Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Saga, or any of its original characters.

5: Unintended Wounds

It was fair to say that the stifling didn't really work so well, and I actually had to clamp a hand over my mouth to keep quiet. Fear overwhelmed me as I looked around for some sort of sharp object that I could protect myself with.

I was in a kitchen yet there were no knives in sight when I really needed one. How fucking convenient.

The door handle twisted and I scrambled backwards so fast that I pretty much tripped over my own feet, landing hard on my ass and catching my palm on a fragment of sharp glass. Ignoring the sharp pain that shot through my left hand, I moved as far away from the door as possible until my back hit one of the cupboards. The figure moved into the doorway and I heard myself scream again.

Then the intruder pulled his dark hood down and I was met with a pair of familiar brown eyes, which were as round and concerned as I'd ever seen them.

"Penny," Seth said softly. "Calm down!"

Within a second he was by my side, kneeling down on the cold floor next to me. I stared at him for one long moment and then suddenly my bleeding hand was smacking his face, leaving a smear of blood on Seth's cheek.

"Please calm down," he repeated.

I felt my face contort into a scowl as I said, "What the hell do you think you're doing here? I thought you were God damn burglar or serial killer or something!"

"I was just coming over to apologize and to... I don't know, I guess I just wanted to explain myself,"

"Then explain why you were sneaking around my porch, Seth!" I shouted, pushing away from him and ultimately cutting myself on more broken glass.

Stupid glass. Stupid Seth.

My swearing didn't even seem to faze him. Seth just knelt there, gazing at me with that same intense and concerned look on his face. I was struck again by how good looking he was - even streaked with my blood.

"Here," he murmured and lifted me to my feet with ease. There was a fresh cut just below my right elbow, a shard of the tumbler sticking out of it at an obnoxious angle. "I really didn't mean to scare you, Penny. I'm so sorry..."

I shrugged off his warm arm from around my waist and went to the sink, wincing ever so slightly as I cleaned my unintended wounds.

"Get out my house," I told him in a cold voice that I barely recognized as my own.

"I'm here to apologize-" Seth was cut off when I swore again. The glass was not coming out easily.

He continued a moment later. "I tried knocking on your front door but there was no reply. I checked the back to see if you were actually at home, and then all of a sudden I heard a smash and you were screaming! I had to see that you were alright,"

"Well," I retorted. "I'm completely fine, Seth."

"You don't seem completely fine,"

I glared at him. "I have a sharp piece of glass in my hand. Seth, do you really want to piss me off even more?"

"Where's your first aid kit?" He asked and I heard him begin to check through the cupboards. I sighed and, with my left hand still under the pulse of water from the faucet, plucked the medic box out from underneath the sink.

Before I knew it we were sitting at the breakfast table and Seth was adjusting my bandages. His gentleness was somewhat striking but considering he was the type of guy that named pick-up trucks as if they were elderly women, I wasn't entirely surprised.

He finished tying the last knot around the deeper of the two cuts, however Seth didn't move his hand away for a moment longer. His lingering touch made goosebumps appear on my skin.

I wanted to kiss him so bad in that moment.

I met his eyes with indecision, my stomaching knotting for multiple reasons. "A band-aid would've been fine, you know."

"Penny... Can I explain now?" Seth questioned, his voice small and cautious.

"I guess you might as well,"

Seth's dark eyes flashed to the broken glass and then back to me. He said, "Carmen and I met about a year ago at a party. The age gap didn't seem to matter much to her so we hooked up. It was just a handful of times; things between us were over before it really started. We're just friends now, Penny. I swear to you that there's nothing going on any more,"

"Then why did you tell me that she dated your friend instead? Why not just say all that in the first place?"

"Because the moment I saw you, Penny, it was different. I didn't want this to be like it had been with Carmen and I didn't want you to associate me with any form of douchbaggery,"

"What do you mean by different?"

Seth let out a deep breath and got to his feet, and it was then that I realized my blood was still on his face. I could barely believe that I had actually slapped him. I didn't even know whether it had been out of fear or spite. As I watched, Seth began to collect the pieces of glass with the small dustpan and brush that we kept by the back door.

"I'm sorry I slapped you," I finally told him.

He glanced up at me and offered his boyish grin as a response. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth."

"It's really fine. I guess I just don't have much experience with this kind of stuff,"

"Don't you?" I couldn't help but look at him then. He sounded so surprised.

A moment later he caught on that I was still staring at him, and I found myself blushing furiously as I looked away. But instead of attempting to retain a cool and collected attitude, I noticed Dad's paper again and an image of Adam rushed to mind. It was him as he had been at the start of summer, tanned and cocky and muttering something about his girlfriend as he headed out for the last time.

I could remember exactly what he looked like... But it was then that I realised I couldn't remember the sound of his voice.

How could I forgot something like that?

