Sharing this one a little early so y'all can read it over the weekend. ;) Enjoy! xo.
Bella woke again a few hours later and spent the entirety of her day attempting to prepare herself for something that may or may not happen.
Despite repeatedly pushing the idea of possibly having sex with Paul away, it always reappeared before long. The mental images were as insistent as her equally confused thoughts and feelings about Leah were. Eventually, she allowed herself to admit that she hoped for it. Paul was a possible immediate and complication-free solution to an experience she'd wanted for far too long.
Okay, still being a virgin at eighteen wasn't a big deal, but physically, she felt ready. Besides, the likelihood of a healthy romantic relationship in her immediate future was abysmal. She didn't want to wait that long anymore.
Incessant as her thoughts of Paul, the same racing thoughts frequently featured Leah. As Bella put fresh sheets on her bed that afternoon, she couldn't help but admit she wished it could be Leah she shared her first time with.
Leah, her current best friend. The woman she trusted and held genuine affection for, unlike Paul, whom she had loathed most of her life. Leah, the most gorgeous female specimen Bella had ever known, inside and out.
No, Bella. You took that risk with Jacob, and look at what happened.
Bella had never had a female friend like Leah before. Most had been like Angela, entering her life in spurts without a passing glance in between. Her connection with Leah was so similar to what she had with Jacob - yet better - that it made her head spin, and she had noticed it from the beginning. Bella was terrified of making the same mistakes. The very thought of losing Leah now made her feel physically ill. It didn't stop her from wanting her, anyway. She would have to sacrifice something in the end, either way.
Eventually, Bella let her thoughts settle on Paul as the safer risk. Once she decided on the solution to her hypothetical situation, her racing thoughts finally calmed, taking all of her excess energy with them. Exhausted, Bella took an impromptu nap on her freshly changed sheets.
Luckily, Charlie woke her to announce he planned to go fishing for the weekend and wouldn't be home in the morning.
Before returning to work after lunch, he warned, "I already heard about the party tonight at the Webber place."
Still lying on her bed, Bella said, "Of course you did."
"You going?"
"Yeah. With Leah."
"I guess she'll stay here? No driving to La Push half-crocked, right?"
"Of course," Bella reassured him. "We'll walk. Ang lives closer than Tyler, so it's fine."
Charlie smirked. "Should I expect to hear anyone else was here overnight? More naked dudes in my backyard?" He laughed as Bella blushed and shook her head no.
"I figured out who that was. It was just a prank." She couldn't help but grin as she thought of Paul laughing at her comment on the phone that morning. "Won't happen again. Promise."
Charlie nodded but looked skeptical. "You're gonna give me gray hairs, Bells."
She joked, "I'm giving myself gray hairs, Dad."
"That explains the dye job," he teased. "See you Sunday morning, Kiddo."
"Be safe," she called after his retreating form.
"Always am," he hollered back.
Bella looked at the time on her cell and cringed. She only had two hours until Leah got off work and would need the hot water to replenish by then. She hurried for the shower to get ready.
She stood before the mirror, scrutinizing the outcome as the front door shut. Footsteps rushed up the stairs, and Bella watched in the reflection as Leah caught sight of her and slid to a halt. Leah slowly grinned as she appraised Bella's appearance while Bella turned to face her.
Bella's curls were parted heavily to one side, the rest twisted and pinned back above her right ear. She paired a black blouse (a tank top and a three-quarter-sleeved lace overlay) with a white and black plaid pleated skirt Leah picked out on their shopping trip. Dark red lips and smokey eyeshadow went well with her slightly sun-kissed skin.
Leah giggled when she saw the white thigh-high socks paired with black and white Converse. "Okay, Swan. Not everyone could pull this off, but that's fucking cute."
Bella cringed. "What kind of cute?"
"Hot, cute," Leah teased. "What new set did you choose to wear under that?" She winked at Bella and laughed as Bella's cheeks filled with heat.
Bella tugged at her top and said, "Uh, the undershirt part of this has a built-in bra, so I just grabbed black boy shorts."
"God, I wish I could go braless," Leah said. "My boobs are too big."
Bella teased, "Yeah, just brag, why don't you?"
"Look at it this way," Leah said, heading for Bella's bedroom. "When I'm old with a bad back and saggy tits, you'll still have good ones. Count your blessings, bitch."
