A/N: I really hadn't planned on updating so soon, especially since I'm still working on Alternative love's last, or possibly second to last chapter. But I couldn't help myself.
Sassy...without you, I shudder to think where that would leave me. This woman has a brilliant brain. So creative.
Thank you to all who follow, favorite, and most of all, those who review without fail. You're the best!
This chapter was done in a bit of a haste. None the less, I do hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.
Songs to listen to: The All-American Rejects - It ends tonight & Paramore - Ain't it fun.
Chapter 5 – Medusa in all her glory:
The trip back to Forks had been strained, to put it mildly - fraught with tension and awkward silences. Not that Bella was surprised by it. Sam hadn't said much of anything to her since last night, obviously still unhappy with her about the kiss. Or more accurately, her easy dismissal of it. And this morning wasn't much different. Cameron was the only one oblivious to the 'so-thick-you-could-cut-it-with-a-knife' tension, talking at a hundred miles a minute about starting school with Blaine, the sports he wanted to take up once there, and the possibility of finding himself an after-school job.
Yes, she felt like shit for reacting the way she did after the kiss. She shouldn't have let it happen in the first place. She knew it was the wrong thing to do, and that it would only lead to complications and unclear boundaries. And yet, she had been selfish enough to simply take without any willingness to give anything back. There was just something about being near Sam that cut her brain function in half; left her craving for something that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
It didn't help that he was still the most beautiful man that had ever walked this earth, according to her. But the sad reality was, if Sam wanted her heart, he was in for a big surprise. Her heart wasn't something she could give away again. Her heart was mangled – damaged beyond repair and just a tad bit bitter, no possibility of ever being whole again. Imagine taking a hammer to an orange - that was what she pictured every time she thought about how her heart must look, as it surprisingly still managed to keep beating inside her chest. She was trying her best to let go of the past. Doing her best to get over seventeen years of regret, hate, and abandonment, but it was easier said than done. It had been ingrained into her mind somehow, like a record on repeat, and breaking the nasty cycle of thought was something she was still working on. Probably still would be, for some time to come. She still had questions, too. Questions that needed answering, though she wasn't sure if she'd ever have the guts to ask it out loud. Questions like, if Sam had really loved her as much as he claimed to have (still did?), why didn't he come after her? Why didn't he try to fight for her? He had to understand why she was determined not to fall back into his arms. She was still sorting things out in her head, coming to terms with the fact that they, including Emily, messed up royally. It wasn't as easy to let him back into her life as he thought. Even if it was just as a friend.
Despite his frustration and anger with her, Sam was nothing but polite and helpful once they returned home, helping them unload everything that they'd brought with them. There was a total of ten boxes. Most of them were books, linen (there was just something about bringing one's own linen), portraits wrapped in bubble wrap, her photo albums and ornaments. Clothes had been packed into their suitcases, and Cameron had taken his treasured Xbox in a carry-on bag. It was sad to see how little she actually owned that she deemed important enough to make the dreaded trip to Forks with them, though this was the way it had always been. Material things didn't matter all that much to her.
Stepping into Allison Uley's house felt almost the same as it had back in 2000. Bella was surprised to find the average-sized, three bedroom wooden house looking exactly like it did all those years ago. Outside, it still had the gray, shingled gable roof and dormer, the roof a little more weather-beaten than she remembered, but the blue-gray exterior and white window frames looked like it had been given a fresh coat of paint not a year ago. The house had a quaint little porch in the front, with a wrought iron bench looking out over the front yard, but the cushions that once had a teal paisley design, now looked more like a light green mess. And what was more, said cushions needed to be restuffed at some point, soon. Perhaps it would simply be better to replace the cushions in its entirety, since it's clearly seen better days.
The inside was still mostly the same, with the exception of a few rearrangements to the furniture and additional pictures added throughout the years. Inside, the house was cozy, the walls still the same soft yellow color, furniture and decorations very rustic and bohemian. There wasn't much that she wanted to change. Perhaps hang a few of the paintings and photos she had brought along, and make Cameron's and her bedrooms their own. But in its entirety, she liked the artsy, free-spirited energy Allison had imbued within this house. She sure could afford to be a little more free-spirited herself, hoping that living here might make her more so. All in all, Sam's mother had good taste, and calling this place home wasn't going to be as hard as she had anticipated. She could already feel herself becoming used to her surroundings. This was going to be Cameron's and her new safe haven for an indeterminable amount of time.
The smell of this house (have you ever noticed how everyone's home had its own, unique smell?) brought back memories of good times. Days spent helping Allison cook for some event or other. Lazy afternoons coming back from the beach, feeling the best kind of tired after tons of sun and salty air. Nights where Sam had helped her with 'homework', but instead found them secretly kissing on the couch, after Alison had already gone to bed. It also brought back memories of the first time Sam had made love to her.
