𝖧 𝖮 𝖬 𝖤 ─ 𝗉𝖺𝗎𝗅 𝗅𝖺𝗁𝗈𝗍𝖾

| 𝟣𝟨

THE SMELL OF firewood and burning charcoal invade my nostrils as Paul helps me out of his truck, taking a moment to hold me close as he casually lifts me up to avoid me having to step in the mud puddle outside of the passenger side door.

I can't help but giggle, my breath catching in the back of my throat as I stare down at him. His hands sliding down lower as he gently guides my feet back onto solid ground, both of us still close to each other as if magnets being pulled together.

There was this intense emotion circling us that I didn't understand, and part of me felt like was just something my mind was making up because I found him attractive.

"I hope you don't mind," Paul all but whispers as he clears his throat and seems to struggle to remove his hands from my hips. "I didn't want you to fall in the mud, and ruin the rest of our..."

He opens and closes his mouth like he, too, was questioning whether this was a date or not.

My chest rises and falls against his, feeling his doing the same against mine as if trying to pull us even closer together than we already are as we stood on the border of the clearing where it seemed the rest of the party was.

Oblivious to our raging, and probably just, hormonal emotions.

"I've never been on a date," I whisper as I nervously bite my lip and avoid his reaction.

Paul seemed to tense up, something about what I said making him angry and then relieved all in one instance, before he just turns and throws his arm over my shoulders and begin leading me to the rest of the pack and people surrounding the growing bonfire.

"Well then, this will be the first and best date of your life." Paul grins from ear to ear, seeming extremely proud of himself and almost overjoyed with the realization that he is the first to do something for me.

I can't help but laugh and shake my head at him as we grow closer to Sam and Emily who were helping themselves to some hot dogs that were being passed out by the man behind the grill.

"Elle, I'm so glad you made it!" Emily untucks herself out from under Sam's arms to pull me into a hug that made Paul groan for just a moment before Emily reaches behind me to swat his chest.

"Don't be so damn greedy," Emily laughs. "You get the rest of your-" I pull away from Emily to raise my eyebrow at her and the two men, who just clear their throats and shrug their shoulders as if not hearing anything.

Despite being confused, I can't help but be pulled back into Emily's embrace as Paul grabs us some hot dogs and begins putting them on some buns.

"Would you like anything on your hotdogs?" Paul questions once I'm back at his side and Emily is back by Sam's.

I can't help but keep glancing up at him, not used to the small gesture of just... being so friendly? I had never had someone look out for me in the ways Paul seemed too keen on doing.

I mean, people outside of my family, that is.

"Just some mustard and ketchup, please," I respond and watch as he nods his head and puts the two condiments on a couple of the hot dogs for me.

Thinking about it now, it seemed like everyone in the pack really treated me like I was part of it too. Like I wasn't an outsider, but someone who belonged in it just as much as the rest.

It didn't make much sense to me, and part of it gave me a migraine trying to piece it all together, but seeing Paul glance down at me with a warm and genuine smile.... I no longer felt like I wanted to.

At least, not right now. Not while I watched more people from the reservation arrive and settle down on logs or chairs by the fire as Billy Black sat like the leader ready to tell tales of the Tribe's history.

On the other side of the bonfire, I caught the eye of Bella as she stood next to Jacob and Seth who gestured to Paul, who had more than enough hotdogs on his plate for the two of us.

Jacob and Seth laughed, while Bella seemed uncomfortable being there and apparently upset the moment she realized I was there too.

I furrowed my eyebrows together, playing with my fingers nervously as I felt unwanted and suddenly out of place because of her reaction.

Maybe I didn't belong here, maybe I was an outsider, and the connection I felt to everyone was all in my head and not real.

My mind began to race as I shrunk into myself. However, as if sensing my emotions, Paul pulled me into the seat next to him and held out the food for us to share.

His beautiful brown eyes not leaving my blue ones, as if challenging me to feel unworthy of being there.

It was such a bizarre feeling, and it was like we had this strong connection that I could sense he was doing just that, and there was no need for me to even question it.

I let myself relax, and smile at him before I grab some food and begin eating it as Billy began to tell the story about the Quileute tribe.