SM owns all
"Claire," he said.
My hand froze on the door handle; his voice cutting though me like a piece of cool velvet.
I slowly turned around, surprised to see a shirtless man right on the edge of my patio.
He had on black gym shorts; a bit tattered on the ends. Faint dirt stains spread the length of his arms and legs.
This man was huge. His legs stood like trunks and his waist was nearly at my eye level. As I raked my eyes over his body, I stopped when I got to his chest. He was muscular, more muscular then in any picture I had of him. I knew I was staring openly but didn't care. I let my eyes roam for a few more seconds before continuing with their ascend.
Before our eyes connected, I knew it was him. I could feel it. The tug in my chest was pulling me forward and the only thing keeping me in place was my bare feet on the cold stone patio. When Quil's eyes met mine, everything stopped. My breath was stuck and emotions ran through me like a flood. Unfamiliar need raced through my chest and it was as if my body and mind were a million miles away from each other.
He cleared his throat and my brain went into gear. This was a moment I had planned for so many times in my head and was very close to blowing it if I didn't say something soon. However, he beat me to it.
"What are you doing out here? It's late." A line of worry creasing his forehead.
"I could ask you the same"
"I had something going on so I was late to the barbeque and Sam said you and your mom had already headed home for the night. Thought I'd try and catch you guys before you headed to bed."
"Yeah, I was just about to turn in actually," looking nervously back to my bedroom, silently praying the smell wasn't still lingering in the air.
"And you wanted some fresh Washington air before bed?" he said with a smirk.
His sarcasm made it clear he knew what I was doing. Shit.
"I couldn't really sleep"
"Jetlag?"
"Is there even a time difference between Colorado and Washington?" I asked, a cheeky smirk playing on my lips.
"Yeah I don't think there is," he said a bit awkwardly, a rough laugh leaving his mouth. He ran his hand over the back of his neck. I had to stop myself before I looked at the way his muscles bulged when he did this.
"To be honest I think I'm just overly tired from everything. Moving and traveling and seeing everyone, it's a bit exhausting," I made my way back over to one of the chairs, sitting down and nodding towards the other for him to do the same.
"So you've seen everyone then?"
"Pretty much everyone. None of the kids or anything, but everyone else for the most part," I lifted up and tucked my knees underneath me, pulling this big shirt over my knees.
"Yeah Emily gave everyone a fair warning not to overwhelm you guys but it's all everyone's been talking about"
"Don't get me wrong, it's been amazing seeing everyone! It's just odd that dad's not even here yet and everyone's still sleeping on air mattress. Except me that is," I let the last part hang in the air, looking directly at him as I did.
"You like it then?" a hopeful glint in his eyes.
"It's ridiculous! Ridiculously amazing, but still ridiculous. You seriously did not have to do all of that for me. Lauren and Mikey already have you on their shit list for it"
"Just think of it as 14 years of birthday and Christmas gifts or something" he said, brushing off the last part.
I rolled my eyes.
"It's way too much, but thank you," I said.
"You're welcome, Claire," he said. His tone kept my eyes locked to his. This moment was all too surreal and nothing like I had imagined our first encounter being like.
"It's pretty late, I should probably get inside. Dads getting here early tomorrow and it'll be a long day unpacking everything," I stood up and took a few steps towards the door. Quil slowly stood up as well, placing his hands into his pockets and swaying on his feet.
"Want me to come by and help with unloading the truck?"
I answered almost too quickly.
"Yeah, okay! I'm sure mom and dad would love that, thanks"
It occurred to me that they probably weren't super excited to see Quil after all, but it had to happen sooner or later.
I took one step closer to his big frame, a familiar move that would mean you were going to hug somebody. It happened in such a second nature motion I wasn't sure it was me that had really moved at all.
Before I knew it, his arms were wrapping themselves tightly around my waist. He crushed me to his body as my own arms wrapped their way around his neck. I couldn't care less that my shirt had ridden up and I was definitely a bit too naked for a first time hug, but this hug was something my body has been craving. He was hot and my body melted against his perfectly. I took a large inhale, his deep woodsy smell filling my nostrils and leaving me in a pure state of euphoria.
