Leah arrived in a foul mood. Quil spotted her through the front picture window as she grabbed a duffle bag from the passenger seat and stomped toward the house from her car.
Charlie, who came home on break to make himself lunch, snorted from his seat in front of the TV with a half-eaten grilled cheese sandwich in his hand. "Wonder what she's pissy about."
Leah's angry roll abruptly halted as she walked inside and saw Charlie. "Hey, Chief. Didn't expect you to be home."
"Clearly," He said, grinning. "Great haircut, kid. Looks good on you!"
"Thanks," Leah said, reaching up to run her hand through her now-short hair. "I'm still getting used to it."
"I bet so," he said. "Haven't seen it that short since you were a toddler."
Leah scoffed. "Mom freaked out until I told her I donated it to charity."
"Sounds about right," Charlie said, chuckling. "I think your dad would love it."
"Hey, Lee," Bella said as she peeked at her from the kitchen doorway.
Leah turned toward Bella and grinned as she blinked back tears, all traces of anger long gone from her face. Bella shook her head, wondering how Charlie always said just the right thing.
Bella pointed to the stairs and said, "You know where the bathroom is, but you'll have more space to change in my room."
Leah hurried toward Bella and gently grabbed her upper arm, tugging her toward the stairs. "Come with me, Bitch." Bella ignored Charlie and Quil's laughter as she hurried up the stairs behind Leah.
As Leah pulled Bella into her bedroom, Bella asked, "What? What's wrong?"
Leah dropped her duffle on the bed and yanked the zipper open. "Here!" She pulled what looked like a heavy top and shoved it into Bella's hands. Bella unfolded it and gasped at the short charcoal grey jersey-knit dress.
"Try that on." A black, cropped leather jacket got tossed onto the bed as Leah said, "This goes with it. They're both too small for me now but should look great on you." Her eyes lit up as she glanced toward Bella's closet and spotted a pair of sleek black boots Renee had sent Bella for Christmas.
"Oh, no," Bella said as Leah snapped them up and playfully shook them at her. "Renee sent those. I've never worn them. I'll probably fall on my ass."
Leah scoffed. "They have rounded toes, super wide heels, and they'll give you three inches in height. You'll be fine."
Bella rolled her eyes, suddenly reminded of Alice Cullen's pushiness. Unlike Alice's flamboyant choices, however, Bella liked Leah's style. Bella shook her head and began undressing. Leah grinned as she grabbed her bag and hurried out of the room.
Leah was far from done with Bella, attacking her curls with anti-frizzing products and adjusting her makeup as soon as she had finished with her own. Once they were both ready, Leah yelled for Quil to come upstairs. He eyed her curiously as she shoved him back onto Bella's bed before attacking his unruly curls with a pick and the products she used on Bella.
By the time everyone was ready, Charlie was back at work, and Tyler's party should be in full swing. The trio locked the front door behind them and began their short walk to The Crowley's house.
Bella's jaw dropped as Tyler's house came into view, noting the dozens of cars lining the street. Music, laughter, and yelling poured from the house, making Bella nervous.
"Looks like a bigger party than they warned me about," she said, suddenly grateful she'd chosen to be honest with Charlie about where they were going. Unsurprisingly, he'd already heard about it through the grapevine.
Charlie told her to "Be careful and have fun." He knew they planned to walk there and back, and it seemed good enough for him. Quil had made a show about how lucky Bella was to have Charlie as a father. Between the freedom Charlie allowed her and now knowing a little about James, Quil seemed to view Bella in a new light.
Bella took her eyes off the busy house ahead to glance at Leah, who grinned and reached for Bella's hand. She squeezed it reassuringly and said, "Don't worry about it, Bells. Once you've had a drink or two, all that anxiety will fuck right off. You'll see."
Sometimes, it warmed Bella's heart that Leah could read her so easily.
Quil chuckled and said, "I don't know, Lee. I think the skirt you're wearing might sober a few people up right quick."
