A/N: Hey all. Thank you! So glad you're still with me after the long hiatus. Just want to let you know that I am also updating chapters of another pack story called Sweet Providence. It's a Jared/Kim fic. Sample below.

Sample from the latest chapter of Sweet Providence:

"Trust me," Kim laughed sadly, "I'm not worth the trouble. Maybe you should go ask out Delilah Phillips. She seems to be really into you," Kim nodded towards the school gate where Delilah was standing with a group of her snotty friends, glaring spitefully towards the twosome.

Jared turned around to look at Delilah. He rolled his eyes. What'd he ever see in her? Jared sat down next to Kim in silence, staring out at the water for a moment. Well, this certainly makes things more complicated.

Jared lifted his hand and then slowly laced his fingers with Kim's. Kim's heart took off, hammering in her chest, at the unexpected affection.

"You are to me," Jared replied, "worth the trouble, that is," he smiled.

Kim's vacant stomach filled with butterflies. She couldn't believe it. Jared was not only handsome — well, hot, actually — and funny but also extremely sweet. Kim's cheeks burned hot. She couldn't contain her happiness and Jared was rewarded for his romantic declaration with an exceptionally cute grin.

Paul

The movie? No idea what it's about. The moment we lay down together I am hopelessly distracted by her. Her hair — smells amazing — her smooth legs, her dainty fingertips that pluck pieces of caramel popcorn from the bag we're sharing. Her back is flush to my chest and I'm glad she can't see my face. If she could, she'd know that I am far more interested in studying her than watching this movie.

Being here is a good distraction from everything that's been going on lately. Dad found out about Mom; her being incarcerated, that is. It's all he talks about. No, not talks… rants about. Non-stop. And it always circles back to how lucky I am that he brought me up on his own. I was spared from life with her. That look he gets on his face when he talks about her… It's how he looks at me. Disgust. After all, I'm her spitting image.

I try to focus my attention back on the movie but I am lost. I have no idea what's going on.

Rachel lightly chuckles at something funny that happens in the movie. At least she's paying attention to it. Someone should. Renting movies around here isn't cheap.

I lean my face into the annex of her neck and shoulder and smooth a soft kiss against her silky skin, "you're so beautiful," I whisper to her what I've been thinking over and over again this whole evening.

"Hmm," she breathes out softly and swallows. She drops the popcorn back into the bag and rests her hand on the mattress beside her.

"Is this okay?" I whisper, kissing her neck again. I'll back off if she wants me to. I am perfectly content just laying here beside her.

She doesn't answer right away. A few beats of silence linger between us. And then…

"Maybe for a little bit," her breath quivers.

I grin, "tell me when," I get to work, kissing and sucking on her exposed neck.

She moans and it's like music; so satisfying. I want to make her do that again. I gently tug her collar to the side so I can nibble on her shoulder. Once again, I am rewarded with a soft moan.

"That feels nice," she whispers.

I dare to go one step further. I drag my lips from her shoulder, along her neck and suck her ear into my mouth. She responds with an unrestrained gasp and her body involuntarily arches against mine. Way more of a reaction than I'd anticipated so I pull back before I get a giant hard-on.

"Okay, I'm going to stop," I chuckle.

"But I didn't say when," Rachel whines.

"We're missing the movie and-"

She turns around in my arms so that we're facing one another, "kiss my neck again," she pleads with me.

"Dammit, Bird," I grin, pulling her close and bringing my lips back to brush her neck, "you're gonna make me hard," I warn her.

"Well you should have thought of that before you started this," she giggles.

I chuckle and then pepper hot kisses behind her ear. Each time my lips part from her neck she whimpers. There's no hope; my erection is obvious and painful. Thankfully, she doesn't seem to mind — because I know she feels it, there is no way not to, at our proximity — so I continue to give her affection. I drag my hand up the back of her long t-shirt. Her skin is so soft. I make it all the way up between her shoulder blades when I realize that she's not wearing a bra.

