Daisy's POV

I was being hopeless. Completely, utterly hopeless.

I woke in the morning, feeling more alive than I had since settling into the little house in Forks just over a month ago. Hugo sighed and stretched irritably when I rolled on top of him, singing him good morning and kissing his sleepy face happily.

I grabbed my phone and silenced my alarm, reading through the messages I'd received during the night.

You'd better call me as soon as you're awake. I don't care what time it is, I need to know what's going on.

I rolled my eyes at Jasmine's ever-present dramatics and thought over what time it would be back at home. It was the middle of the night over there. I definitely wasn't calling her at this hour. She'd be awake before sunrise and call me on her drive to work, and I could wait until then. I replied, letting her know I would speak to her when she woke up, and rolled out of bed. Hugo ignored me, choosing a sleep-in over following me to the bathroom.

I took my time to shower. I had some music lessons to teach this afternoon, and a bunch of sewing to get done for online orders throughout the day. I'd fallen behind, spending so much time with Seth since Tuesday afternoon, and I was going to have to put all of my focus into it to get it shipped out by the due date.

Once my hair was washed, my legs shaved, and my face and teeth scrubbed, I shut off the scalding water and wrapped myself in my towel. I'd become used to layering up in the morning and pulled on a pair of tracksuit pants and an over-sized t-shirt, finishing it off with a huge pink dressing gown I'd been gifted by my friend before leaving Australia.

I grabbed my latest creation and carried it into the lounge room, seating myself on the couch before I made my first cup of tea for the morning.

I was listening to a podcast when my phone lit up, and I reached for it a little too quickly. I was thrilled to see his name pop up on the screen.

Thanks again for last night, I hope you had a good sleep. Please let me know if you need anything, even if it is just a chat.

He was way too nice to me, and I wondered what I'd done to deserve his company. He seemed to be happy to keep things strictly platonic between us, which I knew I needed right now. I thought back to Halloween night, the way he'd stopped and stared at me, his eyes telling me something I didn't really understand, but I scolded myself at my thoughts. I was reading too far into it. He obviously just wasn't expecting someone to be sitting out on their porch after dark in such cold weather.

I wondered if he was one of those people who would get turned off by quick replies, but I decided if he was it was better to know early on.

I had a great sleep! Are you excited to be back at work today? Feel free for a catch-up at any time, Seth. It's nice to spend time with you.

Was that coming on a little too strongly? I decided I didn't care and sent it.

He must have been at work. I didn't receive a reply, and I tried not to be disappointed by that. We were adults, and we had lives to tend to.

I missed a great portion of whatever story was being told through my podcast as I began sewing again, thinking over the last few days.

I'd told myself not to get hung-up on anyone again, at least not for a long while, and I didn't know exactly how I was feeling if I was being completely honest with myself. He was friendly and charming, and extremely attractive. I liked his height, and his kind face, and his teeth, which for some reason I'd been distracted by on numerous occasions. I wasn't normally attracted to someone so stereotypically handsome, but I was a little intrigued by his wide shoulders and well-built arms. I told myself I didn't want to fall for someone so soon, but I wondered if I'd really be opposed to it if it were to happen.

I was positive he wouldn't reject me if I was to feel anything more for him in future. I'd never been turned down by someone before, though I hadn't ever made the first move in any kind of relationship I'd had. I knew I was attractive, and guys seemed to be pulled in by my unorthodox personality. I'd pinned said personality and eagerness on my one long-term relationship fizzling out before it ever had the chance to become something. Words of being told I wasn't good enough to meet his close friends, or spend time with him outside of his house ran through my head and I chewed on my lip in frustration, stitching through fabric aggressively to distract myself.

I would keep taking whatever was happening with Seth as it came, not get my hopes up, let it play out however it was going to. I was shy when it came to physical intimacy, for the most part. I would never be able to make the first move, so I decided it would be up to him. If in a couple of months time he was still around and wanted something to change, I would see how I felt and whether or not I wanted to take it on.

