ruderal pt. 2 | paul lahote x reader

hi everyone! this is part two to this imagine. i stayed up extra late tonight working on this, so i hope you enjoy! i meant this to be as like a shorter imagine series but i'm not good at not going into detail so it will probably be a longer series than i anticipated.

ruderal pt. 2 | paul lahote x reader

word count: 2.82k

warnings: swearing, angst, sexually suggestive content

the reflection of light on the side of your house as you pulled into your driveway was a familiar sight. you sighed, quickly realizing you had a headlight out based on the lack of light on the left side of the wall. you made a mental note to talk to your dad about it tomorrow, not in the mood for much conversation after the events of the day. at this point, the only thing on your mind was throwing yourself on your bed and burying your head under the covers.

“hey” you called loudly to your dad as you entered the front door.

“hey, y/n” he replied, eyes glued on the football game in front of him. “how was it?”

“it was fine” you lied with a slight sigh. as much as your dad respected your former schoolteacher, he wasn’t one for socializing with the townsfolk, opting instead to stay home from the visitation. “i’m gonna head up to bed i think.”

“alright, sleep tight” he replied absentmindedly, eyes still on the tv. something good must have happened, you guessed, based on the cheers emanating from the speakers. you didn’t know much about sports.

without reply, you ascended the stairs and headed into your room. you opened the middle drawer of your dresser with intention, sighing as your eyes fell upon a black shirt in the back corner. it was an old, faded Nirvana t-shirt you had “borrowed” from Paul back when you were still together. despite not having worn it in two years, a part of you couldn’t let it go, leaving it at the back of the drawer every time you purged your clothing. your fingers brushed the thin material, tracing the slight difference in texture between the woven fibers and the printed graphic. with a deep exhale you gripped the folded shirt and pulled it out of the drawer.

glancing quickly over your shoulder to make sure your blinds were shut, you awkwardly pulled off your turtleneck, the head hole getting stuck under your chin as that style of top normally does. your bra and pants quickly met the same fate as the sweater - tossed onto a chair in the corner of the room where laundry goes to die.

you sighed again as you pulled Paul’s oversized shirt over your head. why were you sighing so much today? why were you giving Paul the power to make you so moody? why was he still so important to you? why did putting on this shirt bring back all of the memories you tried so hard to repress?

you sat quickly on the edge of your bed as the flashbacks overwhelmed you. flashbacks of smiles, of long nights talking and laughing on the phone, of ice-cream dates, of walks on La Push beach, of heated fights and your remorseful, affectionate reconciliation. 

before you knew it, your knees were to your chest and your head was in your hands as you sobbed quietly, your body shaking. it was a symptom you had picked up after the break up - tears were always accompanied by trembling. 

as much as you hated to admit it, seeing and speaking to Paul today really fucked you up. but, what else could you expect when you knew deep down you’d never truly moved on? of course seeing him again would make you spiral. 

you pondered the harsh words you’d spoken to (well, more like yelled at) him this afternoon. your mind was split - half of your brain told you that he deserved it, that he left you without warning and scarred you forever. he made you feel like you weren’t good enough for him. but, the other half felt intense guilt for being so rude to him today when it seemed like he had just wanted to make amends. that part of your brain, the one that missed him instead of hating him, worried that you may have just lost your only chance to learn the real reason behind that Wednesday night phone call. 

tears continued to flow from your eyes as you toyed with the hem of the baggy shirt. it seemed like you couldn’t stop replaying the events of the afternoon in your head. this appeased both sides of your brain in different ways but both made you miserable in their own right. there was one detail that stuck out, though - the look on Paul’s face as he made eye contact with you for the first time in two years. on the surface, it just looked like shock. it looked like he was surprised to see you there when he hadn’t laid eyes on you for so long. but past the facial expression, the intensity of his eyes as they met yours was honestly unlike anything you’d ever seen from anyone. it looked like a storm was brewing behind them, full of pain and sorrow and conflict. was it just because he had missed you? or was something more going on?

your curiosity and desire for answers overpowered your sadness, causing the tears to slow and eventually cease as you attempted to analyze the situation. your eyes were glued intently on the blank wall in front of you; if anyone walked in right now they would think you were either possessed or taking the expression, “watching paint dry” a little too seriously.

the sound of a cupboard slamming downstairs snapped you out of your trance - your dad must have gotten hungry. this welcome distraction was enough for you to remember you needed to finish getting ready to sleep. rubbing your eyes, you threw your legs off the bed, feet hitting the soft rug underneath you. you grabbed the first pair of pajama shorts you could find in your dresser, stepped into them, and headed into the bathroom to brush your teeth and wash your face. you couldn’t manage to put in the effort to do much more than that tonight.

when you were done in the bathroom, you dragged your feet back down the hallway, shutting your bedroom door behind you and turning off the lights as you continued to move towards your unmade bed. in one swift motion, guided by the moonlight streaming in between your blinds, you collapsed in bed and rolled over so the blankets were on top of you. before you knew it, you were drifting off to sleep, feeling a sense of calm for the first time since the funeral. this was short lived, however, as your dreams that night were filled with memories of Paul Lahote.

—— 

you woke late the next morning, your blinds dispersing the sun’s rays into a soft glow around your room. for a split second, you felt peace, before your brain caught up and Paul’s face flashed through your mind. you groaned, wishing for that second of peace back.

you went through the motions of the morning: get up, shower, get dressed, brush your teeth - all with that man’s stupid expression playing over and over again whenever you weren’t actively trying to think of something else. 

since it was a rare (relatively) warm, sunny day in Forks, and a Sunday at that, you knew exactly what you needed: a beach day. of course, you knew just the spot. sure, you had memories with Paul at La Push beach, but you’d been going there for years, and he never managed to ruin it for you. your dad was friends with Billy Black, so you were friends with some of the other boys on the rez growing up. even after your breakup, none of them were ever hostile towards you - you just kind of drifted apart - so you still felt comfortable enjoying La Push’s beautiful scenery.

you hopped back in your car after a quick bowl of cereal alone in the kitchen, reminding yourself to be back before dark so you wouldn’t risk getting pulled over for your burnt-out headlight. the engine sputtered to life and you made your way out of your driveway and onto the road. the radio hummed faintly in the background, but you were kind of enjoying the quiet as you weaved your way through meandering tree-lined streets up to the beach. you parked on the side of the road, surprised that there were no other cars parked there today with it being so beautiful outside. it definitely wasn’t warm enough to swim, or even wear shorts, but you didn’t have to wear a sweater, so that was a win in your books.

your backpack was slung over your shoulder as you hiked over the guardrail to the flat beach. a couple of minutes of walking brought you to your favorite spot; the cliff. while the rest of the beach was sloped dunes, the cliff was a rocky structure that would make anyone nervous if they got too close to the edge. however, the flat sand leading up to it made a great relaxation spot as long as you stayed back from the drop-off.

you laid out your beach towel as a barrier between you and the sand along a tree that you could rest your back against. it was perfect for your planned activity: reading all day.

you pulled out your beat-up copy of The Great Gatsby, flipping to where you’d dog-eared the corner of the page you left off on. it wasn’t your first time reading the book, and you were sure it wouldn’t be the last.

finally settled in, you allowed yourself to get lost in the drama unfolding on the pages in front of you. this continued for an amount of time unknown to you - minutes or hours, you didn’t really know - until you saw something moving in your peripheral vision.

you eyed the moving figure cautiously, instinctively pressing your back further against the tree. as the person continued to walk closer to you, their features were more distinguishable, and your heart raced for multiple reasons once you finally realized who it was - Paul Lahote, of course. it had to be him.

you slammed your book closed, not taking your eye off Paul as he approached you.

“y/n, can we talk?” Paul spoke loudly, still a good distance away from you. most of you wanted to keep it that way.

“about what, Paul? i have nothing to say to you.” a lie, but he didn’t need to know that.

“can you at least give me a chance?” he huffed, moving a little closer to where you were seated.

“a chance to do what? hurt me again? not interested.” you hoped he would take your words and the absolute death glare you were giving him seriously and back off. but, it was Paul, and he was stubborn, so, of course, this was not the case.

“what are you reading?” he switched the subject, obviously trying to relieve some of the tension between you two. unluckily for him, you still weren’t interested in conversation, so you just tilted the cover of the book in Paul’s direction. he scanned the cover and nodded, “of course, your favorite.”

“you remember my favorite book?” you spoke before you had time to think.

“of course i do. i remember a lot of things about you.” he asserted, taking a seat next to you but still a few feet away. a large part of you wanted that space to be bigger, but there was another, smaller part of you that wanted to scoot closer to him. of course, you resisted this urge, staying planted in the position you were when he approached.

“Paul, i really don’t want to talk. i think you should go.” you sighed. you placed the book down next to your hip and leaned fully against the tree behind you, closing your eyes as your head rested on the bark.

“i’m not going anywhere. this is my land, not yours” he protested angrily. it reminded you of the fights you two used to have. Paul was very stubborn and was quick to snap. he’d never hurt you physically, but you two were definitely a match for each other verbally.

“fine, then i'll go” you stood up sharply, shoving your book into your backpack and tossing the towel over your shoulder as you began to move past Paul on the way back to your car.

“y/n, wait,” you felt a strong hand grip your forearm. “don’t leave, i- i’m sorry. that was too harsh.”

Paul was… apologizing? without prompting? this was definitely uncharacteristic behavior for the Paul you knew. had he matured over the last two years?

“yeah, it was.” you agreed, stopping in your tracks.

“please just sit back down.” his voice was soft - another abnormality for him. you were used to his pride stepping in, but there was no hint of it in his speech in that moment.

against your better judgement, you obliged. to make matters worse, you ended up right next to him, as he was still holding on to your arm. the irony of the situation was not lost on you - two years ago, you'd likely sat in the exact same position, but under completely different circumstances.

“alright, i sat. you can let me go now.” your words came out softer than you meant for them to. it was hard to use harsh words with Paul after he had been so soft.

he dropped your arm, looking somewhat flustered. you ignored it as you brought your knees to your chest and wrapped your arms around them, staring out at the glistening water ahead. 

it took a few minutes before either of you broke the silence, but Paul eventually did. 

