A Quiet Awakening

by The Love Actually Contest

Something goes horribly wrong and Embry is there to pick up the pieces. Inexplicably, Bella and Embry turn to each other and slowly fall in love.

"Love Actually" O/S Contest

Title: A Quiet Awakening

Word Count: 6344

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella and Embry

Summary: Something goes horribly wrong and Embry is there to pick up the pieces. Inexplicably, Bella and Embry turn to each other and slowly fall in love.

Disclaimer: The characters in this story are strictly from the imagination of S. Meyer.

My heart ran away from Edward that day—that snowy day at the top of the mountain. I must have been crazy to think I could actually become like him. Seeing Victoria's severed head laying in the snow shook me out of my dream world and back to reality. I made up my mind then and there to cling to my humanity until the day I died. I couldn't get to La Push fast enough.

I could hear Jake's cries piercing the air before I was halfway down his street. Knowing that I was the cause of this unbearable torture made it even worse. Each scream reached into my soul tearing it apart piece by piece. Please, God, make his pain stop, I begged. I couldn't stand to hear him in torment any longer. He didn't deserve this—any of it.

I stopped the car in the driveway, and got out. Another agonized scream ripped through the night, filling my ears with his pain. As I ran toward the small red house, the loud cries were replaced by muffled whimpering. I reached the front step as Carlisle walked out the door. He acknowledged that Jake would be all right. I rushed past him and raced into Jake's room, cramming every inch of my body under his remaining good arm. He winced as the bed shook under the added weight.

"Oh God, Jake," I sobbed, "this is all my fault. I'm so sorry. What can I do? I can't bear to watch you suffer like this."

I sat up on one elbow and stroked his hair and face. Both were drenched in perspiration—perspiration caused by the unbearable pain.

His voice was barely above a whisper. "It's okay, Bells. The doc gave me some morphine so I'm feeling a little better. Right now, I'm more worried about you. I'll bet Edward was pretty upset, huh?"

"No . . . anyway, don't worry about me. He took it well. He's resigned to letting me go."

Jake's body jerked in surprise. "Letting you go? Does this mean that you've chosen . . .?"

"Go ahead, you can say it. Yes—I love you, and I've chosen you, Jake."

"Well, damn, if I had known that a few broken bones would bring you to your senses, I would have done it long ago. C'mere girl!"

His left arm pulled my head in closer; our mouths were just inches apart. Our emotions were unbridled as our lips met in our second agreed upon kiss. Our tears flowed while our hearts overflowed with happiness.

I spent the night snuggled up next to Jake. I didn't have the will to leave him there all alone.

In the morning, I heard him groan. "Bells?" I was in the kitchen making breakfast, so I answered, "Be there in a minute, Jake."

I went to his room and looked at the strange expression on his face. "Something's wrong, Bells. I can't breathe . . . Bells …"

I rushed to his side taking his hand in mine when suddenly his body relaxed. His eyes remained open; his pupils were dilated and vacant. He was so . . . still.

"Jake . . ." I shook his arm. He didn't respond. "Jake . . . Noooo! Don't do this . . . Jake!"

"Billy!" I shrieked. "Call Carlisle! Get the pack in here now! He's not breathing, Billy. We need help!"

I started CPR like I was trained in school. My god, his lips were still warm. The pack was there immediately. Paul and Jared took over for me, fighting for his life. Quil and Embry tried to pull me out of the room, but I struggled until they finally gave up. Carlisle showed up a few minutes later. I heard him speaking low to Billy. He said it was probably a blood clot that lodged in his lungs and there was nothing we could do. Jake was gone. Paul and Jared continued pushing air into his lungs, and pounding on his chest,

but his heart wouldn't beat any longer, not for Billy or for me or for any of his friends.

An hour went by, and Embry sat beside me on the bed with his arms held tightly around my shoulders. I think I would have splintered into a million pieces if he hadn't been there to keep me together. Holding Jake's hand, I continued to cry. I stared at his lifeless body until the mortuary came to get him.

The two men from the morgue pulled the bed sheet up around him, covering his head. "No!" I screamed. "Wait . . . please . . . let me see his face, just once more."

