Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Suggested Listening: "Wrecking Ball" by Iko, "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons, "Blow It All Away" by Sia, "Silver Coin" and "I'm Not Yours" by Angus & Julia Stone

"Jacob."

His name falling from my lips was more of a sound than a word. Nevertheless, his smile widened when I said it. I stared holes through him, unable to move any farther than I already had. I dissected everything in front of me, each part of what I swore was an apparition – a ghost – standing only a few feet from my body. He was wearing a black leather jacket and jeans with a hole in one knee. Under the jacket, he had on a hunter green t-shirt. The strands of ebony hair on his head were damp.

He was as beautiful as I remembered, his black eyes burning holes straight through me.

I clutched tightly at the sponge in my hands. It couldn't be him. It couldn't be but it was. My brain was skeptical, refusing to believe it was this easy – that he'd reappear after all this time with so little fanfare.

But through the numbness, my heart pounded heavily against my chest. It reveled without my permission at the site of the man I once adored, celebrating the fact that months later – after nearly every single thread of hope had frayed – he was actually here. He was actually standing in front of me.

"Bells, I'm home."

The words were tentative as I watched his lips form each one. The throbbing organ in my chest stuttered at the sound of my nickname falling off hislips, but it didn't matter. Instead, it only helped solidify the reality of the ghost standing in front of me, debunking this cruel trick my mind was playing on me.

But he wasn't a ghost. This wasn't a trick.

It was Jacob.

And he was home.

And in that moment, my heart won.

The sponge slipped between my fingers, bouncing off the ground as my feet moved my lethargic body forward. Contrary to how heavy I felt, I closed the gap in a mere second, my body colliding hard with his as I threw myself at him, my arms wrapping tightly and desperately around his neck. I closed my eyes and squeezed so tight, taking a deep breath and inhaling every ounce of his scent. It was exactly as I remembered. He didn't disappear. He wasn't dead. He was alive and, more importantly, he was real.

I felt his arms return my embrace as his hands splayed across my back, hugging me to him so hard my breathing threatened to stop. One hand traveled up, rubbing the back of my head as he rested his cheek against my ear. He sighed heavily, almost as if he were expelling a lifetime's worth of stress and worry. Gratitude filled my body and I tried to open my mouth to speak, but the only thing my throat released was an anguished squeak.

"It's okay, Bells," Jacob whispered, his breath fanning across my ear. "I'm here. I missed you so much, but I'm here now."

I'm here now. Even as my fingers curled around his jacket, as my nose pressed into his neck, the words hit me like a two-ton brick as my eyes snapped open.

I'm here now.

Now.

But where were you before?

Before I could stop it, a wave of furious adrenaline ripped through me. In an overwhelming surge of heat, I came to my senses faster than I lost them moments earlier.

I pushed away from Jacob so suddenly – so violently – that I almost lost my balance and fell to the ground. His hand flashed out of nowhere, grabbing mine to keep me from falling. As quickly as I registered his body in front of me, I felt hot, frustrated tears sting my eyes as my gaze landed on his fingers wrapped around mine. His skin was searing and unbearable as I let my wide stare travel again to his face, his expression a mixture of relief and apprehension.

You're here now, I repeated silently.

But where were you before?

My fingers burned, skin prickling as the adrenaline surged into my hands. One moment I was clenching my fists and the next I pulled one hand behind me, letting my fingers uncurl as I released my arm with as much force as I could draw from every ounce of my small body.

The crack my open palm made when it struck Jacob's face gave birth to a violent shudder as it crawled up my spine.

Jacob stumbled back a bit, more out of shock and surprise than actual pain as I was confident I hadn't hurt him. My palm tingled as I sucked in a deep breath, releasing it in a haggard pant as I watched him watch me. The smile had disappeared from his face and his eyes were now clouded with uncertainty as he tried to register what I'd done.

Regardless, his hand cupped his cheek in disbelief and I knew I had gotten my point across.

It was also the moment I could feel the adrenaline ebb, giving way to something else. My trembling intensified, urging forward a choking panic as I felt it crawling its way up my throat.

