*Author's note – Hey guys! so I know this is a short chapter, but I'd really love to hear from you guys before I continue on. Are you liking it? Hating it? Let me know! - All my wolfy love, x

I sat up in a panic. I saw the poster filled walls and the grey comforter I was wrapped up in. Then I realized I was not in Portland, I was not in my home in La Push, but I was in Paul's bed. Wow. I was actually in Paul's bed.

Then a thought that made me sick hit me like a brick. This is the same bed that sour faced, cat eyed, Rachel had been in. I huffed in disgust and threw the blankets off me and stood up immediately. Why did I care anyway? It's not like there was anything going on between Paul and I, he just was being friendly and offered me a place to stay. And they were broken up before I had even talked to Paul. And they just coincidentally broke up as soon as I moved here. And she also coincidentally hated me. But hey – I didn't have the answers.

As I started to slip my pants back on, I heard the scuffle of feet in the room next to me. Damn. I was hoping that Paul would be asleep so I could slip out.

I glanced at myself in the mirror and had to hold back a gasp. My eyes were still dreadfully red and my hair was shooting out in all different directions. I smoothed my hair down and sighed, realizing there wasn't much I could do about my eyes.

Sticking my head out of Paul's door, I was hit in the face with the most amazing smell I could have imagined. No way…could he have really? I was almost drooling at this point.

I quietly tip-toed down the hallway and stood right outside the entrance of what I assumed was the kitchen. I heard Paul on the phone.

"Yeah, man, she's still asleep. She was out like a light..."

And then he said, "I just don't know, I just…I can't describe it. It's making me queasy. I just have never felt like this."

Feeling bad for eavesdropping, I quietly tip toed back down the hall way, and then purposely loudly made my way down the hallway. I peeped my head into the kitchen.

"You're up," Paul said happily, a smile stretching across his face, and his eyes bright. He was leaning against the counter, phone nowhere in sight now. He looked so, so sexy.

My stomach flip flopped when I saw the plate of French toast sitting on the kitchen table. No one besides my dad had ever made me breakfast before. Oh shit! Dad!

"What time is it?" I said quickly, forgetting I was supposed to be back at the hospital at noon, and also forgetting all about the French toast on the table.

"It's 1:30…" Paul's voice trailed.

"We have to go!" I said, turning around.

Paul was at my side in an instant, his fingers lightly grasping my arm. "Jared gave me strict orders to not wake you, make sure you eat, and make sure you shower before you go back to the hospital."

"Yeah, but, I've got to go see Dad," I said quickly, my breath coming out rapidly now. I hated this stupid anxiety. I hated feeling like this. It came out of nowhere.

Paul's eyes seemed to seep with concern and his grip on my arm tightened ever so slightly, as he guided me to sit at the table. "Hey," He said softly. "Your dad wouldn't want you to show up starving and smelly," He joked, his smile causing my heart to skip a beat.

My gaze fell to the floor. "I'm sorry for acting insane, all the time, it's just…" My voice trailed off. Paul didn't seem to mind.

"You don't need to explain anything to me," He stood up and walked to the counter and grabbed a mug. "I made you coffee, too."

A grin touched my lips. "Wow. A bed, breakfast, and now coffee…I don't recall paying to stay here. What did I ever do to deserve this kind of treatment?"

Paul rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Just eat up."

We talked casually over "breakfast" and I was surprisingly enjoying it. Paul didn't seem all that bad. I'm not sure his reputation agreed with my opinion though, from the things Kim had told me – some things on accident.

"So," I said, in between bites of French toast. "Kim's told me that you've had quite the run around with the girls around here."

Paul's eyes widened at this and he choked a bit on his coffee. I couldn't help but snicker. One thing I wasn't afraid of: getting to the bottom of things.

"She said what?" He asked, his voice close to a growl.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "She also told me you had a bit of an anger management problem?"

He scrunched his face up. "Kim doesn't know what she's talking about. I don't have an anger management problem, and the only girl I've been with for ages is Rach-" He stopped his sentence abruptly – probably because he noticed the look of disgust on my face that I was trying and failing to hide.

I had absolutely no reason to be jealous. I knew this. He knew this. So, why did the image of Rachel with Paul piss me off so much? I could've puked right there at only the thought. Stupid Rachel.

Paul wiped any trace of emotion off his face and replaced it with an apologetic look. "Scarlett, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap…"

I picked up my plate and set it in the sink, and then plastered a fake smile on my face. "Not your fault," I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "None of my business, I just thought if I was eating all your food up in your house I should at least know a little more about you."

