Kyle (c) Penmaster51, Shayla (c) Ha-Za-A, All Twilight Characters (c) Stephaine Meyer! I decided to finally update this, lol:)
Chapter 4: Confessing
Kyle's POV
It was quite plain and simple that Shayla fit into this family. She was definitely the baby of the family and Emmett always made a reason to remind her of it; around him, she was quite teasing. I was glad not to be the target anymore, knowing that I couldn't take it out on him with wrestling. Comparing me to Emmett would be like comparing a pebble to a huge boulder. Throwing a pebble with do nothing against the giant hunk of mass of stone.
Shayla enjoyed throwing back taunting and teasing words, making everyone laugh. Even Emmett laughed, as he tried to think of the right comeback to fling.
There was Carlisle she interacted with easily. He obviously filled his father position very well to have Shayla– and the others– talk to him normally. Esme was the same. Shayla fell into the warm emotions that always seemed to dance off Esme, easily and like she never left. She even held up a nice conversation while Esme cooked, obviously for Jacob and some of the pack, if they ever came around. I had only seen Seth and Embry around here. They were the most… accepting of Jacob's imprinting situation. And Seth got along really well with Shayla. The first time I had seen them, talking and joking loudly together, I had felt a pang of jealousy which had increased when Seth gave her a hug.
I offered to help cook, partly bored out of my mind and also not to look like a creepy stalker behind Shayla. She sat near the end of the kitchen island and I was at the complete opposite end. I wondered if she felt the itch to move over too but I didn't hover on the thought. Who knows if Edward is listening?
"Kyle, you almost burned down the whole house last time you tried to cook," Esme teased and Shayla grinned, close to laughing. I smiled back but pressed my forehead to the tile. A nervous twist came in my gut as I heard Shayla walk away. I stayed there for a moment, pondering whether I should stop following her and help Esme cook or race after her.
"Go on, Kyle." Esme's warm and gentle voice made me glance at her eyes. She gave just as a warm smile before going back to cooking. She seemed to enjoy it… for a vampire.
But when I went upstairs, Alice, Rosalie and Bella almost kicked me out of the house when I wandered a bit too close to Alice's bedroom. She ushered me away, saying how that I need more guy time with the guys and what not. I paid no attention, merely glancing at Shayla helplessly as Alice pushed me towards the stairs.
I huffed, sniffing the air before bounding down with one leap. I rocked on my heels for a second and then went back to the kitchen with Esme. She was grinning to herself when I walked in, placing my elbows on the counter and watching her cook.
Finally, later in the evening, Jasper and Edward's contact with Shayla shed me some more light on Shayla. First off, she knew exactly how to block most of her thoughts from Edward because he was frowning through half of their conversation. "I just sing Brittney Spears in my head!" she had laughed when I asked her about it. "It annoys the hell out of him!" She gave another laugh while Edward glared at her.
Jasper also seemed perfectly at ease with Shayla, talking to her like a perfect friend and seemed truly at peace around her, something I rarely saw Jasper acting as. It was obvious that those two were close, more like best friends then brother and sister.
Edward… was, well, Edward. He was logical as their conversation took a turn onto something that caused him to be. I was absolutely listening but made it look like I was focusing on the TV. I tilted my head slightly, trying to figure out how this stupid football works.
Rosalie was perched on Emmett's lap, resting her cheek on his shoulder while Shayla laid on her stomach, her head resting on her crossed arms as she focused on the TV while muttering things about the game under her breath. Alice and Renesmee were upstairs, messing around with clothes and make-up.
"I don't get this at all," I muttered angrily and Emmett glanced at me. There was a pause in the three's conversation but it resumed when they realized I didn't direct my comment at them. But I slightly hoped that Shayla would turn around. She didn't.
"Aw, Kyle, you don't get any sport. They're supposed to be…" Emmett's stupid instruction in football was lost as I glazed at the three. They laughed at a joke I didn't actually happen to hear and I frowned.
"It's not my fault it's boring," I replied, leaning back into the couch. Emmett sighed, giving up on me. I was a complete lost cause when it came to sports. I could do baseball but when it came to really anything else… I'd rather be doing anything but the sport. I rolled my neck along the back of the couch, gazing at the swirling colours of the screen.
"Aww, come on guys, leave him alone," Shayla suddenly said, sitting up and facing me. Her eyes flickered to mine for a brief second before looking at Emmett. Or rather, glaring at him. She was standing up for me?
