I could balance a pencil on my nose for three minutes and thirty-two seconds. At that point, I could probably continue longer but I usually just get so bored that I stop or my neck starts to hurt from holding it at that angle.
"You know," A smooth voice says, "You should really be paying more attention to your surroundings." I yelp in surprise and knock the pencil off my nose. It bounces off the counter and rolls under a display of gum. Oh well, at least retrieving the pencil would be something to do. Edward Cullen lets the front door to the gas station close behind him, somehow managing to hold it just right so it doesn't let out that god awful ding. I give him a weary look but decide he's probably not going to hurt me.
"I'm not going to hurt you." He rolls his eyes, "I do not have a death wish."
"Can you really read my mind?" I ask.
"Yes." He confirms with a nod of his head.
"That's just really…" I trail off, not quite sure if I want to call a vampire weird.
"It is weird, it's okay." He shrugs.
"Um, what are you doing here?" I ask, walking around the counter and leaning down to pick up my pencil. He does make me uncomfortable but I'm not exactly nervous he's going to eat me, more so just nervous by his presence. And I wish Seth was here.
"Just getting gas." He says, leaning against the side of the counter and gesturing out the window towards a shiny silver vehicle that I know costs more than my trailer. "I felt it would be rude to not say hello and ask how you were doing."
"Oh, I'm fine, never better." I say, fidgeting with the bandaid on my hand. All things considered, I was fine. I was a little stressed and currently wasn't speaking to my mom, but I was happy with Seth and I felt safe when he was near. My arms were sore but my hands were fine. I was fine.
"I actually did want to talk with you." He says. I wonder what he could possibly want to talk with me about. I put the pencil back next to the register and lean against the counter next to him. "Seth is a good friend of mine and a few years ago he played a huge part in helping someone I care about. I know I said the other night that Seth's mind is very peaceful, and it is, but since he's met you he has a worry that plays over and over." He pauses and looks over his shoulder out the front window.
"What are you talking about?" I ask. I crane my neck to also look out the window but don't see anything.
"He's really worried you and your mom are going to pack up and leave Forks. And he's really worried you're going to do it without telling him." He says grimly. "I know you graduate in May and I'd like to help—"
"This is really fucking ridiculous." Collin growls, slamming open the front door and making me jump. The bell dings obnoxiously then snaps off all together, rolling across the store and under the same gum display that my pencil had gone under. He's barefoot and wearing just a pair of jeans and dripping rain. I stare at Collin in shock. Boy is ripped. Collin immediately inserts himself between Edward and I and pulls me behind him, keeping an arm wrapped around me.
"I gave a courtesy howl letting you know I was coming inside." Edward says, sounding annoyed. "She's in a Forks gas station and I'm getting gas in my car."
"Yeah, well, she's one of ours and you're lucky it was me patrolling and not Jake." Collin snaps. "Because Jake might view this as a violation of the treaty."
"Well obviously I knew who was patrolling before I came inside." Edwards sounds bored now. "And I am in no such violation. She is on our territory and we were just talking."
"Well she's off limits when one of us isn't here." Collin says, "And you can tell the rest of your coven that too."
"Seth and I—" Edward starts.
"Seth is not as lenient as you think and he doesn't take any chances with her so use that hundred year old brain of yours and think before you trap an imprint in a gas station at two in the morning." Collin says.
"She's not trapped," Edward scoffs, "She's clocked in at work."
"Please don't fight." I whisper, pulling on Collin's hand until he lets me move slightly next to him. He's still angled to stand right in front of me but at least now I can see both of their faces and I feel like I am actually apart of the conversation. A slight tremor rolls through him and he doesn't remove his eyes from Edward. "We were just talking."
Edward laughs suddenly, his eyes flickering to me.
"What?" Collin demands.
"She's confident that Jacob could take me but she's not quite sure about you." He explains.
"Emma!" Collin whines, turning his puppy dog eyes to me. "You think I couldn't handle sparkle pants over here?"
"Well…I…"
"No." Edward answers for me, still laughing.
"I'm sorry!" I apologize, squeezing his hand. "I mean, thank you for busting in here and breaking the door and all but he already told me he wasn't going to eat me and you just seem like you're probably at the bottom of the…well…the…"
"Pack?" Edward supplies, raising his eyebrows.
