I know I say this all the time, but thank you all so much for your reviews and adds. Now, I'm posting a second (and super long) chapter today since I won't be able to post on Saturday because I am going out of town tomorrow until Sunday afternoon. Thank you all so much for reading and I'll post again as soon as I can. Please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with the Twilight series.


Chapter 9

Forty-five minutes later I headed downstairs with my coat and scarf resting over my arm and I nervously adjusted my shirt. I had decided on a dark blue long sleeved v-neck shirt that I layered with a white tank top underneath, a pair of black jeans, and my white scarf wrapped around my hair that I left down. Thanks to the collar of the shirts the necklace Paul gave me for Christmas was easy to see and I hoped he would notice that I was wearing it. I walked into the kitchen to find Paul sitting at the table with Grandpa and both men looked at me when I entered the room.

"Morning," I said to Grandpa and he smiled at me.

"Morning, Amanda," he said before he took a drink of his coffee. "Paul told me he's taking you out for breakfast." I nodded as I walked further into the room and came to a stop next to Paul.

"If it's okay," I said and Grandpa smiled.

"It's fine," Grandpa said. "They won't be home until at list six or seven, so, you can even make a day of it if you want." I looked at Paul only to see him smile at Grandpa before he looked up at me. At least I was taller than him when he was sitting in the low chair and I was standing. He looked away from me and picked up something from the table and held it out to me.

"You left these in my truck," he said and I smiled when I realized it was my gloves.

"Thanks," I said as I took them from him. He stood then and wrapped his right arm around my shoulders before he looked at Grandpa.

"I'll have her back before her parents get home," Paul promised and Grandpa smiled and nodded his head.

"You two have fun," Grandpa said and Paul ushered me into the hall before he helped me with my coat and then took my hand as he walked me to his truck. The old truck was already running and it was nice and warm in the cab as I settled myself into my seat. Paul was quick to get in the truck and soon the two of us were on our way.

"So, does this place we're going serve waffles?" I asked to break the comfortable silence in the cab and he chuckled.

"Why? Do you have a craving for waffles or something?" he asked and I smiled.

"No, I just like waffles," I said, "and it's been a while since I had them."

"They have waffles," he assured me as he laughed again and put his right hand on his thigh so he was driving his truck with his left hand. Without really thinking, I reached over with my left hand and took his right hand into mine. It surprised him, because his eyes snapped to my face for a second before he gently squeezed my hand and returned his eyes to the road. I didn't know what possessed me to take his hand, but I wanted to touch him and e didn't seem to mind at all.

It didn't take us long to reach the quant diner that rested in the heart of La Push and the reservation. The second we walked in, Paul was greeted by several of the older men that sat in the diner eating their breakfasts. Paul smiled and nodded his head at them before he and I found a table and started taking off our coats. We had no more sat down with an older Native American woman came up to the table, her long silver gray hair tied in a ponytail at the base of her neck and a smile on her face as she looked between me and Paul.

"Morning Paul," she said. "Who's your friend?" she asked as she returned her eyes to me. I heard Paul sigh and I looked at him.

"Aunt Laura, this is Amanda; Amanda this is my Aunt Laura," Paul said. "I thought you weren't working today," he said looking up at the older woman and I did the same.

"I wasn't supposed to but Millie called in today," she said. "Her son surprised her for the holidays and she wanted to spend another day with him. Who am I to deny her that?" She returned her eyes to me and smiled. "Aren't you just a pretty thing," she said. "What can I get you today?"

"Um," I said not really sure what to say since I hadn't even looked at the menu. Paul chuckled and I looked at him.

"She'll have a glass of orange juice, the waffle platter with fruit," he said for me and Laura grinned as she quickly wrote everything down on her notepad. "I'll have the usual."

"Coming right up," she said and she winked at me before turning and heading to the kitchen. I smiled as I looked at Paul.

"Ordering for me now?" I asked as I rested my arms on the table and he grinned as he did the same thing.

"You looked like you needed some help," he said. I laughed lightly as I looked down at the table for a second and then returned my eyes to him.

"I was surprised by our waitress being your aunt," I told him honestly. "Plus, I hadn't even looked at the menu." He laughed and smiled at me before he reached out with his left hand and tugged my right hand from where I had it tucked in my left elbow. He took my hand and laced his fingers with mine. I knew I was blushing, but the heat of his hand and the slight roughness of his skin against mine made my entire body tingle in a way I never felt before.

"It's her diner," Paul said. "I didn't think she'd be here today. I know you're not ready for the craziness that is my Aunt Laura," he finished in a whisper and I giggled. Yes, I giggled and Paul smiled at the sound.