Quil's hands gently caressed my hips before pulling back from our embrace.
Reaching up on my tiptoes, I placed a chaste kiss to his cheek. Something I would never normally do.
"Goodnight, Quil," then slid quietly through the door and into my room.
Without looking back, I pulled the curtains closed in front of the door and made my way over to my bathroom. Staring at my reflection, the blush on my cheeks was something normally I'd be embarrassed about.
Right now I could care less. I couldn't have looked anymore ridiculous out there smoking weed in a t-shirt. But none of that mattered.
Quil came to see me. He said he came to see mom and me but he would have gone to the front door if that were the case, right?
Sighing, I went back to my bed. I had barely enough left in me to replay everything that had just happened before exhaustion took over and I slipped into a deep sleep.
Loud thuds came from the ceiling above me, clearly a sign of someone moving heavy things around. Groggily, I looked over at the time, 8:27 flashing on the clock hanging on the wall by the bathroom.
I groaned, knowing I've slept longer then I should have and that everyone was probably up already. I must have passed out last night because I had barely made a wrinkle in any of my blankets and I don't remember falling asleep.
Even though I probably shouldn't have, I took my time getting out of bed. It was going to be a long day of moving everything around, so why not wait another 10 minutes before jumping in.
I scrolled through my phone, looking at the few messages I had gotten over night. Mostly from a few girls from high school asking how I was settling in, and one from Emily wishing me a good night.
I went to my suitcase and pulled out a pair of leggings and a tank top. Nothing I minded getting dirty today. I ran a brush through my hair before throwing it up on top of my head into a messy bun, knowing I'd be hot and sweaty in about 30 minutes anyway.
After brushing my teeth and putting on some deodorant, I decided I had procrastinated enough and should go check out what was going on.
I took the stairs from my room up to the main hallway, surprised to not see anyone immediately moving a big piece of furniture when I got there. Looking around, I could tell dad had to have arrived based on the amount of boxes filling the hallways.
The smell of coffee immediately distracted me and I let my nose lead me towards the kitchen and the caffeine that would be waiting for me there.
"Hi hunny!" dads voice came booming as soon as I had rounded the corner. He was sat at a chair that was in the middle of the kitchen, holding a take out mug in his left hand.
I rushed over, throwing my arms around his neck as if I was 10 years old again.
"I missed you," I said quietly while in our embrace, kissing his cheek as I pulled back.
"I missed you too baby. You slept in late, I'm surprised. Was expecting you to be up at the crack of dawn like you usually are," he said while a smile played on his lips. I was notorious for waking up early and not being the quietest person while I got myself ready.
"I know, I must have been exhausted. This for me?" I asked, point to the take out mug with my order written on the side.
"Sure is. Knew I'd have to have some sort of incentive to get all this shit unpacked" he stood up, bringing his cup to the trash and throwing it in.
"It's gonna take a lot more then a coffee to keep me going," I said.
"Don't worry princess, we'll do all the heavy lifting today," Brady's voice came booming in from the living room.
Instant panic coursed through my body. Shit, I forgot the boys said they would be helping out with the unpacking today.
As if he heard my inner monologue, Quil's face appeared from around the living room wall where he must have been helping Brady carry something inside.
"James, where do you want us to set up the TV stand?" Quil asked, thoroughly avoiding making eye contact with me and focusing on my father.
"Ah, just against the window is fine. I'm sure Linda will want to move everything around anyway," dad said.
Without anther word, Quil turned around to go back to moving furniture.
As soon as he was gone, I shot dad a not so subtle look, which he immediately threw his hands up in defense.
"I've been playing nice! I swear!"
Dad quickly spun out of the kitchen, leaving me to sip on my coffee alone.
Before we moved, I had a talk with mom and dad about what the plan would be with Quil. They trusted my judgment and just wanted me to be careful. We all agreed that we had to give him a fair shot and that dad would keep any snide comments to himself. We'll see how long that lasts.
I figured I should go check out the truck and see what was left to be brought in, even though I wanted nothing more then to sit and sip my coffee.
Dad, Brady, Quil, and Seth were standing around the truck, looking at moms big desk that she insisted we bring with us, even though the thing was old and falling apart.
