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The Flower Called Azalea

11. A Year Away

Azalea POV

I couldn't remember a single time when I'd had as much fun as on this trip. During our stay in Australia, we'd gone to Ayer's Rock, or Uluru, as the natives called it. We studied wallabies, kangaroos, koalas, and just about every other wild animal there.

Luke and I got closer with every passing day, and I also became really close with everyone else in the group. We were like a surrogate family to each other. I'd like to say that Luke was like a brother, but I couldn't say that without lying to myself. I liked him. A lot.

After Australia, we flew to Europe and explored Spain, Germany, and Scotland. We were currently stationed in Ireland, eight months into the program. We were staying in each country for two months. It was work mixed with a vacation and adventure. It was amazing.

While we were in Germany, sometime during the fifth month, Luke and I started dating. We got to be best friends in Australia and Spain, and things just kinda progressed naturally from there. Now, we'd been dating for three months, and I was starting to feel things for him that I thought I would only ever feel for Jake.

Jake…

I still felt so bad about leaving like I had. I loved him, I really did, but he'd just hurt me too much. I couldn't stay there. This program was exactly what I needed, and it came at the perfect time. I talked to my mom and Embry once a month and they tended to avoid Jake as a subject of conversation. Though sometimes, they let things slip.

Like the last time I talked to Embry, just last week. I had told him and my mom about Luke the month that we started dating, and apparently Jake found out. Not surprising with the whole 'wolf telepathy' thing, but Embry said something he probably shouldn't have.

"Hey, Em!" I greeted happily once he answered the phone.

"Z!" He cheered. "It's so good to hear your voice! Things here have been hectic. So how are you and Luke?"

I grinned to myself. "We're fantastic. Embry, he's amazing." Luke chose that moment to walk in. He heard me, grinned, and situated us so that I was sitting between his legs on the bed, my back to his chest, and his arms wrapped around my waist. As our conversation continued, Luke started to lightly kiss my neck and play with my hair.

"Well, it's good to know one of you is happy," Embry sighed.

That caught my attention. "Huh? What do you mean?"

He stuttered."Uh… nothing."

"Embry," I warned.

"Fine," he sighed in resignation. "Jake's been… weird… lately."

"Weird how?" My voice sounded cautious and hard to my own ears.

Luke sensed my change in demeanor and stopped nuzzling my neck, and just held me, giving me a worried gaze.

"Listen… Gah! I really don't think I should tell you this…" Embry fretted.

"Embry," I warned again. "I think I have a right to know exactly how Jake's been acting 'weird'."

He sighed again. "You're right. Okay, Z. But you didn't hear this from me, alright?"

"Just tell me, already, Damnit!"

"He's been sleeping around…" he spat out in a rush.

My heart stopped. "Wh-what?"

"Z, I'm really sorry. But… you're happy with Luke, right?"

That returned my attention to my wonderful boyfriend who happened to be worrying about me at that moment. "Yeah. Yeah, right." I smiled again. It was actually genuine, to my surprise. Luke just made me happy. "Love you, Em. I gotta go, though. I'll talk to you next month."

"Okay, Z. Talk to you, then," he replied and we hung up, ending our monthly phone call.

"Everything alright?" Luke asked.

I turned in his arms and smiled at him. "Yeah. Everything's fine." And I kissed him. I poured every ounce of passion and everything I felt for him into that kiss, and he reciprocated without hesitation. In that moment, I realized that we'd only been dating three months, but it felt a lot longer than that. In that moment, I realized that-though it defied the fates' decision-I loved him.

My arms tightened around him and his did the same around me; it still felt like we couldn't get close enough. That one kiss started out passionate and loving, and it quickly escalated into more. I loved Luke and I wanted to show him.

I lost my virginity that night.

I had mixed emotions whenever I thought about that night. I felt hurt from the phone call, but then I felt extreme love and happiness from the rest of the evening. Luke was nothing but loving, gentle, and sweet.

