Finally Angela's prom dress is revealed! If you want a visual just Google Christian Serratos, Alexader McQueen, the fuchsia gown looked lovely on her at the premier of Breaking Dawn part 1. Enjoy!
Chapter 18
At the shrill sound of Jessica's cackle Angela buried her head in her arms and cringed. She wasn't really sure how she'd been friends with Jessica as long as she had, not one to gossip or care too much about fashion the two really didn't have that much in common.
"I can't believe they have the same dress!"
The sound of Jessica's evil laughter made her cringe once more.
"I mean Prom is on Saturday and now Katie has to find a new dress."
"I know isn't it just awful," Laruen replied in the fakest concerned voice Angela had ever heard.
A slight tap at her elbow drew her attention away from the two gossiping girls from across the table, "do you want to go outside or something I don't think I can take this much longer."
Angela quickly nodded at Bella before grabbing her lunch tray and making a run for the door.
Once in the senior hallway Bella leaned against her locker and slowly slid to the floor, "I'm already tired of Prom and it's not even here yet."
Angela nodded while looking at the hall, every available surface was covered in posters either counting down the last days to prom or warning of the dangers of drunk driving. In the middle of the hall a banner hung across with the theme When I Look at You scribbled in Jessica's elegant writing, apparently Miley Cyrus and her new movie were still all the rage. "Me too, but at the same time I'm kind of excited for it, it's going to be nice to hang out with you guys one last time." Angela ended sadly.
"Ang there's still a month left after Prom, there's still plenty of time for us to-"
Angela waved her hand in the air, "I know it's just weird to think that in a couple of months I'm going to be all the way in Chicago, in school and all of us are just going to go our separate ways."
"Well I'll still be here with Jake and the guys; you know that if you ever need anything you can call me right."
"So you still haven't decided on what you're going to do," Angela asked thankful for the opening, thinking about leaving Forks, her friends and Paul was just too much.
Shrugging her shoulders, Bella picked at the sole of her shoe for a minute before looking Angela in the eye, "don't think I'm crazy but I don't think I'm going to go to college. I just," Bella shrugged again shooting Angela a lost look.
"Is it Jake?"
Bella snapped up and shook her head, "no," Bella barked out but her lip instantly went to her mouth and Angela knew there was more to it than that.
"Are you sure Bella?"
Huffing out a breath Bella tossed her hands in the air before smacking her head against the locker, "he's not asking me to stay; I don't want anyone to think that. I just don't want to leave him, and before you say anything this is nothing like Edward. Jake wants me to go to college, we've even gotten into a couple of arguments about it, but I spent so much of my time attached to Edward and then broken when he left that I never really thought about me, about what I wanted to do. I think I'm just going to try and find something around town until fall maybe and then just see if I can either get into the Technical School in PA."
Angela shuffled around slightly worried for a beat before she remembered that Jake really was nothing like Edward. He seemed to put her and her feelings first all the time and Bella seemed happier than ever, "just don't let anything change your mind Bella." Angela felt slightly guilty as the words came out but deep down she just wanted what was best for Bella.
A sad smile slid across Bella's face before she looked at Angela, "I won't ever make that mistake again."
~U~
"So do you really not have a dress picked out yet or are you just holding out on us?" Jessica asked as they walked out of school later that day.
Angela fought the urge to roll her eyes as she looked at Bella, "I do have a dress and no I'm not holding out on you. My mom and I bought it last weekend when we were in Port Angeles."
"Are you serious? You went dress shopping without me after standing me up for that guy!"
"The dress shopping wasn't intentional Jess, we were up there buying supplies for the church and my mom asked me about prom and I let it slip that I didn't have a dress. We didn't even go to the dress store we just picked one up at one of those little second hand boutiques."
It didn't escape Angela's notice that Jessica didn't hide the sour look on her face, but she didn't really care either, she loved the dress she picked out and shopping with her mom was pretty fun.