“i know you hate me for dumping you. i would hate me too. but there’s a lot you don’t know about,” he blurted. “i never wanted to hurt you.”

“well, you did, Paul. you left me with no explanation. was i not good enough for you? what do i not know? did you meet someone else?” as much as you didn’t want to be spilling your insecurities to your ex boyfriend right now, your need for answers overwhelmed this instinct.

“what? do you really think that i left you because you weren’t good enough? don’t you think i would have figured that out sooner than a year in?” he spat, visibly angry at the accusation. “and no, there was no one else. i haven’t been in a relationship since you.”

you were disappointed that the answers didn’t help. while it was nice to hear that it wasn’t because he lost interest in you, it still didn’t provide any clarity on the actual reason. his use of the words “in a relationship” instead of “with anyone” made you shiver as you thought about all of the girls he’s probably hooked up with in the last two years. you decided it was in your best interest to not ask him to elaborate on this point, both because his face was already red with anger and because you were disgusted at the thought.

“then why? what happened? why did you leave?” you felt tears start to well up in the corners of your eyes, this conversation feeling eerily familiar.

“i can’t tell you.” Paul deadpanned, looking pained as he spoke, like he didn’t want the words to come out of his mouth.

“bullshit, Paul! why would you come talk to me and act like you want to make things right if you can’t even explain why you ruined them in the first place?” your vision was blurry with both tears and anger as you waited for a response.

“i just… can’t take being away from you anymore,” Paul replied, looking you in the eyes with probably the softest expression you’d ever seen on his face. it didn’t outweigh the anger and hurt you felt, though.

“yeah, well, you should have thought of that two years ago. i’m not doing this with you if you won’t even answer my questions. you may not want to stay away from me, but i don’t want to be around you.” you stood up, once again collecting your belongings. you managed to dodge Paul’s attempt to grab your hand and slip past him, digging in your backpack for your car keys as you trudged through the sand.

“y/n, wait,” Paul called after you, scrambling to his feet. he followed you to your car, continuing to call your name, but didn’t make another attempt to grab you, which you were grateful for.

“Paul, like i said, i’m not doing this with you.” you repeated. the majority of you wanted to slam your car door closed, drive off, and pray you never had to see him again. but the small part of you that, for some reason, he still had a grasp on, made you look over your shoulder just before getting in the driver’s seat and give him an invitation: “call me if you decide to tell me the real reason.”

tags: @secretdreamlandmentality

ruderal pt. 1 | paul lahote x reader

hi everyone! this is my first ever twilight imagine (and the first fanfic i've written in like 5 years) and it's already looking like it will be somewhat of a series. would love to hear your feedback (good or bad) on this, or if you want a second part :)

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ruderal pt. 1 | paul lahote x reader

word count: 1.1k | based off a random writing prompt generator

you never know who you’ll run into at a funeral - or, in this case, the reception.

the church gymnasium was full of Forks residents, gathered to celebrate the life of Deborah Lewin. she worked as a teacher in the town for 30 years, long enough to teach the kin of some of her first classes of students. so, it wasn’t a surprise that the echoey cinderblock room was nearly full of people. 

you were seated at a table towards the middle of the space, sharing it with some of your friends who you’d had class with back when you had Mrs. Lewin as a teacher. you gazed out upon the sea of figures dressed in black, taking a mental inventory of all of the familiar faces in the room, when you spotted a face you didn’t expect to see entering the door.

“oh my god” you winced, averting your gaze and lowering your head immediately before you had the chance to be spotted.

“what?” your friend Ruby said, slightly panicked at your sudden, albeit quiet, outburst.

“Paul’s here.” you deadpanned, planning your escape as you spoke.

“Paul Lahote?” you hadn’t seen him in years, since he broke up with you over the phone for seemingly no reason on a random wednesday night. 

“what other Paul could it be?” it came out harsher than you intended, but right now, you couldn’t seem to care that much. 

of course, you looked up at the exact wrong time - Paul was looking at you from across the room. he stood in the food line next to Jacob Black, holding a ladle full of potato salad in one hand and a paper plate in the other. 

before you could even really recognize that he was, in fact, staring at you, the two of you made direct eye contact. in the split second before you instinctually looked away, you could have sworn you saw Paul’s face twitch into the same shocked expression that you wore on your face as you watched him walk in the room just a few minutes ago. however, there seemed to be something more behind his eyes, too; you couldn’t tell if it was fear, or pain, or sorrow, but there was something else there.

“do you want to leave?” Ruby’s words snapped you out of your small trance.

“no, i’m not here for me. i’m here for Mrs. Lewin. Paul’s not important enough for me to need to leave.” your words were unconvincing, even to yourself. you’d never truly moved on, never forgiven Paul for what he had done. he couldn’t even explain why - he just kept repeating that it was “for your own good” and “you’d be better off without him.” it stung that he would be willing to throw away nearly a year of time spent together, and to not even dignify you with doing it in person?

“i think i’m going to step outside for a second. it’s really hot in here and this sweater is not helping.” you tugged at the collar of your thick turtleneck. it was normally one of your favorites, but the mixture of anxiety and embarrassment bringing your body temperature up was enough for you to want to rip it off of your body as soon as humanly possible.

Ruby nodded, eyeing you suspiciously but recognizing that asking any questions right now would be entirely unproductive. the redhead turned back to your other friends, starting to tell the story of when Tyler Jackson broke her arm under the slide in kindergarten.

the cold, damp air brought you back to a somewhat normal headspace as you stepped outside. it was times like these, standing under an awning, watching the rain fall on the trees and the parked cars in front of you, that you wished you smoked cigarettes. you bet that it would help calm your nerves even more; to distract you from the feelings that had been stirred up tonight.

but, you had none, so you opted to take deep breaths in and out instead. your eyes closed and you slid down the wall, planting yourself cross-legged on the concrete. after a few minutes of meditative breathing and counting the raindrops that dripped onto the shrubbery in front of you, you heard the old church door creak open.

“y/n?” a small, deep voice asked. you still had not looked up from the shrubs, but you knew that voice anywhere. this time, though, it sounded different. weaker.

“what do you want, Paul?” your tone was laced with annoyance. despite whatever feelings you had remaining for him, he was probably the last person you wanted to talk to right now. 

“can i sit with you?” he asked, taking a small step forward. he waited for your gentle nod before awkwardly parking himself next to you, but not too close. you were grateful for the space that remained, already regretting your split-second decision to allow him to join you.

“now will you tell me what you want? why you’re even bothering to speak to me?”

“i miss you.” he sighed. you could see him rubbing his temples with his impressively large hand, eyes covered and a slight wince on his face as he waited for your reaction.

“you miss me? you fucking miss me? go to hell, Paul. you’re the one who ended things - over the fucking phone, might i add - not me. you have no right to come over here and act like you even deserve to be sitting next to me right now, let alone telling me you miss me.” you were on your feet now, trying and failing to keep your voice down as you watched Paul seem to recoil at your tone. you were still confused why he was acting like this; usually, nothing could crack his tough exterior, but here he was with his knees to his chest pushing himself against the church wall, not even making eye contact with you.

“now, if you’ll excuse me, i’m going back inside. this day is not about you, or me.”

“y/n, wait-“ Paul’s voice was cut off by the closing of the heavy church door. 

you sighed as you walked back to your table, joining your friends once again.

“hey y/n, feeling better?” your friend Jordan asked. you smiled a smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes, nodding a little too fast. he didn’t seem to notice - they must not have seen Paul follow you outside. for that, you were grateful, in no mood to discuss whatever just happened.

In the aftermath of Harry's death and Voldemort's subsequent victory, in a last-ditch attempt to save the future, Hermione goes back in time with one strict instruction:

CHAPTER 14

Under My Skin (Paul x Fem Reader) Part Nine: The Hike

Summary: You're a college student who is back in Forks for the summer. Your life is exactly how you want it and all figured out but what happens when your arrogant childhood crush throws your perfect life right off it's track.

Part One: The Beach

Part Two: The Bonfire

Part Three: The Night Out

Part Four: The Dance

Part Five: The Drive Home

Part Six: The Lunch Non- Date

Part Seven: The Storm

Part Eight: The Next Morning

Warnings: Some language, mention of being followed/chased

Word count: 2.3k

It was Thursday and you still hadn’t heard from Paul. You were trying not to dwell on it but what else could you do? He consumed your thoughts and the zero contact between the two of you left you feeling empty in a way you hadn’t before. You debated going down to the reservation to stop by his house but you didn’t know where his house was and you were too embarrassed to ask any of the guys. You thought about hanging around the beach hoping to bump into him. What if he just didn’t want to see you? That thought hurt worse than anything else.

You were looking for something to occupy your time, your Dad was busy with work as were the guys, Brooke had flown out to Tahoe and Kai had headed home to Nisqually. You were tired of sitting at either the coffee shop or at home so you decided a day immersed in nature is what you needed.

It had been awhile since you’d gone out for a hike, maybe the fresh air would help you clear your head maybe it would be the perfect distraction. You weren’t an expert or anything when it came to the outdoors or hiking but your Dad had taught you some basics over the years and you remembered the “easy” trails he’d take you on. You decided you’d stick to one of those today.

It was early afternoon and you were sporting leggings, a t-shirt and the hiking boots your Dad had gotten you a few years ago. You packed up your backpack with your phone, water bottle, rain jacket and some snacks then headed out the door.

You made it to the trail you had decided on and parked your car by the little parking area. You headed over to where the trails began making sure to stick to the easiest of the trails which was only a couple miles long according to map. The hike was nice and you had realized you had really missed this, being surrounded by nature, it felt good, it felt freeing and you felt your mood improving.

It was pretty sparse today and you had only seen a couple of other hikers while you had been walking. Thankfully the rain had continued to hold off which you were more than grateful for. Walking in the rain really wasn’t all that fun.

