Fixed
11. Notice
Notice - the act of observing or paying attention to something.
Kim felt as though she floated to her car after the kiss and had the same silly grin on her face all the way to 'Little House' (as Jared kept referring to Sam and Emily's place). But when she had parked behind Jared's truck on the driveway, she suddenly didn't want to get out the car. The thought of entering a house filled with rambunctious teenagers who'd tease her popped her bubble somewhat and Kim was just contemplating backing out and going home when her driver's side door opened. Jared was staring down at her imploringly.
"Come on Kim," he cajoled, "You know that they're simply going to be thrilled for us and Em will literally kill me if you don't come in."
"But Paul will tease me and Embry will pull my hair and … and …"
"They'll be on their best behaviour or I'll beat them up, I promise," he reassured, leaning over to unclip her belt. "Please Kim?" He put on the puppy dog eyes once more and Kim felt herself melting. She was so lost in his dark gaze that she was out of the car without knowing how she'd got there.
"How did you?" she muttered, only to receive a grin in response.
"Talent," he replied smugly, "and excellent distracting skills. Come on babe, we're going in." Kim whined but didn't put up as much of a fight as he tugged her in.
Though she did force him to a stop when they were at the door. "No pet names," she stated firmly. "I'm not a babe …"
"But you are to me …" Jared protested.
Kim glared, "I don't care, I'm Kim. Pure and simple, got it?"
He seemed on the point of arguing his point again but eventually gave up and simply nodded, his smirk returning.
"What?" Kim demanded.
"It's nice to see feisty Kim re-emerge," he stated, opening the door and hauling her in before she could protest.
They entered the same kitchen and Kim saw Paul, Embry and now Jacob in their accustomed places on the sofas, playing some game on the Play Station. Emily and Sam were seated at the table but the young woman was soon bouncing out of her chair at the sight of Jared and Kim.
"Kim!" she exclaimed, "How lovely to see you!" Kim returned her enthusiastic hug happily and felt a similar warmth blooming in her heart for this young woman. There was such kindness in Emily that she made an immediate plan to see more of her and get a meet up in the diary.
Emily pulled back, seeing Jared's ear to ear grin and the way he kept his arm securely about Kim's waist. Letting out a squeal, her face lit up. "Are you two finally..?"
Jared nodded, eliciting another squeal from Emily and causing the other boys to suddenly gain interest. Embry grinned. Paul smirked. Jacob looked confused but happy and Sam … well, Sam looked pleased but in his usual subdued way. He was a very careful observer and often slightly alarmed Kim.
"Congratulations on finally growing a pair Jared," Paul stated, "although it means I have to give Emily ten bucks."
"Hand it over boys," the recipient stated delightedly, eliciting a groan from Embry.
"There goes my gas money," he muttered.
"You don't even have a license idiot," Jacob muttered.
"But I need to save for when I do," Embry shot back.
"Yeah like that'll ever happen!"
"It will!"
"When you're fifty."
"I'm sixteen in January."
"Like I said, fifty."
"You little …"
"Jacob, Embry, enough!" Sam barked. Both boys immediately apologised and went back to their game. Kim was struck by the control Sam seemed to have and found herself once again pondering the dynamics of this group. There seemed to be a hierarchy …
Her pontifications were interrupted by Jared hauling her over to the table for coffee. Emily was positively bubbling with enthusiasm and demanding all the details.
Kim blushed, "Well, he asked me during work …"
"Were you walking the dogs together?"
"Yeah, how did you know?" Kim glanced curiously over and saw Jared looked embarrassed.
"Jared needed someone to speak to about you and because I'm the only person he knows with emotional depth beyond that of a teaspoon, he asked me for advice," Emily replied.
Sam snorted. "I have emotional depth …"
His girl friend rolled her eyes, "Please, before I met you, you thought showing up with cold McDonalds was romantic!"
"I kind of like McDonalds …" Kim admitted. This made both Jared and Sam laugh.
"Yeah, but my point is that I have trained him to become the emotionally literate man he is today," Emily concluded.
"Basically, she has him whipped," Jared summarised, receiving a glare from Sam and snorts from the three on the sofa.
"I dare you to try not doing anything Kim asks you to do," Sam countered. Kim laughed, enjoying this slightly more human side of Sam and earned herself a smirk from him.
"The point is Kim," Emily continued, "That Jared will do anything for you, so it's healthy to take full advantage." Kim grinned and felt her boyfriend wrap an arm about her, drawing her closer to him.
"Yeah, but Kim wouldn't take advantage, Em," he stated, "she's much too sweet for that."
