Stephanie glanced down at her left wrist checking the time again before crossing her arms back to her chest. She peered out the glass double doors of the lobby at work where she stood trying to wait patiently. Her patience was very thin today and it wasn't as if she was very good at having patience anyway. But today, her car decided not to start and it left her having to ask Jocelyn for a ride to work and to take Rhys back to the apartment for his car. Jocelyn of course didn't mind but today Jocelyn didn't get off work until two hours after she did and Rhys didn't get off for two more hours either.
Of course, Stephanie was in a hurry to get to work that morning so she didn't have time to find someone to get her from work. So, Rhys promised he would get someone to pick her up when she got off and then they would figure out what to do after he got off work for however long her car was going to be out of commission. She hoped it wouldn't be long because she didn't like standing and waiting not knowing who was picking her up. Maybe Rhys hadn't found anybody and that's why he hadn't texted her anything about who was picking her up. She was beginning to get nervous and about to text Rhys when a black SUV that looked like Paul's caught her eye.
"Oh God please anyone but Paul" Stephanie said under her breath. Just then her phone dinged with a text message and she didn't even need to look down to know who it was. She knew she should be grateful someone came to pick her up but she didn't want it to be Paul. But of course, the text was from Paul letting her know he was there.
She sighed and started to head towards his SUV. This was why Rhys probably never texted her to tell her who was picking her up. He knew she wouldn't want to be picked up by Paul but it was probably honestly the only other person besides Jocelyn they could rely on. Even though she hated to admit that.
Stephanie pulled the handle on the passenger side door but it was locked so she waited until she heard him unlock the door and went to open again just for him to lock in back quickly. She glared at him even though she couldn't see him that well with his tinted windows. He done it a couple more times to her until she said fuck it and started to walk off until she heard him unlock the doors again. This time she got it opened and found him laughing, she glared at him and gave him the finger before getting in.
"You're really the only other option to get home?" Stephanie asked putting her seat belt on as he started pulling out of the parking lot.
"It looks that way."
"Why didn't Rhys text me to let me know?" Stephanie asked wondering out loud to herself.
"Probably because I just saw the text asking me to pick you up when I got off work" Paul shrugged before turning the volume up a little on the radio.
"Where we are going? The apartment is the other way" Stephanie pointed out confused of what was going on.
"I have an errand to run."
"And you can't just take me to the apartment because?"
"Because it would take longer to take you to the apartment and come right back to where I am. This is easier and I had this planned before I graciously took the time to pick you up."
"Fine" Stephanie said crossing her arms over her chest and slumped down in her seat.
Twenty minutes later and a stop at the grocery story they pulled up to a simple house with white siding and a porch swing on the left side of the porch.
"Are you coming?" Paul asked grabbing the bag of groceries that he had bought.
"No, I think I'll stay here."
"It might be a while" Paul replied giving her a chance to change her mind.
"Fine" Stephanie replied rolling her eyes and getting out and following him to the porch. "So, who's house are we at?"
"My mom's" Paul opened the screen door and knocked before going in and Stephanie followed behind him. "Hello."
"Paul what are you doing here?" Paul's mom asked coming to him and hugging him.
"I brought you some groceries."
"You didn't have to do that" she replied as Paul started taking stuff out of the bags and putting it up for her.
"Because I already did" a blonde petite woman came into the kitchen and stuck her tongue out a Paul.
"What are you doing here?" Paul chuckled going over to her and hugging her.
"Checking in on mom of course" she said giving him a small nudge.
"You guys really don't need to do that."
Stephanie just stood kind of awkwardly watching them talk and laugh trying not to intrude.
"And who's this?" Paul's mom asked smiling over at Stephanie and Stephanie smiled back at her.
"I'm Stephanie" Stephanie said giving her a small wave.
"She's Rhys's girlfriend" Paul replied probably making sure his mother didn't get the wrong idea about them.
"Well I'm Patricia and this is Lynne Paul's sister" Patricia introduced them.
"Hi" Lynne said giving her a wave and Stephanie waved back.
"Where are the munchkins?" Paul asked looking at Lynn who pointed down the hallway.
"They are in your old room looking at your old stuff you had as a teenager. I really hope they don't find anything inappropriate."
"You never know" Paul shrugged and laughed once Lynn hurried down the hallway to his old room.
"Don't torture your sister like that" Patricia scolded but also had a small smile of her own.
"It's too easy."
"So, how is Rhys? Where is he?" Patricia asked looking at Paul and then Stephanie.
"He's doing good. He's at work right now. Paul picked me up from work because my car is out of commission at the moment otherwise, I wouldn't have intruded today."