I finished three of my projects by midday, and I was warming up a bowl of canned soup when my phone rang. I reached for it immediately, answering brightly, happy to hear one of my best friends scold me for not waking her to talk.

"Tell me everything," she demanded, instead of an appropriate greeting.

"Don't get too excited," I warned her. "You know how slowly I move with these things."

"Daisy! You can't send me a message saying you met someone, and not expect me to get excited!"

I giggled into the phone at her frustration and pulled the bowl from the microwave, wedging my phone between my cheek and shoulder. "He lives in the next town over. He found me busking on Tuesday afternoon, and insisted on taking me out for coffee. I went out to visit him on Wednesday and he showed me around the beach, and then he came over last night and cooked me dinner." Technically, I had cooked, but he'd shadowed me and instructed me on what to do. I didn't feel like clarifying that.

"What does he look like?" Of course that was what Jasmine would be concerned with.

I knew she'd be happy with my answer. "He's more your type than mine, honestly. He's really tall. He's Native American, you'd die over his skin. And he's ripped."

"Ripped in a fuck boy way, or ripped in a 'I know how to take care of myself' kind of way?"

I thought over that for a moment. "I don't think he's a fuck boy. Maybe he's not your type after all. He seems really thoughtful, and helpful. I think he feels sorry for me, being out here all on my own. As far as I know he takes on sad strays until they can find friends of their own."

She laughed sarcastically. "So, what you're saying is, the complete opposite of my brother."

"Thankfully," I agreed with a relieved sigh. "He hasn't tried anything with me. He keeps a respectful distance. He asks about my life, but not in a pushy way. I talked way, way too much last night. I let him have it, gave him the whole sob story. He didn't run away though, which is good."

"Don't let him try anything until I've sussed him out." She threatened protectively.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I'll tell him to wait for my best friend to plan a holiday to the states if he makes any attempt at kissing me."

"You know I'd be there in a heartbeat, if you needed me." I twisted my lips sadly at her words. I suddenly felt very far away from home, and I missed my friend much more than I had since arriving.

"I miss you, Jas," I told her softly. "What are you up to right now?"

"Driving to work. A part of a roof collapsed in on a hardware store on the Central Coast. They called me out straight away. They want it sorted fast enough for trading today, but it's not going to be likely by the sounds of things." I could hear the loud sound of her work ute churning away in the background, and I let myself fall into the happenings of her routine life.

Jasmine was a walking contradiction. Easily my most attractive friend, by current standards. Her long, platinum extensions and face full of filler made her appear every part the maintained Barbie doll, and it was always fun to see people's reactions to her showing up to gatherings with a full face of makeup, tall heels and tight dresses, telling them she was an electrician who wore fluro, high-vis uniforms through her work day.

She stayed on the phone until she arrived at her destination, supplying ninety-percent of the conversation, as per usual. It was nice to sit and listen to her complain about her day-to-day life, emphasising drama over mundane things in a way only she could do.

I asked about her boyfriend, a gym junkie she'd met through training who didn't treat her right. She'd been quick to jump down my throat about leaving her brother only a year into my relationship, but she'd never been one to take her own advice. I wish she'd just realise how much better she could do, but it was a lost cause. I honestly think she enjoyed the frustrating relationships she put herself in the middle of.

When our call ended, I got back to work. I still had a couple of hours until I needed to dress in something more appropriate and make my way to an afternoon of clarinet lessons.

I tried not to wonder if I would hear from Seth again today, but he was more present in my thoughts than I wanted him to be. He'd been a welcome distraction the past few days, and I told myself repeatedly not to get sucked in. It would be all fun and games immersing myself in his attention until he decided he was tired of it and left me to myself again.

