Wednesday, Kit found school extremely boring, but she was happy. Not even the glares from Lauren and her clique could get Kit down. She didn't even bother to look at her phone when it vibrated five times. The text messaging had continued to get worse. A lot worse. To the point where Kit now had to turn her phone on silent, but she decided she wasn't going to look at them. She didn't want to risk getting upset when she was in such a good mood. Besides, the text messages were all the same. She would read them later.
"You look like you're going to jump out of your skin," Willa commented, walking Kit to her car after school.
"I'm excited," Kit whispered, "I've never been on a date before."
Willa laughed, "He is cute," she nudged Kit playfully, "Want to see if you can hook me up?"
"Because I have the word 'matchmaker' tattooed on my forehead?" Kit teased.
Willa grinned, "I was kidding. Are you going to ask him to the school dance?"
"The what?" Kit asked, confused.
"There's a school dance coming up," Willa said matter-of-factually, "Haven't you seen the flyers? Girls ask the guys."
Kit scrunched up her nose, stopping by her car, "What if I don't want to go?"
Willa laughed, drawing a few stares, "Then don't go, weirdo. Look, I'll see you, tomorrow. But call me, tonight, okay?"
"Okay," Kit promised, "See you."
"Bye!" Willa called back.
Kit smiled. She and the other Sophomore had become fast friends after their exchange in the girl's bathroom. They had signed up to be partners for an English project and had partnered in math the day before.
"Kit!"
Kit gasped sharply and jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder. She whirled around to see Eric grinning at her with a sheeplike smile and she took a few steps back, putting distance between them.
"Hello, Eric," Kit greeted, "You startled me. How are you? Is everything okay?"
"I'm great," Eric said, "I came to wait by Bella's truck," he gestured to it, "And I saw you. Thought'd I say 'hey'."
"Hey," Kit said, blinking a few times. She glanced at Bella's truck then back at Eric, "Um, I'm sorry, can you back up a little bit? You came to what?"
Eric cringed, "That must have sounded creepy, huh? Let me rephrase: I'm going to ask Bella to the dance."
Kit frowned and out of the corner of her eye she could see Edward making his way over. Kit herself would need to go soon if she wanted to change.
"I'm sorry," Kit repeated, shaking her head, "I thought the dance was supposed to be girl's choice?"
"Yeah, but..." Eric shrugged, grinning again.
Kit pursed her lips. She was well-known for her consistent politeness, but she was also known to speak her mind—to the point where it was almost inappropriate. But over the years, as she grew up, she had learned when to keep her thoughts to herself or when to keep quiet and occasionally filter. However, this was not one of those times. She would need to be careful with her words, not wanting to give Eric any false hope that Bella was interested in him.
"It's not my business," Kit started gently "But if the dance is girl's choice then don't you think you should wait for a girl to ask you? What if you make Bella or someone else uncomfortable?"
Eric looked worried, his mind still on Bella, "You think I will?"
Kit smiled, trying to lighten up the situation. While she was looking at Eric, she could see Edward watching her. He was trying to be subtle about it, but it wasn't working.
Kit forced a small laugh, her tone light and uneasy, "You did just tell me that you came out early to wait by Bella's truck."
"Oh..." Eric blushed, running a hand through his hair, "It's worth a shot, isn't it?"
Kit grimaced. She wasn't sure that she could be any clearer without be rude, "Um, I suppose so? Just remember...boundaries."
"Boundaries, cool," Eric nodded, "Thanks, Kit. So, are you going to the dance?"
"I don't think so," Kit told him, "I don't fancy them much, but I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun."
"I heard Tyler talking about asking you," Eric scoffed as if he hadn't been planning to do the same thing, "Mike too."
Kit frowned. Tyler and Mike had asked her out and she had already said no—multiple times. She was starting to get both irritated and creeped out. No meant no, not 'no, but keep asking, I might say yes.' What was the point of girl's choice if the guys were going to ignore it and try and takeover?
"I'm not going," Kit said, forcefully hiding her irritation, "And if I was, I already have someone I would ask."
"Who would it be?" Eric asked, his eyes wide.
"Simply someone," Kit smiled, "I have to go, now, but it was nice talking to you, Eric. And thank you, for telling me about Mike and Tyler. I'll keep an eye out."
Eric returned the smile, "Don't mention it. See ya'."
Kit waved and climbed into her car, being careful to avoid Eric as she pulled out of her parking spot. She could still feel Edward's gaze on her as he lingered in the same spot, slowing his steps even more as he approached his Volvo.
Pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind, Kit tried to focus on driving, to no avail. As she got closer and closer to home, her excitement increased and she almost thought of running home to release her pent up energy.
The date was going to be a surprise, according to Emmett. Even when Kit had begged Alice in the library at lunch to give her a hint, it hadn't worked. The only thing she had gathered was that she needed to dress light, but comfortable, no heels, and bring and extra change of clothes. What did that mean? Kit had no idea. She was no expert on boys, or dating, or dating boys.
She pulled in right next to her father's car and pulled her keys out of the ignition, her hand shaking. Hopefully, a warm shower and a cup of lavender tea would help ease her jitters.
"Mom? Daddy?" Kit called, closing the door, "Are you home?"
She found her parents cozy on the couch, watching a movie with a bowl of popcorn in front of them.
"Hey, Kit Kat," Blake greeted, as he muted the TV, "How was school?"
"Fine," Kit answered, "Willa and I were the first one's done with the chapter quiz in Algebra and we're partners for our English project."
"Really?" Everly perked up, "She's the one who gave you the shirt the other day?"
"Mhm," Kit nodded. She had felt terrible about lying to her parents about what really had happened. True, someone had bumped into her, but it hadn't been an accident.
"That's great," Everly smiled, "Feel free to invite her over anytime. Bella too! I'd love to meet them."
"Of course," Kit promised, "How was your day?"
"Exhilarating as always," Blake said, "The life of an artist is one-
"Dad," Kit groaned, kissing the top of his head, "You're such a Debbie Downer. Why can't you enjoy your days off?"
"I do enjoy them," Blake insisted. He grinned, pressing a kiss to Everly's neck, "Especially, when your mother-
"Wow, okay," Kit interrupted, holding her hands up, "That's enough. Emmett will be here soon. I'm going to shower real quick and change."
Everly laughed, "All right. We'll let him in."
"Okay," Kit called, hurrying up the stairs, "Thanks!"
She let out a cry when she ran straight into her door and fell backwards on her back. A loud bark-like laugh could be heard from downstairs and she groaned, debating on whether or not to just lie there for the rest of her life.
"Who closed my door!?" Kit shouted, sitting up.
"Sorry, honey!" Everly called through her loud laughter, "I was putting away your laundry! You left it in the dryer!"
Kit groaned again, leaning a hand against the wall as she staggered to her feet. She rubbed her forehead, praying to whoever was listening that it didn't bruise.
Shaking herself off and dusting imaginary dirt from her light pink dress, Kit opened the door to her room and closed it, digging through drawers and her closet for the apparel that Emmett had described. Something light and comfortable and no heels.
Satisfied with what she had picked out, Kit went into the bathroom and jumped into the shower, lying her clothes on the closed toilet lid.
The shower was warm, a nice change from the cold weather outside. Thankfully, it wasn't raining, nor was it overcast. Only a few clouds were in the light gray sky. Much to Kit's surprise, the weatherman had predicted sunshine at some point during the week or late weekend and Kit was looking forward to it.
After her her shower, Kit shut off the water and toweled off before wrapping it around herself, using a smaller towel to put up her hair. She rubbed moisturizer into her face and applied her lotion before she worked on taming the mess that was usually her wavy hair. She could never blow dry it unless she desired to look like a male lion, so she had to settle for towel-drying it and running a wide-tooth comb through it, leaving the strands slightly damp.
Once satisfied with the state of her hair, she got dressed. The outfit she picked out consisted of a light gray shirt with a sequined white and black rose in the middle, a pair of high-waisted shorts that fell a little past her thighs, and a pair of beat up black sneakers that she had found in the back of her closet.
She pulled on her olive green khaki jacket and grabbed her simple light yellow backpack. She didn't use it often. The last time it had been taken off of its hook from the back of her door was when she had left her home in Hampton and has used it as her carry-on bag.
She packed an extra change of clothes, shouldered her bag, and took one last glance at herself in the mirror before she left her room. Making her way downstairs, she could hear Emmett's voice mingling with those of her parents, but she couldn't make out what they were saying.
"Hi, Emmett," Kit greeted, smiling shyly.
"Hello, Kit," Emmett grinned, "Don't you look adorable?"
"Thanks!" Kit beamed.
"No bruise," Blake commented, pointing to Kit's forehead.
"Yes, I know," Kit scrunched up her nose and rubbed the spot, sighing when she saw Emmett's confused look, "I ran into my door, earlier."
Emmett failed to hold in a laugh, "You did?"
"Well, it's usually not closed," Kit shot her mother a look, "It caught me by surprise."