It had been months after they had started dating, and though Sam had never pushed her or commented on her hesitance to have sex, she could tell that he was having a difficult time keeping himself in check. Not that it was any easier for her, truth be told. She never knew if the intensity of their lust was due to the imprint, or if these feelings were normal for all couples, but what she did know was that it had become increasingly difficult for her to abstain as the months passed. They had steadily moved from kissing to fondling, and from said fondling to grinding and all out 'not-so-innocent' touching. Until eventually, oral sex had been the only other step left, before sex. But even third base wasn't cutting it anymore, leaving them both craving more from each other, every time. It left them panting and flushed, temporarily satisfied, but it was like an itch right in the middle of your back that desperately needed scratching. One you could never quite seem to reach. There had been times that they'd come so close to sex, where Sam merely had to shift his hips an inch, and he would be inside of her. It would have been effortless to go from third base to sex, and it had cost her all of her self-restraint and more, to stop. She had begun to play with the idea of sex, sure. How could she not, when Sam and she came face to face with it on a daily (or more) basis? So, it was safe to say that she and her perennially-throbbing lady bits were more than considering it, simply waiting for the right time.
And on a cold November evening, she had finally had enough. It was becoming too much for her to handle. Every kiss and every not-so-innocent touch shared between Sam and her was leaving her breathless, trembling and aching for more, until she decided that there was no reason to wait any longer. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her. She loved him, and he loved her, and that was all she could ever ask for. What they had together, was enough. It was forever...right?
Hah! If only she had known...
Their first time wasn't awkward at all, despite them being virgins. In fact, it was like their bodies knew exactly what to do – how to react, and they simply went along for the ride.
With no more hesitation from her side (of which he had made sure, over and over, with dark but careful eyes), Sam had finally pushed himself into her, tearing her innocence to nothing. He'd had a reverent look in his eyes as they realized how perfectly they fit together, bodies now joined in the only other way possible that had been left. He held her so, so close to him as he moved inside of her, and she felt safe, caged in between his broad, strong shoulders. Sam's movements were slow at first – gentle - making her whimper at the incredible sensation he was awakening inside of her. She honestly had no idea what to expect. She'd never really discussed sex with any of her friends. None of them, as far as she knew, has had sex before. But making love was way more than she could ever have imagined. It was like a fire being started inside of her, heat spreading from her spine, and up to every limb, only to end deep in her belly, making her feel like she was going to explode. And then she did. The sensation had knocked the breath right out of her, made her eyes roll back and her toes curl, all the while trying her best not to cry out in ecstasy, so Sam's mother wouldn't know what they were up to.
Their first time had awakened an insatiable desire within them, and it was impossible not to give in. Over and over. It only took one kiss or one touch from Sam, and her body reacted. She wanted. She needed. And she took. He took. Neither of them were in control as untamed desire bloomed relentlessly, simply stringing them along like a defenseless piece of driftwood in an unforgiving riptide.
And it was because of this overwhelming need that she ended up pregnant. Their desire had clouded their judgment, and when they finally started using protection, it had been too late. She was already pregnant. And they were oblivious to it, at the time.
"I'll leave you guys to it, then." Sam said by way of greeting, his smooth baritone interrupting her flashback. "Be good." He threw at Cameron who was busy setting up his Xbox.
"Good night, Dad." He turned to Sam with a crooked grin, giving a short wave, before turning back to focus on the task at hand.
She wondered, as she saw the dark look in Sam's eyes, if he had any idea what she'd just been thinking of? Wondered if perhaps he had also been thinking the same thing?
"Thank you for everything, Sam." She broke the heavy tension, and followed him to the door as he turned to leave. "It means a lot to us that you're letting us stay here." She leaned against the entry to the door, eyes trained on his back as he stepped onto the porch.
"It's the least I could do." He said and turned to her, dark eyes now back to ochre again, looking weary. She wondered if she had hurt him more than she'd realized, after their kiss last night? "I'll see you guys tomorrow."
"I was thinking that we should probably discuss how we're going to proceed from here on out." Bella said and pushed away from the door, folding her arms over her chest. They were going to see each other a lot. Not only because of Cameron, but because they were now neighbors. And even if that weren't the case, La Push was too small a place not to run into each other from time to time, especially with their shared circle of friends.
"Meaning?" His brows mashed together, a frown forming on his forehead.
"Since you live just across the street, I don't think it's necessary to decide on who Cameron gets to stay with, when." She explained. "But maybe we could do dinner a few nights a week? Just to spend some time together as a family." It would benefit Cameron a great deal if his parents at least tried to get along.
