AN: Sorry this one took so long. I've been WAAAAY too busy. Thank you all for over 200 reviews! You are all so great! Anyway, more Quil and Claire goodness, next chapter will be more Nessie than Quil, I hope you don't mind. Enjoy!
Chapter Sixteen
Tell Me
I've had crushes on guys I shouldn't before. When I first met Natalie's dad, a Danish immigrant with brown eyes and a killer smile, I had a MAJOR crush on him. It took me a while to get over that, longer than it should for a kid to get over a crush on a forty-something year old man. Of course it didn't help that my mother was nurturing my thing for older guys with all the James Bond and George Clooney movies she made me watch!
But I think this is worse.
Quil, who is in his late twenties to early thirties and has known me since I was two, and thought of me as a little sister when I was here, I can't have a crush on him! He's been hurt by another girl already, I doubt he'd do anything with me, an eighteen year old girl.
"Claire?" He asked worryingly. I think I spaced out too long.
I blinked a few times and looked to Quil with a bright smile. "Yes?" I asked sweetly.
"Something wrong?" He asked confused.
I've been caught. I shook my head. "Just a little thirsty," I said holding my throat.
"I'll get you something," He said setting his tools to the side, and wiping his hands with his shirt, giving me a little flash of his abs. Damn, that's not fair.
"Water, please?" I asked, almost croaking.
He nodded. "Sure," He looked me over once before walking into the house.
"God, I'm an idiot!" I whispered harshly, smacking myself in forehead. "Good job Claire, just fall all over the first single guy in the friggin' town!" I chided myself as I started to pace, continuing to slap myself. That didn't help, Quil was still absurdly attractive in my eyes. I groaned and let my head fall back. "At least Natalie would be proud." I sighed.
"Who's Natalie?" Quil asked from behind me, his voice clearly amused.
I spun with unnatural speed and found Quil standing behind me with a glass of water and a smirk. "Geeze!" I exclaimed, grabbing my heart as it sputtered away. "Don't sneak up on people who talk to themselves, its dangerous for everyone involved." I said seriously.
His smirk only grew. "I'm sure," He said with mock belief, handing me the glass of water he got for me.
I took it from him with a tiny smile. "Thank you," I murmured, taking a small sip of water.
"So, are you going to tell me who Natalie is?" He asked teasingly.
At least all he heard was the part about Natalie. "She's my best friend." I answered, setting the glass on the work table.
"Where does she live?" He asked inquisitively, well, I think he was interested.
"She lives a lot like me and my mom did with her dad, they're in Moscow right now." I answered casually.
"Well damn," He muttered.
"Her dad's a travel writer, she gets to go everywhere." I sighed. Explaining Natalie's wonderful life over and over again makes me feel a little green-eyed.
"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" He asked amused.
"Well, yeah, if she wants to go to Italy for the weekend, she can!" I exclaimed.
Quil laughed. "Sorry, you're stuck here with us." He said teasingly.
"I think I'll manage." I said
"Don't strain yourself." He chortled dryly. I chuckled.
Quil returned his attention back to the motorcycle, asking for my help every time he had a simple task that required an extra hand. I was holding a mess of wires while Quil worked on something on the inside of the bike. He tried telling me what he was doing, but it made no sense at all, so I just smiled and nodded. I could lean against the old hunk of metal all day just to watch him work. He just seemed so at peace with his work. Its nice to see him so content after I first met him and was so angry and hostile.
I was slowly handing him one wire at a time, each time looking at his massive calloused hands in confusion. He was only a head taller than me but his hands were almost three times the size of my tiny hands, then again, my hands are scarily small even for my size. He was showing me how to hook up the wires between the engine and the head lights when a familiar beige sedan pulled into the driveway in front of us.
The sky had darkened so I couldn't see who was in the car until they got out. Lena stepped gracefully out of the car and strode up to us. "Are you still working on that piece of junk, Quil?" She asked amused.
"It's not junk." Quil countered hotly.
