Lock and Key || Paul Lahote ~ DISCONTINUED

// chapter 5 //

Paul has been on my mind for days. I can't explain why, but I wish I could; I've only met him a few times spoken to him once or twice in my life, yet his existence seems to be apart of mine right now. I cannot get him off my mind. So as I sit in Emily's cosy livingroom as her and mom cook - they won't let me, Sam, Jacob or Billy help - my mind once again wanders to him.

"Hey." Sam clicks his fingers in front of me and I jump, blinking fast. "Your turn dummy. What's gotten into you?"

I shake my head and sit up, placing the only tiles I can to make 'tire' on the scrbble board. "I'm just tired." I mutter.

He rolls his eyes as Billy writes down my score; I only got a few points. I'm losing so bad. I sit back again and instantly look over as the door knocks - who is that!? "Come in." Sam calls as he looks up.

Paul opens the door and comes in slowly, his eyes instantly meeting mine; his face goes from neutral to angry in almost a second. Wow, what did I do in like 0.5 seconds?

Emily looks over from the kitchen and grins. "Merry Christmas Paul! Come sit!" She says excitedly.

He silently comes in and sits on a stool by the fire; do I smell? There's a perfectly good spot on the couch between Sam and I... I glance at him but he and Sam seem to be locked in a silent interaction as they stare at one and other intensely.

"What crawled up your ass." I mutter under my breath.

Paul instantly looks at me as his fists clench and begin to shake. Jacob glares at Paul then Sam with a raised eyebrow, but Billy leans between them all as he sets his tiles down. "C-A-L-M." He smirks slyly. "Look at that, double word score."

Paul snaps his head away and stares at the board; how rude. Maybe he is as bad as everyone says. I roll my eyes and tuck my knees under myself self-consciously. The tension thins out a little as Sam, Jake and Billy play ahead, laughing and chatting about something, yet I can't help but stare at the side of Paul's angry face. There's still... something between us, he feels it too, I know he does.

"Sit up!" Mom calls.

I drag myself to the kitching/dining room and slip around the back of the big round table, as I'm the only one who'll fit. I glance out at the falling snow and when I look back at the table I see Paul sat opposite me, looking at me. I silently stare back, trying to add an edge to my look.

Sam stands to cut the turkey but mom slaps his hand. "Be thankful first." She always makes everyone say what were thankful for and what we want to achieve in the next year. I mean isn't that thanksgiving? We don't celebrate it but surely it's the same thing.

He rolls his eyes. "Okay okay. This year I'm thankful for..." He glances at me. "I'm glad I've got my sister back. I'm glad we can get over what we let get between us because I needed you back, kid. Badly."

I giggle small and blush deeply, looking down at my plate. "Okay. I'm thankful for having a tribe to come back to, as much as I wanted to get out and away from this place I'm glad I came back. I'm glad you guys are my family."

Emily smiles from beside me as she goes next. "I'm thankful for this life. For my fiance. And for the new sister I've gained this year." Her scarred face smiles back at me.

Everyone else goes around and finally it lands on Paul. He glances at me. "I don't have anything to be thankful for."

"Such a pessimist." Billy rolls his eyes. "Now feed me."

We laugh and Sam carves the Turkey, passing each of us a plate with some on. I reach for the dish of potatoes as Paul does; instead of doing the gentlemanly thing and letting me go first, he just quickly snatches the spoon. I roll my eyes and glare at him as I wait.