Author's Note

Hello my peeps.

If anyone is actually reading this than you know that I am not the writer of Twilight and do not own it or the characters within. I have a doggie though.

Enjoy!

Chapter Six - Hot Cocoa

Emily was right, Embry did see Alex sooner than he would have expected, considering he wasn't expecting to see her again at all. Four days after dropping the cookies off, Alex appeared on his doorstep. She was in dark jeans that hugged her hips and thighs and a black raincoat cinched at the waist and carrying the plastic container. Her hair was soaked and she was shaking.

"Alex? Come inside you're gonna freeze," a shirtless Embry threw open the door and ushered her through. He put the container on the little table by the door and helped her peel her coat off. "I'll be right back." She nodded, teeth chattering. He came back quickly with a towel that he wrapped around her before handing her a stack of folded clothes. "I grabbed you some dry clothes, they're gonna be big on you but it's better than being cold. Bathroom is the first door on the right down that hall. Just leave your wet clothes in the tub and I'll throw them in the dryer for you."

"Th-thank you." Alex made her way down the hallway and into the small yellow bathroom. Her clothes were plastered to her skin and she was shaking so much it took a while to get out of them. The grey sweatpants swallowed her and so did the tee shirt but she rolled the pant legs over several times so she wouldn't trip and put her clothes in the bath. When she made it back to the living Embry, who had thrown on a shirt, handed her a blanket before disappearing down the hall again.

Alex curled up on the couch and wrapped herself in the blanket. The living room was small and lived in but cozy, and the couch was definitely comfortable. Alex leaned her head back against the cushions and closed her eyes. She could hear Embry moving through the house and the dryer running. She could barely feel her hands still and tried rubbing them up and down her thighs. She jumped slightly when there was suddenly a hand on her knee. She opened her eye to find Embry squatting down in front of her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized, putting a steaming cup on the end table next to her. "You any warmer?"

"A l-little." He pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders and gently pulled her shaking hands from her legs. His burning hands swallowed her tiny ones with their massive size, and his rich skin tone made her look even more pale.

"Why, exactly, did you walk here in the rain?" He asked, trying to keep his voice calm. She could have made herself sick. Could have gotten hit by a car on the slick roads.

"Well it wasn't r-raining when I left, and I didn't r-realize how far it w-was. My c-car wouldn't start."

"You could make yourself sick, walking in the rain like that. Always expect rain in La Push," he rubbed his hands back and forth over his, hoping the friction and his above-average temperature would speed the process. "I'll drive you back when your clothes are done, if you'd like, and maybe take a look at your car."

"You don't have to d-do that."

"I know I don't have to, I want to. I'd really rather you didn't get sick, although that may already be a lost cause," he switched to rubbing his hands up and down her arms, over the blanket. "How long were you walking in that rain, anyway? You're so cold."

"I dunno, I was by the school when the r-rain started."

Embry sighed and picked back up the mug, offering it to her, "Well drink up, this should help warm you up."

She blew on it and Embry's eyes were suddenly glued her pale pink lips, he wanted to rip the mug out of her hand and kiss her, hard. That would warm her up. He shook his head, trying to clear the traitorous thoughts from his head. Friends. She took a sip and a small moan escaped her lips, she blushed. Embry sat on the couch next to her and casually grabbed the extra blanket that was folded over the edge, placing it bunched up over his lap to hide his semi-hard on. What was she doing to him? And this wasn't even intentional! He couldn't help but imagine the results if she were actually trying to seduce him.

"Sorry," her blush deepened, "but what do you put in this? Its delicious."

"Chocolate coffee creamer, my mom's secret," he smiled.

She was silent again, staring at the blank tv screen. Her color was starting to come back a little and she wasn't shaking as much.

