Wednesday, December 1st; Chancey Fancy; 6:31 p.m.
An impatient and excited grin could be seen on Dawn's face. She looked around, eyeing her surroundings; she had invited all of Paul's friends and acquaintances for a small get together here at the restaurant. She knew if she had invited a lot of random people that Paul didn't know, he'd feel a bit uncomfortable and overwhelmed, just as he did at Daisy's party a few months ago.
A table with seven or eight seats was reserved just for his family and friends, and Dawn even managed to convince Mr. Rowan to give them a free meal, for which she was extremely grateful. She was lucky to have a considerate boss, despite him being extremely strict. The restaurant wasn't that busy since there were seldom customers who came in for a bite on the weekdays.
At this moment, Dawn was waiting for Reggie and hoping that he arrived before Paul would. He had mentioned that Maylene was able to take time off from her busy schedule to come visit Paul and the others, and so Reggie was off to pick her from the airport. She was looking forward to meeting Maylene ever since Reggie had mentioned he wanted to propose to her in the future.
She was hoping that Vivian would put aside her fear and show up as well.
The blunette was lost in her thoughts until a familiar person came into her view, as he adjusted the rim of his glasses. "Thank you for inviting me again, Dawn," Conway said, with a smile on his face.
Dawn returned the smile. She had seen him in class earlier today and reminisced all the good deeds he had done for her willingly, so she didn't hesitate to return the favour. "It was the least I could do. After all, you did kinda play a part in getting Paul and me together."
He grinned in response. "Precisely."
Before Dawn could say anything, she noticed Gary setting up a small speaker on the table, as he started playing loud and booming music from his phone. Dawn widened her eyes and practically ran towards the table, turning down the speakers. Gary looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you know that Paul hates loud music? He prefers listening to music on his headphones."
Gary nodded in response. "Okay, I'll just put this away then," he said, grabbing a hold of the speakers. He noticed she looked relieved and he only chuckled. "You really want this to be perfect, don't you?"
Drew, who was watching from behind, approached them. "Yeah, you actually seem a little tense for such a minor thing."
Her jaw threatened to drop in slight shock as she looked across the two boys in disbelief. "Minor thing? It's not just anybody's birthday; it's Paul's birthday. In other words, it's my boyfriend's birthday, who's completely different from me, so of course I want this to be perfect," she said, not realizing she was letting out a breath. The two guys eyed her curiously at the change of demeanour until she smiled again. "But no need to worry, things are under control."
"Are you sure about that, sunshine?"
Dawn whipped her head at the familiar voice, not expecting to see not only Paul, but also Reggie and the woman beside him, whom she suspected was Maylene. A grin stretched across her features as she ran up to them. "You're here!" she exclaimed ecstatically towards the three. She looked towards the pink-haired woman, who was smiling warmly at her.
Just as she was about to greet herself, Maylene spoke, cutting her off. "You must be Dawn," she said, rendering her speechless. Dawn raised an eyebrow in confusion before she elaborated. "Reggie told me all about you and how you basically planned this whole thing."
Dawn scratched the back of her head sheepishly, as she looked across both Reggie and Paul. "Well, Reggie speaks a lot about you too," she said, with a small smirk now visible. The older male awkwardly coughed, scratching his hair and a crimson red was apparent on Maylene's cheeks. "In fact, he was telling me that–"
"Okay, why don't we sit down, shall we?" Reggie quickly cut in, gesturing for Maylene to walk forward. Dawn laughed as the two walked ahead of her, leaving her alone with Paul.
He was now wearing a dark purple shirt covered with a large black jacket. He stood there, a faint smile apparent on his features, with his hands in his pockets. He could see Drew, Gary, Conway and the others from behind her, as they began to get seated. There wasn't any sort of grand and luxurious decorations to be seen nor any kind of ear-piercing music. He couldn't believe she was that dedicated towards this.
It hadn't even been five minutes since he stepped in here and he had already decided that this was worth the terrible day he'd been having at the exploit of the others.
Dawn stepped closer and looked up at him, a hopeful smile on her face. "So…what do you think?"
Paul was about to confess that he was extremely grateful for what she was doing and even more appreciative of the fact that this small celebratory event completely fit according to his standards. But, he quickly decided that messing with her would be a lot more fun. He quickly changed his expression and demeanour. "What do I think?" he purposefully spat, as he saw Dawn's smile instantly turn into a frown. "First, you ask Gretchen to hold me off, so I have an even longer day at work, then the others messed with my car, which made me walk the entire way home. And if that wasn't bad enough already, you purposefully led me to believe whatever celebration is at my place, but actually was here the whole time."
