Chapter 21- Sea Glass

Paul's Point Of View

"You did, Paul. The day that your dad died. You forgot about me."

It was like a punch to the gut. Because she was right. I didn't say anything, because what could I say?

I climbed back into the car and threw the keys into the passenger seat.

The sadness that radiated off of her was crippling. I can't imagine...

I watched her through the window. She tried to appear un-phased. I knew though.

I'm not sure how long I sat there, watching her. She was quietly eating on one of the blankets that was set out. Picnic style.

She didn't engage in conversation much. Not like she normally would. I was fucking kicking myself for putting her in that situation.

A tap at the window, brought my attention back to my immediate surroundings.

"Dude? You getting out some time today?" Jared asked, as he pulled my door open.

"Yea."

I climbed out and pulled my shoes off. Making sure they were neatly placed on the floor in the backseat, I pulled my shirt off, and threw it in the seat.

I wasn't fully there, though. My mind still with the beautiful brunette on the beach.

"What's got you so twisted?" Jared asked as he nudged my shoulder.

"I'm not." I said, refusing to look at him.

"Sure." He dragged out. "You going to come play some ball?" He asked, as he threw a football up above his head and caught it.

"Nah, not right now." I said, as I closed the door and leaned heavily against it.

"What happened?" He prodded again.

I sighed and shook my head.

"She verbally bitch smacked me." I said, chuckling humorlessly. Sobering quickly, I lifted an eyebrow towards him. "How'd she find out about the bet?"

"What bet?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

"The bet that we made at school, the day she started as Bella."

"Oh fuck." He said, dropping the ball at his feet. "She knows about that?" He asked as he turned to watch her on the beach.

"Yea." I said, as I bent over and grabbed the ball. "She asked me how much she was worth." I rubbed my temple.

For the first time in a year, I was getting a headache.

"What did you tell her?" He asked, as he snatched the ball out of my hand and tossed it back in the air.

"I didn't say shit." I said, as I pushed away from the car and slowly started walking towards the group. "I didn't know what to say."

He stopped me with his firm grip on my arm. "You didn't say shit? Seriously? You need to start talking to her!" He growled. "I mean really fucking talk, Paul." He let go of my arm and brushed his hand through his hair. "You're going to lose her for good if you don't."

He didn't wait for me to reply, as Kim broke away from the crowd and made her way towards him. He engulfed her in a hug, and swung her around off of her feet.

I hated that he was right.

I hated what I've become.

Sighing, I walked towards the rest of the group. I purposely kept my distance from Bella. I'd already upset her once today. I didn't want to do it again.

Things were calm. Fun.

When the sun set, and darkness began to creep across the beach, Sam released Seth from patrol, and took his place.

Emily decided that she would sleep much better on her down feather mattress at home, and left with Sam.

Angela and Jake were cuddling quietly against an old fallen tree. She laughed as he grabbed her finger and licked the melted marshmallow off of its tip.

Kenda and Embry left as soon as it was dark. There was no doubt about what they were doing, in their small tent down the beach. Embry's growled "have you been a good girl," caused all the wolves present to cringe.

"Quilly can you make me another somore?" Claire asked Quil, as she pushed a bag of marshmallows into his hand.

"I think it's time for bed, Claire."

Their relationship was a little funny. Quil adored her. But he would forever remain her big brother. He would walk to the ends of the earth for her if he knew it would make her smile.

"Did you bring your Diego sweeping bag, Quilly?" She asked.

Everyone chuckled quietly.

She had him completely wrapped around his finger, and he was completely powerless to deny her anything. So long as it was in her best interest.

"I did." He said as he lifted her off of the sand and dusted the back of her pants. "I grabbed your Dora one too. Why don't we go lay down, and I'll read you a story."

She smiled and lifted her arms; waiting for him to pick her up. When he did, he said a quick goodnight to everyone remaining, and walked too his over-sized two room tent.

