A/N: wow, well here's this monster chapter. Tbh I don't even know what happened, they just took me on a wild ride and I went with it. I think it's the longest chapter I've written. Not by a whole lot, but enough. Anyways, on with the story! Also, pls ignore typos cuz it's midnight and my brain is tired :D
Paul.
I didn't go to his service.
I'm surprised they even had one for him, to be honest. He didn't have friends. Most people stayed away from him because of his violent behavior.
Indie went, but after that I sort of pretended like it never happened. Pretended I never knew him.
It felt that way most days anyway.
I spent sixteen years of my life living with the guy, but I never knew a damn thing about him. I couldn't tell you what his favorite TV show was, or what sports team he would root for. I couldn't tell you how he likes his steak or what kind of childhood he had. All I knew was he was a fucking asshole, and an even bigger asshole for making me feel sorry for him on his way out of this world.
So I didn't go to his service.
So I pretend he never existed.
Because that's the only way I can let go of all the shit he put me through.
"Josie invited us over."
My eyes travel to Indie, my light through the darkness, patiently painting her toes in my favorite shade of red.
"Yeah?"
She glances up at me and tucks her hair behind her ear, smiling slightly before looking back down. "Just the four of us. It could be fun."
I scan her body from head to toe, taking in every detail and falling even more in love with her. I never thought it was possible, but it happens every time I look at her. Every time she smiles at me. Every time I feel her small hand slip into mine.
I wander over and take the nail polish from her, plopping down on the floor. "Do you want to go?" I ask, dipping the brush into the polish and carefully spreading it over her toenail.
"Yeah," she replies softly. "I mean, if you want to."
I paint her last nail and screw the lid back on the bottle. She starts fanning her feet and I lean back on my palms to watch her.
She looks healthier. I noticed it on Thanksgiving – the way her body felt a little less breakable. She doesn't skip meals and she doesn't just put the tiniest amount of food on her plate like she used to. Still tiny as hell, but not as scary-tiny anymore. The kind of tiny that can withstand a little more.
Her eyebrow cocks, and I realize she's caught me staring. "What?" she asks.
As if she doesn't know.
As if she doesn't know I can't keep my eyes off her. Can't keep my hands off her. Can't stop falling in love with her over and over again.
"Let's go," I reply.
She looks confused.
"To Jos and Embry's," I clarify, sitting up to blow on her nails for her.
Her fingers push through my hair and I grab and kiss her hand. She playfully pulls down on my bottom lip and then shifts on the couch to lean in and kiss me.
I fall in love with her a little more. Fall in love with the softness of her lips. Fall in love with the honey of her breath. Fall in love with the velvet of her tongue.
"You're quiet today," she mumbles into my mouth, giving me another deep kiss before resting her head in the crook of my neck. "Are you okay?"
I think she keeps expecting me not to be, but I'm fine. "I'm just distracted by your beauty."
She giggles. "Very smooth, Paul."
"'Smooth' is my middle name, babe." I bring her mouth back to mine and slide my tongue between her lips, tasting her. "Love you."
"Love you more," she whispers.
I smile into her mouth. "Impossible," I whisper back.
We kiss for a little bit, careful not to smudge the masterpiece of her painted toenails, and then I decide to take a shower. I invite her, but she declines and says the hot water will keep the nail polish from hardening all the way.
Sounds like something weird only a girl would know, and that a guy wouldn't question because he doesn't know any better.
I make it quick, sloppily washing my body and running my soapy hands through my hair. It's nice being a guy when your body wash, face wash, and shampoo is all in one bottle. Indie cringes sometimes watching me use it. She bought me a separate shampoo for that very reason, but I only use it when she showers with me.
When I emerge from the bathroom, Indie is lounging on the bed, dressed in a long-sleeve shirt and a pair of fitted sweatpants.
"She said dress cozy," she says, as if she has to explain herself. She could wear a fifty year old muumuu dress and I wouldn't bat an eye.
