CHAPTER 20
I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER
Leah warmed some of the food her mom brought over for dinner and as they ate, she asked the boys about school. Travis chattered on about his friend, Carly, and how she LOVES the color purple. Tyler was quiet and Leah had to really work to get him to talk. Ruth's death was a lot harder on him than anyone else thought. Then she noticed Paul was just as quiet.
After they were through eating, Leah and Tyler did the dishes as Paul and Travis played on the living room floor with his Legos. They had quite a fortress built by the time Leah walked in.
"Leah, look!" Travis called out.
Smiling at him, she went to sit on the floor beside him. "Wow! This is pretty cool."
"I know," Travis answered. "Paul showed me how to do it."
"Did he?" Leah looked over at Paul and smiled.
"Yeah, didn't you know I am a genius at Legos?" Paul said with a grin.
"Another hidden talent. You are just full of surprises."
"You betcha," Paul snapped back while wiggling his eyebrows at her, making Leah laugh.
"Hey, Paul?" Tyler asked as he came into the room. "Can I hang out with Collin and Brady for awhile?"
"I guess. Where you going?"
"Collins's house to play X-Box."
"Sure. Be home by eleven."
"OK. See ya." Tyler put on his coat and hat and walked out the door.
"It's cold out tonight. Shouldn't I drive him?" Leah asked.
"No. Collin's house isn't far. Tyler likes to be independent. If he wants a ride, he'll ask for one."
Leah smiled as she decided Paul really would be OK raising these boys.
Around nine, Paul took Travis in the bathroom to get him started on his bath. Leah folded laundry and then went to read to Travis before he went to sleep. She tucked him in and kissed him then closed the door part way and walked out to the living room. Paul was sitting on the futon eating a sandwich.
"You're still hungry?" Leah asked as she sat down and snuggled up to him.
Paul smiled and put his arm around her. "I guess my appetite is finally coming back."
"Good. No one likes a skinny werewolf," Leah said with a smile as she stole a bite of his sandwich.
Paul chuckled at that. "Are you saying no one likes Embry?"
Leah smacked him. "That's not nice, stop it," she scolded.
Paul finished his sandwich as they watched some show about crab fishing. It wasn't long before Leah's eyes were starting to flutter. She didn't realize how tired she was. She had been going 100 miles an hour during the day and then not really sleeping a whole lot at night. She sat up and said, "I think I'll put my pajamas on. I'm beat."
"Do you have to put them on? It's too hard getting them off again," Paul said as he kissed her neck.
"Tyler will be coming home soon. Do you really want him to get a live lesson in Sex Ed?"
"Errrrrr, fine," Paul complained. "But just til Ty goes to bed."
Leah smiled as she got up to go to the bathroom where she kept her bag of clothes and things. She couldn't get over how insatiable Paul was! He couldn't get enough. But then, neither could she. Sex with Paul was so different than with Sam. She felt so carried away and free when she was with Paul. It completely took her over and her whole body felt on fire. Just now, thinking about it, her body was tingling in anticipation.
Leah pulled on her pajama pants and tank top then looked into the mirror. How am I ever going to get enough strength to walk out of here and go back to school? But she knew she had to. She had made a commitment to the tribe to do this and she knew she had to finish it. She quickly braided her hair and walked back out to sit with Paul. She smiled as she noticed he had stripped down and wearing just a pair of gym shorts.
Paul and Leah were lounging on the futon, gently kissing each other and letting their hands roam a little when they heard the door close behind Tyler. Leah scooted over a little away from Paul as he smiled at her. "Hey Tyler. Have a good time?" she asked.
Tyler shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. I'm going to bed," he said as he passed through the living room.
"Good night!" Leah called.
"Night." They heard the bedroom door close and Leah looked at Paul. "What's up with him? You think maybe it's bothering him that I'm sleeping here with you?"
Paul smiled. "No. Collin has a sister, Cristy. I think Tyler has a thing for her."
"Really?" Leah grinned. "Hmmm, maybe I should have a talk with that boy."
"Oh, please don't. He's embarrassed about it. I only found out by patrolling with Collin one night. I've been waiting for Ty to mention it, but he hasn't yet."
"Boys," Leah said disgustedly. "You all hate to talk about your feelings."
"Maybe we hate to talk about them, but it doesn't mean we don't like to act upon them."
Leah rolled her eyes. "Well, yeah, I know that."
