Revenant Paul Lahote

Chapter 17

* These are all memories from when Paul and Caylee met and random points in their friendship *

When Paul Lahote walked into the diner it felt like the air had been knocked out of his lungs.

She was beautiful.

He had never seen her before, but something in him urged him closer, wanting to get a better look at the stranger. She fluttered all over the diner haphazardly, plastering on a small smile each time she approached a customer and carefully set food in front of them or took things away. Her hair was tied back but it was clear she had been working tirelessly as bits and pieces were falling out and into her eyes.

A woman called out to her, nodding in Paul's direction as he stood awkwardly at the doorway staring.

When Caylee anxiously looked up from the table she had been cleaning her heart fell into her stomach. The boy, only a year or two older than herself, was soaked from the rain. His dark hair dripped at the ends and onto the floor and his brown eyes held an intensity she had never seen before as they gazed into her own.

Caylee cleared her throat awkwardly, "You're um, dripping on the floor. If you take a seat at the counter I'll get you a towel."

He nodded, finally tearing his eyes away from hers. Caylee worked quickly, cleaning up the puddle that he had created in the doorway so no one, especially herself, would slip before meeting him at the other side of the counter.

She was careful, as careful as she could be when handing him the towel. "Coffee?" She asked.

"Please."

As she poured the coffee into his cup she couldn't help but notice the bruises on his knuckles, while Paul couldn't help but notice the way she shivered at their close proximity.

He was there for an hour, only getting refills on coffee and attempting to make small talk. Paul was confused, he was no stranger when it came to the ladies, but something about this girl made any and all sense he had gone out the window. All he wanted to do was learn more about her.

There was a loud crash from the back, making him jump away from his thoughts and out of his seat.

"Are you okay?" Paul asked.

Caylee was sitting on the floor in the back, trying to pick up some of the dishes she had dropped. Her hand dripped crimson drops from cutting herself on accident.

"You can't be back here." Her voice was shaky, and she trembled as Paul walked closer.

"You're bleeding." He knelt down closer, entering her personal space as he tried to reach for her wounded hand.

Caylee fumbled away quickly, picking up a plate and holding it in between them to keep some space. Paul could see a deep hurt in her eyes, much more painful than whatever she was feeling in her hand.

Stepping closer, she took a step back. He let out a breathy laugh, "Are you really not gonna let me look at your hand?"

"No, I'm not. I don't know you and you're not supposed to be back here." Caylee held out the plate defensively, the next step he took she threw it at him, barely missing his head. "Stay back!"

"Look, I'm just trying to help-" Another plate came flying.

"Well you're being weird!" She said, coming back out into the front to look for Theresa.

Paul followed,"I'm being weird? You're bleeding all over the place and-"

Another plate.

Neither had noticed the old couple sitting in the corner watching in amusement. Each step Paul took, Caylee would chuck a plate at him and they went around and around the counter.