I gazed into those brown eyes with their little streaks of gold. I reached out and ruffled his soft black hair with my hand and ran my index finger over his full lips, knowing that I'd never get the opportunity to kiss them again. I hated myself for withholding my kisses from those lips . . . withholding my love from my sweet Jacob. He deserved so much more from this life. He deserved so much more from me. How could I have been so unfeeling and stingy? Jake is—and will always be—the greatest regret of my life.

Embry pulled me back. He spoke quietly. "Come on Bella, they have a job to do. I'm sorry, but you know that he can't stay here anymore. Let them take him. Billy needs us now."

I felt sick as I watched the men drag his body into the hearse, like so many potatoes in a gunny sack. Embry had his arm around me, never letting me go.

I stayed in La Push for the next two days, going home only to shower and sleep. Charlie was beside himself. He had secret hopes that Jake and I might get married someday. Jacob was like the son he never had, and I knew he was grieving just like I was.

The day of the funeral was really hard. It was concrete evidence that my Jacob had truly gone home to his maker. I peered into the casket before leaving, thinking, "That's not my Jacob . . . Where is that Jacob smile . . . His infectious laugh . . . That mischievous look in his eyes?" The answer was my Jake wasn't here, he was entertaining spirits beyond the veil; he left the rest of us behind to mourn his loss. I stroked his cheek and rested my hand upon his heart, and whispered, "Goodbye . . . my Jacob . . . I'll never stop loving you . . . never."

I walked to First Beach alone and sat on our driftwood bench. The burial wouldn't begin for another two hours. I didn't know if I could make it through the day. I stared at the blue-gray ocean trying to picture a future without Jacob in it. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of stones clattering underfoot. I turned my head; it was Embry coming toward me.

"I knew I'd find you here, Bella. This spot was special to Jake. It was the place where you and Jake first talked after you returned to Forks. He would come here a lot and think about you. He really did love you—you know?"

"I can hardly bear to hear that, Embry. Now it's too late. I knew how much he cared, but I didn't give him even a sliver of my love. I gave my heart to that 'cold one' instead and threw Jake's love back in his face like it was a used Kleenex. I'm just glad I let him know how much he meant to me before he left us."

"Don't beat yourself up over this, Bella. Jake wouldn't want that. He'd want you to be happy and go on with your life."

"But it was my fault that he died, Embry. Victoria was after me! Why did he have to go to that clearing? Why did he have to die? God, I'm going to miss him."

Embry sat down next to me. He hesitated and sighed loudly. "I'm really going to miss him too, Bella. You know that I was one of his best friends, right? But what you didn't know was that we were more than friends; we were like brothers.

"Years ago, the elders tried to keep the circumstances of my birth a big secret. I'm sure you've heard the story about my father. The story is that no one is sure who my father really was. There was even a rumor at one time that Billy was my dad. Jake and I weren't stupid. We figured out that it had to be Billy's estranged brother, David. He had an affair with my mom. Did you know that she was Sarah's younger sister?

"David never told my mom that he was married at the time. There was a big rift in the family; Billy and Sarah wanted nothing more to do with him. Jake and I never told anyone that we discovered the truth. That's why Jake and I look so much alike. That's why we were so close."

I looked intently at Embry. I scrutinized the lines of his face. He did have the same chiseled features. His brown eyes had a hint of olive green radiating out from his pupils and there were just a few flecks of gold. They still held the same intensity though, and they could light up whenever he grinned, just like my Jacob. His lips weren't quite as full, but they matched his quiet features well. Embry was about an inch shorter, and he had the same kind of build—just a slightly smaller frame.

He turned his eyes down then, kicking the stones with one of his feet. "I guess I won't be able to let you out of my sight now—you know all of the tribe's secrets. That makes you one of us."

"Thank you for telling me that Embry. I'll be staying in La Push. It's become a part of me—just like Jake will always be a part of me."

"Will you come back to the house with me? We'll be driving out to the cemetery soon."

I nodded as Embry extended his hand out to me. I took it with gratitude. His hand was warm, wrapped around my own. It wasn't quite as warm as Jacob's, but it still soothed the jagged wounds of my aching heart.