Paul pulled her close and kissed her. "I don't mind telling you how I feel." He kissed her again, gently on the lips then said softly, "I love you."
Leah felt her whole body turn to mush as she gazed into his eyes. "I love you, too. So much."
Paul's lips moved over hers as he pushed her back against the pillows. "Men may not like to talk about their feelings because it's so much more fun to show them," Paul whispered into her ear.
Smiling, Leah whispered back, "Then show me." And he did. More than once.
The next morning, Leah got up and dressed then went to the kitchen to make the little pancakes she had promised Travis the morning before. He came running out in his Thomas costume and climbed onto a chair. "How are these, Trav? Are these the right size?" Leah asked as she held one up for him to inspect.
"Yep."
"OK." Leah poured him a glass of apple juice then put a few pancakes on a plate and set both in front of him. Travis busied himself putting some butter on each pancake then he asked, "Leah? Can you pour the syrup? Grandma always says I make a mess."
Smiling, Leah picked up the bottle then said, "Tell me when to stop" as she poured. There was quite a puddle on his plate before he finally yelled, "Stop!" That's when Paul found his way into the kitchen.
Leah loved how he looked first thing in the morning. He shuffled into the kitchen wearing just his gym shorts, his hair standing on end and his eyes barely open. Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he sat down beside Travis to grunt, "Hey, Trav."
"Hey, Paul," Travis said with his mouth full.
"Want some pancakes?" Leah asked him.
"Sure," Paul mumbled as he wiped his hand over his eyes.
"Big or little?"
"Oh, bigger is better," he managed to say with a grin.
Leah chuckled and rolled her eyes as she poured more batter onto the pan. Paul sipped his coffee until she piled some pancakes onto a plate and set it in front of him. "Thanks, babe," he said.
"Babe," Travis giggled.
"What's so funny?" Paul asked him lightly as he poured syrup on his pancakes.
"She's not a baby. She's a girl."
"Yeah, I'm aware of that. It's just a name guys sometimes call a girl."
"Can I call Carly, 'Babe?' " Travis asked.
Leah sat down to eat her pancakes and said, "Um, I don't think so. Little girls don't like it as much as bigger girls."
Travis just shrugged and ate while Leah looked over at Paul and tried not to laugh.
"Should I save some for Ty?" Leah asked as she started to clean up.
"He sleeps late on the weekends," Paul told her with a shake of his head. "He'll get something when he wakes up. Alright, Trav. Go clean up and brush your teeth."
Travis nodded and got down from the table to leave the kitchen, but then he stopped and turned around to run to Leah and hug her legs. "Thank you for making the pancakes. They were good like Grandma's."
Leah squatted down and hugged him. "You're welcome, little man." Letting him go, she watched him scamper through the living room and turn down the hall then stood up and looked over at Paul. "Man, he's a killer. How did he turn out so sweet?"
Paul scooted his chair back and reached for Leah to pull her down onto his lap. "I don't know. Living with Doreen and seeing the things he has seen. Boggles my mind."
Paul wrapped his arms around Leah and held her close then inhaled her scent. Leah had her arms around Paul's neck and rested her face against his head. God, I'm going to miss this so much when she leaves, Paul thought. He had been trying to keep that thought from his mind all night, but it kept creeping in. Sooner or later, he would have to face the fact that their time was almost at an end.
After lunch, Travis ran to play with his Thomas train and Ty asked if he could again spend some time at Collin's. Paul smiled and asked, "So, are you actually spending time with Collin or Cristy?"
Leah couldn't believe how quickly Tyler turned red. "Geez, Paul, knock it off," he spit back as he jumped out of his chair.
Paul chuckled. "I'm sorry, bro. Come on, sit down. Talk to me."
Leah was doing up the dishes and pretending not to listen, but of course she was.
Tyler sighed and sat back down. "Yes, I like Cristy, OK? Are you happy?"
"Well, I think the question is, are you happy?"
Tyler shrugged. "I don't know. Girls are so weird."
"Yeah, tell me about it." Paul glanced over at Leah who turned and stuck her tongue out at him. Stifling a laugh, Paul said to Tyler, "I told you all about my girl troubles. Maybe you could tell me yours."
With a sigh, Tyler said, "Sometimes she acts like she likes me, and it's really cool. Then sometimes, like last night, she completely ignores me. Why does she do that?"
Paul looked over at Leah. "Well, we have a girl right here. Why don't we ask her?"
