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Chapter 7 – All About Taking Chances

Jacob POV

Friday July 4th

I want to wait until Elyse is safely inside before phasing, but I can feel my body twitching to turn. I glance over my shoulder at Elyse one last time before ducking into the woods and letting my wolf come out. I howl up at the sky, feeling Elyse's rejection more in my wolf form.

She doesn't want me…

That's not what she said, exactly, but it's what she meant. Basically. She doesn't want to get hurt, and she thinks I'll hurt her.

But I won't! I would never hurt her. I would do anything for her, anything!

She is right though, in a way, that it wouldn't be fair to her or to me to get involved. She knows that she's going home soon, and that it'd be foolish to become attached to someone who isn't going to be around. She never flat-out rejected me. In fact, she admitted that she likes me. Well, she's making herself not like me, but she does…

She kissed me.

"Jake?"

Shit.

I've been stupid and careless, thinking I could phase in Forks County and not be heard by a member of the pack. I've been lucky so far, not to have been sensed or heard sooner. But now that's ruined. Now I'm going to have to go home, instead of just sneaking in for clothes and food when Dad's sleeping. Now I'll have to face the pack and tell them about Elyse…

"Who's Elyse? Where have you been? I thought you were gone?"

I'm not ready for this. I'm not ready to let everyone in on my secret. I need more time…

"I won't tell anyone, Jake, I swear. I can keep a secret."

After a bit more badgering from Seth, and a warning that Sam is about to be on patrol with Jared, I agree let him come meet up with me. I guess I should be grateful it was Seth who found out about my secret. If it was anyone else, they might not promise to keep it for me, but Seth is still trying to prove himself to me so he swore not to tell.

"Jake," Seth greets with a grin on his face as he steps into the shadowed woods beside me, "Where have you been? Billy's starting to get worried…"

I told Seth if he wanted to meet up, he had to find me as himself, not his wolf, and he couldn't tell Sam where he was going. He has kept his word so far, otherwise I'm sure Sam and Jared would be here by now, too. I'm not ready for everyone to learn of my imprint though, especially because she might be going home next week.

I shrug and tell him, "Doesn't matter. I've been around. And he'll be fine. You can't tell him anything, Seth, you promised."

"I know," Seth returns, "But I thought you'd want to know." He stares at me expectantly, but I'm playing stupid. "So…what's going on with you, Jake? Why are you out here in Forks near Bella's house? And who's Elyse?"

For a bright kid, he sure can be dense at times…

Seth's dark eyes flash with recognition and he accuses, "Whoa, did you imprint? Dude, you did, didn't you?"

I sigh and admit, "Yeah, I did. Her name is Elyse. She…she doesn't live around here though. She's from Colorado. She's been here the past week because her mom just died, and she's staying with her Gramma. But she's going home next week, and I'll probably never see her again."

"Does she know?" Seth asks, as if it's the most obvious question in the world.

"Yeah," I reply sarcastically, "She definitely knows, Seth. The moment it happened, I told her, 'oh, hey, I turn into a giant wolf when I want to, and uh, you're my soul mate!' No, she doesn't know. She doesn't know anything. And I can't tell her."

"You have to," Seth insists. "Why wouldn't you? Wait, you're not trying to deny your imprint, are you? Because you can't, Jake, it doesn't work like that. You have to come home; you have to tell…someone. You need advice, and I can't give it to you. I don't have an imprint. I don't know what I'd do." He rushes on to say, "And you can't deny your true imprint just because of your feelings for Bella. Bella isn't meant for you. You know that now, right?"

"I'm not doing anything to jeopardize my chances with Elyse," I tell Seth. "This isn't about Bella at all. I haven't even thought about her until you mentioned it. I've been doing everything I can to get close to Elyse. I took her to see the fireworks tonight, and we had a great time, but she…" I shake my head, hating this conversation, "She said she doesn't want our friendship to turn into something more, because she'll be gone after next weekend. And she doesn't know when she's coming back. Telling her what I am isn't going to convince her to stay, Seth. She'll probably be grateful she's not from around here when she finds out."

