seen him shirtless plenty of times but there was something intimate about actually sleeping with him in my bed. I actually tried to give him so much space that I was completely on the edge of the bed. But then he pulled me close and held me to his chest until I relaxed enough to go to sleep.
The sunlight coming in through the glass bathed the visible parts of him in a golden hue. It’s hard to imagine Embry more handsome than he already is but it never fails that I catch my breath at his appearance on mornings like this. He looked peaceful, relaxed.
I brought my arms up and laid my head on them, watching him. His hands rested on his chest. They rose up and down with each breath he took. He had been so tired lately. Ever since Jane’s little visit, he has been going on extra patrols. Sam didn’t assign them but Embry asked for them. I think he felt like if he wasn’t out there, then something would slip past their borders. Something could harm me but seeing him so exhausted and on edge was what was hurting me at the moment. I didn’t want him to be so stressed out. I wanted him to be his happy self. If anyone should bear the burden of all this, I should be me. Heck, sometimes at night I sit awake and think about all the things that will be coming. This is my fight. Not Embry’s.
“You know if you keep your face scrunched up like that it’s going to get stuck,” Embry said in a sleepy voice. Turning his head to the side so he could face me, his lips pulled up in a small smile. I readjusted my face and let out a small laugh, one that sounded almost deafening in the silence of the room.
“Yeah, but you’d still love me,” I replied, raising my eyebrow at him daring him to challenge. He chuckled. It was deep and throaty because he was still starting to fully wake up.
“Of course I would. Not even that could scare me off,” he said. I glared and playfully hit him in the arm. He reached out his arms and started tickling me. I screamed and tried to push him away. We were both laughing as we squirmed, me trying to get away and him trying to control me to stay.
“Please, Embry, please stop. I – can’t – breath,” I gasped between my laughter, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. He stopped and placed his hands on either side of me on the bed with his body hovering slightly over mine. He smiled down at me. It was the most carefree I had seen him all week. I lifted up my hand to his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch. “That’s the first time you’ve laughed all week,” I said softly.
His eyes opened slowly to meet mine. They were a little darker than their regular milk chocolate color. He sighed and then leaned down to press a kiss to my forehead. “I’m sorry I’ve been so tense lately. I just have to make sure you’re safe. Jane got through our lines once. What if she did it again? I don’t know what I would have done if you were hurt,” he said pulling back slightly and shaking his head, the thought obviously making him angry.
I leaned up and gave him a short kiss. I didn’t give enough time to kiss back before pulling away. He gave me a playful scowl. “As long as I’m with you, I know I’m safe,” I said.
He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine, careful to keep most of his weight off of me. My whole body felt like a jolt of energy was shot threw it at his touch. Our lips moved in sync like they were made for each other which I guess they were since I was his imprint. It was supposed to be perfect being with Embry and it always was. We broke apart when both our breathing became heavy. He rested his forehead against my own.
“Things are calming down. We need to enjoy the time we have together while we can,” I whispered. I might have said it more for myself than for him. I knew what was coming. I knew that I didn’t have much time left to be with him. To him, my statement would seem to be about Jane’s return. It was, just not for the same reasons as he thinks.
“You’re right,” Embry exclaimed before hopping up off the bed. I propped myself up on my elbows and watched has he scuffled around the room. He looked around pushing things along the floor looking for something.
“What are you doing?” I asked with both amusement and confusion. He finally picked up his shirt and threw it over his head, hiding my view of his chest and abs which in turn helped me to focus more. It was both a good and a bad thing.
Embry turned back to look at me with a smile that caused my heart to flutter. “I’m going to go home and get ready. I suggest you do too,” he said walking over to stand in front of me.
“And what do I need to get ready for, may I ask?” I question sitting all the way up on the bed now. His eyes glinted with mischief as the smile turned to a smirk.
“I’m taking you on a date. Just the two of us so we can escape and not have to worry about anything for a while,” he replied. He kissed me quickly before heading toward my bedroom door. “Be ready by 7 and wear something nice,” he called over his shoulder. In less than a minute, the sound of the front door closing echoed through the house.
I looked over at the clock to see it was close to noon which gave me plenty of time to get ready for our date. I smiled at the thought. If this date was anything like the first one, I couldn’t wait. Now what do to with my time until then?
*****
I paced the living room as I waited for Embry to pick me up. He was about five minutes late but I wasn’t worried. He probably just got hung up doing something, I thought, biting at my fingernails. A knock on the door sounded on the front door.
I practically ran for the door which wasn’t very lady-like and kind of hard to do in heels and a dress. I pulled the door open and the smile that appeared on my face dimed only slightly. Seth stood on the porch with a sheepish smile on his face. He was wearing a nice pair of pants and a collared shirt. He looked absolutely adorable but the question is, why? I raised my eyebrow at him.