I tuck my towel in around my waist and fish for a pair of sweats from the dresser, peeking into her drawers just to see her clothes there. It does something to me. The evidence of her all over the house – our house – makes my heart tighten in ways I never thought it could. Ways I certainly never expected, but ways that are more than welcome.
She laughs quietly. "See something in there you like?"
"All of it," I reply, shutting her drawer and pulling some sweats from mine.
"You can wear anything of mine you want," she jokes.
I chuckle and drop my towel, stepping into my sweats and pulling them up onto my hips. "They wouldn't look good on me the way they look good on you."
Sitting up, she runs her fingers through her hair and twists it up into a tight bun. "I don't know about that, I think pink could really be your color."
"You got jokes, huh?" I shoot her a smile and pick up my towel, rubbing it over my hair to finish drying it. "What time do they want us over there?"
Indie sighs and falls back onto the bed, rolling onto her side and tucking her face into her pillow. "Whenever. She's just going to make us play drinking games and watch scary movies."
I walk over to the bed and crawl in behind her, pulling her hips into mine and nuzzling the back of her neck. "Sounds like a good time."
She hums and nods her head slowly, body arching into mine.
It's been too long since I've touched her – since we've had a down moment to feel each other. So much has happened and there have been so many tense feelings and so much distance between us. She needed time. I had to give it to her, even though I didn't want to. My head was telling me to snap her out of it – prove to her that I don't need a baby to be happy, I just need her. But my instincts told me to give her space. To let there be distance even though it killed me inside.
I'd do anything for her, regardless of whatever pain it might bring me.
After my old man died, the distance between us closed a little, but not completely. I've been so busy with arrangements and getting his property taken care of that this is the first day since he died that I haven't had to be somewhere dealing with paperwork or something with his construction business. It made it harder that I wanted nothing to do with any of it. I signed the business off into someone else's hands and washed it off my plate the second I could.
I don't need the money anyway. We're paid by the council for patrolling.
"You're quiet again," Indie whispers.
I kiss the back of her neck. "Just thinking how much I miss you," I mumble.
"I'm right here."
Another kiss. "I know. Miss you, miss you."
A shudder runs through her body, accompanied by a soft sigh. "Are you... do you want me?" she asks quietly.
"More than anything," I whisper hungrily, pushing up onto my elbow to kiss along the side of her neck. She leans into my chest and turns slightly so our lips can meet. Fire sears down my spine and I slide my hand over her stomach, moving down her body towards her heat.
Then, of-fucking-course, her phone starts shrilling from its spot on the nightstand.
"If that's Josie, I'll kill her," I growl, pulling Indie's mouth back to mine.
She laughs and wiggles out of my grip, rolling along the bed and grabbing her phone. "Hello?"
I can hear Josie ask her when we're going to finally show up.
Indie gives me an apologetic look and answers, "We're leaving right now."
My eyes shut and I fall back on the bed with a grunt, pressing the heel of my palm into my dick, willing it to calm down.
After hanging up, she hops off the bed and grabs a thick cardigan from the closet, pushing her arms through the sleeves and then grabbing a warmer coat to wear over it. "She said she'll send Embry if we're not there in five minutes."
"I heard her," I growl, pushing myself up and getting a shirt from the dresser.
Indie's hands suddenly wrap around my stomach as I'm pulling my shirt on, her fingers warm to the touch against my skin. "I'm sorry."
Smiling a little, I cover her hands with one of mine and give them a soft pat. "Let's go see your friends."
"They're your friends, too."
"Not right now they're not," I joke, turning around and giving her a quick kiss before hunting down some shoes.
It's not raining for the first time in days when we walk out to the 4Runner. The clouds are there, though, and I can feel the moisture in the air, so it's only a matter of minutes or hours before it returns.
We get to Josie and Embry's quick enough. Jos is on the front porch with bottles of cider the second we open our doors. I snort at her when she hands me one. "What am I, a teenage girl?" I ask.
"Hey!" Indie pouts, elbowing me.
