Disclaimer: I own nothing but some shirtless pics of Alex Meraz that clog up the memory on my phone. SM owns all.
Chapter 19
Bella POV
"Paul? Bella? What the hell is going on here?"
Paul backed away from me so fast I almost fell flat on my ass. Only Embry's strong hands appearing behind me kept me up on my feet. I glanced up at him, and the furious look on my brother's face caught me completely off guard. I'd never seen Embry so angry.
Charlie's glare wasn't quite as hard as he looked between us, probably seeing the way I was panting for breath and how Paul's short, silky hair was sticking up every which way from my hands.
Paul took another step back and raised his hands in surrender. "Look, Charlie, I'm sorry! It's not what it looks like. I just–"
Embry stepped forward with his fists balled up at his sides. "Not what it looks like? So you didn't just have your tongue down Bella's throat? What the hell, Paul? Jacob's sister wasn't enough? Now you have to go after mine?"
Paul and I both flinched at the reminder of his past with Rachel Black, and I stumbled back to sit on the porch steps behind me. I couldn't look at Paul's face, but I but saw how he was looking down at his hands now palm-up in front of him.
I felt my face turn red as a sharp pain hit my chest. Paul was backing away, moving closer to the trees at the edge of our property. "Look, I'm sorry. I- this- it's just a misunderstanding. Sorry Embry, Charlie….Bella."
Fury bubbled up inside me and I pushed past Embry to chase after Paul. "Paul Thomas Lahote, you stop right now! Don't you run away from me again!"
Paul was struggling, like he was being pulled in two different directions. I thought for a minute he would come back to me, that we could sit down and discuss whatever this was between us like adults, but then he turned abruptly and ran off into the woods.
I stomped my foot and let out a frustrated scream as I turned back toward my house. Dad was standing there with his eyebrows raised, a rather amused look on his face. Embry still had his arms crossed and had turned his glare on me now.
With Paul out of the picture, my anger was redirected as well. I ignored my Charlie for the moment and walked right up to get in Embry's face. Neither of us had ever been violent people, but I had never been this pissed off at him either.
He stumbled back as I put my hands on his chest and shoved as hard as I could. He looked honestly shocked, and more than a little hurt as well. I couldn't let that stop me though—I was hurt too.
"Why did you do that, Embry? You had no business getting in the middle of that. That was between me and Paul!"
As quickly as the hurt appeared, anger replaced it again. "I can't believe you, Bells! Honestly, what were you thinking? We've told you Paul's not good for you, and yet you're sitting here sucking face with the bastard right in the front yard!"
Charlie came over to stand between us before I could respond. I wasn't sure what I was going to say, but an ugly feeling of betrayal was working its way through my gut at the way Embry spoke to me. He was my brother, and at one time at least, Paul was his friend.
"Okay, okay, that's enough." My dad looked at Embry and cocked his head toward the house. "Embry, this doesn't concern you. Go on inside."
Embry straightened up and turned his glare toward Charlie. "But– she just– he– ugh! Fine."
I barely resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at his retreating back, but Charlie cleared his throat and caught my attention. "Bells? Anything you want to tell me?"
The snort of laughter came out involuntarily. That was a joke. I would have to have some idea what was actually going on to be able to relay that information to anyone else. All I knew so far was that Paul showed up periodically to either warn me away from people or give me the most amazing kiss I'd ever had in my life. Our second kiss. Even more amazing than the first one all those years ago.
As I thought of that kiss, my heart dropped. How could I be so stupid? Everyone had warned me and I didn't believe them—Paul hadn't changed a bit. My naiveté could be excused when I was twelve years old, but once Paul showed me that kiss didn't matter, I was an idiot to let him reel me in again now.
I tried to keep my tears back as I shook my head and avoided my father's gaze. "No, Dad. There's nothing to tell. I just made a mistake, that's all."
As I pushed past him to walk into the house, a wolf howled somewhere in the distance and it sent an eerie feeling down my spine. I felt the strangest urge to turn and walk out into the trees to comfort the animal.
I climbed upstairs and showered, getting myself ready for bed. When I slid under the sheets, I suddenly remembered what Sam had told me at the beach that afternoon. He spoke the old legends from the bonfires, but he made it sound like they were more history than fantasy. Cold ones, protectors, spirit warriors...
A wolf howled again, closer, but it almost sounded like a human voice instead of an animal. It didn't sound mournful like it did before. It sounded excited. There was a tapping sound at my window, and I climbed out of bed to see Paul perched on the tree limb right outside my room. What were the odds…?
~oOo~
Paul POV
The pain that cut through me when she called our kiss a mistake was worse than anything my parents had ever done to me. I just wanted to run after her and hold her close and be a fucking sappy romantic guy, but that just wasn't me. I needed to get drunk. I needed a distraction.
Since I'd phased out of my clothes, I ran straight to my house to grab some clean ones. I started to hop on my bike and head to town, but a glance at my shed reminded me of Charlie's last visit. He'd looked so proud when he told me he was glad I was staying out of trouble, and since I probably took myself out of his good graces by playing tonsil hockey with his daughter, it wouldn't be the best idea to tempt fate tonight.