Jared and Kim were sitting directly across from me. She sat between his legs, with his arms wrapped tightly around her. He whispered something into her ear, and she threw her head back and laughed.

You could see the undying love and affection written, clearly, on both of their faces. They were so content. With each other. With this life.

"Where'd Bella go?" I asked, as i glanced around the dwindling group.

"She went for a walk up the beach." Jared said, with his nose buried in the back of Kim's neck. "She said all the touchy shit was making her sick."

He lifted a hand and pointed towards the shadow making its way to the rocks.

I was thankful that someone was keeping and eye on her, while I was... distracted.

"Be easy, Paul." Kim said, as I stood, and began walking in the direction she was going.

Nodding, I yelled behind me , "I'll see you later."

I followed her indented footprints, in the sand that let around the bend towards the rocky cliffs.

I didn't take me long to find her. She sat on her knees, hunched over in the sand.

I didn't want to scare her, by sneaking up to her, so I stopped and cleared my throat.

"What did you find?" I asked, as she shoved something into her pocket.

"Nothing." She grumbled as she leaned forward to reach for something else.

Walking closer, I dropped to my knees next to her to see what she was doing.

"Sea glass?" I asked as I lifted my eyebrow in confusion.

She hummed and then reached for another piece that had a slight blue green hue.

I picked up a small pinkish piece that was directly in front of me and studied it.

"I never understood how these formed." I said, as I offered the small piece to her, in an outstretched, open hand.

She glanced at me for a moment, before gently taking the glass out of my hand, and shoving it into her pocket.

"It's just mother earths attempt at beautifying man made messes." She said, as she shifted the sand around in her hand.

She wouldn't look at me.

"How so?" I prodded.

The conversation was light. And I was grateful that although there was a heavy tension, we were talking.

She sat back on her hunches and dusted the sand from her hands.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a large piece and held it out.

"Broken bottles." She said, as she flipped the piece in her hand. "This use to be a bottle. Beer maybe? I don't know." She held the piece up in front of the light of the moon to illuminate it better. "Someone left their broken garbage on the beach. The waves came in and made it... better. Polished it. Smoothed it's edges."

She put the piece back into her pocket and stood.

I reached over and grabbed one more piece off of the ground and shoved it into my pocket.

Her eyes narrowed briefly as she has seen what I had done, but she didn't comment.

"Okay, well... bye." She said, as she started to walk further towards the rocks.

"Where are you going?" I asked, as I lifted myself up, and jogged to catch up to her.

"Just for a walk."

"Mind if I tag along?"

Sighing, she dropped her hand heavily down at her side. "Paul..."

"Please?" I asked quietly.

She glanced at me, and you could tell by her eyes that she was internally debating with herself. "I don't care."

I walked a bit closer to her, leaving just enough distance between us to make her a little more comfortable.

I wasn't sure if she thought I had an ulterior motive in coming to find her.

I didn't.

But, she didn't know that.

Neither of us spoke for a long time. We were so far from the bonfire, that I couldn't smell the smoke on the wind, anymore.

A huge rock sat, just out of the waves reach, and she climbed on top of it and sat down. Gazing out over the darkened water.

Jared's voice broke through my quiet thoughts. Just talk to her. It cycled on repeat over and over again.

"Bella?" I asked, as I perched myself on another rock a couple of feet away from the one that she was on.

She didn't answer, but I knew that she heard me.

"Do you think we can talk?" I asked, as I ran my hair through my hair, and then dropped it into my lap.

"What about?" She asked, as she lifted her face to the sky.

There was no malice in her tone. It was soft. Light. I took this as a good sign.

"About what happened..." I turned my body to face hers. "In the car earlier... about that bet."

Her eyes flashed briefly, but disappeared as quickly as it came. It was so quick that I couldn't determine what it was.

"I'm a fuck up." I said, as I turned to look at a giant piece of driftwood that was trying to find purchase on the shore, away from the brutal beating of the waves."I've done some fucked up things. To Kenda. To you."

