Another update! I know this has taken awhile, but I had to get through school before I could focus on this chapter. It took me a lot longer than I thought it would to finish everything and put in everything I wanted. I made sure the chapter was long and I hope you all like the result. :)

Thank you for all of the amazing reviews for the last chapter! They really made me feel good and like it was worth it to update.

Well, I don't have much else to say except PLEASE give this song a listen. It doesn't exactly describe the chapter but it fits the whole storyline perfectly. I listened to it on repeat the whole time I was writing this chapter. It is really an amazing song.

Take me down
I'm feeling now
And if I move on
I admit you're gone
And I ain't ready
And I'll hold steady
Yeah I'll hold you
In my arms, in my arms
In my arms

And you lived inside my heart
And your melody's an art
And I won't let the terror in, I'm stealing time
Through the eye of the needle

Step and repeat
Tears fall to the beat
Smile through the pain
Feel the acid rain
And I ain't ready
But I'll hold steady
Yeah I'll hold you
In my arms, in my arms
In my arms

Eye of the Needle by Sia

Chapter 36

Moving On

I felt sick, physically sick. The amount of money that was written on that piece of paper had brought on waves of nausea that were absent two seconds ago. I threw the paper onto the coffee table and dashed towards the bathroom, the vomit coming out too fast to stop. I could hear Brady's footsteps as they got closer to me and my hair was quickly brought away from my face. I waited until my stomach got rid of whatever was inside of it before I flushed down the contents of the toilet. Brady filled up a glass of water from the sink and sat down on the floor beside me. My forehead was full of sweat and everything in front of me was spinning. The number kept going through my head, reminding me of why I was in my current position.

My brother had given me over five thousand dollars.

I stared blankly at the wall that was directly in front of me, going into some state of shock. Brady sat there for a few minutes, letting me absorb the news in my own way. After he began to realize that I was becoming a vegetable he began to take action, snapping his fingers and waving his hand in front of my face. He moved so that he was sitting in front of me, and instead of the wall I was now staring at his chest.

He placed both of his hands on either of my cheeks, stroking the skin there, trying to get me to go back to normal. I didn't know if I could ever recover.

I had never expected anything of this sort before. I didn't even know it was possible for him to have that much money. He never really talked to me about those sorts of things, but I still should've at least had some idea of where he stood financially. I never expected any of this, I never even asked for this. He did it though, and he did it so that I could have a future.

And yet I still couldn't manage to sort through all of these questions rattling around in my brain. How did he even make the will? Who would've even allowed him to make the will? Why did he give me so much? Where did he get it all from? Were his belongings really worth that much money? How-

Brady's lips were suddenly crashing against mine, causing me to forget everything I was questioning in my head and focus only on his warm lips. It only took me a second to realize that I had just thrown up and he was kissing me. I pulled back quickly, horrified that he had just kissed my stomach acid filled mouth.

"Brady!" I shouted, covering my mouth with my hand as my cheeks turned red, "That's disgusting!"

"What? You were out of it! I didn't know what else to do!" he smiled and laughed, "What's wrong with kissing you?"

"I just threw up, that's what's wrong with it!" I shoved at him, a grin appearing on my own face.

"God you think I care? I'll take any chance I get to kiss you."

"You're disgusting!" my laughter gave away any trace of seriousness that had been in my tone before. All of my worries went to the back of my mind as soon as his lips met mine. I was grateful for the distraction, but I knew it wouldn't make it all go away completely.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and brought me closer to him, grabbing my chin and bringing our lips together for a second time. I still felt dirty and gross, but if he wanted to kiss me he was going to kiss me and there was no part of me that could resist him. I didn't let the kiss last long though, even if he didn't care that I was all sweaty and had vomit breath I did.

He furrowed his brows at me when I pulled away, causing me to smile, "So gross," I whispered.

"Don't care," he whispered back.

I scooted away from him and stood on my own two feet, and he did the same, his eyes never leaving my face. His tall frame towered over me as we stood there in the tiny bathroom, "I think I need to shower and brush my teeth."

He shrugged, "If you say so."

I shoved him and rolled my eyes, "You're ridiculous."

He laughed and didn't respond as he walked out of the room. I looked at myself in the mirror for a second, my brother's video popping back into the forefront of my mind. Before I could allow myself to become overruled by the millions of questions again I turned on the water in the shower, taking off the necklace that my brother had given me so I wouldn't ruin it.

