Chapter 22
Sacrifical Lamb
I was just putting my earrings on when my cellphone started vibrating.
"Hello?" I picked up and put it on speaker, not checking the caller ID.
"Hey, Callie." Seth greeted.
"Hey, Seth." I smiled; I should have known.
Being Seth's new girlfriend and imprint was nothing short of wonderful. He treated me like a princess and looked at no other woman. He gave me little gifts and gladly did anything I asked of him. He loved me like no one else could, and made me feel special that I thought I was actually… good.
It had only been three days since he first proposed the girlfriend/boyfriend thing, and we were practically inseparable. He visited my place everyday; we watched TV together, talked, ate. When I accidentally fall asleep next to him, only then would he slip out and return home for the night.
"So, are you free today? I was planning to take you somewhere." He said excitedly.
"Oh, I'm sorry Seth. I forgot to mention that I have Bella's bridal shower lunch today." I said, connecting my phone to the speakers hooked up in my room so I could take the call hands-free.
"Oh..." He said. "Okay then..."
"Do you want to come? I'm sure nobody would mind. It's just going to be me, Alice, Bella, and some of her friends." I invited.
"I really want to, but I don't want to intrude." He said.
"Seth, it's completely fine." I insisted. "I'll ask Alice—"
"Of course Seth can come! He's more than welcome." Alice appeared behind me, speaking into the receiver. "Seth, you should definitely come. Dress nicely, it will be in La Luna Notte. I have something for you." She then walked out.
I looked at her with a suspicious face as she left, then returned my attention to Seth on speaker.
"Are you sure?" He asked again. "I don't know what to get as a gift."
"Yes, yes, come." I assured and put my black heels on. "I have a few and it can come from both of us. I'll see you there."
"Okay, I'm coming." He perked up, and I could practically hear him grin.
"Great, see you." I smiled and hung up. I then walked downstairs just as Alice headed to the garage.
We picked Bella up from her place and drove straight to the restaurant. It was packed with busy people; most of them were dressed to the nines for a nice weekend lunch date.
A kind waiter led us to a small private function room decorated in white. I placed my wrapped gift box on the small, empty table at the corner and sat at one end of the long dining table.
"Excited for the big day, Bella?" I asked the bride-to-be, who was looking at the buffet table with Alice.
She looked at me nervously.
I chuckled. "You'll be fine."
"I might like, trip and fall over down the aisle." She said.
"On what? Your own two feet?" I joked.
She nodded at me gravely.
I laughed. "Oh, please, I meant that sarcastically. Besides, that's why you have Charlie to walk with you. That's the secondary purpose of one's father walking down the aisle with the bride."
She smiled when I said this. "I just hope he doesn't trip, either." She chuckled.
Bella's friends arrived in a few minutes' time. There were Jessica, Angela, Mike, Eric, Katie, Samantha, and Lee, all of whom I've met at my time in the high school.
I sat and listened to their post-graduation stories half-heartedly while I eagerly waited for Seth to arrive. I managed to laugh at the corny jokes Mike Newton made and hide my disdain for Jessica's jealous thoughts.
I smelled Seth before I saw him, and stood as he entered the function room. I took a good look at him.
Smiling at me, he came forward dressed in a navy blazer, white shirt, and navy trousers and dark brown leather shoes. His hair clearly had pomade in it, and he looked like a million bucks.
"You look gorgeous." Seth smiled at me, kissing me on the cheek.
"And you look like you own Microsoft or something." I joked, taking his hands in mine.
The people at the table turned to us curiously.
"I don't think I've seen you at school before." Jessica began, pointing a finger and wagging it.
"Seth, hi." Bella smiled and stood, giving my imprint a small hug. "Everyone, this is Seth. Seth, everyone."
He smiled shyly and put his hand up in greeting.
"Seth goes to school on the reservation." Bella said.
"Are you two...?" Angela asked suggestively, pointing her finger at the two of us.
