It was Friday night and Lena was bored. She'd spent the last few days trying to do anything but think about Paul Lahote. That meant that she'd cleaned her entire house top to bottom, washed her car and done all of her homework. She'd even watched a two hours documentary about the evolution of pants throughout history. Still, every time she had even one free second, her thoughts went back to the boy who still hadn't come back to school. She was starting to truly worry about him. Was anyone bringing him his homework? He'd missed a lot of stuff. Enough so that she wondered if he'd even be able to graduate. She couldn't phantom a good enough reason for such a long absence. She knew that he wasn't sick. Jared was also missing and it'd just be way too convenient for them to be gone at the same time. Although she had to admit that she'd suspected it was an illness going around school for a while after hearing from Jacob that Embry Call hadn't come to school either. But then she'd reminded herself that Paul had actually told her he wouldn't be coming to school for a while. He couldn't have possibly planned on being ill. Anyway, it wasn't any of her business. She barely knew the guy and, no matter how much of a deeper meaning she tried to give their few conversations, she understood that she realistically couldn't expect any sort of explanation from him.
Sighing, she focussed back on the list she'd been writing. Since she'd spent the past few weeks alone, she hadn't felt the need to go to the store as often as she did when her aunt was in town. She tended to cook larger quantities of food so she'd have leftovers for the following days. It wasn't exactly the most exciting culinary adventure. She did sometimes get tired of eating the same thing. But it saved her money and time. Now, though, she had to admit that she was quite grateful for the distraction. She'd even decided to walk, knowing that it'd entertain her for even longer. That was one of the greatest things about the reservation. There weren't any big roads full of traffic, or industrial looking buildings. Everything was nature, houses and small shops. That meant that the scenery was always perfect for a nice stroll. Sure, the rain often hindered her plans, but as long as she wore a decent raincoat, nothing could stop her.
Thankfully, the weather hadn't been too bad for the past few days, which meant that she was able to wear sneakers without the fear of getting her feet wet. She'd tried to infuse a bit of joy in her day by going for a colorful outfit, wearing one of her favorite lavender sweater that was so soft it reminded her of a cloud. She grabbed a few reusable shopping bags that she kept in a closet near the door and headed out.
Although there was a slightly bigger grocery store in Forks, Lena often chose the small market of La Push to do her shopping. Sure, they didn't have as much of a big selection as their competitors, but she liked that it was so close to her house and that the staff was so nice. Most of the older employees had seen her grow up and always took time out of their day to ask how she was going. There were also a few kids from the reservation who stocked the shelves and sometimes manned one of the two cash registers. They were friendly enough. One of them, Matthew, who was a year below her in school, even helped her sometimes when she couldn't reach an item on the top shelf.
She started stocking up on fruit and vegetables, which were the first thing you could see when entering the building. It was much easier to shop only for herself, buying the things that she liked and making up a menu for the week as she went along. Her aunt was more of a picky eater. She usually ate most of what Lena cooked but it'd be easy to see it on her face when she wasn't happy with the meal. Since her niece was so grateful for being able to stay in her house rent-free, she always tried her best to please her with her cooking. Sure, she wasn't the most responsible guardian figure in the world, but she was still a heck of a lot better than her dad.
She had just reached the cereal aisle when she heard someone call her name behind her.
"Lena! "
She hadn't even turned completely before a wide smile took over her face. Her body seemed to have recognized his voice before her brain did, tingling from head to toe. There was only one person who could make her react like that just with his voice alone, and she'd been longing to hear from him for days now.
"Paul! I'm so happy to see you!"
If possible, his grin got even bigger. He couldn't believe his luck. He'd gone to the store to purchase something to eat and had been feeling like complete crap. His dad was supposed to come home tomorrow, but he'd arrived early, which meant that Paul now needed to avoid his house at all costs. That situation, added to the fact that he hadn't seen Lena in weeks and still had to wait until next Monday to finally go to school, had made him extremely moody to say the least. And yet, as he was contemplating just giving up and shifting in the woods at the back of the store to let off some steam, he'd seen her. His angel. Apparently the gods were on his side today.
"I'm really happy to see you too. How have you been?"
He felt like the king of the world right now. He'd made her happy. Not only that, but he'd brought that feeling in her just by being there. She had no idea how much it meant to him. It wasn't often that he felt wanted. And yet here she was, the most perfect girl in the world, smiling just at the sight of him.
