‹ Prequel: Freefall
Status: Complete
Plummet
18
Lawyers contacted me. Dad had left everything he owned to me. That had brought on a whole new round of tears, because I was glad that he had enough money saved up to pay for at least four years of college. And then I felt guilty for being glad. And so on, and so on.
But through it all, Embry stayed by my side. I was so lucky I had him. He didn’t seem to mind that I wasn’t quite myself. He didn’t grow tired of comforting me, or at least, not so that I could see.
Every night before I went to sleep, I thanked goodness he was there. Without him, I don’t know how I would have come out of this.
I quit that awful job of mine. I wouldn’t need the money for some time, and I refused to stay there if I didn’t absolutely have to.
I moved back into the house. There was nothing else I could do. I was terrified to go back in there, but it was mine now and where else would I stay? Before I entered, Embry insisted that he go in first to clean up anything that was left over. He didn’t want me to have to deal with it.
He came out not too much later and held my hand while I took one step, then two. A third and I had crossed the threshold. I took a deep breath. It didn’t smell like home anymore.
I would just have to change that.
Forcing myself to think past what had happened, to look at this practically, I went back up the stairs. My room was the same as I’d left it. Books stacked haphazardly on the dresser, a pile of clothes in the closet, the window half open. It was a shock to the system, to see it looking so… lived in. Normal.
To distract me, I think, Embry kept up a casual conversation. It was somewhat one-sided, until he asked me where I was going to college next month.
“I was going to attend the University of Florida.”
“That’s too far,” Embry said. He stepped in front of me and suddenly had a desperate look to his eye. “I’ll never see you if you move to Florida.” My stomach lurched.
“You didn’t think we’d last forever, did you?” I asked reluctantly. Reluctantly because I was starting to hope we could. But I had to be practical about it. We were young. It would be stupid not to go to a certain college just because your boyfriend lives thousands of miles away from it. Or so I told myself. I used to think sarcastic comments about people who did things like that. I couldn’t turn into one of them.
Embry turned around and walked to the window, hiding his expression. I felt bad, but I didn’t apologize. Saying sorry for being honest was something I tried not to do. “I don’t want to give you even more to deal with. That’s the last thing I want. I wasn’t planning on bringing this up for a while yet. But… if it keeps you here… I think I’d better tell you what an imprint is.”
I gaped at his back. For a minute, I was stupefied. Imprint? But then I remembered Lydia’s slip-up, and that Embry had gone strangely quiet when I asked what one was. “Go on,” I said cautiously.
“Imprinting is… well, it’s this thing that sort of happens. You don’t ask for it, but... That doesn’t tell you anything.” Poor Embry. He was flustered. If I wasn’t so nervous about what he had to say, I would have been amused. Flustered and Embry didn’t normally go together. “It’s like you look at someone and you just know that they’re it for you. The center of your world shifts so that they’re the most important thing. That’s an imprint. It’s the way we find our… mates, I guess you could say.”
I stared at him and he finally turned around, giving me a pleading look. “I don’t suppose you’re about to tell me you imprinted on me,” I blurted. Embry just nodded.
“Oh,” I said faintly. “So you…” My head spun. So he did think this would be a permanent thing, what was happening between us. “I don’t know what to say to you.”
“Say you won’t go,” he pleaded. “Say you’ll go to school here in Washington. That’s all I need to hear right now.”
I plopped down onto my bed and peeled at the skin around my nails, refusing to meet his eye. This was a big decision. I didn’t want to rush it, though my heart was shouting at me to just say it already. I must have taken too long, because Embry ran out of my room. I chased after him, but he was too quick for me.
But through it all, Embry stayed by my side. I was so lucky I had him. He didn’t seem to mind that I wasn’t quite myself. He didn’t grow tired of comforting me, or at least, not so that I could see.
Every night before I went to sleep, I thanked goodness he was there. Without him, I don’t know how I would have come out of this.
I quit that awful job of mine. I wouldn’t need the money for some time, and I refused to stay there if I didn’t absolutely have to.
I moved back into the house. There was nothing else I could do. I was terrified to go back in there, but it was mine now and where else would I stay? Before I entered, Embry insisted that he go in first to clean up anything that was left over. He didn’t want me to have to deal with it.
He came out not too much later and held my hand while I took one step, then two. A third and I had crossed the threshold. I took a deep breath. It didn’t smell like home anymore.
I would just have to change that.
Forcing myself to think past what had happened, to look at this practically, I went back up the stairs. My room was the same as I’d left it. Books stacked haphazardly on the dresser, a pile of clothes in the closet, the window half open. It was a shock to the system, to see it looking so… lived in. Normal.
To distract me, I think, Embry kept up a casual conversation. It was somewhat one-sided, until he asked me where I was going to college next month.
“I was going to attend the University of Florida.”
“That’s too far,” Embry said. He stepped in front of me and suddenly had a desperate look to his eye. “I’ll never see you if you move to Florida.” My stomach lurched.
“You didn’t think we’d last forever, did you?” I asked reluctantly. Reluctantly because I was starting to hope we could. But I had to be practical about it. We were young. It would be stupid not to go to a certain college just because your boyfriend lives thousands of miles away from it. Or so I told myself. I used to think sarcastic comments about people who did things like that. I couldn’t turn into one of them.
Embry turned around and walked to the window, hiding his expression. I felt bad, but I didn’t apologize. Saying sorry for being honest was something I tried not to do. “I don’t want to give you even more to deal with. That’s the last thing I want. I wasn’t planning on bringing this up for a while yet. But… if it keeps you here… I think I’d better tell you what an imprint is.”
I gaped at his back. For a minute, I was stupefied. Imprint? But then I remembered Lydia’s slip-up, and that Embry had gone strangely quiet when I asked what one was. “Go on,” I said cautiously.
“Imprinting is… well, it’s this thing that sort of happens. You don’t ask for it, but... That doesn’t tell you anything.” Poor Embry. He was flustered. If I wasn’t so nervous about what he had to say, I would have been amused. Flustered and Embry didn’t normally go together. “It’s like you look at someone and you just know that they’re it for you. The center of your world shifts so that they’re the most important thing. That’s an imprint. It’s the way we find our… mates, I guess you could say.”
I stared at him and he finally turned around, giving me a pleading look. “I don’t suppose you’re about to tell me you imprinted on me,” I blurted. Embry just nodded.
“Oh,” I said faintly. “So you…” My head spun. So he did think this would be a permanent thing, what was happening between us. “I don’t know what to say to you.”
“Say you won’t go,” he pleaded. “Say you’ll go to school here in Washington. That’s all I need to hear right now.”
I plopped down onto my bed and peeled at the skin around my nails, refusing to meet his eye. This was a big decision. I didn’t want to rush it, though my heart was shouting at me to just say it already. I must have taken too long, because Embry ran out of my room. I chased after him, but he was too quick for me.