Kim:

The next day was spent packing. I didn't leave the house once, nor did I even see the light of day. I began packing months ago, but since Jared, I found myself doing less and less the more time we spent together. Separation wasn't something I liked to remind myself of back then, but now, I couldn't rush the process any faster if I tried.

I guessed the state of my bedroom reflected what the inside of my head might look like. Things that were once categorically arranged and prioritized, now looking as though a bomb had hit with no survivors. The irony was not lost on me as I crammed everything into sealed boxes, pushing them aside for later without too much thought—the same thing I did with my feelings.

My mom steered clear of me that day too, giving me the space I needed. She came home about an hour after Jared left the previous day to find me in my room in the midst of the typical heartbroken-teenager, end-of-the-world breakdown. Though I'm sure she could never have guessed the crazy details, I know she predicted he would break my heart eventually. She knew something was off. It's maternal instinct or something.

Consequently, I was subjected to overbearing-over-caring mom that first night, who checked on me no less than twenty times and kept bringing in plates full of comfort food. This situation was a first for both of us, so I'm guessing she was just going by what she'd seen in those romantic comedy movies. Too bad she was off genre; my life was more fictional and supernatural right now.

Either way, talking about the whole thing was the last thing I wanted and she eventually caught on and just didn't bring it up again.

By the next morning I didn't even care about the logistics of the packing process. My mind basically conjured up a formula as simple as: belongings in boxes, plus rush, equals escape. I didn't really even consider what I needed or didn't need; I basically packed anything and everything I owned wherever they'd fit. Books, CDs and clothes were all overflowing out of broken cardboard boxes, firmly held together by duct tape.

If only mending a broken heart was this simple, I thought lamely.

I kept looking to distract myself, constantly needing a task at hand during my last days in La Push.

The night before I left, once everything was done and dusted, I sat in my bare room with nothing to do but twiddle my thumbs.

Don't think, I kept telling myself.

I knew somewhere inside I was a little disappointed that I didn't hear from him; that he stopped trying. And it frustrated me to no end that I still wanted him despite the whole imprinting thing. I wasn't sure he even knew when I was leaving, let alone if he even cared anymore.

You asked for it, I reminded myself bitterly.

I laid on my bed in the dark, counting the rotations of my ceiling fan spinning around and around, waiting for sleep to come and drown me in oblivion.

Sometime between two-hundred and two-hundred-and-one spins, the sound of a wolf's howl pierced the silence of the night, effectively putting an end to my boredom.

My body went rigid in my bed. Suddenly I was nervous, excited and scared all at the same time. I knew it was them, but what did it mean? It sounded distant and strained. Like the wolf was in pain, maybe?

Oh, God, I thought, immediately imagining the worst.

I hadn't drawn my curtain open in days, and instantly fought the urge to rip my whole window out of its frame to see what might be happening. I knew I probably wouldn't be able to see anything in the dark, let alone do anything, but something inside me needed to at least check.

I knelt up onto my bed, making the tiniest slit between the curtains with my finger and squinted into the distance, only to find nothing but trees. I leaned side to side, checking all angles of the forest, but I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

I dropped back into a sitting position on my bed, and then my heart stopped.

I had been looking so far up and into the distance that I hadn't even noticed the wolf sitting on the ground right in front of my window. Jared. He was faced the other way, his back to me, shooting frantic glances all around the forest, just as I had been doing a moment ago.

Another howl sounded and his wolf-body tensed. He got up and took a few steps toward the forest, then quickly backtracked them to sit back down at my window. He repeated this a few more times, and I could hear him quietly whimpering in the process. It was as if he was conflicted on whether to stay or go.

What is he doing?

I didn't know what Quileute werewolves existed for, but whatever it was, I'm sure he must have been needed at that moment, so why wasn't he going? Why would he rather sit here doing nothing, than go and help whoever was howling?

Because he loves me, I answered in my head silently. No, Kim. Stop thinking about that.

The howling eventually stopped, and he lay back down on the ground, seeming to find the same comfortable spot in front of my window as the first night I unknowingly saw him here in wolf form.

Does he sleep here every night or something?

I watched him through the gap in my curtains as he fell asleep. I couldn't believe he was still here, sleeping outside my window, for God knows what reason, even after everything that had happened. He may not have tried to contact me, but he was still very much present right now.

I don't know how long I sat there watching him, but it must have been hours, because I could see daylight beginning to fade out the darkness. I shot a glance at my clock: 5:00 AM. I would be leaving in one hour.

I heard the sound of my mom's door creaking open and her footsteps coming towards my room. I quickly sat back down on my bed as she opened my door.

"Oh, you're up. I was just checking-" she said, then a smile found its way onto her face as she stared at me for a moment. "I can't believe you're actually leaving for college today, Kim. I'm so proud of you."

I smiled back at her without much else to add. Somehow, hearing her say that had negated any last-minute second thoughts I might have been feeling over these past few hours watching Jared. Her words had brought me back to reality.

"I'll get breakfast ready," she said as she let my door fall quietly closed behind her.

I spent the next half an hour getting ready, and then joined my mom in the kitchen for breakfast. She talked while I chewed silently, staring at my plate and occasionally feigning interest in whatever she was rambling about.