Bella giggled as she followed and sat on her bed, leaning against the headboard while waiting for Leah to shower and dress. Her cell alerted, and she grabbed it from the nightstand, expecting it to be Charlie. Instead, it was from an unknown number. Her eyes bugged out, and she laughed after reading the message.
UN: What are you wearing?
She felt tempted to look out her window to see if anyone was outside. It wasn't beyond the realm of possibilities in Bella Swan land, as Edward, Paul, and even Embry had proven.
B: I think you have the wrong number. Sorry.
UN: No, I have the right one. Answer my question.
B: Um, no?
UN: Are you wearing pants?
She laughed, assuming it had to be Quil fucking with her somehow, probably still wondering what the pants comment had been about that morning.
B: Did you get a cell phone, or are you on someone else's? Are you coming tonight?
UN: I've had a cell phone, Ducky. The real question is, how did I get your number, and are YOU coming tonight?
And just like that, despite believing she'd settled on some kind of decision where Paul was concerned, all the anxiety she'd felt that morning crashed over her like a tidal wave. She took a deep breath and set her phone aside, deciding to wait for Leah's input rather than overthink herself into another unplanned mental exhaustion.
When Leah walked back into the bedroom, she handed Leah her phone to read the messages and nearly panicked as Leah immediately began typing. Leah grinned at the expression on Bella's face as she tossed the cell phone into Bella's lap.
B: Oh, I'll come. With Bells On. ;) . Her phone immediately chimed back.
UN: Not without me, you're not. ;)
Bella read the message aloud, flopped onto her back, and groaned.
Leah cackled and said, "It's okay to admit you want to, Swan. Maybe you should just try to enjoy it, even if nothing happens. We've talked about this. He's right, though. The real question is, where did he get your number? Because we both know the guys wouldn't give it to him."
"Had to be Quil, somehow," Bella said. Remembering her hair, she sat back up with a huff and nervously smoothed her skirt over her lap. Unless…
"My cell number is on the list of emergency numbers on the kitchen wall next to the phone at Jacob's house."
Leah cackled. "Oh, I bet you're right. That sneaky little punk."
She stopped dressing to look back at Bella. "It's okay to say no, too. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. Just say the word, and I'll run him off. Until then…" She hopped in place, tugging her shorts over her hips. "Try to stop worrying about it, Bells. We don't even know for sure if he'll show up or if he's just fucking with you right now. It IS Paul."
Bella nodded, trying not to stare at Leah's ass and long legs as she pulled her shorts over her black thong. Bella took a long, calming breath before standing, claimed she had to pee, and darted into the bathroom long enough to regain her senses. Watching Leah get dressed was not helping the anxiety in her chest or stopping the flood of heat between her legs.
Leaning against the back of the bathroom door, she looked over her anxious reflection and sighed. I'll be lucky to make it through tonight without a heart attack.
As they approached the Webber house, Bella thanked the universe that they'd had an uncommonly dry, sunny week on Angela's behalf. Otherwise, there was no way her friend could hide the evidence of several cars parked alongside the ditch beside the road and encompassing their corner of the block. The scene easily rivaled the one outside Tyler's, although the noise was better contained.
The inside of Angie's house was much more open than Tyler's, similar to Leah's, with far fewer places for people to hide. Once further inside the large living room, Bella noticed the scores of people outside on the back patio or sitting in lawn chairs on the surrounding grass. Angela smiled and waved at them from where she was chatting with others just outside a hallway entrance.
They found the alcohol and other beverages in the kitchen as Mike and Tyler happily doled drinks from the massive cooler on the table.
"You ladies are just in time," Tyler said. He shoved two cold off-brand colas into Bella's hands as Mike dumped a new 12-pack into the ice. Bella handed one to Leah before letting Tyler pull her in for a hug.
He said, "It will be a bit before those get cold. Cups are over there." He nodded to the corner behind them and grinned. "Bella? Why didn't you ever dress like that at school?"
Turning to grab two solo cups, Bella said, "Because I didn't own this outfit then, Tyler."
Mike snickered as she and Leah moved to mix their drinks with whatever random alcohol Leah chose for them.
The guys followed them into the living room, where one sofa was miraculously unoccupied. Bella perched on the wide armrest beside Leah, and Tyler sat on Leah's opposite side. He quickly dominated the conversation, discussing college plans with Mike as though they hadn't done so a thousand times while blatantly flirting with Leah in between.
