Loca Exerts

Troy was lying on top of my car, stomach against the hood and her feet in the air near the windshield, her tiny body not taking up much space at all.

She was staring out the one lone window in the garage with a dreamy look in her eyes, running her hands through her long dark hair that draped across her shoulders. Occasionally, she turned to look at me, and then would go back to the window.

“What are you thinking about Troy?” I asked while setting down the part I was cleaning. I couldn’t pay much attention to it anyways with Troy around. Too much distraction.

She shrugged, “I miss the city,” she breathed her eyes dazed and distracted, “I wish I could escape.” she sighed, the homesickness clear as day in those dark eyes.

I frowned, knowing how often she felt trapped here, and going against everything I wanted to say to change her mind, I kept my mouth shut.

She couldn’t stand this town, no matter how much progress it had made, or how much some people here had grown on her (meaning me). There was no sense in trying to persuade her otherwise.

Silence hung in the air, while I refused to speak and Troy broke it, “Do you ever want to get out?” she asked curiously, eyes big and brown and innocent.

The question brought me up short.

I had never really wanted to get away like she did, although I had my moments…and I know my sisters ran at first chance.

There were a lot of bad memories here, but there were also good ones. All the good memories I had were in this town.

“Sometimes…but this is my home…It’s all I really know…I have people here that I care about.” Not to mention La Push is where I met you, I thought but didn’t say out loud.

“So you can’t see yourself moving on?” she asked, her head in her hands, no rudeness projected anywhere in her voice.

“In all honesty I never planned to spend my life here…but I can’t leave anytime soon.” I sighed, thinking of the pack and of my dad.

If Troy wanted to run, how could I follow her? I had so many responsibilities.

Another silence had ensued, but the conversation was never forced with us. She could take as much time as she wanted and the conversation wouldn’t ever really die.

“So what do you plan to do, if you stay?” she questioned, finally meeting my eyes. I could see curiosity in hers, and wondered what Troy saw in mine.

It was easier to answer that question, because that had been the only thing on my mind since finding Trinity. What my life would be like...with her…

Of course I couldn’t exactly mention that when I started to build my future, she was the main component, but I could still give her details.

“Well, I guess I’ll get a job somewhere…working with mechanics…get married and buy a house that makes my wife happy. Maybe have a few pups?” I evaded her gaze and felt heat flare up in my face.

“Is that all you want to do with your life?” she asked, surprised.

Without realizing I’d moved, I hovered over her, my knees pressed against the fender as I leaned down and brushed our noses together, her body facing the opposite direction from mine. I heard her breath get caught in her throat around the same time her heartbeat picked up. She looked away from me shyly.

“What more is there to want?” I asked, leaving her even more speechless than before, if that was possible.

It gave me a grim satisfaction to see that I was messing with her head a little, although I didn’t know the extent of how or why.

“I don’t know…it sounds like you’re planning on living a lot of your for other people…what about yourself, don’t you want to do something for yourself?” Her sweet breath blew across my face, the beauty in her wide eyes making the question hard to understand at first.

I shook my head. “No…Well, I mean…I do want to see the world…have adventures…but after I raise my seven or eight kids.” I added the last part in a teasing tone, but she knew as well as I did that I was serious.

Troy’s eyes were wide. “Seven or eight?” she exclaimed, and then cleared her throat in embarrassment.

“Most guys can’t stand the thought of one child…and I can’t say I blame them.” she murmured the last part in a lower tone.

“No kids for you?” I asked, wondering if her mindset would change at all, if she were to find out that I only wanted all those kids so long as she was their mother.

“I’m not a big fan of them,” she admitted. “I mean, I don’t mind babies, but they wear out their welcome after a while, so…” she avoided my gaze, a blush creeping over her face.
Now she was blushing? Why?

I didn’t know, but I can’t say I minded at all. The color was beautiful against the pale cream of her soft skin.

“So…what are your plans? You want to leave…and go where exactly? Back to your city?” I stared into those eyes of hers, trying to understand what she wanted. What I could give her.

“Maybe, or maybe see some other ones. I want to see the world too, but now, while I’m young and won’t be restricted. If I waited, I’d always be afraid of running out of time…”

Gently, Troy pushed my face away from hers and sat up so that her feet hung of the front of the car. She patted the space beside her gently and I leaned against the bumper, throwing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

“What about a family? Do you plan on having one or just wandering?” I ducked my head down so we were level.

Troy swallowed. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get married, it’s not really my thing-” my heart sunk right there, ten times worse than when she said she didn’t want children.

We had a million things in common, personality and interest wise, and yet our goals could not have been more different - how would this ever work, even if I won her heart?

“-but if I did, knowing myself, I’ll have a man exactly like you…someone who wants the complete opposite of what I do.”

Just like me. Me. I was the kind of man she’d end up with. Just the man she belonged with. A smile started to creep across my face, only growing wider when Troy continued.

“Course’ that just means I’d have to break him so he’d sink down to my level – forget kids and go on adventures and travels with me.” Troy giggled at her joke.

Oh it wouldn’t be hard for her to break me. Anything she asked of me I would do and there would be no argument. Imprinting did that to you. Your free will was gone, your whole life in the hands of your mate. Not that I minded. Anything that made her happy was good in my eyes.

God I was brainwashed wasn’t I? Oh well.

“I’m sure you would,” I told her and grabbed her hands. Troy smiled and lifted her hands, so her palms were open, pressed against mine. The size and color difference was significant and I stared in amazement.

It was quiet for a while before I broke it.

“You don’t really mind…I mean, being here…with me…right now…Do you?” I worried, and then avoided her eyes when I saw the questions in them.

“I mean, this town isn’t exactly the place for you…but would you stay, if I asked you to?” My voice cracked just a little and there was a long pause as she chose her words carefully.

“You’re a pretty good reason to stay,” she murmured, and the shyness was back. I had to smile and she looked up at me.

Yes. She would stay, for now, but who knew what the future would bring. She would go off to have her adventures and experiences and I’d be left in the dust because she knew as well as I did that I could never ask her to stay.

She had to realize that there was no way I could ask her to not to leave when her heart was elsewhere.

“Would you ever…” Troy started and then snapped her mouth shut like she hadn’t meant to say something. I brushed some hair away from her face.

“You can ask me anything Troy,” I told her, and she bit a little at her lip, looking up at me and then away quickly when she realized I was still watching her.

“Do you think…I mean, would you ever consider maybe, going with me? If I asked you to someday? I-I mean…I don’t think it’d be so bad…having one of those adventures early, before your all settled down…” she peeked up at me through thick lashes and I felt the urge to kiss her hit me like a truck.

I had to wait until I was under control before I answered her. “You’d be worth following,” I whispered, lips grazing her ear while she shivered.

“Finish your damn car,” she whispered, shoving me playfully.

Chuckling, I slid off the car and went back to work cleaning the grease, oil, scale, grime and rust off of various small parts that I was worried about.

Troy went back to her staring and my mind wandered over the things we’d discussed here. I had never felt more close to her…but I had never been more worried for the future either.

I knew exactly what I wanted in life, and the only person who could give it to me was against the entire thing. No marriage. No kids.

Trying to remind myself we weren’t a couple didn’t help, it just busted my ego a bit more because we’d never become a couple and there would be no chance for me to even warm her up to the idea of children and marriage because she’s never be mine.

“Thanks a lot Jacob…you’re a really good listener,” Troy mumbled, causing me too look up at her. I grinned and winked, which was way better than telling her how beautiful her voice sounded in my ears. Way better.

“Anytime,” I smirked, causing her to roll her eyes and throw a rag at me. I caught it before it hit my face and tossed it back.