A/N: I am pleased how well many of you are receiving the changes. Thank you for the reviews, follows, favourites. It means a lot to me.

***Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Twilight characters, nor do I own the settings, plots, or over all creations, it all belongs to S.M—no copyright infringement intended. ***

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Sound: Electric Love - Børns (After Dark Sessions)

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~ Move Together ~

Chapter Three

Don't ruin now

"Shit," I panted, planting my hands on my knees as I bent forward. "I really need to quit smoking."

This is what I get for lying about hiking.

When Sam asked me how I felt about hiking after I agreed to go out with him, I stupidly told him that I liked it. Though, I failed to mention that I hadn't gone on a hike since I was nine years old.

My calves ached and my feet protested, throbbing painfully in the boots I had borrowed from one of Jake's older sisters, Rebecca. I was also very much aware that I had past the point of cute. My face was probably flushed, reddened by exertion, and I did not even want to know about the state my hair was in. I had thrown it up in a bun about an hour ago.

"You okay, Bella?" Sam questioned, failing to disguise his amusement.

I stood quickly, righting myself. "Yeah, I was just, you know, stopping to enjoy the scenery. I just love trees."

I patted the tree to my right for emphasis. Oh my god. Kill me now. Who pats a tree? Who loves trees? Sam raised his brows and pursed his lips — fighting off laughter I am sure. He starts to walk again and I, lingering a moment, palm my face with embarrassment. Why can't I function around him? It's like I lose all sense as soon as he is near.

"You comin'?" He calls, turning his head mid stride to check on me.

"Sure, sure," I answer, rushing to catch up.

We walk in silence for a bit. Well, Sam walks and I basically jog in order to keep up with his long strides. My hand brushes his accidentally and a spark shoots up my arm.

"Sorry," I say, blushing.

"Don't be." He grabs my hand purposefully, taking it in his.

I look over at him and smile. Maybe he wasn't put off by the tree patting. A girl can dream.

"So, you excited for school to start on Monday?" He asks, looking down at me.

"I guess so," I answer. "I am mostly excited that it's my last year, if I am being honest."

"Yeah?" Sam asks, giving my hand a playful squeeze. "Big plans for after graduation?"

"Uh, not really," I huff, blowing a strand of wayward hair out of my eyes. "I am planning on taking a year off to figure out what I really want to do. I've heard way too many stories about people going away for school without knowing what they want to do and dropping out later."

"That make sense."

The conversation stalls and I am beginning to notice that Sam is really more of the strong and silent type. That was okay with me. The silence was oddly comfortable between us, as if we had spent months in each other's company rather than just an hour. I didn't know what to do with all these weird thoughts and feelings. I could only hope that Sam felt the same way, though he was not in the business of giving me clues. He seems guarded. I find myself wondering about his secrets. Part of me wants to bombard him with my questions: why was he watching Jake and Quil so closely at the bonfire? Why did Paul growl at us? Why did he shake? How did Sam make him stop?

I am too absorbed in my own thoughts so I stumble, lurching forward. I let go of Sam's hand and shoot my arms out in front of me to brace for impact. But it never comes. Instead, I find myself wrapped in a heated embrace, pressed hip to hip, chest to chest, with my stoic hiking partner.

"Easy," he rumbles out, hot breath fanning over my face. I mostly feel, rather than hear the rumble, emanating from his wide chest with my palms pressed flat against him. My lids close momentarily and I breathe him in greedily. Hot hands on my hips relax but don't release. I blink my lids back open, lifting my gaze to meet dark ebony eyes. Butterflies erupt in my stomach and I try to find the will to resist the magnetic-like pull between us. I can't seem to find it. Nor can Sam as he leans in. I feel dazed. I am certain he is going to kiss me. Suddenly, he pushes me away from him and takes his hands off me. I want to protest but I don't. The burn of rejection is something fierce as it blazes through me, leaving me silent.

"Bella," Sam sighs like he knows what I am thinking.

I just shake my head, wiping sweaty palms on my denim shorts. "Shall we?"

I am trying to play it cool. But he sees right through me and that makes it worse because I can't read him. I don't know why he stepped away. I don't wait for an answer and forge ahead on the path, towards Third Beach.

Without much effort, Sam matches my pace and his hand snakes down my forearm, leaving a hot, tingling path, and he laces our fingers together. Caught off guard, I look to my left at this man who has me tied up in knots. He doesn't say anything, letting his touch do all the talking. I bite on a smile and look ahead.

