This isn't the longest chapter either, but it's longer than the last one. And the second chapter I've posted today, so if you skipped the last one, GO BACK.

The day of my leaving came so much faster than I'd expected. Suddenly I was packing up my stuff for the second time this summer, this time full of regret and misery. I'd spent every second of my last week with Embry. Still the time had run away from us.

This morning I didn't know exactly where he was. Didn't he want to say goodbye to me? Maybe I had hurt him too much. Maybe he was avoiding me on purpose; maybe he had phased and run far, far away so that he didn't have to see me go.

Either way, my body felt even heavier than it would have had to when I pushed my clothes into my bag, forcing it closed. I hadn't brought very much. I remembered thinking this would be the most boring summer ever, regretting that I had chosen to get a job.

I remember meeting Gabe and Cara. I hadn't been able to believe my luck. I got friends my first day here. And they seemed to like me, and it was okay even though Gabe had a dog, and I really liked him. Gabe, not the dog.

And then the fright of seeing Emily's face.

And then going to that dinner. Embry had been so scary. I had just wanted to run away.

It hit me that I had matured a lot over the last two months. In the beginning I kept calling Lena and my mum all the time, telling them every detail of what had happened and what I thought and stuff. The smallest things intrigued me, shocked and surprised me, and every change was too much for me to handle. Nothing was too much now, it seemed. I felt as if I'd travelled around the world and seen everything and now I was finally going home.

I knew how painfully normal everything would be at home. I would sit in History class with only the memories of this summer. Pictures of the huge, brown wolf that was Embry flickered in my mind. The frightful and magnificent image of William was also there, making me shudder. And all the wonderful people.

I would miss Melissa, who despite all her bitterness and mistakes really wasn't that different from me. And Cara. I didn't really know why I would miss her, but she was also a big part of everything. I would miss Gabe's startlingly blue eyes and his boyish grin. We weren't meant to be, but he was a nice guy.

I would remember Rachel's controlling personality and smile. She even had Paul whipped. I would even miss Horton, confused Horton with the -profile.

I pulled my heavy bag downstairs. Horton looked up from his paper where he was sitting at the kitchen table. I had no idea where he had been the last few days, but I was glad to see him.

"Done already?" he asked. "It's… still four hours before we're leaving," he reminded me.

"I know, but I want to say goodbye first," I said.

"Where are you going?"

"To the shop, first. Then the beach and maybe the forest."

Horton shrugged his shoulders. "I think some people are coming over in a few hours, though. You should try to be back by then."

"Sure thing!"

I went out without my iPod. I wanted to absorb everything, the smells, the sounds, the atmosphere. I wanted to be able to describe it so vividly that the person I told it to would be able to imagine exactly what it was like, to understand what I had felt and thought without having to be her themselves or even see a picture.

I loved the way it felt when the rain fell on my face, drenched my clothes and made me completely soaked in only a few seconds. I smiled to the sky, tilting my head back. My shoes made splashing sounds when I walked. The cars that drove by didn't care that I was walking there, they drove directly into the ponds, splashing even more water on me.

This reminded me of my first day here. Dragging my bag with me in the rain, feeling miserable and angry that no one was there to pick me up. I didn't feel miserable or angry now. I wished I could turn back time; go back to the beginning of the summer in stead of being here now. Everything I had experienced, I would have gladly done it again, even the part with William, just to spend two new months here with everyone I had come to love. And Embry especially.

I tried not to think too much about him right now. I was supposed to memorize every single detail of this place. I could memorize Embry later, if he showed up again.

I arrived at the store, cold and wet and happy, walking in to the complete mess that no one had bothered cleaning up yet. Shelves and tabled were on the floor, souvenirs broken and crushed under them. I didn't know what Horton was going to do.

I went to the counter, sitting down on top of it. I stared at everything that was in here. Remembering. Thinking. Wishing.

After a while I walked back out in the rain and to the beach.

Everything looked different when it was raining, but it was still wonderful. It was foggier, wetter and greyer but great. I remembered being here with everyone and how everyone had been playing on the water, except me. I really should learn how to swim. I wished I had been able to join them.

