CHAPTER 28
Leah POV:
We were quiet for a long time on the drive home. Finally I turned to Jacob and said, "What do you think I should do?"
He glanced at me as he was driving and said, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. All it will do is hurt them, Leah."
I sighed. I knew it would hurt them. But if they could just hear the story and see the pain I saw in his eyes. Maybe . . .
"You're going to tell them, aren't you?" Jake asked me. "I know you want to. You think that because you got past all of the hurt you had with Sam and Emily that they can do that with him. It's different, Leah. What happened to you was bad. I know it hurt you. But just think about how long Sam has had to live with this! And having to watch his mom cry everyday because of that bastard? And the worst part is, he didn't even really love her! She died missing him every single day, and he didn't even love her. He loved Angie!"
Yea, I knew that's how Sam would see it, too. "God, I don't know, Jake. I know, this is awful. But it would answer so many of their questions! Isn't that worth the pain?"
"Really, Leah? Do you think it's worth that much pain?"
We fell silent again and didn't talk again until Jake pulled up to my house. We had been gone since 9:30 this morning, and it was now almost 4:00. Embry had already called Jake to see where he was, and Jake told him he had to run to town and he was on his way back. Jake looked over at me and said, "Look, Leah. Think really hard about this, OK? This isn't about you. It's about Sam and Embry. Just remember that."
I nodded. "Jake, thanks for taking me there today. I know it was hard for you, but I'm really glad you were with me." I reached over and put my arms around him to give him a hug. He hugged me back and said, "Yea, it's OK. I would have rather taken you to the doctor to see if you were pregnant."
I pulled back and laughed really hard at that. He laughed, too. I smacked his arm and said, "See you later."
"See ya, Leah." I got out of the car and headed into the house. I went straight up to my room and closed the door. I laid my bag on my bed and laid down on my back. I had a lot of thinking to do.
Embry POV:
"Did you pick up the oil filter and spark plugs for this car, Jake?" I asked as he walked into the garage. I had pulled the old filter and the old plugs out and was waiting for the new ones.
"Shit! No, I forgot. I'll get them tomorrow. Look, just go on home, OK? It's already late," Jake said.
Late? It was like 4:30! What's up with him? "Hey, you OK? You seem pissed about something." I wiped my hands on shop rag and walked over to Jake.
Jake looked at me and I could see he wanted to say something, but he didn't. "I'm, oh . . . it's Bella. Yea, she said something that pissed me off, that's all."
Bella. Right. They NEVER fought. Something else was bugging him. He walked over to the work bench and sat down and flipped through a car magazine. "Come on, bro. I'm your best friend. You can tell me anything, dude. Or is it me? You pissed at me for some reason?"
He turned and looked at me and said, "Look, Em, I'm OK. Just let it be. Go home and I'll see ya tomorrow." He got up and walked out the door that leads to the house. What the fuck was that about? Jake is easy going. This isn't like him at all. I shook my head and put my tools away.
I walked out to my truck and hopped in. Guess I'll go see Leah. Maybe she's in a better mood than Jake.
I pulled up to Leah's house and went to the door. Seth answered and said, "Leah's not here, Embry. She left me some money and told me to order a pizza for dinner then she left."
"What? Where did she go?" I asked him.
He shrugged and said, "I don't know. She didn't say. She took off out the back door."
I nodded. "OK. See ya Seth." He closed the door and I walked back to the truck. Huh. That's weird. What the hell is going on around here? First Jake and now Leah. I figured she might have gone for a walk on the beach. When she goes out the back door, that's usually where she's headed. I left the truck parked at Leah's and took the path to the beach.
I didn't see her at all. Where could she be? I kept walking and got to the place where the rocks were; where we almost made love before Sam called us to his house to chase vampires. I climbed over the rocks and there she was. She was sitting on the sand with her knees drawn up under her chin, looking out at the water. I jumped down off of the rocks and she hardly moved. "Leah? Hey, babe," I said as I sat down next to her.
She looked over and said, "Hey. I'm glad to see you." She put her arms around my neck and I pulled her to me. She held on tight. "What's wrong, baby?" I asked in her ear. She pushed herself back and said, "Just thinking."
