My Forever Girl

Naira’s P.O.V.

SHE WILL PAY! Those three words kept flashing through my memories. First from the man in my dreams, screaming them as the flames engulfed his body, and then the sinister message left for me on the bathroom mirror of my dorm room. SHE WILL PAY! Three ordinarily simple words, but once put together in the right way can sound so threatening, so evil that it’ll leave your blood run cold. The man in the dream…. The bloody message…. SHE WILL PAY…. I had an eerie feeling that they were all connected, the thought of it made me shiver.

“Are you ok”, Embry whispered. I nodded my head and returned my attention to the conversations taking place in the emergency pack meeting that was called the second we got home. Once again I had become the center of everyone’s attention. Everyone was worried, but underneath that I knew how they really felt, especially my father. Just one look from him was all it took for me to grasp what he really wanted to say to me, “This could have all been avoided if you could’ve just accepted who you are and stayed home with your family where you belong”.

“I want someone near her at all times”, my father continued his screaming.

“I don’t need a babysitter”, I mumbled.

My dad turned to face me, his face was bright red. I could have sworn I saw smoke shooting from his ears as he said, “I WILL NOT leave you unprotected while that psycho is out there”.

“I understand your concern Jared, but don’t you think ordering a 24/7 watch is a bit much? I could see if it was a bloodsucker, but this is just a kid we’re talking about. Naira is home safe and sound, we made it pretty clear to him that he should not step foot in La Push again”, Sam tried to place a hand on my dad’s shoulder, but it was knocked away.

“Em and I will look out for her Mr. Cameron”, Mika offered.

“I said I don’t need a babysitter. Whatever happens is my battle to fight, not all of yours”, I pushed through the crowd of my family and stormed out the front door. I couldn't take one more second of it, all the fighting on my behalf, like my opinion didn't matter.

I sat on the first step watching the snow silently fall; fresh powder to cover up the old muddy stuff. My thoughts drifted to Jayden, and I thought about what I’d say to him if I ever saw him again. There was just something in me that wouldn’t allow myself to feel afraid of him; because I knew the man he was deep down.

The couple of minutes I had to myself ended when the front door opened. Mika and Embry walked out and plopped down beside me, making the boards creak beneath all of our weight.

“So what’s the verdict”, I asked, refusing to look at either one of them. I felt like a defendant in the Court of Law that had just been found guilty and was now waiting to hear my fate.

“You’re looking at your two new fulltime baby sitters”, Mika replied. After I hadn’t said anything in response he added, “It could be a lot worse” with a nudge of the arm.

I sighed; I wonder how Jacob got my dad to approve to that? “You can also expect your dad to be watching you like a hawk every chance he gets”, Embry said.

I wouldn’t have expected anything less coming from him. “So basically I’m on house arrest”.

“Pretty much”, they replied in unison.

“He’s over exaggerating as usual”.

“Naira he just wants to make sure you’re safe; we all do”, Embry said.
I rolled my eyes. “Everything is going to be fine. I don’t need everyone looking out for me all the time. In case you haven’t noticed I’m not five years old anymore. I appreciate everyone’s concern, it means a lot to me to know you all still care so much even after how I’ve treated all of you, but I don’t need protecting or saving. I’m not that girl, I was raised by a pack of wolves, I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“You don’t have the strength….” Mika began.

“I don’t need it”, I cut in. “Jayden is not going to hurt me”.

Mika’s eyebrows shot up, “Naira are we talking about the same guy? You know; the one that showed up on New Year’s Eve ready to pick a fight with a man twice his size. Even sick, Embry could still snap him like a twig. Don’t forget this is the same guy that busted his roommates lip for no apparent reason. Oh yeah, not to mention the nice little message he left on the mirror in your dorm room.. IN BLOOD.. BLOOD NAIRA. I’m 100% , no a million percent sure that this guy has some serious issues and is pretty much capable of anything.”

I rolled my eyes again and sarcastically asked, “Are you done”? Mika shook his head, “Embry, talk to this girl, she clearly isn’t hearing me”.

“I hear you loud and clear”, I growled. “You think he’s a nut job, but you don’t know him the way I do.” Mika laughed, “This should be good”, he whispered to Embry.

I sighed know they’d never understand, because it was just a gut feel that I had, but I decided to try to explain anyways. “The Jayden that you all met is not the same Jayden I grew to love”, Embry glanced away, avoiding eye contact with me. I almost got the impression I’d hurt him somehow by admitting those feels aloud, but he’d said it himself, he only thought of me as a sister. I carried on, “When I first met Jayden he was this quiet, mysterious kid that sat at the back of the classroom. The first time we talked I got this feeling, like I was meant to meet him. I learned his story; his father left him and his mother almost immediately after he was born, and his mother, well, she was a drunk. He was broken when I met him, but there was still this shimmer of hope that lit up his eyes. I showed him how to forgive, and gave him some sense of happiness. In return, he showed me a life outside of La Push.”

“People change Naira. You said yourself; he was “broken” or whatever… Maybe whatever he thought he saw between you and Embry that night was the last straw”, Mika replied. Embry remained silent with his gaze fixed on the stairs in front of him.

“Maybe”, I whispered sadly. “But I just have this gut feeling that something happened to him when his mother took him to visit some relatives. He’d called me a couple times completely freaked out, and then after that, there was just something different about him. He seemed… Distant.”

“It’s not your job to fix him Naira”, Embry finally spoke.

“It feels like it is”, I said, remembering the dream and the message.

A few moments of silence passed before Mika spoke again, “Well, whatever happens at least you know you have Embry and I here for you”.

“No”, I said loudly. “You’re going to school”.

“I’ve waited this long, I can wait a little longer… At least until I’m sure you’re safe”.

“This is your dream Mika, and I’m not going to let this situation keep you from making it come true. Besides, I have Embry. I honestly don’t think I’d be able to handle the both of you 24/7”, I said nudging him jokingly.

“Nairaaaaaaaa”, he groaned.

“I’ll be fine Mika, I promise. Embry, tell him I’ll be fine”.

“I wouldn’t let anything happen to her, you know that”, he answered. I couldn’t help but smile at that.

Mika finally stopped fighting me and agreed to go away to school like we’d originally planned. Embry and I were left alone on the porch while Mika left to pack his bags, he’d be leaving in a few days.

“I guess I should be going to pack my own bags”, Embry announced as he stood up.

“What for”?

“Well, as your permanent “babysitter” it only makes sense that I’m close to you. I’ll be living in your basement.”

I felt a flutter of relief. I was glad to be seeing more of him, but also relieved that he wouldn’t have to return to an empty house each night as a painful reminder that his mother was no longer with him.

“Do you mind if I join you”, I asked.

Embry glanced at the house, than back at me, “I don’t think Jared wants you leaving the house”.
I looped an arm around his and began walking down the path, “All the more reason for me to go”, I said with a grin.