Sarah's Trust

The next day rolled around and Embry turned up at Sarah's house at four o'clock, being welcomed into the house by her mother. Sarah was sat on the sofa looking displeasedly with the fact that her mother had insisted on having to talk to him before the dinner. She also didn't like the fact that she'd invited him around for dinner because all he was was someone to keep her company while she was alone. True, she didn't know why he wanted to spend time with her in the first place considering that they didn't know each other, but she did manage to brush it to one side most days.

Her father was sat on the other sofa, and when her mother came into the room with Embry, he stood up and shook his hand firmly. "You must be Embry," he greeted and Sarah just sighed.

He nodded. "And you're, urm," he trailed off, realising that he didn't know Sarah's last name.

"John Wyade."

They released hands and he gestured for Embry to take a seat next to Sarah while her mother went into the kitchen to continue with the dinner. She'd left Sarah's father to talk to the boy because even though she was protective of her daughter, he'd always been the most protective of their children. He was the one that pulled both children out from public school after the incident with their son, and he was the one that made sure he could fully provide for both their children even though their son was off at college and now an adult.

"So, Embry, as you know, I assume, Sarah was in an accident a short while back and as a result of that, she no longer has her sight."

Sarah groaned. "Dad, seriously. He knows that I'm blind, he knows that I don't want pity, and he knows that I'm a paranoid nutter when it comes to being alone. We've already gone over the basics and I know that he's not a psychotic killer out to prey on vulnerable girls like me, especially as I have a weakness that most of them don't. And we also established that chivalry's not dead, apparently."

Embry let out a chuckle at her words and shook his head lightly at her words.

"I'm just looking out for you, Sarah," her father protested honestly.

"I know, I know, but you really don't have to interrogate him. He only comes around to keep me company when I'm home alone."

Embry found himself watching her as she spoke, taking notice of how she used her hands to gesture something as she spoke. She may not have been confident when outside, but she's confident when she's around people she knows and inside with them. She was comfortable around him so she was also confident as well, but it was completely different when she was around her parents.

Sarah's mother came out from the kitchen, oven gloves covering her hands. "Dinner will be ready soon. Set the table please, Sarah."

With a sigh she got up from the sofa and began making her way into the kitchen to get the cutlery. Embry watched as she felt her way around the room and disappeared through the doorway. He looked back when her father cleared his throat.

"You don't ever hurt her, you hear?" he warned the boy when he noticed how he looked at his daughter.

"I won't," Embry promised sincerely.

Sarah came back in the room with cutlery in her hand and headed towards the table where she placed them down in front of the chairs. The moment after she'd placed the last item down, her mother came out from the kitchen with the plates of food and placed them down at the different places, saying who they were for as she did so. In an attempt to be friendly, she placed Embry next to Sarah as well as placing him next to her father.

The whole thing amused him slightly because it'd been a long while since he'd ever sat at a table properly and eaten food. Normally he would just grab food from his house and eat it while doing something else and when he's at Emily's there's normally a house full so there's no table for them to all sit at.

Sarah's father stood from his seat and went into the kitchen to help Sarah's mother with the little bit of cleaning that was needed to be done before they could sit down for dinner. Sarah beckoned him to the table and they sat next to each other.

"I'm really sorry about my parents. I try to not let them out a lot around people I know, but it doesn't work all the time.

It took him a moment to realise she'd made a joke. "They're not that bad."

She gave a light snort. "You haven't met my mother then."

At first he didn't know what she was on about but once her parents had come into the room, sat at the table and dinner had actually commenced, he understood what she was on about.

"So, Embry, have you lived here your whole life?" she asked shortly after they'd started eating.

"Yeah. It's a nice place to live. Have you been here long?"

"Just over half a year. My dad was from here so we used to take trips down here until Sarah's brother left for college, then we relocated here. We'll probably relocate somewhere else when Sarah goes off to college – if she does, that is."

Embry looked at Sarah. "Do you want to go to college?"

She shrugged, pushing food around her plate with her fork. "Maybe. Never really appealed to me in the start," she mumbled.

"Are you thinking of going to college, Embry?" her mother asked.

He shook his head. "I'm staying on the rez for work."

Her mother continued questioning Embry about his work and why he decided to not go to college. The whole time Sarah was just wishing that she wasn't as nosey as she was. She wished that he hadn't had knocked at the door yesterday, and she wished that she hadn't have been ill so her mother would have went to work and they would have never met like this did, thus prompting this dinner to happen.

As dinner was finishing, her mother stopped questioning Embry so he took the opportunity to ask Sarah a question he'd been waiting to ask her for the whole time.

"There's a bonfire next week that a bunch of us attend. I know you don't like going out, but I was wondering whether you'd want to come with me? I wouldn't leave your side for a minute and I'd make sure nothing happened."

Before Sarah could reply, her mother jumped in. "That sounds great. It'll be good for her to finally be outside," she agreed.

Sarah grimaced. "Mum, I can speak for myself."

"I know you, and I know that you'd say no."

"You don't have to come if you don't want to, Sarah. I was just wondering," Embry protested, not wanting to make Sarah come with to the bonfire if she really didn't want to.

Her mother just brushed his words to one side. "She needs to get out and not be scared of being outside the house. Besides her father and I, you seem to really care for our daughter and I feel I can trust you with her."

Sarah just sighed as her mother and father left the table, leaving her with Embry. "I'd be lying if I said I wanted to go to this bonfire with you," she told him.

"It won't be that bad," he replied.

She just sighed and hoped that it would be cancelled for some reason.