Chapter 5

Abby and Embry were back in Embry's bed, lying on their backs, and Abby lying on Embry's chest.

"You sure do know how to treat a girl right during sex," smiled Abby.

Embry smiled, "I just pay very good attention..." Abby smiled and snuggled closer to him, but Embry had other things on his mind, "Why did you lie to me?"

Abby's smile faded, "What?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Abby. You and I both know that Forks is closer to Port Angeles than La Push... what's going on?"

Abby sat up and looked down at the sheet as she twisted it in her hands, "I was already on my way to see you, when you called." Embry got up on his elbows and looked at her back, "I'm not a slut... I'm just lonely. I haven't dated, much less had sex, since my husband... a couple years ago."

"I'm sorry... since your husband, what?"

Abby spoke softly, "You know how I told you that the twins passing away was too much for him?"

"Yeah..."

"A couple months after the twins... didn't make it... he killed himself. I came home from the store and there were police cars and an ambulance outside my house. I got out of my car and my neighbor told me that she had heard a shot go off in the house." Abby sniffled, "I plowed through everybody to get into my house... I had just seen the aftermath of what had happened before they took me away. I saw them covering my husband's body... a shot wound on the side of his head."

"I'm so sorry..."

"So, I moved all the way across the country, moved to one of the most remote cities on the west coast, and got a fresh start. I still have nightmares... but they didn't come when I had slept with you. I had gotten the best sleep I've ever had in two years, in your arms." Abby sniffled and moved to the edge of the bed, "I'll leave, now, if you want. I won't bother you again..."

Embry moved and grabbed her upper arm, "Wait... you don't have to go." Abby sighed deeply, "But I still have some questions for you..."

Abby nodded, "Okay..."

"Why did you want to come to my house instead of yours our first night together?"

"My house isn't in the best shape... I still have some boxes that I haven't opened. I just can't find the strength to do it..."

"Is it-"

"Yes... it's his stuff."

Embry nodded, even though she wasn't looking at him, "Why were you on your way over here when I called?"

"I-I wanted to see you... you've made me feel alive again. I came to tell you that I wanted more... I want more than the occasional fuck."

"Abby..."

"I know, I know! We agreed that there would be no relationship... I can't help it. I'm not the type of girl that just goes around and fucks the first man she sees. You were the only one that I've been with, since my husband..." She cleared her throat, "The night we met was the first night that I've been out since... then, too." Embry was silent, but still held her arm, "It's scary how much we've got in common, Embry. We can relate... we could help each other."

"I don't know..."

"I know, I'm asking too much... but I can't just be a weekend lover, Embry. That's the problem with us girls... some of us look for love, not just sex."

"I know, Abby... " Embry sighed deeply, "Look at me..." She turned her head to look at him, her hazel eyes meeting his dark brown eyes. "I don't know if I can... you remind me of Kayla."

"Who?"

"My fiancé that got in the accident-"

Her eyes widened, "Fiancé! I'm so sorry! I didn't-"

"Don't worry about it, nobody knew..." Embry sighed deeply, "I don't know if I can, Abby. I haven't actually dated someone since Kayla... we were high school sweethearts, I guess you could say."

Abby nodded, "That's how me and my husband were..."

"Abby..." she looked back up at him, "I can try, I promise that I'll try."

Abby smiled and flung herself into his arms, kissing him on the lips. Embry wasn't sure at first, but he kissed her back...

Once their kiss broke, Embry smiled as he asked, "I've just gotta know..." He held in a laugh, "Where the fuck do you work that you dress like that?"

Abby laughed, "That wasn't my work clothes, Embry... that was a treat for you. I actually work in real estate."

"Oh, so you really wear those button down blouses and pencil skirts?"

Abby smiled, "You are so stereotypical!" Embry laughed with her, "Do you really wanna see what I wore to work?"

Embry smiled, "Sure..."

"Give me a moment..."

Abby got off of him and out of bed, picking up her skirt, but Embry came up behind her, stopping her. Embry kissed her shoulder after moving her hair to the side, then wrapped his arms around her.

"I promise that I'll try, Abby." He whispered in her ear.

Abby nodded, "So will I..."

Embry closed his eyes and tightened his arms around her, Abby relaxed into his embrace. For a moment, both Embry and Abby felt a small glimmer of hope... hope that maybe they could find happiness once more. Neither of them were their lost loves, but there was hope for them... In that moment, whatever deity was in Heaven had to have been smiling down on them. Without even trying, expecting to just have one night, they had found what they had been missing for so long.

