Chapter 3
I had so my questions about the night I went to the bonfire. Who was Paul really? Who was Sam? Where did they go?
I tossed and turned in my bed, unable to sleep because of all the questions racing through my conscious. Paul was a mystery. I felt butterflies in my stomach just at the thought of him. He was so warm and his kiss had been masculine and gentle all at the same time, it was indescribable.
My phone buzzed from beside me and in one insane moment I thought that it could be him and my heart was sent racing. It was just an email from some online car dealership that I never signed up for. Of course it wasn't him, he didn't have my phone number. I sighed out loud and decided that I would do a little bit of snooping.
I logged into Facebook and searched for Paul to see what I could find. Nothing came up. I'm not sure what I had been expecting since I hadn't made any friends on here yet, and I didn't know his last name. I quickly sent requests to both Angela and Jess, then shut it off.
I laid back down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. I was pining for this guy. I couldn't let that happen. All of life I had been as independent as I was smart and pining over a guy I had just met, and know virtually nothing about was neither of those things. I got myself up out of bed, threw on some fresh clothes, and grabbed my camera again.
It was early in the morning, so there was some sunshine out and I didn't intend on wasting it. The forecast predicted rain for later today and throughout the week, so I packed a lunch, left a note for Charlie, who was apparently sleeping in today, and stuffed a change of clothes in my over-sized bag. I chucked my bag into the truck, then gently sat the camera in the passenger seat and I was off.
I was headed towards first beach. I wanted to get pictures in the daylight of the boardwalk and small marina. I didn't allow myself to think of the fact that La Push is where I had the best chance to run into Paul again.
After I'd gotten to La Push I had spent about an hour by the marina and the boardwalk. I spoke with a few local fisherman, I wanted to take pictures of them as they were either preparing to go out, or had just come back in from fishing in the Pacific. Almost everyone was friendly and willing to let me take some pictures in exchange for letting them see when I was done. It was certainly a more relaxed business day for them on the weekends. I wasn't the type to talk to strangers or strike up friendships with random people, but photography gave me a motivation to be more social.
After the boardwalk and marina I walked, more so stumbled my was along the rocks and branches of the beach, snapping pictures every so often. I checked my phone to see what time it was, but it was only now about ten in the morning. It was far too early to have some lunch, so I plugged in my headphones and plopped them into my ears.
I sat on the giant tree that sat on first beach and played some music. The first song, one of my favorite songs came on. "Live Oak" by Jason Isbell rang out in my ear buds. I sat quietly, just enjoying the breeze that was getting stronger by the second, listening to him sing. There was a storm moving in, I could tell, but I wanted to listen to the whole song.
"When I headed south at seventeen
Ol' sheriff on my back
I never held a lover in my arms or in my gaze
So I found another victim every couple of days
But the night I fell in love with her
I made my weakness known."
It started to drizzle so I pulled my headphones out as soon as the song had ended. I'd looked out with unseeing eyes as I'd listened to it. Now that I was taking in my surroundings I could see that there were no other people on the beach. The wind was howling and the waves were crashing all around me. How had this happened so quickly? I was still getting used to the weather here.
There was a chorus of sounds coming from all around me, signalling just how bad the storm was going to get. The boats in the marina were knocking into the boardwalk and into each other and I began to feel panicked as the rain started to fall down harder until it was dumping in buckets.
I ran as best as I could into the woods, hoping the trees would give me some kind of shelter. It was better, so I walked through the woods to get to my truck in the commuter lot. Through the trees was the long way to get there, but at least I didn't have to track further into the thick trees because I definitely would have gotten lost.
"Hey! Are you crazy?" A voice came from behind me. When I turned I was met with beautiful green-hazel eyes and a sharp jaw. He was soaked to the bone and he wore a black v-neck tee that may as well have been a second skin at this point. I was freezing in my long sleeve and jacket, so I know he must have been cold. Water was dripping off of us and so I just nodded pitifully instead of answering him out loud.
"Come on, let's get you out of the rain and cold. Where is your truck?" I told him where the truck was parked and he helped me climb through the fallen trees and foliage. Once we were to the truck he asked for my keys and he hopped into the drivers side.
"What about your truck?" I asked him once the heat was blowing on my cool skin.
"I was out for a run. I don't live far. Do you have a change of clothes?" I nodded in response. True to his word, we were already pulling into a driveway that led to a small, cozy- looking home. I couldn't make out many details of it now though because it was raining so hard. I wasn't even sure how Paul could have seen well enough to drive us here, but I trusted him.
Once the truck was in park, he came around and helped me hop down and out of my vehicle. We walked up a few stairs on onto a small deck, and made our way through the front door.
My teeth chattered loudly as he walked into the kitchen across the room to put on some coffee. I just stood where I was by the front door, watching him as he moved about. I was painfully attracted to him. He was very tall with narrow hips and broad shoulders.
He was still dripping wet and when he came back around the counter I was reminded that I was too by the look in his eyes. Paul took one predatory step closer to me and the tension in the room grew and grew until he was right in front of me, with his hand cupping my neck like he had done last night before he'd kissed me. I trembled in anticipation.
Author's Note:
Update! I have also updated my BellxEmbry story - We Own the Night. Check it out!
I've decided to incorporate the songs into the story as they can fit in without making it a song fic to add to the plot and story telling rather than just give ya'll a list of the songs. I have to keep you coming back for more right?
The full song's lyrics are below, enjoy! (song credit: Live Oak by: Jason Isbell)
Happy reading!
Dahlia
There's a man who walks beside me
It is who I used to be
And I wonder if she sees him
and confuses him with me
And I wonder who she's pinin' for
on nights I'm not around
Could it be the man who did the things
I'm living now ?
I was rougher than a timber
shippin' out of Fond du Lac
When I headed south at 17
ol' sheriff on my back
I never held a lover in my arms or in my gaze
So I found another victim every couple days
But the night I fell in love with her
I made my weakness known
Through the fires and the farmers diggin' dusty fields alone
The jealous innuendos of the lonely hearted men
Let me know what kind of country I was sleeping in
Well you couldn't stay a loner
on the plains before the war
My neighbors had been slightin' me
I had to ask what for
Rumors of my wickedness had reached our little town
Soon she'd heard about the boys I used to hang around
We'd robbed a Great Lakes freighter,
killed a couple men or more
And I told her her eyes flickered like the sharp steel of a sword
All the things that she'd suspected
I'd expected her to fear
Was the truth that drew her to me when I landed here
There's a man who walks beside me
he is who I used to be
And I wonder if she sees him and confuses him with me
And I wonder who she's pinin' for
on nights I'm not around
Could it be the man who did the things
I'm living down ?
Well I carved a cross from live oak
and a box from shortleaf pine
Buried her so deep
she touched the water table line
I picked up what I needed
and I headed south again
To myself I wondered
would I find another friend
There's a man who walks beside her,
it is who I used to be
And I wonder if she sees him and confuses him with me.