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Chapter 14

E: I'm outside.

Embry ended up getting free earlier than he thought, which is why he was taking me to lunch before our afternoon plans, whatever they were supposed to be.

I'll be right there.

The hot shower had helped calm me down some, after the whole encounter with the giant wolf and all. I couldn't wait to tell Embry about it. Perhaps those wolves were a breed that was common in this area.

I picked up my bag and went down the stairs to meet Embry.

My parents had gone out to do some shopping. I don't know what sort of comments they would make if they saw a boy at the door, waiting for me. They would probably embarrass me so badly that Embry would run off screaming.

Thank God we needed groceries.

When I opened the door, he was standing there. His lips were turned up into a beautiful smile.

My heart shuddered.

"Hey." – he greeted. His arms reached out and he pulled me into his embrace, hugging me tightly to his chest.

I felt weak.

This was the first time he'd hugged me for something other than comfort. It took me by surprise. I could feel his steady heartbeat against me.

I laid my head on his shoulder and put my arms around his neck, returning the gesture.

"I missed you." – he told me softly.

His words hit me straight through.

Could he feel it? How he was making my emotions fly everywhere with just a few words?

And now, after a pretty silly experience with a wolf where, for a few seconds, I thought I might die, it was impossible to ignore my feelings for him any longer.

I was in love with Embry Call.

"I missed you too." – I whispered into his chest.

I felt him hold me tighter.

This wasn't the first time we'd spent a whole week without seeing each other. It has happened before. So, why was he acting like it hadn't? Was it possible that he was valuing our time together the more we got to know each other? Just like me?

We stayed in that hug for a few seconds, until he pulled away, only to kiss me on the forehead.

Oh Embry.

Stop.

Or you're going to make my heart fall out of my chest and into your hands.

"Are you ready?" – he asked.

I had to clear my throat.

"Yes."

I picked up the key from the table beside the door and closed it behind us.

As I started walking towards his motorcycle, a felt him grab my hand and I halted, turning towards him.

He was gazing at me, an odd look passing through his eyes.

"What?"

He grinned and then twirled me around.

"You're beautiful." – he said, eyes glowing – "I don't think I've ever seen you wear a dress before. It looks great on you."

Was he trying to give me a heart attack?

I felt my cheeks getting scorching hot.

The dress I was wearing had been a gift from my mother, the year before. I hadn't gotten a chance to wear it yet, and since I didn't see any more hiking or walking plans in my future, I thought the dress would be a nice change. It made me feel pretty.

But I never thought Embry would actually like it.

I groaned and put my hands in front of my face, hiding my embarrassment.

"Hey, don't hide from me." – he said softly, grabbing both my hands and pulling them away from my face.

He was still grinning.

"What's with you today?" – I exclaimed, a little dazed. – "Why are you being so nice?"

He shrugged.

"Nothing at all. I just think that, if there's something on my mind, then I should say it." – he picked up one of my hands and held it in his, squeezing. – "If I think that you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, then I have to say it, don't you think?"

What?

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

"C'mon." – he urged – "Let's go to lunch."

.

"So, what's the plan?" – I asked.

We had just arrived at his house and I was dropping my coat on the couch.

"How do you feel about a horror movie at Emily's with the rest of our friends?"

I smiled internally. They were our friends, not just his.

"Sounds okay. Why a horror movie, though?"

Embry shrugs, walking towards the kitchen.

I follow him.

"Paul's idea. Don't ask me why."

Embry starts taking things out from the fridge and pulling out pots and pans from the cupboards.

"What can I do?" – I ask, seeing him move around the kitchen.

At first, when he said he was taking me to lunch, I assumed we were going out to a diner or something, not that he was cooking for me at his place.

"Nothing. You can sit, and relax." – he says.

I watch him for a few seconds, not saying a thing.

He seems to know his way around, which tells me Embry does cook usually.

"C'mon, put me to work. I can help." – I say, pulling up my sleeves.

He looks at me for a second and then nods.

When I start picking up the onions he put on the counter, he grabs my hand, shaking his head.

"And ruin that pretty dress? No way." – he moves behind the kitchen door and grabs an apron.

I laugh.

"You think I can't cook without getting my clothes dirty?"

"I'm not taking any chances."

He pulls the top of the apron over my head. When he picks up my hair to move it out of the way, I feel his breath on my neck.

Goosebumps surge through my arms.

His fingers touch my sides, pulling the strings so he can tie the apron around my waist.

I take a deep breath. He's so close.

