Chapter Six

I wasn't that friendly…

Bella's homecoming was exactly what she thought it would be. After a quick, albeit, awkward goodbye to the guys, she was practically run over by her mother. For a petite woman pushing fifty, Renee had some strength in her, and Bella felt every ounce in the form of a bear hug. Charlie, who had never been much for – well, any kind of affection even pulled Bella into a hug. Her mother talked her ear off about the Thanksgiving menu while Charlie carried Bella's bags up to her old room. Coming home was like taking a step back in time. She had half expected her mother to turn her room into a home gym, or for her father to declare it as his own, but no. Everything was exactly the same. Bella's mirrored jewelry box sat on her vanity, her great grandmother's broach hanging over the side from where Bella had left it after deciding taking it to campus would be too risky. The light pink walls were accented with fairy lights and photos that Bella had collected throughout high school. There was even one of her and Jacob at a local block party during summer break. The photos were bookended with her old Forks High pompoms which had seen better days. Across from her bed was her old cheer uniform, pressed and framed per Renee's instructions. Bella hadn't changed much since those days, but she felt like in some ways she had. She couldn't quite put her finger on what was different, but there was definitely something… odd. It was like dark clouds were rolling in overhead, forewarning of a storm that Bella had no idea was impending. The thought should have been unnerving – scary even, but something about the idea of lightning and thunder made her pulse quicken with excitement. Maybe it was time for Bella to dance in the rain.

"Was that Jacob that dropped you off?" Charlie asked in his usual gruff tone as he place her Louis Vuitton luggage set on the trunk at the end of her bed. "He's a good kid. I didn't know you two were still friends."

"Yeah, Jake and I reconnected this semester. His friend Paul drove most of the way." Catching her father's look, Bella smiled. "Don't worry, dad, he has his license." She hoped. At least he didn't show up on a motorcycle, though the scolding would almost be worth it to see the look on her parents' faces'.

"When you said you would be driving home, I thought Edward would be driving." Renee frowned as she ran her finger across Bella's vanity, satisfied when it came back spotless. "Was he okay with you driving with Jacob? Boys can be very possessive, you know."

"He doesn't own her, Renee." Charlie huffed, his thick brows shadowing his eyes. "Bella can get a ride with whoever she wants."

"Actually." Bella nearly held her breath as both of their sharp gazes turned to hers. She would have to rip it off like a bandaid. "Edward and I aren't exactly seeing each other anymore…" There was a simultaneous chorus of 'why not!?' and 'good!'. Sighing, Bella slunk onto her plush mattress. "It just… didn't work out."

"Isabella Marie Swan!" Her mother's face was an impressive shade of red. "Why on earth would you let that boy go? He's charming, and handsome, and his father is a very respectable preacher!"

"Why don't you just marry him, Renee." Charlie bit back dryly before looking to his daughter, his hands crossed over his chest. Despite his constant stern appearance, Bella couldn't help but notice the way his thick mustache twitched up at the corners. "If you don't want to date Edmund, don't date him. I never trusted that kid anyway. No one is that good all the time." Charlie's eyes narrowed. There was something to be said for police intuition.

"It just… didn't work out." Bella offered weakly as her mother started to unzip her suitcases. Renee had always had a bit of an obsession with cleanliness, and it only got worse when she was stressed or angry.

"Well, I think you should give him a call. The holidays are coming up and I'm sure whatev- Bella… what is this?" Renee's nose crinkled in disgust as she held up Paul's leather jacket by the collar – as if it were dirty.

"Oh… that's Paul's." She bit her lip as she silently cursed him. She had given him his jacket back the night before, but he must have put it back in her suitcase at some point. It was almost like a little game for them. Bella would constantly try and return the jacket, and Paul would constantly find a way to give it back to her. "He leant it to me when I was cold. I must have forgotten about it."

Charlie's eyes narrowed as Renee tossed the offensive garment on the end of the bed. "You shouldn't be wearing leather, Isabella. Especially not from some… boy!" She shook her head in disbelief as she riffled through the rest of Bella's clothes, as if Paul himself was tucked away at the bottom. "People will talk!"

"And you say this Paul kid is a friend of yours?" Charlie asked in his 'Chief of Police' voice. "Did he have anything to do with you and Edmund breaking up?"

"Edward, dad." Bella corrected fruitlessly with a sigh. They both knew his name was Edward, but Charlie seemed to get a kick out of pretending he didn't. "And no. Edward and I just didn't see eye to eye anymore." Telling them the truth would only worry them – Bella justified as she stood to take her clothes from Renee. "Mom, I think dinner's burning." She gave Renee a small smile as the woman flew out of the room with impressive speed.