Leah stopped and swiveled her hips, slightly flaring the short purple pleated skirt as she laughed. "Maybe I'll let you borrow it sometime."
"Oh, thanks. Much obliged," Quil said, cackling. "It's just my color."
"Keep it up, and next time, I'll put makeup on you. Maybe some guy-liner," Leah teased him, letting go of Bella's hand to give Quil a light shove. He laughed as he gently pushed her back. Bella couldn't help but grin as she watched their playful antics, following them to the front door of Tyler's house.
The music was nearly deafening inside, making Quil cringe at the volume. The house appeared packed with people, most holding solo cups or beer cans in their hands as they talked and laughed. It didn't take long to find the alcohol supply or the tip jar next to it.
Quil snorted when he spotted the jar. "I guess that's helping pay for the alcohol? We should start doing this at the res parties."
"No shit," Leah muttered.
Bella reached into her jacket pocket for what petty cash she had on her and looked up just in time to meet Tyler's gaze from across the living room. She grinned as she waved the twenty at him and shoved it into the jar. He hurried toward them, beaming as Leah began pouring drinks for herself and Bella while Quil popped open a can of beer.
Bella squeaked as Tyler unexpectedly threw his arms around her and lifted her. He spun her in a circle as he cheered before putting her back on her feet. Blushing furiously, she gripped his upper arms and wobbled unsteadily in her boots, hoping no one had glimpsed up her nearly too-short dress.
Tyler said, "You skipped today. I didn't think you were still coming!"
Before she could respond, Mike and Angela flocked to her side, surprising her as each yanked her into their arms to hug her. She backed away from them red-faced, wondering how much each had already had to drink. Mike and Quil greeted each other happily as Bella introduced Quil and Leah.
To her surprise, Tyler began chattering at Leah, asking why she'd chosen to cut off her hair before boldly exclaiming how hot her cut looked. Less surprisingly, Quil radiated charm as he started talking to Angela, leaving Bella standing quietly at Mike's side.
Mike nudged her lightly with his elbow and asked, "So, Arizona, where were you today?"
Bella took a sip of whatever Leah had handed her, not particularly caring what it was. The sweet blend of vanilla liquor and grape soda was unexpectedly pleasant, and she took another drink before answering, "I needed a mental health day."
Mike chuckled as if she'd made the funniest joke and said, "I guess it worked. You look great. That dress looks awesome ."
Bella's cheeks tingled as she glanced down at her dress and silently cursed. "Ern… thanks. It's Leah's." Changing the subject, she glanced around the crowd and asked, "Who the hell are half of these people?" She couldn't recognize most of them, and many looked older.
"Some are Ty's brother's friends," Mike said. "Darren's home from college for the weekend and brought a few friends along. I don't know how so many kids from La Push ended up here tonight, though. Did Quil tell them?"
"No," Bella said, laughing. "He's been with me all day. We skipped together, ate junk food, and watched movies."
Mike laughed and joked, "What are cousins for?" Bella merely nodded, chuckling.
Simultaneously, there was a loud crash somewhere in the house, making Tyler cringe and excuse himself before rushing off. Several other boys from the reservation made their presence known as they caught sight of Quil, and he rushed over to greet them. To Bella's relief, Angela grabbed Mike's hand and dragged him toward the crowded makeshift dance floor as Leah snickered.
"So, these are the same dudes you had to yell at over the spit wads, huh? Looks like you might not have to worry about that one tonight," Leah said, watching Mike and Angela.
"I'm not so sure. Those two have been close friends for years," Bella said before taking another gulp of her drink. She wasn't against the idea, however. It would save her from Mike's attention. She glanced down at her now empty glass and frowned.
"Shit, Swan," Leah said, laughing. "Wait for me."
Leah knocked her drink back and drained it, making Bella giggle. The alcohol was already warming her limbs, making her feel relaxed. Leah made them fresh drinks and grabbed Bella's hand before leading them toward Quil. They quickly introduced Bella to several people and then observed, content to stay quiet and listen to Quil's banter.