"That's not true," Seth says adamantly, "She'll understand. She'll…"

I cut him off, "She'll what, Seth? Be scared off? Run away in fear? Because I can see one of those two things happening. Her being understanding and-and enthusiastic about this is not going to happen. Paul imprinted on my own sister and you know how long it took him to convince her to give him a chance! She was so scared she was going to turn her back on her whole family, walk away from La Push, and never come back! What makes you think Elyse will be any different? And when she walks away, she really won't have to come back, because her family lives in Colorado."

"But she's your imprint!" Seth reminds me. "You can't just let her walk away. You have to try! You have to…do whatever you can to make her stay. Spend every second with her. Don't let her deny what you have. Make her fall in love with you."

Well, that's the first smart thing he's said all night…

"I'm trying."


Elyse POV

Saturday July 5th

For the second day in a row, I'm woken up by Ava's ringtone going off. I glance at the time before answering, and am shocked to see it's after one in the afternoon. I sit up and rub the sleep out of my eyes before answering the phone.

"Hey, I was just going to call you," I lie.

Ava snorts into the phone, "Yeah right! You were still sleeping, weren't you?"

I sigh and admit with a smile, "I was. I can't believe Grams didn't wake me up. She's probably as eager as you are to hear about my night out with Jake. Especially after meeting him…I think she has a cougar crush. Can you still be a cougar if you're a Gramma?"

"Uh…" Ava says thoughtfully, "I think only if you're hot. If you're not…I don't know what they call that." Then, almost like the words finally sunk in, she demands, "Oh my God, Gramma Perrot got to meet your hot guy and I didn't even get a picture?! Not fair, Lys!"

"I'm sorry," I giggle. "I tried to get a picture of Jake for you, but it felt too weird. He would've gotten the wrong idea. I couldn't do it."

"You chicken-shit," Ava jokes. "What wrong idea would taking his picture have given him? That you're interested in him? That you think he's hot enough to show off to your friends? I'm not seeing the down-side just yet."

"Well, yeah, all of those things," I answer. "I didn't want to lead him on. Ava, I really do like him, and I don't want to go back to Colorado and have Jacob think of me as some bitchy skank who used him."

"How did you use him?" Ava asks incredulously. "Unless you…you wouldn't…did you kiss him?!"

I groan, but admit, "Yeah. Kind of. Well…yeah, I did."

At this point, I figure re-capping the whole night for Ava is the best thing to do. So, I start from the beginning, with Gramma cooking up a feast to entice Jacob, and end with Jacob kissing me on the cheek at the front door. Surprisingly, Ava stays quiet the whole time I'm talking, listening intently to my date story. Ava is known to interrupt often, but I'm glad she doesn't this time.

"It really was like a perfect date," I finish, "Only, it wasn't a date."

"Mmhmm…" Ava comments, "Sounds like it was a date to me. And you completely shut him down after! Poor Jacob."

"What do you mean, 'poor Jacob'?" I ask her, "What did I do wrong? I just told him the truth. I like him, but I can't get involved because I'm not going to be here forever. I thought that'd be the best thing for both us."

"But Elyse," Ava interjects, "What if it's not the best thing for you? What if he's really a genuinely nice and awesome guy, who makes you happy? You're willing to just let that go? I mean, you said that was the most perfect night you've ever had with a guy, and you're okay with that being the only one?"

"If it means that I'm saving myself from getting my heart broken in the end, then yeah," I reply, "I am okay with that."

Ava sounds shocked when she asks, "What ever happened to that thirteen year old Elyse that I used to know? The one who couldn't wait to fall in love and get her happy ending? She would have done anything for that perfect date that you had last night. She wouldn't have told a guy who just confessed she's the 'prettiest girl he's ever laid eyes on' that she's not interested."