Dawn was taken aback at his words and bit her lip. "I was just trying to stall. I didn't mean to make your day turn out bad. I only had so much time and plus I needed to take permission from Mr. Rowan…" she trailed off, when she realized Paul's eyes was filled with mischief and lips lifted into a smirk. "You asshole!" She exclaimed, punching his chest slightly, making him chuckle. "Don't scare me like that, I spent a lot of time doing this for you."
Paul nodded. "I know. Thank you," he said, before his eyes dropped towards her lips. He leaned in close and was about to close the distance when someone interrupted them.
"Um, hello? Did you forget we also were part of this?" Drew, who was seated, exclaimed from behind them, with a slight smirk. Gary and the others laughed in amusement as well.
Paul rolled his eyes as he walked forward towards the table. Dawn followed him from behind. "Yes, thank you for stealing my car's battery, it was well appreciated," he said, sarcasm evident from his tone, while Dawn slightly laughed. "I'd like you to return it, cause my car is literally parked somewhere on a road."
Gary waved him a hand of dismissal. "No worries, man."
Conway snorted at the immaturity, as he crossed his arms. "How idiotic. Who even steals something as preposterous as a car battery?" The two guys just rolled their eyes at the snarky comment.
Dawn smiled sheepishly. "It's okay Conway, they were just trying to help in their own…unique way," she said, choosing her words carefully, before realizing the table was empty. "Oh!" she exclaimed, causing everyone to look in her direction. "I'm gonna get everyone food and don't worry, it's on the house." She winked before leaving the table.
"Wow," Reggie commented. "Dawn is a keeper, she even managed to get us a free meal," he said, looking towards Paul, seeing that he had a satisfied smile etched on his features. He could tell his younger brother was pleased. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he was this happy on his birthday.
Maylene, who was seated beside Reggie, stood up from her seat and looked towards Paul with a small smile on her face. "Happy birthday, Paul. I wish you and Dawn the best of luck in the future."
Paul simply nodded, not letting her words go over his head. He sat down in a vacant seat next to Drew, as he let her words dwell in his mind. He hadn't been with Dawn for over two weeks; he was contemplating whether it was too soon to be thinking about their future. It was no doubt that he envisioned her beside him for a long time, though. Even better so, he wanted her to be in his future.
His thoughts were soon erased from his mind when he saw Dawn exiting the door, holding several platters in her two hands, walking towards the table. She set down several dishes of food, sending a pleasant aroma towards everyone. She grinned and placed her hands on her hips. "Bon Appetit!"
Everyone eyed the different sections of food with a pleased smile on their faces. "Wow, all of this looks really good, Dawn." Maylene commented.
"Thanks, but I didn't make it, our cook, Brock, did," she stated matter-of-factly. "Oh, and Reggie also mentioned you're a vegetarian, so I asked Brock to make some of his special stew." Maylene was surprised at the gesture. "Plus…I was also thinking Paul could try it as well," she said with a hopeful smile on her face as she looked towards Paul's direction. He nodded in response before Dawn proceeded to serve him a bowl.
Paul had no idea why, but he suddenly remembered Reggie's teasing comment about their potential marriage in the future, and he had that thought in mind when he took a spoonful. His neck grew hot the more he thought about it and suddenly everyone's worried eyes were on him when he started coughing. Dawn immediately grew tense but quickly handed him a glass of water. Once he drank the water and eventually stopped coughing, she was soon relieved.
"So…do you like the stew or not?" Gary asked, in order to lighten the atmosphere a bit. Everyone chuckled in response.
Paul didn't remember such tasteful food being made the last time he was working here. He supposed a new cook had been hired ever since. "It's nice."
Dawn smiled in response and was about to sit down herself, when someone familiar entered the restaurant. She could see Vivian looking around for her, so she waved towards her, so she could be seen. Once Vivian caught her, Dawn gestured for her to come forward. Vivian nodded and very hesitatingly walked towards the table.
Paul slowly widened his onix eyes in disbelief as Vivian came into view. He narrowed his eyes, as several questions penetrated his mind. But most of all, he was reminded of the pain and agony he felt during those six months, all because of this woman. He looked towards Reggie, who also seemed surprised, but his pleased surprised expression didn't match his. Without warning, he stood up from his seat. "What are you doing here?" he spat.
Everyone seemed surprised at Paul's reaction, aside from Reggie and Maylene, who were well aware of why he was acting this way. Vivian slightly jumped at his reaction while Dawn blinked, not expecting this from him. "I came to wish you…" she confessed, her voice soft.
"No need. And don't you get the fact that we want nothing to do with you? Get out," he told her.
Dawn grew a bit aggravated. "You can't talk to her that way, Paul! She's your aunt." Paul was confused as to how she knew that. "I'm the one who invited her. I thought you would have been more welcoming and forgiving."