Brady knocked on the door and I opened it quickly, grinning as he handed me a set of clean clothes. I locked the door behind me and stripped down until I was bare, ignoring my reflection in the mirror as I stepped into the steaming stream of water. I absent mindedly washed myself due to my brain being distracted by more important things. I wasn't too careful when I washed near my stitches, because all I saw were dollar signs rolling in front of my eyes.

I went through every moment I had spent with Noah, trying to analyze all of it with the new information that I had been given. Not only that, the video had also given me a new perspective on those times when he was secretive with me right before he had died as well as the times where he had talked about the future. I never even realized it before but he had always somehow managed to turn those conversations of our future onto my future alone. He had hinted towards his demise even then and I was completely unaware of it.

The thought of it sent a chill down my spine. There was no way I could've known that he had this all planned out before today. No way that I could've been the reason why he killed himself, and yet he had done it to save me. It seemed like a double edged sword at that point. I was responsible as much as I wasn't responsible.

When my hands stopped moving and I no longer smelled horrendous I turned off the water and wrapped myself in a towel. I went to the mirror, wiping away the steam on the glass. I didn't look nearly as terrible as I thought I would, and I wondered if the answers were already starting to heal me. I tore my eyes away from my face long enough to focus on the stitches protruding from my chest. I sighed and shook my head so I wouldn't think about that, but it failed to keep the thoughts about my old life at bay. I was trying my best to move on and get rid of my old life, but when I really thought about it I realized that my brother was a major part of it. Could I move on without him?

That question has always been there, waiting for the opportunity to finally get answered. The video that I watched before this moment had answered that question entirely.

Yes, I could move on without him. I could move on because he told me that it was possible. I could move on because he had intended for it to happen. I could move on because he had given me the means to do it.

A small smile appeared on my face and I grabbed the necklace that was sitting on the side of the sink, securely placing it around my neck. My fingers rubbed the diamond multiple times, and for the first time in a long time I felt positive that I could survive in a world without Noah.

A knock on the door caused me to take my eyes off of my reflection, "Are you alright in there?" Brady asked from the other side.

He must've taken my silence as a bad sign. I couldn't blame him; I was prone to being an overly emotional fool, "Yeah," I looked at my reflection one more time, enjoying the sight of the smile residing happily on my face, "I'm alright."

When I heard his footsteps move away from the door I figured I should change and assure him that I was telling the truth. I put the clothes on that he had given me and brushed my teeth. I made sure I looked presentable before I emerged from the bathroom. I went into my room with my dirty clothes in my arms, throwing them in the hamper by my door before my smile grew wider at the sight of Brady lying on my bed with his eyes closed.

He opened them as soon as I took a step forward, cautiously taking in my smile and obviously wondering if I was really alright. When I got to the bed I sat up with my legs crossed on the side opposite from him so that I was directly facing him. The whole time he was trying to get a read on me, and I almost laughed at his confused expression.

"You're ok?" he asked.

I took a deep breath and nodded in response, "I'm ok."

I noticed that he was holding the will in his hands and I reached out and grabbed it from him, my heart skipping a beat. When I unfolded the piece of paper I read the whole thing over again, still trying to comprehend the fact that I now possessed over five thousand dollars thanks to Noah.

"It's still a bit of a shock," I admitted, glancing up and meeting his eyes, "but I feel more relief now."

Brady's slightly tensed muscles relaxed and his lips pulled up into a smile. He reached his hand out so rested it on my calf, "I'm glad. That's exactly what you needed."

I smiled again, "Yeah," I sighed, "the pain of losing him will always be there though. That is one thing that will never go away. This just makes it easier to live with it."

Brady's hand travelled up my thigh until it was resting on my hip. I stared at him for a moment before I placed the will on the bed behind me and laid down so that my head was resting on his chest. His arm wrapped easily around my back and kept me firmly in place.

"There are still questions, but the main ones have been answered," I said, "and I'm grateful for that."

He kissed the top of my damp head and his chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath, "You're amazing, you know that?"

I chuckled, "I'm not, but thanks."

"You are," he pressed me tighter against his chest, "I love you Melody Owens. I love everything about you, and it's obvious that your brother loved you. I can only hope that I get to thank him one day for what he's done for you. God knows I wouldn't be able to provide for you the way he has."

I raised my head so that I could get a good look at him, "What is that supposed to mean?"

He paused for a moment and shook his head, "Nothing, it's nothing."

I rose up onto my elbow and frowned, "Brady, I know it's not nothing. You wouldn't say that if it was."

