Embry's POV
Have you ever been to a cookout? Like a really big one, with smoke from the grill or campfire or whatever billowing everywhere and you have to go way out of your way in order to avoid it? Have you ever went swimming during one? Have you ever gone under water for so long that your lungs are bursting and you can't remember why you were down there in the first place and all you can think of, all you want, is air? And then you break the surface and take a few grateful gasps and for a second all you feel is relief, but then you taste the smoke, and you start choking and you're just like, what the crap?
That was what it reminded me of when I came to the Cullen's to find Cathryn. I heard her coming down the stairs, and I met her halfway without even thinking about it. I had missed her way to much to worry about boundaries. The second I got to her, I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her as tightly as I could, just riding on a complete high that I had her with me again.
At least, I did until she stopped breathing.
Then I had to let her go. I looked at her carefully. Something was different. I didn't know what, but….I raked my eyes up and down her body, searching.
That's when I inhaled the smoke.
The first thing that I noticed was the bruises. To her credit, Alice had done a very good job of covering everything up, so I didn't actually get to see what they looked like. But every place she was wearing make-up, I knew was a place he had it her. And she had make-up everywhere.
The second thing I noticed was her weight. I realize how shallow that sounds, I mean, I'm supposed to love this girl forever and I'm worried about how fat she is? Just hang on a minute. I will explain. See, most of her body was exactly the same as before. Thin, bony even. But on her stomach and hips sat about twenty pounds of fat that were not there before. And this wasn't the good kind, either. Not the kind that you call fluffy, or plump, or whatever. Not the kind that you get from cookouts and sleepovers and romantic dinners. This was the kind that you got from sleeping way too late and crying over a carton of ice-cream.
The last thing I noticed was probably the worst thing. Her demeanor. When I hugged her, she didn't squirm or try to get away or jokingly remind me that she had to breathe. She had been completely still. Lifeless. She was hunched over nw, her arms crossed in front of her chest. Classic body language of the insecure. And Cathryn was anything but.
"Oh My God," I whispered, shaking my head. I pulled her into me again, more gentle this time. It was so weird to me. Seeing her weak. Breakable. "What happened to you, Cat?" I murmered.
She pulled away, looking at me intently. "Don't take me home." She commanded. "I don't want my parents seeing me like this."
"Okay!" Said, just happy that she was bossing me around again. "There's another campfire thing tonight, if you want to…." Cathryn winced, obviously, it didn't bring up her best memories. "Or we could do something else." I added.
"No." She shook her head. "The tribal meeting campfire thingy sounds fine."
I grinned. Tribal meeting Campfire thingy.
"She'll be fine, Embry." Carlise put a hand on my shoulder. I stiffened. I had nothing against the Cullen leeches at this point, but physical contact was still so….
"Come on," I told Cathryn. "I'll drive you there."
I carried her out of the house and into my car. Another thing wrong. The only time Cathryn had every let me pick her up without giving me crap about it was when she'd first found out about us. And obviously she wasn't in great shape then. Which lead me to believe that she wasn't now. Which caused me to completely freak out.
I like to think that she saw none of this though. I mean, I didn't like bang the steering wheel or cuss at my fellow drivers or tell her what an idiot she was for putting up with Hal or whatever his name was. And believe me, I wanted very badly to do all three. But I didn't, because Cathryn had had enough crap thrown at her in the past couple of months to last her the next couple of centuries, and I didn't feel like adding to it.
Chapter 28 Rehab
Cathryn's POV
Embry was pissed. He didn't say anything, but I could tell from the way he kept his hand on mine the entire ride to the beach. Not out of comfort though. It was too stiff for that. More like he needed somewhere to out it that would prevent him from destroying his car. After a few seconds, I turned on the radio and for once, he didn't protest. Which also hinted that he was seeing red. I put it on some pop song that I hadn't heard yet, which was quite a feat, let me tell you, for the radio to play a foreign song. It had a good rhythm, very cheery.
Unfortunately, not cheery enough to improve either of our moods.
About twenty minutes later, Embry cut the engine.
"But we aren't there yet." I protested.
"Uh, yeah, we aren't going to the same place." Embry told me, getting out of the car. "This one you can't drive to. We'll be there on the rock, where we go cliff diving." He circled around and opened my door. But instead of waiting patiently while I got out, he took me out of it himself, carrying me again like he had before.
This irked me. I wasn't that breakable. "I can walk, thanks." I told him irritably, scambling out of his grasp.
He probably could have kept me there had he wanted to, but he put me down willingly started walking down a little trail in the woods. And I mean little. I had to walk behind Embry because there wasn't enough room for us to go side by side. At first I was a little worried by this, as Embry's legs are about twice the length of my own and there for he leaves me on a regular basis when we're walking side by side, where he can see me. But that night he was slow enough for me to keep up.
He didn't say anything though.
And neither did I.
I mean, can you really blame us? After all that had happened? You know, finding out about not one, but two totally wacko races of mankind and then being pounded repeatedly one hand, and being judged and ignored and lied to for five straight months on the other. So It's really not that hard to believe that we didn't say a whole lot.
