"I'm waiting at the airport now. I'm so excited to come home! I can't wait to see you guys!"

"Oh my God Kai! I can't believe you've been gone for 4 years! I hate that I can't pick you up from the airport!" Shay had only been communicating by screaming since I told her I was coming home which was about a week ago. The last time she was like this was 5 months ago when Embry proposed to her.

That was another huge thing that led me to decide I was going home. In 5 months Shay and Embry we're getting married and I'm to be the maid of honor. I'm so incredibly happy for them… but I'll admit my heart ached when she first told me.

In all our years growing up together she's always been the vibrant one. She seemed to never have had an awkward phase. She was beautiful 24/7. Her hair never frizzed, she never gained weight, and her teeth were perfect. Her flaws were more internal character flaws than they were physical. The only thing she ever hated about herself is that she didn't develop as much as she wanted to… I told her not to be upset about that.

My body developed quickly and I had chub and curves galore, which isn't a bad thing as an adult but as a kid it sucked trying to find clothes. My hair constantly tangled up and was frizzy which resulted in my chopping all of it off when I reached New York and going for a shoulder length bob that was maintainable. I had to have the awkward and painful looking braces, thankfully I got them off my second to last year in art school. We were very different, Shay and I.

She got the boyfriends and the secret admirers, the cards and candy, the sweet comments… while I am now 20 and have never dated anyone.

True, I spent the last 4 years living and breathing art, but even before that I was… alone. I just pushed it to the back of my mind most days, but the day she announced her engagement and asked me to be maid of honor… well it was a day I crawled under my sheets and cried after I got off the phone. It was a lonely day.

"Shay I know you're very excited for me to come home but you aren't the only one! My parents are just as excited!" I laughed. I heard her groan and mumble under her breath. Before she replied my flight was called to board. "Alright love I've gotta get on my plane. I'll text you when I land in approximately 7 hours!" I heard her squealing on the other line. Then some rustling and a deeper voice got on the phone.

"Sorry about that Kai, she's a little too excited." ...Embry.

His voice had grown incredibly deep over the past few years. It was so strange, especially when I heard it for the first time.

A few months after I left Shay called and was upset. Embry had basically disappeared. He wasn't at school, every time she went to see him at his house his mother said he wasn't there, every time she tried to call him he wouldn't answer. She was worried… I was too.

The week after that phone call Shay called me again, this time she was sobbing. She cried for nearly an hour before she could form words. Something was definitely wrong with Embry. My heart started pounding. I remember the feeling of the panic. She began to explain that after I left Sam Uley started recruiting some of the local boys into a "gang" of some sort. They cut off all their hair, bulked up, and got matching tattoos. When a new boy joined the "gang" he'd basically cut everyone off. It was bizarre… and it was what had happened to Embry.

Embry had shown up to school after a week-long absence sporting short hair. He grew several inches and you could tell from his straining shirt he had gained a lot of muscle… and he had a tattoo on his shoulder. When she tried to approach him he ignored her, pretending like she wasn't even there calling his name. This went on for a couple of days before she called me. She didn't know what to do. I told her to calm down and let me see what I could do.

I remember calling him. My heart beating out of my chest. Panic setting in the longer it rang and he didn't pick up. And the moment I decided to hang up but suddenly the ringing stopped and I could faintly hear the sound of someone breathing on the other end. He had picked up.

Neither one of us said anything for a couple of minutes. When it was clear he wasn't going to initiate the conversation I took a deep breath and hoped for the best.

"Embry, hi… how are you doing?"

...silence…

"Shay has been pretty worried about you…"

...more silence…

"So I heard you're like, bffs with Sam Ule—"

"What do you want Kailynn?!" His outburst cut me off and shocked me. Not only was his voice several octaves deeper, but the Embry I had known my entire life had NEVER raised his voice at anyone… and he never used my full name. I was about to answer when he cut in again.

"If you've just called me to interrogate me about Sam and the guys you might as well hang up! They are my friends and I'm not going to sit here and have you talk badly about them!"

I could hear him breathing deeply in frustration, and I knew I needed to choose my next words wisely or he would hang up.

"Embry… I don't give a damn who you are friends with. I called you because MY best friend and YOUR girlfriend is worried sick! I listened to her sob for over an hour! I get you're going through whatever the hell you're going through but that doesn't give you the right to treat me OR HER like garbage! If you don't want to be with her anymor—"

"I do!" He cut me off again.

"Don't interrupt!" I could feel myself getting a headache from the conversation.

"If you don't want to be with her then you need to break it off, otherwise you're just being a huge dick. Remember which friends have been by your side since we were 6…. we aren't something you can throw away… we are worth more than that…"

click*

I hung up. I was afraid of what his answer might be. I really hoped I had gotten through to him.

"Kai?... you still there?"

Crap.

"Yeah, sorry! Listen, I've got to board. I'll see you guys soon! Keep her under control Embry!" His laugh made me smile.

"Will do. See you soon!"

I tucked my phone away and began boarding my flight. I was so nervous to go home, but also I felt like I was going to burst at the seams with excitement.

La Push I'm coming home.