HEART. ❪ new moon ❫²

𝐱. OLD ENEMIES

Paul looked at Bailey, then at Charlie Swan who was still in his police uniform... gun in his holster. He made an effort to make no sudden movements or noises as he cursed like a sailor in his mind. 

Luckily, Charlie went into the bathroom located on the opposite end of the hall. When his back was to them Paul and Bailey hurried into Bella's room, shutting the door quietly behind them before they were seen. 

"Why was that the scariest moment of my life?" Paul joked, holding onto his chest. Technically there was nothing he should have been afraid of, considering that Charlie was just a human man who just so happened to carry a gun (like most Americans). Despite Paul's wolf physiology that made him much stronger than the average human being, he knew very well that if he'd been caught by Chef Swan exiting his daughter's bedroom when Bailey was supposed to be home alone was not a good look. Besides, it probably wouldn't help Paul's chances at a future relationship with Charlie. He was going to be part of Bailey's life now... at least he hoped so. 

"You have to go now," said Bailey. She'd pulled open Bella's window and was motioning for Paul to get out. Charlie didn't see her soon he would grow suspicious. 

Paul made his way over to the window, standing directly in front of Bailey. The space between them was virtually non-existent. Bailey looked up at him with her eyes only, gazing overtop of her clear glasses. 

"I'll text you," Paul finally said, breaking the silence between them. 

Bailey merely nodded and Paul climbed out of the window. He was holding onto the window sill, with his feet firmly against the side of her house. Again, without thinking, Bailey's body moved on its own. She placed her hand atop Paul's causing him to look back at her with rounded eyes. She noted that his skin was awfully rough and deduced that it was probably from lengthy and numerous outdoor activities, including all those contact sports he told her a while back that he played. 

After fifteen seconds had gone by Bailey pulled away her hand and turned away, noticing that her face felt very warm and her heart was beating rapidly. 

"Bye." She whispered and walked out of Bella's room, shutting the door behind her and leaving everything as it once was. 

Paul dangled out of the window, confused as to what had just happened and nearly lost his grip for a brief second before he climbed down to a safe distance before jumping down to the ground and running off. 

He had in fact texted Bailey before she made it back to the attic. She looked down at her phone to see that the message was just a picture of him making a silly face. His cheeks were puffed out, lips puckered as he posed his head directly in front of the full moon. Bailey stared at the picture confusing. First, was this supposed to be some sort of pun because he was a wolf? And second, why was her heart still beating so quickly? 

Bailey set her phone aside after replying with a picture of the notes she'd written on her theories of werewolf physiology before picking up her laptop. She typed away in the search bar to get some answers: Why is my heart beating so fast randomly? 

Just as she hit the "enter" key she heard her name being called yet again by her father downstairs. Bailey quickly glimpsed through some of the top answers: Stress, exercise, or more rarely cardiovascular conditions and diseases. It was all rather unhelpful so Bailey shut her computer and walked downstairs for some wings. 

Unfortunately, Bailey's potential cardiovascular disease wasn't the only issue of the night. As when Bella came back from the movies she looked rather pale in the face, Jacob too. It would seem that a stomach bug was going around her friend group that had gotten to Mike in the middle of the film which caused him to leave for the bathroom for the rest of the movie. Jacob on the other hand was running a fever, and Bella didn't feel great herself.