When her drink was gone, Quil took their cups to refill as he went for another beer. Bella quietly excused herself to find the bathroom and began searching for it. Having no luck downstairs, she carefully side-stepped over a couple making out on the staircase and climbed. Bella finally found the bathroom with the door locked. She ignored the giggles inside and leaned against the wall beside the door to wait.
"Well, well, well. Look who we have here."
Bella glanced up into large brown eyes and guffawed at her childhood beach bully. What was one of Sam's crew doing at Tyler's house? The thought of Sam Uley instantly made her scowl as she wondered if he was there, too.
Without a preamble, Bella said, "Paul, fuck off."
His smile widened as his eyes sparkled with mischief. "Don't be like that," he crooned, reminding Bella of Jacob's harsh words that morning. "I've got nothing against you, Bella. There's no reason we can't get along."
"I can think of plenty of reasons," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Hey," he said, sounding almost sincere. "I was a mean kid, and I'm sorry for that, okay?"
She crossed her arms over her chest defensively and stepped away. "You called me Princess a few weeks ago. Are you sure you don't need Sam's permission to be nice to me?"
Anger flashed across his face before he schooled his features and said, "I don't need permission to do anything, sweet cheeks. And, like I said… I have no problem with you. Who you're boning isn't any of my business."
"Boning?" This guy is a real charmer. Probably pees right off the front porch of his house in broad daylight.
He cockily leaned against the spot she'd occupied when he approached, mirroring her stance. "Yeah. You know. Fucking ?"
Bella's face heated as her temper flared, but she blinked in surprise as he boldly looked her up and down, appraising her. She fought back the urge to stick out her tongue in disgust. He grinned as he finally met her gaze.
Typical. Guys like Paul only focus on their dick. Then again, she supposed it was easy when they looked like Paul. His attitude was awful, but he had the same sensual, graceful, runway-worthy physicality that drew Bella to Jacob and Leah. The greatest difference was that Paul was well aware of his appeal. That awareness showed with every swaggering step he made.
She could play into that. Embry had said what he heard came from Paul. Bella desperately wanted to know what else Mr. Uley had been spreading around, and this might be her only opportunity to find out.
Hoping she sounded even remotely seductive, Bella lowered her voice and said, "Rumor has it I've been busy, huh?"
Paul chuckled as he shrugged. "Small towns. People talk."
"Hmmm…" Bella lowered her arms somewhat, subtly emphasizing her chest as she stepped closer. "People make assumptions, but they don't know shit, Paul."
"Is that right?" Paul leaned toward her, his expression slowly shifting from playful to outright flirtatious as he kept his eyes locked on hers.
"Mmhmm." Bella nodded, inching closer. Unsure how to continue, she said the first thing that came to mind. "Can you keep a secret, Paul?"
Great, now I have to come up with a secret. Bella could have slapped herself. Winging it was not her style, and she had no clue what she was doing.
He chuckled in reply, waiting for her to continue. Just then, the bathroom door swung open. Out walked Jessica, Lauren, and another girl Bella didn't recognize. Bella ducked around Paul and pushed past them, quickly shutting and locking the door.
Paul knocked on the door as she sat down to pee. "Oh, come on. You can't leave me hanging like that, Bella."
Bella laughed and tended to her business, wondering what she would say when she left the small, dimly lit bathroom. She took her time washing her hands, hoping he'd fucked off by the time she opened the door.
As soon as she unlocked the door, it flew open, nearly smacking into her. She jumped back to avoid it as Paul stepped inside and hurried to relock it.
"Paul! What are you doing?"
He grinned as he turned and pressed his back to the door. "I believe you were about to tell me a secret, and I'd rather not get interrupted again."
A nervous laugh escaped her as she tried to reach for the lock. Paul caught her wrist and spun them so that her back pressed against the door as he loomed over her. All earlier pretense was gone as she glared up at him angrily.
"Paul!"