A little while later, we sit together on drift wood, resting after our hike. He sits next to me, thick, muscular thighs spread wide as he looks out over the beach. A cool breeze comes off the water and I shiver next to him, regretting my decision to wear nothing more than a light, threadbare tee-shirt. Wordlessly, Sam slips his flannel off his broad frame and over my notably smaller one. I accept it gratefully, working my arms through the sea of plaid.

Sam sniffs a laugh, looking over at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing, little one." He murmurs, cutting his knife through an apple with nimble fingers.

My cheeks heat as soon as his nick name reaches my ears. I probably shouldn't like it as much as I do.

He offers me the slice of his green apple and I grab it, making sure that my fingers brush his. I pop the piece into my mouth and ask, "So, what's your deal?"

Dark eyes find mine. His brows disappear under the hair that has fallen in the way. I fight the urge to push it back.

"My deal?" He says slowly, testing the words out.

"Yeah, you know," I bump my shoulder against his. "What's your story?"

He's a quiet man but I want him to talk. To share a piece of himself with me. I am shamelessly drawn to this man. I want everything that he's willing to give.

Sam hums to himself, slicing off another piece of apple. "What parts of the story do you want to hear today?"

"Multiple parts, huh?"

He nods.

I press on, "Tell me about your family. About growing up."

"Well, my Mom raised me on her own. My Dad left when I was really young and I don't really remember him much. My Mom did her best but being a single parent wasn't easy so she leaned on my grandparents and great-grandparents quite a bit. As soon as I was old enough, I started to help out."

He pauses, grabbing something else out of his back pack. Berries. He opens the container and offers me some, "So, tell me, what's your deal?"

"I don't know that there's much to tell," I state, licking sweet berry juices off the pads of my fingers.

"I don't buy that." Sam arches a brow, lifting his gaze from my fingers and mouth to my eyes. I don't know how it's possible but his ebony eyes are darker.

"Let's see," I look away, surveying the beach. "My parents are from here, obviously. They met in high school and — according to my mother — it was love at first sight. They've been together ever since. My Mom's a nurse and my Dad is a mechanic. They both kept odd working hours, so once I came along I spent a lot of time being shuffled between my place and the Black's. They're family."

"Yes, I noticed that you and Jake are quite close."

There was something about his tone, as if he didn't approve. Was he jealous?

"Yup," I say, the 'p' popping.

I was not going to entertain this topic, so I quickly shift the focus off of me. "What about your high school years?"

Now it's Sam's turn to tense up. "Overall, I enjoyed it. Went through some hard stuff in sophomore year but I came out on the other side."

"Hard stuff?"

"Different part of the story, little one." Sam murmurs.

I sense that I have pushed Sam to the limit, maybe even beyond. So I stay quiet and so does he. A few moments later he stands, rising with unfathomable grace. He offers me his hand, "Ready to go back?"


"Wake up, sleepy girl," Sam says, gently rocking me.

I blink open my eyes, feeling disoriented. I look around. I am in the cab of Sam's truck, nestled into his side. I can't believe I feel asleep on him. Though, I could hardly blame myself. The hike was long and Sam was delightfully warm. I don't want to leave his side.

I try to move away, but Sam halts my withdrawal by letting his arm fall from the back of my seat to my shoulders. I turn slightly, facing him directly.

"I had fun today." He says, playing with the fine hairs on at the nape of my neck. "I hope you did too?"

A shudder runs down my spine and I close my eyes briefly. Ugh, did he know what he was going to me? I blink my eyes back open. His dark ebony eyes tell me all that I need to know: He definitely is aware of what he's doing.

"I did," I breathe.

Sam's lips pull up at the corners, a tiny smile forming. "Well, I'm glad, especially since you don't like hiking."

I laugh, "Am I that transparent?"

He nods his head. "No one loves trees, Bella."

The tips of my ears burn. They must be pink. My face falls forward onto his shoulder, "Don't tease me!"

Sam chuckles and I relish in the sound. He grasps the back of my neck, urging me to lift my head. I obey, levelling my eyes with his.

He leans in and plants a sweet kiss on my forehead. "You choose what we do next time."

"Next time, huh?" I smile. Excitement blooms in my belly.

"Mm-hm," He hums in that deep bass. "Next time."

He's so confident. A different kind of heat blooms in my belly now.