Paul couldn't believe his ears. The fact that she expected him to forgive the person who made his life and Reggie's lives miserable for over six months was preposterous. "Forgiving? I can't even bear to see this woman right now," he said, glancing at Dawn, who was still in slight shock. He looked towards Vivian again, who seemed a bit scared now. "Didn't you hear what I said the first time? Get out."
Vivian drooped her head low before looking at Dawn. "See? I told you." Dawn's eyes softened a bit. "I don't blame him though," she said, before looking at Paul, who was just closing his eyes, choosing not to look at her. "Happy birthday, Paul," she said before walking away. Dawn watched sadly before as Vivian exited the restaurant.
Everyone remained in a deaf silence and no one dared to question this or even say a word, that is, until, Dawn grew furious. "What's wrong with you, Paul?!" she yelled. Paul blinked at the sudden outburst, but then realized she had been the one to invite her in the first place.
With that thought in mind, he stood up, ignoring her glares and walked over to her, forcefully grabbing her hand and yanked her as the two walked out of the restaurant. Dawn was struggling to let go of if their hands, but he held it tighter, showing how irritated he was. When they were at a respectful distance, he finally let go of her hand and turned towards her. "What were you thinking? How could you invite her? How do you even know her?" he spewed out several questions.
Dawn crossed her arms. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that you practically kicked her out! Who does that? I thought you had changed, Paul."
"Do you have any idea what she did?" he countered.
She uncrossed her arms and straightened her lips into a thin line. "Yeah. I know she crashed into Reggie." Paul continued to look at her in shock. "But what happened six months ago was an accident, Paul. She didn't mean for it to happen. All she's been trying to do is redeem herself and you're not even giving her a chance!"
"Why should I?" he asked, taking one step towards her. "She had a chance. When I was fourteen, I had to learn to live on my own, because she never came. And even after the accident, she didn't bother to check up on Reggie or me. She didn't care about us then and she doesn't care about us now. And you're saying I should give her a chance?"
Dawn remained silent for a second or two before she continued. "Maybe if you give her a chance to explain, it'll become clear. Everyone deserves second chances and you should forgive her."
Paul scoffed in response. "I'm not like you, Dawn. I don't forgive people easily, especially when it comes to this. And besides whether I give her a chance or not is none of your business anyway."
The blunette scowled in response. "If I hadn't given you a second chance, I probably wouldn't even be your girlfriend, Paul!"
Paul's irritation increased, but more so, because she was right. And the fact that he couldn't be like her angered him even more. "If I had known that that you'd be so provocative on my decisions, then I probably wouldn't have asked you to be with me," he muttered incoherently, despite not meaning a single word. He curled his palms into fists, silently hoping that she didn't hear that.
But when he looked at her shell-shocked and hurt expression, he immediately wished he could take those words back. He parted his lips, about to say something, when she said, "I can't believe you. You…you have your immediate family trying to make amends with you. And I wish every day that my mom could miraculously come back. Yes, I'm fortunate enough to live with May for now…but I would trade all that just to be with my mom again."
Paul was rendered speechless. He felt like an idiot. "Dawn–"
"No, it's okay, Paul," she replied bitterly, as a tear escaped her eye and dropped towards her cheek. The tear didn't go unnoticed by Paul and he walked forward to wipe it, but she stepped back, not looking at him. "You're right. I probably have no right in this. After all…" she said, looking up towards him before adding, "You regret me being your girlfriend."
Paul couldn't believe this was happening. He didn't want to lose her, especially when he was just thinking about their future just a while ago. "That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?!" she yelled again, feeling her heart clench. Once he couldn't respond, she wiped her tears away and continued. "Fine. When you figure it out, come talk to me," she muttered, before attempting to walk away.
He grabbed her hand, remorse evident in his eyes. "Don't go. Stay."
Dawn looked up at him, before she managed to pull her hand back. "I'm not breaking up with you, Paul. But you obviously need time to figure this out," she said, biting her lip. She would never break up with him for something like this, but she could see he needed time to clear his thoughts. Without another word to be said, she turned against her heel and walked away from him.
Paul groaned, as he ran his hand through his purple locks in frustration.
Meanwhile, back at the restaurant, everyone was utterly confused at Paul's reaction and the three guys could only wonder why Paul reacted in that manner. They hadn't seen this side of Paul in a long time. (Well, Conway had admittedly never seen this side of Paul anyway, since he barely knew him).
The group remained silent until Drew finally managed to address the elephant in the room. "Okay, I'm hella confused. Who was that woman and why did he get so pissed seeing her?"
"I would have to guess something drastic happened that had to do with the woman, which could explain Paul's reaction." Conway added, and the group looked at him weirdly, slightly wondering how he came to that conclusion. "I'm only make a prediction, of course!" He laughed sheepishly.
