Chapter 4: Twisted

It was Sunday night. After my 'experience' with Hailey I decided to lay low for the weekend and nurse my wound. Jack was curious as to what I had learned about shifting while I was in California, so I had been telling him stories for the past two days.

"Paul!" Jack yelled from the kitchen, "Mom says that it's your turn to do the dishes!"

I rolled me eyes, "Sorry bud I can't I'm going out!"

Before he could protest I grabbed my jacket and rushed out the front door. Although it still hurt to walk somewhat, I would rather be in pain then have to clean my brother's leftovers off of a plate…

Heading toward the park again I zipped up my jacket when I felt a cool breeze hit me. I looked up and noticed that the sky was covered with dark clouds. A storm was coming.

Ignoring it, figuring I could escape the storm for at least another hour I whet and sat of a park bench. I wonder what Suze was doing right now?

Probably making out with that damn cowboy.

I smirked. I would have loved to see her face when she realized that I was gone. I hadn't told her that I was going back to Seattle. No point. It's not like she would have cared…

I was brought quickly out of my thoughts when I heard a high pitched scream coming from behind the community building in the park. It was used in the summer as a day care for parents where kids would come and do crafts or play at the park.

Thinking that maybe someone was in trouble I got up and headed over to the building. Judging by the scream it sounded like it was a girl that had screamed. Hey…maybe it's a damsel in distress who needs me to rescue her…

When I turned the corner my jaw fell open.

It was Hailey. She was lying on the ground, not moving. I could see a small pool of blood under her head and her lip looked swollen. Standing above her was a guy about my age. His jet black hair fell into his almost black eyes.

"Hey!" I yelled, "What the fuck are you doing?"

When he looked up at me I noticed the glow surrounding him. He was dead…

He smirked at me, and giving one last look to Hailey at his feet, he disappeared.

Damn, I hate it when they do hat.

Rushing over to Hailey I knelt down to check her pulse. It was stable. She must have just been knocked out.

"Hailey?" I nudged her softly.

She didn't move.

I felt my heart beat race as I began to panic. Why wasn't she waking up?

"I should call the police," I said to myself.

And say what? That a ghost attacked her? Like they would believe that…no they would pin this on me.

Deciding that they best bet was to take her back to my place I slowly picked her up. She groaned in my arms and I knew that she was in pain. I could feel the blood from her head wound slowly start to soak my jacket.

Going as fast as I could without hurting her or being seen I finally made it home.

When I entered the house Jack was sitting in the living room watching TV. When he saw Hailey lying in my arms beaten and unconscious he turned as pale as a ghost.

"What did you do Paul?" he gasped.

"I didn't do anything!" I snapped, "I found her like this in the park. A ghost attacked her. Where are mom and dad?"

"They are out on the patio. Should I go and get them?"

I shook my head, "No they wouldn't understand. Go and get a bunch of towels and the first aid kit, then meet me in my room."

Jack nodded and raced off to get the supplies while I took Hailey down the hall to my room.

Jack got back quickly and placed a few towels across my bed so there wouldn't be blood everywhere. I set her down gently.

"What are we going to do Paul?" Jack asked, his voice quivering.

"You will go to bed, it's late. And close the door on your way out."

"But-"

"Jack get out!" I exclaimed.

He groaned and left, closing the door behind him.

Taking the first aid kit I went to her side and tried to find where she was bleeding from. I found a cut behind her ear. It wasn't as deep as I thought it would be, thankfully she wouldn't need stitches. After cleaning it out and bandaging it I looked her over for other wounds. She had large bruises on her shoulders, the ass probably grabbed her and shook her. Taking some ice and a wet cloth I cleaned up her lip as well as I could.

After I was finished I sighed. Well she wasn't going anywhere tonight…

I grabbed a sleeping bag from the hall closet and a spare pillow and then set up on the floor by my bed.

I knew my parents wouldn't find out. They never checked on me anyway…

Taking off my shirt and jeans, leaving me in just my boxers I crawled under the covers and closed my eyes, sleep taking me quickly.

……………………THE NEXT DAY………………..

"Paul?" Jack whispered, "are you going to school?"

I shook my head, "I'll wait here with Hailey."

Jack nodded and left without another word.

Rolling onto my back I squinted my eyes against the morning sun that swept into my room. I looked onto my bed to find Hailey lying on her side facing me, fast asleep. Her lip was still swollen and I could see that her hair was a bit sticky where she had been cut, but other wise she was perfect.

I had had dreams of her lying in my bed…but not under these circumstances…

Shut up. I am still a teenage guy after all…

Before I could continue my…thoughts…Hailey stirred and opened her eyes. I shivered when her molten brown eyes fused with mine for what seemed like an eternity.

Then, of course, she realized who she was looking at.

She jumped up so fast that I b saw her get up. She backed away from me, holding her hand to her head. She groaned in pain and then started to fall over.

"Whoa there," I reached out and grabbed her around the waist before she could hit the floor. Out of reaction her hands went to my chest to steady herself.

I couldn't help but smirk when she realized that her hands were placed one my bare chest. Her eyes slowly worked her way down my body, and she turned crimson when she saw that I was only in boxers.