"Well, never say never," Kim countered, which made them all laugh and Jared mock glare at her.
"You'd take advantage of my feelings for you?"
"Only if they benefitted me somehow?" she returned, grinning. This led to more ribbing of Jared being as "whipped" as Sam and before Kim knew it, time was creeping towards her curfew and she stood up to leave.
"I'll text you," she promised Emily, "Maybe we could have a boy-free evening and kick this lot out?"
Emily's face lit up, "I would love that!"
"It's my house …" Sam griped, though Kim could see a slight twinkle in his eyes.
"And I never get to have it to myself," Emily countered, "You lot can go for a night's camping or something." This idea actually proved to go down rather well with the boys and Emily and Kim enthusiastically promised to firm up plans and a date that weekend.
By the time they got out the house, Kim was sprinting to her car to make curfew and managed to make Jared agree that he wouldn't drive with her. However, this was following a very heated departing kiss that left her feeling slightly disorientated.
In the end, Kim made it home by 9:55 and felt the nerves clenching once more as she parked. How to avoid her family? Opting for the direct approach, she closed Mouse's door quietly and was just starting to climb the stairs when her dad emerged from the living room.
Ted Connweller took one look at his surreptitious daughter and grinned, "Sneaking up the stairs without saying hi are we, Kim?" he stated, with far too much volume.
Kim flinched, "I'm tired Dad …." She began.
"Oh? What were you doing at Sam Uley's house that made you so tired Kim?" her dad replied, again, far too loudly.
"Sam Uley's place? Again?" exclaimed Lucy, who came bounding out of the kitchen with an ear to ear grin.
"I'm going to bed," she mumbled before sprinting to the stairs.
"This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain High School Junior we all know would it?" Lucy teased. Kim glared at both her dad and sister before seeking sanctuary in first her room and then the shower.
However, after half an hour of hiding, she knew that she had to tell at least one parent and decided to seek out her Mom who was thankfully already in bed reading. Instead of speaking, Kim merely crept under the bed clothes, hugged her mom and buried her head in her neck. Sophie Connweller put her book down, returning the hug and allowing her eldest daughter to eventually voice her thoughts.
It took a while, but Kim eventually mumbled, "Mom?"
"Yes, honey?" Sophie replied pleasantly.
"Jared asked me to be his girlfriend." Kim kept her head hidden throughout this exchange and hugged her Mom tighter, refusing to look up. Sophie smiled to herself and placed a gentle kiss on her daughter's forehead.
"I'm glad he finally asked you, sweetheart. He's a good boy."
Kim finally looked up, "You really think so?"
Her mom nodded, "He explained what happened to us. The missed date wasn't his fault, it was just one of those awful situations."
Kim nodded, "Yeah … and … he um … he asked me out tomorrow night … can I go?"
Sophie nodded, "So long as he gets you back by 10."
Her daughter's face lit up, "He will, oh I promise he will! Thanks Mom! Thanks so much!" Kim hugged her Mom again, feeling the vibration of her laughter.
"You're welcome, honey. I just hope he grovels a lot."
Kim smiled, "Well, he kind of already has. I mean, he's apologised a lot."
"I think your Dad wants to be happy for you as well …" Kim turned to see Ted watching her from the door. He looked a little guilty.
"Kim, honey, you know Lucy and I were just teasing, right?" Kim nodded, "We've been waiting for Jared to ask you out for a couple of weeks now …"
"Wait, you guys were making bets as well?"
"Well not exactly a bet but we were talking about how keen he seemed … wait, someone bet on you two getting together?"
"Yes! Jared's wretched friends! But Emily did win so at least Paul and Embry had to pay up, so there's that … anyway, he's picking me up at 5. Is that okay?"
"Yes, just home by 10."
"Okay, good night guys." Kim bounced up from the bed and made her exit before she could embarrass herself any further with her laughing parents.
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To Kim's surprise, Saturday sped by much quicker than she had expected, and after calling Ruth (and getting deafened by her squeals down the phone), she had spent the same amount of time getting ready and actually decided to use the same outfit. Lucy and Ruth had both found this weird at first, but when Kim had explained that she wanted to have a do-over of the entire night, it made a lot more sense. Therefore, before she knew it, Kim's hair had once more been curled, her face made up and she was just slipping on the same leather jacket at 4:56 when the doorbell rang and her insides clenched.
Sophie beat everyone to the door and opened it to a surprisingly clean and tidy Jared.
"Hello Jared," she greeted his warmly, smiling at the pink rose he was holding.
