Turning Tables (Paul LaHote)

Fifteen

Jazmine sat on Embry's kitchen counter while he made something to eat. She had gone straight to him and he hadn't even asked. She didn't want to talk about it.

"We should go see a movie," Jazmine suggested and Embry rolled his eyes. She was trying to avoid a topic he wasn't looking for.

"Jaz, you don't have to fill the silence. You can tell me or we can wait until patrol and I'll find out then." Embry shrugged and placed two pancakes on a plate for her.

"You do know what time it is, right?" Jazmine asked.

"It's always pancake time." He laughed and went back to making his own. Jazmine leaned off the counted to turn the radio on and nodded her head to the country song playing.

Embry frowned but didn't comment as Jazmine hummed softly. She was swaying slightly with the music and Embry figured it probably calmed her down to hear it.

"She's gonna be big," Jazmine said and Embry hummed before rolling his eyes. What country singer ever made it to the big leagues?

"What's her name?" He asked and plated up his own pancakes. He ushered Jazmine towards the table and took a seat beside her.

"Taylor Swift." Embry nodded and shrugged the thought off. She'd probably be a one hit wonder and then be on some 'where are they now?' show in twenty years.

"I didn't peg you for being a country fan." He laughed and Jazmine shrugged before beginning her pancakes. She was finished one before she spoke up again.

"Paul is, his dad left all these CD's behind and he listens to them. I guess it rubbed off on me." Jazmine shrugged and looked down at her last pancake with a sigh. She finished it before looking at the clock.

"Patrol." She cheered sarcastically. Embry frowned at her attitude but figured he was about to find out what had her so sour.

"Don't react." Jazmine sighed before running into the forest. Embry frowned but followed her and stripped down quickly.

The thing about trying not to think about something is that you have to actively think about not thinking about it. It just didn't work.

The second Embry phased it was obvious Jazmine was putting all her concentration on not thinking about it but tiny slips of the memory got through. Jared and Sam were trying to talk over it, communicate but all heads were empty when they were looking through Jazmine and suddenly they were on the ground.

"How, did he shove you?" Jared asked in confusion. Jazmine whined audibly. Sam and Jared crashed into the clearing and Jazmine attempted to explain.

"He doesn't know his strength, for a normal person that wouldn't have made an impact. His wolf strength is coming in." Jazmine was pleading with them to listen but Embry was already phasing. He located a pair of shorts and then he was running.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Embry, you don't have to do this. Just let it go." Jazmine was pulling Embry back but he still made his way up Paul's drive.

Paul was standing in his doorway while his mother watched from the window. Jazmine didn't want this to happen. In a few weeks, Embry and Paul would be brothers, bound by legend.

"You told him?" Paul asked defensively.

"Of course she fucking told me, how dare you-"

"Em, stop it, please." She begged. "I didn't have a choice. I tell him everything."

"Why, because you're together?" Paul asked and Jazmine groaned.

"So what if we are, I'd never hit her," Embry growled. Paul stepped away from his door and shut it firmly behind him.

"I'm not with him, he's sixteen." She snapped at Paul. She was standing between the two men with a hand on Embry's chest.

"He doesn't look sixteen," Paul grunted.

"So I only choose relationships based on appearances now?" She asked with a frown and he rolled his eyes.

"Isn't that what you did with us?" Paul asked.

"No, what the fuck? I was with you because I love you. Not because you were aesthetically fucking pleasing." Jazmine spat.

"Love, present tense?" Paul asked and Jazmine swallowed.

"I said loved, past tense." Her hand on Embry's chest fell when he stepped back.

"You still love me." Paul half smiled before it dropped again.

"Of course I do, you don't just stop loving someone because they did something wrong. I'll always love you, Paul." Jazmine sighed as if it was obvious.

"Then why aren't we together?" Paul asked softly.

"Because we have different plans now." She shrugged.

"I'll stay. If you ask me to. Just ask me to." He begged.

"I can't because I know you'd never ask me to. I won't be the reason you look back in twenty years and regret everything." Jazmine sniffed.

"I won't, please. I need to know you want me to stay." Paul begged.

"Of course I want you to stay Paul but I also want you to be happy. If California will make you happy then I won't take it away." Jazmine wiped under her eyes and Paul reached out to her and she flinched involuntarily.

"You're scared." He whispered and she shook her head.

"I'm not, you didn't mean it. You don't know your own strength." Jazmine cried.

"The first time I went for my dad because he hit my mother she said the exact same words to me." Paul sighed and Jazmine shook her head.

"Paul, you aren't like him." Jazmine reached out for his hand but he pulled it back.

"Go home, Jazmine." He sighed and Jazmine wiped at her eyes.

"Baby please." She whispered but he turned his back and walked into the house. Jazmine wiped under her eyes and flinched when Embry pulled her into a hug.

"Let's get you home." Sam and Jared were waiting at the top of the drive and they each gave her a hug.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jazmine woke with dried tears on her face. She was lying in her own bed for once. She rolled over and hugged her blanket to her chest and sniffed again before sighing.

She was just getting ready to fall back asleep when her door was shoved open. It hit the wall and bounced back loudly and she sighed. She should've known better that to expect to sleep in.

"Can I help you?" She asked. She turned her head and found Jacob standing in the door with his fists clenched.

"What did you do?" Jacob growled and Jazmine frowned. She had done lots of things recently. She'd become a wolf, she'd eaten the last pop tart, she'd cleaned the kitchen. Jacob could be angry at her for any of them.

"I'm not sure." She blinked at him and he growled again.

"Why isn't Paul coming over to help with the Rabbit?" Jacob asked and Jazmine's heart sunk.

"Why are you hanging out with my ex?" She retaliated and he looked lost for words.

"You must be joking? Why do you care?" He snapped.

"I don't want you around him anymore." She shrugged and turned her face back into her pillow.

"That's not your decision to make, you aren't my mother." Jazmine froze before pushing herself up from her bed.

"I don't want you hanging around him because I don't think you need him in your life. Also, I know I'm not your mother, I'm the last person that needs reminding of that fact." Jazmine slammed her door in Jacob's face.