The night swiftly passed as Angela flitted between them and others, socializing unlike Bella had ever witnessed her do before. Soon enough, Bella was on her third drink, pleasantly buzzed, and genuinely enjoying Mike and Tyler's company.
Tyler's flirtatious comments grew steadily, encouraged by Leah's amusement with his antics. Eventually, he asked Leah to dance with him, and she surprisingly accepted, winking at Bella as she let him lead her to the other side of the room. Bella grinned back at her, glad to see her friend having fun.
Mike immediately slid into Leah's now-empty spot and smoothed the front of his shirt as he got comfortable. "So, how have you been, Bella?"
"Oh, you know," she said. "Same shit, different day. Still trying to find a job."
He cringed and took a sip of his beer. "Not much luck with that around here right now," he grumbled. "If it weren't for my parent's store, I wouldn't have one either." He looked up, surprised when Angela appeared, and she immediately plopped into his lap.
"Hi," she nearly whispered, grinning as her long, thin arms curled around him.
Mike wrapped his arms around her waist, cradling her to him. His voice held a tender, husky tone as he answered, "Hey, yourself."
Bella watched, wide-eyed as Angela leaned in to kiss Mike. He inhaled deeply, breathing her in while his arms tightened around her. Bella silently climbed off the armrest and headed for the bathroom, leaving them to their tender moment. She suspected Angela needed it after barely getting a minute alone with him all evening.
The song changed before she reached the hallway, and Leah darted over to tug Bella toward the kitchen instead. Two shots and a fresh drink later, Bella finally found her way to the bathroom, wondering if her boys would show up.
After waiting in line for ten minutes, she had to push through the crowd as she returned to the couch. First, Bella saw Angela straddling Mike's lap with Leah sitting between them and Tyler. Stepping around the last person blocking her view, she spotted Quil and Embry, each holding a beer, towering over everyone else in the room.
Grinning, Embry turned toward her and held his arms open. Bella did a little happy dance, making Quil laugh before she threw herself at Embry. He lifted her into a warm, tight embrace as though Bella weighed nothing and pressed his lips to her cheek. She nearly stumbled as he put her back on her feet and immediately sunk into Quil's waiting arms for another hug.
"Awe, Bells. The separation is worth it if we get greeted like that," Quil teased as he helped her stand straight.
The next thing she knew, a large, feverish hand snuck under her skirt to pinch her ass cheek. Quil and Embry immediately tensed and snarled as Bella squealed and spun around in surprise. Before she could react, Paul snatched her into his arms as his lips crashed against hers. Several gasps, coughs, cheers, and a few growls rang in her ears as her eyes instinctively fluttered shut.
In that second, however, and in her alcohol-emboldened and relaxed state, Bella giggled and grinned against his firmly puckered lips. His presence was almost a relief, as though an anvil had finally dropped, and it was safe to breathe again. It was a stark difference from the cacophony that had simultaneously erupted around them.
Giddy from the sudden euphoria, she fisted the front of his shirt in one hand as the other slid around his neck. Paul pushed her lips apart with his (not that it was difficult), and Bella kissed him back just as eagerly. She hadn't realized he'd lifted her until he gently bit her bottom lip and pulled away, looking very proud of himself. Bella looked down as she realized she'd wrapped her legs around his waist and laughed.
Behind her, she heard Angela say, "Damn, Mikey. Maybe if you'd tried that on Bella, you'd have gotten somewhere."
Bella whipped her head around to gape at them in shock as Tyler howled with laughter. To her relief, Mike laughed and pulled Angela in for a kiss. Bella wondered if maybe Angela and Mike weren't perfect for each other after all.
Leah looked wholly amused as she stared at Bella and Paul in silence. Quil and Embry, however, glared at her and then each other as though having a silent, private argument.
She let go of her grip on Paul's shirt, her legs trembling as he put her down. Sounding suddenly very shy, she squeaked, "Hi."
Paul chuckled as he gently pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger, then kissed her forehead. He looked over her shoulder at Quil and Embry, laughed, and walked toward the kitchen without a word.
Embry waited until Paul was out of sight and asked, "What? The Fuck? Bells?"
Bella huffed, "What? If he's that terrible, why are you friends with him?"
Suddenly, his eyes widened as Quil stood straight and grumbled, "Wear pants? When the fuck was Paul not wearing pants, Bells?"
