"So let's test your theory."
"What theory?"
Paul smirked at me as he backed me up against the door. I watched his eyes as he lifted his arms and trapped me. "The theory that you don't want me...that we're just friends...and I'm just some kid you c...
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"I bullied your brother?" he echoed.
"I just can't even deal with you right now."
"Wait!" he called but I disappeared around the side of the diner.
I was mad, no irritated, no...infuriated that I wasted a whole evening being hit on by some little weasel who's been giving Jacob a hard time. And that's not the only thing I've heard about Paul. Ugh.
"Will you wait up?" Paul demanded as he pulled on my arm.
"Leave me alone! I swear I'll scream and wake up the whole reservation if you don't let go of me."
"I don't even know who your brother is," he explained and finally let me go. "Maybe you have me confused with someone else."
"Rachel?"
I heard my baby brother's voice in the dark. I saw him approach me with Quil and Embry following close behind. "What are you doing here?" I asked, not realizing we are standing in front of Quil's house.
"I'm hanging out with the guys." Jacob looked at me and then at Paul. "Everything okay?" he asked in his protective brother voice.
"Everything is cool," Paul piped up and Jacob looked annoyed. "I was walking your sister home from work. I hope that's okay."
Jacob crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. "No, it's not okay. Stay away from her."
"Jacob!" I scolded. I've never seen him act like this before.
Paul nodded and smiled a little. "She's your sister, so I get it. You wanna look out for her."
"And with the things I've heard about you...you can understand why I wouldn't want you anywhere near her, right?"
Paul clenched his jaw. "Man, you don't even know me."
"I know enough," Jacob grumbled. "I know you and your friends tried to beat us up on the last day of school."
Paul furrowed his brow. "That was you guys? That was freshman hazing! It's tradition and it was supposed to be a joke. All the incoming freshman get hazed by the sophomores. It was done to us. And you guys weren't even touched...you ran away."
"You're a sophomore?" I asked.
"I'll be a junior this year," he clarified, shifting his attention back to me. "How about you?"
"Junior...in college." Embry and Quil chuckled and Paul scowled.
"So you're like, nineteen?" he mused, a playful smile started to form on his lips.
"She's twenty. And stop talking to her."
"I can speak for myself, Jacob."
"Can you? Cuz he's still standing here," Jacob fumed.
