Chapter 17

"Was it all?" Embry shouted at Jacob as he secured the boxes on his truck bed.

"Yeah, no more boxes," Jacob shouted back. He was helping Embry to pack the stuff he was taking with him to San Francisco. Embry wasn't taking much. He didn't have much, to begin with, and right now, he was damn happy about it. New tenants were waiting to move into the house where Embry had lived his whole. Embry had sold all the furniture keeping only the chair his father used while watching tv or listening to the radio. It was now safely sitting on the bench of his truck with the boxes.

"Damn, you don't have much, do you?" Jacob said as he came to stand next to him.

"Everything I need is in San Francisco,"

Jacob fake gagged. "Man, you are whipped."

"Yep. Sure am."

Jacob laughed, shaking his head. Jacob was a bit envious of Embry; he knew that. Jacob was one of those rez rats who would never move out but complained about how the selection of hot girlfriends was on the limited side. He was dating his high school sweetheart but had told Embry he was thinking about breaking up with her but hadn't gotten into it. It was just easier to carry on since there weren't any hot chicks around.

Embry was so happy he could hardly contain himself. It'd been three weeks since he last saw Bella, and it had been only for two days. He had visited her when he had his job interview for the Institute of Photography. They had been very interested in his experience teaching kids and offered him a job as an instructor for kids' workshops. They had only had those available for a few months and wanted to expand their selection and were excited to have Embry on board. Embry was ever so grateful for the principal, Mr. Cameron, for giving him praising references.

"So, where are you staying the night?" Jacob asked as he sat up on the hood of his truck.

"Somewhere south Oregon or maybe just after I've crossed the border to California."

It would take around 15 hours to drive straight without stopping for a night, and even though he wouldn't want to wait any moment longer to get to Bella, he knew he needed to have a few hours of shut-eye on the way.

Embry went inside to have a last look at his childhood home. He was grateful for everything he had experienced in this place. He had everything he had ever needed, even after his mother had died; Embry's father had been the best father a 15-year-old boy losing his mother could hope for. He felt a lump in his throat. He would miss this house, his father, La Push even, but it was time to move on. Bella was waiting for him; his life was with her. He left the house and closed the door behind him for the last time.

Jacob was still sitting on the hood of his truck. In the distance, Embry saw that Leah was coming to see him.

Embry groaned, and Jacob turned to look behind him and jumped off the hood.

"Hey man, I'm going to leave you to say goodbye to her. I'm going to miss you," Jacob said awkwardly, giving him a one-arm hug.

"Me too. And hey, come to visit. Bella has more than enough room where you can stay. The B&B is pretty much always reserved, but her home has spare rooms," Embry said, feeling his chest tighten. He hated goodbyes, even though he knew he would see Jacob again probably sooner than later.

"Okay. Let me know when you're safely in San Francisco. I Like to know that you get there in one piece."

"I will. Tell Quil the same. He is welcome any time too."

"I will."

Embry watched Jacob walking away and nodding at Leah when they passed each other.

"So, you are leaving?" Leah said with a small voice. She had her hands shoved deep in the pockets of her jeans, and her shoulder-length black hair was tied into a ponytail, her face pale. It looked like she'd been crying. And to Embry's great dismay, he realized nothing had changed. She still looked at him like he was the most precious thing in her life. But there was nothing Embry could do about it. And he refused to feel guilty. He did not feel guilty.

"Yeah. Got a job from the Institute of photography, and I'm starting next week."

"I'm happy for you. Embry... I..." Leah said, looking nervous. "Please know that if you ever change your mind and want to come back to be with me, I'm here."

"Leah..." Embry started. He could not believe she still held onto her fantasy of them being together.

"No. Just know that and go," Leah said, and moved abruptly towards him and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.

"I will always love you," she whispered and turned to walk away.

"Bye, Leah," Embry said, sighing as he watched Leah walking away. No, he didn't feel guilty, but he felt pity. Leah was a beautiful woman who should not waste her life waiting for something that would never happen.

He turned to make the last check on his cargo, and then just as he was pulling his phone from his pocket to text Paul, he was about to take off; he drove behind Embry's truck. He hopped out of his car and came to greet Embry. Paul was leaving La Push next week.

"All ready?"

"Yeah."

"What did Leah say?"

"The usual shit."

Paul shook his head and clapped his shoulder. "Take care of our girl until I'm there."

"I will," Embry said. He knew it was hard for Paul to stay behind; he would fucking lose his shit if it were another way around, but Embry just couldn't stick around waiting for Paul. Besides, he was due to start his new job in seven days.

