𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑. paul lahote ✓

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

┏━━━━⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆☾ ﾟ｡⋆━━━━┓

THE ULEY HOUSE

IT WAS REALLY QUIET.

Augustine managed to finish her story, managing to wrap it up with tense jazz hands, too, but the sheer anger that was radiating from the boy who'd moved even closer to her was insane.

She tried to reassure him. "Really, it was all a long time ago. Totally over it."

"I wouldn't say less than two years ago was that long ago, Augustine."

At that, the heat in his tone, the use of her full name, she grimaced. She'd promised him to spare her the pity, and in return she got anger— she didn't know what was better, honestly. "So, thoughts?"

Paul's forehead was creased in frustration, the hand that migrated to her knee was wound up tightly. "I'm fucking furious, those are my thoughts," he said, brown eyes piercing. "And for your asshole of a brother just left you there—"

Augustine bristled slightly. "Don't speak about my brother like that," she warned him, her frown deepening on her face. "We had to look out for ourselves... I would've done the same if I had the chance."

"I don't think you would have," he told her, shaking his head. "You're the most stubborn person I know, and you're loyal. So if the roles were reversed, you wouldn't have left him behind without a fight."

His words settled uncomfortably in her chest, aching. For years, even after his departure, she had idolized Mason. He was her cool older brother, her first protector, and he was always the hero she wrote about when teacher's asked. Yet the truth remained that he left her there, in a house where deep down, they were both more than aware of June's savagery.

But she loved her brother, his abandonment aside, and couldn't blame him for looking after himself. She couldn't see the wrong in that. "I don't blame him," she said, dismissing Paul's very valid statements.

"You should." She watched as his jaw locked tensely, his eyes averted to the Eagles poster on his wall.

"Well, I don't," she responded pointedly, suddenly bouncing up from her seat near the headboard to stand in front of him. "Now, can we please do something fun?"

Paul scoffed, though there was no heat behind it as he looked back at her. "What? Talking about how much I wanna rip your mother's throat out isn't fun?"

Augustine's lips were pressed in a firm line. "Super morbid buddy— but no, no it's not."

⋆☾ ﾟ｡⋆

After some more convincing, Augustine and Paul found themselves back in the boy's truck, headed in the direction of Sam Uley's house. The shifter said that anything fun on the rez usually happened at Sam's, and he'd ensured Augustine that she would be welcome there.

Though, she didn't know it was a half-truth, considering he didn't bother telling Sam about their arrival until the minute they rolled down the street. Paul heard a rough groan ring throughout his brain, but there was an air of passivity to it; meaning, she was allowed to come.