"So where are we getting ready? I think we should do it at your house Ang since your room is like huge and your back yard would be pretty good for pictures too."
Angela was about to answer that she'd make sure it would be fine with her parents when Jessica gasped and clutched her arm, "he is so damn hot, have you tapped that yet?"
Angela's cheeks flamed in both jealousy and at the memory of what had happened in her room the night before. It didn't escape her notice that Bella's eyes went wide and then shot toward Paul. Paul who was leaning against the front fender of her tiny little car, arms crossed over his completely naked chest smiling that wolfish smile at her.
The smile combined with his nakedness caused Angela's entire body to heat. Her fingers twitched at the memory of what her hands had been doing just hours before.
"Hey you," Paul whispered while pulling her into his chest.
"Hey," Angela replied while slipping her arms around his waist and pressing her face into his chest.
Feeling his skin against hers Angela felt the goosebumps breakout over her arms, the feeling was one that she was growing accustomed too whenever Paul touched her, at the same time it came as a shock. That warm tingling sensation that was taking over her body never happened when Eric would touch her.
Pulling away from Paul Angela shot Bella a shy smile before adjusting the glasses on her face, "everything ok."
Nodding his head Paul's gaze swung to Bella, "Jake's shift was running late so he asked me to come get you." When his eyes connected with hers once more her wiggled his eyebrows at her and said, "You're coming too."
Angela felt a rush of disappointment before she opened her mouth, there was no way she could get out of watching the boys, since she didn't have a job her parents paid her weekly to watch the boys.
"You're brothers are coming too," Paul answered before she could tell him no. "I already talked to your parents the other day when I had dinner at your house; Seth isn't too far off from their age I think they'll get along ok."
Before she realized it Angela was in his arms her lips pressing into his neck, jaw and then finally coming to rest softly against his lips. She smiled when he growled into the kiss and pulled her closer.
~U~
For the last hour Angela watched as Josh and Isaac play in the backyard with a younger boy she'd met once before named Seth. When they had climbed out of Angela's car Seth had come running up a huge smile on his face but before he could reach them Paul was somehow pushing both her and her brothers behind his back, his entire form going rigid. She could have swore she heard a growl nothing like the one she'd heard earlier slip from his mouth but it was quickly cut off when the man she remembered as Sam all but snarled his name. Just as quickly as Paul had jumped in front of her he was moving her to his side and introducing her brothers to the then sad looking kid.
Josh and Isaac although four years younger than Seth had clearly hit it off with him. They'd been passing a football across the yard since they got there. Angela was actually a little surprised that Josh had gotten so into the game seeing as he was never really interested normally but he was constantly looking up to Seth like he was some kind of hero, it was actually pretty cute. While the boys seemed to be enjoying each other from the get go everyone else seemed very tense at first, Paul stood out in the middle of the yard a look of panic across his face when Seth would get to close or the boys would get too rowdy. Sam was watching them all from the sidelines like a hawk and even Bella seemed a little nervous. Eventually Paul had moved himself closer to the stump that she had taken residence on but he still seemed a little tense. Looking down at her every now and then she could tell that he was forcing the small smile.
"Angela could you help me with something in the kitchen," Emily's voice floated across the yard. As Angela stood she felt a slight stab of guilt for having been there nearly two hours without even offering to help. At some point Bella and Kim had made their way inside and yet she couldn't be bothered to tear herself away from Paul, or the fun that her brothers were having.
As she stepped through the front door Angela's stomach tightened in the best way at the smell that was wafting through the house, "oh man that smells so good."
Emily smiled as she turned a cast iron pan of cornbread in her hand. "Thank you; the guys really love a good roast every now and then."
"Sorry that I didn't come in sooner, I didn't realize how long we'd been here. What can I help you with?"
Kim snorted in the corner which earned her a slight chuckle from Emily, "actually Emily answered as a smile spread across her face; we wanted to talk to you about Paul."