Your mind drifted as you continued your walk on the trail, you couldn’t help but replay every interaction with Paul over this summer and how you had ended up here. Was he really that mad about Mark? Had you done something else? Would he speak to you again or was he just going to end your rekindled friendship like this? The idea of not hanging out with him again left you feeling depressed. More depressed than your break up. Maybe you should have broken up with Mark sooner…you were steady going over all the “what if” scenarios in your head trying to pinpoint an answer.

You came to a really rocky part of the trail that brought your focus back to the present. The rocks were slick with greenery and moss and you did your absolute best not to slip, you were extra thankful you chose to wear your hiking boots now. Just when you thought you had passed the worst of it you felt your feet lose traction and you slid right down a little embankment into a tree.

You surveyed the damage and thankfully you were just a little scratched up, specifically on one knee that unfortunately did rip your leggings. Great just great… You got up brushing yourself off as you climbed back up the small hill. Once you were seemingly back up on the trail you noticed how deserted the area seemed and you didn’t even hear any animals in the area. Had it been this quiet the whole time? Suddenly an uneasiness overcame you and you weren’t sure why. It felt like you were being watched but you didn’t see anyone or even anything around you.

You decided to walk back in the direction you had just come from opting to not go further down the trail further into the forest. Maybe that was enough nature for one day. You tried to shake off the unsettling feelings you were having when you heard twigs snapping. The sound echoed around you causing panic to rise within you. It’s nothing, it’s probably just a small animal. Hopefully nothing dangerous…hopefully…

You focused on continuing forward away from the noises and when you felt like you were far enough ahead you quickly glanced back over your shoulder and you swore you saw a figure a few yards back. Fear overcame you as you pushed further forward the sounds behind you getting closer and closer as your heartbeat increased.

No no no…this couldn’t be happening…A howl broke out through the air that stopped you. A wolf howl? Wolves? Were you being chased by wolves? No..you hadn’t seen a wolf.. you had sworn you had seen a person…You picked up the pace running until you came to a clearing, you stole another glance behind you but there was nothing and once again all you heard was silence. You paused trying to catch your breath. Your chest was heaving heavily as the adrenaline coursed through you.

Sounds of rustling startled you and you looked behind you again as you started to run forward panic and dread filling you as your eyes searched for any movement behind you. Out of no where something stopped you as you collided with something or someone. A tan bare chest was in front of you, as you glanced up dark eyes met yours and you felt relief run through your body. Paul…

“Paul?” You said shakily as emotion rose into your chest. Without hesitation his strong arms were around you and you clung to him like your life depended on it as tears began to sting your eyes.

“You’re safe. You’re safe.” He repeated holding you close to him as you tried to calm down.

“I think…I think someone was chasing me.” You choked. His arms were tighter around you and you felt his entire body tense up.

“You’re safe now, I promise.” He was quiet letting you calm down a bit. Once you caught your breath and the tears subsided you wiped your face and Paul let go of you and grabbed your hand. “Let’s get you home.” He said sternly. You nodded and he began to lead the way.

Your hand was firmly in his and Paul was silent, you could feel the tension radiating off of him as you walked together. He was upset. Why had he been in the woods? And shirtless? He did say he ran a lot maybe that’s what he was doing…seemed logical enough. Shouldn’t he have been at work though? And why did he seem so mad? Was it because of you?

“Are you okay?” You got up the courage to ask after a few minutes of silence. Paul stopped walking and stared down into your eyes intensely, he looked beyond pissed and it shocked you. You hadn’t seen him like this, this intense, this angry. It worried you.

“No Y/N, I’m not okay. You almost—.” He let out a deep breath trying to calm himself. “What were you even doing out here?” He asked a little calmer but you could still hear the anger in his words.

“Hiking the trail…” You said quietly. Now you felt embarrassed. Was he upset because he had ran into you and now had to make sure you got home okay?

“I didn’t find you on the trail.” He said with narrowed eyes and you could tell he was trying hard to keep his voice at a normal level.

“I was…on it.. the trail but then I fell…and then something was out there…chasing me..” You trailed off feeling like a child being scolded.

Paul let go of your hand and closed his eyes focusing on his breathing. “You have to be careful Y/N…hasn’t your Dad told you not to go in the woods right now? Haven’t you heard about all those missing hikers?” His voice was rising and you didn’t know why he was so upset with you.

He noticed your eyes widened at him and he calmed himself. “I’m sorry…I’m really trying hard to keep it together right now.”

“I just don’t understand why you’re so upset.” You said honestly.

He walked over to you putting his hands gently on your shoulders. “I’m so upset because you have no idea how much I care about you and I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you.” Holy shit. You felt the pure sincerity in his words. Paul cared about you. You were speechless. Hearing those words made your heart ache in a way it never had before.

“There’s a lot you don’t know but please believe me when I say these woods are dangerous so please…please promise me you won’t come out here alone again. I’d prefer if not at all but at least not alone.” You saw something in Paul’s eyes you had never seen before, fear. He was truly afraid of you getting hurt.

Now you had nothing but questions for Paul but you could see the pleading look in his eyes so you just nodded and said. “Okay.” He visibly relaxed a little at your agreement.

“Thank you.” He said letting go of you. He turned to begin walking again and you followed. There was one question heavily weighing on your mind, why had Paul not texted you back? Especially with the concern he seemed to have for you now. He apparently cared a lot about you…It didn’t make sense but maybe you were overthinking it.

“Why didn’t you text me back?” You asked quietly. He slowed his pace and looked over at you with confusion on his face.

“You texted me? When?” He hadn’t gotten your message?

“Monday morning…” Recognition washed over his face.

“Fuck.” He muttered. “I uhh broke my phone and just got a new one yesterday.”

“Oh.” So he hadn’t been just ignoring you.

“Was everything ok?” He asked concerned as he continued forward.

“Yeah… I was just checking in…I had felt like things were left weird on Saturday.” He nodded breaking eye contact looking back ahead before he spoke.

“So how was your weekend with him?” You took note he didn’t say Mark’s name or call him your boyfriend.

“Not great, we broke up.” You said looking straight ahead. That stopped Paul in his tracks, you looked back at him and he was staring at you with a look of disbelief.

“You broke up?” He asked clarifying.

“Yes.” You nodded. Guess he hadn’t heard about it from anyone else. You saw a ghost of a smile on his face.

“What?” You asked curiously.

“Nothing…are you okay?” He asked genuinely now no trace of a smile on his face.

“Yeah.. all things considered I’m okay.” You gave him a slight closed mouth smile.

“Can I ask what happened?” He said hesitantly.

“You were right, I wanted more.”

A look of many different emotions washed over Paul’s face as he stared at you. He took a few steps closer so he was right in front of you now, he was close enough to feel the heat radiating off of him. You felt the tension grow between the two of you as you looked up at him into those dark eyes as they consumed you.

He was watching you extremely intently waiting for a reaction, for you to move away but you didn’t. You didn’t want to. You craved to be this close to him, since Saturday morning you had missed him more than you thought imaginable. It was terrifying and confusing but you deeply cared for Paul and on some level he cared about you too. Right now with him standing in front of you all you wanted was to kiss him.

Your eyes fell to his lips for a moment and he moved closer gently placing his hands on your waist pulling you to him. “I know now isn’t the time for this…but after today and you almost—I…I just need this.” Your heart was pounding in your ears and your body was humming in anticipation as Paul leaned down and closed the spaced between the two of you.

The contact of his lips on yours was indescribable. It felt pure, and electric, and above all else completely right. He was gentle but firm and you could tell he was holding himself back by how he hard gripped at your hips. You snaked your arms around his neck pulling him closer to you, needing him as close as possible. You felt the unadulterated need he had for you and surprisingly you felt that same need for him.

He deepened the kiss and you felt lightheaded with the amount of emotion overcoming you. If you could stay in this moment forever you would be perfectly content. All too soon Paul broke his lips away, resting his forehead to yours. You tried to calm your erratic breathing and process exactly what had just happened. Holy shit.

“I’m sorry.” He breathed pulling away to look down at you. “I probably shouldn’t have done that…but I had to at least once…” The intensity in his gaze set you on fire and all you wanted was to kiss him again.

“It’s okay.” You managed to say your cheeks ablaze. He smiled at your response and you felt a smile tugging at your lips as well. You and Paul had kissed and it was amazing, maybe better than amazing. What did this mean though? What did you want it to mean? What did he want it to mean?

Paul grabbed your hand once again, “Come on let’s get out of here. I think it’s about to rain.”

Taglist: @twihard08 @fangirling-4-everr @kallielikecali @sorrow-and-bliss @xxxjaexxx @sunsetevergreen @volturiwolf @vendylewin @convolutings @gooseyhouse @curadopordeus @unstablekay @fearthedietcoke @locokoca @sneezie98 @kool-kat-slider @rottenstyx @fictionalwhxre @babygirl-one-and-only @ellesalazar @avis15

Part Ten (coming soon)

Wow. Late night post here but I felt determined to get this out asap. Thank you SO MUCH all for all of the love on this fic! Hope this chapter was worth the anticipation! Let me know your thoughts & if you want to be added to the taglist❤️

P.s. I think I got everyone tagged but if I forgot someone please let me know! Also I love reading your comments so much! Thank you!

Under My Skin (Paul x Fem Reader) Part Eight: The Next Morning

Summary: You're a college student who is back in Forks for the summer. Your life is exactly how you want it and all figured out but what happens when your arrogant childhood crush throws your perfect life right off it's track.

Part One: The Beach

Part Two: The Bonfire

Part Three: The Night Out

Part Four: The Dance

Part Five: The Drive Home

Part Six: The Lunch Non- Date

Part Seven: The Storm

Warnings: Some language

Word count: 3.0k

Sunlight poured through the window of the living room as your eyes opened. For a moment you didn’t remember why you were on the couch instead of upstairs in your room. You had just had maybe the most restful sleep of your life laying next to none other than Paul Lahote.

