AN: Sorry this took a little while. I was in overdrive trying to catch up on a favorite show before the new season premiered, and had a bit of a struggle getting into the head of a teenage guy in this one. I hope I've managed it, and that the longer than usual chapter makes up for it. Thanks to mc7575 for the affirmation that an idea worked and to feebes for an early draft read.

I've also gone ahead and upped the rating on the story, as I had been considering. There will be future language and lemony content. So if you're underage, please consider whether you should keep reading…and please don't tell me your age if you stay with the story.

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Embry POV

I love my mom, I really do. She's always made sure I've had what I needed and a fair bit of what I've wanted—probably giving up her own wants in the process. Like today with her car. She hadn't batted an eye last night when I asked her if I could borrow it. In fact, she'd grinned when I told her that I'd offered to help Bella get her errands done. I didn't mind, though—I'd been grinning, too.

As much as I always enjoyed hanging with the guys, I was equally—if not more—excited for my day with Bella. Even doing the errands and chores would be fun because she'd be there. But I was most looking forward to our movie marathon. Hopefully Bella would even find them scary enough for the hand-holding, or maybe just pretend that she did. That repartee yesterday had been unexpected—but something I hoped we'd repeat. Just like I wouldn't mind any food she cared to offer. But if we hung out like this often…please let us do this often…then I'd have to insist on a sharing of the load. Equal to the excitement, though, was the nervousness. I'd never done this before: hung out with a girl just the two of us, not when it was prearranged, and definitely not when either of us had ever given the 'like' signal.

I pulled into the empty driveway at Bella's house, grabbed the DVD cases from the passenger seat, and walked up to the house. The door opened a minute or so after I rang the bell. Bella stood just inside, biting her lip for a second before she smiled. "Hi."

"Hey, there. Something smells good."

"Oh!" she started to spin around toward the kitchen, and one foot went skidding. I took a step forward and my arm shot out to keep her from hitting the floor. I meant to grab hold of her under her arm, but I misjudged or else I moved faster than I thought, because it was my wrist instead of my hand that braced under her arm. My fingers reflexively curled up and brushed against what I objectively knew was the side of Bella's breast. The second that that realization hit, my body reacted just like any teenage guy's would: I went from zero to sixty, with a full-fledged boner. All my nerve endings were on full alert and I wanted—I didn't know exactly what, just that it would probably earn me a trip downtown in the back of Bella's dad's patrol car; that, or a trip into the woods. I might be an innocent in terms of experience, but I'd heard plenty in the locker-room about what other guys liked to do with that part of the female anatomy.

As soon as she was stabilized, my hands were back at my side. My face was burning hot with my accidental presumption. Bella's face was just as red, so I knew she knew what I'd done.

"Bella, I…" I didn't know how to apologize, just that I needed to.

"Thanks for keeping me from falling," she interrupted. Then, "Crap," she exclaimed, starting to run for the kitchen again. I stayed where I was, trying to make myself calm down. My mom had raised me better than that, even if it had been an accident. Thinking about her, and how I'd hate to have to explain something like this helped take care of my problem. I could hear Bella banging around in the kitchen, muttering to herself, so I guessed whatever she'd been cooking was a lost cause. When I joined her, she was scraping out a pan into the trash and grumbling.

"I'm sorry for making breakfast burn, too," I offered.

"It's not your fault," Bella replied. "I should have taken the pan off the stove before I went to answer the door. And I've been a klutz for a long time, so that's not on you, either. Not the first time you've saved me."

"Our own little tradition, huh?" I tried my best to lighten the mood. Trying to apologize any further would only embarrass us both even more, and Bella didn't seem to want it anyway. But when I realized exactly how that sounded, it was just one more thing that hadn't turned out right. I groaned. "Can I just have a complete do-over of this entire morning?"

Bella laughed, just a little. "Only if I can get one, too. Well, let's see what we can do. Hi, Embry. How are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess. You?"

"I'm alright. But what did 'I guess' mean?"

I really didn't want to let it mess up our day, and said so, but Bella was persistent. Finally, I confessed, "I guess all that crap with Jake and Quil is still bothering me. Can't figure it out."

Bella crossed to where I slouched in one of the kitchen table chairs and gave my shoulder a light squeeze. "Sometimes having answers is overrated. I could try and track Edward down and demand to know why he broke up with me the way he did, why he said those things, but even if I got that…I still don't think I'd understand. I could never get his mindset or comprehend why he would be that cruel, so whatever he might say really wouldn't mean anything. That's not the same as your situation here, I know but…they are your friends, Embry. They always have been, and I'm sure they always will be. Before long, you'll all sit down and hash out whatever this was all about. But if they aren't ready to do that, I'd hate to see you get hurt. Jake's got a really hard head, you know."

"Yeah," I admitted. "I know. They know I want to talk, they've got my number, and they know exactly where I live. I'm not going to keep coming around like a pathetic puppy to get kicked again." With a deep breath, I pushed the topic away. "Okay, so what's the plan for today, other than breakfast and the movies?"

