Emily leads me up to a room, one of two upstairs. Inside there is a small bed. From here I can tell that the sheets are scratchy, not that I mind. There are a few boxes pilled up in the room, and a dresser, but otherwise the space is empty.

I look out the large window, and from there she can see a backyard. There is a massive fire pit, and a few chairs scattered around it. I can tell the chairs were initially white, but they have turned into a muddy grey from the weather.

Everything about this place reminds me of a home that has always been a bit out of reach. It's cozy and soft, and I crave it.

"We've been meaning to make it a nursery, but we haven't had the time," Emily sighs from behind me. "We've been engaged for years, and haven't had the time to get married. We're so busy with Sam's friends."

I think that is an odd thing to preoccupy one's time. I don't dare argue with Emily though.

"Thank you for having me here," I say instead. I continue to peer around the room, analyzing the chips in the paint in the wall and the dirty carpet, from too many feet walking across it.

Emily smiles. "After what Embry did to your poor arm? It's not a problem."

"He was helping me," I tell her, trying to make sense of all that went down. Even now, the moment is still too fast in my head. One minute on the sidewalk, the next being yanked backwards, my nose narrowly missing a car whizzing by me.

"Do you have a bag?" Emily asks.

I freeze. My entire life is in that bag and it's not on my back. I remember Embry taking it off as she got into the car.

I rush out of the room and practically leap down the stairs. I dart past the three men, who are still speaking in hushed voices. From there, I make it to the car and open the backdoor.

Inside is my bag. I grab it and drag it up into the house.

"You're in quite the hurry," Sam points out. "What's in that?"

I close my eyes, trying to create another space of pause. I crave silence. "A few documents."

"So, you're really not going home then, huh?" Sam asks.

I nod.

Without another word, I head up the stairs, where Emily is waiting. The woman raises an eyebrow at me.

"Got it?" she asks.

I nod. I put the bag down on the ground next to the bed, and sit down on the sheets. The mattress springs groan under my weight. It's rigid and hard, but I haven't slept properly in far too long.

"Is it okay if I take a nap?" I ask Emily.

Emily smiles. "You don't need to ask. I'll let you get settled in. We'll figure out how we can best help you in the morning."

With one last glance, Emily leaves the room.

I do try to sleep when Emily leaves, I really do. I take off my hearing aids and replace the batteries since they are low. From there, I curl up into a ball on the bed and try my best to lull myself off to sleep. My shoulder still has a dull ache that radiates down my arm, and I feel freezing in this house. Sam and Emily must not even have a heater.

I realize that I don't know either of their last names, and they don't know mine. Maybe I shouldn't even be trusting these people. Emily seems kind enough though, and I am out of options.

Their generosity is keeping me in a bed for at least another night.

Once it grows dark, I put back in my hearing aids. Maybe now I can do a bit of exploring without eyes watching her at every turn. I have never really liked being the centre of attention before. Now is not the time to start.

Unfortunately, the night is not quiet. It is filled with the sound of laughter, and the crackling of a fire. I peer out the window to see that the bonfire pit is now in use, and a few people are gathered around it. It's difficult to make people out, but I think that I can see Embry talking to someone.

Not that I really know Embry, but he gives me good vibes. Like Emily.

I leave the room, still dressed in the same, smelling clothes. I can't afford anything else besides the bomber jacket, ripped jeans, and sweater, so it has had to make do. My long, dirty hair clings to my forehead. I desperately need to wash my clothes and take a shower.

Despite my own filth, I walk downstairs. On the table is a feast of food, and several men who I don't recognize are eating at it. A few of them have women present beside them giggling and laughing. They all seem to be around my age, a bit younger than Sam and Emily.

One of them points me out, and a hush falls over the group.

Shit.

I quickly head out into the backyard. Embry is in a heated conversation with a man sitting down. The man wears dark black sunglasses, even though it is night. I can barely make them out past the flames of the bonfire, and the people crowded around it.

Embry sees me and his face tightens.

He walks towards me, quickly speeding up until he is right in front of me. His cheeks are flushed red, and his hair a wild mess; it's a complete change from earlier today. He looks more flustered now than he did when he dislocated my arm. "Hey. What's up, Fawn?"

"What's going on?" I ask, looking around. "Are these all Sam's friends?"

Embry bites his lip. "Mostly. Some of them are mine and Quil's too. How was your nap?"

I don't have time for any distractions. Instead, I point behind Embry. "Who's that?"

"Who?" Embry's voice tightens in his throat. I am sure of it. "Oh, him? That's Jacob. Jacob Black. He's a grouch and a bore. Not really worth my time, let alone yours. I should introduce you to my friend Seth."

"How old is everyone here?" I ask, looking around. "Everybody looks like, barely 18, and Sam and Emily are clearly older."

"How old are you?" Embry counters.

"18," I lie.

"We're old enough to make our own decisions then, aren't we?" he smirks, and a wink follows. Unfortunately, I can't protest. He looks over his shoulder, and waves at someone. I spin around and see that it's Quil and another man, begging him closer.

They both have bright smiles. They are all wearing cut-off jean shorts and t-shirts. Aren't they freezing? Maybe they are just too cool for clothes.

"I've got to go, but you should head back inside, okay?" Embry suggests. "Trust me, no good can come from hanging out with these people."

He pats my good shoulder and then ducks off behind her to go chase down the two men.

I am alone. I stand in the middle of the grass patch of land, spinning my head to look at every one. Nearly twenty people surround me, all of them strangers. The few girls that are here hang tightly to the shoulders of the young men that accompany them. No one is looking at me, and I'm thankful. I don't think that I could bear their stares.

Only one person is alone. Jacob. He sits in a corner alone, his arms crossed over his chest.

So, I head over. The noise here is much more manageable. All of the words turn into a dull hum. I sit down on the ground opposite him, looking up at him.

His head tilts to the side and his arms tighten up against himself. "Who's there?"

Oh, he's blind. That makes sense, given the glasses and all. It should have occurred to me earlier, being hard of hearing and everything.

"Sorry," I muster. "I'm Fawn. I met Embry today."

Jacob recoils back in his seat. "Fawn. You're Fawn."

I nod her head up and down, and realize how stupid that is. "Yes, I am. He must have told you about... my arm and stuff."

"You're arm?" he asks. There is a sharp edge to his voice, one which could cut glass. Like his jawline.

"I just twisted it funny," I know that it's unfair to not paint the picture for him when he can't see himself, but I would rather not relive the moment. "You're... you're Jacob, right?"

"Yeah," he says. He picks at his nails, shaking his head slightly.

Okay, so his conversation is really dry, but there seems to be no one else to be with. I could go curl up in a ball alone in the room again, or I could try and force myself through this conversation. Both options seem equally miserable.

"How do you know Quil and Embry?" I ask.

Jacob bites his lip. "We went to high school together. We're pretty tight."

"Sam said that you were responsible for cleaning up their mistakes," I point out, trying to make a joke. It falls flat on the ground right in front of me. "Anyway, I figured I'd come to say hello."

"What are you doing here?" he asks, pinching his nose for a second.

I cough. "Excuse me?"

"Like, why are you bothering Sam and Emily?"

I stand up, struggling a bit since one of my arms is still in a sling. I can feel myself scowling at him, and I take a deep breath to cover the tension building in my chest. Back home, there were consequences for talking out of line. Here I am free. Here I could give him a piece of my mind. Part of me really wants to tell him off, but my lip quivers and my nose tightens. "You're... I can't believe this."

With that, I storm off and head back inside the house.

~~~~~

It's the tiniest of reveals, and of course, he puts his foot in his mouth, but there you have it. It's quite the not-great first meeting. What is your first impression of Fawn? Of Jacob? Let me know in the comments.