"Does that mean you're staying?" Paul asked as the rest of the wolves cleared out.
"For right now, I guess I am." She nodded, face flushed at Paul's attention. He smiled down at her, eyes glinting with a look that promised trouble.
"Then you'll need a place to stay." He replied.
Maisie nodded. "Emily was saying something about an apartment building."
"Yeah. It's actually just a really big house but there's an empty bedroom room if you want it." Paul explained.
Maisie hummed in response. She thought it would be more of a complex where she would have her own space, but she could share with Leah and the boys.
"Maybe you should show me first." She settled on that response. After all, she could end up loving it.
"I can take you over now if you've got time?" He asked, motioning towards the door.
"I don't have anything to do." She smiled back, heading there. Paul brushed her back with his hand as she walked out of the room, sending shivers up her spine.
They walked outside, the crisp scent of pine in the air. An old, but in good shape, car sat on the dirt road along with an old red truck and a few other cars. Maisie slid into the passenger seat as Paul turned the car on. The inside was modified to fit bass speakers in the back, and a quite high tech looking radio in the front. Paul turned off the radio and started driving.
"Nice car." Maisie remarked. It seemed to be, at least. Maisie knee nothing about cars.
"Thanks. I rebuilt her myself. I work at Jake's." He replied.
"Jake's?" She asked. Jake like Jacob? Does he own a business? He couldn't be that old.
"Jake's Auto Repair Shop. We do cars." He elaborated.
Maisie made a noise of recognition, fiddling with her coin. The thing shows up in her pocket, though it hadn't heated up for hours now. That was either good or bad. If no one was calling for help it meant they were either dead or... or forgiven?
The Senate does not forgive traitors. The punishment is banishment or death, Maisie knew that. She also knew demigods had been calling for help, which led her to believe that they were being hunted and convicted. Was she the only one left. Were they going to find her and kill her?
Paul looked over at her creased brow. "What's wrong? You're stressing about something."
Maisie jerked from her thoughts, clenching the coin in her fist.
"It's nothing." She dismissed quietly.
They would erase her with the Mist after they killed her. Paul wouldn't even remember her name.
"Seriously. What's bothering you?" He reaches over and placed his hand on hers in a comforting gesture.
"I made a really bad decision." She stated. "And I'm... I know there will be consequences. I just don't know what or when."
"Whatever it is you're scared of, I can protect you from it." He squeezes her hand.
"What if I deserve it? What if the punishment fits the crime?" She asked, fiddling nervously. What if she deserved to die? She betrayed the legion, the gods, and sides with a monster. She nearly plunged the world back into the Golden Age, which, contrary to the name, was not at all golden. It was dark and terrifying.
"Then we'll handle it together." He sounded so sure, so confident, that for a moment, Maisie felt like she could take on Diana and her hunters. Convince them to let her live.
As the car pulled off of a paved road, and onto a gravel driveway, Maisie slipped the coin back into her pocket. A two story house stood, quite large.
"This actually used to be my grandparents, but it was left to me when my mom passed." Paul clambered out of the car, leaving Maisie stuttering behind.
"You mean you're the landlord?" She asked, slightly stunned.
"Yeah. It's my house. Everyone just lives here and chips in for power and water." He replied, shrugging.
"Emily made this sound way more like a formal apartment." She laughed nervously.
"We don't really have those on the reservation, but i'm sure if you wanted we could find you your own house." Paul replied, sounding a bit disappointed.
"Why don't you show me that empty room?" She asked, still unsure. Paul did say only chipping in for utilities. That would be a heck of a lot cheaper than a mortgage.
Paul unlocked the door, winding her through a hallway. Through the door, she saw Leah lounging in a bean bag, a tv screen lighting up her face and an empty tub of icecream beside her. Maisie couldn't tell if she had been crying or not, but she could feel her mental distress. She wondered what happened there. They also passed a game room, where Jared and Quil played ping pong to the delight of a three year old girl that Maisie had not yet met.
Paul turned and opened a door, revealing a medium sized room. It was already furnished, with crisp white sheets and double glass doors leading to the outside. An empty desk sat in the corner, and another door near it. Paul pushed open the door to reveal a bathroom.
"You'd get your own bathroom."
"Wow Paul. This is great." She said, quite impressed. This could actually work. Paul grinned.
"My room is the one at the end of the hall. Leah is right across from you. Seth and Jared are on either side of you. I'm sure the others will show you where they are soon enough. You saw the TV room and the game room. We've got a fully functioning kitchen and dining room too." Paul talked to her, hands animating his speech. Maisie watched in admiration as he did so.
"So, what do you think?" He asked.
"I think it's perfect."
1xclatoforeverx1: TYSM! YOURE LITERALLY THE BEST!
Anywho, I'm not quite sure about this chapter so.. idk. I like it I guess. Next chapter I'm going to introduce cliff diving (with plot purpose i swear not just because of the cliche) and also, hope y'all like it.