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CHAPTER 10
When Jacob came back in the kitchen Zoey was pulling the lasagnas out of the oven.
"It smells really good Zoey," Jacob said.
"Thanks Jake," she smiled. "Why don't you get some plates, make sure you get one for Paul to," she told him and he nodded and got four plates from a cabinet and set then on the counter. "Go get your dad," she said and her nodded and walked into the other room. He came back with Billy and the three of them fixed plates. After Jacob fixed his plate Zoey got up and put some on a plate for Paul and cut a big slice of bread and sat it on the plate as well then wrapped it up and put it in the oven to keep it warm.
"This is great Zoey," Billy said and she smiled over at him.
"Thanks," she replied.
"Zoey is everything ok?" Billy asked her.
"Its fine," she answered.
"Ever since you got here, you've been kind of distant with me…"
"Dad," Jacob said.
"Its ok Jake," she told him.
"Are you upset with me about something?" Billy asked.
"No," she answered.
"Have I done something to upset you?" he asked.
"Of course not," she sighed and sat her fork down by her plate.
"Zoey," Billy said.
"Do you want me here?" she asked and looked over at him.
"Zoey if I didn't want you here I wouldn't have agreed to let you live here with me and Jacob."
"So what happened last year? You never did reschedule my visit."
"Zoey last year when you were supposed to visit us was when I phased for the first time, it wasn't safe for you to be around me."
"Oh," Zoey said finally understanding. "I get it."
"And as you can see its still not safe to be around some of us." he added.
"Paul," Billy stated.
"No, Embry," Jacob told him and Billy looked shocked.
"Embry kind of hates me now," Zoey whispered and she stood up and took her plate to the sink.
"Jacob," Billy said.
"Zoey…well Zoey…Embry would like to be more than friends with Zoey and Zoey doesn't feel that way about him and he got upset about it." Jacob began explaining. "Embry left a bruise on her arm earlier, Paul was upset about it."
"What does Paul have to do with this?" Billy asked curiously and Zoey turned around and looked at him and wiped a tear that ran down her cheek.
"If you want the truth, Embry is convinced that I'm fucking Paul when nothing like that is going on with us and he won't listen to me or Paul when I tell him that." she said as she walked over. "You finished?" she asked Billy gesturing to his empty plate.
"Yeah," he said and handed it to her and she took it to the sink.
"There was a little argument, Embry was calling Zoey some names and he was shaking and Paul was trying to get her away from Embry but Zoey wasn't listening to him. He just kept calling Zoey names and being mean to her and Zoey slapped him I managed to get Zoey out of the way when Embry phased and Paul phased soon after that and the two of them were fighting. Somehow Sam and I broke them up and well here we are now."
"So Paul imprinted on Zoey?" Billy asked.
"NO!" Zoey and Jacob said together.
"Then how do you explain his very unpaul like behavior?" Billy asked.
"Paul swears he didn't imprint." Jacob told him.
"Paul doesn't want an imprint," Zoey told them. "It doesn't take a genius to figure that out," she told them.
"You didn't get hurt?" Billy asked her.
"No, I'm fine, Embry just hates me now. He can barely stand to be around me."
"He'll get over it Zo," Jacob told her. "You can't help the way you feel."
"That's what Paul said." she sighed.
"Do you and Paul talk about everything now?" Jacob asked getting upset.
"Kind of yeah," she told him. "Why?"
"I'm going to go watch the game," Billy said and pushed himself away from the table and left the kitchen.
"Jake," she said crossing her arms over her chest.
"Zoey its just I remember when you used to tell me everything," he sighed and walked over to the where she was standing. Zoey filled the sink with water so she could wash the dishes. Jacob stood beside her so he could help.
"Jake you've been to busy forbidding me to date this guy and that guy to listen to me," she told him as she stuck her hands in the water and began to wash dishes.
"Zo," Jacob said quietly. "I've just been trying to look out for you, I tried to tell Embry not to ask you out to and he just got mad at me."
"I'm sorry Jake, I know Embry has been one of your best friends for years," she told him. "Maybe things would have been better if your dad turned my dad down when he asked if I could stay here."
"Things are gong to be ok," Jacob assured her. "And I really did miss you." she smiled. "And you and I are going to sit down and catch up, cause I want to know everything you've been up to for the past year."
"Ok Jake," she smiled.
"Tomorrow after school," he said.
"Ok," she agreed.
"Well I'll see you later," he said and she nodded as he turned and walked out of the kitchen. Zoey finished up washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen. She was wiping the counter when there was a knock on the kitchen door. She walked over and opened it and saw Paul on the other side.
"Hey I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up," she said and moved aside to let him in. "Where were you?"
"Jennifer Corona," he answered.
"Oh yeah with all the drama this afternoon I forgot all about her." she sighed. "Well sit down and I'll get your plate," she told him and she took a plate out of the oven and unwrapped it and put it in the microwave for a few minutes and sat it in front of him and then brought him something to drink and went back to wiping the counter.
"Delicious," Paul moaned when he took a bite and she smiled as she put the cloth she was cleaning with down.
"Thanks."
"Come sit with me," Paul said and he reached over and pulled the chair closest to him right next to him. "Come on," he said and patted the seat of the chair as he took another bite of lasagna. She walked over and sat down next to him. When she sat down he noticed the way she smelled for the first time, like orchids, orchids and vanilla. She smelled incredible to him all of a sudden. "Thanks for this." he said.
"You're welcome Paul." she replied. "You don't get dinner at home?" she asked.
"Yeah but I can't cook this good," he told her and took another bite. She opened her mouth to ask what he meant but he looked up at her, making sure his eyes never met hers, "Another time ok," he told her. "We'll talk about it another time."
