Chapter 6 – Warmth
I was looking at Embry, his perfect face was touched by the light radiating from the setting sun as we walked down the beach together, hand in hand, I was shyly looking down and his eyes were fixed on my face. "Grace" he stopped dead in his tracks and I stopped too, slowly I turned towards him, my eyebrows knitted together.
He cupped my cheeks and brought my face inches away from his face, I could hardly breathe. I tried to look away but Embry would not let me! I felt my cheeks burning, in fact, it felt like my whole body was burning. "Grace" he said again, but this time his voice was louder, panic stricken. I was confused, I wanted to ask him what was wrong but I could not. "Grace" he shrieked, and I was up.
It took me a minute to realize that it was Emily's voice from the hallway that was calling for me. I could not get up, everything hurt, my eyes, throat, muscles, everything! "Em" I replied in a low hoarse voice. She peeked through my door and said "Good you are up; you are going to be late for school" she smiled.
I looked outside the window, the betraying sun was nowhere to be seen. I turned to look back at Emily who was now entering my room, "Em, I don't feel well" I told her as I shook my head. She quickly rushed to my side and sat beside me before putting her hand against my forehead "You are burning!" she exclaimed, I felt like I was on fire.
"Can I take a day off?" I asked hopefully, she nodded and replied "Of course, health comes first" I smiled at her and sunk into my comforter. It was so cold, and I was not liking this.
"I will make you chicken soup, you will feel better" she told me as she got up, "Thanks Em" I tried to smile but everything was hurting. She shook her head and gave me an apologetical smile before disappearing into the hallway.
I turned to my right and snuggled with my comforter. I wonder what time it is. I reluctantly pulled my hand out of the comforter and picked up my cell phone from the nightstand. It was 7:25 a.m. there was no way I could make it to school before the bell, good that I was staying home.
I decided to go back to sleep since there was nothing I could do, and Emily would wake me when she brings my soup, then I will get up and get ready for the day.
It did not take much time for me to fall back asleep and this time Embry did not feature in my dream, rather it was a dreamless sleep.
I felt someone shaking my hand and that is when I woke up. It was Emily, trying to wake me up. I looked at her with sleepy eyes and a smile. "C'mon, you must have this while it is warm" she told me as she helped me settle in my bed so that I could have my chicken soup.
"Thanks Emily" I told her as I placed the tray on my lap. She smiled before saying, "I called at your school and got you a leave of absence" "Thank you" Emily was just like mom to me, always taking care of me. "Don't thank me just get better" she spoke as she squeezed me hand lightly.
"I will finish the chores, if you need anything just call for me" she got up from the bed, and I nodded.
The soup was delicious, it soothed my throat and the pain there was almost gone – almost. It was then that I realized that I was famished and I wanted something to eat, but I was not going to call Emily to get me some food, I will go downstairs and get it myself, I should not be a burden on Emily.
Once my soup was finished, I slowly got out of bed and carried the tray to the kitchen downstairs.
As soon as Emily saw me a frown settled on her beautiful face. "Grace, you should have called for me" she dropped her dishes in the sink and walked around the kitchen bar to take the tray from my hand. "I did not want to burden you, I needed something to eat" I told her, she walked back to the sink as she said "You don't burden me, don't be silly!"
That is the thing about Emily, she never complaints. "I will make myself a sandwich" I told her as I walked to the fridge. Her fridge was always stocked with good food. "Are you sure you don't want something else? I will make you something" she said, "No, just sandwich and some milk" I told her as I took the brown bread from her fridge, cucumber, cheese slice, green capsicum, onion, tomato and lettuce next.
I put everything on the kitchen bar and went to get the knife and chopping board. "You will get rest after this" Emily commanded, "Yes ma'am" I replied as I started chopping the vegetables.
"Em, did you have your breakfast?" I asked her, and she slyly shook her head, I narrowed my eyes at her and said "You should take care of yourself too, I will make you a sandwich too, alright?" "Grace, you don't—" she started but I stopped her and said "Do you like sandwiches or not?" she knew she could not argue, "Yes, very much" she nodded, "Good" I grinned and went back to my work.