"Are you cold?" – he asks, his voice near to my ear, making me jump slightly.

"No." – I whisper.

He comes out from behind me, his eyes glued to mine for a second.

What are we doing?

He smiles and breaks away, going back to the task at hand.

Is he trying to kill me? I don't see any other explanation.

I stay still for a few seconds, trying to gather myself.

There's something different about him today. Like he is more relaxed, more playful. I hadn't seen him quite like this before. I wonder what the reason is. Did something change for him in the last few days?

"I'll take care of cutting the onions. Can you get some water boiling, and put the pasta in? The package is inside the cabinet on your left."

And just like that we go back to our task. Also, I get to witness Embry blow me away with his cooking skills. He cuts up an onion so quickly and in precise movements, like I often see on cooking shows. He season's the meat with things I have never even heard of.

I'm impressed.

"What are we, I mean you, making?" – I ask, putting the pasta inside the already boiling pot of water.

"We are making Bolognese." – he says, putting a rag over his shoulder.

Is it insane that he looks sexy cooking? Because he does.

I watch and help as much as I can, but Embry has got the routine down. As soon as he adds the meat to the incredible sauce he made, delicious smells start floating around the kitchen.

"That smells amazing! I can't wait to taste it." – I tell him.

I insist on setting the table alone, since he basically did all the cooking. He argued that I did cook, but I told him that boiling pasta and stirring didn't count.

As soon as he brings the food over to the table, I attack it.

It tastes really, and I mean really, good.

He sits still, looking at me, as if expecting me to hate it or something. He even looks a little nervous about it.

"Embry, this is great." – I say, taking another bite. – "I've never had Bolognese that tasted this good."

His shoulders relax, and he smiles.

"I'm glad you like it. It's an easy enough dish, but I could also easily have screwed it up." – he explains, taking a bite himself.

"I mean, I've made this before at home, but it definitely does not taste like this. And I just season everything with salt, you have added other things that I don't know what they are. And this sauce?" – I groan – "I love it."

He smiles.

"You clearly know what you are doing. I saw the way you chopped those onions, where did you learn that?" – I ask, curious.

"My mom. I've always enjoyed seeing her mix ingredients and things when I was a kid. I remember always bugging her to let me whisk when she was baking." – his eyes lit up, remembering – "Eventually I started helping her, and watching the cooking channel. I love to cook, it's a sort of relaxation time for me. Much like surfing."

I can tell how much he loves it. He seems happy talking about it, like he did with surfing. And he's damn good at it. I'm sure Embry could have cooked something incredibly difficult if he wanted to.

We eat in a comfortable silence after that, both enjoying Embry's creation.

I clean the plate in minutes.

"You know that now that you've revealed your secrets to me, I'm going to make you cook for me again, right? This was too good." – I say, using the napkin to clean any excess sauce from my face.

"I'll do it as much as you want." – he agrees, finishing his meal – "It's actually nice to cook for someone else besides my mom. Well, Emily has let me take over the kitchen a few times, but when everyone is hanging out, we mostly just snack, so there's no need for my skills."

"I'm sure they all love it when you cook for them. I had no idea. I guess I understand why you are always together then. They must ask for this treatment often. I know I would" – I joke.

He smiles.

"There's a lot to the dynamic of the pack, but my cooking isn't one of them."

My eyebrows rise.

"Pack?"

He remains silent for a few seconds, but then shakes his head.

"I guess we call ourselves that sometimes. There's so many of us, and we are pretty tight."

"Like a pack of wolves." – I nod, realizing what he's implying – "You're one big family, and I'm sure either Sam or Jacob is the head of all that" – I chuckle.

He studies me then, his eyes rummaging through my face. – "What makes you say that?"

I shrug. "Maybe from what I've seen? Sam looks like people follow his lead. Don't get me wrong, he seems nice, but a little intimidating. And Jacob just looks like he can bring people together, that all of you want to get his opinion on things."

Embry's mouth is glued shut, just listening to me. Was I being ridiculous with this assessment?

"You are truly out of this world Cameron. You've noticed all that?" – his voice is tinged with wonder

"Maybe?"

He closes his legs around my chair and pulls it closer to him.

I almost lose my balance.

"That's the most accurate way to describe them. I agree, they are at the center of it. Sam is the oldest and we all started hanging out with him because we looked up to him. And Jacob has always been my best friend. He's a goofball but he's very responsible. They are probably the two people in our friend group who we go to for advice."

"Are they helpful, then?"

He nods.

