Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. The usual, you know!
A/N: So you guys can applaud me for being so darn frequent with these updates :P But you guys got me hooked on writing about Faye and Paul. Some of you have been telling me that the quarreling is getting old, that I understand but going from a hate relationship to a love relationship doesn't happen overnight. It takes time, and several fights. But hopefully you guys will like this chapter, and let me know your thoughts in a review. They keep me on my feet and frequent updates will be guaranteed if you guys review :D So enjoy:
Am I Talking To Someone, Or Am I Here All Alone?
My throat felt raw and I felt dizzy with fear. I was on my knees now, my trembling joints couldn't handle the weight and I had sank down to the ground. I was holding on to the dead flashlight and I was crying. Big, elephant tears were spilling over and they were making its way down my cheeks. I was scared, so fucking scared that I was paralyzed. I wanted a way to get out but I couldn't move, let alone walk. But I knew that there wasn't any other way to get out of the forest. I wished I hadn't left the house, I wish I hadn't felt the urge to leave in the first place. I hiccupped and put my hand on my mouth to muffle the sound.
He was here. That just wasn't possible.
I heard another sound and I froze. Another crunch that indicated someone was walking towards me and I screamed again when suddenly hot hands grabbed my shoulders. I struggled, if I was going to go down, I was going to down, kicking, screaming and fighting. I twisted in his arms when his other wrapped itself around my waist, pressing me against his chest. I heard his voice, demanding I calmed down.
Devon would never ask me to calm down.
I stopped my struggling and in between my sobs I tried to decipher who this was. His warm, tan arms were still around me and he slowly turned me around. I found myself to be confronted with Paul and before I knew it I had raised my arms and I hit him on his chest. His bare chest, mind you. But that didn't bother me at that point. I was still crying and Paul grabbed my wrists, preventing me from hitting him again.
"Faye, calm down!" He demanded. "It's me, calm down." I hiccupped again and moved closer, for some reason I expected him to comfort me. Tears were still running down my cheeks and I heaved a deep sigh before burying my face in the crook of his neck. He was crouching down on his heels and had impeccable balance. He dropped the grip he had on my wrists and pulled me closer. His hands rubbing up and down my back, providing the comfort of an embrace. His words however, were what pulled me back into reality.
"S-someone w-was h-here." I croaked. I sounded like a hag and I cleared my throat only to feel a flash of pain. All that screaming hadn't done my throat any good.
"Shhh..." Paul shushed me. "Don't talk. Let's get you home, okay?" I nodded. Understanding his common sense. "Can you walk?" I nodded again and Paul pulled me to my feet. He kept his arm around my waist though and I was thankful for that. But then he let me go and I quickly grabbed his hand with my own and clutched it with a new vengeance.
We were walking in silence when suddenly he opened his mouth. "What were you doing here in the first place?"
I coughed, embarrassed. "I was trying to find you." I answered, glad I sounded less like a hag and more like myself. I ignored his eyes on me, thank God he chose not to react. I heaved another sigh and turned my eyes to the path we just left behind. I peered into the dark again and like last time I couldn't see anything.
"Faye?" Paul's voice shook me out of my reverie and I turned back to him.
"Someone was there. I'm telling you." I muttered quickly. The urge in my voice wasn't hard to distinguish. "Someone was there. I swear."
"Hey, take it easy will ya? No one was there, Faye." I shook my head at his defence. I wasn't stupid, I knew someone was there. I knew who was there. I didn't need Paul to confirm that for me. I just needed him to be here, in case Devon came back.
Oh God, he was coming back.
My knees trembled again and I pulled Paul to a stop. I pulled my hand free from his and bent forward. My stomach was up in knots and I wanted to scream but again fear had me in his grip and an iron fist was crushing any resistance in my body. I sank down to the ground again, shaking profusely. Fear was fogging up my mind making any rational thought disappear. I knew fear was stupid. That's what my mother always said. Fear is stupid, it's not real. It something you've convinced yourself of but Devon truly was someone to be afraid of. I was so afraid of him I left town.
