Author: KABAAM. Happy new year to everyone! I hope you all got piss drunk like I did, or at least did something awesome to bring in the new year. Oh yes! Merry (late) christmas as well. I had originally intended for this to be out earlier, but you know life. I also wanted to clear something up,
Ohh shiii- Phoenix is losing her touch!
Answer: I know sweets, Phoenix is going through what we are calling a transition period. She's just moved to a new city, found people she actually cares for and is starting to morph to a normal life. Does that mean shes going to change? Yeah, she will. Is she going to lose the tough girl, smokin', drinkin', party lifestyle? No, it's who she is. Eventually, it will be a balance. Until then, things are going to flop around like a fish on a cutting board. Mmkay?
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Chapter Ten: Free Fallin'
Paul didn't hesitate to take the spot beside me, he butt colliding with the log before I could even finish my sentence. I snickered to myself, picking up the roll on my plate. "So what do you guys usually do for fun around here?" I asked casually, trying to find some ground of conversation. Obviously my normal talk of latest tattoos or wild parties wouldn't be practical as I had not participated in either since I left New York.
Just the thought made me want to crawl back over to the cooler, take all the beer and drink myself silly.
When no answer was given, I glanced over at Paul. Paul sat on the log precariously, never looking so out of place and out of thought. I plastered on a fake smile, poking his shoulder lightly. "Cat got your tongue Pauly?"
His eyes met mine, but they didn't show the amusement I expected. "Don't do that." He muttered, catching me off guard.
"Don't do what?" I asked confused.
"Smile fakely, it doesn't suit you."
The smile died, replaced with a frown. How could he read me so easily? Scoffing, I placed my food back down on my plate. Instead of resuming to eat, I pulled out one of the few cigarettes from my pocket.
"Do you mind?" I honestly didn't care, but the least I could do was ask after inviting him to sit with me.
Again, there was no response. I rolled my eyes. With the cigarette in hand, I placed it in between my lips, my other hand reaching up with the lighter ready to ignite. And then both were gone. Right out of my grasp like they had never been there in the first place. I felt as if I was ready to blow a gasket, it was beginning to become ridiculous.
"Family function, no smoking." Sam ordered as he walked past, never once looking back.
I was sure I resembled a gold fish by this second.
"You look like a goldfish." Embry pointed out as he walked past as well, taking a seat on the sand beside the log. I glared over in his direction.
Paul was still silent.
"There's not even any kids around!" I shouted after Sam, knowing my delayed words would go unheard. Or even more likely ignored.
"He's always like that. You'll get used to it." Paul spoke quietly, making my head snap in his direction. So the hottie had words after all. "Once things settle down, you'll feel less like the victim and he won't be as bad."
"Easy for you to say." Embry chimed in from his spot. I was surprised he even heard Paul speak since he was talking so quietly. "You're like his wing man. Except you pick up blo- I mean juvenile delinquents like this one here! Phoenix how could you!"
"I'm not sure what you're trying to cover up, but you cease to amaze me." I deadpanned, still staring in Paul's direction.
His eyes were locked with mine, sending a shiver down my spine. How could someone so gorgeous be a wing man to the enemy? Who was also slightly gorgeous. But since he was taken and a jerk he was knocked down to boys who never even get looked at our taken into consideration for anything. Not even to carry your books to class, or use as a footstool during lunch.
Seth rejoined the group, taking a seat on the edge of the log next to me and thoroughly breaking my concentration on Paul. I grinned, turning in my seat to my younger brother from another mother. "Sethy, Sam took my favourite lighter."
"Maybe you shouldn't smoke." Embry poked in once again. He was quickly becoming the annoying older brother that I already had two of. Ryder couldn't really count for anything as he was always MIA.
"Maybe you should watch your eating habits, you're becoming a little tubby."
"Did you just call me fat?" He gasped. Embry looked up at Seth, using his best puppy dog eyes. "Sethy, Nixxi called me fat."
"You're a chain smoker and you are fat." Seth commented easily, taking a giant bite of his hot dog. I swear it only took him two bites until he was finished and onto the next one.
I shrugged, going back to my forgotten roll on my plate. I ate the thing slowly, picking it apart with my fingers and then placing it in my mouth. Glancing around, I noticed Emily and I were the only two who seemed to chew our food before swallowing. The rest of the guys were shovelling their food into their mouths like hungry orphan children who hadn't been fed in days.
Paul cleared his throat, his body shifting in his spot. I felt his arm graze against mine, making my own feel as if it were burning. "Jesus Paul, you're warm. Do you have a temperature?" It was like the similar incident with Seth had escaped my mind, only centring in on the fact Paul felt like his body temperature had broken a hundred hours ago. Placing both hands on either cheek, I pulled his head down so my lips could press against his forehead.
