Meena’s POV
“It’s too much…" I told him. "We’re not good for each other. I can kill you with one slip. My brother and you will always be at each other. There will always be pain.”
“No relationship is perfect…look at what your parents went through, look at Embry and Rebecca. But some things are worth fighting for. Meena, I’m not giving up on us.”
Suddenly, Gabe was there, shaking and trembling with an anger he couldn’t stop.
“Didn’t you hear what my sister said? Get the hell out of here,” he said, giving Nate a shove.
Nate didn’t try to protect himself. He went flying back and hit a tree. You could hear one of his ribs crack, but all he did was wince before getting up again and standing his ground. The rain poured heavily over all of us. I flew into the house and started yelling for my parents.
“Dad! Mom! Gabe and Nate are going to kill each other.”
My parents hurried onto the porch and stopped. It was in time to see Gabe punch Nate with enough force that Nate flew up in the air before landing in the mud. My mom went to step off the porch to break them up, but my father put a restraining hand on her arm.
“Wait,” my father said, never taking his eyes of the boys.
“So you’re going to just let them kill each other?” I asked incredulously.
“Meena, you are going to have a long, hopefully, happy existence. The only way for that to happen is if these two figure out how to live with each other.”
I turned back and watched as Nate got up from the ground, his face bleeding, his body trembling. And yet, he still didn’t phase.
“Why isn’t he phasing?” I whispered.
“To prove to you that he can be around Gabe without wanting to attack him,” my father said, his eyes filled with admiration as he stared at Nate.
“Gabe will kill him,” I muttered with tears in my eyes as I watched my twin punch Nate in the stomach. Nate spit up blood, but he still just stood there.
“If Gabe wanted to kill him," my father pointed out. "He would have done it the first night they fought at Quil’s wedding. Nate’s an incredibly powerful wolf, but Gabe’s part vampire. Your brother needs to learn control. Nate’s already learned it. And now he’s letting Gabe figure it out.”
“Phase,” Gabe suddenly shouted, his body beginning to shake so hard he blurred.
“No,” Nate said softly. Gabe exploded, his reddish dark fur coat suddenly appearing as he took wolf form.
He snarled at Nate and crouched into attack position. Nate collapsed to his knees, weakened by his injuries. Covering one hand over his stomach, he looked at Gabe.
“I love her,” he whispered.
Gabe slowly straightened. He turned to look at me. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. He turned his head back to Nate. Letting out a sudden howl, Gabe turned and ran into the nearby forest.
“Now that that’s settled, Meena, why don’t you help get Nate out of the rain?” my father suggested.
I ran towards Nate who was still on his knees. As soon as I got close to him, he fell into an almost fetal position, his hands clutching his stomach.
"You idiot,” I murmured, leaning over him to try to block the downpour that was covering his face. “You could have been killed.”
“I love you,” was Nate’s only response. I was unable to lift his body, so I moved his head onto my lap.
“Honey, do you need help?” my mom called out.
“I’m okay,” Nate said. I looked at my mom and shook my head.
“He could have killed you,” I cried.
Nate cupped the side of my face and said, “Let me be ta'en, let me be put to death; I am content, so thou wilt have it so.”
“You don’t need to tempt death on my behalf, thank you very much.” I replied. Normally, quoting Romeo and Juliet would have gotten to me--as he very well knew--but I was still too upset by what I had just witnessed.
“How about...I love you,” Nate murmured.
“I love you,” I whispered back, tears on my cheeks mixing with the rain. I bent down just as Nate leaned up. Our lips met.
“Meena?” Nate looked up at me, his face swollen and bruised.
“Yeah?” I responded tenderly.
“After we graduate, will you marry me?”
I stared at him blankly, not sure if I heard him right. The rain continued to pour around us, large drops of water causing mud to splash up from the ground and dot Nate’s face.
“W-What?” I asked.
“Meena, I love you. I need you…I can’t honestly live without you in my life. I don’t even want to try. Please, marry me,” Nate begged.
My heart filled with a joy I had never known. I glanced back at my parents who were watching us. My dad shrugged. My Aunt Alice ran out onto the porch and began to nod her head frantically. My mom smiled happily before taking my dad and Aunt Alice’s hands and leading them back inside the house. I looked back at Nate and made my decision. Behind
“Yes,” I whispered. And then I shouted it.