You recalled the night prior as you came to full consciousness, it had honestly all felt like a dream. A really good dream but a dream none the less. Laughing, watching TV, and connecting with someone on a level you hadn’t before. It all just had felt so comfortable and so right. You two had must of fallen asleep talking after Paul had agreed to stay until the power came back on. Noticing the ceiling fan was moving above you knew it had come back on at some point overnight.

You glanced up at Paul’s face trying to keep your movements minimal. He was still asleep and your heart ached at how handsome he was. You were tucked into his side on the couch with your head on the side of his chest. His arm was securely around you and his fingertips were at the hem of your shorts. You relished how good this felt and how you had never felt safer or more rested than you did at this very moment.

How was that possible? To feel so comfortable with someone you weren’t even in a relationship with? You were terrified about what you were feeling for Paul because this felt different from what you had felt for any other guy, even Mark. Was it because you used to have a crush on him and it just built itself up all these years? You didn’t know but it scared you.

You didn’t move to get up as you decided that there wasn’t anything wrong with just enjoying this for a little while longer. You and Paul were friends. Nothing had actually happened romantically between the two of you, no actions taken or words plainly spoken. But something lingered between the two of you, you just weren’t sure if you were the only one to feel it or not.

Paul began to stir next to you and you knew your daydream would be coming to an end. Just a moment longer. You weren’t ready for this comforting embrace to be over. You felt so happy and content in this moment. Paul didn’t make any more movements and you wondered if it was merely out of politeness or maybe he just had gone back to sleep.

Your mind drifted and you wondered if this is what every morning could be like. Waking up with Paul….You quickly had to remind yourself that you were still dating someone else. Paul wasn’t yours and you weren’t even sure how he felt about you or how you felt about him. All you knew is that you felt something…

Your cell phone buzzing on the coffee table interrupted the string of thoughts in your mind. You opened your eyes and moved carefully in case Paul had fallen back asleep. He hadn’t and shifted when you did. You looked up at him and smiled. “Morning” he said his voice huskier than usual. You felt your stomach flip flop at his words and the sexy sleepy smile he was wearing.

“Morning.” You said stretching returning his smile. You grabbed your still ringing phone seeing Mark’s name illuminated. It went to voicemail before you could answer it. Oh well. You set it back down and turned to Paul when you heard the doorbell ring. You glanced at the time on the cable box clock. It was only a little after eight in the morning. Who was at your door this early? Especially with your Dad gone for the weekend.

“I guess I bettor see who that is.” You said and Paul nodded standing up to stretch himself.

You rubbed the sleep from your eyes and you made your way to the door and slowly opened it. In front of you was the last person expected to see, Mark. Fuck. Your eyes went wide in disbelief, he had never been to forks and hadn’t expressed any interest in doing so. When your Dad had met him it was when he had come to visit you at school in Seattle.

“Mark.” You said stunned.

“Hey babe.” He smiled down at you and gave you a quick kiss on the lips. You felt absolutely frozen. Seeing Mark only confirmed what you had been afraid of, your feelings for him had changed. If they hadn’t you would have been so excited to see him but you felt indifferent more than anything.

“Uhh what are you doing here?” You asked stepping onto the porch and closing the door behind you. You knew Paul was inside and you weren’t sure how you felt about Mark knowing that.

“I came to surprise my girl.” He said with no further explanation. You hadn’t done anything wrong but for some reason you still felt like you had. You just weren’t sure what you felt guilty about whether it was Mark being here or Paul being inside.

“Oh well I am surprised.” You laughed feeling incredibly awkward. He was trying, this was a big gesture for Mark but you couldn’t deny that this whole situation felt weird. The past couple weeks the two of you had barely talked and now he was here at your front door like it was all perfectly normal.

“So is there a good place around here to grab coffee and breakfast? I’d love to have breakfast with you and your Dad.” Mark said smiling.

“Oh actually my Dad is on a fishing trip this weekend.” You replied. You saw Mark’s face fall a little which was strange.

“Oh bummer. Would have been nice to see him…Well uhh...I actually gotta make a few calls and get checked in over at the Inn. But how about I pick you up for lunch then?” He said sounding less enthusiastic than before.

“Umm okay, sure.” You said. He waved goodbye cellphone already in his hand as he made his way to his car without a look back leaving you more confused than ever.

You opened the door the see Paul sitting on the steps putting his boots back on. He glanced up at you as you shut the door.

“I’m sorry I had no clue he was coming here.” You said feeling mixed emotions. He stood up towering over you, all you wanted was to reach out to him, to feel safe in his arms but you stood where you were.

“You don’t have to apologize. He is still your boyfriend isn’t he?” His demeanor was completely different than before. He seemed cold, closed off and maybe even a little angry as he spoke to you.

You just nodded feeling all the wind leave your sails. Part of you wished Mark had never shown up and you thought about how different the morning could have gone if he hadn’t. “Thank you…for staying…and for last night.” You said softly.

He nodded with his jaw clenched but his eyes softened as they met yours. You saw sadness flash in them before he broke eye contact. “I better go.“ He said making his way past you to the door. You wanted to say something or do something to make him stay. Every fiber of your being didn’t want him to leave.

“Paul…” you began as he grabbed his jacket off the hook and turned the knob on the front door.

“Have a good weekend.” He said glancing back at you before walking through the door and closing it behind him. You wanted to run after him but you didn’t know what to say or what you wanted to say for that matter so you let him drive off without another word.

The rest of the morning went by in a fog. Paul was the only thing occupying your mind and the hurt in his eyes as he left. You showered and got ready but couldn’t bring yourself to eat or drink anything, you felt sick to your stomach.

As lunch time approached your anxiety grew, you hadn’t known what to say to Paul and now you weren’t sure what to say to Mark.

When your doorbell rang you knew it was Mark. You sighed and walked to the front door opening it. He stood on the porch phone in hand again. Apparently he was glue to that thing these days. He looked up and smiled. “Ready?”

“Actually can we talk first?” You asked opening the door further.

“Can we talk at lunch? There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

“What?” You asked.

“My boss, he’s meeting us for lunch.” He said matter-of-factly.

“Why is your boss here?” You asked more confused than ever. He had said he came here to surprise you so why was his boss here?

“He had some business here in town, but his meeting was cancelled. So now we can all do lunch. You’ll love him. Come on.” He said turning to walk down the porch.

You were in disbelief and suddenly something clicked. His interest in your Dad, he was the town’s s lawyer. He wanted to see your Dad for some reason and that was why he had come to Forks for his boss, for business but not for you.

“Mark…stop.” You said anger lacing your words and he turned and looked at you with furrowed brows.

“What?” He asked.

“Why are you really here?”

He seemed almost annoyed as he glanced at his watch. “Look babe, it’s not even a big deal. My boss had business here or was hoping to anyways… and I tagged a long to see you.” He sounded so casual which only fueled your anger.

“He was here to see my Dad wasn’t he?” You asked firmly.

He let out a sigh. “Yeah he was., he wanted to recruit him.” Hurt and anger bubbled inside of you.

“And he needed your help to do that.” You said, it wasn’t a question you knew it was true without his confirmation. This was it you were done. There was a lot you'd deal with but Mark didn't even care. You couldn't fix that. “I think we should break up.”

“You don’t mean that.” He said rolling his eyes.

“I do. Mark. We’ve barely talked all summer…and now you’re here and not even to see me…You don't see a problem with that?”

He seemed even more annoyed by your words. “I’m working my ass off for something and you know that. You know how important my career and future are and how hard I’ve worked for these opportunities. That hasn’t changed Y/N you never had a problem before.”

You absorbed what he said and he wasn’t completely wrong. Mark had always been hyper focused on his school work and his extracurriculars you just hadn’t noticed it as much before. When you were at school you were also busy but now you saw things for how they really were. Maybe you had only seen the good before. Maybe he hadn’t changed as much as you had but one this was true Paul was right, you wanted more.

“You’re right Mark. Maybe you haven’t changed, but I have…and I want more than what this relationship is.”

His face hardened at your words. “Well good luck with that Y/N, but you and I both know that isn’t realistic. You were the one who told me you didn’t believe in all that bullshit anyways.”

Mark was already getting into his car before you could respond. You stood there on the porch as he drove off. Even though you had realized you didn’t want to stay with Mark the situation still stung. The fact that you weren’t a priority to him stung after being together almost a whole year.

As you walked back inside all you wanted to do was call Paul but you still you didn’t have the words. Would he care that you broke up with Mark? Would that mean something different for the two of you? Did you want it to?

The weekend felt like it had passed extremely slow. You stayed on the couch mostly continuing The Vampire Diaries but it just made you miss Paul more. You wished you could go back to Friday night and just live in that evening with Paul.

You had told Brooke and Kai what had happened with Mark they couldn’t believe what an ass he had been and Brooke did some digging that further proved it. Apparently every weekend Mark, the other interns and sometimes the heads of the firm would be out partying. They were always surrounded by plenty of woman too. It didn’t necessarily mean he had cheated but it didn’t look great when he had time for that but not to even talk to his girlfriend.

You felt like you had been in the dark about so much or more so maybe you hadn’t wanted to acknowledge what had really been going on. Maybe on some level you knew that you didn't have very strong feelings for Mark and maybe you had stayed with him so long because you thought your heart would be safer that way. With all that you knew that it was the right decision to end things even if it still hurt.

When your Dad came home Sunday evening he could tell something was wrong and you explained what had transpired between you and Mark. He seemed relieved that you were no longer together and then pretty angry when you had told him what happened. It was probably a good thing he had been gone…Most of all your Dad had been extremely supportive and even went to pick up Chinese food for dinner and your favorite ice cream for dessert.

Monday morning came and you found yourself downtown in the coffee shop sipping on your latte and trying to read a new romance novel you had started. You were desperately looking for a distraction but you could barely focus as you kept rereading the same page. Your mind was elsewhere, your mind was on Paul.

“Y\N?” a familiar voice said bringing your attention back to the present.

Jacob Black stood before you with a coffee in hand. You were surprised to see him you hadn’t seen much of him except for that one day at the beach. You still couldn’t get over how much him and the other guys had changed and grown up and how much they all looked like men now.

“Hey.” You said giving him a slight smile.