"That's not a bad idea at all." Sam seemed to like the suggestion, mood lifting noticeably. And she was glad that she could help him feel better in some small way. "We can definitely talk about it some more, tomorrow. And at some point, we'll have to go talk to Emily."
"God," She groaned and scrubbed her face. Confronting Emily was the last thing she wanted to do. "I'm really not looking forward to that conversation." What was she going to say to the woman who had had such a colossal but negative impact on their lives?
He barked a laugh. "It's funny, because you have no idea how much I am looking forward to that. I want to hear what she has to say. I want to know why the hell she did what she did."
"I understand, Sam. I really do." She assured him. "But hearing her reasons for doing what she did is not going to change the last seventeen years. The damage she did can never be fixed." Bella sighed wistfully. "We'll never get back those years she's taken so selfishly from us."
"But she is going to pay for it." He vowed solemnly. "I'll make sure of it, even if it's the last thing I do." And with that, he turned away from her, heading down the steps and across the front yard, taking large strides over to his place, just on the opposite side of the street.
Bella was curious to see his house, wondering what it looked like inside. The outside was quite impressive, and if she had understood him correctly from the little information he had given about it, he had built the house himself.
Picture windows at the front of this magnificent, red alder double story with its rust-colored shingled roof, provided an unobscured view into the living room, when the blinds were pulled in, of course. The rest of the house was fitted with dark-framed double hung windows, and narrow, railed steps lead up to a large porch where she could imagine them having dinner outside on warm evenings. She guessed the beautiful, rustic arched front door was also Sam's handiwork, and she wondered how many hours had gone into building this house?
"Anything in particular that you wanted to have for dinner?" Bella asked Cameron as she closed the door and walked over to him where he had finally connected the Xbox, taking a seat on the couch directly in front of the TV. "Because I'm in the mood for some chilli."
"Yeah," Cameron turned to her, eyes bright. Chilli was one of his favorites. "I'd love some, Mom. Thanks."
From the kitchen window, just above the sink, where she was busy doing the dishes, she had a perfect view of Sam's house. She could see into his living room – the lights were on, but he wasn't in the room. She couldn't help but wonder what he did, all alone, in that big house of his? When had he built the house? And why so big, when he clearly had no one to share the space with? Sure, the pack came over for meetings on a regular basis, but other than that, no one stayed over as far as she knew. And according to him, there had never been anyone special in his life. So why not build a small, two-bedroom house, with a large living room to accommodate a rambunctious pack of wolves?
Early the next morning, there was a loud knock on her door, and with pajamas still on, she shuffled from the kitchen to see who it was, trying desperately to tame the bird's nest that was her hair, hoping her 'I just got out of bed' look wouldn't scare away the poor, unsuspecting schmuck on the other side. The image of her in the mornings was never a pretty sight to behold.
She opened the door to reveal a freshly shaved and showered Sam, though she had to admit that she kind of missed the stubbly chin he'd been sporting over the weekend. It was sexy on him, and it had taken a lot of determination not to keep staring at the masterpiece that he was. Even now, sans beard, he was beautiful enough to make her heart stutter, and she could feel an unwelcome blush coming on.
Focus, Bella. Times have changed. You have no right to ogle anymore. Especially after the kiss when you'd made your feelings abundantly clear to him.
"Hi," She greeted, trying furiously to suppress the blush already burning against her pale cheeks, praying to the gods of mercy that he wouldn't notice. "Everything okay?" There had to be a reason that he dropped by at six in the morning. Surely, he hadn't come over just to say hello?
"Yeah, everything is fine." He shook his head, dismissing her concern, and flashed her that breathtaking smile of his. You know the one! The smile that could have any woman wet and panting in less than two seconds.
Gah!
She despised that smile, simply because of what it did to her.
"I saw the kitchen light was on, and wondered why you were up so early?" He continued on, seemingly oblivious to her inner turmoil and self-reprimand for reacting to the sight of him the way she did. She wasn't a teenager anymore, for Christ sake. So why did she behave like one?
"Do you want to come in for coffee?" She offered out of sheer politeness. It was probably bad manners to make him stand outside. And technically, this was his house, so he could come and go as he pleased. Especially since he wasn't allowing her to pay a goddamn cent for rent. "I was just about to make myself another."
"Coffee sounds good," He said with a brief nod of the head, entering as she stood to the side.
"Cameron's still asleep," Bella explained as Sam took a seat at the kitchen table, dwarfing the poor chair with his sheer size. "Don't know how he does it. I'm so nervous for his first day. Woke up just after five, and I've been stressing about it ever since."
"Why?" Sam turned to look at her as she ladled a spoonful of coffee into each of their mugs. "It's not like you're the one starting at a new school."
"Yeah, I know," She shrugged and paused as she grabbed the sugar. "Still two for you?" She asked, indicating to the ceramic pot in her hand.
