Witches' Whisper ||p.l.||

13

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The next morning at breakfast, the tension is palpable. I'm still processing everything from yesterday—the pack, the imprint, my growing powers—and now I have to face my family. I can feel my mom's eyes on me as I poke at my toast, waiting for someone to break the silence.

Charlie, predictably, is the first to speak.

"So, Lea," he says casually, though there's an edge of curiosity in his voice, "what are your plans for today? Heading back to La Push again? Maybe see... Paul again?"

I freeze mid-bite. Of course, Charlie would bring him up. My face immediately flushes, and I can already feel my mom's eyes sharpening in interest.

"Oh?" My mom chimes in, leaning forward just slightly. Her voice is curious, but knowing my mom, she's piecing together more than she's letting on. "Paul, huh?"

I shoot Charlie a look, somewhere between irritation and pleading. "Thanks, Charlie," I mutter under my breath, feeling the heat rising to my cheeks. "Thanks for keeping that between us."

Bella glances up from her plate, an amused smile tugging at her lips, but she doesn't say anything. For now.

"I don't know what my plans are," I finally say, trying to deflect the question. "I might go to La Push, or I might just stay home." Anything to avoid the growing inquisition.

Charlie, clearly not satisfied with just my answer, turns to Bella. "What about you, Bells? You going to Jacob's today?"

Bella shifts in her seat before shaking her head, her face momentarily tightening. "He got sick yesterday after the movie," she says, sounding a little concerned. "But I'll call him later, see how he's doing."

I don't miss the way Bella avoids looking directly at anyone when she says it. I can tell there's more to the story than just Jacob being "sick."

After the most awkward breakfast ever, Bella and I head out to the car. The drive to school is quieter than usual, and I can sense the unasked questions building in Bella's mind. Sure enough, as soon as we pull out of the driveway, she starts.

"So," Bella begins, her voice laced with curiosity, "what's going on between you and that Paul?"

I bite my lip. I can't exactly tell her the truth—that Paul imprinted on me, that there's this weird supernatural bond forcing us together. Instead, I settle for something vague.

"Nothing," I say, my voice trying to sound casual. "We're just friends."

Bella raises an eyebrow, clearly not convinced, but she doesn't push. "Right. Friends."

When we get to school, I hope that's the end of the interrogation for the day, but of course, high school has its own brand of nosiness. As soon as we walk into the building, a couple of my friends spot me and zero in like hawks.

"So," Jessica says, grinning like she knows something. "Who was that super hot guy you were with yesterday?"

I blink, caught off guard. I hadn't really thought about how the rest of the school might react to seeing me leave with Paul. "Uh, just a friend," I say quickly, trying to brush it off.

"Just a friend?" Jessica teases, clearly not buying it. "Yeah, right. He looked like he could bench press a car."

"Well, I didn't ask what he could press."

"Maybe you should have," Angela joins our conversion with a smirk.

"Ange!" I say indignantly. "I thought you would be on my side."