"About what? You seem kind of . . . I don't know. Are you upset about something? Did I do something wrong, or . . ."
"No! Embry, no. I'm not mad at you. I just have some decisions to make, and I needed some time and space to do that. That's all. Really. I'm fine. How was your day? Tell me!" she asked me with a little too much enthusiasm.
I shook my head and said, "Well, the usual I guess. Went to school, took a math test, which I think I actually may have passed, handed in my English assignment and almost made Mrs. Grey have a heart attack, came home starving, ate three sandwiches and went to Jake's. He's acting really weird, by the way. He seems pissed about something, but he wouldn't talk to me about it. That's not like him at all. He told me that Bella said something to piss him off, but I didn't believe him. They never fight! Anyway, he told me to go home, so I came to find you."
She laughed and said, "Wow, that's quite a day!" I laughed and said, "Well, you asked!" I had my arm around her shoulder and she felt so tense. "Here turn around," I said as I turned her back toward me. I began rubbing her shoulders to try and release some of that tension.
She sighed and said, "Oh, that feels really good." I rubbed her shoulders and neck for awhile then I leaned forward and kissed her neck and shoulders. She turned to face me and said softly, "Kiss me, Embry." I smiled and put my lips on hers. I kissed her softly, gently. She put her arms around my neck and leaned into me and I held her. She kissed me back, but not as aggressively as she usually did. It was like she was trying to savor each kiss. She pulled back a little and whispered "I love you, Embry. So much." I looked into her eyes and said, "I love you, too, baby." She smiled and laid her head on my shoulder and I held her.
She lifted her head after awhile and said, "Let's go get something to eat. I'm hungry." I gave her a weird look and said, "OK, sure." She stood up and held out her hand. I got up and grabbed it and we walked back hand in hand to her house. I said, "Seth said you gave him money to order pizza. I'm sure he only ordered enough for himself!"
She laughed and said, "Yea, you know him pretty well. Let's go to your house, and we'll order a pizza from there. I can help you with your homework." I nodded and we walked around to where I left the truck and hopped in. I started the truck and headed for home. She had the window down and her hair was flying in the breeze. She looked out the window as I drove. I still felt like something was off. Whatever was going on, I guess I would just have to wait for her to be ready to talk to me.
I pulled up to the house and we got out of the truck and walked inside. Mom was home from work so she greeted us when we walked in. "Hey guys. What's up?"
"Not much. We thought we would order pizza. Want to join us?" I asked her.
She smiled and said, "Sure! I'll even buy, how's that? I think there are some coupons hanging on the fridge." She got up to look. I looked over at Leah and she was staring at my mom like she'd never seen her before. She looked over at me and knew that I caught her staring. She looked away and walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. "Here. I have a coupon for two large pizzas for $12. Can't beat that. Pepperoni and sausage, right?"
"Yea, sounds good, Mom," I said distractedly. Mom went to the phone to order the pizza. I sat down on the couch next to Leah. She smiled and said, "So, do you have any homework? Maybe we could do it while we wait for the pizza."
I just couldn't put my finger on it, but she was acting really strange. I sighed and picked up my bookbag and took out my trig book. "I have some trig, and I could use your help. We learned some new stuff today, and I don't think I got what she was trying to teach us."
"OK, let's take a look," she said. She picked up my book and we spent about a half hour going over my homework. She was really smart, and very patient. She would make a really good teacher someday. I looked at her and told her that.
She smiled and said, "Thanks, Embry. I hope so." She leaned over and put a quick kiss on my lips. Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Mom! Pizza's here!" I hollered out. Mom had gone back to take a shower and change clothes. She was in her bedroom. She called out, "Money's on the table with the coupon." I went over and picked it up then answered the door.
I paid the guy and put the pizza on the table. Leah got some plates out of the cupboard and some napkins. Mom came out in her sweats and a t-shirt, her hair wet. "Man, I feel better!" she said. Leah smiled at her and handed her a plate. We all sat down and ate pizza and talked about our day. Everyone, that is, except Leah.