"That's not what I said," I correct, "I said that I do like him, but it wouldn't be fair-"

"Yeah, yeah," Ava interrupts loudly. "But you did reject him. And I think maybe you did it too soon. I mean, you've only hung out, what, twice? And him helping you post fliers doesn't even really count, so…you basically went on one date with the guy and told him he wasn't good enough."

"But he is good enough," I insist, feeling more and more unsure of myself. Did I make a mistake? Was I too harsh when I told Jake I just want to be friends? Should I have given him more time? I shake my head, pushing out my doubtful thoughts. "Life isn't a Disney movie, Ava, and I'm not a little girl anymore. I thought you'd understand. Remember Nick? And Billy? And Sean? I liked all of them, too. And I thought they were The One for me, remember? But they weren't. They were just stupid boys, who all wanted the same thing, and none of those things were what I wanted."

"You're not a little girl, Lys," Ava agrees, "But that doesn't mean you won't get your Snow White Happy Ending." She starts humming into the phone, and then sings off-key, "'Snow White said when I was young, one day, my prince will come. So I wait for that date. They say it's hard to meet your match…'"

I crack up and remind her, "Uh, Ava, that's a Katy Perry song, not the song from Snow White."

"Oh," Ava chuckles, "Right. Well, it still fits. The point is, you're not going find your Prince Charming if you keep rejecting him. You have to be open to the possibility of finding love if you want it. Weren't you the one that always said most people don't find their soul mates because they aren't looking hard enough? That it doesn't just fall into your lap, you have to go for it? And, like all good advice-givers, you don't take your own advice. Obviously, Jake could turn out to be another asshole guy who only wants in your panties, but you'll never know if you don't give him the chance. And, just so we're on the same page here, I'm so not telling you to sleep with him. I'm just saying give him a chance. But seriously, keep your panties on."

I smile; really wishing Ava and I were having this conversation in person rather than over the phone. I miss this girl more than words than words can say. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to…keep an open-mind. I am still here until next Monday or so. And Jake is funny and sweet, and all-around good company. I'm sure we'd have a good time. And yes, Ava, I know not too much fun."

When Ava's decided she's done pestering me about my date, which Ava insists it was, with Jake, she tells me about her night with Jayson. The reason she saved it for last is because there's not much to tell. Jayson was a total tool, only looking to get in Ava's pants, and she ended up telling him off and leaving early. She said no firework show was worth listening to Jayson describe his work-out routine for the fifth time in one night! And, according to Ava, he's kind of bragging pre-maturely since his muscles aren't anything to brag about. She says there is potential, but again, nothing to brag about just yet. I feel bad that Ava's date with Jayson was such a bust, but Ava doesn't seem too disappointed. She says she's glad she found out now that she was wasting her feelings on a self-centered jerk. Then, she relates her horrible date to my perfect one and insists that means Jake and I were destined to be together. I think she's being her usual over-dramatic self, but…I guess it couldn't hurt to think it over. Maybe I did reject Jake too soon. Maybe I could give him a second chance?


Sunday July 6th

"Elyse, honey, time to get up," Gramma calls from the doorway. "Rise and shine, darling."

I peek at the clock from my position half-under the quilt and nearly groan out loud. "Grams," I point out quietly, "It's not even seven yet..."

"It's Sunday," Gramma reminds me. Then, as if understanding that answer isn't enough of an explanation, she elaborates, "Church is in one hour."

At the sound of this, I sit up and stare at Gramma in horror. "What?" I run my fingers through my tangled curls and blink a few times. Am I still dreaming? "I'm not really a church gal, Grams." I laugh weakly.

"You're only here one more week," Gramma says with a pout, "And I want you to come with me. Come on, Elyse. I'll take you out for breakfast after."

Well, I'm not happy about it, but I agree to go. I hop out of bed, shower, and dress in the navy blue knee-length dress of my mom's that Gramma laid out on the bed for me. I clip my hair back out of my face and stand back to check out my reflection. I take a step back in shock at how similar I look to my mom in this dress. I still remember her wearing it. I think she wore it one year for Easter. She was so beautiful. I run my hands over the front of the dress and blink away the moisture gathering in my eyes.