Once the vegetables were chopped, I took out the bread slices and put a cheese slice on one of the pair of bread slices. On top of the cheese slice I put some lettuce, over which laid tomatoes, onions and finally, fine chopped green capsicum; then I sprinkled some salt for taste and black pepper powder. I put another slice of bread over it and put the sandwiches in the griller.
By the time the sandwiches were getting grilled, I took out two plates and two glasses. "Em, what will you have with your sandwich?" I turned towards Emily who was almost done with dishes. "Warm milk" she shrugged and I warmed the milk for us and poured it in the glasses.
The sandwiches were done as well and Emily put it in our plates and carried it to the dining table while I carried our glasses of milk. We both settled and started eating.
"Grace, this is so delicious" Emily honestly seemed to like it and to be honest, it did taste good. "Thanks Em" I replied shyly, "You know, if the pack ever comes over I am making them this sandwich" and that automatically put a smile on my face. "Em, can I ask you something?" I said slowly while keeping my eyes on the sandwich.
"Sure" Em was in good mood, "Why doesn't Jacob, Quil and – Embry hang out here anymore?" I mumbled, I heard her sigh and that made me look up, was it the wrong question?
"I believe you should know this" she said more to herself. What could it be? I started getting anxious as the silence dragged on. "There are two pack now" she started, two packs?! How can there be two packs? They were supposed to be brothers, right?
"Sam's pack and Jacob's pack" as soon as Emily said that I automatically asked "What?!" "Yeah, it was complicated at the beginning but things are getting better" she told me, "Why did they separate?" I frowned at the thought, was that why Embry did not come to visit me more often?
"You know Renesmee, right?" I nodded at the question, "She is a Cullen, Bella and Edward's daughter – biological daughter" so? What is the big deal? Everyone has parents, and I think I have heard of a Bella, "Yeah?" I waited for Em to speak again, "They are vampires" she said slowly, unsure if she should share this with me. Vampires?! Now I could feel my brain explode, I sat inches away from a vampire in school? There is a vampire at our school?! I could feel my heart pounding.
"Em" I breathed, "No, they are different" she spoke in urgency, "They only feed on animal blood and besides Renesmee is a hybrid – half vampire and half human, she is not venomous" and somehow that made me feel better, but she is still a vampire!
"I never thought vampires could have children" I tried to focus on that part, "Yeah, well Female vampires cannot because their bodies cannot change, and Bella got pregnant with Nessie – Renesmee, when she was a human" Alright, now I can officially say I am confused! Besides, A group of vampires living together as a family – that is something you would not find in our movies, so it is pretty unique to me
"Don't you find that weird?" I could not help but ask and Emily laughed, "That is what all the fuss is about" she told me and then turned serious again. "Sam thought that it was unnatural and dangerous, and he decided to – kill it" she could not even say the last two words, and that is when I realized it was Renesmee, it was hard to think that Sam would believe that or want to do something like that.
"Jacob – being in love with Bella left the pack to protect her" Oh! But why? She was already married, and – well this is not as easy as I thought. "Seth joined Jacob almost immediately, followed by Leah" I could hear sadness in her voice, "and then Embry and Quil" so this is why they don't come here.
"That's" I tried to find the right word – "Complicated" I nodded as I spoke. "Yes, it is" Emily then turned cheerful "But that doesn't mean you cannot invite friends over, do you want to hang out with some of your friends?" and my heart instantly turned erratic. "Wouldn't they be busy?" I mumbled looking at my plate again, Embry must be with Lauren.
"C'mon, you know Embry, he is your best friend, he would hang out with you anytime you want" at least today Emily was leading the conversation in the right direction. "Yeah, but I don't want to force him to hang out with me" I sighed, "Grace, I don't think he would hang out with you without his will, he missed his best friend" and I swear my stupid heart won't stop pounding.
"Alright, but I don't want to sound too desperate" I threw my hands in the air dramatically, "Fine" Emily started, "I will call him" and that put a grin on my face.
A/N: Hey Readers,
I am sorry I have not uploaded a new chapter in a long while, the thing is I have been ill for more than a month, still am and it is hard on my body, I am sorry guys, anyways, here is a new chapter. Please it is a request to all my readers to leave a review and let me know your thoughts on the same. I will be waiting -Fingers Crossed-
-JT
