["I stood there: waiting, wanting, hoping, feeling. Allowing the sensations of the world to consume me as I stared deeply into the pools of honey that were his eyes. I wanted no more than to dive right in. For him to hold me close and never let go."...
["I feel like I jumped off a cliff, got eaten by a shark, then decided to drink to try and forget about it." He grumbled.]
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~Embry~
Casey's words made me want to flee to who the hell knows where, yet his touch kept me rooted where I stood. I wanted to be with him. I always wanted to be with him. So, instead of galloping off at the revelation of my new transformation, I took a seat on the cool grass.
It was dark now as the sun had finally set. The cloudy overcast was covering what would be a star-filled sky. And yet, I could see Casey as clear as day. I guess that wasn't so bad, considering how wide his grin was. It made everything I had just gone through worth it.
"Wow, that went surprisingly well. Casey, you're a genius!" Jared gave the boy in front of me a double thumbs up.
I looked over at the group, then back to Casey, and as if he could read my mind, he answered my question. "Yes, they're wolves too. That's why I've been hanging with them. They're my pack, and well, they're yours now too."
"Hi, I'm Jared." Jared waved at me awkwardly.
"Shut up, numbnuts." Paul smacked him. "Let him settle."
"Says hi, gets smacked. Says anything gets smacked. Ya know, Paul, I'm beginning to see a pattern." Jared said with sass.
Paul raised his hand again, and Jared flinched. "Ha, gotcha." Paul laughed.
"Asshole."
I snickered, watching the two bicker. Their childish disputing immediately reminded me of Jacob and Quil. I suddenly felt shame run through me for judging them so harshly. They were in their own world for a reason, after all. I guess perspective was everything.
"See, they're not so bad." Casey smiled. That's the second thing I loved the most about him: his smile. But he hated it; it was one of his insecurities. I adored it; it brought me comfort. If he was smiling, everything was okay. With that being said, I could always tell when he forced a grin to cover up something. Like the oh so unforgettable moment at lunch a week ago, which ended with all of us racing to get Casey to his mother. I could sense it that day and every moment leading up to that. I always knew. The red flags that engendered the disasters that were Casey Apha's terrible truths.
That day at the beach was no different. When Casey had toppled the both of us over, and we landed as a heap in the sand. He didn't smile. He didn't laugh. That frightened me. I began to wonder if whether or not I had finally let it slip, and he realized how much I cared for him, or if there was something entirely different going through his mind. Thankfully, my first idea was indeed false, but I wasn't any less afraid. Sometimes I found it hard to read Casey, and that scared me for a whole other reason.
He turned back to his friends. "Hey, can one of you guys grab some pants for when he shifts back?"