He lowered his voice and teased, "Tell me your little secret, and I'll let you out, Bella."
"I thought you stopped being a bully," she mocked.
"Ah," he said, leaning close enough she could feel the heat of his forehead hovering above hers. "You started it."
Bella used her free hand to twist the lock, and he let go of her other hand to press against the door above her head to keep it closed.
"Come on. Just tell me what you planned to say," Paul whispered, his voice barely audible above noise throughout the rest of the house. "What was it? Is it about Jake? Or maybe you wanna tell me a little secret about Embry?"
Her hands shook with the urge to slap him silly. "Maybe you should tell me a little secret about Jake or Embry, Paul. Hmmm? Why don't you tell me which rumors you've heard first."
"Oh, not much," he said, relaxing his stance somewhat. "At least not much that matters. It's not like either is very experienced, anyway. Maybe you should let someone who knows what they're doing show you a good time."
Bella guffawed. "Trying to piss me off, Paul?"
"Oh, I'm trying to do something," he said, blatantly appraising her again as he looked down and back. He reached down with his free hand to adjust his belt.
Bella wasn't sure if it was hormones, alcohol, or a frightening combination of both, but she somehow caught herself staring right back. He lifted his left hand from his belt and lightly dragged the back of his fingers down her side before wrapping his hand around her hip. Long fingertips pressed into the swell of flesh at the top of her ass cheek.
Bella felt instantly transported back to kissing Jacob on the picnic table in his backyard. And Paul said the exact same phrase that Jacob used this morning. There was no way it was a coincidence. Right? Clearly, Jacob had told him plenty already.
Her breath hitched as someone pounded on the door, startling her. Paul laughed, and the familiar braying sound sobered her slightly.
Why was Paul there in the first place? He was part of Sam's crowd, and approaching her with Sam nearby was highly unlikely. Unless Sam knew he was there. Suspiciously, Bella narrowed her eyes at Paul, ignoring a second knock on the door.
"Does Sam know you're here?"
The question sounded more like an accusation, and Paul stepped back, letting go of the door. Bella flung it open to make her escape. She froze and blushed at the small crowd of angry faces waiting in the hallway.
"There are other spaces for that," a tall blonde girl hissed, glancing past Bella to glare at Paul.
Bold as brass, he strode up to the stranger, sidestepping Bella as he gently brushed the blonde girl's cheek with the same hand he'd just had on Bella's hip. " Believe me …If I fucked her in there, you'd have heard it." The other girl's jaw dropped in shock as Paul laughed.
Bella turned and hurried toward the stairs, seeking the comfort of her friends and something harder than whatever Leah mixed with grape soda. Maybe allowing herself to get drunk wasn't such a bad idea after all.
Leah handed Bella a now-watered-down drink as soon as she reached her side, then surprised her with something minty. As Bella knocked it back, her eyes landed directly on Paul as he stared straight toward her, slowly descending the stairs. Her hip tingled at the memory of his hand there.
Leah glanced up and said, "Ew, Bella. Not him."
Bella snorted as she thought about his reaction when she asked about Sam. For just a moment, his entire demeanor had changed. It was like how Embry reacted when Bella tried to get information from him the night he showed up at her house.
So weird…
Bella wondered what they were up to. Had Paul honestly tried to seek her out? Was his presence a coincidence, or did Sam have Paul watching her? Where were the rest of the disciples? The thought of Jake being somewhere in the house, out of sight, made her cringe. She had stayed locked in the bathroom with Paul for god knows how long. There would probably be whispers about her at school come Monday. No doubt Jacob would hear about that, too. Bella was beginning to feel paranoid about it all.
A sharp nudge to Bella's ribs from Leah's elbow pulled her from her thoughts. "Ow."
Leah laughed. "Why are you staring off into space? I thought you were checking out Paul Lahote at first. You better not be thinking about Jacob fucking Black, Swan!"
Bella blushed and rolled her eyes. She hesitated to tell Leah about what happened with Paul. Her friend was smiling, having a good time. That's why they were there, right?
