AN: thanks for the reviews, this chapter is a bit of a turning point for both Bella and Paul... hopefully from now on things will get better, or maybe they won't :)

imPerfect love update: chapter 25 is currently being betaed.

Nobody deserves your tears,

but whoever deserves them will not make you cry.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Paul had gone through a day without seeing Bella. In his book that was great while the wolf wasn't happy at all. It was his turn to patrol this Sunday, Emily had taught him on Saturday a few tricks to keep the other two nosy 'brothers' out of his mind and he was now trying to memorize the right way to do apply them.

He didn't want them in his mind more than necessary, and if new wolves were added to the pack he didn't want to share his mind too much with them either.

Paul was worried because Embry Call was showing the signs that preceded the phasing and Jacob Black and Quil Ateara weren't faring any better. Those three together in his mind weren't something he was looking forward to, so he needed to master his mind enough to keep his thoughts private.

He phased back and put his cut-off jeans when he felt Jared phasing in. Today he didn't want to talk to sunny boy; he was trying to keep his cool seeing as he was taking Bella to school the next day. His last stop before going back home was to Billy Black's house, he needed to report to him as well as Sam.

He arrived at the house and Billy wheeled his chair out of the door. "Hello Paul, care to explain me why Sam phoned me asking me to tell you that Charlie needed you at his house?"

His heart squeezed painfully, fear started to invade his mind. "Has something happened to Bella?" He asked seriously.

"I don't know and anyway, how would that be any of your business?" The Chief of his tribe asked him.

He growled. "I haven't got time to explain now, ask Sam." Turning towards the forest he run and phased as soon as he was out of sight.

Lover boy, what's up? (Jared)

No fucking time to talk, I've got to get to Bella. (Paul)

Take a breath Paul, maybe it's nothing. (Jared)

Until I get there I won't be able to calm down! Fuck, I'm so screwed! Paul shouted before phasing back near his house, he needed to get a t-shirt and shoes. He drove his truck breaking every speed limit in existence, he didn't care.

He opened the door of his truck and Charlie was already running towards him. "It's Bella, she's crying since last night and I don't know what to do. Paul, I'm sorry to bother you, but she seemed better every time you came to visit."

Paul put his hand on Charlie's shoulder trying to reassure him. "It's okay Charlie, why don't you go out for a few hours? Billy would love your company; I'll take care of her." Charlie nodded, but looked conflicted. "If I need you I'll call you." He added trying to reassure the Chief.

Charlie finally seemed to make up his mind. "Okay Paul, I've got nothing to lose. I'll be at the Blacks'."

Paul waited that Charlie left before going upstairs, he knocked but hearing her crying uncontrollably he entered without waiting for her to invite him in, the room was barely lit and he noticed that she was under the covers, in a fetal position crying her heart out.

He walked closer to the bed and felt something under his feet, he looked down and saw a picture of her and the leech and a CD. He picked them up and cursed, so the little shit didn't take away everything. He took the two objects out of the room, he put them into the highest shelf of the wardrobe that was in the corridor and then he walked back inside the room and towards the bed.

"Bella, get the fuck together!" He growled, he noticed that when she heard his voice she stopped crying. He sat on the bed and she threw herself into his arms. She was lucky that he was strong otherwise they would have tumbled out of the bed.

"He… he left the pic-picture and the CD under a floorboard in… in the room." She wailed, she had her head in the crook of his neck and he was feeling all her tears wetting his t-shirt.

"So what? We'll burn them along with the rocking chair." He told her and then he pulled her completely on his lap. She was straddling him now, with her hands gripping his neck and her legs around his waist. He started to pray every god he knew that his dick would not react, it wasn't the right moment. Luckily the wolf was feeling her pain and was laying low. Thanks the Spirits for small favors!

While he was lost in his thoughts she had quieted, he could still hear her sniffling, but she seemed calmer. "We'll burn them." She whispered while hiccupping, he was caressing her back trying to calm her.