"Sorry Shayla, sorry Kyle," Emmett had said before watching the TV again.
It was going to be a long night.
Shayla's POV
"I'm bored," I announced after the football game on TV was over. "We should do something fun!"
"What do you recommend, mud sliding again?" Rosalie remarked while rolling her eyes. "No thank you."
I laughed, remembering when I convinced them to go mud-sliding with me. We had chosen a very steep hill after it had rained and at the bottom, Rosalie had ended up at least a few feet deep in mud. She had to take an hour shower to get it all out of her hair.
"No, I was thinking more like… Cliff diving?" I suggested.
Rosalie snorted. "No way!" Cliff diving? Seriously Shayla!"
"Aww, come on Rose!" I pleaded. "It'll be fun!"
"I'm up for it!" Emmett piped up. "What about you Edward?"
"Yeah, sure," Edward answered as Rosalie pouted. She didn't like being ganged up on. Edward turned to Kyle. "Would you like to come, Kyle? We go to the waterfalls up river and we dive off them. It's really fun."
"Okay," he answered and we all raced off to put on our swimmers. I wore a bikini but put a t-shirt and board shorts over the top. Emmett and Edward wore trunks and t-shirts as well while Rosalie wore a sundress. As I darted past Kyle's room, I caught sight of his bare back as he started to change. I paused slightly, staring, before giving myself a shake and began to quickly recite Spanish words in my head. Edward looked curious as I met them all downstairs. Kyle ambled down seconds later, his shirt draped over his bare
shoulder. He was only wearing knee-length trunks.
"Let's run," Emmett suggested. "Catch me if you can!" I darted off, Rosalie racing after him. Edward rolled his eyes and ran after them as I beckoned to Kyle with my hand as I ran after the two.
Kyle kept close to me as I ran, leading him towards the waterfalls up-river. I could see Edward was a few feet ahead followed by Emmett and Rosalie.
After we got to the base of the rocky cliff face, I turned to Kyle as Emmett, Edward and Rosalie began to climb it. "It's a bit of a climb, but well worth the rush," I explained. He nodded and I showed him the easiest way up as I went ahead, slowing down a bit as he stayed near my heels. As his hand accidentally brushed the back of my calf, he mumbled an apology but I was sure that he felt the spark of electricity that had shot through us when his fingers had brushed me.
As I reached the top, I turned and offered a hand to Kyle. He accepted it and I pulled him up. But I stepped back and we overbalanced, causing me to fall over backwards and Kyle with me He landed on top of me and I cried out, not in pain though. He scrambled off me.
"Sorry," he mumbled as he stepped away from me. I felt a pang of disappointed as he walked away to the waterfall. I quickly followed him just as Edward, Emmett and Rosalie leapt up over the edge.
We stopped at the bank of the rushing river, just near where the waterfall plummeted over the end of the cliff. A single tree was there while the bank continued to jut out of the cliff. That was where jumped from into the river below. It wasn't too far down, only a hundred feet or so.
Emmett tore off his shirt and ran to the edge before doing a cannon ball over the edge. Rosalie went next, doing a graceful dive followed by Edward doing a back flip. I laughed at them as I took off my t-shirt, revealing my bikini top beneath. I never wore anything too revealing and that was the case here. I pulled the hair-tie out of my hair and ran my fingers through it, brushing out the tangles. I could feel someone watching me and as I did a quick glance over my shoulder, I could see him watching me. He dipped his head embarrassed before turning away.
He took off his shirt and I did nothing short of staring at him. I had seen plenty of my brothers without a shirt on, and my friends Matt and Theo as well, but I couldn't stop myself from ogling at his bare chest as he turned back around. I gave myself a mental shake but then I realized something. I was going to tell him. Tell him how I really felt.
"Um… Kyle?" I said warily, half-wondering how he would react. "Could I… Could I just talk to you for a second?"
He looked confused but answered, "Sure." I jogged down the cliff point, toward the river. Trees were growing here and we ventured into the forest, going a fair few feet in until we could barely see where we had come in.
"What's going on?" he asked as he leant against a tree. I stood in front of him, my back nearly pressed up against another tree.
"Well…" I started. "I have a small confession to make. Jasper had told me that… that you had certain feelings for me." He opened his mouth and went to speak but I shushed him quickly. "He made me promise not to tell anyone that I told you, hence the confession part but I need to tell you something else. Those feelings don't just belong to you. I feel them too Kyle. I feel them every time you look at me or every time you touch me. They are mutual."
