Bella opened her eyes the next morning to the sight of her nose pressed to the center of Paul's bare chest and a rough pounding coming from somewhere across the house.
Paul groaned in protest as he stirred, opening one large dark eye to peek down at her. There was silence for a few seconds, followed by someone hollering, but it got muffled by distance and one ear pressed to the inside of Paul's forearm.
"Argh," Paul complained quietly as he sat upright, forcing her to do the same. "Charlie's here."
Bella was suddenly very awake and wide-eyed as her cheeks flushed. Paul glanced toward her as he stood and laughed.
"Better get dressed, Ducky. I gotta go answer the door." Pulling his shorts on, he added, "Cross your fingers I don't get shot."
Bella groaned as she slid out of his bed and started searching for her clothing, unsure how it had gotten tossed around the room in their rush to undress the night before. Finding her underwear on the floor, she scoffed. She didn't want to put them back on, but she had nowhere to hide them and nothing else to cover her under her dress.
Paul chuckled at the frown on her face and reached into the back of his top dresser drawer. He walked over and handed her a pair of plain black boxer briefs, snagged her underwear from her other hand, and tossed it toward his hamper.
Nodding toward the boxer briefs in her hand, he said, "Those are actually new. I outgrew 'em before I ever got the chance to wear 'em. They came in a pack with some others."
"Ern… thanks?" They would cover her ass under the dress, at least. She stepped into them quickly as he left the room and looked for her bra.
Once fully dressed, Bella heard Charlie yelling for her to get her ass out there. She did her best to smooth her hair in the mirror above Paul's dresser, slipped into her shoes, and tentatively crept toward the front door.
Upon sight, Charlie said, "You wanna tell me why you're here instead of Leah's?"
Bella scowled in confusion. Leah knew where she was. Paul had walked her to the house, but Bella couldn't get in. They assumed Seth arrived while she was gone and had locked the door before heading to bed. Paul led her around the side of the house to Leah's bedroom window and rapped on the glass with his fingers until Leah stirred.
Bella didn't dare ask how he knew exactly which window was Leah's. She didn't want to know.
Leah opened the window mid-yawn and sleepily leaned out of it, smiling. "Somehow I knew you two would run into each other out there."
Paul shrugged, smirking. "Me and my late-night habits, huh?"
Turning to Bella, Leah said, "Why didn't you just come inside."
"I think Seth locked me out by accident."
"Probably." Leah sighed, grinning mischievously. "Want me to let you in or do you have other plans?"
Paul grinned. "I asked her to come over for a while, but she wanted to check on you first. Wanna come with?"
Leah shook her head no and teased, "Abandoning me for La Whore, Swan? I'm offended."
Bella knew Leah was joking, but it immediately made her feel guilty. "I don't have to…"
Leah suddenly shoved her upper body out the window, leaning dangerously low over the ledge to kiss Bella's cheek. She laughed over Bella's wide-eyed expression as she pulled herself back inside.
"Go, have fun. No sense in being stuck here unable to sleep. I'll see you in the morning?" Leah turned to Paul and said, "Don't be too rough, fucker."
He snorted but reached over to take Bella's hand. They said goodnight to Leah and Bella followed Paul down the street toward his house in silence. Things progressed swiftly after that, and he was all over her before they even shut the front door.
Sated (several times) afterward and finally, euphorically calm, she'd fallen asleep at his side. Now she was facing Charlie's ire, starting another day in aggravation. Why had he been looking for her in the first place?
Glaring at Charlie, Bella asked, "How'd you know I was here?"
"Leah told me."
Then he already knew Seth had locked her out and that she couldn't sleep, she was sure. Leah would have told him that, too. Bella was unsure why it mattered, anyway. She was an adult.
Huffing, she complained, "Then I'm sure she told you I couldn't sleep and was keeping her awake, so why are you bitching at me? What did you want me to do? Hitchhike to Forks?"
Charlie scowled at her but Bella just shook her head. Looking away from her, he said, "I checked on Sue this morning and it surprised me you weren't there, is all. Leah said you were here. I wanted to ensure you were alright since you never returned to her house." He sounded off, and she suspected he wasn't being entirely honest.
"Yes. I was perfectly safe."
Three condoms later, she thought smugly. She'd learned that lesson the last time and wasn't about to forget it soon.
Suddenly, Charlie asked, "Do you think you might talk to Jake today? You two have been skirting around each other all week."
And there it is. Bella wondered if Jacob had called and tattled on her for being out so late with Paul. Trying to control her tone, she grumbled, "I talked to Jake enough last night."
Paul bit back a laugh, but she saw the corner of his mouth lift and lightly elbowed him in the side. "Couldn't really get a word in edgewise since he was too busy lecturing me."
Charlie smirked as he turned back toward her. "About?"
"Paul, actually. Like you don't already know." She rolled her eyes as Charlie's cheeks reddened and he scratched the back of his head but didn't deny it.
