Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight whatsoever, or its original characters. The only thing that I own is my own invention of characters and their background. So please don't sue me Stephanie Meyer. I don't have any money anyway lol. :-)
"In a spirit of hope and new beginnings,
we linked arms like a couple of kids.
Pushing aside sad thoughts,
we strode off into our future."
― A.B. Shepherd, Lifeboat
+New Town, New People+
June 23rd, 2008…Monday
Amber's P.O.V
With a long sigh, I wiggled in the driver's seat of my car; trying to alleviate the terrible ache of sitting in one place for far too long. It wouldn't have been so awful if we'd just gotten Taylor to agree to stop more often on the way to Washington, but she was just so adamant about getting there in record time. Therefore, barely any rest stops and a million cups of coffee later, I found myself passing by a little sign that read in dark, bold letters, 'Welcome to Forks.'
Forks?
'Really? Who names a town after a utensil,' I thought with my sleep-deprived mind.
"Okay," my cousin spoke, with his irritating tone, "Who in their right mind would name a town after something you eat with?"
See! I wasn't the only one who had those thoughts.
With a quiet chuckle, I reached over to flip on the heater in the car. Ever since we'd gotten to Seattle it felt as if the temperature had dropped dramatically, and the rain came almost in endless monsoons. I was already beginning to miss those beautiful Smokey Mountains, of Gatlinburg, and the beautiful rays that just seemed to bless wonderful Ol' Tennessee.
Mom and Aunt Pat had been very reluctant at first about letting us go, and when I mean 'reluctant,' I mean a downright 'bitch off,' as my cousin had so well put it at the time. Aunt Pat hadn't been too sure of the idea, but she thought it would be good for us nonetheless, whereas Mom had practically ripped my head off at the mere mention of the subject. I guess she had become 'mildly,' protective of me since the accident.
I could never forget the moment I'd told them.
Aunt Pat and Mom just sat there at the dinner table frozen, while Gran and Uncle Butch took that as their cue to leave. Hunter, trying to make a quick escape as well, was halted by my mother's cold icy glare. With a sigh he had plopped back into the hardwood chair to face her wrath as well.
"I don't think so…" "It's a wonderful idea…"
Hunter and I glanced between one another at our parents comments, knowing the inevitable was about to happen.
"Pat, really? They're too young to be going off on their own like this. I mean, look at your son! He's only sixteen-years-old! Imagine the trouble he'll get himself into, and Amber…she's just recovering from the accident," Mom exclaimed furiously, looking over at her sister.
"Oh hell, Anne! It's not like we didn't do stuff like this when we were their age. If we were old enough to go off on our own at that age, then what's to stop them? Anyway, I trust my son. I mean he can be a bit of an idiot at times, but he knows better. Besides, if Taylor and Amber are looking after him then I'll have no worries. As for your daughter… she needs this time away, sis. Staying here is killing her if you haven't noticed. Everywhere she looks she's gonna see him. At least with a new environment, free of his reminders, she'll recover much faster," Pat snapped back, as she took a sip of her drink.
"I don't care! Three teenagers, halfway across the country, on their own; it's not a good combination! Damn it, we would know…"
"Mom, I'm almost eighteen-years-old if you haven't noticed! I'm a freaking high-school graduate for God's sake! Eventually I will be leaving the nest, and what better way to get a taste for real life than this. Besides, it's not like I need you to give me the money to do it. I've been saving up from my job, and Dad sent me a pretty hefty check for graduation. Not to mention, I've babysat Hunter for how long now? I can get along on my own…"
"Kinda like how you did the night of graduation," my mother screeched, but the air seemed to halt at her words. No one breathed a word. Even as I felt those all too familiar tears begin to build in my eyes, and the undeniable fury raging inside of me that went along with it.
How dare she!
She knew that mentioning that would upset me more than anything, and here she sat throwing it in my face. Damn it, I made one stupid mistake. The worst I'd done in my life was cheat on a couple of guys, and a few other nameless events that weren't worth mentioning. She had no right to talk either. It's not like she hadn't pulled a few stunts herself.
Shall I mention her car wreck, as well? The one that nearly completely deformed her once perfect super-model body, and resulted in the other driver's death!
No, I wouldn't…but I sure as hell wish I had the heartless attitude she did, so that I could.
"I don't care what you think, mother! I'm going. Taylor's mom will give you the details…"
"No you will not!"
"Oh yes they will," cried my aunt, as she got to her feet. Staring down her long, straight nose at my mother she hissed, "We made some bad choices Anne. I'm even a living example of one, but it's through those bad choices we learned. Now it's time to let our children learn, so…Hunter you have my approval."
"Well Amberlynn does not," my mother cried, getting to her feet as well.
"Oh yes she does, Annabel," came my Gran's high pitched screech from behind us all.
We all turned in surprise to find my grandmother hobbling her way into the war zone, with a determined face.
"Now, if I remember correctly, I let you move all the way across the country to live by yourself in Florida during the time we stayed in Indiana. Even though I knew you weren't such an innocent young girl yourself. Now, it's time for you to put some trust in your own daughter as well. Lynnie is a good girl, with a good heart, and it's true she's made a mistake here lately. Heck, don't we all? However, now is the time for her to get away, and recover from this mistake; proving to you she's not just the 'screw-up,' you're making her out to be," Gran blazed, with strong, intimidating eyes sweeping across the room.
After her speech, you could have sworn you'd hear a pen drop the next county over. Everyone's emotions were running on high, as we all sat there huffing and puffing like we were the big, bad, scary wolf from The Three Little Pigs fable. It was almost as if any minute the house would come crumbling down all around us; like it were made of stick or hay, instead of brick. All any of us wanted to do was lash out at one other.
"Man, this bitch-off is getting good," Hunter laughed from where he still sat at the dinner-table munching on his buttered roll.
Four loud smacks could be heard almost instantly, as well as Hunter's loud, "OWWW! WHAT DID I SAY?"
Then, it was like the tension had been instantly diffused. With a great long sigh, my mother spoke, "If this is what you really think you need, Amberlynn, then fine. However, don't come crying to me when it all goes downhill." With those last few words, she exited the room; ultimately leaving the current occupants to stare at her in slight sympathy.
So, after that incident, I had begun packing, while arranging things with Taylor and her mother. Within a matter of no time, I had all my stuff loaded up in one large moving van along with Hunter's pile of junk. He had complained about having little to no space to fill it in after I'd placed my motorcycle inside, but we managed to compromise when I offered him the car whenever he needed it. It about killed me to do it though, but I most certainly was not about to leave behind my other baby to my evil mother. There was honestly no telling what she'd do with it if I hadn't of taken it.
'No doubt given it to her slimy boyfriend,' I suspected, while switching the stations on the radio. Catching a glimpse of myself in the rear-view mirror, I gave a slight grimace. There, still nestled deeply into my skin, was the forming of a new scar; marring my once almost flawless complexion. Well, not completely flawless I guess. Minus a few blemishes that remained from whatever minor pimples I'd had in the past, it seemed almost flawless to me at least.