"I'm sorry!" Everly burrowed her face in Blake's shoulder, laughing, "I forgot."
"Let me see," Emmett stepped closer to Kit and brushed his fingers over her forehead, "Does it hurt?"
"No," Kit bit her lip, "I'm merely being melodramatic."
"Wonder where she gets that from?" Everly nudged Blake, "What do you think?"
"I have no idea, darling," Blake sighed heavily, his eyes roaming the room, "Your side of the family would be my guess."
Everly leaned away when Blake tried to kiss her, "Get away from me," she laughed, "I mean it!"
Emmett chuckled, dropping his hands from Kit's forehead, "Are you ready to go?"
"Where are you two going?" Everly asked, managing to escape Blake's hold.
Emmett leaned forward, whispering something in Everly's ear. Her eyes widened and she grinned.
"Oh, she'll love that!" Everly cried, her hands going to her cheeks, "That will be amazing!"
Emmett looked satisfied at the reaction and smiled widely when Everly whispered to Blake who also nodded in approval.
"Great," Blake said. He looked at Kit, "Curfew?"
"9:30," Kit recited.
"We'll be back before then," Emmett promised, "Before it gets dark out."
"Be safe, Kit Kat," Blake hugged her, "You'll have fun."
"Okay," Kit laughed when she pulled away from her father, in favor of hugging her mother, "I love you."
Everly released Kit, "I love you more."
"Not possible," Kit said, smiling.
Everly nodded, "Yes, possible."
Emmett watched the exchange with interest. Right off bat, he could tell it was something they've done before. Maybe a thousand times, but neither one of them seemed to be bored of it, both having love in their eyes as they spoke the practiced words.
"Take care of my daughter, Emmett," Blake said firmly.
"Of course, Sir," Emmett nodded curtly, "I promise, she'll be safe."
"Okay," Blake nodded, "Keep an eye out for yourself too."
"Thank you," Emmett smiled and turned to Kit, "Are you ready?"
"Mhm," Kit nodded, accepting the hand that Emmett held out.
She followed Emmett out of the house and stopped dead on the cement porch.
Parked at the side of the road was a monster Jeep. Its tires were higher than her waist. There were metal guards over the headlights and tail-lights, and four large spotlights attached to the crash bar. The hardtop was shiny red.
"Um..." Kit blinked a few times, "I'm not quite sure how to react."
Emmett let out a booming laugh, "It's my Jeep. It's a lot safer than it looks. I promise."
She nodded slowly and allowed Emmett to lead her over the passenger side. Like a gentleman, he opened the door for her, waiting.
She choked out a giggle as she prepared to step, "I think my legs are too short," she let out a full laugh now, looking at Emmett with disbelief, "How do you drive this thing!?"
Emmett laughed again, "Do you mind if I give you a boost?"
Kit shook her head, but still jumped when cold hands wrapped around her waist, pushing her into the seat when she put her leg up. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked at all the buckles.
She fiddled with one of them, "Thank you," she said, "What is this?"
"You ask a lot of questions," he grumbled, going around to the driver's side.
"I'm a very curious person," she defended.
"Curiosity killed the cat," he recited, his tone teasing.
She arched an eyebrow, "But satisfaction brought it back," she grinned, "Are you going to tell me what all of this is?"
He helped her buckle, his hand brushing her cheek once he was finished, "An off-roading harness. You know, for off-roading. Don't worry, it's safe."
"I see."
He flicked his eyes up to her face, "Don't you trust me?"
She met his gaze, "Yes," she said, "I trust you. I've just never seen a car like this. It's impressive."
He smirked, remembering to buckle his own harness. It was a pain, but necessary. At least, for now. Turning the key, the engine roared to life, and he was pulling away from the house a second later.
She perked up when they began to drive, "Do I get to kn-
"No," he interrupted, "No, you do not."
"Can I have a hint?" she begged.
He paused, but relented, "We're going to Port Angeles."
Kit nodded. She and her family had driven through on their way to Forks, but other than that, she had never been. The hint only increased her curiosity, but she kept her mouth shut, a part of her not wanting to spoil the surprise.
"Are you scared, yet?"
The question caused Kit to look at Emmett, whose eyes were on her instead of the road. She had caught the hope that colored his voice and she bit her lip before she turned to head to watch the scenery pass by. She was surprised that her mother hadn't told her to take pictures.
"Should I be?" she inquired.
"I'm not sure yet," he said, just loud enough for Kit to hear.
She glanced at him, "Another inside joke?"