"Oh, dear you didn't intrude you're more than welcome here."
"Thanks" Stephanie replied warming up to Paul's mom. It was weird how she couldn't stand him but his family seemed to be pretty great from what she could tell.
"Don't get too comfortable" Paul said to her and Patricia smacked him on the arm.
"Paul Michael Levesque do not be rude."
"No wonder you don't have any real friends besides Rhys" Lynn said joining them back in the kitchen. Stephanie gave a small snort of laughter and had to try to cover it with a cough while Paul made a face at her.
"Screw you. I'm going to go see my niece and nephew before I leave. At least they're nice to me" Paul replied to Lynn nudging her before heading down the hallway. Patricia just shook her head and Lynn chuckled and looked over to Stephanie.
"Sorry. You probably think we are so rude."
"Not at all. It's interesting to see Paul like this."
"What's he like usually?" Lynn asked grabbing a cookie from its packaging on the kitchen counter while Patricia looked over at Stephanie. She didn't want to say things about Paul to his family about what he was really like. She might not like him very much but she didn't want to bad mouth him to his family and them not like her.
"I guess he's a little more serious at home" Stephanie shrugged which wasn't a complete lie because he was serious in how much he didn't like her.
"He usually does joke around a lot with us but he knows when to be serious" Lynn agreed biting off a piece of cookie. Stephanie just nodded her head feeling a little uncomfortable.
"Do you mind if I use your bathroom?" Stephanie asked trying to get out of answering any more questions about Paul.
"Go right ahead" Patricia answered. "It's down the hallway the first door on your right."
"Thanks" Stephanie excused herself and headed down the hallway that adorned pictures of Paul and Lynn. They were also some pictures of kids that she assumed was Lynn's children which she found out she correctly guessed when she came upon the room Paul was in.
They were climbing on his back and he was gently tossing them down on the bed and tickling them as they all laughed. Stephanie couldn't help but smile at the sight.
"Okay okay. Uncle Paul has to get going" Paul said breathlessly standing up and fixing his hair which was a mess from the kids climbing on his back.
"When will we see you again?" They asked almost in unison.
"I'll come see you guys this weekend okay?"
"Okay" His niece replied hugging him.
"Be good for your mom" Paul tousled their hair. "Love you guys."
"Love you!" They both replied as Paul turned towards her and gave her a funny look.
"You ready to go?" Paul asked and she nodded and began following him back down the hallway. "Well I've got to get going. Do you need anything else mom?"
"Don't worry about me sweetie. I've got everything I need."
"You know it's not possible for me to not worry about you" Paul replied going over to her and giving her a hug.
"I know but it's supposed to me worrying about you kids not the other way around."
"Oh well. You think you'd be used it by now" Paul shrugged going over to Lynn and giving her a hug.
"It was nice meeting you Stephanie" Patricia said surprising Stephanie by giving her a small hug.
"It was nice meeting you too" Stephanie replied smiling at her once the hug ended. Stephanie turned to wait for Paul to see Lynn shaking her head at something Paul was whispering but then seemed to give up and take what looked like to be money from Paul. Stephanie couldn't see all that well since Paul had his back to her.
"Nice meeting you Stephanie" Lynn said after her and Paul got done with their exchange.
"Nice meeting you too" Stephanie smiled and waved at them one last time before her and Paul headed to his SUV.
Once they were inside Stephanie couldn't help but look over at Paul with a smile.
"What?" Paul asked looking at her funny.
"Just I had no idea this side of you existed."
"What are you talking about?" Paul asked sounding annoyed.
"That you can actually be nice and dare I say sweet. You just bought your mom groceries and gave your sister money."
"Yeah so?" Paul asked starting the SUV and putting on his seatbelt.
"I don't know. It's just surprising to me, I guess. I've never saw this side of you is all" Stephanie shrugged.
"Well I'm nice to the people I actually like" Paul smirked. "Now are you going to put your seatbelt on so we can go?"
"Alright" Stephanie said grabbing her seatbelt and pulling it over her chest. "So was your dad at work?"
Paul stayed quiet as he pulled out of the driveway and Stephanie knew she had asked the wrong question. She stayed quiet not wanting to push for an answer he seemed to wrestle with wanting to answer or not. They made it down the street before he broke the silence.
"I don't know. He left us a long time ago."
"I'm sorry Paul. I had no idea it's really none of my business."
"It's okay" Paul shrugged. "I don't talk to him. Neither does Lynn and it's not like he tries to communicate with us either. The last I heard he was still living somewhere in Nashua."