"What the fuck am I doing here Paul?" she looked back up at me, her eyes on fire.

"Maybe you should tell me Hailey. I found you getting your ass kicked by a ghost in the park last night. I was merely being a good friend and taking care of you." I stated.

If possible, she blushed even more. She struggled in my grasp and tried to back away from me.

"No way," I said as I pulled her back up against me so that my face was a few inches from Hailey's, "You aren't going anywhere until you tell me why that guy went psycho on you."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and I felt her relax against me.

Maybe she's giving in…

I felt her start to move her knee.

Ha, like I'd fall for that again…

Before she could kick me where it hurts I pressed her up against the wall behind her and used my weight to keep her legs from moving. Lets just say that she wasn't very happy…

"Let me the fuck go Slater!" she yelled, causing my ears to ring.

"Not until you tell me what happened between you and that guy Hailey!" I exclaimed.

"Look its nothing ok!" Hailey said.

I laughed bitterly, "Don't give me that bullshit! I have been doing this a long time Hailey and I know for a fact that the departed don't just pop up to kick a shifter's ass for no reason! You must have done something to piss him off!"

"I ran ok?" she finally burst out, tears filling her eyes, "That's why he beat me! Because I ran from him!"

I loosened my grip on her, "What do you mean?"

Her lip quivered, "When I lived in Chicago, Kevin, the guy from the park, came to me for help. Of course I said yes because it's my job to help the departed. We got close. After a few weeks he got really possessive and he would attack any guy that would get to close to me. So I broke it off."

What the hell is it with girls and falling for the dead? Is the glow truly that appealing? I just don't get it…

"The next day he showed up at my school when I was out of class. We got in a fight and he attacked me saying that he wouldn't let me break it off. That's when I was expelled. I was offered the chance to go to another high school in Chicago, but I had to get away. So I came here. I thought I had gotten away from him, but last night he found me. He told me that if I didn't go back to him, he would kill me. Then he decided to knock me around a bit to prove his point."

The tears fell out of her eyes freely now and I felt my heart twist in my chest. Her eyes shone with an emotion I had never seen from her before. Terror. She was truly afraid of this guy.

She leaned against the wall and covered her face with her hands.

"Hailey…I, I didn't know I'm sorry," I whispered.

Wrapping my arms around her I pulled her tightly up against me in a comforting hug. Lucky I did, because as soon as I did her legs caved in and she shrunk to the floor. Not wanting to let her go, I sunk down with her. Gathering her into my lap I just sat there and held her while she cried into my shoulder.

I couldn't understand it. Why did I care so much? I had never actually wanted to comfort someone so much before, not even Suze. I cared about Hailey, I truly did. For once I didn't care about what she thought of me, and I wasn't constantly trying to get her to give into me.

What was Hailey doing to me?

After she stopped crying she looked up at me, "I'm sorry. I'm so stupid…I should go…"

She started to get up but I stopped her and tilted her face to mine.

"Don't apologize, you are not stupid Hailey. I won't let this Kevin guy hurt you, I promise."

Before she could protest I pressed my lips to hers, sealing my promise. I always wondered what 'sealed with a kiss' meant, and now I know.

This time she didn't resist me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back with all she had. Running my hands though her hair, avoiding her cut, I pressed my tongue to her bottom lip softly. She opened her mouth to me and we fought for dominance. She groaned in pain when I bit her swollen lit gently, but I ignored it. I needed her, I needed this feeling. This feeling like she actually cared about me and not some one night stand like it had always been with Hannah.

Moving one hand to her waist I slipped my hand under her shirt and onto her lower back. Arching her back so she was as close as I could get her to me I moved to her neck. She gasped softly and I knew that I had found her sensitive spot.

All of a sudden she seemed to be jostled back to the real world.

"Paul," she breathed, "we have to stop. I-I s-should go."

I groaned in her neck and moved back to hers lips, claiming them before she could turn away.

Suddenly I wasn't kissing her anymore. As a matter of fact I was on the other side of my room, up against a wall.

"What the?" I gasped when I realized that I couldn't move, "Hailey what did you do?"

She was breathing rather deeply and her hand was raised in my direction.

"It's a barrier if you must know. You can guess what it's for," she smirked and then started to get up without taking her concentration off me.

She put a barrier around me?

That is so not fair…

After she had stood up and straightened herself out she walked to my door and looked back at me.

"That barrier will last a few more minutes, so don't worry," she said, "and thank you for helping me Paul."

"But why are you leaving?" I asked, desperate for her to stay, "why are you leaving me here like this? Even after all of that?"

And by that I meant the hot make out session that we were both enjoying just a few seconds ago!

She frowned, "I like you Paul. But if he ever found out…he would come after you. I have to get out of here before he comes after either of us. I don't want you to get hurt."

And then she left.

"Hailey come back!" I yelled after her.

I heard my front door slam. She was gone.

A few seconds later the barrier finally broke and I jumped up.

I had to find her. She can't leave. Not now. I cared about her too much…

I can't let her go.