( when the stars forget us! ) ↳chapter twenty-two↲
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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ❝A TYPE OF GESTURE ONLY A FOOL WOULD MAKE.❞ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
EMBRY STOOD AT the Alecante doorstep, the soft hum of his truck's engine fading into the quiet Arizona night. His nerves buzzed as he shifted his weight, feeling the weight of his duffle bag over his shoulder. With a deep breath, he knocked on the door, his knuckles rapping against the wood.
The door creaked open, and Daniel Alecante filled the frame. Tall, broad-shouldered, and with an expression that could carve stone, he stood like a sentry guarding the entrance to his home. His dark eyes assessed Embry with a sharpness that immediately put him on alert.
"You must be Embry," Daniel said, his voice deep and steady, though his tone carried a hint of suspicion.
"Yes, sir," Embry replied, straightening his posture. He extended a hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Alecante."
Daniel didn't take the hand immediately. Instead, he studied Embry as if searching for something hidden beneath the polite smile and easy demeanor. Finally, he shook Embry's hand, the grip firm enough to send a message.
"Come in," Daniel said, stepping aside but keeping a close eye on him.
Embry entered, glancing around the cozy interior of the house. The faint scent of mole lingered in the air, and the warm glow of the lamps softened the space. Talia's younger brother, Nicholas, peeked around the corner, his eyes wide with curiosity before darting back out of sight. Joyce Alecante stood in the corner of the living room, a welcoming smile on her lips.
"Embry, this is Talia's mother, Joyce," Daniel said.
Embry offered her a polite nod. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."
Joyce hesitated before responding, her tone almost kind. "Likewise."
As soon as Joyce disappeared back into the kitchen, Daniel turned to him, narrowing his eyes slightly, as if trying to decipher something about him. "It's not every day my daughter tells me a young man is driving her halfway across the country. I hope you understand my concern."
Embry nodded, his tone respectful. "I do, sir. I promise I'll take good care of her. I wouldn't let anything happen to Talia."
Daniel shook his head still full of doubt. "You've only known my daughter for, what, three weeks? And now you're driving her halfway across the country to a place we've never been and people we don't know. Why?"
Embry met his gaze steadily. "Because I care about her, sir. Talia's been looking forward to studying in Forks, and I wanted to make sure she gets there safely. It's a long drive, and I'd rather she wasn't doing it alone."