Seth's POV

I managed to send a message to Daisy an hour or so after I'd started work, and snuck a couple of replies out to her throughout the day. It was a twelve-hour work day for me today, with patrol from midnight, and I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to come up with an excuse to see her, though I was grateful that we'd already spent so much time together only days after I'd found her.

Grace hovered as her lunch break ended and mine began, asking what I was smiling at and who I was texting. I told her it was a friend, which was completely true. Her eyes were a little disappointed, and I wonder if she saw through me and knew I was hoping for more.

I had a message from her to say her day had been a very productive one, and I smiled to myself as I replied, over the moon that she was so comfortable keeping in touch when we barely knew each other. From personal experience, the girls I'd been in long-term relationships with in the past would be on the quieter side when we'd been just getting to know each other, perhaps not wanting to get too attached, or seem to eager. Daisy just seemed to tell me the facts, not waiting hours to reply to my messages when she had the chance to do so straight away.

I got home and showered, washing away the smell of cooking food that clung to my skin and hair and reminded me of work. I pulled on a pair of sweats and fell into bed, attempting to get a few hours sleep before I had to head out with Cooper later into the night.

Leah was watching a movie on the couch when I finally woke up and made my way out of my room. She looked up at me silently, staring at me for a long time without any hint of what she was thinking.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" I asked her immediately.

"I wanted to see you before you headed out," she replied calmly. "You were home pretty late last night."

"I had dinner."

"And…?" a small smirk made its way onto her lips and I focused my eyes on my task of making a coffee. The routine of doing late night patrols made it seem like a second morning to me after so long.

"And nothing, just dinner."

"I'm not letting you get away with that answer, you left me to the wolves, bailing on our dinner with Sam and Emily. It's never going to be comfortable to be there without you, and you know it. And you were there for a while for 'just dinner'." She argued quietly, turning her attention back to the television.

I sighed and made my way to her, sitting on the opposite end of the long, L-shaped couch. "We had a long chat. She talks easily, like she's known me forever. I think she likes having someone around. She wouldn't say it directly, but she seems pretty lonely."

Leah turned off the television, and I knew she was going to want to keep talking before she headed to her room. "Well, take advantage of that. Even if nothing happens physically, all the talking in the world could help with your situation."

"She said she's sworn off relationships, after her ex."

"I'm guessing he's still overseas?" I had told Leah small things here and there since I started talking to Daisy, but we'd never had a face-to-face conversation about it.

"Yeah, she's here on her own. I'm not going to push her for anything. I think the imprint knows she's not ready, I haven't had that weird, unresistable urge to kiss her or anything, the way the other guys have with their imprints. It's more of this really intense, protective friendship."

Leah paused for a moment, thinking on my words. "But there is something there, right? I'm getting a sister out of this at the end of the day, not just a girl to see who's best friends with my brother?"

I chuckled. "If anything changes with her, I'm sure I'd feel it. She's beautiful. I know I definitely want more in the long run, but I'm happy to take my time until she's ready." And she would be ready, I was sure of that. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that we would stay as comfortable, platonic friends forever.

"You should bring her here for dinner one night, I want to meet her."

I frowned across the couch at her. "Since when are you so involved with my life?"

"Since my little brother found his soul mate," she answered quickly. "Look, I promise I'll be good and I won't scare her away. You don't even need to invite mom, I'll tell her everything. Just have her here again, but when I'm home as well. You don't need to tell her I wanted to meet her, or anything."

"I don't want to force her into anything, Lee, but I'll let it happen if it's organic."

She leaned over to pat me on the knee as she stood. "I know you'll be good for her, Seth. I'm not going to give you any big sister chats about how to act around her, but don't keep her away from me, either. She's going to be a part of the family one day, and I'm excited to know her."

"You'll love her," I smiled warmly, and for a moment she returned it.

She didn't say anything else as she crossed to the hall, entering her room and shutting the door.

