𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌, embry call ✓

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

┏━━━━⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚⋆━━━━┓

A KIND HEART IS A FORGIVING ONE

"ARE YOU FREE THIS WEEKEND?"

Nelly's brain halted its activity for a second, blinking up at the boy whose hands were still attached to her waist. "What?"

Five straight minutes of swapping spit in Sam Uley's damn home later, the pair had broken apart for air when the Call boy posed that question.

He shrugged, hands drifting to her hairline to smoothen a wild strand of hair from out of her eye. "I just got you back, Nell," he said, tone kept soft, "and I don't really wanna waste anymore time now that I've got you. So, let me take you out?"

If you asked six year old Nelly, or ten year old Nelly, or even fourteen year old Nelly if she thought Embry would ever be asking her a question like that, all those versions of the Sequoia girl would laugh in your face.

Shit, ruthless little ten year old Nelly would've called you delusional before clobbering you over the head. But this was happening in real time, to the present Nelly that had finally accepted his apology. This was real.

A wave of calm rushed over her at his statement. "What's your plan?" she inquired, a mischievous grin phasing onto her lips. "A movie date?"

His face paled, only slightly, before he heard her start cackling. "Okay, that wasn't my finest move," Embry admitted, followed by a soft chuckle of his own. "I could see the literal steam coming out of your ears that night... I thought you'd kill me."

"Too many witnesses," she dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Glad I didn't, though."

He smiled at her, pressing his lips to the crown of her head for a moment.

"I'm glad, too."

A moment of pause before Nelly's eyebrows suddenly furrowed. "Hey, you don't think they heard us or anything, right?"

Embry hadn't considered the others outside, too busy revelling in the way the girl's chapstick was grape flavoured. "I doubt it," he said, shrugging off the possibility.

Though, when they exchanged an uncertain glance, they both knew that Embry didn't mean what he just said.

In an odd unison, one last word echoed around them.

"Fuck."

˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚

That evening, as Nelly was seated before her bedroom wall with a fine tipped brush on her grasp, she heard a knock at the door.

She was the only one home, her mother and grandmother over at the Clearwater home, and she definitely wasn't expecting any visitors. Glancing to the clock that read a time of a few minutes past nine o'clock, her thoughts were cut off by yet another knock.

Pushing herself upward, she dropped the brush into the can of paint before making her way towards the door. A figure on the porch was illuminated by the pot light, and as she looked through the peep hole, she saw someone she hadn't expected to see.

Opening the door, standing in the frame of it, she greeted the visitor with a puzzled look on her face. "Kim?"

Kim Connweller looked like a nervous wreck standing on her porch, clad in a Michigan U sweatshirt that engulfed her and her shaky hands.

"Hey, Nelly," she said, trying her best to make the smile on her face look believable. It wasn't, but Nelly wouldn't tell her that. "Can I come in? Can— can we talk?"

"Uh— sure," she said, opening the door a little bit wider than it already was. Stepping aside, she let Kim enter the home before closing it behind her. Nodding with her head toward the living room, she let the girl follow her to the couch.

Nelly at one end, Kim at the other end.

"So," Nelly said after a beat of silence, albeit twitchy silence, from the girl to her right. "What's up?"

"I know I've been a horrible friend." Oh, so she was just gonna jump right into it. Cool. "I've had zero regard for your own feelings, and I'm a colossal bitch for it."

Nelly blinked at her. "No disagreements there." 

Okay, that was maybe a little harsh, but Nelly was nothing if not truthful. Kim had royally fucked up, and the way she kept forcing proximity between Nelly and Embry (her literal arch nemesis at the time) was what tore their friendship to bits.

Kim powered on, though. "I just wanted you to be happy," she admitted, eyes averted to the hem of her hoodie that she was fiddling with. "Jared makes me the happiest person alive... I wanted you to experience the same with Embry."

"That's the difference Kim," Nelly started, "you and Jared barely knew each other before he imprinted— Embry fucked me over and I hated him before he did. The last thing I wanted was to be near him."

"I know, and I should've considered your feelings more," she responded. "You have every right to be pissed at me, and you don't even need to accept my apology, but I'm gonna give it to you anyway; I'm sorry."

So many apologies were being hurled her way recently. First it involved Embry and his love stricken proclamation, and now Kim was owning up to the way she tried to play matchmaker and fucking failed.

A part of her missed Kim. Hanging out with Akira was nice, but there was always something missing. She had been blinded by rage and betrayal that she hadn't bothered to consider how that something missing was the Connweller girl.

"You hurt my feelings, Kim," Nelly stated, tugging on her lip between her teeth. "It was almost like you were choosing his feelings over mine. Embry was nobody to you, but I was your best friend."

"You are my best friend," Kim rephrased, leaning forward to take Nelly's hands into her own clammy ones. "And I will grovel until I can't grovel anymore to get you to realize that."

The earnest, almost desperate look in her friend's eyes was almost too much to bear. Her lash line was wet up close, and it forced Nelly to suck in a sharp breath.

The distance was hurting everyone.

The distance was hurting everyone, and there were only fifteen days left until the end of summer. Did she really wish to spend the rest of that time in vain, in concealed anger? 

"If you ever pull shit like that again, I'll kill you," Nelly threatened, but there was no heat behind her words.

Kim all but deflated with relief, body lurching forward as she still held Nelly's hands in her tight grip.

"I'm not religious but hallelujah, holy shit," she laughed airily. "I would've been too embarrassed if you sent me packing— I'd never show face around the rez ever again."

Nelly chuckled, patting the girl's head for extra measure.

Things were finally looking up.

⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚⋆

[ wyn's note ]

lol i still have ptsd abt knocking at doors in the late hrs from billie but i couldnt pull that stunt twice LMAO we are safe here!!!

also kim owning her shit and about damn time too. nelly is the patron saint of forgiveness ASF.

thanks for tuning in and thanks a bunch for 40k!!! i anticipate approx a dozen more chappys before we conclude (+epi and a future glance)— just an fyi!

all my love xx