Bella didn't remember leaving her bedroom window open, but she must have because her room was freezing thanks to the harsh, Forks winter night. Swinging her legs over the bed, she winced as her feet made contact with the icy hardwood floors her mother had insisted on (because they were easier to clean). Gathering her resolve, Bella stood, only to freeze at the shadow crawling in through her window. Before she could even think to scream, he was in front of her, his large hand covering her mouth. Even in the dead of night, she could see the sparkle in his fathomless onyx eyes.

"It's me." His voice was a gruff whisper – nearly too low to hear over the whistle of the wind outside.

"Paul?" She breathed his name in much the same tone. "What are you doing here?"

His blinding smile nearly made her forget the circumstances. There was something in his eyes and the way his teeth seemed even sharper with the moonlight bouncing off of them. It was something purely predatory. "I had to see you." She wanted to question why, but the words died in her throat as a strong arm wound around her narrow waist. His body pushed flush against her own – his heat almost overwhelming despite the chill in the air. "We have to stop playing this game, babe." He growled out as his nose skimmed hers, the small action making her heart leap.

"W-what game?" Bella's stuttered response was no more than a whisper as her hands came to rest on his broad chest. It was only then that she realized he was shirtless. It seemed like an absurd thing to miss given the Adonis-like state of his body.

"The game where we pretend that we don't want to fuck each other."

Bella awoke with a gasp, shooting up in bed as her heart hammered away. It was so loud in her own ears that she almost missed her mother calling for breakfast. Bella bit her lip as she worked to clear her foggy mind. Slowly, she went over the dream from the beginning. "Oh dear…"

By the time Bella showered and dressed, she had managed to talk her mind (and body) down. It was just a dream after all. Paul was attractive. It only made sense that her subconscious filed that fact away only to haunt her with it later. The most unnerving part of the dream was how crude it was. Bella always thought of herself as a woman that liked well-groomed men. The type that owned at least three suits and had a clear ten-year plan… Paul was certainly not that man. She doubted she had ever even seen him in jeans that weren't ripped.

"What's on the agenda today, Bells?" Her father asked, though his eyes didn't leave the paper as Bella moved to the coffee pot.

"Some of the guys down in La Push are having a party. They said it was a bonfire, but it starts before the sun sets." She offered with a shrug. It was either that or listen to Renee prattle on and on about Edward.

"Are you sure it's wise to be hanging around with that many guys?" Renee asked, her skeptical eyes moving over Bella's oversize sorority sweater and jeans. Renee had never approved of jeans on a woman, but she tended to lighten up come fall and winter when it would be absurd to wear a skirt. "Unmarried women have reputations to protect."

"There will be women there too, mom. 'Guys' is just a general term." Bella bit back a sigh as Charlie grunted noncommittally and flipped the page of his paper.

"We're paying a lot of money for you to major in English. Find a new word." Renee frowned as she pointed to Bella with the spatula she held. Bella pressed her lips together to avoid saying something that would just make the situation worse. "Now eat something before you go. You're looking too thin, dear."

Driving was something Bella had never really enjoyed. Charlie all but had to drag her to the DMV when she was sixteen, claiming that Forks was too small of a town to not drive. It didn't help that all the major places she visited like the school and grocery store were miles away. By some kind of divine intervention, Bella passed her driving test on the first try. Renee bought her a new convertible shortly after in hopes of making driving more appealing to Bella. The car itself had no impact on how she felt, but the actual act of getting away did. There was something freeing about taking the sharp curves through the blanket of low branches on the small-town back roads that was… exhilarating. Come fall, she would sometimes just go out for rides by herself and watch the kaleidoscope of autumn leaves rush by as the wind pushed and pulled her hair. She couldn't remember the last time she drove to La Push, but it was just as freeing as she remembered. After a few harsh stops and over-enthusiastic turns, her body fell into the familiar rhythm.

First Beach wasn't hard to find, then again, it was an ocean. It would have been impressive for even Bella to miss. There were no other cars in the parking lot despite the small crowd down at the shore. Bella frowned at the sight of several boys and men running along the stone-like sand in nothing more than some cut-out shorts. The weather was hardly favorable for what she was wearing, and yet they didn't seem to notice the abrasive wind. Perhaps it was a native thing – to run so hot. The car ride home had been like a sauna on wheels. Shaking her speculations from her head, Bella exited her car just in time to see Paul jogging up the beach to her.