I walked back through the door just a little past four-thirty in the morning, yawning widely as I walked to my room, pulling on a fresh uniform and rubbing my face wearily. The early mornings and late nights paring up always got to me, but with my thoughts going a hundred miles an hour about my imprint on top of it all, it was almost too hard to ignore my bed and head out again for another day at work.

At least my weekend shifts weren't too long. Saturdays and Sundays I was usually home before five in the afternoon, leaving as another chef took over the dinner shift.

I didn't have a message from Daisy to answer, and I started my truck, wondering if I should send her one to wake up to, but decided against it. I didn't want to wake her if she was a light sleeper and her phone bothered her.

Work was tough, when I absolutely didn't want to be there. I put my phone in my bag and hid it in the staff room, so I wouldn't be as distracted if I were to get a message. I focused on my tasks, not being as chatty with my co-workers as I normally would have, because their pattern in conversation simply did not interest me over the thoughts of my imprint.

I changed and said my goodbyes, grateful to be heading out, grabbing my phone as I walked to the door to leave. My heart jumped a little when I saw her name on my home screen.

If you're finishing relatively early and don't have plans for tonight, I'd like to cook you dinner to say thank you. There's one meal I actually know how to make, and I have to make a big serving for it to be worth it.

I replied to her as I made my way to my truck. I've just left the restaurant, and I have no plans. I can be there in just over an hour?

Perfect! I'll see you soon.

She was definitely feeling something, looking for an excuse to have me over again so soon. The thought crossed my mind to invite her to my house instead, Leah would like that, but I didn't. I wanted her in her safe space. She was already taking initiative to invite me over, and if she was planning on cooking for me I didn't want to throw her into a strange kitchen she'd never used before.

I drove too quickly toward Forks, my nerves and excitement propelling me forward, frustrated that my truck couldn't move as fast legally or otherwise as I would be able to on four legs.

I spotted her before pulling to the side of the road, stopping my car across the street in front of her house.

She was leaning on the small fence that separated her neighbor's yard and her driveway, smiling as she and another woman spoke. A golden retriever had its nose poked through the fence, and Hugo's tail was going a hundred miles a minute as he sniffed at his friend behind the fence.

She looked up when I left my car, offering me a wide, excited smile before she turned back to her neighbor.

"Who's that?" there was a presumptuous tone to the other woman's voice.

She answered quietly, thinking I wouldn't be able to hear her. "That's my friend, Seth. He's helping me settle in and figure out the area."

"He's very cute,"

She breathed a chuckle. "He is, but I'm not telling him that." I felt something warm in the pit of my stomach, my shoulders raising a little in confidence as I crossed the road and walked up her driveway. She turned to face me, her voice a lot louder. "Hello, Seth,"

"Hey, Daisy," I grinned back at her and came to a stop, a respectable distance to her right.

"Seth, this is my neighbor Stacey, and her little girl Poppy," Daisy introduced us. "Stacey is Hugo's baby sitter, when she steals him away from me."

Stacey smiled at me, her eyes sweeping me up and down, as if trying to figure me out. The look I was used to seeing in a lot of girl's eyes, the one all of my brothers and I were used to seeing, as if we were a piece of meat, wasn't in her expression. "Nice to meet you, Seth. I'm determined to steal Hugo away for good, one of these days," she chuckled, turning back to my imprint.

The dog in question made his way to me, his head bowed submissively while his friend on the other side of the fence jumped excitedly. "You seem to have your hands full already." I told her, eyeing the retriever.

"Yeah, she can be a nightmare," Stacey lowered a hand to Poppy's head to attempt to calm her down. "I've been trying to convince my partner to get another one for over a year, but she's not convinced. Having Hugo around distracts her from getting up to no good, they entertain themselves."

"Well, you know you're welcome to borrow him any time you want," Daisy took a step back from the fence, and Stacey mirrored her, understanding their conversation was over for now.

"I should head back in and check on dinner. Nice to meet you, Seth," Stacey threw a suggestive glance at Daisy before turning and calling Poppy in after her.