"Yeah," He seemed surprised that she still remembered. "Thanks."
"I just really want Cameron to fit in, you know?" She continued the conversation as she stirred sugar into their coffee and turned to get the milk from the fridge.
"He'll be fine, Bella." Sam assured her and took his mug from her.
Bella took her seat next to Sam at the table, and turned toward him. "He had a hard time in Florida. Didn't have a lot of friends." She explained. "I swear to god they knew he was different somehow."
"Well, he'll definitely fit in better at La Push. And he's already got Blaine. So, it's not like he'll walk into school this morning without knowing anyone."
She sighed and turned her mug around in her hands, fingering the small imperfections, instead of looking at Sam. "It's tough to simply let go. I always worry about him. He might be sixteen, but he'll always be my baby."
"Do you want me to come along?" He asked unexpectedly, looking hesitant. Maybe he wanted to be a part of today? What if it was a milestone of sorts for him? He'd never been able to see Cameron off on his first day of school, and this was his only chance to make up for it.
"I'd love that," She awarded him with a sunny grin, and bumped his shoulder with hers. "And I'm sure it'll mean a lot to Cameron."
"Oh, I'm doing it more as moral support for you," He teased. "In case you start crying."
"I'm not gonna cry." She scowled playfully. "At least, I don't think I will."
"We'll see," He disagreed, chuckling at the face she made in response.
"Morning," Cameron greeted as he walked into the kitchen, still dressed in his ratty Metallica t-shirt and boxer shorts, hair standing in all directions. "What are you doing here this time of the morning, Dad?"
"Came to see you off on your first day." Sam supplied easily, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"It's not really my first day of school, you know?" Cameron pointed out, trying to play it cool, but the smile on his face told a whole different story. It was a big deal to have his father see him off. And Bella was happy that Sam was coming along.
Sam was kind enough to pack Cameron's lunch, while he and Bella got ready for the day.
She took a quick shower under the massive shower head (heaven at its best), which turned into a long one in the end, when she decided to wash her hair and shave her legs – she couldn't very well sport cacti-like legs in the capris she had picked out for today. She dressed as fast as she could, applied a minimal amount of make-up – just enough to prevent herself from looking like a total hag, and decided on letting her hair dry naturally in an effort to save time. She found the men watching the morning news – the weather man having his turn to warn them that another unusually hot day lay ahead of them – when she finally came down the stairs, ready to face the day head-on.
"Ready?" She asked and grabbed her purse from the coffee table.
"We've been ready for a while now," Cameron pointed out cheekily. "Just waiting for you, Mom."
"Right, sorry," She apologized. "Didn't mean to take so long."
"It's fine," Sam casually waved it away and got up from the couch, looking at her with the strangest expression that made her blush in response. What was going on in that mind of his? "We've got enough time to get to school."
Seeing Cameron off had gone down easier than she had expected, especially with Sam by her side. She supposed the added support of his presence was what kept her calm and collected. And if she had to venture a guess, Cameron was probably grateful that she didn't embarrass him in front of all the other boys by bursting out in a sudden and frightful round of tears. And rightfully so. It had happened in the past.
The school was much bigger than she remembered, having come here once as Jacob's date for a spring formal, just before the supernatural had introduced itself into her life with a bang. The small building was now a proper, multi-winged learning institution, with (as Sam had described it to her) a decent gym and bigger, better equipped classrooms.
When asked about the improvements, Sam merely shrugged as he briefly told her about his charity work for the school.
"How can you be so nonchalant about it?" She had asked him, awestruck at this man's seemingly endless generosity.
"It's nothing," He had waved it away.
But it wasn't 'nothing'. It was everything. Sam had made sure that the kids of La Push had an environment conducive to learning, and a place where after-school activities could easily be offered. Improving the quality of their school's sport was very important. To the kids who weren't as academically inclined, faring better in sports, it offered the opportunity for sports scholarships, a tertiary education being part of the deal. How could he not see what he had done for his community? For the future of La Push.
"Hey, Bells. What's up?" Jake answered Bella's call after only two rings, when she'd finally mustered up enough courage to dial his number, having put off the conversation for the entire day. Every time she thought about calling him, she seemed to find something more important to do instead. She was hesitant to ask for a favor. Didn't want to put him in a tough spot, feeling like he had to give her the job, because they were friends. But what else was there? It would take her weeks, at least, to find a reasonably suitable job offer, if at all, and she hated the idea of sitting through a whole slew of interviews just to get one of the many low-paying jobs. Forks wasn't exactly the place where you'd find large, successful companies who were willing to pay way more than the minimum wage of just over seven dollars an hour. If all else failed, that would be the route she'd have to take, but for now, she was going to ignore her guilt, and ask Jake for the job. The worst he could say was, no.