Her tone was conversational, light, but in reality, she was terrified and she was sure she would have thrown herself out of the car if she'd been able to figure out the harness. Was Emmett one of those guys who tried to be cold and mysterious or was he a psychopath planning to drag her body out somewhere? He had asked her once before if she was scared of him and she had smiled, thinking that he was joking. It was only now, that she realized maybe he had been completely serious.
"I'm sorry, Kit," Emmett spoke up, wincing when Kit jumped. He could hear her heartbeat and was concerned that it would beat itself out of her rib cage, "I shouldn't have said something like that."
Kit frowned and tried to keep her voice steady, "It was unnerving. Be honest, should I be frightened of you? Did you do something bad?"
"You shouldn't be frightened," he said after a moment, "I promise, that you're safe with me. I won't hurt you and I'll have you back home before dark. Safe and sound. If you'd like, I can take you back home, right now."
"You'd really take me home?" she asked, surprised.
Emmett nodded curtly, "Yes. Do you want me to turn around?"
"No?" Kit said.
He arched an eyebrow in response. Things were starting to get tense, but at least he had been able to gauge her reaction. She had been scared and that was good. It meant she had common sense and knew when she was in danger. She wasn't 'dazzled' by his appearance.
"No," she said, with more confidence. She managed a small smile and looked up at him, "Don't take me home. I've been looking forward to this since you asked me. So...that's almost forty-eight hours of pure excitement."
Emmett chuckled, "Are you sure?"
She nodded, "I'm sure. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings-
"You didn't," he interjected.
"I've never been on a date before," Kit continued as if she hadn't heard him, "Do you like pie?"
"I'm sorry?" Emmett choked out.
Kit's heart stuttered in her chest and she could feel her cheeks heat up to the point of pain. She wasn't one to blush often, but when she did, it meant she was really flustered or embarrassed. Pie, she had said. Like she was some sort of child going through their random question phase.
"I-I was trying to diffuse the awkwardness," she said, her cheeks burning with shame, "The tension..."
"And you thought of pie?" he asked, grinning.
"It's the first thing that popped into my head," she said defensively, "My mom was baking the other day. What? Do you have something better?"
He turned his blinker on, turning onto another road, "I do, actually. Do you like to play chess?"
She looked out the window to watch the scenery go by, "Chess," she repeated, thinking, "I don't know, I haven't played in awhile. Do you?"
"I like my version of chess," he told her, "It's complicated, though. Jazz and I have eight boards set up and we make up our own rules."
"Eight boards?" Kit exclaimed, "How do you remember all the rules? Keep track of all the pieces?"
"It's not that difficult," Emmett promised, "Tell me a random fact about yourself."
"Random?"
He nodded.
"I named my violin," she said, "You know, how like some people will name their cars?"
"Tell me," he said, smiling, "I won't laugh."
"Nero," she said proudly, "That's his name."
"It's a he?" Emmett was surprised, "You know, every time you open your mouth, I'm caught by surprise."
Kit laughed and they fell silent after that and after awhile, Emmett turned on the radio for background noise and cranked up the heater.
Despite the tense situation earlier, the silence was welcomed and comfortable. They didn't always need to talk and that was something appreciated.
A few birds squawked in protest when Emmett's booming laugh startled them and they flew away when he laughed again.
"C'mon, Kit," Emmett teased through another laugh, "I thought you were fearless?"
Kit groaned, leaning her head on Emmett's shoulder. He was never going to let her live this down.
After an hour and a half of driving, Emmett had stopped at some sort of park. Hiking, was revealed to be apart of their date and Kit was looking forward to it. She loved hiking and was excited. It was only going to take a little over three miles to get to their destination and that was fine. Everything was great and Kit was enjoying herself.
Until she saw the sign at the two-mile mark. The old piece of wood revealed that they were currently standing over 1,000 feet from when they had started hiking and she had panicked to the point where Emmett had decided to carry her, both in amusement at the situation and worry that she would pass out.
Emmett was still laughing, his hands under Kit's thighs, "It will even out, I promise."
"No, no, no," Kit shook her head from her place on Emmett's back, "Just...tell me when we get there."
"I won't let you fall," Emmett promised when he felt Kit's arms tighten, "So, tell me about this fear?"
"Emmett!"
"If you needed to get something," Emmett started, a grin clear in his voice, "And you climbed on a chair…?"
Kit managed to laugh, "No," she said playfully, "Well, maybe, I don't know. Roller coasters, ferris wheels, bridges, high ladders, stuff like that."
Emmett chuckled, "So, going skydiving for our next date would be out of the question?"