Maylene looked towards Reggie for confirmation and when he nodded in response, the pink-haired woman sighed before saying, "That woman was Reggie's and Paul's aunt, Vivian. She accidentally caused some problems for the family…she was the one who accidentally crashed into Reggie that night, sending him in a coma."
All the guys were shocked and blinked in response. Though now that they thought about it, his reaction made sense, but it wasn't exactly justifiable. "Oh," Gary commented. "No wonder," he said, with a frown on his face. "But didn't that happen a long time ago?"
Reggie decided to cut in. "Yes, but Paul's not exactly the most…forgiving type of person," he confessed. The last time Paul spoke about Vivian, he vividly recalled him giving Reggie a mouthful explaining how she never even deserved to step foot in their household again.
"Well, we all know how Paul feels about this whole thing," Drew said, quickly realizing that no one asked what Reggie's opinion about this was. "How do you feel about this?"
Reggie thought about the question brought up. If he had to be honest, he didn't know exactly how to feel about the entire situation. Granted, Vivian had indeed almost cost his life, but in all fairness, she never intended to. It was all an accident. Plus, despite not being there for the family in over four years, she was at least trying to redeem herself, something which most people wouldn't do. "I'm not sure," he said, a frown. "But…I think I'd like to give her a chance."
Before anyone else could reply, Paul entered the restaurant again, with a dull and motionless expression on his face and his hands in his pockets. The group noticed Dawn wasn't anywhere to be seen.
Reggie grew apprehensive on seeing Paul in this manner. "Paul, what happened? Where's Dawn?"
Paul sighed in response, closing and opening his eyes before he responded. "We had a…fight." Saying that might sounded normal in the past, but it was the first time this had occurred since they were together.
"Again?" Both Drew and Gary commented in unison, rolling their eyes.
Conway seemed curious. "May I ask what about?"
"We both have different opinions about Vivian," he started to explain, and then added, "Also…I may have said some things I didn't mean." He confessed.
Reggie was about to say that he was being ludicrous, but Conway intervened. "Would you mind if I talk to you, Paul?"
Everyone seemed perplexed as they sported confused expressions on their faces, including Paul. He supposed he had nothing to lose, however and just shrugged in response, still feeling terrible about what he had done. "I guess not."
May's Residence; 7:16 p.m.
May opened the door and was slightly surprised to see Dawn back so early. She noticed the blunette with a rather soulless expression as she entered the household. "What's wrong?" she asked, before looking at her wrist watch. "It's only a few minutes after seven, I thought you guys would still keep celebrating."
Dawn bit her lip, wondering if she should confess that she and Paul had a fight. But she also didn't want to keep any more secrets from her. So, she sighed, hoping for a more understanding reaction from her. "Paul and I had a fight again, but before you say anything, I want your advice on something."
May blinked but then sighed. Before she jumped to conclusions, she decided she'd listen. "What did you guys fight about this time?"
The blunette sighed before directing her over to the couch, and she sat on the opposite couch from where May was sitting. "I invited Paul's aunt to the celebration, but Paul didn't take it well. He kicked her out of the restaurant because it reminded him of when she accidentally crashed into Reggie and sent him in a coma. I told Paul to give her a chance, but he wouldn't listen! After all, everyone deserves second chances!" She explained. May nodded, as she took time to process the information. "Also," Dawn added. "Paul thinks I was a bit provocative and said that he wouldn't have asked me to be his girlfriend if he knew that before."
The brunette felt irritated as soon as she heard those words from her friend. But before she said anything, she thought about her words more. Did everyone genuinely deserve second chances? She could only think of Brendan and he was a perfect example of someone that didn't deserve a second chance. "Dawn, you may think I'm crazy, but…Paul may be right."
Dawn could only look at her best friend with eyes wide as dinner plates. "You're actually saying that?" May nodded in response. "Why?"
"Well…" May started. "For starters, I don't think everyone deserves second chances. Look at Brendan and what he did, would you honestly give him a second chance?"
Dawn thought it was an illogical comparison. "That's unfair, May. Vivian and Brendan are nothing alike. Brendan's a douche and just kept causing problems for everyone, while Vivian is at least trying to redeem herself. She deserves a second chance!" She protested.
"And now, let me address the second thing that I agree with Paul. It may sound harsh, but it does sound like you're forcing your decisions on him." Dawn was about to retort when she intervened. "Think about it, Dawn, it's his family and only he knows what they've been through. It's his choice, Dawn and even though you're his girlfriend…it's ultimately up to him."