As he took in my shifting reaction, Jacob only mitigated it as a look of agony played across his features, and he winced as a guttural sob came out of nowhere and managed to escape from my lips. The tears scorching the corners of my eyes escaped, finding solace on my cheeks as I closed my eyes for a just a second, encouraging them to fall.

This time though I opened my eyes and my feet found traction, taking one step as I backed away from him slowly. Instead of looking at him, I trained my stare on his feet. I couldn't look at him. His was the same face that haunted my dreams, the same one I craved for too long. The sight of him before me caused the flames to lick at my stomach.

This was too much. He was too much.

And I wasn't ready for this.

"Bella." I squeezed my eyes shut again at the sound of his voice, almost as if I was willing him to disappear. "Bella, please – I'm sorry." I heard the shuffling of feet on gravel as he took a step toward me. "Can you please say something?"

I held out one hand directly in front of me in response as if to ward him off. I heard him stop as I forced myself to open my eyes. Although my vision was blurry, I glared hatefully at him, willing myself to find my voice as I allowed only two words to seethe from between my clenched teeth.

"Go. Away."

Jacob face crumpled as if I'd just punched him in the stomach, his arms falling to his sides. "Bella, please…" he repeated.

"GO AWAY!"

The scream I released was almost feral, my voice cut off by another sob as it escaped my lips. I brought my hand to my mouth in silent dismay. My determined mask was crumbling and I could feel my chest tightening little by little until I was struggling to breathe in and out.

Jacob looked defeated as he watched me backing away from him, my steps small but determined. My other arm was still outstretched in front of me, creating a feeble, imaginary barrier between us. He wasn't unfazed by my reaction. His eyes, burning with sadness and understanding, captured mine and refused to let them go.

He knew perfectly well this wasn't going to be easy.

"Bella! What the hell is wrong? Are you okay? I heard you..."

The near-frantic, concerned voice behind me cut off as abruptly as it was announced, and I heard footsteps cease on the front porch. The sound of this voice – of his words – was one I'd let myself forget for just a split second, but it was long enough for me to taste the bile in the back of my throat at the thought.

The guilt was enough to push me completely over the edge as I literally stood witness to my past and my present reuniting.

And it also was enough to send me reeling as the combination of the two suddenly obscured a future of which just moments earlier I'd been so certain.

My fingers clawed at my chest in an attempt to relieve the pressure, which instead escaped my airway in the form of a hysteric sob. Sucking in what little oxygen I could through the panicked cries, I glanced at Jacob's tortured expression. My eyes connected with his one more time before I turned away from him, ignoring the distress in them as I sought solace in the voice behind me.

God damn it, I couldn't breathe.

Embry stood on the porch, his eyes wide, his arms frozen at his sides and his body completely paralyzed in disbelief. His gaze drifted beyond my body, trained determinedly on the person behind me. I opened my mouth to say Embry's name, but nothing came out. However, the sound of my labored inhale snapped him out of his trance as his eyes released their hold on Jacob to find mine. It took him only another moment to coax his legs to move as he swiftly descended the stairs, ignoring Jacob as he reached me, taking my face in between his hands and forcing me to look at him.

"Bella," he urged, his brow drawn worriedly over his eyes while he used every bit of strength inside him to keep his features calm and soothing. "Bella, breathe. Look at me. Calm down, okay?"

I bit my violently quivering lip and my hysteria gradually subsided to whimpers as Embry held my gaze with his comforting eyes. I took multiple deep breaths as he silently encouraged me, indirectly synchronizing his inhales to mine. I focused on his warm face, trying to ease the throbbing in my chest and drown out the silent screaming inside urging me to turn back around and make sure Jacob hadn't disappeared.

"Embry…"

I heard his voice again. Jacob was still here. I closed my eyes, a tiny wave of relief swirling with the anxiety burning through my veins. In the same moment, I found my fingers clasping tightly around Embry's forearms as if the small gesture would keep him from also evaporating into thin air.

A masked brush of fingers on my bicep encouraged me to open my eyes. I complied and was greeted with Embry's insistent stare. His face was hard and determined but his eyes conveyed sincerity. They radiated love. They promised me safety.