I placed my hand on his cheek and made sure that he wouldn't look away from me. His eyes flickered back and forth between both of my own eyes and I waited for him to respond. He turned on his side so we were face to face before he spoke, "I just don't want to disappoint you."

"Disappoint me?" I asked, completely dumbfounded.

"This life, being with me and having to deal with the shape shifter thing, I know it's not the best or the easiest. If things were different and I was able to go to college and everything I could provide you with so much more. If things were different the whole imprint thing would be out of the picture and you wouldn't have to feel obligated to be with me. We could've met later on in life like you wanted and I might've been normal. I might've had the chance to become successful and better than I am now. With the way things are I'll never move forward. I'll always be stuck."

Obviously he had been thinking about this while I went to take a shower. The video must've brought this out of him, made him question whether or not he was worthy enough to be with me. God, he was, he so was. He had to know that.

"Brady," I started, grinning at him, having no doubts about what I was about to say, "I wouldn't trade this life for anything. Being with someone like you is more than I could've ever hoped for. Before you I never saw the world for what it really was. Before you I didn't know there was a life outside of the beatings and the pain. Yeah, maybe you could've been normal, whatever that is, but I didn't fall in love with you because I thought you were normal. I fell in love with you because you're not like everyone else, you're extraordinary," I wrapped my arms around his neck, letting one of my hands weave their way through his hair, "You're unique and you make me feel like I could conquer the world. It's cheesy and dumb, but it's the best way I can describe the way you make me feel. The two of us were meant to be together, and I fully embrace that. If you think I'm with you just because I feel obligated to be with you you're insane. I love this place and I love that you accept me for who I am and I love that you always do the right things even when you're not aware of it. I love you, Brady Greene. My brother might've given me a future, but you gave me a future to look forward to."

He was quiet for a moment, just staring at me in a strange and unusual way. I didn't know that he felt that way about himself, that he wasn't good enough or that he couldn't provide for me. I had always thought that it was the other way around and that I was the only one with insecurities. I guess we both had things that we didn't like about each other. What we saw as our flaws the other saw as perfections.

"I don't always do the right things you know?" he ran his thumb over my cheek, "I've screwed up a lot when it comes to you."

I rolled my eyes, "Shut up Brady."

He opened his mouth to speak again, but I kissed him before he got the chance. He didn't give into the kiss at first, he sat still and tried resisting me because he was just being stubborn. I pushed him so he was lying on his back and I was lying on top of him, which was something that I really had never done before. He let out a low growl and finally deepened the kiss, clutching me to him. Our legs were a tangled up mess and in that mess I could tell that my right thigh was pushed up against his crotch. I tried not to become consumed with inappropriate thoughts, which was easy with his lips against mine. I allowed his tongue entrance into my mouth and the hand that was resting on my back soon moved so that it was grasping my butt, which caused me to freeze.

He flipped us over so that he was now the one on top of me, making me forget my reasons for hesitating. His body was barely touching mine since he was trying not to crush me, but I yanked his neck forward so he would get closer. As our tongues battled my free hand began touching every part of him until it settled onto his abdomen. I felt the hot skin underneath his shirt and my hand glided up his perfectly sculpted muscles, moving to his pec. He pulled away and trailed kisses along my cheeks and neck. I closed my eyes and tried to catch my breath which he only gave me a second to do before he began kissing my lips again. I daringly wrapped both of my legs around his waist and he only took it as encouragement to grab my butt again. I didn't freeze, feeling more comfortable with the idea this time around. Before I could get any further with him a loud howl reverberated throughout the house. He pulled away in a rush and I looked up at the window above the bed.

Both of us were panting heavily, and neither of us made any sort of move to go see what was going on outside. Another howl came only a minute later, sounding closer than the one before.

"Shit," Brady cursed, finally moving so that he was lying beside me instead of on top of me.

"Is something wrong?" I asked stupidly. There had to be something wrong for them to be howling like that. They've never really done it before, at least not while I was around.

Brady looked at me for a second before he got up from the bed and looked out the window. I stood up as well, still trying to regain my breath as I looked outside. I saw a reddish-brown wolf standing across the yard, looking straight at us.

"Who is that?" I looked at Brady. He sighed heavily before his eyes settled back on me.

"Collin," he answered, looking disappointed and annoyed, "God why the hell does this have to happen right now?" he groaned.

His face fell into his hands and the wolf, Collin, howled once more, sounding desperate.

"Shut up asshole I'm coming," he shouted.

"Is something wrong?" I asked again, wanting an answer this time.

After I posed the question he seemed to remember that I was a part of all of this now, and his annoyance disappeared and turned into concern. For me I assumed.

