Elizabeth Rain Swan || A Paul Lahote Love Story

Chapter 19

That Friday, Bella invited me to join her group of friends for a movie in Port Angeles. She said I could bring Paul, but he was stuck babysitting Embry's patrol. I was still on Jake duty, which is why I agreed to go. It ended up being only Jake, Bella, Mike Newton, and I.

"Face Punch," Jake said.

"Yeah," Mike said, he didn't seem so thrilled to be here.

"You pick that or did Bella?" Jake asked.

"Are you two even old enough to see this movie?" Mike asked, avoiding the question.

"She's buying our tickets," Jake said.

"Why are you even here?" Mike asked turning to me. "She doesn't even like you."

"Thanks for the reminder," I said. "Dad just is extra careful with her since her depression."

"So you're babysitting?" He asked.

"Not Bella. Jake could've handled that on his own," I said.

"So who are you babysitting?" Jake asked, smirking at me because he already knew my answer.

"You need about three full time nannies," I said, shoving his shoulder as Bella walked up.

"Well," she said. "It's just us. Angela's sick, so Eric is with her. And Jessica bailed."

"Let's go," I said. I ended up sitting at the end of the row of seats beside Jake. Then Bella sat between Jake and Mike. I could tell they were both trying to get it on with her. Hell, at one point Mike started hitting on me, but Jake put and end to that with some story about Paul beating the tar out of someone.

Part way through the movie, Mike went running out of the theater cause he thought he was going to be sick. Bella and Jake followed him out and started walking ahead of me so I gave them some space.

I had two missed calls from Sam when I turned my phone back on. I went to call him back when I noticed Jake's temper flaring.

"Maybe you need a hospital," Jake spat at Mike. "Want me to put you in the hospital?"

Bella grabbed his hand and gasped. "Jake, you're burning up."

I took that as my cue to step in. "Let's get out of here. Clearly no one is feeling 100%."

I called Paul on the way home and tried to tell him Jake was about to phase. The call consisted of a lot of "it's" and "you know what's". He finally figured it out and relayed the message to Sam who started spouting orders, including telling me to keep Jake calm as long as possible.

Jake ended up phasing that night. We told Bella that he had mono, and she needed to stay away. Of course that didn't work.

She became depressed again, and took off for her and Edward's meadow one day. I knew her and Jake had been trying to find it for a while.

"Dad, I saw them," she said out of breath as she ran into the kitchen. I knew the pack was out hunting the leech with the dreads today.

"Saw what Bella?" He asked.

"They're not bears. They're huge wolves," she said. "Like massive. On all fours they're still bigger than humans."

I glanced at Harry, who just looked at me with this somber look in his eye.

"Harry, you up for some wolf hunting?" Dad asked. Harry agreed and Dad banished both Bella and I to the house for the rest of the day.

I immediately called Emily's number. She picked up on the third ring. "Hello, Emily Young speaking."

"Hey, Em. It's Liz," I said. "Look I can't talk long but are the guys there?"

"No why?" She asked.

"Just tell them to be careful," I said.

"I always do. I'm going to assume someone is there otherwise you'd explain more," she said. We'd developed a sort of code that only the two of us and Kim knew. We could talk about the pack without actually talking about the pack.

"Yeah. I'll talk to Dad and see if I can come down tomorrow," I said by way of explanation.

"Alright, hon. Be careful. See you soon," she said.

"See ya then, Em," I said, hanging up the receiver in the kitchen.