"You sure you want that piece of junk inside?" Seth asked, scratching at the back of his head.
"Mom will kill you all if that desk doesn't make it inside. She'd also probably kill you if she heard you call it a piece of junk," I said, snickering a bit. All heads turned to face me as I walked towards the truck.
All heads except for Quil, that is.
"She's right. Linda's crazy about this thing for whatever reason, so we should probably find a place for it inside," dad said.
On that note, Seth and Brady hopped in the truck, each grabbing a side to desk before hauling it out. Dad jumped in the truck next, grabbing a trash bag filled with something or other.
"Hunny, there's a few bags of pillows and things in the back. Want to grab those and bring them in?" dad called over his shoulder, before climbing the stairs into the house.
I put my coffee down on the bumper of the truck before climbing in the back. Without needing to turn around, I could tell Quil had climbed in behind me.
"Hi Claire," he said from behind me.
"Hey Quil," I said without turning around. I was trying to keep my cool a bit better then I had the night before.
He didn't respond, instead he started moving a few boxes to the edge of the truck.
"Have you guys been here long? I feel bad I slept so late"
"No, maybe an hour of so. Your mom texted Seth saying your dad would be here soon and she was going to get Lauren and Michael at Emily's house. We figured we'd come and help move some of the bigger stuff before they got here then get out of the way for the day," he said, now picking up the boxes and placing them on the ground outside of the truck.
"That's nice of you guys, you definitely didn't have to do all of this though. We could have managed"
"I know you'd be fine. We wanted to help though," he said, taking a moment to look at me now.
I stopped what I was doing to look back at him, letting our eyes connect in the same way they had last night, but in the daylight now it was different. I could see clearly into his dark brown pools. His pupils dilated and I was mesmerized watching him.
A throat clearing was the only thing that made me get back to my task. Thankful it was only Brady walking back to the truck and not my dad.
"This it for boxes?" Brady asked.
"Yeah, then there's just a few trash bags filled with blankets and stuff" Quil answered.
The two of them grabbed a few boxes and made there way inside. I grabbed a few bags as my dad had asked and followed them back in. I hadn't really noticed before, but the house was filled with boxes and bags. Things were scattered everywhere with no rhyme of reason to any of it.
I decided I'd move the boxes with Lauren and Mikey's names on them to their rooms to clear some space while the guys began moving some of the bigger furniture around.
After moving about a million boxes, I could hear some commotion outside and decided I should go check it out.
Everyone was standing around chatting when I emerged. Mom, Lauren, and Mikey were back and the boys had clearly taken a little break. As I got closer, I could feel Lauren's eyes baring into the side of my head, clearly shocked that Quil was here and trying to see what my reaction would be.
As nonchalantly as possible, I came to stand in the group, giving my mother a side hug as I did.
"Hi sweety, you slept late today," mom said.
"Yeah, I was pretty tired I guess," I said, trying not to look at anyone in particular.
"Alright, well we better take off and let you guys do some unpacking. Give us a call if you need any help, okay?" Seth said to my mother. They had always been close growing up, and you could just tell he was happy to have her here.
"Yes, we will. I can't thank you all enough, this was a huge help," dad said.
"We'll have to have you all over for pizza once were settled. How does that sound?" mom asked.
Seth happily accepted then began his rounds of goodbyes, giving each of us a hug. The other boys followed suit, passing out handshakes and hugs as they went. When it was Quil's turn to hug me, he looked hesitant. Everyone seemed hesitant for a moment.
Instead of making this moment even more awkward, I reached out and pulled Quil's hand telling him to come with me for a minute.
He instantly reacted to my hand, letting me tighten my grip as I pulled him along to the back of the house. I didn't look back to see anyone's faces. I was 20 years old for crying out loud. Quil and I had barely had a minute to talk and who knew when the next time I would see him would be.
I walked holding his hand until we reached the patio furniture outside of my bedroom. I let go, making a move to the chair I had used last night. However, Quil's warm hand reached out, stopping me before I got too far ahead.