"If I can handle Embry's craziness, I think I can handle your aunt," I said and he seemed to think for a moment before he smiled.

"I never thought about that. You're right," he said and I smiled.

"Here you go," Laura said and I looked away from Paul and to her as she stopped at the table and put down a large glass of orange juice in front of me and a cup of coffee in front of Paul. Paul smiled up at his aunt, but he didn't let go of my hand like I expected him to and Laura smiled at me. "Your food shouldn't be too much longer, but it doesn't look like you two care too much at the moment," she said before she winked at me and walked away.

"See what I mean?" Paul asked as we returned our eyes to each other and I laughed before he let go of my hand to add cream and sugar to his coffee. I took a drink of my orange juice before I pulled out my pillbox from my jeans pocket and dumped my morning medicine in my hand. "Did you bring all the medication you need to take during the day?" he asked and I frowned as I looked at him.

"What?" I asked, hoping I heard him incorrectly.

"Did you bring all the medication you need to take during the day?" he asked again and I sighed before I looked away from him and took my medicine without answering him. At first, I thought he was just being protective; but his concern about my medication and how I was feeling all the time was getting on my nerves. "Amanda?" he asked when I took the last two pills and I sighed again as I looked at him.

"What?" I asked rather sharply and it was his turn to frown.

"Are you going to answer my question?" he asked.

"What happened to you not harping on me about my medication?" I asked.

"I was just curious," he said, his frown still in place. "I worry about you."

"Paul, I'm seventeen not seven. I know what I have to do to take care of myself and I don't need you to remind me." I stood up and walked away from the table angry at not only Paul, but at myself for snapping at him all because he cares about me. I found the restroom and quickly went inside to calm myself down. I took a deep breath as I walked over to the counter and rested my palms against the cool countertop before I raised my head and looked in the mirror. Tears of frustration lined my eyes and I closed them to stop them from falling.

"Amanda," came Paul's muffled voice from the other side of the door, but I didn't answer him. "Amanda, I'm sorry. Please, come out and lets talk about this." With a deep breath I pushed my arms away from the counter and opened my eyes before I walked over to the door. I opened it, but remained inside the door as I looked up at him. His face crumbled upon seeing my face and he gently put his hand on the door to keep it open. Thankfully, the restroom was in a small hall off the dining area so we weren't putting on a show for the old men sitting at the tables near the entrance to the all. "I'm sorry," he said again.

"I'm sorry too, but you have to understand where I'm coming from," I said, my eyes pleading with him to listen. "All I want is one day where no one asks me if I'm okay. One day where no one asks me if I took my medicine. One day when I can forget the last seven months of my life and not have someone remind me of it."

"Starting right now, today, can be that day," Paul said as he pushed open the door, kept it open with his foot, and pulled me close to him. He wrapped his left arm around my waist before he tilted my head up to look at him with his right hand. The heat from his body was so welcoming and it never failed to warm my always chilled body. I wanted to push him away and continue being upset, but it was very hard to do with the mild desperation shining in his eyes.

"Can you go the whole day without asking me if I'm okay?" I asked, my doubt easy to hear in my voice.

"I promise not to ask you if you're okay . . . unless you fall down or something. Then I'm asking," he hastily added and I laughed then, which made him smile before he leaned down and rested his forehead against mine. It was an incredibly intimate gesture and probably rather uncomfortable for him seeing as he towered over me.

My heart raced as his right hand slid from my face to rest on my neck. His thumb ran gently across my jaw line and his left arm tightened its hold on me so I was as close to him as I possibly could be with his head bent the way it was. Forgetting we were in the middle of a diner, owned by his aunt no less, I did something that even I didn't expect myself to do. I tilted my chin up and brushed my lips against his in a ghost of a kiss. It took Paul a moment to realize what I had done, but the second he did he lifted his head slightly and pressed his warm and soft lips to mine.

I swear the entire world stood still as Paul literally swept me off my feet. He lifted me from the ground, pressing my body tight to his, so he could kiss me with more ease. No one existed outside of Paul and myself at that very moment and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, my hands instantly burying themselves in his ink black hair. My entire body tingled and screamed for me to get closer, but there was no distance between us for me to close, and as his tongue ran along my bottom lip a loud throat clearing tore our lips apart. Both Paul and I looked in the direction of the sound only to see a chuckling Laura, whose hands were resting on her hips.

