Lightness Within All (Paul Lahote)

Night Terrors

As Bayla layed her head down that night for sleep she only found her mind racing as if it were a toy car on a track, and the sleep she once longed for was long gone .
She pulled out her phone and texted Jacob with no text back and decided to text Paul instead .

She quickly typed a hello and put her phone to the bed, half expecting him not to text back, but her heart beat rapidly when she heard the phone buzz softly beside her .

Hello Little leaf .

The one simple text message sent her stomach into a frenzy as the butterflies flew around and her smile grew wider and brighter.

"Hello Big Wolf" she texted back, the small wolf joke leaving a funny feeling to her mind .

What are you doing up so late ? Can't sleep? [paul]

Bayla turned her light off and climbed into bed while hugging her blanket that was pulled up to her chest tightly, silently thanking the lord Paul had texted her back and began the conversation, happy to have made a new friend .

No not really, I know it's late, I'm sorry for bothering you I just wanted someone to talk to other than Bella [Bayla]

You don't have to say sorry, I couldn't sleep either. Damn vampire situation has me on edge [paul]

Your scared of her too? [bayla]

Lol I'm not scared of her Bay, I'm scared of the people she might hurt [paul]

Bayla tossed to her side and let out a faint smile. Bella had warned her about Paul, she had said he was a raging asshole who cared about no one other than himself but the more she spent time with Paul she found that to be anything but true. There was a soft side to Paul, a side he didn't show to his pack brothers, a side that only Bayla got to see, but the side she loves the most .

She won't hurt anyone. Sam has Embry and Jared patrolling, remember? [bayla]

Yea I know, I just like it better when I'm patrolling, that's all [paul]
Enough talk of the leech...what are you doing tomorrow? [paul]

Nothing much, I think Bella wasn't to go cliff diving, after that I might stop by Emily's for a little bit. What about you, other than patrol of course haha [bayla]

Bayla no, you can't go cliff diving without us there with you, it's dangerous and the water will be too high tomorrow. Wait until we go and we will take you.. okay? [paul]

Bayla read over his text but let out a small sigh, looking forward to trying something new but texted back what she knew he wanted to hear, what she would try to follow the next day.

Bella really wants to go but I'm sure I can talk her out of it :) [bayla]

Good , she's gonna get you hurt one day! You shouldn't stop following her lead so much and use your own head. [paul]

She won't get me her on purpose, she's my sister, I'll follow her whenever I need to to make sure she's okay. [bayla]

Why? She's so selfish. [paul ]

Bayla took a few minutes before responding, not really knowing what to say, but finally writing it down and trying to make sense of it all to the man she had grown to care for .

She's not selfish...she has always been closed off, even when we were kids . She only wants to be happy, Hell everyone does. She doesn't mean to hurt peoples feelings so easily, and she doesn't mean to get herself into the situations she does, that's just Bella. But she's my sister and I know her in a way that no one else does. She's sweet, and caring. And she is here for me when I need her. [bayla]

A few moments passed and Bayla found her eyelids getting heavy as sleep decided to come pay her a visit. She closed her eyes for a split moment and fell asleep leaving the last text from Paul unread as it said :

I understand, I just want you to be safe. I want you to be happy too, just promise me you'll make sure that your Okay before anyone else is, you can't take care of everyone else around you if your not okay yourself.

But that's the thing about Bayla, even in the darkest days, even when all her energy was gone and she struggled to get out of bed she would let her feet hit the ground and make sure the others around her were happy and safe, she would always be that way. Even when the whole world seems to be crashing down around her, when her heart broke and left her gasping for breath at the ache she felt she would still get up, if not for herself, if not for Charlie or Jake, for Bella.
Her sister who would always overlook Bayla, take advantage of her kindness and forget about her in moments that meant the most.

As Bayla fell asleep that nigh her mind took her to a dark place that she never wanted to go and she dreamt of the large wolves she was learning to trust and feel safe around and the pale faces that had scared her since the day she found out about their existence.
Her small body shook with fear as she clenched the edges of her blankets harder, her breath becoming sharp and longing for clean air, her nails digging into the palms of her hands leaning crescent shaped cuts that would eventually bruise and her eyes forming small bags that everyone would take notice of, because unlike Bella, it wasn't like Bayla to have night terrors.

And unlike Bayla, Bella would not be there to comfort her sister in those times as Bayla had been for Bella. Bayla's cries and gasps for breaths would go unnoticed as her sister stayed up that night contemplating on wether to continue life or not .