"Yeah, something's wrong," he said truthfully.

He moved around the bed and stood in front of me, cupping my face into his hands and kissing me fully on the lips. I rutted my brows when he pulled away, beginning to worry.

"Promise me you'll stay in this house and won't leave under any circumstances."

"I promise," I whispered, "Is it really bad?"

"I don't know yet," he replied, "Just stay here alright?"

I nodded, pecking him on the lips one more time, "Be careful Brady."

"I'm always careful," he grinned.

A hollow feeling settled within me when he pulled away and walked out of the room. I followed closely behind him to the front door, wondering how the other girls deal with this every time it happens. I didn't know what I was going to do to keep myself from worrying while he was gone, probably pace the floor the whole time.

He turned back towards me as he pulled open the door, smiling, "We can continue what we started when I get back."

I laughed lightly, trying not to freak out about the fact that I had no idea what was going to happen when he walked out that door, "I'm counting on it."

And then he was gone and I was left alone with swollen lips and a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I decided to text Kim after I had bitten off all of my nails and had practically created a hole in the floor from how frantically my knee was bouncing up and down.

Does it always feel this horribly when they leave? I asked.

I waited for a reply, looking around the kitchen for something to distract me while I anticipated Brady's return. His parents would probably be home soon, wondering where he had gone. I would have to lie for him, because they couldn't know about where he really was.

I felt the phone vibrate in my pocket as I leaned up against the counter, Pretty much. I would tell you to come over, but I'm not sure that's a good idea.

"Ugh," I grunted.

Yeah, Brady told me not to leave. Does that mean it's something really bad?

It was probably the bloodsuckers or something. I didn't really know how bad those things could be, but anything involving dead people and blood probably wasn't all that pleasant.

I tried not to picture one of those things harming Brady. I tried to think more about the video from before instead. Once the idea of them hurting him popped into my mind though, I couldn't stop the possibilities from taking over.

My fingers drummed on the counter and my phone lit up again with a new text message, Sometimes. I'm sure its fine. They're usually able to handle it.

Usually? I replied.

I looked up at the clock on the wall and realized that he had only been gone for about twenty minutes. This was not good. If this is the way this was always going to be, then I couldn't do this to myself. I couldn't just stand here and become a bundle of nerves. I had to do something to distract me.

Another text message came through, Don't get all worked up over it. Start baking or something. That's what Emily always does.

Baking? That actually didn't sound like a bad idea.

I walked over to the fridge and looked inside to see if there was anything I could use to make those blueberry muffins again. I found the basics, but there were no blueberries and only one egg was left in the carton. So that idea was out.

I looked around the fridge a bit longer, noticing a few chicken breasts on the bottom shelf, probably meant for dinner. I knew how to cook a few things from past experiences. Even though my father never appreciated anything I made that doesn't mean Brady's parents wouldn't. It was the least I could do for them since they opened up their home to me.

I took out the tray of chicken and placed it onto the counter, going back to the fridge to find other ingredients for a possible meal. I found a bunch of mushrooms, some spinach, and garlic. I figured I could make stuffed chicken with a side of green beans and rice. It was something Noah taught me how to make a while ago when we were left to cook for ourselves.

I grabbed the ingredients out of the fridge, determined to make it the best meal I've ever made. I was already feeling better once I started, my thoughts focusing on getting everything right instead of what was possibly going on outside.

I cut up the mushrooms and garlic, placing it into the pan that was already heating up on the stove and seasoning it with salt and pepper. While that cooked I decided to send another text to Kim.

Making dinner to distract me. It's working pretty well.

As I waited for a reply I washed the spinach and placed it in a bowl, stirring the garlic and mushrooms a bit in the pan. I plugged in the food processor that sat on the counter and pulsed the garlic and mushrooms until it was smooth. Once that was finished I added it to the spinach, stirring it together before placing it on the chicken breasts. I rolled up the chicken the way my brother had taught me to all those years ago, hearing his voice inside of my head reminding me to add a toothpick in the middle so it wouldn't fall apart.

After I put the chicken in the oven I began to get the sides ready, and once they were started I looked back at my phone.

Oh can I come over? It'd be much better than risking my life by eating one of Dana's cookies.

I laughed to myself, barely getting a chance to type anything into the phone before the front door opened. My heart stuttered at the possibility of it being Brady, but it eased quickly when I realized it was his mom instead.

"Hello?" she shouted as she entered the house.

"In here!" I shouted back. I didn't even think of what I could say to her about Brady. I was so caught up in distracting myself that it hadn't even crossed my mind to come up with a story.