"Everything will be okay, Bella," he whispered. "No matter what, okay?"

It took everything inside me to focus on acknowledging his words. Only when I finally took in a deep cleansing breath could I feel my head bob in acceptance.

The second I did, Embry jerked his head in a curt nod before he tore his gaze from mine and located its intended target standing several feet behind me. His palms seared my cheeks and his skin boiled beneath my hands.

The person who stepped away was not the same one who held me.

"Nobody wants you here, Jacob."

Embry's tone was anything but warm. It was cold, it was angry. It was protective. But most of all, it dripped with something else, spreading through me as it chilled my insides.

Resentment.

A shudder fanned through my body at Embry's tone. Never in the years I'd known him had I heard him speak to Jacob with such contempt and it made my stomach lurch from the repercussions of it all, even as I forced my feet to move and urged my body to turn. As much as I felt myself crumbling on the inside – as much as I fought the urge to fall apart – I couldn't do it here. I couldn't do it now.

This was not my time.

My eyes sought out Jacob first, whose mouth was open slightly as he watched Embry, gauging his reaction – assessing him. But I wasn't watching his face. Instead, I noticed his throat constrict slightly as he swallowed, a clear indicator of anxiety. His eyes jerked in place as they discreetly fought against their focus, doing whatever they could to avoid the confrontation the rest of his body was facing. He licked his lips, an obvious sign words were failing him. He didn't know what to say. The signals his body exuded made it clear this wasn't the reaction he was anticipating from Embry. It was unmistakable.

At least to me.

"Em...please." Jacob finally allowed the intimate plea to leave his mouth, his eyes watching his friend warily. Embry had taken another step away from me, his feet planted firmly on the ground and his jaw trembling in suppressed anger.

I could hear Embry's rough exhale before he spoke again. "No. Nobody wants you here," he repeated steadily. His words were short, controlled. "Bella told you to leave, so you need to go."

Jacob blinked in response to Embry's demand. He didn't move a muscle as I curled my clammy palms into fists at my sides. Instead, he cocked his head to the side, his lips pressed into a thin line as he allowed one last look at me before training his determined stare back on Embry.

"I'm not leaving," he responded quietly, directing the words to both of us though he spoke them to Embry. "Not yet. Not until I get a chance to talk to Bella – alone."

I caught Embry sneak a sideways glance at me the same second my stomach lurched. I thought for sure I would vomit as my arms swiftly clutched at my stomach and I looked up, meeting Embry's anxious gaze for just a split second.

It was all he needed.

Seeing me nearly double over, Embry bristled as his calm façade snapped.

"Really, man? Who the fuck do you think you are?" Embry spat out as he turned his venomous glare back to Jacob. "Why are you really here? It definitely can't be for Bella, because what you did made you give up any fucking right to expect anything from her."

A shiver started at the base of my spine and slowly crawled through my body as I watched Embry beside me. His jaw clenched and his nostrils flared. His hands were balled into fists as he fought something powerful inside him.

His wolf was close, and he was in danger of taking over completely.

"Do you know what you did to this pack – to her– when you left?" He threw a cursory glance at me as he took a step toward Jacob. "Do you really think that after four fucking months we're all just going to welcome you back with open arms?"

Jacob's eyes closed as he took a deep breath, letting Embry's words and their scathing honesty soak in little by little. "I know," he finally pushed out through clenched teeth. "And I don't expect you to, but I am hoping you'll let me talk." Jacob chose that moment to shift his focus on me, a shudder rocking my frame as his gaze caught mine.

"No." Embry took another step forward, refusing to back down. "We're done here. Why don't you start by finding Sam and letting him know you're home."

But Jacob was looking at me. He was still searching. Ignoring. Hoping.

"I'm where I need to be right now."

Jacob's words knocked the breath from my lungs and I could still feel the tears involuntarily spilling from eyes. Jacob standing in front of me just like this was everything I wanted at one point, a scene that frequently invaded my dreams during nights of fitful sleep. There was a point where I would have given anything for this moment. I would have done anything for it.

