AN: Finally! An all-new chapter that hasn't been seen in this story in any way before. My goal is to get a new chapter written every week. Possibly more frequently, if I can swing it. Again, if you have read this story before and were just waiting for the new chapter, give the previous chapters a peek. I changed quite a few things. And as always, shoot me some feedback. I'm always open to hearing what you all have to say, both positive and critical. Enjoy, my loves :)
Chapter 6: Home Is the People You're With
If dinner was any indication as to how my new life in La Push would be, I would be happy. I spent the time, stuffing myself to the point of bursting, surrounded by loud, booming laughter and huge smiles. Everything seemed to pass in a blur. The faces around the table took turns – or tried to anyway – asking me about a million questions. I avoided the topic of my mother expertly, as I'd learned to do while I had lived with her, coasting past any mention of her. I felt a twinge in my heart each time I did so, feeling a strange sense of longing that I didn't understand. The woman had made my life nearly unbearable for years and had taken me from this obviously wonderful family, but I couldn't bring myself to ignore the fact that she had been the only family I'd had, up until now. I pushed the thoughts of my mother away and focused on my present. The present that had me seated at a large table, with good food and even better conversation. The present that had Emily insisting to go shopping with my father and I the following day, to ensure that the man wouldn't talk me into decorating my room in the way that a man would. The present that had me seated next to the most beautiful man I'd ever seen, who kept stealing glances at me. Paul was unlike anything I had ever seen before. He had put on a shirt before sitting down at the table, but his muscles were still obvious beneath the fabric that was stretched thin across his chest. His skin was very tanned, just like the rest of the table – save Bella – but there was a certain type of glow about him. When he laughed, it was a rumble that came from deep within his chest. He smiled directly at me a number of times, his beautiful, kind eyes lighting up with each flash of his pearly whites. I was in heaven, graced with the presence of the angelic man beside me. I mused silently about him, debating whether or not I had a shot in hell with him. I decided to dismiss the thought, as he looked to be in his twenties and I was just a few months into my seventeenth year. A man his age would be more comfortable in a relationship with someone of his own age group. I ignored the twinge of sadness I felt at the idea of not being with him, a feeling I found to be incredibly strange. I had just met him, and had hardly had time to get to know anything about him, and I was already thinking about a relationship. It was very out of character for me. I'd had one relationship that lasted only a handful of months, and even then, I had been careful when I'd met him. Thinking back, I realized that I was very cautious of every relationship I made or even considered making. Now here I was, wanting to jump into something with this guy and his damn fine body. Can you blame yourself though? I asked myself, boy is blessed. Dinner started wrapping up, as the many men around the table let out satisfied burps and leaned back in their chairs. I chuckled at how comfortable everyone seemed with each other. Thinking about it, I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt comfortable with anyone and I longed for the same degree of easiness this group had. Paul leaned over toward me.
"Wanna go for a walk with me?" he asked, sounding hopeful. I looked over at Jacob, who was watching us closely. He nodded at me, smiling slightly. I turned back to face Paul.
"Sure," I responded, "some air would be nice."
I noticed briefly that the conversation around us got slightly quieter as Paul and I stood and made our way to the front door together. Paul held the door for me to pass out into the darkness before him and I heard the conversation returning to its loud volume as he shut the door. The noise from inside became a dull murmur with the door as a barrier, and I was able to hear myself think a little more clearly. I took in the little scenery that I could make out in the dark, with just a porch light casting a faint glow on the porch and slightly into the front yard. With it, I could just barely make out the shadowy outline of the thick trees that lined the edge of Sam and Emily's property. While Georgia had had a good amount of greenery, I had never seen so much natural beauty condensed in one spot in my entire life. It was absolutely amazing, as was the calming scent of the trees and recent rain that filled my nostrils. I closed my eyes and breathed it all in. Paul cleared his throat next to me and I became aware, again, of his presence. I turned to him.
"How are you liking La Push so far?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's great," I said, nodding and smiling furiously, "I miss Georgia, but I can definitely get used to all this." I let out a sigh and looked around again.
"What's Georgia like?" He leaned on the banister and I followed suit.
"Beautiful. Nowhere near this, but it has its qualities. One thing I won't get used to is the small town vibe. I'm used to being really close to the big city."
He nodded. "I think it's something you have to adjust to. But there's plenty to keep you busy here."
"Oh yeah?" I looked at him. "Like what? I picture sitting in a rocking chair by the window knitting." The statement caused Paul to laugh loudly.
"Well there's that," he chuckled some more, "but there's also some great hiking trails and a nice beach."
I stood up straight. "A beach? Seriously?" I was about ready to start jumping up and down.
"Yeah?" he said, giving me a questioning look.
"I'd love to go to the beach." I looked down sheepishly. "I've never been."
If there was one thing I hated, it was admitting all of the things I had never done because of my mother. The closest beach had been about four hours away and she had always made some excuse about why I couldn't go. It wasn't like I hadn't been asked. I had made friends with a very small handful of people, and they tried to make plans with me frequently. My mother, however, hardly let me go to the grocery store by myself, even when we were on our last cans of shitty soup. It was always school to home to work and then right back home. Any detour was seen as a plot on her life. There was no way she'd let me go to the beach. Thinking back, I realized how easily I had accepted being held prisoner. I had never really questioned why I was both a teenager and the sole breadwinner. I had always just chalked it up to her mental disorder.
"There's supposed to be more rain tomorrow," Paul's voice chimed next to me, "but Saturday should be warm enough for a beach trip." He was scratching the back of his neck again. He seemed almost nervous.
"I'd love to go." I wasn't sure if he was waiting for me to say as such or if he was just pausing for some added drama. Either way, he seemed to perk up at this affirmation. "I'll just have to double check with Mich- my father first." The word father felt so foreign to me still.
Paul nodded. "Chances are, he will want to come along with Billy and the guys." He gestured with his head toward the house with his head. "At least in the evening. I heard Sam mention that they were debating having a bonfire to welcome you. Even so, I'd love to take you."
We stayed that way for a while, just leaning on the porch and talking. I casually snuck in a question of his age and struggled to hide my delight to find that, like everyone else I'd met so far, he looked far older than his nineteen years. In the end, we'd spoken so long that sleepiness caught up with me and I felt my eyes burning each time I blinked. But something kept me rooted to my spot, as if my feet had fused with the dark wood beneath them. There wasn't a single part of me that would have taken sleep over the lightness I felt when talking to Paul. So when Jacob peeked his head out to check on us and ask if I was ready to go home, I felt a tug in my heart. Reluctantly, I pushed back from the porch banister. Paul followed suit and led me back inside with a hand pressed lightly into the small of my back. The simple touch sent tingles of electricity up my spine and I shivered. When we stepped back into the house, Jacob pulled me from Paul and led me around the table to say my goodbyes. I couldn't remember the last time I had received so many hugs at once and the feeling that it left me with felt strange and comforting at the same time. Sam and Emily led us to the door, followed closely by Paul.
"I'll see you tomorrow then?" Emily asked. She had scurried away during dinner to call my father and alert him of her plan to accompany us. According to her, he had been relieved.
"Of course," I assured her.
"Maybe Paul and I could accompany you," Sam chimed in. He seemed to share a look with both Paul and Jacob, which carried an air of understanding between the three men. Emily nodded and offered me one last sweet smile as Jacob and I turned to start down the porch steps to his car. As I opened the car door, I turned back for one final look at the new family that I had become a part of in a few short hours. Relief filled me as I was struck with the realization that I had finally found a place I belonged in. A place that I could comfortably call home.