Next date? There would be a next date?
"Yes," Kit finally said, "Out of the question."
"Damn," Emmett sighed, "I should probably call that pilot, then."
"Hopefully you call early enough," Kit responded, "Or you'll have to pay a cancellation fee."
"And wouldn't that be tragic?" Emmett mumbled.
Kit was about to respond, but she was distracted by a sudden movement, "Oh, look at the squirrel!" she cried, "Aww, he's so cute!"
Emmett snickered, "You're weird."
"I know," she quipped, not at all offended, "You are too, though."
"You have no idea..." Emmett breathed.
Kit was about to question him, but she squeaked in surprise when Emmett adjusted his hold on her and she tightened her arms, "Am I heavy?"
Emmett's face held complete disbelief and a bit of offense. Picking Kit up was like picking up a feather—probably less than that.
"Not at all," he promised her, "I could carry you for miles."
"You might have to on the way down," Kit said shakily, burrowing her face in his neck.
"Almost there," Emmett soothed, "We were talking about music earlier. I'm not sure if you're already aware, but my brother, Edward, plays the piano."
"He does?" Kit gasped, "Really?"
"He's extremely talented," Emmett said, "Grew up as a prodigy."
"Wow," Kit eyes widened, "That's amazing."
Emmett continued, stepping over an upturned tree, "Esme—my mom—really loves to hear him play. He's written her a few songs."
"Awww," Kit gushed, "That's sweet. What about your other siblings?"
"Rosalie plays too—a bunch of instruments like Edward, but Edward's better," Emmett snorted, "She'd kill me if she heard me say that. Anyway, they're both into classical. Alice doesn't play many instruments, besides the piano, and Jazz sort of does. He's a Southern guy and has a few guitars up in the attic. He'll play occasionally."
"Hmm," Kit hummed, her eyes now focused on the bright green trees and the animals she could see, "How nice. What about you? Do your parents play?"
"Not much," Emmett shook his head and then stopped walking, "I don't either. Close your eyes."
Kit did as she was told, squeezing them shut. Her body tensed as she tried to focus on her other senses. She could hear birds chirping, squirrels and chipmunks scurrying across the ground. Occasionally, she heard the sound of bugs buzzing.
There was a dip in the ground somewhere and it felt like they were walking downwards, now. Kit's body jostled every time Emmett stepped on a rock or crossed a path that was particularly rough.
"You walk fast," she said, wrapping her arms a little tighter, "Let me know if I'm cutting off your air supply."
He snorted, but didn't bother to slow down his pace, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"How high up are we?" she asked, her voice still shaking.
He shook his head, though she couldn't see him,"Not high," he promised, "I'm taking you lower."
"Okay," she breathed a sigh of relief, scrunching of her nose when he chuckled.
"I'm going to set you down, now," he said gently, "But keep your eyes closed."
She could feel herself being lowered to the ground and she kept one hand on his broad shoulder as she climbed of his back, inhaling sharply when she tripped over a rock. There was a cool breeze coming from somewhere and she could hear birdsongs and whistling from the trees.
Hands on her shoulders caused her to jump in surprise, but she relaxed and soon found herself comforted by it.
"Okay," Emmett said, grinning, "Open."
Kit opened her eyes and after taking a moment to let them adjust to the light, she gasped, a hand going to her mouth.
The scenery she was looking at was something out of a fairytale. She was sure of it.
An eerily dense young hemlock forest surrounded them and the lake was a perfectly formed teardrop, electric blue at its shallow rim and fathomless in the deep. A tall ridge surrounded the lake basin and Kit couldn't imagine being up that high.
"Emmett!" Kit shook her head, "This is—this is...it's amazing! Wow..."
Emmett smiled as Kit tried to stutter out her words of disbelief, "Are you going to go in?"
Kit turned to him, cutting her words off, "Pardon me?"
"Well, I'd take off your shoes and socks first," Emmett gestured to them, "They'll be uncomfortable to walk back in, if they're soaked."
She still looked confused.
"Wild swimming," he finally told her.
"No way!" Kit was beaming and turned back to the lake, "In our clothes?"
Emmett thought of making an inappropriate comment and he was surprised that he hadn't just said it like the unfiltered person he was, but he had already scared Kit once and he had no desire to make her anymore ill at ease.
"In our clothes," he repeated, kicking off his own shoes and socks. He pulled off his shirt, smirking when Kit turned her head away.
"Okay," Kit blushed, pulling off her shoes and socks, "That's fine, that's great."