She came through the doorway, stopping immediately when she saw what I was doing, "What is this?" she asked.

I shrugged and grinned, "I figured I would make dinner for you guys."

She blinked a couple times before the words had sunk in. After only a minute a huge smile appeared on her face, and I could've sworn I saw her eyes get a bit glossy, "Melody you didn't have to do this."

I shook my head, "I wanted to. It's the least I could do to show you how thankful I am that you're letting me stay here."

She moved across the room and pulled me into an unexpected hug. I wrapped my arms around her and accepted it whole heartedly, "Thank you," she said.

I smiled, feeling more content hugging her than I could ever feel hugging my own mother, "It's not much, but it's all I can think to do right now."

She pulled away with both of her hands still resting on my arms, "You don't have to thank us. We don't want you to feel like you owe us anything."

I nodded, figuring that it wouldn't help to argue over this right now. When she finally let go of me she looked around at everything and I told her exactly what I was making.

"It smells really good," she commented before she looked around the room and her smile disappeared, "Where's Brady?" she asked.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, thinking quickly of what I could tell her that wouldn't sound too out of the ordinary, "He had to go to work. Sam called all of the guys in for some sort of project. I have no idea what it is."

That sounded fine I guess. It wasn't completely a lie since I really didn't know what they were doing and it technically was his job to protect La Push.

She didn't seem too pleased with my answer, her face falling a bit after I had spoken, "I really am starting to dislike this Sam guy."

"Why is that?" I questioned, feeling bad that she couldn't know about what Brady was. His own mother was being kept in the dark, and I could tell she didn't feel good about it at all.

"Brady's always with him, and it's not just him it's all of those Quileute boys. Sometimes he doesn't even come home at night because he's out working this job that Sam gave him."

"I'm sorry," I said, not really knowing what else to say to comfort her.

"It's not your fault," she walked over to the table and sat down in one of the chairs. I sat in a chair directly across from her, "I just wish he would talk to me more about things. He's been so distant and I just worry that he's getting into trouble by hanging around these guys," her eyes flickered up to me, "Do you know anything about them?"

It felt terrible to lie to her; however I didn't really have a choice in the matter. It wasn't really my secret to tell, "Not all that much. I've hanged out with them a couple of times and they don't seem like bad people. I wouldn't worry about Brady though; he's not the type to get into trouble."

"He never has been," she sighed, "I just don't want to see anything bad happen to him."

I reached out and placed my hand on top of hers, trying my best to reassure her in any way I could. It felt good to know how much Lori cared about Brady, how much she loved him. I wish that I could say more to her to comfort her, to let her know that Brady wasn't falling through the cracks. I didn't have much experience with this sort of thing though. My mother never cared if anything bad happened to me.

After a couple more questions she changed the subject and began to talk a bit more about Brady, telling me a couple stories of when he was growing up. I listened intently to her stories about his childhood, getting up every once and a while to check on the chicken. It wasn't until she turned the attention back on me that I became a bit tense.

"So where did you learn how to cook Melody?" she asked.

I paused for a moment, not expecting her to ask that, "Uh, my brother, Noah taught me a few things when we were growing up."

My eyes focused on my hands and I made sure not to look at her. I didn't want to see her reaction to my answer. I didn't want my past to taint her perception of me. I would rather go back to tiptoeing around Brady's secret than talk about this with her.

"I'm sorry," she didn't sound happy, she sounded like she pitied me, and I hated it. I hated pity the most, "I shouldn't have asked."

"It's ok," I said, "You didn't know."

The air grew quiet after that. For a couple minutes we sat in the silence, neither of us knowing what to say. I looked up at the clock, realizing that Brady had been gone for an hour and a half now. Before I could even begin to think about what was going on with him Lori started talking again.

"I don't want to pry, and you don't have to talk about it," I looked up at her, "I just want you to know that you can come and talk to me whenever you need to. I don't want you to think you can't. If you ever need to get something off of your chest I'm here."

I grinned at her, my eyes pricking with tears that were threatening to escape if I didn't hold it together. I didn't know that it was possible for someone who wasn't your own family to care for you like you really were tied to them by blood. It made me feel like I belonged here, like I was actually getting a taste of what it was like to actually have a mother that was willing to talk to you and help solve all of your problems. If this is what it was like then I hoped that someday I would find the courage to open up to her about my past.

"Thank you," I said, "that means a lot."

She pulled me into a hug again, "You're more than just Brady's girlfriend to me," she muttered, "I already consider you my daughter Melody."

