HELLO, TIME FOR ANOTHER CHAPTER! THIS STORY HAS BEEN GOING FANTASTIC, AND THANK YOU TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO VOTED, I'M STILL NOT SOILD ABOUT IT, BUT I APPRCIATIE EFFORT, SO FAR IT'S LOOKING LIKE 'IT TAKES 2 TO TANGO' IS WINNING. OKAY, I DON'T OWN ANYTHING, I'M GONNA SHUT UP NOW.
Embry sighs as he climbs out of his hot shower and wraps a towel around his waist. He stretches, feeling several pops, he hadn't gotten much sleep from a dream that had constantly been in his mind, but now he couldn't remember it worth a damn. He walks into his dimly lit room to look for a pair of clean jeans. It had been a week since his first time walking on the ice, and it was the first day to start in skates, and also a surprise he wouldn't expect. He pulls a thick long sleeve shirt over his head, shaking his hair out a little.
He loops his belt and slips on his winter boots, snow was coming down heavy, nearly three inches already. He grabs his cell phone, his apartment key, his thickest jacket and left out the door, being careful on the stairs, negative part about living on the third floor, VERY slippery stairs.
He walks down the streets, last minute Christmas shoppers shuffling about, yes, just a week and half before Christmas. He walks up the oh-so familiar small house and knocks on the door with glove covered hands. Bella answers with a spoon in her mouth and an apron that says 'too hot for you.' He covers his mouth to keep the laughter from coming out. He found her adorable at the moment.
"Uhhh, watcha doin?" she smiles and pulls him into the warm house, the smell of something baking flooding the small space.
"Making Christmas cookies with Emmett and Victoria, c'mon!" she nearly drags him into the kitchen where there already three batches out. He pulls his hood back. Emmett had cornered him one day and interrogated him as much as he could before Bella got out of the shower. He found out that Embry had been in an accident, and the ice had left scars, that was all he had been willing to say.
"Jesus! You're not going to eat all those are you? You'll be running around like a 5 year old!" Bella laughs and wraps her arms around his torso.
"No, some are going to neighbors, others to friends…" she bites her lip innocently, looking up at him with an unfamiliar look, though he had a feeling it had something with the fact he was going on the ice with skates today. He smirks and touches his forehead to Bella's.
"Mind if I help?" she grins.
"Of course not!" for two hours they bake, decorate and occasionally eat cookies, laughing and joking, time flying by as the four people talk and enjoy themselves. Bella let out a little noise when she saw the time. She grabbed about four plates of cookies and went to get her coat. Embry followed her and they walked silently to the recreation center, a habit they had grown over the week. James smiled at them as they came in, feeling just as anxious as Embry looked.
Bella hands him a pair of skates they had picked out earlier in the week, and watches Him put them on with shaking hands, all his comfort going away. He sucked in a deep breath as he wobbled towards the ice, the skates feeling alien on his feet. He grips the side of the rink just like the first time, the hairline crack growing slightly as if it senses his fear.
He takes one step on the ice, looking straight ahead. He pushes ever so gently, and slides slightly on the ice, he slips and nearly falls, being rusty from three years of being in a pair of skates. Bella bites her lip as she watches him, this time he had insisted on trying on his own. He adjusted his position, slight bit of irritation showing on his face, the crack shrunk again as his fear was replaced with annoyance; he had done this for years! If got as far as he was he sure as hell was going farther! He clenches his fists and once again slides so gently, and doesn't fall. He pushes again gliding a little farther. He feels excitement run through his body making his heart pick up pace.
He swallows a lump in his throat, and pushes harder, harder, until he's gently gliding across the rink. He feels a surge of something so strong he shakes, he closes his eyes as the feeling runs through his entire body, and then…absolute peace. His eyes fly open as he realizes what happened. He looked down to see absolutely no crack, just smooth ice. He broke his fear! He was free to start doing what he loved so much. He lets a massive grin stretch across his face; farther than he had ever permitted. The joy seeped so deep that he rocketed to an exhilarating speed, feeling so light. Bella gasps with her own joy as she watches her friend move smoothly. He shoots his arms in the air and gives a long, gleeful cry, and glides off the ice to be jumped on by Bella, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He falls onto his butt, Bella still holding onto him tightly. He laughs.
