I Always Will

Come on Back to the Front Porch

Paul sighed as he sat down at the diner, offering a small smile to the waitress as she put a glass of water down for him and asked if he wanted his usual. He nodded and then picked up the last of Briony's books, opening it to where he left off. The last couple of weeks, he found that he couldn't stop reading, some sort of insatiable urge to know what was in them - especially this last one - taking over.

Back then, he had always thought he knew Briony well, and he had, but the books had given him an insider's look into her mind that had gone beyond even that.

It was still a bit awkward to be around her, but Paul managed to find various reasons to see her. More often than not, it was helping around her house on the weekends or after work. Slowly, their old friendship seemed to be coming back and for a few hours of the day, he found himself relaxed. Almost calm. Much calmer than he had been in the last year. He told himself it was because he was making peace with things. Had settled on a course and knew where he was going. And also, because day-by-day, he could start to see her come back alive. It was a weird mixture of the Briony he hadn't known for 12 years with the one he had grown up with.

"Thought I'd find you here."

Paul looked up as he put the book down, seeing Jared slide into the booth on the other side of him. There was a spike of irritation, but it quickly faded. It wasn't just Briony that he needed to tie up loose ends with.

"You stalking me?" Paul asked, raising an eyebrow at his best friend.

Jared tensed for a moment, but then his eyebrows rose when Paul didn't do anything aggressive or fight the fact that he was sitting there. Glancing around, Jared then turned back to Paul, a smile appearing.

"Hadn't had a chance to check in with you for a few days. Went to the clinic, but they said you had already headed out to lunch," he replied, leaning back slightly. "Embry says you've been helping out at Briony's a lot."

"They need it. Have you seen the things Embry's trying to do? Beginning to think he bit off a bit too much," Paul said as the waitress walked up and handed Jared a menu. He glanced at it and put in an order. "Though... when it's done, it should look good."

Jared just blinked in surprise before reaching for his water glass. Paul knew there was a comment he wanted to make, but was holding back, worried he would break the easy peace that seemed to have settled over them. To be honest, Paul was surprised at himself. This was the first time since before everything that he hadn't wanted to lash out.

He frowned slightly, but then shook his head.

"Kim wants to have Briony over for dinner soon," Jared said. "Apparently they ran into each other in town and got to talking."

"Yea?" Paul asked. He recalled Briony telling him the other day that she had started going to La Push for things since it was closer than Forks, so it wasn't strange that she'd seen Kim. "Said she's been spending some time with Emily. Guess they hit it off at the bonfire or something..."

Jared nodded slowly, a small smile firmly on his face. Paul could clearly see where his thoughts were going. Part of him thought he should squash that thought. Before he got any more grand ideas about Paul and Briony. He was just helping her out so he could leave without any unfinished business.

"Been reading her books too, huh?" Jared asked, glancing over at the book sitting next to Paul's glass. He glanced at it as well.

"They're good," he said. "Really good."

"And it has nothing to do with the fact that you're in them," Jared said with a chuckle. Paul frowned, though he could feel his cheeks heat up.

Especially considering what this book covered. It was essentially her last year in Washington. He knew what was coming at the end of the book, but it didn't make him want to stop reading. He hadn't really asked Briony many questions about the books as he got into the later years of their friendship, already feeling conflicted about it. But now was not the time to ponder that. Not with Jared sitting across from him, looking like the cat who caught the canary.