Paul crouched down in front of me again. His dark eyes peering into mine, hoping he would be able to draw out a conclusion. He put his hand on my knee, putting pressure to ease the trembling I presumed. "I'm not lying." I gasped.
"Okay, come on." He said calmly. Nothing was breaking his armour. "I think you deserve a ride." I frowned and looked at him.
"Why are being nice?" I asked. "Why? I mean, it's not like I did something to deserve it?" Paul shrugged.
"I'm not the dick you think I am, Faye. I'm capable of being nice every once and a while." He responded, his voice held a hint of his joking demeanour but I knew that what he said held a meaning of truth. And I had to take that and grasp it. I nodded and Paul turned his back on my and ordered me to wrap my arms around his neck. I did as he told me and before I knew it he stood up. His hands holding onto the back of my thighs to keep me on his back. My hold on his neck tightened.
"I can strangle you, you know." I tried to lighten the air now. Paul chuckled. His pace at ease with the rest of his body.
"You wouldn't. You'd lose your ride back home. Besides, I doubt that such a little thing like you would be able to strangle me." I felt slightly insulted even though I knew he didn't meant it like that.
"Hey!" I cried out. "I can get very inventive if I want to."
"Sure you do." Paul said, not convinced. I smiled and leant against his shoulder. His scent invaded my nostrils and a wave of wooziness washed over me. He really did smell nice.
"Hey Faye." Paul said after some time.
"Hmmm..."
"You really shouldn't go into the forest all alone." He said. He was trying to be nice about this but I couldn't help but ignore the annoyance that came with his words. I groaned.
"You were there."I pointed out.
"That's different. I know the woods better than you." I hmm'd my way out of it. "But seriously Faye, you shouldn't go alone. Next time ask someone to hike along with you."
"You sound like Sam." I informed. Paul shrugged and my head bounced on his shoulder.
"And that's a bad thing?" He mused and I smiled before hitting him on the shoulder.
"Woman, how many times are you going to hit me? I could sue your ass for assault, you know." Paul growled and he adjusted his hold on me.
I gasped in mock horror. "You wouldn't though!" I told him. I heard him respond incoherently and I frowned. "What did you say?"
"Nothing." Paul barked.
"Geez, is it that time of the month again?" I asked and Paul dropped his hold on me and I yelped, dangling from his neck now.
"What was that?" Paul asked, a tinge of conniving in his voice.
"Sorry." I murmured. "Sorry, sorry."
He grabbed my legs again and I held on to him normally again. I leant my head against his shoulder again and I realized that even though there was the slight banter between the two of us it hadn't escalated to a fight. And without the prospect of the fight, talking to Paul was actually, fun. Even though Paul and fun weren't two words I'd rather use in a sentence. I sighed and tightened my hold on his shoulders again. Who'd ever thought that Paul would be the one to comfort me. Me! I knew it wasn't that unlikely. But still, Paul and I hadn't started off on a good foot but that didn't mean that things couldn't be changed in the future.
"You really were scared, weren't you?" Paul's voice shook me out my reverie. I swallowed, the anxiety creeping up again. I nodded against his shoulder, knowing that he got the message.
"There was nothing there." Paul insisted. "Trust me."
"There was." I responded. "I heard him." I whispered this last part but I knew that he had heard it.
"Who?" Paul demanded. The trees were clearing out now and I was able to see Sam and Emily's cottage. "Faye?"
"No one." I said quickly. "Just...leave it."
"Whatever you say." He said casually before he let me back on my feet again. We were standing on the porch now and I knew that once I got in the house Sam was going to be all over me. Oh fuck! He was going to kill me!
"Here we are." He said with a grin on his face and I wished I could return it. "It's not locked." He informed and I shrugged. Indicating I didn't care.
I moved to the door and stopped. I couldn't say nothing to Paul, could I? I sighed, stupid conscience and trotted back to Paul. He looked at me suspiciously
"You're not going to hit me again, are you?" I smiled and shook my head.
"No, but thank you. For what you did. You didn't have but you still did. So, thank you." Paul shrugged. He really didn't seemed fazed by my thank you note, then again, maybe I was seeing too much of it in the first place.