I blushed. "Haha... yeah." I said quietly, and pulled Seth by the arm to the other side of the table. I slid onto the bench while Seth sat opposite me on a chair.
"Now that everyone's here, shall we eat?" Alice asked the group, who were pleased with the proposal. They lined up at the buffet table, and Seth and I went when they were done.
"These all look great." Seth commented, holding his plate.
I nodded in response, looking at the selection. "The ravioli here is to die for. You can just breathe the truffle oil." I said delightfully, putting some on my plate. "So are the breads and the dips, and the risotto, mmm!" I recommended to him, getting more food.
He smiled at me amusedly and got what I did, then we sat back down at our end of the table.
"So where was it you wanted to take me?" I asked curiously, halving my bread.
"It's a surprise." He grinned mischievously.
"Okay, okay. Fine." I surrendered.
"What did you get Bella?" He asked.
"Matching t-shirts for her and Edward." I chuckled, whispering.
He gave me an amused, puzzled look. "Will they like that?"
"I know Edward will hate it. That's why I got it." I laughed more, sipping on my strawberry soda.
He laughed along, shaking his head.
Everyone kept talking until we finished our meal, then the waiters came in to serve our dessert: slices of tiramisu cake. It was during this course that Alice announced it was gift-giving time.
Bella unwrapped my gift and removed the lid of the box, and took out one of the shirts. She laughed when she saw it, and pulled them out to see the different designs.
"Thanks Callie, Seth." She held one t-shirt that read 'He's the death of the party' to her shoulders, chuckling.
"It's the truth." I laughed with her.
I was about to slip away with Seth, but Alice then appeared next to us when Bella proceeded with another gift. She was holding a suit bag.
"Wear this at the wedding." Alice smiled, handing Seth the bag. "All the groomsmen need to match or the day will be ruined." She said gravely, widening her eyes at Seth dramatically.
"Groomsman? Me?" He asked confused.
"Well, of course. Callie's a bridesmaid and the bridesmaids are to walk down the aisle with the groomsmen. You're her date, so take it. It should be perfect on you." She explained happily.
"Oh... Thanks, Alice." Seth smiled.
"We're just going to slip out... Is that alright? I'll meet you guys back at home." I asked.
"Yeah, it's fine. Remember though, that we're doing our nails later." She called out, but we were halfway out the restaurant.
"She really thinks of every little detail." I half-complained as we walked to Seth's car.
He laughed and opened the passenger door for me, and we drove.
"Where are we going?" I asked. "I'm afraid wherever it might be, I'm a tad bit overdressed." I joked.
He took my hand and kissed the top. "Doesn't matter. We're just going to take a drive to First Beach. I have a surprise for tonight."
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "This should be good."
"I hope so." He laughed.
I took the suit bag sitting in-between us and switched places with it. I laced his fingers with mine and covered it with my other hand.
"Why am I finding it so hard to be away from you?" I asked, looking at our hands and playing with his fingers.
He shrugged. "Did you know that I feel a stab in the chest every step I take away from you?" He glimpsed at me.
I looked up at him and kissed his cheek. "Imprinting's weird." I chuckled, and he laughed with me.
"Yes, it definitely is. I'm glad I did it, though." He smiled at me and planted a kiss on my knuckles once more.
The butterflies exploded in my chest, and I hoped that I would never not feel like this.
We remained silent for the rest of the ride to First Beach, enjoying each other's company and occasionally stealing glances at the other. When we finally got there, he removed his blazer and laid it on the seat.
Seth rushed to open my door and took my hand to help me descend.
I walked with him hand-in-hand to the sand and removed my heels, holding them with my other hand. He led me to the shoreline and we waded ankle-deep in the water.
"This is awfully romantic." I looked up at him, hugging his arm for stability and warmth.
"Just another thing on my list." He chuckled coolly.
"I like it." I commented, planting a kiss on his shoulder. "Hey, it's someone's birthday soon."