Quil easily pulled to turn me to face him and in one quick movement he pulled me into his arms. His thick arms wrapped tightly around my shoulders and I could feel his breath on top of my head. I let my arms slink their way around his waist, resting my head on his chest and taking a big breath in as I had last night.
Today he smelled sweeter, probably of sweat, but it didn't bother me.
After several seconds of our embrace, I began to pull back, not wanting someone in my family to round the corner and see us hugging in the shadows of the house.
"Sorry, I just can't believe you're really here. It doesn't seem real," Quil said.
"I know what you mean. I seriously can't believe were really here," I said.
Quil took a step back, sitting down in his chair. I followed suit, resting my head back and turning my face towards the sun.
"Yeah, I never really thought it would happen," he said, and I'm not entirely sure he knew I could hear him.
"Well after this move, I can assure you we won't plan on doing that again anytime soon," I said, laughing as I did. Moving sucks and everyone knows it.
"So you plan on staying for a while then?" a hopeful tone definitely shinning through.
"Quil, I've wanted to come back for a while now. It was our parent's that took a bit of convincing"
"Yeah, Emily's been trying to wear away at them. You never thought of coming out on your own then after you graduated?" he asked.
I thought on it for a minute before answering. I knew I had to be careful on how I phrased this, and wanted to be sure my message came across the way I intended it to.
"I thought about it a lot actually. Emily called me almost daily the summer after I graduated saying I could move in with her but I just couldn't leave my family. My parents sacrificed a lot to move us when we were little and I knew they'd come around eventually"
Quil accepted my answer without pushing it further, though I could see a bit of question still in his eye. Maybe it was worry?
"So, Seth said you're going to be working at the high school in the fall? That's pretty cool. Are you studying to be a teacher?"
"School psychology actually. It's like being a guidance counselor but with a bit more schooling. I don't know, I couldn't really think of what I wanted to do when I was applying and had a friend going into it so figured why not. I actually like it mostly, but I always have a million papers to write"
"I haven't written a paper in probably 20 years," Quil said, barking out a laugh as he did. Quil continued to laugh while I tried to do some math in my head.
"Quil how old are you?"
My question took him off guard I could tell.
"I'm 34," but before I could ask anything, he continued, "I phased when I was 16, so technically I was 16 for a while. But then I stopped phasing for a few years, the started back up again. I don't know, I'm probably like 21 or 22 technically?" he ended it like it was a question. It was almost like he was trying to defend himself, not that I really cared how old he was.
"Huh, that's interesting" I said, not really giving much more then that.
Quil was now looking at me so intently; it was taking everything in me not to look back.
"Claire"
The way he said my name commanded me to look at him.
"I need to talk to you about something"
Before I could get anything out, Lauren's voice came shouting from the front of the house.
"Claire! Get your butt inside and help us before mom goes ballistic!" she shouted.
I sighed inwardly, sad that this moment with him was over.
"Claire!" she shouted again.
"Yup, I'm coming! Hang on a second!"
Quil and I both stood up, facing each other with our eyes locked.
"Well I guess I'll see you later?" I said
"What are you doing tomorrow?"
"Umm, aside from the bonfire tomorrow night, nothing I don't think. Probably just more unpacking, why?"
"I was uh, wondering if you wanted to hangout for a bit?"
"Oh, yeah sure, that would be great. What time are you thinking?"
"Let's say around 2? We can grab some lunch or something?"
"Sounds perfect. Thanks again for helping this morning," I said.
"Anytime"
And before I could go anywhere, Quil stepped forward and leaned into my face.
Unless I was delusional, it seemed as though he was leaning down to kiss me.
I wasn't far off when he quickly placed a kiss to my forehead.
"See you tomorrow," he said before taking off in the direction of the woods.
Instead of questioning where he was going, I just watched him as he walked off. The same way he had come the night before and I'm sure the way I'll watch him come back tomorrow.
"What does going to lunch even mean? He didn't tell you where you were going?" dad asked, leaning back against the countertop in the kitchen.
"I don't know dad! He just said, 'lunch or something'. Were just hanging out, going to talk, I don't know! I'll have my phone and be home in time for the bonfire," I said while throwing my last few odds and ends into my purse.
