Emily: "Hey… what time is it?"
Mary: "Two minutes later than the last time you asked. And I know you can see the clock just as easily as I can."
Emily: "I think I'm going to take a quick walk. If Laura asks tell her I went to the bathroom."
Mary: "You're leaving me here alone?"

Emily: "You can come with me if you want."
Mary: "That might look suspicious. What if Laura thinks we're trying to sneak off together?"
Emily: "Then wait a few minutes after I get up and find the bar or something. In fact, get me a drink if you do. Something strong."
Mary: "That's not a bad idea. I'm surprised one of us didn't come up with it earlier."

Emily: "I figured you just wanted to keep a clear head in case something actually happened. Ok, I'll meet you back here in fifteen minutes or so. I want to see the guys play."
Mary: "Right now about the only thing keeping me going is the promise of hearing James have to cover some really god-awful wedding song. If I'm really lucky he'll have to sing some Debbie Gibson. Then we'd be almost equal in our public humiliation for the evening."
Emily: "I'm afraid nothing's going to come close to that."
Mary: "True. Have fun on your wanderings."
Emily: "I'll try."

Emily quickly and quietly slipped out of the reception hall, making her way to a small courtyard just beyond the back exit of the hotel. She was grateful for the solitude, finally free from people who seemed to be preoccupied with staring at her. She sat on the edge of a fountain and closed her eyes, letting her mind wander. The harder she tried to force herself to think of anything other than the night before, the more the events insisted on playing out over and over again. Each kiss burned on her soul like a brand, carrying with it utter acceptance and ecstasy, a feeling of belonging and completion that she'd never known before. Still she couldn't erase the pain of her past or escape from the fear of the future. She felt certain she would be eaten alive from the inside by her anxieties and frustrations.

After only a few minutes she heard the sound of a door closing and silently cursed whoever was invading her small sanctuary. With a heavy sigh, she stood up to find somewhere else to hide. A familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

Jacob: "Fucking bullshit is what it is. I wouldn't have been stuck with this piece of shit job in the first place if you all would just shut up for five minutes and let me breathe!"

Emily turned around just in time to see her next-door neighbor punch the stucco wall in front of him at full force. She started toward him but hesitated as he began to laugh at the blood oozing out of his hand.

Jacob: "That shut you up, didn't it? Damn it..."
Emily: "Hey, are you ok?"

Jacob whirled around, a look of confusion playing over his face before recognition set in. He started laughing again, this time even more crazily that before.

Jacob: "She is not a giant talking cupcake! Where the hell did that come from?"
Emily: "Excuse me?"

Emily took a step backwards as Jacob leaned in closer. For a moment she thought she saw a play of red glimmering across the copper of his eyes. He flashed a crooked half-smile, briefly exposing a glimpse of sharp canines. She felt her heart racing and fought off a wave of dizziness.

Jacob: "Why are you dressed like a piece of cake?"
Emily: "I didn't have much choice in the matter."
Jacob: "No, I don't suppose you really did."
Emily: "Don't think we didn't try to get out of this. There was even talk of faking our deaths by pushing the car off the Deception Pass bridge--"

Jacob: "Stop it! Stop bringing that up! I'll kill you!"

In the blink of an eye he'd leapt forward and grabbed hold of her shoulders. Emily tried to scream but her lungs refused to draw air. There was nothing more than pure madness in Jacob's now fully blood red eyes. She cursed herself for coming back from death once only to be killed by a psychotic vampire while wearing what was possibly the world's ugliest dress.

Then, just as suddenly as he'd grabbed her, he let her go. He recoiled as though he'd gotten a strong electric shock, looking almost comically from his hands to Emily and back again. She stumbled back a few feet, momentarily too stunned to think clearly.

Jacob: "Oh my god… Emily Laine… I'm so sorry, I had no idea it was you."
Emily: "What the hell!? Who did you think I was?!"
Jacob: "I didn't mean-I thought you were in my head!"
Emily: "Oh that's reassuring. In that it completely isn't!"
Jacob: "How was I supposed to know you were real when you're dressed like that?"

Emily paused, not completely confident that the danger was well and truly passed, but not ready to run just yet. There was fear in Jacob's eyes, a haunted look she'd never seen in anyone before. Above anything else, he was scared. It was a startling contrast to his nearly emotionless behavior earlier in the week. She drew a deep breath, and, against her better judgment, decided not to run away just yet.

Emily: "You make a valid point. Dresses chosen by demon women do seem to have a way of making things seem unreal."
Jacob: "Your friend is a demon?"
Emily: "Actually, I'm not so sure she is. I think we may finally be losing our minds completely."
Jacob: "It happens."

Jacob sat down heavily on a small bench near by and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, wincing against pain in his hand as he shakily lit one and inhaled deeply. He seemed to be waging a battle inside his own head, not yet fully rooted in the here and now. Emily hesitated for a few seconds before joining him.

Emily: "So what happened?"
Jacob: "I lost my job."
Emily: "God I'm sorry. I know how horrible that is."
Jacob: "Why are you still hanging around?"

Emily: "I thought maybe you could use a friend."
Jacob: "Mmm."
Emily: "And I don't really want to go back to the reception because everyone keeps staring at me. Listen, is everything ok with you?"
Jacob: "Nothing is ever really ok, is it?"

Emily: "I don't know. I hardly know you so I can't really say."
Jacob: "No one really knows me. No one really knows anyone else at all when you come right down to it. Our actions and reactions to individuals are based on assumptions we make about them. Right now everything in your existence is telling you that you should have run away, but another part of your mind refuses to believe that you could possibly be in any danger. You've assumed, for whatever reason, that I don't pose any sort of real threat to you. You should never ignore your base instincts-they're what keep you alive."
Emily: "You really know how to comfort a person."
Jacob: "Basic truths generally aren't very comforting I'm afraid."

Emily waited while Jacob took a long drag on his cigarette. He seemed to be deep in thought, his eyes focused on a distant point in the sky.

Jacob: "Do you know what it's like to be hunted?"
Emily: "There you go being all comforting. Is this the part where you try to kill me again?"
Jacob: "Never in public. Now that I know I've gained your trust I'll lure you back to my house and brick you up in the basement walls."

For a split second Emily thought her heart was going to give out until she saw a sparkle of humor in his eyes behind the haze of cigarette smoke. After catching her eye, he dissolved into what nearly passed for sane laughter. She found the sound anything but reassuring.

Emily: "You are so weird."
Jacob: "Only because the rest of the world is so normal."
Emily: "I can't argue with you there."

An odd silence settled between them. Emily was extremely relieved that Jacob seemed to have forgotten his earlier question--it wasn't a discussion she exactly fancied getting into with him.

Emily: "Hey listen, do you need a ride home? Mary and I would be more than happy to take you."
Jacob: "I have the truck."
Emily: "Damn."

Jacob stood up without a word, extinguishing the remainder of his cigarette before discarding it in a nearby trashcan. Emily watched as he paused briefly before reaching for a second, his hands shaking visibly in the subdued light of the courtyard.

Emily: "You're still bleeding. Are you sure you're ok?"
Jacob: "Possibly."
Emily: "Come on. Let's at least get that cleaned up before you leave."