"Come on," Luke coaxed with a grin as he pulled me away from our camp in the middle of the night.

"Luke!" I whisper-yelled. "What are you doing?" I verbally protested, but I let him pull me along to his will.

"I've got a surprise for you," his smile changed from a full out grin to a sweet, adorable smile, and love was shining in his eyes.

I huffed. "Fine." A grin of my own forced itself onto my face and I let him drag me along.

Finally after about a ten minute walk, we stopped at the most gorgeous lake I'd ever seen, surrounded by purple wildflowers, and the full moon glinting undisturbed off the sparkling black, calm water.

I gasped and brought my hands to cover my mouth. "Oh, my… Luke… it's beautiful. H-how did you find this place?" I asked, unable to bring my voice above a strangled whisper.

He grinned shamelessly at my state of shock. "I might've gone exploring a bit, earlier today," he admitted.

I whipped around and pulled his face down to mine for a sound kiss. I pulled away just enough to whisper, "Thank you," and kissed him again.

This is what it's supposed to be like, I thought. We'd had our arguments, as friends, and as a couple, but we never did anything to break the trust between us.

Which is more than I could say for someone.

Jake POV

(A year after Azalea left)

"That was amazing," the blonde curled into my side said as she drew circles on my chest.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"Jake," she whined. "I wanna do it again." She tried the whole pouty thing-I think to be cute-but it just looked pathetic. I never banged the same girl twice.

"Sorry," I said as I started out of the bed to get dressed. "I have to get to work." My mechanical skills finally paid off and I was able to open my own garage here on the rez.

I think she started to say something, but I was already out of her house, and on my way to the garage. Seth was working on a Focus when I got there, Jared was working the front desk, helping out a customer who had just dropped off their car, and Quil was also working on a car, but he was working on an Audi TT Roadster. Quil, Em, and I were the only ones that were trusted with the high-end cars.

If Azalea were here, she would be part of our team as well, but-no! I swore to myself when she left that I wouldn't think about her. I didn't even know how long she'd been gone, now. She could never come back, for all I cared. I was perfectly happy with my garage and taking someone to sate the urge whenever I felt the need.

Damnit! I was thinking about here again.

Embry came out of the back, wiping his hands on his towel, grinning. At least until he saw me and the grin fell right off his face as if it would never return.

Though he didn't smile, I could tell he was happy about something.

"Hey, man!" I greeted with a grin of my own, and he cautiously returned it. Though fake at first, his smile slowly transformed into a genuine expression. "What's got you all happy?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing…" he lied. Badly, by the way.

"Uh-huh. Sure…" I teased and playfully punched his arm.

He quickly changed the subject. "Who was it last night?"

I shrugged. "Beats me. But she was hot and flexible. That's all the motivation I needed."

Azalea POV

"Beats me. But she was hot and flexible. That's all the motivation I needed," he said.

My eyebrows scrunched and I tried to see if it really was him. Though he was talking to my brother as if they, themselves, were brothers, so I was pretty sure it was him. Damn… I mean, I knew what Embry had said. He'd said that Jake had become a complete man-whore, but I didn't realize the extent of how much of an asshole he'd become.

Was this because of me?

Luke's arm tightened around my waist, bringing me back to the present. I looked up at him and he looked at me with curiosity. Right, I thought. Back to the task at hand.

"Embry!" I shouted with a huge grin.

His conversation with Jake paused as he looked over his friend's shoulder and saw me for the first time in over a year.

"Azalea!" He grinned and ran over to give me a suffocating hug. As soon as my name left his lips, I saw Jake stiffen.

I screamed in joy and laughter as my brother spun me around. "I missed you so much!" I cried into his shoulder.

"Agh! That is the last time I let my baby sister roam the world by herself for a year," he said, as if he were in charge and he put me down.

I laughed and reminded him, "Ah, but my dear brother, I was not alone. Remember? I was with two instructors and nine other students."

