lover • paul lahote

07

"Who's Paul?"

Elsa snatched her phone from her little sister's hands as their family sat in the living room watching a movie.

"Nobody!"

"Doesn't sounds like nobody, does it Fi?" Aaron teased.

"No it doesn't Uncle Aaron."

Elsa huffed in response. "He is nobody!" She insisted.

"Ah, she acknowledges he is a boy at least." Aaron spoke to Freya, acting as though Elsa wasn't in the room.

"Y-you are cruel!" She huffed, crossing her arms like a toddler. Aaron laughed at her antics, ruffling her hair playfully. Aaron loved his nieces. He wished he had seen them so much than he had in the previous years. Before he lost his brother and sister-in-law. He was adamant to do everything for his nieces, to the best of his ability

"I'm just kidding, kiddo." Aaron leaned down and kissed her head lightly before walking into the kitchen to check on dinner.

Elsa had been ghosting Paul the entire weekend. She wasn't sure how he had gotten her phone number, as she only had about 3 contacts on her phone. He had been spamming her with messages since the day at the beach, and she honestly wasn't ignoring him, she just didn't know how to reply. However school was tomorrow morning and she would no doubt run into him somewhere.

Elsa huffed and continued to watch tv. She had been texting Jacob, Embry and Quil a lot too, especially Embry. They were kind boys, and were making an effort with her. Elsa couldn't help but smile anytime she got a message from them.

Tucking herself into bed late that night she was still texting Embry. He had stayed up late just to make sure she was alright, despite how many times she insisted she was okay.

Embry: I've definitely never heard of it

Elsa: that's a disgrace, teen wolf is the greatest

Embry: is that why you stay up so late every night?

Elsa: somewhat so.

Elsa in fact had nightmares every night. That was mostly why she didn't sleep at night, she was scared to shut her eyes in case it all became real again. Every time her eyes closed, she would see the same blood eyes staring back at her from across the room. The bodies of her parents lying face down on the floor. And the blood.

She would wake up screaming in the early days of moving here, Aaron having to rock her like a child in his arms to get her to calm down. They happened less now, but crept up unexpectedly the odd time.

That said 'odd time' happened to strike that night. Elsa stirred in her sleep, rocking from side to side as her mind buzzed in her slumber. She could picture the image, the same image as always, clear in her head. Her arms and legs thrashed as her mind played out the scene, her imagination now running wild as the red-eyed monster would lunch at her. She awoke with a shrill scream, causing Aaron to burst into the room. The door hit the other side of the wall in force, as he hurriedly sat on the edge of her bed taking her in his arms. His hands wrapped around her wrists preventing them from thrashing and further. He shushed her silently as her breathing calmed, his heart clenching as she sobbed into his chest whilst her her shoulders shuddered in disdain. He felt his own eyes well up with tears as he heard her whisper 'I miss you' over and over again.