He gave me a small smile, knowing I was full of shit. "I just like to keep the past in the past. That's where it will stay, anyway."

My shoulders seemed to involuntarily relax at this. No more Rachel. Inwardly, I felt flooded with relief. Mentally, I felt like a kook for even thinking twice about Paul Lahote's life.

I chose to ignore this and instead replied, "Well, care to run me home? I'm dying for a shower and I'm sure Jared is there now."

Grabbing the car keys off the table and nodding at me, he motioned his tanned, muscular, beautiful arm towards the doorway. "Ready when you are."

Paul drove me the short drive back home and told me he would see me at the hospital tonight. I tried to tell him he didn't need to come back again and to just stay at home and relax, but he refused. I knew he was Jared's best friend and all but honestly, I was shocked. I didn't have one friend who would go through all that trouble for me – and especially not all that trouble for my sibling.

I thanked him for everything he had done, and ignored the way my stomach flip flopped when his hand grazed over mine. I also ignored the way his eyes lingered over my lips when I talked to him.

Before he had the chance to tell me goodbye, I hopped out of the car and jogged up to the front door. Before I had the chance to open it, Jared flung it open and stood blocking my path. He wrapped his arms around me and lifted my feet from the ground. "Oh, Scar," He breathed into my hair happily.

"Can't breathe," I mumbled dramatically. Jared dropped me in an instant and was grinning ear to ear. "Glad you finally decided to show up!"

"Glad you finally decided to unlock the door!" I joked, punching him lightly on the arm.

"Oh, wah, wah, wah," He mocked. "Go shower! We're gonna go see Dad for a while, and then Emily is cooking us all dinner to give everyone a breath of air after last night. Chicken and dumplings on the menu…I told her it was your favorite."

I moaned in delight. "Nothing in this world sounds better right now!"

Jared laughed and pointed to the steps. "Go, slowpoke!"

I waved him off and treaded up the steps. The shower felt so good on my skin. I had felt permanently cold for the last twelve hours. It felt so nice to have the warmness envelope my exposed body.

I got out quickly and changed into my favorite ripped jeans, and an old off the shoulder sweater. I slipped my ankle boots on and let my dark, wavy hair take its course and dry naturally. Since I knew I would be seeing Paul later, I caught myself mindlessly applying lipstick – a deep shade of red, my go to. And then I hated myself for realizing I was putting on makeup solely to impress Paul. What the hell was wrong with me?

I made my way down the steps to find Quil, Embry, and Paul squished on the couch together watching TV and laughing about something. Jared was on the recliner with his phone in his face, texting Kim, I'm sure.

"Please tell me we aren't all squeezing in one car," I said, entering the room with wide eyes and leaning on the door frame.

Paul's eyes met mine and then lingered on my lips. Then they trailed down my neck and landed on my exposed shoulder, and I immediately blushed pink.

Embry hopped up, smiling brightly. "Well of course we are! Didn't you know that moving here revoked all of your personal space rights?"

I lazily rolled my eyes and let out a small laugh. "Okay, but I'm driving!"

"Like hell you are!" Jared said quickly, snatching the keys I was jangling out of my hand. "We'd all be in the hospital rooms next to Dad if that was the case."

I narrowed my eyes at him and flipped him off. "Let's go, you oafs."

They all followed me out the door like puppy dogs. Maybe I should try bossing these men around more often! Much to my dismay, we squeezed into Jared's Ford Focus. Quil hopped up front with Jared, and I was smashed in the middle of Paul and Embry in the back. I found my heart beat accelerating just at the simple touch of Paul's leg against mine.

I adjusted myself, mostly because I couldn't breathe between these two big monsters, and also because my foot was starting to fall asleep. My hip ended up scooching further on Paul's thigh and I swear I heard him groan a little. And then I swear I heard Jared growl lowly from the front seat. Or maybe I was hearing things.

"Shit," I said suddenly. "It feels like we're in a clown car!"

Paul sluggishly threw an arm around my shoulder and then Embry nudged my side. "You love it, though, don't ya?"

I rolled my eyes, unable to wipe the grin off my face. For once, I was strangely happy. And my mind was clear from any toxic thoughts. I gently leaned a little bit more into Paul's side, and let my head relax back, and then my eyes close.

Jared had turned on an older, indie song that made me feel like I was floating. The windows were down and the boys had their arms hanging out of them. They were all singing along goofily, and I was humming along softly – my throat aching from wanting to sing.

I'd save that for another day.