A/N: Fun fact, when I first started writing this story FOREVER ago, it was originally supposed to be a Jacob x OC fic :p I still have the drafts of the very first chapters. Maybe I'll reconstruct that sometime after this story is finished. ANYWAYS to the anon that commented on Indie's small boodies, SHE'S AT A SOLID B CUP OKAAAY xD. I feel like a lot of the fics I read the girl always has big boobs and Indie hardly eats so it would make sense her's are smaller.
Ok ok on with the fic, enough talk about boobs. My b.
Indiana.
Paul wasn't lying when he said he barely moves when he sleeps. After twenty minutes of sitting on his bed in the dark, I heard his breaths deepen from where he was out on the couch.
He sleeps like a little kid. He was on his stomach, one arm thrown off the couch, one leg extended and the other tucked up under him. It was actually really cute. I kept peeking out at him, but he didn't change positions even once.
I couldn't sleep, of course, but it was really nice of him to make the bed for me and I felt guilty not sleeping in it, so I messed up the sheets and blanket a little bit to make it look like I did. And before leaving once it started to get light out, I left a note on his pillow that read:
Thank you for sharing a part of you with me. This is my number xxx-xxx-xxxx
I cringe thinking about it as I pull on a pair of black shorts and a satin blouse. The whole thing was so corny and obvious. Leah's going to lose her mind laughing when I tell her. If I tell her. Maybe I should keep it to myself to save myself the embarrassment.
Josie and Embry are still sleeping, so I tiptoe down to the living room and flip the TV on with the volume on low. I scan through the channels for the news and pause on a station showing a helicopter view of a beach down in Ocean Shores.
"You've got to be kidding me…" My jaw drops in disbelief.
Whale remains.
I shut the TV off, momentarily stunned. An involuntary shiver runs through my body and I shake my head, walking to the bathroom to finish getting ready.
That couldn't possibly have been… Right?
As I'm putting on a final coat of mascara, I hear my phone ding from its spot on my bed upstairs. I screw the lid back on and dust on some setting powder before going up to check it.
The only numbers I have in my phone are Josie and Embry's, but I know this number belongs to Paul when I open the message.
/
From: xxx-xxx-xxxx
Message: Did u make it home ok?
/
I smile to myself and sit on the foot of my bed, saving his number before texting back.
/
To: Paul
Message: Yes, thank you xx
/
Shit. Old texting habits die hard.
It dings again.
/
From: Paul
Message: U should've woken me up. I would've walked u
/
My heart flutters.
Everything he says and does makes my heart flutter.
It's all so new and innocent and he's so sweet…
After he left the party last week, Josie was so drunk she kept going on and on about how he was the one guy on the whole reservation that had her vote for me. It was kind of funny until I remembered that day he and that girl Rachel were arguing in front of the coffee shop.
Leah said not to worry about it, that they're broken up, but it was obvious Rachel didn't want to be.
Maybe I'm just shiny and new – something to try out but ultimately put back on the shelf in favor of something familiar. If you look closely, there are flaws and scratches in my paint, and not all the parts always work right.
Another ding.
/
From: Paul
Message: Can I see u later still?
/
What would you say, Paul? If you knew my history?
Would you still want to see me later? Would you still want to share your culture and the things that are important to you with me?
I hope so.
/
To: Paul
Message: Definitely (: xx
/
The sunrise is a pale yellow against the deep blue still fading from the night. My eyes feel like sandpaper, and it's freezing outside. I regret wearing shorts, but I know if I wore jeans that I'd regret them later when it gets hot out again.
Hot coffee will help, for now.
Tiffany said most of the booths are located in the parking lot of the community center. Thanks to my handy new phone, I was able to pop the address into the GPS and get a walking route so I didn't have to wake up Josie or Embry.
It's light enough that I feel okay walking there alone, anyways, and there are other residents out and about already, too.
I shiver as I walk, arms crossed and hands tucked into my armpits.
There are fliers all over the town posted in windows and stapled to street lights.