"Fuck, I'm jealous you're able to leave now. I have to stay another week to deal the shit with my house." Paul was selling the one-bedroom cabin he'd lived in last four years after moving out from his addict bullshit parents.

Embry tried to hide his happiness, failing. A huge grin spread across his face. "Sorry, man. But the week will go fast."

"Not fast enough," Paul grumbled. "But drive safely and let me know when you're there."

Paul hopped into his truck and drove away. Embry took one last glance at his childhood home and left.

"Edward?" Bella gasped, "what are you doing here?" Edward was standing behind the door Bella had just opened, thinking it was Embry. She'd been waiting for him to arrive and knew the disappointment was showing on her face.

"You are refusing to go out with me, so I had to come and steal you," Edward said, trying to sound cheerful but failing. Bella had never seen Edward so nervous.

"Edward, look..."

"Can I come in?"

"I'm waiting for someone," Bella told him.

A dark shadow crossed Edward's features.

"Please, this won't take long," he said, smiling again, but it didn't reach his eyes anymore.

Bella sighed and stepped aside, letting Edward walk past her inside. She couldn't understand why he'd come. She had been very clear about not wanting to go out with him, and she'd said so on the phone and when he'd visited her in the store.

She closed the door and led Edward to the kitchen.

"You want something to drink?" she asked, not wanting to be impolite.

"No, thank you. I've just come to ask you if you would like to come with me to the AuthorsFest tonight. I have two tickets to John Irving and Jason Reynold's discussion. It's about identity in fiction and in life. I know Jason Reynold is one of your favorite authors," Edward said with a nervous smile.

Oh boy, that would be interesting. But she would not be going with Edward.

"Thank you, Edward, for ..."

"Bella, what happened?" Edward suddenly asked, interrupting her, and his whole demeanor changed. He looked almost like he was in pain. "I thought we had something special. We had something special. I know we did."

Oh, no, not this.

"Edward, please. I do like you, but …."

"The sex we had was so much more than just sex. Admit it," Edward said, his voice rising.

Damn. She really shouldn't have slept with him. Sex always made things more difficult.

"Edward, it was great sex, but I told you it was just that. You are a great guy, but..."

"So, it's one of them, huh? The native guys who came that night after the concert."

"Yes," Bella said. She was wondering if she should add that it was both, but then the doorbell rang. Now, it would be Embry.

"Look, Edward. I hate that you are feeling that I've led you on, but I was being clear, and you seemed to understand at the time."

Edward just looked at her, not saying anything.

"I need to get that," Bella said and moved toward the hall.

"I'll be talking to you later," Edward said and followed her.

Bella opened the door, and it was Emby. Warmth spread through her body to see him standing there, and she would have probably forgotten Edward being there if Embry's face hadn't fallen from his adorable dimple-showing smile to an expression of disbelief.

"Oh, you're not alone," he said.

"Edward was just visiting," Bella said and turned to look at Edward, who was staring at Embry.

Edward nodded, and Embry moved so he could walk out of the house.

"I'll talk to you later," Edward said again and walked to his car.

"What did he want?" Embry came in and dropped two bags on the floor, staring at her.

"He came to ask me to go listen to an author talk with him," Bella answered.

"And you said..."

Bella looked at Embry as if he was being serious. He clearly was.

"No. Of course, I said no, you silly."

The smile Embry had had on his face just before he'd seen Edward came back, and he stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her. He leaned down to kiss her.

"Welcome home, Em," Bella whispered.

"Damn, that sounds good," Embry murmured, kissing her again. It had been three weeks since they last saw each other, and Bella had missed him so much.

"Before I take you to bed," Embry murmured against her lips, "I have to carry the boxes inside," Embry said.

"Let me help you."

They walked to Embry's car hand in hand.

Embry removed the tarp covering the truck bed, and Bella was taken aback by how little Embry had brought with him. There were four boxes and one chair. Embry had told her he didn't have much and would bring even less. The chair was a beautiful armchair with a harlequin patchwork of different colors tweed fabric, and velvet with leather armrests and the base. It was very British, and Bella remembered admiring it when she visited Embry the year before.

"That chair is so beautiful," she told Embry.

"Yeah. It was my dad's favorite chair and belonged to his father before that. It's the only furniture I wanted to take with me."

Together they carried all the boxes and the chair to the house. Embry's cameras and all other photography stuff were on the front seat of his truck, and they carried them in last.

"Are you hungry?" Bella asked after she closed the front door and followed Embry to the kitchen.

"Oh I'm hungry, alright, but not for food," Embry said, almost growling as he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to her bedroom.