"I think you two should come eat your breakfast while it's hot," she said through her chuckles. "It looks like you'll need all the energy you can get." She turned away and walked back into the diner and I felt my face heat from more than my activities with Paul. I looked at the boy in question and he too was blushing as he looked at me with a satisfied smile on his face, which only made me blush deeper. I untangled my fingers from his hair and rested my hands on his shoulders.

"We should go eat our breakfast," I said softly and he nodded.

"Yeah," he said with his deep voice even huskier than normal. However, after a few seconds he was still staring at me and holding me several inches up from the floor.

"You need to put me down first." He chuckled nervously, blushed a little deeper, and then settled me on the floor. I adjusted my top, hoping I didn't look like I had just had a minute long make out session. I gave him a shy smile before I started to walk pass him, only he put his arm out; effectively blocking me from stepping out of the doorway. I looked up at him and his eyes held mind for several beats before he smiled, leaned down, and placed a chaste kiss upon my lips.

"Let's go eat," he whispered before he lowered his arm, took my hand into his, and led me back to our table. We earned several curious glances, but I didn't care. I just wanted Paul to kiss me like that again, and soon.


After our moment in the doorway of the diner's restroom, breakfast was a normal affair. Paul and I talked while we ate and I managed to get my blushing face under control even when his aunt would send me a wink when my eyes caught hers. We were in his truck again, driving in the opposite direction of where I knew my grandparents' house rested and I looked at him.

"Where are we going now?" I asked and he rubbed his thumb along the back of my gloved hand that held onto his as he drove.

"First Beach," he said and I raised an eyebrow. He glanced at me when I didn't say anything and he laughed at my expression. "I know it's cold outside, but we can sit in the truck and talk, and we'll actually be able to carry on a conversation without anyone listening in." I smiled at his exasperated tone. He was clearly thinking of his aunt, who had wiped down the tables next to us far more times than what was necessary.

"That sounds nice," I said and he smiled, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. Soon, he let go of my hand simply because he needed to have both hands on the wheel as he drove along the snow covered path that led to the beach. The moment he parked the truck and turned off the ignition, I unbuckled my seatbelt and scooted closer to him for not only his body heat but to just be close to him. Now that the whole 'first kiss' thing was out of the way, I was far more comfortable around him than I had been before. Once I was close enough, he wrapped his right arm around me and pulled me even closer until I was snuggled up into his side.

"Warm enough?" he asked.

"Yes," I said softly as I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Amanda?" he asked after several comfortable minutes of looking out the windshield and at the water crashing gently against the shore.

"Hmm?" I asked.

"What do you imagine your life to be like after you graduate high school?" he asked and I raised my head from his shoulder and looked at him.

"You mean, like, where do I see myself?" I asked and he nodded. "Well, I had hoped to go to college on the east coast, but since I got sick I decided that it would be best to stay close to home. I didn't get any of my applications in on time to start next fall, but if I'm accepted at the University of Washington, I'm hoping to start classes the second semester."

"What do you want to go to college for?" he asked as he raised his hand from my shoulder and started playing with my hair.

"Elementary Education. I want to be a teacher," I said and he gave me a small smile as he looked at me, which made me blush yet again. "What?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Nothing, it's just . . . I can see you with a classroom of kids," he said. "It's a nice image."

"Really?" I asked and he smiled before he leaned into me and kissed me softly.

"Really," he whispered against my lips before he kissed me again, but not as innocently as he had just seconds before. I raised my right hand to his face and rested my hand on this cheek as we kissed, but his lips left mine far too soon and he sighed softly as he rested his forehead against mine once more. I smiled when I noticed his eyes were closed and I ran my fingers along his cheek before settling my hand where his broad shoulder met his neck. However, when he remained still and had yet to open his eyes I started worrying that I was doing something wrong.

"Am I not doing it right?" I asked and his eyes shot open as he raised his forehead from mine and looked at me.

"What?" he asked and I blushed.

"I've never . . . kissed anyone before," I admitted. "I'm not doing anything wrong am I?" I asked, lowering my hand from his neck but he quickly caught my right hand with his left.

"You're not doing anything wrong, Amanda," he said heavily and I could only blink in response because the inflection in his voice made my stomach twist in knots. Slowly, he laid the palm of my hand against his chest, which was firm and warm underneath my hand. His eyes held mine as I felt the rapid beating of his heart against my palm. "Do you feel that?" he asked in a whisper and I nodded because my own heart was meeting the steady beats of his. "You do this to me."

"I do?" I asked and he smiled as he pulled my hand from his chest and laced his bare fingers with my gloved ones.

"You do," he said and I found myself smiling as he looked at me. I knew then and there that there was no going back for me. I was falling in love with him, and I was scared to death.