Dawn blinked, straightening her lips into a thin line. She gave her words a few more thoughts. She sighed in defeat, thinking May was probably right. Just because she had a different opinion didn't mean she had to decide Paul's decisions for him. "You have a point," she confessed. "Paul said he wasn't the type of person to forgive easily and I should have respected that."
May smiled in response. "And that's okay…and for that part where he said he wouldn't have asked you to be his girlfriend, okay yeah, we can rage about that. Boo! Paul sucks!" She commented with a small smile, making the blunette laugh.
Dawn eventually stopped laughing, quickly remembering when Paul mentioned he never meant to say that. "Well, Paul was a bit angry," she confessed. "He probably never meant it. He even said that."
May rolled her eyes. "Gee and I thought I was dramatic."
Dawn chuckled in response. She reflected on the argument earlier. If she and Paul would have arguments consistently just because their opinions differed greatly, she couldn't imagine what it would look like in the future. "May…do you think Paul and I are too different for each other?"
The brunette raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," she started. "We're just so different from each other. If we have such different opinions about almost everything, is it really worth it? What if we're not compatible?"
May was surprised to see her unsure about her relationship with Paul. She wouldn't have expected that from her. "Come on, Dawn, you just started dating Paul for…two weeks or something?" Dawn nodded in response. "You've given so much just to be with Paul, hell, you've even suffered almost two months just to be with him when he was giving you a hard time."
Dawn frowned. "Yeah, but–"
"But nothing!" She exclaimed, standing up from the couch. "So, what if you and Paul are different? Haven't you ever heard the term 'Opposites attract'?" Dawn nodded. "It doesn't mean that you guys won't be compatible at all. As long as you guys respect each other's differences and grow, then that's all that matters. And that's what you need to do, Dawn."
This was why Dawn was extremely grateful for having someone like May in her life. She knew she wouldn't regret telling her about the argument. "Thanks, May. You're the best," she said, before standing up from the couch.
May laughed. "I know!" She replied cheekily and noticed Dawn was walking towards the door. "Where are you going?"
Dawn looked back at her. "I'm going back and apologizing to Paul, of course," she said, before May gave her a smile and the blunette closed the door behind her.
7:38 p.m.
Paul vividly remembered the last conversation he had with Conway and could only wonder what he wanted to talk to him about. The last time he mentioned he was also crushing on Dawn but he also remembered Dawn telling him that it was just his way of getting him to realize his own feelings for Dawn.
They were both seated next to each other on a bench. Admittedly, Paul felt a tad bit awkward, especially when neither chose to spoke up. He glanced at Conway, who appeared to be typing something up on his phone. "Interesting. Did you know sixty two percent of adults have better health benefits if they learn to forgive than those who don't?"
Paul just looked at him oddly in response, briefly wondering if stating statistical facts was always a method of starting a conversation for him. "Would you mind just getting to the point?"
"Heh," he chuckled lightly, adjusting the rim of his glasses. He looked forward, embracing the night sky and how the stars shimmered and twinkled. "You know, Paul, I may know little to nothing about you. But what I do know is that what you're doing right now is bad."
The plum-haired male raised a curious eyebrow at his words. "What exactly?"
Conway glanced at him. "This. The grudge you've been keeping inside for so long." Paul's hands curled into fists and he closed his eyes, as he felt somewhere inside of him clench. He felt his body go stiff, that is until, Conway continued. "See? You're letting this dominate your emotions."
He opened his eyes, slight irritation visible across his features. "Look, I appreciate what you're telling me. But if you're suggesting that I forgive that woman for what she did–"
"Oh, I'm not suggesting it. I'm telling you to forgive her," he intervened.
He scrunched his eyebrows together. "What?" he spat. He could expect this from Dawn, but not someone like Conway, who barely knew him and knew little to nothing about what he had been through and how he had been grieving for so long.
"Your family told me about what Vivian did, and I understand," Conway said, unintentionally clearing Paul's suspicion. "It is perfectly fine to be angry and it's justifiable. But, it's been months since the incident happened and from what I can see, Reggie is perfectly fine."
"The fact that Reggie is fine doesn't mean her actions were excusable," Paul retorted. "It doesn't mean I suffered any less," he replied bitterly.
Conway nodded in response. Of course, he could see why Paul had no intentions of forgiving her any time soon. "Let me share a story. And interesting fact, this is the first time I'm speaking of this, but don't worry, it helps with a point I'm trying to get to." Paul watched interestingly, curious to know where this was going to lead to. "When I was relatively young, my dad cheated on my mom. My mom was quite heartbroken and devasted. She never looked at him the same way again, and even I couldn't look at him the same way. But things admittedly began to get worse over time, even after they divorced. There were times where my mom refused to eat, talk or even get out of bed. Her health was slowly deteriorating."
