A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story in their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.

Chapter 2- The comfort in normalcy

"So, Leah," Austin smiled, his hands coming to rest on the tablecloth laden table in front of us, the ambience of this quaint hole in the wall restaurant far surpassing my initial expectations. When Austin had informed me about our dinner reservations- this being an unknown and unnamed restaurant- more like a room with four tables and a small kitchen- in one extreme end of Port Angeles, I had been skeptical, even going as far as suggesting that we change the location and eat at the Forks diner instead- it was not like I didn't trust Austin or his taste, but his initial description had indeed been a little frightening.

Though, this place was rather good, I had to admit.

It was nothing exceptionally great or anything, just homely and comfortable, owned by a middle-aged marriage couple that simply radiated the family vibes, and also the food was rather delicious, which definitely worked in Austin's favor.

All in all- it was a good start to the evening, and I was pleasantly surprised.

"Yeah," I smiled back, twirling briefly with the wrap bracelet attached to my left wrist, a tiny lock and key shining back at me from its rose gold appearance- it had been an eighteenth birthday gift from my mother- my birthday having gone by a few months ago, and while I had rarely ever worn it before, with the risk of phasing unexpectedly and breaking it, it just suited my look today perfectly, and also, it helped that I had something to play with incase I felt the nervous butterflies in my stomach.

Austin smiled wider, his hands coming to run through his short blonde spiky hair, his immense attractiveness- especially with those blue orbs of his- no hidden secret. "Tell me something about yourself. It seems like I know you, but yet know nothing about you. You are quite an enigma at work, I believe." He chuckled briefly, waving a hand in the air.

I shrugged back at him, making sure that the smile on my face was here to stay. "I live in La Push, am eighteen, have my GED in hand, and oh, work at the grocery store, which you obviously already do know!"

And yeah, that was about it.

He nodded his head in agreement, grinning in response. "What about your family, if you don't mind me asking?"

I shrugged. It was hardly a secret, the Clearwater surname pretty well known in La Push- and also in Forks, with Sue Clearwater being one of the head nurses at Forks Hospital, also my dad had had several friends in the area back when he had been alive. In fact, had there not been that lame rule that in order to be a tribal elder, you need to own a house in La push and very well reside in it, my parents would have moved us to Forks ages ago. But then I would have been a student of Forks High with those creepy leeches and one Bella Swan- and just no.

The tribal school sucked, but it wasn't that very bad.

At least, the interiors didn't make me want to puke out everything that rested in me, including my internal organs.

I shuddered just thinking about spending any major amount of time in the company of those bloodsuckers, forced to be in a small classroom with their putrid smell encroaching on me from every which side, leaving me with no other choice but to scowl and frown as I continued to look at my watch after every three seconds.

Yuck, no!

I was better off in La Push.

Sure, I still traveled to Forks each day for work, but that was different. The Cullen's did not eat, and so did not visit the grocery store, naturally, or even if they did for pretenses sake, it was usually only once a month at odd timings- their preferred timing generally being after the end of my shift.

Now, I have absolutely no idea if this was done for my convenience or not, but whatever, it worked just fine for me.

"So, Leah," Austin smiled briefly, waiting to hear my answer.

Right. He wanted to know about my family.

I smiled back at him. "Well, I live with my mother and a younger brother. My mother is a nurse at the hospital in Forks, and my brother, Seth, is still in school. He turned fourteen recently. What about you?"

He nodded his head in agreement, the waitress coming to serve our food, causing a brief pause in our conversation.

"Well," Austin spoke up, once the waitress had left the table, taking a bite of the burger that lay in front of him, "I live with my parents. My older brother attends college in Seattle. He comes home for a visit once a month on the weekends or so. Pretty much a normal life, one could say."

I nodded my head in agreement, an 'oh' leaving my mouth instantly. "And what about you? You don't want to go to college?"

It should have been an obvious question, right, considering Austin was almost a year older than me, his graduation from Forks High having happened last year, before the entire the dead couple has a baby drama.

Jeez, had that been just last year?

It seemed like literal ages ago.

Or maybe, I was way too comfortable in my monotonous routine to think back and recollect those long days filled with terrible moments?

Yes, finally!

I was getting back to myself.

I was getting back to the Leah Clearwater that lived a normal life, without bothering over minor details like said human can change into a hairy wolf, or the good old doctor in the hospital is actually a vampire.

Of course, it was not like I could ever go back to that level of ignorance, but surely, I could keep my distance, wanting to do nothing with the supernatural world.

Now, the only thing that remained was to stop phasing, permanently.

It would be tough, but I had to try….

Austin sighed, making me look up to meet his eyes. "I am actually not sure of what I want from life. It just seemed like a good idea to take a year off and think over it."

I nodded my head in agreement. It made sense, and anyway, it was not like I knew of what I wanted from life to be able to be in a position to judge him.

Heck, anyhow, which eighteen-year-old could say with perfect surety and evident clarity that this was what they were going to be at the age of twenty-eight, their future a perfectly laid out map in front of them?

It was pretty much a gamble that worked for some and didn't work for the others.

Only time would tell, if the gamble worked out for said person or not.

"Um…what about you?" Austin questioned, "You leaving for college?"

I shrugged back at him. Obviously, I could not tell him the truth that us shape-shifters were not 'allowed' to leave the reservation- stupid elders with their stupid rules, but with my decision to stop phasing, I was hoping that by next year- or at least the year after that- I would be able to leave La Push for better opportunities and a stain free future.