He gave me a weird look. "August twentieth, Callie, that's like, a month away."
"No, it's not!" I shrugged. "And I'm excited."
"Okay then." He shrugged with a happy grin.
"I can't wait to see you in a proper wedding tux." I teased, nudging his side.
"I can't wait to see you in your dress." He smiled back. "We're walking down the aisle together, right?" He asked.
I nodded. "Best for last... Out of two, that is." I joked, and he wrapped his arm around my waist while I hugged his torso. "The sun's about to set." I pointed out, looking over the horizon.
We stopped and faced the sea, the breeze strong enough to just make our hair fly back without it being too much. We stood together in silence, admiring the view before it disappeared in a matter of minutes. I looked up at Seth and kissed his jaw, and he did the same to my forehead. We walked back to the car, swinging our interlaced hands.
"Amazing surprise, that was." I said as we neared the red vehicle.
"Oh, that wasn't it." He shook his head, grinning at me and walking to the trunk. I followed him and watched as he lifted the cover and unveiled a most beautiful sight.
The space was covered with a white sheet, and underneath it was a thick mattress. On top of it all were around seven fluffy pillows, three tribal-woven quilts, a medium-sized red cooler, battery-powered fairy lights, and a closed picnic basket. It was such a romantic and welcoming sight, my smile spread the whole way across my face.
"Do you like it?" He asked, smiling down at me. "I thought it would be a nice way to have dinner."
"Are you seriously asking me that question?" I asked, looking up at him. "This is... wow!" I said again.
"Ladies first." Seth said happily, lowering the enclosure and helping me climb in. He came after me and we both set our shoes aside on the door.
"This is beautiful." I looked around, hugging a pillow to my side.
"Emily helped me set this up." He said, grinning at me proudly.
"Tell her I said thanks." I smiled.
He smiled at me before reaching for the cooler. He produced a dark green bottle full of white wine, as well as a wine glass. "Some wine for my lady." He poured into the glass and handed it to me, making me blush.
"My favorite." I smiled, and waited for him to pour into his own glass.
"To us." He toasted, raising his glass.
"To us." I repeated, and we sipped the wine.
He set it down on the flat bench near the small window of the truck and took the picnic basket.
He was like a little kid excited to show me his latest crayon drawing to hang on the refrigerator door. He had a wide smile on his face and a happy aura about him, and his attitude was immensely contagious.
"My mom made our dinner." He said, bringing out a ceramic plate wrapped in foil. He removed the cover and I saw an assortment of small food.
"Finger foods are perfect for picnics!" I exclaimed in amazement.
"Yup. We have mini pizzas, and chicken and cheese sticks." He said, then frowned at the food as if he realized something. "I wasn't entirely sure how to put a menu together... sorry if this is weird..."
"No, no it's perfect. Absolutely perfect." I assured him, squeezing his knee.
He smiled at me again and we both dug in.
Afterwards, we set the leftover food aside in the basket, and Seth set the pillows around us so we could watch the stars.
"Who knew your car could be so great on a date?" I joked, resting my head on his shoulder.
"I was thinking the same thing." He laughed, wrapping his arms tightly around me. I hugged him tighter as he pulled the quilts around us.
"You're amazing, Seth." I told him, nuzzling my head into him deeper.
"Not as much as you." He replied.
"Impossible." I retaliated, giggling. I quickly pecked his cheek.
"Four times." He said quietly.
"Four times what?" I asked, confused.
"Four times that you've kissed me." He smiled at me when I sat up.
I chuckled. "You're counting?" I asked.
"Of course. Those were the four best times of my life." He said coolly, placing his hands behind his head.
"If that's so, why don't you kiss me?" I asked.
"It's better coming from you. I wouldn't know when to, because I always want to." He admitted nonchalantly, looking up.
I smiled to myself as my heart drummed. "You're always speaking your mind?"
He shrugged. "Relationships are founded on honesty, right?"
