"You gave me the best of me. So you'll give you the best of you."
Pre Twilight: New Moon - Twilight: Breaking Dawn
All rights go to Stephanie Meyer and the producers.
I own nothing except for my own character(s) and their story lines.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
One day after physical therapy I found myself sitting across from Emily Young. She had called me yesterday and asked if we could talk. I wasn't sure how the conversation was going to go. What I had said all those months ago was harsh, but I don't regret them.
She started off with apologizing. She realized our situations were different. Where she was quick to forgive Sam, it took me months to forgive Paul. I forgave her and we've been spending the last half hour baking muffins for the boys when they return from patrol.
"How's your arm doing?"
I glance down at the three scars. I haven't experienced phantom pain since that night at the theatre. And I can hold a fork for an entire meal. "Sue says I should only have to see her until the end of the month." Honestly, I'll be a little sad when my therapy ends. I love spending time with the Clearwaters.
The sound of a truck pulling up causes us to stop stirring the muffin mix. Emily isn't expecting anyone besides the boys.
Jared and Embry announce their presence by shoving one another into the doorway. But they're not alone. Isabella Swan enters the house, standing awkwardly by the doorway. What did Jacob do? He had been giving hints to the girl about wolves since he first shifted.
"Who's this?" Emily smiles at Isabella, who looks anywhere but at Emily or me.
"Bella Swan." Jared replies as he stuffs a blueberry muffin in his mouth.
Emily nods in understanding. "So, you're the vampire girl." A snort escapes me. Here we know all about vampires and Isabella is just finding out about wolves.
"You're the wolf girls?" Isabella quirks a brow when our eyes meet. I shrug and sit besides Jared while taking a bite out of a chocolate chip muffin.
"I'm engaged to one. And Caroline is..."
"Complicated." I smack Jared across the back of head. It's not complicated, it's just...slightly confusing. Paul and I talk all the time and we have romantic feelings for one another. We just haven't acted on them.
"Leave it to Jacob to find a way around Sam's gag order." Jared complains.
Isabella shakes her head. "He didn't tell me anything."
"That's cause he can't." I tell her. "It's this weird wolf thing."
"Guess what! We can hear each other's thoughts!" Embry shouts excitedly.
Jared scowls at the younger boy. "Shut up, dipshit. These are trade secrets. She runs with vampires."
"You can't really run with vampires. Cause they're fast." I scowl at the girl. How can she love bloodsuckers?
Jared seems to have the same thought. "Well, we're faster." Isabella seems a little nervous at that. Wolves are bigger, stronger, and faster. Vampires have no chance against a pack of wolves. "Freaked out yet?"
Isabella shakes her head. "You're not the first monsters I've met."
Sam enters the house and sends a glance towards the girl before making his way to Emily. "Jake's right. You're good with weird." He kisses Emily lovingly, and we all turn away to give them some privacy.
"Where's Paul?" Embry tells me what happened. Isabella showed up at the Black household searching for Jacob. Saw Sam, Paul, Jared, and Embry heading her way and stormed up to them. Started yelling at them. Paul jumped in to defend Sam. Isabella slapped Paul. He shifted. Jacob appeared and shifted. The two fought.
"You slapped him?" Isabella shrinks when I turn to glare at her. That's it, I officially hate her.
"It's fine, Caroline." I keep my eyes on Isabella, only turning away when Paul takes a seat next to me and grabs my hand. Glancing him over, I'm happy to find no marks or bruises. Paul is strong. But Jacob has alpha blood. He may not be the alpha, but he's got the power in his veins. "Sorry." He smirks sarcastically at Isabella. She leaves with Jacob when he returns. Hallelujah.
The muffins run out within the hour. Just when I was about to help Emily clean, Paul slides his hand in mine and pulls me out the house. We find ourselves walking to the beach. "Are you finally taking me cliff diving?"
Paul chuckles and shakes his head. "No, not yet." He chews on his lower lip. I can feel his hand holding mine grow sweaty.
"Are you okay?" We sit in the sand. There's not many people present. Just a few preteens trying to surf and some kids building a sandcastle.
"Do you remember the story Billy told at that bonfire? About Taha Aki and the third wife?" I nod. Where is this going? "Shifters have this...thing. It's sort of like soulmates, we call it imprinting. You only imprint on someone when you look into their eyes for the first time."
"So, Sam imprinted on Emily?" That's why Sam called things off with Leah. Because he met Emily and everything changed. Man, that freaking sucks. "That's kinda cute. Now they know they're the right person for one another."
Paul smiles and continues. "It's not just romantically. The bond between imprints can be platonic. But the shifter will protect their imprint for the rest of their life."
Something about his words sound so familiar to me. And then I remember. How he put his arm out to protect me when we thought Jacob was going to shift. How angry he got when Edward showed up at Isabella's. The sincerity in his voice when he said he wouldn't let anything happen to me. "That day you and Sam picked up Emily's medicine, you imprinted on me." He nods. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"At first it was because I was confused and mad. I had never wanted to imprint on somebody." I know of his background. How he used to sleep around a lot. It worried me when we first met, but I stopped caring months ago. "But then it was because I wanted our feelings to be real. I didn't want you to have feelings for me because the ancestors made us imprints. I wanted you to like me on your own terms."
He waited months to tell me because he wasn't sure I felt the same? "I told you when I got back from California that I liked you. And I still do." I confess. "I like you so damn much it scares me. And I don't care if it's because the ancestors forced us together, because I want you." I have never felt this way about someone before. The closest I have is when I dated Benny Elm a few months during sophomore year. But with Paul, everything is heightened. I know I want him by my side for the rest of my life. I can't imagine doing anything without him with me.
"I'm so fucking glad you said that." He pulls me against him and rests his head on mine. "I want you, Caroline. I want you in my life forever."