"I've been good, thanks! But what about you? Is everything ok now? Are you coming back to school soon? Have the teachers helped you to follow what you've missed? I wanted to get your homework for you but I didn't know if someone else was already doing it and..."
She stopped in her rant, blushing. She hadn't even taken a breath.
"Sorry. I'm just really glad you're here. I've been worried about you."
Paul basically melted in the middle of the grocery store. She thought about him. Not only that. She cared about him! He'd spent the last few weeks freaking out, wondering if she felt even an ounce of what he felt for her. He knew from Emily and Kim that the imprint wasn't one-sided. They both said they felt something extremely strong the second they locked eyes with their imprinters, although it probably wasn't as intense as what the shifters experienced. And sure, Paul had noticed that she seemed happy to talk to him at school, even kissing him on the cheek at the end of the day, but he didn't know if he could consider that a sign since she was known for being nice to everyone she met.
"Everything's ok, don't worry. I'm coming back to school on Monday, actually. And yeah, Kim brought me my homework since she was also taking care of Jared's. But it's really sweet of you that you thought about it."
Her blush was now so pronounced that she could feel her cheeks burning. She liked that he called her sweet. While she always enjoyed taking care of others and making them happy, it somehow seemed much more significant when it came to Paul. It wasn't just a desire of hers to make sure he was ok, it was a need.
"Oh, I'm glad. I missed you in English class."
Gosh, he just wanted to hold her tight and never let her go.
"I missed you too."
They both turned when they heard wheels squeaking on the linoleum floor. Harry Clearwater was pushing a shopping cart full of meat and sausages that were probably gonna be eaten at the next tribal council meeting. He was discreetly looking their way, a knowing grin on his face. Paul almost laughed. The elders were worse than teenage girls with their gossiping. It hadn't even been a day that he'd imprinted on Lena before the entire council had been in the know. He'd even received Old Quil's visit to advice him on the situation. Thankfully, the old man wasn't there to talk about the birds and the bees or to give him advice or how to properly flirt with your soulmate. He'd mostly droned on and on about the magic of imprinting and the duties that came with it before congratulating him on what he called great news.
They both greeted Harry before turning back to each other once he was out of their sight.
"So, what are you doing today besides grocery shopping?", Lena asked him.
"Well, I'm not too sure. I was just grabbing a bite to eat before going to Sam and Emily's. My dad just came home and well... Let's just say that I try to be out of the house when he's there."
She frowned, looking concerned.
"I get it. Parents can be tricky. I haven't really talked to my dad in a few years."
He nodded. He'd heard about her father. The man had been known around the reservation as the most negative person in the world. Paul couldn't believe that someone as sweet and bubbly as Lena was related to him. She was stronger than she looked, he was sure of it.
"Yeah... Mine's pretty shitty. Thankfully Sam doesn't mind having me crash on his couch for a few days before my old man goes back to work. Still, since I'm probably gonna end up eating dinner there tonight I thought I'd save them a bit of food by grabbing lunch myself."
She didn't like the thought of his relationship with his father being so bad he had to leave his house when he was there. She just couldn't imagine why anyone would be mean to him. He was probably the most amazing man she'd ever met. But she found herself being overwhelmed with gratitude towards Sam and Emily for being such good friends to him. Paul deserved nothing less. She wished she could be there for him that way. Suddenly, a great idea popped in her head.
"Hey, maybe you could come for dinner at my place?"
He had to discreetly pinch himself to make sure this wasn't a dream.
"Are you... are you sure? Cause you totally don't have to!"
She thought he was adorable when he got shy.
"I'd love to have you over, actually. Eating alone gets kinda boring after a while."
If Paul has it his way, she's never gonna feel alone for another day in her life.
"Then sure, I'd love it."
Grinning, she reaches for his hand, entwining their fingers. It feels so incredibly natural that it takes her a few seconds to notice that they haven't really had that kind of contact before. But seeing the way he stares at their locked hands with a soft smile and a look of wonder, she can't help but think that he doesn't mind.
"Let's go, then! We still have to decide what we want to eat."
And as Paul lets her drag him around the store, listening to her babbling about different recipes she wants him to try, he can't help but think that this is the happiest moment of his life.
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Hey guys! It's been a while. I've been trying to continue this story for so long now but it's just been so difficult. Let's just say that the past few months have been really eventful. But I want to take a second to thank everyone who took time out of their day to comment and vote. It's really motivating to see that there are actual human beings that read my story! xx