"Hi Mrs Connweller," he replied, smiling, "Is Kim ready?"
"Right here!" Kim exclaimed, "Sorry I missed opening the door, I couldn't find my bag."
She stopped dead for a moment and took him in. He had exchanged his normal hoodie for a nice navy shirt and was wearing a leather jacket open over the top. He too was momentarily rendered speechless at the sight of her all dressed up.
"Wow!" he exclaimed, making Kim blush. Remembering himself, he held the rose out to her, earning a shy smile and a quiet "thank you." "You look so pretty," he whispered, unable to stop leaning down and kissing her cheek.
A clearing throat brought them quickly out of their bubble and Jared instantly stuck out his hand, "Good evening Mr Connweller, I'm Jared Cameron."
Ted Connweller took the proffered hand and surveyed the young man taking his daughter out, "Pleasure to finally meet you, Jared. How's your father?"
"Well, thank you sir, he says to pass on his regards."
Ted nodded, "Please pass them back for me. We'd like to see him at one of our poker nights again, it's been months since he came."
Jared smiled, "I'll tell him sir."
"So where are you taking Kimmy?"
Kim cringed at this hated nickname.
"The movies at Port Angeles and then I thought we'd go to this Italian place my Dad likes."
Ted nodded, "Sounds like a plan. Take care of our daughter, okay and back no later than 10?"
Jared nodded, "I promise, sir." With that, Kim all but dragged Jared out of the house. He laughed at her insistence. "Don't you want me to make a good impression on your dad?"
"Not to the point where he starts stalking us," she griped, making him laugh. She stomped around to her side of the car and was about to yank it open when Jared stopped her. "What?" she demanded.
Jared frowned, "That's my job."
"Oh," Kim felt herself colouring and stood back so that he could open her door. It wasn't until they were driving down the road that she saw his grin. "What?"
He laughed, "I just love seeing you flustered, it makes you all babbly and adorable." Kim was about to mutter something when he added, "By the way, I meant it, you look so fucking pretty."
The blush returned and she resorting to hiding her face in her hands, "Thanks." Jared merely grinned and squeezed her knee.
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If Kim had been worried that their date would be awkward, her concerns were alleviated almost immediately as she and Jared fell back into their usual rapport on the drive to Port Angeles. They teased each other and bickered, discussing their friends, school, what movie they would see … the list went on and on and there was never a lull in their conversation.
When they'd arrived at the movie theatre, Jared allowed Kim to pick and even looked at her questioningly when she chose Final Destination.
"Kaden said it was good!" she replied in her defence (an opinion she would later curse Kaden for), before she spent half the movie with her face buried in Jared's shoulder, terrified. Her boyfriend, however, seemed very content with the choice of movie, using it as an excellent excuse to hold his imprint close and cuddle her in comfort.
Once the movie had finished (and Jared had convinced Kim to get back in the car regardless of the likelihood of logging trucks being on the road), he drove her to Bella Italia for "icecream therapy" and allowed her to choose any flavour for dessert after they'd both indulged in a thoroughly gooey pepperoni pizza. It was only once they were walking back to his truck, hand in hand, that Kim broached the subject that she'd been pondering for half of dinner.
"Jared," she began once they were back in his truck, "Can I ask you something?"
"You can ask me anything Kim, you know that," Jared replied, "But first, did you have fun?"
Kim grinned, "So much fun, thank you Jared."
Though it was dark she could see his smile, "You're welcome. I just wish this had been our date last month."
"It's okay, we've done it properly now," Kim comforted.
"Yeah, you're right." He started the truck, "Okay, what did you want to ask me?"
"When you came with me on Friday you said that there was something that you urgently needed to speak to me about … was it really to ask me out, or was it about that other thing you can't talk about?"
She waited.
It took Jared a surprisingly long time to reply. He seemed to be concentrating on the road very hard all of a sudden.
"Kim … there's some stuff I need to tell you … and I can't, not yet. But I promise you I will tell you eventually."
"But why can't you tell me now, Jared? We're going out, I've met everyone …"
"Not everyone."
"Who's there left to meet?"
"I want you to come to a bonfire the Council are holding in a few weeks time. It'll make a lot more sense when you do."
"The Council again? But why?"
Jared groaned, "Please Kim? Will you just trust that I will tell you when I can?"
Kim thought for a moment, "Okay."
She heard his sigh of relief as he took her hand and kissed her knuckles, "Thank you sweetheart. I promise, I will tell you when the time is right."
And Kim forced herself to be content with that … for the time being at least.
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