A quick flare of panic and maybe a little bit of anger shot through her, the last time someone wanted to talk to her about Paul it had been Sam and that conversation was little unnerving and aggravating.
"Oh we don't want to have that kind of talk with you," Kim said one eyebrow raised. "We want to know the nitty gritty."
Angela gasped as her face flushed with heat, instantly her eyes shot to Bella who was as red as a tomato and shaking her head. From the look on her face she knew that Bella hadn't let anything slip, how could she Angela hadn't told her anything.
"I…I don't"
"Kim," Emily chastised "we don't want to know anything that you aren't willing to share comfortably, but we are wondering how things are going between you and Paul, you two seem closer than the last time you were here."
"Actually," Kim said while pushing off from the counter "she might not want to know all the dirty details but I do. I am however willing to wait for them, because eventually you'll be spilling just like the rest of us." Kim topped that off with an eye wiggle of her own and a huge not so innocent smile that for some reason calmed Angela. The thought of having a friend that she would willingly share personal things with and feel comfortable with while doing it, was a nice one to have.
"Well," Angela cleared her throat and pulled out a chair at the table. "I think things are going pretty good, he's met my parents a couple of times and despite how tense he seems today he gets along great with my brothers."
"That's great," Emily said a genuine smile on her face. "Paul really deserves some happiness and you guys seem really great as a couple."
Angela's eyes shot wide and once again she couldn't help but look at Bella. Once again Bella was shaking her head at the accusation and Angela felt bad enough that she mouthed I'm sorry.
"We're not a couple; at least I don't think we are."
Kim snorted and Emily's eyes widened for a beat before she patted Angela's hand and stood. The action making her body tighten just slightly. A hint of frustration must have been on her face because Kim plopped herself down in Emily's seat and jabbed a finger into the table. "You two are a couple." The statement caused Angela to jerk back slightly before her eyebrows rose in question.
"Paul is an idiot," Kim muttered while rolling her eyes. "He doesn't do with other girls what he is doing with you. Paul has never put any kind of effort into anything when girls are in the picture. If he wants something from a woman all he would have to do is breathe and there would be at least five girls standing around with their hand in the air begging to be picked. But with you he's waiting for you in the parking lot at school, letting you meet his closest friends, spending time with you when he could be screwing half of La Push. He's met your family and is toting around your little brothers for goodness sake. That means something and while he's too much of a hard ass to admit it you two are definitely a couple and he likes it."
On the verge of voicing her own opinion on the matter her mouth snapped shut a second later when she heard her bothers raised voices as they pounded up the wooden steps of the front porch. Just as she turned in her seat Josh and Isaac came barreling through the front door hair slicked with sweat and huge smiles on their faces.
"Ang, why didn't you ever bring us down here before?" Isaac practically yelled as he made his way toward her, "Seth is awesome!"
"I'm glad you two are having fun, but we probably should get going. You two need to do homework and we don't want to eat all of Emily's food."
"But I don't want to go," Isaac groaned as he threw himself into an empty chair. Josh on the other hand while looking slightly disappointed didn't say a word as he took in the house.
"Isaac, I know you don't want to go but we really shouldn't intrude and mom and dad won't be very happy if you don't get your homework done."
Isaac huffed while throwing his arms across his chest, as he opened his mouth to protest yet again, a warm hand slipped against the small of Angela's back and instantly the tingling was shooting across her skin.
"Yeah you should get your homework done; I don't think your coach would keep you on the team if you get bad grades."
Thankful for Paul's interruption Angela sagged against his chest while taking in Isaac, his mouth worked for a second as if he wanted to say more but then snapped shut when Seth came into view at her right.
"You're parents probably won't let you come down again if you don't get your homework done anyway, how are we going to work on your passing then."
"Fine alright we can go."
Beaming Angela thanked both Seth and Paul with a simple nod and smile before reaching for Josh and pulling Isaac out of the chair. "Come on you two lets get going."