Tyler turned to look at Leah as she put the dish rag down and wiped her hands on a towel. "So, Ty, what are you doing when she ignores you? Are you alone or are you with her brother?"
"Um, usually when she's like that we're all together in the living room. With Collin."
"OK. See, she's probably more open with you when you two are alone because she does like you and she can be herself around just you. But when you're with her brother, she's trying to hide how much she likes you so that Collin won't tease her mercilessly. Believe me, I have a brother. I know just how she feels."
"Oh, I didn't think about that," Tyler admitted.
"How old is Cristy? Is she in your grade?"
"She's in 8th grade."
"Oh, I see. That could be it, too. You're younger than her, so she might be catching crap from her friends. Girls can be so mean. Most 8th grade girls usually try to go with someone older for some reason. I remember when I was in 8th grade, the big deal was to try and get a boy from high school to ask you out." Tyler just nodded as Leah sat down and put her hand on his arm. "Look, Ty, you're a smart guy, and pretty good looking. You take after your big brother here, you know." She glanced at Paul and he grinned and winked. "I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not," she said to Ty, who just smiled. "What I'm trying to say is if she really likes you, and it sounds like she does, just be patient with her. Try to spend some time with her away from her brother. You know, like maybe sit with her at lunch, or ask her to take a walk or something. Got it?"
Tyler smiled. "Yeah, I got it."
"Don't you have a birthday coming up soon?" Leah asked.
"Yeah, February 8th."
Leah nodded. "So, you'll be 12 and she'll be 13. Not too much difference then, is there?"
"No," he admitted.
"Did you know that I'm older than Paul?" Tyler looked surprised and shook his head. "Yep. He's only 18, a baby, really. I'm 20. I'll be 21 in April."
"Yeah, but I turn 19 this summer, so you're only really 2 years older, and I am NOT a baby," Paul pouted.
That made Tyler laugh. "What? So I like older women," Paul said. "Apparently so do all the Jacobs men."
Tyler rolled his eyes at that and stood up. "Thanks, Leah."
"You're welcome, Ty," Leah said with a smile. "Anytime."
"I'll be home for dinner," Tyler told them as he walked out of the kitchen and they soon heard the door open and close as he left for Collin's house.
Paul got up and wrapped his arms around Leah. "Look at you. You seem to be able to solve all our problems."
"I wish," Leah sighed softly.
Smiling weakly, Paul rested his forehead on hers as he whispered, "Me, too, babe. Me, too."
Leah told Paul that she really wanted to do something special with Travis today, so she asked if she could treat them to a movie. There was a new Disney movie playing at the theater in Forks and she really wanted to take him to see it.
"Sure, but you don't have to buy. I do have some money," Paul insisted.
"I know that, but I want to."
Paul smiled and gave in, knowing he could never really tell her no to anything. "Fine. Go get him." Leah clapped her hands like a little girl and went running into the living room. Pretty soon he heard Travis shriek and he knew he must like the idea.
"Paul! Paul!" Travis yelled as he ran into the kitchen. "Guess what? We're going to the movies!"
"I know! Go get your coat," Paul told him.
They all piled into the car and Paul drove them to Forks. Travis loved the movie! They all ate popcorn and drank pop and Paul actually found himself enjoying it, too. Afterward, they walked across the street to the little diner for pie. They slid into a booth, Leah and Paul on one side, Travis on the other.
"Do they have cherry pie? It's my favorite," Travis asked.
"Yes they do, and it's my favorite, too," Leah told him.
They ordered their pie and Travis chatted about the movie. "I can't wait to tell Carly. She told me she wanted to see it and I got to see it before her!"
"Well, don't make her feel bad. That wouldn't be nice, buddy," Paul said.
The waitress brought their pie and set it down and Travis dug in heartily.
"Remember when we came here that day for pie?" Paul asked Leah.
"Yeah, weren't we trolling for chicks?" Leah said into his ear. He laughed heartily and Travis looked over at them.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"Leah. She has cherry on her face and she doesn't even know it." Travis giggled as Leah's hand snapped up with her napkin to wipe her face then she looked at Paul and stuck her tongue out.
After their pie, they drove home and Travis got out his crayons and paper then told Leah he was going to draw a picture from the movie for Leah to take back to school with her. Laying down on the floor, he quickly got to work while he watched Sponge Bob Square Pants.