Anyways, the mere glimpse of the scar still brought tears to my eyes, and not because I was just some stupid egotistical freak. No, this scar was more of a reminder of what I had lost, and why I had it. This was a mark I could have easily lived without seeing on a daily basis; which I'll be doing till the day that I die now.
Before we had left my home-town, I'd gone to one last doctor's appointment to get the stitches removed. I had hoped and prayed that under all that gauze that the mark had magically disappeared, but my hopes had been dashed when the nurse told me I was going to forever live with this scar. No amount of scar-removal cream, or vitamin E oil would help it.
HOOOOOONK!
"DAMN IT, LYNNIE! WATCH THE ROAD! NOT YOUR FACE," cried Hunter, with his hand firmly on the wheel. Frowning, at both the name and the wreck I had almost caused, I whispered a guilty, "Sorry."
"Sheesh, Lynn. I'd like to make it there in one piece," Hunter mumbled, as he calmly let go of the wheel.
Leaning back into the passenger seat, he asked, "How much further do we have to go anyway?"
"Not much further. We're supposed to be meeting Taylor's parents and our landlords at the house, so don't get to cozy there," I grumbled, as my previous sleep deprivation crawled its way back into my being.
"Uggh, can't we just pass out for a little while before having to deal with them?"
"Hmph, if you want to pass out at all we'll need the key to the place first; which they have by the way," I said smugly.
"But we haven't really slept since we left! Can't they just give us a break," Hunter groaned, beating his head against the seat.
"Apparently not," I replied with a shake of my head, "They're just going to be there to oversee us moving in, give us the key, and the few rules they have set for us living there. It's not much, Hunts."
"Okay, please tell me you did not just call me by a name that's a brand of ketchup?"
"Payback is a bitch, dear cousin. Next time, don't call me Lynn or Lynnie."
"But you let my mom and Gran," he whined, as we came up upon the tiny town of Forks.
Stopping at a red light, I turned to look at him with narrowed eyes, "That's because your mom can beat me senseless, and Gran is an exception because she's old. They've earned their right to name me that."
"Fine, whatever, just please don't nickname me after a ketchup again," he grumbled, before muttering loud enough for me to hear, "Green light."
Turning my eyes back ahead of me, I realized there were cars already honking behind me to go. Growling, I punched the gas.
"SHIT! WATCH YOUR SPEED," Hunter yelled angrily.
"I'm not going that fast," I said with a roll of my eyes.
"Could have fooled me!"
"Oh, would you just shut it already."
"I don't know about you, but I would like to live!"
"Honestly Hunter, the worst thing that could happen is me getting stopped by a cop," I snorted, but the serious look on my cousin's face said it all. He knew better, and I'd be damned before I could honestly fool myself. There are worst things that could happen.
My accident was a living example…
… Jake was an example.
I still can't seem to fathom his death, or for that matter how he'd been the one driving. I mean, the whole memory of that night was still fuzzy. I couldn't honestly tell you what we were fighting about either; just that we had been fighting.
Maybe it had been over him disappearing for about a year, or him running back to Noelle after he'd promised he would stay with me that time? Who really knows what it was about? All I do know is that I was drunk that night, and the bump to my head had messed with my memories from what I could assume. So bad apparently, that what I did remember had been some sort of fantasy that I had cooked up in my mind during the coma.
Why would I be driving if I was drunk? For that matter what would force me behind the wheel of the car? I wasn't that stupid, even if I was drunk. Maybe I had been driven to do it… maybe the argument had been that bad…NO! I wasn't going to think about this.
Jake had been driving that night, and it was Jake who'd drowned.
Not me.
… so then why did I feel this sort of survivor's guilt?
Like I could have done something?
"You okay?"
I glanced over at my cousin who still sat twiddling his thumbs in the passenger's seat. Forcing a smile, that I'm sure looked more like a grimace, I gave him a timid nod of my head. He didn't need to know what was going on inside my mind…let alone a therapist.
"I think this is the road that leads up to the house," I muttered, as I noticed Taylor's car slowing down up ahead.
My assumptions were only confirmed when she put on her turn signal, and proceed to turn down the half-hidden drive. Following her lead, I realized further on down the road that the place seemed pretty remote. I noted that there was only one other house along the way before at least one mile down we finally arrived at our own as we passed by a pair of stone columns, and bar wood fencing.
"Shoot, Tay wasn't kidding when she said this place was amazing," my cousin laughed, as we finally pulled up the long driveway to park beside the path that lead up to the two story English cottage; which by the way was also complete with a beautiful wide variety garden out front. The place was just so… welcoming. It was the kind of place you'd see in a 'Better Homes & Gardens' magazine.
Even though it was painted with this almost pearly gray texture, with partial stone sidings… well, it didn't really seem all that dull what with all different varieties of flowers surrounding it bringing it to life. I mean, even the yard was so lush and green. However, that was probably from all the rain, and whatever maintenance they'd probably done on it before we'd gotten here. I bet the yard turns into mud by the end of the week though.
"It is a nice place," I replied casually, as I shut off the engine to my car, "However, do Taylor's parents really think we can afford it?"
"Well, Jimmy said he did already secure me a job with some local construction company that's been building houses on the Indian reservation lately. I mean, it's not exactly much, but it'll bring in the money every other week. Plus, Tay already had her old position transferred here to another center. The only one that's left jobless, so far, is you. Though, I don't think you'll have too much trouble finding one. I mean, you did work in that office job for the local career center this past year. Not to mention the side job you had with me at our town's grocery store," Hunter answered optimistically. With a roll of my eyes, I couldn't help but to think that this boy might need a taste of the real world. It wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. Once again, I might be stupid, but I did take a moment to realize my situation. Living out here, on our own for two months, was going to be hard; I'd better hop to looking for a job tomorrow if we're going to remain stable. We couldn't rely on Taylor's parents for everything; let alone mine.
"Come on, it looks like Tay's folks are already here with the landlords," I urged, as I got out of my Legacy. Hunter soon followed, as he continued to admire the home.
"TAYLOR, AMBER, HUNTER," cried my friend's mother, as she ran to engulf all three of us in a hug. She was practically our second mother. Whatever we needed, whether it was a stern hand, or a friend, she was sure to be there for us. I was glad when she'd stood her ground against my mother's interrogation about this place. If my mom had sniffed out any trouble, I would still probably be lounging around my bedroom back in Gatlinburg right about now, instead of admiring this place.
"Oh how are you doing, sweethearts? I was so worried about you three driving up here on your own. I'm just glad Jimmy got Taylor that GPS system. That's a blessing in disguise I'm sure," Taylor's mother, Charlotte, gushed while looking all of us over for any new developments. Charlotte was of course a doctor, so she'd often pick at anything unusual in our health if she noticed. I once sprained my ankle real bad once upon a time, and she had about had a heart attack. Before I could think straight, she'd immediately gone into nurse mode; checking to make sure it really wasn't broken. Oh, and if you had a fever, then it was like Armageddon to her. According to her beliefs, if you had a fever, no matter how small, then you were sick no matter how hard you tried to convince her you were fine.
