Cliff Diver || Paul Lahote•Jacob Black/Twilight Fanfiction

Chapter 32

"Do you want to go home or to your dad's house?" Renata asked Paul as they got into the truck.

Renata was aware that Paul had trouble at home, his dad had a drinking problem ever since Paul was a child, which was why his wife asked him to file the divorce agreement, he only agreed to it if he could have Paul's custody. Paul's mother thought it would be fine, even if her husband was a drunk and had psychologically abused her, he had always been a good father to Paul, and they even seemed to get along really well, what she didn't know, is that now that she was gone, Mr. Lahote had taken the habit to verbally and emotionally abuse Paul, luckily, it hadn't gotten physical, but Renata was worried it would someday turn that way.

"Emily's but- uhm, I have to go get some things to my dad's, while he is at work" Paul told her, resting his head on the window.

He didn't want to look at Renata, he knew he had fucked up as soon as he saw her standing over him and Jacob. It has been his own fault, the fight, and he knew it. The first fight had been because Jacob told Paul and Jared to not absorb Renata into their cult, Jared and Pual host laughed over Jacob's comment, which enraged Jacob, the first time, it had been Jacob the one that jumped at Paul first, Paul didn't think much of it, as Jacob was still human, he wouldn't have enough strength... or so he thought, the moment blood fell from Paul's nose, he knew that Jacob had started to change physically, becoming stronger. The second fight, Paul was just having a really bad day, his dad had come home drunk at night and kept banging on his door, insulting him, so when Jacob said a snide comment about Paul's appearance that day, he just lost it, luckily, now Paul knew that Jacob could take his punches. The third fight, it had been his fault,  he was talking with Jared, joking how he had fallen asleep with Renata, Jared asked him if he had fallen asleep in the living room as well, Paul shook his head and laughed, he wouldn't sleep in the couch when Renata's bed was perfectly warm, "and Renata didn't even wake up, so I just stayed in her bed all night, what she doesn't know won't hurt her" Paul laughed and shrugged it off as nothing, it was not nothing, not to Jacob, who had heard only that last part. Paul understood now how his comment might have been taken out of context, and he didn't blame Jacob for being protective over Renata. On the way to the Principal's office, Paul calmly told Jacob that what he heard was only part of the story, Renata had fallen asleep on the couch and he took the opportunity to sleep on her bed, the only reason why he said it was good she hadn't woken up, was because she would have sent him to the couch and reclaimed her bed, "but nothing more, man, you really think Jared would let me live if I'd done something to her?" Jacob had thought he was bluffing, but once he saw Renata, and she talked to him, he knew Paul had told the truth.

Once they arrived to Paul's house, he checked his dad's truck was not there, so it was okay to go in. Renata got off the truck and went inside with Paul. The house was pretty similar to Jacob's, only, this one didn't give off the same vibe, this was not a home, like Jacob's or Emily's, this was only a house, a cold building with furniture inside.  

Paul went to where Renata thought was his room, Renata went to the kitchen, and she opened the freezer, there was only a bag of frozen vegetables and a tray of ice. She grabbed the tray of ice and poured it all in a kitchen cloth and tied it tightly.

"Paul?" Renata called. He came into the kitchen and found Renata sitting in the counter. She called him to get closer, he did without question, he stood between her legs and closed his eyes, preparing himself to be yelled at, but instead, Renata took his face in her hands and then stopped for a bit, "this will be cold" Renata warned and then put the improvised ice bag in his eye, he flinched.

"Aren't you gonna yell at me or something?" Paul asked, he stopped her hand with the ice bag by taking it in his own hand, he tried to look at her in the eye but his eye was swollen and wasn't able to see her, "at least say something, for the love of God!" Paul exclaimed,  Renata flinched.

"No tengo ninguna razón para gritarte, Paul. I may not like that you and Jacob have been fighting, but it would be quite hypocritical of me to do it. Just try to think before you act, ok?" Renata said calmly. 

"I know, I'll try to do it. I really don't want to hurt anyone" Paul sighed.

"I know" Renata said, and pulled Paul closer, hugging him tight.

To say that Pual was taken aback, would be an understatement. It was the first time Renata had hugged him. It was not just a quick hug, she held him close, he could feel her warmth, and her care, in that hug. He slowly put his arms around  Renata's waist and hugged her back. Their hug was cut by the sound of a truck pulling up at the driveway, it made Paul jump back.

"Shit, we have to go" Paul exclaimed and pulled Renata by the hand towards his room, where he had left his bag with clothes.

As fast as they might have been, taking all of his clothes and whatever else he needed, when they were going to leave, Paul's father stormed into the house, stumbling over and with a bottle of whiskey in his hand.

"Dad, shouldn't you be at work?" Paul asked with a shaky voice. It was hard to imagine Paul, a muscly guy over six and a half feet tall, look so small next to anyone, and yet, there he was. He held to Renata's arm for dear life, while also shielding her with his body, he knew she could defend herself, but he still didn't want her to have anything to do with his brute of a father.

"And shouldn't you be at school, boy?" Mr. Lahote said, and spit at Paul's feet. A fire burned inside Renata, she wouldn't let anyone treat her friends like that, but as soon as she tried to move forward, Paul kept her in place, "whose that? One of your whores, I presume"

"I'm sorry, what" Renata was taken aback.

"She's a friend, dad, and I won't let you talk to her like that" Paul said bravely.

"Oh, fuck off! We both know you ain't doing shit!" The disgusting man laughed and took a long sip of whiskey, "I knew your taste was bad, boy, but I didn't know how bad" the man spat out.  Renata was disgusted by the man that stood in front of them, he couldn't find anything in him that reminded her of Paul, not one bit, "her looks is not what you're with her for, that's for sure, she's one of the ugliest bitches I've ever seen- so she must be good in other matters" he wiggled his eyebrows and grabbed his groin, it made Renata want to vomit, "are you, baby girl? Do you and my son do nasty stuff in bed?" He looked directly into Renata's eyes, and then looked her up and down, devouring her with his eyes, she felt violated by the way that man was looking at her.

He stepped closer at them and Renata instinctively took a step back. Paul knew that now that she had shown weakness against him, his father would try to take advantage of that weakness. Paul tried to stay close to Renata but without giving away that he cared for her as much as he did, or he'd make things worse for her. Renata thought of using her powers, but couldn't bring herself to hurt another human being, not after what happened before she was expelled. Paul's father stepped closer and grabbed her chin, and pulled her face up, licking his lips. Renata was nauseated, to say the least, and she felt trapped, Paul's father was blocking her way to the door. She slapped his hand away from her face with the bravest face she could manage. This infuriated the man, who grabbed her roughly from the hair, so tight it made tears appear in her eyes, and a pain yelp escape her lips, he then threw the almost empty bottle of whiskey st her feet, where it shattered.

"Do not disrespect me, girl! Or you'll see how mean I can be!" He yelled, grabbing her throat as well, while she cried in pain. Paul saw her eyes flickering gold, her instincts told her to use her powers, to defend herself, but she held back.

For Paul, this was more than he could bear watch, and he grabbed his father from the back of his shirt. His father, in surprise that his son was standing up to him, let go off Renata, who fell to her knees and hands, on top of the shattered glass, the shards impaling her knees and palms. Paul pulled his father away from Renata, and threw him away to the ground, while he helped Renata off the ground, she was bleeding. Paul put Renata in the passenger seat in the truck, and, with one eye only, that was starting to heal, drove straight to Sue Clearwater's house, she would help.