"Hi," Daisy breathed, greeting me again as she turned to smile with too much warmth, her head tilted back to look at me. Her vanilla-like scent filled my nose and made me feel slightly dizzy, but in a good way.

"She seems like a good neighbor," she led the way inside and I followed her, Hugo bounding up the small steps to the porch and waiting impatiently at the door.

"She's the best," she agreed immediately. "She made an effort to come and meet me when I moved in, I never would have been brave enough to do it myself."

She opened the door, and the smell of cheese and garlic hit my face immediately. "Smells good," I complimented as I swung the door closed behind me. She didn't say anything, moving to the kitchen and pulling out a brand new bar stool, motioning for me to sit.

"I felt bad about you not being able to fit at the table, so I went out and got flat-pack stools today after work. We can eat at the counter now!"

"Did you put them together yourself?" I took a seat and watched her as she walked into the kitchen, pouring me a glass of water and setting it down.

"Yeah, I'm the flat-pack queen," she grinned. "I know it's probably too early for dinner right now, but it's all ready whenever you are. I made potato bake," she opened the oven, letting me eye a baking dish piled high with bacon, cream and cheese. I breathed in the strong smell of garlic again and my stomach grumbled. It was never too early for dinner with a wolf's appetite.

"And I worked really, really hard and roasted a chicken, all by myself." She popped open the microwave door and pulled out a sealed foil bag, one of the rotisserie chickens you bought already cooked from grocery stores. She kept the bag sealed, maintaining the juices, and I chuckled at her joke.

"You've been busy,"

"Mm-hm," she replied sarcastically. She leaned across the bench, staring at me intently. I loved every moment of it. "How was work?"

"Long, and busy."

"Do you always finish so early on a Saturday? How did you manage to get away with that?"

"I've been there the longest," I told her. "I take the ridiculously long shifts a couple of times a week, and they let me out for weekend dinners and a couple of days off in a row."

"That's good," she nodded. "I didn't like the sound of you doing a twelve-hour shift yesterday. I've had jobs like that a few times before."

"It's not so bad, it's only twice a week." I took a sip of water and studied her as I swallowed. "What did you do, before you moved here?"

"Everything," she smiled. "I was a butcher, a bar tender, a telephonist in a call center, and when I was sick of all that I went into performing."

Of course, she had to have done something with music. The dozen or so instruments in her house and the job teaching multiple types of instruments couldn't have just been a hobby. "What kind of performing did you do?"

"Don't laugh at me," she warned me. "Opera singing. I was the principle coloratura soprano for a theatre company that worked out of Sydney."

"Wow," I breathed out, slightly awed. I hadn't understood half of that, but knowing she was making a living singing opera on stage not long before I met her was a little shocking. "So you're, like…famous."

She laughed loudly and shook her head. "Hardly. I didn't leave on overly good terms…I got tired of it, and I wanted to be at home with Juniper. I was offered a job touring parts of Asia in a show, and I would have been contracted for ten months to do so initially, but I decided to throw it back in their faces and left it all behind without much warning."

"You didn't want to do it to stay at home with your dog?" She'd left Juniper behind, after all of that. It didn't make complete sense to me.

"No," she started slowly. "June used to stay with my grandmother when I was staying in Sydney and didn't come home for the night, and I knew the two of them made each other happy enough for me to leave. Peggie is definitely her person, as jealous as I got about that… I thought I could save my relationship, if I stayed. I thought things would get better. But he didn't want me, and when I told him I'd rejected the offer he didn't seem phased in the slightest."

"He's an idiot." I grumbled. "I don't understand how anyone could be in a relationship with you and not want you, Daisy." The words had left my mouth before I could think through them, and she was silent as she stared back at me, neither of us backing down from the contact our eyes shared. She was expressionless, maybe waiting for me to follow up with something not so intense to mute the fact that I'd potentially just told her I was interested.

"What have you done, in the past?" she asked quietly. "Did you only start cooking with this job?"

