Chapter 3: Love Bites
Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight.
I had a few girlfriends over the next few months, but I finally latched onto one I really liked. The problem was she was the jealous type. I had another buddy who just happened to be a girl, and if we hung around each other, Bridget would go ballistic. And this day, she was a force to be reckoned with.
We were sitting on the couch, watching a movie. I was playing with her hair when out of nowhere she turned to me and blurted, "Marcie said she saw Kayla at your house the other day. I don't like you being around her."
Here we go again. This wasn't the first time she'd brought this up. What did I have to do to convince her that I would never be unfaithful? That's not who I was. Why couldn't she trust me? Did her ex cheat on her?
I dropped my hands from her hair. "I keep telling you Briddie, she's just a friend. I've known her since we were kids. There's nothing going on between us. She's like a sister to me."
Her head bobbed side to side. "Yeah, well, you say that now, but things happen."
Tired of this same old argument, I finally had enough. If she couldn't trust me, then why in the hell were we together?
"Why do we always have to talk about this? You know if you don't trust me, then maybe we should call it quits."
Bridget reached out and grasped my hands in hers, her eyes wrapped in pain. "No—I love you, Seth. I just can't stand the thought of someone taking you away from me. Can't you just stop seeing her?"
"Now you're telling me who I can, and can't see? I don't tell you to stop talking to the boys at school, do I?"
"No, and how come that doesn't bother you? Seth ... please ... for me. I'm not telling you not to see other girls, just her."
Pulling my hands away from her, I angrily responded, "What am I supposed to tell her—that my jealous girlfriend wants me to quit being around someone I've known all my life? I'm not doing that!
"This conversation is finished. I can't take all this jealousy anymore. I'm sorry. I love you Briddie, but we can't keep going on like this. I hope you have a happy life, but it's not gonna be with me."
I stood up and walked out the door, leaving her sitting there with tears in her eyes. I felt bad; I hardly ever got angry, but she started it. Breaking up was the last thing I had on my mind when I went over there tonight. I was happy and looking forward to being with her. Jeez, I'll never understand jealousy. It just kills a relationship. Why couldn't she see that?
Rumor had it that Rachel was coming home from Seattle for a couple of weeks. She wanted to be here for Billy's birthday. I also heard that she had a fiancée that would be following her down in the next few days. Whatever ...
Rachel arrived, but I didn't really exert myself to see her. I figured I'd say hello at the party.
I went to the shindig for Billy, and noticed her from a distance. I'll say this for her; she had a figure that didn't quit, a beautiful face from what I saw of it and the shiniest black hair—a river of licorice. Yeah, that's it, licorice! Boy, her fiancée was a lucky man to run his fingers through that. I almost envied him.
The party ended early, and the guys were all out in the back yard, messin' around.
Quil just had to comment about Rachel. "Man, your sister is really something. Do you think she'd go out with me?"
I shot him down. About time, too. He was always making cracks at my expense. "Get real. You're only nineteen, she's twenty-two."
Wiggling his eyebrows, Quil bragged, "Yeah, but I more than make up for it in the physique department."
Jacob put his hand up as an end to the teasing. "Forget it guys, her fiancée is coming in tonight. He's meeting her at First Beach in another hour. Which reminds me. I've gotta get a sneak peek at this guy, but if she sees me at the beach, I'll never hear the end of it."
Suddenly his eyes were on me. "Hey, Seth, do you think you could accidentally be there and check him out?"
I laughed, and said, "What's in it for me?"
Jacob put one hand on my shoulder, and answered, "Think of it as gaining good will from your future brother-in-law."
"Jeez, why do I always get stuck with the dirty work?"
Paul snickered, and rumpled my hair. "Because, moron, Colin and Brady aren't here."
I roamed around the beach, watching for Rachel. I spotted her as she walked down the incline toward the sand. She seated herself on an old fallen tree trunk, and a few minutes later, her guy was at her side. I felt like a Peeping Tom as they kissed and caressed each other, so I waited 'til they sat down to talk. Then, I made my move.
Nonchalantly, I sauntered toward them. I got a good look at the guy—light brown hair, dark blue eyes, medium build. I cleared my throat, pretending that I just noticed her. "Hey, is that you Rachel?"
Rachel looked up at me, and it was actually the first time we had ever made eye contact. The most beautiful eyes in the world locked with mine. Holy hell ...! I was not prepared for the massive blow to my system. I nearly fell to my knees at the power in those eyes. Her softly curved lips fell open, and somehow I knew she couldn't look away from me either.