"Just don't do it again and we're fine." He responded and I shook my head.
"Deal." I turned around again but something stopped me again and I moved back to Paul. He was still standing there. With this befuddled look on his face and I gave him a careful smile. I wasn't sure how he was going to react to this, to what I wanted to do.
Wait, why did I want to do it the first place?
"Paul." I said quietly. I saw that I had this attention and I lifted my heels off the ground, my toes holding my entire weight. I hoped I was taller now and I pecked him on the spot I could reach. His chin. "Thanks." I murmured and this time I did run to the door. Quickly opening it before I got in. I was sure to be quiet but I couldn't help but smile like crazy. I quickly chastised myself. I was making a fuss about it. So what, I kissed him. Big deal! It wasn't even a real kiss.
Wait, hold on!
Why was I thinking of kissing him in the first place?
Shit.
Suddenly the light was switched on and I was standing face to face with a very angry Sam.
Uh oh!
"Hi." I squeaked and Sam gave me a harsh glare. Fuck.
Fighting Sam never is fun. Especially when he pulls the big brother card and once the guilt starts to set in you can say you're toast then. Because the second he realizes you feel remorse he will use that feeling against you until you almost burst. And that was exactly what was going on here, right now. He was angry. So angry that I was far too chicken to even look him in the eye. But worst of all, I felt guilty for scaring him. Because when he found out that I wasn't in my room, all hell broke loose. He snapped at Emily, then felt guilty for snapping, Emily was pissed with all the hormones raging through her body so he got angry for me for I had made him snap at Emily. So technically the fight both Sam and Emily were having were my fault as well. It's not a nice feeling.
"What do you want me to say, Sam?" I demanded. "I told you I was sorry." My voice softer and the regret obvious. "It was stupid, and it won't happen again."
"The hell it'll happen again." Sam growled. "If Paul hadn't..." He trailed off and rubbed his hand over his face. The fatigue suddenly evident. "Don't you realize how dangerous the forest is?" I pulled away my eyes from Sam's face and shuffled my feet, feeling quite uncomfortable.
"I do Sam." I insisted. "But I was curious." Come to think of it, I never asked what Paul exactly did in the woods.
"Look." Sam began as he grabbed my shoulders, his grip tight but not painful. "Call me overprotective but if you go to the woods again, without any of us around, I will kick your ass." That's what a big brother does. But I knew Sam was kidding, but the former part was supposed to be taken serious and the message was clear. Never pull such a stunt again, or else!
"Okay." I nodded. "Next time, I'll take Paul with me." Sam scoffed.
"There won't be a next time and what the hell do want with Paul in the first place? I thought you hated him?" Sam demanded as he moved to the couch and collapsed. I shrugged and sat down next to him.
"Change of heart?" I offered and Sam narrowed his eyes at me and shook his head in disbelief.
"Whatever you say, Faye. Anyways, get up to bed. You have school in the morning." I scrunched up my nose and stuck out my tongue. He made me feel like a little girl. Besides, my first class started at eleven. I had more than enough time.
"Hey Sam." I said, stopping him in his tracks. "Do you want me to talk to Emily?" He shook his head.
"Nah, don't worry about it. Let her cool down and I'm sure things will be alright tomorrow." I nodded my head, wanting to believe him. I never told him but I did feel bad about causing a fight between Sam and Emily. They took care of me, thanking him in this way seemed a bit ungrateful.
"Alright, goodnight."
"Goodnight sweetheart." Sam said and he kissed my forehead before I ascended the stairs myself.
When I lay down in my own bed and turned to the window I couldn't help but think back of everything that had happened in the past few hours. Paul actually helped me out, he was nice to me and I kissed him in return. This wasn't going to be brushed over easily. But somehow I didn't mind that much. Because it was Paul. I was sure something was going to escalate between the two of us again and we'd be fighting in a split second.
But somehow the prospect of that seemed less promising because now I had other things to worry about.
He was here.
God, he was here.
Devon.
A/N: Shorter than previous chapters but ah well, it was a quick update :) I hope you guys liked it and let me know your thoughts :)