Now, don't get me wrong, La Push was home alright, but there were just too many bad memories associated with the place for it to ever be a source of comfort for me- with my dad's sudden heart attack and Sam cheating on me with my cousin- I hadn't known about the imprinting part of the story back in the day- I just wanted an out.

Also, I wanted to get rid of this female wolf that supposedly lived in me.

I was simply glad to be human.

"Same as you," I smiled at Austin, "I am not sure of what I want to do, and I have a few things pulling me down at the moment. Hopefully, I will have some clarity in mind by the end of the year."

Austin smiled, nodding his head in agreement, the fact that our conversation was so normal instantly warming my heart. I had craved this. I did not want to talk about vampires, patrolling, shape-shifters or half-breeds.

I had wanted this normalcy in life.

I was not Bella Swan.

I did not find my routine life boring enough to wish for some magical prince from the land of Narnia, who would sweep me off my feet, tilting my entire world and placing it on an unfamiliar axis for me to survive in.

No.

I wanted things to remain the way they were.

I had liked them the way they were.

"Now, Leah," he sighed, "I don't mean to pry, but just…. I have heard some rumors about your past relationship, and while I know that this isn't exactly first date material… I really like you and wouldn't want to give myself false hope…."

I sighed, letting out a breath. It had been too good to be true, as most things are!

"Ask away," I shrugged, his words stating that he really liked me swirling through my mind.

I liked him, too, maybe a bit more than I should for someone I hardly know.

He sighed, shaking his head to himself. "Please don't answer anything you're are not comfortable answering. It's just…"

"Austin, it's okay," I cut him off, a pacifying smile on my face. "Honesty is the best policy and everything. Secondly, there is nothing you could bring up that would possibly make me uncomfortable enough to run out of here."

I was a strong person in that sense.

Also, I was well aware of all the rumors that floated about me in and around the area. Some believed that I was a bitter harpy bound to die alone. Some accused me of sleeping around with the entire pack, being half naked around them certainly not helping the matters. Some blamed me for pushing Sam into Emily's open arms, accusing me of being horrible enough a person that my fiancé of a year and boyfriend of three would do something of that sort to me.

I knew them all. I had heard them all, but I ignored them.

Those dumbasses that spread such rumors about my life valued lesser than the dirt stuck to my shoe, and I was hell bent on keeping it so. They did not deserve the attention- and so they were not going to get any.

"Your boyfriend… cheated on you…"

I sighed, shutting my eyes briefly before opening them back again, "He was my fiancé."

"Oh." He mumbled, playing with the napkin on the table.

I sighed, letting out a breath as I continued. "We had been together since I turned fourteen, he being two years older than me. It was something out of a storybook for us, well, at least in the very beginning. My parents approved of him, he was going places, and he really, really liked me… or so I had believed." I paused, giving out a brief sigh. "Sure, we had our disagreements and everything, like all couples do, but I had had faith that we could overcome them, our love stronger than that. But unfortunately, he did not think so. I found him in bed with my cousin six months before we were to be married. He had been with her since a few weeks then, but didn't know of how to break it with me."

Imprinting or not, cheating on me was wrong!

It definitely did not excuse his actions, and no, I was too afraid to tell you, is not a justified answer, Mr. Sam Uley.

I could even accept the fact that we were not meant to be, but the way in which he had moved on from me- like I was that annoying fly one swatted away- that was what fucking sucked- Emily moving in with him the day after I discovered their affair.

I was almost sadistically happy that she had those three ugly scars running down her face; the manipulative serpent totally deserving it.

"Wow." Austin sighed; his eyes wide in disbelief. "I am sorry."

I shrugged him off. "I am glad I found out the truth about him before I married him and ruined my life. Anyhow, it has been a long time since."

He shrugged, giving me a small smile in response. "Does not excuse his actions! Anyhow, Leah," he sighed, "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable, but I don't want to be a rebound…"

I shook my head, a humorless chuckle leaving my mouth. "Austin, I have not dated anyone in more than a year now. Heck, I have not even been on a date since…. well, forever. I won't lie. It had been tough for me in the beginning, and I wasn't in the mental frame to even think romantically. But, now, I am ready to move on. Sam is a part of my past, and nothing more than that. I am not looking for a rebound, so you certainly don't need to worry about that. I am past all of that crap. This is not something I am doing to get over him, or because I feel lonely enough and crave the company."

He smiled wide at that, "Well, that's certainly good to hear, for I have hope that we could be good for one another. You are someone I would really like to spend time with, Leah. I have been wanting to ask you out since months now, but I wasn't sure of your response. I did not wish to make you uncomfortable or fall into a situation wherein I am deeper in than the other person involved."

I nodded my head, agreeing with him. "While this is definitely not first date material, I am glad that this is all out in the open."

I wouldn't have wanted to mislead Austin, and similarly, I wouldn't have wanted to fall for someone who was just here to waste time, while he waited for his Ms. Right.

I felt slightly better knowing that there was still hope blooming between us, that small ray of hope that something could actually happen between us.

He grinned, "me too; so now, let's get back to the baseless stuff? Which is your favorite color?"

I gave out a laugh, shaking my head to myself, as we once again went back to talking about the mundane stuff, relishing in the comfort of routine and normal…. just the way I wanted it to be.