"Well, yeah." I shrug.
"Emma, don't insult me in front of a leech." Collin frowns. "I am a very vicious—" He cuts off suddenly.
"A what?" I ask. "What are you?"
"I feel like you guys are kinda going backwards on things here." Edward says, openly grinning now. "First vampires then imprint and now…very vicious…you're definitely explaining things out of order."
"You've gotta talk to Seth about that." Collin sighs, ignoring Edward.
"But I'm asking you." I respond. Collin was standing half naked in a Forks' gas station picking a fight with a vampire when he should have been at home in bed. I wanted to know what he was.
"Seth has literally been waiting for you to be ready to talk about all of this for days." Collin shakes his head. "And now you want to talk about it when he's finally sleeping for the first time since—"
"He hasn't been sleeping?" I whisper, feeling a pang of guilt wash through me. If Seth wasn't sleeping it was probably my fault.
"Emma." Collin sighs. He glances to Edward who shrugs.
"I think the truth is the best." Edward says, answering an unspoken question in Collin's mind.
"How the hell is he supposed to sleep when all he can think about is you in that trailer and someone hurting you?" Collin says the words gently and I know he is trying not to upset me but my eyes fill up with tears anyway. "I promised him I'd watch you tonight so he could sleep and of course this mother-fucking-leech shows up."
"I'm sorry." I whisper, wiping at my eyes. Collin tugs me closer and wraps his arms around me.
"You're fine…just maybe stay over his house this weekend or something? Give him a break from worrying?" He suggests. I nod my head into his chest.
"My mom hasn't had any friends over since that night if that helps." I offer, looking up at him. His face remains grim and I have a feeling that piece of information really doesn't matter to him or Seth.
"Okay," Collin says, turning his attention back to Edward, "I'm here now so if you want to talk then talk." He leans against the counter in a casual manner but keeps an arm tightly around me. He looks relaxed but I can feel from his muscles that he is tense. I want to know what Edward wanted to talk about but I don't really want to speak with Collin here. Mostly because I feel guilty about Seth worrying I am going to pack up and leave without telling him and I don't want Edward to give away that I have thought about doing exactly that. The first night back in the trailer after the incident, I had considered taking my duffle bag and my wolf charm, walking to the bus stop, and buying a ticket for the furthest destination I could find. Of course I hadn't actually gone through with it but I had debated on it for a good hour.
"We can speak another time." Edward says, "It's not like you're going anywhere."
"Okay." I nod my head and wonder if that is a threat. A threat that if I try to leave Seth he will come and find me and maybe not be so friendly.
"Not a threat." Edward says with a sharp shake of his head. Collin tenses at the word threat but doesn't move any closer. "Just a reminder."
"Okay." I repeat.
"But I would…" He trails off and I know it's so Collin doesn't freak. Find me? I think. He nods his head in confirmation. "I told you, Seth has been very kind to my family and me. I would do anything to help him and the people he cares about."
"Like you said," I shrug, "I'm not going anywhere."
"What was that about?" Collin asks once Edward has left the gas station and gotten back into his shiny car. "What were you guys talking about?"
"Nothing." I shake my head. "I don't even really know what he wanted to talk to me about. He cut off when you barged in."
"Yeah…" Collin trails off for a moment and removes his hands from me. "Sorry about the door."
"It's okay." I roll my eyes, walking over to the gum display and kicking the bell out from under the shelf. "Now at least I have something to do for the next four hours."
"You good if I go?" He asks. "Embry's outside and I told him to let me handle this first but just incase he told Jake I gotta go do some damage control before he starts world war three with the vamps."
"Embry's here?" I ask in surprise, craning my neck. "I don't understand."
"Talk to Seth if you're ready to." He shrugs, then turns around and walks out the door.
Sorry this is a tad shorter of a chapter...and that there is no Seth. I loved this scene and wrote it early on but didn't feel like it really fit with what I have written for the next chapter so I decided to break it up into two parts. And who doesn't love some Collin? I am almost done with that next chapter though so it should be up within the week. Many thanks for everyone's kind reviews!