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I let him stay on the sofa, I knew I shouldn't have but I did. I shouldn't have done it because of Max, I didn't want this to confuse him anymore than it had but I had still told Embry to stay at my god damned house and now Max seemed to be watching my every move around the guy. I felt stalked by my own son.
He had repainted my kitchen ceiling and had begun removing the fried out stove in the two days he had been here. We had take out last night and now take out tonight, I couldn't find a single thing in the supermarket that Max would eat that didn't require an oven or a stove. Not even a microwave meal that the kid wouldn't turn his nose up at. Embry was out getting the food with Max, we were having pizza. Chinese last night, Pizza tonight. If the stove wasn't fixed soon I would be obese by Christmas.
"So I heard from Seth that Embry didn't come home with Emily and Sam" My mom's prying voice niggled down the phone at me as I wiped the kitchen counters clean, I hadn't even dirtied the counters today but I needed something to do whilst waiting for the boys to return.
"He had work to do here" I mumbled knowing that it wasn't gone to stop her pushing the questions at me, I had to expect it though. The whole pack would be talking about how Embry stayed in Hawaii with me rather than returned to his home and his job.
"Oh it's just Seth also said something about Embry staying at your house the other night too" She went on, I couldn't hold in the long frustrated sigh. The whole freaking pack knew that as well, great. So Sam had obviously been gossiping, or bitching. More likely the latter option.
"Yeah he stayed on the couch, anymore questions?"
"No, I just wondered if everything was ok that's all" I could almost hear the grin she was wearing as she spoke, she was such a gossip. She had to know everything about everything even when there was nothing to know, like now. Embry was a friend.
A friend who kisses you. The thought was niggling at me all day, he hadn't kissed me since yesterday. We had been alone all day but he had barely come near me, he hadn't kissed me since before we went to the beach. We were friends; it was obviously a momentary thing.
"So where is my handsome little grandson? I haven't spoken to him in days now"
"He's out getting dinner with Embry, my stoves bust which is why Embry is here before you ask that question, he's fixing my stove"
"Oh, yes Seth said something about him fixing a kitchen over there" My loud groan cut across her as she went on the say something else. This was really grinding my fucking gears, had they all just been sat around gossiping about Embry and me? There wasn't even any gossiping to do, he broke my stove and he's fucking fixing it.
"Anything else Seth said that you would like to share with me today mom?" I didn't mean to sound quite so harsh with her but I hated being gossiped about. I hated it back when I was first part of the pack, the first female, the bitchy one, the one they all used to talk about and I still hate it now.
"Well it's just that you know, Embry's a nice guy and you two got a long when you were here and now he's staying with you, it's just interesting that's all" She was smiling, she knew she was annoying me yet I could hear her smile in her voice.
"Oh my god, mom he's fixing my stove because he broke it. He's a friend, that's all" I felt like I was a teen again, trying desperately to stop the teasing my parents had given me over boys back then.
"Well you know, he hasn't imprinted yet and he's very handsome. I was just wondering if you know" Oh I knew what she meant, he wasn't imprinted and he's handsome? Even after six years of no contact with her I could still read her like a book.
"Mom please stop" I moaned just as the kitchen was illuminated with bright lights from the car that was pulling into my driveway, my car. Embry was back and this conversation was over. "Mom I have to go, the guys are back with dinner. But can you just do me a favour and not gossip about me, nothing is happening with Embry and me, he's a friend who's helping me out so please just leave it"
"Ok ok, calm down no need to get so defensive, I was only asking"
"I'm not being defensive, I have to go. I'll ring you in a few days and you can talk to Max. Say hey to Charlie and Seth for me"
"Will do honey, have a good night and be safe"
"Mom" I warned as she started cooing, that wasn't just a normal 'be safe' that was a 'be safe' that she used to give me before my dates with Sam.
"Ok ok bye honey, love you"
I put the phone down just as the front door came bursting open, Max ran in holding a 6 pack of beer followed by Embry who had the two big pizza boxes and a grocery bag balanced on top.
"Embry got me beer, how cool is that?" Max started skipping as he handed me the 6 pack, I looked up at Embry who was lowering the pile of food onto the counter and he shook his head at me but said nothing, just grinned a little. Buying a six year old beer? Either he was desperate to make Max happy or he was plain stupid. "And we got the pizza, then for pudding we got loads of candy and Embry got me chocolate cake and you've got vanilla cake and Embry has strawberry cake, we had to get three cakes because we all like different flavours. How cool is that?" Max seemed buzzing already and he hadn't even had the sugar yet, he was bouncing around the kitchen waving a movie in my face. "And we got a movie, can I put it on?" I just nodded at him unable to fathom words due to the fact he was bouncing off the walls. He quickly turned and ran into the living room leaving me stood there with the beer and a hell of a lot of confusion.
