The bus I rode stopped stopped in front of the diner, it was a rainy evening but I couldn't complain. Forks was a change from where I used to live but it was safe, no one really knew me here and I liked that.
After I clocked into my shift, I put my apron on and began taking orders in my station. A hour had gone by and the sun was beginning to set. Carefully, I made a pot of hot coffee and ran a cup out to a table.
The bell to the diner rung, I turned my head around to see who had entered.
"So it's true, you are working here!" A cheerful voice exclaims as a big grin spread across my face, it was my cousin.
"Quil!" I exclaim happily. I came out from behind the counter to give him a hug. Quil grinned and embraced me. "How'd you know I was working here?"
"Your mom told my mom." He shrugged. I rolled my eyes but smiled. I had hoped to keep a low profile, but I knew eventually Quil would know where I worked.
"She really misses you, you know." Quil said referring to my mom. "My mom told me she keeps asking about you."
I looked down at my shoes for a moment. "I know. I miss her, too. I just had to get out of there."
"You know if you ever need anything you can always come to me, right?"
I smiled at Quil. He had always been that older protective cousin who I was pretty close with when I was a child. My mom and I used to live in Forks when I was much younger before we moved away. I hadn't seen Quil much since then. After I chose to move back it felt so great seeing him again.
"I missed you."
"Who wouldn't miss me." Quil grinned teasingly. I rolled my eyes playfully punching his shoulder. "You should come by tonight, you gotta meet everyone. We're all having dinner and watching movies at my place."
"Sure, I get off in a couple of hours. Should I change at my apartment first?"
"That's fine, I'll text you the address." Quil answered before turning to the door. "See you tonight, Willow."
As I opened my apartment door and set my purse down, I made my way down the hallway to take a quick shower and put on jeans, a sweater, my warmest jacket, and a pair of boots. The ringing of my phone caused me to jump from the silence in my apartment. It was Paul, I quickly answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Willow. How are you today?"
I smiled suddenly feeling chirpy. "I'm good. Today was easy. How are you?"
Talking and laughter of other people could be heard in the background of the phone, maybe he was at a restaurant or at his family's home visiting.
"Not bad, I wanted to call you though." Paul spoke. "I've been looking forward to talking to you again."
I could feel my cheeks getting warm from Paul's words. This was only my second time talking with him but I liked it.
"I've been looking forward to it too." I tell him honestly, I enjoy talking to him, he's a good person to talk to. There's a light chuckle from Paul that makes my cheeks feel hot, I like the sound of his voice.
"Are you busy?" He asks him suddenly.
"Oh, well, I was actually about to go to my cousins house." I trailed off. But I didn't want to end our phone call, it was off to a good start and going well.
"I'll be up for a little bit. If you would like to you can call me back?" Paul said. It sounded more like a question, I smiled at his response.
"Okay, I can do that."
"Talk to you later, Willow."
"Bye, Paul." I spoke with a smile lingering on my lips.
My phone call with Paul ended and my phone chimed. I checked it, it was a text from Quil. He had sent me the address to his place.
The cab ride to Quil's house wasn't very far from my apartment which I found nice knowing he lived closer to me. I stepped out of the cab to see a cozy and warm looking house in front of me. There were three cars parked outside, I wondered which one belonged to Quil. Slowly I walked to the front door and knocked, within seconds the door was opened by Quil.
"Hey, you made it." He greeted me cooly as held the door open for me, I stepped inside to see a nicely furnished house. "Guys, this is my cousin that I was telling you about." Quil spoke. "Willow, these are my boys."
I looked around the living room and saw the three boys who had come into the diner the other night. The three boys who had been calling Paul to sit with them at the booth, my heart began to beat quickly from embarrassment of the memory of the strawberry milkshake spilling after my run in with Paul. Maybe they won't bring it up. But if they're here, does that mean Paul will be here too? Unless Quil doesn't know Paul.
"Hey Willow, nice to meet you officially." One of them smiled in a friendly manner. "I'm Jared."
"Hey! You're the waitress from the diner right? I'm Sam." The familiar faced man chimed in, I give him a shy smile and nod my head at him.
"Yeah, you ordered the milkshake. It's nice to meet you." I respond to him politely.
"And last but not least—Though we all know I'm the best of the group, I'm Embry."
Embry gave me a wink and a cheeky grin which caused Quil to playfully nudge him. I chuckle at the two of them as I watch Quil and Embry begin a playful fight for a moment.
But something catches my eye from my side vision as if someone had just walked from the side of me. I turn my head toward the hallway to see Paul standing in there leaning up against the wall. My eyes grow wide and my heart beat suddenly increases, I hadn't expected to see him here tonight. He still looks as handsome as he did the night I bumped into him at the diner. But he looks surprised to se me too.
"Willow?" Paul exclaimed with a hint of surprise in his voice. He looked almost as if he were dazed and I wondered why he kept looking that way at me—I saw Jared smirk and turn to Embry as they exchanged looks with one another.
"Hi" My voice was soft but I suddenly felt very insecure about not having worn any mascara tonight. The corner of Paul's lips turn up in a small smile, it's not fair for someone to look that good doing something so simple.
"What are you doing here?" He asks me in a warm tone, I swallow before speaking as I try to find my voice.
"I'm visiting my cousin, remember?" I answer him lightly, I look down at my shoes before making eye contact with Paul again. He truly looks so mesmerized to see me.
"And I'm the cousin." Quil states as he raises his hand, displays a cheeky grin. "Wait, I didn't know you guys knew each other. When did that happen?"
"We just met the other night." I respond turning to him, "At the diner. Sam, Jared, and Embry came in one night and Sam ordered a milkshake. Paul just come into the restaurant as I was carrying it out and—"
"Ohhh, so you're the waitress who bumped into Paul and spilled the milkshake?" Quil teased with a chuckle.
"Well yeah," I respond running my fingers through my hair. "What'd you think Sam meant when he said I was the waitress from the diner?" Jared and Sam smirked.
"I just didn't think you were the waitress who had run into Paul and spilled the milkshake. Miss two left feet." He teased and shrugged.
"Yeah, I probably should have been paying attention to where I was walking," Paul chimed in, he gave me a small smile causing my heart to jump nervously. "It was my fault."
"Well I don't know about the rest of you guys but I'm starving..." Embry declared as he took a seat on the couch.
"Yeah, I second that. Let's order some pizzas." Paul responded in agreement. Quil ordered four large pizzas and turned on the tv to some show about people who worked in a office together. It was pretty comical aside from the fact that I'd never seen it until tonight.
After the pizza arrived, we all sat down in front of the tv and began to eat. The night went fairly well. I noticed Paul talking side glances of me and then looking away when I would look in his direction. A small smile played on his lips and I took a bite of my pizza. The show we were watching was on a scene with the receptionist and the salesman playing a telekinesis prank on another salesmen in the office with them. I laughed as the scene finished the prank. Paul winked at me with a smile causing my cheeks to get warm. If it wasn't so dark in here aside from the tv light I'm sure he would be able to see how pink my cheeks were becoming.