She removed the backpack from her shoulders, leaning it against the trunk of a nearby tree. She had snuck a peak at Emmett when he had removed his shirt. His body was just as beautiful as his face. His muscles perfectly sculpted and defined, his shoulders broad and stomach toned. He was very well-proportioned and there was a slight glow to his usual pallor.
"Do you want me to go first?" he asked, stepping closer to the edge.
Kit nodded. She didn't swim much and she had never been wild swimming before, but she was a bit nervous and anticipatory at the same time.
She watched as Emmett walked into the water, the clear blue parting as he submerged himself. Not once did he shiver and once he was up to his hips, he dove in with surprising grace.
"Emmett?" Kit called after about a minute. She walked closer, her lip between her teeth, "Emmett!?"
She breathed a sigh of relief when he resurfaced, but he didn't gasp for air like she thought he would. In fact, he looked totally collected as if he had been standing there the whole time.
"Are you okay?" she called.
"Great!" Emmett called back with a grin. He waved her over, "Come on in."
She nodded and walked closer to the edge, dipping a toe in and then her whole foot. She shivered, the water was cold, but tolerable. It would just take sometime to get used to it. The sooner she got it over with the better.
"Okay," she whispered to herself, "You can do this, Kit. It's just water, it's fine. The faster you go under, the warmer-
Her pep talk was cut off by Emmett laughing and she snapped her head up. Could he really hear her from where he was standing? She swore that she had been whispering, but maybe she spoke louder than she thought she did.
Taking another moment to gather her wits, Kit walked into the water, shivers traveling up her spine. She went up to her hips before she stopped, her arms going to wrap around herself. She took in an unsteady breath and dove under. Even under the water, she could hear Emmett laugh. She swore he laughed more than he talked and that was one of the things that she loved about him.
She swam blindly for a few moments before she came back up, gasping for air and brushing the wet hair from her eyes. She smiled, her hands going to skim the tops of the water.
"This is wonderful," she said to herself.
"I'm glad you like it."
A small cry left Kit's lips and she would have fallen with her attempt to turn around if Emmett hadn't steadied her.
"How do you do that?" she demanded, her hands going to rest on his shoulders.
"I'm a fast swimmer," Emmett explained shortly. He grinned, "Did you see the fish?"
"I had my eyes closed," she told him, glancing into the shallows.
"Want to look?" he offered his hand.
She nodded and took a deep breath, letting Emmett pull her under. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes and she was shocked at how clear the water was. She could see tiny silver fish swimming around.
A gentle brush against her shoulder caused Kit to move her gaze and she saw Emmett staring at her. Even in the water, his eyes were bright, the butterscotch orbs twinkling.
It was another second until she realized that her lungs were burning and she quickly popped her head back up, drawing in gasping breaths. Once she was okay, she swam a little further away from the shore and dived under, coming back up and brushing the wet hair out of her face once more. It was still too short to be pulled up into a ponytail.
"This is fantastic, Emmett," she turned to face him, reaching up to brush a stray curl back into place atop his own head. Her hand went down to cup his cheek and she smiled shyly, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he said sincerely.
Kit cocked her head to the side, debating something. She allowed her eyes to wonder over Emmett's filled out form and then took a deep breath.
"Can I ask you a personal question?" she whispered, trying to quell the shaking of her hands.
Crap.
"Go ahead," Emmett encouraged, "If I can ask you one in return."
"Okay," Kit agreed, "It's been on my mind since we first met..."
She brought her free hand up to his other cheek and passed them down his face, to his neck, past his shoulders, to finally rest on his chest.
"Why are you so cold?"
Emmett closed his eyes, "Not that one," he said seriously, though he made no move to push away Kit's hands, "Not yet."
Kit spared him a curious glance, giving a mournful sigh, "Okay."
Emmett let his eyes open just in time to see Kit bite her lip and furrow her eyebrows. Something else was on her mind.
"Say it," he whispered.
She looked at him and then back at her hands, trailing them back up to his face to rest on his cheeks.
"Alice is like that too," Kit said, a smile twitching her lips, "She hugs me a lot, kisses my cheek and she's cold. Are you all like that?"
Emmett closed his eyes again, "Y-yes," he whispered, "We are."
Kit pursed her lips, her thumbs running over Emmett's cheekbones. She wanted to ask why, to pry for more information, but she didn't want to be nosy or pushy. It wasn't her business and that was rather inappropriate.
"It's pretty," she whispered, tensing slightly when Emmett's hands came to wrap around her own, "Your skin."
Emmett opened his eyes and smiled, gingerly lowering Kit's hands from his face, "Thank you. Now, it's my turn."