I shook my head and took another sip of water, scolding myself as I tried to calm down enough to answer her evenly, without any more slip-ups. "I used to cook with my dad. He had all these home recipes that people went crazy for, and he got me started with my passion for food. When I started work, I was in building houses. I like using my hands. But the early mornings every day and…helping out with Jake at nights wasn't working for me. I like being able to have control over the hours I work, and getting to work with food was just an added bonus."

"I like using my hands, too," she murmured. "What do you mean, helping out with Jake? Does he own a business?"

"Kind of," I cringed as I thought on how to answer. "He does a lot for the reservation. All of the guys I've told you about have worked with him, at some point or another. We all tend do a couple of shifts a week for him to help out."

"Why is he making you guys work through the night?" she asked with a small frown.

"Not all of us help out at night, it's just easier for me with work. He lets us decide when. We kind of figure it's our job to do our part for the reservation. I'm happy to stay up all night for my turn."

She nodded, understanding. "You're a good guy, Seth. You speak very highly of your friends."

"They're good people," I dismissed her compliment. "We've all done a lot for each other."

"I liked La Push," she told me. "It's so beautiful out there. It was nice to be by the water again."

"I'll take you back, whenever you want."

"What's it like in the summer?" she questioned. "I know it's not going to be like summers are at home, but is it warm enough to swim?"

"We have swimmers and surfers there all the time, but I don't know how you'd find it. I'm sure it's not the same as you're used to."

"I brought one bikini with me from home. I didn't know if I'd ever get to use it, but I'm such a sucker for a swim at the beach. I miss being able to go out and ignore everything. It's like the ocean is one big protector from the rest of the world."

"I like the water, too," I told her honestly. I wondered what said bikini looked like, but shook the thought away. I hadn't seen her in anything less than tights and a sleeveless dress, but I knew it would be a sight I'd welcome if I ever got the change to see it.

"Well, sign me up for a swim as soon as we have a warm day!" she chuckled. "Do you think it will snow this winter? I really want to see it."

"I'm sure it will," I could be pretty positive on that. "Did it snow where you were from?"

She laughed and shook her head. "I've never seen snow in my life. I've travelled to so many places, but it's always avoided me."

"Never in your life?!" I was surprised. "You're in for a really rough few months," I warned.

"I'm hoping for it. Do you finally break out a jacket when it starts?"

I shook my head, grinning when she frowned at me disapprovingly. "I told you, I don't feel the cold. We're all the same at home. I don't even know if I've got more than two jackets to my name."

"Seth, that's just ridiculous. You're going to get a cold. Even with the weather how it is now, you're risking it."

"I haven't had a cold since I was fourteen years old." I told her. She frowned at me as if she doubted what I'd said, but she let it go.

"Thanks for coming over again, so soon. I didn't want to pressure you, but I thought you deserved a thank-you dinner."

"Not a problem at all, I'm happy to be here," I said. There was something hovering behind her eyes, and the smile had fallen from her face for the moment.

"You're going to get sick of me really quickly if I keep forcing you to hang out with me."

"I highly doubt that," she lowered her eyes to the counter when I answered. "I do like spending time with you too, Daisy. You know that, right?"

"I hope so," she murmured under her breath. "I don't usually meet people I feel so comfortable with. There's only a couple of friends I had back home that I feel like I can be myself around, without having to try to fit in."

I frowned, wanting to reach out and rest my hand over hers to the point it hurt, but I resisted. "I don't want you to feel like that."

"I don't, not with you," she replied quickly. "Just…tell me if I'm bothering you, okay? I can take a step back, I can meet other people to distract myself with." She scoffed at herself. "Hell, I can spend another month working and not seeing anyone, I did it fine up until last week."

"Don't do that," I thought through how to console her without sounding too eager. "As much as I love my friends and family, I've always been a bit on the sidelines. Everyone had someone at home, and there's only a few of us that hover, not really being a whole part to something. You're keeping me company just as much as I'm doing that for you."

