Island girl

Where reality kicks in

Part four-Paul

　

Paul had decided to dismiss the slight niggling concern about his growing friendship with Alison.

He didn't want to spoil his new found friendship. He was enjoying her company too much. So he told himself she just was a nice distraction, who helped him forget the bad things going on in his life, and who made him feel like a normal person, rather than the celebrity freak personae that he had built up around himself.

So he found himself helpless to do anything else, but be filled with admiration and gratitude towards her, especially when she became all over protective about him.

She went out of her way to make sure that any of the fallout from Mickey and the newspaper story, was counteracted with the truer version of the events. Letting the local people know she was remaining firmly on his side, no matter what.

Apart from his parents, he didn't think there was anyone else who had ever cared enough about him in a long while that had went out of their way and be such a loyal friend to him, than she was proving to be.

.She had manage to restore his faith in humanity again, and he had to admit, he was humbled by it. The most extraordinary part of it all was she thought it was just a normal thing to do, and didn't see herself being special in anyway.

So he was reasoning with himself, that he could he not help but be fascinated and drawn to her, especially when she managed to bring out the best in him.

And as the bond kept growing between them, he found he had no desire to fight against it, or worry about what the future might hold for them.

Saturday afternoon arrived, when he had invited her around to show her how to make his special chocolate dessert, and all the unpleasantness that had happened earlier in the week was almost forgotten.

She asked him more about his family life, and he talked about his brother and sisters when they were all younger.

She laughed at the funny stories about the escapades they got up to, then wistfully revealed she would have liked to come from a big family, and have lots brothers and sisters as well.

He found himself admitting he had taken his family a lot for granted , realising how lonely it must have been for Alison, her mother abandoning her. and being brought up by her Grandparents, even though she loved and was grateful for their care. There must have been times when she had felt that sense of abandonment and resentment that her mother had just not wanted her to be part of her life anymore.

That she had remarried, and perhaps had other children, but had not wanted to include Alison in that family.. It had to hurt, no matter how loved and caring her Grandparents had been to her.

Now he couldn't help but envelope her in a comforting hug, "Y'know what I realise," he then told her, his chin resting on her dark head, "When you live in a small community like this, everyone is like a big family anyway.. It reminds me a bit of my family actually; You have Teresa your employer who is like the nosy but kindly Aunt, and Mickey the overprotective brother, everyone looks out for everyone else.. So in a way you do have a big family"

He pulled her away from him a little now, so he could look into her brown eyes, "in many ways I envy you" he then admitted just happy he had the chance to return the favour and for once give her reassurance and make her feel better instead of the other way around

Alison just let out a little laugh, feeling sure he was just saying it to make her feel better, it wasn't often she became wistful, or feeling sorry for herself, and she didn't usually speak to openly of her inner feelings with anyone, yet here she was doing exactly that with Paul whom she had only known a few weeks or so.