"Warmer?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Your clothes will probably be a bit, my dryers a little funky sometimes. We could watch some tv, or I think we have board games somewhere…" he could tell she didn't like the idea of staying here with him. Her heartbeat speed up and she shifted slightly. He had to do this slowly, she wasn't ready for more time. "Or, if you want, I can take you home now and bring your clothes by another day?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, absolutely, it's not a big deal," he hated to do it, to lose time with her, but it was she wanted. He stood up and offered her his hand. To his surprise, she took it. He let go once she was upright and took the cup from her and disappeared into the kitchen and then down the hall. When he came back he found her waiting by the door, her wet coat folded over her arm. He was carrying a sweatshirt and a to-go mug. "Your coat is soaked and I thought you might like some hot cocoa for the road."

"Thanks," he reached out to take her coat and handed her the sweatshirt.

"It's still raining and pretty cold out there, you're going to need it," he explained. She pulled it over head and lifted the hood. Like the other clothes he had given her to wear, it was gigantic - she rolled the sleeves back until her hand were exposed. "Shall we?"

Alex nodded and opened the door, heading back out into the rain. Embry jogged ahead of her and opened the passenger door of his truck for her, closing it behind her. They drove in silence back to her house and Embry noticed her eyes glazed as she stared out the window. She didn't seem to be aware of his presence, lost in thought. Which was funny, because he was all too aware of her. Every breath, every slight movement...He could feel her, sense her without looking. At one point he noticed her pulse quicken for no obvious reason, what was she thinking about?

Once they arrived at her house she hopped out quickly and made her way to the porch. Embry followed, carrying the cup. She unlocked the door and turned to him slowly, not meeting his gaze. "Thank you, Embry, I'll make sure you get these back," she motioned down her body, indicating the borrowed clothes.

"Not a problem," he passed her the hot chocolate, "Do you mind if I take a look at your car before I head out? I'd feel better knowing you won't get stuck walking in the rain again."

"Um, sure. The keys are in the cup holder. You really don't ha-"

"I want to. You should go take a warm bath or something, warm up. I'm just gonna take a quick look and then head out. Hopefully it's a quick fix."

"Thanks, for everything, really."

He smiled, "It's not a problem, Alex. You should get inside. I'll see you later."

After checking over her car, he headed back to his house. She still hadn't said much, but with at least two more innocent reasons to see her, he thought he had a chance. Tomorrow, he would go return her clothes to her and tell her about her car, and then he'd get to see her again once he got the part he needed to replace her corroded battery terminal. His hope was that if they continued to have these small, innocent encounter, they'd become longer over time and maybe they could eventually be friends. He just need to keep finding legitimate reasons to see her. For now, he had two, and he would go from there.

The next day, when Embry showed up at her doorstep, she wasn't surprised. She had the borrowed clothes washed and folded by the door, waiting. Embry was friendly, polite. He told her about her car battery, explaining that it was and easy and inexpensive fix and that it shouldn't take more than a day or two to get the replacement part. She was grateful he didn't linger long, telling her he'd back soon and wishing her a good day.

Recently she found she was unbearably uncomfortable with people near. It made her jittery, nervous. Like somehow everyone could see right through her, it was unnerving. But the more time she spent with Embry, the more comfortable she felt around him. Sure, she still found it hard to make conversation, or even just pay attention. And yes, they'd still probably spent no more than 20-30 minutes alone together total, but their brief encounters made her feel less lonely somehow.

Of course, Alex spent plenty of time with her grandmother, but it wasn't really the same. She was used to talking to grandmother frequently, and had long ago learned how to shield her private life from her grandma's questions and prying eyes. But even with her defence, Helen had still noticed Alex's antisocial behavior and would constantly bagger her to make an effort. So when Embry had showed up to fix her car, she had asked him if he'd be interested in a little movie night - something she'd told him she'd done with her friends back home frequently. She said she hadn't met many people yet so she had no one to have them with. He had readily agreed, and they decided on Wednesday night and five o'clock.

It was 4:53, and Alex was panicking. What had possessed her to do this? She barely knew the man, and now he was coming over for a movie marathon - just the two of them. She was almost hyperventilating, how was she suppose to keep up conversation for the night when she couldn't even do it for five minutes. 4:56. Oh god. Was it too late to cancel?

At five on the dot, her doorbell rang, and she froze.