"Don't worry, I got you!" Embry yells from inside.
Josie shoves me through the door and grabs Indie's free hand. "Okay, I researched on Google to find some good movies to watch," she says, and I watch her drag Indie towards the TV where she has a paper list of said movies. "You pick."
From where I am, I can read the list.
Hush. The Descent. Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The Ritual. Cloverfield.
"Scary movies?" I snort again.
Josie glares at me over her shoulder. "Shut up, nothing scares you guys anyways. It's more for us."
Embry and I exchange amused glances as he opens up a bottle of Everclear. It's gonna taste like shit, but I pour my bottle of cider into a large glass and let him fill it the rest of the way with it.
"I've never heard of any of these movies," Indie says from the living room.
"Well, here, I'll pull them up and you can read the descriptions."
I lean against the counter across from Embry and we clank our cups together. "How've things been?" he asks after a long drink from his glass.
I shrug and, after taking a huge drink as well, set my cup down on the counter. "Fine. Finally got everything with the construction business worked out. I tried getting Jesse to take it over, but he's happy with his other job."
"Who's taking it, then?"
"The second in command guy. Shit, I already forgot his name..."
Embry laughs. "Well, at least you don't have to deal with it anymore."
Nodding, I drink some more and look over my shoulder at the girls. Indie is intently reading through the description of The Descent and Josie's knee is bouncing with bundled energy, waiting anxiously for her to pick so she can initiate whatever plans she's got up her sleeve for tonight.
"This one," Indie says, nodding.
Embry gives me a look. It's an older movie. We watched it when it first came out – the whole pack – because we thought it'd have some nudity somewhere in it. It ended up being disappointing. How could there not be any good nudity with a group of girls sharing a cabin?
Even though I don't really think scary movies are a good idea, especially with everything going on, Indie looks genuinely happy and excited to watch it. Knowing Josie though, everyone will be so drunk we probably won't even finish it.
I join Indie in the living room while Josie and Embry pop popcorn. They've got nearly every blanket and pillow in the house strewn all over the living room area, and have put their coffee table somewhere else to make room for us all on the floor. Indie sips her cider and smiles at me as I sit down next to her.
"You sure you wanna watch scary movies?" I ask, leaning my glass towards her for a toast.
She clanks the neck of her bottle against the rim of my cup. "I have you to protect me," she smiles. She says it so innocently it makes my chest swell with pride. I lean towards her and kiss her temple, then her cheek, then make a pass for her mouth before Josie throws an oven mitt at the back of my head.
"None of that! This is a friend's night!"
Indie giggles and I roll my eyes in a playful manner.
Popcorn popped, drinks topped off, and everyone buried in a mountain of blankets and pillows, Josie starts the movie and curls up next to Indie, linking their arms together and effectively stealing my girl from me. I look at Embry and raise my eyebrows suggestively before he cracks up and punches me in the shoulder.
It's funny watching this movie, knowing what's going to happen and watching poor, unsuspecting Indie nearly jump out of her skin with every startling scene. Halfway through she and Josie ditch each other in favor of curling up to Embry and I. She uses my hand to shield her eyes with and turns her face into my shoulder when even that's not enough.
I feel kinda bad that I find this amusing, but I also kinda wanna laugh. Maybe because it's fake. Maybe because I know those little cave creeps don't really exist. Then again, I never thought vampires existed either.
When the movie is over, the fear is gone and Indie and Josie both start complaining about how unfair the ending is.
"Why would they even do that?" Indie huffs, walking to the kitchen for another cider. "Pretend she gets out and then leave her in that stupid cave."
Josie hops up and joins her, grabbing shot glasses from the cupboard. "Total bullshit," she agrees.
Embry and I just smirk at each other. At least the girls aren't terrified still now that it's over.
I head into the kitchen as well and Embry puts some music on, turning the TV onto a random channel for extra background noise and then meeting us in the kitchen. As expected, Josie starts pouring shots, and it's only a matter of time before the two girls are giggling messes attempting to keep straight faces while playing a game of Bullshit with a deck of cards.
