Forbidden Imprint [Book 5] ✔️

6 • Hitting Rock Bottom

EMBRY'S POV

I was working on some paperwork at the garage when Jake came up to me. I was in a good mood for once. Business was going well. Quil and I had hired a guy from Forks named Mike to help in the shop. He was an excellent mechanic and he worked well with Jake, who was our other full time mechanic. Because Mike wasn't a shape-shifter, we could leave him in charge if the occasion ever arose when we had to put pack business first.

And school was going good too. I was coming to the end of my first year. Unless something unforeseen happened, I was going to pass all my classes with flying colors. It was the perfect distraction for me and occupied my mind as I needed it to. Did that mean I had given up sleeping around? No...whenever the depression and longing for Rebecca began to overwhelm me, I'd find a woman. The pain I got from sleeping with someone who wasn't my imprint was the ultimate escape.

As for my imprint...she, above anything else, was why I was in such a good mood. Rebecca was coming home. It had been almost a year since I had seen her last.

So when Jacob came into the office I shared with Quil to speak to me, I had no way of anticipating how quickly my mood would sour. I greeted him with an idiotic smile on my face. My mind didn't even register that he was looking back at me grimly.

"Can we talk for a minute?" Jake asked.

"Sure," I told him, putting the paperwork to the side. "Have a seat."

I waited for Jacob to sit, before it finally dawned on me. Something was wrong. My heart began to pound painfully as I searched my feelings. I didn't feel pain or anything, which meant Rebecca was okay. Why did Jake look like that?

"I've got some things to tell you..." Jake started to say.

"Rebecca..." I interrupted, rising half out of my chair. "Did something happen to Rebecca?"

"No...she's okay," Jake told me, but he looked guiltily away. I sat back in my chair, clenching the arms of it tightly as I waited for Jacob to get on with what he had to tell me.

"I've already told Quil this, but I'm leaving...well the Cullens are leaving actually. Someone remarked on how young Carlisle looked a couple of weeks ago and the family's decided to move. As it is, the Cullens have stayed in Forks a lot longer than they normally stay in a spot. We're moving to Vermont. Esme found a house there that's surrounded by wildness, so they'll have plenty of food available."

"Oh," I responded, feeling slightly stunned. I mean, we all knew this day would happen sometime soon, but it still made me sad. Jake was my family. It had always been me, Quil, and Jake...ever since we were kids. It was going to be weird not getting to see him very often.

"So when are you moving?" I asked.

"Next week. I know it's not a lot of notice..."

"Don't worry about that," I assured him. "It's just...wow, man...I'm gonna miss you."

Jake gave me a half smile. "Yeah, I'm going to miss you too. But I'll come back and visit."

"I've always wanted to go out east," I remarked, before jokingly adding, "Maybe I'll come out and visit you and like it so much I end up staying there."

There was no way I'd ever leave La Push and we both knew it. Not if living here meant I might see Rebecca on occasion.

Jacob smiled though. "You'd be more than welcome. Alice will have someone else to practice her cooking on besides me."

"Shit...I forgot...on second thought, I'll see you next time you come back to town."

Jake laughed before his face turned serious.