"You want to know the shittiest thing about it all is?" He asked after she didn't say anything for a few minutes. "He left during my sophomore year of high school after finding out my mom had breast cancer. He couldn't handle it so he skipped out leaving me and my sister to care for her. I can't even talk about what I saw her go through but she got through it and is in remission."
"Wow I'm so sorry Paul" Stephanie said genuinely feeling bad for him.
"No, I'm sorry for saying anything really. I don't want you feeling sorry for me. It's just I get so pissed off to this day when I have to think or talk about him" Paul said breathing out slowly like he was trying to calm himself down. "That's why I still take things over to my mom or visit to make sure she has everything. Then I have to make sure Lynn has all she needs too because she still has that instinct to take care of mom too because we have since we were teens. The only problem with Lynn is she's a single mom to two kids because her husband walked out on them a couple of years ago for another woman. That's why you saw me giving her money because she barely sees anything from child support and I didn't want her spending money on groceries for mom when I can handle it."
"You basically shoulder it all huh?" Stephanie asked looking over at him with newfound respect.
"As much as I can" Paul nodded. "Everyone else just ran off. So much for death until your part shit. It's a fucking joke."
"Oh my God that's why you don't do relationships" Stephanie blurted out without thinking after the realization came to her.
"No, it's not. I just don't want a relationship."
"If you say so" Stephanie replied looking away and crossing her arms. It all making sense to her now.
"Are we analyzing each other now?" Paul asked raising his eyebrows. "Ms. Afraid of fully committing to her relationship because she's afraid of getting hurt. Won't give up her apartment because at the same time she's afraid of losing what independence she has left."
"That's completely wrong."
"If you say so" Paul responded exactly has she had earlier. They both went quiet and Stephanie couldn't help but wonder if what he said about her was true. After that they didn't speak to each other for the rest of the way home and after they got to the apartment, they made sure to go in opposite directions.
A while later Stephanie was sitting in Rhys's room in her robe after showering rubbing lotion onto her legs as she listened to music on her phone. It wasn't until she sensed someone come into the room that she looked up to see Rhys and she smiled at him taking her earbuds out.
"Hey" Stephanie said as he leaned down to kiss her. "How was your day?"
"Good. I'm sorry about having to have Paul pick you up from work. I really didn't know who else to do it" Rhys replied giving her an apologetic face.
"It's okay. Surprisingly it wasn't as bad as I thought when I saw him pull in to work to pick me up."
"Really? That is surprising" Rhys said as Stephanie nodded her head.
"I saw a different side to him today and it actually made me think he must be a little human deep down" Stephanie laughed as Rhys chuckled.
"What happened?"
"He took some groceries to his mom and I found a lot about him after that. I'm surprised you never told me about his dad."
"He told you about his dad?" Rhys asked surprised. "He doesn't talk about him or really tell people about him."
"Yeah I asked and I think it just kind of came out because he kind of got heated about it."
"That makes sense. I am surprised though but I never told you because well it's not something he talks about and you've never show interest in getting to know him better."
"And I still don't" Stephanie pointed out. "It just makes me understand why he is the way he is now."
"It might contribute to some of it" Rhys agreed sitting down on the bed before laying back and stretching out.
"He doesn't seem to agree" Stephanie replied shutting the cap on her bottle of lotion and putting it on the nightstand beside of the bed.
"Of course he doesn't" Rhys chuckled. "Anyways I was thinking we all chip in and buy a pizza."
"It's your turn to cook tonight isn't it?" Stephanie asked with a smile. They all took turns cooking so it didn't all fall on one person all the time. It was like a chore wheel but without actually having one.
"Yeah but I am beat. I promise I'll cook tomorrow."
"Sounds good to me" Stephanie shrugged and Rhys got up to go ask Paul. While he was doing that Stephanie grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of shorts from her dresser and threw them on.
After she was done, she headed into the living room where Rhys was ordering the pizza and Paul was grabbing a soda out of the fridge.
"So, are we done analyzing each other?" Paul asked coming over to her once he had grabbed his soda.
"I wasn't really analyzing you. It was just an observation."
"Okay then are we done making observations? Because I'd like to enjoy my pizza and the rest of my night in peace."
"No more observations. Promise."
"Good and I promise for at least tonight to try to be somewhat nice to you."
"You have a deal" Stephanie replied before Paul walked off to sit down on the couch and she headed to get something to drink. She really hoped he kept his promise because honestly, she just wanted a quiet peaceful night with Rhys for once since Paul had moved in. But she wasn't going to hold her breath or anything.