"Very much. Jacob has been a pretty amazing soundboard to me over the years. He's been in my corner forever. But I care about all of them. They are my family. A pack of dummies who's had a lot of additions over the years."

"You mean Leah and Seth?"

"I mean the other halves."

I blink at his choice of words. Was that how he saw his friends' relationships? That they were halves of one whole?

"That's an unusual choice of words." – I say.

"Keep hanging around them and you'll see what I mean." – he says, his fingers touching my cheek lightly – "There's no denying the connection."

Could he deny the one I was feeling right now? Sitting in front of him with my heart in my throat?

"Okay." – I say, my voice almost a whisper – "I'll pay attention."

Embry breaks his gaze away from mine and starts picking up the plates off the table as soon as we are both done. But I'm having none of it!

"Nah-uh, I'll do that!" – I say, getting up – "You already did the cooking."

"Relax." – he leads me back to my chair. – "Our meal isn't over yet."

He goes into the kitchen with plates and comes back with a tray.

When he puts it on the table, I can barely believe my eyes.

"So, I did some digging on the internet." – he starts explaining – "trying to find out what desserts people eat in Portugal, and this one seemed to be quite popular. So, I attempted to make it. But I've never actually had rice pudding before, so I don't know if it will taste like the ones you're used to. I hope it's good enough though."

I am… speechless.

Did he just say he searched for a dessert that he didn't know? So that he could make it for me?

He made arroz doce. A very traditional Portuguese dessert. My grandmother made it for every type of celebration we had.

Was he seriously making me cry over a food course?

"You're unbelievable." – I whisper, still stunned – "I can't believe you went through the trouble of making this."

He shrugged, like he hadn't just pulled the rug right from under my feet, leaving me on the floor.

"It's just a small way to give you a little piece of home. I wasn't even sure this would mean anything. Guess I got lucky."

"My grandmother makes it all the time." – I confess – "The last time I had it was back in April, she made it for easter Sunday."

I turn to him and give him a big smile, trying to hide how emotional he just made me.

"Well, let's see if I haven't screwed it up then."

Of course, he hadn't.

It was amazing. No surprise there. I would dare say, even better than my grandmother's.

He studies me intently, like he did when I tasted the Bolognese.

I make a poker face for a few seconds.

"Okay Embry. So, here's the truth."

He looks nervous.

"I'm going to have to ask your mom to let me move in or some other deal. Now that I know you can cook like this, I'll only disappoint my mom when she sees my face eating her food from now on."

He exhales and grins at me.

"That was mean." – he says, his knee knocking onto mine, under the table – "But I'm glad you like it."

"I love it! It's incredible, the best dessert ever. Thank you so much for this."

"No more thanking me. Eat."

"Will do."

This had been the most amazing meal I remember having. Also, his company helped. I loved simply talking to Embry, it was so easy between us when we weren't having those confusing moments. It was so easy to tell him what was on my mind.

Which reminded me.

"Oh, I forgot, you'll never guess what happened to me earlier."

"What?" – he asks, his eyes looking curiously into mine.

"I took a walk this morning, to look around. Getting to know a bit more of what is around my house. So, I wondered through the forest a bit."

"Really?" – he asks, a smile playing on his lips – "What did you see?"

"Well, you're not going to believe me, but I saw a huge wolf! He was about the size of my house! I swear I'm not making this up."

He pursed his lips, his expression a little hard to read.

"Did the wolf hurt you?"

I shook my head.

"Not at all. I mean, at first, I thought he would? But he seemed harmless. It was the weirdest thing to happen to me yet."

"I've seen them myself." – Embry says – "They aren't known for being dangerous."

"So, this is normal? Huge wolves in Forks?"

"They appear from time to time."

"Wow." – I blink – "I've never heard of them before. I'm glad I got to see one though. He was so beautiful."

Embry smiles.

"He was?"

"After I got over the fear, yeah. He seemed harmless."

He nods. "I'm glad you weren't harmed. And that you got to see one. But please Cameron, don't go back to the woods alone. It's not safe."

"What do you mean?"

He looks through the window, the sun light getting in.

"There are wild animals around. And it's easy to get lost, especially if you aren't used to the area. Please, I want you to be safe." – he says, touching his forehead to mine.

I gulp, and close my eyes.

He is definitely stealing my heart.

"Promise you won't go back there alone." – he pleads.

I nod.

"I promise."

.

After the amazing meal, I pull the cutlery quickly away from Embry so he doesn't have time to object to me doing the dishes.