I realized there was nothing complex about the situation now. I was sad. Simple as that. I wasn't fighting any urges to stay, or to try and fix this mess. I knew I had to leave, this is what I had always wanted, to escape. And college is where I needed to be. I had accepted that this would be it, but it didn't make it any easier. It was still sad all the same.

We had already loaded everything into the car the night before, so once breakfast was cleaned up the plan was to hit the road as early as possible to beat traffic.

"Ready, Kim?" my mom asked, already holding our front door open for me.

I stood still for a moment before answering.

"Just one second," I told her quickly, spinning around back toward my room.

"I'll wait for you in the car!" she called back.

I went back into my room and quietly slid the curtain back open. He was still there, sleeping. I pressed my fingers against the window, feeling my insides weakening and a single tear rolling down my cheek.

"Bye Jared," I whispered against the glass.

Jared:

You're in trouble.

Seth's thoughts as well as his approaching footsteps woke me up from my slumber on the ground outside Kim's room; a place I had actually grown comfortable sleeping these past few weeks.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I admitted submissively. For the first time, I had disobeyed an Alpha's command.

It wasn't that bad, anyway, he told me proudly, his thoughts allowing me to catch glimpses of a coven of vampires being ripped apart by he and Jake alone.

Good job, kid, I congratulated flatly after being presented with his eventual play-by-play recount.

Thanks. But you're still in trouble.

I rolled my eyes. He didn't get it. I couldn't leave Kim. Not when her days here were numbered.

Sam send you here to come and get me? I asked, already predicting possible punishments. Double shifts. With Leah. I shuddered at the thought.

Nope. Just to tell you you're in trouble.

I could feel Seth trying to shield his thoughts. I was in trouble, like he said, but Sam had sent him here primarily to check if I was okay. Sam had tried to shield his thoughts from me these days, but I knew he felt sorry for me for essentially having my imprint deny me. They all did. No one knew what to do anymore. Sam kept trying with Emily when she first denied him, but for me, it was a lost cause. Emily was just confused by imprinting and was scared of the unfamiliar. But Kim understood it. Kim understood it even better than I did, and conclusively asked me to let her leave. And I could never deny her what she wanted; I didn't have it in me.

Seth pretended to be oblivious to my thoughts, unsure of how to comfort me. I hadn't talked about it much to anyone, especially to little Seth who was still so young and naïve.

So do you just watch her all night or something? he asked, truly curious as well as taking my mind off the subject.

Not really, I answered. She's drawn the curtains closed this week, so I can't exactly watch her. And she doesn't know I'm here. But still, I just cant…

Yeah, he agreed knowingly, without needing me to continue.

It must've sounded pretty masochistic to him that I still slept here every night, knowing that any day now she would be leaving like she planned, and I would be left behind, unwanted.

Unwanted.

Actually thinking the word was like taking a jab to the gut. Kim didn't want me. She didn't care anymore. I had hurt her and she didn't—

Look. Seth's mental voice distracted my depressing train of thought, as he focused in on something above my head.

He moved closer to the house, squinting and gesturing for me to follow his vision.

What? I asked, following suit by taking a closer look inside.

For the first time in a week, Kim's curtains were drawn wide open. At first I was confused. I wasn't sure if I was even looking into Kim's room at that moment.

And then realization washed over me. We were staring into Kim's bare room which now held only her bed, an empty desk and an open wardrobe with nothing but metal hangers inside.

All her belongings were gone.

Everything, gone.

Kim. Gone.

I sunk to the floor, a loud whine escaping me.

She's gone, I thought aloud, wincing at the actual realization. I didn't even get to say goodbye. She just left... She really didn't care anymore. It was really over.

Yeah... but look, Seth continued, his face inches from the window.

I turned back around lifelessly to see what had caught his attention now. I saw it in his thoughts before I did with my own eyes, and instantly rushed back up to where he stood, focusing in on what he had discovered.

There were faint fingerprints marked into the foggy window, as well as a tiny nose print.

Confusion crossed my thoughts as I struggled to understand what exactly I was looking at.

I think she was watching you? Seth offered.

Kim had seen me?

She must have pressed her face and hand against the glass, he continued.

When did that happen? I wondered to myself in a panic. I had missed an opportunity to talk to her?

I'm guessing not long ago, because it only just got foggy, Seth answered matter-of-factly.

I stared at the tiny handprint with every emotion running through my body. I imagined Kim, early this morning, sitting on her bed watching me, pressing her hand against the glass as if silently waving goodbye.

I could feel my breath coming slower and faster at the same time, my heart pounding, threatening to explode as I stared at this physical mixed message she had sent me. Did she still feel something?

There's still hope! Seth's voice, once again, cut into my thoughts.

What do you mean? I asked, feeling vulnerable and confused enough to listen to him.

You still have a chance! Seth was the eternal optimist, but he had no idea how much of a lost cause this really was. Naïve little kid.

Seth, I cant, I explained. She asked me to let her leave.

The memory of her words replayed in my head, hurting like an already lodged knife, twisting in my heart. He didn't understand how much you couldn't deny an imprint what she wanted.

His trademark wolf-grin crept onto his sandy face as he answered my concerns.

But that doesn't mean you can't follow her…