He sounded so much like Charlie that Bella nearly choked on the spot. One glance at Leah and both girls began laughing hysterically. The surrounding others laughed at the scene, even if they did not know what they were laughing about.
When Embry finally broke his stoic facade by snorting, Quil's aggravation seemed to melt away. His usual, ready grin returned as he shook his head at them all. "Seriously, though, Bells. Paul?"
She wiped tears of laughter from her lashes and sighed. "You sound so much like Charlie right now."
Embry asked, "And you have no problem with him just walking up and claiming you like that in a room full of people?"
Bella scoffed. "Look, I don't belong to Paul, and he sure as Hell doesn't belong to me. People are going to talk no matter what I do, Embry. Fuck 'Em."
"That's my girl," Leah said proudly.
Bella watched the smiles fall from their faces as Mike and Tyler exchanged a nervous glance before looking behind her. She rolled her eyes, expecting to find Paul approaching. Instead, Bella turned around and nearly smacked her nose into a skin-tight white t-shirt. She blinked in surprise at a chest whose definitions she could probably trace in her sleep.
Bella immediately stepped back, nearly colliding with Quil while looking up at Jacob. He forced a polite smile at everyone before directly meeting Bella's gaze. "Hey, Bells."
She'd been wrong earlier. Now, the anvil had dropped. And it landed smack-dab on her chest at the sound of her name on his lips. As he moved to say something else, she cut him off by turning toward Quil and Embry.
"Why would you bring Jake here?"
Jacob said, "They didn't."
Bella felt like she couldn't breathe. She looked toward the kitchen, where Paul hovered in the doorway, frowning. Without looking back to Jacob, she said, "I'm not ready for cordial yet, Jake. I'm sorry." She hesitated as she turned to leave, sincerely adding, "Tell your girlfriend I'm sorry, too." She darted away from them, bee-lining for Paul and the alcohol waiting on the other side of the door frame.
Paul grinned as she got closer and immediately tucked her under his arm. Somehow, it made her feel instantly better, and Bella took a deep breath. She blinked back tears, reminding herself of the promise to herself. She would not cry over Jacob Fucking Black.
It's insane that thinking of Paul makes me a nutcase. Meanwhile, his presence calmed me down when I once hated his guts. Only a few weeks ago, it would have been Jacob she ran to, avoiding Paul like a plague. It was as if everything she knew had done a one-eighty. It was no wonder she felt so confused all the damn time.
Paul walked her across the surprisingly empty kitchen toward a bottle of Crown and popped the seal. Bella didn't even question it as she grabbed two disposable shot cups and sat them beside it. Paul chuckled as he poured them each half of a shot and reached for a bottle of butterscotch pucker on the table.
He topped the crown with it and teased, "This shot is called a 'misdemeanor. It's supposed to lower your inhibitions."
"Just what I need," she grumbled, making him laugh.
Paul lowered his voice and said, "You know I wouldn't have done that had I known he was here, right? I wasn't trying to start shit for you on purpose. Looked like he wanted to talk to you, Ducky."
"You started nothing," Bella said, reaching for her shot. "Jake made his choices. I'm making mine." She held it up to cheers with his.
"Atta girl," Paul laughed, tapped his shot with hers, and they drank.
He immediately poured them another. Before Bella could pick up the second, Paul grabbed her by the waist and plopped her ass onto the kitchen counter. She noticed that he'd moved them right into the other's sight as he gently nudged her knees apart to stand between them.
He leaned to the side, blocking her view as he asked, "So, what decisions are you making tonight, Bella? Are you gonna have some fun with me later?"
The alcohol swirled in her belly, warming her from the inside as Paul's feverish heat began warming her from without. She shivered as he leaned closer, boxing her in with his hands on the counter beside her thighs.
Dodging his question, she asked, "How'd you get my number today, Paul?"
"Oh, I've had it for a while. I just waited for the right time to use it."
Bella shook her head, calling his bluff. "You're so full of shit."
Paul tossed his head back and laughed before gently kissing her forehead. He moved back toward their shots and carefully handed her one. She caught Leah watching them in her peripheral as she knocked it back, savoring the butterscotch flavor that thankfully overpowered the Crown.
A moment later, a group of people flooded the kitchen, and Bella hurried to hop down from the counter. She winked at Paul, who leaned against the space she'd just occupied and bravely returned to Leah's side.
To her conflicting relief and disappointment, Jacob was nowhere to be seen.
Please Review. xo.