"I need to talk to you. Are you free tonight, by any chance?"
"Melissa and I are over at Jared's. But you're more than welcome to come over. Invite Sam too. We were thinking of having a barbecue." He informed her. "Or did you want to talk privately?"
"Not really. Maybe we could just slip away into the house at some point, and have a quick talk."
"Sounds good to me." He agreed. "Is it something I should be worried about?"
"No," She assured him with a half-assed chuckle. "Nothing bad, I suppose."
"Good. So, then we'll see you guys soon?"
Bella considered the idea of having a barbecue with their friends, Sam and Cameron in tow, for a moment. It was going to feel like a couples-thing, but since Sam and she had to start acting like a family at some point, she guessed it wouldn't do much harm to join their friends. There were going to be many more days like this, where they were going to do things together. And the sooner she got used to it, the better. After all, she had been the one to suggest family dinners, and what better way to kick it off, than by using their friends as a buffer for their first time?
Blaine and Cameron immediately escaped to the front yard, talking about try-outs for football, pigskin in hand, when they arrived. Bella handed the bowl of potato bake over to Kim, as her contribution to the barbecue. Phil - being the only other culinary-inclined person in her life, for the past seventeen years - had always told her it was considered good manners to bring some form of food or dessert to a get-together at someone's house. And so, she'd made a point of it, tonight, quickly preparing a batch of her famous baked potatoes with cream, cheese and bacon for said occasion.
"Thank you for having us, Kim." Bella said by way of greeting. In all honesty, she had been dying to spend some more time with her, since their talk at the funeral.
"No problem," She smiled easily, tucking a curtain of raven hair behind her ear as she accepted Bella's contribution. "How are things going?" Kim asked as she turned away to get out a few glasses. Sam had been nice enough to drop by the liquor store for some wine and beer.
"Bella," Melissa entered, big belly pushing out prominently against a navy empire-waist dress as she hauled her toddler into the kitchen with her, firmly on the hip. "It's so good to see you again," She greeted, giving Bella a one-armed hug.
"Same here. I've been dying to see you all again, but it's been so crazy over the weekend that we barely had time for anything other than packing."
"I'll bet," She sympathised. "Must have been a massive task. Jake said that Sam told him about everything you had to get done. The landlord, quitting your job, and getting Cameron's transcripts transferred in time for him to start school this week. How'd it go on his first day, by the way? Did he make any more friends? Did he fit in?"
Bella blinked in rapid succession as she tried to process everything Melissa had just said. She was like a talking machine, and it made Bella want to laugh at the thought of Jake and her having to battle for a chance to say something. Jake was equally chatty, and she supposed that's the reason she loved him so much. He was easy to befriend, always having the ability to make her feel comfortable. And Melissa was no different.
"From what Cameron said, he made two new friends today. Ones in the same class as him. But for some reason, I get the idea that Blaine and Cam are steadily on their way to becoming best friends, despite him making friends his same age." Bella informed casually. "No complaints about feeling like an outcast either."
"That's good." Kim winked at Bella. "No better way to feel welcomed into a new town, than by making friends on the first day."
"Hey, where's Leah?" Bella asked. "I don't recall seeing her at the funeral." Bella and Leah never particularly got along. Even under the best of circumstances, Leah had been anything but chatty and welcoming. But she still felt the need to find out, even if just to avoid the tenacious female on a daily basis.
"Oh, that's right." Kim said, eyes widening. "I forgot that there's a lot you don't know."
Bella leaned forward, almost feeling like she was going to be let in on a secret.
"Leah left right after she phased for the first time." Kim explained in a serious whisper. "Said it wasn't the type of life she envisioned for herself; she hated the idea of being a wolf."
"I sort of get where she's coming from, though." Melissa added gravely. "Can you imagine being part of a pack, predominantly male, I might add, and having them inside your head on a regular basis? No privacy. And then there's the issue of phasing. I know I wouldn't want the guys to see me naked."
Bella puffed out a breath and nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Can't imagine anything more demeaning."
"Exactly," Kim said, and turned to grab the bottle opener from the drawer next to the stove. "The guys are a lot calmer now, but back then, they were still horny idiots with disturbing senses of humor. If you could even call it that." She said as she joined them again. "You can just think for yourself how they would have made fun of her anatomy, simply because they were curious and inexperienced in anything remotely female-related."
In her mind's eye, Bella could see the teenagers pointing and staring at a naked Leah, probably chanting something ridiculous, like 'tits, tits, tits' or perhaps even something far worse.