"Hunny, she'll be fine. Stop stressing out, I'm sure she's stressed enough for the lot of us," mom said sarcastically, jabbing at my over anxious self.
"Who are we kidding, the amount of outfits she tried on is enough to stress out all of La Push!" Lauren shouted from down the hall.
I only scowled in her direction. She wasn't wrong.
Obviously I was excited to be hanging out with Quil today. But, I thought it would take more then 2 days to firm up some alone time with him. And La Push is a lot more different then I remember it being and I have no idea what we could be doing today. I have a funny feeling were probably going to the beach or something like that, but he had just said, "Lunch or something" and that type of language is just too vague for me. If I had his number I would have texted him, but that's not an option.
I had settled on jeans and a t-shirt, which is super plain but a safe bet. At least I put make-up on and left the loose waves in my hair.
It was 10 minutes until 2 and I could already start to feel tingles on my arms. Thinking that Quil may be early, I peeked out of the front window, but no one was here yet.
I impatiently walked around the living room, side stepping over Mikey who was setting up his gaming console on the floor.
"Will you just sit down or something? I'm sure he'll be here any minute," Mikey said, not bothering to look up from what he was doing.
Sighing, I took a seat on the couch, crossing my legs and letting my foot tap on the floor. Michael only rolled his eyes but didn't bother to say anything else.
The tingling spread through my body now and my stomach was in knots. God I'm nervous.
Just when I was beginning to think my heart would beat out of my chest, the chime of the bell went and you'd think the president was on the other side of the door. All four members of my family managed to beat me to the door, not make this situation any less awkward.
Quil was clearly shocked to see everyone standing there, but after his eyes did a quick scan of each face, they eventually settled on mine. A slow grin made the way to his face and I know I wasn't the only one to notice him check me out from head to toe.
"Hey Quil, right on time there, huh," dad said, puffing his chest out a bit too noticeably. If Quil noticed, he pretended otherwise. His eyes were still solely focused on me. It made my heart race.
"Hey Claire," he finally spoke.
"Hey Quil! Why don't we just go ahead and leave now," I said, not bothering to hide the awkwardness in my voice. There was no need to have a big ole family reunion in the doorway.
Without waiting for anyone to chime in, I shimmied past everyone, right past Quil, and made my way towards his truck. I hopped right into the passenger side, did up my seatbelt, and waited for Quil to make his way inside.
"Sorry for running past you back there but we had to get out before they gave us the third degree," I tried explaining as soon as Quil had his door open.
Chuckling he said, "Oh don't worry, your mom was still able to get a few things in before I was down the steps."
My mouth hung open a bit, silently praying it was nothing too bad. I didn't want to know either way.
"So, where are we off to today?" the jitters were seeping there way back.
Quil glanced over at me before speaking, all the while putting the truck into reverse and pulling his way out of my driveway.
"I had a few spots in mind actually. Figured it may be nice to start with a little drive around tour?" he said, peaking over at me.
"That would be perfect," my breath calmed a bit. I can handle a tour.
As Quil began driving, I settle myself into my seat, crossing my legs and rolling my window down to let the breeze sweep in. Quil wrestled with the radio and I let my fingers drum to the soft acoustic he had going.
"So first kind-of-stop is first beach. You guys are lucky you only live like half a mile down the road from here." Quil slowed the truck as we went by, letting the salt air fill my nose. He didn't pull into the parking lot though, but continued down the coast. "We'll be back here later today, so figured we'd just drive by instead of stopping if that's okay"
"Whatever you think I'm game for," I said, letting a lazy smile cover my lips.
"Tonight will be fun. We haven't had a bonfire all summer"
"I know I'm excited! I probably haven't been since I was like, what? Three or four?"
"Your fourth birthday I think. It happened to fall on the last full moon of the summer when we always have the biggest party," he said. He was lost in thought now, but I was also just as shocked.
"You remember that my 4th birthday was on a full moon?" I asked.
Running his hand through the side of his hair, Quil chanced a look in my direction.
"Sorry, that's weird isn't it. I just have a great memory is all," he said, trailing off.
