Wavering

AN: I am very sorry for the short hiatus this story was in. Unfortunately, I suffer from a long-term mental illness, and had a bad relapse, which made it impossible to write or do much more than occasionally read someone else's work. Meds are getting me functioning again, but they kind of turn me into a zombie. Really kills the creativity, you know? So there it is. Excuses, excuses...

THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED LAST CHAPTER! I really, deeply appreciate every single one of them, so thank you again. I hope someone is still reading this...
And standard disclaimers, etc...

"Hey. You're not doing your homework," Embry accused me as he prodded my side with his foot.

I ignored him and turned the page of my fashion magazine. We were sprawled out across my living room floor with spreadsheets and charts strewn haphazardly around us, 'homework' from Jasper and Edward. They had decided to teach us how to play the stock market, claiming it was an important life skill, but I had a sneaking suspicion that Alice was behind it. If I wasn't going to let her buy me a new wardrobe with her money, then she damn well was going make me my own fortune- so she could spend it on designer couture, of course. In the one week since the sad disaster of a bonfire, the pittance I'd started with had swelled to alarming proportions that could only be reached if Alice was working diligently at seeing the stock market future. Not that I was complaining, really...

Embry nudged me again. "Hey. Homework, remember?"

"I'm doing my homework," I replied lazily, rolling onto my back without taking my eyes off my magazine.

"Really. 'Cause that sure looks like a chart," Embry snorted sarcastically, scribbling away at numbers and figures diligently. The crazy man actually liked doing that stuff. It just gave me a massive headache.

"This is my homework for Rose. I'm supposed to figure out what kind of stuff I want her to bring me back from Paris."

"When's she going to Paris?" Embry asked, frowning at something that apparently wasn't adding up right.

"Emmett's taking her for Fashion Week," I replied as I snuck glances at his face. Honestly, he had the most adorable frown I'd ever seen on a grown man.

He pulled a few more random sheets of paper in front of himself. "You're supposed to be helping me with this. Don't you want to take over your stocks?"

"Not really," I replied, tossing my magazine to the side to watch him work. "That's what I've got you for, isn't it? You're way better than me at this stuff, anyway."

He grunted, and I rolled back onto my stomach to wiggle over until our shoulders were touching. I gave him my best super-innocent face when he glanced at me, and I saw the way he was doing his best not to laugh when he swiftly looked back at his precious charts.

Hm... I didn't exactly intend that face to be funny. More helpless damsel-ish, really. Guess I was going to have to work on it. Still, I couldn't help but grin as I bumped my shoulder playfully into his. Naturally, he retaliated, and it wasn't too many nudges later that things escalated into a weird sort of wrestling match.

Which I was losing, and fast. Dammit, it was so unfair that I was ticklish and he wasn't. But I honestly didn't mind it when he rolled half-way on top of me to pin me down, even though his long fingers poking at my sides were making it impossible to breath properly. But who needed air, right?

I think I must have been turning blue, because Embry's fingers suddenly stilled, splaying out flat against my skin where my tank top had ridden up. I could feel the heat of them seeping past my ribs straight into my blood, and I caught my breath. Almost unwillingly, my eyes fluttered open, and my pent-up air came out as a strange little squeak as I stared right into Embry's deep, searching eyes inches away from my own. They were mesmerizing, haunting, filled once more with that frightening intensity, that wild, undefinable need.

Dear god, was he going to kiss me? Did he want to kiss me? More importantly, did I want him to kiss me? Maybe I'd been sending him mixed signals all week, being so touchy-feely. I hadn't been able to help it. I nearly burst into song with pure joy every time he was around me, still acting like I was the most important person in the universe, still happily unimprinted.

That thought was like a bucket of ice-cold water being dumped right over my head, and my face showed it. Embry's laughing grin slipped swiftly off his face as a frown creased his smooth forehead into worry-lines, and he pulled back just a tiny fraction of an inch.

"Ahem."