It was a trick my mother used to do in order to tell if we were faking sick or not. Every time she caught us.
He pulled back suddenly, his eyes wide.
And just like that, he was gone. Running into the forest as fast as his legs would take him, and out of sight.
"Gee, what's his deal?" All I heard were a bunch of snickers.
Paul's POV
She was breathtaking.
From the second Seth's truck pulled into the lot, I was there waiting. I watched as she fiddled with seat belt, talking and smiling with Seth. And then she was getting out, her feet hitting the ground unevenly, her heeled boots not able to find a grip on the sandy-rocky surface.
I was at her side in an instance, wrapping my arms around her waist. She smelt like what I assumed heaven would smell like, vanilla and cocoa bean. "Easy there." I breathed, hoping she wouldn't notice the way I was breathing in her scent.
The last thing I needed was to scare her off.
I brought her over to the table of food, handing her a plate in the process. "Emily won't mind if you take food but she'll skin me alive if I even think about it." The way she was staring was a little unnerving, but welcomed in the least. Her eyes raked over my body slowly, a twisted smile forming on her lips just as her eyes sparked with lust.
She most certainly was a party girl, nothing like the other girls here. Maybe scaring her off would be harder than I expected. I leaned in slightly, breathing in her scent once more. It was official, I was addicted. Before I could open my mouth to speak, she was pulled just out of reach.
Embry had somehow snuck up behind us, taking her into his arms and twirling her in a circle. Didn't he know that he could hurt her? He needed to be careful! A growl rumbled through my chest, shaking the rest of my limbs with it. "Embry put her down!" I ordered, knowing it would go in through one ear and out the other. If he had half a brain, he would listen.
I'll just kick his ass later.
As her feet touched the ground, I wove my arms around her waist pulling her away from the devil in disguise. "Are you alright?" It even surprised me by the tone of my voice, it just sounded so unlike myself.
"Paul, you're shaking." Her words tore me away from myself, my gaze resting on hers.
"I'm going to get something to drink."
The way the fire licked the log was enticing. My concentration couldn't be moved as I half listened to the conversation going on around me. Brady was telling one of his tall tale stories about a girl at school, while Seth pretended to go along with every word he said, Embry was adding his two cents every few seconds. Jared and Sam poked fun at the others, saying they didn't know what it was like to have an imprint.
They were right, they didn't.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Phoenix's movements with Emily. They both seemed to be talking, Emily looking smug for the majority.
What they could be talking about was beyond me.
As the minutes passed, I felt it harder to control my mind even more. Phoenix had moved over to the circle, joining in with ease and not seeming out of place at all. It was strange, Emily had been automatically accepted as she was there from the start. Kim had wormed her way into the group as she was shy and quiet, barely speaking to anyone but Jared. In fact, she talked through Jared for three weeks before saying a word to anyone else. Claire, well as big as a shock it was, she was only a kid, impossible not to like.
Phoenix just jumped in, head first, no worries no nothing. She just belonged.
Sam cleared his throat.
Well, she belonged for the most part. Sam didn't like anyone who questioned his authority.
Leah was gone within seconds, wanting nothing to do with the group at all. Typical Leah, but one day she'll understand why things happened the way they did.
When Emily called dinner, I jumped to my feet. There was no way in hell these little pups were going to beat me to the table. Somewhere along the race, Embry ended up on the ground, Seth had jumped on Brady's back, and Sam had already gotten a plate for himself and Emily by the time any of us had reached the table.
After grabbing as much as I could for myself I glanced back over in Phoenix's direction, my eyes narrowing. She was quite thin, thinner than Emily or Leah, even Kim. Knowing she had already ate, I grabbed another plate regardless and piled some more food on that one.
"Come on Paul you have enough!" Quil complained, shoving a chicken wing into his mouth.
"It's for Phoenix you twit." I growled, before shoving him out of the way.
As I walked towards her, I could feel my composure slipping the slightest. "Phoenix?" The words had come out softer than I had intended. Her head whipped in my direction, forcing a smile onto my lips. "I brought you some food, just in case you wanted some..."
Way to sound like a dork, Paul.
I could only thank the lord that I wasn't a wolf at the moment. Or else, I would never hear the end of it.
She took the plate, smiling like an angel. And when she asked me to join her, I had never moved quicker in my life.
Look Out. Committed to Crime will be up soon! I'm intending to have it up in the next month.
Review. As we are the warriors of the weekends.