"Fuck," I whisper against her neck, pulling my hand out from her shirt.

"More," Rachel pleads.

"I'm losing my mind," I admit, cupping her face in my hands.

"Me too," she whispers, "I'm not like this. I'm not a… I just don't know where to stop with you… I can't," she leans her forehead against mine.

I get a sense that the word she avoided after 'I'm not a…' was slut. There is nothing about her that would ever make me think that.

My heart is hammering in my chest. Rachel squirms in my arms and the intoxicating aroma of her arousal hits me hard. If I thought my cock was stiff before… Dammit, I won't survive her. Holding her face in my hands I kiss her passionately — wantingly — and guide her onto her back. She is all too eager to lay beneath me, gathering her hair over her shoulder so as to not snag it.

I force her mouth open with my tongue and am rewarded with a pleasing whimper. Rachel lifts her pelvis to mine, pushing back against my erection.

"Mmph," I pull my mouth away from hers,"you're dangerous," I smirk and remove all contact of my hips from hers before I completely lose my mind and ejaculate in my shorts.

"Sorry," she whispers bashfully and closes her eyes.

I press my lips tenderly to her left eyelid and then her right, "you should be my girlfriend," I mumble, "it would make all of… this," I exhale a deep breath, "less confusing."

Rachel's eyes fly open, "you don't think that would make things more confusing? I'm not staying in La Push … starting a relationship doesn't make sense."

"Then what is this, Bird?" I'm so frustrated; her mixed signals are driving me crazy.

"I… I don't know," she admits, "... I'm sorry. I don't know."

"Till the end of the summer," I say boldly, "be mine until the end of the summer and then leave if you must."

I know that I'll be heartbroken but I can't bring myself to care at the moment. I study her face, watching the wheels in her head turn; weighing the pros and cons of my proposal as she does. Her lips twist.

"Okay…" she agrees after a long silence.

"Okay?" I grin. I can't believe it. She's agreed to be my girlfriend!

"Only until the summer is through," she continues, "I'm not staying here. There's nothing here for me. Okay?"

"Alright," I agree, so overjoyed. My mind pushes back the thoughts of inevitable heartbreak and I kiss her passionately — I kiss my girlfriend passionately.

I recall my father's words. That I would be out of my goddamn mind if I thought Rachel would ever consider being mine. Maybe he doesn't know what he's talking about. Maybe I am good enough… at least until the end of the summer.

I'm so proud. Sitting around the bonfire with the pack and my arm around my girl. My girl. That's going to take some getting used to — until the end of the summer. My stomach twists and I push the thought to the back of my mind. Enjoy the moment. I have to remind myself to enjoy the moment.

Rachel looks so cute tonight. She always looks lovely but today she's braided her hair into pigtails and is wearing this grey knit beanie that belongs to Jacob. The air is chilly so she borrowed my brown leather jacket — it's massive on her.

On our way here, we stopped at the general store and picked up some chips and marshmallows. I saw how many people stopped to look at her. She didn't even notice. But I did. I held her hand and touched her shoulder and did everything possible to indicate that she's mine. Hell yeah, I'm showing her off every chance I get. I'm the luckiest son of a bitch in the world… Until the end of the summer. Oh my god, stop it!

"You're so fucking cute," I pull her pigtail aside and whisper in her ear.

She hides her bashful smile behind her solo cup of white wine — real wine this time. Her other hand is curled around the piece of driftwood we're sitting on.

"Keep it PG, kids," Sam warns Jared and Kim who have all but forgotten everyone else sitting around the fire during their steamy makeout session.

Rachel turns her head and snorts into her cup when she witnesses Kim quickly climb off Jared's lap and assists him in wiping her lip gloss from his face, "get a room?" she suggests.

"Yeah? We don't have a fucking room," Jared snaps at her and then sighs, "sorry," he apologises immediately.

