Paul's heart lifted at Jamie's admission. She didn't think it was too late for them. There was still hope after all. There was still hope for them.
Paul stiffly paid the waitress. He left her no tip while ignoring her last ditch effort to flirt with him. Had she really been like that all night? It was entirely possible. He had been a little too wrapped up in Jamie to notice much else besides his beautiful imprint.
He opened the door to the restaurant and held it open for Jamie when he realized she was standing stock-still, staring out the door. "Jamie?" He asked hesitantly. "Are you okay?"
She blinked at shook her head slightly. "Yeah. I-I'm okay." She walked out the door with a dazed look in her eyes.
Paul could see the hostess and their awful waitress whispering to each other in front of the door to the kitchen. Without knowing exactly how to explain it, he knew they were talking about Jamie. He was sure that he didn't want to know what they were saying. If he did, he was pretty sure he might phase right then and there. His patience was already worn too thin tonight. Throwing one last glare at them, Paul sprinted out the door to catch up with Jamie.
He gently grabbed hold of Jamie's wrist just before she reached his old decrepit truck. "Hey," he said in a tone similar to one used when speaking to a frightened child. "What's wrong?" He asked when he saw that she was close to tears. "Was it those girls?"
She sniffled. "Wh-What girls? Wasn't it just the one girl? Th-The waitress?"
He didn't have the heart to tell her that the hostess was probably just as cruel. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"
"N-Nothing," she lied.
"Jamie. Please?"
She shrugged lightly. "I-It's nothing. Really," she said at his look of disbelief.
"Look Jamie. If we're going to make this work, and I do hope we can make this work, then you need to let me in."
She nervously ran her hand through her hair. "I-It's just an old fear. I-It's actually p-pretty childish."
"What is it?" He wanted to know everything about her.
"You'll laugh at me."
"Never," he swore.
"I-It's the storm, well the oncoming storm. I-I don't really like thunder." Amused, he smiled at her. "See? I told you that you would laugh at me."
"I'm not laughing. I'm smiling. There's a difference."
"Oh, is there now?"
"Are you teasing me? I like it. No, I'm just slightly amused. Aren't you living in the wrong place to be afraid of storms?"
She smiled. "Probably."
"Out of all of the things to be afraid of, you pick thunder."
She tilted her head to the side. "Wh-What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that you're worried about storms, but you're perfectly at ease being around me."
"You?" Wow. She really didn't get it.
"Could you really have forgotten so easily? I'm not human, Jamie. I turn into a wolf so I can protect people from real life vampires."
She looked thoughtful for a moment. "So does that mean you can protect me from the big bad thunder?" She giggled.
Paul liked this playful side of her. He hoped he could see more of it. If only he knew how to bring it out in her.
A loud crack of thunder sounded, causing Jamie to flinch. "Come on. Let me take you home."
Paul gently took her arm and helped her into his sad excuse of a car. The ride back was spent in silence. He was desperate to hear her laugh and tease him, but he had no idea how to make that happen. As usual, Jamie was no help in starting a conversation.
Once Paul pulled up in front of Kim's house, a shattering crash of thunder cracked. Jamie looked petrified.
"Let me walk you to your door." Jamie bit her lip but finally nodded in agreement.
For once he wanted to walk his date inside for her sake, not his. In the past, he walked his dates to their front door with the hopes that he would be asked to come inside – in more ways than one.
This time was different. This time, he wanted to do it so he could protect her. He could tell that she wasn't going anywhere without some help. He may not have been there to help her in the past, but he would be there for her now.
"Th-Thank you," she whispered.
"Is there anyone home, Jamie? I don't see any other lights on besides the front porch ones."
"Kim's parents usually stay out late, either for work or dinner. I thought Kim would have stayed. S-So she could hear about our d-date. But I-I guess, she w-went out. P-Probably with Jared. Sh-She's always out with Jared. I-I guess she just f-forgot about me."
Paul couldn't believe it. Kim was Jamie's best friend. Or at least she was supposed to be. One would think that Kim would want wait up to hear about her supposed friend's first date. Even Leah was sitting on pins and needles, waiting to hear about how their night went. Leah, the girl who used to be perpetually bitter and mocked Jamie just as much as the rest of them, went above and beyond to help Jamie get ready. All while Kim did nothing but ditch Jamie for Jared.
Paul understood the pull of the imprint. He used to think it was obsessive, unnatural. But he understood it now. Knowing all that, he still couldn't understand Kim's almost indifferent behavior towards Jamie. Jamie had been to hell and back, but her best friend couldn't take five minutes out of her day to spend time with her. Paul knew he would have to talk to Kim about it. Her behavior was unacceptable.
"I'm sorry she's been treating you like that."
Jamie shrugged. "D-Don't be. I-I'm used to it by now. I'm used to being forgotten about."
"You should ever be forgotten about."
"You did," she reminded me. "B-Before you, you know, imprinted to me."
"No. You're wrong. I never completely forgot about you. Even before I imprinted on you, I never forgot you. There was always something in the back of my mind that wouldn't let me."
She smiled softly. "W-Would you like to come inside? W-With the storm, and everything else, I-I don't want to be alone. Stay with me? Please?"
My answer was instantaneous.
"Always."