I rode with Charlie to the burial site. Embry and Quil were at my side in an instant, along with my dad. Embry literally held me upright as the workers lowered the casket into the waiting trench. I sobbed into his shoulder when they began covering Jake with each shovelful of earth. That same woodsy scent emanated from Embry, nearly bringing me to my knees. I clung to him as the tears fell. Jake . . . Will I ever be able to find someone like him to spend the rest of my life with?

The following days became weeks. The weeks turned into months. All the while Embry was there at my house—or Billy's—or the Clearwaters'.

He had finished all his online classes and was now going to Peninsula College with Leah and me. We rode together, ate together, and eventually laughed together.

One day, Leah, Sue, and I were all at Billy's home. We had taken food over to the house. Quil and Embry had gone outside.

I went into the backyard looking for them, and noticed the light glowing from inside the garage. I wanted to let them know that dessert was waiting on the table. I don't know what happened, but when I entered the garage, I saw that familiar form leaning over the motor of the Rabbit. I nearly froze in response; imagining for a split second, that it was Jacob standing there with his back to me.

I stood in the doorway, but they were so busy tinkering and talking, that they seemingly ignored my presence. I overheard Quil say, "Damn, man, when are you gonna get up the nerve to tell her how you feel? Jake would never have held back. He always wore his heart on his sleeve—got it squished a lot too—but he still managed to get his message across no matter how much it pained him."

"Look, I'm not Jacob, okay? Anyway, she's got her heart locked up tight. She's hurting, Quil, I need to give her some time."

"Well how much time does she need? Hell, it's been months!"

"Ever the sensitive 'one'! Remind me to cry the next time there's some heartache dropped on your doorstep."

"That's your problem, Call—you're too damn sensitive! You should have been born a girl."

"Too late now . . . I don't have the dough to get a sex change—plus the idea of you groping me is just too disgusting!"

They both let out a loud braying laugh. Quil looked up, and noticed me in the doorway. If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn I heard him mumble, "Speak of the

devil . . ."

Embry craned his neck around and peered at me. He looked a little sheepish. "Hey Bella, what's up?"

"Peach cobbler is waiting for you two."

Quil let out a whoop, and flew out of the garage.

Embry suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "Maybe you shouldn't be in here Bella. There are probably too many memories within these walls."

"Yeah, this is the first time I've been back here. I just couldn't bring myself to step inside the door. It would seem so empty; but now listening to you both kidding each other, it's come alive again. I guess what I'm telling you is that Jake would appreciate someone making use of his 'Taj Mahal'."

It was starting to get a little chilly in the "Taj". I could feel the goose bumps rising on my bare arms. I ran my hands over them, rubbing them a couple of times.

He noticed and replied, "You're getting cold aren't you? I could put my arm around you if you'd like. I've got plenty of heat to spare."

I didn't say a word; I just ambled up to Embry and leaned into him while he wrapped his arm about my body. It wasn't like this was the first time he had his arms around me or anything. His little gestures always made me warm and comfortable. It was such a different feeling this time though. I think maybe Embry was becoming more than a friend to me. My problem was I didn't know whether I should feel happy or guilty about it.

When Leah and I got back to Sue's home I figured I would ask her about Embry. Leah was always brutally honest, even if it was hard to swallow sometimes.

"Hey Leah," I started, "have you seen Embry with a girl . . . ever?"

"Are you sure your delicate little ears can take it?" she teased.

"I guess so—I'm just curious. Does he even date?"

"Well you know Embry is painfully shy around girls. He took out a couple of girls a long time ago, but then he met this special girl and he hasn't had the inclination to date anyone else. He's like Jacob in that respect; he's a one-woman type of guy. I kinda admire him for that, even if he is a 'dork'."

"How do you know all this?"

"I thought you knew all about the wolf telepathy. Will ya try to keep up, Bella? He's almost as bad as Jake used to be. We're all prisoners of his mind. It drives us all crazy."

"Where is this girl, then? Do I know her? Why doesn't he make his move? He's such a good guy; he deserves some happiness."

"Whoa—slow down girl. One question at a time, puh-leeze!