"It's only root beer, he saw me pick up beer for us and he wanted one so I got him root beer and told him it was the same as ours" Embry quickly cleared up but I was still confused as to why my son was so hyperactive. "Oh he may have eaten some of the candy on the way home, and some of the cake, and he may have had some of my soda. He's a bit buzzed but it's not my fault, I fed him to shut him up. The kids gone all detective on my ass" I watched as Embry emptied the candy out onto the counter, two big chocolate bars were there, then alongside them two empty wrappers of the ones I guess he let Max eat, then a pack of liquorice things that were empty, a can of coke that was empty and finally the cakes, the chocolate one had two big bites out of it. So basically, Max had overdosed on sugar and it wasn't even 6pm. He was gonna puke. He never ate junk, never, the guys already did this to him once and now I was certain he was going to puke all over again. Never leave Max under the supervision of a wolf, they have no sense.
I grabbed the pizza and walked through to the living where Max was skipping the trailers through the DVD, I glanced at the box to see The Amazing Spider Man staring back at me, so not a kids film.
"Yeah, he kind of cornered me on that one. Kids smart, too smart" I jumped a little at the close proximity of Embry's voice, he was directly behind me, his breath able to beat down onto my bare shoulder that was barely covered with a single spaghetti strap of my pyjama top. "I figured he's on such a high right now that at some point he's gotta crash and burn right?" I glanced around at the big guy behind me and shook my head, no, I couldn't see Max's sugar high burning him out anytime soon.
"Uh hello I want my dinner" Max shouted out from his place on the red rug that lay in the middle of my living room. He had proudly set up his root beer in front of him as he leant back against the sofa and stared up at the TV that was beginning the film.
"Uh hello don't be rude" I sung back at the little guy as I dropped to the floor beside him and flicked the pizza box open, he offered me a sweet smile before launching a slice into his little mouth and beckoning for Embry to join us, which he did. Beside me, closely beside me. So close his shoulder was skimming mine and it took me a minute to catch my breath as the sensation of his skin on mine caused a flurry of hot butterflies to swoosh around my stomach. No more kissing Embry, it brought bad thoughts and feelings, dangerous feelings. No more kissing Embry.
He passed a slice to me, his eyes fixed on the TV but as I took it he shot a wink at me before settling himself down against the sofa. This suddenly felt like it was gonna be a hell of a long night.
I had been wrong; Max had crashed and burned not long after his buzz peaked. We had gotten barely a quarter of the way into the film before the soft sound of snoring brought me from the trance I had fixed on the TV, I hadn't been watching it I was just staring whilst trying not to focus on the fact Embry seemed to be getting closer to me. Max was flopped out on the floor, a half eaten pizza going mushy in his curled up hand and his root beer tipped onto the floor. He was out of it.
Embry had carried him to bed while I cleaned my floor up and packed the uneaten pizza away. Not that there was much left over pizza, Embry demolished everything but Max's left over crust and mushed piece.
"He's in bed, all tucked up and cuddling that little wolf of his" Embry spoke above me as I finished mopping up the soda that was sticking to the rug. I nodded and smiled, he loved that wolf. "I told you he was going to crash, I've seen it enough times with Collin and Brady to know that they don't last long before they are out of it" He laughed a little before plonking back down to the floor and slurping on his own beer.
"He's had a long day, school, swimming, then eating all that junk food. It's hard being six you know" I smiled back as I finally sat up right, I spaced myself out away from Embry desperate to escape the feelings he had given me in the last hour. Embry chuckled a little before nodding and again sipping his beer. I had no idea why the guys insisted on drinking, they never got drunk because they burned it off too quickly. I guess it was a statement of manly-ness more than anything else.
"How was he today anyway?"
I glanced up at Embry wondering what he meant but then I realised he meant behavioural wise and most likely at school. "Surprisingly good, his teacher said and I quote, as good as gold. As if nothing ever happened last week. But I guess it's because he saw Sam at the weekend or something, give him a little time and I'm sure the bad behaviour attention seeking thing will come back out" I sounded bitchy, bitter maybe jealous. I sounded pathetic.
"Why are you doing that?"
I again turned to look at the guy beside me, he was frowning at me and shaking his head a little. "Do what?"