Bella said, "I'm going to go check on Leah since I'm sure she's up now, and I didn't want to wake her again. I'll see you at home."
Charlie scoffed, exasperated over the dismissal in her tone, turned around, and strode toward the cruiser.
He is being ridiculous. Doesn't he have better shit to worry about right now? She wondered what he'd do when she left for her trip and he didn't have everyone reporting her business to him for two weeks.
Paul chuckled as she turned toward him. "He'll get over it, Ducky. Although I'm sure he'll be happy once you and Leah run off into the sunset together. That means you'll be far away from me for a while."
Bella laughed. "Oh, is that what we're doing? Running off into the sunset?"
"Something like that," he said, nodding. "It won't surprise me if things get a little crazy for you two while you're gone. I know you're still sad about Baby Black and shit, but… I've seen how you look at Lee, too, Ducky. You definitely don't look at me like that."
Bella blanched, unsure how to respond to that. "Paul…"
"It's fine," he said, pulling her into his arms despite Charlie's nearby brooding presence as the cruiser finally started. "We're pals, you and me. That won't change soon whether or not we hook up again. We both knew this was just for fun, right?"
Bella nodded against his chest, hugging his waist tighter. She was grateful for Paul, as odd as it seemed. He was always honest, if nothing else, and she appreciated that more than he knew. "Thanks for letting me stay here this morning."
"Any time." Paul pressed his lips to her forehead before letting her go and teasingly, waved goodbye to Charlie as the cruiser pulled away. "Is Leah supposed to take you home today? I noticed your truck isn't there."
"I guess that's the plan," Bella said, chuckling. "I rode to the funeral with Charlie yesterday. Leah will probably drop me off on her way to work."
"Well, I'll be here all day," Paul said, reaching for the door. "If anything comes up and you need a ride somewhere." He wagged his eyebrows at her suggestively, and she laughed.
"Thanks, Paul."
"See ya around, Ducky." He grinned at her affectionately before stepping inside and shutting the door. As she walked away, he opened it again to holler, "Come back for your panties any time."
She laughed at his braying laughter and kept walking, eager to check on Leah.
Leah answered the door wearing a knowing grin for a disheveled Bella a few minutes later. She had freshly showered and dressed, looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Bella hoped Leah had finally fallen into a deep, restful sleep after she left again.
Leah offered to let Bella borrow a change of clothing and shower, which she readily accepted. Twenty minutes later, they were on the road to Forks, intending to have an early lunch somewhere as they discussed plans for their trip.
Bella asked Leah to swing by the atm before taking her home to make another large cash withdrawal. Bella had done this several times over the last week, carefully hiding the cash away for the trip. She intended to purchase a lockable fire-safe cash box to take with her, just in case. Wildlife wouldn't be the only potential danger for two young women alone on the road. Bella made a mental note to ask Charlie for another can of pepper spray, just in case.
Leah agreed to notify her job she was taking a three-week leave of absence that afternoon, giving herself a couple of days before leaving to prepare and allowing room for any delays along the way. Both were grinning, excited about their plans when Leah dropped Bella off at home.
Bella rushed inside to call Renee to confirm they'd leave the following weekend. Renee was ecstatic to meet Leah again who she'd not seen since Leah was three. That got Renee rambling about funny things that happened during the short time she'd lived in Forks, and Bella laughed on the phone with her mother for hours. It was the longest conversation they'd had in over a year. And, to her relief, Renee didn't ask about Edward or Jacob for once.
The following week was filled with preparations as Bella finished planning, purchased necessary supplies, and slowly packed everything she might need. A tent, sleeping bags, pillows, a blow-up mattress, lanterns, a few cheap cooking pots, and several cases of bottled water cost her far more than she'd anticipated. Bella bought a large cooler from Newtons for the food they would take with them, hoping Leah wouldn't feel opposed to cold-cut sandwiches and snacks much of the time. There would, of course, be restaurant options available along the way. She planned their first stop to be at a grocery store, far outside of Forks where there were more, better options.
Charlie surprised her with items she hadn't considered such as fix-a-flat, a few quarts of oil, wiper fluid, a first aid kit, road flares, candles, matches, a pocket knife, emergency rain ponchos, a reflective blanket, and the pepper spray she requested. He also added a new tent to the pile as a 'spare' in case the one she bought was faulty, leaked, or somehow damaged along the way.
To her relief, he didn't mention the situation with Paul again, understanding now that it wouldn't sway her any. He was, however, almost giddy at the prospect of her getting far away from 'everything' for a few weeks, hoping it would somehow improve her mental health and reset her priorities a little.
Bella and Leah would have to leave early Friday morning for Port Angeles to pick up Bella's rental vehicle. Bella would follow Leah back home to load her things. They would then travel to Charlie's, load everything else, and head out on the road.