Kit tilted her head to the side, waiting. She was eager to know what Emmett's question was.
"What's with the 'not possible' thing?" he asked.
She blinked, "The what?"
"You and your mother," he clarified, "When you leave and say goodbye."
"Ohhhh," she nodded in understanding, "Yes, okay, I know what you're talking about," she shrugged, "We've always done it. You know, it kinds of means that we're both still….there and okay. Does that make sense?"
Emmett nodded, "What happens if you don't say it?"
Kit blinked, "I've never thought of that before because it never happens," she shrugged, "And hopefully it never will."
"One more," Emmett said quickly, "The locket?"
Kit's hand flew to the old piece of jewelry, her eyes wide. She was so used to having it on, that she had forgotten to take it off before she went into the water.
"It belonged to my grandmother," she told him softly, "She used to wear it all the time and gave it to me a couple of days before she died. I think she knew that she was...going. I'm surprised she didn't give it to my mom, but I-
A cold hand stroking her cheek caused Kit to jump and it wasn't until she blinked a few times, that she realized she had been spacing out, her breathing erratic.
"Take a deep breath," Emmett said gently. He inhaled with her and exhaled, dropping his hand down to Kit's shoulder, "Better?"
Kit nodded slowly, "Loads. I-I'm—sorry about that."
"Don't be," Emmett frowned, "I should be the one apologizing. I didn't realize it was a sensitive topic."
"It's fine," Kit promised. She smiled at him before she ducked under the water.
Emmett sighed, watching her swim. Kit was someone who clearly didn't like to talk about her problems or things that made her sad and he supposed that he could respect that.
He sighed again. He had the perfect opportunity to tell Kit what he was, but he had chickened out at the last minute and wasn't sure if he was disappointed or relieved. Alice would definitely be disappointed.
It was probably best that he decided to wait. He had scared her in the car earlier and he didn't want to add to that. Yes, he was dangerous and she should be afraid of him, but that didn't mean he wasn't trying. He was trying to learn control and he fed constantly—more than Jasper.
When Kit swam back over to him, he brought his own hands to rest on her cheeks. From the time Emmett had spent with Kit, he had gathered that they were both physical people. Preferring light touches (or in his case slaps on the back) instead of words or gifts.
"I've enjoyed this," he told her.
Kit beamed, "Me too! This was great!"
"Besides the heights?" Emmett inquired.
Kit pretended to shudder in horror, "Don't remind me."
"I promise," Emmett laughed, "Our second date will be closer to the ground. No hiking."
"Okay," Kit laughed, "That sounds good."
Emmett stared into Kit's eyes, contemplating, "Stay still, okay?"
"Okay," Kit murmured.
Emmett's eyes trailed over Kit's face, stopping to rest on her lips. He leaned forward and then wavered, moving to the side and pressing a light kiss to the very corner of her mouth. It was quick and brief and when he pulled away, he moved to rest his forehead against hers.
"You can move now," he joked, breathing in her scent.
Kit laughed breathlessly, scrunching up her nose a little. He was grinning at her with a goofy smile that was infectious and her heart did cartwheels in her chest.
Emmett leaned forward again, kissing Kit's cheek this time, "It's starting to get dark and I'm sure you're cold."
"Cold's fine," Kit said absently, her hand going to touch his cheek.
Emmett laughed and wrapped an arm around Kit's shoulders, leading her out of the water, "You'll feel better in dry clothes."
Kit followed Emmett. Her shirt felt heavy and water dripped. Goosebumps were all over her body and dirt and pine needles stuck to the bottoms of her feet.
She was so happy.
"Here," Emmett held out a black towel.
"Thank you," Kit accepted it and began to the process of drying off. Her hair hung in damp strands around her face and she went behind one of the larger trees to change, pulling her shirt over her head.
She changed into a pair of light acid wash high-waisted jeans, and a slouchy oversized black turtleneck sweatshirt. She replaced her socks and shoes after drying her feet and folded the towel up along with her swimming clothes into a plastic zip lock bag before placing it in her backpack.
She felt warm despite the chill in the air and she ran a hand through her hair, reappearing from behind the tree to see that Emmett had changed into a pair of jeans and a navy shirt.
"I have something else for you," Emmett pulled another zip lock bag out of his backpack and held it out.
Kit frowned, inspecting the package. She turned it over in her hands, looking at the back, the sides, and even turning the bag upside down. She squeezed it. It was some sort of white cushy fabric.
"It's your sweater," Emmett said, "The white one you got coffee on."