"Are you almost ready to go?" Gramma shouts from the bottom of the stairs.

"I'll be right down!" I call back.

Gramma is waiting by the car, having a cigarette, when I get outside. She stamps the cigarette out under her foot when she sees me, and climbs into the car. The church is a quick five minute drive from Gram's, not even that long. We have arrived early, but I have a feeling this is normal for Gramma. She chooses a pew only a few rows from the front, and I follow her lead. I feel out of place, since I haven't been to church in so long, but I receive a smile from Pastor Bart, whom I remember from Mom's funeral service last week. Shortly after we sit, two older ladies approach and Gramma greets them as old friends when they sit beside her. The service starts before she can introduce me, and honestly, I don't remember much about what was said.

After the service, Gramma introduces me to her closest friends, Edith and Peggy. Both were at Mom's wake and funeral, but I don't remember meeting them there. They will be joining us for breakfast at the diner, where Peggy's granddaughter Zooey works. Apparently, Zooey and I went to elementary school together and were close friends. I feel guilty when I tell Peggy it doesn't ring a bell, but I reassure her that I don't remember a lot of things about my childhood in Forks. There are some things I remember so clearly, but some that I seem to have...blocked out of my mind.

"Well, Zooey remembers you," Peggy informs me. "She was sorry she couldn't get off work to make it to the funeral service, but the diner is strict about giving two weeks notice when taking days off." Peggy shrugs in a what can you do? kind of way. She adds, "But she was hoping to see you before you go back to Colorado. When are you going back?"

"Some time next week," I reply vaguely. Dad hasn't booked a flight yet, so I really don't know what day it will be.

"Elyse is going to help me with my tag sale," Gramma tells Edith and Peggy proudly, "We're having it next weekend, so mark your calendars and stop by. I've got a ton of Kat's stuff to get rid of."

"Maybe Zooey can help you," Peggy offers as we cross the street to the diner, "If you need an extra hand."

"Well," Gramma says, in a decidedly gossip-like tone, "Elyse found herself a strong young man to help us with the heavy lifting." She winks obnoxiously and I have to roll my eyes. "But I'm sure Elyse wouldn't mind Zooey's company as well."

Before I even get to see my old friend, our grandmother's have already planned a 'play-date' for us. I can't believe these women. We're sixteen. I'm sure Zooey and I could make plans if we want to. What if she doesn't want to hang out with me? What if she was only telling Peggy she did to be nice? It's not like I've never said or did something similar to get Dad out of my hair, or Gavin or Nora.

Inside the diner, we seat ourselves in one of the red leather-padded booths. The waitress, a skinny girl with dark brown hair curlier than mine immediately comes over to take our order. She has a big-toothed smile, those teeth covered with blue-bracket braces, and nearly identical blue eyes.

"Hey Nana, Edy, Sue," She greets each woman with their own personal smile. Then, she turns her eyes to me and says, "Elyse, hi, how are you?" She leans over the booth and gives me a brief squeeze. "It's so good to see you!"

"Hey Zooey," I reply, returning her hug. "I'm...okay. What about you? It's good to see you too."

"Good," She says, "Just working a lot so I can save up for a car. But I'm off Tuesday and Thursday. If you want to go do something? I'd love to catch up."

Peggy informs her granddaughter of the tag sale, and suggests Zooey help out. Zooey agrees enthusiastically, and I can tell she's a very sweet girl, a good girl, but there's nothing wrong with that. Or maybe she's just putting on a show for her Nana, and Nana's friends. That's completely possible.

"I'll come over both days," Zooey offers, "You're only here another week, right? So it'll give us a chance to hang out. Plus, I'm good at organizing...other people's things, at least." She laughs. "Does that sound good, Elyse?"

"Yeah, if you're sure," I tell her. "They're your days off..."

