world we created, paul lahote

Chapter 10

Paul Lahote was enamoured by all that Lucia Barone was and then some. It was difficult for him to stop his eyes from straying to her across the Clearwater home. His heart raced at the sight of her and his hands grew unbelievably sweaty at the thought that she might just glance his way. He wanted to smack himself, possibly shake some sense into himself if he could, that his reaction to her made him seem desperate.

It didn't help that Jared kept poking him in his side, teasing him relentlessly alongside Embry. As if he could say anything. The Cameron man would get on his knees for Kim if she asked.

He knew it wasn't the time to be searching for attention--despite his wolf's desperate desire for it. Harry had just passed and he needed to be there for the family as well as pay his respects. He didn't want to get within close proximity to Leah, however. He knew that she would bite his head off the moment he did all because of his association with Sam.

"Quit it already," Paul grunted, grabbing Jared's wrist as he went in for another poke. His friend was as annoying as a gnat when he wanted to be and now was not the time for that. "Did you forget what Sam said? Behave or do you only listen when he gives us a gag order?"

Jared pouts exaggeratedly, pulling his hand away while Embry snickered. Jared placed his hand on his heart as if it were breaking into a million tiny pieces. "You're always so mean to me, Paulie. What would Lucia think of this?"

"She wouldn't approve, I fear," Embry tutted causing Paul to cast a glare his way. These two were royal pains, that was certain. "Jake says she puts Bella in her place every other day, apparently. It's why she and Bella aren't that close."

"That's a revelation now isn't it, hmm? Maybe I should tell her and make your attempts to woo her that more difficult," Jared mused, a grin breaking out across his face. He really was a little shit, wasn't he?

Paul clenches his jaw, opting to distract himself by letting his eyes wander over the mourners. Just a few more hours of them chattering in his ear, and then he'd be free to run around in the forest and be out of this stifling button-up and slacks. He could do it. Yes, he could.

"Or, are you still going to deny that you want an imprint?" Embry chimed in once more, leaning his forearm on Paul's shoulder, though he struggled to reach it. Paul almost laughed at that. "Didn't you say we become mindless slaves because of it? Nearly took Jake's head off when you fought over it. You remember, don't you, Jared?"

"You both are so annoying," Paul told them, his eyes once again landing on Lucia who attempted to hand Leah a plate of food. She seemed to be arguing with Lucia who kept her calm demeanour despite it. "Go bother someone else with your crap."

Embry let out a gasp that drew the attention of a few people, Sam included who turned and glared at the three sitting idly on the sofa. Embry and Jared couldn't care less, however. "And I thought we were friends, Paulie."

"Jared, how is Kim?" Paul spoke suddenly, Jared's neck snapping back towards his packmate and away from the table filled with different food. "Does she know how you act at events like this? Or should I let her know?"

Jared glares at him. "You wouldn't."

"I would," Paul replied bluntly and Jared rose to his feet swiftly, drawing attention once more as well as Sam's. These two did not care in the slightest, it seemed. Jared walks away to the food table, taking the out given to retrieve something to eat.

Sam made his way over to Embry and Paul, the former rising to his feet and swiftly weaving through the mourners and away from the Uley to avoid the oncoming lecture. Paul seemed unaffected by this, knowing full well that Sam knew the ruckus caused was by Jared and Embry. They tended to cause mayhem wherever they went really.

"You're not going to talk to her?" Sam asked as he sat down beside Paul with a sigh.

Paul looked at Sam, then back at Lucia, who placed a plate of food in front of Leah, who scowled at it as if it had been poisoned. He hadn't spoken much to Lucia yesterday as she had left not too long after he had imprinted on her. It also seemed as if Bella disliked him off the bat, despite his apology for shifting. It wasn't even his fault, anyway. The leech-lover had smacked him in the face. What did she expect to happen?

It did give him hope when he found out from Jared that Lucia wasn't the least bit scared of them being shifters. In fact, she was quite the opposite. It pleased him, knowing that his imprint wouldn't reject him right off the bat or ignore him for weeks on end because of a thing he couldn't control.

"I can't do it now," Paul replied, clearing his throat. "She's clearly busy."

Sam sent Paul a deadpan expression, not believing his excuse. Lucia hadn't been occupied with Leah earlier, more so lingering around the kitchen to help where she could. It seemed that ex-playboy Paul Lahote was nervous. He needn't be.

"Leah went outside." Sam gestured in the direction of the backdoor, and Lucia left with nothing but a half-eaten plate of food. "So go and talk to her, Paul. She's not going to bite you."

Paul ran his tongue over his bottom lip, debating whether or not he should before ultimately deciding to go for it. He would have to talk to her at some point, and it wouldn't be weird for him to do so now. I mean, he did it just fine yesterday. It may have been a few words, but he did it, and he would do it again.

"Hey, Lucia," Paul greeted her as he walked into the kitchen. The green-eyed girl looked up, that familiar warm smile tugging at her lips. He looks at the abandoned food on the counter. "I see you haven't had much luck with Leah."

"She's hurting so I get it." She shrugs, taking the plate and pushing it into a container for the girl to eat later. "Everyone deals with grief differently."

Paul hums and leans against the counter, watching his imprint move around the kitchen slightly confused. Be assumed he was far more at home in her own kitchen than in a foreign one. "Did you know Harry or are you just here for Charlie?"

"He knew me when I was younger, and he knew my parents too," Lucia began, letting out a short 'ah-ha' at having found the Tupperware. "I'm more so here for Charlie than anything since Bella's who knows where."

"What do you mean?"

"She ran off somewhere and left nothing but a note." Lucia places the container in the fridge and turns to Paul. He smirks as he notices her eyes trail over him, glad that he'd been forced to wear these clothes if it evoked such a reaction from her. She clears her throat. "Charlie's pissed though."

"I'd assume so. She didn't think to call him before leaving?" Paul inquired with a frown to which Lucia shook her head.

"I have an inkling as to why she did, too, but I won't know until she comes back," Lucia told him. She didn't seem at all unashamed to appreciate his stature or was just horrible at hiding it. Nevertheless, Paul basked in the attention, his wolf preening at the fact that his imprint found him attractive.

"Well, I'm sure when she comes back, Charlie will be happy to have his daughter home safe." He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a low, smooth tone. He couldn't help himself as she took another glance at his attire. "I take it you approve of the look?"

Lucia felt a faint blush creep up her cheeks at being caught ogling him. "I, uh, well..." She cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "You clean up nicely, Paul."

Paul chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. "Why, thank you, Lou. I don't usually dress up like this unless I have to." The use of the nickname sent the girl in overdrive, her cheeks reddening beyond belief. No one had called her that before and she most definitely liked it coming from him.

Paul almost chuckled at her expense, wanting nothing more than to brush his thumbs over her flaming cheeks. She liked the name then. He leaned in a bit closer, his eyes sparkling. "But if it gets a reaction out of you, maybe I should do it more often."

Lucia ducked her head, trying to hide the deepening flush on her face. "You're incorrigible, you know that?" she murmured, though there was a playful lilt to her voice.

Paul grinned, thoroughly enjoying the way his words had flustered Lucia. "Maybe so, but you seem to like it," he teased, his voice lowering to a soft, intimate tone.

"Don't get too full of yourself, Lahote."