Embry and I have basically downed the Everclear bottle at this point, and I didn't even bother trying to count the number of shots everyone took. Indie's sitting on my lap and Josie's sitting on Embry's, and we're both just laughing at how badly the girls are at playing this game.
"You're cheating," Josie accuses when Indie calls her on her shit again. "There's no way you can win this many in a row."
Indie bursts into laughter and it's then that I realize she is cheating. My little human polygraph. "I can't control it!" she squeals in her defense.
Josie flicks a card at her. "I knew it!"
Embry laughs and I curl my fingers around Indie's waist as she drops her cards on the table. "Okay, what's something we can play that I can't cheat at then?"
"There's nothing," Josie replies dramatically.
"I can hook up the Xbox," Embry offers.
Josie turns her head excitedly. "No, the Wii. I'm gonna whoop her in Mario Kart."
"What's Mario Kart?" Indie asks. The three of us stare at her, dumbfounded. She looks around at all our faces and her brows pull together. "Don't judge me!"
"Finally," Josie's eyes light up and she stands up a little too quickly, bumping the table and causing the drinks to slosh. "I love you, but you're going down."
She and Embry dash into the living room and start looking for the console, and Indie turns in my lap and raises her eyebrows. "I'm inept," she whines, laying her head on my shoulder.
I wrap my arms around her waist and laugh. "No, you're not. It's just a video game," I explain. "Embry has played it a million times and still sucks."
"I heard that!" he yells.
Indie giggles. "I can barely see straight, let alone play a video game right now," she says.
The worrier in me chimes in that she should stop drinking, but Carlisle said once she put some weight on that her arrhythmia wouldn't be as big of a deal, and it's just one night. It's not like she drinks like this all the time. And I haven't seen this genuine of a smile and heard this much authentic laugher in a while, so I don't want to take it away from her.
But still, I have to make sure she's okay.
"You okay though?" I ask, turning her chin to look at me.
She smiles and nods, leaning down to kiss my nose. "I'm fine. I'm done drinking."
Good girl. She knows her limits.
"Okay, get in here for a butt-kickin'!" Josie yells.
I lift Indie as I stand and she throws her arms around my neck, squeaking and then laughing with her head thrown back. I plop her down on the couch next to Josie and stand with my arms folded, interested to see how this is going to play out.
"You have to at least give her a trial run," Embry says before drinking from his glass.
Josie shoots him a glare, but then her face softens and she nods. "Okay, that's fair. It's really easy, so you just–"
I tune out a little, focusing on Indie's smile and the way she laughs and keeps flipping the controller over as if using it is rocket science. It makes me kinda sad – knowing she grew up in a house where things like video games weren't the norm. But then that pride comes back, because the life she has here with us is going to make up for it. Make up for everything.
I'll make damn sure of that.
"Okay, who was the first person you kissed?"
Josie drifts around the corner, playing as Princess Peach, and drops a banana that Indie, playing as Rosalina, spins out on.
I hold back a growl, because the answer to this question is not one I want to hear. Indie knows it, too, because she looks over at me a flashes an impish smile before answering, "His name was Taylor."
"That's a chick's name," I scoff jealously.
She knows what she's doing, winking at me and turning back to the game. "It wasn't a good kiss. He slobbered a lot."
"Ew!" Josie squeaks.
"Can we change the topic?" I ask, downing some more Everclear. I can feel my patience burning off as fast as the alcohol.
Josie maintains her spot in first, Indie in close second. "Why? Are you so jealous?" she taunts.
Indie jumps in before I can reply. "Tell me about a time when you got caught having sex."
The girls both burst into giggles and even I chuckle at that one, turning to give Embry a look. "Yeah, tell us, Josie."
"Okay, well, it was only like, maybe the fourth or fifth time we ever had sex–"
"Third," Embry corrects.