I never got to do things like this growing up. Never went to a fair, never attended school events or dances or sports games – hell, I'd never even stepped foot on a beach before coming to La Push. It was always busy cities and lots of planes and then I was stuck in that room for years.
I shiver again, and not because it's cold.
The community center is bustling when I finally get there. People are setting up their booths and I can see Tiffany already with a line of customers waiting to get coffee.
Our booth is a small trailer, renovated as a portable coffee shop, that's really only big enough for two people to move around in. There's a sliding window on both sides and a flimsy camper door at the back.
I hurry over, let myself in, and get right to work shelling out everyone's artificial energy of choice. Tiffany just grins over her shoulder and gives me an approving pat on the back.
"You made it," she says, heating up milk for a latte.
Laughing, I nod my head and hand a hot chocolate through the window to a sleepy-looking girl that can't be more than seven. "Barely," I admit.
The morning rush is chaotic, to put it lightly.
Tiffany and I manage to work around each other without hurting one another, but not without difficulty. She mentions several times that she needs to upgrade to a bigger trailer for next year and that she never learns.
Josie and Embry show up once it dies down a little around ten – Josie in a summery romper and Embry wearing a matching colored shirt. Tiffany coos at them and her hands fly to her face as she leans out the window.
"When are you two going to get married and give me a grandbaby?" She reaches out for Embry's hand and he rolls his eyes at her.
"When we're ready to be done doing whatever we want, whenever we want. You can get your baby fix from Emily," he groans.
She sighs and looks to Josie. "Can't you just trick him?"
They both laugh and Embry scowls like I've never seen him scowl before. He's very uncomfortable having this conversation.
"When's the first main event?" I ask, attempting to relieve Embry of some of his pain. He gives me a thankful look.
Tiffany checks her watch. "Right now," she mumbles. "But it's mostly for kids. There's a parade at noon. You can leave at eleven-thirty if you'd like. I think I can handle it until Leah comes later."
"I'll let Paul know," Josie says flirtatiously, spinning on her heels and casting a look over her shoulder at me.
I could kill her right now.
"Paul Lahote?" Tiffany asks.
All I can do is nod and grit my teeth to keep me from throwing this cup at Josie's head.
"You know, he is such a nice young man. He helped build this," she motions around the coffee trailer. "Very handy. That's a great quality in a man."
Josie wiggles her fingers at me and Embry shrugs sympathetically as they slowly walk off while Tiffany goes on and on about good and bad qualities in a man. She's gotten a lot more comfortable with me now that I've worked for her for a while. Maybe a little too comfortable, but I like her. Her personality is refreshing. She's kind of like an older, female version of Seth and Malachi combined.
"You should be careful of his temper, though."
I'd zoned out for a minute, but that brings me right back in. "Paul?"
She nods and leans back against the counter, arms folded. "That poor boy. He was always getting into fights at school and then when he—well, it's not his fault, really."
My brows pull together but then I jump when something hits the side of the trailer behind me. I spin around so fast it makes me dizzy and find Paul standing there with a mischievous smile on his face.
"You scared me half to death!" I throw the empty cup I've been holding at him.
He dodges it with a laugh and leans through the window, arms draped over the edge. "Hey, Ms. C," he sings with a grin. "Can your employee come out and actually enjoy her first Quileute Days?"
She raises an eyebrow at him. "Did you just hit my trailer?" Her voice sounds serious, but I can tell she's messing with him.
He just flashes another dazzling smile. "Aw, c'mon, Ms. C," he whines.
It'd be a lie to say I'm not holding my breath hoping she'll let me leave early. She looks back and forth between us and then rolls her eyes and laughs. "Fine, but the second the cupcakes are gone I'm hunting you down to make more."
I excitedly tear off my apron and toss it over the hook before hopping out of the trailer. Paul walks around and meets me on the other side.
"The parade starts in an hour. Wanna check out some booths?"
I nod and let him lead the way.
