disregard // paul lahote

06

Suri had attempted to reconcile Marley and Lorena, but failed with every attempt. Lorena refused to speak to Marley, and Marley- well, she refused to speak to anyone.

The atmosphere in the diner was off, which was evident to Caesar who was quick to notice the tension between his employees. He stood over the grill and peered into the diner, watching as Marley struggled to balance a tray of dirty dishes and Lorena wasn't there to save her as it tumbled to the linoleum floor.

She cussed quietly to herself as she bent over to pick up the porcelain pieces that scattered along the floor before her, one-by-one she dropped them onto her tray.

Caesar noticed as Lorena huffed and stepped over Marley and her mess; making her way to attend to booth three. He wiped his hands on his apron, stepping away from the grill to assist his employee.

"Marley," he attempted as she rushed to clean the floor up. "Marley," He tried again when she reached behind the bar to grab a broom. She was forced to freeze when his hand gently wrapped around her wrist, beckoning her attention. "I'm sorry," A sheepish apology escaped her mouth as she realized people were staring at her.

"Go home, Marley." He released his grip on her forearm, but instead reached for her hand to pull her up off of the ground. She opened her mouth to protest but he held up his hand to silence her. "Go, home." He assured her.

Marley's cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and her eyes rimmed red. She bit her lip to keep her tears from brimming over as she untied her apron from her waist, haphazardly tucking it beneath the bar in exchange for her purse.

She kept her gaze glued on the floor as she made her way to the exit, but caught Lorena's disappointed gaze as she stepped into fresh air, the damp ground soaking through her tennis shoes as she shuffled towards her car and dug for her car keys at the same time.

Marley dug deeper, past crumpled receipts and a half empty water bottle to find her keys; eventually dropping half the contents of her bag onto the ground.

She was no longer able to hold back the tears, allowing them to spill over and mix with the rainwater on the pavement below her feet. She grabbed the now-damp items and stuffed them back into her bag, tugging on the door handle as she unlocked the doors.

Marley's tears spilled uncontrollably as anger overwhelmed her, realizing she was alone and she had no one to blame but herself. She drove blindly, wanting nothing more than to be in the comfort of her own home.

She parked crookedly in the asphalt driveway, and practically stripped from the moment she stepped in the front door- heading straight for the shower. Marley sat silently beneath the boiling water, holding her breath and closing her eyes as she submerged her head beneath the constant stream of water.

She wasn't sure how long she had spent in the shower, but her skin was wrinkled and the mirror was fogged up as she wrapped a towel around her torso. Her wet hair sat tangled in a knot on her shoulder as she attempted to wipe the steam from the mirror, and failed as her reflection disappeared once again as it fogged over.

Marley struggled to pull her yoga pants over her clammy skin, and decided to crack open the bathroom window to catch a cold breeze in attempt to clear out the steam. She brushed through her tangled hair as the mirror cleared up, allowing her to catch a glimpse at her flushed cheeks and swollen eyes.

She scrolled through her phone as she found herself walking to the kitchen for something to eat- her mouth watering at the thought of her mom's leftover tomato soup.

Marley chewed on a hangnail as she looked through the fridge, frowning as she failed to find the Tupperware she had placed on the top shelf the night before. She nearly dropped a brand new container of apple juice when someone behind her spoke.

"Marley," She spun around abruptly and clutched her chest as her heart beat quickly beneath her ribs. "Didn't mean to scare you, but I saw your car in the driveway." He spoke gruffly.

"Why are you in my house, Paul?" She mustered as her eyes widened in astonishment at the man sitting at her kitchen table.

"We need to talk," Paul stated as he sat back and crossed his arms defiantly. "I told you to stay away from me," She laughed in disbelief, reaching for her phone to dial 911.

"Put your phone down, Marley." He warned, pushing his chair back from the table so he could stand.

"This is the second time you've broken into my house after I caught you turning into an animal," Marley stuttered. "You think I would be willing to talk to you?"

"I think you should let me explain myself, and I'm not leaving until I do." Paul stated, standing his ground.

"What is there to explain, Paul? I don't want anything to do with you or Jacob Black, or any of your friends!" She cried out, her eyes filling with tears. "I won't tell anyone what I saw, so please just leave me alone."

He noticed how defensive she was being, and saw the fear that filled her eyes as she looked at him so he relaxed and held his hands up in surrender. "Marley, calm down." He cooed to soothe her.

"Baby, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." He backed up to give her more space. "Give me ten minutes. If you still want me to leave after, I will."

She held her breath in attempt to calm her nerves, deciding that she wasn't willing to deal with the police so she locked her phone and hesitantly placed it face-down on the counter top.

"You have ten minutes," She mumbled.

Paul scrambled to take a seat, and began to tell the tale of the Quileute tribe, Taha Aki and the Third Wife's sacrifice- stories Marley remembers faintly from the bonfire. He attempted to explain shapeshifters to her, trying to get her to picture them as protectors instead of monsters.

"And then there's imprinting," He breathes out. "It's completely involuntary, Marley. But it's when our ancestors pair us with someone else and creates an undying bond between-"

Marley inhales as she catches on to where he was heading with the conversation and begins to shake her head.

"I need you, Marley." He chokes, reaching across the table for her hand.

She yanks her hand back, and her chair scraps the hardwood floor as she slides away from the table. "Your ten minutes are up, Paul. You should go." She sobbed, unable to look him in the eyes.

"No," He argues stubbornly.

"I want you to leave, please." She begged, using her hoodie sleeve to wipe her tears.

"You don't want me to leave," Paul growled. "You need me just as much as I need you, Marley."

Marley kept quiet as she kept her gaze locked on her hands- sitting still even when Paul leaned over the table to press his lips to her temple.

"I'll see you around, Marley." He spoke softly before making his way to the front door, leaving her to sit alone in the kitchen.