Trying to decide where to go, I remembered the stash of moonshine Sam had given me not long after I started phasing. He hoped it would mellow me out a bit and help me keep my skin, but I didn't normally drink just for the sake of drinking. I went to bars for the social aspect—alcohol was tied to picking up women or picking fights.
The bottle was about two thirds full, and the first drink burned like battery acid going down. I was glad there was no one around when I coughed and spluttered like a fucking girl.
I parked myself on the couch with the bottle and the remote, chuckling a little at what my Saturday night had been reduced to. I kissed my dream girl, and probably would have done a hell of a lot more if we hadn't been interrupted. Of course, she thought it was all a mistake. Fucking A.
As I downed more and more of the burning liquor, I let my memories play in a pathetic loop. Bella Swan, every moment I spent with her as a child, and every fantasy I'd had since then. Finally, that kiss. That kiss of death that sealed my fucking doom. There was no denying it now—that girl owned me body and soul.
I had a pleasant buzz by the time the bottle was empty, but I needed more. I needed to be numb. Stumbling out of my house, I decided to go straight to the source.
My fist hit the door with a little too much force, and I flinched when I saw the fine crack in the sturdy wood. Oops. Sam would have me fixing that for sure. Can't be defacing property of the tribal elders right?
"Paul?" Oh shit. The old man's quiet.
"Hey Old Quil." Was my voice slurring already? Damn, I only had the one bottle. Fuck, why was I here again? Oh right. "I need me some more of that moonshine you got."
He just stood there with that tribal elder poker face they all have until I started to get a little twitchy there on the porch. I tried not to think about it, but it hurt to not be invited in that house. I lived in that house once, when Miss Molly was still alive, and now I had to practically beg to be let in like a damn dog.
What made it even worse was the fact that this was my imprint's grandfather! We were practically family! Hmm, wonder if he knew that. "Hey, Gramps– can I call you Gramps? I know Bella and Embry don't call you that, but since she's my imprint I figure we better get to know each other and shit."
Before I got all the words out, Old Quil's hand shot out and grabbed my arm with more strength than I thought he had in him. He yanked me forward toward the door, looking out behind me before following me in.
I was a little dizzy at the quick movements, but he didn't let go of my arm until I turned to face him. I actually flinched a little at the look on his face, the little boy inside me still afraid of the man who'd been my temporary guardian.
His voice made me jump when he finally spoke, the words coming out in a low rumble through his clenched teeth. "You mated with my granddaughter?"
I backed away with my hands up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa there. No, sir. I did not mate with Bella. I mean, hell, I'd love to do that, but she doesn't want me. She said I was a mistake." I looked away and started mumbling as the pain hit me again. "My own imprint doesn't want me…"
Old Quil walked away and left me there as I sank down on the living room floor. I couldn't believe I'd been reduced to this. Paul Lahote did not get rejected by women. And he sure as hell didn't cry about it when he was.
A heavy hand fell on my shoulder and a bottle appeared in front of my face. "Here, son. We're both going to need this."
I sat up a bit, leaning against the front of the couch where I had apparently fallen. Old Quil sat in his recliner, a glass in his hand. After taking a long swallow, he finally spoke. "So the spirits have deemed you worthy of my Isabella."
I took a swig from the bottle and shook my head. "Yeah, no idea what they were thinking there. She clearly deserves better."
To my surprise, he wagged his finger at me and shook his head no. "No, it is not our place to question the spirits. I have watched your love for one another grow through the years. Even after she left this place, she was drawn back to you.
"I have spent years trying to run from the spirits, and I do not believe I have succeeded at all. I lost my son, I have lost my grandchildren, and I have even been put in my place when it comes to you, young Lahote. You are worthy of the wolf, and you are worthy of your imprint. You must simply embrace the love that already exists."
Embrace? I wanted to embrace Bella all right. I needed to get some of that embracing done right away. I could figure out what the hell Old Quil was rambling about later.
Jumping up, I swayed a bit as I walked over to his chair. "Okay, old man. I'm gonna go do that embracing shit now. See ya!"
I wasn't sure how my wolf would run if he was drunk, so I decided to stick to my human legs for the run over there. I took the bottle with me and it helped me relax as I jogged a bit crookedly through the forest.
There were only a few swallows left when I finally made it to the Swan house, so I chugged them down before starting up that tree. I was gonna go see my girl.
~oOo~
The cool bite of metal on my wrist jolted me out of my early morning stretch. I frowned as I turned and saw that my arm was handcuffed to an unfamiliar bed frame. An uncomfortable shiver worked its way down my spine as I tried to remember the night before.
A bright, familiar giggle brought my attention to the end of the bed where I saw Bella standing with a camera in her hand. "Smile, pretty boy. You'll never live this one down!"
I couldn't hold back a groan at the thought. She had me trapped good and proper now. Who'd have thought it? Paul Lahote, town delinquent, arrested at the police chief's home—by his seventeen-year-old daughter…
AN: Yes, that last bit was the latest drabble I wrote, and I promise that Bella will show us the night before in the next chapter.
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