However, Charlotte wasn't as bad as I know I'm making her out to be. She did give the three of us our independence, though she made sure to check up regularly to be on the safe side. Yet the best thing about Char was the fact that you can talk to her about anything, and she wouldn't judge; and I do mean everything. I mean, she was the third person to know when I had become sexually active. Though, she had been a little eccentric when she'd gone and given me all these 'safe sex,' books to look at. To say it was a little embarrassing when my mom caught me with one wouldn't even cover how I felt. I was mortified!
"Yes, Tay's GPS was a blessing, but it would have been nicer if she'd let us rent a hotel for just one night so that we could rest. That ride up here was absolutely grueling. I've never drank so much coffee within my entire life," I laughed, as Taylor gave me her evil stink eye.
"Oh shut it. We got here didn't we," she said, with a wave of her hand as if she were simply dismissing my comment like she would a mere fly.
"That you did," Charlotte smiled, before turning to me once again, "I see they took the stitches out finally. So, how's the cut healing?"
I blanched for a moment. I knew she'd bring it up, but I really wished she hadn't. Choppy memories from that night exploded in my mind, and I felt my eyes burn slightly. However, I sucked up my emotions the best I could, and answered, "Its healing fine. The doctor said it'll scar, and they can't do anything for it really, but it'll heal alright."
"Well, let's let it be a lesson to whom we jump into the car with next…"
"Mother!"
"Taylor, I'm just saying…"
"Charlotte, stop berating the poor girl. It was an accident. I'm sure it couldn't really have been avoided," Jimmy, Charlotte's husband, spoke up as he decided to finally intervene.
"Yes, your right. I guess it really couldn't be avoided. I mean… that poor boy…he barely… if it had been one of you, I don't even want to begin to imagine…"
"We know, mom," Taylor cooed, as she placed a comforting hand upon her mother's arm. Smiling at her daughter, she patted her cheek lovingly.
Finally the silence was broken when Jimmy decided to speak up, "Well, who's ready to see this place, and get moved in?"
"ME!"
Laughing at Hunter's spontaneous hyper attitude, we all made our way toward the landlords; who'd apparently been waiting patiently on the porch swing all this time.
"So, are these the three you spoke to us about," came a woman's silky bell-like tone, as she hung onto her husband's arm very lovingly.
"Yes, these would be the three little rascals. They may look sweet, but don't let them fool ya," Jimmy laughed, as he brought us forward to meet the couple.
"Taylor, Amber, Hunter, I'd like you to meet Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. They'll be your new landlords."
"Hi," we all said in unison. However, my eyes were still trained on the wooden planks of the porch as I carefully maneuvered around Hunter to get a better look. When I finally did look up though…it was like I was staring into a ghost's eyes.
Those beautiful cat-like, amber eyes that had once held so much mirth and life…had simply changed. Changed to these pair of stone cold, sad-like orbs that stared back at me with such immeasurable guilt. Though, what really struck me the most about his eyes was they're color. What once had seemed so dull in hue, now glowed with a golden brilliance, and yet with such a very dark maroon-undertone around his pupils.
"W-what…you look different," I managed to get out finally, as he scowled.
"Amber? Amber, are you alright dear," Charlotte asked, bringing me out of my daze.
"Amber," I whispered lowly underneath my breath. I couldn't help, but be slightly shocked. I mean, I know Jake wasn't the only one out there with these golden-like eyes, but theirs just seemed so similar to his the night of the accident. Shaking my head slightly, I spoke, "Sorry, it's just your eyes remind me of a friend who passed away very recently."
Smiling, the man replied, "That's quite alright, and we're really sorry for your loss."
"Thank you," I murmured, as my eyes danced over to my cousin. Seeing my pleading look for him to save the day, he announced easily unabashed, "No offence, but I'm beat. So the sooner we get the key, the sooner I can pass out on the floor."
Taylor reached over, and elbowed him in the side harshly, "Not if you want to live you won't. We still have to unpack the moving truck, and I'm not about to let you skip out on us either. You do still remember Amber has that metal baseball bat in her car, right?"
"Amber, why do you even carry that thing around," Hunter whined, as his eyes shifted back to meet mine.
"For lazy asses, such as yourself," I replied proudly, "Besides, you're a man; you'll live through the pain. Unless you want to confess that Aunt Pat has been lying about your gender to all of us."
"I'm 100% man, thank you very much!"
"More like half in my opinion the way you whine," Taylor mumbled, earning a laugh from our new landlords.
"Now I see what you mean about them, Jimmy. They are quite a riot," Dr. Cullen chuckled, as he stood up with his wife. The way they moved seemed so graceful. I couldn't deny that I was slightly jealous of they're perfect balance either.
I guess you could call me somewhat of a semi-klutz. It's not like I got into accidents all the time, but I was far from graceful, or well-balanced.
Noticing Dr. Cullen reaching into his pocket, I turned my attention back to the matter at hand.
"We made sure to have seven keys made; Three for the group of you, one for us, and another for Jimmy and Charlotte. Also, for a just in case measure, we made one to keep hidden outside somewhere for an emergency," Mrs. Cullen explained, as her husband handed me the four keys. Thanking him, I passed the other two on to Hunter and Taylor.
"Thank you," Taylor smiled at them, before Mrs. Cullen went on to say, "Now here are the house rules. I know at least two of you are still underage at the moment, so we will be checking in regularly, and reporting back to Jimmy and Charlotte. Also, under no circumstances, are you to have any wild parties while living here. We do allow pets, as long as you make sure to watch after them. If any damages are made to the house we'd like to know, and we'll either be sure to up you're rent that month; so that we can have them fixed. However, if you do decide to fix them yourselves, we'd still like to know so that we can oversee that the maintenance is being done correctly."
Nodding along to her requests, she went on to say, "As for the garden around the house, and in the back; we don't expect you to keep it up. If you don't want to, then we'll be sure to send over someone that will. However, if you do decided to work in it yourself, we don't mind as long as you don't tear it apart. So, now that I've covered everything, is there anything else you'd like to know?"
Looking between one another, I noticed the one unanswered question that no one was willing to ask. So, taking a deep breath and putting on a strong face, I asked, "How much is the rent, and where will we have to send it to pay every month?"
"The rent will be $700 a month, but as your guardians have already explained to us; you'll only be paying two thirds of that, since they'll be paying the other one third for you. I assume you all will be splitting the other $466.67 equally, am I correct," she asked, as her bright amber eyes roamed over the three of us. We all gave a nod, but I replied truthfully, "I have enough to last me the first month until I find a job, though."
Mrs. Cullen smiled gently, as she explained, "No worries, sweetie. If you need any help finding a place around here to work, then let us know. Carlisle here knows plenty of businesses that'd be dying for another helping hand."
I couldn't help it as my eyes widened ever so slightly. This woman… she was just so… nice. I mean, I had met a lot of nice people in my life, but none that were complete strangers to me!
"Um, thanks…a lot," I beamed, rubbing the back of my neck.
She just gave a nod, before continuing on with her answer to my earlier question, "As for how we'll receive the payment, you can simply mail it to us if you want. Although, we do live not to far from here. So, if you'd like, you can just drop it off into our mailbox, or you can simply bring it by our house. I can guarantee one of our children will be home to receive it at any time of the day. If you have any problems other than that, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Giggling, the three of us shook our heads.