"So, it's not weird if we let each other know whenever we're free?" she asked softly. "I feel like I'm being a crazy person. As soon as you left last night, I missed having you here."

"I was a bit the same," I admitted, just as quietly. She looked up at me, surprised, and I smiled softly. "Like we were meant to be friends, or something." That was one way to put it lightly. I took control, before she could worry herself over doing it. "I finish work at the same time tomorrow, and I should be home just after five. If you want to come around and just hang out, feel free. I'll be there on my own."

"I don't want to intrude," she said uneasily.

"You won't be," I insisted. "Let Stacey know she can borrow Hugo until you get home, she seems to be all too eager. I'll show you how to cook something else. We can watch crappy movies, or listen to more of the music you wanted to show me, or you can teach me how to paint or something."

She chuckled along with me. "Okay," she agreed gently. "But let me know if you're not feeling up for it, alright? The last thing I want to do is make you feel pressured to hang out with me."

I wanted to tell her to never think that way, that I couldn't possibly get sick of her. I wanted to let her know there was just her in my mind, every second of every day, and walking away from her hurt in a way that it shouldn't. I wanted to tell her that she was feeling something that was beyond what she could understand, and that it was natural, and it was going to be there whether we let it or not. But I kept my mouth closed. Tonight wasn't the time, and I wanted her to be comfortable with me before I told her she was my soul mate and trapped her into knowing it would kill me if she didn't want me the same way.

She sat on the kitchen floor, Hugo's head rested in her lap as she stroked his chest and stomach, talking with me easily about her current jobs and projects she had coming up. She was an artist in all forms, painting and sewing and crafting items that she shipped all over the world. She told me about the things she'd posted yesterday, and orders she had coming in. I asked her about the murals she'd been painting in people's houses, and she spoke excitedly about new enquiries she'd had in the last week. She was busier than I was in some ways, but she seemed to love it.

"I don't feel satisfied if I'm not saving five-hundred dollars each week," she told me. "I've always been a crazy saver. I don't like spending money too much. And I think I tend to distract myself from my life with my jobs a bit. I don't like to sit still. Even watching movies, I have to keep my hands busy. I have an overactive mind."

I smiled as she spoke, thinking on how similar we were. My bank account had been growing steadily since I'd started work, living in a house that was owned by my mother, paying only bills and for essentials. There wasn't enough time in my life to take on hobbies, or spend money on holidays.

I asked her about her travels, seeing as I'd never been too far from home. She spoke about each place she'd visited in great detail, telling me I had to go to Europe to simply experience it.

"It's a different world," she told me romantically, staring down at Hugo with adoration in her eyes. The dog sighed happily and nuzzled further into her lap. "I know your country is twice as old as mine, and your people were here before then with all of your culture, but seeing buildings that have been standing for hundreds and hundreds of years…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "It's like magic. It's crazy to me to imagine what was going on back then."

"It would be incredible to speak to someone who had experienced it all," I murmured, thinking about how much she would have to speak about with Carlisle, though he was considered relatively young for someone of his kind.

"I know," she breathed in wonder. "The world is changing so quickly, and one day people are going to look back to our time like it's a fantasy. I wonder if people back then had any idea of the advancements that were ahead of them."

Her brain worked deeply into her ideas, and I saw what she meant about an overactive mind. She was saying things as if she'd kept them bottled up forever, and they were exploding out of her without me rarely being able to get a word in.

"Do you want to travel America?" I asked her.

"I do," she replied instantly. "I had plans to see Canada and Alaska a couple of years ago, but Alex told me as I went to book our flights he wasn't doing it anymore. I decided to spend a month in England on my own, instead. But there are so many places all over that I want to see. I want to do the touristy things, like Disneyland and New York City, and I want to see Yosemite National Park and the Grand Canyon."

