Winnie's POV

"Morning," I say into Embry's van before getting in, and I'm immediately meet with the smell of the woods.

"Good morning," He greets softly with his eyes shut. Exhausted as always, Embry is slumped in the driver's side with his head resting against the window. Half dressed and barefoot, he's completely smeared in dirt. There's blades of grass and twigs stuck in his hair, with an undeniable heavy musk of wet dirt and pine that rivals an air freshener.

"Sam Uley had you work late again?" I ask, answered by a tired groan.

"Covering a shift for a friend." He yawns.

"Graveyard shift?"

"Overnight, the usual." He yawns again, his head lolling forward as if he can't keep it up. Feeling bad, I let him rest his eyes for ten minutes, sitting quietly besides him listening to him breathe evenly, and softly playing with the radio channels. After two minutes, he's snoring, dead asleep.

He's gonna get such a bad neck cramp from that position. The kind that doesn't let you look over your shoulder without the motion feeling like a punch. There is an urge to pull him down across the seat, but his head will end up in my lap. I try to keep my hands to myself, telling myself to ignore whatever pull is nudging against my arms and hands to reach out and hold him.

"Embry," After a bit I have to wake him up before I take hold of him. He's hard to wake up, deep asleep within minutes. I shake him a bit, calling his name till his eyes open.

"I think I should drive you home." I suggest, hearing the amount of concern in my voice and cringing at how much of a mom I must sound like.

"No, I'm taking you to work." He mumbles, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"You shouldn't be behind the wheel when you're this tired. You're gonna fall asleep behind the wheel. You could crash into someone or drive off of the road, and put yourself the hospital."

"You're worried about me." Through sleep lidded eyes, Embry softly grins at me. It's such a tender expression it makes my breath catch in my throat. Noticing I'm right by his hip and the gearshift, I don't know when I inched so close to him.

"A cop might be worried too." I try to put some distance between us, retreating back to my side of the van. "How about you let me drive till the lodge? Just enough time for you to wake up a bit, hmm?"

"So responsible." He yawns again. "No, don't worry. I've driven half asleep more times than awake. I'll get you there."

I am worried.


"See? You had nothing to worry about. We got here in one piece." Embry isn't the gloating type, but this was as close as he gets to.

"Why don't you come in for a cup of coffee?" I offer—no, plead. I'll make it extra strong, dump in the entire can if I have to.

"Er, I don't know. I'm pretty tired." He struggles to keep his head up. "But I'll be back to pick you up later this afternoon."

"I don't know Embry—"

"I'll be fine." Embry assures, reaching out from his window. His huge hand engulfs the top of my head, giving me an assuring pat. The way his hand tangles into the locks of my hair feels good, and warm. How much I like it gives me cause to reel back, making that excited flip my stomach tighten up in a bundle of nerves.

"I, um—err. Okay. See you at two?" I fight for control over my own voice. Hating how worried I sound.

"See ya at two." Embry nods, his head looking heavy in the movement.

I wait by the door to watch his van pull out of the parking lot, not heading inside till it's out of sight. My head feels heavy on my shoulders as I start my shift, with my face tight, my mind distracted while I start rolling silverware and dragging my feet while I take orders.

I was in this funk for at least fifteen minutes, until the landline runs.

"The Lodge. Pick up or take out?" I answer, clutching the phone between my cheek and shoulder, both my hands busy with a tray of linens, buckets of sanitizer, and mounds of forks and knives.

"Winnie?"

"Embry?" I blink hard, feeling like I might have made up his voice or something. I just have to make sure it's really him and not an actual customer calling.

"Yeah, hey." His voice sounds a bit deeper. As if he's halfway asleep already. Maybe he's lying in bed and right before letting himself fall asleep he decided to call me.

"Hey." I answer back. "Did you change your mind? Are you calling to pickup for breakfast?"