It was funny how easily something could trigger one's imagination. The image of Paul shirtless brought back her dream with some new vibrancy. It was almost like one of those corny movies Renee loved so much. She could have sworn time had even slowed. The minimal sun bounced off his russet shoulders and arms, surrounding him in what could almost pass as a halo. His hair was mused – possibly from the roughhousing she had witnessed when she first pulled up. But none of this compared to the twinkle in those coal eyes paired with a smile that made Bella forget how to breath. She was sure in the short time she had known Paul, he had never looked so carefree.

"Quil started a pool favoring you wouldn't show. So thanks, you just made me twenty bucks." He smiled as he reached her. Remembering how to inhale, Bella couldn't help but match it. Paul's smile – though rare – was infectious. When he was like this, it was hard to believe all those horrible things she used to think about him.

"Why wouldn't I show?" She asked as she pulled his leather jacket tighter around her. She had intended to give it back to him, but it appeared she was the one that needed it. "Nice trick with the jacket, by the way. My mother almost had a heart attack."

"Next time I'll leave a pair of my underwear." He smirked, his eyes twinkling again as she blushed and sputtered. "Relax, babe. It was a joke." He sighed as he threw and arm around her shoulder, leading her towards the crowd. "I don't wear underwear." She was glad that his attention was on his friends so he wouldn't see just how red she was sure her face was.

"Paul!" One of the boys called from by the water, a half-deflated football in his hands. "Stop flirting and get back here! We're getting our asses kicked!"

"Relax." Paul's voice was nearly bored as he turned his gaze to Bella. "Do you mind if I finish the game? If you want me to stay with you, I will."

Bella's crippling social anxiety and her need to please everyone were instantly at war. "Go ahead." She smiled, hoping it was convincing. "I'm sure I'll be able to make it." He gave her shoulder a squeeze before jogging out to meet the others. Immediately, she missed the warmth his body provided.

"You must be Bella." At the call of her name, Bella's head whipped around. The woman was tall – taller than Bella at least. Her hair was pin straight and so glossy Bella almost felt jealous. Her face – well, half of it – was lifted in a smile. Bella tried not to stare at the three jagged scars that covered half of the woman's otherwise model-worthy face. "I'm Emily, Sam's wife." Bella shook the woman's hand, noting that it was nowhere near as warm as Paul's was. Maybe it wasn't a native thing.

"It's nice to meet you." Bella offered, wracking her mind for why the woman seemed familiar. Then she remembered what Paul had told her – about breaking Sam's nose. So this was his wife? The woman that he left Paul's friend for?

"I wouldn't wait on him if I were you." She jutted her chin towards where Paul was tackled into the sand by another large guy. "These boys can get competitive. Usually one game turns into three." She laughed lightly. "Me and the other girls are crawling up on the blankets and trying to ward the cold off with wine that we hid from them. Want to join?"

"That sounds great." Bella breathed with a laugh as she followed her newfound ally. "This is Kim and Leah. Girls, this is Paul's… friend." The way she paused at the word friend made Bella's brows furrow. Had Paul been talking about her? Did they suspect she was something more? Bella was surprised to find Leah there, given what little she knew about the group dynamic.

"Red or white?" Kim asked with a bright smile as she pulled two half empty bottles from under the blanket that was curled around her.

"White please." Bella nearly sighed as Emily handed her a spare blanket to wrap herself in. Bella took the full wineglass from Kim with both hands, wondering if she was expected to drink the whole thing.

"Okay, now it's time for your crash course in who is who." Emily laughed.

One by one she pointed out the men on the beach, sometimes pausing as a couple of them rolled around on the ground. Bella listened intently, not wanting to offend anyone if she got their names wrong. She was surprised to find that one of the buff shirtless boys was Embry. She remembered him from high school, but he was half the size he was now. After an hour of getting to know each other, though Leah didn't say a word, the boys finally called it quits and started piling the wood for the bonfire. With Emily and Kim leaving to fetch the food, that left Bella alone with Leah.

"So… uh…" Bella tried to make small talk, but Leah's harsh gaze cut her attempts off cold.

"Don't do that. Don't try and be my friend." Leah said dryly. She wasn't like Emily or Kim. She seemed so… angry. "We don't have to like each other just because you're dating Paul."

"I'm not – we're not –"

"Stop being a bitch, Leah." Paul's interruption was more than welcome, though his wording was harsh. If Leah minded, she didn't show it. Instead of being angry, her full lips pulled into a taunting smirk.

"Just thought you needed a break, so I took over." She shrugged before hopping up, blowing past Paul who glared at her as she went.