"You did it, you broke it! God, Embry I'm so happy for you!" Bella's warm whispers covered his ear. He felt his breath catch for a completely different reason. He buried his face in her hair, not being able to let her see his suddenly flushed face.
"Thank you, thank you…I wouldn't have done it without you Bella, I owe you so much." He feels Bella's body shake with a silent laugh.
"You owe me nothing but your friendship, Embry." They held each other longer, to the point there joints became stiff and James split them apart, their hands staying linked. His grin was just like theirs. He raises an eyebrow, looking at the two of them, Embry's eyes no longer held hesitants, or sadness, it's obvious that Bella pulled him out of something he felt was his fault, making him shut down, but he now sees his wonderful athlete broke many walls to bring him back to the very thing he loved to do. He chuckled as the two whispered to each other. He clapped his hands and they jumped.
"Well, I say we celebrate! Who's hungry?" the trio walks through the streets, Embry wearing his hood out of habit.
James stops at an unfamiliar barbeque place, a neon pig as its sign. They walk in and sigh as the warmth touches their exposed faces. An overly perky woman walks up to them and offers them a table. They walk with her through the tables until they come to a booth and sit down. Bella looks at the menu with a curious eye, they did mostly burgers, and she could use one. A nice man came over and asks what they want to drink.
"water." Bella mumbles shyly as the man gives her a flirty look. Embry feels something bubble in his chest again and mutters his drink. Later they are all sitting at the booth, each enjoying their own kind of burger. Embry felt fluttery being so close to Bella lately, he wasn't familiar with the feeling at all. Food was consumed and jokes were made, but soon James had to leave to do some last minute shopping for his mother, so he paid the bill, insisting lunch was on him before leaving the two friends to walk alone. They held each other's glove covered hands, the cool air too much, so they rush to his apartment, it being the closest.
"You know one day Emmett's going to think you kidnap me." Embry gives a chuckle and places his arm over Bella's shoulder, feeling nervous. Bell leans into his embrace like always, but to Embry it seems different…
"EMBRY!" he stops in his tracks and squints to see a woman in a thick tan coat jumping up and down, a buff man laughing. At first he doesn't know who they are, until the woman gives a familiar squeal and runs to them. His eyes widen as a family face, that wasn't supposed to be there until two days later, pops up in front of him. Bella giggles as he's wrenched from his hold on her and into an iron tight hug.
He wraps his arms around the woman with a laugh. This surprises the woman and she pulls back to look at her friend's scarred face, his hood falling off when she pulled him, his face in a huge smile.
"Hey Leah!" She screams and jumps into his arms. Someone had done it! Someone broke him free! She would love whoever it was. Embry laughs and pats his sister like friend on the back, her being heavier than he remembered. Jacob comes over to pull his fiancée off Embry, who gently pulls Bella to his side once again. Leah grabs his face.
"Who did it? Who got you on the ice? I'm going to give whoever it was a HUGE hug!" Embry grins and nods towards Bella, who blushes when she realizes what's going on. Just like Embry she's pulled into Leah who gives her a big hug, sobbing slightly. She kisses the shy girls head.
"Thank you! GOD!" After Leah has unleashed her emotions she looks at the slightly shocked Embry, who once again pulls Bella to him.
"What are you guys doing here? I thought your flight was in two days." The couple grins.
"We got an offer for an earlier offer because there was a prediction of a storm in a few days, so we took it, otherwise we would have never made it." Jacob rolls his eyes as his fiancée does a little dance.
"Well…that's great! I guess. Does," Embry stops, realizing the name he needs to say won't leave his lips, so he changes it.
"Does Seth know?" Leah notices his hesitation and smiles, pretending it didn't happen.