"I don't mind," She insists. "It'll be fun."

Her idea of fun and mine are very different...Still, Zooey and I used to be friends, and Grams likes her, so I have to give her a chance. Just like I'm going to give Jacob a chance. If he calls like he said he was going to. I hope he calls.

After breakfast, I wave goodbye to Zooey and say, "I'll see you Tuesday."

Back home, I retire to my bedroom, telling Grams I'm going to take a little nap. I know I won't sleep, though. I keep thinking of my conversation with Ava yesterday, and the fireworks with Jacob, and I don't understand why he hasn't called yet! He said he still wanted to see me...that it wouldn't be weird. Maybe he changed his mind.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I remember is waking up to my cell phone ringing. I don't recognize the number, and my stomach immediately gets fluttery wondering if it's Jacob. I debate letting it go to voicemail, but then I shake my head. Why the hell would I let it go to voicemail? I've been waiting for him to call since yesterday!

"Hello?" I greet after pressing the green Accept Call button.

"Hey Elyse, it's Jake." His voice is so deep and sexy over the phone. I almost didn't recognize it was him.

"He-ey," I say, a smile sliding onto my face. "I was starting to think you washed my number off your hand without saving it."

He laughs, "Nope, definitely not. I wasn't sure what time you wake up, and I didn't want to wake you."

"Grams woke me up at seven for church this morning," I tell him with a grimace, "So you are in the clear." I won't mention that he actually did wake me up, since I wasn't planning on falling asleep in the first place.

"You sound tired," Jake comments.

"I was going to take a nap," I admit, "But I'd rather talk to you."

"Really?" Jacob sounds surprised, but I can hear the smile in his question.

"Yeah," I confirm. "So, what are you doing tomorrow?" I decided last night I was going to be straight-forward and tell Jacob that I want to hang out with him again, and not just to prepare for Gram's tag sale. I have to tell him what I want, because I already told him I didn't want it. "Grams said it's supposed to be a nice day; the only one this week."

"I'm not doing anything," He replies. I smile happily at his response, glad he's not here to see the blush on my cheeks. "What do you have in mind?"

"I don't know," I reply with a little laugh. "I was hoping you might have a suggestion."

After a short pause, Jacob suggests, "We could go to the beach?"

"Okay," I answer right away. Ugh, I sound so eager.

"Okay," Jake repeats.

"Is your car still...broken?" I ask.

"Kind of," Jake says. "But maybe I can borrow my friend's. I'll call you in the morning. Is nine too early?"

"No," I tell him, "I'll be up." Before I know what I'm doing I'm saying, "And thanks, Jake. I'm excited. I know I said on Friday that I...well, that I was trying really hard not to like you, but...I can't. And, according to Ava, I'm an idiot for always trying to hide my feeling because I'm scared to get hurt. I guess I needed her to point it out for me to realize it's true. Since I won't be here forever, and I haven't stopped thinking about you in days-" Oh my God, did I just say that out loud?! "-I don't see the harm in hanging out a few more times. Maybe you won't even like me." I laugh awkwardly, hoping Jake doesn't think I'm too crazy after spilling all that.

"I'm sure I'll still like you," Jake replies confidently. "I'm glad you said that though. I've been thinking about you, too. I'm glad you changed your mind. You won't regret it, Elyse, I promise."

And I believe him. After confirming details for tomorrow, we hang up. I don't think I could stop smiling if I tried. I don't know what it is about Jacob Black that makes me so darn happy and smiley. I like it, though. Who wouldn't? What's not to like about a gorgeous guy who makes you feel fuzzy and happy? I am definitely crushing. I haven't felt like this about someone in a long time, and never this...intense. I don't know if this is going to end well or not, but at this point, I don't care. I'm not going to fight how I'm feeling. Sometimes you have to take a risk to acheive something great. Maybe Jacob and I will be something great! Maybe not...but I'll never know if I don't give it a shot. Isn't that what life is all about? Taking chances? I think it is...


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