Startled, I tipped my head back to look at the upside-down form of my brother, glaring down at us with his arms tightly folded across his chest. Embry scooted away from me like someone had poked him with a cattle prod and scooped up a few random papers.

"Hey, Seth. We're just, uh, working on homework and stuff..." he said in a lame attempt to cover up the... whatever had been going on between us.

"Uh huh," Seth replied, obviously not buying one bit of it. "Don't you have to get to work soon, Leah?"

I sat up and stuck my tongue out at him childishly as Embry hastily swept the papers together and stood up.

"Yeah, it's getting late. I'll go get the car and meet you back here, okay B?" he asked, already heading towards the front door.

I frowned heavily at his retreating back. "Wait, I can change and go with you-"

"No, no. I'll just go get it while you get ready. See you in a bit."

He waved casually over his shoulder and disappeared through the doorway. I sighed and stood up slowly. What if he ran into someone, some girl, and imprinted on her on the way to get his car? Then there I'd be, waiting for him to show up like some pathetic loser, and he never would. Because the second he caught sight of his 'soulmate', whoever she was, he'd forget all about me.

God, I hated that unknown girl with an unbelievably violent passion.

Seth was still standing there, with his arms tightly folded across his chest, and I scowled ferociously at him.

"What? You've got a problem with me hanging out with Embry now?" I demanded, taking out some of my pent-up fear and frustration on him.

Seth shuffled his big feet sheepishly and suddenly couldn't meet my eyes. "Well... no. It's just, you know, it's... I know it's really none of my business, but-"

"You're right, it isn't," I snapped, and stomped away to my bedroom to get dressed for work.

Embry was waiting for me when I got back downstairs, and we wasted no time hustling out the front door. The sight of my Molly parked in the driveway stopped me dead so suddenly that Embry ran into me from behind and nearly knocked me over. I gaped at the gleaming car for a few silent seconds before I whirled around to face him.

"Molly's ready? I can actually drive her?" I demanded incredulously, a huge grin spreading across my face. In answer, he held up a pair of keys and grinned broadly back at me. Squealing like a crazed fangirl over the latest Teen Dreamboy, I snatched the keys out of his fingers and gave him a swift but tight hug.

"Thanks! Tank, you're the best ever!" I exclaimed right before I planted a big kiss on his cheek. "I owe you huge for this," I told him seriously.

"Well, you could just, you know, kiss my other cheek and we could call it even."

He grinned at me, and I smacked his bicep before running over to jump into the driver's seat. He slid in smoothly beside me on the passenger side as I eagerly turned the key and ran my hands over the steering wheel.

"So... does this mean I don't get to drive you around anymore?" Embry asked with an exaggerated pout, and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Course not. But only sometimes. I'm independent now."

He made a face like a wounded puppy. "Oh, so you were just using me for my car? I feel so loved."

"Aw, c'mon, Tank! I wasn't just using you for your car," I implored him as we sped towards Forks. He sniffed and continued pretending to be deeply hurt, and I poked his arm and gave him a sweet smile.

"I was using you for your mechanic skills, too."

"Well, in that case..." he shrugged his massive shoulders and looked at me with a huge grin.

"So, am I dropping you off at the Cullen's or what?" I asked. Embry fidgeted and stared out the windshield intently.

"Well, you're only working four hours today, so I thought I'd just hang out in town. At the diner or whatever..."

"For four hours? Why the hell would you want to do that?"

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye sheepishly. "Uh, well... Just in case..."

"Oh," I breathed as realization dawned on me, and then frowned heavily. "C'mon, Tank. This is ridiculous. Cyrus is in Canada. He's not going to suddenly pop up in Forks in the middle of the day and attack me in an aisle while I'm working or something."

"You really want to take the risk? 'Cause I sure as hell don't," Embry challenged. I gripped the steering wheel until it creaked under the pressure of my fingers.

"It's not a risk! He's not coming back here. And I refuse to spend the rest of my life being paranoid of every shadow!"

Embry crossed his arms stubbornly. "Fine. Then I'll be paranoid for you."

