Chapter 2: Secrets Revealed
We all entered into the giant kitchen table in Emily's house. Emily insisted that everyone go around the table and say their name since I was new and didn't know everyone. Everyone said their name and I realized that most of the guys had their girlfriends with them, and they all looked at each other the same way that Ashley and Seth look at each other. Sam was with Emily, Seth and Ashley and Jared was with Kim. Paul, Embry, Jacob, and Quil were the only ones at the table without a significant other with them, including me.
Paul was seated beside me at the table and I noticed him staring at me from the corner of my eye every once and awhile throughout dinner. I tried to ignore it but I couldn't get those piercing brown eyes of his out of my head, I didn't want to admit it but I wanted to stare right back at him, but I restrained myself. I could feel the awkward tension between the two of us and everyone else seemed to notice it to.
After dinner was over, Kim, Ashley and Emily all went to the kitchen and I tried to come with them to help clean up, but Ashley insisted that they have it covered and that I wasn't allowed to help. So I was forced to sit awkwardly with the rest of the guys in the living room while they were watching baseball. I tried focusing on the tv but I could feel paul's eyes burning into my head. I couldn't help but blush just thinking about his gorgeous body and how much I was attracted to him.
I heard him stand up from across the room but he didn't go anywhere. "Um, Sophia, would you, um, care to join me for a walk? I need some fresh air and I'd love to be the first one to show you the beach."
"Sure Paul, I'd love to see the beach." I said while standing, I couldn't help but notice how his face lit up when I said that I would go with him, I couldn't lie, I was excited to be alone with him and talk to him. I followed him outside and stood there waiting for him to lead the way, knowing I would get us both lost in the woods.
"So Sophia, how are you liking it so far?"
"Um, its alright I guess, hopefully I can actually enjoy it after I get settled in and everything. I think im too exhausted to really take everything in right now." After I said that I noticed that Paul got frantic and slowed down this walking pace.
"We can go back to Emily's if you want, if you're too tired. I don't want to make you feel like you have to be out here with me." He said looking me directly in the eyes, I knew from that moment on that he wouldn't make me do anything that I wouldn't want to. And that was a change for me.
"Oh, of course not, I don't mind." I said quickly, I didn't want to go back in there and sit awkwardly with the rest of the guys. "As long as you don't get me lost out here" I said while laughing shyly "I've always been afraid to be alone in the dark." I said with a shudder thinking about my past.
"I would never leave you out here alone Sophia, there's too much danger out here for any girl like yourself to be out at night alone." Paul said with his jaw tense and his muscles twitching beneath his skin. I wanted to reach out and touch them but I held my hands in my back pockets to restrain myself.
"Okay, well that's good to know then. So, um, how old are you Paul?" I asked just wanting to know more about this glorious man.
"I'm 23, but can pass as 25." He said laughing. "Ashley said that you were 18, is that right?"
"Yep, I'll be 19 on February 21st."
"You look a lot younger" he said with a laugh, "I mean after all you are like what, 4 foot tall?" After that he busted up with laughter.
I giant smacked his arm, taking notice of how hard and muscular his arms really were. "I'm 5 foot 2 thank you very much. I can't help it I got the short gene." I said enjoy hearing the sound of Paul's laugh, it made me smile. "At least I'm not the size of bigfoot like you guys are! Seriously is there anyone besides the girls around here that are normal height?"
"Okay okay I'm sorry, short girls are cuter anyway." He said with a wink and smirking at me, he had a extremely sexy smirk. "And about the height, it's…well it's a long story. Too long for tonight's walk."
I noticed how he looked off into the distance after he said that, I must hear that story soon. I'll ask Ashley about it later. "So Paul, you gotta girlfriend?" I figured I better just come out and ask it before I get my hopes up for anything further.
He smiled at me, it made my heart melt. "Nope, single and ready to mingle. What about you miss Sophia, surely a pretty girl like yourself would have a boyfriend."
"Well Mr. Paul, sorry to burst your bubble but I'm single as well." I said laughing at us being formal with each other.
Paul wiggled his eye brows at me after hearing that and smirked that oh so sexy smirk. I just couldn't get enough of that. I looked ahead to where we were walking and realized that we were on a giant cliff overlooking the ocean and the beach.
"Wow. It's really pretty up here. With the moon and everything lighting up the water and the beach and everything." I admired this scene so much, i could stand up here all night and just look out over the water and be completely happy.
I walked closer to the edge of the cliff and I heard Paul who was closer to the tree line before run up beside me and grabbed my hand. I looked at our hands together than back up at him with a questioning look on my face, not that I minded him holding my hand or anything.
"What, you think I'm gonna let you get close to the edge without me around? Well you are so wrong miss Sophia. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you on my watch, or anything happened to you in general even if im not around." He looked me straight in the eyes while saying this and I could tell he meant every word that he said. He wasn't joking around about my safety.
"Well okay then, so as long as I hold your hand, I can get closer then?" I asked, wanting him to keep holding onto my hand. He nodded his head and tightened his grip on my hand as I walked closer to the edge, close enough that my toes where hanging off of the edge. I could feel Paul tense up beside me the closer I got. Wow this guy really is a freak about safety.
After we stood there for a good 10 minutes just enjoying the view in silence, paul finially broke it. "Well, it's getting late, and I don't want to keep you up any longer than I have to if your exhausted, so why don't we get away from the edge and start walkin back to emily's?" I nodded, I was feeling extremely tired all the sudden and was ready to crash.