"It's trust, actually, but yeah." I nodded.
"Well, if you think about it, it's the same thing. In order to build trust—" He started babbling, and I shut him up with a long overdue kiss.
He was surprised at first, yet again, and it took him a brief moment to respond. His hands went from behind his head to my hips, as mine went to the sides of his head. I leaned in closer, straddling him and tangling my fingers in his hair. I opened my mouth and ran my tongue across his lower lip.
He was clearly shocked, as I felt him pull away for a bit before eagerly returning to me. He opened his mouth and allowed me to take over, a trillion shivers going down my spine. The alcoholic taste in his mouth only added to the sweet feeling of intoxication I was getting from him. I explored him, my hands gripping his hair in urgency while he did the same. It was as if he would fall off the earth if not for him holding onto me so tightly.
That was when I sensed the carnal desires of his inner wolf kick in, and it couldn't feel any more like heaven.
I retracted and he took over, turning us so he could be on top of me. He gently laid me on the mattress, one arm locking around my waist while the other hand pulled on my hair. I pulled him closer by his neck, and when he was done I tugged on his bottom lip as we caught our breaths. He trailed close-mouth kisses from my lips to my shoulder, and then back up to meet my lips once more. He pressed firmly and finally pulled away.
I smiled as I slowly opened my eyes, then placed my head on my arm as I lay on my side to face him. He looked so confused, yet ecstatic at the same time.
"Five." He panted, making me laugh. "My new lucky number."
I shook my head and kissed his cheek. "And there'll be a gazillion more in the future."
"I'm definitely looking forward to that." He chuckled, trapping me again as he looked down at me.
I closed my eyes contentedly and smiled, as he returned to my side and I lay on his chest once more.
I took in a deep breath as the breeze carried his scent to my nostrils. "You taste like... some sort of sweet poison." I smiled.
"Good thing you don't have any venom, or I'd be dead." He joked.
"Ha ha." I replied sarcastically, and we remained silent for a while. I took another whiff of him.
"You're smelling me more often today." He stated bluntly.
"I can't resist." I admitted, burying myself in the quilt deeper. "Sorry."
He stayed quiet for a moment, thinking. "I can do that, you know..."
I pushed off and looked at him, confused.
"I can be whatever you want me to be." He said with a tone of promise.
"Heath Ledger?" I joked, referring to the movie we watched yesterday.
He looked at me seriously and I sat up to look at him seriously.
"Wait, what are you talking about?" I asked confusedly, sweeping my hair to one side.
He sat up as well and took my hands in his, as if gathering the courage to say something.
"I can be what you want, what you need." He said, his face pointed down but his eyes looking at me through his long lashes.
My confusion grew.
"Anything you want. What any side of you wants." He said again, still locking his eyes with mine.
My eyebrows furrowed, and I looked down and around. I heard his heart pounding faster than it did two seconds ago. "Like what, my own personal blood bank?" I joked, scoffing.
He shifted his focus to our intertwined hands, playing with my fingers. He nodded infinitesimally.
"Seth," My eyes widened, and I started to shake my head vigorously. "Seth, I would never ask that of you."
"That's why I'm offering." He said, shrugging.
"No, babe, I would never want that of you. I'd never want to hurt you this way." I whispered, cupping his face in my hands and making him look at me.
A small smile crept on his face. "Babe?"
I rolled my eyes but smiled nonetheless. "Seth, you're all I could ask for and more. All I could ever want from you is to just... be there for me, understand?" I said seriously.
He nodded and looked down as if I'd just scolded him.
I kissed him on the nose, then on both eyes, his forehead, his cheeks, his jaw, and finally his lips, lingering for only a few moments before I pulled away.
He smiled back at me contentedly, and I turned as he pulled me into his lap. I leaned against him as we watched the stars scintillate above us, in the dark abyss of the heavens.
D00rFr4m3, the email i got of your review encouraged me to post this, so here you go! :)