Seth stood up slowly. "Are you - you're not crying because of me, right?"

In one motion he was striding towards me, dust pan and brush forgotten on the linoleum, and that weird look was back on his face.

Before he could reach me though, I heard the sound of Mom's car come up the driveway behind my Ford and I told Seth in a hoarse voice that it was best if he left for now. The memory of my brother receded to the dark place where I kept all thoughts of him in the back of my mind, locked safely away.

"I guess your dad does have a shotgun then?" He joked as I followed him to the back door, wiping angrily at my eyes.

"It's very possible," I replied and he grinned at me one last time before heading out across the porch. I hadn't heard the key turn in the front door yet so, as a second thought, I called out after him. "Seth, did you know that the owners of that diner were murdered?"

Seth merely paused in step and copied me by saying, "It's very possible."

"Penelope?" I heard Mom call as she came into the house - just as Seth had safely disappeared around the side of the house - and I quickly shut the back door before she made her way into the kitchen. She froze, taking in the small gathering of broken glass and my excessive bandages. "Are you going to tell me what on earth has happened?"

Thankfully Kate didn't ask about my cut-up hand when I met her after the following school day at Starbucks. The closest franchise was in Port Angeles, and it was a much anticipated meeting because we hadn't had a chance to discuss the matter of Seth Clearwater and Carmen Arana and Penelope Lambert.

I was just hoping so bad that she'd be able to confirm what he'd already told me.

"Well," Kate began as she set down two frappuccinos in the booth I'd grabbed for us, "They officially ended the booty calls in August, I think. If he says that they're just friends, then Seth obviously doesn't realize that Carmen still has big plans for him."

"So... when did they meet?"

Kate considered this for a moment. "Carmen's cousin introduced them at a senior's Christmas party last year, I think."

Well, that seemed to fit Seth's rendition, I thought to myself. I felt a small smile play at the corners of my lips/

"Do you know how long they were together for?"

"If I remember correctly, it was an on-and-off thing since about May," Kate said. "Probably a total of about three or four months."

I said, "I can't help liking him, Kate. It's weird. I've known him about a week and I just can't stop thinking about him. It's crazy!"

"I understand," she told me with a smile. "He's still a douchebag for lying, though."

"But they only went out? What's so ridiculous about that?"

Kate also considered this and said, "Carmen will make your life hell, Penny. You know that, right?"

"What am I supposed to do?"

Kate added a few sachets of sugar to her drink, and proceeded to eye up a couple of guys that were waiting in the queue to order as if they were the most interesting specimens of the male species she'd ever seen. Either that or there was also the unlikely possibility that she was checking out the asses of their various girlfriends. She eventually said, "Liking him isn't exactly a crime, I guess? I mean, he's hot enough to model for Abercrombie, Penny, so I really don't blame you. I just hope he likes you as much as he seems to."

I felt my shoulders sag as I tried to make sense of yesterday afternoon. Should I tell Kate about him coming to apologize? I decided against it because I was still confused about what had actually happened, and I was sure that it was best to keep up the lie I'd told my mom. Besides, I had already stated that most of what he had told me had taken place during the conversation we'd had on the phone.

"I've already promised you that I won't go blabbing about you two for now," Kate continued. "So as far as Carmen's concerned, I know nothing."

I took a long gulp of my drink and wondered how the hell I could compete with a girl like Carmen if she was still interested, with her perfect blonde curls and a questionable yet unfailing tan. It was like she was Malibu Barbie and I was Strawberry Shortcake in comparison.

"You don't have to lie for me," Kate began to laugh as soon as I said it, and I found myself frowning. "What?"

"Oh, lets be real here. I most definitely do!"

"It's just a few dates!" I quickly said, almost spilling my coffee over her.

Kate grinned at me, flicking a stand of dark hair over her shoulder. "Just see how it goes with him, Penny. You can always end if it turns out there is something to end, can't you?"

"But, Kate, you freaked when you found out I'd been on a date with him!"

"Well, of course," she said. "Those texts totally made it seem like you were already hooking up!"

Kate sighed and continued to say, "You can't blame me for freaking out! I've known the Arana family since before I can remember and, sure, Carmen and I have always been friends. But you're my friend, too, Penny. I can't have a cat fight on my hands, you know?"

"Especially over a boy," I muttered under my breath.

"Exactly," she stated. "As I said before - just see how it goes with him, OK? It's not like tons of people find their soul-mates at sixteen anyway."

I blushed furiously and turned my attention to the pale leather seats of the booth.

Kate, as per usual taking up the voice of reason, was probably right. But a secret, hopelessly naive part of me kind of hoped she was wrong - even if Seth had slept with Carmen.

A/N: I do realize it's taken me forever to update once again, and I'm really sorry... again! But hey, at least you've had a small taste of foreboding now? Please review and favourite and all that jazz :) I'll try and update soon - I promise!