"This girl lives right here in La Push. As to . . . do you know her . . . Only too well! He doesn't move on her because she's still wrapped up in another guy. Poor Embry, he's patiently waiting for the right moment to let her know how he feels about her. I hope he gets a move on, 'cuz damn, like I said . . . we can't take much more of his mooning. It is sooo painful to watch!

"Enough about Embry—you and I are going to a dance tomorrow night. I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. You can just sit there if you want and let me show you how it's done. Who knows, you might even get to 'cut a rug' yourself."

The dance floor was crowded when we got there. Quil looked like he was dancing with every female in the place, and Leah didn't have any lack of partners either. I sat near the back, content to be entertained watching those two "break loose".

While sitting in my seat, I suddenly felt the air begin to warm around me. I figured there was one of those "hot blooded" Quileute boys about to ask me to dance. I turned to my left and was surprised to see Embry standing there with an embarrassed expression on his face.

"Hi Bella, I guess dancing isn't on your list of favorite things huh . . . but it is on mine. Will you dance with me—just once?"

He gave me such a pleading look that I had to say yes."

Embry took me by the hand and walked me to the dance floor. A slow romantic song had started. He clasped his arms about my waist as I placed mine around his neck.

"You look really beautiful tonight—not that you aren't ever beautiful. Gosh, that didn't come out right, did it? I'm sorry—I get so tongue tied sometimes."

"It's okay, Embry. That's one of the things I love about you. You're sweet . . . not like that crazy Quil over there. It looks like he and that girl he's dancing with need to get a room."

"You think I'm sweet?"

"Well, yeah—you're one of the sweetest guys I know."

Just then he held me a little closer. I placed my head on his chest and I heard a soft sigh escape his lips. "You are beautiful Bella, inside and out," he whispered.

We stayed on the floor and danced to a couple more numbers. Sometime later he got us each a glass of punch and we sat together sipping it slowly. We chatted for awhile, but something in his eyes said that he wanted to leave. I looked down at my watch to see what time it was.

"Do you want to go?" he asked eagerly.

"Will Leah kill me if I tear her away from all this attention?"

"She can stay. I'll take you home . . . that is . . . if you don't mind."

"If you can arrange it—yeah, let's go."

Embry talked to Leah and Quil and gave me the high sign. I grabbed my sweater, and Embry's arm instantly encircled my waist. Once outside, he led me to his SUV. It was a 99 Rav 4—in periwinkle blue no less. Of course it was in excellent running condition. These Quileute car mechanics could work magic.

The atmosphere in the RAV was a welcome relief to the deafening roar of the dance hall. Embry apologized for the silence. "I'm sorry that I'm not the talkaholic that Jacob used to be. Does it bother you . . . I mean it being so quiet in here?"

"Embry, you've been around Charlie long enough. What do you think?"

"I think that maybe you're kindof used to it."

"Uh, yeah!" I laughed. "Sometimes the peacefulness speaks for itself. It's relaxing—

getting away from the hustle and bustle, you know?"

The drive wasn't very long, and before I realized it, we had arrived at Sue's house. Embry stopped the car and pulled the key out of the ignition.

"Hey, Bella, I've been meaning to ask you something." He paused, trying to find the right words. "Does it seem wrong to you to be with me so much? I mean, I was practically Jake's brother. I don't want you to feel weird around me. Am I making any sense?"

"You make perfect sense. I think that maybe Jacob would want me to be close to his 'brothers'. He would want the both of us to find our happiness, wherever it lies."

Embry helped me out of the car and walked me to the door.

"I really had a good time tonight—even if it was dancing. I think the real reason was you, Embry. You were my 'good time'. Thank you." I kissed his cheek and turned to open the door.

Before I could reach the knob, Embry took hold of my hand. "Don't go yet, Bella," he entreated. "I would love it if you . . . if you could find it in your heart to give me a goodnight kiss. Will you?"

My god, the look in his deep brown eyes . . . they were so full of . . . longing. I couldn't deny him even if I wanted to. I turned back to him and closed the distance between us. I reached up, cupping the back of his head. His hands instinctively moved to my waist as he pulled me closer.