Bella shrieked as he tossed her to the middle of the bed. Embry followed her, crawling over her and pressing his hard body against hers.

"God, Bella, I've missed you," he whispered, capturing her lips into a soaring kiss that left her breathless. His eyes were full of the deep emotion that made her heart flutter. She knew she'd made the right decision, whatever people might think of them. How could she have ever thought she could live without Embry and Paul? She loved them both so much. Her body still carried some marks Paul had left on her the week before he'd visited her. But Embry didn't seem to mind. He kissed the mark between her breasts and sucked, making the bruise darker.

"How was it? Leaving La Push?" Bella asked. Embry was the one who had warm memories attached to the place, so leaving would probably be harder for him than it would be for Paul.

"It was a bit sad, of course. But since my dad's not there anymore, it just didn't feel home anymore," Embry said, kissing her collarbone and nuzzling his nose along her jaw. "Now I understand what it really means that your home is where your heart is. And it is here right with you. Of course, I'll visit and want to introduce our heritage to you someday, but this is where I want to be."

With that, Embry peeled the dress off her body, and Bella helped to take off the bra, and they reunited, making love softly, taking their sweet time, whispering words of love and promises of forever.

"Oh Em!" Bella gasped as she orgasmed, clamping around Embry, making him release inside her, moaning her name.

They held each other for a while, not wanting to move.

"I won't want to be away from you ever again," Embry said as he kissed her template.

"You don't have to," Bella said and snuggled into him as Embry pulled her closer to his side. They stayed cuddling in the bed, just happy to be together.

Suddenly Bella overcame with a feeling that she wanted Paul to know she was thinking of him. Having Embry here at home with her made her feel a bit emotional.

"Should we call Paul?" Bella asked as she lifted her head from Embry's chest to look at him.

"Sure, if you want to?"

"You don't mind?"

Embry looked at her for a moment and answered, "No, I don't mind. And you don't need to feel bad that you are thinking of him while with me, or vice versa. It is what it means that we are sharing you."

"Em. You are amazing. I just feel that now you are finally here. I hate he's not with us. I want to say that to him. So, he knows I miss him."

"And that is one of the reasons I love you. You have so much love for us both."

Bella sat up, leaning against the headboard, and pulled the sheet over her naked body. Smiling at Embry lying on the bed leaning against his propped elbow, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand and tapped Paul's name on the screen.

Paul was cleaning the bathroom when his phone rang in his back pocket.

It was Bella.

Paul's heart made an extra thump in his chest. Damn, he was counting the minutes to be with her.

"Hi baby," he answered the phone. He saw Bella leaning against her headboard on her bed; cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling. It was obvious they'd been fucking, and Paul pressed his jealousy down. He was so damn touched she had phoned him; it meant she'd been thinking of him even though she was with Embry. It made his heart swell even more.

"Hi Paul. What are you doing?" she asked.

"Cleaning. Trying to get this shit hole ready for the new owners. The plumber comes on Monday, and after he'd finished, I'm off," he replied, leaving the damn bathroom and sitting on his couch.

"Did you do the painting already?" Bella asked.

"Yeah. Finished it earlier today."

Embry showed his face, and he was grinning like a fool, like someone who had just had his rocks off by the love of Paul's life. And damn, if that wasn't the most fucked up thing ever, but hot as hell. It was a fucking weird feeling to be jealous but damn happy at the same time. He was glad Embry was there with Bella. Paul had been worried about that Edwin dude, not that he'd said that much, but now that one of them was there with Bella, he didn't need to feel restless about it anymore. Bella had told them that the fucker had asked her out a few times and hadn't fuck off when Bella had said she didn't want to keep dating him but kept visiting her at the store.

"I just wanted to say to you that I wished you were here too," Bella said with an adorable blush, and Paul wanted to run to his car and drive straight to her. Who cared if it took 15 hours to get there?

"Baby, I love to hear that."

"Aww is Lahote getting all softy," Embry snickered beside Bella.

"Fuck off, Call."

"Hmm... Fucking sounds good to me," Embry said, kissing Bella's cheek and nibbling her ear lobe. Paul saw how Bella shivered.

Paul's dick twitched. He didn't know what got into him when he asked, "Can I watch?" The idea of seeing Bella and Embry making love made his whole body heat up and his dick throb.

"What? You want to watch?"

"Yeah, I want to watch when you make love."

"Like live porn?" Bella snorted, her cheeks flushing.

"Except it has nothing to do with that shit," Paul said, his body starting to hum with anticipation.

