Chapter 3: Rome Wasn't Built In a Day

Gliding the mascara brush along my eye lashes, Maggie, Sophia, and I prepared for the party.

"So last night, who was that guy you were talking to?" Sophia stared at me through the mirror. I applied some blush.

"Embry something."

"What were you guys talking about?"

"Nothing much."

"Really? You seemed kind of mad."My insides boiled with exasperation and I spun around.

"God, are you writing a book or something?" Sophia's face flushed with color and she dropped her gaze to examine her high heels.

"What do you think of this one," Maggie's entrance cut through the tension in the room.

She smiled and gave a little twirl in the blue dress. I opened my mouth to speak but Sophia interrupted.

"I love it!" Maggie looked uncertainly back and forth between Sophia and I. Shrugging my shoulders uncaringly; I turned back to the mirror and continued to apply my make-up.

"Personally, I liked the white one, but whatever, it's your choice."

Maggie glanced down at the dress and played with the hem nervously.

"Well maybe the white one was better."

"Good choice," I murmured as Maggie disappeared back inside my walk-in closet while the chime of the doorbell offered Sophia a convenient escape route.

I was making the rounds when I spotted two familiar faces in the crowd causing my stomach to drop. That Embry kid from last night was standing in my foyer towering over all the other guests. I shrunk backwards a little until he moved further into the other room tailed by another one of his friends.

"Just wonderful," griping to myself I tried to think of a way to best avoid him. Or better yet who to send with the purpose of making him leave.

"What's wrong?" Danny's voice made me jump suddenly but I regained my composure swiftly.

"That guy from last night is here with one of his friends,"

"Do you want me to go tell him to leave?" Danny's voice sounded uncharacteristically threatening I found myself issuing a reminder that it was in fact Danny.

"Thanks, but I'll take care of it." Danny opened his mouth to protest but his eyes swiftly shifted to something behind me. His gaze was filled with anger so I could only imagine who was behind me.

"Hi Georgina." Reluctantly I faced Embry wearing a sour look.

"Are you stalking me?"

"I just wanted to talk to you," he hesitated and glanced at Danny. I rolled my eyes and finished his sentence.

"Let me guess: alone." Embry dropped his head appearing to be hiding a secret smirk.

"Danny, go." Danny, trying to appear just as intimidating, kept his eyes trained on Embry's imposing form as he backed away. He gestured towards a cluster of people, "I'll be over there if you need anything."

"Whatever" I dismissed him with my hand before crossing my arms and redirecting my attention to Embry.

"Speak." Embry peered after Danny only looking back to shoot me a disapproving look that caused an uneasy feeling to creep into my demeanor.

"You know you could try being a little kinder, he is your friend."

The unease gave way to annoyance.

"Are you my therapist now? And here I thought you had something important to say."

I made a move to go but Embry's arm shot out and blocked my passage. This guy seemed to really enjoy keeping me in one place.

"I wanted to apologize for behavior last night." I feigned a look of genuine appreciation then swiftly morphed my lips into a frown.

"Apology not accepted." Ducking under his arm I made my way in the other direction. I heard Embry elicit a groan of exasperation before advancing on me again.

"Why do you have to be so difficult?" I whirled around in a fury and drew menacingly closer to him.

"Gee I don't know, why do you have to be so nosey?" Embry threw his hands in the air.

"You know I take it back, I'm not sorry about saving you a trip to the ER or worse, the morgue."

The last word caused him to visibly flinch as if the idea of my death was unbearable to him. Still I was deeply offended he didn't expect me to apologize.

"You can't take back an apology." He laughed scornfully.

"Why not? You said you weren't going to accept it anyway, so it doesn't even really matter."

"I stared at him incredulously. "Don't use my words against me!" Embry covered his face with his hand briefly, his body tensed with anger, then return to staring at me intently. His eyes seemed to see too deeply inside; it made me feel abnormally vulnerable.

"How come you even bother?" I could not resist adding, "Normal people would not have interfered in the first place." The tension in his shoulders seemed to evaporate.

"Maybe I'm not normal."