"No, no," I can practically hear him shaking his head through phone. "I wanted to let you know I just got home. I know I worried you there for a minute."

"Oh, you didn't have to—" I stop myself. There's some truth to his words, because I would have worried my entire shift. And apparently even Embry knows I would have too. It just would have bothered me the whole time till I knew for myself. "Thanks, I'm glad you're—I mean it's good that you got home okay." I correct myself, my skin burning hot against the phone. It sounds like I'm mothering him, which is absolutely embarrassing.

"I'm gonna take a nap. Promise to be fully conscious when I pick you up."

"That's a good idea." I nod, trying my best not to say something else over protective. If I'm not careful, next I'll be asking how his day went and rubbing a smudge off his cheeks.

"Well, thanks for the ride this morning." I add.

"No problem," he yawns into the phone. He does that a lot, always tired.

"Okay, sleep well, Embry." I pause. "Thanks for letting me know you got home okay."

"Thanks for picking up." I can almost hear the grin in his voice.


When I'm finally let out of work it's thundering. Pouring down like the rain is hellbent on flooding the earth. The rain violently pounds down against the diner's windows and roof, sounding so harsh you can tell the rain will soak someone through their clothes in seconds. The sky has completely disappeared. Pitch black with dark clouds that could easily be confused with the middle of the night than two in the afternoon.

I'm dreading stepping foot outside the diner, knowing my raincoat won't stand a chance against the storm. I'll be sobbing wet in a matter of seconds. When I open the diners' door, I half expect the wind to blow me back inside, but I'm pleasantly surprised.

"Hey." Embry waits for me by the door, an open umbrella waiting in his big hand. My mouth drops into a silent O when I see him waiting. His hair is wet, blacker and shiner than usual as it sticks to the top of his head. He doesn't seem to mind how his clothes are wet, and gives me a grin immediately when he sees me.

"Embry, you didn't—"

"Don't say I didn't have to. Or that I'm saving you. It's just a little rain." He stops me before the words get out. He makes sure I take the umbrella before stepping into me, so close I have to tilt my head all the way back to look up at him. So close I can feel his body heat surrounding me like a warm hug, immediately followed by the smell of the outdoors and his soap. So close I forget how to breathe for a brief moment.

We haven't been this close since we kissed in high school.

"If we run together, I think we can make it without getting too soaked." Embry lowers down to my height in an attempt to keep us dryer. On his way down, he somehow gets even closer, his chin brushing the tip of my nose. I almost drop the umbrella, but if it wasn't for how fast his hand reached up to close around mine, it would have gotten us instantly poured on.

He leads the way, pressed up against me as he ducks to stay in the umbrella. I try counting my breathing, fighting to keep focus, but all I think about is how his warm body engulfs me, takes up all of me and then some. Halfway to the van, his hand mindlessly goes to cup my lower back. I almost forget where we're walking to when I feel the heat of his palm at the curve of my back, spreading across from hip bone to hip bone, and all the way up my back. The cold water splashes the back of my legs, jolting me back.

Just that quick dash across the parking lot left me gasping for air. Feeling like a mile rather than a few feet. Despite how hot my body got I'm left trembling as I buckle my seat belt on, trying to get a grip.

"Want the heat on?" Embry asks, noticing I'm shaking a bit.

"Just a bit, please?" Even my voice sounds shaken up. He nods, cranking the heat up till it blows back my damp hair. Sure, it's way more than a bit, but I find it kinda nice and don't ask him to turn it down.

He makes small talk on the way to my place. Asking me how my day was, about if the customers were nice and if I need a ride tomorrow. I can barely answer him, noticing how both of his hands are lazily on the wheel, and how I just want one to reach out across and touch me again. The distance in the van feels too far and big all of sudden. A need to slide closer pulsates against my rib cage, pulling me across the seat inch by inch till the seat belt gets in my way.

What the hell is a matter with me?

It's like I'm that freshman with that massive crush all over again.

"Winnie, we're here." He announces, pulling his van into halt in the driveway. I didn't realize I've sat here instead of climbing out.

"Ah sorry, I'm just trying to wait out the rain. Hoping it'll lighten up enough." I make up a passable excuse, looking out the window instead of meeting his gaze.

"Take your time." Embry grins, playing with the radio. "What kind of music do you like?"

"Anything but country," I answer, because I can't remember not even one song I've liked with him distracting me. Whatever he puts on doesn't drown out the sound of the heavy drops pelting the car, but it's enough for me to relax into the seat.

"How long have you had this van?" It's my turn to make small talk.

"Since senior year. I bought it off Old Quil. Apparently he was kinda of a hippie when he was our age. I think he use to travel cross country in here, but he doesn't like to tell those stories in front of Quil." Embry chuckles, running his hand over the dash.

"I can't picture Old Quil in here." The corners of my mouth rise up. "He's too strict. A family man. He use to be a scout troop leader and teach Quillayute classes on Sunday mornings."

"Quil told me there use to be a mural on the side of it." Embry smirks, trying to hold back a laugh.

"No way." A huge smile splits across my face at the thought of Old Quil in band tees and leather jackets. Old Quil has had the same look our entire lives; long braids and knitted sweaters under a rain coat. The only thing that has changed over the years is the whitening of his hair, and the wrinkles around his eyes. "Did Quil tell you what use to be painted on?"

"A wolf mural." He answers, "A pack of wolves on each side. He's always talked about how important the legends are."

"I only learned the legends because of Old Quil. My aunt didn't teach me them since she's not Quileutae." Despite the heat blasting, I can feel the air chill over from my slip. I change the subject before Embry has a chance to ask me about my childhood. "Do you think he had shag carpeting back here?"

"Old Quil and shag?" Embry looks like he wants to laugh and vomit at the same time. "Absolutely not. Whenever I go to Quil's place, he still asks me why I pay for jeans with rips on them."

"I can see him with shag carpeting, and those fuzzy dice they use to hang from the mirror." I say, reaching up to the visor.

"This is getting gross, you're making it sound like he had sex in here." Embry grimaces. "He probably just smoked pot and doesn't want Quil to know. Probably slept off a few hangovers in here once a while."

"You did say he traveled the country in here. If he did, then he defiantly did have tons of hookups in here."

Embry's long arm reaches up behind my head to flick the light on, my heart stopping and restarting as quick as the back being illuminated. Reminding myself to not inch into him, I focus on the back. There's a faded burnt orange paisley print instead of car interior. Some of Embry's discarded clothes thrown in a ball in the corner, and soccer ball.

"No shag, but that wallpaper screams sex machine."

"Now that I'm looking at it," Embry starts, "It's defiantly easy to have sex back here." When he says it, the van suddenly feels so small yet big at the same time. We're both suddenly too aware how just the two us fit perfectly in here. How close we are on the seat. How simple it would be to climb back there and be alone for hours.

The night of freshman year on the beach comes to mind, and I remember the exact moment when I lost my first kiss to Embry in the woods. On it's own, my hand reaches up to brush my lower lip, the feeling making my face hot.

"Have you ever thought about restoring it?" I say the first thing that comes to mind, inching all the way back till my back lands on the window.

"Defiantly not shag, but I could see how some string lights could go a long way in here. No water beds, but maybe some pillows so people can sit on. I know Jacob would be up for the project." Embry nods, and I can see how his eyes are scanning over every inch and picturing his own ideas.

"I think it's a good idea. A place just for you."

"You'd always be welcome in here." Embry's cheeks go pink.

"That's because you're the nicest guy. Even in high school. You'd welcome all of the La Push in." I wave off, but he's not grinning anymore.

"Okay," He shrugs, sliding back into the driver's seat. "But you are though. Always."

"When it's done, I'll check it out." I don't why I said it, but I meant it.