Embry let Abby go and pulled the skirt out of her hands, "It's too cold to wear this outside... Wear something of mine."

Abby blushed and nodded, "Okay..."

Embry let her go and dropped her skirt back on the floor, going over to his dresser. He pulled out a pair of shorts and put them on, then he got out another pair of shorts and a T-shirt for her. Abby didn't bother putting her bra and thong back on, she just put the clothes on that Embry gave her as Embry went downstairs.

"Want a beer?" Embry called after her.

"Um... sure!" Abby called.

Embry just smiled, not remembering the last time he had smiled, after Kayla had died. Embry made his way down to the kitchen and went to the fridge, stopping to look at the picture of him and Kayla. No one could replace her... not even Talise or Abby. The way that Embry had felt towards Kayla mimicked the way that Jake felt towards Nessie, the way Quil felt towards Claire, and the way any other wolf felt towards their mate. He wasn't going to have something he can't even control make his decisions for him, he was going to date whomever he pleased, marry out of love, and have children if he decided, not because he was expected to pass on the wolf gene.

Embry shook his head and opened the fridge, bending down to get a couple beers out of the fridge, and smelled food when he came back up. Embry turned around and saw Abby in his clothes, reminding him of how Kayla had looked in just his white shirt and her pink panties. Embry shook his head and went over to the table, setting the beers on the top of it as Abby took the takeout and set it on the table as well.

Abby held up two styrofoam boxes and smiled at him, "Bean burrito or taco bowl?"

Embry smiled, "Got a thing for Mexican food?"

Abby rolled her eyes at him, reminding him of how Kayla used to do that to him all the time, "Just take your pick."

Embry just smiled as he took the box that held the taco bowl and kept eye contact with her, "Yum..."

Abby smiled and shook her head as she turned back to the table to get out the napkins and little packets of sour cream that had come with it.

Embry set his box on the table and wrapped his arms around Abby's waist, resting his head on her shoulder as he spoke, "You can't lie to me anymore, Abby. If we're going to date, I don't want you to ever lie to me."

Abby put her hands on top of his and rest her head back against him as she nodded, "I promise..."

"I'll try... I promised you I would try, and I will. It's just..."

"Hard to get over someone you had lost and loved so much?"

Embry nodded as he tightened his arms around her waist, "Yeah..."

"I understand... it'll be hard for me, too." Embry turned his head to look at her, his cheek now against her shoulder, "You remind me of him, Embry... the way you wrap your arms around my waist, how you tease me sometimes, and your kindness. The only thing that makes you look like him is how slim you are and your hair color."

Embry sighed, "Honestly... you remind me of Kayla in some ways." Abby turned her head a little, to look at him, "How pale your skin is, some ways that you act, like when you rolled your eyes at me, and your humor. There's more, but those are the things that really stood out to me, despite the fact that she had red hair and you have brown."

Abby looked forward and swallowed a little, "Looks like we've both got some work to do, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

Abby looked at him, "We both need some help letting go of our lost loves."

Embry nodded and Abby turned her head to stare straight forward, again. They stood there for a moment, enjoying each other's company and warmth as they remained silent. No matter how true Abby's words were, Embry didn't want to let go of Kayla... and Abby didn't want to let go of her husband. The doorbell rang, making Abby jump, and Embry sighed deeply.

"Get dinner warmed up and I'll go see who it is..."

He let Abby go, "Okay..." Abby nodded.

The doorbell rang once more and was followed by a knock. Embry sniffed the air and could smell warm honey, but he also could smell citrus. Embry opened the door to find Talise standing there, rubbing lotion on her hands; citrus lotion. Talise's eyes widened when she raked them over Embry's shirtless body and Embry could smell how wet it made her. Embry ignored the smell as Talise continued to ogle his toned body, he didn't have a six-pack, but he was toned and you could see the defined V at his hips.

Embry cleared his throat, "Hey, Talise..."

Talise snapped her eyes back up to his, quickly, "H-hey, Em-Embry..."

"Is there something that you need, Talise?"

"Oh, yes, I-"

Abby's voice interrupted as she walked into the living room, from the kitchen, "Hey, Embry, I-" Abby noticed Talise and Talise's eyes widened at the sight of Abby in what was, obviously, Embry's clothes, "Oh, sorry..."

Embry shook his head as he looked at her, "It's alright... What do you need?"

Abby tore her eyes away from Talise and looked at Embry, "Um, I just wanted to know where the plates were at."

"Top cupboard to the right of the stove."