"We'll be in the kitchen, OK, Trav?" Paul told him. Travis just nodded as Paul took Leah's hand and led her into the kitchen where he caught her to him and pushed her up against the wall as his lips crushed down on hers. His hand slid down her body around to her ass and Leah could feel how badly he wanted her as he pressed himself into her. Their tongues tangled as their hands roamed. Paul's hand went up inside her shirt, under her bra to play with her nipple, and as Leah let out a little moan, she decided they were getting a little too out of hand.
"You know, Travis could come walking in here at any moment," Leah panted, her lips still on Paul's.
"Fuck," Paul muttered as he pulled his hand away. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."
"Well, I know what you were thinking with," Leah said with a grin as she adjusted her bra and pulled her shirt back into place.
That made Paul laugh as he adjusted himself and said, "Yeah, it's a habit of mine."
"I've noticed," Leah agreed as she walked to the sink to get a drink of water.
"Have I told you I really like your hair long? It's grown a lot in 5 months."
"Yeah, I haven't cut it," Leah said as she turned back to face him. "I figured since I wasn't phasing, there was no reason to keep it shorter. I like being able to put it up when I'm in a hurry to get to class."
Paul had stepped closer and was running his fingers slowly through her hair, loving how the silky the strands felt against his hand. Leah closed her eyes and just enjoyed the feeling as Paul whispered, "You are so beautiful, Leah. I have to find a way to be with you. I am finding it hard to think about letting you go. Do you feel the same?"
"Yes," Leah whispered back. They stared into each other's eyes longingly for a few minutes then finally Leah broke away, turning toward the fridge to take out food for dinner. Tomorrow was coming way too fast and she really didn't want to think about it right now.
Tyler made it home in time for dinner and he seemed to be in a much better mood. Things with Cristy must have gone well this afternoon.
They sat down to eat and Travis told Ty all about the movie. He talked pretty much non-stop all during dinner as Paul just stared at Leah. It was getting closer and closer to the time when she would walk back out of his life and he was trying hard to memorize every inch of her face.
After dinner, Travis talked Paul into playing checkers on the living room floor and Leah offered to help Tyler with some homework at the kitchen table. That's where they were when there was a knock at the door.
"I'll get it," Leah called out on her way to the door. She opened it to see Rachel standing there. "Oh, hi," Leah said in surprise.
Rachel glided in past her, completely ignoring her as she shrugged out of her coat and walked into the living room, calling out brightly, "Hi guys!"
Paul was lying on his stomach on the floor in front of the checker board when he noticed Rachel come in. Quickly he sat up to say, "Hey, Rach."
Rachel walked over to kneel beside Paul then put her arms around him and draw him in for a kiss . . . a long kiss on the lips before saying, "Don't let me interrupt your game." Then turning to smile at a glaring Travis, she said sweetly, "Hi Travis. Who's winning?"
"No one. I quit." And with that, Travis threw his checkers onto the board and got up to stalk over to Leah and ask, "Leah? Can I have a snack?"
Leah looked at Paul sympathetically and said, "Sure, buddy. Come on." Taking his hand, she led him into the kitchen to leave Paul and Rachel alone.
"Why are you here, Rachel?" Paul asked.
"Why wouldn't I be, Paul?" Rachel answered, her anger and jealousy seeping into her voice. "I should be here, comforting you, helping you take care of the boys. Isn't that my place?"
Paul sighed and wiped his hand across his eyes. God, he didn't need this right now. "Rachel, I am really sorry for the way I've treated you. You're right. You don't deserve it. You have been nothing but kind and loving to me, and I have let you down over and over. I have no idea why this imprint happened, but it did, and even though I have been trying, I haven't really put all of me into it."
He could see Rachel start to calm down a little. "I know, Paul. I know it's been hard for you."
"But . . . I just can't deal with this right now. I am trying so hard just to get through each hour without breaking down in front of the boys. Grandma being gone . . . it's killing me. So, if you could please just cut me some slack, I promise we will talk next week, OK? I start a new job on Monday, and I'm a little worried about working all day and not being here for the boys . . . it's just a lot, you know?" Rachel nodded sadly. "Look, Leah is leaving first thing tomorrow morning. I know I've caused this jealousy in you and I'm sorry. But I promise, we will talk after she leaves."
"I am sorry for how I acted at the funeral. It was horrible of me. But, Paul, seeing her with you, and to know that she is staying here with you . . . "
"Rach, please, I know it's not right, but . . . I just really need her right now. I'm sorry that it hurts you, but Leah's been my best friend for so long now, and . . . she is really helping me get through all this shit. I don't know what else to say. I'm just trying to be honest with you."
