A Life Worth Living

I could see a lot of people around the bonfire when we pulled up in the van. Tall, tan beautiful people more like it.

After I parked, we all piled out of the car and made or way toward the party unfolding. I spotted Old Quil right away and walked over to him with the rest of my family trailing behind me. “Hey Old Quil,” I said when I finally reached him. He was sitting next to another man who was seated in a wheelchair. He had a wise twinkle to his dark eyes and that oh so popular La Push smile.

“Ah, Miss Delilah, I’m so glad you could come. This right here is Billy Black and over here is Sue Clearwater,” Old Quil said, pointing at first toBilly, then an older woman who I assumedwas Sue. She had short, cropped salt-n-pepper hair, russet skin and dark eyes. Her face was aged with wisdom and what looked like sadness. Something traumatic must have happened to her.

“Oh, it’s a pleasure to meet both of you. These are my siblings Mason, Alex, Aiden, Evan, Maya and Layla,” I said while holding Mason on my hip and having Alex wrapped around my leg. It seemed like everyone in the crowd had quieted down to hear my introductions and I was glad to see that none of their faces help sympathy.

Maybe Old Quil didn’t tell them.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all and I’m truly sorry for your loss. Lily was a good friend of mine and my wife,” said Billy.

And I’m wrong, very wrong. He told them all?

“But no worries dear, we aren’t here to be sad, this bonfire is for us to come together as friends and have a good time. So you kids go on and enjoy yourselves. There’s plenty of food and people to meet. Plus later will have some stories I’m sure you all will enjoy,” said Old Quil much to my own relief.

“Thanks,” I breathed and with that everything seemed to go back to place. The chatter began to grow in volume and laughter was echoing around. Maya and Layla went off toward a group full of guys. Well actually, Maya dragged Layla over to the boys. Aiden took Alex from my leg and walked over with Evan over to the table of food. So that left me and Mason.

“Lilah, Lilah look! The water…we go see pwease!” Mason yelled while pointing at the ocean not to far away from where we were standing. I agreed with his request and walked down to the shoreline and what I saw was absolutely breathtaking. There were rocks scattered across the beach and trees surrounding the landscape that were bleached white from waves crashinginto them.

“Wow,” I heard someone mutter.

That definitely wasn’t Mason’s voice. Oh please god no. He couldn’t have followed me all the way here. No, no, no!

I turned toward the voice slowly,

Whew! It’s not him.

No, in fact it was the complete opposite of who I thought it was. Before me stood probably the most beautiful man I had ever seen. He was tall to the extremes and pretty well built although he seemed more on the lanky side. His hair was like a mop on the top of his head and some of his deep brown locks dipped down into the front of his eyes. His beautiful deep chocolate brown eyes held an expression that I’d never seen before. Was it longing, amazement, happiness, no it was something else that I just can’t pin-point.

“Lilah there a man!” shouted Mason, which broke the stare this stranger and I had going.

“Yes, that is a man Mason,” I said while looking back at the stranger still standing in front of us. “Um, Hey my name is Delilah Kent we were up at the bonfire before but um the ocean looked really pretty so,” I trailed off

Lame D, extremely lame. Who says stuff like that, gosh!

“Yeah, the ocean’s pretty nice, especially at night. My name’s Seth Clearwater, by the way and it’s a pleasure to meet you Delilah and you to Mason,” he replied with a smile coming to his face. A really bright smile, his teeth were so white. I got a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach when he said my name, one I had never felt before. It was like a hurricane decided to wreak havoc on my insides.

“You tall Seph,” said Mason laughing.

“Mason!” I scolded, while blushing brightly. “I’m sorry he’s three and says whatever comes to mind,” I said to Seth, trying tokeep this situation from being uncomfortable.

“Nah, it’s fine. I get that one a lot. So, um, you’re the new girl Old Quil won’t shut up about,” Seth replied with a huge smile and a light pink to his cheeks.

“Haha I guess so, he’s a great man. I owe him a lot,” I said truly recognizing how grateful I was for Old Quil.

“Yeah, gotta love him. We should probably head back now though. The elders are gunna start the stories soon,” said Seth when he noticed I was shivering. He seemed to be having a conflict within himself. He would step forward as if to embrace me and then quickly step back.

I wonder what’s going on in his head

“Story time, story time,” chanted Mason from my arms.

“I think you’re right about heading back. Let’s go listen to some stories Mase,” I said as we made our way back to the bonfire.