"I absolutely have to do the grocery store again, take some stuff to the dry cleaner, mail a package for Phil's birthday…"

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Bella POV

I took refuge in the act of cooking to try and pull myself back together, and to try and make sense of what had just happened—more to the point, how I felt about what had just happened. I'd already been a bit jittery about today, of spending it with Embry in the light of our conversation last night. Part of me liked how natural it had been, while the other part of me couldn't quite believe I'd said all that. The way Embry had played along helped affirm things Leah had said. But whether or not I'd have the nerve to follow through—or if I'd only chicken out—would remain to be seen. And then there was that other thing Embry had said, that I'd thought about more than once during the past twelve hours. But if I contemplated a surfboard Embry now, after the hallway, I'd only end up resembling a lobster.

So all things considered, my clumsiness back in the hallway was understandable. And it wasn't like Embry hadn't saved me from a tumble before. I knew he hadn't meant to grab my breast—the way his face had flamed up and he'd stammered and apology proved that. I'd been just as embarrassed as him, which was only to be expected. But what I hadn't expected was how it felt to have his hot hand on me there. Even through the layers of my shirt and bra, I'd still felt the heat. Even after his hands were back at his sides, the sizzle ran all the way through me. It far surpassed anything I had had ever experienced with Edward, which was another thing I had to figure out. Though, to be realistic, Edward would never have done something like that, intentionally or otherwise.

But first I had to somehow salvage the breakfast I'd promised to Embry. The pancake I'd been cooking in the pan was burnt and stuck. I grumbled about such a novice mistake, scraping out what I could into the trashcan and soaking the pan to take care of the rest of the mess. Then I got a new pan and got back to work.

There was another apology dance—over breakfast this time—and then another face-flamer from Embry. Was he just as jittery as me? Maybe so, or maybe not. But we did seem to have one thing in common: taking on guilt or responsibility that wasn't ours. I'd never had a lifelong friend as close to me as Jake and Quil were to Embry, but my tie to the Cullens had been intense if of short duration, so maybe I understood a little bit. I tried to offer my few pieces of advice, paying forward the help I'd received. And hearing Embry's words, I realized he had the right idea. If Jake didn't want to talk to either of us, then we wouldn't be able to make him. Trying to force the issue would only hurt us and not Jake. When he was ready, he knew how to find us.

The post office and bank were quick run in and run out errands, so Embry stayed in the car. At the Thriftway, he drove the cart while I grabbed what I needed. Having a tall friend came in handy for the stuff that was way up on the top shelves.

"Why don't they factor short people into the equation when they put stuff out?" I wondered.

"They do, actually. There's a whole science/art thing on product placement in grocery stores," Embry announced. "They put the high-profit stuff at eye-level so it gets the most attention. The stuff on the top and bottom shelves are there so you have to work more to see them, even if they're usually better deals."

"Well, interesting. Could you grab that box of croutons?"

"Sure."

I probably should have guessed that the rest of the morning would be just as strange as the first part had been. We ran into Tyler and Eric in the snack food aisle, and like usual they made a beeline my way.

"Bella!"

"Hi, Bella."

"Hey," they didn't seem to notice my lack of enthusiasm. "Oh, Embry, this is Eric and Tyler from school. Guys, this is Embry, from La Push."

"La Push, huh?"

I did a double-check, but I wasn't imagining it that my schoolmates weren't all that thrilled to see me with Embry. What was it with guys from Forks High? "Yeah. He grew up with my friend Jake—from the beach trip, remember? Jake's working on my truck, so Embry's giving me a ride to get some stuff done."

"Nice of you," Eric wasn't any friendlier than Tyler had been.

"That's what friends are for. Besides," Embry added, with the air of one sharing a secret, "she's feeding me. Bella's food…mmm. You ought to—wait, nope, I'm not sharing. It's all mine."

"Good thing for you that it was an exclusive offer," I countered. "I'm not a short order cook."

"Definitely not," Embry grinned. "Well, nice to meet you guys, but we better get a move on. More shopping to do still, and then it'll be lunch, right?"

I gave Embry a light poke in the arm. "Watch it. Don't upset the kitchen manager."

"Sorry."

"It's okay," I patted his arm and felt that same zing again. I still didn't know what to do or think about it, and this wasn't the time or place anyway. "Bye, guys."

"Sorry," I apologized once we were out of the aisle.

"And they're always like that?"

"Unfortunately, yes. We hang out in the same group at school, but we aren't exactly friends, you know? I certainly wouldn't have them save me from a fall or anything." Was I developing a split personality here? I'd only just finished deciding that now wasn't ideal for this, and yet here I was doing it anyway. I guess Embry hadn't expected it any more than me, because his face was flushed again.

"Good," he managed.

"That's your job, right?" Bold Bella replied.

Embry gulped. "I don't—I'm not like the other guys who always have a smooth answer ready. I don't know what—"

"I don't know, either," I admitted. "I think I'm having some kind of out-of-body experience today—I don't usually say things like that. But for the record, I'm not after smooth answers or one of those 'other guys'. If I did, the ones back there would be convenient; annoying, but convenient."