"Can we get some juice, Mom?" The older one of Kim's youngest two (seems like Jared was only able to produce boys) came barreling into the kitchen, along with Melissa and Jake's daughter, Laurell. She had her father's good looks and smile, but her momma's pretty, almond-shaped eyes. And a tomboy she was, through and through. Bella had no doubt she would outgrow it at some point, but it must have been hard to be inclined to wear pink and develop a love for anything remotely feminine, whilst growing up amid a bunch of boys. Devilish rugrats who thought the solution to everything was to 'rub dirt on it' or to poke and prod at anything new and unfamiliar. Laurell's only choice, obviously, had been to try and blend in, to avoid being at the receiving end of said dirt-rubbing, poking and prodding. And she seemed to be fairing well, having been accepted as 'one of the boys'.
Kim pulled a large plastic jug of apple juice out of the fridge (plastic being the operative word, where pre-teen monsters were involved, of course) and asked Bella to grab three plastic cups from the cupboard behind her.
With a brief plea from Kim and Melissa to please try and avoid making a mess, the kids hurried out of the kitchen and out to the back yard with the same intensity as they had entered it, messing at least a quarter of the juice on the steps leading outside as they went, the result leaving the kitchen tiles with some spatter too.
Kim huffed and cursed under her breath as she grabbed the mop from behind the fridge, something along the lines of 'just mopped the fucking floors two hours ago'.
Bella clamped her lips together in an attempt not to laugh. Since Cameron hadn't had that many friends over at her house in the past, she had been spared these kinds of incidents. But when she looked up at Melissa, it seemed she found the situation equally funny, and without meaning to, they burst out laughing at Kim's ire.
"Better cut that shit out!" Kim warned, narrowing her eyes at them as she looked up from where she was furiously mopping the floor, only resulting in another bout of laughter, until Kim finally gave in and joined in with an exasperated laugh of her own.
The opportunity to talk to Jake had presented itself a while later. Everyone, including the women, had moved outside, and Jake had winked at her and motioned for her to follow him to the kitchen. The conversation had gone better than she could have anticipated, and at the end, she had walked out a woman with a job. Jake had insisted that she take the rest of the week to get settled, leaving her with another week to train with his current assistant before she went on maternity leave. Or more accurately, before she took off for good.
Have you ever had a fairly great day, things going as planned for once? No 'special' surprises, or train wrecks to write home about? Well, today wasn't ANYTHING like that. Oh yes, it might have started out good, almost ending in the same spectacular fashion, but near the end, one thing, or more specifically, one person, had to go and ruin it all.
Can you guess who? No? Oh, come on now. I'm sure you can…if you think about it really hard.
Emily Young. Or, shockingly, Emily Call, now.
What the effing eff?
See, even with her arch nemesis showing up to pee in her cheerios, she had conditioned herself so well over the years not to swear (for Cameron's benefit), that in her mind, she couldn't even manage to say the word properly.
Emily of all people, was married to Embry. How did that happen? The Saint and Medusa were imprints now. What a frickin' joke!
Apparently, to everyone else, Emily and Embry showing up with their two kids, was nothing unusual. Nothing to get antsy over. But one look at Sam, and she knew things were about to go belly-up, fast.
Bella had to think fast as she saw the kids run around in between the adults. If things were going to turn out the way she anticipated (what with Sam's murderous expression, and all), the kids needed to be out of the way. With a nudge and a whisper, Bella asked Melissa if she'd mind rounding up the kids (not including the two eldest who were currently still throwing a football around in the front yard, as far as she knew) and take them inside for some TV.
Bella shook her head at Melissa's questioning look, but her grave expression must have told the woman all she needed to know. Trouble was coming, and she needed to haul ass to get all the young ones away from whatever was coming.
Satisfied that there were no more little ears in the adults' company, Bella looked up and straight into Emily's eyes. What felt like ages, were mere seconds, as Bella watched emotion after emotion flit across Emily's pretty face. Shock, surprise, fear and finally, an uneasy smile chose to stick around as she opened her mouth. "Bella, hi." She greeted tightly, said smile not reaching her ochre eyes as she attempted to take a stab at forced politeness. "I had no idea that you were in town. When did you come back?"
Bella couldn't help but wonder if Emily was subtly trying to fish for information in an attempt to figure out how much Bella knew, and thus, how much Sam knew. Or if she was genuinely surprised to see her, and interested to know more? Bella was somehow guessing it wasn't the latter.
The quick, nervous look Emily shot Sam's way, confirmed Bella's suspicions. Medusa had no idea what to expect, and she was worried.
"I," Bella said, and as Cameron showed up (always having the uncanny ability to arrive at the perfect time), she pulled him into her side, "We came for the funeral on Thursday."
"Oh," She nodded, trying and struggling to keep her composure as her eyes bugged out of her head at the sight of Cameron (who looked exactly like his father). "I guess I must not have seen you there."
