DEPRAVITY : Embry Call

34

I have all my stuff together the day before I move out. We get a few boxes to put the extra clothes I've acquired, as well as the few odd kitchen supplies that Embry and his friends are donating to me. When I found out about the apartment, I placed an order to be delivered there, with a bed frame and a mattress. While I won't have a couch, or a coffee table, or even a regular table, I'll have enough to get me through the first few days. I've been able to save my paycheck since moving in with Embry. While most of the extra money should go towards lawyer fees and my father's physiotherapy, I can't live in an empty house. I've lived in an empty house before. Never again.

Embry wants, with some of his money, to help subsidize some of the cheap things I'm going to need to buy for the apartment. He has decided to stay with Claire and Quil until I decide what I'm doing. They don't mind, so long as he commits to watching the baby every so often. They are out right now on a lunch date, and so Embry and I are watching little Quil.

It is the last day of July.

Embry is holding baby Quil on his hip as he mixes a stir-fry for us. The vegetables are in, as is the rice and the proteins. Baby Quil babbles the same syllable over and over.

"Oh, really?" Embry says.

I turn my head from his laptop where I am researching where to find a good divorce lawyer. If Henry isn't going to serve me papers, I will serve him. Although, it would be easier if I had access to my own laptop, which is at Henry's house.

The baby babbles again, and when the baby stops, Embry gasps, "I can't believe he would do such a thing."

The baby babbles again, and Henry continues to respond as if little Quil is gossiping about someone. The baby gurgles and giggles as Embry takes the food off the burner and begins to dance around the kitchen with him. I try not to be distracted, but I cannot take my eyes off the pair of them.

I've never seen Embry quite so chatty.

I close the laptop and move over to the kitchen. There, I begin to plate our food. We just fed little Quil, so he should be good on his playmat for a little while. We will still watch him, of course, but he can't really crawl so there isn't much issue in terms of injury.

Embry moves Quil over to his spot in the living room, and we sit down at the table to eat.

"Jacob and Fawn are going to be stopping by soon," Embry tells me.

I raise an eyebrow.

"It's Quil's birthday on Tuesday, and we're throwing a little party," Embry tells me. "A few other people are coming too. Leah and her fiancée, Seth too. Fawn wanted to help decorate, so she and Jacob will be here first."

I scrunch my nose but smile, "I'm just hearing about this now?"

Embry shrugs, "I was supposed to tell you, but I know how pesky you can be about surprises."

We continue to eat, our eyes watching baby Quil. He eats more than me. I'm pretty sure he actually eats more than all the men. It must be a shape-shifter thing that I don't know about. When he gets up to get his third helping, I'm already done.

There is a knock at the door and so I get up. I go unlock the door.

Henry is on the other side.

"Oh," I am surprised I'm not soundless. No words come to mind, but I vocalize my shock. It's a mistake. I don't want him to get a read on me.