"What? So every time I leave La Push you're going to stalk me?" I demanded.

"Stalking's a really negative way to put it, but yeah. That's the basic gist of it," he replied with a grin.

I bristled angrily. "Uh uh. No way. I refuse."

"Too bad."

I narrowed my eyes and gave him a death glare that would've made Rosalie proud. "Is this some kind of order from Jacob or something?"

"Um... well, not exactly," he hedged uncomfortably.

"Not exactly how?" I demanded. He muttered something incoherently, and I poked him hard in the arm. "What was that? I don't speak Mumble."

"Alright! He thought being at the Cullen's was close enough."

"Ha!" I crowed triumphantly as I skidded around the turn into the vamp's long driveway.

"I don't think it's close enough," he grumbled, glaring at me with his arms crossed stubbornly as I slid to a halt in front of the house.

"Oh, lighten up, Tank. Go get high on some Jasper Crack or something."

Muffled laughter floated out of the house, along with Jasper's baritone voice spluttering, "on what?", but Embry didn't even smile.

"Seriously, Embry. I'll be fine," I insisted. "Now get out of my car before you make me late."

He frowned heavily at me, but he swung the door open and slid out of the seat. I waved cheerfully at him, despite the anxious butterflies settling in my stomach at the thought of being without his reassuring presence in Forks.

Which was incredibly stupid, and it sort of pissed me off. Was I that pathetic that I needed Embry around to feel safe? Good god, I was the one who'd insisted- okay, downright demanded- that he stop being so over-protective and paranoid, so it was absolutely idiotic to be wishing I hadn't won that particular argument.

Still, as his massive form dwindled in my rearview mirror, I had to stifle an insanely strong urge to turn around and ask him to come with me.

Maybe that's why I was so irritable when I showed up for work at the Newton's store. And Mrs. Newton standing next to a boy with hair so carefully gelled it was obvious he was trying way too hard didn't help improve my mood any.

"Leah, this is my son," Mrs. Newton said, giving me that terrifying grin that only hopeful mothers get when they're doing their damndest to create a love match. "He's just back from college for the summer, so you two will be working together for a few months."

I forced a half-heartedly polite smile. "Oh. Um, great. Hi."

"Well, I'll leave you two to get to know each other," Mrs. Newton said with a sly look at her son. She disappeared quickly into her office, still giving us that frightening match-maker mother smile, and left the two of us awkwardly standing a few feet away from each other.

"Hi. I'm Mike," the Newton kid said, grinning enthusiastically at me. His eager friendliness was annoying, but I smiled back and resisted the urge to hurt him for being so damn cheerful.

"Leah Clearwater," I told him in a carefully neutral voice. "So... you're back for the summer?"

"Yep. I'll be working here as much as I can to save up for next year, so we'll probably be seeing a lot of each other."

I hid a groan at his words, thinking a whole summer full of his exuberant friendliness might give me a nasty ulcer. I just wasn't used to people being that chipper around me, or so blatantly unaware of my status as La Push's resident bitch. Mike actually seemed to think I was a nice person, and it looked like he genuinely wanted to be friends. I wasn't sure how to deal with it.

He kept up a fairly constant stream of talk while we worked, but instead of finding it incredibly irritating, I actually found it to be a welcome distraction. Besides, a lot of his stories about college were interesting, like glimpses of a life I could never expect to have.

Despite the fact that Mike kind of reminded me of an over-eager puppy, by the last hour of my shift, I decided I actually enjoyed being around him. He was the first real bit of normalacy in my otherwise completely messed up life, and it was surprisingly refreshing. I guess I just liked knowing that for some people, the quiet, mythical creature-less world was the only one they lived in, and the only one they would ever have to know.

Even if his hair looked utterly ridiculous.

"So, uh, you gonna answer my question, or..." Mike trailed off, looking at me with confusion. I blinked at him, slowly realizing I'd just totally tuned him out for the last ten minutes or so.

"Oh, sorry. What question?"

