BLOOD MOON » Embry Call

08. THE WALLS

   EMBRY STILL FELT his heart beating at a pace far too fast and unsteady when Avery locked her car and joined him on the edge of the forest. He felt guilty for being selfish enough to direct her toward a path that was farther away from the cliffs than the others, but the thought of getting to spend time alone with her drew a permanent smile onto his lips.

   Avery walked up beside him and raised her eyebrows, camera dangling around her bare neck as she had tied her hair up into a high ponytail. "Alright, lead the way," she said with a soft smile that, much to Embry's dismay, didn't manage to fully reach her eyes. The young man had to tear his gaze away from her grey orbs, that were even more mesmerizing now, in the soft sunlight that made its way through the white clouds.

   "Right," he murmured, rather to himself, before making his way through some shrubs. Avery followed suit, giving him a thankful nod as he held some branches out of the way for her.

   The woods in Ozette had already been breathtaking, but Avery found herself looking around with her mouth agape, and eyes wide open. She wondered how old the giant trees could possibly be, almost immediately beginning to take photos. Embry waited patiently whenever she knelt down on the mossy ground, watching her adjust the angle and other things he had no idea of but would be more than happy to learn everything about, if only she would explain it. Her jeans were already developing a green stain around the knees not even five minutes in.

   "So," Embry began, hoping she wouldn't mind his attempt at making conversation. While he would be perfectly content walking with Avery in silence, he longed to hear the sound of her voice. He longed to know every last thing about her.

   Avery jogged toward him, having fallen behind a bit while running her fingertips over the moss that had grown over an old tree. "So?" She reminded him as they continued walking, and Embry shot her another smile. "Why photography? I mean, how did you know this is what you want to do?"

   "Hmm," Avery hummed, gaze fixed to an indefinite point somewhere in front of the two. "I guess moving around with my sister a lot taught me to look for beauty in the seemingly insignificant things. You know, staying at shitty motels or even being on the road most of the time, it's easy to just think of how ugly some places are. But sunsets and sunrises, flowers on the side of the road, … it all depends on your point of view."

   Avery internally scolded herself for rambling, not thinking about what she was saying, and possibly giving away too much. This was so unlike any of the principles she had set for herself. Meanwhile, Embry's eyes were glistening as he took in every single word she uttered, no matter how quietly.

   "Then what got you interested in doing wedding photoshoots?" he probed further, adjusting his walking speed to the one of the girl. A chuckle escaped her lips.

   "Honestly? Money." Embry shook his head with a grin at the almost sarcastic, dry tone in her voice. "University can cost you a leg and your firstborn if you don't have a scholarship."

   "And what about—" The Quileute stopped walking when he noticed the girl beside him had disappeared, and for a moment he looked around almost frantically, until he spotted her climbing up on a tree. "Would you mind telling me what exactly you are doing?" he asked, shielding his eyes from the sunlight with his hand as he looked up at her.

   Avery readjusted her hands and swung a leg over a sturdy looking branch, soon enough standing up on it. "What does it look like?" She retorted with a weak smile, slightly lifting up her arms to the sides to keep her balance while she slowly inched forward until she was near the edge.

   "If you fall, Emily's going to kill me!" Embry called out, although he was already beyond prepared to catch her at any moment. The girl rolled her eyes as she sat down and took a few pictures, before swinging her legs over to one side. She held onto the branch with her hands until she was hanging a few feet above the ground. Embry felt his heart sink when she let go and was in the air for a split second, before landing in an astonishingly elegant manner.