Carlisle gave a smile, before finally adding, "And don't feel intimidated to call us if you need any help, or if there's any trouble. We're not ones to act like strangers around here, so you can just swing on by the house any time of the day if there's something wrong. Like Esme mentioned, there will always be someone at our home to relay the message."
"Thanks, once again, for being so nice. I don't think I could have found a better place, or landlords, for these three. I think I can rest assured knowing that they really are in safe hands," Charlotte insisted while placing her hands upon mine and Taylor's shoulders in a motherly manner.
"Oh, it's no problem. We were actually getting ready to just sell this place when you called. If it hadn't of been for our daughter tipping you off, I can't even imagine how I would feel losing such a beautiful piece of land. We, in the beginning, had this home built for a couple of our friends residing in Alaska. They wanted to move down here, and reconnect with us, so we went along with it. However, at the last minute they received a new edition to their family, and found that they couldn't leave their current place. It was upsetting, but it's nice to know now that someone will at least be getting some use out of it. I'd hate to just see this place go to waste sitting here for months until someone bought it off the market," Esme beamed, as her eyes ghosted over the scenery.
"It is really remarkable. Almost like a dream," I replied, looking at the flowers planted alongside the home, and the two, tiny, waterfall fountains flowing on each side of the grey, wooden steps leading up to the porch.
Esme turned and gave me a bright smile, before asking, "So, are you ready to see what the inside looks like firsthand. I know those photos Charlotte here sent you don't even do this place justice."
"If it means I get to go to sleep sooner, then I'm all in," Hunter chimed, as he rushed to the front door.
"And I'll say this now before he offends anyone, I apologize for my cousin's stupidity," I chuckled, as the god-like woman finally detached herself from her husband, and came to lead Taylor and I toward the front door.
Pulling out a key from within her clutch bag, she brought it to the lock upon the door. Gliding it into the silver knob, she gave one twist, and a gentle shove upon the white glass door.
Carefully we walked in behind her, only to stop frozen in our tracks as we took in the enchanting sight before us.
Everywhere we looked there was dark, chestnut wood covering the entire expanse of the foyer and even the staircase that lead up to the top floor. However, we weren't exactly expecting the foyer, for that matter, to be almost two stories high as we gazed in awe at the wooden beams, and cream colored ceiling. I felt more like I was walking into a mansion, and not some simple English cottage. Though, I guess I should have expected from the beautifully framed, foggy glass door, that this was no ordinary cottage.
"As you can see, this house was built to be quite spacious. We wanted people to be able to move around, and not feel quite so cramped inside," Esme explained, as she swept her arm across the room.
"Wow," was all Hunter could manage, as he too stared in disbelief at our temporary home.
"To your right you'll find a very lovely living room, complete with a wall to wall, floor to ceiling masonry brick fireplace. We recently had some hardwood flooring installed as well, instead of that horrible white carpet it once held. I shudder to think how many stains it would have picked up," Esme chuckled, as her voice seemed to almost mimic the sound of heavenly bells.
Looking into the expansive living room, I noticed it too held the same chestnut wooden beams, and cream colored ceilings. However, instead of the wooden walls the foyer had, this room was painted a beautiful light creamy green; also accompanied by two walls that were covered in stone. It seemed to have this almost calming touch to it that made your whole being just relax. Whoever had designed this home was an amazing architect; especially since I finally took notice of the built in library shelves to my right. I knew for sure that Taylor and I would be using that part of the room within no time. We had loads of books that we'd brought with us, and no doubt we'd be buying many more over the coming weeks.
Esme escorted us back into the foyer, and across the hall to yet another open room. Inside this room we found a trio of diamond paned windows overlooking the front yard in all its magnitude. The light they let in just seemed to brighten up the floral wall paper even more, as it almost brought this sort of vibrant life to the rich chestnut wainscoting coating.
"This is to be the formal dining room. Currently we are having a furniture store ship a few items here for this place. We knew you three wouldn't have much to furnish the downstairs rooms, so we thought we'd help out with whatever we could. However, just know that anything you damage…"
"…must be paid for," Taylor finished for her, as she walked over to the windows to look out across the yard. From the look on her face, I could easily tell she was overwhelmed. I mean, who wouldn't be? This place was fit for a queen almost. How her parents had landed this house, seemed to be a miracle in all three of our eyes?
"Yes, you are correct," Carlisle said, speaking for the first time since we'd walked into the cottage. Esme smiled up at her husband charmingly, and gave him a sweet kiss upon the cheek.
This couple would be the perfect poster group for a husband and wife. It was almost sickeningly sweet the way they reacted to each others touches, and movements. Almost as if every move was specially choreographed to fit one another perfectly.
Esme gave us a moment longer to look around the room, before she grew impatient. Motioning for us to continue following her we headed to our right, from where we entered, to find a very spacious kitchen glowing under the beams of an array of overhead lamps hanging precariously from the ceiling. From what I could see in one glance, it had double ovens and an astonishing brick work around the cooking area; complete with a unique archway over the gas hood top. Here the tiled countertops were set off by wooden cabinetry that was also laid out throughout the large workspace.
I just knew Taylor would be in here more often than me. She was the cooker out of the three of us, so this just probably made her day as she eyed the room greedily.
"Please tell me you're not already turning those mental pages of your cookbook, in that head of yours," I sniggered, before she gave me a pointed look; not just any look though. No, this was the look she gave when she meant business. The look that stated she'd have her way no matter the cost.
I guess I was going to be using this room sparingly; especially since I burn anything that isn't microwavable, or some kind of easy to make desert. Then again, even then those things tend to come out a little charred as well.
"The door to your right will lead you on out to the foyer again, but the door ahead of us will bring you to the sunroom/breakfast room. It's for those rare days here in Forks that you actually see the sun," Carlisle joked humorously, as he motioned for us to take a look inside.
"Dude, seriously, what is up with these monsoons? Does it ever stop raining here in Washington, or is this state just preparing for the next Great Flood," Hunter teased, as he glanced out at the cloudy overcastted sky from the sunroom.
"Eh, I think this might be one of the few towns that remain wet throughout the whole year. It's not that bad once you get used to it, but it does make you appreciate the sun when it actually does decide to make its rare appearances," the elder blonde smiled. Then again, I couldn't really call him 'elder.' He looked as if he were barely over twenty-five.
Which brought up this question...
How could they have 'kids', let alone old enough to be on their own, or talking to strangers for that matter?
Shaking the ill thoughts from my head, I turned back to find the group already exiting the room, and heading back out to the foyer. We crossed the hall, back to the other side of the room we had went to when we first entered the home. Yet, instead of going back into the living room, Esme opened another door a few feet down. Pointing inside she announced, "This here could be considered the 'Study,' but in reality it's just a less formal living room. We were actually thinking of turning it into an office, but didn't have time to start it."
I looked inside to find a much smaller room compared to any of the other rooms I'd seen so far. It seemed cozy, and let in just enough light from the large bay windows for a good place to come and read. It too had the same sort of ceiling the rest of the cottage had, but instead of the creamy light green, or floral print wall paper, this room was designed in a beautiful light blue; like the sky midday back in good Ol' Tennessee. Now this... this would be my room to come to and relax
"Uh oh, I've seen that look on her face before. She's just fallen in love," Taylor giggled, as she took in my reaction to the room.
