Thanks for reading! This is my first fanfic, so reviews and critiques are appreciated. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters.

QPOV

I felt someone kick my foot again while I was working under the car.

"Embry," I called, pushing myself out to stand up, "knock it—Oh, hey, Clairebear."

She stood there with a grin on her face, backpack slung gracefully over one shoulder. Her hair was pulled half up, letting silky, black stands fall perfectly around her face.

She laughed. "Hey, Quil. So, I'm Embry now?" Wiping my sweat on my shirt nearby, I threw her backpack behind the desk and embraced her. At a steady 108 degrees, I didn't think I could feel any warmer, but I did when Claire was around. My whole world moved for her. She was my world.

"She wishes," Embry teased, "I mean, who wouldn't want to be me." I snorted. She rolled her eyes.

"So," I asked, pulling on my grease-stained shirt, "how was school?"

She shrugged. "Not bad. I had a math quiz today, but I think it went pretty well." That was one other thing I loved about Claire. She was smart but modest. At almost seventeen, she helped Jacob balance the accounts for the Garage from time to time. "How's your day been?"

"Better now that you're here," I answered to quickly, the words tumbling out of my mouth before I could catch them. Dammit, Quil. You're going to scare her away or make her feel uncomfortable.

She didn't miss a beat though. "Me too," she laughed. Although Claire knew that I was a wolf and knew about the imprinting process, she didn't know that I imprinted on her. Our families agreed that we'd feed her little bits at a time as she grew up, not wanting to shock her or worry about letting something slip. Plus, she was too damn smart; she would've figured it out, so there was no sense in keeping it from her. The two families also agreed though that my imprinting would be kept secret until she was at least seventeen. That sucked at times. I hated keeping secrets from Claire. But, I also knew that that was what was best for her, so I let it happen that way.

It pained me to be away from her, and it was like a rush of relief every time she stepped through that door. When she was younger, Jacob urged me to try to date other girls while I waited for Claire to mature. I couldn't. I knew that if I could spend every waking moment with her, I would. My feelings for her were changing, and I wondered if she could feel that too.

"What time do you get off work?" she asked, plopping herself on the desk and dangling her legs over the side.

I checked the clock. "About twenty minutes."

CPOV

When I arrived at the Garage, Jacob was standing out front at the counter, ringing up a customer.

"Hey, Clairebear," he greeted me, swiping a quick hug.

"Hi, Uncle Jake." I smiled back, slipping past him into the repair shop behind the counter.

Quil's feet were poking out from under a truck. Of course, he was barefoot; Quil hated shoes. I tapped his sole with my foot.

"Embry," he yelled, rolling out, "knock it—Oh, hey, Clairebear." I couldn't contain my laughter as his expression changed instantly.

"Hey, Quil. So, I'm Embry now?" I teased, smirking. He wrapped me in his sweaty arms, making my heart flutter. He was so warm. My headache vanished; it was like suddenly, I could see everything clearer.

At that moment, Embry walked in. "She wishes. I mean, who wouldn't want to be me." Quil snorted. Rolling my eyes, my best friend continued.

"So, how was school?" he asked as he pulled his shirt on. Even through his t-shirt, anyone could see that Quil was muscular. Although, he never really was shy about bearing his chest either. He claimed that it was more comfortable to just not wear one. Knowing Quil, he just liked to show off when he could.

I shrugged. "Not bad." I didn't lie. It wasn't good either though. Actually, nothing was as good as being here with Quil. "I had a math quiz today, but I think it went pretty well." If I had a choice, I would spend every day and all day with Quil. I didn't know what I was going to do about college. My mom had already started talking to me about it, but I had a hard time imagining being away from him that long. It hurt just thinking about it. "How's your day been?" I continued, pushing away my thoughts.

"Better now that you're here." My heart soared.

"Me too," I laughed, hoping he wouldn't notice my blush. Quil had always been my best friend, but lately, I felt more for him than just platonic love. At first, I thought that I was coming down with something when my heart would pick up around him or when blood rushed to my cheeks. But now, I realized the hard truth: I had a crush on Quil Ateara.

This realization gave me a small sense of relief but was quickly replaced by worry once again. What was I thinking? First, Quil was over a decade older than I was and probably would never think of me as more than a friend. Second, he also was a wolf, and there was always the chance that he could imprint on someone. Third, if I confessed my feelings for him and he didn't reciprocate, would our friendship be ruined? Probably. I didn't want to risk that.

"So," I said, realizing that we'd both gone quiet, "what time do you get off work?"

He checked the clock. "About twenty minutes." We both smiled.