"Nope, only you know!" Embry shrugs, Leah looks at Bella with a sunny smile.
"Who's this lovely woman?" Bella blushes.
"This is my friend Bella," Leah gets a wicked look in her eye.
"So you're the famous Bella that Embry spends so much time with. You're so pretty, just like Embry said." Embry's eyes widen as Jacob bites his lip to keep a gigantic laugh from escaping him. Bella giggles nervously as Embry's cheek start to heat up. He grabs Bella's hand.
"Well, this is wonderful but I'm freezing, why don't you come in?" he says in a rush to drop the subject. Leah smirks and follows her friend's retreating form, Jacob's arm wrapped around her waist.
"Don't fool with him too much." He whispers in her ear.
"I don't think that's possible." She whispers back playfully. They walk into the small space to see Embry and Bella on the couch, him tickling her.
"Embry, come on stop!" she says between laughs.
"Never!" Leah places a hand on her hip with a smirk.
"I believe you have guests Mr. Call." She says in a British accent. Embry freezes and clears his throat, slowly getting off Bella. She bites her lip and scoots slightly closer to him. Leah plops down on the couch as Jacob goes to the bathroom.
"So, how was the flight?" Leah huffs.
"Awful! I had a sudden cravings wave and it was driving me crazy!" Embry shrugs.
"Why didn't just order whatever you were craving off the menu?"
"They didn't have chili fries." Embry let out a small scoff.
"So you sat on a plane for who knows how long thinking about chili fries?" she slaps his shoulder as he laughs, though it was wonderful to hear it.
"Don't laugh you turkey!" this only makes him laugh harder. Leah notices how Bella watches him with a smile. She seemed sweet, she has a feeling the girl would take care of her brother/friend. Bella cell phone goes off.
Come home plz, need to talk to you.-E she sighs and shuts her phone. She taps Embry shoulder and he smiles.
"I gotta go, Emmett needs me." He pouts, making her giggle.
"Fine, but your all mine tomorrow!" he poke her side, making her giggle again. She gives him a hug.
"Okay, by Embry, by Leah, I hope I can get to know you more." He watches her leave with a sigh and doesn't notice Leah watching him until she speaks.
"You like her! You like her, you like her!" he groans as the chanting starts up again.
"Jake, come get you she-devil!" he hears him laugh as the faucet quits and he walks out wiping his hand on his pants.
"I don't have any control over this stuff." Leah's practically buzzing.
"You like her I know it! The way you hold her and look at her, why haven't you done anything?" Embry shakes his head.
"Because I don't know if she feels the same and I…I don't want to severe the relationship. B-but these feelings I get! God, there so different I just want to…gah, I don't know!" He stands up with exasperation. It was true; he never felt what he felt around Bella. She was so different than the girls that used to flirt with the team. She was so sweet, naturally beautiful, and so, so selfless. He slams his head into the wall. Figures, he breaks one fear and starts to build a new one, but this one he wants deeply. He feels a hand grip his shoulder. He looks to see Leah smiling at him sweetly.
"I know it's all new to you, but just be yourself, you made her your friend acting like that, keep it that way. You had the courage to laugh in the ices' face you can look a girl in the eye and tell her how you feel, it may take awhile, but I KNOW you'll do it." She hugs her friend and pulls back with a grin.
"So I'm going to help build a plan." Jacob swallows back another laugh, oh dear god, please help him. He thinks and shakes his head as Leah starts talking about things girls see through their eyes. Embry feels a smile splay across his lips as an epiphany goes through his mind. He does have feeling for Bella, and if she's willing to except him, he'll try his best to become hers.
BIG. FAT GASP! NOBODY EXCPECTED THAT I BET! WHAT DOES EMMETT NEED? WHAT'S LEAH GONNA GET EMBRY INTO? WHO KNOWS? I KNOW! BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO FIND OUT ON THE NEXT CHAPTER! (LAUGHS EVILY) I BID YOU GOODBYE UNILT NEXT CHAPTER!