He gazed at my mouth for a moment, and then moistened his lips with his tongue. Very slowly our lips met, and moved together fluidly. His lips were soft and warm, and enticed me subconsciously to respond. It wasn't fireworks, or rockets, but a sweet building wave of emotion. My hands readily feathered through the tendrils of his silken black hair. All the while, I began to feel strange stirrings in my heart; but I was scared—scared of betraying my memories of Jake. Most of all, I was scared about that special girl that Embry was pining over. This wasn't being fair to him.

We broke from the kiss, and surprisingly, I had to hold back a gasp. His eyes still had that same longing edge to them. He leaned down and kissed me gently once more. He hugged me to his chest, and murmured, "Goodnight, Bella."

What in the world was I going to do? I was beginning to have feelings for Embry. He was Jake's best friend, for crying out loud. More than that, he was his "blood" brother. What would the pack say—or Billy—or my very own father? My brain was in a whirl as I tried to get some sleep. Thank goodness it was Sunday tomorrow, because I was sure to get zero hours of shut-eye tonight.

When I got up the next morning, Leah was in my face. "So . . . you and Embry, huh? You can't deny it; the two of you left together. What happened? Did he get fresh with you?"

"No—nothing like that! We're talking Embry here—not Quil. He was a perfect gentleman."

Leah leaned in closer, waiting for the details no doubt.

"You're just dying to hear this aren't you? Okay . . . yes we kissed . . . and yes it was good—incredibly good." I let out a breath of air.

Leah glared at me and blurted out, "But . . ."

"Yeah, but . . . how am I supposed to feel about this? He was Jake's friend, Leah. And what about the pack? Are you all going to hate me now?"

"Are you kidding me? We're all in the bleachers applauding! Look, Bella, no one can choose who they will love. Love chooses you."

"So, no one in the pack is upset about this—you're sure?"

"Not a one—well maybe Quil—but he's jealous of every guy in La Push. I think Quil would rather live in a harem instead of a pack. He could buzz from flower to flower, like the busy bee that he is."

We both giggled over that image— a honey bee with Quil's face. I finally added, "Maybe we should nickname him, The Busy Bee—or better yet—how 'bout busybody?"

We sat on the edge of Leah's bed laughing our fool heads off.

Lunch time rolled around and I was getting increasingly uneasy that Embry hadn't shown up at all today. I actually missed him. I guess my concern was showing in my eyes because Sue piped up, "Don't worry, Bella, he'll be here after dinner. He, Paul and Sam all went hunting. I hope they bag a deer. I've been craving venison for weeks." It's funny how women intuitively sense things that are unspoken.

Sure enough—at six thirty—Embry was seated at Emily's table, along with the whole pack, and even Billy. Sunday dinner was always at Emily's home. You could say it was a Sunday tradition.

I patted Embry's arm as I sat down in the chair beside him. I noticed that he winced a little where I touched him.

"What a baby," Paul snarked. "It can't hurt that bad!"

"What do you mean? What happened?" I asked.

Emily explained, "There was a hunting mishap. Embry moved up further to get a bead on a stag, and Paul accidentally shot him."

"Right in the tattoo," chimed Paul. "I didn't do it on purpose! And anyway it would never have happened if lover boy here would have kept his mind on the hunt and not daydreaming about a certain girl. It wasn't that bad a wound either; it was getting the bullet out that was the trick. Good thing I had my new hunting knife with me. Sure bled like a "sonovagun". Hey Embry, I guess you're no longer a full blooded Native American, huh? Damn, I really had to dig to get that sucker out. You could hear his screams echoing through the canyon."

Sam spoke up then. "Shut it Paul—I was there too, remember? Embry never made a sound. It's kind of hard to yell when there's a pine branch clenched between your teeth."

I pushed the chair out from behind me and stood up. I leaned over slightly and pulled up the sleeve on Embry's tee shirt. His upper arm looked like it had been flayed open. It was now held together with "steri strips".

"Oh my gosh! I could just kill you, Paul. How could you shoot him? He's your own pack brother, for Pete's sake."

"Oh, he's fine," Paul retorted, in a petulant tone.