"I think I call dibs on this room. You can have the kitchen, and I'll have my own slice of heaven," I breathed, as I traced my hand over the beautiful baby blue walls.
"That's no fair! I haven't even called dibs on a room yet, and you two already have," Hunter scoffed irritably.
"You can have the dinning room. God only knows you like to eat like a pig," Taylor chimed with a sing-song voice.
"Only if you cook it right, like all women should," Hunter grumbled under his breath, but we heard him.
SMACK!
"Ow, I didn't say a word!"
"Oh yes you did, and be sure to know that you're mother will be hearing about that young man," Charlotte scolded, as our two landlords chuckled.
"Son, I've learned to just keep my mouth shut over the years. It will save you from a lot of pain," Carlisle inquired, as my cousin continued to mutter obscenities under his breath. Maybe it was time to let him have his nap now. Lord only knows how much crankier he'll get.
'Just like a child,' I thought, with a crooked grin.
"Alright, who's ready to see the top floor," Esme asked with a big grin. Smiling, we all followed her on out of the room. About halfway to the staircase she stopped though.
"Oh, and before I forget to mention it, there's a bathroom for guests behind that door over there," she informed us, as she motioned to the door a couple of feet down from my, 'Heavenly Room.'
"Good, because I've needed one since four hours ago," Hunter piped up, as he sprinted away from our group. Next thing we hear is a door slamming before a very audible, "Thank God," is echoed throughout the house.
Giggling, we all shook our heads, and proceeded on up the staircase without my half-brained cousin.
As we reached the top flight of the stairs, I couldn't help the slight fear that overcame me when I noticed just exactly how high up we were. It wasn't particularly easy either denying my fear of heights to everyone as I glanced over the side of the banister.
"Are you okay, sweet heart," Charlotte asked carefully, as she placed her arm around me.
"Um, I'm fine. I'm just not a big fan of heights, remember" I laughed nervously.
Ever since I could remember I had always had this particular fear of heights. I guess it had been somewhat brought on by this one incident I had when I was merely a child.
Mom and Dad had bought me a new swing-set when I was only five-years-old. One day, they'd left me to play out in the yard on it by myself, so that they could finish 'cooking' dinner inside. Mom said her eyes had only left the window for a couple of minutes, and when she'd turned back around she had seen me; hanging by only my snared pants leg high up on the slide, as some dog kept trying to attack me. I still swore till this day it'd been longer than just a 'few minutes.'
Anyway, from what I could remember about the incident, I'd been trying to run from our neighbor's half-wolf, Roxie, who'd gotten loose that day. In my attempt to escape her, I'd fallen from the top of the slide and caught my pants leg on a nail. So there I hung, trying my best to stay away from Roxie's snapping jaws as she kept jumping up to try and tear me down. It might not seem like such a frightening thing when you explain it, but when you go through something like that…well it's quite traumatizing; especially for a five-year-old girl. Till this day I'm still petrified of wolves and heights in general.
"Don't worry, the railing is high and sturdy enough to not cause a fall," Carlisle said reassuringly, as he too placed a comforting hand upon my shoulder. I jumped slightly from the icy touch, as he sent me an apologetic look. He probably thought I'd jumped from the mere coldness of his hand, but it was more so the familiarity of it.
I threw down my cigarette, and stomped out the last of its embers. Turning on my heel, I went to walk away, when I felt his hand clasp around mine, bringing with it a temperature I'd never known a human to have; cold, like ice. Yet, what shocked me is that when I went to rip my hand away from his, it didn't even budge. I'd always managed to escape his grips before.
"Let go," I hissed, but he shook his head. Stepping nearer to me, until our bodies came close to touching, he leaned down to whisper in my ear, "I never stopped loving you, Amber."
"Sorry, cold doctor hands," he laughed, but there was a slight edge to his voice that I'd managed to catch.
"No worries," I said with a forced smile; hoping that these reoccurring memories would stop flashing across my mind soon. Maybe with some hope, it was the medicine the therapist had prescribed doing this to me.
After the wreck, the doctors had ordered me to see a shrink, and it had helped for the first two visits until I'd decided to come here. Now, the only thing my therapist could do is send me monthly prescriptions to get me through the day without having a mental breakdown.
"To the left side of the top floor is two of the three bedrooms," Esme spoke, as she led us towards the first door. Pushing it open, Taylor followed her inside, and immediately screamed, "MINE!"
I gave a laugh, as I walked in to find a room with one whole wall made of foggy diamond paned windows. There was also a door in the middle, which I assumed led out to a balcony from the looks of it.
"This room was designed to be the master bedroom, if you haven't already been able to tell," Esme laughed, as she pointed to the now open doorway leading on out to the balcony. Taylor's parents stood out there admiring the beautiful view of the backyard, which happened to be made up into a magnificent English garden; complete with a giant angel fountain set in the middle.
I looked at Taylor, and noticed her pleading look. It was like she was silently asking me if it was okay for her to have this room. Shaking my head, I replied, "You're the one who'll be living here full time. I don't really care, as long as I get a room somewhere within this mansion."
With those words, Taylor tackled me to the floor screaming, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best friend a girl can ever have." Laughing, I pushed her off, and replied, "Sure, sure. However, you're going to be paying me back by teaching me how to cook properly."
"WHAT! She'll burn the house down," Hunter exclaimed, as he chose that moment to walk into the room.
"Hey, I can cook!"
"I don't think burnt macaroni and cheese qualifies as food, Amber," Hunter guffawed.
"Yeah, like you can do any better, Mr. I-can't-even-boil-water-to-save-my-life," Taylor said, with a roll of her eyes.
"All I'm saying is that if we want to continue living here, then it's best not to let my cousin near the kitchen," Hunter replied, raising his hands in defeat, before taking a look around the room. Taking in the diamond paned windows, eggshell white balcony, and peach colored walls he gave a nervous laugh, before replying, "Yeah, one of you girls can keep this room. It's way too feminine for my taste." The men in the room laughed, as they shook their heads at the young boy before them. I knew they agreed with him just as much as I did. This room would have been way to girly for Hunter.
"Then I'm sure you're probably going to like the next one better," Carlisle replied, as he led us on out, and down to the other side of the room. All the while, I tried to keep my eyes off the edge of the railing.
Pushing in the next wooden door, he led us inside to a bit tinier room than the one before. Just like Taylor's room it had only one whole side that consisted of diamond paned windows (excluding a balcony of course), while the rest were impressively made field stone walls. The ceiling above sported the same wooden beams, and cream colored paint as the rest of the house. It seemed almost…woodsy. Something like you'd find in one of those log cabin homes back in Gatlinburg.
"Yep, now this is more like it," Hunter said with a nod of approval, as he took in his room with appreciative eyes "Now," he spoke with a happy smirk, as he rubbed his hands together, "I think I just might lie down, and take a nap for awhile."
"On the floor?"
Looking at me with a serious expression, he answered, "What? It's no different than camping."
Shaking my head at him in amazement, Esme then turned to me, and replied, "I guess that just leaves you with the last room. Don't worry though; it's just as beautiful as these ones."