As Bella lay in bed Thursday night, she couldn't help the overwhelming dread gnawing at her insides. She couldn't get past the feeling that something was wrong but did not know what it was, and it took an incredibly long time for her to fall asleep.
It was nearly midnight when she opened her eyes to the sound of something pinging off her bedroom window and looked directly at the alarm clock. Another ping followed by the chirp of cracking glass made her sit up quickly as a muffled complaint came from outside. Instead of going toward the now-cracked window, Bella stomped downstairs and threw open the back door, uncaring who was outside.
Stepping out onto the damp grass and looking around the corner toward her window, she hollered, "What the hell are you doing?"
Half expecting to see Quil or even Paul, she froze at the sight of Sam Uley leaning against the tree near her bedroom window.
Without thought, she asked, "What are you doing here?"
To her surprise, Sam smiled… genuinely smiled at her for the first time she could recall. "I want to talk to you about something without the rest of the guys butting in and this is my only chance to do it."
Bella crossed her arms under her chest, immediately defensive as she clenched her bare toes against the cold grass. What can Sam possibly want? He knows Charlie doesn't want him here. Does he have a death wish?
She said, "Go ahead, then…"
Sam slowly walked toward her as Bella held her stance despite the anxiety thrumming through her limbs. He cocked his head to the side curiously as he sighed and stopped a few feet from her.
"You don't have to be afraid of me, Bella," he said carefully. "I swear I won't do anything to hurt you."
"I'm not," she lied. His prior actions had hurt her enough already, whether he'd ever intended to or not.
"I just want to talk to you about this trip you and Leah are taking."
Harsher than intended, Bella asked, "What business is it of yours?"
Sam held his hands up in peace. "I know you think I'm a nosy fucking asshole and have no right to say anything, but believe it or not, I care about your safety, Bella. Leah's too, since she'll be with you on this trip. You're welcome to keep hating me all you want to, but you mean a lot to people I care about."
"Well, I'm glad you finally realize that."
"I always did," he said firmly. "I protect people, Bella. That's just what I do."
"You have no one to protect from me! I have nothing to do with the Cullens anymore, Sam. I don't hear from them. I haven't seen them. They don't check in on me… They aren't a threat to anyone in La Push. You believe they're the same people from your legends, right? But those legends even state they're not a threat to you. It makes little sense."
Sam's eyes widened in surprise, and he chuckled. "Paul's right. You know more than you're letting on."
Bella wasn't sure how she felt about knowing Paul had repeated what she'd said to Sam, but there was nothing to be done about it now. "What does this have to do with our trip?"
Sam pulled a slip of paper from his shorts pocket and held it out to her. Bella hesitated before reaching for it and held it up in the moonlight to read it. It was a phone number. She refolded it and fixed her suspicious glare on Sam.
"What's this for?"
"That's my cell number."
She couldn't help the chuckle of disbelief that slipped from her lips. Shaking her head, she asked, "Why?"
"If anything happens on your trip, if there's an emergency of any kind, I want you to call me. Either I will come get you both or send someone else to get you if you need it."
Bella gaped at him momentarily before shoving the paper in her pocket. She assumed he was offering for Leah's sake, knowing Leah certainly wouldn't reach out to him for help on her own if they needed it. She'd call Paul, Quil, or Charlie first. Still, it might be wise to have Sam's number if they had no other options. Anything could happen on the road.
"Okay," she said, nodding.
"You aren't fighting me on it?"
"No."
Sam looked as shocked as she felt as he said, "Okay. Well, that was all I wanted. Be careful on your trip…"
"We will. You cracked my window, by the way."
He grimaced. "I was afraid of that. I can replace the glass."
Bella sighed. That would require telling Charlie Sam was here in the first place, and that wouldn't go over well. She said, "I'll just tell him the wind smacked the branch against it."
He frowned. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," she nodded.
She might not like Sam, but Charlie would likely have him arrested for harassment, trespassing, and property damage. According to everything she knew about Sam already, she doubted he had the spare funds lying around.
As he turned to walk toward the woods, Bella asked, "Sam?"
"Yes?" He stopped to turn back toward her.
"I'll expect you to call me if there is an emergency here while we're gone, too."
He nodded once. "Maybe when you get back, we can have a long talk about some things. Clear the air?"
"I'll think about it." Bella refused to agree to anything further than that. She didn't trust Sam Uley as far as she could throw him.
Without another word, he stepped into the forest and quickly disappeared. She stared after him for a few seconds, even after he was out of sight, wondering where in Hell he was going. There had to be a direct path to her house from a side road or something. The guys using the woods so often made little sense otherwise. It was a twenty-minute drive to La Push, after all.
Bella wiped her feet on the welcome mat before quietly stepping into the house and shutting the door behind her. She went upstairs and tucked the number into a pouch in her duffle bag before she changed her mind.
It was a long time before she fell back to sleep, and when she did, she dreamed of wolves.
PLEASE REVIEW.