𝖧 𝖮 𝖬 𝖤 ─ 𝗉𝖺𝗎𝗅 𝗅𝖺𝗁𝗈𝗍𝖾

| 𝟤𝟥

PAUL AND I remained in the bathroom for a few more minutes, both of us panting as our cheeks burned red and both of our hearts racing.

His beautiful dark eyes stared into mine as I inhaled, my chest rising and falling as he watched my every move. 

I was still so very confused.  This didn't make any sense, and I wasn't sure if it was just our hormones driving us both crazy, or if there was more to the picture than I could see.

It was probably just our hormones, I repeated in my head as I tucked my hair behind my ear and tightened my legs together as I grew more overwhelmed by the raging emotions inside me.

It was like I craved him, but I didn't know why.

Yeah, I liked him. There was no doubt about the fact that I had some kind of crush on Paul Lahote, but what was it about him that seemed to take over all of my senses?

I wasn't used to these intense feelings.

I've liked people before, but never to this extent.

Never to the point where all rationality was replaced by hormonal desires.

In this moment, all I wanted was to rip off Paul Lahote's clothes and have him claim every single inch of me as his own.

My eyes grew wide at the realization, and the throbbing between my legs as I jumped to my feet.

Paul shook his head, coming out of his own thoughts and standing up as I cleared my throat. "I do like kissing you," I whispered, causing Paul to tense up.

I leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, before pulling away. "A little too much, I think."

Paul swallowed a lump in his throat, nodding his head softly as he watched me open the bathroom door and slip out.

My head was spinning, more confusion coursing through me and making me frustrated.

I felt overwhelmed, and like there were now two sets of emotions inside of me.

I felt my anxiety, my hormonal urges, and my confusion.

But I also felt anger, sadness, and rejection.

And those last three emotions didn't feel like they were my own.

"Afternoon, Elle," Sam greets me in the kitchen, Emily beside him and giggling to herself.

I can't help but blush, realizing they probably heard Paul and I in the bathroom, let alone the fact Emily had seen how Paul reacted when he saw us doing Yoga.

I wanted to shrink back into myself and die of embarrassment, but as I went to back away- I felt Paul's warm chest firmly on my back.

"Breathe." He coos into my ear like the last time I had bumped into his chest here in Emily's kitchen.