Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight books. I'm only borrowing the characters and will return them mostly unharmed… except for Quil. He might need some therapy by the time I'm finished with him!

Due to popular demand, I will also be writing the questions before the chapter.

QUESTION: Why wouldn't I want to see you?

She had been avoiding Quil, and she wasn't exactly sure why.

Claire sighed and put on her jacket, mentally shaking her head. She had simply hid in her bedroom for three days, swearing to reject any calls or visitors (especially a certain tall, dark, and handsome someone) but secretly feeling disappointed when none came. She slept little, instead spending her nights reminiscing about her childhood memories with Quil. How long had she known him, and she had remained completely clueless that he was only half human!

Her mind went back to night three days ago, when she had discovered the truth about her best friend. After she had recognized Quil in his wolf form, he had shifted back to his human self and explained about werewolves in general: the Quileute legends, his own transformation, his duty as a protector of the reservation and a member of the pack. He had not really mentioned why he had kept it a secret from her for so long, only mentioning that it was a necessary precaution. They had parted on friendly terms, but confusion and hurt had slowly crept into her mind that night as she lay in bed.

She felt like an idiot. She had been completely oblivious of a major part of Quil's life, and even felt a sting of embarrassment for her feelings; she had developed more-than-platonic love for him, she had trusted him with every thought in her head, she had shared her joy and her pain with him, and yet she felt as if she was just meeting the real Quil. She also felt extremely jealous of those who had known Quil's secret: the other members of the pack, maybe other close family and friends. She knew her jealousy was immature and unwarranted, but she could not help feeling as if those people knew Quil better than she did.

Not to mention, she couldn't help the worried niggle in the back of her mind that wondered if a simple human like her could entice a powerful werewolf.

Heaving another great sigh and returning to the present, Claire slipped on her heavy boots and walked out of the front door. She grabbed the umbrella resting neatly against the doorway and morosely looked at the falling drops. She did not like the idea taking a walk in the rain, but she just had to get out of the house. She idly wondered what Quil was doing right now.

"Claire."

She froze and licked her dry lips, keeping her eyes fastened on the wall in front of her. Her body froze for a moment before she turned to look at the man perched on the porch steps behind her.

"Wow, Claire. You look… tired." She blinked twice and flashed him a tight smile.

"You look tired, too." And still perfect. She paused, not sure what to say. Should she apologize for temporarily turning into a hermit?

"I.. haven't seen you in a few days," Quil began tentatively. He looked down at the floor and rubbed at the wood with the toe of his shoe. "Are… are you okay?" He looked up at her nervously.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she squeaked. She cleared her throat. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah" he mumbled. "I'm fine too."

"Oh, okay. Good." Claire could feel the blood flame in her ears. This was a fiasco. She had to get out of there before the awkwardness killed her. She was about to make up an excuse about having an appointment somewhere, but Quil's soft voice interrupted her frantic thoughts.

"You don't want to see me here, do you?" he sighed to himself. Her eyes widened and she stared up at him in shock. He wasn't looking at her at all, instead standing with his hands in his pockets and his face turned towards the rain. His forehead was furrowed and his mouth was twisted in a grimace. She felt her chest twist as she took in his pained expression.

"Why wouldn't I want to see you?" she asked gently, her eyes prompting his to look at her.

"Because of.. you know.. what I told you the other day." He angled his gaze towards a spot above her left shoulder. She felt her chest swell at his endearing nervousness. To be honest, the idea of werewolf Quil did not really bother her. It had obviously been hard to accept at first, but her mind had eventually processed the idea. He was still Quil, just with some new facets to his personality. No, she had not minded the werewolf part; she had minded the concealment of it all.

"I'm not going to lie, Quil. I'm not exactly happy with how long you kept me in the dark. I don't understand why you didn't tell me sooner." He frowned and looked towards the rain again, his hands fisted in his pockets.

"And I feel kind of dumb. How could I not realize that my best friend isn't even human?" She smiled at her pitiful attempt at humor before taking in his strained expression.

"But," she continued, inhaling deeply and building up her nerve. "I'm glad you came to see me. I missed you." His head immediately shot up and his gaze met hers.

"I missed you, too" he breathed. His eyes smoldered for a second before he quickly schooled his expression into his trademark grin. Claire internally melted: it was moments like these that she could pretend that he had more-than-platonic feelings too. But then the brotherly Quil would return and her hopes would be squashed.

"So… everything is okay?" he asked as he slowly stepped nearer to her and took the umbrella from her hands.

"Erm… Everything with me is okay. You are still kind of not human, though. Can't really help you there, sorry." She giggled at his playfully indignant expression.

"Pfftt. Who wants to be a measly human?" He stood tall and subtly puffed out his chest. "You wish you were as cool as I am!"

"Mmmm. Four legs and fur. Where do I sign up?" she asked casually.

He huffed. "I'll have you know that there are a lot of perks to―"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She laughed and grabbed her umbrella back from him, spinning around to face the porch steps and begin her walk. She was stopped by a large, too-warm hand on her shoulder. She spun around to find Quil looking at her intently.

"So… we're really okay now?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "We're okay."

Quil's face lit up with a smile. He kissed her cheek lightly before unexpectedly flipping her over his shoulder and striding off into the rain, peals of laughter and playful squeals ringing through the air.