Trust Me - Paul Lahote

4.

{Edited 02-03-2024}

"Oh, boy." Delaney breathed out when she and Claire walked out of their bedrooms dressed and into the living room only to see a mess of food on the coffee table, the DVD play menu on the screen, a giant on the sofa with their feet hanging off and the another on the floor.

"Why are boys pigs?" The little girl asked scrunching her nose while she giggled at the sight.

"I don't know, but if they want breakfast, they're going to wake up!" Delaney raised her voice making the boys flinch awake. "Seth, you should have told me you were going to stay. I would have slept with Claire and given you my bed."

"No. That's okay. Just as long as I get to sleep, I don't care where and how I'm sleeping."

"Ain't that the truth." Paul muttered understanding Seth.

"Okay, well, we're going to go over to Emily's now, I'll see you there?"

"Yeah." Seth nodded wishing he were still asleep as he laid back down on the couch.

"Hey, do you mind if I tag along? I think I just lost my ride." Paul lied pointing at a once again sleeping Seth.

"Uh-No. I don't mind." Delaney shook her head, taking her keys from the hook near the door along with Claire's backpack filled with a few toys and coloring books. Which often came in handy, though not since they moved down to La Push. The young girl has had too much attention to keep her occupied.

Hell yeah! Paul mentally cheered to himself as he followed behind the two females to the front of her aunts home. He had no idea what would come but right now, he was just going to wing it. That's if he actually got the courage to speak to her, or even pick an interesting topic.

Paul sat there in silence never able to figure out what he wanted to say. H le had many ideas. Stupid ideas but nevertheless ideas and he was worried he would look stupid. Especially because later on everyone will know. There was no hiding anything when they shifted.

"You have a cute kid, you know that?" After a long period of silence Paul finally spoke.

"Thanks." Delaney smiled to herself looking at Claire through rear view mirror. The little girl wasn't even paying attention. She was busy singing to the soft music playing while she starred out the window.

"She six?" Paul asked already knowing a lot more than he led on.

"Five." She corrected keeping her eyes on the road.

"What about you?"

"What about me?" She asked taking her eyes off the road just to look at him confusedly and then back. Something about her facial expression changed. Paul noticed it immediately and he was now worried that she was going to get defensive or angry,

"What should i know about you?" He asked instead looking out the window as if they just passed something that caught his eye.

She didn't answer him. She didn't react. Delaney just continued starring at the road in front of her, getting ready to pull into her sister's drive way. It wasn't that she didn't trust Paul because she did, which she found to be weird. The problem though was that she was afraid. Afraid of being judged, afraid of being hurt, of letting people in, because at such a young age, she learned what the real world was like.

As soon as Delaney parked in front of her sisters home. Paul was out of the car in an instant muttering a thanks to the teen mom, who had no idea how to react.

"Mommy, can i take my backpack?" The little girl asked from the backseat before Delaney could even shut off the car

"Of course you can." She turned to look at the little girl smiling and for that Delaney smiled. She had no worries, the young girl was pure and really had no cares int he world. "Come on. Aunt Emily is waiting for us."

"Please, hurry!" Claire squealed as her mother took her time getting out of the car. "I want to see aunt Emy!"

"Wait a second." She laughed after opening the door and going in to unbuckle Claire before throwing her backpack over her shoulder. "I don't need to remind you to be good, right?"

"I'm always good."

"I know. I love you for that." They both smiled at each other scrunching their noses.

Knocking on her sisters door a couple of time before walking in, making her presence known, Delaney was greeted with a hug from her sister. As much as she didn't want to look rude she lightly hugged her back, patting Emily's before pulling away awkwardly.

"Aunt Emy!" Claire squealed running from behind her mother into Emily's open arms.

"Hey, pumpkin, are you hungry? I made you your favorite."

"Chocolate chip pancakes?"

"Oh, yeah." Emily nodded taking Claire to the kitchen, leaving the teen mom to follow the two, but not before greeting Sam who was just now walking out of the bedroom, once again shirtless.

"Good morning Delaney." He gave her a small smile.

"Morning." She croaked as she headed towards her daughter who already had to flapjack's sitting in front of her. Delaney went over and poured syrup on the two them.

"Mommy can you cut it for me?"

"Of course." The teen mom took a butter knife and began slicing. For the girl.

"Coffee?" Emily handed her sister a mug, smiling.

"Thanks." The mom gladly took the warm mug.

"Hey, so, Paul just mentioned you drove him." Emily tried to make conversation.

"Oh, yeah. He and Seth crashed sofa city." She replied as she reached for a cup and jug of orange juice in the center of the table. She quickly filled it up halfway for her daughter who was more focused on her food.

"Is there something going on between the two of you? I couldn't help but -"

"Emily, please don't." Delaney cut her sister off annoyed. "Don't turn nothing into something."

"What? He's a good guy." Emily defended as her baby sister dragged her into the kitchen so that her daughter wouldn't have to hear the conversation.

"I don't care if he's a good guy." She snapped making Emily nod. "I don't need you messing up my life anymore. Hate me for being honest, but i can't sit here and pretend you didn't hurt me."

"Oh, come on, Laney. That's in the past."

"Wow." She breathed out before walking out of the kitchen, picking up her daughter and walking out of the house with her sister calling her while a couple of the guys watched.

"Delaney, you're being ridiculous." Emily shouted behind her.

Ignoring her, Delaney buckled in her daughter before actually getting in and taking off furiously. She wasn't upset that her sister was trying to medal wth her love life, it was the fact that Emily was pretending that she never hurt Delaney.l and that's something the guys don't understand. In their eyes, the girl was being rude to her older sister.