A few tears streamed down my face, and it took me only a second to come up with a reason for their presence. Lori considered me her daughter without a second thought, while it took years of disregard and selfishness for my mother to finally admit the same thing. Lori wanted to get to know me, her son's girlfriend, from the beginning while my mother never tried to get to know me at all. Not to mention Brady. She seemed to pay no attention to the fact that I had a boyfriend.

"My daughter in law I guess," she chuckled and I laughed too, wiping my eyes before she could see them, "but I feel like that's just not as good."

Before the conversation could continue, Henry walked through the door, having the exact same reaction as Lori when he realized that I was cooking dinner. When the chicken was finished and the green beans and rice were taken off of the stove the three of us ate together, the two of them conversing about their day before they had asked me how my day went. All I really told them was that I had finished packing everything up from the old house and lied by saying that Brady and I watched a movie when we got home. I left out the part where I received a video from my dead brother and had a hot make out session with their son in the room they had set up for me. I didn't think that would go over too well.

When we were finished we all helped wash and dry the dishes, making an assembly line. I couldn't keep the smile off of my face the whole time, enjoying this normal family experience that most people found annoying and tedious. Once that was done we watched a TV show together that Lori liked. It wasn't until around nine that Brady finally walked through the door. My heart sped up when he appeared, wearing a completely different outfit than he had left in. He looked completely exhausted and like he was ready to crash. His hair was messy with a few blades of grass stuck in it; a bit of mud was smeared on his cheek, and a huge set of bags had taken up residence underneath his eyes.

He looked a bit dazed, like his mind was somewhere else. When he closed the door, his mom turned the TV off and stood up, taking in the sight of him. He blinked a few times, furrowing his brows before he snapped out of it.

"Hey mom," he said quietly.

"Where have you been? Melody said that Sam had you guys working on some project at work?" her expression was stern, like she was ready to argue with him if he wouldn't give her answers.

His eyes connected with mine for a moment, "Yeah," he looked away, "yeah it was just about some new ideas for the reservation."

"New ideas?" she pressed on. I wanted to say something to help him out, but really what could I say that would make this any better? There was really nothing more I could do except sit back and hope that he would be able to keep his story straight.

"The elders want to add onto the recreation center, so we were just laying everything out to start in a couple of weeks."

There was silence for a moment, and I could tell by her stance that she barely believed him, "I don't want you working with Sam anymore, Brady. He's working you too hard, and I can't stand to see you this bad anymore."

"Bad? I'm not bad at all mom," he gritted his teeth, obviously not comfortable with the situation, "I'm fine. I've told you so many times that it's not Sam's fault, it's not anyone's fault."

Lori glanced at me over her shoulder and I looked down at the floor, pretending as if I wasn't listening too intently.

"We'll talk more about this tomorrow," she sighed, "Just get cleaned up and go to bed."

He nodded and the two of them hugged each other. I got up from the couch where Henry was snoring away and said a quick goodnight to Lori before I headed to my room to let them say whatever they needed to say to each other. I sat on my bed and stared a book that I had no intention of reading for about about five or six minutes. It wasn't until I heard someone walk down the hall that I slammed the book shut. The sound of a door opening and closing came after the footsteps, so I figured it was him going to his room.

I threw the book aside and walked quietly out of my own room, making sure I closed the door behind me and that his parents couldn't see me sneaking across the hallway. I didn't knock on the door before I slipped my way inside, taking in the sight of his bare chest as he took off the shirt he was wearing.

He smiled when he saw me, but the smile seemed a bit forced. That definitely wasn't a good sign.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

He nodded and sat back on his bed, "Yeah, I'm fine."

I walked over and sat next to him, turning so that I was facing him, "Did something happen?"

"No, not really," his eyes connected with mine, "I just hate arguing with her about all of it. She's wanted me to stay away from the pack for so long, and the fact that she keeps bringing it up lately most likely means she's not going to take it anymore."

I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, "Isn't there some way we could just tell her without breaking any laws?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, maybe," he let out a huge breath and fell back against the mattress, "it doesn't matter," he mumbled.

I moved so that I was lying on my stomach right next to him, watching him carefully as he stared up at the ceiling, "It does matter. I don't want to see you become distanced from her. She's freaked out by it, and if we could just tell her it would make things ten times better. She just doesn't want to lose you."

"Can we just stop talking about this? She's not going to lose me, and I'm not going to tell her. It wouldn't make any of this better," he clenched his jaw, the bite to his tone making me feel a bit shitty.

