CHAPTER 4

"So…" Charlie started halfway home, "What was that?"

Bella shook her head mutely, "Honestly, dad, I have no idea…."

Clearing his throat, he said, "I know it's none of my business what you do… you're an adult. I would just like you to be careful around those boys."

Bella eyed him curiously, "What do you mean?"

Charlie shifted uncomfortably in his seat, Bella hoped that this wasn't how every conversation happened between them, but it was starting to become a trend. "Well, it's just that they've changed these last couple years… Become different."

"How so?"

"Well, I don't like to gossip, and I only take things said around town with a grain of salt. But from the things I've seen, something is happening with all three of them."

Bella gasped in exasperation at his cryptic statement, "Oh my god, dad! I know you don't gossip!" she threw up her hands. "But there's exceptions! I'm your daughter, and I feel like I was just Jedi mind tricked back there! Tell me everything you know!"

Charlie jumped at her outbreak, blushing while his lip twitched minimally.

"Well, what I know for a fact is that about four years back Sam was engaged to Harry's daughter, Leah, kids were crazy about each other," at the knowledge, Bella felt a sharp twinge in her chest, in confusion she brought her hand up to rub the spot absently as she listened to Charlie continue his story. "Then suddenly, out the blue, Sam disappeared for a week, and when he came back, he just ended things, just like that. Leah was heartbroken. It was terrible. Worst yet is that Sam didn't even seem affected. Then suddenly something happened with Paul. That boy was in my station almost every week, always getting into trouble, and then just like that, he disappeared and poof! Hasn't been in the station again."

Bella's eyebrows scrunched, "But isn't that a good thing?"

Charlie sighed, "I'm not saying it's not Bella. It's just weird. But when I started to really become suspicious is when it happened to Jake."

At that, Bella perked up. Suspicious? "What do you mean?"

"Well, it happened with Jake too. He was a good kid, Bella. Really helped his dad out, always happy to help and so chatty and cheerful that at times it was sickening," he laughed sadly, "then he disappeared, and when he came back, he was so different. He was darker somehow… and they all just formed this strange group. Paul and Jake dropped out of school, they all three built this cabin in the woods, started a business together… which would be great, but there's just something unnerving when I speak to them… Something's just not right."

He finished his somber speech as he was pulling into the driveway, turning off the engine, "Just be careful, Bella."

XXXXX

A week later, on a Monday morning, found Bella lazing around on her bed. She still hadn't gotten over what happened last Saturday night. It was like she was hoodwinked! Who was that person who let herself be practically molested by three strangers! Was she drugged? What the fuck was in that fruit salad? She knew it tasted a little too sweet.

Her eyes narrowing in suspicion, she went over every detail for the thousandth time over the past week. And again, she asked the same question for the millionth time: What the fuck?!

Downstairs she heard the phone ring, groaning she threw a pillow over her face. She knew exactly who that was, or rather she knew it was one of three people. Starting that Sunday morning, the near harassment had started, first with phone calls that were awkwardly and quickly ended and then eventually let straight to voicemail. And then the house calls began, usually one at a time, but a few all three had come to the door looking for her. If she were home alone typically, she would refuse even to answer. If Charlie were home, she would ask him to supply an excuse.

The worst part of it all, the part that she would never voice to anyone, was that she liked it. She wanted them to contact her, for them to keep trying, to show her how much they wanted her. It was sick, and she knew it. She had only known them for a couple of hours, and it was enough to harbor an unhealthy obsession between all four of them? Goodness gracious, she needed a slice of chocolate cake. She deserved it.

Rolling off the bed, she started for the bathroom, beginning her morning routine. Halfway through her shower, she heard the phone start up again, sighing she turned off the water and wrapped a towel around herself before heading back to the bedroom. Putting on her softest and fuzziest lounge shorts along with a logo t-shirt from her old college, she made her way down the stairs, intent on a cake-making day.

Humming to herself, she ignored the phone as it rang again, letting it go to voicemail, instead focused on making the best batter she could make, dumping in the extra chocolate gooey sauce. Yum.

As she was putting the pan into the oven, she screamed as a banging came from the front door, nearly dropping the pan in the process. "Jesus peetus!"

"Bella!" she heard shouted through the door, "Baby, are you okay? What happened?"

So, it was Paul this time.

"Nothing!" she screamed through the door, still in shock that this is what her life had come to in the short time that she had been here. "You almost made me drop my cake!"

"Shit, baby, I'm so sorry."

Bella sighed in irritation, dropping her head into her hands as she crumpled in frustration. What was going on with them? What was going on with her?

He knew she was home. She didn't doubt that they had known it all the other times as well. It's not like she had a car to go anywhere, she had to return her rental last week, and Jake had yet to deliver the rabbit, claiming that he was making it 'perfect and safe' every time her dad called to check-in.

But she had never actually spoken any of the times when she was supposedly 'out'. And for some reason, blatantly ignoring them when they had actual proof that she was home… that hurt. She didn't know if she could do it.

Exhaling through her nose, she stomped to the front door before practically throwing it open. "What do you want?"

Paul seemed shocked that the door had opened, but before the broad grin could completely overtake his face, it froze and turned into a look of rejection as her words registered through his excitement of seeing her. Bella instantly felt terrible.

"Oh, uh," He licked his lips absently as his dark eyes instead turned to stare down at his shoes, "I just wanted to see you."

Bella instantly reached out for his hand, not understanding her instinct to do so, knowing only that she needed to comfort him, "I'm sorry," she started as she pulled him through the door, "I'm just confused by all of this, and I took my frustration out on you."

"No, baby, it's okay," leaning forward to wrap his arms around her frame, he instantly buried his face into her hair and took in a deep inhale, "I hurt you." He choked out.