"Angela," Emily called after both of the boys and Paul were out of the house. "I was going to invite you to stay for dinner but I didn't want to make things more difficult, maybe you could come down this weekend with Bella and Jake before your Prom. We're having a little bit of a get together beforehand and would love to see you in your dress."
Angela smiled and nodded, "thanks for the invite although you're probably lucky with all the playing the boys did out there they surely would have eaten you out of house and home. I'd love to come down before prom too, but I'm not sure what my parents have planned can I call you later this week and let you know for sure?"
With a simple nod and smile from Emily she made her way out to the car.
~U~
Once the boys were situated in the car Angela turned toward Paul who stood at the front of the car, "will I be-"
"I have to work tonight," Paul motioned toward the little car that was making its way down the gravel road toward Sam's house. "Jake and Jared got the day shift for the next few days so he could go to Prom with Bella and Jared has something planned for Kim this weekend too."
"Oh." Angela could hear the disappointment in that one word and she didn't like it. Mostly because of what Kim had said earlier, Paul wasn't one to make the effort when it came to girls and clearly he was doing that with her. She didn't want to be that clingy girl always wanting her boyfriend around smothering him. So with a little wave Angela folded herself into the car forced a smile at the boys and snapped her seatbelt into place. When she looked up Paul was right at her window and she startled.
"Don't think that I don't want to, I do, but I can't."
~U~
As Paul pulled away from the window he felt like a fucking coward, the feeling burned through him as she backed out of the driveway and drove out of sight without looking back. He could go to her tonight he just didn't want to. Didn't want to because of the shit that he felt as she laid in his arms all night long, shit that the wolf had made him feel when he crawled out of the window. What they'd done last night was close, to damn close and the wolf liked it too damn much. Without her knowing it Angela was putting her claim on him and if he didn't get his shit together they'd be bonded completely before he knew it. His dick twitched at the though and so did the wolf. Yeah he definitely needed to stay away from her for a few days.
By the time Angela's car slipped out of sight Jake was already in the house and by the sounds of it everyone was just settling in for dinner. Popping his neck in frustration Paul needed to figure out a way to confront Sam and Jake without either of them going on the defensive and without Seth getting upset, the imprints were in the house after all.
When he walked in the house all eyes swung his way but Paul didn't pay them any mind. Walking over to Seth he slapped him on the shoulder chuckling under his breath when the kid nearly gagged on his spoon, "you did good Seth." Nodding his head Seth shot him a quick smile before stuffing his face with a piece of cornbread.
"As for you two," Paul ground out while slowly backing himself against the wall, "that was some shit and you know it."
Jake and Sam looked up at him while Bella swung a confused glance their way. "You're boy here thought it would be a good idea to use Angela's brothers as a test for Seth." Paul tried to contain the snarl but wasn't successful, thankfully Jake gripped the fork and merely narrowed his eyes.
"That's not what that was and you know it" Jake grit out his fork bending under his grip.
"Oh it wasn't was it? Then why was Sam just as prickly of the situation as I was?"
"I've been in control." Seth mumbled quietly his head lowered hands hanging limply at his side.
Huffing Paul dropped his arms from his chest and squatted down, "she's my imprint Seth."
"Don't try and make him feel bad Paul, he's been in control, he didn't even come close to phasing." Sam broke in.
"I'm not trying to make him feel bad, he did do good today I told him that, but she's my imprint and those were her little brothers anything could have happened at anytime and I didn't see any of you offering up your imprints to make sure the kid could play nice."
The sound wood screeching against tile cut through Paul and he jerked up thinking Seth was about to lose it, and in a way he was just not the way Paul had expected. Tears glistened in the kid's eyes and he felt like shit when Seth locked eyes with him, "I never would have hurt her. I may be new to this and I may be just a kid but everyone can see how you feel toward her Paul, nothing would have happened. It was just nice to be a kid for a little bit." With that Seth slowly shuffled out the front door and down the porch, Paul listened closely waiting for the sound of tearing clothes instead all he heard were muffled sniffles slowly fading in the distance.
