Revenant Paul Lahote

Chapter 15

Caylee didn't know what it was that compelled her to make a final call to Paul. 

For days she had been stuck, unable to pull herself out of the hole of pain she had dug herself into. The grief that washed over her after losing Gran the week prior did not fade, and it seemed as though the dreams were becoming more constant, as if it could sense her weakness and exploited it even more. 

Just what she needed, seeing a dead Gran and then getting dreams of strangers dying. 

Caylee wasn't sure if Paul knew, and truthfully she was afraid to find out. It would hurt more finding out that he knew that Gran had passed and didn't at least call her, especially with how often they had talked about how much Gran had meant to him. Though, he had also told Caylee how much she meant to him at one point. 

In a span of minutes Paul had saved her life and then ripped her heart out. 

It felt like her world had started to collapse; the tone he used as he demanded she leave cracked her heart like an earthquake, and the way he wouldn't dare look at her as he did so - as if she was nothing. 

Now with both Gran and Paul gone, there was truly nothing left for her. 

Regardless, Caylee stood at the counter and picked up the phone with shaky hands. The number flew out of her easily, her fingers memorized the correct order a long time ago, and she felt a shudder go down her spine as she listened to the ringing. 

Voicemail. 

She wasn't surprised. She had hoped for his voicemail, knowing that if she heard his voice she would crumble. 

"Hey Paul," her voice wavered and she cringed at how broken she sounded. "It's me. I don't know if you heard but uh," Caylee swallowed a lump in her throat as tears began to pool around her eyes. "Gran's gone. And you always said how much you cared about her so I just wanted to make sure you knew."

"She loved you," Caylee almost whispered into the phone. "That's all I really have to say so I guess I'll go. Bye Paul." 

Hanging up the phone she finally allowed herself to fall apart. Sobs falling out of her mouth at an embarrassing rate, her hand clutching over where her heart is as if afraid it would fall out. The weather outside matched how she was feeling perfectly. 

The waves in the distance could be heard snapping against the shore like a wound up rubber band. The dark clouds bled tears that fell rapidly against the Earth, pounding on the roof of the small home that used to be filled with the laughter of the three of them.

She had to leave. 

She didn't know where she was going or what she was doing but she had to escape. With teary eyes she snatched the keys to Paul's truck and ran out, the rain drenching her within seconds and the muddy ground nearly sending her slipping and sliding. 

Throwing herself up into the cab of the truck she shivered, looking over and seeing the same sweatshirt she had given Paul that had been there when she had driven to school the day Gran died and hesitantly ran her fingers over the soft material. 

Putting it on, her eyes went blurry and she quickly grabbed the picture of her and the second one of her and Paul that had been sitting on the dash next to the speedometer and shoved them into the pocket of the sweater before turning on the truck and pulling out of the driveway. 

Unable to think clearly, she just drove. 

It was dark and the windshield wipers that badly needed replacing were doing an awful job at combating the harsh raindrops that attacked the window. Caylee could somewhat make out which road she had subconsciously driven too; the cliffs. 

However, what she didn't expect to see was someone standing in the middle of the road with bright hair and glowing red eyes, and she slammed on the brakes.