When we finally got back, Seth sat next to Mason and me on an empty log. He was really close, so close I could feel the heat emanating from him.

“Seth you’re extremely hot,” I said thinking he must have a fever.

“Why thank you Delilah, you’re not to bad yourself,” replied Seth with a smirk.

“Oh No!” I semi-shouted, which was granted with a head tilt from Seth, “I mean yes you’re good looking, but I mean, I didn’t mean it in that way. You know your hot…temperature hot,” I rambled trying to cover up my blunder with words. It didn’t help that through all of that I was gradually getting redder and redder in the face.

Poo! Way to go Delilah, you’re such a dolt!

“It’s cool, Delilah, no worries,” he said shrugging it off. And that seemed to be the final word because everything around us had gotten quiet. Billy Black had wheeled himself to the center of our circle. To his left I could see Jacob, the guy I had met my first day here. Our gazes’ connected and he waved at me. I waved shyly back. On his side was possibly one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. She had gorgeous long auburn hair and large chocolate brown eyes. Her skin was also porcelain, a color I had seen only once before.

Nope just a coincidence. Shake it off D, she just hasn’t gotten a lot of sun.

The clearing of a throat brought me out of my thoughts, and into a world of men becoming wolves and mystical things one could only dream of.

Before I knew it the fire was dulling and Mason was fast asleep in my lap. Alex and Evan were also both fast asleep. People were dispersing to their cars slowly. Aiden walked over to me with Alex already in his arms. “I’ll take Mase, you have to go deal with Evan,” He said with a smirk on his face. Evan is a heavy sleeper, so dealing with him is always a problem. So I got up after Aiden took Mason and I watched him walk to the car with kids in hand and twins trailing behind. Then I spotted Old Quil and quickly walked my way over to him.

“Thank you Old Quil for inviting us, we had a really great time,” I said trying to convey the fact that this bonfire was just what my family needed and trying to put off the inevitable. Waking up Evan is like waking the Hulk, not good.

“Of course Miss Delilah, I’m so glad you could come. You’ll have to come to our next bonfire too. But I think there’s someone waiting for you,” Old Quil said with Billy Black and Sue Clearwater by his side. Sue had this growing smile on her face throughout our small farewell.

“Oh?” I turned around and there was Seth in all his god-like glory carrying Evan his arms like he weighed nothing. “Wow,” I breathed. “I guess I’ll be going then, see you on Monday Old Quil, bye Mrs. Clearwater, Mr. Black.”

“It’s Billy” “It’s Sue” the two said at the same time, chuckling quietly after.

“Oh, sorry, well see you!” I shouted since I was already walking toward Seth and Evan.

“Seth, this kid weighs a ton, you’re gunna hurt yourself!” I exclaimed. It was an ongoing joke in our family that Evan truly was the Hulk. He was irritable when we woke him up and he ate everything and anything.

“Nah, it’s fine, he’s actually pretty light. You know he looked so peaceful, I didn’t want you to have to wake him,” Seth said with a shrug and a slowly creeping blush.

“Well, thanks, that’s really nice of you,” I said with a small smile and a blush of my own.

“Anytime,” he said staring into my eyes.

Awkward.

But his eyes are so beautiful.

No, no! Snap out of it Delilah!

It’s a bad sign when you start talking to yourself. “Um, we should probably head over to the car,” I said trying to get out of this.

“Yeah, yeahyou’re right,” he said breaking from his trance.

We walked over to the van and Seth placed him in his seat, while Aiden buckled him up.

“Thanks man,” Aiden said shaking Seth’s hand.

“Sure, it’s no problem,” Seth said while staring intently at me. Aiden got that look in his eyes, the over-protective brotherlook.

“Well, thanks again Seth. We’ve gotta get going, see you around!” I said quickly jumping in the car after I shoved Aiden in.

As we were driving away, Seth was smiling brightly and waving. “I don’t want you to be around him, we don’t need anymore guy trouble,” muttered Aiden quietly as to not wake anyone.

“It’s not like I just professed my undying love for the man and we’re gunna run off to Vegas to elope. Aiden we just talked, he put Evan in the car and that’s it,” I said fuming.

“Fine, you may see it that way, but I saw the look in his eyes. He doesn’t just want to be your buddy if you catch my drift,” Aiden replied with a malicious tone on the word buddy.

We were pulled up in front off our house now, so I turned toward him. “He’s not Drake,” I hissed. Sadness welled up in Aiden’s eyes and he left our conversation at that. And I was left to fume all night while hoping that the images of a certain man would go away.