He only takes a few steps before pausing and digging into his pocket. "Here, I got this for you," he mumbles, unwrapping something surrounded by tissue paper. He holds up a silver bracelet with a leather strap that has a right whale branded into it.
For a second, I can't find my words, I just stare at it until my brain finally registers and I hold my hand out. "This is beautiful," I say in awe. No one has ever given me such a meaningful gift like this before.
He unclasps the bracelet and fastens it around my wrist. It's the perfect size; small enough it won't fall off but still leaves a little wiggle room. "It's not an orca, or a grey whale, or a humpback, but I thought you still might like it."
"I love it. Honestly," I tell him, looking up into those warm amber eyes. "So much."
Smiling back down at me, he reaches for my hand and slides his fingers between mine. "Where do you want to start?"
With you. Always with you.
There were so many different kinds of booths set up around the community center and along the beach. We got snow cones, visited Sue's booth where she was selling flower bouquets, looked at handmade clothing and bags, and there was even a piercing booth with custom Native jewelry.
It couldn't have been that sanitary out in the dusty open like that, but I got my belly button pierced anyways. Malcolm was screaming in my mind the entire time not to, but that made it that much more satisfying that I did it.
We watched the parade with Josie and Embry, stopped by the canoe races, and then made our way to the softball field for the first game. I sit with the girls between Kim and Emily along the sidelines to watch, holding a cup of ice over my dully-throbbing belly button.
"What jewel did you pick?" Josie asks, ripping off a small piece of Emily's frybread.
I lift my shirt, thankful I wore something soft and lightweight today, and show her my new addition. It's a small, turquoise jewel with two dangling hand carved feathers. "It's the first piercing I've ever gotten."
She grins and sits back in her sit. "It won't be the last. Get your clit hood pierced and then come talk to me."
Emily gasps and hits her with the back of her hand, Kim squeals in agreement, and I laugh. There's no shyness to Josephine Cameron. She's embarrassed by nothing. I've only been sitting here with them for maybe ten minutes or so, but I've already heard about – in great detail – exactly the kind of sex she and Embry had last night since I wasn't home.
Sarah, who is also sitting with us, was so red in the face it almost looked like she was having an allergic reaction. Turns out she's just very innocent. I thought I was, but she's done even less than me.
"I'm just saying," Josie adds. "They're even more fun when paired with the stamina of shape—"
Emily whacks her again and her entire body goes rigid with a warning vibe. Josie makes a face and immediately stuffs more frybread in her mouth, side-eyeing me.
I frown and press the cold cup back to my stomach. Things get like this sometimes, and sometimes I feel like everyone is keeping a secret from me or watching what they say around me.
People start cheering as the players officially take the field for the first inning.
Our team – well, "The Pack," as they named themselves – is batting first.
It's a pretty casual game. Everyone is dressed in comfortable clothing but they're still wearing helmets to bat in, which I guess is general softball safety. Sam bats first and hits it into the left field, making it to second base before he stops running. Malachi hits next, then Embry, and the bases are loaded because Sam got stuck in a pickle and had to dive back for third.
It's really entertaining. I get what all of the excitement was about.
Paul is up next and I can't help but stare as he walks to the plate, swinging his bat around just like he did with his shirt yesterday.
He doesn't swing at the first pitch, Sarah yelling "good eye" at him, but on the second pitch he steps into his swing and hits the ball so hard it flies beyond the outfield and everyone starts screaming that it's a homerun. He seems pleased with himself as he jogs leisurely around the diamond, winking and playfully sticking his tongue out at me when he runs by our side of the fence.
I mean, he did grow up playing baseball. And boxing. Maybe that's where all of the fighting came from.
Speaking of that, I stand up and move to sit next to Josie while Jared is getting ready to bat.
"Tiffany said something about Paul earlier," I tell her, voice hushed. "She told me to watch out for his temper?"
She nearly chokes on her beer. "She said that?"
Nodding, I lean back to alleviate some of the pressure on my belly button. "And that he used to get in fights a lot."
