Thank you all so much for your reviews and adds! I'm really glad everyone liked the last chapter. I hope you guys like this one as well. Please let me know what you think and be sure to read the note at the end of the chapter! Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with the Twilight series.

Chapter 16

We'd been walking in a comfortable silence for about fifteen minutes before Paul tugged on my hand and led me over to a cove that a small cluster of large rocks made. We were hidden from prying eyes but we could still had a breathtaking view of the water, and as I settled myself on the sand in between Paul's outstretched legs he pulled me flush against him, wrapping his arms around me. I sighed contentedly against him before I rested my head against his shoulder.

The silence between us continued and despite being tucked tightly against Paul my mind was in a million different places. However, my thoughts kept finding their way back to the moments in the water with Paul before Jason and Clarissa showed up. Being that close to him and the feeling of his hands all over my body still made my skin tingle, but it made me nervous at the same time. My experience in the intimacy department was not good, not good at all, but now that new memory had been made. Paul's gentle yet firm caresses and the feel of his soft yielding lips against my skin covered up the memories of the hard and rough grasps and chapped lips that bit at me.

The memories that had haunted me for what felt like a lifetime could easily be tucked away into a lead box and by the sure and strong hands of the man that sat holding me they were tossed into the depths of the deepest ocean, never to resurface. As I sat there, warm in his arms I finally realized what I had known to be true all along but had been too scared to admit it to even myself. I loved him. I loved him with every fiber of my being, and there was no part of me that was willing to deny it anymore. We'd known each other for such a short time, but it was real. It was so very real. He was brave enough to say those three words to me, and the more I thought about it the more courage I gained and the desire to say them back to him grew.

"So, do you want to talk about it?" Paul asked and I tilted my head so I could look at his face, only he was looking out over the water.

"About what?" I asked.

"I think you know what I mean," he said as he licked his lips and kept his eyes out on the water. I figured he meant Jason and what I thought was really going to happen once Jason's initial anger blew over.

"Well," I said with a soft sigh and a pause, "Jason will be angry for a while, but he's not going to do anything," I said as I turned my head to rest my cheek against him. I focused my eyes on the large rock that rested not far from where we sat. "He won't stop us from seeing each other and if he does, we'll figure something out."

"I know, but that wasn't what I meant," he said softly and I looked up at him again to find him looking down at me. "I meant whatever it is that's bothering you. You haven't said a word since we left the others and that was almost a half an hour ago. Is something wrong?"

"No, why would you think something was wrong?" I asked and he shrugged his shoulders, jostling my head a bit as he did so.

"I don't know, you just . . . I can't help but feel like something's not right," he said. "You're not upset about . . . about what happened in the water are you? If you are, Harper, I'm sorry," he said as his arms loosened from around me and he started to lean back away from me but I quickly turned around so I was sitting on my knees in between his legs. I caught his face in my hands and shook my head feverishly as I looked into his eyes.

"No, Paul, I'm not upset," I said. "We talked about that already, remember?"

"I know," he breathed before he raised his hands from my waist to my wrists. "But I can't help but feel I pushed you too far. That you weren't ready for that."

"Did I stop you?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, practically echoing my words from earlier.

"No, but-," he started but I interrupted. I knew then that I needed to make him understand what I felt and I needed to tell him what I was thinking.

"No 'buts,' Paul," I said. "You . . . gosh you have no idea what that was like for me. Feeling you pressed against me, feeling your hands against my skin, and feeling how your body reacted to mine; it all made me feel desirable and attractive. Beautiful even." My voice sounded strange, almost breathy, to my ears and I saw Paul swallow hard when I shifted closer to him. I ran my thumbs along his jaw line as my hands settled on his neck.

"You are beautiful, Harper," he said, his voice rough and deeper than usual, as he moved his hands from my wrists to my hips and pulled my lower half flush against his washboard stomach. His body heat seeped through his t-shirt and through my slightly damp clothes and swimsuit. I held back the sigh that threatened to escape my lips and held his gaze. I didn't want to lose my nerve and if I looked away from him, I felt I would.

"Because of you, those dark memories are replaced by those feelings." I sighed heavily and closed my eyes before I rested my forehead against his. "It's like I can still feel you against me, and you're making me tingle all over," I whispered as our noses touched and as my lips hovered not far from his. He growled softly as his firm grip on my hips tightened and he turned his head against mine before captured my lips with his. "Paul, I need to tell you something," I said after I managed to pull away from his intense kiss that left both of us panting. He opened his eyes and looked at me.

"What is it?" he asked, sounding just as breathlessly as I did.

"I love you," I said, my hands resting on his shoulders. I watched as the smile on his face slowly built up to the blindingly beautiful smile that he seemed to only reserve for me.

"Really?" he asked. I laughed, my nervousness gone, and I rolled my eyes.

"Duh," I said as I gently shook my head and turned my palms up on his shoulders. He chuckled before he leaned into me and kissed me chastely. My hands found his hair as I sighed against his lips and eagerly returned his kiss until he pulled his lips from mine.

"I love you too, Harper," he said and I smiled at him before I slid my right hand to the side of his face.