Josie nods and laughs. "Yeah, third. Well, we forgot to disable the motion detector in the house, and we triggered it when we walked through the living room. Tiffany came home with a bat and kicked open Embry's bedroom door."
I nearly spit my drink out.
"At least we were covered up!"
They laugh again and Embry just shakes his head and chugs the rest of his cup.
After seven games of Mario Kart, Josie is dubbed the official winner. Best four-out-of-seven, because by the seventh game the alcohol had fully settled and the girls didn't have the attention span to make it through another round.
I check my phone and it's already one in the morning. I have half the mind to just stay here tonight, but when Indie sneaks up behind me and whispers that I should take her home, the thought is long gone and the keys are in my hand in a split second.
"We're headed out," I tell them, patting Embry's shoulder and then ditching my cup in the sink.
Josie huffs. "You can't drive," she drawls, the words half-slurring out.
"We'll walk."
Indie pulls her cardigan and coat back on, then stumbles to hug Josie, who locks her arms around her possessively. "She can't even walk."
I laugh. "Then I'll carry her," I reply, prying Josie's arms off and scooping Indie up into my arms.
"Don't drop her!" I hear her yell as I walk us through the front door and onto the deck.
Indie sighs happily and leans her head against my shoulder. "I can walk, you know," she says.
"I know. But I like to carry you."
Even though it's only thirty-something degrees out, the cold air feels nice. The house was getting stuffy.
"What if the cave monsters get us?" Indie jokes, looking around even though it's pitch black out. I can see just fine, but I know she can't.
"Then I'll kill them all," I tell her.
She giggles. "What if they get you first?"
"Then you have time to run real fast."
Her hand pops me on the back in a scolding manner. "You'll never leave me," the way she says it is more of an instruction than a comment.
I smirk and lean in to press my nose against hers. "Never. I'll just let the cave monsters eat us both, then."
"Hey!"
We banter playfully back and forth on the way home, and still haven't seen a cave monster by the time I walk up onto the deck. Indie pushes open the front door and I watch her walk through it, watch the way her body relaxes knowing she's finally home.
"We were like teenagers tonight," she laughs, spinning around as she sheds her coat and cardigan. "Drinking and playing kid's games."
"Hey, Mario Kart is serious business. It is not a kid's game."
She laughs again and scoops her clothes up off the floor and hangs them in the coat closet. "You're right, I was a kid when I kissed Taylor James."
My head snaps up. "Is that so?" I ask, voice low, eyes narrowing.
Her posture adjusts, slinking back and a small smirk playing on her lips, becoming prey right in front of my eyes. Dangling herself. "Yep," she pops the end of the word and does a little spin.
"Taylor James who slobbered too much?"
She nods slowly and backs towards the stairs. "My first kiss," she taunts.
"I see." I stalk towards her, eyes focused in on the mark on her neck. Fuck Taylor James. She's mine. "And who's a better kisser than Taylor James?"
Humming, she starts moving up the stairs, shooting me a glance over her shoulder. "Well, Cameron Kyle was." And then she takes off running up the stairs.
Slightly dumbfounded, it takes my body a minute to catch up with my brain, and I launch myself up the stairs after her. "You kissed two guys with first name last names?!"
Her body is in a fit of giggles when I catch her, hauling her over my shoulder and throwing open the bedroom door. I tickle the back of her thighs mercilessly as I slam the door shut behind us and set her down, pinning her against it.
She pushes up on her toes and kisses me before I can say anything, hands pulling at my shirt impatiently as her tongue dives into my mouth. I pull away and start mouthing over her collarbone, hands moving under her shirt up to her chest.
"Taylor James and Cameron Kyle, huh?" I growl.
Her breath comes out in a pant and she pulls on my shirt some more. "Take your clothes off," she demands.
I nip along her neck and shoulder and breathe a hot breath over the mark, smirking when I feel her legs shake. "Take yours off," I reply, half-joking but then a hundred percent serious when her hands move to the ends of her shirt.
