Chapter 4: It's a small world after all

Embry twiddled his thumbs, as he waited for Isabella. He gave her the address to where they would meet but he was nervous.

For their first date, he decided, they would do laser tag, arcade games, and then dinner.

He knew it wasn't romantic with flowers and chocolate, but he didn't want to take her on a typical date.

She appeared ten minutes later, wearing a black blouse and jeans. This time, her hair was down, and her glasses were a different color.

"You look very pretty Isabella," Embry told her.

"Why thank you, Embry. So, what's the plan?" she asked.

"Well, I figure we go play laser tag, do a couple of arcade games, and then dinner? Does that sound good?"

He held his breath as he waited for her reply. It was nontraditional but he wanted her to enjoy it. Plus, he didn't want to put too much pressure on her.

"Of course! I love arcade games! Can we play the arcade games first?"

"Of course! Let's go."

…

Bella cheered as a bunch of tickets poured out of the machine. She and Embry decided to tag team the games and get more points.

By the time they were done with the arcade, Bella left with a wolf teddy bear and Embry got a pickle teddy bear.

"Want some Pickle flavored cotton candy doll?" Embry asked.

"Is it sweet?" she asked him.

"Eeh, more like sweet and salty."

Isabella hummed for a minute before she took a piece. Once it dissolved in her mouth, she laughed.

"It's not bad. It wouldn't be my first choice though."

Embry shook his head.
"You don't know what you're missing. Come on, let's put this stuff in the car and then we will go do laser tag."

Once they finished putting their things in the car, they ran back into the arcade.

"Hey, can I hold your hand?" Embry asked.

"I would like that."

Embry hoped he wasn't sweating too much when he held her hand. And even if he was, she didn't seem to mind.

…..

Embry cussed when he got tagged by some little kid.

"Hang on 'em! I got you!" Isabella yelled, as she tagged the kid causing him to become vulnerable for twenty seconds.

He watched her tag people back-to-back, as she made her way to him.

"I got you." she cheered, as she guarded him from other people.

As embry watched Isabella tag people in the dark, chasing little kids around, he felt his heart swell.

Maybe she could be the one. Like THE ONE. They had only known each other for a month but maybe he could put his heart on the line.

He knew all of her likes and dislikes and all her favorite movies. However, he didn't know her home life. Like who her parents were or where she was from. She tended to avoid the subject of her home life. And yet so did he.

Tonight, at dinner he was hoping they could clear the air about that. But as he looked at her, Embry couldn't resist.

"Isabella." He called.

She turned to him, wondering what he wanted. He took a bold step and kissed her.

At first, he thought he had a mistake but then she leaned in and kissed him back.

(I hope Embry kissing her out of random doesn't offend anyone. That's how I got my first kiss my by boyfriend turned husband.)

The duo stared at each other until someone tagged them and then it was game on.

…..

Bella slurped her milkshake in satisfaction. A happy moan came from her mouth. She was so grateful Embry chose steak and shake as the place for them to eat dinner. One it saved them money, two, it was nothing elaborate just two young adults having a cheeseburger and milkshakes. Well, Embry had a burger and soda. He was lactose intolerant. He could take pills for it, but it was annoying to have to take one every time he wanted ice cream. He just tried to find alternatives.

As she finished her drink, her lips still tingled from his kiss. It was a shocker when he did it but she welcomed it gladly.

"So… the arcade was fun and so was laser tag." She told him.

"It was a blast! Im glad you liked it! I feared you would hate it. I know it wasn't some fancy outing. Im sorry about that."

"What! embry no! I loved this! This was the best date I've ever had! You are so kind, caring, and smart! I love the way you think. You always thinking outside the box! And I love this restaurant. It's so relaxed. Um…I've only ever dated one guy before you and he was intense sometimes. I hated it. so, I appreciate you. You're a wonderful man."

Embry pushed his milkshake out of the way and leaned closer to her.

"I appreciate that. So ...you've dated someone else before?" he questioned.

"Yes. but it was during my senior year of high school. We had a mutual break up."

"Can I ask why you broke up?"

Bella shrugged.

"We wanted two different things. He wanted to get married, and I didn't. our motives were different."

"At least he knew what he wanted."

"That's true. But I just wasn't ready."

"He wasn't willing to wait?"

Bella shook her head.

"No. he thought differently. Let's just put it that way. What about you? any past girlfriends?"

"no. I never had the time. Or motivation. I just never met the right girl."

Bella blushed; as he stared at her intensely. He was saying that she was the right girl.

"Am I the right girl?" she asked with air quotes.

Embry laughed and said, "We wouldn't be on this date if you weren't."