"I know you do," I said softly through my smile. "Now less talking and more kissing." He laughed loudly before I covered his lips with mine and my right hand slid across his cheek and rested on the back of his neck. After several bliss filled seconds, I moved my hands to his chest and gently pushed against him. Slowly, he lowered himself back on to sand covered ground behind him. I shifted my body so I was straddling his waist because if I hadn't I would have ended up lying on top of him.

Paul's hands slid up from my hips to my upper waist before I felt his right hand tug at my hair. His left hand left my body and I could feel him playing with my hair while we kissed. It wasn't long before I felt the braid loosen and my damp waves were soon falling over my shoulders and curtaining our joined faces from the world around us. Paul then pushed his right hand through my hair and knotted his fingers in my hair at the back of my head while his left hand slid down my back and over my hips before his hand gripped the back of my left thigh. Tugging on my hair, he pulled my lips from his before he trailed his lips along my jaw and to my neck while is left hand massaged the back of my thigh. Between his kisses and nips along my neck and the feel of his hot calloused hand on my skin, the tingles started to spread through my body again.

"Paul," I whispered as I closed my eyes, licked my lips, and gripped his t-shirt tightly in my hands.

"Hmm?" he asked as his lips glided effortlessly across the skin of my neck before he nipped at my ear. I gasped quietly before I bit my lip and let out a heavy breath through my nose.

"I . . .," I started but couldn't get the words out because he returned his kisses to my lips again. It didn't matter, I forgot what I was going to say anyway.

I moaned against his lips before I suddenly found myself lying back on the sand with Paul hovering above me and settled in between my legs. While our lips continued their battle my hands, with a mind of their own, moved to the hem of his t-shirt and started to pull it up. Our kiss broke long enough for him to free his body of his shirt. I smiled up at him as I slid my hands down his shoulders and his chest. He smiled back before he started to lean back down, but he hesitated and stopped. He hovered above me by supporting his upper body with his left arm as he looked down at me.

Hey, what's wrong?" I asked as I moved my right hand to the side of his face.

"We've got to stop," he said and I frowned. He moved away from me and stood before he walked over to where he had tossed his t-shirt and picked up the cotton fabric from the sand. My frown only deepened as I sat up on my elbows and watched him as he shook the sand from his shirt. His back was to me and his muscles were tight as he looked down at his hands.

"You want me don't you?" I asked and he turned around to face me.

"Of course I do," he said before he walked back over to where I laid and kneeled down next to me. "More than you can even imagine."

"Then why do we have to stop?" I asked as I sat up completely, never looking away from his eyes. I couldn't believe what I was saying, but being with him just felt right and if the actual act with Paul was anything like our session in the water, than I didn't want to stop.

"Because I don't want it to be here and like this," he said as he reached out and took my right hand into his. "I want it to be special."

"Okay," I said with a small smile that he easily returned.

"Plus, with all this sand it wouldn't be very comfortable," he reasoned and I laughed, which made him chuckle before he let go of my hand and tugged his shirt back on over his head. He sat back down next to me and pulled me close to his side as he adjusted himself in his jeans. I pretended not to notice as he wrapped his left arm around my shoulders and I snuggled into his side. "So, are you going to tell me what you were thinking about?" he asked after several silent seconds and I giggled before I looked at him and he looked at me with a smile.

"I already answered you," I said and he furrowed his brow, but his smile remained on his lips.

"When?" he asked and I smiled.

"When I told you that I love you," I said softly. "I was thinking about everything that happened today and I finally admitted it to myself that I am in love with you. I realized that I was too scared to admit it, but I didn't have a reason to be. After all, you love me back," I said and he smiled at me. He leaned into me and kissed me chastely.

"That I do," he whispered and I grinned before I turned my eyes back to the water and rested my head against his shoulder. Best Fourth of July ever. No doubt about it.

Eight Weeks Later

Paul's and my relationship had been going along rather well. We still hadn't slept together, but after that day on the beach there really was no rush. At least, Paul didn't pressure me and our rather heavy make out sessions seemed to satisfy both of us. I had no complaints except for one thing. I really didn't like Clarissa. Even though Jason was obviously head over heels for her, I didn't trust her.

She knew our parents were gone, but Jason didn't give her the details and I was glad he didn't. I asked him not to tell her about what had happened to me, and thankfully he agreed. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something about her that just rubbed me the wrong way. Paul didn't like her either and he got the same feeling I did, but Jason was happy and that was all that really mattered anyway.

It was my first day at Forks High School and I was standing nervously in front of the mirror above my dresser looking at my reflection with uncertainty. I was dressed in a warm black sweater since the air had grown cool and a pair of dark wash jeans. I decided to wear my hair down and I thought I looked nice, but I wasn't sure how the day was going to go. A knock sounded on my bedroom door before the door opened and I turned around to see Jason smiling at me.

"You're going to be late if you don't get a move on," he said. "You need to check in at the office and everything this morning." I nodded and grabbed my back pack from my bed before I sighed quietly.

"You sure you can't home school me again for my last year?" I asked and he laughed and shook his head.