“What‘re you up to?” He asked stepping closer to the small table.

“Oh just wanted to get out of the house. How about you?”

“We were out of coffee.” He shrugged.

“You’re welcome to take a seat if you’d like.”

“Sure.” He smiled sitting opposite of you.

“So how’s your summer been going?” You asked casually.

“Oh it’s been good, busy ya know but good. Actually have a free morning for once.” He laughed.

“How’s the shop coming along?” You knew him, Quil and Embry had been working pretty non-stop on that mechanic shop and getting it ready to open.

“It’s good, almost done. Hopefully we’ll be fully operational in the next month.”

“That’s great, I’m really happy for you guys I know it’s gonna be great.” You both shared a smile.

“So how about you? How’re things going?” He asked taking a sip of his coffee.

“Uhh they’ve been better.” You said honestly. You could have lied to Jacob but you didn’t want to. You two used to be really close when you were younger and you had missed that and his friendship. Out of all the guys Jacob was probably the one you had been closest with, he was always the best listener and gave pretty good advice. Probably because he had two older sisters.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” He asked sincerely.

“My boyfriend and I broke up.”

“Oh I’m sorry Y/N….” He said but you almost saw relief flash across his features.

“It’s okay…it’s honestly all probably for the better. I couldn’t really picture a long term future with him anyways…”

He nodded giving you a half-hearted smile. “He just wasn’t the right guy for you then. When it’s right you’ll know.”

“So much wisdom.” You mused getting a chuckle from Jacob.

“I try.” He winked causing you to laugh. “So I’ve heard you’ve been hanging out with Paul a lot.” He said casually switching gears.

You stared at him quizzically. “Yeah we’ve hung out a bit.” Jacob gave you a playful smirk but didn’t say anything.

“What?“ you asked.

“Nothing, nothing.” He said seeming amused and you rolled your eyes. Jacob pulled his phone out of his pocket quickly seemingly reading a text before setting it down on the table and looking back to you. “Does Paul know you and your boyfriend broke up?”

That was an odd question and you wondered why he was asking it. “Umm no, I haven’t talked to him in a couple days actually.” Jacob just nodded like that made sense. His phone buzzed on the table and he glanced at it.

“Guess my morning of peace is over.” He joked getting up swiftly. You followed suit standing as he gave you a quick hug. “It was great running into you, Y/N. Hope to see you soon.”

“Yeah you too Jake.” You smiled after him as he exited the coffee shop.

Seeing Jacob had lightened your mood but now you were left wondering what he had meant about Paul. You took out your phone from your bag and opened the thread of texts between you and Paul. Maybe the ball was in your court and maybe you’d have to be the one to reach out to him first.

You quickly typed out a brief “Hey, what’re you up to tonight?” And hit send before you could change your mind. You knew he was at work so you tried not to count the minutes and continuously check your phone. You went back to your book hoping it could distract you for a little while and hoping more than anything you’d hear back from Paul.

taglist: @twihard08 @fangirling-4-ever @kallielikecali @sorrow-and-bliss @xxxjaexxx @sunsetevergreen @volturiwolf @vendylewin @convolutings @gooseyhouse @curadopordeus @unstablekay @fearthedietcoke @locokoca @sneezie98 @kool-kat-slider @rottenstyx

Part Nine: (Coming soon)

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! It was a bit hard to figure out where I wanted the Mark thing to go but overall I'm happy with it, byyyye Mark! Seriously want to thank you all for the love on this fic it means so much to me <3 Hope to continue with the speedier updates! Let me know if you have any feedback or want to be added to the taglist :)

Under My Skin (Paul x Fem Reader) Part Seven: The Storm

Summary: You're a college student who is back in Forks for the summer. Your life is exactly how you want it and all figured out but what happens when your arrogant childhood crush throws your perfect life right off it's track.

Part One: The Beach

Part Two: The Bonfire

Part Three: The Night Out

Part Four: The Dance

Part Five: The Drive Home

Part Six: The Lunch Non- Date

Warnings: None

Word count: 2.5k

Since your non-date with Paul that had felt very date-like at times with the glances you had been stealing at each other and the lingering hug goodbye, things had been even more confusing for you. It had been about two weeks since that Sunday and since then you’d hung out with Paul a few more times but none of them alone. A BBQ at the Uley’s house, a day at the beach with all the guys even Jacob whom you hadn’t seen in years and an interesting lunch with Paul and your Dad.

Your Dad was seemingly too excited about your new found/rekindled friendship with Paul. Apparently your he was helping on the winery project too helping with the legal side of things. Their camaraderie was interesting since your Dad had seemed kinda indifferent about Mark. Maybe it was because Paul was your friend and not your boyfriend or maybe it’s because he had know him since he was a kid.

Conversations with Mark were few and far between and you had yourself wondering why you bothered to stay together this summer. Maybe taking a break would have been a better option, you honestly didn't know. You were afraid though if you made a hasty decision come fall semester when you got back to reality you’d regret your decision. However you couldn’t deny that you felt something every time your eyes locked with Paul’s even if you weren’t sure what it was or what it meant.

Brooke and Kai had actually been spending time with Quil and Embry as well. They’d hung out again up in Port Angeles and apparently had been texting all the time. It was quite the sight to see your two best friends and your childhood friends together. It was unexpected but nice and it all kinda felt right. You weren’t going to get your hopes up too much since it was still summer, and summer flings were a thing your best friends specialized in.

It was Friday now and your dad had left promptly after work with Chief swan and Mr. Black for a fishing trip. Really that translated to a guys weekend with beer, grilling, shooting the shit and maybe catching a fish or two. It was more about them reliving their glory days more than anything.

Now it was just you home alone and you took the opportunity to have a lazy evening filled with binge watching your favorite TV shows and eating junk food. Your hair was piled up in a messy bun while you wore your oversized college sweatshirt and some comfy knit sleep shorts.

You cued up season one, episode one of the Vampire Diaries. A true guilty pleasure of yours, the first three seasons were your favorite and you re-watched the show frequently enough to be teased about it. After calling in your pizza order to the local place in town you made some hot tea and plopped on the couch cuddling in your favorite blanket.

The sun had set a little while ago and it was raining, perfect weather to watch your favorite show. It had been chillier today and it almost felt like fall even though it was still early summer. You loved fall but winters here always came too fast for your liking.

The doorbell rang and you swiftly got up grabbing some cash out of your wallet as you headed to the front door ready to enjoy some pizza although when you opened the door you weren’t met with the pizza guy, you were face to face with Paul.

Your eyes went wide in surprise, you hadn’t made any plans for tonight let alone this weekend. I’m fact since the lunch with your Dad and Paul at the diner last week he’d been kinda MIA. You had texted a bit but that was about it and now here he was standing at your front door; wet hair, raincoat, jeans and his usual boots looking too hot for his own good. You on the other hand were basically in pajamas. Your hand self-consciously went up to your messy bun hoping it didn’t look like a rat's nest.

Paul smiled eyes skimming over your bare legs up your body until they met your eyes scorching them.

“Sorry I thought you were the pizza guy…” You said feeling yourself blush.

Paul let out a chuckle. “I should have probably texted or called. I didn’t mean to drop by announced but I was passing through town and saw your car was home.” He almost looked a little shy standing on my porch with his hands in pockets. It was kinda cute. You heard thunder rumble in the distance and shivered at the chill in the air.

“It’s okay.” You smiled. “Umm you can come in if you’d like?” You said opening the front door further. Paul nodded and walked in taking off his wet jacket and hanging it one of of the hooks in the foyer revealing his cozy looking flannel shirt. “I have pizza coming if you’re interested.”

“Sure, if you're offering.” He smiled and took off his wet boots leaving them by the door. He followed you into the living room sitting on the end of the couch opposite your blanket.

“Would you like something to drink?” You asked before sitting down again yourself.

“I’d love a coffee if you have some it’s been a long day.” You could see that he did look more tired than usual and nodded.

“Sugar or cream?”

“Nah, just black is fine. Thank you.” He smiled gratefully and you headed off to the kitchen to make some coffee. Even though you were looking forward to having the house to yourself you couldn’t deny the excitement of Paul being here in your house. You suddenly remembered your appearance and quickly started a pot of coffee then ran to the bathroom downstairs to check yourself.

Your hair looked a little crazy so you pulled out the elastic finger combing it before putting it in a ponytail. You splashed a little water on your face and straightened your sweatshirt realizing you weren’t wearing a bra just a tank top underneath it. Your sweatshirt was big and thick so hopefully he wouldn’t notice. Thankfully you did have on shorts even if you couldn’t really see them under your sweatshirt.

Satisfied with how you looked you returned to the kitchen grabbing a mug and pouring in some coffee for Paul before returning to the living room.

“Thanks.” Paul said taking the mug from your hands. “What are you watching?” He asked pointing to the paused Tv screen.

If you didn’t feel embarrassed before now you did. “Umm the vampire diaries.” You grabbed your tea taking a sip of it so the mug could shield your cheeks that were no doubt red.

Paul just laughed. “And how old are you?” He asked with amusement.

You rolled your eyes. “Hey it’s a good show!” You laughed. “But we can put on something else.” You set down your mug grabbing for the remote.

“No no, I came over unannounced so let’s watch it. I’m intrigued.” He said in a playful tone and you couldn’t help but smile. You humored him and resumed the show. Not too long later the pizza arrived which Paul offered to pay for but you denied. You walked back into the living room and placed the pizza on the coffee table and turned to Paul.

“So what do you think so far? You said with a smirk.

“I can see why girls probably like it. At least there’s some action and the vampires are cooler than those cul—.” He stopped mid sentence as if he said something he shouldn’t of. You stared at him quizzically. “I mean they’re cooler than in some other movies and stuff.” You nodded resuming the show and you both dig into the pizza.

Several episodes later Paul and you were laughing and joking while watching the show. He knew at the first not so subtle hint that the Tyler character in the show was a werewolf and he could already tell that Damon and Elena were gonna have a thing at some point. You were having more fun than you thought possible and part of you imagined if this is what it would be like to be with in a relationship with Paul.