I held the fabric pinched between my fingers, exposing the damage. "Does this look fine to you?"

I glared at him. Paul shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess not—that tattoo will never be the same," he guffawed.

"My god, Embry," I cried. Letting go of his shirt, I stroked the left side of his face and placed my right cheek flush against his.

"Wooh, Bella!" I heard Quil and Jared exclaim. I pulled away, startled, and looked over at Billy. My face was a sheet of solid crimson. Embry was blushing too!

Paul smirked at me. "So that's how it is, huh?" I took my seat again and ate the rest of my dinner silently.

Monday after school, I went to visit Billy. I felt awful about flaunting my affection for Embry so publicly. I had to know what he was thinking. Was he hurting because of it?

Hesitantly, I knocked on the door of the little red house. Would Billy even answer the door? Would he want to see me—or speak to me? I stood there nervously waiting.

The wheels of his chair squeaked as he came toward the front of the house. The door opened. "Well, hello Bella," he said. "What can I do for you?"

I was biting my bottom lip—that horrible habit that I couldn't seem to break. "Do you have a minute to talk to me, Billy?"

"Sure, sure." I cringed as I heard those familiar words. That very expression fell from Jake's lips often.

I followed Billy to the couch and sat down. "Billy, I came to apologize for my behavior last night. I don't know what I was thinking."

"You don't need to apologize, Bella. Life has to go on. Jacob would want you to. We all know that you and Jacob had something special together, but that doesn't mean that you can't find love again. You know, Sarah and I had a great marriage before she died. If the right person had come along, I'm sure she would have approved. She wouldn't have wanted me to be alone. That's what love is all about—wanting the best for the other person."

I held Billy's hands in my own and peered into his dark eyes. "I want you to know that if Jake was here, I would still be with him. We would probably have gotten married eventually. I loved Jake, and I'm so sorry that he's gone, but the past can't be undone. A part of my heart will always be his. My love for Embry sort of crept up on me. He can never replace Jake. I wouldn't even want him to try. It wouldn't be fair, because Jake is a really tough act to follow. He's Embry—sweet, compassionate, quiet spoken Embry. It just happened . . . and somehow I believe he loves me too."

"Everyone here loves you, Bella. If you decide that Embry is the one, nobody will stand in your way—least of all, me. I think even Jacob would give you his blessing. Who knows, maybe he sent Embry to you so you could finally let him go."

I gave Billy a big hug, and thanked him for his comforting words. I wiped away tears from my eyes, and looked forward to the future once more.

That night, Leah was busy making some kind of a list.

I got curious. "What are you so busy writing, Leah?"

"I've gotta get stuff organized for the horse races this Saturday."

"Holy Crow! I didn't know that they had races here in Washington. Where are they held . . . Seattle?"

"Wake up little sister! Didn't Jake tell you about our yearly La Push Derby? Oh . . . I guess you were tangled up with the Cullen Gang at that time. Jake won first place last year. Damn, I can't believe he didn't tell you. He was always such a braggart."

The next day on the way to Peninsula College, I asked Embry about the race.

"Yeah, I'll be in the race. I didn't enter last year because I knew Jake had it in the bag. I guess Paul's the one to beat this year."

"I hope he eats your dust. It would serve him right for shooting you." Then I added as an afterthought, "What's the first prize anyway?"

"It's a date with the current Miss La Push. I hope I don't win; I wouldn't want to hurt her feelings when I turn her down. I guess I'd be following in Jake's footsteps—he turned it down last year too."

"Giving up a date with a beauty queen—I'm amazed! Gosh, I never got too excited about horse races before, but this one sounds like a blast. I'll be cheering for you Embry."

The rest of the week went by uneventfully. Embry was quieter than usual though. It seemed like he had something on his mind.

The day of the race arrived. Leah and the women of the pack—me included—got the food ready and placed it out on tables that were already set up in the shade, away from the makeshift race track.

Leah had ribbons made for the ladies to wear. There was a different color for each of the riders. Embry's color was yellow.