"Thanks..."

Abby walked back into the kitchen and Embry looked back at Talise, "Sorry about that... What were you going to say?"

Talise shook her head and looked towards the ground, "Never mind... I'll see you later, Embry."

Talise kept her head low as she turned around, stuffing her hands into her jacket pockets as she walked back over to her Navy blue Alero. Embry just watched with a confused look as Talise got in her car and started it, pulling out of the driveway. Embry closed the door and locked it, wondering to himself; why would she come all this way, only to leave and not say anything? Embry just steered clear of thoughts about Talise and walked back into the kitchen to see Abby standing in front of the microwave, her right leg crossed over her left. Embry smiled a little at how much like Kayla Abby looked like in that moment. Embry could still remember the last time he had seen Kayla like that...

Embry smiled as he went up behind Kayla and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her cheek as he rest his chin on her shoulder.

Kayla giggled as she felt Embry's breath against her neck and ear, "Em... that tickles."

Embry smiled as he rest his head on her shoulder, "Have I ever told you how beautiful you look in the mornings?" Kayla blushed and Embry looked down at her stomach as he put his hands on either side of her stomach, "How is she?"

Kayla sighed as she looked down and put her hands on top of Embry's, "Restless... She kept on kicking my ribs and into my spine and stomach, last night."

"Is that why you're up at three in the morning?"

Embry kissed her cheek as she nodded, "Yeah... I couldn't sleep. I'm making some of that Sleepy Time tea, seeing if that'll help me get some sleep."

"Of course..." Embry kissed her cheek again, "You kept tossing and turning... and now I understand why." Kayla yawned and Embry kissed her jaw, "Hurry back to bed, okay? You need your rest... Momma."

Kayla smiled softly at the nickname that Embry had given her, once her baby bump had really started to show, and turned her head to the side. They both closed their eyes as their lips met and they shared several kisses.

Embry sighed as he shook his head and walked over to the fridge, pulling the picture of him and Kayla off, staring at it. Embry sighed deeply as he gazed down at the only thing that still retained the life that she no longer had, that she was no longer living. Embry heard footsteps, then felt Abby beside him.

"You really miss her... don't you?" Abby asked him.

Embry nodded as his voice broke a little, "Yeah..."

Abby massaged Embry's shoulders, "I know how you feel... I truly do." Abby sighed as she just rest her hands on his shoulders, "It hurts... no matter how much you know you've got to move on, no matter how much you want to. There is always something there to remind you of the ones you lost... But you've got to remember that they're never truly gone." Abby brought her left hand off his shoulder, underneath his arm, and flattened her palm against his chest where his heart would be, "In here..."

Embry nodded and turned his head to look at her a little, "The same goes for you, too, Abby."

Abby nodded, "I know... and I feel like such a hypocrite sometimes, for telling people these things when I can't even seem to follow them myself."

Embry shook his head, continuing to look down at the picture of him and Kayla, "Sometimes it's easier to tell someone how to feel, than to actually do it yourself."

Abby nodded and whispered, "Yeah..."

Embry put his right hand on hers, on his shoulder, and sighed as he looked down at the picture, "One day it won't be like that, Abby... One day we'll be able to feel normal once more."

Abby shook her head, "Never normal..." Abby rest her cheek against his back, "Next to normal sounds about right..."

With that being said, they both had the song 'Aftershocks' from the Broadway musical, Next To Normal, in their heads... Truly feeling like what the lyrics were describing.

They've managed to get rid of me,

returned me to the grave

ECT, electric chair, we shock who we can't save.

They've cleared you of my memory and many more as well.

You may have wanted some of them but who can ever tell?

Your brainwaves are more regular, the chemistry more pure.

The headaches and the nausea will pass and you'll endure.

You son is gone forever though, of that the doctor's sure.

The memories will wane,

The aftershocks remain.

You wonder which is worse, the symptom or the cure.

They've managed to get rid of me, I'm gone without a trace,

But sear the soul and leave scar no treatment can erase.

They've cut away the cancer but forgot to fill the hole.

They moved me from your memory, I'm still there in your soul.

Your life goes back to normal now, or so they all believe.

Your heart is in your chest again, not hanging from your sleeve.

They've driven out the demons and they've earned you this reprieve.

The memories are gone.

The aftershocks live on.

But with nothing to remember,

Is there nothing left to grieve?

With nothing to remember...

Author's Note: There is the update. :) If you have any questions, please PM me and not review me your question. Thank you for the interest in my story. Review? :3