"Anna! Paul is here again." Ryan Jacobs called.
"I'm in my room." She called back.
Mr. Jacobs stopped Paul before he headed up stairs. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But, her safety meant more. If you tried to find her or she called you, it could have lead them to her."
"I know. I wouldn't have told you if our roles were reversed." Paul conceded.
Ryan smiled. "You are not the guy your reputation says you are."
Paul dropped his head. "Yeah. I am. It's Anna that is different."
"Is that why you asked her to marry you?"
He didn't know what to say. Paul didn't know that Anna had told her uncle. He took a deep breath. He knew that he had to build the trust with the whole family once again. "I was abused as a kid too. It was how Anna and I became friends. I saw a lot of myself in her. We understand each other. I wanted to protect her. I still want to protect her. In anyway I can."
"Then why did you disappear?"
Paul gestured to his body. "You saw the before and after of my rapid growth spurt. I jumped from 6' even to 6'6 in three weeks. It was painful, fevers, lack of sleep. I was practically delirious for the whole three weeks. My phone died, but I wasn't lucid enough to notice. I know that it doesn't compare to what Anna went through. But, please believe me. I never would have willingly abandoned her."
Mr. Jacobs nodded his head. "Thank you for caring for Annabell so much. I suppose we can see eye to eye on wanting to see her safe and protected. And, maybe the guilt of letting her down." He ran a hand through is short black hair. "I should have followed up to check on her after my brother died. But, her mother never called back. I didn't know what to do."
"You both are idiots." Anna scoffed from the top of the stairs. "The only people who should feel guilty are the assholes who did it."
Both men blushed at being caught talking about her.
"Uh, Hi Anna. I wanted to see if you would like to have breakfast with me." Paul mumbled.
"Only if we can stop talking about my past or your feelings of guilt."
He nodded his head. "Deal."
Anna sat quietly in the truck as they drove to a diner in Forks.
"So, how long are you going to be in town?" Paul asked the one question that sent him running to see her that morning.
Anna looked at Paul. She let her eyes graze over his features as if she was trying to see how much of her former friend remained. "I don't know yet."
"His body relaxed a little. That was a good answer. At least she was not leaving again that day. Even if she had plans of leaving, he had time to try to change her mind.
"What have you been up to? Do you have a life or job to get back to?" He asked hesitantly.
"No." Her simple one-word answer conveyed just how much she didn't want to talk about it.
Paul growled in frustration. "Anna, please. I still want to be your friend. But, you seem to be shutting me out."
"I don't know what to say. The past four years, I have had to talk about everything to everyone. Cops, attorneys, counselors. I had to testify at three different trials and listen to their attorneys try to say that I was a liar and a whore. Now, I still have two more trials here in Washington as my step-brothers face charges for the attack here. We talked last night. I don't want to talk about any of it any more." She stared out the window.
Paul pulled up to the diner and turned off the truck. Then he turned to face Anna. "I'm not asking you to talk about the attacks. I was only trying to get to know you again. You know, that quirky Metalhead that made me laugh in Biology."
Anna smirked. "Why?"
'Because your my imprint' His wolf grinned.
While Paul got out and walked around the front of the truck. The door to the truck opened as Paul helped her out of the vehicle. It gave him time to figure out how to answer.
"Until recently, I had few close friends. And even now, you hold a place as one of my closest friends."
She scoffed. "The famous manwhore that every girl jumps on, with no friends?"
"Ouch!" Paul grabbed his chest in mock pain at her words as they walked in. "I am more than just a manwhore and you damn well know that."
Okay, that was said louder than Paul intended as everyone stopped talking the looked up at them. Awkward. He ran a hand across the back of his neck while Anna snickered at his embarrassment. Fine, he could suck up the public humiliation if it meant she lightened up around him again.
They sat and ordered.
The waitress openly flirted with Paul, who did nothing to encourage nor discourage the attention.
Shaking her head, Anna started with a soft word. "So…" When Paul looked straight at her, she continued. "What is new with you? Obviously you still date a lot since you didn't deny it earlier and haven't told the chica to get lost."
Paul shrugged. "You know that I have issues with relationships. So, yeah, I still hook up. Maybe one day, you could help me fix that. Make an honest man of me." He winked.
Anna rolled her eyes. "Your game has gone down hill."
He chuckled. "Seriously though, I am part of a neighborhood watch program now. The others in the group have become a bit of a family. Several of us work in a garage now. Those things take up most of my time."
"That sounds nice."
They were finishing their meal as Jared walked into the diner with Kim. The couple saw Paul and Anna, so they sat down to join them without asking if it was alright.
Paul growled at his friend. He wanted more time alone with Anna before the pack intruded.
"Wow, you have perfected that growl." Anna commented.
Kim laughed. "Honey, you have no idea. These boys can be real animals if left unattended."
"Carefull Kim, this wolf might just gobble you up." Jared growled in a deep, seductive timber. Kim blushed as a shiver of excitement washed over her skin.
"Yeah. Alright, you two have fun with that." Paul interrupted quickly. "Why don't both go home before you continue, or at least let Anna and I out before we have to watch whatever you have going on."
Anna raised a brow at Paul. "What? You can get your freak on, but others can't?"
"Anna…" He whined. "Do you really want to watch this?"
She continued to stare at the man. "No. But, you are so easy to frustrate. It's fun to push your buttons." Jared's strangled cough of shock could barely be heard as Anna and Paul focused on each other.
Paul growled again as his face hardened. "People who push my buttons live to regret that choice. Just ask Jared how many times I have beaten his ass for such."
Arms crossed across her chest, Anna smirked. "Yet, you promised never to hit me."
Leaning forward, Paul struggled to keep his composure. Damn, she was good. "Hit? I won't hit you. But, I know just how ticklish you are."
