Paul sighed as he sat down on the couch and put his bottle of beer down on the coffee table. It had been a long, rather hectic day at the clinic, but it was enough to keep his mind off Briony and the day at her house. Almost.
Okay, not really. Not at all.
Her book sat untouched next to a pile of papers. Paul intended to work on the letters to the pack and work more on getting things in order with the house and bank accounts, but for some reason, all he could do was sit and stare at the book, his thoughts firmly fixed on Briony.
When the others were around, she had been bright and happy. Watching her cook with Seth was amusing, he supposed. Over a year ago, Paul would have likely laughed loudly with the others and shot a few (or a lot) of his own barbs at them. Instead he had watched quietly, though there was a moment when he almost forgot. For a moment, he had been back to 15, when they would all hang out together. Before Briony's father had contacted her and she knew that she was leaving.
Before Rachel.
But then it had all come crashing back down when he saw the pain in her eyes and his own came roaring back to the forefront of his mind. When it had just been him and Briony, her mask had fallen away, and he could clearly see how much she was suffering. Even if she was smiling, it was clear in her eyes. At least it was clear to him. He wasn't completely sure if it registered with Seth and Embry.
And then she had burned her hand. It was as though his instincts had taken over and the next thing he knew, Paul was at her side, pulling her over to the sink. He knew that she had been trying not to cry and part of him almost told her she didn't have to hold back - there had certainly been many times over the years when she had cried in front of him. But he hadn't been able to bring himself to speak.
He had done it before. When they were kids, he was always looking out for her. And then with Rachel - it was second nature to step in to protect her.
It became too much and Paul had to put space in between them, feeling his control slipping. He had left early and abruptly, driving like a maniac to get back home. And then he had gone and added a few more holes to the walls.
Paul wasn't sure why he took the book. He didn't have time to read it, not with everything else. But he felt as though it was the polite thing to do - taking it and saying he would. He wasn't completely sure he could bring himself to read, knowing that he was in there. Part of him was afraid of what he would find, which was ridiculous.
He - Paul Lahote, a shifter and protector - was afraid of a book. A book that was currently mocking him from the coffee table. He didn't want to read it, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. Thinking about Briony. Worrying about her.
Paul rubbed his face and then turned his eyes to the papers sitting next to the book. He reached out for the top one, reading over what he had written so far to Sam. He reached for a pen and put the paper down, intending to write more on it. But his hand stopped as he frowned, unable to think of the words to say. He stared at the paper a bit longer and then groaned, tossing the pen down, running his hands through his hair.
His eyes then fell on the book again.
Paul found himself reaching over for it, picking it up and opening it.
To my biggest fan,
I finally did it, Grams. Hope you love this book as much as I loved writing it.
Love Always,
Briony
Paul ran his fingers over Briony's loopy script and then continued turning pages, coming to a stop on another page.
This book is dedicated to all my friends and family in La Push and Forks.
YOU ARE READING
I Always Will
Fanfiction(Twilight Fanfic) What happens when the person you're supposed to spend forever with is suddenly gone? Paul Lahote has spent the last year wallowing in a pit of despair of his own making, unsure of if or how he'll get over the death of Rachel. Just...