Taking a step back, I watch her pull the shirt over her head and then she playfully presses it into my face before pushing me backwards towards the bed. I let her, though my wolf is growling at me to take control. The back of my knees hit the bed and I fall onto it, tossing her shirt somewhere in the room and not caring where it lands.
I make a point to turn the lamp on – on the dimmest setting – so she can see me as well as I can see her right now. My eyes drop to where her hands pull at the drawstring of her sweats, and then watch as they fall forgotten to the floor.
"Tell me more about Taylor James and Cameron Kyle," I urge, reaching up and yanking her into my lap. My hands pull out her bun and then tangle in her hair, tilting her head and drawing her neck to my mouth.
Breathless, she whimpers and wraps her hands around my wrists. "What about them?"
I press my nose into her pulse point and feel the blood pump through it. "Did they ever kiss you like I do?" I move her mouth to mine and press my tongue between her lips.
She shakes her head and wraps her arms around my neck as my hands scale down her back, moving along the curve of her waist and back to squeeze her ass. I pull her hips forward against mine, flexing my dick through my sweats, then move and flip her under me.
A squeak leaves her mouth and I hover over her, sucking a hickey into the side of her neck while she takes my hand and pushes it down her body.
All that's keeping me from her warmth is the flimsiest thong I've ever see in my life. I slip a finger under the band and snap it against her skin. "You want me to touch you?" I ask huskily, knowing damn-well the answer but wanting to hear it from her.
"Touch me, Paul," she breathes.
I smirk into her skin. "Touch you... here?" I ask, running my fingers along the inside of her thigh.
She whines softly and lifts her hips into my hand.
"Ah, you mean here," I press my thumb into her clit through her underwear and she moans, the sound sending a primal shiver down my spine.
I want to be inside her so bad. Rip this material off her body and slide inside that wet heat. Feel her tightness around me. Run my hands all over her body while I make love to her. Feel her come undone around me and watch her face as she comes.
My dick starts throbbing.
Her hands tug again at my shirt, and this time I let her pull it off and throw it on the floor. "No one's– ever touched me like– you," she pants between kissing me, nails dragging down along my sides.
Goosebumps rise along my skin. "Touched you like this?" I groan into her mouth, moving her underwear to the side and sliding my fingers inside her.
She gasps and her head falls back, exposing all of her beautiful neck to me. I don't know if she knows what that truly does to me. My lips ghost over her skin and then touch down below her ear, kissing softly as I curl my fingers inside her.
"I love touching you like this," I whisper.
Her body arches into mine and I press my chest down against hers. "Talk to me more," she whimpers.
Breathing over her ear, I nip at the lobe move my hand a slow, steady pace. "I love when you press your body against mine. I love how soft and warm you are, and the way you feel underneath me."
She tightens around me and starts working my sweats down in desperate movements. "Hurry," she whines.
As much as I'd love to tease her body all night long, I don't have the patience for it either. Not when it's already been too long. Not when she clearly wants something more of me.
I withdraw my fingers and move off her body, shoving my sweats down the rest of the way and pulling the tiny thong down her legs. She reaches under her back and unclasps her bra, discarding it in the pile we've made on the floor, then climbs up on her knees and pulls me in for a kiss, our lips crushing together and her moan vibrating in her throat.
I quickly pull her legs out from under her, leaning over her body and wrapping them around my waist. Tugging her to the edge of the bed, I bend my knees just enough to line up with her entrance and slide in without wasting another second.
Both of us make the same, frantic sound of pleasure when we're finally one again. I draw my hips back and thrust back in and she breaks the kiss, letting her head fall to the mattress and tip back with a moan.
Thankfully the bed frame is tall enough for this, because the sight is too fucking good. Milky body smooth and beautiful against the sheets. Hair like a halo around her head. Lips swollen and parted with her breath. Neck on full display in the ultimate sign of submission.
Mine.
My spine tingles.
I watch her while I move inside her, watching her breasts shake and her eyelids flutter. She doesn't seem to know what to do with her hands because they're all over the place – moving across the sheets, raking up my stomach, and gripping my arms where they finally find a place to come to rest.