"Ok," she said and propped her elbow up on the table and rested her chin in her hand and looked at him. He just looked better every time she looked at him, his muscular arms and six pack abs, tanned skin, he was incredibly sexy.
"See something you like Z?" he asked mischeviously and Zoey looked at him and saw that he also had a miscevious twinkle in his eye. Zoey crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.
"Shut up Paul," she mumbled. "Its not my fault you're hot and nice to look at." she sighed.
"Well thanks Z," he smirked. "So are you," he told her and she uncrossed her arms and stared at him shocked. "Its true Z, you're beautiful," he told her as he let his travel over her body. "And very nice to look at."
"If you say so," she smiled as she rolled her eyes.
"Did you eat?" he asked.
"Yeah I ate with Jake and Billy," she told him and looked away.
"What's bothering you?" Paul asked. "Its not still Embry is it?"
"No," she sighed. "its part of it but I'm just going to have let everything with Embry run its course and hope he gets past everything."
"He will, he just really liked you and you broke his heart." Paul told her as he shoved more food in his mouth.
"I know," she whispered.
"Z," Paul sighed. "I didn't say that to hurt you."
"I know," she whispered. "I just can't believe he actually thought or still thinks all those things about me."
"Z, you know they're not true and who cares what anyone else thinks. We know the truth."
"Yeah," she sighed.
"Something else then?" he asked.
"Billy said if he didn't want me here he wouldn't let me live with him and Jake.."
"So you actually asked if your dad paid him to take you in?"
"No Paul," she sighed.
"Hey if Billy didn't want you here no amount of money in the world would change his mind," he told her and she smiled. "Stubbornness is a Black family trait," he smirked and leaned back in his chair.
"So what are you saying Paul?"
"That every member of the Black family I've met is very stubborn." he gave her a smirk and her mouth dropped open.
"Paul." she said and playfully hit his arm and he winked at her. "Why are you so nice to me?"
"Zoey do I have to have a reason?" he asked quietly.
"I don't guess so, "she sighed.
"Let me guess, people told you I'm only nice to you because I want to sleep with you." he said.
"Yeah," she sighed. "That you would always be thinking about how you could get me to sleep with you in the back of your mind."
"Zoey, I'm not going to lie to you, I think you're so beautiful and when I first met you all I thought about was sleeping with you but I really am ok with just being your friend Z, ok."
"Ok," she said quietly. "So thanks for trying to protect me this afternoon," she said and he smiled.
"Well it would have been better if you had listened to me," he told her and she smiled.
"Sorry," she said quietly.
"Well not listening, that's another Black family trait," he teased and she let out a sigh and looked over at him.
"Stop teasing me, I know I'm stubborn and don't listen well.".
"I'm just glad Jake knocked you out of the way, you could have really gotten hurt, Embry was really mad," he told her. "And Embry doesn't normally get like that…"
"You do from what I've heard."
"Yep, I'm famous for loosing my temper and phasing," he told her. "Everyone's seen me naked."
"What does that have to do with anything."
"Clothes rip when you phase so when you phase back from wolf to human you're naked."
"Oh," she said nodding.
"I should go," Paul told her.
"See you in the morning?"
"5:15," he said and she nodded and he stood up and took his plate to the sink. Zoey stood up as well and walked with him to the door.
"Goodnight Paul."
"Night Z," he replied and opened the door and walked out.
Zoey went upstairs after Paul left and got ready for bed. She brushed her hair and teeth and washed her face. Then she put on her pajamas and went to her bedroom as soon as she got in her bedroom her cell phone rang.
"Hello," she answered.
"Zoey hey, its Leah."
"Hey."
"So what happened this afternoon with you and Embry?" she asked, "I heard he was mad but I haven't managed to get the whole story yet."
"Embry asked me out," she sighed and sat down on the bed.
"Oh no," Leah gasped.
"Yeah and I had to tell him no and he got mad accused me of fucking Paul and was calling me a slut, he hates me now," she told her. "Grabbed my arm and left a bruise," she told her. "Paul saw the bruise when I met him earlier there was an argument with Paul and Embry, Embry was still calling me names and I slapped him and he turned into a giant wolf. Him and Paul fought."
"What's going on with you and Paul?" Leah asked.
"Nothing Leah, we're just friends," she said frustrated and flopped down on her bed. "Why does everyone seemed surprised by that?"
"Because Paul doesn't have girl friends, two words, hell Paul doesn't have a girlfriend, one word, just fuck buddies."
"I know that," she sighed. "But he swears he's ok with just being friends."
"Do you believe him?" Leah asked.
"Yeah."
"Are you ok with that? Just being his friend?"
"Yeah, I have a date next weekend anyway."
"With who?" Leah asked excited.
"Ethan Reed from school." she told her.
"I know who you're talking about, he's cute."
"I know." she giggled.
"So are you ok?" Leah asked.
"Yeah, I hate that Embry's upset with me and doesn't want anything to do with me, but I'll be fine."
"You sure about that?" Leah asked concerned.
"Yeah I mean, he barely talked to me this afternoon after Sam and Jake got him and Paul to phase back and I did talk to Paul before I left Sam's and he actually just left here."
"Why was Paul at your house?"
"Dinner," she answered.
"Oh he had dinner with you, Jake and Billy."
"No, he showed up after Jake and Billy were done, he ate and we talked."
"So you know about us, Sam told you everything since you saw Embry and Paul phase."
"Yeah."
"So did Paul maybe imprint on you?" she asked.
"No, he says he didn't."
"Ok," Leah said confused. "Its just so weird you two." she added.
"I like talking to Paul," she admitted.
"No one likes talking to Paul," Leah said. "Are we talking about the same Paul."
"Yeah," she chuckled.
"Well good luck then, because Paul can be difficult."
"I know, thanks Leah."