Learning to love part two and we start off from Lauren's point of view.
I stood rooted to the spot as Embry and I continued to look at each other. It had only been a few moments but it seemed like forever before he spoke.
"I'm Embry," he said almost cautiously as if anything he would say would make me even more nervous by his unusual behavior.
"I'm Lauren," I said I said quietly that I almost whispered it.
"I..I ne…" he frowned as if he didn't know where to start with why he was acting the way he was or how I could have gained his attention, "Would you like to have coffee with me?"
I blinked several times, I had never been asked to go out with a man before.
"Sure," I told him.
"Would it be too fast to go tonight," he said expectantly.
"No," I said hesitating.
He grinned and I couldn't feel happy at the fact that he was.
"I'll go see if we can borrow one of the Cullen's cars," he said.
"Alright," I said quietly as he left the room quickly.
I hugged myself around my middle. Butterflies came into my stomach as I thought about spending time with Embry alone; I wanted to spend as much time as I could with him. I also felt afraid as well. I knew that I usually didn't have lasting relationships with people and that I couldn't lose Embry and he was somehow an important person in my life, maybe even the most important person. I usually didn't feel comfortable around others because of my powers but something told me that he wasn't a normal human either. I knew that others existed just like me living in secret and isolating themselves from other humans.
Embry came quickly back into the room with car keys in his hand which broke me of my thoughts.
"You ready?" he asked.
I nodded following him out into the garage where we used Edward's Volvo to drive towards a small coffee shop in town. I ordered a small hot chocolate while Embry got a coffee and two muffins. I eyed him as he ate both muffins quickly as I sipped my hot chocolate.
"Aren't you full from dinner?" I asked.
"Um a little," he said, "Fast metabolism, runs in my genes."
"Oh," I said looking over his broad form and muscles.
I looked back into his eyes as he smiled at me. I couldn't help but let my shell start to crack around him. I felt as though I would open myself up to him more than I had anyone else. Embry then started into asking me questions about how I grew up, my likes, and dislikes: all of the typical questions that you would ask on the first date or so I had heard. Several hours later I felt myself yawn, I felt exhausted from getting up early for school.
"I should get you home," Embry said looking as if he was opposed to the idea.
"I am rather tired," I admitted, not wanting to leave either if I was being honest.
We both stood going for the door walking in a comfortable silence. He drove me back to my place enjoying each other's company. When we got to my place Embry walked to my door. I pulled out my key and turned and stopped to look at Embry. I became lost into his eyes as I watched his emotions flash across his eyes as I looked into them.
"Would it be alright if I stopped by tomorrow?" he asked.
"Yes," I whispered.
"Lauren?" he asked.
"Yes," I whispered again.
"I really like you," told me.
"I think…I know I like you too," I told him.
"Good," he said placing his warm, large hand on my cheek.
If I didn't already feel so at ease with him I would have bolted away from him if it was anyone else touching me like that.
"Please let me know if I am moving too fast for you," he said.
"I will," I said smiling, glad that he seemed to know what I needed.
"Good night," he said.
"Good night Embry," I said softly.
I turned and opened the door. I stepped inside and looked into the Embry's eyes one last time before shutting the door behind me. I leaned up against the door as I felt surprised at how I felt about the man I had just met.
Over the next couple of weeks life seemed to change even more. There was no denying that there was some strange kind of bond that was between Embry and me, even though I tried to ignore it in the beginning especially the day after our first date. As time wore on I couldn't help but ignore him for long. I felt comfortable about talking to him about things that I hadn't been able to talk to about anything before with the exception of my powers.
One day after school Renesmee and I were walking towards her brother's car when I realized that Embry was standing leaning up against a car with his arms folded across his broad chest and smiling at me. I couldn't but help grin back. I noticed several girls checking out Embry as they passed him which made me frown but he luckily kept his eyes on me.
"I'll see you later," Renesmee said quietly.
"Aren't you coming with me?" I asked.
"I think he wants to spend some time with you alone," she said smiling.
"Alright," I said blushing as I thought about our earlier arguments that had to do with Embry's feelings for me and my insecurities, "I'll talk to you later."
"Let me know how it goes," she said.
"I will," I called over my shoulder as I neared Embry and she continued to Edward's car.
"Hey," he said pushing off of his car and smiling at me.
"Hi," I said meekly not be believing that he was here to pick me up from school.
"How was your day," he asked.
"Alright," I said, "You?"
"Slow," he told me.
"Oh didn't you work today?" I asked as he walked me to the passenger's side of the car.
"A little," he said, "But I knew I was going to try and pick you up after school so it went slow."
I blushed as he opened the car door and closed it for me after I sat down. I glance out the review mirror and smirked as I saw the faces of some of the girls at school, I could tell that they didn't believe I was getting into the car with Embry either. We pulled out of the parking spot and slowly made our way out of the parking lot because of the traffic we waited for.
"I was hoping I could talk to you about something," Embry said.
"Oh?" I asked.
"Well…it's about me…" he said.
"Yes," I said turning to look at him thinking maybe he could tell that I was falling for him and he would try and let me down easy.
"I don't want to tell you until we get to the spot I have planned," he said.
"Alright," I said quietly thinking of the worse case scenario as we drove towards the outside of town. We stopped near a path that I had hiked several times during the last couple of years that I had lived here. We both got out of the car and started walking towards the path in a comfortable silence.
