Kari tried to sleep after Embry left, curling his shirt into her hands and arms, and sighed after a couple hours of lying in bed restlessly. She changed into jeans and pulled on Embry's shirt before leaving the house. Sam couldn't get mad at her for leaving the house if she stayed in La Push. She walked aimlessly before finding herself in front of the Call home. Kari took a deep breath before knocking softly on the door. She was surprised when Tiffany opened it, wearing a pair of shorts and a hoodie.
"Karina," she said in surprise. "It's early. Can I do anything for you?"
"Embry and Sam are busy," she said quietly. "I didn't want to wake up Emily. I didn't mean to wake you up, either."
"I was already awake," Tiffany said. "I just had this feeling about today."
"Me too," Kari whispered.
"Why don't you come in?" Tiffany suggested. "I have the day off."
Kari stepped into the small house and Tiffany closed the door behind her. "Would it be too weird if I spent the day here?"
Tiffany shook her head. "No. It'd be nice to have the company. Embry isn't around much these days."
Kari and Tiffany spent the day together. It was awkward for the first hour or so before things seemed to naturally fall into place and they acted as old friends. Tiffany was telling Kari about her childhood and painting the girl's toenails when Kari glanced out the window. She swore she saw purple smoke coming from the trees but shook off the thought. Later, when she was half asleep on the couch, the door opened as someone came crashing into the house. She sat up quickly, looking around, at the same moment Tiffany walked out of the kitchen.
"Embry Call, where have you been?" She demanded. Her tone instantly changed when she saw his face. "What's wrong?"
"It's Jacob," he said gravely. His eyes were locked on Kari's. "Sam took him home, but we need to get over there fast."
Kari was on her feet before Embry finished speaking. She shoved her feet into her shoes without bothering to put on socks. "Let's go."
"Emb-" Tiffany started. The teenagers were out the door before she could get the name out.
"What happened?" Kari asked frantically. "I knew something bad would happen today. Why didn't you listen to me?"
"We missed one," Embry explained. He took her hand in his as an automatic reflex, not noticing the action. "Leah went after it and Jake shoved her out of the way before the leech could get his arms around her. Sam wouldn't let anyone leave until Carlisle got here. It's bad. He-"
Embry was cut off by a loud curse and screaming Kari wished she hadn't heard. They stopped, looking at one another with wide eyes, and ran for Billy's. Embry got there first, bouncing on his feet anxiously as he waited for Kari to catch up. The whole pack was outside the house, along with Billy and Sue. It wasn't long before she heard Bella's truck coming up the road and it jerked to a stop in the driveway. Kari ripped her hand from Embry's and marched up to Bella, her hands fisted at her sides. "This is your fault!"
Bella blinked in surprised and looked toward the house before focusing on Kari. "I didn't-"
"If you hadn't gone and gotten yourself involved with those- those bloodsuckers Jacob wouldn't be hurt!" Kari yelled. "You should've stayed away! You should've never left Pheonix!"
Embry put a gentle hand on her shoulder and Kari shook it off. Bella's expression showed hurt and guilt.
"But you had to come!" Kari continued. "You just had to come and make him fall in love with you and crush him over and over! You had to be with that stupid leech!"
Bella didn't have a chance to get a word out before Kari shoved her harshly backward. Somehow Seth was there to keep her from hitting the ground and Sam suddenly had his arms around his sister, restraining her. His voice held an authority that held no effect over her. "Karina, stop."
"No, Sam!" she yelled. She struggled in his arms to face him. "We all know it's true!"
The door to the house closed then, a bit louder than was necessary, and Carlisle walked out. Kari had only seen the man once before. His face was somber. "I had to rebreak the bones so they would heal correctly. I gave him morphine but his body temperature will burn it off soon. I'll come back with an IV drip."
Billy looked up at the doctor and placed a hand on his lower arm, seemingly unphased by how cold it was. "Thank you."
Carlisle merely nodded. He glanced at Kari before looking at Bella. "He's asking for you, Bella."
Kari glared at the girl as she quickly went inside. Of course Jacob would ask for her when it was her fault he was hurt in the first place. She didn't care for the reason behind Bella's obvious tears when she finally left.
"Go ahead, honey," Billy told Kari.
"Thank you," she whispered earnestly before going inside. When she reached Jacob's room, he was lying in bed. His right arm was bound in a kind of sling and he was sweating and shaking from the pain. Her let out a breath and knelt at the side of the bed. "Oh, Jake."
"'S not so bad," he said with a shaky breath. "I'll heal soon."
"I knew something was going to happen," Kari said. The tears were starting now. "I knew someone would get hurt. Why'd you have to do that? I could've handled it being almost anyone else..."
"Leah thinks she had something to prove," he said. A shudder went through his body before he continued. "But we all know she's tougher than she looks."
"You jumped in front of a leech to save your sister," Kari said it somewhere between a question and a statement.
Jacob coughed a harsh laugh, groaning at the pain it caused, and offered her a small smile. "I guess I did. Never thought of it that way."
