A F T E R D A R K | PAUL LAHOTE - 1

34

A protection detail had been set up to keep watch on Charlie and my sister after a lengthy chat that night. If this intruder was to return they'd have a dozen of angry vampires and werewolves and on their case and I didn't think they wanted that.

Bella had come up with the idea of involving the wolves in the detail, something Edward wasn't pleased with but I told him to get over it. It was easier for us in numbers and Jacob was more than willing to agree. I wasn't sure how he managed to talk Sam into the idea of it but my guess was that it was more due to the fact of new vampires around rather than keeping a look out on Bella.

The wolves took over while we hunted, mostly during the night but every hand over was tension filled— especially between the likes of Jared and Emmett. For a reason unknown to me the pack had it out for Emmett more than anyone else, they just didn't like him at all. Maybe it was down to the fact that Emmett appeared as extremely intimidating to those who didn't know him or what? I wasn't sure.

Edward and I watched from inside the house on occasions, out of mine and Bella's bedroom windows but we never saw anything abnormal our out of the ordinary.

I never crossed paths with Paul though and I rarely ever left my dads house lately. It made me think that he'd opted out of the protection detail because surely I — or even Alice or Rosalie — would've seen him around by now.

I had returned home and to school, reciting a very well rehearsed lie to Charlie about why I had up and left so suddenly. He seemed pretty pissed at first, especially after not hearing very much front me, although when I told him about what happened to my birth parents he put any anger he had behind him and gave me his shoulder to lean on. He understood and that was what mattered.

Jessica and I had just about finished the graduation speech between the two of us with very little time to spare considering it was only in a few days.

The only thing that wasn't ready was me.

I wasn't ready to graduate and start a new chapter in my life. A chapter where the person I wanted the most wasn't going to be with me. The life where I had no clue about where to take it next. I was apprehensive about moving on considering school had been a big, albeit sometimes gruelling, part of my eighteen years. But there was some part of me that was afraid to leave because I was afraid of what was to come.

Standing where I was now, where all this supernatural shit began in a place where I had made so many memories, I twiddled my thumbs nervously. The breeze floating around, cooling my cheeks was the only thing keeping my nerves in check and I honestly wished I could control my own emotions. I had mastered altering other people's emotions but I still needed Jasper nearby to keep my own at bay and I couldn't rely on him to be around all the time.

"I didn't think you'd come."

My tense shoulders relaxed somewhat and like a few days prior, my faintly beating heart slammed against my ribcage. Looking up in slight disbelief, I could hardly believe what was happening, "Really?" I asked, my eyes slightly narrowed in confusion.

He shrugged from the opposite side of the small clearing, "I didn't think you'd want to see me."

Again I repeated myself dumbfounded, "Really?"

He nodded sheepishly and it took every ounce of me not to run over to him tackle him to the ground in an embrace. I had to remind myself we weren't in that place anymore. I couldn't kiss him and embrace him whenever I wanted because we weren't on those terms. We were technically separated still.

Guilt and sorrow overwhelmed me and I looked sympathetically to him. I focused my energy into calming his feelings enough for him to not feel this overwhelmed guilt. When he looked up to me in confusion I figured I'd been successful in what I'd been attempting to do.