"Your life. You know, any crazy stories you want to spill? Family? Friends? Boyfriend?"

Ah. There it was. The inevitable 'are you seeing someone that can beat the crap out of me, or am I free to dream about hooking up with you?' question. But instead of being instantly swamped with bitter, painful memories of just how I'd become so painfully single and flooded with a longing to just see Sam again, my thoughts strayed- weirdly- to Embry. And for some inexplicable reason, it hurt.

"Um, no. No boyfriend," I declared roughly, then cleared my throat for another try. "I'm just, you know, single. Happily single," I clarified when his grin became a little too broad for my tastes.

"Well, hey! Good for you," Mike exclaimed jovially. "So, tell me more about you."

I stared at him awkwardly. "There's really nothing to tell."

"Aw, c'mon. Everybody's got something. Nothing weird ever happened to you?"

Ha! If only he knew! 'Well, a couple of years ago, I found out I could shapeshift into a giant Wolf. The only female in history. 'Cause, yeah, other people can do it, too.' Somehow I could see that not going over so very well.

"Nope, not so much," I said out loud.

Mike looked like he was going to keep interrogating me, but Fate decided to throw me an unexpected life-line in the form of a steady stream of costumers. Now I just had to pray that Mike didn't have a very good memory so he wouldn't bring the subject up again.

The last person filtered out just as my shift ended, and Mike followed me as I went to go punch out.

"So... whatcha doing this Saturday, Leah?" he asked casually as he leaned against the wall.

"Um... why?" I stuttered warily, hoping from the soles of my feet that he was not stupid enough to ask me on a date. Especially not after only meeting me four hours ago.

"Well, I'm getting together with a whole bunch of my old high school friends at First Beach, and I just wondered if you maybe wanted to, you know, join us?"

I scrunched up my face and licked my lips uncertainly. It didn't sound like a date. Not if there was going to be a group of people.

Mike shifted nervously. "It's really no big deal. It's supposed to be warm and sunny for once, and we're all just getting together to hang out. Have a good time. You'd have fun, Leah."

I contemplated silently for a long moment. Maybe it would be fun. At any rate, it'd be something different, and that had to be step up, right? A group of people who knew nothing about me, who knew nothing about the Wolves or the Vamps, who couldn't read my thoughts or feel sorry for me. Yeah, that actually sounded pretty good.

"Okay," I finally answered Mike, and a broad grin spread across his face. I held up a finger. "Look, I'll show up, but I'm not exactly one for groups of people and parties. I probably won't stick around for very long."

"That's fine," he assured me happily as he followed me to the front doors. "Hey, do you surf at all?"

"Never tried it."

He grinned. "No problem. I can teach you. That is, if you want to learn... Surfing's pretty difficult, actually."

"I think I can handle it. I'm pretty good at physical stuff," I replied lightly. Mike stared at me, his eyes glazing over with that peculiar look Embry got when he saw me in that red dress, or when I washed his car. Only I wasn't getting the good-feeling tingles in my stomach. Instead, I edged nervously to the door and jumped when it suddenly swung open.

"Tank!" I exclaimed in surprise as his broad frame came through the doorway. He wasn't alone; Emmett and Edward followed him inside. The look Edward was giving Mike was a mix of disgust and anger, and I had to wonder what exactly he was thinking to give the mind-reader such a lemon-face.

"Hey, B. Weren't you off ten minutes ago?" Embry asked nonchalantly. His face was creased into a friendly grin, but his eyes were hard as he glanced at Mike.

"I was just talking to Mike. Is there a problem or something?"

I had a moment of instant panic at the thought, wondering if the three of them were here because Cyrus had come back. Edward gave a miniscule shake of his head, and I let out a silent breath of relief.

"Hey there, Newton! How'd your first year of college go?" Emmett boomed out jovially, and I flashed him a grateful look.

"Uh, not bad," Mike answered the burly vamp uncertainly before turning to Edward. "So, how's Bella? I heard she was sick."