Taking my hand she led me back out into the hallway, before leading me down to the staircase, and over to the other side of the room. However, I was already too focused on the new and sudden emotions going through me to notice exactly where I was going.
…Joy… Anticipation… Nervousness… (and something even more concerning)… Thirst?
Ignoring what I was feeling, I turned my attention back to Esme.
As she passed by the first two doors, she answered my already silent question, "That's the family bathroom and laundry room, but we'll get to that later, though."
Esme reached the final door within the cottage, and motioned for me to push it open. With the rest of the group behind us, I nudged the door open gently. Taking a deep breath, I went to look inside, however I quickly found that breath I took quickly leaving me.
Just like the other two rooms, the moment you looked inside, directly across from the door is one whole wall made up of the same diamond paned windows. However, what made me smile even brighter was the fact that, just like Taylor's room, it too held a foggy glass framed door that led out to the balcony.
Taking in the rest of the bedroom, I noticed that the left and right walls were made of the same field stone design that Hunter's had. However, the wall that the door rested upon was the same heavenly-like blue color that the study was painted in downstairs.
"It's…amazing," I breathed, as I walked in further, taking in the similar ceiling and hardwood floor like the rest of the house.
"I figured you'd like this room best. That's why I made sure to save it for last," Esme chuckled, as I walked over to the glass door. Pushing it open, I made my way outside.
I smiled as I looked out over the lush pinewood forest laid out before me, and the miniature basketball course that sat next to the house just below my feet.
'Yeah, I'll be getting some use out of that,' I thought, jokingly.
It was a known fact that I sucked at any sport that wasn't baseball or badminton. More than likely, it would be Hunter making use of that court, since he was the basketball player of my family.
"Cool, a basketball court!"
See, I told you!
"Don't even think about playing down there, until we get done unloading the moving van, Hunter," I warned with a stern look.
"Speaking of which, Miss," came a voice from behind us all. Turning around, we all found the two movers we'd hired back in Gatlinburg standing just outside the door, "When do you want us to start moving everything in?"
Looking between Jimmy, Hunter, and Taylor, I mumbled, "Now would be fine, I guess."
Nodding the two left to go begin unloading, this of course left me to stare pointedly at Hunter.
"What?"
"You know what! Go down, and help those poor guys," I ordered. Grumbling under his breath, he left the room.
"I better go down, and supervise him. No telling what the boy'll do out of our sights," Jimmy laughed, "Dr. Cullen, would ya like to come down and give me a hand? Lord only knows those men can use some more help."
"Yes, I suppose they do," he replied kindly, before leaning over to give his wife a chaste kiss. With that he exited the room, leaving us girls to ourselves.
"I guess you're glad that you got the larger balcony. I mean, what with your fear of heights, and all," Taylor replied, as she closed the glass door behind her.
"Yeah, just as long as I stay away from the edges, I think I'll be fine," I mumbled.
"How long have you been afraid of heights," Esme wondered curiously.
"Since I was five, I guess. I mean, I was before that I'm sure, but it just really got bad after one particular incident. Since then I've just had a slight case of acrophobia, and a bit of lupophobia," I chuckled nervously. I never did like admitting my fears, especially about these two in particular. People would always tease me about them, or they'd be like Hunter. Whom had dressed up as a werewolf on Halloween, and hid behind a tree so that when I walked by he could jump out to scare me. I never forgave him for that particular incident either. He also still had a scar on his right shoulder from where the ring I'd been wearing at the time cut him.
"Slight? A bit? You're joking, right," Taylor scoffed, before replying, "I think you might want to correct yourself there, Amber. There's no 'slight', or 'a bit', about those two fears of yours."
"Fine, I'm deathly terrified of them. Are you happy now," I asked with a glare.
"Yep," she said with an enormous grin.
"Wait a minute. How do those two phobias exactly relate again," Esme asked, looking between the two of us.
"It's a long story. One that even I don't truly know of yet," Charlotte replied, as we made our way on out of my soon-to-be room.
"Don't worry. You will one day, Char," I replied, practically hugging the wall as we walked. I don't know how I was going to live with the set up of this house, but I guess I'll just have to manage. Who knows, maybe I'll get over my fear of heights?
'Then again… probably not,' I thought as Taylor accidentally forced me near the edge. She merely gave me a sheepish grin when she'd realized what she'd done.
Anyway, the four of us went downstairs and on out to the front yard to help the boys unload the moving van.
To say we were grateful the Cullens were willing to help, might serve better as an understatement. With their combined strength we'd managed to get the van almost unloaded within half the time we thought we would. I still didn't quite know where the two got their strength from, as they lifted objects that I myself would have sprained something trying to lift. However, I assumed it was from good health considering my weak frame could barely even lift one box.
I guess that time spent in the coma had taken a lot more out of me than I'd originally thought.
Sighing from the fatigue starting to sweep over me, I went into the van to grab one of the last few boxes. As I began to haul the thing into my arms, I felt what little strength I had finally leave me. My vision slowly turned fuzzy, and my body began to feel extremely light. Suddenly, my arms went slack, and I heard the box fall from my arms with a loud, ear piercing thud.
Swaying heavily, I knew I was getting ready to go down with it. Yet, just as I began to fall, I felt a pair of icy cold hands grip my upper arms.
"Whoa there, are you okay ma'am," came a new, and rather frantic, velvety voice behind me; along with a wave of many new emotions I couldn't yet decipher in my disorientation.
"No, not really I guess," I whispered, as he set me down on the flooring of the van, "I think that maybe my lack of sleep just caught up with me."
"Amber, what's taking you so lo….Oh, hello," came Taylor's amused voice. Why she was amused, I wasn't quite sure yet considering I hadn't opened my eyes.
"Hello," came the stranger's voice from in front of me, and it was then that I noticed the tone of the voice. It was a boy… a boy around my age probably. No wonder my friend was amused right now. I mean, what with me currently being held steady by this guy! It probably looked quite damning from her point of view.
Opening my eyes, I let my vision come back into focus. However, when it did, I began to wish it hadn't.
Kneeling before me was a boy at least nine inches taller than myself, with the same pale marble white skin as our landlords; not to mention the same haunting color of eyes. I think what caught my attention the most though was the color of his hair.
Though it was short and smooth, and ended just barely at his chin, it was still the same shockingly familiar color that Jacob's had once been. Golden, like honey, and almost silk-like.
"Sorry if I was interrupting anything," Taylor said with a wry smile. Rolling my eyes at her, I turned to look apologetically at the guy still kneeling before me.
"Thanks for catching me. I guess I'm still weak from the accident I had a few weeks ago," I replied, as I went to stand up. Still holding me by the arms, he helped me to stand. Taylor immediately rushed to my side, as she realized what had happened, "Are you okay? Shit, I knew I shouldn't have let you do all that work!"
"Don't stress Tay. I'm fine," I said swatting her hands away; along with the man's. Immediately the strong, former dizziness began to ebb away; something I was more than thankful for.
"Didn't seem fine to me ma'am," the guy laughed, as he met my stubborn gaze. My eyelids only narrowed slightly at him for the use of the word, 'ma'am,' towards me. I wasn't even old enough for him to be calling me that, which is why my irritation only grew even more over the predicament I was in.
