PACK || TWLGHT OS 02

Paul Lahote | I Think I Love You (II)

By : marvelatthetwilight | Tumblr

-----

Months had passed since Y/N first met Paul, on the first day in her new home. They spoke daily, neither one of them able to break contact for more than a few hours, never really talking about anything in particular, but the conversation never ran dry. Y/N couldn't put her finger on what was different about Paul to all the guys she had known before, but he was special, and she knew she was falling in love with him.

Only that week, at the end of their daily phone call she nearly finished their chat with an "I love you" but couldn't pluck up the courage for the words to come out.

What she didn't know was that throughout their chats that week Paul had wanted to say "I think I love you" every time he heard her laugh, but he wanted the moment to be special, and not just be something that was blurted out at any random moment. It was then that Paul decided that he needed to plan a big romantic gesture, a gesture that truly expressed how he felt about Y/N.

---

It was Saturday, and after a week of manic work, Y/N was finally beginning to settle into the pace of her new job. What she needed was time to unwind with her new friends, and she was looking forward to relaxing at dinner at Emily's house.

For Paul however, he wasn't feeling ready to unwind, he was feeling more wound up and anxious than ever.

"Right everyone, do you all know what your role is?" Paul asks, looking round at the pack sitting at Emily's kitchen table.

They all nod, apart from Seth who puts his hand up.

Paul rolls his eyes at the young pup, "we aren't in school Seth, what's wrong?"

"So...me and Colin, we're...waiters?"

The pack collectively groan.

"Seth we've been through this like ten times!" Embry moans, throwing a muffin at Seth's head.

"Yeah I know I just don't want to get it wrong. It's a lot of pressure!"

"You're literally just handing out food! You go to Emily, she gives you a plate, you bring it out to the table, that's it!" Paul says exasperatedly, having repeated himself for the fourth time that day.

"Paul do we need everyone to just quickly cover what they're doing to be sure?" Sam asks, walking over to the table having overheard the pack's groans.

Paul takes a deep breath to calm himself, fingers massaging his temples. "Ok, Jared, go."

Jared stands up. "I Jared, will be the playing the role of goofy best friend who doesn't know where Paul is but, oh look, a romantic table set up on the beach, how quaint." He takes a bow and Seth claps him before catching Paul's eye and stopping quickly.

Embry and Quil stand up next. "We are setting up said quaint romantic table on the beach under strict orders from Kim and Emily."

Paul nods, and smiles at Emily as she gives him the thumbs up. "I Emily, along with Kim, am the brains behind this operation and I will be chef and second in command decorator." Kim jumps up from Jared's lap and high fives Emily. "As romantic consultant I will be supporting chef in the kitchen and first in command of decorations. Which are all in my truck ready to go Lahote."

Paul takes a calming breath, knowing the girls have most of this under control.

"Jake?"

"Oh yeah, erm. I will be picking Y/N up from her house and driving, SENSIBLY and SAFELY to Emily's house, pretending that we are all meeting for dinner here, handing Y/N over to Jared as I arrive." Jacob emphasises the words to Paul, repeating his instructions he gave a few minutes ago.

"Yup. No stupid driving, no stupid stories, no showing off." Paul reminds Jacob, who rolls his eyes.

"Yes I got it Paul."

"And, finally, Sam." Paul says, turning towards Sam.

"I will come down to the beach when called and help you explain, keeping the pack on hand if needed."

Paul nods, taking another deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

I can do this.

---

At six thirty on the dot, Y/N hears a horn outside, she grabs her bag, slips on her shoes and rushes out the door. Expecting to see Paul's beat up truck, instead, she sees Jacob, on his bike, and she frowns.

"Er, hi Jake. What are you doing here?"

Jake rubs the back of his neck, nerves kicking in, he was never very good at lying.

"Erm, Paul's truck broke down, he's working on it at my place and he asked me to come get you and take you to Emily's."

Y/N frowns again. That's weird, she thinks.

"No offence Jake but I would rather we went in my car, I don't really like the idea of riding a bike in this dress." She gestures down to her dress and heeled boots, and Jacob nods. Crap, we didn't think of that.

"Yeah ok, we can do that. Give me two secs I've just got to ring my dad and let him know I'm leaving the bike here." Jake walks away with his phone to his ear.

"Embry, tell Paul we are coming in Y/N's car, not my bike. She's got a dress on and didn't want to get on."

Jacob can hear Embry shouting to Paul over the phone, followed quickly by a growl, then Embry hangs up.

Jacob runs over to Y/N's car and slides into the passenger side.

---

"Should we swing by your house and pick up Paul?" Y/N asks, about to indicate to turn towards the Black house.

"No!" Jacob shouts before composing himself and answering again. "He's just going to meet us at Emily's, don't worry!"

Y/N raises her eyebrows, before turning her attention back to the road, heading towards Emily's house.

As they pull up outside the house Jared comes bounding out, quickly hooking his arm with Y/N's, redirecting her towards the path that leads to the beach.

"Hold on, I just want to say hi to Emily." Y/N attempts to turn back towards the house, just at Quil and Embry appear from the path.

"There's an animal loose on the beach, you can't go down there yet. Let's go hang out on that...field...over there." Embry says, pointing towards the patch of grass opposite Emily's house, as Quil holds out his arms, blocking the entrance to the path.

"Can I just go say hi to Emily first?" Y/N attempts to turn again towards the house, just as Quil links with her free arm and starts walking towards the field.

"Nah, she's busy cooking, she won't want to be interrupted." Quil assures her, just as she glances back and spots Seth, wearing a bow tie...? What is going on?

---

Embry leaves Y/N to play baseball on the small field with Jared, Quil and Jacob, and he heads back down to the beach where he left Paul and Sam.

"Paul, calm down, calm down, nothing is going wrong, everything is fine, she suspects nothing, we promise you." Embry can hear Sam speaking in a soothing but commanding voice to the silver wolf in front of him.

The wolf whines slightly, then glances towards the footsteps and sees Embry. He howls lightly, wanting an update on Y/N.

"She's occupied, I don't think she's suspicious. The girls have dealt with the fire, and now Seth is banned from the kitchen. Jared is on it, he and Quil will field any questions. Don't. Worry." He speaks calmly and clearly in an attempt to calm the hot-headed and anxious wolf down.

"Embry go with Paul to run off his stress, I'll go back up to the house and check everything is ok. Embry come and let me know when we are back on track." Sam commands, nodding to them both as he jogs back up the path.

"Right Paul, let's go" Embry says as he sets his shorts aside and phases, following Paul into the tree line.