"Yes, she was, but she's nearly recovered now. I believe Alice is planning a party in a few weeks to celebrate; I know Bella would be happy to see any of our classmates again," Edward answered smoothly. Mike nodded, then glanced curiously at Embry.

"Hey, are you one of Jacob Black's friends from La Push?"

"Yeah. Embry Call," Embry answered as he reached out to shake Mike's hand. From the way he winced, I guessed that my Tank had squeezed a bit harder than was strictly necessary. I gave him a quick nudge in the ribs and a pointed glare, and he shrugged innocently.

"Okay, well, it was fun working with you, Mike," I said as I discretely pushed Embry's bulk towards the door. He caught on quick, but Edward and Emmett still managed to get outside before we did.

"So, see you on Saturday, then?" Mike called after me.

"Oh, right. Yeah, I'll be there," I replied with a quick wave as I scurried after Embry to my Molly.

He climbed in without a word, and I revved up the engine and followed Emmett's massive Jeep out of the parking lot.

"See? I survived. No crazy leech attacks or anything," I teased him. He didn't respond, and I poked him. "Hey. You there?"

His frowned heavily. "What's on Saturday? You're not working."

"Huh?" I asked, confused at his sudden change of conversation. "Oh! Mike asked me to hang out at First Beach with him. He wants to teach me how to surf."

Embry snorted, the perfect picture of annoyed irritation. "Him? I'll bet he can't even stand up on a foam board."

"Hey! That's just mean," I exclaimed, though I wasn't quite sure why I was defending Mike, considering I'd thought nearly the same thing myself.

"What do you want to learn how to surf for, anyway?" Embry continued.

"Well, I don't know. It just sounded like fun, I guess. Why shouldn't I learn to surf?"

"Doesn't sound like any fun to me. First Beach doesn't even get any decent swells," he replied sourly, scowling.

I gripped the steering wheel tightly with slightly shaking hands, absolutely furious. What the hell was wrong with him? I thought he'd be happy that I was willing to go out and meet new people. And what the hell did he have against surfing? Ugh, he was making me so mad I could just spit.

"Fine. If you hate surfing so much, then I guess I won't ask you if you want to come along!" I snapped angrily, glaring straight out the windshield and wishing I could hit something. Hard.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure Mike would really appreciate you bringing a third wheel along on your date."

A slight tremor ran through Embry's frame as he spat out the last word, and it distracted me for a moment. Then the word 'date' sunk into my consciousness, and I hit the roof.

"Holy shit, Tank! I am not going on a date with Mike Newton!" I shrieked, embarrassed and pissed off in equal measures. How the hell had he come up with that idea?

He turned to blink at me, the scowl sliding off his face. "You're not?"

"Of course not! You couldn't seriously think I'd be interested in him!"

"Uh..." Embry stuttered uneasily, looking more embarrassed than I'd seen anyone look before. I swear the boy was turning purple.

"Look, Mike's going to First Beach with some of his high school friends, and he asked if I wanted to go along. I thought it might actually be fun, so I agreed," I explained through clenched teeth. "And what the hell difference would it make to you if I was going on a date?"

Embry looked exactly like a rabbit that suddenly found itself in the jaws of a fox. "That's not- I mean, I wasn't, uh... I just thought... Mike Newton," he stuttered, spitting the name out like it was rancid meat. I glowered at him.

"What about Mike Newton? I thought he was a nice guy!"

"A nice guy?! Good lord, B. Didn't you see the way he was looking at you?"

Oh, man! Of course I noticed that look! It had reminded me way too much of the way Embry himself had stared at me a few times, although the way he made me feel was completely different. Right now, I felt like squirming in my seat, but I forced myself to stay still so I wouldn't give myself away.

"What look?" I asked, and I privately thought I'd done an excellent job making my voice sound irritated and confused.

Embry's massive hands clenched into tight fists, and he ground his teeth together. "The look. He was obviously stripping you in his head."

Oh. My. God.

"He was not!" I shrieked in indignation and mortification. Embry crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly and scowled.