"I have a tripod for the phone, wait a sec," Embry said, and Paul heard him getting up from the bed and leaving the bedroom more eager than he'd expected. Paul wouldn't have thought Embry was on the kinky side. Things would definitely get interesting between the three of them.

"Show me your breasts, baby," Paul breathed into the phone. He was already hard, and his other hand palmed the bulge on his jeans.

"Like this?" Bella asked, lowering the sheet.

"Fuck yeah. Touch them, baby. Roll the nipples and make them hard."

Bella rolled her other nipple between her thumb and forefinger and bit her bottom lip looking at him with lust shining in her eyes.

"Take off your shirt," she whispered.

Paul didn't need to be asked twice. He got up from the couch and went to his bedroom. He pulled down his jeans as well and laid down on his bed.

"I miss you, Paul," Bella said.

"Damn, I miss you so much. Can you see how much?" Paul said, showing her his bulging boxer-clad crotch.

"Oh, yes," Bella breathed. "I miss your cock."

"Not sure if I should feel offended or not," Paul heard Embry chuckle when he returned to the bed and took the phone from Bella and Bella giggled. The sound went straight to his throbbing shaft.

For a moment, Paul saw Embry's naked chest and adverted his eyes from the screen.

"Are you sure about this?" Bella asked.

"Fuck yeah I'm sure," Paul breathed and took off his boxers.

Bella sat on the bed on her knees, and Embry crawled to her. Paul tried not to see his friend's hard cock and concentrated on Bella. Embry's hands roamed all over Bella's body, cupping her breasts and sliding his hand between her legs. Kissing her, sucking her lips into his mouth.

Paul cleared his throat licking his lips.

"How does she feel?" Paul asked, his voice hoarse.

"Damn good. She's all hot and wet. My cum is still spilling out of her," Embry talked, and Paul moaned. He was fucking jealous, but he had never been so turned on in his life.

"Paul..." Bella panted and turned to look at the phone screen. "I want to do this to you. Think that it's my hand on your cock now." Bella was pumping Embry's shaft as he leaned back onto his hands, a blissful expression on his face.

"I would suck you like this," she said as she leaned down to lick Embry's hard cock. She took him into her mouth, and the noises from Embry's mouth told everything he needed to know. He knew how it felt to be sucked by Bella. He had to stop palming his cock; this would be over too soon. So, he just watched. Bella's tongue traveled along Embry's shaft and she liked him, sucked him into her mouth. Embry's hips started to thrust against her mouth. Paul had to close his eyes for a moment, he was on the edge of coming. He wanted this to last longer.

"You want to see when I eat at her?" Embry asked.

"Show me," Paul panted. His hand had returned to pump his cock.

Bella leaned on her back, and Embry pulled her onto the edge of the bed and spread her legs wide open. He turned his phone, so Paul could see Bella's wet pink pussy.

"God, Bella, I want to fuck you so bad," Paul panted.

Embry pushed his forefinger inside her and pumped in and out. Adding another finger, he leaned down to lick her slit and nibble her clit.

"Oh God!" Bella panted while Embry fucked her with his fingers and licked and sucked. The wet noises and Bella's moaning made Paul's head swim with lust and want. He felt he would pass out. Bella propped up to her elbows. "Show me... ah... Paul... show me your cock."

Paul moved his phone, so Bella could see his throbbing shaft glistening with precum.

He was so fucking close to coming, but he didn't want to come too soon. It felt so damn good. This shit was hot as hell.

"Please baby..." Paul panted, "tell me when you're coming...I want to come with you..."

"I'm so close," Bella moaned as she grabbed Embry's head and pulled him closer to her pussy. "Ah... yes... fuck... I'm coming!"

As she cried out, Paul's cock swelled, and he came all over his thighs and abdomen.

"Fuck Bella!" he groaned.

Embry got up from the floor and turned Bella so he could get between her legs and pushed in. Paul could imagine how Bella's tight pussy would suck him deep and clench around him. She was still coming and moaning in aftershocks. Damn!

Next ten minutes or more, Paul watched as Embry fucked Bella, making her moan and scream, and he jerked off again. They all came shouting their release together.

Fuck!

Paul collapsed on his bed, closed his eyes, and just listened to the heavy breathing from the phone.

Paul and Embry have talked about making love to Bella at the same time, and Paul had thought it was about to happen down the road at some point, but right now, he was pretty sure it would happen sooner rather than later.

Damn, life was good.

AN:

Haven't had time to write lately, and busy times continue at work for at least the whole of October. But this one was almost ready to be published. So here you are. Let me hear from you!