Bella said, "I'm just getting tired, is all. It's been a long day."
"Party Pooper," Leah teased. "You and Quil slept half the day! Step outside for a second. The cold air will wake you up a little. I probably shouldn't be giving you so much alcohol, anyway. You're about three sheets, Swan."
"No, I'm not," Bella said but laughed as she realized that yes, yes she was. "Okay, I'm gonna step out."
"You do that," Leah said, gesturing toward the door. "Don't fall."
"Don't jinx me," Bella hollered as she walked away, grinning.
Despite being May, the air outside was crisp, waking her somewhat as she took a deep breath. She walked around the side of the house and leaned against the siding in the dark. Just as she began appreciating the moment alone, something caught her eye as it moved near the treeline.
What was that? It was dark out, but not too dark to ignore the odd figure in the distance as it stepped around a tree and out of her sight. Her pulse quickened as she stood still, unsure if she should run for the door. Suddenly, Bella heard the front door swing open and shut before heavy footsteps headed toward her.
Only a few feet away, Paul said, "I know you're out here, Ducky."
Without thought, she giggled and asked, "Ducky? Is that some lame play on Swan?"
In a blink, Paul stood before her, hovering over her like he'd done in the bathroom. "I could call you Chicky if you'd prefer."
The smile slowly left his face as he looked over her worried expression. Sounding genuinely concerned, he asked, "Hey? You okay?"
"I needed air," she said absently, looking past him across the yard.
Where did it go? She hoped it was a large deer, not the giant wolf Charlie said some townsfolk talked about. But what if it was a wolf? The memory of the wolf in her teacup that morning made her shiver. Bella doubted any feral wolf would want to protect her like the ones in her nightmares seemed to.
Paul turned to look toward where she stared and sighed. "We should probably get you back inside. Probably not very safe out here by yourself."
"We probably shouldn't do anything," she said, bringing the playful smirk back to his face.
"I meant what I said upstairs."
"I'll bet you did."
As she tried to step around him, Paul followed. There was a crunch in some foliage nearby, and the next thing she knew, hot, full lips pressed against hers as one hand gently cupped her face while the other went to her waist. He chased her lips as she pulled away and tugged her closer.
Somewhat dazed between her many emotions and the alcohol, her resistance melted away as she raised onto her toes and parted her lips. And then, Paul was kissing her intensely, sliding his tongue into her mouth as both hands moved to her hips. Bella forgot about whatever was lurking in the woods, her friends inside the house, and anything that wasn't this sensation as his lips and arms flooded her with warmth and left her wanting. Her only coherent thought for the next few minutes was, "Paul's one hell of a kisser."
Panting, she kept her eyes closed when he finally broke away, and she had to grip the corner of the house to stay steady. Her eyes fluttered open as he chuckled, breathing as heavily as she was.
"Damn Swan. I didn't expect that ."
She laughed and groaned simultaneously, recalling Jacob saying something very similar. Oh God. Jake.
She wobbled just slightly as she stepped away from Paul and tried to catch her bearings. "Look, Paul, I…" Her cheeks burned as she failed to find the right words.
"Hey," he said, reaching for her hand. He squeezed it gently. "I know you got mixed up in all that Jacob and Embry business, but the offer stands." He glanced up at the second story, hinting at his earlier offer.
"Embry is just my friend. He's like my brother…So whatever you or Sam or whoever thinks is going on there? It isn't." Bella pulled her hand from his and headed toward the door.
"That's even better," he called after her, laughing.
Bella turned back to look at him, but Paul was gone. It was as if he'd simply disappeared, just like Embry. She could see into the living room from where she stood, catching Leah and Quil laughing hysterically at something someone said. She sighed, realizing she was in no mood to return to the party.
Bella pulled her cell from her jacket pocket to text Leah. I'm heading home. Have fun and don't worry. I'll see you there. The spare key is above the left corner of the front door.
Bella stuffed her phone back into her jacket pocket and began walking home.