"What's got you so distracted out there?" Charlie asked as he stepped to Bella's side, joining her vigil at the window. Turning to look at the father, she watched him until he turned to her, his eyes encumbered with stress and exhaustion.
"Embry's coming over. That's okay, isn't it?" She wasn't sure what the rules were exactly concerning people coming over, so she opened her eyes wide, a childish trick that always served her well.
"You don't have to look at me like that Bells, of course the boy is welcome here, but that still doesn't explain why you're standing here staring at nothing." Even his voice seemed labored as he spoke, though she knew he had meant to sound companionable.
"Oh…" She stalled, struggling to think of a viable motive for Embry's point of entry, when she didn't even know the reason herself. "He called and said he was going for a run through one of the old trails, so I'm meeting him out back." She finally mumbled out, keeping her eyes from his, knowing he would find the lie easily within them.
"Well, when he gets here I might have to have a word with him about that. It's not safe for you kids to be hanging out in the forest."
Bella sighed, sensing they were about to reiterate a conversation that she could recall verbatim from the thirty seven thousand times they'd had it before. Luckily she was saved just as Charlie opened his mouth to begin when Embry stepped clear of the tree line, wearing nothing but a pair of dark shorts.
"Hey, I'll tell him what you said." Bella called as she briskly walked from the room, striding across the back yard with a purpose and only a brief backward glance. It was too much to expect Charlie to busy himself with something else, but she still hoped he would at least contain himself and remain indoors.
"Charlie wanted me to tell you it's not safe for you to be in the forest… speaking of which Emb, what the hell are you doing out here?" Bella asked softening her voice when she caught the tempestuous tension in his frame.
Embry lifted his eyes and took a long hard look at Charlie, nothing easy in his face until he looked away, his body softening when he caught her scrutinizing him. "Tell Charlie there's nothing out here that I can't take care of." Embry said with a gloating smirk, and she didn't know why, but something in the act made her feel a little uncomfortable.
"You must be freezing." Bella decided as she took him in, her hand reaching out in an unconscious path to his bare arm, the only exposed part of him she dared to touch. Seeing her intention he shirked back, the rapid glare of the movement halting her progress. It hurt to know he didn't want her to touch him, the pain of his rejection producing a nauseous wave of guilt.
"I know, Bells." Embry offered with a sad smile and she drew her hand back into her body, wrapping herself up in a lonely embrace. "I know all about you and Paul."
"Jake told you?" Bella asked, though the source really was irrelevant.
"Jake, Paul, everyone. There isn't anything I don't know anymore." Embry scoffed and Bella tried to push back the feel of self-pitying irony, knowing that for her almost the opposite was true.
"I'm really sorry Emb, I just…" She started trying to explain herself and then stopped, only because she actually had no idea what words she could string together to justify who she became when Paul was around.
"It's okay Bells; it's not your fault." Embry finished for her, his eyes saddened but his voice placating.
"No, don't do that. Don't make me the victim in this, Emb. I knew what I was doing." She threw back, trying to own the choices she wasn't even sure she'd made.
"Really?" He smirked, "Do you really believe that?"
When she realized it was a genuine question, she narrowed her eyes. "What gives you the right to ask that, Embry Call?" She didn't know why he'd riled her up so easily, but she thought the condescending leer in his eye might have something to do with it.
"Because the Bella I know doesn't fuck guys against trees she barely knows them." Embry snarled, his voice growing in both volume and intensity.
"I wasn't fucking him." She sneered back, but the damage was already done as she jerked back from him, her feet tripping over one another as she put a little more distance between them.
"Maybe, maybe not. I think you can only say that because Jake interrupted you, what do you think?" He countered, not backing down an inch.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, the rage fading away, but she was still unable to meet his eyes for fear that she would find the truth about herself written there.
He waved his hand dismissively and stepped back to sit down against a nearby tree, patting the ground next to him forlornly. Chancing a quick glance over her shoulder, she caught Charlie still watching them, his head cocked to one side in interest. Pushing her nosey father to the back of her mind once again, she sat as Embry had requested, the sharp edges of the tree protected from her skin by the thickness of her winter coat.
"We weren't anything Bells, so you don't have to apologize to me. I just wish it was me and not my brother you've been kissing."
Hearing him call Paul his brother brought bile to her throat, even if he was right and they hadn't really declared themselves anything to each other, the promise of possibilities was now gone. "I'm sorry." She repeated, unable to find another word to fill the void.
"I need to tell you something Bells and I think you just might hate me when I'm done, but I have to say it." Lifting her eyes to his, she nodded slowly, knowing there was nothing he could say that could ever make her feel abject malice towards him.