She snorted a laugh. "It sounds like a bomb trying to go off when you 'start it'." She said knowingly. That didn't sound promising.
"I'm fixing it." He snapped.
"Yeah, sure, just don't blow up my room." She said sternly with a pointed finger. I don't know if she was joking or not. She was about to walk passed me and into the house through the garage door when she stopped and leaned her head over my shoulder. "Claire, you don't have to hang around this lug all day." She said throwing Quil a cheeky grin.
"He's showing me how to fix the junk, this is invaluable knowledge." I said holding up my last wire.
"Well, if you get bored with learning this 'invaluable knowledge' I'm going to a concert in an hour, you can come with me if you want." She said patting me on the shoulder.
I turned and smiled at her as she started walking toward the door. "Thanks for the offer," I said gratefully. I didn't really think Lena would actually invite to something without being prodded to do so. Unless she was…
"So, you really wanna hang out with me?" Quil asked smugly.
I shrugged casually. "You're not so bad." I said jokingly.
"Well, I've had worse company myself." He said with a wink. I tried my hardest not to blush. Maybe I should have gone with Lena to the concert, I don't need Quil to find out I have a crush on him.
When I lost my last wire Quil was too wrapped up in wiring the front of the motorcycle to give me another job, so I settled into the recliner he cleared for me a few feet away and watched. He was elbow deep in his bike and seemed rather frustrated with something. He retracted himself from the bike with a huff and looked over to me.
"I need a part for the engine, I have to go into Forks, wanna come?" He asked nodding to the pick-up.
I hauled myself out of the chair. "Sure," I said with a smile. He grabbed a towel and wiped off his hands and we were about to leave when a piercing scream shook the house.
"QUIL! Where is my lucky pick?!" Lena yelled angrily.
"I don't know, it's your pick!" Quil yelled back.
I heard something be thrown and smash against a wall and I jumped. "God dammit!" She bellowed frustratedly.
Quil rolled his eyes and escorted me to the truck. Once we were both in the truck I looked over to him confused. "Pick?" I asked bewildered.
"You know, that little plastic thing you use to strum a guitar?" He said motioning like he was strumming a guitar.
"Oh," Why do I always ask the stupid questions? God that's embarrassing. "She plays guitar?" I asked quickly to change the subject from my stupidity.
"A little, but it was her dad's and she takes it with her whenever she plays a concert, she's the lead singer of a band. They're actually pretty good, but don't tell her I said that." He said seriously as he backed out of the driveway.
"Okay…" I trailed off totally lost. See, now this is what happens when I get a crush on someone, I lose my brains!
"Her ego is big enough to take up the west coast of Washington, and that's without praise." He groaned.
"Was she here when I was?" I asked curiously.
"No, she didn't meet Embry until about four, five years ago, she's only twenty-three." He answered.
"Nessie seems pretty educated in what happened when my mom took me." I pointed out.
"She has a better memory then you do." He countered with a smirk.
"Everyone seems to have a better memory then I do." I grumbled.
"That's because we're old." He groaned sourly.
"But how old?" I asked smiling brightly.
Quil laughed heartily, throwing his head back against the head rest. The drive down to Forks took about twenty minutes. The town was small, quaint and really dark. It had started to sprinkle but no one but me seemed to notice. Everyone continued to walk down the streets without so much as looking up, I guess they're used to it by now, they live in Washington after all. Quil drove to a car part store toward the middle of Forks. The store was one of the more populated in the area and Quil had to make a parking spot of his own in the empty lot next to the store. Quil was a gentleman and opened the car door for me and walked me into the store.
He opened the door for me and a bell somewhere rang. I hated those damn doors, they annoyed the living crap out of me because I can never find the bell. We walked up to the check out counter, which was on the side of the store for some reason. I was caught of guard by all the people in the store, it was mostly guys of course but I've never seen so many people in a store for car parts.
Quil walked around the check out line and up to the pick up counter that was empty. I didn't really expect to see my dad there, and he didn't see me since I was hidden behind an older man looking a display. "Afternoon Quil!" Dad called out.