"Yeah," I whispered, scanning over him before I laid on my back. I made sure to keep a bit of distance between us, "I'm sorry. I guess I really don't have any room to talk. I barely have a relationship with my own mother."

He didn't reply like I expected him to, and both of us just left things quiet. He could've snapped like that for any number of reasons, maybe he was just exhausted and stressed and needed to be left alone. I shouldn't take it all to heart. He probably meant nothing by it.

I lifted myself from the bed, not wanting to fuel the angry flames and make things worse. I made my way to the door, feeling stupid for saying anything to him. I was wrong for thinking that I had any right to try to tell him what to do when it came to his mother. I had no experience with that sort of thing, so I shouldn't act like I did.

I managed to open the door about halfway before it was shut again by a huge hand hovering above me. I turned around timidly, leaning back against the door and meeting his gaze.

"I'm exhausted," he explained, his eyes only half open, "really exhausted."

"I know," I muttered, "I just thought you might want to be alone."

"Not at all," he reached out and placed his hands on either of my hips, making sure that I stayed exactly where I was, "I'm just an asshole, don't take it personally."

I still wasn't completely convinced, "Are you sure that's all it is?"

He shook his head from side to side and reeled me in towards him so that our bodies were touching. He captured my lips in a kiss for a brief moment before he rested his forehead against mine, his brown eyes piercing through mine, paralyzing me.

"It has nothing to do with you, I promise. It's just been a difficult night."

"What happened?" I asked out of curiosity.

His breath fanned over my face as he exhaled, "Some bloodsuckers were hanging around the border all night, crossing it and then retreating as soon as we closed in on them. It was just annoying and tiring, and all I wanted to do was get it over with. Then I couldn't stop thinking about you and wanting to get home to you. The guys saw what we were doing in my head-,"

"What?!" I yelled, pulling away from him in a rush, his hold on me never faltering. I remember Brady telling me about how the pack's minds were all connected when they were in their wolf form. He told me that he had to constantly filter his thoughts just to keep a level head. I guess the filter wasn't on tonight.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't focused. It's technically your fault since you're the one that started it," he grinned at me as if he wasn't completely embarrassed by it. I guess it was typical for him to be a bit smug. We've never really kissed quite like that before and I enjoyed just as much as he did, but now every single one of them knew. I obviously wasn't good with exposure.

I buried my face into his chest and groaned, hiding my red cheeks, "I can't even face them now."

"Yes you can," he brushed my hair away from my face and I slightly raised my head, still not wanting to look him in the eye. His fingers swayed back and forth across my rosy cheeks and I felt his lips press up against my forehead for a second, "If it makes you feel any better I thoroughly enjoyed it. "

I bit my lip, still feeling a bit foolish, "They're never going to let us live it down."

"Yeah they will," he said reassuringly, "believe me, that's not the worst slip up of all time. I have millions of stories I could use against each one of them."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

He chuckled, his brilliant smile revealing his teeth, "You're gonna want to sit down for all of this."

He picked me up off of my feet and carried me over to the bed, and I curled up right beside him as soon as he had laid down. He told me about all of the embarassing moments of the guys that they had accidentally revealed throughout various times while they were on patrol. Apparently, Jared and Kim had done it in Paul's bed back when Jared and Paul were still living together. Jared was caught red handed nearly a week later and Paul being the temperamental one of the group had beaten up Jared pretty badly because of it. Embry and Dana were nearly obliterated when Sam found out that they had made out on his couch while Dana was supposed to be babysitting CJ. Needless to say she never babysat without other people around again and Embry wasn't allowed in the house for a month. Even Sam had slipped up a few times, but Brady chose to leave out the details when he talked about it, explaining to me that it was too awkward to relay that stuff back to me.

"So I guess we really aren't the only couple who can't keep their hands off of each other," I grinned, pulling him even closer to me.

"See? I told you there's nothing to worry about. I've gained a lot of ammunition to use against them over the years. Even a few things some of them have no clue that I know about."

I giggled and snuggled up into the crook of his arm. My eyes closed and a content sigh left my lips. I didn't know that hearing other people's embarrassing stories could make me feel better about our own embarrassing story. Honestly, when I really thought about it, it wasn't all that humiliating anymore. I had made out with Brady and kissed him in a way I never had before, and I loved how exhilarating it felt. I had gained enough confidence to actually feel comfortable in my own skin and expand the boundaries of our relationship. I still wasn't entirely ready to give all of me to him, but I was taking one step closer to it.