Kari ran her fingers through Jacob's short hair, not minding the sweat that had soaked it. "How bad?"
"Doc said all the bones in my right side were crushed," he said. "I'll be good as new before you know it."
Kari chewed her lip, looking down at her hand in his. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I did something today."
Jacob gave a curt nod. "I know."
Her head snapped up at that, curiosity in her eyes. "How..."
The half smile that appeared on Jacob's face nearly broke her heart. "Embry thought about it up until the fighting actually started."
"Oh," she whispered and looked down again.
Jacob gentle squeezed her hand but didn't speak until she was looking at him. "I'm happy for you. You deserve better than me. I was pretty blind about how much you cared about me, and I didn't believe it when I saw it for myself. I'm no good for you."
"I can't just cut you out of my life, Jake," she said. "You've been there from the start. We've gone through everything together."
"Except this."
"Except this," she allowed. "Since the incident with Paul, everything changed. Maybe before that, too. I was too stubborn to see it until Embry told me the truth. But I..."
"What?" Jacob asked after she'd been quiet for a short while.
"I love you, Jacob," she said. "Just not in the way I thought I did. I talked with Embry's mom the other day about some things and once it was cleared up it was like this layer of fog was lifted from my head. It's like I can see things clearly now. I can see how Em has been there the entire time, too, even if I didn't notice him before. I feel like something in me shifted- like all the pieces are where they should be instead of where I tried forcing them."
Jacob blinked. "Wait, you talked to his mom? What do you know?"
Kari bit her lip and looked away from his pleading eyes. She knew she'd give in if she looked at him too long. "I promised I wouldn't say. I wasn't even supposed to tell Embry."
"You know who his dad is," Jacob said. It was a statement. "You know who his real brother is."
"I just had to make sure it wasn't Sam," she whispered. "That it wasn't me. It would be my luck for fate to be that cruel."
"So it's Quil or me," Jacob said to himself. He thought for a minute before looking at her. "I won't make you break your promise."
Kari nodded. "Billy probably wants to see you, and the rest of the pack. You should get some sleep, too. It helps with the healing."
Jacob smiled. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"
Kari smiled back. "I won't."
She kissed his head before leaving the house, nodding at Billy on her way to Embry's waiting arms. Embry pulled her to him and automatically kissed her head. It was so natural and unconscious that neither of them actually noticed it. Kari wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. Embry's arms held her securely in place. "He's tough. He'll heal fast."
"I think he gets it now," Kari said. "He told me he didn't see how things really were before, but he understands now. He wants me- us- happy."
"I'll do anything to make you happy," Embry promised.
"Did you want to see him?" she asked after a quiet minute.
"You are my priority right now," he answered. "And you look exhausted. Why don't we go home?"
Kari nodded. She made no noise of surprise when Embry lifted her into his arms with ease, and curled up against his chest. Embry spoke quietly to Sam before walking away from the group gathered outside.
"Is she okay?" Tiffany asked when they reached the house. Kari hadn't known what Embry meant when he said home, but she decided that anywhere with Embry could be considered home. All that mattered was that they were together.
"Just tired," Embry answered. "Can she stay the night?"
Tiffany didn't answer right away. "Not in the same bed, and the door stays open. I see you in the same bed or the door closes and you're on the couch."
"Yes, ma'am," Embry said respectfully. His tone changed when he continued speaking. "I'm sorry I haven't been around much, mom. I'm sorry I've been sneaking out at night."
"Kari explained everything," Tiffany told her son. Kari felt Embry stiffen beneath her before relaxing at Tiffany's next words. "You've been helping Sam take care of her. You should have told me that's what you were doing. I understand more than you give me credit for."
"It wasn't that," Embry said. "I knew you'd understand. I just didn't want you mad that I was sneaking off every night to visit a girl you barely know."
"I can hear you," Kari mumbled into his chest.
Tiffany laughed softly. Her smile was clear in her voice. "You care about her a lot, Embry. I know it's serious when you risk being grounded over and over again. Just come to me next time."
"I promise."
"You two get some sleep," Tiffany said suddenly, her motherly instincts coming out. "You look dead on your feet."
Embry took Kari to his room and laid her on the bed, taking her shoes off delicately. Kari watched him with tired eyes. "Are you going to tell her I broke my promise?"
Embry shook his head. "You didn't break it. You promised you wouldn't tell me who he was, not who he wasn't."
"I want to tell you," she said quietly. "I don't think I've wanted something so much."
"Sh," Embry said soothingly. He sat on the edge of the bed and kissed her forehead. "You sleep now."
"Don't leave me."
"I promise," he said. "I'll sit here until you fall asleep, and then I'll be on the floor right next to the bed."
Kari sighed quietly but allowed it. She was half asleep, perhaps more so, when a thought occurred to her and she turned her face up toward his. Her lips puckered slightly in her tired state. Embry chuckled softly to himself and placed a chaste kiss on her lips before holding her tight in his arms and humming her to sleep.