She's tight around me. So tight. So warm and perfect and beautiful. So trusting.
She whines for me to go faster and I do, her body jerking with every thrust and her skin tinting pink from the rush of her blood. It's the most beautiful thing in the world to me – that she allows me to give her this pleasure. That she trusts me so completely.
I can feel her clenching around me – can tell that she's getting close because I know her body better than I know anything else in this world. I want to draw it out though. Not tease, but draw it out.
"Turn over, baby," I murmur, pulling myself from her body.
She asks no questions, simply runs a hand through her hair as she flips over onto her stomach and wiggles her hips a little. Dangling herself again. I move between her legs, pushing them apart a little more, and slide back inside, pressing my chest to her back.
The sound she makes is nothing short of beautiful. Her back curves against my chest and her head falls into the crook of my neck. I slide my hand up her throat and kiss the side of her face before palming her breast and thrusting into her again.
We move all over the place. Stomach to back, her on top, me back on top, her in my lap – both of us stopping every time she gets close until she's literally begging for it. Then, I give it to her in earnest, pounding into her and kissing every inch of skin I can reach with my mouth.
Her moans get louder, wilder, unadulterated.
"Bite me, Paul," she gasps, back arching as I hold her hips up.
It's all like a second nature.
I lean over her and sink my teeth into the mark, feeling her body let loose and all of the tension and distance that was between us disappears for good. She shakes beneath me and holds me tightly, arms locked around my neck as she moans in my ear. I unhinge my jaw and whisper how much I love her, and she can't even find a coherent word to say back to me.
It's so fucking sexy.
My hips slam into her with my release and she cries out, turning and biting me back to stifle it as I try and nudge myself deeper, spilling inside her.
We're covered in sweat, both of our necks are bleeding, her hair is a mess, and it's three in the morning. But it's perfect. She's perfect. She's so fucking perfect. I move my tongue over her neck and stop the bleeding, pulling back to watch the pierced skin pull itself back together again.
Like magic.
Because that's what we are for each other.
"I–" she pauses and takes a deep breath. "I can't even stay awake for another minute."
We both laugh quietly and I pull out of her, falling onto the mattress next to her body and maneuvering the blanket from under us to over us. She curls into me then and before I can get a word out, she's fast asleep.
And it's perfect.
She's perfect.
I wake up the next morning to Indie stumbling out of bed with a loud gasp. Exhausted and confused, I watch with bleary eyes as she runs to the bathroom and kicks the door shut behind her.
Then, the sound of her throwing up.
Poor girl. Hangover.
I rub at my eyes and suddenly catch the scent of blood in the air, sitting up in a panic and looking around the bed. There are some small smears against the sheet, and I remember how we'd bitten each other pretty aggressively last night, but there's a slightly larger spot where Indie had been laying that's concerning.
"Indie?" I yell, jumping up.
The toilet flushes and she locks the door before I reach it. "Can you get me some water?" she asks, voice muffled.
I knock gently on the door. "Can I come in? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I just need some water, please."
My chest feels panicky. Was I too rough with her last night? Did I hurt her? At least if I bring her water, she has to let me in the bathroom to give it to her, so I jog downstairs and fill a glass before returning to the bathroom.
"Here, babe," I mumble, listening for the click of the lock. The door opens just barely, but I wedge my hand through it and make her open it a little further. "Hey, what's going on?"
She opens the door the rest of the way and steps out, closing it behind herself. "I was just throwing up," she replies sheepishly, dumping a few Tylenol into her mouth and chasing it down with water.
"Why's there... Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" I ask, searching her eyes.
Her brows pull together. "No, no I'm fine."
"There's blood on the bed..."
She swallows. "I mean, it was like, two hours–"
"So I did hurt you."
"No!" she exclaims quickly. "I'm fine. I feel fine. Nothing hurts. I think that can just happen sometimes."