"Afternoon Jeff," Quil said with a smile.
I stepped around the guy and smiled at my dad. "So this is where you work." I said looking around the store then back to him.
"Claire, what are you doing here?" He asked surprised.
I shrugged casually. "I got a little antsy in the house, so I started walking around and stumbled upon Quil's lovely abode." I answered looking up at Quil.
"Ah, I see." Dad said dramatically.
"My part in?" Quil asked hopefully.
Dad smirked and reached under the counter and pulled up a long box. "Just got it this morning." He said with waggling brows.
Quil ran his fingers over the top of the box with one of the biggest smiles I've seen from him. "Great," He breathed.
Dad pushed the box toward him. "I've already added it to your tab." He said still rather smug.
Quil swiped the box off the counter and tucked it under his arm. "Thanks Jeff," He said still ridiculously happy. I never knew little pieces and parts could make someone so cheerful.
Dad looked down to me. "I'll be home in a few hours, make sure Quil doesn't blow himself up with that bike of his." He said with a wink.
"It's not going to blow up." Quil growled firmly.
"I believe that the day you can start it without your muffler falling off." Dad said seriously.
"It was once!" Quil bellowed. I think everyone's favorite game is to pick on Quil and his motorcycle.
"Ironically it was also the only time he got it to start." Dad mumbled to me. Quil looked like he was going to explode. I bit back my laugh.
"Jeff, is that Quil?" A deep voice shook the store and I watched as a tall and round man walked from the back of the store and up to my dad.
"And Claire, Steve" Dad added throwing me a smile.
Steve looked me up and down with a look of shock. "Goodness girl, you grew up. I figured you look older, but you look too old for eighteen." He said astonished.
"I'll work on that." I said dryly.
"And your father's sarcasm, as if having the two other smartasses wasn't bad enough." Steve groaned. I heard Quil chuckle next to me.
"It was either that or my hair, DNA seemed to think being a smartass was more prudent then being a blonde." Dad said trying to look serious, only for a smile to take over his features a second later.
Steve rolled his eyes. "When's your smartest smartass coming back out here?" He asked tiringly.
"She's taking the fast course and should be done in about five weeks." Dad answered knowingly. Do I really have to wait that long?
"Good, maybe Dana can smack some sense into that demon of yours." Steve grumbled.
"I hope you mean Willa, because I already bought my soul back." I said with mock
"Oh there's no denying your spot in the Asher family." Steve said rolling his eyes once more.
Dad reached over the counter and ruffled my hair. "That's my girl." He said proudly.
"Alright, enough mushy stuff, get back to work." Steve ordered and left for the back of the store.
Dad looked to me with a pointed finger. "Don't give Quil too much trouble." He ordered, with a secret wink.
I looked up at Quil who looked down at me suspiciously. I smiled widely and looked back to Dad. "I'm not promising anything." I said deviously.
Dad chuckled at Quil's tired huff. "See ya," He said with a wave.
I waved back. "Bye," I said smiling.
Quil walked me out of the store, getting more than a few stares from the locals. Forks was a pretty small town, they were probably wondering who the hell I was. We had to run to the truck just before the sky opened up.
"I thought this was supposed to be summer?" I asked confused, looking at the dark sky and speeding rain.
He smiled at me. "Welcome to Forks," He said dryly.
"I always liked the rain when it was like this, I could get used to it." I said assuredly. Truthfully, I don't mind spitting rain, but I'm kind of afraid of lightning and thunder.
"You hated thunderstorms when you were little. You would attach yourself to the nearest person and wouldn't let go until the rain let up." He said slightly lost in his memories. "Once, you stayed attached to me for almost two days. That was fun." He added snickering.
The one thing I don't want people to know about and it's the same thing that hasn't changed about me in thirteen years. "Well lightning and thunder are scary for little kids." I pointed out.
He glanced over to me with a raised brow. "You're still afraid, aren't you?" He asked surprised.
Come on, why does he have to be smart? "No," I muttered. By the grin on his face he knows I'm lying.
AN: Review!