"You happy now?" Jake ground out as the fork snapped in his hand.
Shaking himself Paul narrowed his eyes at Jake, "don't you ever tell someone to act like me again," with a hard glare Paul rooted Kim to her seat, "you'd better have some ice ready tonight, I'm kicking Jared's ass as soon as I see him."
Kim's eyes widened before she shot a look toward Jake and Sam, "seriously," she growled disgust filling up the tiny space.
"Kim," Emily pleaded while dropping a hand over her wrist. "Seth was in complete control, he just hasn't been himself lately and they wanted him to have some fun."
With out looking at Emily Kim jabbed the table right in front of where Sam sat, "did you two honestly talk Jared into calling her parents and setting this whole thing up as Paul?"
Neither of them answered as anger radiated off Kim, "unbelievable! I'm sorry Paul, I really am." Kim got up shoving her chair roughly under the table as she passed him she patted his shoulder her face twisting from anger to sadness, "just don't hurt him too bad."
~U~
In the woods Jared sat waiting, knowing what was going to happen. Calling Angela's parents acting like Paul was sadly a hell of a lot easier than it should have been. Hell Jared didn't sound anything like Paul but being Jared he knew how to lay on the charm and it had worked. Angela's mother was a hell of a nice lady and what Jared had heard from her father in the background he wasn't too bad either. In all honesty Jared knew it was a fucked up thing he was doing but at the same time he felt for Seth and while he had lost it for a little bit there when Leah was acting crazy the kid had some major control over himself, surprising seeing as he was just a kid. It didn't really take much convincing when Jake and Sam had brought the idea up to him, not only for Seth's sake but he wanted to do it for Embry and Paul too.
Embry because his packmate was getting better and as much as Leah bitched and moaned while taking care of Embry Jared was around enough to see the changes in her, the way she was slowly coming around to Embry. He'd done it for Paul too, while Jake had been holed up with Bella and Paul with Angela the night before it didn't stop Jared from patrolling Forks. After hearing what he'd heard go down in Angela's house he knew that his best friend would try to distance himself shortly after, typical Paul. As Jared had made the rounds in the early hours of the morning he'd been surprised that Paul had still been at Angela's. But just as he had suspected throughout the day Jared caught hints of Paul's thoughts, flashes of his mother leaving, her face morphing into Angela's before Paul would slam the door on his thoughts. Yeah he knew it was wrong, but Paul seriously needed to get his head out of his ass and get bonded with his imprint.
~U~
"Think that was funny did you," Paul snarled as he came up behind Jared at the cliff's edge. When his friend didn't make a move Paul had to fight the urge to push him over the side.
"Necessary, not funny." Jared said sitting still as stone as he looked out at the water.
"Necessary," Paul snorted while coming to stand in front of him, "putting my imprint and her brothers in harms way was necessary?"
Jared stood knowing that this would go one of two ways, Paul would either get pissed and punch him or he'd wait and listen.
"She wasn't in danger you know that, you and Sam were there and Seth has some amazing control." Had Jared not been wearing a shirt he was positive Paul's fist would have buried in his face, instead it was clutching his shirt and pulling him forward so they were nose to nose. "Necessary because like it or not Paul you are attached to your girl just as much as she is to you and after what went down last night you can't pull away, you're to far in now."
"Putting her in harms way-"
"She wasn't fucking in harms way," Jared snarled while ripping himself free of Paul's grip. "You know that damn it just admit it, she wasn't."
Paul narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, knowing what Jared was saying was true but not wanting to admit it.
"You're constantly worried about her Paul, about whether or not you've made her do something she doesn't want or if you've hurt her, but what you don't get is that you're falling for her and you can't stop it, not because you are bonded obviously but because you like this girl, there's something about her that pulls you in and it isn't the imprint it's her, but when you get there you get scared and you pull away. I'm telling you man if you keep doing that shit you are going to hurt her, and it may not be physical pain but emotional can be worse. Don't fuck this up with her. Jake and Sam didn't talk me into anything today. They want Seth to be happy, I want you to be happy, and she does it man. So if it takes a little charm and danger to get you close to your girl I'm willing to do it."