"That woman gossips so much, I swear." Turning to face me, she pulls a leg under her and sets her beer on the ground. "Yes, he can have a temper, but he's just a hothead, not a bad guy. And it's not like he'd ever hurt any of us. Well, us girls."
I glance over at him laughing with his friends in the makeshift dugout. All he's ever shown me is kindness. Granted, we haven't known each other long at all, but it's hard to believe there's supposedly some kind of unpredictable anger bottled up inside of him. I never feel it brewing.
"You ask because you totally like him." She gives me a knowing smile.
Rolling my eyes at her, I yank out my ponytail and shake my hands through my hair. She's not wrong, but I'm not justifying that with a response.
"He likes you too."
"He barely knows me."
"He could know you better if you let him."
I sigh and push my tongue into my cheek. There's more to my past than even Josie knows. Sometimes, I think even she would turn the other way if she knew…
She leans towards me and looks at me with raised brows. "Stop running, okay? You don't have to anymore."
We're interrupted by an eruption of applause as Jared hits a homerun.
Once the noise dies down, I can hear Paul giving Jared shit because at least the bases were loaded when he hit his homer.
The rest of the game is quite eventful, and we end up winning by a landslide. Malachi presents the game ball to Sarah, who apparently is on the varsity softball team in Forks and plays in a competitive league. I guess that explains why I rarely see her around the reservation. They head off to wherever they're going and everyone else meets up on the sidelines.
Paul jogs over to me with a lopsided grin and points at my stomach. "How's the belly button?" he asks, uncapping a water bottle to dump over his head. It makes his – now dirty – white t-shirt cling to every ripple and ledge of his muscled torso.
I swallow and try not to stare. "It's okay. Could probably use another cup of ice, though." I dump the dusty water onto the ground and watch it seep into the dirt.
"Fireworks are gonna start once it's dark out," he says, lifting the bottom of his shirt to wipe off his face.
My eyes drop to the deep, jagged scar on his stomach. I saw it yesterday on our hike, too. It's across from a tattoo of a robin – I think – carrying a worm. It's dark in color but with soft edges, probably years old, and could be from anything. Car accident? Animal attack? It's too uneven to be a surgical scar. Something from his boxing days, maybe?
When he drops his shirt, there's a new layer of grime on the white material. "I'm gonna go shower," he announces with a chuckle. "I'll meet you guys at the beach?"
Josie throws her arm around my neck and squeezes my chin. "Don't worry, Pauley," she sings. "I got her."
He rolls his eyes and smiles at me one last time before walking off with Sam hot on his heels. The rest of us head to the beach to snag a good spot for the firework show.
Seth and Leah meet up with us a little later and Leah hands out leftover flowers to everyone from her mom's bouquets, tucking mine, Josie's, and Emily's behind our ears. Emily guilts Jared and Embry into going back to her house for blankets and lawn chairs, and Seth tags along with them so he doesn't have to be the only guy left in the group.
"Hey, I'm going to run and get some ice." I hold up my empty cup to the girls.
Josie jumps to her feet and dances her way over to me. "Sounds like you could use some help bringing all of those drinks back!"
Oh boy, here we go again. "You're cut off after three," I warn.
"Bring me a margarita!" Leah shouts as we walk off.
There's only one mobile bar supplying alcohol for the event and it is packed. Josie heads to the bathrooms and leaves me to hold our place, and judging by the length of the line, they might not even have any alcohol left by the time we reach the front. It seems like every adult in La Push is in line in front of me.
I pull out my phone to pass time while waiting, scrolling through news websites and daily horoscope pages. Apparently, if I'm not careful, I might cause a clash between a Taurus and an Aries. I snort and exit from the browser as a text from Paul comes through.
/
From: Paul
Message: U warm enough? Want me to bring u a hoodie?
/
I think of how warm his sweatshirt was last night and how nice it smelled. His cologne or shampoo or body wash – whatever it is smells so earthy and smooth, like it belongs in an Armani bottle.