"My father did apologize to her countless of times, but she could never bring herself to forgive him. I didn't blame her, though. But because she couldn't forgive him, she continued to be miserable, to the point where she fainted multiple times due to fatigue and she even suffered from low blood pressure and other health issues."
Paul remained silent, choosing not to speak, as he listened keenly. "After a few months, however, she got advice from a therapist, who told her that she was letting this grudge consume her life, including her mental and physical health. Eventually, she ended up speaking to my dad and although it took a very long while, she ended up forgiving him and moving on."
Paul's eyes wavered slightly, as he appreciated him sharing a part of his life story. But he still never saw a legitimate reason to forgive. "I appreciate you telling me that," he started, "But I still don't see any viable reason to forgive her."
"Paul," Conway said. "Forgiving is not about Vivian. It's about yourself. It's a process that opens your heart and gives you a peace of mind. You're stuck in bitterness and hate, so you're choosing to let yourself suffer. You're hurting yourself more than anyone else, which is exactly what my mom did."
He widened his eyes as he let that information sink in. Suddenly, Paul's body didn't feel stiff anymore as he felt himself relax slowly. He had never thought of it in that manner. Perhaps he had been choosing to let this consume him for over six months. He sighed, allowing himself to think deeply. "Dawn kept telling me forgive her too."
"And what a smart thing she told you to do," he remarked, letting out a slight chuckle in response. Paul glanced at him, giving him a suspicious look. "In all seriousness, however, she's right. It's important to let go of things. Of course, naturally, it could be a while for you, but I guarantee that once you do, you'll finally be at peace."
He sighed, staring at his feet and the ground. This was probably the second time in his life where he felt so confused and at crossroads with his own subconscious. He kept flashbacking six months back when he first had heard Reggie fall into a coma after the accident. Ever since that day, he'd have restless nights and would always grow tense. He had built up agony and hatred for the person in his heart ever since.
But now, ever since Dawn appeared in his life, things were a bit different. He had learned to finally let people in and how to express himself. He vividly remembered that he was always hurting both her and himself for not doing so in the first place.
Admittedly, he was tired. He wanted to be able to let go of this grudge. He wanted to be at peace.
"Is that Dawn?" Conway spoke, managing to break away Paul's thoughts.
He looked up and when his eyes caught sight of her, he stood up from the bench and waited for her to approach him. Unbeknownst to the two, Conway decided to give them privacy and walked away. He was surprised to see her come back, especially after the way he rashly spoke to her.
"I'm sorry," they both said in unison and they slightly widened their eyes.
Dawn wanted to laugh but bit her lip to prevent herself from doing so. "Look, you were right. I have been a little provocative. I mean, first with the whole birthday celebration, which you didn't even want in the first place, but I practically forced you into it. And then now, with forcing you to give Vivian a second chance," she said, drooping her head down. "I realized that I should be respectful of your choices even if they're different from mines."
Paul placed a finger on her chin, allowing herself to make eye contact with him. He sighed. "Dawn, if you weren't a bit provocative, I probably wouldn't even be who I am right now."
The blunette seemed perplexed. "What do you mean?"
He let out a faint smile. "Don't you get it? If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have been able to express myself, something that I've never done, aside from Reggie once in a while." He watched her, as his eyes bored into hers. "The point is that for the first time in probably months, I was happy."
Dawn let out a small smile of her own, feeling her heart soar and her stomach turn into knots.
"And I want to continue being happy."
Everyone seemed to be quiet as worry was seen in everyone's features. It had almost been an hour and Paul still hadn't returned to the restaurant. Reggie was seen tapping his foot against the floor repeatedly and just as he was about to call him for the umpteenth time, the door opened. Everyone lit up not only seeing Paul, but also Dawn enter beside him.
"Finally, we've been so worried, man," Drew exclaimed as he got up from his seat. "Do you know how many times we've been trying to call you?"
"I needed time to think," he explained. He looked at Reggie, briefly thinking about all the times whether he was sceptical if he was going to make it out alive or not. He sighed, as Dawn placed a hand on his shoulder, as she realized he needed a slight push. "Reggie, you're my brother so obviously, you mean a lot to me. I was always worried when you ended up in a coma. But I realized…that it's been consuming me. And I want it to stop. I want to be at peace."
Reggie looked at him in slight surprise, and his expression matched everyone else's as they watched in astonishment. Even Dawn couldn't believe her ears. "I'm tired of hurting myself…which is why, I'm considering giving Vivan…another chance," he finally confessed. And when he did, he surprisingly felt at ease. Dawn had the biggest grin etched on her face at this moment.
Conway was glad to have heard this too, as a smile spread across his features.