Bella wrinkled her nose in confusion as she hesitantly brought up her hands to thread through his inky hair absently, hurt her?

"When you scratched me?" She said in bemusement, "it didn't hurt that bad."

Sniffing, he hesitantly pulled back so he could look into her eyes, "Scratched you?... of course, it hurt! You bled! You haven't talked to any of us since!" he whispered, his eyes welling up slightly.

Bella felt her lip pull up slightly. How could she have ever thought this man's features were cruel? If anything, he looked lost, lost, and scared. Shaking her head slightly, she slid her hands down from his hair until she was gently cupping his jaw, "Paul, it wasn't your fault. I mean… did you not even see what happened?"

Jerkily he stood up to his full height, staring down at her in confusion, "Yes, I did, Bella." He started, voice slow as if he were talking to a child, "I hurt you. You literally ran from us and haven't spoken to us since. Jake and Sam will barely even look at me!"

"Oh my gosh! You barely scratched me! You weren't the one who licked the blood off me like some kind of deranged psycho!" She yelled, throwing her hands up. How could they not see the absolute absurdity of that entire night? The cuddling and feeding were weird, but she could have gotten over that. But the blood licking? That was some cult shit.

Now it was Paul's turn to look confused, reaching out to grab onto her upper arms. He eyed her fully for the first time since they met, staring at her critically, "You weren't scared of me?"

Bella huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, "Of course not! How could I be scared of a man who hand-fed me peaches the whole night? By the way… that was weird." She paused to pointedly make eye contact for emphasis. "But, I mean, it hurt when you scratched me, but accidents happen."

"Accidents happen?" he repeated carefully, as if not believing her.

"Yes! I know you didn't mean to, and it's already healed now. That's how little of a wound it even was." Bella reassured, now frustrated with herself, that she gave the impression that she was such a barbie doll that she ran away and refused to talk to any of them because of a simple scratch, well, more like tiny punctures. Now that she thought about it, they did heal up surprisingly fast, she mused.

He really needed to cut his nails, she thought as she stealthily side-eyed his hands to see if he had already, and upon a glance of his short, albeit slightly dirty nail beds, she relaxed a little more.

"It was just the licking that really freaked me out. Who licks blood?" staring pointedly into his eyes again to try and get him to grasp her point of view, "it just got to be too much. The whole night was weird, but that was pushing it overboard a little. You guys don't even know me! What if I had a disease? It's dangerous and just really, really weird!"

A small smile started to curl his lips as he listened to her rant, his hands beginning to massage her shoulders in affection, "So you're not scared of me?"

Bella gawked at him, mouth going slightly slack, "You're a teddy bear!" Causing Paul to bark out a deep belly laugh, his mouth stretching into a broad smile, eyes sparkling. Bella didn't believe it possible for him to get more handsome, but when he let go of all the anger and pain that seemed to be permanently etched into his features, he really was quite breathtaking.

Pulling her into his chest, he again buried his face into her neck and nibbled on her neck affectionately, causing Bella to giggle at the ticklish act, "Maybe a stuffed wolf, but not a bear," he growled playfully.

Before Bella could respond through her giggles, she heard the timer go off in the kitchen, causing her smile to stretch farther. She hadn't been this happy all week, but now her spirits were lifted once again, "Oh, my cake!"

Breaking free from Paul's hold, she instead reached down to firmly grasp his hand and drag him into the kitchen with her, "I hope you like chocolate!" she called, putting on her oven mitts with all the seriousness of a surgeon putting on his gloves.

Paul felt his heart melt slightly in his chest, "I love chocolate."

XXXXX

Bella stared on in shock as Paul devoured his last slice, well, the last slice of the entire three-layered triple chocolate cake that she had baked earlier. Holy moly, could he eat!

There hadn't been much in the way of conversation once the food got broken out. Paul had just made sure to plop her into his lap and dig in. Always making sure to feed her bites, the best bits with the most chocolate sauce she noted. Throughout, he had flashed quite a few adoring glances both at the cake and at her. It confused Bella to no end, with the relish that he attacked the food and the almost overwhelming happiness that he was radiating. She couldn't help but feel like in his head she was offering much more than food.

Smiling in amusement as she saw Paul reach down for more, a forlorn look crossing over his features as he realized he had eaten the last of it, "No wonder you guys are as big as bears! Packing away the calories like that!"

Paul smiled abashedly, his eyes shyly meeting hers as an adorable blush darkened his russet skin. There was something almost boyish and innocent about his expression, as if he wasn't used to people teasing him in good-naturedly, and he enjoyed it immensely but wasn't sure how to respond.

Instead, he languidly slid out of the chair, being sure to deposit her in his now vacant seat effortlessly, his movements so fluid and smooth that Bella was temporarily stunned that someone of his size even had that much grace that she hardly noticed as he had sunk his head into her lap, wrapping his arms around her middle and burying his face into her, "You take such good care of me, baby, thank you." He purred, his voice slightly muffled as he rubbed his cheek against her stomach, a rumbling sound vibrating throughout him.

Bella blushed but couldn't help the content feeling from washing over her as she wrapped her arms around his head, holding him captive against her middle as she threaded her fingers through his hair. For fudge sakes, her subconscious interjected, how the hell is this happening again?

Is this how relationships worked? Were they supposed to start out this fast? Bella wasn't quite so sure. She had never really been an expert or even a novice in that area. Men didn't pay much attention to her mousy self, which suited her just fine. She had bigger things to occupy her mind throughout school. Like getting through anatomy and physiology, that class almost killed her.

Whatever was happening, though, she liked it. And why try to stop something that she liked? Coming to that conclusion, she instead relaxed, folding herself further around Paul's head, enjoying the rumbling sounds of contentment coming from him.