Josie's voice rings in my ears. Stop running.
/
To: Paul
Message: That would b nice. Thank u (: xx
/
Locking my phone, I slide it into my back pocket and realize I'm actually a lot closer to the front of the line than expected, and Josie is nowhere in sight. One of the bartenders gives me a look over the shoulders of the people in front of me and raises an eyebrow like he knows I'm definitely not twenty-one, and I have no idea how I'm going to pull this off. I just wanted some ice and now they're probably going to call the cops on me or something.
The people in front of me order bottled beers and are finished before I've come up with something clever to say. The skeptical bartender just tilts his head at me and opens his mouth to say something just as another customer walks up right next to me.
"Three Fireball shots for me, and whatever the lady is getting."
I look over at him with arched brows, then back at the bartender who still doesn't look convinced. "Thank you. I actually just need a cup of ice, though."
The bartender fills my cup with ice and turns around to get the shots for the other guy, who is still looking at me.
He leans over. "Quick, what do you need?"
"Oh, um, two pineapple ciders and a margarita."
He waves me off and I grab my cup of ice before stepping out of the line. I hear him add more onto his order – which the bartender finds suspicious but doesn't question – and then he's handed a drink carrier with the ciders and a bag margarita a few moments later.
We walk behind the bar and down between the lines of booths so the bartender doesn't see us.
"Order up," the guy says, handing me the drink carrier.
I smile and try to hand him the twenty Josie gave me, but he shakes his head.
"I'm Ian." He holds out his free hand, the other holding the little lidded cups with his shots inside.
To be polite, I shake his hand and introduce myself. "Indie."
He holds onto my hand a little longer than I'm comfortable with, and I realize there's something about him that I don't like. He's handsome, but there's nothing in his eyes.
"Well, thanks again," I mumble, waving slightly.
He stops me. "Wait, can I have your number?"
"I really have to get back to my friends."
With that one line, his mood shifts, and I become painfully aware of how out of sight we are from everyone. My heart starts to beat a little harder and I take a step away from him.
He towers over me with dark eyes. He wouldn't try something in public, would he?
"I think after what I did for you, the least I deserve is your phone number."
Entitled. That's how he feels. Like I owe him a different form of payment than the one I offered.
I try to keep my voice steady. "How about I take yours and text you later?" I go to grab my phone, but he lunges forward and wraps his hand around my wrist and holds it still.
"Or, how about you just give me yours like I asked?" he says in a low voice. The alcohol on his breath is so thick I can almost taste it from here.
"Indie?" Relief floods my body at the sound of Josie's voice.
Ian releases my wrist and turns around with a dazzling smile. "Hey Josie, where's the rest of the pussy cats?" he jokes. "I helped your friend get your drinks. Might wanna not ditch a minor at the bar next time."
She moves slowly around him and I shoot her a warning glance. "You know we're here with Paul, right?" she says bossily, taking the drink carrier from me. What does Paul have to do with this?
A bolt of anger strikes Ian like lightning. He laughs heartily and waves his hand in a dismissive manner. "Lahote doesn't run the rez, little girl."
She grabs my hand and quickly pulls me past him, stomping on his foot, which causes him to trail after us. We push through groups of people and at some point accidentally separate from each other and then I slam into a hard but familiar chest.
"Hey, you okay? What's going on?" Paul's hands hold my shoulders gently as my fingers curl in his shirt.
I turn my head over my shoulder and scan the crowd for Ian or Josie, and the one I spot isn't the one I want to see. Before I even say anything, Paul's chest rumbles under my hands with a growl. Josie comes flying up next to me a second later and Paul moves in front of us both.
"Lahote," Ian calls out, lifting his chin in acknowledgement.
Paul's rigid stance doesn't budge. He's almost like a statue. "Yocum."
"Should get a leash for your girl," Ian points in our direction. "One for Calls', too."
My heart is still pounding against my ribcage in uneven strokes, but this is just a dick-measuring contest. Nothing to be afraid of. "Paul, let's just go," I say.
