I looked at my friend directly and answered as honestly as possible. "He's like no one else I have ever met.

He is kind and caring, almost to a fault. If he even thinks I am upset or he's done something that hurt me, he'll freak. Not in a crazy, obsessed way…more like, he actually can't stand the thought of it. It's crazy, I've never had any act like this toward me and I don't know how to handle it. I mean, he makes me want to be honest with him."

"Want to be?" She interrupted.

"Well, yeah" I began, "I want to tell him everything, I want to tell him I never knew my father and how I really ended up in Forks…but I can't. I won't."

Edie took it all in. She stared at me for a little while and thought, rubbing her chin in an almost comical way.

"Well, don't tell him." She said simply.

"What?"

"Don't tell him. You are not ready to tell him. I assume that once you do, you will need someone to console you, to be there for you, someone you can trust to keep you while you heal. His type is rare, and I mean rare Brielle. Wait until you can trust him and yourself enough to be vulnerable."

"What if I never get there?" I asked, looking at her hands.

"You will. If it's one thing I know about us, is that eventually we all become stronger when allowed time to heal."

I smiled at her, she was literally my best friend and I couldn't express how much I appreciated speaking with her.

"So, has he seen you naked yet?"

I knew that my eyes grew twice their size as I let out a nervous giggle, which turned into an embarrassing coughing fit. "Edie! You can't just ask things like that!"

"Oh come on," she continued, "We're both girls here. Besides, I know how these young ones today are. I just want to make sure you are being safe."

I rolled my eyes and leaned in closer. "No…we haven't…done...that. I wouldn't know how to...anyway..." I whispered.

"Ahh." She said, smiling from ear to ear. "That's good. It's good to wait, let you realize what you feel with your heart and not with anything else."

"I agree. How will I know what I am truly feeling with my heart? Embry is the first one to ever show me this kind of…devotion. How do I know I am really feeling something and not just feeling really grateful?"

Edie sat back in her chair and thought about that for a while. "I assume you will know exactly when that happens. It will be the moment when you would rather trade in your happiness to see his. You would be self sacrificing in order to protect him."

I decided that I would need to save up for a car. The fifty-dollar cab fare would be too steep for me to pay when I visited Edie once a week as promised. We said our goodbyes and I wished that somehow Edie could leave that place, maybe even stay with us for a little while. As I got out of the cab, I saw Embry sitting on the front steps. He had his head down and I saw him wringing his hands in anxiety. His hair fell like around his face and back like onyx drapes, hiding his expression from my view.

"Um, hey" I said lamely.

He spoke, never looking up. "I shouldn't have kissed you."

The words stung as if he slapped me across my face. I knew it was true, but I didn't want to hear him say it.

"I guess not. I understand and it's okay." My voice gave me away. Embry quickly looked up and was in front of me in an instant.

"Shit. I did it again. I said something wrong again?"

I shook my head and faked a smile, looking past him.

"Wait," he realized, "You know that I wanted to, right? I wasn't saying I didn't want to kiss you, just that I should have waited. I didn't mean to pressure you."

"Pressure me?" I repeated, confused. "You didn't pressure me at all."

"Then why did you cry like that? Was it…was I…bad?"

"No, not at all, you dork." I chuckled, "You were amazing, best kiss of my life I'd assume."

He grinned his special smile, the one he only had when something made him really happy. "Good, I thought maybe I'd run you off."

"No, if anyone will do any running, it will most likely be you." I said quietly.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

I looked around and noticed that it was getting dark rather quickly. I grabbed Embry's hand and he followed me to the door. "Come on in, we need to talk about some things."

I guided Embry to the living room and searched for Leanne and Skye. There was a note taped to the refrigerator.

Gone to the supermarket and then to the mall. Skye needs a new pair of shoes for some dance or something. Did you know they are having an unsupervised dance for freshman? I don't like it at all, but she insists. Anyway, be home later. Stay up… I rented a few more movies for tonight.

I let out a sigh of relief. At least we would have time to talk privately for a little while.

"We're alone?"

I jumped and turned to see him standing behind me, looking…mischievous.

"Yup, we're alone for at least another hour." I replied.

The way he stared at me was always so intense and it always caused the same reaction. It would make me want him. I doubted that he even knew what he was doing and I'm sure that any normal girl would readily throw herself at him, but no, not me. The one time I had an opportunity at a real relationship and I was too damaged to even want one.

Remember, you have to be ready first. You can't be anything more than friends.

"Why did you and Morgan break up?" I probed suddenly.

Embry leaned against the counter and sighed. "That's a long story, one I'm sure you don't want to hear."

"Or maybe you aren't ready to tell it." I countered.

That caught him by surprise, "You're right, I'm not. There are so many details, but I can't tell you…yet."

"When?" I continued.

"Soon, I promise." He assured me, wrapping my hands in his. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious. Morgan is gorgeous and nice, I think. I just don't see what would cause the split."

Embry chuckled to himself. "Well, we actually broke up a while ago and then things were…hard on me…and we got back together. I only let the guys know about the second time, since Kim and Leah hate her, with good reason." He sighed and continued to trace small circles into my palm. "So, we were working on things again, but then something happened. Now, we're completely over and I don't want to go back to that."