I looked over at her and asked, "How was your day? What did you do?"
She looked up at me and said, "Oh you know. Laundry, picking up after Seth, worked on some homework. Not much." She got up and put her plate in the sink. "I need to use the bathroom. Be right back," she said. She walked down the hall and went into the bathroom.
"She OK?" Mom asked. "She seems, I don't know, preoccupied, or something."
"You see it, too? Yea, she's been like that since I found her at the beach. She said she had some decisions to make and she just needed some time to think. I wonder what decisions she's talking about." It was creeping me out, really.
"Well, don't bug her. She'll talk to you when she's ready," Mom said. She got up and put her plate in the sink. "You done?" she asked me. I nodded and she took my plate. I picked up the empty pizza boxes and took them outside to the trash can. I came back inside and Leah was helping Mom wash up the dishes.
"I hate to do this, but I have to run patrol tonight. I have to leave in 10 minutes," I said to them. "Do you want me to run you home real quick, Leah?"
She smiled and said, "Um, no. I'll stay here with your mom for a little while, if that's OK?" she asked Mom.
Mom looked surprised, but said, "Sure. I'll run her home later." I shrugged and said, "OK."
I went back to my room to change into basketball shorts as they were easier to roll up and tie to my ankle than jean cut-offs. I sat down on my bed for a minute. I was worried about Leah. Something was just not right. What kind of decision would she have to make? And why did she want to stay here with my mom? I shook my head, stood up and walked back out to the living room. Mom and Leah were laughing about something. "My, aren't you two getting along so well?"
Mom said, "Yes, we are." I leaned down and put a kiss on Mom's head. "See ya later, Mom." She smiled at me and said, "Be careful, honey."
I leaned down and put a kiss on Leah's lips. "See ya, baby." She smiled and said, "Mmm, love you."
I smiled and said, "Love you, too." I kissed her again then walked out. I closed the door and thought again how strange Leah was acting. She had told me she loved me twice tonight, before I said it. I jogged off toward the woods hoping that I would wake up tomorrow and everything would be back to normal.
Leah POV:
I was alone with Angie. I couldn't stop thinking about Joshua. I had to tell her. I had to. "Um, Angie. I had a very strange day, and I want to tell you about it. It's kind of hard though. And I'm not sure you'll want to say anything to Embry."
She looked at me with squinted eyes. "OK," she said slowly. "What is this about?"
I took a deep breath and looked her in the eye and said, "Joshua Uley."
"What? What about Josh?" she asked me. She was intrigued, I knew it.
"Angie, I met him today." I saw her eyes go wide and I went on quickly," I had Charlie track him down and Jake took me to meet him today. He's alive, Angie. And living in Port Angeles." Her face went completely white. She shook her head back and forth and said slowly, "He's alive? You met him?"
"Yes, Angie. I want to tell you about it. Is that OK?" I asked her.
She looked at me and nodded. "Yes, Leah. Yes. Tell me." I told her everything that Joshua had told me today. Everything. Why he left, where he went. How much he missed his family, and her. I also explained to her about imprinting, and told her that's what he believed happened to them. I told her how he went back to Makah and looked for her. How he settled close so he could come back and keep an eye on Sam. "And, there's something else." I hesitated then said, "I told him about Embry. She looked at me with fear and anxiety. "I know it wasn't my place to tell him, Angie. I'm sorry. But he was so . . . he was very happy to know that you had his son, Angie."
She closed her eyes and when she opened them, she had tears there. "Really? He was happy? I always wondered if he would be angry if he knew, or if . . ." she nodded her head and said, "It's OK, Leah. I always wanted him to know that we had a son." She reached out and took my hand.
"Angie? Do you want to see him?" I asked her softly.
She looked up at me quickly and said, "Do you think he would see me?"
"Yes. He asked if he thought Sam and Embry would see him. I don't know what to do about that. I think it would be so painful for Sam. But for Embry . . . I think once he gets past the shock, he might want to meet him, don't you?"
She was quiet for a moment while she thought about it. "I don't know, Leah. I think that would be up to Embry, but I hope so."