Rachel sniffed and tried hard to hold back her tears. "I appreciate that. I just wish you would let me be the one to help you through this."
Paul gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I promise, we will talk. Just give me another day, OK?"
Finally Rachel smiled and nodded her head slightly as she stood up and reached for her coat. "I'll go. I'm sorry I interrupted your game with Travis. He always seems to be mad at me."
Paul stood up and said, "I know. I will talk to him about that, believe me."
"I'll see you soon?" Rachel asked. Paul nodded then Rachel leaned in and put a soft kiss on his lips. "Good night."
"Yeah, good night." Paul walked her to the door and closed it after she left. As he stood there and watched her drive away, he felt strange. He realized he might have just given her false hope and that's not what he meant to do. Shit. I'm so damn sick and tired of the whole thing. With a deep sigh, he turned and made his way to the kitchen.
"Hey Travis," Paul said. "That was really rude, you know, the way you treated Rachel."
"I don't like her," Travis said simply as he dunked his Oreo into his milk.
Paul sat down next to him. "I know. You don't hide that very well. But even if you don't like someone, it doesn't mean you can be rude to them."
With that, Travis looked at Paul and asked anxiously. "Are you mad at me?"
"No. Look, I understand. I just want you to know that I don't like the way you behaved in there. The next time you see Rachel, you will be nice even if you don't want to be, OK?"
"OK," Travis agreed reluctantly.
"That's all I ask." Paul mussed his hair then reached for an Oreo. "Is there any milk left?" he asked as he looked around the table and noticed that all three of them were dunking Oreos in milk. Leah smiled and poured him a glass of milk. "Thanks, babe," Paul said without thinking as she set the glass in front of him.
"Thanks, babe," Travis giggled. "That's so funny."
Travis' laughter was contagious and soon the rest of them joined in. Leah looked around the table trying hard to take a mental picture of this moment. She knew she would want to pull it out when she back in Spokane missing them all like hell.
When bedtime came, Leah sat with Travis in his bed and read every Thomas book he owned. They even listened to the book she had already recorded. When they were done, Leah pulled him close and kissed him on top of the head. "I'm going to miss you a lot, Trav."
"I'm gonna miss you, too. Do you have to go?"
"Yes, I do. I have to go back to school."
Travis laid down and Leah saw his little lip quiver as he tried hard not to cry.
"I'll be home in May for Sam and Emily's wedding, so I'll see you then, OK?"
Travis nodded and rolled away from her. "Good night."
She quickly ran her hand through his hair. "Good night, Travis. I love you."
"Love you, too," he mumbled into the pillow.
Feeling awful for hurting him, Leah pushed herself off of the bed, turned out the light and walked out of the room.
"That was really hard," she said to Paul as she sniffed and wiped her own tears from her eyes.
Paul just smiled and held out his arm for her to sit next to him. Tyler was sitting on the floor watching TV and he asked, "He's crying, isn't he?"
Leah sniffed again and nodded.
Tyler stood up and looked at Leah. "I'll go be with him."
Leah stood up then to hug Tyler. "Thanks. I'm going to miss you, Ty."
"Yeah, I'll miss you, too." He let her go and added, "Mostly because Paul will be a grumpy ass again until you come back."
Leah smiled at that. "Well, just kick his ass once in awhile for me and tell him to suck it up."
"Like I could," Tyler snorted.
Paul interjected, "You got that right."
Then Tyler looked back at Leah and said softly, "Bye, Leah."
"Good night, Ty." Tyler then walked to his bedroom and closed the door behind him.
Leah sighed as she realized just how much she was going to miss them. Turning to Paul, she told him softly, "I'm going to shower and pack my things so I won't have to worry about it later."
"Good. Don't take too long."
Leah winked at him and turned to make her way to the bathroom. Paul missed her as soon as she walked away.
Leah was all packed, her bag was sitting by the door and her clothes and shoes laid out on the chair. She crawled onto the futon and set the alarm then laid back to wait for Paul. He was making the rounds, making sure all the doors were locked and turning off the lights.
Paul walked over to the futon and looked down at her as he pulled his shorts off and left them on the floor. Leah threw back the sheet and showed him that she wasn't wearing any pajamas. He smiled at that as he lay down beside her and pulled the sheet back over them. Neither of them had any words to describe their feelings at this moment. In a few short hours, Leah would walk out the door and travel back to school, and it would be another 4 months before she would be home again.