Throughout the walk back, paul never let go of my hand, I took pride by the fact that maybe he wanted to be something other than just friends. But was I honestly ready to start another relationship, after all i had just gotten rid of my ex stalker adam in Maryland.
I had been so tired and not thinking clearly that I hadn't even noticed that paul was talking to me. I was fully alert when he stopped walking and gently touched my shoulder asking me if I was okay.
"Yeah paul, I'm okay I'm just extremely tired right now." I said with a yawn.
"Do you want me to give you a piggy back ride the rest of the way back? We still have another good 10 minutes after all." He asked looking down at me with that stare that just made my heart melt, I couldn't even talk, I just shook my head and allowed him to pull me up onto his back.
As soon as I was on his back I noticed how hot his skin was, I got alarmed and quickly asked him if he was feeling okay.
"Yes Sophia, I'm perfectly fine. My temperature has always run high, but I'm not sick or anything I promise." He said it with such certainty I couldn't not believe him.
"Are you sure im not to heavy for you or anything, I don't wanna hurt your back or anything."
"Seriously Soph, you can't weigh more than 110 lbs., I can barely even tell you're on my back. Haven't you noticed my enormous muscles?" he asked me laughing while flexing his arms, which cause me to laugh at his cockiness towards himself.
The rest of the way back I was silent as I tried to keep myself awake while on pauls back. I was afraid if I fell asleep that my legs and arms would loose their grip causing me to fall on my back and embarrass myself. But thankfully we made it back to the house before that could happen. When we walked threw the door all eyes were on us as I was still on paul's back like a monkey. I quickly hopped off to avoid everyone's stares and smirking towards us. I quickly spotted my cousin and sighed in relief that she hadn't left without me.
"Ashley are you ready to go? I've had a long day and im ready to crash in my new bed."
"Yeah sure Sophia we were waiting for you to get back." Her and seth said their goodbyes to everyone and I did the same and followed them out to get back into the truck. But before I got off the porch, someone's hand grabbed by arm and gently pulled me back, Paul.
"So, Sophia, can I possibly have your number? Maybe we can do something again tomorrow after you unpack everything? I mean only if you want too. I would love to get to know you better."
"Um, yeah sure paul." He handed me his phone and I quickly typed my number in and gave it back to him. He smiled as our hand touched again. We said our goodbyes and he promised that he would text me tomorrow morning to make plans. I made my way back to the truck where Ashley was half asleep leaning on Seth for support, I laughed at the sight and thought about how maybe someday I would be able to do that with paul.
When we got back to the house I was more awake than I was before but only because of the bumpy ride and the loud noise of seth's truck. Ashley however was out. Seth and I looked at her and both laughed at the sight of her asleep.
"She always falls asleep when I'm driving. She used to get nightmares a lot and I would always take her for a drive to get her to fall back asleep peacefully." Seth admitted while he was lovingly staring at Ashley's sleeping form in the truck. I couldn't help but aw at the adoration that he truly had for her, I prayed that they would stay together because they were just too god damn cute to break up.
It didn't take me very long to fall asleep. As soon as I was changed into my shorts and t-shirt and had put my sheets and comforter on my bed I was out like a light. But, most like other nights, I woke up in the middle of the night fearing that there was someone watching me. When I woke up I noticed how cold it was here, I would need to invest in a heated blanket just to stay warm around here, and it's not even winter yet. I layed in bed for awhile trying to go back to sleep, but I couldn't shake that same feeling from Maryland that Adam was standing outside of the house staring at me. Just trying to get into my room somehow and torture me and take advantage of me like he had so many other nights when we were still dating. I went downstairs to the kitchen to get a drink and hopefully feel more relaxed, maybe it was just because I was in an unknown environment, I surely hoped that was the only reason for this feeling.
I don't remember falling back asleep, but the next time I woke up the sun was shining in threw the window making the glitter on my walls light up and make beautiful patterns against the ceiling. I remembered giving paul my number last night and I quickly reached over to check my phone to see if I had any messages. To my surprise, I had 4 new messages.
The first message was from paul: Good morning Sophia. Hope you slept good and hope your rested for our date later(; Text me later once you are done setting up your new room. –Paul I smiled as I read the message as he called our seeing each other again tonight as a 'date'. I didn't mind one bit.
The second message was from my best friend back in Maryland: Sophia! Come back to me..i'm so not ready to start senior year without my partner in crime. Miss you lots girl, text me later. – Christina I sure did miss her a lot. She was my rock threw everything this past year and I don't know how I would have survived without her by my side threw it all.
The next two messages were from a blocked number : Sophia, I don't know why you didn't tell me you were leaving. That was not a very nice thing to do, especially since im your boyfriend. – Adam. I was used to these kind of messages from him, I always ignored him. Sophia, I miss you dearly. But I know where you are now. You can't hide from me you sneaky bitch. Just wait til I get my hands on you. Then you will remember who you really belong to. I love you Sophia. –Adam.
The last message scared me a bit. Could he honestly know where I am? I told so few people that he would have to force it out of them, they all knew my situation with him and they would never give it up for no reason. I would have to get in touch with them later and make sure that they are all okay. But for now, I had bigger things to worry about. Was Adam really telling the truth, did he really know where I'm at? If he did, I had no doubt that he would make himself noticeable to me in the small town in La Push in the next couple of days. I crossed my fingers that he was just bull-shitting all of his information. But if he wasn't, I know have a reason to be scared again.