After about ten minutes though, it started getting kind of creepy. Which was odd for me, because I've never been the kind to get spooked. Of anything. You know how there are some people you meet who just adore roller coasters? I like creepy things. You know, horror flicks and junk. I've always liked the dark, even when I was little. Walks in the woods were usually relaxing. You know, kind of scary, but in a thrilling sort of way. But not this one.
I kept my head down and walked right up close to Embry, singing the lyrics to Shake it, by Metro Station, in my head. But it didn't help. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. Which was completely stupid, because we were in the middle of the woods. And it was really cold, even though it was almost April. And I was with Embry, who, being a werewolf and all, was way scarier than anything else that went bump in the night. I hurried forward so that I was closer to him. For some reason, he'd always made me feel really safe.
Except he wasn't there. My head snapped up, twisting around wildly to see where he had gone. But nothing. He'd completey vanished. I sped up, almost running now, thinking that he might have just gotten tired of waiting for me. But he was nowhere up ahead. I shivered again, and this time not from the cold. I still had it. The bad feeling. It was getting stronger. Looked in the woods, searching carefully for anyone that could be hiding there, waiting to scare me. But there was nothing but branches.
I heard the ominous crunch ahead of me that could only mean twigs snapping under feet. My head snapped up. "Hello?" I whispered, more than a little freaked at this point.
Another footstep. I staggered backwards. Another. They were coming faster now, to fast for me to run away from. I braced myself for whatever was coming, my heart pounding in my throat. The next few footsteps were much, much too close.
And then I was attacked.
"Kitteeeeee!!!" Claire squealed, throwing her arms around my waist. Her curly mane of hair was almost to my chest now. Her hair did give her a few inches advantage, was she was still so tall, for a six year old. A young six, at that. Her birthday had been in March. With a pang of guilt, I realized that I had missed it.
I staggered backward, my previous anxiety attack forgotten. "Hey, Clairedy-cat!" I said, laughing.
Claire pulled away and grabbed hold of my wrist, pulling me. "Come on! We've got a really good place this time!" She told me exitedly, pulling me harder.
Jeez. I really needed talk to the Youngs about Claire's sugar intake.
A few seconds later we broke out of the forest and came to a flat stone area where most kids went cliff diving. Everyone had arrived, and most guys were currently scrambling to get a hot-dog before their wolf-brothers ate it all. Ditto the girls but about their boyfriends, not brothers.
I felt a moment of deep disgust. I'd been right here the whole time?
Cocoa was right. I was turning into a patsy.
Claire lead me to the fray, sitting me down between Embry and Quil. "Hey Kitty?" She asked me.
"Yeah?"
"Are you gonna come see me some more?" Her brown eyes filled with hope. Good God, I was such a card. Who shunned a six year old?
"Ofcourse!" I reassured her. "Anytime your parents need me."
Claire rewarded me with a huge smile, and plunked her self down in Quil's lap, who shot me the same big grin. I smiled half heartedly back. But, understandably, I wasn't in the best mood in the world. I was still throbbing. And very aware of the dozens of eyes willing me to look at them. I squirmed uncomfortably, but cose to meet the pair of those that most deserved an answer. Embry. I looked up hesitantly, and confirmed that he was one of the gapers. That expression...I couldn't put my finger on it. Couldn't read it. It never failed to disable me. Not that I wasn't already. I sighed, depressed.
At least until I felt Embry's arm snake around my waist and pull me into his lap. For some reason. that improved my mood quite a bit. Where his skin was touching mine...it felt weird. Electric, almost. Somthing that should have put me immediatly on edge, but didn't. Instead, it calmed me. For now, at least, everything was okay. I felt so safe with him. How had I not realized it before? How safe he made me feel. More than safe, actually. Safe, protected, content, perfect. Loved.
Not like that, of course. He was way out of my leauge, I knew that. But I had been so, so horrible to him, and yet he was still acting so sweet. If he didn't care about me, at least in the sisterly way, then why would he put up with that?
Sisterly. Ugh. Suddenly, that didn't seem so appealing anymore. Sure, he was out of my leaugue. Stubborn, wrong, judgmental, all around bad girls don't get sweet, patient, mysterious guys like Embry. They just didn't. BUt then, when did I ever follow the rules? And his arms felt so right around me.
Just as I thought this, Embry sighed, leaning into me and, putting his chin on the top of my head, he pulled me closer. I shivered, but not from the cold. Embry was too warm for that. From happiness. I'm sorry, but I was being held by a hot and perfect ladie's man. How coud I not be happy?
Embry drove me home, again in silence. Only, unlike the last time, this one wasn't tense. It was just that neither of us felt like talking. Atleast, not until we got to my house.
Embry pulled into my driveway. "Hey," He said softly, "Here." He took my hand-had my skin always tingled like that wherever he touched it?- and slipped something into it. I opened my palm. It was a necklace. A tiny wooden figurine connected to a long leather strip. It was so beautiful. But not, like, in a girly way. In a cool, mysterious way. It was perfect for me. "Happy early irthday, Cat." Embry said. I started, remembering. My birthday...oh, yeah. Only a few days away.
I tied the cord around my neck. "Thanks," I said, grinning.