Petrichor ~ P.L.

Chapter Nine

I kept a frown on my face, as Paul silently carried me through the forest.  I could hear the birds chirping and the slight warm breeze rustling through the trees.  Even with my foot gushing blood, I couldn't help but enjoy the view of the forest. 

"Thank you." I quickly shot out, swallowing my pride. 

His eyebrows lifted a bit in surprise, "Don't mention it." 

I sighed as we went back to silence. 

A bit more time passed before I couldn't help but ask the question that had been on my mind for more than a year, "Why?" 

"Because there's no way you would be able to walk back, and I wasn't going to let you bleed out on the beach." He replied. 

"No." I replied, refusing to look up at him. 

I could feel his body tense as he realized what I meant, "Adair..." He started, but stopped, sighing. 

"You left me." I shot out. 

"I know." 

"You hurt me." 

He winced, "I know." 

"Everyones insisting that you're not this bad guy, but how could I ever believe that?  When our whole friendship was fake." 

"It wasn't fake." He insisted. 

I raised my voice slightly, "But you said-" 

He cut me off, "I know what I said." 

He continued walking in silence, neither wanting to reinitiate the conversation.  Me, personally, am more confused than ever. 

We finally broke through the trees and began walking up to a medium-sized wooden house.  Colourful flowers were spilling from the porch and a sitting area with a few chairs and a table. 

The door swung open, and Emily practically ran out.

"What happened?" She exclaimed, grimacing at the blood seeping through Paul's shirt. 

"I'm okay, really. I just cut it on some rocks." I replied in an attempt to ease her worry.

She gestured for Paul to bring me inside, running ahead of us to, I'm assuming, get the first aid supplies.

Paul brought me through the door and set me on the table, making eye contact with me as he knelt down to unwrap and look at my foot, silently asking my permission.

I nodded and looked away, not wanting to see the amount of blood the shirt had soaked up. 

"Hey Adair, how is your foo-" Quill started to ask as he popped inside the house, though immediately gazing towards the wound and blood-soaked cotton shirt before swaying slightly and passing out.

I grimaced at the thud he made as he hit the ground.  Laughs sounded from outside as Jared, Embry, and Jacob walked in, all cackling at Quill's passed-out figure. 

"Oh fuck, I am never letting him live this down." Embry cackled with tears trickling down his face. 

Emily chuckled a bit, "You boys are terrible, help your brother up." 

Embry and Jared helped a now conscious Quill from the ground, not relenting on their teasing. 

Emily made her way over to Paul, handing him a warm damp towel.  I grimaced as he began to wipe away the blood that had, thankfully, stopped gushing from the wound.  She also pulled out a red first aid kit and started handing Paul supplies. He looked concentrated as he gently cradled my foot.