Chapter 7 - Once Thing At A Time

Paul followed Alyssa's scent. Damn how he loved the way she always smelled. He was glad to know she'd walked around the house and was leaning against the car she'd been driving in. Paul walked over cautiously. "You're not going to drive after you've been drinking are you?"

Alyssa's head snapped up as she groaned. "Oh look it's the La Push police."

Paul scowled. "You know very well, I'm only concerned with your safety Aly."

Alyssa's face was fixed with a glare. "What do you want Paul?" She watched as he walked closer and practically pinned her to the side of the car.

"I want to talk with you." He confessed as his onyx eyes locked with hers. "I would've liked to talk to you before tonight, but someone has been avoiding my calls."

Alyssa scoffed. "Can you blame me?" She chewed her bottom lip. Her eyes averted to the ground between them.

Paul frowned as he shook his head. "No honestly I can't. I know I was a complete dick that day. You know me and my temper flares." Paul reached over and took her hand in his and held the back of it to his chest. "I'm sorry Aly. I never meant to hurt you; I just missed you so much when you left. I didn't realize how big of an impact you'd made on my life." Paul sighed heavily. "And then you come back because of your dad's accident and I knew you were just trying to cope through the tough time and I yelled and I shouldn't have. I missed you even more the last few weeks; knowing you was here but you told me not to speak to you. I deserve all the yelling you want to do to me."

Alyssa shook her head. "No actually you don't deserve anything. I don't think I ever realized how hard it would be on everyone when I left. Kim started pointing things out to me and I just never saw it. I left for my sanity but it was a selfish reason. You and Kim kept me sane and I should've trusted that both of you could continue to keep me that way, but my heart won the argument; when I should've been listening to my brain. It kept telling me to turn back that I was just being a chicken shit and I guess in a way I sort of was being a chicken. I'm sorry I left you guys behind. I should've never left."

Paul shook his head. "No I understood why you left. I didn't love the idea or the reasons behind it, but I understood why." Paul suddenly leaned down and wrapped his arms around Alyssa as he felt her arms wrap around his neck as she buried her face in his neck. "I haven't been drinking; let me drive you home ok?"

Alyssa nodded. "Okay, I only had a few beers, but my head feels foggy anyways." She watched as Paul held his hand out for her keys. "How are you going to get back here for your pick up?"

Paul chuckled. "I'll make Jared come get me, or I'll just stay with you tonight and you can drive me back in the morning." Paul guided Alyssa around to the other side of the car and hit the button to unlock the doors to her rental and opened the passenger door for her. He watched as she sat down and put her belt on. He couldn't have been happier that he had Alyssa back in his life where she belonged. Now if he could just tell her he was in love with her, that he occasionally turned into a furry beast and she was his soul mate everything would be perfect. Yea right; perfect.

Once they got to Alyssa's dads, they both plopped down on the couch. Her eyes searched the guy who was sitting across from her. She couldn't help but admire how good he really looked. There was something about him that always made her feel safe; made her feel like no one could hurt her as long as he was there with her.

"So what have you been doing with yourself since I've been gone?" Alyssa asked curiously.

Paul smirked. "Well, I got a really great job in Forks."

"Forks?" Alyssa asked as she eyed him skeptically. "You hate Forks."

Paul chuckled. "Correction I hated Forks, until I started working for this really great older guy. He took me and Jared in under his wing and taught us everything we needed to know about his business. He said when he's ready to retire in a couple of years he'll sign the business over to us."

Alyssa smiled. "That's so cool. So what is this magical business he's taught you?"

Paul chuckled even harder. "Aly it's your dad. He's been teaching Jared and I to make furniture and stain it the way he has for years. We've been working for him for almost four years now."

Alyssa's eyes widened. "You're serious aren't you?"

Paul nodded. "Yea, I didn't think I would be this happy doing things like making tables and chairs with my own two hands. Who the hell knew I had talent like that?"

Alyssa had an evil glint in her eyes as she smirked. "We could always go back to Kim and Jared's party and I could ask Vanessa how good you are with your hands."

"Oh man! Damn it I knew Kim was going to tell you!" Paul grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Alyssa sat on the end of the couch giggling. "You knew you couldn't keep anything a secret. Tell Jared, he'll tell Kim. He can't help himself he has to tell her everything."

Paul growled as he reached down and grabbed Alyssa's ankle and pulled her along the length of the couch until her legs were over his thighs. As he leaned over her and his fingers started wiggling against her sides and she was wiggling her body trying to get away from him, but it wasn't working. He threw one of his legs over both of hers and wrapped one arm around her waist and held her in place as he continued to tickle her relentlessly. Sitting there in the quiet house as he listened to her laughter was completely fulfilling for him.