They gazed into each other's eyes, silently wishing morning wouldn't come so quickly. Finally Paul leaned over to kiss her then jumped back as he felt the jolt. What the hell? Pulling her closer, he kissed her again, touching his tongue to hers. It hit him again, in the chest. Oh no. No, no, no. Shit, damn, fuck! The imprint. It was causing him pain again, like before. Why now? Why had it disappeared for three days only to return now, on their last night together?
"Paul? What's wrong?" Leah asked softly.
"Nothing," he said quickly then pressed his lips onto hers again, only harder this time, trying to push the imprint away. Rachel's face floated into his mind, and he felt the pain again. He kept trying to push past it as he kissed her and ran his hands over her. The harder he tried, the more painful it became.
Paul could feel tears rolling out of the corner of his eyes as he squeezed them shut. He rolled on top of Leah and pushed into her, even though she wasn't quite ready and they both cried out softly in pain. It was consuming him as he tried to move faster and faster until finally he couldn't take it any longer and he pulled out and rolled off of her as he hissed between his clenched teeth, "Oh God, no," the pain crushing his chest.
Leah just lay there on her back, sliding into her ears, as she asked softly, "It's the imprint, isn't it?"
Paul rolled off of the futon and onto his hands and knees as tried to get the pain to subside. "Fuck this. Fuck it!"
Leah rolled over to Paul's side of the bed and buried her face into his pillow so he wouldn't hear her cry. Why? Why now? Three days! We had three wonderful days. Is that all we'll ever get?
Paul finally flopped over onto his back and stared at the ceiling while his breathing slowed to normal. "Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" he asked Leah softly.
Slowly, Leah moved to her back to answer, "No, you didn't hurt me. Are you OK?"
"The pain is gone, but I am far from OK," Paul answered angrily. "This is fucking bullshit. Why, Leah? Why did it disappear for three days only to come back now . . ." then it hit him. "Rachel was here." Damnit. Was she the key to this? Was it because of what I said to her?
Leah pulled on her pajama pants and top and then rolled over to look down at Paul on the floor who turned his head to meet her gaze and say, "I am so sorry, Leah. All I wanted was to spend one more night with you. To hold you and love you . . . "
Leah reached out her hand and ran it through Paul's hair. "I know. It's what I wanted, too. But Paul, for some reason, I think maybe these three days are all we get."
"No. Please don't say that. I won't give up!"
"You have to! There is no way I will be with you and put you in this pain."
"But, what about these three days? If it happened once, it can happen again."
"What? You want to live your whole life hoping we get another three days? Maybe that's OK for you, but I won't live like that." Leah turned onto her back so she didn't have to see his face. She couldn't take it any longer.
Paul sat up to look at her and plead, "Leah, please don't say that."
Sadly, Leah looked at him and said, "I'm sorry, Paul, but that's how I feel. I love you too much to make you suffer any more. I'm letting you go."
Paul crawled onto the futon to grab her by the shoulders and growl, "Like hell you will. I told you I will never give up, and neither will you!"
"Paul, please, we only have a few hours left. I don't want to fight. Please," she pleaded.
Paul stopped and hung his head. "I'm sorry. I just can't fucking take this anymore. I just can't."
"I know." Leah reached up and touched his cheek then she sat up and handed him her pillow. "Here. I'll get you a blanket and you can sleep here on the floor beside me."
"I'll get it," Paul returned as he stood up and moved to the hall closet to grab an old quilt and walk back to spread it out beside the futon. Leah rolled to her side, covered by the sheet, to watch him lay down on his side to face the futon and look up at her.
This was not how they had planned on spending their last night together. But it was all they had.
"I won't lay here and think that this is our last night together. No matter what you say, Leah, I will never give up on you."
Leah closed her eyes and wished with all her heart she could do something or say something that would make him realize how futile this fight really was. But she knew he was stubborn. Almost as stubborn as she was. Finally she whispered, "I know you won't, Paul. But you should. You'll never be happy if you don't."
"I'll never be happy if I do."
Leah smiled at him. "You're such a stubborn ass."
"Takes one to know one," Paul returned with a smile.
Paul held out his hand and Leah took it. Paul held it as long as he could then he brought it to his mouth and kissed it before he had to let go. "Good night, Leah."
"Good night, Paul."