We exchange numbers then, agreeing to be in touch soon. I slip out of his truck and walk up the path to my front door with a silly grin on my face. Before going inside I turn and wave Sam off. His truck pulls away and I step into my house.

"Bells? That you?" My Mom calls from the kitchen.

"Yeah!" I answer, toeing off my boots. I should return them to Rebecca soon.

I meander into the kitchen and my Mom glances over at me. "Nice shirt, sweetie."

Confused, I look down. Oh. I am still wearing Sam's plaid button up. I shrug, playing with the long hem that nearly touches my knees.

"Thanks," I hop onto the kitchen counter, swinging my legs back and forth.

"I take it your date went well?" My mom pries, looking up from the vegetables she's chopping. For dinner, I presume, checking the clock on our stove.

"Mom," I drag out her name.

"Oh, come on, dear, quick! Before your Dad gets home."

"It was…fun."

"Fun?"

"Yeah, fun. We went on a hike to Third Beach. Had some snacks. Talked."

My Mom raises her eye brows, "Talked? I'm surprised. Sam Uley doesn't seem like a chatter box."

"He's not really. He was quiet. Especially when I asked him about high school."

"I'm not surprised, sweetheart. He went through a hard time when he was…" My mom trails off, shaking her head to clear it. "He must have been in sophomore year. Or maybe he was in his senior year."

"Yeah, he mentioned that. How did you know?"

"You were only in grade school at the time, so you probably don't remember, but he went missing for a while. Everyone on the Res was worried. His mother, Allison, was a wreck."

"What?" I gasp. I can't imagine why he would have gone missing. Sam seemed to be so level headed, wise beyond his years. Why would he disappear like that?

"No one knows why he disappeared," Mom sighed, answering my unspoken question. "But when he came back…he was okay but different. Changed, somehow."

I want to ask her more, beg that she give me more details but my Dad comes in at that moment. Our conversation is derailed and I slip away with the excuse of returning Rebecca's boots.

I walk over to the Black's house, boots in hand and knock on the door before stepping in. "Hello?"

"Bella! I'm in here!" Jake answers. His voice is coming from the living room just off the foyer.

I slip off my Chuck's and set down Rebecca's boots before finding Jake. I plop down on the couch next to him, tucking my legs under me.

"Where were you today?" Jake asks, glancing away from the TV to focus on me. "I swung by your place earlier and you weren't there."

"Well," I snark. "Contrary to popular belief, I do this thing where I leave my house."

Jake sticks his tongue out at me, "Yeah, yeah, Swan. Get to the point."

"I was out on a date…with Sam."

Jake's brows meet. "Hang on — you went out on a date with Sam Uley?"

"Um, yeah. So what?"

I am feeling defensive.

"Why?" Jake presses, something close to disgust colouring his tone.

"What do you mean, why?" I toss back. "I dunno. I wanted to. He asked."

"Dude, it's Sam."

A few day's ago that would have said it all. Case closed. Discussion over. But after the diner, the bonfire, today…it didn't.

"He's, like, dangerous. There's something seriously off about that guy." Jake turned to face me now, back against the arm of the well loved leather couch.

I scoff. "He's not dangerous."

"Have you forgotten about Embry? Paul?" Jake practically shouts.

My stomach sinks and a lump beings to form in the back of my throat. I don't understand what's wrong with Jake or why he's being this way. Yeah, something was 'off' about Sam but he wasn't dangerous. He was so sweet with me today, gentle even. If anything, he is misunderstood.

"He's not as bad as we thought," I say quietly.

"Not as bad?" Jake looks at me, shocked. "Not as bad? He has a cult, Bells. Remember how Jared? Star track and field runner? He was always talking about leaving La Push and he had a scholarship lined up at the University of Washington. Now, he's here, hanging out with Sam. Isn't that a little weird? You know something's wrong here, Bella. I can't believe you'd overlook that."

"I'm not overlooking anything," I bite out through clenched teeth. "I'm just saying that I went out with him and he was nice, okay? He was really, really, nice. Maybe we're wrong about him."

"Oh, I bet he was nice," Jake spat. "He just wants to get into your pants, Bella! God, how can you be so stupid? So blind? I saw the way he was looking at you at the bonfire. He's not a good guy."

I recoil from Jake. Trying to put distance between him and his hurtful words. I feel pinpricks at the corner of my eyes. I blink away my tears of anger.

Jake takes note and eases up a bit. "Look, Bells. I am not trying to be mean."