"He was too. Ask Edward what he was thinking about when we get to the house. I'll bet you a hundred dollars he'll refuse to tell you."

I seethed silently, unable to come up with any kind of good come-back for that, and too busy being thoroughly creeped out to care, anyway. What the hell was wrong with that stupid, over-gelled, blond puppy?? I might have to murder him on Saturday... there could easily be an 'accident' while surfing, right?

... Wait just a minute. That look- that supposed 'stripping me down' look, was almost identical to the one Embry'd given me. More than once!

I balled up my fist and punched him in the arm. Hard.

"Ow, hey! What the hell was that for?" he demanded, rubbing his sore bicep gingerly. I stuck my nose in the air and ignored the throbbing in my fingers.

"Stupid boys! Sick, perverted, hormone-driven boys!" I grumbled angrily, but I was too mortified to even scowl at him. The thing was, while the thought of Mike thinking about me like that made me want to vomit a little in my mouth, I got the weirdest, tingliest sensation in the pit of my stomach thinking Embry had thought of me like that. Bloody hell, I was completely insane.

I skidded Molly to a halt next to the Jeep and climbed out quickly. I couldn't stand being cooped up next to him for another minute right now, not with those crazy, confusing, mixed-up feelings racing like electric sparks through my viens.

Luckily for me, Rosalie had apparently been waiting to get a look under Molly's hood for the last four hours, and she wasn't about to let Embry go anywhere until after she'd finished inspecting his work. It was easy for me to sneak away into the house, especially since it was starting to rain heavily.

My mother, Esme, Alice, Bella, and Nessie were all crowded around the counter, deep in discussion, when I slid into the kitchen looking for a snack. They all looked up and waved me over to join in whatever their obviously important conversation was about.

"Don't leave Embry here next time you go to work," Alice muttered under her breath to me as I squeezed in next to her at the counter. "I swear he asked me 567 times in one hour where Cyrus was."

I grimaced apologetically, but couldn't formulate any kind of answer. I had zero desire to talk about Embry at the moment, so I turned my attention to what they were discussing so adamantly.

It turns out they were discussing Mom and Charlie's wedding, since the two of them had finally decided on a date about two weeks away. Mom was insisting on no reception, no party, no recognition what-so-ever, naturally, and just as naturally, Alice and Esme were protesting vehemently. Bella had sided with my mom, and Nessie wasn't saying anything one way or the other, so they were at a stalemate.

"You know, Mom," I broke in after listening to several minutes of their wrangling. "Alice is planning a 'coming-out' party for Bella soon. Maybe we could just combine the two? Then you and Charlie could bow out of the dance really early or something."

Alice lit up like a thousand Christmas lights, beaming at me from ear to ear, as my mom contemplated the idea. Bella looked positively horrified.

"A what party?" she half-shrieked. "When were you going to tell me about it?"

Alice shrugged innocently. "Later."

"It's an excellent idea, Leah. Don't you think so, Sue?" Esme broke in gently.

"Well, I still don't think Charlie and I need a party, but if you really want to give us one, this might be the best way," Mom conceded. Esme and Alice glowed with happiness, and Mom sighed. "I just have two conditions. One, nothing over the top. And two, I don't want to know anything about it. Just tell me where to be and when, okay?"

"Really? I can plan the whole thing?" Alice breathed like a starving person being told they could eat as much as they desired.

Rosalie wandered in then, wiping her perfect hands on a greasy rag as she came up to me. "Molly's in great shape. Embry did a good job fixing her up," she informed me.

"Thanks," I replied, then chewed on my lip. "Uh, where is he, anyway?"

"He said he was going to run the perimeter for a bit."

"Great. Hey, can you do me a huge favor?" I asked her in a low voice. She gave a tiny nod, and I continued. "Just ride with me to the border? Jake's still not keen on me running around outside the rez alone."

"Stupid mutt," Rosalie snorted, but she followed me willingly out to my car. Hoping fervently that I could sneak away from the Cullen's without Embry noticing, I yanked the shifter into gear and sped down the driveway.

