┏━━━━⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚⋆━━━━┓

BETTER THAN THE LAST

THE END OF SUMMER CAME ABRUPTLY, BUT IT ALSO CAME WITH AN INVITATION TO A BONFIRE.

When Sam first proposed the idea to her, Nelly couldn't stop herself from wincing as she thought of the last bonfire she attended. Yeah, the one she went to before she phased— the one where she ended up throwing an absolute fit.

"I went absolutely apeshit in front of everyone," she complained. "I still have flashes of first hand embarrassment from that night."

"Second time's a charm, kid," Sam added when he saw her evident apprehension. He nudged his shoulder against hers as they walked toward Nelly's place. "You'll get the hear the stories again, in a different light."

Nelly mulled it over in her head. "Are you on grill duty?" she asked, vaguely remembering the great tasting hotdog she had tried at the last bonfire.

"You think I'd let anyone else do it?" he retorted with a chuckle. "I'm the Gordon Ramsey of grilling."

"Woah, ego much?" she laughed, kicking a small pebble along the gravelled road. There was a moment of silence before she fed to him with a half-smirk. "Now that it's just us girls; tell me your uncensored thoughts on the whole Leah and Kiki thing."

Sam made a noise of discontent. "Nuh-uh, don't try and change the subject," he tried, only to be undeterred by the knowing look in Nelly's eyes. "You're persistent, have I ever told you that?"

Her nose shrivelled up. "You're one to talk, Sammy," she scoffed out, shaking her head, "but yes, you have. Maybe once or twice."

Sam rolled his eyes. "I'm happy for her," he merely said, repeating what he'd told Leah firsthand just the other day. "That's my uncensored thought about it."

Nelly groaned. "Oh come on! No heartwarming spiel, no solemn anecdote? Nada?"

"I always felt bad for how things ended... I mean, Emily's her cousin," he said, a quiet laugh punched out of him, "but you can't change the decision of the elders. You know that."

And boy, she sure did. "Damn straight."

They finally reached the Greene residence, Sam just stopping at the end of the driveway with his hands going into his pockets. "Now that I answered," he started, "does that mean you'll come?"

One thing Nelly came to realize was that it was extremely hard to say no to the Uley man.

"Fine..." she relented with smile, "but I want endless relish on scene."

"Gross, but deal."

˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚

It was sort of like deja vu, arriving to the bonfire with her grandmother at her side. This time, though, she was blissfully in the know of why this select group of Quileutes were gathered.

The stories she once thought were fiction, the ones she was prepared to fight Paul over, were now ever so real. She was prepared to see them in a different light— a clearer one.

Sam, true to his word, was stationed by the grill, flipping burgers and hotdogs with practiced ease. His concentration was unwavering, yet he managed to shoot her a thumbs-up when he noticed her approaching figure. She returned it with a smile, before she noticed his thumb pointing to something on his right.

Nelly was greeted with the sight of Embry and Quil stood near the fire, talking amongst themselves animatedly. Unlike the last time around, she turned to her grandma with a smile. "I'm gonna go say hi," she said.

Her grandmother pat her on the arm. "Go say hi to your boyfriend for me."

"He's not my—" she went to deny, but her mouth zipped shut for a second at Tabitha's unconvinced stare. "We haven't talk about it, I guess."

The older woman merely shoved her forward. "I'll be chatting Billy's ear off if you need me," she responded, before she began sauntering off in the direction where the elders were seated in.

Nelly, with a little pep in her step, began her approach toward the two boys. Embry saw her coming, because he always did, and opened his arms widely when she was within reach.

She stepped into his embrace, leaning into him as they embraced like they hadn't seen one another in years. Truthfully, it hadn't even been twenty four hours.

"What're you two scoundrels up to?" she asked, leaning against Embry's chest as his arms connected across her middle. "Not planning on throwing anyone into the fire, are we?"

Quil laughed, shaking his head. "I'm a law abiding citizen," he bragged, chest puffed out a little before he gestured to the Call boy, "but this one? Let's just say Paul better steer clear of anything flammable."

Nelly couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. It seemed as though Embry was the one holding the grudges now, as he still wasn't over the whole sweetheart thing despite it aiding in their reconciliation. No, the Sequoia girl thought he'd never let Paul's actions from that afternoon slide anytime soon.

"Paul is as harmless as they come; Embry just has to get it through his thick ass skull that Lahote's just one of the girlies now."

"Goodluck convincing him of that," Quil scoffed. "He's not the brightest, y'know."

A grunt was pulled from the boy behind her. "Me and my thick ass skull are right here," he muttered, leaning down to nip at the girl's ear. It earned him a fit of giggles, her hand trying to swat his head away.

Quil's face twisted up. "You guys are nauseating, seriously," he mumbled, and that was his way of excusing himself from the two in favour of jogging in the direction of the grill.

Nelly spun around in his embrace, pinching his cheek between her fingertips. "My statement still stands," she hummed. "Paul's no threat, surely you know that."

In reality, Embry had nothing to worry about. They were literal soulmates— Paul had nothing on his ass.

"Oh, I know," was his cool reply, though it was paired with a cheeky smile. "But that doesn't mean I can't fantasize about it happening."

"Emmy," she chastised with a groan, slumping her forehead against his shoulder. "You're insufferable sometimes."

"Maybe," he shrugged, and his arms slowly unwrapped themselves from around her. He held a hand, and she grabbed it with no hesitation. "Let's go hear the stories, the real ones."

Nelly practically beamed up at him with excitement.

"Second time's a charm."

⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚⋆

[ wyn's note ]

hearing their stories in full must be so fulfilling to nell, especially since they gaslit her the last time LMFAO

also a big brother sammy feature... i adore that man :(

hope y'all enjoyed the double update teehee!! next batch will be a double one too, and all i'm saying is STRAP IN. typical bronwyn shit begins...