Dangerous Woman ▷ Paul Lahote

SEVEN

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SEVEN; BOUNDARIES

     IT WAS FEBRUARY. Nothing drastic had changed between Amelia and Paul, besides the fact that the two still kept necessary boundaries. Their intimacy had never gone beyond kissing, and Amelia was afraid of what would happen to him if she took it too far. She didn't yet understand the limitations of her strengths when it came to being intimate with someone.

     However, as much as her brain attempted to deny it, there was an awkwardness in being with Paul. He asked simple questions — how long she had been alive, how many partners she had been with, and how deep her relationship with her family ran. She answered them all honestly and truthfully, but there would come a time when Paul would want to dig deeper or discover more. Amelia wasn't sure she was ready to open her box of secrets to a man she barely knew.

     After all, Paul was a simple man. There wasn't much to know about him, except his terrible family situation. He was reserved at school, but Amelia knew he had gone through his fair share of girls before her. He confessed his anger always bested him, and one of his fears was that he would unleash it against someone he loved.

     Jared and Embry were warming up to the idea of her. If Amelia talked long enough, the two shapeshifters would even forget that they were sworn enemies. They were intrigued by her powers and how far she could control others. She was careful not to show too much, knowing Carlisle would already be hesitant on her telling them about her mental manipulation.

     She had barely seen her family. On occasion, when Paul didn't notice, she would take a quick trip to Ithaca to see how everyone had settled. Carlisle had taken a part time job as a teacher, and Jasper had enrolled in the same college where Carlisle was teaching. Emmett and Rosalie escaped for another honeymoon. Alice left to discover her past, which Amelia knew was going to be difficult for her. She desperately wished she was there to help.

     And Edward, she had only caught a glimpse of him before he left again. The pain of leaving Bella was obviously showing and he made no effort of hiding it.

     When she would visit, Esme would be ecstatic to learn about her happiness. Amelia did her best to conceal her real emotions, for she missed her family more than she could ever imagine. She would tell Esme the stories about her and Paul since Esme wanted nothing but the joy of her children.

     Amelia tried to keep a close eye on Bella for Edward's sake and the ease of her conscience. As clumsy as she was, Bella didn't get into any trouble. She acted as a regular teenage girl, exempt the antisocial part, and Amelia couldn't decipher if it was real or fake. Bella put on a very good show for both Amelia and Charlie.

     "What are you thinking about?"

     Her eyes darted to Paul's. They were sitting in Emily's kitchen since Paul just finished running patrol. Lately, Amelia's whole life revolved around his. She couldn't enroll in school again because Bella would see her, and she didn't realize that all of her hobbies involved one of her family members. It didn't feel right going shopping every week without Alice by her side.

     "You."

     The answer always made Paul's grin spread from ear to ear. He knew it wasn't continuously a honest answer, but it still made him feel happy.

     "Oh, and what are you thinking about today? My chiseled features or my perfect body?"

     Amelia snickered. She was slowly picking apart one of Emily's muffins, mainly because she sensed the woman's discomfort whenever Amelia would stay at her home but never eat anything. The vampire had to at least pretend she was eating, for Emily's sake.