"Not weird, just surprising. It was so long ago," I said. I decide to say the one thing I was keeping to myself. "I wish I remembered more about this place. Everyone keeps saying the memories will start coming back but I don't know if that's true"
Quil could sense my uneasiness. "Don't worry about old memories Claire. You're here now and that's all that matters. You can make new ones, ones you'll remember this time"
I reached over and gave his arm a squeeze. His words were reassuring to me. I knew everyone expected me to have all of these fond memories of my childhood here.
"Alright, next stop! Drum roll please…." Quil slowly pulled his truck into a new parking lot. It has a few cars parked out front. The building was small and painted yellow. It had a big wrap around porch with a playground off to the side. The noise of screaming children was clear even from this far away.
"The res daycare and preschool. You went here for about a year before you moved. I know you don't remember but figured you'd like to see it anyway."
My eyes were glued to the scene in front of me. This place did feel familiar to me. I don't know if it was wishful thinking or true remembrance, but I was happy to be here.
"It's so cute! Did everyone go here?"
"I'd say most of us have gone through here at some point or another. We had to pull some strings for them to let you come here since you weren't from La Push, but it only made sense since you guys were down here all of the time anyway."
"I didn't realize La Push was so territorial," I said, half joking.
"Can't just let any old folks come down here. It's our sacred land. Have to keep it protected," he said, definitely letting a bit of his alpha man shine through.
Quil pulled the truck back onto the road, leaving the old memory in the past.
"Right down here is the garage that Jake and I own together," Quil said, leaning towards me to point out the window. My eyes immediately darted out the window to take into view an auto body shop, nestled up against the woods. Three garage bay windows were open and several cars and trucks were parked all around.
Quil pulled his truck off the road, dirt spitting up from under his tires. He pulled off to the side, parking the truck on the grass. He jumped out his side, jogging over to open my door.
Instead of sliding out of the cab, Quil reached in and put his arms around my waist. He pulled me out in a way that left us standing with his big arms wrapped tightly around me. I held on to his shoulders for support as my feet settled on the ground. I guess it didn't go unnoticed that Quil didn't hug me when he picked me up from my house earlier.
Quil's nose nestled lightly on top of my head, taking in a deep breath. It was calming for him, I could tell. I gave his waist a slight squeeze before pulling back.
Quil stepped back, immediately intertwining my small fingers with his. It was a bold move. I had only been back a few days and as far as Quil was concerned, I didn't know about the imprint. And holding hands was pretty forward for almost strangers. Maybe he didn't care. It had been so long since I'd been with him, maybe he just figured at this point he had nothing to loose.
Quil and I made our way to the first bay window where Jake was rolled underneath the front end of a, what appeared to be, a very nice new Jeep. Quil's low whistled reaffirmed my suspicion that this wasn't the typical car they serviced.
"This Mr. Douche bags new car?" Quil said, lightly kicking Jakes foot with his own.
Jake rolled himself out from under the car, eyebrows shooting up when he saw I was standing there too. His eyes darted back and forth between us, not at all missing our hands that were connected between us. Whatever he was thinking, he didn't mention a thing.
"Yeah, he dropped it off earlier saying he could hear a rattle. It was only a rock but I'm giving it the full work up because well, he can afford it," Jake let on.
"Whose Mr. Douche bag?" I asked, looking up at Quil. I let go of his hand and walked forward. I ran my fingers over the side of the Jeep, admiring the beautiful paint.
"His names Tim. He lives down by the beach in some new built mega mansion. I guess he's a big shot business guy and wanted a place to, and I quote, 'Get away from the assholes of Seattle' so he moved down here. In my opinion he's the asshole but that's just my two cents," Jake said, completing letting his candor show face.
"Ah gotcha. That may be the first mean thing I've heard anyone say since moving here," I joked.
"Believe me, if the shoe fits," Quil let on.
Quil and I spent the next few hours joking around the shop with Jake. Jake had kept in contact with our family over the years, definitely more so then most of the guys, so he was in the loop of most of the things going on. His older sister's were my mom's age, so he was a close family friend while she was growing up. Now that I think of it, he was probably being sent out to keep tabs on me by his best friend. I'd have to ask Quil about that eventually.
Embry's son Charlie stopped in after he got out of the summer camp he works at. I guess he comes by a few days a week and helps clean up the shop, maybe even helping with small repairs. He was pretty shy at first, definitely not the goofy personality I remembered of his father.
Quil and I said our goodbyes a little while later, Quil saying he had a few more spots to bring me before it was time to go to the bonfire. Quil had gotten into the habit of grabbing my hand when bringing me somewhere new, maybe it was just because he knew I didn't know where I was going, maybe it was because he wanted to be close to me. I assumed it was the latter, but wasn't going to jinx my luck.
Quil drove through the lush greens of the forest. It was a beautiful day, the sun somewhat shinning through the clouds and the air was warm. With my feet on the dash, I settled back into the seat and closed my eyes, relishing in the moment. After several minutes, the uneasy ground that jolted the truck around caused me to open my eyes.
We were pulling off on a dirt path that looked like it was leading down to a beach. As the truck slowed, it was easy to tell it wasn't necessarily a public beach since it was hidden past the trees.
Quil and I jumped out of the cab and while I made my way around the front, Quil reached into the bed and pulled out a backpack.
"I packed us a picnic," he said, pointing to his backpack. My heart warmed and I could feel a blush creeping on my cheeks. Grabbing my hand, Quil led me down a short path that opened to a small section of sand and ocean.
Wordlessly, Quil began to pull items out of this pack. A large quilt came first, shortly followed by Tupperware containers of food and a canister.
I sat back, kicking my shoes to the side and tucking my knees underneath me. Quil sat to my left and began opening containers filled with cheese and fruits and crackers and a few sandwiches.
"Don't tell you dad I brought alcohol, he'd kill me," Quil said with a smirk, pouring me a glass of white wine for the canister and passing it over to me.
I took it soundlessly, bringing it to my lips and taking a small sip. It was sweet as it trailed down my throat.
"Thanks for showing me around today. I can't believe how different everything is to how I remembered it being," I sighed.
"It's funny, cause a lot really hasn't changed. But don't beat yourself up about it. You were really little when you moved. It would be crazy for you to remember everything," a hint of something lingered in his eye but it was hard to tell what it was.
"I remember weird things. Like the other morning it was like déjà vu walking in to get coffee. As if I has done it a thousand times before" I said, trailing off. This made Quil chuckle.
"Yeah, well you probably did do that a thousand times before. Just maybe 16 years ago"
"I know, that's very true. I just wish I could fast forward to the time where we are over the whole 'settling in' bit and things go back to normal," I say, taking a big pull of my wine.
"I really don't want to fast forward anymore time, Claire," he said, his eyes pulling mine to look right at him. It was a pleading look; one that I wish didn't hurt my soul. He continued before I could say anything, "I've lost too much time with you already, I don't know if I could handle loosing anymore"
His earnest words were shocking. Clearly he didn't think we needed any more time before having this conversation. Maybe he knew that I knew about us. There was only way to find out.
"Quil, I need to tell you something," I say. I turned my body so that I was facing him and put my wine down in the sand. Picking up one of his hands, I slowly caressed my thumb across his fingers. "I know that you imprinted on me when I was little, and that's why my parent's moved us away."
It was as if my eyelashes weighed 100lbs. it was so hard to look up at Quil. When I did, it was hard to read his expression. His eyes gave nothing away. No shock, happiness, uneasiness, or worry. It was as if he didn't really hear me.
"I overheard them talking one night. I was like, maybe 13 or 14 at the time? I had no idea what they were talking about and they didn't want to tell me at first. I knew if they wouldn't, that Auntie Emily would so I kind of held it over them. And believe me, I was so mad at first when they told me. I threw like, the biggest fit ever. Eventually I calmed down enough for them to tell me why they moved and well, I guess I couldn't really blame them. It's not like your world was something they grew up with. And if anything, I think they were more nervous that what happened to Emily would happen to me," I was rambling now but couldn't stop myself.
"It was hard to really know what it all meant anyway. It wasn't until I got a cell phone and could talk with Emily whenever I wanted, that I was really able to figure out why it was such a big deal"
I was still aimlessly stroking Quil's hand, feeling comforted that he hadn't pulled away from me. However, his silence was unnerving.
"Will you say something before I keep rambling?" I laughed nervously. Quil took several deep breaths and I wasn't entirely sure he would.
Quil's hand gently tugged on mine, pulling me forward. He kept pulling until my head was on his chest and my arms wrapped around his back. With his head resting on mine, he finally said, "I'm sorry I wasn't the one to tell you"
Breathing into his chest, his scent comforted me. "Don't be sorry, Quil. I know you weren't allowed to"
"I could have when you turned 18. I just didn't know how"
I pulled back now to look at him. This news surprised me a bit, "I figured you would have wanted to tell me as soon as I could know"
"Believe me, I did. I just didn't know how too. I think part of me was worried you would just reject me when you found out and I don't know if I was ready to loose you for good. I'm still not"
Quil's words sank hard on my heart. He was worried about loosing me before even getting to be with me.
"I'm here aren't I?" I gave him a small smile, hopefully trying to lighten the mood.
Kind eyes met mine. "Yes, you are. It's still hard to believe."
"Well you better believe it, because like I said earlier, I'm never moving again." I chuckled; leaning forward to rest my head back on his chest and loop my arms around his neck. Being this close to Quil was addictive. Thankfully, his arms only pulled me tighter to him.
"Never? You're going to live in your parents basement forever?" He was joking with me, but I do think he was asking a serious question.
"Mmmm, okay maybe not forever. But definitely not out of La Push." My words earned me a squeeze and tender lips to graze my forehead. I'd be lying if I didn't say my heart rate was picking up with our closeness. "This is my home, all of our family is here, you're here…I can't really imagine going anywhere else now that I'm here"
I pull back to look Quil in the eye. I want him to know I'm serious, that I'm not scared to admit what I'm feeling, that I'm ready for whatever 'this is' between us.
Quil on the other hand, looks at me with electricity in his eyes. My breath hitched in my throat and I'm suddenly overwhelmed with how close we are to each other. I can feel gravity holding me still, but it can't be my imagination that our faces are slowly moving towards each other.
Quil's breath was warm against my lips, his sweet scent sending chills down my spine. My hands pulled tighter around his neck, holding him firmly, holding me firmly, both rooted to our place. A light caress of his thumb played with the skin exposed just above my jeans in the back and it was clear to both of us that I had chills coating my skin.
Closing my eyes, I tilted my chin forward, just enough that Quil only had to connect his lips to mine. It was an eternity of waiting. Our breath was in sync, his air filling my lungs.
Just when I began to feel the heat race over my neck, embarrassment closing in like the hot sun, did his lips finally brush over mine. Tender, soft, and warm, his lips molded over mine with a passion unlike any kiss I have had. The sigh that escaped my lips was all of the encouragement he needed before confidently deepening our kiss. His tongue ran wet across my bottom lip, leaving me woozy and overly ready to open up to him.
Time was frozen while Quil kissed me. I could feel the wind blowing and the rustling of the leaves, but it was a distant sound. My brain was numbed to all things aside from the feel of Quil's tongue exploring my mouth. When I pulled back for air, Quil wasted no time, letting his lips linger on my skin. Hot kisses trailed my jaw until he was right at my ear. He teeth grazed my skin just as I felt the rumbling of his chest.
"We should get going," his breath hot in my ear. All I could manage was a nod, not trusting my voice to betray me. Quil ran his lips back across my jaw, leaving one last tender kiss on my lips before pulling back. Disentangling his arms from my body, I was shocked with how close I had gotten to him. I was basically on Quil's lap with no recognition to how I got there.
Quil and I got to quick work, packing back up the picnic remnants. It wasn't until this moment that I realized the sun had set and darkness would soon be surrounding us. This also meant the bonfire had to be starting soon.
Once all things were packed and we were back in the cab of Qui's truck did either of us speak.
"Thanks for taking me out today, I had a lot of fun," I said, leaning over to give his hand between us a squeeze. Quil was pulling out onto the main road now, but he chanced a look in my direction first and I'm glad he did. His look was so warm it made my chest soar. Pulling my hand to his lips, Quil brushed my fingers tenderly.
"Thank you for coming home"