"Right," Sam barked a laugh, though nothing about his expression suggested humor in any way, shape or form. "I bet you made sure that you stayed out of her way, didn't you?" Sam continued, jaw muscles ticking furiously. She could practically hear his teeth grind together.
"Hey," Embry intervened, addressing Sam. "Where is this hostility coming from, all of a sudden?"
Bella could only stand and watch as Sam looked from Embry to Emily and back again, brows shooting up in incredulous surprise. He let out another laugh, this time sounding taunting and dark. She knew from experience never to interrupt Sam when he was on a roll. Though he had never in the past directed his anger towards her, she had witnessed it often enough when he'd reprimanded one of the pack, and the consequences for interrupting the Alpha. It had never ended well. "Embry doesn't know does he?" He directed the question at Emily.
"Know what?" Embry asked Emily, concern etched on his ever-boyish features. "What the hell is going on here? I'm clearly missing something."
Emily looked helplessly at Sam, bottom lip trembling. "Don't do this, please? I beg you, Sam."
Everyone outside had stopped what they were doing now, all suddenly aware of the tension, despite no voices being raised. And they too, felt compelled to look up at the strained conversation between Emily and Sam. A conversation that Embry included himself in now, as well.
"Emily knew Bella was pregnant." Sam said, ignoring Emily's request as he looked at Embry. "She was the one who caused Bella to leave."
"Those are some serious accusations to be making, mate." Jared put his hand on Sam's shoulder, trying to get Sam to give it a rest.
"Yes. It is a damn serious accusation, Jared. You're right." Sam nodded sharply and roughly shrugged his friend's hand from his shoulder. "But maybe we should let Emily explain it herself."
"Sam, please!" Emily had started crying, while Embry stood arms crossed, watching her with raised brows, waiting for someone to explain the confusion that Sam had unleashed upon his unsuspecting friends.
"Tell them, or I will." He said, not backing off.
Bella tried to remain cool and hard toward Medusa, but for some reason, the way she was being targeted in front of every one of their friends, made Bella feel incredibly sorry for Emily, despite knowing that she deserved this. She deserved to be confronted. But just maybe it would have been better if it had been done in a more private setting. At least the kids weren't around to witness any of it.
Emily shook her head and wiped her eyes, not courageous enough to do as Sam asked of her.
"You were there the day Bella sent me a text to tell me she was pregnant." Sam accused, having had enough of Emily's cowardice. Instead, he took it upon himself to clear up any confusion the others, and especially Embry, might have. "You pretended to be me, telling Bella that I was in love with you, and that it was up to her if she wanted to keep the baby or get rid of it."
For a minute, no one moved. Every eye in the back yard was trained on Emily as her shoulders shook with each sob ripping through her body. "I was a stupid girl back then. I had a major crush on you and I didn't realize the dire consequences for my actions." She looked up at Sam first, and then over at Bella. "And I didn't know about imprinting, until it happened to Embry and me."
"You had years to tell Sam the truth." Bella interrupted Emily, clutching firmly onto Cameron for some semblance of support. He squeezed her arm briefly – his way of saying that he was here for her. "Seventeen goddamn years. Even when Embry imprinted on you, you never opened your mouth and said something. You know what it feels like now, to love someone so much. And you took that from Sam and me. You carelessly robbed my son of a father for the better part of two decades."
"I never meant for it to turn out like this." She offered in earnest. Or so it seemed, at least. "It's been gnawing away at me every single day for the last seventeen years."
"But why did you keep your mouth shut?" Bella asked again. "When Embry imprinted on you, you could have gone to Sam and told him the truth. It would have made a massive difference in Cameron's life. He could have had the chance to have his father in his life, before he could realize what was lacking. Before he had to spend important days without Sam, wondering why he didn't deserve to be loved by his father."
"I was scared of the consequences. I was scared of what Embry would do if he found out. What Sam would do."
"You're a coward, Emily." Sam snapped at her. "A selfish coward. You're the reason Cameron and Bella had to struggle for years with the reality of how cruel and unforgiving this world could be."
"Just hazarding a guess here, but I'm betting that, had the roles been reversed, you wouldn't have appreciated it being done to you?" Cameron took his turn to address Emily, reminding Bella every bit of the Alpha she had long ago seen Sam portray, at an age not much older than Cameron was, right now." My mother," he ground out between clenched teeth, "had to work her fingers to the bone to be able to provide for me." He cocked his head to the side as he appraised Emily, and seeing her son so incensed, yet so in control of himself, made a shiver of trepidation run up her spine. "Bet it's a big surprise to find that I made it into this world? Or did you know my mother would never have the heart to get rid of me, instead choosing to bulldoze right on through every obstacle that came her way? All on her own?"