"Oh." I replied. "I take it that those said details are…messy?"

"Very." He agreed.

"Well," I started, "let me give you a tour of the house."

I lead Embry through each room and explained which was which and why almost every room was painted a different color.

"Leanne…is eccentric at times." I stated.

He was impressed at the television attached to the ceiling. "Where's your room?"

"It's upstairs on the-"

"I bet I can find it." He interrupted. With that, he got up and bounded up the stairs. I followed him, puzzled by his enthusiasm.

He found my room and was lying across my bed triumphantly. I knew Embry was tall, but on my queen-sized bed, he looked like a modern day giant.

"How did you know this was my room?" I asked. Leanne's house held a dozen rooms and mine was the least noticeable.

"Lucky guess." He said, patting the pillow next to him.

"Hold on," I said, holding open my hands, "this was something we needed to talk about."

"Okay," he agreed.

"I like you Embry. I like you a lot, much more than I should at this point, but I do. I want to think you feel the same way." I spoke quickly.

"Absolutely," He assured.

"Well, I think that we need to be friends for a while first, I have things that need to be sorted before I can…well, before we can…"

"I understand Bri." He interjected. "We'll stay friends as long as you want and need us to."

"Are you sure?" I asked, sitting down on the bed.

"Yes, I am. If you need me to be just a friend, then I will be just that."

"Okay, just don't bring around any girlfriends."I joked.

He sat up and across from me, his expression intense. "I would never do that. You are who I… like and if you want only a friendship, then that will be all I need."

"You say that now…" I protested.

"And I will continue to." He added. "So…friends…we can still hang out and go out and stuff, right?"

"You mean like on dates?"

"Hey, friends can have dates." He laughed, "We'll just make sure it's something fun or silly. Don't want you attacking me again."

"I did not!" I protested, "I was just caught up a little bit." I said, blushing.

"I can understand, I mean my kissing skills are pretty incredible."

I laughed and playfully shoved him. He retaliated by pushing me on my side, only to pull me closer to him.

"I should probably get in one more bear hug." He laughed into my shirt.

"You act as though it's the last time we'll ever see each other." I hugged him back and laughed as well. "I think friends can still give bear hugs."

He pulled me back so I could see his face. "Okay, so we can have friend dates and give hugs...and I assume act like idiots with each other. What can't we do?"

I leaned back on my heels and thought for a moment. "I think hugging is as far as we should go, I mean once you find out about me and my past and everything, you will probably leave. It would be hard enough saying goodbye to a friend, I couldn't handle it if you became anything more."

Embry sat silent for a few minutes and I grew more nervous with each moment.

He'll probably leave now. Get it over with, I mean he has to realize that this is all I can give.

"I doubt you've done anything so horrible." He argued.

I shook my head and closed my eyes, imagining what Emilia and Jason thought when they didn't come back home. Caleb was too young; he'd grow up never knowing me. I imagined them learning why I left, why Skye left, how I had ruined everything with my selfishness.

"I have." I admitted, letting my tears pour freely. "I hurt those who needed me the most."

Embry wiped my cheeks and simply held me, never speaking, just holding me while I calmed down.

A few minutes passed by with neither of us speaking. My tears stopped and I felt like a complete idiot for crying in front of him. I hoped that he thought I was completely insane, but he didn't act like it, he just watched me, rubbing his hand on my shoulder.

"My mother." I said quietly, unsure as to why I was telling him this. "I have issues when I think of my mother or my family. I try to keep my thoughts superficial, so nothing real can be processed. But with you, I can't help but to feel all of my emotions, good and bad."

He looked at me with a face that mirrored my own. "I am so sorry, what do you want me to do?"

"Just stay here with me?" I asked, lying on my side.

He nodded and nestled in beside me, murmuring how it would all be okay and how he was there for me. How he would always be there for me. I closed my eyes and listened to him speak, and then he began to hum; it was loosely familiar.

"I know that." I whispered quietly. "What is the name of what you're humming?"

"There's no name," he said slowly, "My mother use to hum it to me when I was little."

I turned around and faced him, his arm never leaving my side.

"What is it that you like about me so much?" I asked abruptly."I heard about the girls and their constant advances."

Embry let out a low groan. "Kim and Leah are impossible."

I waited for a reply as he sucked in a deep breath.

"Do you remember the first day we saw each other?" He asked.

"Of course, I fell in front of you a few times, then ran off like a scared mute."

"Exactly," he agreed, reliving the memory. "You were startled and embarrassed. I think you were mad as well."

"I stubbed my toe a few times that morning." I interrupted.

"A productive day," he laughed. "Well, it began that day. I had never seen anyone so beautiful in my life. Then you spoke, and I had never heard anything so remarkable in my life."

"Like love at first sight?" I asked, intrigued.

"Does that freak you out?"

"Not as much as it probably should. I'm just confused as to why it happened to me." I answered.

Embry sat up and ran his hands through his hair a few times, one of his nervous habits. "Well, there is a perfect reason as to why I feel this way about you. You're my.. my…"

"I'm your what?"

"You're my imprint."