Those rowdy wolfboys came in whooping and hollering, climbing bareback onto their assigned steed. They all lined up in a row. Billy sat on the sideline with the starting gun ready to fire. Seth led a riderless horse onto the track. There was a black ribbon hung from its neck. A hush fell over the crowd, and everyone bowed their heads.

Leah whispered, "That was Jake's horse."

The boys looked up after a few minutes, and the hum of the people began again.

Seth led the horse off the field and handed the ribbon to Billy. The riders nodded their respect, and then watched as Billy raised the gun over his head. The shot went off and the riders went wild. It was the craziest race I had ever seen. The boys were absolutely fearless. How they would ever get to the finish line was anybody's guess. They cut in and out recklessly. At one point I had to shut my eyes. When I opened them again, Embry was in the lead, but Paul was closing the gap rapidly. I ran to the railing yelling for Embry. Paul shot past him to the finish line. The next thing that happened was not in the script.

Embry turned his stallion in the opposite direction, urging the beast to gallop at an even greater clip. I held my breath as I watched the horse jump the railing. The animal sped toward me—and with one arm—Embry hoisted me onto the back of the horse. The crowd whistled and cheered. I heard shouts of: "Way to go, Embry . . . Go get her, man . . . Atta Boy!"

I wrapped my arms around his middle and pressed the side of my head against his shoulder. We took off amidst the encouraging yells of the spectators. Was I dreaming? Was this a fairytale? I guess I would soon find out.

First Beach came into view and Embry slowed the horse down to a walk. He climbed down and reached up to help me as well. He carried me in his arms effortlessly and set me down on the driftwood bench.

He looked at me with that longing in his eyes. "I need to tell you something, Bella, and I don't know where to start." He hesitated, letting out a long breath. "Okay, here goes . . . Remember that day that Jake introduced us? You were sitting on that dirty old wooden crate, and I thought—this is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. I fell in love with you at that very moment; but I was Jake's best friend and I would never hurt him. So I did the next best thing—I stayed away as much as possible. But . . . I . . . I couldn't look at another girl; I didn't want any other girl. That was a huge problem. My girl was the love object of one Jacob Black. How could I compete? The answer was . . . I couldn't . . . It was a hopeless situation."

"Embry," I began.

"No, Bella, let me get this out. I'll never be able to do this again if I don't do it now."

He stopped for a moment. "Yeah, I kept my feelings to myself. I had to be careful when I phased. I couldn't bear the thought of Jake finding out. It would break him, and it would destroy our friendship. But, here's the thing, Bella—that day in the meadow—the day that Laurent nearly killed you, I gazed at you with my wolf eyes, and imprinted. I already had these deep feelings for you, and the imprint almost drove me insane. It was the worst kind of pain whenever I saw you with Edward or Jake. And now I feel guilty because my best friend and brother is gone, and I still want you so badly.

"I don't expect you to forget Jake. I won't either. We both cared about him. He will always be a part of who we are.

"I realize that I can never take the place of Jacob in your heart, but do you think that you can spare a little space there for me? I don't even expect you to love me the same way that you loved him. I have adored you Isabella Swan ever since that first moment in Jake's garage. I guess what I'm trying to say is . . . Bella, do you think that someday you might love me . . . not as Jake's friend . . . but for myself—Embry Call?"

"You're too late." His face fell as the words left my mouth. "I don't know why or how, but one day I found myself falling in love with you, Embry Call. Yes, you Embry—you quietly crept into my heart and slowly imbedded yourself deep inside. I can already feel you beating within me. I am in love with you! I'm yours now and yours alone."

When he smiled at me, it was as if Jake was standing there in spirit, smiling too. Embry lifted me off the bench, hugging me tightly to his chest. He blazed a trail of kisses, starting at my neck. He moved on to my ears, my cheeks, my hair, all the while murmuring, "Bella . . .Bella . . ."

His eyes filled with tears as he gazed at my face. This time when our lips came together, I fisted his hair. He grabbed my hips, pulling me impossibly closer. This time, there were stars in my eyes and comets in the night sky. This time, fireworks roared overhead, and the rockets glared red. This time, love burned within me from a flame that grew from tiny glowing embers. This time I knew for certain that there was an abiding love in my future, a future with my Embry—Embry Call.