The two of you had gradually gotten closer to each other on the couch, after one of you would get up you’d sit back down a little closer than before. Now the two of you were side by side sharing your favorite blanket.

“So are team Stefan or Damon.” He joked as you finished another episode pausing it before the next one started.

“Definitely Damon.” You said without hesitation.

“I knew it.” He said which made you both laugh. “You've always had a soft spot for the bad boys.” He winked and you playfully swatted at him.

“I do not!” You said laughing along with him.

After your laughter subsided Paul glanced over at the clock on the end table. “Surprised your dad isn’t home yet.” It was almost midnight now.

“Oh he’s gone for the weekend fishing with Chief Swan and Mr. Black.”

“Oh gotcha.” He said and suddenly you felt very aware that you two were completely alone. You wondered if he had that sudden feeling too.

“So how’s that boyfriend of yours?” He asked completely changing the topic. You didn’t really want to talk about Mark. There was a lot you weren’t sure about and you were a little afraid of the realizations that might come from talking it out with another person.

“Umm good, fine.” Paul nodded but you could tell he wasn’t convinced by your words. His eyes staring into yours gave you little resolve. Paul was your friend right? Maybe he could give you some sound advice, he was a little older and you hadn’t wanted to talk to Brooke or Kai about it.

You sighed. “Okay that’s a lie. Things aren’t the greatest right now.” For whatever reason it felt wrong to lie to Paul even if it was about your personal relationship with Mark.

His face remained expressionless. “Do you want to talk about it?” He asked calmly.

“I don’t know. I feel like it’s all very complicated. I’m not sure how I’m feeling but I don’t want to just go and make a hasty decision that I end up regretting either…” You trailed off.

“I can understand that.” He said evenly. “Does he make you happy?” He asked quietly like he was afraid to ask.

That was a tough question. There was a time when he did. But maybe you were changing and maybe the things you used to want weren’t the same things anymore. The fear of missing Mark was stopping you from making a decision about your relationship but if you were being truly honest how much had you really missed him this summer?

You were about to respond when the power flickered and then went out completely. The only sounds were the rain pounding on the roof and the thunder crashing close by. Now you were even more glad that Paul was in your house it would have sucked to be all alone with the power out.

“Guess this storm must be pretty bad.” Paul said as he got up and made his way to the window. You could make out his large frame slightly in the darkness of the house.

“I know we have some candles somewhere.” You said getting up trying to make your way into the kitchen. Once you had made it to the kitchen successfully you felt around for the door to the utility closet. You knew candles would be in there if your dad had them. Thankfully you felt around and found a bin with candles and a lighter.

“You good in there?” You heard Paul call from the living room.

“Yep. Found em.” You said carefully trying to make your way back into the living room. Thankfully you did without running into anything and set down the bin on the coffee table. Within a few minutes soft candle light illuminated the living room and you and Paul were back on the couch.

The house grew a little chilly with the power off. You pulled the blanket closer for some more warmth. Debating on putting on some pajama pants. “You cold?” Paul asked noticing a shiver.

“A little.” You shrugged. Without hesitation Paul pulled you right next to him and tucked the blanket around you as his arm rested on the back of the sofa. He was warm, very warm.

“Thanks. You’re really warm…” Was he too warm?

“Yeah.” He let out a laugh. I run pretty hot.”

Silence fell between you two again, the candle light making it feel much more intimate in your living room now. You weren’t sure if it was the candle light or the sounds of the storm outside or even your proximity to Paul but you just felt an undeniable closeness to him.

“Before you asked me if Mark made me happy.” You started and Paul nodded waiting for you to continue. “Well there was a time when he did, maybe he still does on some level but maybe I’m changing and what I want is changing.” You said glancing toward Paul.

“You want more.” He said simply his eyes staring down at you, but you felt like he was looking into your soul. Buried deep down you did want more. You wanted what was written in romance novels, you wanted what you thought your parents had when you were little, you wanted that fairy tale romance. It just never felt like was attainable. It didn’t seem real or possible, just fantasy.

“Maybe I do.” You said keeping his gaze and it almost looked like hope flashed in his eyes. His face moved closer to yours and your breath hitched. Was Paul going to kiss you? Did you want him to? His eyes flashed to your lips and your heart began to race. No no no. You were still with Mark. Mark…Was this going to happen? Did Paul have feelings for you? Did you have feelings for Paul? Your mind was racing going a mile a minute.

As if he suddenly realized his closeness to you he moved his face away from yours and gently brushed a stray strand of hair out of your face. The brief contact of his warm hand on your skin gave you the shivers in the best way. “You deserve more Y/N. You deserve everything.” He said not breaking eye contact. It was the most serious and sincere Paul had ever sounded and in that moment your heart felt like it was beating just for him.

“Thank you Paul.” You said trying to match his sincerity. He really has grown into a great man.

“Your welcome.” He said. There was so much intensity behind those dark eyes of his, so much you were curious about and so much you wanted to know. “It’s probably late.” He said quietly. You knew he should probably go home but you didn’t want him to. You wanted him to stay…

“Yeah…probably.” You said. A beat of silence passed between the two of you. Neither of you getting up to move. Maybe he didn’t want to go either.. “Would you mind staying just until the power comes back on?”

Paul almost looked a little relieved and nodded. “Yeah of course.”

Taglist: @twihard08 @fangirling-4-ever @kallielikecali @sorrow-and-bliss @xxxjaexxx @sunsetevergreen @volturiwolf @vendylewin @convolutings @gooseyhouse @curadopordeus @unstablekay @fearthedietcoke @locokoca @sneezie98

Part Eight: The Next Morning (coming soon)

Thank you guys for all the love on this fic! Seriously means the world to me! I'm impressed with myself that I wrote this chapter so quickly. It was a fun chapter to write and might be my favorite one so far. I hope you guys are liking the story so far! Any TVD fans here? Lol it was fun to add that in there. Would love any feedback you guys have! If you want to be added to the taglist please let me know!

Right Where You Left Me

Late Night Talking

A clothing bomb had officially gone off in my bedroom. Nobody tells you that half the clothes you buy only look good on a hanger until you're sitting in your bedroom, trying to find an outfit and tossing half the items in your closet in a fit of stress.

Under My Skin (Paul x Fem Reader) Part Six: The Lunch Non-Date

Summary: You're a college student who is back in Forks for the summer. Your life is exactly how you want it and all figured out but what happens when your arrogant childhood crush throws your perfect life right off it's track.

Part One: The Beach

Part Two: The Bonfire

Part Three: The Night Out

Part Four: The Dance

Part Five:The Drive Home

Warnings: None?

Wordcount: 2.8k

You woke up slightly later than you wanted to. The late night plus everything that had occurred took more out of you than you had realized. It was almost nine so you quickly dragged yourself out of bed and into the shower.

As you stood under the continuous stream of hot water you reflected on your night. You were still surprised at the turn of events and Paul’s behavior. Paul. Yes you were seeing him today and you couldn’t deny you were a little excited about it. Okay maybe you were more than a little excited.

You finished your shower and got out drying off, wrapping your hair in a towel then brushing your teeth. You walked back into your room and strode over to your closet pondering on what to wear. Paul hadn’t said what the two of you would be doing so you were at a loss. You stood there for a couple minutes before you decided to just throw on some underwear, a bra and your fluffy robe for now. Before you went downstairs you took the towel out of your hair to let it finish air drying. You desperately needed coffee before you did anything else this morning.

Upon heading downstairs you saw your Dad sitting at the kitchen table paper in hand and coffee in front of him. Judging by the amount left in the coffee pot you suspected it was his second cup. He looked up from the paper and smiled as you walked through the kitchen. “Morning hun.”

You gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing a mug out of the cabinet and pouring yourself a cup. You sat opposite of him at the kitchen table enjoying the first sip of the warm liquid. It was like you could already feel the caffeine waking you up.

“How was your night? You got back pretty late.” He said casually, eyes back on his paper.

You thought about how to answer that. It was more of a loaded question than he realized. You had a pretty good and open relationship with your Dad but you felt like telling him you almost got assaulted might not be the best idea. Being the town lawyer he had plenty of connections and knew everyone plus his best friend was Chief Swan. You internally cringed at the thought of what could ensue if you divulged all the details from your evening in Port Angeles.

“Oh it was fun, Brooke, Kai and I actually ran into some of the guys from the Reservation.”

That peeked your dad’s interest, he looked up from the paper seeming now intrigued.

“Really?”

“Yeah, Quil, Embry and Paul were at the same bar we were at, we hung out with them for awhile.” You could see a slight smile on your Dad’s face mentioning their names. Your Dad had also known them since you all were kids and he knew or was good friends with most of their parents as well. He had always teased you a little about the guys and maybe he was secretly hoping you’d end up with one of them if only to stay close to him here in forks.

“Well that’s great. I’m glad you got to hang out with them, I know it’s probably been a while since you’ve seen them.” He said taking a sip of his coffee.

“Yeah it was nice.” You said evenly. “So how about you? You were certainly dressed up last night when you left?” You asked with a smirk. He rolled his eyes and smiled at your question.

“It was good. Sue and Charlie had a little dinner party at their place.”

“Dinner party?” You questioned. Dinner parties definitely weren’t Chief Swan’s thing and the thought of him hosting one was utterly amusing.

“More Sue and Emily’s idea.” He said not further elaborating.

“Ahh.” You nodded a small smile on your lips, you had a feeling there was more to that story but didn’t pry. You figured he’d tell when he was ready.

You decided to make a quick breakfast for the two of you, just some scrambled eggs and toast since you were probably going to be getting lunch somewhere with Paul later.

“So I’m gonna head over to farmer’s market in a bit. Did you wanna tag along?” Your Dad asked as he loaded the dirty dishes from your finished breakfast into the dishwasher.

“Oh I actually have plans.” You said finishing your coffee.

“Oh the girls still in town?”

“No, umm actually I have plans with Paul.” His eyebrows raised in surprise at the information.

“Paul Lahote?” He clarified.