"Just up a bit," he said, "I found a perfect place for us to talk."
"Alright," I said.
After ten minutes of walking we stopped next a creek that had a small bridge crossing it and sat down on a large rock that over looked the water. We sat in silence glad that we didn't have to fill the silence with chatter. I glanced over at him and he seemed to be gathering his thoughts.
"I want to tell you something," he started, "About myself and I'm not sure what to start. I'm not…not normal. I'm a werewolf."
I stared at him not sure what to say about this. He was silent as what he said sunk in. It was a joke, it had to be. Somehow they knew about me and what I could do and now they were making a joke about it. Tears filled my eyes at the thought of him being able to hurt me like this.
"Lauren what's wrong," he asked as he looked over my face.
"I can't believe you are doing this," I whispered I said as tears started escaping my eyes.
"What," he said, "I'm telling the truth."
"Yeah, right," I said getting up clumsily as I started walking away.
"Please," he said grabbing my hand, "Let me prove it to you, please Lauren don't leave. Just give me a chance."
I turned around and looked into his eyes. I searched them as he stared back at me, I could see nothing but sincerity in them.
"Please let me show you," he said quietly.
"Alright," I said, "Show me."
"I'll be right back," he said turning and running towards the forest.
A few moments later a large grey wolf emerged from the trees. My eyes locked with the wolf's eyes. They were exactly the same as Embry's eyes. My legs shook as realization that he was telling the truth and I wasn't alone in the world of myths and legends. My legs gave way and I buried my head in my hands crying with relief. A couple of moments later I felt Embry return in human form.
"Lauren?" he said gently as I felt him crouch down next to me.
I looked up into his big brown eyes and threw myself into his arms crying out of joy. He held me as I cried glad to have someone who was similar to me.
"Lauren?" he said sounding worried, "Please tell me what you are thinking."
"I'm not alone," I said crying into his chest.
"What?" he asked pulling away from me looking confused.
"I think I have something to tell you too," I told him, "I'm different too."
"Different how," he said.
"I have…I have," I said trying to say it scared of how he would react to me, "powers, I guess you could say."
"What kinds of 'powers'?" he asked.
"I can make things open and close, turn off or on, even levitate," I started slowly, "with…without touching them."
His mouth opened and closed several times much like the first time I had met him.
"What are you thinking," I whispered afraid that he would leave me.
"Show me?" he asked looking into my eyes.
I raised my palm and a twig floated in front of his face and back to the ground.
"You aren't going to leave are you?" I asked.
"No, why would you think that?" he said his brows furrowing.
"Because…because I'm not normal," I whispered.
"And turning into a big wolf on cue is?" he said.
"That's true," I said.
"Why did you think I'd leave?" he asked.
"Because," I sighed, "Because I've never fit in with anyone, ever. Anytime someone would try to become my friend it would last for several weeks it would just fizzle out."
"Please understand that I won't leave you," Embry insisted, "Ever, Lauren, I really do care for you."
"Alright," I whispered.
"I'll show you how much you mean to me," Embry insisted, "I won't leave you."
I looked into his eyes hoping that he was telling me the truth.
"So have you met someone that has powers like yours before," Embry asked curiously.
"Well a few times," I said honestly, "Others who don't age like me, who can freeze things or make them really hot. One other person could do what I can. We usually keep to ourselves mainly."
We fell into a compatible silence as I took in everything that I had just learned. I felt so relieved to have people, well werewolves in reality, who were different just like me. Tears filled my eyes at the thought.
"Why are you crying now," he said amused.
"Because I'm not alone anymore," I said.
"No you aren't," he said wiping my tears away.
"Thank you," I said.
"You're welcome," he said.
I looked into his eyes and saw the tenderness there and I couldn't look away as he took one of my hands in one of his large ones. I looked down feeling overwhelmed by what I saw in his eyes.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing," I lied.
I felt his warm hand cup my cheek brining my face back up to look at his.
"Lauren what's wrong," he said.
"It…" I started looking into his eyes again knowing that I had to tell him the truth, "I get…scared when you look at me like that."
"Why," he said looking confused.
"Because," I said, "I think it may mean that I may mean you like me more than you should."
"What if I do," he said.
"Because I'm not worth it," I told him all the pent up emotions that I had tried to keep inside of me, "I'm a strange quiet girl who doesn't know how to have relationships with people."
"But you are worth it," Embry said fiercely, "I can't believe you see yourself that way! You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. I know what it feels like to be different and I've felt that way since I was a teenager, and your difference isn't going to scare me away."
"I…but," I said trying to come up with an argument knowing that he wouldn't listen to me.
"Please don't listen to yourself," he said as he moved both of his hands to cup my face holding my gaze with his, "I care for you so much."
"Thank you," I whispered.
Be brought my forehead to his and I felt completely comfortable with him. His hands moved from my face down my back and down my waist. I closed my eyes and became lost in the moment of him. He rapped my arms around my waist and brought me onto his lap.
"Is this ok?" he whispered in my ear.
I nodded surprised at the fact that I felt comfortable being in an intimate position that we were in. I sighed as I laid my head on his chest and his arms held me in place. I didn't know how long we sat there just enjoying each other's company before we left as soon as it started to get dark. We rode in the car to the Cullen's as we held hands. I felt completely content with him.
Little did I know that contentment would turn to fear within moments.
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