Long wait for an update but life has been busy. Thanks for sticking through the wait. Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow. I have other stories.
Val sat at her desk trying to concentrate on the screen. She was alone in the office with only the phone calls and radio to make noise. Everybody had brought the flu lie especially because Val looked terrible. She had lost some weight in the course of a few days. She had bags under her eyes despite all the sleep and her skin was paler then it ever had been. Paul tried to convince her to just stay home but she refused. She had to get back into a normal groove again or she would sprial. Jen was worried about Val but also bought the flu lie, no one told her otherwise because they didn't want her to worry about anything else. Her second parent already died, she didn't need to worry about her oldest sister also dying. Vals cell phone buzzed inside her desk drawer, she knew exactly who it was. Someone she avoided this morning by leaving the house super early, claiming she had a lot to catch up on.
We need to talk -Kim
Val rolled her eyes. She knew how concerned her sister was but she also knew she was fine. That she didn't mean to take so many but she was so tired that she thought she needed that many.
Kim I had an episode. I'm back on my meds. They are in my purse now and I have an alarm set again. Everything is fine. - Val
Val didn't want to anger Kim because if she did that then there was a chance of her telling Jared and it getting back to Paul. Paul was already trying to mend their relationship to what it once was, he didn't have to be reminded of how fucked up and broken her brain was.
You tried to kill yourself dude -Kim
Kim was sneaking her phone under the table at lunch so Jared didn't see what she was talking about. Jared was already suspicious because she was acting weird about Val but he tried to give her space.
"Kim? Want some of my cookie? Emily made it," Jared tried to get his girlfriends attention but with no luck. Kim just stared at the table in front of her, keeping her hands under the table.
I did not! I was in an episode and didn't realize what I was doing. I was so tired. I wasn't try to kill myself. Why would I? I'm sorry you found me. I'm sorry about what I did. It won't happen again. -Val
Kim snorted before shaking her head. She tucked her phone in between her legs trying to keep calm so she wouldn't just explode on her sister and yell at Jared just for sitting there.
"Kim?" Jared tapped the table in front of her face this time and was able to catch her attention. Kim looked up to see him holding out a chocolate chip cookie with a small smile on his face. She sighed, she was getting to heavy into Vals shit today.
"I'm sorry, thanks for the cookie," Kim took the cookie before holding it in her mouth and turning her attention back to the phone. She knew the bell was going to ring soon so she was going to have to type fast.
Just get it together because when I turn 18 and you're still doing things like that then I'm going for custody of Jen. I love you, sorry for being harsh. -Kim
Val sighed as she read the message, she knew Kim would go through with it. She didn't have time to text back before she heard the bells above the door jingle. She placed her phone back in her desk and looked up to see Paul covered in oil and grease.
"Hey sweetheart," Paul held up a bottle of water and a brown paper bag. He sat the items on her desk before walking into the break room and grabbing a chair for himself. He set himself up at the edge of her desk and started pulling things out of the bag.
"What are you doing here?" Val asked while praying she still looked like shit. She even wore sweatpants and the purple hoodie today just to add to the lie. She watched two peanut butter sandwiches get laid out and two chocolate chip cookies.
"Courtesy of Emily. I didn't want to eat break alone so I thought we could spilt mine," Paul gave a tired smile to his imprint before unwrapping his sandwich and taking a bite. He was starving but he was always willing to spilt his food with Val.
"Oh, well thank you. I really appreciate it," Val picked at some of her food quietly. She was praying for more phone calls or Embry to walk in but sadly no.
"You okay? You seem out of it," Paul butted in to her thoughts with a worried look on his face. Val took a long drink of the water before nodding.
"Just out of it still, ya know?" Val offered a small smile but Paul just shook his head. He knew her better, his guy was telling him something was up.
"No, no, somethings wrong. What is it?" Paul pulled his eyebrows together as he begun cleaning up the lunch mess. He knew he had to get back to the shop soon.
"Nothing, nothing is wrong," Val shook her head insisting she was okay. She turned back to her computer so she wouldn't start fidgeting, the sign she's lying. She could not let Paul find out what happened. He would never let her out of his sight again.
"Lies, I can tell when you're lying. I've always been able to tell imprint or not," Paul laid his hands flat on Embrys desk, his back towards Val. Val continued typing while trying to think of what to say next.
"Paul, I'm fine. I'm just still tired," Val had to stick to the lie even if it meant Paul finding the truth and being hurt. She knew he'd forgive her in the end if he found out.
"Valerie! Why are you lying? You slept for days. Then when you did wake up you ate like you've never eaten before. Days before you got sick you didn't sleep for days. I mean, when I could come over after patrols you'd be in the house cleaning something that didn't need to be cleaned. Then what, the flu? Sam told me that Emily got a frantic phone call from Kim the day you got 'sick' but she refused to tell Sam who it was at the time. What was going on? What is going on?" Paul whipped around with anger floating in his normal kind eyes, she had only seen him look at her like this a few times in their many years together. Once, in freshman year when Nick Chaney hit on her during gym class and Val flirted back without thinking; that was before her meds had started working properly. Another time was in junior year when Val stopped her meds for a little bit and cliff dived at night without him, it terrified Paul so much that he yelled at her as soon as he found out the next day but listening to stories in the hallway about how she jumped during a bonfire. Paul was grounded that night so he didn't make it. The third time he had yelled at her was about college, right before he changed and Val ran away from all her problems. Now, this is the fourth time. Val felt her anger raising to the surface as she herself stood up from her desk and balled up her fists.
"You know what Paul, I am lying! I wasn't sick. When have I ever gotten sick? Never! No, I stopped taking my lithium weeks ago to feel something from my dad dying and seeing you again and because I wasn't sleeping I was so fucking tired that I took sleeping meds but I took too much without thinking! So I overdosed by accident, Kim found me and Emily saved me. I'm back on my meds and I'm fine!" Val threw her hands in the air and let out a frustrated moan at the end. Paul stood silent, staring for a moment taking everything that was just shouted at him in.
"You overdosed? No one thought to tell me? You stopped your meds so you would feel something? Do you not feel anything with me Val? Or...did you stop taking your meds before we had sex and got back together? Is that when you started feeling things again?" Paul was now whispering, his anger fleeting. Val took in the heartbreaking look on his face and made a move to go and hold him, tell them that she definitely felt things even on the lithium but before she could Paul just shook his head and walked out the door. Leaving the bells jingling above the door moving. Val felt tears flood her eyes before she opened the door herself and take off outside looking around the parking lot. Of course, he didn't drive. He ran here. Val took off into the woods and began shouting his name, he couldn't have gotten too far yet right? She ran and yelled for about ten minutes before her clothes were drenched. She sighed and fell to her knees before pounding the ground. She could only hope that Paul would show up to the house tonight after his patrol so she could explain that she had always loved him, on or off the meds. Before or after the imprint. He was the only one who she wanted.