"It was just a small incident. I'm good," I said hotly, as I held out my hand, "Amberlynn McCall."
Smiling, he took my hand in his, "Jasper Hale. I'm Esme and Carlisle's son."
However, I was too focused on the array of emotions bubbling up inside me at the time to notice what exactly he was saying. It was like there were hundreds of them just swirling around inside my mind; almost immediately bringing back my dizziness once again. Snapping my hand back to my side, I fought to remain smiling, but his curious look said it all.
He'd noticed.
Even if it'd only been for a moment that my smile had fallen; he'd still seen it.
"So, are you the new tenants," he asked, shaking his head as if to rid himself of his other thoughts.
"Yeah, though Tay here will be the more permanent one. I'll be returning home by the end of the summer. You could say this is more so a retreat for me, and my cousin," I answered, as Hunter chose that moment to enter the van.
"Would you two stop flirting, and finish carrying the other boxes in! I can't believe you even have the audacity to call me a procrastinator," Hunter exclaimed, as he walked between us to haul one of the boxes into his arms.
"You know, I'm surprised you even know what 'audacity,' means with your little intelligence, Hunts," Taylor chirped, as my cousin froze in place.
"YOU TOLD HER," He yelled, swirling around to glare back at me.
Laughing, I replied, "Someone had to call you by that nickname, and she thought it was rather cute."
Grumbling under his breath, he stalked on out of the van. I knew that wouldn't be the last we heard of this subject, but at least he'd let it go for now.
"Jasper? What are you doing here, son," Carlisle spoke, as he came walking up to the three of us.
"Just wondering where you were. You were late getting back to the house, and the family thought I should check up on you. Plus the mutt is visiting with Nessie, so I decided it best to get out for awhile," Jasper answered, before his eyes turned to mine, "However, I'm glad I did come over. If I hadn't, Amber here would have probably ended up in the hospital."
"What," Carlisle asked frantically, as he turned to look at me as well, "What happened exactly?"
"Nothing," I frowned, "I just exhausted myself is all."
"Amber, it's not been that long since you came out of that coma. You shouldn't have been doing so much," Taylor whispered harshly, but the men still caught her words somehow.
"Coma," they asked in unison.
Glaring at Tay, I answered, "Yeah, I was in a wreck a few weeks ago. I bumped my head pretty bad, and it was a while before the medics got to me. Ergo, I ended up in a coma for about a week."
"Oh, well if you don't mind, would it be okay if I take a look at you? You could be suffering from some of the aftereffects," Carlisle asked, before adding, "…and it might also be best that you leave the heavy lifting to the others for now."
"Yeah, I think that might be best too," I answered, before realizing my words, "I mean the heavy lifting part. As for the checking me out, I'll be fine Dr. Cullen. It's just sleep deprivation caused by a very persistent friend here, who was adamant on making it to Forks in time."
Laughing at the evil look Taylor was shooting me, Carlisle spoke, "Well, alright then, but if you have any more trouble don't feel nervous about telling me. After an event like that, there will always be side effects."
"You're telling me," I grumbled, before forcing a smile.
Turning back to his son, Carlisle stated, "Well, since you're here, do you mind helping us with the last of their stuff?"
"Uh, sure," Jasper smiled, before adding, "But I should call to let Alice know everything's alright though; even if she's probably already sure of it."
"Alright," and with that they both reached for one of the boxes, and walked off the trailer.
"Okay, is it just me, or does he not look yummy," Taylor said ruefully.
"Who? The son or the father," I wondered curiously.
"Both."
Shaking my head, I went to reach for a box, but Taylor smacked my hand away.
"Uh-uh, you heard the doctor. Now go. I don't want to see you lifting even a feather, you hear me?"
Rolling my eyes, I walked out of the back of the moving van, and proceeded to make my way on inside. At least now I could begin putting together my room.
Three hours later, the cottage looked almost completely furnished, save for a few things that Esme and Carlisle would be providing. According to them they were having a bunch of living room items sent, along with the dining room table, and a couple of knickknacks for the kitchen.
Truthfully, the only places in the house that looked fully furnished were our rooms. Then again, Hunter's was still a work in progress. I mean, the moment he'd gotten his bed put together, sheets and all, he'd passed out. That had really made Taylor angry, but I had deterred her fury by trying to help Jimmy lift his step-daughter's dresser. The words that had come out of that girl's mouth once she caught me were ones I do not wish to repeat. Who knew that someone her size could have such a loud voice either? I mean, she had even shocked Jasper; who'd been standing on the sidelines laughing his butt off by the way.
Speaking of Jasper, I'd managed to find common ground with him as he helped me put together my room. He seemed nice, and I could foresee a friendship in the future with him. While spending time with the man, I learned quite a lot about his family. For one, he and the rest of his five siblings weren't really Esme's and Carlisle's. Apparently they'd been adopted by the couple back when they were younger. According to him, the group had moved here not to long ago so that they could live in a peaceful town.
Fork's is also where his other brother, Edward, had met his wife, Bella Swan; who was considered now Jasper's fifth sibling. They'd met back in high school not so long ago, and had married a few months after graduation. It sounded sweet, but I still didn't like the idea of them marrying so young. Then again I didn't like the idea of marriage in general, which Jasper found hilarious, because…well according to him… Bella hadn't either.
Anyway, the couple had then adopted a young girl named Nessie, who was apparently one of the sweetest little girls he'd ever come to know. I couldn't help but to giggle at the name. However, it was still cute nonetheless.
I also learned that Jasper himself was married to one of his five 'siblings.' I know, it sounded weird to me as well, until he explained to me rather quickly that they weren't blood related. At that, I gave a great big sigh. If he hadn't explained, there would be no telling where my mind would have traveled.
So, back to his wife… apparently her name is Alice. She's around Taylor's height, though maybe three inches shorter than her to be exact. She has short, dark, raven-hair that turns an almost dark-brown in the light. Her eyes, shockingly enough, are the same color of Jasper's as well from what I saw in the picture he'd shown me. She also had the same pale, marble-white skin as the rest of the Cullen's I'd seen. It was odd how none of them were really related, and yet they had the same color eyes and skin tones?
Jasper also mentioned his two other siblings, Rosalie and Emmett. They too were a couple as well, surprisingly enough. Then again, I learned it was a common trait within their family. Either way, apparently Rosalie resembled Taylor a bit in some physical aspects as well; though was 'supposedly,' the less likable when meeting new people. According to Jasper she had this sort of bitterness that surrounded her that he seemed to know for a fact came from her past experiences with meeting new people. I didn't blame her though. I was still wary on meeting new people as well; including Jasper. I just didn't feel ready to open my heart up to anyone new just yet; whether they might be a friend, or future relationship. I guess it was my fear of losing someone close to me again; like I did with Jacob.
Anyway, Rosalie's husband, Emmett, was a lot like Hunter from what Jasper explained. He was rowdy, loved video games, and many a number of sports; yet he also had a soft side when it came to his friends and family. I knew if I ever met him, I'd probably get along with him just as quick as I did Hunter. All I would have to do is throw around a few profane jokes, and he'd immediately warm up to me. At least that's what Jasper suggested, with a wry smile.