"Yeah, well you're doing a heck of a good job!" I stand, wiping away a tear that had escaped. I hate that I cry when I get angry.

I rush out of the living room, almost bumping into Billy.

"Sorry, Billy," I send him a watery smile. "I gotta go."

His brows pull together with concern, "Is everything alright, hun?"

"Um, yeah. Everything's fine. I just gotta go." I turn abruptly, making a quick exit.

I briskly walk home, pace quickened by my anger and I make it to my destination in no time. I waste no time and immediately go to my room. I flop down on the bed and press my face in to my pillows. Angry tears leak out, leaving wet splotches.

Jake was wrong about Sam. I could feel it in my bones. Yeah, he is not normal by an stretch of the imagination, but he certainly is not dangerous. Or maybe just not dangerous to me. The thought enters my mind and I think I know why Jake was so upset. I know that he has felt ill at ease for the past few weeks and I am sure cozying up to the guy who was the source of his anxieties did not play well. I feel torn. I love Jake, he's my best friend, practically my brother but then, there's Sam. I feel drawn to him in a way that I have never been drawn to someone before. I don't think I have it in me to ignore what's going on between us.

Later that night, just as I am turning in, my cell phone chirps. I open up the text.

I'm sorry about earlier. I was a butt-head.

It's from Jake and a smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. Who uses the word butt-head?

No worries butt-head, see you tomorrow.

Forgiveness would always come easy when it came to Jake or Quil.


I grab my bag from my locker, feeling like I had never left the halls of La Push's high school. The first day of school had been largely uneventful, as is the case with first days. Unfortunately I only had one class with Jake and none with Quil. Even worse I had a different lunch time slot so I hadn't seen much of the boys all day.

Familiar hallways bring me to the school's exit and I spot Jake off to the side, chatting with Seth Clearwater. I wander over to the two of them.'

"Sup, Bella?" Seth greets.

"Same old, same old," I reply. It's only now that I notice that Quil isn't here. "Where's Quil?"

"He never showed." Jake shrugs.

"That's weird."

"He has a bad fever, or something." Seth buts in.

"How do you know that?"

Before Seth can answer the question, his sister, Leah, sidles up to where we are. She rolls down the passenger side window and yells for Seth to hop in. She must be back from college. Seth scampers off, tossing his goodbyes over is shoulder.

"Wanna stop by Quil's?" Jake asks.

"Sure, sure," I agree.

Twenty minutes later, Jake and I are knocking on Quil's door. It swings open, revealing a very sick-looking Quil. He was quite pale and a sheen of sweat covers him from head to toe. Dark circles sit under his normally bright eyes. Quil leans against the door heavily, gripping the door knob firmly in one hand. I suspect that if weren't there to support his weight he might collapse.

"Whoa," Jake says. "You look like shit!"

"Jake!" I reprimand, fighting the urge to smack him upside the head.

"What? It's true!"

I roll my eyes, turning my attention back to Quil who is smiling weakly at the two of us.

"Come on, Quil, let's get you back inside. You look like you need to rest," I say, stepping into his house. I let Quil lean on me as I walk with him to the living room. Jake goes to his other side, helping to bear some of his weight.

Just as we lower him onto the couch, he lets out a pained cry.

"Quil?" I ask, alarmed. "What's wrong?"

He clenches his jaw, a beads of sweat slip down his cheeks. "I don't know. It's been like this all day. My body hurts all over. It's like something is trying to claw it's way out of me."

My stomach sinks, and I hear Billy's voice in my head: one being, two souls. I shake off the thought. Now was not the time.

"Jake," I glance over my shoulder. "Go get a cold cloth."

Jake doesn't move. His eyes are frozen on Quil.

"Jake, now." I insist.

His eyes flick to mine briefly and he nods, "Yeah, sorry. I'll be right back."

I crouch down, resting a hand on Quil's forehead. I immediately withdraw from him, hissing slightly. He was positively burning up. Jake returns then, passing me the damp towel. I press it to Quil's forehead, hoping to bring him some relief. His lids fall closed and he lets out a pained groan.

"Where's Old Quil?"

Old Quil was always around, practically having moved in with Quil and his Mom, Joy, after Quil's dad passed away. I was surprised he wasn't here now.

Quil blinks his eyes open and with trembling lips he says, "He's gone to get Sam Uley."

A/N: That's all for now. Can't wait to hear your thoughts.