"So... are you going to tell me what's up with the sneaking back to the rez without your other half?" Rosalie asked casually once we were safely away from the house.

"Embry is not my 'other half'. We're just friends," I growled through clenched teeth.

"Mm hm," she replied sceptically while she inspected her manicure. "So, what'd he do?"

"He thought I was going on a date with Mike Newton!" I burst out indignantly. It was a wonder the windows didn't shatter from the pure fury in my voice. They probably would have if I'd finished and shrieked, 'and he basically admitted that he's fantasized about me, and I'm totally confused why that doesn't bother me!' Rosalie merely burst out laughing.

I punched the dashboard and accidentally dented it. "It's not funny, Rose. He got all pissy over it, too. Like, what the hell? He's not my dad!"

"Wait, back up! Why'd he think you were going on a date with Mike Newton?"

"Because I agreed to go to First Beach with him and a group of his friends on Saturday. And Embry completely flipped out!"

Rose grimaced in disgust. "Seriously? You agreed to hang out with Mike Newton? I thought you had better taste, Leah."

"Good god! What does everyone have against Mike?" I exclaimed in exasperation. "I thought he was nice!"

"Sure, he's nice. Nice and perverted! Just ask Edward what the kid spends most of his time thinking about, and I doubt you'll want to be within a ten foot radius of him."

"He can't be that bad," I protested half-heartedly, doing my best not to remember the glazed look in his eyes. That just reminded me about Embry and the twisted knot of confusion rolling around in my head.

"Oh, trust me. He's that bad," Rose insisted grimly.

I groaned. "Great. And I'm supposed to wear a swimsuit around him on Saturday?"

"Mm. Have fun with that," she replied, then grinned from ear to ear. "Oh, I'd love to see Embry's reaction to Mike ogling you!"

"What makes you think he's going to be there?" I demanded. Rose gave me a withering look.

"Please. Like there's any way he'd let you go without him. Oh! This totally calls for a new bikini!"

"What? I've already got a perfectly good one-" I started, but she cut me off.

"Don't worry. Alice and I will find one that'll really make Embry go crazy."

"But I don't want to make him go crazy!" I whined as I pulled Molly to a stop right outside the border. Rosalie rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she got out, already dialing Alice's number to get started on the Bikini Hunt.

"Sure you don't," she replied sarcastically. "See you tomorrow!"

She waved cheerfully at me before disappearing quickly into the trees, and I banged my head on the steering wheel and moaned.

I didn't want to wear a bikini that made Embry go all weird on me again. Did I? I mean, we were just friends. At least, I thought we were. Sure, Embry was the best person I'd ever known, and yeah, he was the damn finest looking man on the face of the planet (oooh, those rippling, bronzed abs!), but that didn't mean that I wanted to be anything more than friends. Right?

Good lord, when did life get so confusing?

I mean, it used to be so simple. Fate hated Leah. Leah hated everyone. Everyone stayed away from Leah. End of story. But now- now I actually liked people again. And they liked me. I just didn't know how much I wanted a certain person to like me.

Ugh. Maybe I should go back to being a bitter harpy again.

The house was quiet and empty when I got home, and I stood for a long time, just staring at the boxes and the empty spots on the walls. Mom had already started packing up and clearing out her things, and it gave me a curious little ache in my chest. Dad's stuff- some of which we'd never touched or moved since he died- was being carefully sorted through and packed away or given to Seth or I. I'd caught Mom silently crying more than once in the last week over some little thing of Dad's. Like his old ashtray, or the rings his beer cans made on the coffee table. In a way, it was comforting to know she still missed my dad even though she was moving on.

I sat down in his old easy chair, running my fingers over those old rings on the coffee table, and lost myself in happy childhood memories.

I didn't even know how long I'd been there when my mom gently tapped me on the shoulder and broke me out of my reverie.

"Thinking about Dad?" she asked me quietly, and I nodded. We were both silent for a long moment before she spoke up again.

"So, what did you and Embry fight about?"

"What? We didn't- what makes you think we had a fight?" I spluttered defensively. Mom shrugged.

"You two have been joined at the hip for so long now, I just assumed..."

"Yeah, well, we didn't. I mean... oh, hell. It was just over some stupid thing!" I admitted with a heavy pout.

Mom patted my arm. "Don't worry about it. You two will make up by tomorrow morning, I'm sure of it."

"Thanks, mom. You make us sound like grade-schoolers!" I laughed. She just smiled and quirked her eyebrows at me.

"So, want to help me pack?"

Being the wonderfully obedient daughter I am, I helped her sort and pack until Seth came home well into the evening. Finally, I was free to haul my tired butt up the stairs to my bedroom, debating the whole way whether or not I should go out in the heavy rain and find Embry to patch things up. After all, he may have gotten a little weird over me meeting up with Mike on Saturday, but I was the one who snuck away from the Cullen's like a bratty child. And all because I didn't know how to react to the thought that he might actually find me attractive.

I flung open my window and grimaced as I climbed through it into the downpour of cold rain. Thank goodness the temperature couldn't affect me, or I'd be blue and shivering as well as drenched to the bone by the time I reached Embry's house.

His light was on in bedroom, and I moved slowly and silently until I could peer inside. Embry was pacing the tiny patch of carpet that wasn't covered in heaps of clothes and miscellaneous junk, rubbing a hand over his short hair and muttering to himself every few seconds. I could only pray that he wasn't as pissed off at me as he looked.

"Uh... Hey, Tank," I finally said quietly after taking a few long minutes to muster up my courage.

At the sound of my voice, he whipped around to face the window so quickly that I was sure he'd topple over from the momentum. He stared at me for a long moment with wide eyes, and I stared back fearfully.

"It's kinda wet out here. Mind if I come in?" I asked in a pathetic attempt at nonchalance. The screen was whipped out and Embry had hauled me into his room before I could say another word. Once my feet were firmly planted on the floor again, we both stood there, awkwardly avoiding each other's eyes. He hunched his shoulders and shoved his hands in the pockets of his cut-offs, and I shuffled my feet and dripped on the carpet.

"Look, I'm sorry I just ran off from the Cullen's today. That was a really lame thing for me to do," I said earnestly when the uncomfortable silence seemed to stretch on for far too long.

Embry's head shot up, and he gaped at me with wide, surprised eyes. "What are you apologizing to me for? I was the one being an ass," he exclaimed.

"No, you weren't," I automatically responded, then stopped and thought for a second. "Okay, you were a little bit, but so was I. And I'm sorry."

"No, it was my fault. I was totally out of line, and I-"

"Tank, you do realize it's completely stupid of us to argue about who should be more sorry, right?" I broke in with a grin. He started to argue, then snapped his mouth shut and grinned.

"So... does this mean you're planning to stay the night?"

I wrinkled up my nose. "Only if you give me some dry clothes."

"Oh! Right. Sorry..." he muttered sheepishly, already diving into what I presumed was a 'clean' pile of clothes. He tossed me a t-shirt and a pair of boxers (which I hoped to heaven were actually and truly clean), and dutifully turned around so I could change.

I was so tired, I crawled right into bed as soon as I was dressed and closed my eyes. I could feel the bed shift as Embry slid in next to me and yawned as we settled into my favorite position with his arms securely around me and my head resting on his chest.

"Are you still going to invite me to come along on Saturday?" his voice rumbled through his chest and vibrated my ear.

"I thought you didn't like surfing," I mumbled sleepily.

"Maybe I changed my mind."

"You're such a girl," I teased as I snuggled in closer. "Of course I want you to come along."

"Good, 'cause I was going to go anyway," he replied, and I could hear the grin in his voice.

"Stalker," I murmured, then yawned widely. "Rose and Alice are buying me a new bikini. 'Night, Tank."

All I got was a frozen sounding "um" in reply, and I grinned as I drifted off into sleep.