"Well your plan didn't work out very well now did it; all you did was manage to piss me and Kim off."
Jared winced as Kim's name slipped from Paul's lips, "you're mad now, but let's see where you end up tonight."
Paul's fists balled at his sides, the little shit. The adrenalin from the day was taking a toll on him already. Being pissed off and worried for the last three hours had him so keyed up he was honestly surprised he wasn't pummeling his friends face, but Jared spoke the truth. As much as Paul wanted to pull away he was finding it more and more difficult to do so. Sometimes like last night before he let the thoughts of his mother invade his mind he welcomed the feeling, but after he wanted to fight it, he didn't want to end up like his dad, a man that was so hooked on a woman that didn't want him that he just drifted along day to day. Paul snarled at the thought, fuck he was going to end up like his dad; he was going to go to her tonight he knew it. As a knowing smile slide across Jared's face Paul cocked his fist back and swung.
~U~
Angela stood in front of the full length mirror twisting her hips from side to side smiling at the sound of the dress as it swished around her. The fuchsia dress normally wasn't something she'd pick for herself. The color was loud and it was strapless. Turning to the side Angela took in the mounds of her breasts that were practically spilling over the top and she smiled. She felt beautiful in this dress.
"So that's it."
His husky voice caused her to jerk and every single nerve ending in her body to spark to life. Locking eyes with him in the mirror she took him in. Bare chest glistening with sweat one hand was holding onto the top of the window as he somehow managed a crouch. He hadn't moved but Angela felt his touch as his eyes slowly slid down her form and then even slower scanned upward.
"Yes"
"I'm going to kiss you and then I have to leave."
Angela watched in awe as he slowly slid in her window and came up behind her, their eyes still locked in the full lengthen mirror Paul wrapped his arms around her before bending at the knees. Pressing himself against her as he stood to full height his entire front pressed into her back and she felt everything. The heat from his chest, the pounding of his heart and then the hardness of his erection as it slid against the crease of her ass. Her breath caught at the feeling of it all, when he pressed in harder and growled she answered with a moan. "Turn around, kiss me."
She did just that keeping herself plastered to him she felt his erection slid across her back then her hip, when she was fully turned and facing him it was digging into her belly, he was so hot and ready Angela couldn't help but wiggle against him. She couldn't believe that this person was her, rubbing up against him the way she was, not a nervous feeling inside. She wanted him so bad that it almost hurt.
Her thoughts were cut off when his lips crashed down onto hers and his hips shot forward. "The way you make me feel." Was all he could spit at her before he devoured her again, latching onto her ass and grinding into her as his mouth claimed hers. "You deserve so much better than this curse." His hands were needing her ass holding her still against his dick as his hard kisses moved from her lips down to her neck. "I'm going to end up just like him," he snarled before nipping at her neck harder than he ever had before.
Angela was confused, she obviously knew how he felt at least when it came to the physical, but she wondered what curse was he talking about and who would he end up like, she wanted desperately to ask and just as she was about to he snarled against her neck and then he was gone, backing up like he'd been burned. His eyes so dark it made her shudder, just as her hand moved out toward him he launched himself out of the window and into the night.
~U~
Paul was running again, this time as Jared listened to his thoughts he knew he wasn't running away from Angela but the urges both Paul and the wolf were fighting. From the second he perched himself on that window Paul wanted to take her, throw her down on the bed, fuck her senseless and claim her. As Paul ran he was putting distance between the two for a different reason entirely. This time the distance wasn't to ease Paul's fear's, he was putting distance between them so he wouldn't fuck it up.
She'll be mine Jared, just not like that.
The words barely a whisper through the link before Paul slammed the walls down around his thoughts.