I nodded. "What if you see Joshua first then decide what to tell Embry?"
"Yes. Do you know how to contact Josh?" she asked me with hope in her eyes.
"He gave me his phone number." I reached out and picked up my bag. I pulled the paper out with his phone number on it. I held it out to her. She stared at it then slowly took it from me.
She looked up at me and said softly, "I can't believe after all of these years that I can just pick up the phone and call him. What would I say?"
I smiled and suggested, "How about, 'Hello?' " She laughed and held the paper to her heart. "I guess that might work."
I reached out and picked up the phone and handed it to her. She looked at me and took it. She slowly dialed the number and held the phone to her ear. She closed her eyes and held her breath. I saw her eyes pop open and she said breathlessly, "Hello, Josh. It's . . . Angie." She smiled and tears rolled down her cheeks. "Yea, it's great to hear your voice, too." I squeezed her hand and stood up. I walked back into Embry's room to give her some privacy. I closed the door and sat down on his bed. God, I hope I did the right thing.
I laid down on Embry's bed and rested my head on his pillow. I breathed in and savored his scent. I saw one of his t-shirts tossed on the end of the bed. I picked it up and slipped it over my head and put it on. I loved him so much that it scared me. It took me so long to give in and just love him. Sometimes the intensity of that feeling just overwhelmed me! As I lay there in his bed, I worried about what I had just put into motion. His parents were talking to each other on the phone. What would happen when Embry found out that Joshua was alive, and that I had given Angie his phone number? I was terrified he would hate me. I had finally realized how much I loved him, and now, I was afraid of losing him.
I looked over at his little dresser and saw the picture I gave him for his birthday. I got off of the bed and went to pick it up and look at it. We were so happy that night. I put my finger on Embry's face and smiled. I put the picture back down and looked at the stuff on his dresser. I had no idea how long Angie would be on the phone. Maybe I should just walk home. I really didn't want to still be here when Embry got back. I sat back down on the bed and picked up a car magazine that was thrown on the floor and flipped through it. I sighed and pulled Embry's t-shirt off and put it back where I found it. I cracked open the door to see if Angie was still talking. It was quiet, so I walked down the hall to look into the living room.
"Hey, how did it go?" I asked Angie. I sat down on the couch next to her. She was so happy she was glowing! She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "Good, really good." I smiled at her and said, "I'm glad."
She held the phone to her chest, almost like she was holding onto him. "He told me how much he missed me, Leah, and I could actually hear it in his voice. How he thought of me every day. I know I should hate him for what he did to me! He never called me to explain, he just disappeared, and left me with a baby to raise on my own. But I don't hate him. I couldn't if I tried." She laid the phone down and went on, "I always knew in my heart that he was alive. And somehow I knew he was close. It's like, I could feel him, or something, you know? I knew I would see him again. I just didn't think it would take this long!" She smiled at me.
"Are you going to tell Embry?" I asked. I held my breath as I waited for her to answer.
"I want to, Leah. I want him to know his father, I really do," she answered. I nodded. "But I don't have to tell him that you found him, Leah. I know you're afraid, aren't you? That he will be angry with you?"
I gave her small smile. "Yes, I'm terrified that he'll hate me. It took me so long to finally admit to myself how much I love him, and to tell him that. Now, I'm so scared that I'll lose him."
She smiled and said, "Look, Leah. I can see how much my son loves you. I think he may be angry for awhile at both of us. But he won't hate you. You won't lose him. I promise."
"I hope you're right. Did you make plans to meet?" I asked her.
She nodded with a big smile. "We are meeting tomorrow at a diner in a little town between here and Port Angeles." She gasped and took my hand and said, "Oh my God! What am I going to wear?" I burst out laughing then she did too.
"Come on, I'll help you pick you out something," I said as I stood up.
She stood up and pulled me to her for a big hug. "Oh thank you, Leah. Thank you so much. I can't tell you how excited I am!" She let me go and then took my hand to lead me back to her bedroom to look through her closet. At least I made somebody happy! I just wish I knew that Embry wouldn't hate me for what I've done.