He still doesn't budge. No one around us seems to be paying any attention to the situation. I don't know if this is a common occurrence or if they're all just willfully ignorant.
Paul takes a step back and then turns around, slowly guiding Josie and I away from Ian. For a second I think that's the end of it, but then Ian says something about how Paul was never good at reining his girls in, especially McKayla, and Paul snaps.
His anger ignites in my chest and he swirls around so fast it's almost a blur.
I hear Josie curse. "Don't phase!" she shouts.
Phase?
Paul reaches Ian in a matter of seconds and throws his fist so hard into Ian's jaw it sends him flying backwards into a vacant booth. It breaks apart under his weight and Paul almost dives on top of him, but Jared and Embry show up at the last second and grab his forearms so he can't.
"Not worth it, my dude," Jared says.
It hardly does anything to calm Paul's rage, but at least he stops trying to fight them off.
I guess that's the temper they were talking about.
Ian is back on his feet and gone in seconds, his cups scattered on the ground amongst the pile of rubble from the booth, not wanting to take three guys on at once. Paul flips a one-eighty and walks straight to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me into him.
I can tell he needs this.
Whoever she was, McKayla must've been really important to him. My arms don't hesitate to curl around his trim waist as I gently nuzzle my cheek into his chest.
"Did he hurt you?" His voice is a low growl, arms tightening around me as he's trembling in mine.
I shake my head and feel his anger slowly start to fade with every breath he takes. For a second I forget there's even anyone around us until Jared clears his throat.
"Uh, we huggin' all night or can we go watch the fireworks?" he asks.
We pull away but Paul keeps an arm around my shoulders as we walk back to the beach. Josie, who is so proud of herself for not spilling the drinks in our moment of panic, hands me over a cider before plopping into a char between Leah and Emily. My stomach is still queasy from the incident, so I hand it off to Kim who nearly downs it in a matter of seconds.
Jared catcalls her and makes a comment about that not being the only thing she can swallow that fast.
Paul still hasn't moved his arm from my shoulders, and there are remnants of anger still circling me. He leans down so his mouth is right by my ear. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Ian spooked me, but he's just an entitled asshole. He's not capable of the things I've seen other monsters do.
"I'm okay. Are you?"
He lets out a breath. "Don't ever be alone around that guy, okay?"
Nodding my head, I lean into his side.
"Here," he mumbles, pulling his hoodie off and handing it to me.
After I put it on, he rubs my arms and we take a seat in the sand at Josie's feet.
They're still setting up for the show, and the beach is the most populated I've ever seen it. There are multiple fires up and down the shore and someone close by is blasting music – some pop song I'm not familiar with.
Everyone's mood has finally gone back to normal. I kick off my shoes and play in the sand with my feet. It's cold, but Paul radiates warmth, so it's tolerable.
Everything about him is so comfortable; our conversations, his arms, his warm eyes – even just sitting next to him in complete silence feels like I'm sitting next to someone I've known for years.
The fireworks are beautiful, but I can't keep my eyes off him.
The show lasts a good twenty minutes and the firework smell hangs heavy on the air after the last sequence. We clean up our area and help carry the blankets and chairs back to Emily's before calling it a night.
Josie and Embry have to run to the store in Forks for something, so Paul walks me home, his hand wrapped protectively around mine.
We stop at the porch and he pulls me into a hug. "Sorry your first Quileute Days got ruined," he says, releasing me a moment later.
"It didn't," I assure him, holding up my wrist where my bracelet is clasped. "I had a lot of fun."
He smiles softly. "See you tomorrow for round two?"
"Definitely."
A/N: Like I said, this is my favorite chapter so far and idk why cause it's kinda boring really but I really just had fun writing it. The mood was there for me. And Paul and Indie's relationship is starting to progress and only takes off from here on out :p please let me know what you guys thought I love reading & replying to reviews and hearing what you guys think. Until next timeee! xx