"What's your favorite place, in the entire world?" I was curious to know her answer, pin down what she longed to be living amongst.

"Tasmania," she told me, without any hesitation. "With all the countries I've been to, that little state in Australia is the best thing I've ever experienced. I used to pack up and leave every year on my birthday, rent a car and drive around and figure it out as I went. I took my sister the first time I went, and a friend a couple of years after, but it was fine when I was on my own, as well. The people there are kind, and there are so many beautiful places to be on your own." She was silent as she thought about it, lost in her memories. "La Push actually reminded me a little bit of my favorite places there. The scenery, and the weather, and the water. It took me back there. There's a lodge in a place called Cradle Mountain, and you literally stay in the middle of bush land in little log cabins. It snows there, even in the summer, but I was never lucky enough to see it. Wild wombats and echidnas walk right up to you, as if they don't even know you're there. It's different there. I like untouched places the best. I think it's sad that animals don't trust humans from their experiences."

"You have a thing for animals," I observed.

She smiled and looked up at me. 'They're easier than people. I like that there's no judgment with them, and it's the best feeling in the world when they trust you enough to be with you."

"You guys have to deal with sharks a fair bit, don't you?" I asked, remembering horror stories I would hear growing up.

She shrugged. "Not as much as people think. There are always run-ins, but I think crocodiles would be worse. There are so many cases of that happening up North that people stop caring to talk about it. And then there's the snakes and spiders wanting to kill you all the time, as well." She laughed. "Spiders are the one thing I can't deal with. I'm glad I haven't seen any around here that have worried me."

We were talking for a long time, and it was eight o'clock before she finally looked at the time and jumped to her feet, apologizing for not feeding me sooner. She dished out a huge serving of layered slices of potatoes and cheese in a creamy sauce, asking me what part of the chicken I wanted.

She set her smaller plate of potatoes and chicken breast on the counter beside me, taking the second chair and digging in immediately.

The ingredients in her creation all worked together perfectly, like she'd made it a hundred times before, and I scarfed it down faster than I'd intended. She got me seconds without asking, and I ate it slower, admiring the taste with the roasted chicken she'd bought.

Hugo ate his home-cooked meal beside us on the floor, and I pointed it out. "You know how to make two things, Hugo is really enjoying that."

"Anything for my boy," she smiled over at the dog who was too eager to finish his meal and sit patiently, expecting something from us.

We didn't enter the living room that night. Our empty plates sat in front of us on the counter top, and we rested our cheeks on our hands, slightly turned to face each other as she asked me questions about my life, up until this point.

It was only when I yawned that she stood, rinsing our plates and setting them in the bottom of the sink. "You need to get home, mister. You look exhausted."

"I didn't get too much sleep last night," I admitted, standing obediently from the counter and tucking the stool back in beneath it.

She frowned up at me, lifting her fingers to trace under my eyes, so gently I could barely feel it. My heart raced at the contact, and I closed my eyes, holding myself back from leaning into her touch.

"Go home and get some sleep. Let me know if you're still on for tomorrow."

I walked with her to the front door, stepping out onto the porch before I turned around to face her. "Thanks for dinner. You lied when you said you were the world's worst cook, by the way."

She giggled nervously, leaning against the door frame, hanging onto the inner handle as she looked back at me. "I'm glad you liked it."

And then, there was silence. We both looked at each other, somewhat expectantly, a shy grin on both of our faces. We were both wondering how to end the night. Last night we'd shared a quick hug before I'd left the house, but tonight there was something else hovering over us.

I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to kiss her so badly I could hardly stand it, and I wondered when that change had happened. Her lips were tight with her grin, and I couldn't help but think she might have been considering the same thing.

It had to have been at least a minute before I finally broke the silence. "Alright." I said determinedly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," she echoed, watching me descend the three small steps and head to my truck. She didn't close the door until I'd turned the key in the ignition, waving at me one last time before disappearing from view.