Bella smiled. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"So tell me about yourself. Where are you from? Do you have any siblings?" she asked.

Now they were getting somewhere. He thought.

"Well, I'm from a small reservation in Washington. I lived with my mom. I didn't know who my dad was for a long time. When I turned eighteen she finally told me who he was. But..he already had a wife and kids. When I confronted him, he ignored me. so after I graduated, I packed up my stuff and left. I haven't talked to my mom since."

Bella's eyes widened.

"Wait, did you say a small reservation in Washington?" she asked

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm from Forks, Washington! My dad is the chief of police."

"No way! You are from Forks? your Charlie Swan's daughter!" Embry asked

"Yes! My dad is best friends with Billy Black. His son and I Jacob grew up together before I moved away. When I moved back to Forks, we were friends for a little while but then on prom night, he and his dad tried to stop me from going out with my then-boyfriend but I put my foot down on that. Jake and I stopped being friends after that."

Embry stared at her with his mouth open before he suddenly stood up.

"I'm sorry I need some air. I'll be back."

Bella's eyebrows furrowed in confusion . Did she say something wrong?

By the time Embry came back, Bella had ordered a second milkshake.

"Is everything ok?" she asked him.

"I'm sorry I left like that. I was just connecting the dots in my head."

"What dots?" she asked confused.

"Your Jakes Bella. The girl of his dreams. He used to talk about you all the time."

"First of all, I'm not jakes anything. He and I haven't talked in years. Do you feel like you betrayed him in some way? Because you didn't. You didn't do anything wrong." she explained.

"But I did Isabella. Not only did I break the guy code of dating a girl your friend likes ..but… I broke the bro code. Jake and I share the same dad. Billy Black is my father even if he won't admit it. And here I am with my brother's girl"

Bella shook her head.

"You don't owe Jacob anything. I never liked him like that. We were never in a relationship. So you don't have to guilt yourself about betraying him."

Embry hung his head. Bella reached over and grabbed his hand.

"We had been friends for so long and then overnight, Jacob became a jerk. He stopped responding to my calls. And they stopped inviting me over for dinner. I was completely cast out. as if I hadn't already been rejected enough."

He squeezed Bella's hand as he spoke.

"My mom made it clear she didn't want me. so to find out the man I looked up to all those years didn't want me either. and then to find out my best friend didn't want me and was my brother. …I was so angry. I graduated and never looked back."

"And look at you now. You are doing great in your classes and will graduate next year. You can prove them all wrong."

"Thanks, Isabella. So what about you? What was your home life like?"

"Well, my parents divorced when I was three. My mom took me to live with her, which was a wreck. I was always reminding her when to pay the bills. Or buy us food. By the time I was twelve, I was the one paying the bills and doing the grocery shopping. And then came her horrendous boyfriends. She had a new one every week. By the time I was seventeen, I had enough. She finally met the right guy and she didn't need me anymore. So I opted to move with the more responsible parent. Well, it turns out his definition of responsibility and mine were completely different. While my dad, paid all his bills, He sucked at housework. Cooking, cleaning, laundry. He tried to microwave a can of tomato soup once. He had been living off of beer and takeout before I got there. well, not wanting my dad to suffer. I just picked up the housework. I cleaned and cooked every day. And as the time I lived with him went on, our bond never grew. He supplied me with a house, food, and clothes, and the bills were paid but he wasn't there for me emotionally. Any conversation at dinner was nonexistent. I would try to talk to him during TV commercials, but he never responded. We didn't share the same interest, nothing to bond over. When I graduated. He just grunted. Of course, looking back on it. My teenage self was upset. But now, college-educated, im starting to realize my parents have different ways of showing affection. My father's love language was different from mine. He showed his love by providing. My mother showed love by dragging me to all her weird little hobbies. They were not perfect parents at all and I deserved better. But …holding on to what I didn't have doesn't help me either. I can only focus on the present and the future."

"Wow, that's a very different perspective. I never thought to think it that way." Embry told her. "My mom was never home. And when she was, she yelled and screamed. But the older I got the more I realized she was broken. She had gotten pregnant by a man who would never want her. She had to watch him raise his family and ignore me. Her family kicked her out because she was pregnant. She was alone for so long that sometimes I feel bad for just leaving her."

"Maybe you could call her?" she suggested.

"It's been three years. Have you called your parents?"

"No sir."

"Have they tried to contact you?" he asked.

"no. What about you?"

"Nothing."

"OK, enough about our families. Tell me what you're going to do with your degree?" Embry asked her.

Bella smiled as she leaned in ready to divulge her secrets. She could see a future with Embry. A definite one