But now it was here and I didn't feel joy. I felt anger, sadness, uncertainty, upheaval, pain. I came to terms with Jacob's disappearance only to have him reappear what seemed like mere moments after I willingly put it all behind me, after I put myself through every emotional test necessary to close the door on that chapter of my life.

Yet here he was knocking anyway and as he stood there, I knew he wanted back in.

"Bella, please listen to me…" Jacob implored, his voice almost a whisper as he ultimately decided to bypass Embry. It dripped with affection, with respect, with a love I'd since tucked away.

He took a step forward.

But as he did, I couldn't stop myself as I instinctively took a step back, negating his movement as I partially shielded myself behind Embry's tall frame. A ripple of pain spread across Jacob's face, his eyes shifting to Embry and back to me as curiosity and confusion passed through them.

I cast my eyes to the ground, almost choking on the heavy breath in my throat as I forced myself to speak. "I can't right now," I muttered. "Embry's right – I don't want to see you."

"Bells," Jake whispered, taking one more step forward. This time, I stayed rooted in place as I warily watched his approach. "You are one of the reasons I came back. I know you're upset with me, but please don't be scared to talk to me – I'm still the same person I always was. Nothing's changed."

You're wrong, I thought to myself in response to his words.

Everything changed.

I winced but stood my ground. "I can't do this right now, Jacob." I repeated, his name drying out my mouth as it fell from my lips.

"Bella…"

He was pushing, but he'd gone as far as he could go. He'd worn out his very short welcome.

The presence next to me was gone faster than I could register it. My vision reeled but when the scene in front of me came back into focus, Embry was in front of Jacob, one hand clamped to his bicep as Embry's face hovered just inches from his.

"I said you're done," Embry growled as Jacob's cool exterior melted into an expression of anger, which was overshadowed by the surprise in his eyes. I'd seen this look but it wasn't in Jacob. It was the same expression, the same realization, I saw pass through Paul the night in Sam and Emily's kitchen.

Only now I knew why.

And just like Paul, the reaction threw Jacob. He didn't realize Embry was protecting, that he was fighting for something larger than himself. Jacob was indignant toward the barrier put in place, and he saw it as a challenge.

Jacob stared at him in frustrated bewilderment as his chest heaved with labored breaths, as he fought against similar instincts pushing inside him. "Why are you here, Embry?" His voice was grating. It was underestimating. "Since when do you speak for Bella?"

There was no warning.

I barely had time to register what happened as I saw Embry's right arm pull back and lunge forward, his fist connecting squarely with Jacob's jaw with a sickening crack. Jacob's body lurched to the side and I cried out in surprise as he was thrown against the Mustang with a hard thud.

My fingers moved instinctively to cover my mouth and silence my outburst as Jacob's hands pressed against the glass. He sucked in several calming breaths, taking a few moments to recover and gather his bearings. Eventually, his neck twisted and he turned his head, glaring at Embry as his hand moved to touch his own face in disbelief. The skin below his eye was open and bleeding as his fingers grazed over the laceration.

I was frozen as I watched him pull his hand away to look at the blood, staring for a few infinite seconds before returning it to his face and clasping his jaw as he adjusted it with one swift, grimacing movement. Letting his fingers trail the length of his cheek before they once again fell to his side, Jacob let his feral glare return to Embry, his face a mixture of aggressive anger and injured pride.

Regardless, Embry wasn't fazed. He towered in front of Jacob, still fuming. Trembling, I tore my eyes from Jacob and refocused them on Embry, and I swore I could almost see his skin rippling over muscle and sinew as he fought every urge and instinct inside him to phase.

Jacob took a step toward Embry.

The savage charge passing between the two men, caused by Jacob's action as human rationale left and instinct started to take over, turned my blood to ice. As I watched them, I barely heard the distant sound of a car door slam or footsteps falling frantically on the pavement as I took a step forward.

I couldn't let this happen. I had to stop it.

But I didn't get the chance.

Before I could register what was happening, a third body was thrown into the fray, wedging itself determinedly between Embry and Jacob. The body was smaller, feminine, but the look in her eyes was just as feral and just as purposeful. And her eyes met mine for a split second, a sympathetic and protective flare raced through them the moment she was certain I wasn't going to move.