"You're the best," I placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Feel better?"

"Definitely," I murmured, "I told you, you always say the right things."

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Telling romance stories about my pack brothers is considered saying the right thing?"

Both of us looked at each other for only a second before we began laughing hysterically. I concealed my face in Brady's chest in an attempt to stifle my laughter while he just clutched me tighter. Our bodies shook in unison and before I knew it I had tears in my eyes. It took us a bit of time to control ourselves and I was entirely surprised that his parents didn't come barging in from the noise. When we finally calmed down and were left with only smiles on our faces, our eyes remained latched onto each other.

I could see the spark of desire in those chocolate brown orbs of his and I'm sure my green ones reflected that same desire. I thought about the last thing he had said to me before he left, about continuing where we had left off, and I was ready for it. I was entirely ready to be consumed by him and forget about the rest.

His hand slid its way over my hip and rested on my lower back, and I wrapped my leg around his. My hands caressed his face as he moved barely an inch and captured me in a spine tingling, incapacitating kiss. It didn't take long for us to end up in the position we had previously been in before, with his body gently lying on top of mine and both of my legs wrapped around him. He kissed me with a hunger that told me he wanted more and I teased him for a little while by preventing him entrance into my mouth. He bit my lip to fight back and I let him win, allowing his tongue to meet mine.

My hands made their way to his chest, and I felt his muscles all over as we kissed like there was no tomorrow. When he pulled away I could see a dark look in his eyes. An animalistic look that I had never seen before. Both of his hands grasped my hips, and he moved my shirt up with his thumbs, his fingertips feeling the skin underneath it. I arched my back into him and the heat from his skin made me quiver. His pushed my shirt up until it stopped at my bra, and I suddenly felt a bit insecure. I grabbed both of his wrists and looked into his eyes.

"Brady," I whispered breathlessly.

He placed a comforting kiss on my lips, "If I'm topless then you have to be topless."

A laugh came out of my mouth, and the sound was surprising even to my own ears. I allowed him to raise my shirt and finally take it off of me. He didn't try to unclasp my bra, which I was thankful for. I still didn't feel all that comfortable even after I had given him permission.

When his eyes raked over me, they stopped for a moment at the small amount of gauze that covered the stitches over my heart. All of my scars and marks were now revealed to him and I tried not to flip out. My heart sped up inside of my chest, slamming against my rib cage. His hands grazed lightly over my bra and I kept my gaze focused on him the whole time. We made eye contact after he was finished ogling me and I couldn't find it in me to move just yet.

"Are you ok?"

I traced his jaw with my finger and nodded, "I'm just not used to this."

He smiled, brushing his mouth past mine before he kissed my neck, "You're beautiful," he kissed my collarbone, "and I love you," another kiss right at space between my breasts. I kept my eyes closed as he trailed more kisses down my stomach until he finally stopped right where my pants began.

He repeated the kisses all the way up to my lips again and the sparks flew as they always did when we kissed. I didn't think I could ever get tired of kissing him. Not if it felt this perfect every time.

His fingers weaved through my hair and I wrapped my arm around the back of his neck, pulling him down to me again. Our chests were touching again, and his heat seared my skin since there was no fabric between us. The two of us took turns feeling the others skin as our lips moved in unison. It seemed like hours had passed before we finally stopped, and even after we stopped we just laid there together. We looked at each other up and down over and over again, memorizing each crease and crevice of the other's body as if it were vital to our survival.

He kept me securely in his arms for the rest of the night, and it didn't take long before he fell asleep. His soft snores comforted me as I laid there, and even though I was extremely tired I fought against the feeling. I kept my head filled with thoughts of today to distract me, trying not to let my eyes close even for the slightest second.

I didn't want to risk having another nightmare tonight. The nightmares meant that I would be forced out of heaven and dragged down to hell, and I wasn't ready to leave heaven just yet.

Once again thank you all for your reviews for the last chapter! You guys rock!

Ugh and today is June 6 which means that The Fault in Our Stars movie comes out today. Have any of you read the book?! I fell in love with it the way you fall asleep...slowly and then all at once. (SEE WHAT I DID THERE?! :) ) If any of you have read the book please either PM me or talk about it in your review. It is honestly one of the best books I've read and I aspire to be as great as John Greene. His writing style is awesome. I also loved Looking For Alaska. I read that in like two days. I'm currently rereading the Divergent series though...

UGH OK! I need to shut up.

Hope you all have a great and wonderful day. I have yet to go to sleep...bleh

Please feel free to leave a review, those are always nice to receive :)