Embry rolled his eyes. "Still. You missed having your birthday here. You're eighteen now. God, you're legal." He looked as if he were about to cry.

I grabbed his face with one hand and shook his head back and forth. "No. You're not allowed to cry." He laughed and swatted my hand away.

In that moment, a trampy redhead decided to walk in, strut straight up to Jake-who had now turned around and was watching me-and kiss him full on the mouth. I scoffed in disgust.

"Lisa," he protested and pulled away.

"Carly," she corrected.

"Whatever. Look. I told you that I don't do things twice," he said and gazed at her with hard eyes.

This was disgusting. I didn't know how much more of this I could watch. So I turned my attention from him to Luke, who was just standing back, trying not to look awkward, but slightly failing.

"Em," I smiled. "This is Luke."

Embry grinned and held his hand out to my boyfriend. "Hey, man. It's nice to meet you."

Luke shook his hand and smiled back. "You, too."

"Okay, I know you two have never had any really serious problems, but I'm her brother, and if you ever hurt her, I will kill you," he threatened.

"Embry," I laughed. "Don't scare him off. It's been ten months, and he has yet to do anything to mess up."

"Well I'm glad to hear it," Embry smiled, relieving the tension between my brother and boyfriend.

Jake's conquest had left in a huff and was watching us intently. He chose that peaceful moment to intervene and ruin everything. "Ah, so you must be our little Z's latest fuck," he smiled broadly.

I didn't like this smile. It wasn't the happy, sweet, fun smile I was so used to from him. It was a cocky, egotistical, asshole smile.

Luke was offended, and so was I. But I cut in before Luke could say anything-or do anything. He had murder in his eyes.

"Excuse me? I'm not the whore here, Jake," I growled.

"Oh no, I know," Jake smiled. "She just left."

I stared at him in awe. I didn't know this Jake. I didn't want to. "You are such an asshole."

"Mmm, get used to it, baby."

I had no idea if my Jake was still in this bastard's body or not, but if he was, I knew how to get him out.

"Oh, I don't have to. I'm only here until Monday." It was Friday. "Luke and I are going to Australia and going to college together."

"What?" My brother and Jake asked at the same time. Embry shouted his question, but Jake's eyes just widened and his question was more of a shocked stutter.

"Yup," I nodded. "I'm leaving. I don't know if I'm coming back." I continued to drive the dagger in deeper. I felt bad for doing this to Embry, considering it was a lie, but I felt no remorse for Jake. Embry looked like someone had just killed his puppy, whereas Jake just looked like a deer in headlights.

Jake seemed to compose himself, but reverted back to his bastard-self. "Good riddance," he snorted.

I think my heart broke more than when I first left at his words. "What happened to you?" I asked quietly.

He gestured to Luke and replied, "Him."

Luke looked taken aback. "Sorry?"

"Whoa, what?" I screeched. "What does Luke have to do with what you are now?"

Jake didn't look like he was going to answer that any time soon and Luke looked ready to beat him up. I would've gladly let him, if I hadn't known that Jake would kill him.

"Luke," I put a hand on his chest, stopping him from advancing toward Jacob. "I'm sorry. I brought you here to meet my family, and instead, you get him," I grimaced. "Come on, let's go to my house, and I'll introduce you to my mom. She's so excited to meet you."

"Alright," he agreed. "Let's go."

I nudged Luke out the door of the garage and chanced a quick look back to be greeted with the sight of Jake looking angry, hurt, confused, and defeated.

"I told you she wouldn't like this new Jake," I heard Embry tell him quietly as I walked out the door.

Well, there you go! Please review! ^_^ The response has been a little on the slow side lately, and I love reading your opinions on my story. So, I'm thinking… 10 reviews on this chapter before I give you guys the next one. I hate to set a minimum, but I really want to know your guys' thoughts. ^.^ Thanks, guys! I love you!