Emily tore her gaze away from Cameron, clearly unable to stomach looking him in the eye. She didn't answer him, choosing instead to remain silent as she wrung her hands in discomfort.
"How could you do that to them?" Embry asked, looking extremely disgusted, but still, Emily didn't look up. Didn't answer him, either.
"Answer me, god dammit!" Embry was the first to raise his voice. To shout. And honest to god, this was the first time Bella had ever seen this easy-going sweetheart-of-a-man get angry. "You do not get to ignore this, Emily. This is serious!"
Emily looked up, cheeks wet and eyes red, opening her mouth to let out a shuddering breath, before she finally spoke. Her eyes stayed trained on her husband, shoulders hanging defeatedly. "I was so madly in love with Sam back then, and I wanted him to look at me the same way he looked at Bella. With the kind of reverent adoration that I'd only ever seen in his eyes whenever Bella was around. The kind of look that I'd only read about in books and never experienced for myself. I just wanted to be loved like that too, and I thought that it could happen for Sam and me if he didn't know about Bella being pregnant. I was convinced that if he thought she left because she didn't want him anymore, he'd eventually move on with me. And love me like he did her." She sighed with a deep-seated resignation. "But it never happened. Until you imprinted on me. It was only then that I understood what they had, and how it never would have been the same for Sam and me."
When no one spoke, and no one reacted to what she'd said, she continued. "And I'm so sorry for being so selfish. So callous where another life was concerned." Emily apologized, looking directly at Cameron. "I will never be able to forgive myself for it. I honestly don't have any concrete justification for my actions, except that what I did was evil and wretched."
"What's imprinting?" Cameron asked later that night, on their way back home.
Suffice it to say, Emily and Embry didn't stay very long after the confrontation. Nor did they leave together. The barbecue had continued on as planned, simply because the children had to eat, but conversation had been minimal, and the food had been forced down, tasting (to Bella, at least) like cardboard, and felt much the same going down.
Sam sighed deeply, and briefly turned his head to look at his son sitting in the back. "Would it be enough if I told you it's something you'll find out about later? It's not something you should know about yet. But the time will come, and then I promise to explain it to you. I just need you to trust me on this right now."
Cameron considered Sam's words for a moment, and nodded slowly. "Yeah, okay. I guess I can deal with that."
Bella was glad that Cameron accepted Sam's word so easily. He had always been an inquisitive boy, and figuring things out was what he lived for. But Sam's explanation seemed to be enough for him, tonight. There had honestly not been any way to skirt around the imprint issue this evening. It was a big part of the discussion (if you could call it that) at Jared and Kim's place, and in the back of her mind, she had known Cameron would ask questions about this strange word that had seemed to pop up every now and again. She was also very glad that Cameron didn't press the issue, because Sam was in a foul mood ever since Emily had shown her face, and testing Sam's limits tonight would have ended less than ideally.
Sam had kept his word about punishing Emily. And no, Emily's punishment had not been to drop the bomb in front of all their friends gathered for an innocent barbecue. The punishment would be decided within the week. By Sam, Paul, Jacob and the rest of the council. They were going to call a meeting to decide on the appropriate form of punishment for Emily. And possibly Embry.
I'm sure you're wondering why Embry, too? Right? What had he done to be punished? Honestly…he hadn't done anything wrong, but since Emily was his imprint, there was the distinct possibility that he would be held accountable for her actions, almost like he had been an accomplice.
It was unfair, but Sam had explained to her as best he could, that this was how things were done. How things had been done for hundreds of years, and ultimately, it didn't solely rest on him to make the decision to include or exclude Embry from being punished. The council would take a vote.
All she could do was pray that Embry, who had truly been oblivious to Emily's actions, would be pardoned. It was something that had happened long before he came into Emily's picture.
"Wonder what Embry's going to do now?" Bella wondered more to herself than to anyone else in the car.
Sam blew out a harsh breath and lifted his arm from where his elbow was propped against the window, to run his fingers through his hair. "I don't know, Bella. I honestly don't see how he would be able to forgive what she did, but then again, the imprint is something else entirely. And it might just be the thing that ends up saving their marriage."
"You think their marriage is hanging in the balance now?" Bella was surprised and worried to hear Sam say it like a divorce was a distinct possibility for the couple.
"Without a doubt, Bella." He confirmed her worst fears. She despised Emily, but she certainly didn't want the woman's marriage to fail. "I've never seen Embry look so angry, and so betrayed before. Tonight was a definite first for me." He briefly looked over at her. "I mean, if you were in Embry's shoes, what would you have done?"
She shook her head and stared out in front of her, not seeing a thing. "I don't know, Sam. It's hard to say. But what worries me more than anything is, how all of this will affect their children."
A/N: Sooo...Emily, huh? Any thoughts?