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"What do you want to do today? Think we can get away from your bodyguard?" Ben crept into Claire's room early Sunday morning. For the past few days Quil has been sleeping on the couch, the vampire escaped them again and he wasn't taking another chance for her to corner Claire. During the day he had patrol so Embry or Seth hung around the bakery, annoying both Emily and Claire. At night time Quil would come and make camp in the living room. Claire only made a fuss once when she wanted to go for a run by herself and Quil insisted on coming, thankfully she had Leahs number and called her instead. Leah was more willing to hang around Claire now that she knew the secret. It allowed her to be more of herself.
"You already ready?" Claire whispered as she swung herself out of bed and grabbed a hoodie from her floor. She really needed to clean her room again.
"Yeah, where you want to go?" Ben whispered back as he caught on to what they were doing. He came into the room and gently shut it before following Claire over to the window. She lifted it up as slowly and as quietly as she could before tossin her shoes down below to the ground. Ben took off his shoes and did the same. Then Ben went first out the window, sliding himself quietly down until his feet touched the cold ground. Next was Claire who landed on the ground without a thud. They both quickly put their shoes before creeping away from the house. Claire knew Quil would wake in a panic when he found out they were gone but she also knew at least one of the wolves was currently in the woods watching.
"Where to?" Ben asked normally when they were out of hearing range of the house.
"The beach?" Claire asked before taking off running. Ben laughed and followed right behind her. They both could use a good cold swim to clear their minds. Ben has been stressed over work. He had finally finished the new series he was working on and it was due to ship out to Spain tomorrow morning first thing. Claire was still worrying about the psycho vampire who wanted her for some reason but she was also tired of being babysat. As much as she loved the new found time with Quil she also hated it. She hated it because it's what her mother did her entire life. She couldn't leave the house without a babysitter. She couldn't make dinner without eyes on her back. She couldn't work without a babysitter to report back.
"Are we close?" Ben asked as he slowed down to look around. He didn't remember the woods like Claire. He hasn't taken the time to learn every inch of it like she had.
"Yes, start stripping," Claire called back behind her as she yanked off her hoodie. Once she caught sight of the opening for the cliffs she started pulling off her shoes then eventually pulled down her pants and kicked them to the side. Ben was struggling to keep up but he was making do. Once they were in the clearing they didn't stop. They both ran full speed ahead off the cliff and made wolf howls the whole way down. Once they hit the water though they both stayed submerged in it as long as they could. Claire soaking in the freezing waters that made her feel alive and Ben letting the water tug him whatever way it wanted. Both felt free. Soon they were running out of oxygen and started towards the top.
"Claire!" Ben shouted when he didn't see her. He started to feel anxious like maybe this was a bad idea. He thought back to a few years early when she ate an entire bottle of pills.
"I'm over here," Claire called out from behind him, waving her arms. She wouldn't scare him again. She wouldn't cause him that pain of being the one to find her again.
"Swim closer to shore, then we can float!" Ben yelled over the waves that were coming to push him back. Claire didn't answer back though, she had already started that way. They both swam silently until they were in a more quiet calmer place near the shore. Once there they both floated on their backs holding hands so they didn't get separated.
"Why is Quil hanging around so much anyways?" Ben asked before exhaling our loud so his breath looked like smoke above him.
"Oh, renovations at his house," Claire said the lie easily because she wasn't having to look directly at her brothers face. She couldn't tell him the truth because she still barely believed it and she's been living it.
"So why not crash at someone else's house? He's too long for the couch," Ben sounded concerned about how Quil was sleeping. He didn't know or remember much about the man but he knew he cared for his sister.
"I don't know. You gotta ask him that," Claire leaned her head farther back in the water letting the water completely cover her ears. She could hear nothing but the ocean under them. She stayed like that for a few minutes before she started hearing yelling.
"Claire! Ben! What do you think your doing? It's too cold to be in the water still! It's only February!" Quil shouted from the beach as he dropped all the clothes he collected on top of the cliff. He marched towards the water with Leah and Embry both following behind.
"Leave them alone Quil! Let Claire live a little!" Leah shouted as she tried to tug his arm to slow him down. Embry quickly got in front.
"Dude, just go. Leah and I can handle it. Go now before you ruin things," Embry pleaded while trying to block Quil. Claire and Ben though were trying to help each other out of the water in a hurry but kept slipping and falling.
"Both of you are in so much trouble! Especially you Claire!" Quil shouted while trying to push Embry out the way.
"Calm down Quil, we just needed a break from our lives," Ben shrugged once he had his feet on the sand. Claire on the other hand stood behind him in fear of the trouble she was in. She knew Quil would wake in a panic but not like this. This was a new anger she wasn't use to seeing.
"Quil, you need to go now," Leah tried again to pull him back but he was on a mission. Finally they were all in front of the two soaked siblings. Everything was silent until Claire finally spoke.
"We just wanted to relax," Claire was trying to stay calm. She knew if she were to get angry then it would just hurt Quil.
"While your being s...your being stupid! It's freezing out still and the water isn't even close enough to being ready to swim in! You're going to get sick," Quil was shouting but holding back on what he was really worried about. He was worried that the vampire would have found them before he did. He knew neither would get sick from this. They never did. But he knew the vampire was still just waiting for her opening.
"I'm an adult! I can do as I please!" Claire was feeling her anger raise now as Quil acted like a parent she didn't need.
"Yeah well you doing that has caused nothing but trouble!" Quil was more worried for her then angry but it wasn't showing like that.
"I think everyone just needs to calm down. We just went for a swim. No one died," Ben didn't understand the dangerousness of the situation. He thought Quil was just mad about the temperature and them sneaking out. He didn't know about the vampire or the wolves. He didn't even remember the legends himself.
"No one died," Quil scoffed while glaring at Claire. She had purposely been stupid just to get some freedom.
"Come on let's get you warm," Leah stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Claire while Embry stepped forward and did the same for Ben. Ben took pleasure in the touch as he was led to the pile of clothes that were dropped on the beach by Quil.
"This was so stupid," Quil was still on a roll though. Claire slipped into her hoodie and sweatpants that were now sandy. She pulled the hood up to cover up her buzzcut to add some extra warmth.
"And Quil it's stupid to have you sleeping on the couch so go ahead and find another place for now," Claire glared hard at him when she turned around. She knew what her words meant. For him to sleep outside if he was still going to babysit her but for now she didn't want to see him.
"I'll crash on the couch," Leah stepped forward quickly in between the two. She hated being the buffer but she felt bad for her little cousin getting stuck with Quil as an imprint.
"Your house being renovated too?" Ben asked as he took a Newport out and lit it up. He was confused by a lot that was going on but he was use to that. He never really paid attention, just enough to get him by.
"Yeah, the guys and I rent out a house together so we're all put out," Leah shrugged as she stared Quil down. She was daring him to talk back. But he didn't. Instead he just gave Claire a long miserable look before sulking towards the woods. Claire felt a jab in her heart momentarily before taking the cigarette that was being held out to her and taking her own drag from it. She wanted to cry as she watched him fade into the darkness of the woods.
"I'll follow," Embry nodded at everyone before taking off. Two howls broke into the air and before Ben could question what that was Leah cut in.
"So, show me to my new bed for the week," Leah wiggled her eyebrows at the twins before wrapping her arms around both of their shoulders and leading them back towards their house.