"Please don't."

"I won't."

"Good," Embry looked relieved. "And for the record, I'm definitely looking into that shared studies program. Now, what's next on the list?"

With a quick stop in the freezer aisle for some convenience foods, and a circuit of the produce section for fruits and vegetables, the shopping list was all marked off. But then came the ordeal of the checkout line. The clerk openly watched us the entire time, swiping my purchases over the scanner by touch. I was sure she'd be gossiping with her coworkers after we left—after all, it was sure to be big news when the police chief's daughter went grocery shopping with a good-looking native guy.

At my house, I put the groceries away while Embry fixed our lunch. "Mom always insists on doing that herself," he told me. "She hated it when I could never put things away where she wanted them to go."

"And of course, you never put things in the wrong places on purpose just so you wouldn't have to do that chore, right?"

"Of course not!" But he grinned while he said it.

In the living room, we both settled onto the couch, using the coffee table as our dining table.

"Okay, movie time. Here's…The Mummy." And with a click of the button on the remote controller, we were swept backto ancient Egypt.

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Embry POV

Bella seemed to enjoy the movie. Like I'd told her, it wasn't really scary, but she buried her face between my shoulder and the couch cushion a few times with the skeletal mummy character. It was a normal, understandable thing to do, for a friend, but my thoughts were anything but friendly. Ever since this morning…wanting a chance with Bella had been one thing, but now I want wanted her. I'd looked at my share of skin mags over the years, but this? I hadn't been kidding when I told Bella that I wasn't sure how to do this.

Her head being practically right under mine meant that I was breathing in all the scents of her. Strawberry shampoo was the strongest, but there was vanilla and chocolate, too, like those Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches—all the best smells in the world, all wrapped up in one package. Her hand on my arm sent thoughts racing about what her fingers would feel like elsewhere. About the only good thing where our current arrangement was concerned was that with her head being buried, Bella couldn't see that I again had a situation. Only the thought that Chief Swan could come in at any time kept me from the embarrassing need to run to the bathroom.

"It was freaky how that mummy wanted Evie, wanted to kill her just to bring his dead love back to life," Bella commented while the credits rolled.

"Yeah, I guess so. But, there might be something to be said for a love that could last for thousands of years and through both of their deaths."

"But he wasn't really dead, though, right? He still existed and had to suck the life out of others to bring himself back."

"Okay, good point. Freaky and wrong. Still up for the second one?"

At Bella's nod, I got up to go and swap out the discs in the DVD player.

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Bella POV

Embry was right that the movies weren't really very scary—in fact, the second one started out pretty funny. I noted, but didn't dwell on, the psychic ability being displayed by Rachel Weiss' character, Evie, and how it was a mirror to Alice's gift. I also noted—and did dwell on—how Embry's body tensed up after I summoned my courage to reach over and take hold of his hand when the risen mummy kissed his reincarnated love.

My first thought—ruthlessly squashed—was to assume he didn't want me to do this, or past conversation to the contrary. But I wasn't going to assume anything where Embry was concerned; I was going to ask.

"Did that freak you out?" I whispered.

"Yeah," he admitted, "and so do you."

"Me?"

"Yeah," Embry's leg—on which our still-joined hands rested—twitched, as if he'd started to move only to change his mind.

"Why do I scare you?"

Embry paused the movie and turned his head to face me. "I'm a guy."

"I know. I wouldn't be doing this if you weren't," I jiggled our hands. His free one whipped over to press down and freeze my movement. It was then that I realized that my arm, which was underneath his, law along his leg very close to his inner thigh, and that his jeans were pretty tight.

Oh, my gosh! He's got a—"I'm sorry!"

"Don't move," Embry commanded, before he bolted from the room. Feet pounding up the stairs was followed by the slamming of a door. I sat frozen on the couch, trying to work all this out. My face pressed into my hands in total embarrassment—I hadn't meant to do this. Embry would probably hate me for causing this. I'd just wanted to…

"What knots have you gotten yourself tied into so far?" Embry's voice spoke behind me.

"I'm sorry," I repeated.

Rejoining me on the couch, Embry claimed my fingers again and lifted our hands so that the back of mine touched his cheek. "Don't you dare say you're sorry. There's no need, for one thing. I could say that it doesn't take much for this to happen to a guy, but that would only insult both of us."

"Okay."

"Bella…," he reached to tilt my chin up so that I met his eyes. "I know this…between us is really new, but…I like you, Bella, as more than a friend. And that it was you, your scent, your touch that affected me so much…well, I like that, too." Embry's cheeks were pinked up a bit, but surely less than mine were.

"I…" What, exactly, I wanted to say, I wasn't really sure of. "I thought you'd be upset with me," I confessed.

"Never," he vowed.

"What now?" I wanted to know.

"We can finish the movie if you want to. The rest of it…how about we take things one day at a time? Neither one of us wants to push this too far too fast, right?"

I nodded.

Embry restarted the movie and we watched it to the end. Our hands stayed connected, but lay on the couch between us—just in case.