"Seth ..." she managed to say. "This is Logan Rusch. Logan ... Seth Clearwater."
We shook hands, but my eyes never dropped away from hers. Hopefully, even in the moonlight, Logan wouldn't notice. Suddenly, Rachel stood, ready to leave. Confusion now clouded her beautiful face.
"C'mon, Logan, let me show you to the house. See you later, Seth."
Rachel had no idea what just happened, but I knew! I just found the one—the only one for me. But ... she was what ... six years my senior? Would she feel like she was robbing the cradle? I had heard about wolves imprinting on younger girls, but this was different. In this case I was the young wolf. Would she accept the imprint? I had to know, but I couldn't dump it on her all at once, especially not with her fiancée hanging around. Jeez, did he have to be here?
Sitting on the recently abandoned trunk, I lowered my head into my hands. I'd found her, but now what?
Jacob greeted me when I got to my home. Let's face it, he was always at our place, buzzing around Leah, or the other way around. I wanted time to think, but there he was in my face, his grin in sharp contrast to my emotional state.
"So let's have it. What's he like?"
"I don't know ... kinda blah. He seemed okay."
Describing him to Jacob was a pain, and he soon tuned into the feelings in my gut.
His grin quickly turned into a frown. "Are you okay? You seem dazed or somethin'. You didn't get dumped again did you?"
"No, nothing like that." I didn't dare tell him that I imprinted on his sister. I wasn't stupid enough to think he would take it lightly.
Sleep evaded me that night, and I evaded the Black's home for two days. What could I say that would make any sense to her? I let her have the time to sort through her thoughts and feelings. I ached to be with her, but if this imprint was already wearing on me, it was probably going to be harder for her. She had a fiancée for Pete's sake. Jeez, I just realized if she accepted this, she'd be throwing over a guy her own age for a sixteen year old boy with a secret life.
Forty eight hours later, thank god, her fiancée left. The door was now open for me to claim my mate—or get my young heart crushed. Summoning up all the courage I could, I ambled to her house. Billy let me in, but gave me a curious look when I asked, "May I see Rachel, please?"
"Sure, sure, she's in the kitchen."
I felt his eyes on my back as they followed me out of the room. He was obviously wondering why in the world Seth Clearwater would want to talk to his daughter.
Holding my breath, I entered the kitchen. Rachel was at the sink, facing away from me as she washed the breakfast dishes.
I leaned against the back of a kitchen chair for support. My tongue felt like an iron weight, and I swallowed hard. Then slowly I produced a word. "Rachel ..."
She heard me, and her body immediately stiffened at the sound of her name. She turned slightly, but not enough to meet my gaze.
"Seth," she whispered.
My voice was soft and low as I uttered, "I think we need to talk about what happened the other night."
Rachel nodded her head, and finished washing the last dish. She wiped off her hands with a dish towel, and faced me. Her cheeks were flushed, and she glanced everywhere but at me. She sat down, and I straddled the seat beside her, pulling it up close. Her head was bowed, so with two fingers I tipped her chin up so I could see her eyes.
Shaking my head gently, I affirmed, "I realized that you felt it too, and even now the pull is there, drawing us together like two magnets. But still ... you have no idea how this happened."
Her eyes glistened with tears threatening to spill. "You're right; I don't know. I only know that the feeling was so powerful that I gave my engagement ring back to Logan. Our engagement is off. I broke his heart, and I can't even understand why I did it."
God, her answer filled my heart with joy. She was actually accepting me as her own. "I don't even know if I can explain it. Maybe it would better if you talked to Jacob."
Standing up, Rachel began pacing. "What am I doing? This makes no sense whatsoever. I broke up with a perfectly good man, who loved me. And ... you're ... Seth, you're sixteen—I'm twenty-two. How is this going to work?"
"I'm not sure, but we'll figure it out together. I can't stay away from you, Rachel. It nearly killed me these last two days. And you feel the same way about me. I can sense your heart racing, the same as mine."
She stopped mid-stride, and clenched the edge of the table. Then one hand gradually crept to her mouth and the tears began to fall. I bounded off the chair and held her in my arms, drawing her head to my shoulder. Rachel felt so right to be there. A sweet overpowering emotion swept over me and I knew at that moment that I never wanted to be separated from her again. I closed my eyes and sighed, inhaling her scent. So this was what love was supposed to feel like.
It finally hit me like a ton of bricks. I now understood why Leah and Jacob were so inseparable. I was happy for them, and doubly happy for Rachel and me. The future might be a little rough at first, but we'd weather it together, and make it work somehow.