"Do it and I will get back at you." She growled back.
But, Paul did not back off. The only movement was the slow tug of a wickedly playful smirk at the right corner of his lips.
"Fuck!" Anna jumped and climbed over the back of the booth to run out of the diner.
Paul's wolf jumped up at the chance to play. He let her get a good head start while he threw money on the table for their food and ignored Jared and Kim's gaping confusion.
Four years prior…
Anna and Paul had managed to find a peaceful day at the beach just after graduation. They walked in the sand, talking about their plans for the summer.
Anna wore a summer appropriate outfit of a flowy tank top over capris with a cardigan sweater. The tank tops that she wore had managed to hide her growing baby bump well enough that no one knew that she was pregnant yet. However, Paul knew that it would not be much longer before she wouldn't be able to hide it any more.
"Hey mushy brains!" She scolded when she caught him zoning out as he thought about their futures. "Whatcha thinking about?"
Paul smirked down at her. "I was wondering if you were ticklish."
Her face paled.
That sent his smirk racing into a full on grin of success. "Oh, well… now I have to know more."
"Paul…" She backed away slowly. He watched her face closely. He didn't want to cross any lines from her past. But, he did not see true fear. He saw her eyes shine in the play.
He waggled his eyebrows at her, and he could see her realization that there was no way he was not going to try. So, Anna turned and ran.
Paul laughed as he chased after her, wrapping an arm around her as he caught her and started to tickle her sides and under her arms. She collapsed in the laughter and dropped to the sand below. The two wrestled around as Anna tried to escape his fingers and Paul tried to test out every inch of potential locations to tickle, careful not to press on the baby.
Once Anna laughed to the point of not being able to breath, he immediately stopped and helped her calm down. Regaining her senses, she shoved at his shoulder. "You suck!"
"Very pleasurably from what I have been told." He gave a wicked grin.
"Perv." She rolled her eyes.
"And, what happened to your Karate lessons? You didn't fight back!" He tickled her again for the emphasis.
Anna rolled away in laughter. "Jerk!" Then she rolled back once she was sure he wasn't going to continue. "I can't actually practice with anyone in Karate, because of the baby. Remember. So, I just practice drills and moves that don't seem to work so well when my body's betraying me to the tickles. I had no control." She pouted.
Paul laughed again as he pulled her closer to him. "Alright, I can forgive you this once. But, after the baby is born, I expect serious game." Then his face smoothed as he watched her. She continued to pout. "Okay, monkey. How about calm and serious now."
Anna narrowed her eyes on him. He was too serious all of a sudden.
"I was thinking."
"Oh, don't do that Paul. Your brain is not used to it. You might hurt yourself trying." She rushed out in mock concern.
"Har, har. Brat." He laughed.
Anna grinned back up at him. "You make it so easy."
He growled at her. "Serious now Anna. Please."
She mimed her fingers zipping her lips shut.
"I was thinking about the baby. And you." He placed a hand on her stomach. "I know that you don't want to be a single mother, not at your age. But, what if you married me?"
Her jaw dropped open. "Paul…" It was so softly spoken that he wasn't sure if she actually said it.
"I wouldn't touch you if you didn't want. I wasn't asking for you to consummate anything. But, if we were to get married, you could keep your baby and not feel so ashamed. No one would have to know that it wasn't mine. I could protect you."
"You can't give up your sex life for someone as damaged as me." She shook her head.
Paul grimaced slightly. He had not really thought of that part. "I am sure that you and I could find a balance. Something. We could work out the details later. The important thing right now is you and your baby."
Tears welled in Anna's eyes. He knew that he would do anything to keep her safe and happy. She stared deep into his eyes. "You would really do that for me?"
He nodded.
She took a deep breath. "I just don't know. You are my friend, but…" Her thoughts drifted and shifted quickly. "I had decided to go through with the pregnancy and adoption. This wasn't something that I had even considered as an option. I never thought about keeping the baby. Can I think about it first?"
"Of course you can." He kissed her forehead softly.
Present day…
Paul followed the scent of Anna as she hid in the trees behind the diner. His wolf was screaming at him to run and chase her down. However, Paul didn't want to scare her in the rush. His eyes sparkled in the joy of the game.
Paul was able to sneak up on Anna until he was mere feet from her. She squealed in laughter when she saw him and took off at a run again.
That time, Paul did run. Not in his full speed, but enough to keep up the game. Their laughter echoed through the trees until Paul finally surged forward enough to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her against his chest.
"Carefull red riding hood. Wolves are good at hunting little girls." His voice growled in a tone similar to the one Jared had used. Anna's breath caught at the sudden turn in his demeanor.
"Paul. I am not one of your flings." Then she elbowed him in the kidney.
That managed to shake Paul loose. He fought to regain control over his wolf through the spike of pain. He relaxed his grip on Anna as he took a step back.
'She's our imprint' The wolf growled. 'Ours'
"I'm sorry Anna." Paul took another step back.
"Shit! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you." She reached out for him.
"I take it you kept up with the martial arts?" He said through gritted teeth.
"Karate and kickboxing. Please don't be angry. I really am sorry."
Paul stood fully up after the pain subsided. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay. I was having fun for the first time in a really long time. I just thought, you were headed somewhere that I am not sure you wanted to. It threw me off and instinct kicked in, I guess. Fuck. I never wanted to hit you."
Paul closed his eyes as he let his head drop backwards, lifting his face up. Taking a few deep breaths, he gathered his thoughts and calmed his wolf. 'Anna is just a friend'
'Friend and imprint' The wolf agreed.
The warmth of Anna wrapping her arms around Paul pulled him back to the present. "It will take us a bit to find our balance again. But, damn, I missed you Anna."
"I missed you too." She whispered.