“Not that I’m not happy to see you Seth but Embry is going to be here any minute to take me on a date,” I said looking behind him for any sign of Embry’s car.
“Actually, Embry has sent me to pick you up. He had some last second things to take care of for your date,” he said rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. I tried not to act to down about the fact that Embry wasn’t the one picking me up but Seth must have been able to see it in my eyes. “Come on, you’ll love what he’s got planed,” he said holding out his arm for me to take. I sent him a smile and locked the door before following him to his car.
The ride wasn’t uncomfortable. Besides the fact that Seth wouldn’t tell me anything about what Embry has planned for tonight, there were no awkward silences. That’s one of the good things about Seth. He always has something to say. Some find it annoying but I enjoy it. We finally pulled up to the edge of the woods on the other side of La Push. The sun had already set so it was dark. The trees didn’t look inviting at all but the car lights illuminated a path that was light by candles. I looked over at Seth. “Go, have fun,” he said. I gave him a small hug then got out of the car. He waited until I was on the path before pulling away.
The candles didn’t give much light but it was enough to lead the way. The light cast shadows around the trees. I saw a little opening up ahead. For some reason, I knew Embry was just behind it. Before I walked through the opening, I made sure to straighten my dress and make sure my hair wasn’t out of line. Taking a deep breath, I stepped through the opening.
It was a good thing I did because as soon as I saw what was on the other side, all my breath whooshed out of my lungs. The first thing I noticed was Embry. He looked incredibly handsome in a dark pair of pants and a white button down shirt. I felt the tug of a smile on my lips. He was standing next to a table that had food and a candle in the middle. Around the small clearing, lights were hung up in the trees which bathed the area in a warm glow. Everything looked beautiful and tears were beginning to form in the corners of my eyes.
Embry walked over to me and handed me a rose. “You looking stunning tonight Lamia,” he said bringing up one of my hands to place a kiss on the back of it. My heart fluttered at the action.
“Embry, this is so beautiful. I-I don’t know what to say,” I replied, a single tear escaping and running slowly down my cheek. Embry lifted his hand and wiped the tear away with his thumb.
“Why are you crying?” he asked softly leaving his hand against my cheek. The warmth of his palm was comforting and I found myself leaning further into his touch. I flashed him a small smile.
“I’m just happy that’s all. No one has ever done anything like you have for me before,” I replied. He leaned in and gave me a short, sweet kiss then led me over to the table. He held out my chair and let me sit down before sitting down himself. The food looked very good.
“Spaghetti, my favorite,” I said, twisting some pasta onto my fork and taking a bite. The sauce was creamy and the noodles had been cooked to perfection. I let out an involuntary moan at the taste. “This is so good,” I said glancing up at Embry who was grinning so wide I thought his cheeks would be hurting.
“I’m glad you like it. I knew it was your favorite so I had my mom help me cook,” he replied taking a bite of his own. I looked at him a little taken aback. In the month of our relationship, I never knew he could cook. It was a pleasant surprise.
We eat in a comfortable silence, enjoying the night air and each other’s company. We don’t get much time together like this, especially since Jane’s unexpected visit the other week. It was nice just to be the two of us. After we were done eating, Embry reached across the table and took my hands in his. “Dance with me,” he said helping me up from my seat and pulling me around to him.
A giggle escaped my throat as I put my arms around his neck. “There is no music Embry,” I replied but swayed along with him anyway. He hummed a tune that I didn’t recognize. Both of his hands on my waist guided me along as we turned and moved with each other.
To anybody watching, we must have looked crazy but it didn’t matter. Dancing under the lights in that clearing with him was something I wouldn’t change for the world. It was just the two of us. No one else existed outside this clearing. There was no Jane. There was no job.
“I love you Embry. Thank you for doing all this. I really needed it,” I said bringing my head up from where it had previously laid on his chest so I could look into his eyes. His face held an easy-going expression.
“I would do anything for you Lamia. I love you more than life itself. One day when this whole thing with Jane is over and it’s peaceful once again, I plan to spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy,” he said. There was no joking in his tone. He was completely serious and my heart thumped hard in my chest at his words.
I leaned up and he met me halfway so that our lips crashed together. This kiss was different than our other kisses which were usually fast paced. It was slow and sensual. The kind of kiss that makes tingles run up and down your spine. I wasn’t sure which I preferred.
We stayed in the clearing for a few more hours dancing and kissing randomly. Just the two of us moving in sync and however brief, the peace was something we both need. Just for a few hours. We would deal with everything else later. I didn’t worry about the pain and war I’m sure was to come shortly. For right now, I was perfectly content.