She sounds about as unsure as I feel right now. I look down at her and hold her cheeks as I kiss the top of her head. "Maybe we should take you to Sue's, or something."
"I promise, I'm fine," she brushes me off, drinking more water. "Nothing hurts but my head."
I know she doesn't want me to see it, but there's a nervousness in her eyes. The second she realizes I've seen it, it's masked behind a bright smile.
"I don't know, Indie…"
"It's—" she pauses and holds up a finger, rushing back inside the bathroom and vomiting again into the toilet.
Even though I know she doesn't want me to, I follow her in and pull her hair back, holding it until she's done and then grabbing her a wet washcloth. "You're not allowed to drink anymore," I tell her, keeping my tone playful and light.
She nods her head. "Yeah, that's fair."
"Are you sure you're okay?" I ask again, skeptically.
"I'm positive. But now I need more Tylenol," she laughs, grabbing the bottle from the counter and dumping a few more into her palm.
I rub her shoulders and smooth my hands over her back in a comforting manner, eyeing the hickeys and the bruise on her neck from where I bit her. Even though it was something we wanted in the height of passion, the aftermath looks terrible, and I wish I could heal the bruising for her. Instead, I place a soft kiss on the mark, and her knees tremble as she grips the counter.
"Oh," she hums softly, eyes meeting mine in the mirror.
We're both still naked from last night, battle marks on full display though mine are much less angry than hers are. I watch in the mirror as her eyes move to my neck, then her own, and then she smiles before turning in my arms and hugging me tightly.
"I love you," she tells me, cheek pressed into my chest.
I wrap my arms around her and hold her soundly, her head tucked under my chin. "I love you more," I murmur, kissing her head.
She sighs happily. "I'll never get tired of hearing that."
"I'll never get tired of saying it."
We stand like that for a while – I don't even know how long – until my stomach growls and kills the intimacy of the moment. She drags me down the stairs and, even with her raging hangover, she flits around the kitchen and makes us breakfast while I change the bedsheets and toss them in the washer, eyeing the blood warily. It's really not a lot, but it's enough that I think she has to be lying to me. Maybe I can get her and Josie alone, or her and Emily, and maybe she'll admit it to one of them. If I did hurt her, I know it's likely that she'll never admit it to me.
Breakfast is eggs, toast, and a couple of sausage links that Indie won't go near with her nauseous stomach. I'm happy to eat them, and happy that she's at least eating eggs and toast.
It's nice having a late breakfast, just the two of us. Even nicer because she's wearing nothing but a tank top and some underwear, with an open cardigan on for warmth.
After we've finished eating, she hops in the shower and I transfer the sheets to the dryer, then hunt down my phone. She'd probably be mortified if she knew I was doing this, but for my own sanity and peace of mind, I really need to.
/
To: Jos
Message: tmi, is it nrml for girls to bleed after sex. Quick
/
She answers seconds later – probably playing that stupid zoo game on her phone again. She's addicted.
/
From: Jos
Message: I mean, sometimes? What'd u do
/
Asshole.
/
To: Jos
Message: ur not helping
/
I sigh and fall on the bed, laying back against the pillows. My phone vibrates.
/
From: Jos
Message: sorry Pauley :p totes can be normal. If she says she's fine, she's fine
/
Finally, the answer I've been waiting for. I lock my phone and drop it on the mattress, letting my relieved eyes slip shut while I wait for Indie to finish her shower.
Next thing I know, I completely pass out and am waking up to Indie urgently pressing my phone into my chest with one hand and shaking me with the other.
"Answer it! Answer it quick," she begs frantically.
I don't even think to look and see whose calling, I just swipe my thumb across the screen and put it to my ear. "Hello?"
"He's made a decision."
A/N: dun dun DUNNNNNN. As a reader, I hate cliffhangers. As a writer, I enjoy being a total asshole and it's so satisfying to write them. Thank you as always for reading! Leave me a review if you have a moment. Give me your predictions of what's going to happen. Tell me how hot Paul is. Tell me about your life. Anything :) I love chatting. xx