"Make out like it's all about Sam with Max. As if his behaviour is all linked with Sam?" He sounded angry but he wasn't shaking, he just looked frustrated. It was about Sam, he was such a sweetie when he spoke on the phone to Sam or my mom, he was good when Sam was here, he even said he wanted to live with Sam. How was I supposed to think it was any other reason than because he wanted Sam. "It's just that I don't think everything Max does is in relation to Sam, you seem to think Max likes Sam better than you or something and I can guarantee that's not true. His behaviour isn't a way of getting back at you for the Sam stuff Leah, he's just a kid going through a phase"
I shrugged a little unsure of what to say. I guess it was a sensitive subject, Max's comments about him wanting to go to La Push still hurt like hell and I was certain that at the diner Max meant that he had been naughty to get Sam here. Max is just playing some sort of game, I was sure of it. He wanted what he wanted and he seemed to have a plan of how to get it. And I did not want to be around for the shit to come when he realised his plan was never going to work.
"You're a great mom Leah, stop putting Sam higher than you" Embry sounded as if he were groaning, he looked a little annoyed. I nodded at him but I didn't think I was necessarily putting Sam higher than me, I just knew that Max had been craving a dad and now he had one it was probably the best thing in his life. I guess I was feeling a little pushed out, and I felt pathetic for feeling it but I felt it and it fucking hurt. "I think I have a way of fixing this, to turn that frown upside down and all that shit" Embry quickly jumped up and strode toward the door before stopping and turning back to me. "You stay there, I'll be back now"
I watched him go, then listened as I heard the clunking of bowls, opening of doors, the fridge going, cutlery clanging and packets being opened. God knows what he was doing but I stayed still and sipped on my own beer that had gone warm and flat.
"Ok so if this doesn't cheer you up, I have no idea what will. My mom used to make this whenever she had a shit day. I would find her cooped up on the sofa moaning about men and whatever stunt I had pulled, and she would be scoffing something awful like this. She probably gained like 50 pounds when I first phased, she spent most weekends on that sofa" He was grinning like the chesire cat as he walked back in and I had to smile too, I knew what happened when he first phased. His mom was adamant her son was on drugs and out partying and fucking girls all night every night and she used to go mental at him for it and ground him, for which he just snuck back out again on Sam's orders. Never ending circle of arguments and tears in his house, I could imagine now as a mom myself that I would spend most nights crying myself to sleep if it were Max doing what she thought Embry was doing.
He sat down beside me and handed the bowl over, it was like a rainbow had taken a shit in it. "What the hell is that?" Candy, ice cream, pop corn and chocolate filled the bowl to the rim.
"It's my mom's famous ice cream sundae , I told you, it makes you feel better"
"Or vomit" I mumbled as I tried finding the ice cream that was buried under the toppings.
"Ok, so we have chocolate, popcorn, chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, liquorice, gum balls, gummy bears and popping candy oh and some ice cream" I think I was going to be sick. Just looking at it made my stomach woozy. Embry began piling it onto his spoon, trying to balance as many gummy bears as he possibly could before shovelling it in his mouth. "Eat up, it's actually pretty good" He was muffled as he spoke through his mouthful of crap.
I so couldn't eat that, I never ate that much candy in a month let alone in one sitting. I glanced up at him again and he was giving me the most adorable puppy dog look waiting for me to try it. I couldn't say no, I needed to start saying no to this guy but I couldn't so I took a spoonful and ate it. It wasn't awful, it wasn't nice but it wasn't awful.
"Food makes everything better" Embry muffled out again as he took more into his already crammed mouth.
"You spend way too much time with Paul, if you guys weren't so active and wolf like you would all be obese. You know that right?"
He just nodded and grinned. "Hell yeah, fat and happy. It's my goal to one day be sat on my front porch on a wooden swinging chair with my hair fat belly poking out of my wife beater, a dodgy beard and a bald head, a beer in one hand and a burger in the other while watching my kids with trashy names play with guns in the yard"
"Belly so big you can't see your toes?" I asked while trying to not giggle at the image he was putting in my head.
"You know it"
"How trashy are we talking for the names?" I cocked an eyebrow at him and he lowered his spoon and bowl to his lap, giving me a grin so wide it could split his face.
"Real trashy, I'd have Embry Junior, Embry junior junior, Embryetta, Embry-lynn, Embry boo boo, whole family of mini fat Embry's" He chuckled a little as I started giggling, he was funny, he was easy to be around and funny. He was the package. "All my little wolf cubs playing with guns and shit, shooting rabbits and slowly torturing dogs. It's a good life I got planned, now don't get too jealous"
I was laughing so much my whole body began aching and I had to breathe like I had during labour to slow myself down again. In and out, in and out as Rebecca had said that day. "How could I not be jealous?"
