Title: Summer Liaison 3
Pairing: Paul/Bella
Genre: Angst/Drama
Rating: M
Word Count: 500
Prompt: Quote- "Why is it every move I make feels like a mistake?"
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summer Liaison 3
Jared cursed and threw a tool at his head. "Tell me again why you think you can build something?"
Paul reminded him of the summer he worked with him and his father. "I wasn't that bad. I can hammer a nail, you know."
He promised him a case of beer and a certain woman's number for a weekend tutorial.
.
.
.
He lucked out agreeing to be a handyman. Apparently, most of it was done but they wanted an outdoor kitchen area attached to the poolhouse.
Before he knew it, a two day job was a two week job, but Paul didn't complain. He enjoyed her company. Sometimes Butthead was there, but usually Bella was alone. Surprisingly, he was doing an okay job.
He watched her out of the corner of his eye. He loved it when she came out to swim. This time, she was on her phone and highly irritated. He got back to work.
"Hey, are you hungry?"
"Always."
"Edward can't get away. I cooked. You wanna have dinner with me?"
He wished he wasn't so sweaty and dirty from work, Bella looked like a million bucks. Her food was extraordinary. He slowed his gorging and noticed her watching him.
"Sorry," he wiped his mouth.
She giggled, "No, it's nice to be appreciated."
Bella looked regretful for admitting that detail. They had easy conversation. Everything about her made him comfortable and yet his palms were sweating underneath the table. She mentioned teaching.
"That's it. I forgot. You taught Sam's kids. Why'd you quit?"
He was embarrassed to admit up until a year ago, he'd spent much of his time in a drunken stupor until Jacob gave him a real job. He had been in a downward spiral since his teenage years. No wonder, he didn't know too much about her like the other guys. He didn't pay attention to shit about the world around him when he was like that.
"Marriage and stuff."
"What? He doesn't think you should work? Forget it, why would anyone work if this was the setup."
She scowled, "Did anyone ever tell you, you're a jerk?"
"Daily."
"I had some health issues that kept me from continuing. I loved teaching. I miss it."
Damn, he was such an asshole. Why did he say that? He'd screwed up, like always. He couldn't stop worrying about her after that confession. Paul jumped up to help clean.
Bella told him it wasn't necessary. "You're probably anxious to get out of here."
She was upset again. It seemed to be a common occurrence. His hand covered hers at the sink. "Actually, quite the opposite, Bella."
He made her put the plate down and turned her to face him. A tear fell from her eye. He whisked it away. She was rich, beautiful and kind but also miserable. Paul wanted to take her hurt away.
"Don't cry. I'm sorry."
She gulped, but stayed still as he moved closer. He kissed her cheek.
She whispered three words, "I lost him."
~Thanks for reading.
Hmmm, things are not completely clear just yet. I'd love to hear your guesses. I hope more prompts appear that inspire me because I'm in no place to start a new story.