Enchanted to Meet You

“What?” So many things were swirling around in my head.

“No, I’ve already said too much.” She stood up and headed for the bathroom.

I followed her. “You can’t just say something like that and walk away!”

She halted when I stepped in front of her. “Valerie,”

“Emily.” I folded my arms over my chest.

She sighed audibly, turning around and slowly slumping back over to the sofa. I sat on the edge right next to her.

“It was only because they were already together that Seth automatically assumed he would imprint on her. And apparently, so did she.”

I swallowed. “So he didn’t imprint on her?”

Emily shook her head.

“But he thought he did.”

She nodded.

I didn’t know if I felt better or not.

“The whole concept was new to him. But all that matters is Seth really did imprint on you.” She assured me. “It’s very obvious.” She added with a giggle.

How did she know that? If Seth was certain that this Elena girl was his soul mate, if he thought she was supposed to be me…

I couldn’t finish the thought. What if I am just the rebound? The medicine to dull his pain?

“Stop looking so upset.” Emily begged. “You’re making me feel bad.

“I’m not upset.” I lied. “It’s just, you know, I thought imprinting would be something that you can’t be unsure of…”

“He is sure about you, Valerie.” Emily grabbed my face for emphasis. “Don’t doubt that.”

I just barely nodded, my eyes looking at our feet.

“This is why I didn’t want to tell you.” She murmured.

“No, I’m glad you did.” I said, swallowing the tightness in my throat. “I think I’m gonna go to bed now.”

“Okay.” Emily’s eyes were guilty. I wish she would realize it isn’t her fault.

I just need him home.

. . . . . . . .

I held my breath to see if I was imagining his voice.

“I’m fine, really.”

I leaped out of the bed and slid on the wooden floor in my socks down the hallway. I paused at the top of the stairs again, listening.

First was Emily. “Where is he now?”

“They took him home. I’m supposed to let you and my mom know.” His voice flooded my ears like strikingly beautiful music.

I wanted to just jump the stairs, but I didn’t want to kill myself. So I went as fast as I could, losing my feet and tripping down the last few steps.

I landed in his arms.

Seth smiled, holding me firmly with his forearms. “Good morning.”

I straightened myself, smiling like a lovesick puppy right back at him. “Hi.”

“Let me get my coat.” Emily said as she hurried into the other room.

I looked up into Seth’s eyes, finding something wrong. “What is it?”

He rolled his lips once. “Jake got hurt.”

My stomach sunk. “What? How? Is he okay? Where is he?”

“I’ll let you know on the way, but we really need to go.” I noticed how he didn’t answer any of my four questions, and it frightened me.

I repeated the most important one. “Is he okay?”

“I don’t know, just put your shoes on.” He said impatiently.

I obeyed his order, searching frantically around the house for the one pair of sneakers I’d brought with me. They were right next to the door the whole time. After Seth reminded me of their location, I slipped them on and ignored the laces.

Emily drove us to Jake and Billy’s, but the whole time I wished I could run. I needed to get there as soon as possible. Seth didn’t know much, just that a bunch of bones were broken and he was in a lot of pain.

When we finally arrived, we weren’t even allowed to see him. The doctor from the Cullen family was fixing him up as best as he could. I’d discovered it involved rebreaking the bones.

Seth squeezed my hand and I squeezed it back, both of us holding on tightly as we waited. I tried to distract myself from the awful noises Jacob was making by taking a few minutes to look at everyone’s face.

I had no clue what they’d all been through, but I assumed it was successful. Their eyes had killed, but not the same killing as I was imagining. I didn’t know what it was like to come face to face with a bloodthirsty vampire, and I wasn’t planning on knowing anytime soon.

Carlisle was finished with his job, piling out of the tiny room. I prepared myself to sprint through the door and hug my friend, but Princess Danger Magnet showed up right on cue.

Did I just call her that?

Apparently, Jacob was asking for her, so Bella made haste in to see him. I had caught her expression, and it held mulitple emotions that I couldn’t even put a name to. I didn’t want to know whatever the hell it was she had dealt with.

“You okay?” Seth asked quietly, leaning closer to my ear. “You’re tense. I can feel it.”

I naturally released my tight grip on his fingers. “I don’t know,” I admitted stupidly. I did sort of know, because the tenseness came with Bella.

I was angry with her. In my head, it was her fault that Jacob was suffering. Her and her stupid danger magnet-ness. None of this would have happened if she’d just…

What was I thinking? I couldn’t believe I was going to finish that thought.

But none of this would have happened if she’d just picked him.