I dropped my bags on the old wet wooden porch. It smelled just like I remembered, like summer. I inhaled deeply attempting to fill every single crevice of my lungs. The old wooden cabin sat nestled in the woods off a back road. The constant raining had left it sagging due to the water logged wood that it was composed of. The dark grey wood was tinged vaguely green due to the mold that had developed over the years of neglect. It was perfect.
I didn't have much time to take in the scenery before I heard my cousin squealing running through the door throwing her arms around me. I squeezed back with all my strength though it was nothing like my best friends bone crushing hug.
"Emily! You're finally here!" Leah let go of me and took a step back to study any physical differences since last year. I had chopped my hair to above my shoulders and taken to wearing more vintage clothing but other than that I knew she wouldn't detect anything new.
'Lee lee!" I exclaimed back studying her. The physical differences were more drastic than my subtle changes. She had grown at least a foot within the past year. Her previously slim super model figure had taken on a more muscular toned shape. It suited her over confident and independent personality perfectly.
"I'm so glad you are here! I was thinking we could do a girls night tonight and go to the movies." Leah prattled on as she picked up my bags to carry them upstairs to her bedroom where I would be crashing for the rest of the summer. I picked up the other bag and followed her into the darkened house.
"Sam won't be mad for me stealing you?" I laughed entertained by the thought of Leah's serious boyfriend's jealousy. He had always been so protective over her that I was shocked when he left her alone for a full twenty four hours.
"I already cleared it with him." Leah smiled triumphantly and turned into the room at the left of the stairs tossing the duffle bag on the lower bunk bed. She knew me too well, I was afraid of heights.
I dropped the other bag next to hers and wrapped my arms around her again trying to convey as much appreciation for allowing me to spend another amazing summer in La Push and away from home. She hugged back and whispered "don't think about him" in my ear. "You either." I whispered knowing that my arrival for summer provided both of us a distraction from our problems.
Hours later after I had unpacked and ate dinner with all the Clearwaters, Leah and I sat upstairs painting our toes in anticipation for the beach tomorrow. Teen vogue and people magazines littered the floor as we flipped though them catching up on celebrity gossip and the newest trends. Taylor Swift blared from the ipod stand in the corner filling up the room with an upbeat mood.
"So tomorrow Sam is going to bring a few friends to the beach. Hopefully it won't rain till the afternoon." Leah chatted while painting my toes a neon pink color. I eyed her skeptical of her casual comment.
"As in ya'll are trying to set me up?" I asked attempting to match her casual tone but only Leah would have been able to detect the frustration underneath.
"Listen Em, I love you, and I want you to be as happy as I am with Sam. His friends aren't THAT bad and plus we could at least double date then." Leah sighed. Her intentions were pure and I wished that love was that simple. More to the point I wished I was naive enough to believe it was that simple.
"Speaking of friends, is he bringing his old ones or the new cult group." I asked quietly hoping not to set Leah off. I knew she was bothered by Sam's behavior and I tiptoed around the subject often to not upset her even more.
"The new ones I'm sure. He doesn't have any friends besides Jared and Paul nowadays." Her frown deepened her angel face like a super model's pout.
"Still haven't found out where he went those two weeks a month ago?" I asked cautiously. I knew how brave Leah pretended to be but only I could see how this had been eating her inside out ever since.
"No... He says he just needed a break from here, but if that's the case then why is he so hell bent on staying here and giving up his plans to go to college in the fall? It just doesn't make sense to me." Leah's frown deepened even more as she spoke. I could see the fractures underneath my perfectly composed on the outside best friend.
"You don't think... he was with any one do you?" I whispered the last part hating myself at even suggesting the idea. Leah looked out the window at the rain that pounded down on the window in the dark.
"May be." She whispered back
"Well if he is then you deserve more and shouldn't care" I scooted over on the bed so she could sit down next to me. Leah gave me a look that only best friends could read. "I know, I know, easier said than done." I laughed as she rolled her eyes.
"Speaking of, how is Mr. Cheater?" Leah asked as she started working on painting her own toes. Her impeccable skill was comparable to the salon in town.
"Wouldn't know. I haven't spoken to him since I saw him at the movies with the other girl a few weeks ago." I sighed curling my knees up to my chest trying to keep myself from falling apart.
"Has he called?" She knew all the right questions to ask.
"Every day." I answered looking over at my cell phone sitting innocently on the nightstand. I wondered how many missed calls I would have from him today.
"We should give it to Sam next time he calls and he can pretend to be your boyfriend!" Leah exclaimed at her genius idea.
"Ew!" Our laughter ringing in a beautiful chorus. "Can't I get a better boyfriend than Sam?" I jokingly pushed Leah.
"You'd be lucky to get Sam." She playfully hit me with a pillow before resuming painting her nails.
"Well if his friends are like him then hopefully I'll get lucky tomorrow." I suggestively wiggled my eyebrows sending us into more fits of laughter.
Leah was everything I needed. My best friend and closest thing to a sister I had. She knew me better than myself. She knew just how badly I needed to get out of town away from my heart ache. She knew how to make me laugh and distract me from the pain. Most importantly, she knew how much her friendship meant to me and even though I wasn't the outgoing or brave one in this relationship, I would fight to the death to make sure no one ever hurt her.