"You need to stay away from Paul. I know you're probably gonna think I'm saying this cause I'm jealous, but there's more going on Bells, things I can't tell you, things I'm a part of too." Embry picked up a fallen leaf and slowly began stripping it from the narrow veins uniting it together. His large fingers were nimble and precise, entrancing even, in their delicate touch.
"Cryptic bullshit" She whispered, remembering something Jake had said in his frustration. She wondered if he'd known something more then, because only now had she found herself aligning with his conclusion.
Embry broke her reverie with a barking laugh, his eyes lighting with a hint of his former self, something that quickly fell away once she began to speak again.
"I don't know what to say, Emb. I just wish I got it, but like I told Alice, Charlie won't even let me out of his sight and it's not like Sam took back that whole 'not welcome here' thing." Bella mused, staring down at her feet as they scuffed back and forth in the dark dusty soil.
"That's not the point though Bells, I think he might come here to see you and if he does I want you to call me."
Bella couldn't help the laugh that began as a small giggle in her throat, growing to something almost maniacal. "That's too funny, Emb. Now all I need is Jake coming over and telling me that if you come around I should call him." He clearly didn't understand the source of her amusement as he drew down his forehead in confusion.
As she slowly pulled her composure back together again, she rolled her eyes at her friend. "Paul told me if Alice came around again, I had to call him."
Embry just nodded, and she knew him well enough to allow him time to think things through.
"I'm sorry Emb, but I don't think I'm up for promising anyone anything anymore, not unless they can tell me why it's so important. So, if you feel like sharing…" Bella left her words open, already knowing that she was going to be left hanging.
"Bells…" Embry started and then took a deep breath; one so heavy she felt the atmosphere around her change. "Jake sent me. He sent me to tell you that Paul isn't a good guy." Embry seemed to struggle as he pulled himself to his feet and began pacing.
"Okay. But what does this have to do with Jake? Why didn't he just come himself if it's so important?" Bella asked and something in the question seemed to amuse Embry.
"What? What's funny?" She asked defensively, thinking maybe if she just threw questions at him, he was bound to answer one in the end.
"Nothing Bells, he's just not really himself right now." Embry provided, the easy smile remaining on his lips.
"Okay, so did he send you because of what he saw?" Bella asked tentatively, hoping Embry would know she was referring to the unfortunate incident Jake had interrupted.
"No. It's nothing to do with that, Bells. He knows why Paul reacted the way he did. Paul has some issues right now, that's all." Something seemed to spook Embry and Bella watched as his head flicked back and forth, looking for something in the darkness behind her.
"For Fuck's sake." Embry hissed out under his breath.
"Bella, get behind me." He barked, and the jagged edge to his tone had her on her feet and peering over his shoulder in seconds.
Embry pulled himself up to his full height, his shoulders rolling high as he cracked his knuckles menacingly. "Get out here!" He snarled and Bella snuck a look over to the kitchen window, uncertain whether she was relieved or disappointed to see her father's form no longer watching over her.
She recognized him the moment he stepped into view, his familiar eyes and smooth gait only backing up his gesture of goodwill as he raised his hands in submission.
"What're you doing here?" Embry asked lowly, his whole body rigid as he all but growled at an ever approaching Edward.
"I'm making sure you don't hurt her." Edward responded with his usual offhanded charm, almost making the words within seem innocuous.
"I'm not going to hurt her." Embry said very slowly, each word rounded out with an eerie calm.
"I'm sure that's what the other one said too." Edward offered as he raised one perfect eyebrow towards the heavens, earning him a low growl from Embry's throat. Bella heard the noise and decided that this whole thing had just gone a step too far.
"Okay, I'm officially done. Edward I have no idea what the hell you're doing skulking around in the trees, but whatever the hell is going on around here, can just go on without me in it. I've had enough." Throwing up her hands she pivoted on the spot and began stalking back towards the house. She would have made it there too, but as she lifted her hand to open the door, she struck something hard instead. Her eyes shot upwards and straight away she threw her eyes back to where they'd stood, finding a glowering Embry and not much else.
"How did you…?" She asked, and he simply chuckled in response, a strangely lilting noise.
"But…?" She tried again, trying to figure out if it was conceivable for him to have run ahead of her… soundlessly. Shaking her head when she decided it just wasn't possible, she found her teeth clenching, certain this was just going to be another thing left unsolved.
"You're not safe around him Isabella, he can barely control himself." Edward said, his voice kept low with the illusion that it was meant only for her. What he didn't realize though, was this was one warning too far.
