Carmen's POV
"Hey, Collin," I said as I answered my phone as soon as I stepped into my studio. "Are you back yet?" He asked me."Yeah, I just got into the studio. I haven't even been up to the apartment yet. Did you set it up for me?""You know I did," he said laughing. Since I left, almost two years ago, I had not been back since. Mom, Collin, and Chrissie always came to me on holidays. They understood why I didn't want to go back there. But now I have a photography degree, an Olympic dream down the toilet, and a free place to live. The apartment that Collin and Chrissie lived in above my studio was now mine since they built a house. Before I moved back, they redone the apartment to my liking. In a way, it felt great to be home."Have you talked to Paul today?" Collin asked me bringing me back from my thoughts. For the first year and a half that I was gone, I didn't talk to Paul at all. That was until I was preparing for the Olympics in Colorado and then I tore my ACL and he was the only one that was able to come get me and take me back to Seattle. Even though he tried to get me to come back to La Push then, it just wasn't going to happen. We started talking again. Starting over as friends. Then two weeks ago, when he and Jared came to pick some of my stuff up to bring it here, he kissed me and it was like nothing ever happened. But I didn't know what to say so I just left the room. I hadn't talked to him since."Honestly, I haven't talked to him since he and Jared brought my stuff here. Some awkward things happened and, well, yeah…" I said trailing off. We talked for a few more minutes and then we hung up.
After I talked to Collin, I got to decorating my studio. I was going to open it to the public and go from there. Hopefully one day, I'll be so professional that I'll bring in the big bucks, as dad would say. I took my pictures from my senior art show and hung them up on the walls. I took out all my portfolio's and sat them out to my liking. Chrissie was going to be my assistant until I found one myself. Until then, I will probably do everything by myself.
About the same time that I finished, the bell on the door rang as someone walked in. I looked up from my desk and saw Paul with a dozen of Daisies. I smiled and stood up and ran to him. "I'm so sorry about that kiss. I crossed the line of friendship. I'm so, so sorry. Carmen, I-" he didn't get to finish because I cut him off by kissing him. He was shocked at first, and I was too. I just needed this. I needed him. I needed us. "I love you, Paul. I have missed you so much. So what that we decided to start over as friends and go from there? So what I felt that things were awkward after you kissed me two weeks ago? So what that Rachel Black is the biggest hoe in La Push? So what? All I need in life is you, my family, my friends, and my work, and I am the happiest person on earth. Got it? And if anyone is to be sorry, it's me. Me for being stupid and for being a bitch and just leaving and-" now I wasn't allowed to finish because he cut me off with a kiss. I smiled into the kiss and felt him smile too."And here I thought that things were awkward between you to," I heard my big brother say. I laughed and hid my head into Paul's shoulder. "So much for taking it slow, brother," Chrissie said walking, or more less waddling since she was eight months pregnant, into the shop with her and Colin's one year old son, Max."Says the one who is pregnant, again," Paul said laughing. "How's Kate and Seth?" Chrissie asked me. Kate and Seth had moved to Seattle with me. They got married and were living the golden life. After my injury, they moved to Montana. Why? Don't ask me, because I have no clue whatsoever. "Dunno. I haven't heard from them since they moved to Montana. Can't you guys tell through your wolf telepathy?""Not really. They're to far away for us to reach them. Leah is the only that talks to them. She says they are doing well, but she won't tell us anything else really. Something's up and they aren't telling us and it worries us all," Collin said. I shrugged."Let them live their life. Maybe they don't want to be trapped in La Push, Washington the rest of their lives," I said. "But hey, home is home. And I'm sure as hell glad to be back with the people I love," I said smiling at my brother and sister-in-law and my nephew, then finally, up at Paul. He smiled back at me and hugged me and kissed me on the forehead. Life is gonna be good, hopefully.
**THEY'RE BACK! Finally! Haha, sorry it took me such a long time. I'm gonna try to be working on both this sequel and the one for 'Just You Wait and See.' And as always, I don't own and please, please review! J