By the time Jasper finally finished telling me about his family, he'd already started in on asking me about mine. So, I told him the usual.
My mom and dad were divorced. I lived with my mother, and her brother. No, I didn't really have anything to do with my father, or his new family; let alone his side of the family tree either. I'd even abandoned his last name for my mother's. I also told him about my Gran, who was a very wise old woman, but wasn't afraid to make some perverted joke when she felt like it. He couldn't help laughing at that, as he commented, "She and Emmett would most definitely get along then." With a laugh as well, I also went on to tell him that Hunter was indeed my cousin, who was the son of my mother's sister; Aunt Pat. I explained that he, his mother, and my Gran all lived together under the same roof. Though, when he asked what had happened to Hunter's father, I subtly told him that Pat had been somewhat of a wild child when she was younger. He took the message clearly when he caught the look upon my face.
Jasper also asked how I'd met Taylor, and I'd told him we'd known one another since middle school; that two of us had bonded over our love of books and history. So, when I mentioned that, he couldn't help asking what part of history. I don't know why he had this sort of mischievous smile when I mentioned the Civil War, but I brushed it aside quickly when he continued his questions.
Jasper also asked where we moved from exactly, and I told him all about Gatlinburg, Tennessee. He seemed to know some of the place I spoke of since he said he had visited there a couple of times with his family. I wasn't too surprised, though. I mean, we did get a lot of people from all over the country visiting in that one vacation spot. I guess living next to Dollywood and Pigeon Forge helped too.
After we finished putting together my room, we finally made our way back down the stairs. However, Jasper seemed to sense my uneasiness of heights within seconds of exiting my new domain.
"So, what's got someone like you afraid of heights, if you don't mind me asking," he questioned curiously in his wonderfully smooth, old-fashioned, southern drawl.
"Um, when I was younger, I had an accident of some sorts on a swing set. Kinda caught my pants leg on a loose nail trying to get away from the neighbor's dog. I hung there for awhile, as the neighbor's dog just kept jumping up; trying to bite me. So, I guess since then my fear of heights has just escalated pretty badly, plus the whole Lupophobia thing as well," I explained, not really understanding why I was telling him all that. Then again, I don't know why I was so calm around him at all really. He just had this sort of magical presence around him that sort of drew you in, made you want to talk to him.
"What has being afraid of wolves got to do with that incident?"
"Uh, well, see the neighbor's dog was sort of half-wolf/half-husky. Since then, I can't stand to be around anything that remotely looks like a wolf. If I am, my fear kicks in ten-fold and I come close to having a panic attack most the time. Even pictures or figurines of wolves freak me out. I guess that's why my mom and I never really got along. She used to have a bunch of wolf and Native American décor for the living room," I shrugged. Jasper gave me a sympathetic look, as he mentioned, "I don't like wolves, either. So you're not completely alone in that."
Grinning, I replied "I never thought I was to begin with."
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, we found Carlisle and Esme waiting on us with the rest of the group.
"Well, we better be going, Jasper. Don't want to keep the rest of the family worrying about us," Carlisle replied, as he looked between the two of us curiously, before going on to say, "The furniture and other knickknacks we ordered for the house should be here tomorrow. Esme will drop by to look over everything while I'm at work. So, make sure someone's here to receive it if she's not here on time."
Taylor nodded, as she answered, "I'm sure at least two of us will be. Hunter however, should start work tomorrow if I'm correct."
"Alright then, we better be off. It was nice to meet you all, and I hope you enjoy your new home."
Smiling at them, we showed them out the door politely. However, Jasper paused just right outside the porch. Turning to look at me, he asked, "Could I borrow your phone for a moment? If you have one I mean."
Giving him a questioning look, I nodded as I reached into my back pocket to extract my phone. Handing him the sleek, red, Samsung, flip-up cell, I watched as he dialed a number quickly into it. Then, handing it back to me, he replied, "That'd be my number. I'm sure Alice would love to meet you as well."
"Oh, that would be nice," I smiled, before asking, "Um, do you need my number…"
"No, my mother should already have it programmed into her cell. I'll just get it from her."
"Alright. Well, I hope to see you again soon. You have a goodnight," I said, as he gave me a nod, and then made his way over to his parents; whom, might I add, were still giving him very odd looks.
Biting my lower lip, I turned back to Charlotte and Jimmy, who were also just getting ready to leave. Giving each of them a hug, we saw them out the door as well.
By the time we were all alone Hunter managed to finally come trudging down the stairs, muttering sleepily, "So, what's for dinner?"
Taylor and I merely bit our tongues, and went to find the phone book that Esme had left us in the kitchen. We called a local pizza place, and had them deliver two pepperoni pizzas and a box of Buffalo wings for Tay. After our order arrived, we lounged around the electric fireplace in the living room, as we talked the rest of the night away.
So, by the time I finally managed to haul my sleep deprived body up the stairs, I literally took no notice of the height. I just merely trudged my way on down the hall toward my bedroom. Without even taken my current clothing off, I just slipped off my shoes, and snuggled deep under my baby blue and eggshell-white colored covers.
The last thing I thought of before I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep was, 'This summer here in Forks, is going to be very relaxing.'
YEAH RIGHT! LMFAO My character wishes lol.
Well, anyway, I hope you liked it, cause it took what seemed like forever to revise it. Oh, and at least we finally got to see some of the twilight characters in here, and a bit more on the background of some of the characters. I liked writing the Jasper part in this chapter the most though. He becomes a major role from now on too, and you're going to see a lot of deep interwoven mysteries beginning to sprout as well. Actually you saw some in this chapter with Amber's flashbacks to the past and around the time of the accident. At least now we're starting to get an idea of what's going on. Either way though, you'll finally be seeing Embry next chapter since I've kept you waiting long enough I think. Once again, I really hope you liked it, and I would love to hear what you have to say about it.
The songs for this chapter I listened to while writing it and revising it are…
Heart of Courage- by Two Steps from Hell
After the Fall- by Two Steps from Hell
Afraid- by Sarah Fimm
Oh, and I saved a link from a long time ago when I first started writing this story. It's a YouTube video that helped to give me some inspiration on how to write how the house kind of looked since I'm a bit suck-ish at describe things like that. It's pretty nearly the same as written, but there are a couple of tweaks I did when writing how it looked. However, if you want to get kind of an idea of what the house looks sort of like in my own head, then check out the link on my profile page. I'll be putting it with my other YouTube links, and it'll have a title above it marked EMPATHY. However, when you see the video keep in mind I never added the pool into the story, or the barn, and instead of a tennis court I made it a basketball court. I also kind of combined the breakfast nook and the sunroom together as well. Though, there is kind of a secret that I'm wanting you all to figure out. Somewhere in that house, that will be in this story later on, is a secret room. Let's see who can guess where it's at first. LOL
Anyways, for now have a nice day, and please don't forget to review. I haven't even had one and it makes me really, really sad, (BIG puppy dog pout.) So please just send me one telling me if you like it or not. Pretty please with sprinkles on top lol.
HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!