Aphenphosmphobia | Paul Lahote

six

— Madison

The car rumbled underneath me as I drove down to the Lahote's residence. It's been a week since the whole accident and as it seems, Paul and I were inseparable.

It had shocked Amanda, she always knew I was afraid of Paul but he was very soft around me. He treated me like I was a child, and for some reason it made me feel special.

I parked my car next to Paul's truck, took out my book bag and walked up the stairs, knocking the door. Paul opened the door, shirtless, making me turn around faster than he can say hey.

"Can you ever be decent for once in your life?"

"I live here, so no not really." I shook my head. "Come on, Amanda's in her room yapping about some boy. Girls and their boy's problems." He sighs dramatically.

I rolled my eyes. "Wait till you get your own kids, let's see how you'll handle that." I chuckle, walking down towards Amanda room without making eye contact with him.

"Well, our kids wouldn't be that annoying as she is."

I halted on my steps, closing my eyes tightly and counted till five Mississippi's. I opened my eyes and continued walking towards her room leaving a chuckling boy behind me.

——

"Right!" Amanda finishes ranting. I wouldn't call myself a bad friend when I was doing my homework, she knew homework was much more important than boys for me.

"Madison are you even listening?!" She scowls.

"Honestly no," I shrugged, taking both of my earphones out of my ears. I smiled sheepishly as she was about to explode. "Honestly I don't see the big point of it, just go on the date with the poor guy. He had a crush on you since third freaking grade!"

"What? No! Do you not recall him being the twin brother of the evil bitch?"

"Language!" Paul's head pooped into her doorway. Amanda picked up the closest thing neared her and sauntered it to Paul's direction. He laughed as she missed, the end of his eyes crinkling, his teeth brighter than my future honestly.

"Madison?" Amanda calls out to me. I cleared my throat and looked at her, she was smirking down at me but she soon scowled at Paul. "Maddie and I are going to the beach,"

"No, we're not." I shook my head, pulling my sweater tightly around my body. "Yes, we are." She stared, grinning from ear to ear at me then at Paul.

"You coming?" She asks him. Paul tore his gaze from me to his sister and nodded. "The guys and I are cliff jumping." he winks at me and then left the room.

Amanda squealed, making me jump in my spot. She took my hand and shoved me into her bathroom and tossed me a piece of clothing. It was a one-piece red bikini. Matte red that made my skin much brighter due to my tan. "Try it on!" She yells from the other side of the bathroom.

"I don't know, I mean I don't like the beach and you-"

"Shut up and put it on before I barge in and I put it on you myself."

"Yes, madam." I shook my head. I removed every piece of clothing and placed on the clothing she had handed me. I sucked in a breath as I stared at myself in the mirror, it hugged all of my body, there was a v-cut in the middle but it no exposing sight of my non-existence boobs.

I clutched the doorknob with my skinny fingers and opened it, so I could face Amanda and throw her a tantrum. But before I could yell at her my words were stuck in my throat as Paul, Embry, and Jared was sitting on her bed messing with each other.

Before I could rush into the bathroom rapidly, Amanda called out - seeking the attention of the boys toward me. "Damn." Both Jared and Embry whistled.

Paul was just staring at me, an emotion swiveling through his chocolate eyes. My long hair was down reaching down my waist, taking advantage of it I tried hiding the v-cut but knowingly they already saw it so I roughly entered the bathroom again.

There was a knock at the door, I pushed my hair back and slightly opened the door. There Paul stood with a small smile, making me look up at him in awe. He handed me a shirt, a large shirt, "here, it's mine but it'll fit huge on you."

I bit my lip, softly taking it away from him and nodded a thank you. "I'll be outside waiting, Amanda packed your stuff and she left with the boys to help Emily." I nodded again.

"Thanks." I shut off the door before hearing him mutter to himself swiftly, "You look gorgeous. Seriously Paul? You couldn't say that?"

I giggle quietly, taking the shirt he had given me and some pair of shorts Amanda had placed in the sink, I rapidly threw it over my bikini. I did a half ponytail, adding the white bow I had placed here a long time ago.

Red and white go along, right? Shrugging, I walked out of the room and walked outside where Paul was drumming over his steering wheel. "Hey," I smiled up at him.

Paul opened the other side of the door of the truck and nodded his head in. I sat beside him as he started up the truck bringing up to life.

"Are you okay with this?" He suddenly asks. Looking down at me where he was seated at. I shook my head, "I'm not a beach girl."

"Have you ever went to the beach?" I pondered on the question, glaring at him as he smirked down at me. "Thought so, it's okay though. You have Amanda and the rest of the boys with the rest of their girls. They'll just gossip, I think, as for the boys and I will cliff jump."

"How does it feel?" I asked, surprising myself as I continued the conversation. Paul looked down at me than in front of the road, shrugging. "It's an adrenaline rush."

I nodded, looking out the window as we passed through the trees. I hummed along with the music of the radio, bobbing my head and tapping my fingers on my lap.

Word Count ; 1,064