Chapter 3 – Love

When I woke up my eye lids were still heavy, I wanted to sleep some more but my stomach kept growling, I had to eat. I groaned and then lifted my head off the pillow, and blinked my eyes rapidly. I stretched my arms before throwing myself off the bed. I did not need my slippers, actually I was just too lazy to find my slippers, so I opened the door of my room and dragged myself downstairs to the kitchen.

I saw Sam sitting on the kitchen stool near the island and Emily was putting something in the plate. "Hello" I said as I rubbed my eyes, Sam turned towards me and Emily looked up with a smile. "Hello sleepy head" Sam smirked, I grinned back before taking my seat next to him on his left. "Hungry yet?" Emily smiled at me, "Very!" I nodded, "Good because I made hot dog" Emily put the plate in front of me, "Now I know why you love her so much" I nodded to Sam and he chuckled. "Do you want something with that?" Emily asked me as she moved to the refrigerator, Sam raised his eyebrows at me. "Uhh… Orange juice" I was not sure, but that is what came to my mind first. "Alright" Emily replied enthusiastically as she pulled out a glass jug filled with orange juice. She kept the jug on the island and then opened a drawer and pulled out three glasses, she poured orange juice in each glass, and gave the first glass to me, the second to Sam whose eyes followed Emily everywhere she went and then she took the third glass for herself and came to sit on my left.

"How are mom and dad?" Emily asked me, "They are great!" I replied enthusiastically as I took the first bite on the hot dog, "Em, this is delicious" I complimented her and she blushed a little, "Thanks" she replied, "How was your school today kid?" Sam asked me and I turned towards him, Emily was also listening intently. "It was amazing, people here are so friendly" I said enthusiastically and then continued, "I made friends there already! Can you believe it?" "Who? Maybe we know them" Emily shrugged, "Uhh.. There was this guy named Ryan and then this gorgeous girl named Renesmee, she knew you two" I nodded and then took another bite of my hot dog.

Emily and Sam looked at each other and then Emily said "She is a wonderful girl, grand-daughter of the most reputed doctor is town" "Is that so? Maybe that is where her intelligence comes from" both of them chuckled at my remark. "And she is Jacob's girlfriend!" I exclaimed, "Yes" Emily smiled while Sam kept his face expressionless, I wondered why? "And Emily, how could Quil imprint on Claire?!" now my voice was judgmental again, "It is completely platonic" Sam assured me, "Yeah I heard, but don't you find it weird" I narrowed my eyes at them, "I did" Emily agreed with me, "Because you girls don't know how it is like to imprint" Sam rolled his eyes jokingly, "Tell me then" at the back of my mind I wanted to know how it was like for Embry.

"Well" Sam started and our full attention was on him, "It is like all that matters in the world is that one person in front of us, she becomes a part of you, all your relationships would be secondary and she – she will be your priority and every instinct in your body will guide you to protect her, to cherish her, and to make her happy, it does not matter if she rejects you – well it matters a little because it hurts, like it would hurt any person but if she does not want you and that makes her happy then it is all that matter. Quil is only Claire older brother, he feels the need to protect her, just like an older brother would feel, even more, eventually they would become best friends, he will be her human dairy, and if Claire wants they will be more, Claire would always have an option. Right now, all Quil sees her as is as a baby sister who needs to be protected and all Claire sees Quil as is her older brother who loves her more than anyone, though she is very possessive about him" Sam and Emily both chuckled at the end of the sentence as if they remembered something.

"Is there something that reminds you of Claire's possessiveness towards Quil?" I raised one of my eyebrow, "Actually, yes" Emily chuckled and then Sam continued, "Embry had set Quil up for a blind date, few months back, Quil did not want to go obviously but Embry and Seth were adamant, and hence Quil had to go, now when Claire found out he had been on a date with some 'bad lady' she was furious" I imagined Claire being angry at Quil and a smile automatically grew on my face, "She refused to talk to him and he would not stop making efforts to get her to talk to him, he was grounded for a week" I could not help but laugh with Emily and Sam.

"How did he get her to talk to him?" I asked, "He could not, Embry and Seth did it" Emily replied, "Which reminds me" she continued and then my heart skipped a beat "did you talk to Embry?" she asked me, "No" I tried not to blush at his name but I failed, Sam noticed it before Emily but kept mum. "He did not come to meet me either" I pouted, "He must be at the beach with – his girlfriend" Emily said, and my heart dropped to my stomach. With his girlfriend? So he had imprinted then, all my dreams shattered at once and my smile disappeared for a second but then I tried not to show it affected me.

"He has a girlfriend?" I nodded, "Good for him" I said more to myself and then there was silence. "Sam, have you started the wedding shopping yet?" I tried to change the topic, "Uhh—" he looked over to Emily, "Not yet" he looked back at me, I looked at both of them in disbelief, "Are you serious?" I sighed and they both nodded, "When were you planning to start?" I folded my arms in front of my chest, "I was planning to take you" Emily gave me a half smile, "Really?" I gave her a real smile after hearing that, "Yes, she said she would want to take you and Leah with her" Sam injected.

"I would love to go with you" I squeezed Emily's hand lightly and she placed her other hand on top of my hand "I would love to have you" we gave each other a bright smile and then dropped our hands. "Guys, I want to get some more sleep I am exhausted" I told them, they looked at each other and then turned to me, "Sure" Emily said and I got up from the stool, I picked up my empty plate and glass along with their empty glasses, "I will do it" Emily said trying to take the utensils from my hand but I pulled it away from her, "No, it's okay" I said before making my way to the sink, and I kept the utensils in the skin, "I will do the dishes, later this night" I announced, "Alright" Emily had no choice but to agree.