This was also where Seth had imprinted on Ali.

This beach was magical in more than one way. I visited the place of the bonfire where I sat down. This was where Embry was about to kiss me but had stopped because I had turned my head away. I had only come because Cara and Gabe made me. I was supposed to make Gabe jealous but after that night I had started to get feelings for Embry too.

I stayed for almost half an hour and then decided I had to get going. I wanted to see some of the forest too. I wasn't going far, just a little bit.

The forest was, like the beach, magical. Maybe it was because I knew what happened here every day, what kind of creatures that ran here on a daily basis. But it was like the moment you stepped off the road a tickly feeling seeped through me, reaching all the way to my fingertips, making me want to dance around.

I walked for ten minutes, and then I was attacked from behind. I gasped as I rolled over the forest floor, feeling something heavy and hairy on top of me. I looked up to see a brown hairball on top of me. Its mouth was stretched into something that couldn't other than a wolf grin.

I laughed and brought my hands to the wolf's face, stroking the hair on his cheek.

"I'll miss you a lot," I told him, smiling. He made a sound but I had no idea what it meant. His grin seemed to fade, though. "Go be human again," I told him. He obeyed and the Embry-wolf disappeared from on top of me. About one second later it was replaced by Embry-Embry who pressed his warm body to mine.

"Where have you been?" I whispered. It didn't feel right to talk too loudly. I was afraid to break the moment, take away the magical atmosphere. He shrugged, blushing slightly.

"I just needed to run a little bit. I'm sorry I didn't wake you. I thought you'd sleep in."

"It's fine."

"I've thought about stuff."

"Oh."

"I think that maybe I'll live after you go. I mean, as long as I know you're safe and stuff, which I think you will be," he told me. He didn't look like he thought that, though, his eyes flickered over my face uncertainly.

"I can call you a lot," I suggested. I needed to do that anyway. It was painful to think about how much I would miss him.

"How often?" he asked.

"Every day?" That wasn't enough. I could see his eyes get all concerned. "Twice a day."

"More," he begged. I had to smile at his pleading puppy-eyes. "Please?"

"What about before school, lunch and after school?"

"But –"

"I can't talk to you all the time," I said, trying to be rational. I wished I could talk to him all the time. All day.

"Okay," he said sullenly, followed by silence.

I began admiring his face, remembering it by heart. I looked at his deep, brownish eyes that I couldn't help but trust. Dark and mysterious, and right now, sort of sad. Then to his wide mouth which now was half-smiling to me. I touched his cheek with my fingers, trailing his jaw.

Then I wrapped my arms around his neck, squeezing him to me as tight as I could. I hid my face in his shoulder, breathing in his scent. I tangled my fingers into his hair, which had grown quite a bit long over the weeks. It was thick and soft. It felt like silk. Then I let my hands slide down his neck, over the part of his back that I could reach. The familiar feel of his warm, soft skin made me feel safe, made me feel like this was where I belonged. I smiled and it felt like I had butterflies in my stomach.

"What are you doing?" he asked, sounding amused.

"Memorizing you," I replied. I felt him smile into my shoulder before he pulled back. He looked down at my face, smiling for himself with twinkling eyes. I pulled him back down and connected my lips to his, holding on with my arms around his neck.

His arm came under my back and he held me to him so tightly that I almost gasped. I wanted to be closer, even closer than we already were. Which was practically impossible. I was pressed to him in any way possible. He seemed to be thinking the same.

Suddenly he pulled back, looking at me. He wasn't smiling now. He looked really serious, raising his eye brows questioningly.

I swallowed.

Was this the right time?

After a few seconds I nodded.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Yes."

This is not the last chapter, there'll be a couple more I think. And plus a thank-you-chapter.

Again, since I posted two chapters today, if you feel like you've skipped something then you probably have. Go back and read the last chapter.

I have nothing funny to say today, other than I've started a new story on . (Yes, I already said this, but I'm saying it again!)

I have the same name there as I have here and the story is called Far Longer Than Forever. There's a link on my profile.

Thank you all again for following me.