"No can do, kid," he said and I made a face at him, which only made him laugh again. "Relax, Harper, I'm sure you'll have a good day. If you get a chance, stop in the library and say hi to Clarissa, I'm sure she'd like to see you."

"Sure," I said with a forced smile and mentally vowing to stay as far away from the library as I could. Clarissa was Forks High School's librarian.

"Here," he said as he held out a small ring of keys to me before he tossed them in my direction. I frowned and quickly caught the small ring of keys. I looked up from the keys in my hand and at Jason's smiling face. "Come on," he gestured with his head and left the doorway. Still frowning, I adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder and followed the path Jason had just taken. He was waiting for me at the front door and when I drew closer he went outside. I followed only to stop short at the top of the porch steps when I saw the ancient looking truck sitting next to Jason's.

"What's that?" I asked with a frown and he laughed. I looked at him and where he stood at the base of the stairs with a smile on his face.

"It's your truck," he said. "I bought it off of Chief Swan a couple of weeks ago. It used to belong to his daughter. She's not much older than you, but she's married and hasn't a use for it. It ran like crap but with some help from Jacob, Embry, and Quil we got it running pretty good. It can't really go over fifty-five, but you don't have a reason to be speeding anyway."

I officially had had my license for all of four weeks, and he trusted me with a vehicle. Granted, the truck looked like it had seen better days and it was a hideous orange color, but I wasn't going to complain. It would get me from point a to point b, and I was grateful for it.

"Thanks, Jason," I said with a smile before I rushed down the stairs and hugged him tight. Now Paul didn't have to always drive to the house to pick me up for our dates. I could go to him. Jason hugged me back and laughed.

"You're welcome, Harper," he said. "Now, get going. You don't want to be late." He gently pushed me away and I smiled at him before I turned and made my way over to the truck.

When I climbed in, I saw it was a stick shift, which made me laugh. I knew then why Jason was so insistent that I learned how to drive a stick. He had already bought the truck and was fixing it while I was taking my driving lessons. I put my backpack on the passenger side of the bench seat and buckled my seatbelt before I started up the truck. It roared to life and soon I was on my way to school with my forgotten nerves back in full force.

The secretary in the office had been nice as she handed me my schedule and locker assignment. I probably wasn't even going to use the locker, but I thanked her anyway before I consulted the map in my hands to figure out the best routes to take during the day. Unfortunately, I hadn't realized that I was standing in the middle of the hallway during my review of the map and it wasn't until someone ran right into me that I noticed. My papers and small binder went flying out of my hands and I nearly fell to the ground, but whoever ran into me had quick reflexes and I found myself pressed close to a broad shouldered figure.

"Sorry, I should have been watching where I was going," a deep voice said and I shook my head as I pulled away from him and started to pick up my things.

"It's my fault really," I said. "I was standing in the middle of the hall."

"Let me help," he said as he gathered up the few papers that I hadn't grabbed yet. We stood up and I finally looked at him then as I took the papers out of his hands. He was about two or three inches taller than me, with shaggy dirty blonde hair, and soft green eyes. I suppose he would be considered good looking, but I was biased towards a certain Quileute boy that had my heart. I noticed his letterman jacket and it made sense that he played sports. He looked like he was the 'it boy' on campus.

"Thank you," I said with a small smile and he just looked at me for a beat before he smiled.

"I'm Trevor Mallory," he said through his smile.

"Harper Cavanaugh," I said and his smiled widened.

"So, you're Jason's sister," he said and I frowned, confused as to how he knew my brother.

"How-," I started but he interrupted.

"Clarissa's my cousin," he said as he gestured with his hands. "She moved up here a few years ago when my sister went off to college. Change of scenery, I guess. Why she wanted to leave Austin, Texas for Forks, I'll never understand." I offered a polite smile and nodded my head. I knew Clarissa had family in Forks and that was why she moved here, but I didn't know one of her relatives was a classmate. "So, do you need help finding your way around?"

"Um," I said as I glanced down at my now crimpled map before I looked up at him. I didn't get any of the weird vibes from Trevor that I got with Clarissa and he seemed genuine in his desire to help me, so, I smiled. "That'd be great, thanks." He smiled and nodded his head.

"All right, just hand over your schedule and I'll tell you the best ways to get around," he said as he held out his right hand. I laughed and grabbed the yellow piece of paper from my crimpled cluster of papers and his eyes quickly scanned the page. I had hope to find a friend in Trevor. It would be nice to have at least one friendly face to look for in the surprisingly crowded school. "We've actually got our first two periods together, and I can show you the quickest ways to get to your other classes," he said before he looked up from my schedule and held it back out to me.

"Thanks, Trevor," I said again and he smiled.

"No problem," he said with a shrug. "Let's get going. Mr. Harrington hates it when you're late." I nodded and quickly followed him through the corridors. The looks that were sent our way weren't hard to notice, but Trevor ignored them so I did too. My day was going pretty good so far, but it was still early.

A/N: Many virtual hugs if you can guess who, in my story anyway, is Trevor's older sister.