"Like I haven't heard that one before." Embry shook his head laughing.

"I just can't win with you."

"Doesn't look like it."

"Ok tell me what I can do to get back on your good side."

I pretended to give it some thought before I exacted my demand.

"Stay out of my life." Shockingly, Embry took on a solemn silence.

"You don't mean that." His voice was pained. My body automatically began to go into a reaction I had never felt before. Defeat. My muscles relaxed, my shoulders slumped, and my resolved wavered violently. I hated this feeling so I rebelled against it fiercely.

"Yes I do." Embry's face dissolved into a stony, impassive expression.

"Fine." He walked away and was soon engulfed in the crowd. I watched him depart waiting to feel the usual triumphant tingle. Instead my stomach dropped and my mind grew dizzy. I felt like I was suddenly starving for oxygen. I made a loud gasping sound and drank in the air feverishly. Still a gigantic weight lodged itself inside of me and seemed to pin me to the ground. I wanted to scream. I needed to scream. I couldn't scream.

"Georgina!" I caught sight of Maggie waving me over but I looked at her as if she was a stranger before instinctively I walked in the direction Embry had just taken. People were swaying to the music and having a fantastic time but I felt so detached from it all. I finally caught sight of Embry and my body lurched forward as if there was some invisible magnet pulling me over to him.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw who he was talking too. Sophia laughed flirtatiously and gave Embry's arm a little push. The urge to slap her arose with a vengeance and I made my way over to them determined to crush this little conversation.

"Georgina, look who I found," Sophia smiled brightly at Embry which he returned by forcing one corner of his mouth upward into a halfhearted smile. I stared at her with an arched eyebrow.

"Do you want a prize or something?" Sophia's face dropped and she locked eyes with me. Embry conveniently cut in.

"Sophia was just telling me how much she enjoyed camping." I urgently repressed a laugh but I caught a flicker of an amusement in Embry's eyes as if he already knew she was lying. He probably did, he didn't appear that dense.

"Really? Well that certainly is interesting considering the fact that last week you went on a little rant on how much you absolutely hate nature." Sophia laughed nervously and averted her eyes.

"Georgina you're such a kidder." I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Sophia how about you go make sure nobody's broken anything yet." Sophia straightened herself and seemed determined to stay right where she was.

"Maybe you could get Nate to help you; I believe I saw him in the kitchen." Sophia faltered and tried to appear sorry as she muttered something about my idea being a good one. She scurried off as I smiled with pride. I never seem to lose my touch.

"What do you want now?" Embry's deep voice refocused my attention. I almost felt a child who was overdue for a scolding. I struggled with the right thing to say.

"Well, I thought about it and I decided that I want to take back my previous request. I mean I could use it one something infinitely better." Embry looked at me doubtfully.

"What makes you think you can take it back?"

"You took back your apology, it's only fair." The pained look instantly disappeared from Embry's eyes and the knot in my stomach dissolved.

"I guess you're right. But I have to ask what is this something better you want to use it for?"

Shrugging my shoulders, I replied with a note of foreboding, "You'll just have to wait and see."

"Oh yeah by the way," Embry reached into his back pocket and removed a sleek black phone.

"My phone?" I quickly snatched the blackberry and looked at him with angry suspicion.

"How dare you? I can't you…" Embry's hand flashed forward and covered my mouth. I shied away after feeling the intense heat in his palm.

"Calm down." I waited for him to continue. "Sophia found it and I said I would give it back to you." I turned away and pretended like I was not interested anymore. I caught sight of Lily Banks rapidly approaching her eyes locked on me.

"Georgina," Lily hurriedly stepped between Embry and me and leaned in closer.

"Shawn's here."

Sorry, I know you guys are probably all mad about the long waits between updates and I just want to apologize. Unfortunately school just started and you know how much teachers enjoy swamping their students with homework the first week of school. This past week I've gotten sick so I've just been completely exhausted. (Don't worry it's not swine flu I promise!) Anyway I also am going to reestablish the whole review and preview thing again because it seems like I get more reviews that way. I know totally selfish, just kidding. Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading.