The next morning, I wake up in Jacob's bed. I check myself, making sure I'm fully clothed. I'm still wearing the same uncomfortable dress. The events of last night are crawling back to me, all the way from the Clearwaters house. The memories come in slowly.

The dancing. Did I actually think I looked good while dancing? That's so embarrassing.

The fight. The kiss. Then, taking a cab back. Cuddling in bed, without saying a word.

He's gone now though. The sun is sneaking its way through the gaps in the blinds. I peak outside, staring at the tree line. I have work today. Everything is such a drag.

When I walk down the stairs, the boys are cooking breakfast. Jacob sits at the table with Claire, crowded over a bowl of cereal.

Quil whistles at me, and Claire leans back and slaps his ass.

"Sorry," Quil laughs.

I head into my empty bedroom and quickly change into some more casual clothes. I put on one of the big frumpy sweaters I bought. When I head back out, breakfast is already served at the table.

"How's your back?" Quil laughs.

I realize he's talking to Jacob, not me.

Jacob shrugs, "the couch isn't so bad."

Once I'm at the table, I sit down. They've made pancakes again. It's one of the first foods I remember having here. I eat a few, even though my stomach is unsettled and my head hurts.

"You're lucky Jacob let you have the bed," Quil points out.

Embry leans in closer, "I can't believe you guys ditched me with him and Claire."

"Well, would you rather Fawn have thrown up here or at Seth and Leah's?" Jacob asks.

I don't remember throwing up. I think that's why I feel so hungover compared to last time. This time, I'll go along with his lie. He obviously isn't ready for anyone to know about us.

It makes my heart sink a little. Then again, am I ready for everyone else to know too?

After breakfast, Quil and Claire drive me into town. Quil rarely drives me anywhere, so I'm a bit surprised by his presence. Apparently, he and Claire intend on doing some shopping in Port Angeles before Claire has to make the drive back to Seattle. I don't mind though. They seem lovely enough.

"So," Claire says when we get in the car. "Did anything happen between you and Jacob last night?"

Quil glances back at me, waiting for an answer.

"Unless you count vomiting as something," I tell her. "I'm not interested in Jacob."

"Yeah sure, and vampires couldn't hurt a fly if they wanted," Quil rolls his eyes.

We continue the drive, listening to all the things I missed at the party. Apparently, the neighbours nearly called the cops at three in the morning, even though they live far away. Jacob and I were gone by midnight. How they all look so lively is beyond me.

They drop me off at work and the shift is dull. Henry and I don't get up to many conversations. He's been really quiet since Marie's body was dropped on my porch. The customers are nice enough. The chief of police comes in for lunch, but thankfully, he doesn't talk to me about the case. It's not that reliving it would bring me a great deal of pain, rather I wouldn't like my coworkers to know.

The bell in the doorway jingles at the end of my shift, and when I turn to leave, I notice him.

Cedar. He's here.

"Fawn," he says. He approaches me but holds himself off. He lets out a deep sigh, before wrapping me in a hug.

"How did you find me?" I ask, my eyelids fluttering. My body is stiff, not hugging him back.

They've found me. They are going to force me home.

He looks around the diner. "We should go."

I fold up my apron and, with a wave at the person who is taking over for me, I head out of the diner.

He takes me around the corner, with me still in my uniform. I look around for Quil in the car, but I don't see him anywhere.

"Where are we going?" I ask him.

"Home," he answers.

I stop walking, pulling back. "No."

"Fawn," he says, slowly. "Come on."

"No, Cedar," I say. "You come with me."

It is my turn to grab him, and I drag him down the street and into a café. I order each of us a coffee. He keeps trying to talk to me, but I ignore him until we are in a booth.

"How did you find me?" I ask.

He sighs, "does it matter Fawn? Long story short, it took bribery and a quick google search of the rainiest cities in the country."

Cedar has always known me better than anyone else, "are my parents with you?"

"They're back in Pennsylvania," he tells me. He reaches across the table and takes my hands. "I can't believe I've found you. Let's go back to the convent."

I don't pull away, but I shake my head, "Cedar, I'm never going back."

"They aren't crazy like you think," he insists. "Vampires are real."

He's always believed them. I could never tell him of my plan, because he would never have let me go with vampires roaming the world, searching for me.

Kamiko.

I stand up, jolting the table. I knock over the coffee and wince. Grabbing as many napkins as I can, I begin to clean up the mess.

"What has gotten into you?" he asks. "You're nervous. Are you being held hostage?"

I look around and sit back down, a mountain of wet napkins separating us. The wreckage of our relationship. "No, I'm fine."

"Fawn," Cedar's voice grows quiet. "Our wedding is in two days."

I know. The day after my birthday. Finally, when we are both 18. You can get married younger with parental permission, but his parents wanted to fill out the least amount of paperwork possible.

"You need to go back home," I answer. "Without me."

"I've... I've come all this way," he manages. He looks down at his lap, before looking back up at me. "They didn't make me come. I wanted to come."

I grab him by his collar and pull him in close. My lips are next to his ear, ready to whisper. "There is a vampire after me. Her name is Kamiko, and she is determined to kill someone from our convent. I'm safe, but you aren't."

He turns his head so he can look at me. His hands are on my cheeks, and he smiles. "I can take Kamiko."

As always, the convent is more and more delusional. "You can't. They're way more dangerous. Humans can't kill them in groups, let alone on their own."

I debate telling him about the shapeshifters, but I don't want to risk him running home and telling stories of werewolves in La Push. All the supernatural, all that defies God ought to be put down. While I might not believe it, he does.

He puts the coffee farther away from him, "I can do it."

"You need to go home," I tell him.

My phone buzzes, and on the other end, Quil is calling me. I get up from the table and make my way out of the café. He trails after me, as I pick up my phone.

"Hey," Quil begins. "Sorry I'm late. It was hard to say goodbye to Claire. You didn't call a cab, did you? Embry will kill me if-"

"I'm coming," I tell him. "Just around the corner."

I hang up the phone and turn to Cedar, "I'm not going back with you, okay?"

"Who was that?" he asks.

I roll my eyes and turn away from him. He follows after me, a shadow more than a man. Even once we are outside the café, he is on my tail.

"Cedar, leave," I tell him.

He stops in his tracks, "I'll kill her for you!"

"Please, just go home!" I shout back at him. Begging, really. I couldn't bear it if something bad were to happen to him.

He doesn't follow me to the car. Once I get there, I slam the door shut behind me. Quil loads himself in, stretching his shoulders.

"You seem touchy," he says.

"Just drive," I try to avoid balling my hands into fists to no avail. I can still feel Cedar all over me. Meeting him now has really soured my memory of him. Up until recently, I was picturing myself in a white dress walking down an aisle and meeting him one day.

"Really touchy," he points out.

After pulling out of the spot he begins to bring us home. I'm still so tired and so confused. We drive past Cedar, standing on the sidewalk. I try to avoid eye contact. My body is stiff.

I don't believe in the God to which I was always supposed to pray. Cedar does though, and that hope that builds in him, filling him like dirty floodwater. He'll find me again. I know he will. We were glued together, forming some sort of monster even worse than the ones we were chasing.

I don't want to be known so well.

Maybe I'm lucky the boy who is supposed to imprint on me is blind.

~~~~~

And Cedar is here! What a character. What a fella. What a guy. Anyway, I liked your predictions last chapter. They enthralled me. Jacob, however, is just as elusive as ever. The next three chapters are big deals. Huge. I'm so excited!

If you were Fawn, what would you have done differently (if anything) leading up to now?