"Get the fuck out of my way, Cullen." She shouted, certain Charlie would come running any moment. Edward scowled at her choice of language, but didn't even pretend to be intimidated by her anger.
"I said get… the fuck… out of my way." She repeated, a little slower this time for emphasis. "I've had enough of you people telling me what to do when you can't even tell me why."
Edward seemed to find her passion somewhat alluring and he cast his eyes down over her petite body, the angry blush on her cheeks not distracting his attention, though he did find it quite a tempting invitation.
"I'll tell you anything you want to know." Edward offered, outstretching his hand in an invitation she almost felt bound to accept.
Embry was all over them in a second, batting Edward's hand angrily as he pushed Bella out of the way. He was a little rough with her and she stumbled slightly, laying her hands down on the grass to hold her balance.
"You should be more careful, little boy." Edward hissed, clearly unimpressed with Embry's lack of control. But it only seemed to incense Embry further as he stepped into Edward's chest, a clear attempt to intimidate the smaller threat.
"Boys!" Came an angry shout from within the house, and Bella sighed in relief as she watched Charlie step into view, his whole demeanor projecting irritation.. Edward immediately stepped aside, letting Charlie press his way between them, but Embry didn't seem able to pull himself back, too caught in the spirit of the fight to back down.
"Embry Call!" Charlie bellowed when it looked like Embry just might take a swing at Edward anyway, and when he lowered his eyes to look at the man standing firmly in front of him, he seemed to shake himself out of his hostility. "Chief Swan." Embry mumbled, his feet taking him backwards as he skipped his eyes occasionally back over to Edward.
"Bells, I'll talk to you later, okay?" Embry asked, his eyes not even making it to hers.
"Cullen, how about you and me take a walk?" Embry asked, all too aware that the Chief was unlikely to allow it.
"I don't think so Call, how about you jog back the way you came, and Mr. Cullen here can leave out the front. I assume that's where you parked your car?" Charlie asked and Bella watched as Edward began to lie with effortless grace.
"Actually Sir, my Dad dropped me off on the way to the hospital. I just came over to talk to Bella about a project we're supposed to work on together for our Social Studies class; if she's still willing to be my partner?" Edward threw a smile over her father's shoulder, and Bella found herself with just a fraction of a moment to make a decision. Looking back over at Embry who was seething in his russet skin, she decided that maybe it really did make sense to go with the Devil you knew.
"I just need a word with Embry."
She could almost hear Charlie open his mouth to protest, but she was already stepping towards the edge of the lawn, nodding at Embry to follow. Keeping her focus on only him, she chose her words carefully.
"Unless you've got something better to offer me, I'm going to take Edward up on his." Bella sighed, wishing it hadn't come to this because if she was honest, she thought the Cullens were downright creepy, Edward especially.
Running a heavy hand through his hair, Bella watched as Embry looked back over his shoulder into the darkness, searching for unknown answers.
"Give me an hour, Bells. I can't…" He sighed, looking lost. "I can't tell you anything without permission." Embry finally admitted, his eyes shamed with the truth.
"Who Emb? Who do you need permission from?" Bella begged, reaching out and pulling his hand back from where it was about to twist back through his short hair with what she thought was just a little too much force. He didn't stop her gentle touch this time and when she looked deep in his eyes, she couldn't help the thought that she was watching her friend break in half.
"Please Bells, just an hour? Just, whatever you do, don't talk to Cullen… send him home? Please?" His big brown eyes pleaded with her, and she found her resolve fade away.
"Fine Emb, one hour." She wasn't expecting him to touch her at all, so when he pulled her into an all-consuming embrace, she found herself gasping in surprise at the sheer warmth of him. Stepping away, he didn't look at her again, he simply faded into the greenery and until she convinced herself she could see him no longer, she watched him go.
"Bella?" Called an irate father and she lingered for just a moment longer, collecting herself and the lie she was about to tell. Her feet were slow to cross the lawn and when she lifted her head to look into two pairs of eyes, she wasn't surprised to find one full of anger and the other defeat.
"I'm really sorry Edward, but could we work on that project some other day? I'm just not feeling too well right now." He nodded firmly once, before he turned and walked away, all without saying a word.
"What was that about?" Charlie asked as she walked back into the house, the weight of the day pressing down on her shoulders.
"I don't actually know." She said quietly, adding a little shrug even though it was probably unnecessary.
a/n: It's a post and run... so I'll be brief with a big thanks to my beta Twiticulate, mwah to all you readers... and I'll see you all again on Sunday...x