He complains but lets it go.

I think, like Embry's relaxation time with cooking, I feel the same about doing the dishes. I mean, I don't love it, but it's a quiet time and since I'm always cold, it's a reason to have my hands in warm water.

It also makes me think about my parents.

My mom usually does the cooking at home, not because she's the woman, but because she likes it more than my dad. But because she does the cooking, he always does the dishes. Or it was always like this when I was younger. I few years back I started helping out. Sometimes I help cook, others I help with the washing. Or even do one of those things alone.

They have always been a good team, which is surprising to me seeing how different they are from each other. Dad likes going out on walks, seeing different things. Mom likes tamer things, like books and gardening. He's more talkative while she's a bit quieter. It's a wonder how it all works out.

"Where's your mind?" – Embry's voice breaks my thoughts. I almost let a place slip from my hands.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay. I was just thinking about my parents, actually."

"Oh?" – he leans on the counter next to me.

"I was wondering how they have managed to navigate their relationship all these years. They are so different from each other, but I've never once doubted their love, you know?"

"I think that makes their relationship stronger than if they were similar people." – Embry states.

"Why do you think that?"

He looks around, thoughtful for a second.

I wait for his gaze to return to mine, but it doesn't.

"If you fall in love with someone who is just like you, there isn't much to work out. You have a clearer idea of how the other is going to react, probably enjoy the same things. It's easy. But if you fall in love with someone that is completely new to you, there's a lot more to uncover. Maybe you have to trust the other person more, take yourself out of your comfort zone here and there. Accepting the other despite what may come."

Why was my gut telling me that Embry was speaking from experience?

Who had he fallen in love with that was so different from him? And if he had, why hadn't he told me about it? Did he still not trust me?

And why did that feel like a punch to the chest?

"Which one would you choose?" – I find myself asking. Not sure if I want his answer.

His eyes return to mine then.

"I don't shy away from a challenge."

.

"Do you want to put on some music?" – Embry asks. He was rummaging through some drawers in the living-room. – "I'm just trying to find something Sam asked me. Then we can go meet everyone."

"Sure."

I walked towards the old radio that was on the tv stand, and started going through the stations. There were so many.

I finally heard something that made me stop clicking the button.

"She's like the wind" was playing on a radio station. I couldn't believe it.

"What song is that?" – Embry asked.

"It's from 'Dirty dancing'." – I say.

"I don't think I know that band."

I gasp and look in his direction. Was he serious?

"It's not a band. It's a movie. You've never heard of it?" – I ask, shocked – "Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray meet on a resort where he works and she learns to dance with him. There's that famous lift at the end."

"Oh, right. I've heard of that. But I've never seen it." – he says.

"Now that's a thing we need to fix!" – I say, turning back to listen to Patrick sing about a girl he thinks is out of his league.

A few seconds later, I feel a touch on my shoulder and I turn.

Embry is looking at me, hand extended.

"What?" – I ask.

"Dance with me?"

My heart speeds up.

"You know how to dance?" – I ask.

He shakes his head.

"Not really. But I can try."

He snakes his right hand around my waist, his left never letting go of mine.

Is this real?

Did this boy asked me to dance with him? To a song I love? After cooking something based on what he knew of me?

The way he was looking at me, made me feel like he couldn't possibly gaze at anyone else like that. But at the same time, he said things like the one he'd told me in the kitchen that made me believe he has, or had, strong feelings for someone else.

Embry, what are you thinking right now? Do you feel this warmth?

He pulls me closer to him and I can't fight the electricity I'm feeling.

I lean closer. Trying to show him with my eyes how I'm feeling.

And his phone rings.

Why, oh why does this feel like Déjà vu?

It seems to take him a second to understand that his phone is ringing, but he does eventually, taking it out from his back pocket and answering.

"Hey Nessie, you're on speaker."

"Speaker? So, is Cameron there?" – Nessie asks.

Embry nods at me to answer.

"I'm here." – I say.

"I was going to ask Embry if he was picking you up or if you needed a ride, but I guess I got my answer. I'm on my way to La Push then. See you in a bit."

"See you." – I say.

She hangs up.

And the moment is gone.

On the radio now playing a song about time running out.

Which seems oddly fitting.

His gaze is no longer on mine and I'm looking at the wall behind him.

He walks toward the radio and shuts it off.

"C'mon, let's go meet the others."

I just nod.

Author's note

Hey guys, here is chapter 14. This is the longest one yet. Filled with cute moments that I hope you enjoy :)