"Yes, we'll make a huge bonfire of them and then we'll get our asses drunk. What do you say, is it a date?" He murmured in hear ear.

She clutched him closer and took a deep breath. "Yes… it's a date." He felt her settling better onto him and if it was possible it looked like she wanted to melt in his arms. "You're so warm; I'm so cold all the time. Only when you're close I feel better."

"Well, I'm happy to be your favorite space heater. My main aim in life is now achieved." He said sarcastically, he heard her giggle. A smile appeared on his face. "Are you laughing at me Swan?"

She giggled again. "No, yes, I mean… you're funny in a very crude way, but I like your sense of humor."

"Have you got one too Swan? Will I ever hear you cracking a joke?" He asked playfully.

She laughed then. "I'm awful at telling jokes and I'm too shy to say something sarcastic like you. So probably no."

He hugged her closer to him. "Don't worry little girl, I'll teach you to be like me."

Bella snuggled even closer. "Friday you asked me what I liked about him…" She said and he tensed, he wasn't sure he wanted to hear her answer. He was by now used to her shifting topics quickly, still he hated that everything took them always back to the sparkling leech. "I actually don't know. Since he left I started to think about all the things that I didn't like and there were tons, then I thought about all the things that he didn't let me do and… well, if I have to be honest... we didn't have much in common. I guess I felt flattered that he had taken an interest in me after turning down all the other girls in school. I've always been shy and guys never noticed me... so when he started talking to me, he made me feel special. It's pathetic, isn't it?"

"I'm not going to lie to you, it's quite pathetic, though women often feel flattered by someone handsome showing interest in them. As I said before I think you're worth much more than him, so please Swan try to not scare me like this again. He left and he was a bastard, he doesn't deserve your tears." He replied, and then he heard her sigh and then yawn. "You should sleep."

"Will you stay here with me?" She asked timidly.

He gulped, staying in her bed, holding and touching her was going to be hell. The wolf was already howling in happiness, fucking sucker! "I will stay."

Paul placed her back on the bed. "I'm going to call Charlie; I'll be back in a moment."

He descended the stairs with a heavy heart; imprint or not he was tied to that girl. He picked up the phone and called Billy, he spoke with Charlie. "She's feeling better Charlie, she asked me to stay. I hope you won't mind, I'm worried that if I leave she'll get back to that state of distress."

"I... very well Paul, you can stay, but I want the door open and you won't take off any of your clothes. Are we clear?" Charlie said seriously.

He felt a blush rising in his cheeks. He was fucking blushing; it would have been funny if it hadn't been embarrassing. "Crystal."

"I'll see you later tonight." Charlie said and then hung up.

Paul put down the receiver and went upstairs again. He made sure that the door was open and then walked towards the bed.

Bella was lying on the side of the bed closer to the window leaving him enough space to lie next to her. He took a deep breath trying to steady his heartbeat and his breathing. When he lay down he felt her moving closer and after a moment she was hugging him like he was a huge teddy bear. His wolf sighed in happiness, the man was unsure. He didn't do cuddling and he never slept in a bed with a woman, what was he supposed to do? He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, she already had her arm around his waist and her head on his chest. He hoped that she didn't hear his heart drumming crazily in his ribcage, but she had her ear right on his heart and he knew that she knew how she affected him.

"Thank you Paul." She murmured and then he heard her breathing getting steady. She had fallen asleep and he was more awake than ever.

How the hell did he end up there? His mind was still reeling with the feel of the girl in his arms and his wolf was happy.

Paul didn't know if she was his imprint or not, and right now he didn't care.

The human side of him was starting to realize that he liked the girl, she was delicate but at the same time she was tough. Maybe he didn't want other women because he genuinely liked the girl in his arms, maybe he really needed someone soft to counteract his toughness. However, now wasn't the right time to ponder those thoughts, without realizing it he had closed his eyes and he slipped into a deep sleep too.