CHAPTER FIFTY THREE

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

KAT CONSTANTINE:

"Life,what is it but a dream?" Lewis Carroll, Through The Looking Glass.

I had left Embry's hotel in a hazy love sick dream. I took a long detour back towards home, so I could dream and smile to myself in the Spring sunshine. I definitely belonged to Embry Call now. In all ways. We had broken our promise of celibacy to each other this afternoon, but it had felt right to give in to the passion between us which had been simmering since we first kissed. Embry was my first lover. My only lover. As I was his. I felt like I was walking on a cloud of happiness, all wrapped up in a bubble of joy. Until my phone vibrated in my jacket pocket and I was brought back to reality with a terrible jolt. The message was from Quinn. He wanted to talk to me. He asked me to meet him in a bar down town. He said he wanted to apologise and explain a few things. I decided I would go. I needed closure from the whole Quinn situation. I wanted to ask him nicely not to target my sister because of things I had done. I sent a quick text back saying I would be there shortly. I hoped I was doing the right thing.

I spotted Quinn right away as soon as I entered the bar. He seemed to be much more muscular than the last time I'd seen him. I found his gym obsession boring. I had also found his slight drinking problem boring too. I would rather be outdoors than in a bar. It had never much appealed to me. Really, Quinn and I were like chalk and cheese. Whereas Embry and I were one of a kind, true soul mates if you believed in that sort of thing. Quinn had been a mistake, a big mistake. He was controlling and clingy. He was petty and mean. I didn't know why I'd ever agreed to date him. I guess I'd liked the idea more than the reality. So here he was sitting at the bar nursing a whisky glass which was almost empty. I pulled up a stool next to him as he turned to face me. "Hey Kat" he slurred slightly. I wondered how many whiskies he had drank? "Quinn" I nodded curtly in response. "I guess you are mad at me huh?" he smirked. I nodded again. "I'll buy us a drink and we can talk over there" he said indicating the leather sofa by the window. "I'll have an orange juice then please" I replied. He shook his head, his dark fringe falling into his brown eyes. "Still uptight I see" he remarked caustically. I sighed as I made my way to the comfier seat. This was turning out to be a bad idea already.

I noticed Quinn's white van which he used for fishing trips parked on the other side of the road. I shook my head with a sigh. I hoped he wasn't planning on driving that today! Quinn must have noticed my disapproving look as he approached the table. "Relax Kat, look I'm on Coke now okay?" he huffed as he held up the red and white can in front of my face. I relaxed back into the comfortable soft leather, trying to appear cool, calm and collected. Quinn always did make me feel slightly on edge. "So, you still with this Embry guy then?" he asked. I nodded, "Yes, of course. We are engaged." I stated, although I suspected he knew due to the state of Rebecca's flat. "I know. " he said taking a gulp of coke. "That's why I need to show you this" he said as he took a camera out of his pocket. "Wait a minute now Quinn! I thought you asked me here to apologise and explain why you wrecked Rebecca's flat?" I exclaimed as my temper flared. "Now now Kat. You can't accuse me of anything without proof now can you?" he smirked. My face flushed with anger as I spat out the truth, "You were the only one who knew where the spare key was! I showed you the night you stayed over! No one else has a key! I know it was you Quinn Taylor!" I fumed. "You are so beautiful when you are angry Kat. I miss you, I miss us" he said softly. I didn't melt and cave in though. This was just an example of him messing with my head. I wasn't the same Kat now though. "Quinn there never was an us. There never will be. I didn't ever let you believe that there would or could be. You knew it was a casual fling. I didn't mislead you! I love Embry. That's it" I stated quietly. The atmosphere shifted and changed for the worse.

Quinn started to laugh. He turned on me venomously, "You bitch! You led me on for months, just waiting until something better came along! Well I hope you are happy with your choice because he isn't your Prince Charming! Oh no not at all!" he exclaimed through gritted teeth. He shoved the camera at me, "Look at these photos Katherine! I took them a very short time ago, look closely, go on!" he smirked again. I sighed impatiently as I grabbed the camera from him. I gasped as a photograph of Embry in the arms of a stunning dark haired girl greeted my eyes. My Embry kissing another girl! His strong hands were on her hips as she pressed her body close to his. This was too much! I flung the camera away from me, not caring if it broke! My throat tightened and my eyes began to tear up. "Why? Why were you following Embry? How? Where did he meet this girl? He's only been in the city since early morning!" I exclaimed, my mind whirling with unanswered questions. Quinn shrugged, "Maybe she's not from Vancouver. Maybe he brought her here with him? Or maybe not. Don't they look cosy though?" he smiled nastily. Although I was sad and hurt and upset, my brain was still functioning. Things weren't adding up here! Quinn had some explaining to do, I would deal with the Embry situation when I had more information.

I narrowed my eyes at Quinn as I tried to hold back the tears of sadness and betrayal. " How did you know who Embry was? How did you happen to see him by coincidence in a city full of thousands of people? I need to know Quinn!" I demanded, my voice hoarse with pent up emotion. He turned to me with an evil grin, "I came to Port Angeles to find you after that phone call you made. Remember the one where you told me you'd met him? Coincidentally I bumped into Rebecca and her real Mother. It was simple. I followed them home and I found photographs of Embry in his Mother's house. She really should lock her doors at night!" he laughed. I gasped in amazement at his cunning behaviour. But there was worse to come. "Every minute I have spare I have been following you Katherine, stalking you since, oh let me see, since you decided to cool things between us, you heartless bitch!" he spat out furiously. I recoiled from his anger, my face pale with shock. "I need to go to the ladies room" I whispered as I hauled myself up in a daze. I ran cold water over my face and pressed my forehead against the cool mirror. A few tears escaped, but I quickly brushed them away. Time for tears later. I needed to confront Embry. I couldn't believe he had been seeing another girl behind my back. He imprinted on me for god's sake! This wasn't meant to happen. Surely it couldn't happen?

Quinn watched me walk back towards him, his eyes following every movement and curve of my body lasciviously. I ignored his hungry eyes as I strode purposefully to the table. "I'm leaving now Quinn. I wish I'd never met you here today. In fact I wish I'd never met you at all. Period. You are going to be alone and unloved forever. " His hard eyes bore into me with their dark intensity. He chucked my phone at me, "You forgot this. I hope in some way you will see that I was trying to help you Katherine. Goodbye" he said with that funny smirk on his face. I didn't reply, I just turned and walked out of the place before he could see me cry. I blindly ran to the park where I threw myself onto a bench and sobbed quietly under the weeping willows. I sat there for at least an hour, my mind conjuring up different explanations for that photograph. I could think of none. With red eyes and a heavy heart I made my way home. I fished my phone out of my pocket and frowned to myself. How could I have been so silly to leave it with Quinn? I don't remember taking it out of my jacket pocket though. It must have fallen out. I quickly scanned through my phone but there were no suspicious messages , calls or otherwise. I decided I had to talk to Embry right now. The phone rang and rang at the other end with no reply, eventually going onto voice mail. I didn't leave a message, what could I say? He was probably with his secret lover. Maybe it was a wolf thing and they all cheated on their wives and girlfriends, whether they had imprinted or not?

There must be some explanation for this nightmare. I had been living a wonderful perfect life in the arms of my beloved just a little while ago. Now it was completely backwards. I had gone through the looking glass to the mirror world beyond, where everything was topsy turvy and nothing made sense.

Just like Alice, I prayed I would find a way back to my reality.