I Always Will

No Place Like You

Paul took a sip from his beer and casually glanced around the rather large group of people milling around Briony's deck and even out onto the beach. It seemed in just the few months she had been back, she had not only reconnected with everyone from her past, but also managed to make a fair amount of new friends.

All of their friends from La Push were there - wives, husbands, and families in tow. Sam was on the beach with his two kids while Emily was in the kitchen helping Briony and her best friend Tanya - who had flown up from LA for a couple weeks - with the food. Embry stood in another small group, grinning brightly at the large amount of praise he was getting for the now-completed renovation on the cabin.

Even Paul had to admit that it looked amazing. It always looked great to him, but Embry had managed to update not only the look, but the amenities as well. And after a quick trip back to LA, Briony had finally - officially - settled into her new home. The house in LA had sold rather quickly and thankfully hadn't required she be gone long. Which had been a blessing. Even just those few days had Paul feeling unsettled.

But that had passed as soon as she got back.

And tonight was about the housewarming, Paul told himself, focusing his thoughts on the house as he studied it. Paul had been considering hiring Embry to take on his house but hadn't managed to get around to asking yet as he was also considering finally moving out. Perhaps it was time to leave all the memories - good and bad - behind and finally move forward in a big way. But still, he wasn't completely sure.

Part of him wasn't ready to let go of Rachel. Though with each passing day, he found the pain lessened. It got easier to breathe. A lot of the anxiety he had had over the last year disappeared as he started phasing more regularly. He felt himself finally starting to feel more comfortable in his own skin again.

Since that day on the beach, Paul found himself a nearly daily visitor to Briony's, finding the home once again held all the warmth and happiness that it did when he was a kid, even if the furniture and decor were all new.

It started out gradually. As Briony got more and more of her kitchen back, she started inviting him over for dinner a few nights a week. And then gradually Paul found himself spending more time there than he did at home. Another reason he was considering moving. What was the point in keeping a house he was hardly ever in? He had actually been looking at a little place that was on the market not far from Briony's. The idea of starting over somewhere, starting fresh, really appealed to him. The fact that it was near Briony was just icing on the cake.

"Still playing the loner, are we?"

Paul looked over, watching as Jared walked up to him, smirking. Paul rolled his eyes and took a drink of his beer.

"I'm here, aren't I?" he retorted. "And I was at your place last weekend."

"Pretty sure Kim threatened you if you didn't come and we both know that Briony would skin you if you didn't show up for her big housewarming," Jared replied with a chuckle.

Though it had been a month or so, Paul could still see a hint of worry in his best friend's eyes. That even with all the progress he had been making, he might still be considering his plans. That all it would take was one bad day and Paul would revert to how he had been. Truthfully, Paul was a bit worried himself. But thankfully anytime his thoughts started going dark, he could pick up the phone and talk to Briony.

Getting back into socializing was taking a bit longer, but he thought he was doing well, all things considering.

"I'm fine," Paul assured him. He glanced around nervously. "Still getting used to it, though."

"You've done a lot, Paul," Jared said, getting a bit serious for a moment. "Like I said... Briony and reconnecting. It's been good for you. And it takes time, we all know that. No one is going to push you into something you're not ready for."