Petrichor ~ P.L.

Chapter Thirteen

The feeling of his warm touch faded from my hand, as I stood in the middle of the makeshift dance floor alone.  I frowned and gently tucked my hand into my side, trying desperately to forget the thrill of his touch.  

His touch.  

It sent unrelenting tingles up my spine.  Without him even trying he could turn my knees to jelly and heart to mush.  It was annoying.  How dare I?  How dare I let myself feel even a little bit of romantic emotion towards him?  I let him unknowingly hold my heart for so long, and he crushed it!  No matter what his secretive motives were, he had stomped on my heart and laughed while doing it.  Yet, there I stood.  In the middle of the dance floor, my patchworked heart tore slightly at the seams at him leaving me alone. 

Again.  

I bit my cheek and looked towards the ground for a minute, glaring at the plywood.  With a slight huff, I set off for the table, spotting Emily and Kim with disappointed looks on their faces at my abandoned figure. I avoided their gaze as I sat down, immediately pouring myself another glass of champagne, and beginning to sip on it as I felt their gazes on me.

"Addy-" 

"It's fine."  I cut Kim off. 

They share a look before both scooted closer to me.  I didn't dare look at their consoling faces.  

"Maybe," I swirled the champagne in my glass absentmindedly, looking down to it, "Maybe not everyone is supposed to have this great love story, you know?  Maybe not everyone is supposed to find, or even have a...well, a soulmate I guess," I looked to Kim, "I might never find a Jared, " I looked to Emily, "Or a Sam, and," I huffed slightly, disappointment in my eyes at my own revelation, "And that's okay.  Because the rarity of some people not having that makes yours more special." 

Kims and Emily both looked to me in disbelief and sorrow, devastated at the thoughts I had just voiced to them.  

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On the front steps of Emily's house, Paul sat with his head in his hands, Jared frowning beside him.  He hated seeing his best friend so torn and hurt.  They had both been listening to Adair's words to Kim and Emily, and it killed Paul every second.  

"Hey," Jared placed a hand on Paul's shoulder, "You don't have to do this." 

Paul ran his hands down his face, sighing loudly, "I refuse to let her be hurt in the way Leah was.  I could never put her through that." 

Jared was silent for a moment, "You're hurting her now." 

Paul got up beginning to pace, "I know!  Okay? I know!  But she'll," He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, "She'll get over me," he stopped, eyes heavy with sadness, "She has to get over me." 

Jared leaned against the railing, "But is that what you want?" 

Paul looked over to his best friend. 

"There has never been anything I wanted less, but," He glanced back towards the party, "It's not about me." 

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The rest of the night had gone as well as it could have.  After Kim and Emily relentlessly insisted that their happiness wasn't any more important than mine, and told me over and over again that my soulmate is out there, we had dropped the subject and enjoyed the rest of the wedding. 

I hadn't even seen Paul again, not that I thought I could without probably either crying, throwing up, or yelling at him.  

Jacob had elected to stay at the Uley household for the "after-party", while I was very much no longer in the mood, and decided to go home with a very tipsy Billy.