Twilight Imagines

27. Romance is Scary (Jared Cameron)

(Published March 9, 2024) 

   It was movie night at Jared's house and it was my turn to choose the flick.  We had been best friends since we were toddlers, except for a couple of years during high school where he started acting weird.  Fortunately, it hadn't lasted too long and we were now back to being very close friends.  Unfortunately, he hadn't changed his opinion on romantic flicks, so his protests at my movie choice were loud and whiny.  Still it had been weeks since we had watched a romance, and I was going to be stubborn with my choice this week.  
   "We watched a shoot 'em up movie last week for you.  Suck it up, buttercup," I stated with a slight teasing tone to my voice so he'd know I wasn't irritated by his protests.  
   "Fine.  But you can't get mad if I fall asleep," He warned.  
   I nodded.  I wouldn't get mad because it was now a normal occurrence.  Ever since we had become friends again, he was always tired.  Whatever he did in those few years away from me had changed him.  I dealt with it, though.  I was just glad to have my best friend back... even if he did sleep through good movies.  
   We settled into the couch as usual, with the remote in my control.  I couldn't help but smile as he groaned when the introductory credits began.  He was so dramatic!  
   About halfway through the movie, his hand drifted over to my free hand that was resting on my leg.  He slid his fingers under my palm, grasping my hand gently.  I tore my gaze from the screen, looking down at his dark skin against my own paler skin tone.  Then I glanced over at him to find his eyes on the screen.  I stared at him for a moment, but he simply kept his gaze on the movie.  The twitching at the corner of his mouth gave him away.  
   "Uh, why are you holding my hand?" 
   He finally turned his attention to me, giving me the most serious look he could.  "Because this movie is scary.  Terrifying, really." 
   "It's a 90s romance flick!" 
   "And?" 
   "You're an idiot." 
   He just grinned.  We fell silent for a few minutes, letting the movie take our attention again.  Well, it caught my attention, anyway.  I found out that his mind was definitely not on the movie once he said his next words. 
   "Okay, so maybe there's a different reason." 
   This was going to be good.  I turned on the couch cushion, giving him my full attention.  I could watch the movie again another time.  "Oh?" 
   "Yeah," He scratched the back of his neck nervously with his free hand as he hesitated.  
   "You can't just leave me hanging," I hinted after a minute of silence.  
   He scrunched up his nose before turning his head to face me.  "So, what if I told you something that sounded so crazy that no one in their right mind would believe me?" 
   "I'd say it's a good thing I'm out of my mind," I replied bluntly.  
   "You're my soulmate," He blurted out.  
   I stared at him for a moment, several questions running through my mind.  I wasn't sure which one was appropriate to ask, though, and I really didn't want to turn this into a joke if he was serious.  He looked serious.  But how could he be?  Soulmates?  
   "I wasn't sure how to tell you," He admitted slowly.  "I didn't want to scare you away and risk losing you." 
   "How long have you known?" I asked quietly.  
   "Since we started hanging out again." 
   "Hmm." 
   I had no idea what to think.  This information was difficult to process, if it even was real information.  
   "How do you know?" I questioned.  
   "Because I'm a werewolf." 
   Okay, that was a bit much.  "Really?  This isn't funny, Jared." 
   "It's not a joke.  I can show you," He offered with a quiver of fear in his voice.  He really was worried.  He really was serious.  
   I pressed a hand to my temple.  "Werewolf?" 
   "In a way, yes." 
   "Soulmates?" 
   He nodded.  
   Well, there were two ways to handle this.  Tell him to show me and if it was too much, run away.  Or tell him the secret I had been keeping from him, too.  If I took him seriously, maybe he'd give me the same curtesy.  I decided to risk it.  
   "So... if I tell you that I've loved you for the past five years, you won't laugh at me and it won't ruin our friendship?" I said in a small voice.  
   His eyes grew wide and he seemed to let out a breath he must have been holding.  Unable to reply, he shook his head energetically.  His hand squeezed mine a little.  A smile grew on my face as I lowered my eyes, suddenly nervous.  I had been worried about him finding out for so long, but now it was almost going too well to be true.  Did I dare trust this moment?  
   Glancing up at him, I saw his eyes were still glued to me.  Mine couldn't seem to hold his gaze, and they fell to his lips for a moment.  He noticed.  His free hand reached up to brush his fingertips over my bottom lip.  I let my eyes meet his again as my heart sped up in anticipation.  
   Suddenly, he slid his hand around to the back of my neck and leaned forward, crashing his lips onto mine.  The kiss was urgent, hungry, and felt so damn good after so much time wishing it would happen.  I kissed him back, my hands quickly finding his shoulders.  He grabbed my waist, pulling me closer as his lips danced with my own.  After a moment, the kiss slowed into gentle movements.  Our mouths still sought each other needily, but the pace was far less aggressive.  One of his hands slowly slid up and down my back while the other kept me close to him.  
   I was the one to pull away after a minute.  "Why did we wait so long?" 
   "Romance is scary," He shrugged with a playful grin.  
   Groaning, I playfully punched him in the shoulder.  He simply responded by pulling me back in for another kiss, which I was not about to deny him.  Movie shmovie, I had a new boyfriend to make out with!