"Jeep's in the shop," I whisper in Rachel's ear.

"Oh…" she whispers back.

Jared's jeep is in the shop. As each of them still live at home they've not had the opportunity to be together for three whole days. I guess that's a long time for them. Jared was pissed when he found out that Billy had not kicked me out when I started sleeping over. Bird and I not having sex — god, wish we were — but it still bugs him that we have so much more freedom to be together than he does with Kim considering they've been together longer.

"Must be nice," Kim grins at Rachel, I guess assuming that we're sleeping together.

Rachel doesn't respond. She just shrugs and drinks more wine.

"Hah. It would be if she wasn't such a cock tease," Embry snorts, poking at the flames with a stick.

"Hey! Shut the fuck up, asshole," I growl at my brother.

Rachel looks up at me, mouth agape, "is that what you think?" she asks.

"I never said that," I tell her gently; truthfully.

"You thought it… In not so many words," Quil laughs.

Rachel scowls at me, getting to her feet, and wanders off down the beach.

"That's… not nice," Emily whispers to the boys.

"Thanks a lot, jerks," I grunt and follow after her, "come on, Bird," I sigh.

It's bad enough that I was so often put my own foot in my mouth with her but now those pricks were making it worse by filling her in on stupid random thoughts I don't put any serious consideration into.

She doesn't answer me, she just keeps walking. Not fast, though. I am able to catch up with her rather quickly.

"I swear, I don't think that… Come on. Are you mad?" I ask, taking her hand. She doesn't pull away, I assume because her fingers are too cold to reject my warm touch.

"Just… tired of everyone being so sex-centric," she grumbles, "it's like there are other things — more things than… never mind."

"I'm not pressuring you, Bird-"

"I know! I never said you were," she stops to look out at the ocean, "I guess it just feels like I'm supposed to want to and… I don't want it."

"Okay. But I'm not asking for sex so…"

"You will," she mumbles.

"That's not fair," I stop her and hold both of her hands in mine, "just because I want to be with you doesn't mean I'm in agony over it. I love being with you like this — holding your hands, kissing you, cuddling with you — am I sexually frustrated? Sure. That's my problem to deal with."

"How?"

"I dunno. Cold showers and masturbation?" I offer.

Rachel's face freezes for a moment and then she bursts into laughter, "oh my god! that's not what I meant," she holds her ribs and struggles to take a breath.

I grin, proud to have made her laugh when moments ago she was so serious, "what'd you mean, babe?"

"I meant," she laughed, wiping away a tear, "we're together — for now — how is that not my problem when I'm the one that makes you so… frustrated?"

"Oh," I chuckle, understanding now that she was not asking the logistics of how I was going to deal with my frustrations but rather how it wasn't her problem, "whoops."

"You're so funny," Rachel shakes her head, giggling.

I'm glad I can make her laugh. In fact, despite everyone claiming Rachel Black is so serious, I find it quite easy to charm her with my wit.

"You good?" I ask once she is finally able to contain herself.

"Yeah," she can't stop smiling.

"Look, Bird, you're not responsible for satisfying me sexually. No matter how hot and," I clear my throat, "very, very bothered you make me… forget those assholes. They don't get it. And just because I happen to have some random, fleeting thought about wanting you in that way and not being able to have you… well, it doesn't mean anything. Don't ask the horny teenager not to be a horny teenager. It's not my fault they can hear my thoughts."

Rachel just listens, occasionally nodding, "okay… fine. You're right."

"I'm right?" I jokingly let my mouth drop open, "imagine that?!"

"Don't get used to it," Rachel grins, pulling my arm around her shoulders and we head back to the bonfire together, "you're staying over tonight, right?"

"Of course. I can't sleep without my cuddle bunny," I squeeze her.

"You're such a dork," she giggles.

"A dork you're obsessed with," I give her a cocky grin and am rewarded with a big toothy smile.