"I try not to boast about it too much but I can tell the guys get a little touchy, jealousy is a bastard"
"Stop" I giggled again and he chuckled at me before shovelling more food in his mouth. I calmed my giggles down before slurping up the now melting ice cream and toppings, it wasn't as sickly as I first thought it would be but then again I hadn't been paying attention to it thanks to Embry.
I looked up at the TV as the film ran on, I hadn't seen this one which was a surprise as I had seen a lot of super hero movies.
"Max went all Nancy drew on my ass earlier, questioned me on everything to the point I caved and let him have that movie. I can misplace it if you don't want to keep it and listen to him bugging you to watch it" Embry spoke up as if noticing me paying attention to the film. I had no idea what was going on, someone as jumping around in a spider man outfit.
"What do you mean he went Nancy Drew on you? He's six how hard can he push you?" I giggled a little bit, Max could be quite persuasive at times but he seemed to be good at making the Pack guys snap.
"From the second we got in the car it was like, why are you here? how long are you staying, do you have a girlfriend, are you friends with Sam, do you like my mom, is she your friend, do you like a different girl, and it escalated from there. You know he asked me if I had cuddled in bed with someone? Where did he even learn that from?" I froze as I listened to Embry list off the questions Max had asked, my stomach suddenly dropping and my skin running cold. I didn't want Max to be worried, was he worried? Was he asking those questions because he wanted it to be Sam here not Embry? Oh god, I shouldn't have let Embry stay but then Embry is a friend and Max likes Embry so why shouldn't I let him stay? "Leah, breathe" Embry nudged me slightly bringing me back from the internal fight I was having.
"Do you think he's hurt that it's you here? You know because of the Christmas list I found? He's probably confused" I started mixing the contents of my bowl around in nervous hand movements. Embry let out a sigh before shuffling closer to me, his warmth rushing out and biting back at the cold shiver my own skin had taken on.
"I don't know, he didn't seem hurt he acts normal with me, he jokes around and plays with me. Do you think if he was disappointed that I was here he would be so willing to be nice to me?" Embry seemed to have an answer for everything, a way of making me feel better when I couldn't make myself feel better. I nodded at him, he was right. Max loved Embry, if he felt threatened by him or hurt then he would show it, surely?
"I just worry" I whispered and splatted the ice cream in my bowl around again.
"I know, but you don't need to worry so much Leah" He whispered back and reached across my lap, taking the mushed bowl from my hand. "I guess my mom lied about this making people feel better huh?" He smiled at me again and the worry that was swimming in my stomach quickly raced into something else.
"Yeah, I feel like a slug"
"You what?" He stopped mid movement as he went to put the bowls on the coffee table and looked back at me, a deep frown on his young face.
"A slug, you know all fat, slimy and well sluggy" He just stared at me as if I were an alien. "They have no arms or legs, they can barely move. I feel like a slug" I said again, it was a perfectly usable and understandable way of stating how you felt. I felt sluggish, it was a term I had heard before. Yet Embry just stared at me like I was crazy before laughing a little.
"Right, a slug" He laughed again and sat himself up on the sofa, I hauled myself up with him and settled against the cool sofa before focusing on the film. It was nearly finished so I had no hope in understanding but I had to focus on something other than the man sat rather close to me.
We were both silent, watching the end of the film I couldn't understand. I shivered, the heating had gone off and I was in shorts and a top, I was freezing but I tried not to show the chattering of my teeth. I didn't need to though because Embry came scooting across and slowly rested his arm around my shoulder, his movements were slow and wary as if waiting for me to reject him but I didn't, his warmth was too comfortable, his smell to enticing. I let my body fall against his and he swung his legs up pushed me to the back of the sofa so that I was practically draped over him. Too close, too intimate for friends but I couldn't stand up, I didn't want to. I couldn't leave the warmth, the feel of his skin on mine, the smell of his skin and clothes. It was all too enticing for me, too calming.
I watched the screen as best I could, fighting with my eyes that were slowly drooping and stinging with tiredness. I had work tomorrow, I should be in bed but I was comfortable here, more so than I had ever been in my own bed. A light peck hit the top of my head sending a wave of fire through me, my heart flipping and my stomach clenching as his lips touched down on my hair. I couldn't move from this spot because it was too perfect.
"Goodnight beautiful" His voice was like a song soothing me to sleep and it's exactly what it did, my eyes couldn't fight it anymore and I lulled into the warmest and most restful sleep I had had in years.
