Ever since he laid eyes on her the day before, something inside him had shifted. It wasn't just attraction—it was like her presence had permanently stamped itself into his thoughts. The way she laughed, the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled—it all looped in his head, keeping sleep at bay. Every time he closed his eyes, there she was.
By morning, his fixation had only intensified. Embry found himself scanning the hallways at school, hoping for a glimpse of her in the crowd. But when he finally spotted her—standing with Jacob and Quil—his excitement faltered. A pang of hesitation crept in. He hadn't spoken to his closest friends in weeks, not since his transformation. That distance weighed on him now, making the gap between them feel like a canyon.
He hadn't wanted to push them away. But after Sam warned him to keep his distance from humans, especially the ones he cared about, he felt he had no choice. It was about safety. Still, seeing Jacob and Quil laughing without him stung more than he cared to admit.
As Mia broke away from the boys and walked to her locker, Embry made a snap decision. He wasn't going to let the moment slip away. With a deep breath, he jogged down the hallway, nearly tripping on his untied laces in his rush to catch up.
Trying to seem casual, he leaned against the wall nearby and cleared his throat. "Mia—uh, hey."
She turned, smiling as she wrestled with her locker. "Hey, Em!"
The nickname sent a thrill down his spine. His face warmed under her gaze, and for a moment, he forgot every word he'd rehearsed the night before.
"I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to hang out sometime?" he blurted, awkward but hopeful.
Before Mia could answer, a storm rolled in—literally and figuratively. Jacob Black appeared out of nowhere, his expression tight, his eyes locked on Embry.
"What's going on here?" he snapped, voice low and sharp.
Mia, never one to be intimidated, rolled her eyes. "Relax, Jake. We're just talking, not not dry humping in the hallway."
Embry flushed, unsure whether to laugh or shrink into the floor. The last thing he wanted was to be the cause of tension between them. But Mia seemed unfazed, even defiant.
"Look," Embry said quickly, trying to smooth things over, "I was just asking for some chem notes—"
"No, actually," Mia cut in, her eyes locked on Jacob. "Embry just asked me out. And I said yes. Got a problem with that?"
Jacob froze, taken aback. Embry stood stiff beside her, not sure what was happening or how he'd gone from hopeful to decoy in two seconds flat. Still, he wasn't complaining. Without another word, Jacob turned and stalked off down the hall. The air between them lightened instantly, though Embry noticed the guilty look that crept across Mia's face.
"That was... awkward. I'm sorry. I kind of used you to piss him off."
Embry held up a hand. "It's fine. Honestly, I was planning to ask you out anyway. Might as well get something good out of it, right?"
Mia blinked, surprised by his easygoing response, then laughed. "You're a good sport."
She twirled a lock of hair around her finger—a habit Embry found unexpectedly adorable—as she thought for a second. "How about that new horror movie that's out? I heard even Sam couldn't sit through it."
His heart lifted. "Yeah, that sounds great."
They exchanged numbers, their smiles shy but genuine. As Mia headed off to her next class, Embry couldn't stop grinning. Friday couldn't come soon enough.
But his high didn't last long.
As he rounded the corner, he ran straight into Paul, who looked him up and down like he was sizing up a fight.
"So," Paul said, folding his arms. "Jay's niece, huh? You got a death wish, or are you just plain dumb?"
Embry swallowed hard, the weight of what he'd just gotten himself into finally sinking in.
