Chapter 9-Twista

Lucy's POV

"What the hell, Paul?!" I shout as I grab the towel Emily hands me.

"Paul, what in God's name possessed you to be so god damn stupid?!" Sam yells at him, grabbing him by the shirt and throwing him out the door so I'm presuming he could continue yelling at him.

"Embry are you alright?" I ask, pressing the rag up to his nose.

"Mrgh, jus fin Lufy," he says through the pain of his broken nose and having been muffled with my persistent towel pressure on his face.

"Lucy, maybe you should stand back so one of us can replace it," Jacob suggests.

"What?!" I yell. "He broke his nose; you have to take him to the hospital."

"Trust me," Seth says. "This has happened more than once. Huh, Embry?"

Embry nods his head furiously then winces in pain. "You." I point at Embry. "Do not move."

Embry's eyes widen and he gives a small nod.

"Lucy," Sam calls from the front door. "Can you please go out there and talk to Paul. He's scared that he scared you."

I groan. "I'll be out there in a minute. In the meantime, you don't move," I tell Embry, putting the cloth in his hand and smiling before I walk out to the porch.

I step onto the front step and see Paul pacing back and forth, chewing on his thumb nail. Aw, what a cute nervous habit. Wait, what? Did I just call Paul…cute? He is anything but cute. Hot, yes. Cute, no.

"What do you want, Paul?" I call out to him.

He stops mid pace and looks up at me. His eyes were filled with regret and hurt and I think…longing. "I didn't mean to hit him. It just sorta…happened. I am really sorry, Lucy. I just snapped, you know? When I heard that you were gonna be moving in with Embry something in me just snapped and before I could think, I hit him. I know I shouldn't have and it doesn't mean anything to you that I said I'm sorry, but I am. I just like you and I don't want you to hate me so much."

To say I was shocked would have been a massive understatement. More like flabbergasted. This wasn't the arrogant, obnoxious, temperamental, bossy Paul. This was a side that I didn't know existed, never thought was capable of existing. I look into those eyes of his and see all the sadness I inflicted on him. Yea, I was being a bitch and I had good reason to before but now…when he was so sorry. I couldn't hate him anymore.

"You're right."

"I know it doesn't make anything different…wait, what?" he says, confused.

"You're right. This is silly, I don't hate you," I say softly. "I'm sorry for being such a bitch to you."

"You were never a bitch, I promise. I was an asshole. I thought you would fall all over me but you aren't that kind of girl and that's what I like about you. You're independent and strong, damn I mean you even stuck up for Leah. I've never met anyone like you before."

"Friends?" I stick out my hand.

His eyes flicker with sadness for a second but change to hope. "Friends."

His hand meets mine and I am shocked to feel how warm he was. Like a heating blanket. Mmm. No, bad girl, no bad thoughts. No thoughts about how nice it would feel to be cuddled up to that scrumptious body of his…nope, definitely no thoughts about that.

"We should, uh, go inside?" I ask stupidly.

He chuckles. "Yea."

I start walking up to the porch and then I hear a voice out from the trees…I know that voice.

"Do you hear that?" I ask Paul, straining my ears to hear better.

Paul stops walking and stands still, listening. "Is that…Collin?"

The voices got quieter.

"No, that's Annabelle."

"And Collin."

I look at Paul with worry and he frowns. "She's supposed to be out with my mom having lunch then coming here. Alone."

"He probably just saw her coming here and tagged along."

"Ok…"I say, unsure. I walk back up the stairs and try to stop my thoughts from drifting too far.

Paul and I walk back into the kitchen and I take my seat again. I look around for Embry but I can't find him. Seth bounds out of his seat and skips out the door. I look at Paul with a raised eyebrow as he takes Seth's spot.

"Seth is out getting the desserts from the car," Paul explains.

"Where's Embry?" I ask Sam.

"He's grabbing a shirt from my room 'cause his had blood all over it."

"Oh."

"Yea, that was one of my favorite shirts too. Thanks, Paul," Embry says, walking into the kitchen without a shirt and an annoyed expression on his face. I can't stop staring at those great tanned abs. Yummy.

"No problem, anything to support the cause." Paul smirks.

"Sam, all of your shirts are dirty. I spent, like, half my life searching for one to find out there is none."

"I know." Sam smiles.

"Asshole," Embry grumbles. Sam laughs before throwing a roll at his head. It bounces onto the table and Embry glares across the table at Sam.

"If you're not gonna eat that." I reach across the table and snatch the roll. "Then I am."

"You sure can eat a lot," Paul tells me, his eyes wide.

"Are you calling me fat?!" I ask.

"What?! No! I-I didn't mean it like that!" Paul sputters out.

I laugh out loud and took a bite, swallowing I say, "I know, I'm just kidding." I smile at him.

"Hello?" A voice calls out from the living room, it was slow and shy and I instantly know who it is. I rush out to the door and see Annabelle and Collin together. Annabelle's cheeks are flushed and she's glancing nervously at Collin.

"Um, hey, Ann," I say awkwardly.

"Are we too late?" Collin asks, fidgeting at the door.

"No, we just started eating," I answer.

They walk in and we start toward the kitchen. Can you say awkward?

I take my spot next to Embry again and try not to stare at his chest. Dear, God that boy had a nice body.

"Oh, cool." Annabelle and Collin take the last two seats at the table and everyone finishes eating.

"Where's Brady, Collin?" Emily asks.

"I don't know," he says gruffly.

"Oh, well, ok."

"Collin, can I talk to you outside?" Sam asks tightly.

Collin grunts in reply and follows Sam out the door. Annabelle doesn't say anything and we all just sit there in an awkward silence.

"So…" Embry says after the silence is too much to bear.

"Who wants to pay twista?!" a voice shouts from under the table.

"Claire?! What are you doing under the table, bub?" Quil asks the young toddler as she puts the game onto his lap.

"You know what? I think that's a good idea, let's play twister," Embry agrees.

Everyone shouts agreements and they all look toward Annabelle and me.

"Why not?" I say, shrugging.

I mean, what harm could come from this? I think. A little voice in the back of my head was saying, A lot more than you think.