“Umm yeah.” You felt your cheeks getting hot. Why was this embarrassing you? You were allowed to have guy friends. He nodded watching your reaction and smiled slightly.

“Well you two have a good time, give him my best.” You felt like their was some underlying meaning behind his words but didn’t dwell on it too much.

You excused yourself to finish getting ready and checked your phone which was still plugged in on your nightstand. The only messages were from your group message with Brooke and Kai. Again nothing from Mark, you pushed that out of your beard for a moment skimming the messages from your best friends. It seemed like the two girls had thoroughly enjoyed their evenings. You’d have to call them later to get all the details. It warmed your heart that they hit it off with Quil and Embry.

You put on some music while you did some simple light make up, your hair was almost done air drying so you decided to leave it and focused on picking out an outfit. After more staring into your closet you decided on a white cotton long sleeved button down shirt with the sleeves rolled, some jean shorts and white tennis shoes. It was casual but not overly so. It would work for multiple activities so it seemed like a safe bet.

As it neared twelve o’clock you felt nerves settle in your stomach. Why were you so nervous? It was just Paul. You’d know him most of your life. Was it the idea of being alone with him? Last night you had your other friends as a buffer but today it would just be the two of you.

You were grateful your Dad had already left for the Farmers market by the time it got close to noon. You didn’t need him to be present making the interaction more awkward than it already felt. You sighed sitting on your bed playing with your phone to try to distract yourself.

You nearly jumped when you heard the doorbell ring. You quickly ran to your window looking outside to see a blue truck out front of your house. You assumed it was Paul’s, you glanced at your clock and it was twelve on the dot. You took a deep breath looking over yourself once more in your full length mirror throwing your small cross body purse on. Relax, it’s just lunch. It’s not a date.

You descended the stairs and paused in front of the door your hand hovering on the knob. Get it together. Breath. You opened the door revealing Paul, he was dressed in jeans, the same boots from last night and a dark grey short sleeved henley. You could smell either his cologne or body wash but whatever it was smelled great. Your stomach did a little flip at the sight of him that you tried to ignore.

“Hey.” He smiled down at you and you returned his smile.

“Hey.”

“Ready?” He asked and you nodded walking out the door and locking it behind you. You followed him to his truck and he opened the passenger door for you and after you climbed in he shut it behind you. After climbing in the driver side himself he started the engine. Paul fit in this vehicle much better than in yours. You smiled at the memory of him in your small car last night.

“So where are we headed?” You asked as you buckled your seat belt.

“It’s a surprise.” He smirked and turned onto the main road. Now you were intrigued. He past through town heading down the road. So you weren’t going someplace in town…interesting.

“I take it the the guys made it back okay?” You asked. You were very curious to hear both sides of last night’s events. You’d have to make it down to the reservation at some point this week to grill them.

“Oh yeah, they uhh definitely had a good time. Practically had to force them to bring my truck back.” Paul laughed.

“Yeah I woke up to some texts from the girls they seemed…happy.” You said humorously.

You both continued to chat casually until Paul turned down a long dirt road. You didn’t recognize the area but lush forest surrounded both sides of the road. Toward the end of the road the forest opened up and there was cleared field with little trees that led to a large house like building that was situated over looking the ocean.

There were no other cars here, you and Paul were the only ones. He parked his truck in front of the building and turned off the car. You stared in wonder wherever you were it sure was beautiful.

“What is this place?” You asked.

“It’s a winery, well not quite yet but it will be soon.” He said getting out of his truck. You followed him out and walked behind him towards the building. He punched some numbers into the keypad on the door and it opened.

He held the door open for you and you looked around taking in the open space. It looked partly under construction but the work that had been done looked really nice.

“How do you have access to this place?” You asked admiring the craftsmanship of the wooden bar area.

“Well it’s what I hope to be my future business.”

“This place is yours?” You couldn’t hide the surprise in your voice. Paul smiled and let out a little laugh.

“No, it’s not all mine, I have some business partners who are on this project with me. Jared is one of them. His Dad is also helping over see things and a few others.”

You were honestly shocked, not that you didn’t think Paul was a hard worker cause he always had been, well about the things he liked at least. What surprised you was all the thought and effort that he was putting into this. He was truly building something and it was impressive.

“Wow…Paul it’s beautiful.” You we’re at a loss for what else to say. You continued to walk forward to the huge windows facing the back of the property overlooking the ocean. The view was incredible. No doubt people would love to come here and take in the beauty. In the last 24 hours Paul had surprised you more than you thought possible.

He stood next to you looking out at the view, he glanced over at you and you caught his gaze and smiled at him. “This view is something else.” You said. He looked proud as he smiled back.

“I’m glad you like it.” He said. “Stay right here I’ll be right back.” Paul disappeared behind the bar and came back with two glasses, a bottle of wine and a basket.

“Care to do some sampling?” He said with a playful grin.

“Sounds great.” You said genuinely excited.

Paul led you through one of the back doors onto the back patio which was fully covered. Smart considering the amount of rain the area got. Currently it wasn’t raining thankfully so Paul continued walking the property until he got to two adirondack chairs with a little table between them much. It was situated closer to the edge of the property with a closer view of the ocean.

Both of you took a seat and Paul opened a bottle of white wine and took some crackers, fruit, cheese, and meat out of the baskets. You watched him as he poured you each a glass and the subtly fruity notes of the wine wafted over to you. He handed you a glass taking one in his hand and raising it to yours.

“Cheers to old friends.” He said.

“Cheers to old friends and new business endeavors.” He smiled at your words and you gently clinked glasses before taking a sip of the perfectly chilled wine. It was refreshing and sweet but no overly so.

“This is delicious.” You said taking another sip.

“I’m glad you like it.” He beamed. “We’re working with a local vineyard close by, the goal is to have a little vineyard here on the property too eventually.”

“That sounds amazing.”

You imagined this place up and running and Paul at the forefront of it all. You couldn’t deny that you wanted to see it all unfold. You were proud of him and you felt some other emotions stirring towards him as well.

“So how did this all start?” You asked.

He took another sip from his glass before beginning. “Well the idea came to me a couple years ago. I was out this way running…and I don’t know it just really stuck out to me. I could envision something here so I did some research found out who owned it and eventually they sold it to us. Around the same time I learned of that vineyard close by, they have great wine but they don’t have winery on their property, mostly they’ve just sold to the local stores and restaurants. So I guess it all kinda just clicked, of course I couldn’t have done it without Jared and his Dad.”

You could hear the passion in his voice and couldn’t help but smile as you listened to him. “Well I’m sold.” You said and you both laughed. “But no seriously I think this is gonna be really great Paul.” You said catching those warm brown eyes.

Your eyes lingered on each other for a moment. “Thank you Y/N.” Paul said before glancing away. “I really hope so.” He added with a small smile.

The two of you fell into a silence sipping on the wine and taking in the great view.

“So I wanted to apologize.” Paul said eyes back on you. Your furrowed your brows in confusion at this statement.

“Apologize?” You clarified.

“Yeah, when we were younger I was kinda a jerk to you. I’m sorry about that. I wish I could say I had a good excuse but I don’t, I was just a dumb kid. You were always nice to me, you didn’t deserve that.” Paul was apologizing for his adolescent teasing? who was this man?

“Oh. I mean it was a really long time ago.” You said with a light laugh trying to play it off. “But I appreciate you apologizing.” Paul didn’t need to know just how much you had disliked him after that and how much it actually had effected you.

“Yeah…but still. I was an ass.” He gave a halfhearted smile.

“Yeah…you kinda were.” You laughed and Paul joined you.

You felt so light in this moment like things were just…right. You glanced over at Paul his eyes were studying you in such a way you felt yourself blush. You quickly looked away using yours wine glass as a shield taking a long sip.

No other man had effected you the way Paul had in less than a weeks time. The way your eyes lingered on him too long, the intrusive thoughts, the way you itched to feel his hot skin again. It was dangerous the way you were feeling, dangerous and confusing.

Rain drops fell bringing you out of your thoughts. The cool drops momentarily calmed your racing mind. Paul began packing up the food and you quickly helped him grabbing the glasses and wine making a run back inside laughing like kids.

Once safely inside you followed Paul over to the partially finished bar area resting the glasses, the wine bottle and basket on the bar. You surveyed the damage, you weren’t soaked but you were close to it and now you were silently cursing yourself for wearing a white shirt that was very much now see through showing off your nude bra. Great.

Paul was searching for something behind the bar, his shirt clung to his toned chest and you had to remind yourself not to stare. His eyes shifted to you and you thought you saw him swallow hard as his eyes skimmed down to your wet shirt. “Sorry I thought there were towels back here somewhere.” He said trying to keep eye contact.

“It’s okay.” You replied trying to do the same. A sudden tension filled the room it was almost like electricity buzzing between the two of you. You literally felt buzzing and it took you a minute to realize it was your phone in your pocket. You broke eye contact pulling it out to see who it was and Mark’s name was illuminated on the screen.

“Something important?” Paul asked noticing you just staring blankly at your phone.

“No.” You said sliding it back into your pocket and letting it go to voicemail.

taglist: @twihard08 @fangirling-4-ever @kallielikecali @sorrow-and-bliss @xxxjaexxx @sunsetevergreen @volturiwolf @vendylewin @convolutings @gooseyhouse @curadopordeus @unstablekay @fearthedietcoke @locokoca

Part Seven: The Dinner (coming soon)

Thank you all SOO much for the love on this Fic! Seriously love you guys! Every read, like, comment & reblog mean so much to me! Sorry this one took so long to finish. I will try my best to have the next part finished sooner! I hope you guys liked this chapter! Please send me feedback and if there are any Twilight universe characters you'd like to see make an appearance in the future! If you want to be added to the taglist let me know! <3

Right Where You Left Me

Movie Night With Bella

No Warnings

After getting Paul to agree to watch Delta for the night while I got to the movies with Bella Swan and her friend, I had to get my sister to agree as well. Though the fact the Emily was constantly in the kitchen baking for the pack is what I think sold her the most, adding the incentive of us spending Saturday together baking whatever her heart desired really nailed in the okay I got from her.