She raised her eyebrow, but didn't comment.

"I made a stupid bet when I saw you." I lifted off of the rock and moved to kneel in front of her. "I don't know why I did it. It was stupid. Careless, even."

"And it's different now?" She asked, as the same emotion as before, flashed again. But this time I knew what it was.

Anger.

Swallowing hard I answered. "It is. I honestly didn't even remember the bet, until you brought it up. When I saw you... when I realized who you were... who you are to me..."

"Stop." She said, as she lifted her hand up to stop me from talking. "Just fucking stop."

I raked my hand through my hair and dropped back into the sand. "I'm so tired of fighting with you." I said, as I picked up a small stone and wrapped my large fist around it. "Every time we're near each other. It's an all out war." I stood up and turned, throwing the rock into the dark ocean. "I'm sorry about everything that happened in the past. But that's just it..." I said as I pulled my arms away from my body and lifted them out beside me, " it's in the past! Sometimes, you just have to let shit go!"

I waited for her response. It never came.

Sighing, I turned on my heel, and began walking, slowly, back up the beach. The ball was in her court.

"Paul." Her broken whispered stopped me.

I could hear her move, and the sound of her delicate footsteps were ringing in my ears.

I shivered as her soft fingertips connected with my tense shoulders.

She pulled slightly, indicating that she wanted me to turn around. To look at her.

When I did, the sadness in her eyes caused me to inhale sharply.

I was the worlds biggest asshole for putting that there. For doing that too her.

She stepped closer, and lifted her feet to stand on her tip toes. Bending slightly at the waste, she leaned slightly forwards, and pressed her soft lips to mine.

It took me a few seconds to realize that yes, this was real. Bella, my imprint, was kissing me.

She reached her small hands up and wrapped them around my neck. Her hands worked there way through the small hair right at the nape.

She pushed her body flush with mine. I was losing it. Her mouth parted slowly, and she flicked her tongue out and traced my lower lip. This time I groaned as I lightly thrust my hips into her. I couldn't be more fucking happy. She initiated this. She took the step. I opened my mouth slowly, darting my tongue out to meet hers, when she began to pull away.

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she lowered herself on to the warm sand.

She reached her hand out to me, and I held it softly, as I lowered myself to hover over her.

She smiled.

I pressed my forearms into the sand. One on each side of her head. She slid her warm hands up my sides, sending a slight shiver down my spine. It felt so fucking incredible. When she made it to my shoulders, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled my hair.

She wanted me closer.

"Kiss me." She whispered.

I wasted no time, as I crashed my lips to hers. This time it was more intense. More demanding. Our lips both parted at the same time, and I let her win in our battle of tongue dominance. It felt so fucking good.

I pressed my hips more firmly into hers, and swiveled them slowly, enticing another groan from her.

I was harder than Iv'e ever been before. Any fantasy that I've ever had about her, didn't come close to the real feeling.

My mind was spinning as she brought her hips up to meet mine. I wanted to so much more, but I wouldn't push her. This was a monumental step in the right direction, and I wasn't gonna be a jackass and fuck it up.

Her hands began to roam down my exposed back, sending a trail of burning need with them. When she made it to my hips she slowly slid her hand around the front.

I moaned loudly and closed my eyes as our kiss broke and I leaned my forehead against hers. Then it stopped.

Everything stopped.

She stopped moving.

Stopped moaning.

Stopped touching.

Lifting my head from hers and opening my eyes, to find out what was wrong, she smirked.

It took me a moment to realize that she was waving a piece of paper above her head.

I rolled off of her and she stood.

"Consider this a consolation prize, for being the biggest dick head on the planet." She said as she through the offending paper in the sand next to me. "If you were that hard up for some cash, I'm sure you could have pulled a few shifts at the diner. That's what you owe them, right?"

"You lose."

She turned and quickly stomped back down the beach.

Growling, I grabbed the twenty dollar bill from the ground and shoved it into my pocket.

"Nice to see you're back, Bella."