Reggie blinked, wondering if this was a dream, but when Maylene slightly pinched his skin, to which he jumped a bit as he let out a small chuckle, he realized it was reality. He grinned, still somehow unable to believe it. "That's great, Paul. But are you sure?"
Paul sighed. "It'll probably take some time for me to accept and forgive her. But, I'm willing to try, especially if she wants to redeem herself." He felt Dawn's hand tighten on his shoulder blade, which made him glance towards her to see her enchanting grin. He returned the smile.
"That's okay, Paul," Maylene said. "The fact that you're wanting to do this is the first step." She added. "But we don't know where she went…" she said, frowning.
Paul cleared his throat and looked at Reggie again. "Reggie, do you think you can get in contact with her tomorrow?" he asked and when he saw a confused expression on his face, he further elaborated. "I just want to focus on my birthday today. Is that okay?" he asked apprehensively.
The older plum haired male simply smiled in response. It was the first time he had seen Paul in this manner and he couldn't be happier. "Of course."
8:21 p.m.
It was safe to say that Paul was really enjoying himself. He hadn't remembered the last time he experienced something like this. He was now spending more time with his family and friends as they began to talk over a nice, casual dinner. Gary and Drew were constantly making jokes and sharing experiences of their own birthday as well.
Dawn soon approached the table with a palm-sized cardboard box in her hand. She set the box on the table and looked at everyone with an enthusiastic and hopeful smile. "I was thinking…we could engage in something fun that I thought of."
"What is it?" Gary asked, speaking for the rest of the group as well.
"Well," Dawn started, "In the box are little strips of paper with all our names on them. We pick up a piece of paper and we basically have to imitate whosever name is on the paper. What do you think?" she asked everyone, and then glanced at Paul to see his reaction. He seemed interested, to say the least.
"Oh, that sounds interesting, Dawn," Reggie commented. Dawn nodded in response. He looked at Paul. "What do you say, Paul? You in?" Paul glanced at Dawn and nodded, allowing her smile to spread into a grin.
"Mind if I go first?" Dawn asked. When she got a positive response from everyone, she reached into the box and pulled out a piece of paper, reading the name. She bit her lip and then smirked to herself as she looked at Drew, who was seated next to Paul. She then flipped her hair dramatically. "I'm Drew, and I have perfect hair and I get all the ladies, but I have the hots for May, so I'm basically whipped."
Paul watched her in amusement, his lips threatening to form a smile.
Drew began to laugh along with everyone else. "You pretty much nailed it," he said, chuckling. Dawn bowed in response as she laughed before Drew reached into the box, pulled out a paper and read the name. He snorted to himself, thinking this was going to be an easy imitation. "Did you know that the ocean makes up for about seventy percent of our planet? Also, interesting fact–"
"Actually, the ocean makes up for about seventy-one percent of Earth," Conway interrupted as Drew glared at him in response. He chuckled. "But yes, very nice imitation," he said.
Drew refrained from rolling his eyes as Conway pulled out a paper as well. Once he read the name, he had to think carefully, and he adjusted his glasses before he spoke, "I'm the son of a scientist, but I still do immature and stupid things such as stealing a car battery."
Gary cringed and looked at Conway. "Dude, no offense, but that was terrible." Everyone laughed (aside from Paul, who merely chuckled) before the process was repeated. He glanced at Paul before saying, "Everyone is pathetic. Hmph."
Dawn covered her mouth to hide her smile, but Paul noticed her amused reaction. He honestly wasn't offended by the imitation and only let out a small smile before he reached into the box and pulled out a piece of paper. Once he read Dawn's name, he chose not to look at her to make it less obvious. "Oh no. What are we going to do? We're trapped in here! But no need to worry," he said with slight amusement, now looking at Dawn's expression very carefully.
Dawn couldn't help herself and laughed when she realized he was imitating her from that day they had been trapped in the elevator. It felt nice to know that he knew her well enough to be able to do that and it gave her a warm satisfaction in her heart.
10:02 p.m.
After the celebration, Paul received birthday wishes from everyone and soon got a taste of the carrot cake that Dawn had baked with Leaf's assistance. The fact that it was less sweet and basically had no whipped cream on top or any kind of decoration made him realize that Dawn was truly amazing. He was extremely grateful for having someone like her that went out the extra mile to ensure every little thing was perfect.
Currently, he and Dawn were on top of a small hillside, a few miles away from the city. He could see the beautiful and breath-taking hues of orange, yellow and red lights illuminating from the city. He looked at Dawn beside him, as her hair began to sway slowly along with the wind. She never had mentioned an explicit reason on why she wanted to bring him here, though he wasn't complaining. "Why exactly are we here?"
The blunette looked towards him and bit her lip. "Before we get to that, I actually have a gift for you. I made it myself," she said. Paul watched in curiosity before she reached into her pocket and pulled out what seemed to be a piece of paper.