"Anyways, good night guys" I said, "Good night" Emily said, "Good night Kid" Sam joined in, I gave them both a smile and then dragged my feet to my room.

Once I reached my room I realized I was not sleepy anymore, so I went to sit near the window again, I looked outside and saw my own reflection on the window since it was dark outside. My dark brown eyes spoke to me then, why did it happen so? Embry imprinted on someone else and now I am left with trying to console myself, will I ever be able to console myself? I don't know how I will be able to get over him, but I had to he was someone else's, a tear dropped on my cheek but I did not bother to wipe it off.

All I ever wanted was Embry, had I asked for too much? Watching him with his imprintee would be like thousand knives in my heart. Sam had said it all, how much it meant to the imprinter, now all that mattered to Embry was his girlfriend. I know it has always been her, no matter how many attempts I would have made to make him fall in love with me, it would have gone in vain. So, basically I saved myself from heartbreak, that is good, right?

Just then I heard a car pull up in the driveway, I pulled the curtains of the window to hide myself but enough to see who it was. My heart skipped a beat when I saw a tall and slender man get out of the car, his beautiful russet skin reminded me of old time, and his long rounded muscles looked as if it would tear apart the blue button down shirt he was wearing, his long locks were now cropped black hair. His beautiful brown eyes look up at my window and I got away from the window, tripping on my own feet.

I landed with a thud on the floor and it hurt, more than that watching him hurt, what was he doing here? I could not control my tears anymore but I had to. I quickly got up and ran to my door, with shaking hands I locked it and fell to the floor again, this time crying harder.

For a moment, I heard voices downstairs but I could not make out who was saying what. Then, my heart sped up once again, I heard a strong pair of food steps coming upstairs. 'Get a grip, Grace' I thought to myself and wiped away my tears. I heard a knock on my door, "Who is it?" I kept my voice steady, I did not want to send away Sam or Emily if it was not Embry. After a moment I heard the voice I was dying to hear, "It is me… Embry" my heart skipped a beat, his voice had somewhat changed, now it was deep. "Embry" I said more to myself, I took a deep breath and shouted "Go away!" was it enough to send him away? I know it was wrong of me to do that, but I could not see him now, or ever! "Are you okay?" he sounded worried.

"You are still here?"

"Please Grace come out and let me see you"

"No, just – go away"

"I will, once I see you" I was not sure if I will be able to let you go Embry, "I cannot see you today" I said more firmly, "Why?" why are you so adamant? "Please – Embry" my voice broke in the middle of taking his name, "Are you alright?" he was panicking now, "Yes, now go" I said politely this time, I hope he would leave now, I sighed. "Come out and I will leave" he was so stubborn, I was about to unlock the door but then I did not, "I won't" I told him firmly.

"Fine" he said after a long pause, good, he understood, "Then promise me you will meet me at the beach tomorrow" he was firm now too, "I cannot promise you anything" I said from between my teeth, hoping it makes him think I was irritated, "I will be there till you come" he said coolly, "Don't be a fool" I was about to give up, "Oh sweetheart I am not" and that made my stupid heart do a summersault, "fine, I promise" I sighed and it seemed like his spirts lifted, "Okay Grace, I will wait for you tomorrow" I don't know if anyone had ever said my name with such adoration.

I heard the footsteps fading away, and I quickly got up and ran to my window, I waited to see Embry once again – just a glance and then he appeared, only his back though, he stopped dead in his tracks before getting in his car. I quickly hid myself since I knew what was coming next, I knew he turned around and when I heard the car had drove off I re appeared in the window and smiled to myself.

How can his voice alone make me smile like an idiot? 'Oh Grace Young, you are so doomed' I thought to myself and smiled like crazy again, a giggle irrupted from my lips and I tried not to by covering my mouth. I took a minute or two before going to my bed, I could not sleep now so I went downstairs after an hour of lying in the bed and thinking of our conversation.

"Grace Jean Young" Emily said in authoritative voice and I knew I was in trouble, I turned around with an apologetic smile on my face. I saw Emily standing near the living room with her hand on her tiny waist, "Come here young lady" she sounded angry, what could have possibly made my sweet cousin angry? I followed her command without a word and walk to her, my eyes on my feet. "Do you know why I am angry?" she asked me, I did not look at her and just shook my head, "Was that any way to talk to your friend?" she asked me with a calmer voice, I looked up at her with my doe eyes and saw her face had softened, that is the thing about Em, she cannot stay angry for long. "I am sorry" I mumbled, "You must apologize to him" she told me, "I did not want to hurt him" I spoke truthfully. "I know honey" she kept her hand on my shoulder now, "But that does not mean you did not hurt him" she completed with an apologetic smile. "I know" I looked down again, "What made you so angry anyways?" she asked me and I looked up, "I don't know" I said, trying not to portray my true feelings.

"Will you go see him tomorrow?"

"Yes"

"Good because I believe that would help"

"Really?"

"Yep."


A/N: Hey readers,

A huge shout out to 'Aria' for leaving such a kind review, it makes my day just to read the reviews, thank you Aria. I request all my silent readers to please take a moment to leave a review, it won't take much time, thank you. I will be posting a new chapter on next Saturday. Hoping to hear from you all. -Finger's crossed- :)

-JT