Homecoming - Paul Lahote

Chapter 7: Bonfire

        I've been spending a lot of time just hanging out at Emily's even when the guys weren't around. We've gotten really close and it all started because I was curious about the whole imprint thing. It was only a couple days after Paul had told me and we were getting closer than ever but he was also getting busier because of a vampire siting in Forks. 

        I was standing in the kitchen with Emily helping her bake some muffins and cook up breakfast before Sam and Jacob come back from their patrol. They'd been out for a few hours already so they'll be coming back any minute now. Paul and Jared are the next patrol so they'll be coming to fill up before they go out. 

        Emily and I had been cooking for twenty minutes already, before I finally got the courage to ask her what I've been dying to for two days since I found out that Paul imprinted on me. 

       "Emily can I ask you something?"

        She looked up from her pan of scrambled eggs and stopped her humming, "Yeah anything. What's on your mind?"

        "I don't know if you know, but Paul told me that he imprinted on me. I just-", I paused for a second and then continued. "I just don't know how I feel. I like him a lot but it seems like it's happening too fast. How did you feel about it ?"

        "I fought it for a while because I couldn't stand to hurt Leah, but I finally let myself fall for Sam and I'm so happy that I did. Things could not be any better. I kick myself now for waiting for so long. It still really hurts to see Leah and the hurt in her eyes when she sees Sam and I together. But I'm happy... The happiest I have ever been."

        "You fought it?" 

        "Yeah but I realized that Sam had turned into the most important thing in my life. I can't catch my breath sometimes when he leaves because I NEED him to come back in one piece." 

        "I'm glad that I'm not the only one that feels that way. We're in this together Em," I gave her a small smile grabbing the muffins out of the oven and putting them onto a plate. 

        It's been about a week since Paul first told me and tonight is the first bonfire since Quil, Leah, and her brother, Seth, phased, so we are all hearing the history for the first time without a filter. 

       The bonfire starts in about an hour and I decided to hop in the shower. Paul told me he was going to come early so I took a really quick shower before climbing out and wrapping myself in a towel. Today was the hottest day since I've been back home so I decided to just go with shorts and a cropped tshirt. I only put on mascara because I wanted to keep it really simple. Once I was ready, I examined my outfit, and for the first time I can remember I was nervous and cared about what I looked like. 

        I haven't felt this way since the party freshman year, after that I didn't really care what I looked like. I'm probably just nervous about seeing Paul again. Every time I see Paul, I get nervous that maybe he'll decide that I'm not doing everything I can for him. Even though we aren't even dating, I feel like I need him to be safe all the time, like I can't lose him. I pulled on my sneakers and tied them as my phone chimed that I got a new message.   

        Paul texted to tell me that he would be here soon so I made my way downstairs to tell my parents that he was on his way. I sat on the living room floor with Jackson while he was playing with his dump truck. Once he noticed that I was sitting next to him he climbed over to sit on my lap moving his attention from his truck to the tv. It was only a minute before he was asleep with his head against my chest. Before I knew it there was a knock on the door, I knew it was Paul so I carefully stood up with Jackson still in my arms and opened the door.