Right Where You Left Me

Part Six: Illicit Affair

Warning:Mentions of Parents Death

Driving up to the unfamiliar home without Paul was even more daunting than I realised it was going to be. I stare at the book in the passenger seat, ‘Descendents of the Wolves: Quileute’s History’. Why would he give this to me?

Right Where You Left Me

Part Five: Wildest Dreams

No Warnings

“You coming to Gracies party tonight?” I hear the familiar voice from behind as he places his hand on the small of my back.

“Nope.”

“Come on, live a little.” Paul teases.

Right Where You Left Me

Part Four: Happiness

No Warnings

After the events of yesterday, I made the executive decision that I shouldn’t have to go to school today. I didn’t want to spend the entire day wondering if Paul had kept his promise and actually showed up to school. It’s not like anyone would argue with my decision to stay home, it's bad, but I would just play the dead mom card anyways.

Right Where You Left Me

Part Three: I Think He Knows

No Warnings

Translation: Loba = Wolf (f)

Pauls POV

Slamming the front door shut to the house I’ve spent more time at than my own home in recent months, I’m met with two pairs of alarmed eyes.

Right Where You Left Me

Part Two: Invisible String Warnings: Mentions of Death

My head aches from the lack of sleep I got the night before. Delta had decided at the last minute to start her science project and I had been roped in to glueing little glow in the dark stars to a black bristol board until the morning sun shone bright through the dining room window.

Right Where You Left Me

Part One

New Developments

No Warnings

I’ve spent the last six months slipping out of my window and into Paul’s, spending the night quietly wrapped up in each other before slipping out again early the next morning. No feelings involved, that was the deal. It was working for the most part,  the one thing in my life that I didn’t have to worry about. until I did. Paul was changing, physically and emotionally. I ragged on him about the use of anabolic steroids but he denied ever taking anything, though the signs were all there. he from the typical physique of an eighteen year old, athletic boy to a body builder, with ticking time bomb attitude. It was never aimed at myself, but usually the boys he called his friends. It had gotten so bad that he was kicked off the soccer team. Although he no longer needed a tutor, his incentive ripped from him, he still showed up every Tuesday after school.

TWO

Paul

 The storm outside had roared to an uncontrollable down pour, washing away all traces of footprints, scents, and any sign of human life. The tall, black-haired teen shook out his rain-soaked hair, pushing it back to keep the water from dripping into his eyes. 

“Find anything?” A deep voice male called; arms crossed over his bare chest. 

“Nah,” Paul shook his head, “the rain is making it impossible to track anything, even for me.” 

Sam, the deep voiced male, shook his head with a sigh.

 “Whatever it was, just up and disappeared,” 

“No, dad, she’s fine, asleep on the couch,” Paul’s hypersensitive ears homed into the phone conversation Jared was having with his father, “Paul and Sam are here now looking around,” Paul folded his arms across his chest, leaning against the siding of the Cameron home, the overhang of the gutter system providing slight coverage from the pouring rain. The phone conversation ended with some grunts of goodbyes before the squeaky back door flung open. 

 “Anything?” Jared asked, rubbing his hand against his forehead. 

“No,” Sam shook his head, “but the rain could’ve washed out the scent.” 

Jared nodded. He looked tired and worn out, eyes drooping every now and the bags had begun to form underneath his eyes. 

“Jared,” Sam sighed, “you need to get some sleep.” 

All Jared could manage was a nod. 

Tala

The warm spray provided some life back into Tala’s bones; stream sweat dripping down her face. She sighed, running her fingers through the wet tangled mess that was her hair. 

The night had been another sleepless night; the tree branches scratching across her window at first glance looked like a person tapping on her window, scaring her awake. Though it would have been practically impossible for anyone to tap on her window, unless of course they were Spiderman. 

Reaching down Tala grabbed her shampoo, the bottle made a noise as she attempted to squeeze some into her palm. “Fucking A,” Tala groaned, realizing that she was out of shampoo. She massaged what was in her hand into her scalp. She hummed a quiet tune, attempting to quiet her raging head, as she washed the white foam from her hair. She grabbed the matching conditioner, using it to untangle the knots that had made themselves home in Tala’s dark hair. She made sure that she was completely soap free before wrapping a towel around her body. She gingerly stepped out of the shower, careful not to slip. 

Hazel eyes stared deep into the reflection of the bathroom mirror. Dark circles had made themselves resident under Tala’s tear red eyes. 

A gentle knock pulled Tala gave from her tired expression in the mirror. 

“T? Did you fall into the drain?” 

Tala pulled open the door, “No, I’m fine,” she brushed past Jared as she made her way toward her bedroom. 

 “Gotta make sure no water monsters grabbed you!” Jared called. 

“Not funny, Jared,” Tala called back, closing her bedroom door. She dropped her towel, flinging it into the dirty clothes hamper in the corner of her room. She grabbed a clean bra and panties before shuffling through her closet. She found a pair of skinny jeans and a gray t-shirt. She quickly changed, sitting down at her desk chair to brush out her hair. The makeup mirror still showed the sleepless face. 

            God, I look like a zombie. 

Tala applied concealer under her eyes, hiding the dark circles. She applied a thick layer of mascara to her eyelashes, attempting to make herself look more alive and like she slept. She applied some Chapstick before sighing. 

            Well, that’s about as alive as I’m going to look.

 Tala’s backpack made a clinking noise against her bedframe as she slung it over her shoulder, her bedroom door made a slight squeaking noise as she opened it.

The old wooden stairs creaked as she walked down the stairs, the smell of coffee filling her senses. 

“Good morning, Tala,” Joe, Jared and Tala’s father, called from the kitchen. 

 Tala nearly knocked her head against the wooden doorframe in frustration. She was hoping to slip in and out of the house without being noticed. So much for that plan. “Morning,” she sighed, setting her bag down at her feet long enough to grab her jacket from the closet. 

“Want some breakfast?” Joe looked up from the coffee he was drinking, “There’s some toast in the toaster,” 

 “I’m good, dad, thanks,” Tala slipped her arms into her jacket before slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

 “Are you sure?” 

Tala sighed, slipping her shoes on, “Yes, dad. I’m fine,” 

“Jared told me what happened last night,” Joe took a long sip of his coffee, “I’m going to call your mother when I have my lunch break this afternoon.” 

 “What? Why?”

 “Because she needs to know what happened,”

 “Dad, it was probably just some kid trying to scare me. I’m sure it’s nothing. No need to worry mom,” Tala snagged her keys off the hook, “I have to go, I’m going to be late.” 

Tala used her plastic fork, pushing around the blubbery mac and cheese around on the Styrofoam tray. The events from the previous night plagued her mind. Students with their hoods pulled up, covering their faces, made a chill run down her spine. Sometimes even the way someone walked made her do a double take, worried the man that chased her up the house had followed her to school. Tala’s hands begun to tremble, the possibility that who it was had followed her to school stuck in her head making it impossible to obstruct the thought.  

 “I think you were right,” Tala cut in as slipped her coat back around her chilled figure. 

Celine gave her a strange look, “About what?” 

 “What you said yesterday at lunch. You were right, something fishy is going on here,”

Celine snorted, “You know me, just a hunch, I don’t think – “ 

“Someone chased me up to my house last night,” Tala cut in. 

Celine’s face dropped, “What?” 

 “Yeah, I know it sounds crazy. But, I was doing homework in the garage. I thought it was Jared, but the person almost looked like they didn’t have a face,” 

 “Didn’t have a face?” 

 “Again, I know it sounds weird. But they were wearing a hood, couldn’t see their face.”

“T, it is homecoming week, it could’ve been someone pulling a prank.” 

 “You could be right,” Tala shrugged, her chipped black polished fingernails scrapped against the wooden lunch table as she stood up. “I’ll be right back.” She muttered, advancing towards the bins used to dump leftover lunch. Tala felt bad that she hadn’t touched her lunch but in all honestly, she didn’t have much of an appetite for something that looked like a science experiment. The Styrofoam crinkled as it flopped onto the rest of the trays still filled with lunch, other students must’ve had the same feeling with trying science experiments. 

A chill ripped through Tala’s body forcing her to zip up her jacket, shoving her hands in her pocket she spun around. The whole room seemed to slow as Tala smacked into a hard chest, mind too preoccupied with other things she didn’t pay attention to her surrounds. A Styrofoam tray was plunged into her chest, sending the yellow sauce from the mac and cheese down the front of her jacket. 

A gasp was ripped from her throat, hands emerging from the pockets of her jacket.

“Jesus,” A deep voice growled.

Tala’s hazel eyes almost vibrated in fear as they trailed up the tall frame of an angry looking Paul Lahote. Nice one, Tala. 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry – “Tala’s apology was cut short when her eyes met Paul’s. Her breath caught in her throat as his eyes burned into hers, she felt her heart speed up. Her palms broke out into a cold sweat. 

Paul blinked his eyes a few times, snapping himself out of trance. He uttered nothing as he shoved the tray into the bin before disappearing into a dark hallway.

 “Holy shit, Tala, are you alright?” Celine’s concerned face broke Tala out of her confused daze. 

 “Ask me later,” Tala let out a deep sigh, pulling off her ruined jacket. 

Paul

Paul pressed his hand down onto his pounding heart. His mind racing a million miles a minute. 

 “Fuck,” Paul growled in a deep pant, running his fingers through his dark locks, tugging harshly at the ends. “No…no, this cannot be happening,” he grunted, pounding the heal of his hand against his forehead. His vision begun to blur as anger begun to bubble in his chest. With fear of phasing, activity exposing the secret to the security cameras, Paul’s fingers rummaged around in the pocket of his jeans, searching for his phone. 

The plastic case nearly exploded under his rough grasp as his fingers tapped against the screen. The cool screen felt like ice against Paul’s cheek, the ringing tone drumming against his ear drums. 

“What’s wrong?” Sam grunted out as he answered the phone. 

“Sam,” Paul panted, “We have a problem. A big problem.”