"Stop it. Both of you."

Leah's voice made it clear it wasn't a request as she shot a menacing glare toward Jacob before turning toward Embry, taking a step forward and resolutely bringing both hands to his face. My heart pounded in my chest as she pulled, trying to urge his face toward her even as Embry fought her, not wanting to be the first to look away.

"Embry, look at me." Her voice was firm and unwavering, but the traces of empathy were unmistakable. "Look at me!"

Her tone indicated she wasn't going to give up until he did, so Embry searched and found what he needed to let go, to focus on Leah's voice as she pled with him. His body relaxed minutely before his neck went slack and he let his face drop toward Leah's steadfast eyes.

"Not here," she murmured directly to him, despite the fact Jacob could hear every word. "Not now. You need to walk away."

She held his gaze as his shoulders lifted and fell with labored breaths, until the movements ebbed and the tension lifted from his body. As each moment passed – as I watched his frame resign from a fight he wasn't ready to have, no matter what he thought – I felt the tightness dissolve in my own chest, disappearing completely when Embry finally took a step back.

His breath left him in an anguished huff as he continued his retreat. The glare he gave Jacob was searing.

"You're not worth it," he seethed.

With that, Embry turned, his eyes taking a moment before they settled on me. As soon as he took in my anxious expression, his face crumpled as the Embry I was used to returned swiftly to his features. His eyes were tortured and his pained expression tore at my insides.

He took a step forward, still watching me intently, before he stopped. His chest swelling, he ripped his gaze away and peered back over his shoulder to Leah, his eyes pleading and asking a question I couldn't understand.

Leah nodded toward him, her eyes wide with sincerity. "Go inside. Everything will be fine."

I couldn't see Embry's face from where I stood but I could see his head start to shake, like Leah's suggestion was impossible. I shivered as she pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows, willing him to believe her words. When he refused to move, she tried again.

"Porch," was all she said.

After a few unbearable seconds, Embry finally turned and broke into a purposeful stride as he walked right past me, evading my worried eyes as I heard his footsteps ascend the stairs. It wasn't until I heard a dull thump that I ventured a glance behind me, only to see Embry had collapsed to the porch steps, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped together in front of his mouth determinedly. At this point, he was letting himself become a spectator.

To protect from afar should he be needed, no matter how hard it was to do.

Her face visibly relaxing, Leah took a deep breath before she nodded curtly toward me. Turning around, I was allowed only one glimpse of her expression as it shifted from defensive to firm before it disappeared, her back facing me and her attention refocused on her other pack brother.

"Jacob Black, for once in your life, please pull your stubborn head out of your ass and listen when someone tells you to fucking do something."

Jacob ran a still trembling hand distractedly through his hair as he rolled his eyes at Leah's more cutting approach. I shivered as I watched his jerking, anxious movements. "Listen, Leah, I know everyone's angry with me and I don't blame them, but right now? I just want to explain – to apologize. I already walked away once and I'm not gonna do it again. Really, this isn't even any of your business..."

"Oh, excuse me?" Leah exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. "Forgive me for being Captain Obvious here, Jake, but I really don't think you're in a place anymore to claim you have a good handle on what is or is not your business."

Jacob's mouth closed with a snap as he let his gaze travel toward the sky, hesitating for a moment before he brought it back to Leah, who was by no means finished.

"Listen," she pressed on. "I know you feel this overwhelming need to make things right because god forbid you sit on something for a few minutes to see if it works itself out, but you need to listen to me. This is not about you right now. It was when you left, and it was for a long fucking time after that, but right now? This is not about you."

"I know." This time Jacob's voice was choked hints of regret as he swallowed thickly, Leah's words permeating his arsenal of determination. "I just wanted to explain," he repeated.

Leah's sigh was audible even from my place several feet from her. "I know," she said softly. "And there'll be a time for that, but that time is not right now. Take my advice, Jake — go find Sam. Find Sam, then go home. Go home and prepare yourself for more of that." Leah's arm jutted out until she was pointing at Embry, whose presence was still behind me on the stairs, betrayed by the labored push of air in and out of his lungs. "Because I can guarantee you he's not the only person you're gonna get shit from. Once you're ready to face that? Then we'll talk – then she will talk."

