wilderness | paul lahote

{04}

a/n: i've been rather slow with updating because this heatwave is killing me. my brain is literally all mambo-jambo. sorry :(

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It had been a night of interrogations. Mainly from Emily and Jacob, while we sat inside with the fire going in the furnace getting to know each other. Jared had gone home and Sam had said he had some late business to attend to. 

I was set up to stay in a small room on the second floor of the Uley household. It wasn't a lot, but it was beautiful and I was happy they had even offered me to stay there in the first place.

Emily had given me some of her clothes to wear since I had still been wearing the old t-shirt that I now learned had belonged to Jacob. He insisted I keep it, because I had apparently looked funny in it. Besides it had made a pretty good shirt to sleep in, and knowing me I never neglected an over-sized shirt. 

The next morning I woke up to the rain slowly tapping on the old windowsill outside. I opened my eyes to the gloomy light that emitted through the thick rows of trees next to the house. It was typical weather for the Olympic Peninsula. Yet it never once had bothered me. I loved the rain, and the gloominess of the mist and fog that seemed to be present ever so often. Sure I'd loved the sun and the warmth whenever the weather would bless us with that, but there had always been something about the rain.

I took the clothes Emily had given me the night prior - a pair of dark skinny jeans, a gray long sleeve v-neck and my own black sneakers, that had thankfully survived what I'd been through - and made my way over to the bathroom to take a quick shower and get this mess under control.

It was the first time in those past two days I had looked in the mirror and I was glad I hadn't fallen then and there at the sight of myself. My dark hair was a mess, sticking to every direction it possibly could from the bun that was now too messy to be even given the privilege to be called a messy bun. A scratch was covering the left side of my face from my cheekbone to my jawline. It was nothing tragic, and sure as hell not as badass as Emily's bear scars had been, and would most likely heal in the next week or so, possibly without any scarring. I was thankful for that.

After my shower deeds were done and I was all cleaned up and looking more human again, I carefully made my way down the old wooden staircase. Yet something made me stop half-way.

"So you're telling me you took in some girl you just found and don't even know?" A husky voice spoke, clear disapproval laced in his tone.

"She's a lovely girl, Paul," Emily reasoned, "me and Jacob talked to her last night. We made sure she's safe."

"Well don't you think it's just a little weird to be taking strangers in with all this shit going on?" He seemed to have calmed down a bit, as much as I could tell from his way of speaking.

"Paul. Calm down. She's no threat to us."

I heard moving of the chairs and panicking I ushered down the stairs, almost falling twice. Sudden movements hurt me but I couldn't let myself be caught eavesdropping for what seemed like to be the hundreth time. I felt bad enough already.

I made my way into the opened kitchen/dining room. Emily seemed to have been cooking breakfast. Sam was leaning himself on the pillar connected to the kitchen counter. There was two guys sitting behind the round wooden table, eating pancakes. Jared and someone I had not met before, but who I believed to be the always-missing-Paul.

"Good morning, Ariah." Emily said as she noticed me standing in the archway that connected the living room and the kitchen. I smiled at her and nodded.

Jared had waved at me as well, although he had been too invested in the food that he was consuming.

The other boy had now lifted his eyes off of his plate as well and  I could feel his stare burning my skin. It took me moments before I could dare to look back at him. His dark eyes were fierce, sparkling in the misty light coming from the outside. His emotion looked confused, mad and lost all at once. The moment we locked eyes was when everything started spinning.

His stare was the epitome of if looks could kill. Yet it had held weird passion. It felt as if only me and him were in this room together. I wanted so badly to look away, but I couldn't. 

His face turned seemingly angry again, after our brief stare off. With a swift movement he stood from his chair and stormed out of the house. My feelings were further confirmed - he did not like me.

I stood dumbfounded, looking at the door he had just bursted out from. I felt waves of angriness, but also an odd sadness that lingered as soon as he had broke our gaze and left.

Sam was looking towards the door, just as I was a second ago. He had a knowing look on his face. 

"Don't worry about Paul. He just is like that." Jared broke the odd silence as he shrugged and took another bite of his food.

I made my way to the table, the earth felt like it was shaking beneath me, but I guessed it was just my legs that had lost the ability to hold still.

I took a seat at the table, while Emily brought me a plate of pancakes and a cup of freshly brewed coffee. I smiled weakly at her.

"Thank you guys. Honestly. For everything. I don't know what made you think I deserve this in any way. But thanks." I looked at Sam and Emily as I spoke.

"It's the least we could do," Sam finally spoke up, "How are you feeling?"

Other than the fact that someone who I didn't even know already hated me, and I had felt oddly angry and sad about the whole situation?

"I'm fine," and physically I really was starting to be, "My rib still slightly hurts when I move, and my head occasionally spins, but that's about it." I took a bite of the pancake. 

He nodded as he took a sip of his coffee, and swiftly put it down on the counter, next to Emily. "We can take you for a check up, just to be safe."

I nodded. I really hated doctors, but I was in no place to start arguing and fighting back here. These people had possibly saved my life.

"I'll better go after Paul," he shot Jared a look I didn't quite understand, kissed Emily on her forehead and headed off out of the house. 

The silence took over again.

"Jacob will be taking you to the doctors later today," Emily said, making me sigh. She looked at me, "If that's okay?" 

"Yeah, of course. I just don't quite like hospitals." She giggled at that. 

"I promise it won't be as bad." 

"You're a tough cookie, you can handle some needles." Jared smirked.

After I had eaten my breakfast with Jared occasionally telling stupid jokes, he left and I had offered to help Emily with the dishes. 

She had told me more about herself, and I already sensed I would get along great with Emily. 

The incident from before still played in my mind, though. I couldn't shake the thought of Paul not liking me out of my head, as weird and extraordinarily stupid as it was.