"Oh," Kit gasped, "Oh my gosh, it is! Wow, it looks whiter than when I first found it."
"Alice works wonders," Emmett explained.
"Thank you!" Kit threw her arms around Emmett, laughing when he picked her up and spun her around, "This is the best!"
"Thank Alice," Emmett told her, setting her down, "She's the one who did it."
"I will," Kit promised, placing the sweater gingerly into her bag. She was beaming, "I definitely will."
She smiled wider when Emmett intertwined their fingers, beginning their trek back toward the Jeep.
"Are you okay with this?" he asked, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
"Mhm," she nodded. She didn't feel like they were moving too fast and she would definitely tell him if he had done something that she didn't like. He had only kissed her cheek and the corner of her mouth. She was fine with that. Her heart fluttered every time he looked at her and she was starting to trust him. Though, her curiosity had definitely been peaked with some of the odd comments that he made, she wasn't going to push him. He would tell her when he was ready.
It was when the hills started to ascent that Emmett felt Kit's hand tighten in his. He rubbed the pad of his thumb over the back of her hands and looked over at her.
"Do you want me to carry you?" he asked, his lips twitching.
She snickered and met his eyes. She could see the sign signaling the third mile coming up and she was terrified to see what it said.
"You wouldn't let me fall?" she asked in a mock-disdain voice.
Emmett stopped walking and suddenly, his eyes were so full of love and emotion, it made Kit's breath catch.
"Never," he promised.
Willa laughed, twirling the white phone cord around her finger. She didn't have a cellphone, but she did have her own line.
"He seriously carried you!?" she laughed again.
"Yes!" Kit cried defensively, "I sort of tried to play it off, but then my legs started shaking and I couldn't walk. It was scary, but once we got there it was amazing! Willa, it was so pretty!"
"You swam the whole time?" Willa asked, frowning, "That doesn't sound very romantic."
"Was it supposed to be?" Kit asked, perplexed, "Isn't the first date supposed to be about getting to know each other?"
Willa snorted, "Well, did you?"
"Yes," Kit said slowly, "We talked about our families a lot."
"My 'Kit has a secret' senses are tingling," Willa said teasingly, "Did something happen?"
"No," Kit gave a content sigh, "Kind of, but everything was great, really. I like Emmett. A lot, Willa."
Willa hummed, "That's good. He likes you too."
"How do you know?" Kit sounded surprised.
Willa rolled her eyes, scoffing, "It's obvious. Don't you see the way he looks at you? Don't worry, Kit, everything's great. You guys are great."
Kit laughed nervously, "Thank you...but I'm awkward."
"That's okay," Willa promised, "It seems like you two balance each other out."
"...I suppose," Kit agreed after a moment.
Willa smiled. She was happy for her new friend. Kit deserved a guy like Emmett. She deserved to be happy and to have someone who kept an eye out for her and loved her the way that Willa knew Emmett already did. It was so obvious and she couldn't wait for the day that Kit realized that.
"Can I ask you something?" Willa asked, picking at the phone cord.
"Of course," Kit chirped, "What is it?"
Willa lowered her voice to a whisper, knowing that her parents were in the other room, "Did you tell him? Emmett, I mean. Did you tell him about-
"No!" Kit hissed, "Of course not!"
"Kit," Willa groaned. She sighed, "Why not?"
"Because I wasn't going to ruin our date," Kit told her, "And I—I just don't want to talk about it."
Willa sighed louder, making her irritation known. Kit always said the same thing: 'I just don't want to talk about it.' She saw the glares in the hallway and the snide comments that Lauren and her clique coughed out. Willa heard the laughter and the name-calling. She constantly debated about telling someone, but she didn't want to make it worse for Kit, knowing that Lauren would assume that the brunette had told.
"Are you coming over to work on our project, tomorrow?" Kit asked.
Willa pursed her lips at the change of subject, but held her tongue.
"Yeah," she said in a clipped tone, "After school, right?"
"Yes," Kit said, "And you can stay for dinner, then the sleepover on Friday until Sunday to finish it up?"
"Perfect!" Willa grinned, her Indian accent thick with excitement, "Sounds like a plan."
"Great," Kit sounded a lot happier, "See you, tomorrow."
"Bye, Kit."
"Bye, Willa."
Willa hung up the phone and rolled over, pulling her muddy orange comforter over her body. She was worried about Kit, but the girl looked to be doing okay. She still kept her head held up and she didn't let the tears fall. As far as Willa knew, Kit still had all 'A's in her classes and she still laughed and smiled.
Yes, things were going to be okay. Willa was sure of it.