Laurent
The saloon is busy like always, Laurent sat in the back watching Irina as she got drinks from the bartender Edward Masen. Charlie Swan was sitting at the bar talking to Emmett McCarty, who was married to the latest saloon girl Rosalie. It was rumored that the ex sheriff was seeing a widowed Quileute woman named Sue Clearwater. Across the room was James and Victoria, whom Laurent knew were outlaws, cheating the good folks of Forks out of their money. He had traveled with the pair and Garret Nomad, they made up the Nomad Gang.
Laurent didn't like this town, it wasn't that he hated the people, he just wanted to go home, to France. He had been here for a year and before that he'd spent the past two looking for Irina. Though he'd found her there were still too many unanswered questions, but she wouldn't give him the time of day.
He wanted to know where their child was, was it a boy or a girl? Why did she leave France? Was his family right about her? Why she was currently having an affair with the Quileute Embry Call? What had he done to deserve this treatment?
He had tried several time to talk to her but she pushed him away at every turn. He hated the pain it cause him. Not only her refusal to see him but seeing her with another man broke him irreparably. His family had tried to convince him not to go but he hadn't listened now he wished he had. He sighed standing and heading up to the room he kept at the saloon. He had already reached his rejection limit for the night, he would try again tomorrow.
Irina
Irina was wiping down the tables after another long night at the saloon. Edward was at the bar cleaning the glasses with his wife Bella next to him, she knew they had two children but she didn't know where they were. Bella had been helping out around the saloon a lot lately. Rosalie was at the table beside her wiping it over as Emmett followed behind to the two of them putting chairs on table of the tops. Tanya swept the floor as the chairs were moved out of the way.
Irina wanted more than anything leave the saloon, she knew Laurent her ex lover was in one of the rooms on the floor above her. She hated that he stayed in Forks and she hated that he had come at all. Everytime he cornered her asked her questions she wasn't ready to answer. She had hoped that if she came to America he wouldn't be able to follow her. That was why she hadn't gone back to Russia, her old home. He would've guessed if she'd gone back and she couldn't take the risk.
She had been paid by his family to disappear and going home hadn't been a good idea. She knew taking the money and leaving France had been wrong but they had threatened to harm her unborn child and she couldn't risk it. Not that it had mattered anyway…
She had wanted to return the second she had boarded that ship, but couldn't. Then later it had seemed to late to go back. Once she had reached Forks, she had liked the town and the people. Embry had been the first person to really talk to her. They would've come out about the relationship but his mother wouldn't agree to her son being with a white woman. Irina knew his mother was always trying to get him to marry a Native American woman. Though there were whispers of their affair all over town, his mother refused to believe them.
They finished cleaning the saloon and all went their separate ways. Irina walked out to were Embry was waiting with his horse in the ally by the saloon. They rode to the village to his hut were they spent most nights.
Laurent
Morning came and went as Laurent sat in his usual seat. James was sitting across from him, and next to him was Emmett, Jasper Whitlock hadn't joined them since becoming Sheriff. In his place was none other than Embry Call.
Laurent would look up from his cards every now and then to glare at him. He wondered if Embry was trying to get to him as he was sure Irina had told him about Laurent. The game went on and James won like always, leaving the saloon with Victoria. Emmett went to the bar to start his shift, while Embry stayed in his seat glaring at Laurent.
"What?" he said in a heavy French accent.
"Why do you approach Irina everyday?" Embry demanded.
"I just want to talk to her, yet she refuses me." He explained.
Embry never dropped his glare, "about what?"
"That is between us and no one else." Laurent replied standing.
He walked to the bar and ordered a drink from Edward. One turned to two then three and before he knew it Edward had cut him off and was telling him he'd had enough. Irina walked by then with an empty tray and placed it on the bar. He thought she would walk away only didn't she sat down next to him and looked him over with contempt.
"Why did you walk way from Embry? He was only doing what I asked him to." She demanded.
"I don't want to talk to your latest fool, I want to talk to you." He replied.
"Latest fool?" she said glaring "you think I played you for a fool?"
"Didn't you?" he demanded. "You told me you were with child, then you asked my family for money, told them you would disappear with the child if they met your demands. Now I find you here and childless with another man. What am I supposed to think Irina?"
Irina
She fought back a sob at his accusations. He was right it did sound bad when one didn't have all the facts. She hadn't wanted to do things like this, but Embry had pushed the issue. She had lied, she hadn't asked Embry to confront Laurent but she hadn't wanted him to know that. Embry was angry the Frenchman kept trying to speck to her everyday, she suspected he was also jealous having guessed at their shared past. He knew she's left Russia and he knew she'd lost a child, but she hadn't mentioned Laurent at all.
"Your wrong." She whispered.
"Why should I believe you?" he said snidely.
"Your right, you have no reason to. But you should know they lied to you. I didn't demand money from them, they told me if I didn't take the money and leave you would kill me and my child." Laurent said nothing so she continued. "I avoided you because I didn't want to be the one to tell the truth about your family. Also I… I…" she swallowed loudly. "I didn't know how to tell you that… our child was stillborn."
"What?" he demanded the anger leaving his face and his voice.
"He died at some point on the ship over, I went into labor a week after it docked. I knew he was dead before he was even born I couldn't feel him move anymore." Tears were streaming down her face as she confessed this.
"Irina, I… I don't know what to say…" he whispered.
"Embry helped me get through the pain of losing the baby. And somewhere along the way we fell in love." She went on to explain.
"So you love him now?" he said softly.
"I do, but apart of me loves you as well and the life we once shared. But that was the past and as wonderful as it was things are different now. We're different." She said still crying
"I know." Was his answer.
"You don't want to be here, I know you. You love Paris. This town is my home now and I don't want to leave it. I'm sorry." She whispered the last part.
"I can see that." After a moment he said. "I guess there is nothing left to say. I won't bother you anymore." He stood from the bar walking away.
"You ok?" Edward asked startling her.
She wiped her face, "Yeah." She cleared her throat. "I guess I'm just having a bad night."
"The night is almost over, why don't you head home. Bella can fill in for you." Edward said nodding his head to his wife who was standing at the other end of the bar talking to Rosalie and Alice, (Sheriff Jasper Whitlock's new wife.)
"Thank you," She stood smiling gratefully at him.
Embry was waiting for her by the door. She was shocked to see him there, he usually kept their affair out of the limelight. He walked her out of the saloon and to his waiting mare and they left town for the Native American Village a few miles out of town. It felt bittersweet finally making peace with Laurent and she knew that tonight would be the last time she ever saw him. He would go back to France, even though he now knew the truth about his family he would go back them.
Finally a new chapter. Having the readers decided who's next has worked in the past so I'm once again leaving the next chapter up to you guys. Let me know whose secret you'd like revealed next.