I took a deep unnecessary breath. "Kyle, I'm in love with you."
Kyle's POV
Her words swam in my head. If I had been human, I probably would have fainted or just started to walk away, plugging my ears and telling myself it was a terrible, sick, twisted lie- a dream gone bad. I'd wake up and… it'd be all gone.
But it's not a dream. I'm not human. Heck, I can't even sleep! No excuses, Kyle. Speak up you idiot! Gosh, you and you're idiot gawking…my yelling at myself didn't help and I swallowed nervously, my eyes flickering all over the place. But each time they came to her.
Shayla Cullen. The girl who said she's in love with me. That made me remember that Jasper stuck his fat, ugly Southern nose into none of his business! Humph… I'll have to thank him later.
"Shayla… I-I…"
I love you too? I would let myself be killed (again) so that you could keep living? My mouth wouldn't say what I wanted and the time slowly ticked by. Her face slowly started to fall, her eyes bowing down to the ground. Suddenly, I took a deep breath, raised my chin high though my self-confidence sank lower than dirt and stepped in front of her.
Shayla glazed up at me, her eyes glittering with curiosity… and love. I remember how Jenny said she would always love me, always trust me and always am there for me. She never said I couldn't fall in love with someone else. Jenny would want me to live the rest of my awful, unnatural existence with someone I truly cared about. I had thought first it would be her and only her… but I was wrong.
"I…" I started again, frowned and bit my lip. I thought it over, struggling with the right words. Then I decided just to wing it; throw all out on the table and see how it falls, I guess.
"Jasper's right," no matter how much I want to kill him and thank him at the same time, "Shayla. I've loved you since Edward showed the picture… of you, I mean," smooth, Kyle, very smooth, "and I couldn't stop thinking about you."
I gave small chuckle and whispered, "I don't think Edward liked the sudden, random glimpses of you appearing in my mind." She giggled nervously and I flashed her a huge, goofy grin. I hope I didn't look like a complete idiot.
"But I blocked it. The pain… it hurt too much- you, out of everyone, probably could understand that the most. But… as soon as I saw you… I think… I think I started to heal no matter how much denial I was in."
"Shayla, you saved me. And…" I leaned in close to her; my face barely inches away from her face. Her eyes glittered with love and pure bliss, pure happiness. Did I truly make her feel this way? I glazed at her wonderful features and decided: yes, I did. And she made me feel the same way.
"And I'm in love with you too," I said huskily, my voice dropping to an inhuman whisper.
What to do next? No idea.
But the moment was perfect. I could hear everything; the roaring of the waterfall only a rumble, even to my ears, the birds and other creatures flying through the forest we stood in. Shayla was perfect in front of me. The small sunlight glowing through the trees made her skin sparkle lightly; like someone had sprinkled little diamond powder all over her body.
There was absolute silence, beside the background noise, letting our words sink into each other. She looked up at me, her lips pulling into a blissfully happy smile. I wanted her to look at me like this forever, to never see her face distorted in pain or any unhappy emotion. To see her laugh and giggle and smile for forever.
I slowly extended my hand again towards her, gulping nervously. I knew she wasn't about to rush things (not mentioning any names- Rosalie and Emmett) and I liked it that way. I would never push her into doing something she doesn't want to do; no matter how much it would pained me to see her in any danger, I would understand if she wanted to stand by my side. After both having our hearts strambled on and broken, we couldn't live without each other.
"I love you, Shayla Cullen," I whispered, my voice unable to rid the huskiness of it. She smiled blissfully again and placed her hand slowly in mine.
"I love you too Kyle." She whispered back.
"So… are you willing to jump or do I have to carry and jump off together?" I said, regaining my smooth voice now. I never quite understood why it got like that.
"I can jump myself! But…" She glazed at our hands and she gave a gentle squeeze; I returned it, "this isn't too bad."
"You're on, Shay," I mused and started to walk towards the waterfall.
She laughed behind me and I couldn't stop the wide smile crossing my face. Suddenly, I glanced at her and she met my eyes. Reading my message, a sly smile came over her face and we dropped hands.
"Race," without even letting me finish, she took off like a bullet. Shaking my head and laughing, I tore after her. I let every once of speed into my legs and somehow, Shayla came back into sight. She laughed again and we leapt off the cliff, diving towards the foaming water.