Jacob's eyes fell to the ground but his feet remained planted on the damp earth. "I'm sorry," he whispered to the driveway, although it was meant for everyone else to hear.

"Jacob?"

The word leaving my mouth was raspy as it clawed its way from my parched throat. Leah's body shifted to look at me and behind me, Embry's breathing picked up speed.

But one word was all it took for Jacob's eyes to release his stare on the ground and search mine out, his eyes wide with a fragile hope. The longer we stood there, the harder it became to speak the next words. Regardless, as Leah's interference and Embry's distance from the situation helped my mind clear – if only by a fraction – I knew I had to because Leah was right.

We all needed just a little more time. We needed to decide if forgiveness was an option, and if forgetting was a possibility. Most of all, we had to know what it meant to our irreparably changed lives if we did.

"Please," I begged him breathlessly, "listen to her. If not, listen to me – please. You have to go."

I conveyed every ounce of sincerity I could into my eyes, silently pleading with him. After what seemed like an infinite amount of moments had passed, Jacob pressed his lips together in resignation and nodded. But even as he took a step back, followed by another, his gaze never left mine. His eyes burned with the same candor, filled with a million apologies meant only for me.

As he reached the road, I forced myself to look away – to squelch the throbbing in my chest and break the contact – only to find Leah watching me with a look of intense pride displayed across her features.

But I didn't feel pride. As I looked over Leah's shoulder – as I watched Jacob's retreating form disappear behind the trees – one part of me wanted to cry out, to tell him to come back and share his story with us.

But another felt Jacob deserved it.

And a larger part didn't want to hear a single word he had to say.

Twenty minutes later I was sitting at my kitchen table, staring at the cup of coffee in my hands. With the exception of rotating the mug in a circle between my fingers, I didn't move. I couldn't move. I was frozen as my mind replayed every moment of what just unfolded outside.

Across the room, Embry stood leaning against the sink, his arms folded across his chest as his eyes alternated between me and the clock hanging beside the doorway. Every minute or so, he'd shift his weight to the other foot and clear his throat like he wanted to say something, but he never did.

Neither of us spoke a word.

Yet the energy in the room was tangible, so thick it would be next to impossible to cut through. We were both sifting through an assault of emotions as we struggled to pick which one we could both focus on. Anger, anxiety, regret, sadness – they were all there, but there wasn't a single one either of us allowed ourselves to outwardly feel.

We couldn't because we hadn't prepared ourselves for this.

Moving on was one thing, but bracing ourselves for something we'd somehow pushed to the depths of our minds was another.

My mind was plagued with maybes. Maybe we always thought there would be some kind of warning. Maybe we both convinced ourselves that when it happened, individually we'd be strong enough to get through it without missing a single beat. Maybe we believed we could cast aside the fact that no matter what we told ourselves, there were two sides to every story.

Maybe we both worked so hard to put Jacob behind us we never once considered the possibility he'd come full circle – that one day, he'd once again be standing right in front of us.

But sitting in the kitchen, listening to the ticking clock piercing through the deafening silence, it was obvious each maybe was a fact that never became truth.

"Bella..."

With one word, the sound of Embry's voice pulled me from my thoughts as I tore my eyes from my coffee cup and looked up from the table. I swept over his features, which were laced with a soft mixture of candidness and apology, before landing on his eyes. My stomach knotted when for the first time he allowed me to see the fear in them, and the longer I lingered there, the harder the pull was as it propelled me into a time before now – a time earlier today when we were wrapped up in an impenetrable world of slow kisses and intimate words.

When it was just me and him.

The way it could still be provided I kept it that way.

Planting my feet on the ground, I pushed my chair back in an attempt to stand but was interrupted by the sound of the front door slamming and footsteps approaching the kitchen. When I looked up, Leah was standing in the doorway. With a heavy sigh, her eyes bounced between Embry and me before she raised an arm to lean against the frame.

"Well, that was fun."

The awkward, deflecting laugh that spilled from my lips earned me a grimace from Leah as she peered over at me from her place on the opposite side of the room.