She looked nervous as she unfolded it and cleared her throat. She glanced at him before reading off the paper. "When we met in the elevator, I never thought life would be greater," she said, before hearing Paul chuckle. She frowned. "Hey! Don't laugh!"
Paul cleared his throat and kept a nonchalant expression as he kept his hands in his pockets. Dawn smiled before continuing. "We disliked each other, but never developed hate. Our meeting turned out to be fate. Over time, I became your light and sunshine, and you became my sugar plum and mine. And although we sometimes argue, we make up and there's no one else I'd rather be than with you."
She looked up at him expectedly and noticed he was watching her intently.
Paul literally had no words and was rendered speechless. He didn't deserve this. He took a step towards her, their breaths mingling and their hearts beating as one. "You're incredible," he said, before slanting his lips on hers. Dawn drooped her eyes closed as she reciprocated, forgetting about the paper as it slipped from her hands and flew away with the wind. She felt goose-bumps rise to her skin when his fingers brushed the side of her neck.
He released to look at her, but when he glanced at her lips, he couldn't help but to lean in and kiss her again, though this time, he didn't hold back as he kissed her hard and with passion. His hand left the side of her neck and rested on the side of her waist, pulling her close and flush to his body. He let her know how much she meant to him as the kiss deepened.
Dawn felt her senses tingling all the way down to her toes as she curled her fingers in his hair. He had never kissed her in this manner and it was as if he was kissing her senseless. Heat coursed through her body and she felt as if she was on fire with his touch.
They released eventually and were both breathless, trying to control their rapid beating hearts. Paul reached out and brushed her bangs before resting his head upon hers, as Dawn closed her eyes. "I'm sorry."
She opened her eyes and blinked in response. "For what?" she whispered.
He stepped back, giving them a decent distance. "For what I said earlier. I was just irritated, and I never meant it."
Dawn gave him a smile, realizing how natural it was for him to apologize now. There was no hesitation or fear. "You already apologized though."
"I know," he said. "But after what you've done for me today, you deserve so much more than an apology. No one's ever put so much effort for me to have a good day like this. It means a lot."
Dawn said nothing, feeling warmth in her heart and gestured for him to lie down. She lied down next to him, feeling her back rest against the grass beneath her. "You know," she said, as her eyes looked towards the twinkling stars in the night sky. "Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if my mom was still around." Paul craned his head to look at her, not expecting her to bring a sensitive topic up. "I know she's probably watching over us right now."
Paul's eyes never wavered. "Do you still miss her?"
She sighed heavily, feeling her throat heavy as she nodded. "Lots. I felt so alone and lost without her at first. But I've had good people around me that supported me," she said before turning her head and looking at him and continuing, "Including you."
He tentatively reached and brushed her bangs away with his fingers. "The first time I heard about that, I always wondered why such a bad thing would happen to such a good person like you. But I guess it just shows that sometimes things do happen for a reason," he said as Dawn nodded. "We wouldn't have gotten closer if it hadn't been for that day."
"That was the day you introduced me to Reggie," Dawn realized. "That was the day when I realized we weren't that different. We may not have the same opinions, but we…" she said, trailing off, remembering the conversation she had earlier with May.
"We have more in common than we think," he finished, letting out a small smile. Dawn returned the smile.
Before they could say anything else, the night sky suddenly lit up as a streak of white and blue light, with moving rapidly across their view. Dawn grinned and turned towards him again enthusiastically. "This was my surprise!" She exclaimed in excitement. Paul watched in awe as the world above him enlightened, just as his own world lit up with Dawn next to him. When the streak of light faded away, Dawn leaned forward and pressed her lips against his cheek softly before pulling back and whispering, "Happy birthday, sugar plum."
Paul found her hand and intertwined their fingers together. She probably had no idea how much she meant to him and it was clear to him that he always wanted her by his side, and he hoped it was for a very long time. "Stay with me tonight."
She blinked, confusion visible in her sapphire eyes. "At your place?" he nodded. She felt her cheeks burn as she hesitated. "I don't know…"
His hand tightened with hers as he bored his onix eyes in her sapphire eyes. "Just. Stay." Dawn was reminded of when he used to say the opposite and couldn't help but to laugh.
"Okay."
Okay, this is def the last chapter before I take a break haha XD.
Well, I think I gotta consult my doctor because I think I have diabetes from the amount of sweetness in this chapter. They're so perfect, I can't ahhhhhh!
Hopefully now you guys can see why I split the chapter, it would have been way too long if I had included all of this in the previous one. It would have been about 13,000 words o_O
Well, if you enjoyed this chapter, leave a review as always and let me know what you think. See you next time :D
