Embry's POV

For as long as I can remember, I had always had a crush on Leah Clearwater. She used to be a sweet kid, back in primary school. When all the kids picked on me for not having a father, Leah and her best friend Rachel Black, would always yell at them, and take me away from whoever made fun of me. They were four years older than me, so when you're six years old, and you had two older girls hanging off your arms, you felt pretty cool. Come to think of it, no matter how old you are, it's still cool to have a pair of chicks hanging off your arms…

When I found out that Leah had phased, I was excited. It meant that I'd be able to worm my way into her life, and there was a possibility of us becoming more than friends. I knew that she barely spoke to anyone but her brother, Seth, but I was determined to change that. I understood that she went through a rough break up with our Alpha, Sam, and having to take orders from him would have to be the biggest pain in the ass.

I remember Sam trying to get her to stay with him and his imprint, Emily, but she refused, and said she'd rather stay at mine, or Jared's. Jared and his imprint Kim were going on a date out of town, and would later be going back to his place, for only God knows what, so he was hoping that she'd decide to crash at mine. I felt like an excited puppy when she said she'd stay at mine to give Kim and Jared some privacy, and plans were immediately made.

When I got to the Clearwater residence, nobody was home, so I started packing a duffel bag full of clothes for Leah. I went into the bathroom to grab a few more things of Leah's, but the overwhelming uncertainty of what she would need, and what she wouldn't mind me touching seemed to scream louder than the urge to sweep her off her feet, and teleport to my place, so I turned around and padded back into her room. I was just about to grab some more clothes when I heard a noise that would've been unnoticeable to a human. I walked over to Leah's open window, only to have her run smack into my chest. She stared at me, and I stared right back. Then her gaze drifted from my eyes, and she wasn't even trying to hide the fact that she was checking me out. I fought back the urge to smirk and wink, but I knew she wouldn't appreciate that, so instead, I just smiled like I didn't see anything, and helped her pack more clothes.

At first she didn't understand why she needed so many outfits, but I explained that she'd rather have this much than not enough, and she'd have to wear my mother's clothes, that looked close to the types of things people wore in the 1920's. I saw her face scrunch up ever so slightly at the thought of wearing my mother's clothes, and it looked so cute, I just wanted to kiss her nose and hold her close. But she wouldn't allow that.

She announced that she was going to shower before we left, as she grabbed a pair of tiny shorts and a black singlet. I strolled over to her bed, and took a seat, while I waited. I heard the shower turn on, and the dropping of clothing. After what felt like forever, I heard the water shut off, as Leah made her way out of the shower. I felt like a creeper, listening to her shower, but to be honest, I listened to make sure that she was okay. I heard the noise of something being picked up. It was silent for a few seconds before I heard what sounded like a pair of scissors. I stood abruptly, but I didn't hear the second noise that should have accompanied it, until a few minutes later. And finally, I heard the clunk of what I assumed was Leah placing the scissors on the vanity. The door opened, and my nostrils were immediately assaulted with the fresh smell of Leah.

I grabbed her things and jumped from the window, silently landing on the balls of my feet. I heard Leah sigh, and I looked up to see if she was coming. To my surprise, she dove out of her window with her eyes closed. She was going to face plant the dirt if I didn't catch her. As she got closer, I opened my arms, and caught her with ease. She smiled sheepishly at me, and I couldn't help the grin that wormed its way to the surface. I laughed and shook my head before we made our way back to my house.

I had to resist the urge to throw my arm over her shoulder and claim her as my own, but she wasn't mine to claim. She would make her own decisions, and soon after the vamp problem was over, she would leave La Push, and I would never see her again.

Everybody knew that Leah wanted to get out of this small town, and that her father was the only thing that held her here. Now that he was gone, it was just the pack, and that would soon be over. I just wished that I could have imprinted on her. Maybe then, I would see her after the Cullen's left. We might be friends, or siblings, or even lovers. But I didn't care about all that. All I cared about was that in this moment, she was letting her guard down – letting me see what kind of person she was underneath the bitchy exterior – and that was when I realised I was in love with Leah Clearwater.

In the four years that have passed since Leah first phased, my feelings never changed. She was the woman for me. And after the Cullen's had left Forks, with Jacob, Nessie and Bella, Leah still stayed. Her mother moved in with Charlie Swan, Bella's father, and left the house for her and Seth.

Seth, however, had imprinted on a girl from the Makah reservation, and the couple were buying a house somewhere in Forks. This left Leah alone in the house, so I offered to keep her company. The most surprising thing about her response was not that she didn't make a smart ass remark, or shove me, or say something that would no doubt hurt me. But that she asked me to move in with her. I couldn't have said 'yes' fast enough, which made her smile, and her eyes shine. And I couldn't help feel that this was how we were meant to be.

That is, until the most unfortunate event in the whole universe, decided to take place outside the Clearwater residence.

Author's Note;

so, yeaah. read, review, do your thing. I don't really mind. it'd be cool if you let me know what you think though.

Rachel :3