"You gonna make it there, Swan?" she muttered curiously, although I had a feeling the question was only asked half in jest.

Shaking my head at the deep-rooted irony producing the laugh, I nodded as I brought the back of my hands to my lips. "Yeah," I replied, the laugh still dissipating in my throat.

Leah pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows skeptically. Shaking her head, she shifted her gaze to Embry. "I phased. Talked to Sam."

Embry leaned forward a little bit as he let his arms fall to his sides. "Did he know?"

Leah's eyes darted between the two of us. "I kept it short," she replied. "I told him he might want to head home because he was gonna have company. I phased back before he could ask questions." It was her turn to let out a tense chuckle. "Didn't want to ruin Black's surprise factor he's got going on."

Embry released an acknowledging sneer from beside me as I peered at him out of the corner of my eye.

"And for the record, keep your balls in your back pocket next time, Call," Leah piped up, turning toward Embry. "I know what that was all about, but it would be nice if I didn't have to deliver the news to Sam by carrying you two over there in pieces."

I watched Embry's expression turn into an anxious frown at Leah's words. Remembering the scene outside – Embry's face, Jacob's response – made my body shake as I also once again recalled why the three of us were sitting here in my kitchen.

"Well, what the hell did you expect me to do?" Embry exclaimed. "He wasn't listening and he was pushing and it was too fucking much." His words cut off as he scrubbed both hands through his hair, his expression in disarray. Sucking in a deep breath, he let his arms drop as he turned his head toward me. "I'm sorry, Bella."

Letting my gaze fall the floor, I shook my head. "It's okay," I murmured, fiddling with the hem of my shirt. "But Leah's right." I swiveled my stare toward him and met his eyes with a genuine expression. "You could have been hurt, and Jacob's done enough of that to you already."

Leah's eyebrows raised as she looked at Embry, simultaneously pointing at me. "You hear that, Call? I'm right. Huh – imagine that."

Embry scoffed and he crossed his arms tightly in front of his chest. "It's not me I'm worried about getting hurt more."

His words knotted my stomach as my eyes fell dejectedly back to my lap.

The ticking once again filtered through the heavy quiet of the kitchen before Leah finally spoke up, preceding her words with a sigh. "We have to go," she said, a hesitant expression crawling across her face as she looked at Embry. "I smell a pack meeting in our future." This time she raised an eyebrow in my direction. "Are you gonna be okay here if we go?"

Fighting back the lump in my throat at the thought of being left alone to process everything by myself, I did everything I could to push it down as I nodded.

"No." Embry's voice was obstinate as he pushed himself away from the counter. "I'm not leaving."

"You're not gonna have a choice, Em," Leah countered as she stood up straight in the doorway, her hands absentmindedly falling to her hips. "You know Sam – he's gonna tackle this as soon as he gets wind of it, and he's gonna want us there. Bella can come if she wants to, but..."

"Oh, that's brilliant, Leah," Embry retorted, the look of restlessness spreading swiftly across his features. "Let's just go throw her back into something we just got her out of."

Leah cocked one eyebrow, unimpressed with his protectiveness. "Are you going to let me finish?" When Embry just gaped at her, the brow lowered. "But I don't think it's a good idea if she comes with, which is why I asked if she'd be okay here by herself."

"Well, that idea's not exactly a gem either," Embry muttered as he shot a spiteful glare at Leah. "What if he tries to come back?"

Leah groaned. "You can't have it both ways, Call. Either she stays here by herself or she goes with us, and since you're obviously opposed to both ideas, I don't see..."

"How about you go and I stay here, just in case," Embry offered despondently, "and if Sam really feels the need to have a pack meeting right this second..."

"Okay, can the both of you just stop?"

Both Leah and Embry's mouths snapped shut as they glowered at me in disbelief. With a vehement sigh, I brought my fingers to my temples and rubbed them soothingly. "I will be fine," I continued, the words meant to assure myself as much as them. "I am not going to fall apart. I am not going to break, and I don't need either of you telling me what's best for me."

Leah tried her best to hide her smirk while Embry's eyes fell to the floor. Taking a deep breath, I continued. "But I appreciate it and I know you're just looking out for me, but go take care of your family. I will be fine."

