It Happens
"Don't make me mad then tell me to calm down.
That's like stabbing someone and wondering why they're bleeding."
Chapter 4
Katherine's POV
I get home almost two hours later with a clean bag of clothes. When Emily got back I helped her in the kitchen for a while and triple check she's still good for this weekend. Paul is still dead to the world when I reach home, so I drop the bag of clean clothes in the sunroom and write another note – went to get paint and groceries, should be back after lunch.
I snatch the keys from the hook on the front door, then go to the two bay garage. Paul's old truck might look like a piece of shit but it runs like a dream. I make good time getting to the hardware store; I can honestly say I have never been to a hardware store in my life and it must be obvious by the way the young girl behind the counter asks if she can help me find anything.
"Oh, yes please."
"Sure," she says stepping out from behind the counter. She looks like most girls on the Rez with copper skin and long black hair. "So what are you looking for?"
"Paint, and everything that goes along with painting." She chuckles lightly at how pathetic I sound.
"Right this way," she leads me down a row of shelves, at the end we turn left into a separate room. One wall is covered with colour swatches, another with brushes and rulers and the other wall is half covered with a door and a shelf that has different types of tapes, paint scrapers, rollers and trays.
"I never thought painting would look this complicated," I sigh. "Would you be able to get me a trolley please?"
"Sure," the girl says, leaving me alone in the small room.
I sigh and pull my phone out of my jacket pocket. I click on Embry's number; it takes five rings before he answers with a cheerful 'hollo'.
"Hey Em, it's Kat here I was wondering-"
'That's never good.'
"Shut up, I need your help."
'Why can't Paul help you?'
"Because he's dead to the world right now, and because you're amazing."
'What do you want?'
"I'm at the hardware store trying to buy paint."
'Yeah- wait is that why Sam said you need Quil, Seth, and I tomorrow?'
"Don't ask the question if you know the answer, and unless you want to paint my house with nothing more than your blood and bare hands- I suggest you get here now!"
'Be there in five.' He hangs up.
Embry arrives twenty minutes later to me impatiently tapping my foot. In that twenty minutes the girl from the counter has brought me a trolley then left me to dwell over the different shades of cream.
"Longest five minutes of my life," I growl at him.
"I was here, I just- I just imprinted," I look at him closer and see his eyes are wide and jaw half slack.
"Who?!" I ask, straightening to look at him with eagerness.
"I don't know her name, the girl behind the counter, she was just there- she- she was just perfect." I chuckle at his wistful grin that quickly turns into one of horror. "I need to know her name, I need to know everything about her, oh god what if she has a boyfriend, then what? I-" I cut off his ranting.
"Embry shut up and look at me." He looks at me, and I note he's slightly shaking. "It's going to be okay, you are going to calm down because if you phase in here you will kill me then Jake and Paul will kill you, and you will never know her name. You are going to fill this trolley with everything we need to paint the inside of my house while I choose a colour, then you can take the colour to the counter and ask for however much paint you think we'll need. She will get the paint and we will check out, okay?" I know I'm kind of using him but I have thing to get done and now he has meet his important because of me he owes me.
He stops shaking, nods, and starts filling the trolley. I shake my head and go back to staring at colours. I have already decided on a nice green, not as dark as the forest or as bright as a highlighter but a nice in-between. By the time I decided on a dark shade of cream, Embry has stacked the trolley with a bit of everything.
I hand him the two colours and he takes them eagerly. "Don't ask too many questions," I say as he almost skips from the room, and I shake my head with a smile. In less than a minute Embry and the girl round the corner. I smile at the goofy look on his face and the dark blush on her cheeks.
The girl goes into the back room and Embry looks at me and mouths 'thanks Kat.'
"Think of it as payment for you spending the next two days painting my house," I whisper knowing he can hear me clear as day.
'Worth it,' he mouths back.
"I'll be at the counter," I say pushing the trolley out of the paint room and down the hall. I take more note of the things on the shelves, I notice gardening tools and vegetable seeds. Maybe I can start a garden, I think. One thing at a time. I find myself waiting by the counter for almost thirty minutes before Em and the girl appear, both all smiles.
Embry comes to stand by me and places two huge paint tins on the counter. I move aside and let Embry deal with checking everything out. I pull my purse out of my jacket, just as my phone rings.
"Hello," I answer, putting the phone between my shoulder and ear.
'Hey Kat, it's Collin. You asked me to call.' I fiddle around in my purse, pulling out my black card.
"Oh yeah, I talked to Sam and got you, Branden and Max Saturday off. I need you to come with me and the girls on Saturday to Seattle."
'Really?'
"Yes really, need the muscle, and I've already got Embry, Quil and Seth painting the house. Unless you want to swap-"
'No! I'll tell the guys. Oh but we can't drive.'
"I know you idiot. I've already got that dealt with."
'Okay, cool.'
"We're all meeting at my house at six Saturday morning, make sure the three of you are there or so help me I will hunt you down-"
'Okay, okay. We'll be there, bye Kat.'
"Bye Col," I hang up and put my phone back in my pocket.
"Way to set the kid straight Kat," says Em. I see everything is bagged up in the trolley.
"He won't be late now will he," I push Em out of the road and swipe my black card.
"How the hell did you get a black card?" asks Em.
"If I told you my secret I would have to kill you." The girl chuckles, handing me the receipt.
"Have a nice day and good luck with the painting," she smiles sweetly.
"Thanks," I say, pushing the trolley out the store down the small ramp in the parking lot. I notice Em isn't following me. I stop the trolley behind the truck. I'm fine with lifting the bags of brushes and trays into the back of the truck, but stop at the paint tins.
"Shit," I mutter. I lean back against the truck and wait for Em. A few moments later Em leaves the store with an ear to ear smile and spring in his step. "It went well?" I ask. He sees me and runs over and lifts me into a bear hug.
"You're amazing, you're amazing, you are amazing," he says releasing me from the hug.
"I know, now be a good boy and lift the tins into the truck." I scoff at how easily he lifts them in the truck.
"So what's her name?"
"Ashly," he practically giggles.
"Come on lover boy, get in the truck. I need help with grocery shopping…"