"Sorry about her." Paul offered as he reached down to help Bella to her feet. "Leah's not so bad once you get to know her." They stood like that for a moment, her smaller hands encased in his. She had almost got lost in his intense stare when he broke it with a smile. "I'm almost done with the painting by the way. You should get to see it soon."

"O-oh!" Bella blinked as he finally released her hands. "That's great! I'm sure it'll be amazing."

As the sun began to set, the cold became almost unbearable. Luckily for Bella, the boys decided it was finally time to light the bonfire. Bella sat on one of the purposefully placed logs with Paul at her side and Jacob leaning against it near her legs. Between the fire and their heat, Bella slowly regained feeling in her fingertips. The boys took turns telling stories, mostly to try an embarrass each other. When the food was gone and everyone was borderline comatose from it, Sam Uley began to tell the legends of their tribe. She was sure the group must have heard them a million times, but all eyes were on Sam as he spoke, as captivated as Bella was. The colorful stories of the cold ones and how the tribe descended from wolves was like something out a dark fairytale. She wondered if they had written documentation of their history. That was a book Bella could see herself getting absorbed in.

When the stories were over and the fire was dead, everyone started packing up. "Let me drive you home." Paul offered as his shoved his hands in the pockets of his cut offs. How he wasn't freezing, Bella would never know.

"Don't be silly. How would you get home?" Bella rolled her eyes as they walked slowly towards her car. As much as she wanted to spend more time with Paul, she couldn't ask him to do that.

"Jacob has to go into Forks to see this girl he likes. He can just swing by and pick me up on his way." Paul offered, his smile easy. "Come on, how are you going to say no to this face?" He asked pointing to his pouting bottom lip.

With a defeated sigh Bella reluctantly handed over her keys. It took no time for her to warm up once the heat kicked in, but it took over half the drive to do so. They had fallen into one of their comfortable silences, which was fine with Bella. It gave her time to admire his angular profile that looked even sharper in the fleeting street lights. She had gotten so accustomed to the silence, she nearly jumped when he finally broke it.

"You know, Bella… I don't want to play this game anymore." Bella's heart felt like it would explode as her dream ran through her mind again. What would she do if the next part was… as graphic as her imagination painted it to be? "I like you." He finished, casting her a quick glance paired with a smirk that nearly made her believe he could hear her heart too.

"Y-you like me?" She asked in breathless disbelief. "…Why?"

He breathed a short, airy laugh. "That's a first." He mumbled mostly to himself. "Why shouldn't I?" He challenged. Bella watched in fascination as Paul's face hardened as they pulled into her driveway. Suddenly, the preconceived notion everyone had about Paul didn't seem that farfetched. The angles of his face looked even sharper now – nearly dangerous. His lips were pulled tight in a frown and his brow was dented with deep lines caused by his scowl. It wasn't a look that suited him.

"Paul – wha-" Bella's voice cut off as she followed his line of sight to her porch where a very angry Edward stood. "Shit…" Bella was not someone that usually cursed, but it was out of her mouth before she could even think of a better word. Exchanging a quick look with Paul, she slowly exited the car, holding her breath as he got out too. "Edward?" Bella questioned as he slowly descended the stairs. "What are you doing here?"

"Me?" Edward asked, his sharp eyes cutting to Paul. "What is he doing here?"

"I was invited." Paul said simply in a tone that was nearly menacing. The way he crossed his arms over his bare chest made him look even bigger and more intimidating. "Not that it's any of your business."

"You're slumming it now, Bella?" Edward asked in disbelief, completely disregarding Paul. "I thought you were better than that."

Bella was a timid woman by nature, but the way Edward spoke about Paul made her nerves spark with anger. "Paul is my friend, Edward. And he's been better to me than you have ever been… You shouldn't be here…"

"Your mother called me and asked me to stop by. I assumed you forgave me for our little tiff."

"Little tiff!?" Bella breathed a short, humorless laugh. "You hurt me, Edward! I was bruised for a week!"

"He put his hands on you!?" Paul's outrage was nearly palpable. Suddenly, Bella's anger turned into fear as Paul's form began to vibrate so quickly it almost looked like he would explode. And then… he did… into a giant, silver wolf.

AN: Dun dun duuuun! Wanted to post a longer chapter this time to make up for the last baby one! I wanted some Paul/Bella smexyness, but it was too soon in their relationship so I added that little dream sequence. Special super thank you to everyone that took the time to review! I love reading all of your reactions to the chapters/characters. And a huge thank you to my new beta reader MisfitsBelieveInSherlockHolmes! You the real MVP!