My eyes bounced between Embry and Leah as she shot a knowing look in his direction. "You heard her. Let's go get this done and over with now." With that, she offered me a wry smile before turning and disappearing into the entryway, the action followed moments later by the sound of the front door opening and closing.

I chose that moment to push my chair back the rest of the way and stand as Embry closed his eyes, concentrating for a moment, convincing himself leaving me was the right thing to do before he nodded. With a calm face and tortured eyes, he finally met my watchful gaze.

"I'll call you later?"

I gave him a reassuring nod as he looked toward the entryway and forced his feet to move as he made his way toward the door. My own legs propelled me across the kitchen to the spot he had occupied as I watched him go. A sinking feeling plagued my stomach, nagging me into recognizing there were more words to be said.

He needed to go into this confidently, with a lighter heart, and with a reminder of at least one thing that gave him the strength to get to this day in the first place.

And I needed him to remember I was grateful for his strength because in this moment – more so than any other – he needed to know I still had mine somewhere and I was still grateful for him.

"Hey!"

Hesitating in the kitchen doorway, Embry turned slightly at my attempt to get his attention. His features were covered with a chilling stoicism and he held my gaze a moment less than I wanted him to before dropping it to the floor.

My fingers curled around the edge of the countertop. "Look at me?"

After a few moments, he listened. His expression was calm and a little too pulled together, almost like he was purposely trying to hide something from me. It tugged at my insides and urged the words from my mouth without force.

"I love you."

For the first time since I heard the first footfall on gravel, I inhaled without difficulty, offering the most genuine smile I could to Embry. The words were just as easy as they'd been this morning, and despite every single uncertainty that swirled around us, I knew this was still something I could count on.

Embry's face crumpled in that moment and my chest knotted as every barrier he'd inadvertently put up around him – around us – since laying eyes on Jacob fell in a silent crash. He closed his eyes and I could almost see the weight leave his body as he exhaled. When he reopened them, he let an effortless smile pull at the corner of his mouth as he turned back and closed the distance between us in a few easy steps.

My eyes were already closed by the time I felt his hands slide around my waist, his warmth radiating off my features as he stooped down, his lips tentatively brushing mine before my fingers twisted around his arms and pulled him the rest of the way.

The heat of Embry's slow, committed kiss filled me entirely and for just a split second, I forgot why I told him to leave.

But soon his lips moved faster, more desperate against mine as I felt myself being coaxed backward until my back collided with the sink. I inhaled sharply into Embry's mouth as I felt his hands grasp frantically at the exposed skin between my jeans and shirt.

I leaned back against the counter as his lips separated from mine and he moved to my ear. He traced hot, frantic kisses along my jaw before he drug his teeth across my bottom lip and recaptured my mouth with his. The intensity behind the kiss – the reason for it – caused an anxious, exhilarated shudder to snake its way up my spine.

It didn't matter what I said.

He was tasting. He was memorizing.

Just in case.

And all I could do was clutch his shoulders and allow him to warm me to the core as I tried to draw some of the anxiety from his soul.

As suddenly as he started, Embry pulled away, leaving me cold and selfishly needing more. His eyes were closed and he took deep labored breaths as he leaned his forehead against mine. I shivered as I felt his hands slide up my arms, across my shoulders and travel up the sensitive skin of my neck to cup my face between them. I closed my eyes as well, causing a tear I didn't know was lingering to finally escape.

When I opened them again, Embry's dark gaze was boring directly into mine. With the pad of his thumb, he wiped away the tear on my cheek and slowly kissed the spot where it had been. He kept one hand on my cheek and the other dropped to my waist as I felt him nuzzle my face with his own. I could feel his hot breath on my skin.

His words were few and they came in a whisper.

"That's all I needed."

AN: Hi, everyone! Hope you enjoyed this super quick update (at least by my normal standards!) Thank you all for your very thoughtful and, er, colorful reviews the last chapter. ;) I appreciate each and every one of you oh so much.

Anyway, we'll be in Embry's head next chapter, but...this chapter...thoughts?