"Uncle! Uncle!" Alyssa shouted between giggles.

Paul finally stopped and she was able to breathe again, but not before she swatted at his shoulder. He chuckled at her sad attempt at harming him. He looked down as their eyes locked and something told him to go for it. He had to do it. There was no holding it off anymore. He leaned down and kissed her lips softly.

Alyssa's eyes were wide for a split second and then fluttered closed. Was he really kissing her? Oh yea, he REALLY was. His tongue swiped her bottom lip and she couldn't help letting her lips part as his tongue slipped into her mouth and caressed her tongue. She let a moan slip past her lips and into his mouth.

Paul could feel his entire body as it came to life. Who knew just kissing your imprint would have that kind of effect on his body. His hand was on her waist as it slid down and gripped her hip.

The grip he had on her hip was tight and getting tighter by the minute. Her hands were both on his t-shirt covered chest and his normally high body temperature was rising. His skin was practically scorching through the thin cotton material. One of her hands slid up and cupped his neck as she tried pulling him closer and he took the hint and moved closer as their chests were pressed against each other.

"Mmm – Paul."

Paul suddenly stopped as his head pulled back and his eyes locked on Alyssa's kiss swollen lips and flushed face. "I'm not hurting you; am I?"

Alyssa was trying to catch her breath as her chest rubbed against his while she was breathing in and out. "What in the world are we doing?"

Paul smirked. "Something we should've done a very long time ago. Aly I've been lying to myself and to you for years. I want you Aly; I don't mean in a sexual way. Well, wait I do; but I don't mean now. I want you to be with me in every way possible. I know this sound insane and possibly bonkers but just…" Paul sighed heavily nothing was coming out the way it was supposed to and suddenly he had a case of the stutters and stupid's. Paul sat up and grumbled and growled and walked out the front door.

Alyssa couldn't help as she giggled at Paul getting tongue tide it was so cute. Of all the people she knew Paul NEVER got tongue tide or rambled about things and now he seemed to be doing both at the same time. This was some kind of special entertainment for Alyssa. She got her giggles under control and ran after Paul. He was almost to the end of the driveway when she finally caught up to him and grabbed his hand.

Paul jerked to a stop when he felt a cold hand grab his. He turned and saw Alyssa standing there staring back at him. He cleared his throat awkwardly as his free hand rubbed the back of his neck. "Nothing I just said in there made any damn sense and it sure as hell didn't come out the way I wanted it too."

Alyssa smiled softly. "Paul, I understood the words better than you think. I also understood the kissing before them. How long have you felt this way?"

Paul scowled as he sighed heavily. "Longer than you know."

"After I got back?" She questioned; as she watched as he shook his head. "Before I left?" Again he shook his head. "Be-before I even decided to leave?"

Paul clamped his eyes shut and his face pointed towards the sky. "Yes, I think we were fifteen. I walked out of detention and hit you in the face with the door. I Immediately regreted it."

Alyssa giggled. "I remember. I had a bruise in the middle of my forehead for five days. I flipped you off every time I saw you in the hallway and you tried to apologize so many times." Alyssa combed her fingers through her hair. "Jules finally talked me into forgive you."

Paul chuckled. "Yea, the day you came over and had lunch with me and you found something wrong with every girl I ever dated. The funnier thing was everything you named wrong with them, I compared to you and it didn't match up. You were perfect; you're still perfect."

"Do you have any idea how many years are between fifteen and now?" Alyssa asked completely shocked at Paul's revelation.

Paul nodded. "Considering your birthday is coming up this week and you'll be twenty-three, almost eight years."

Alyssa shook her head as she stepped closer to him and touched his cheek. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Paul shook his head negatively. "You were my best friend. Out of everyone you understood my temper, you understood how I could be a playboy to most of the girls and yet I still picked you over them."

Alyssa nodded. "I remember." She chewed her bottom lips. "So where do we go from here?"

Paul smiled softly. "Anywhere you want." Paul watched as she walked up and pushed up and captured his lips. Was she really doing this?

Yes; yes she was.

Alyssa grabbed both of his hands as she pulled back from the kiss that had both of their heads reeling. "We have a lot to discuss. Come back in the house with me. Please?"

Yea like he could ever deny his imprint anything. DAMN he still had to tell her about the imprint and wolves and pack. Double damn; she'd made him forget while her lips were on his. He exhaled heavily as he felt her tug on his hands. He looked down and nodded. "Absolutely." First they would get themselves on the right path and then hopefully with Jared and Kim's help he'd get the wolves, pack and imprint explained without scaring the shit out of her.

Once thing at a time.