The dead air on the phone is making me antsy. My dad hasn't said anything in a while and I'm starting to worry he's fainted or something.
"Dad? Are you still there?" I ask.
"Yeah honey. I'm here. Just... processing." His reply doesn't make me feel better. I've just filled him in on everything that's happened, and when I got to the part about mom, that's when the silence started.
"She's been alive all this time?" He sounds hopeful and I don't know what the right thing to say is.
"It would appear that way. But dad... I don't think she's really the same person we knew. I mean, she works as a professional hypnotist for the vampire king." I blurt out. Paul lets out a guffaw from my bed behind me but quickly covers it with a cough, mouthing an apology.
"Is that Paul there? What does he think about all this?" My dad asks. He'd taken to Paul immediately, knowing full well the details of imprinting. He knew I was in good hands.
"I don't know, we haven't had a chance to talk about it. I called you right away, I wanted you to know." I say.
"Well, I don't really know how to process this honey. I think I need some time with this."
"Ok dad. Call me when you can?" I say almost pleadingly.
"Of course. Bye for now." He says and the line goes dead.
Putting down my phone, I crawl onto the bed and curl into Paul's side. I'm completely drained.
"Did you want to talk about it?" Paul says softly.
"I wouldn't know what to say... How do you feel about this?" I mumble into his chest.
Paul shuffles down the bed so we're both lying down. "I've never been more scared in my life. You looked, gone. My instincts took over completely and I did everything I could to try and pull you back to me." I can feel the rising of his chest has picked up speed. Lifting my head up to look him in the eye, the look in his eye slowly changes. "We're going to figure this out together baby. I promise you."
"Thank you for pulling me back." I whisper, moving forward to connect our lips in a sweet kiss.
I've never felt so grateful for another person before. This man was my everything. We make each other stronger, happier, goofier, deeper, whole. I pour everything I'm feeling into this kiss, and it starts to get really desperate. I pull myself into Paul's lap and he lets out a moan.
I pull back slightly and rest my forehead on his.
"I love you." I breathe out. Paul closes his eyes and takes a shaky breath, as if he's just feeling too much all at once. When his eyes open again, they're filled with a fire I've never seen before. He flips me onto my back and I let out a shriek at the sudden action. Now he's got me pinned and, damn, if looks could kill.
"I love you too baby. So much." He says vehemently. And his mouth is on my neck, sucking and licking and kissing his way down to my chest and back up again. I hook my fingers around the hem of his shirt and yank it over his head. He seems unhappy to be disconnected for a brief second and our lips meet again in a needy kiss. Refusing to pull away, he grabs the edge of my shirt and rips it in two, pulling it from my body. It might have been the hottest thing I've ever had happen to me and I almost combust right there. My hips grind up into his on instinct and he lets out a growl, grinding back down into me. I can't take it anymore and I flip him over again so I'm straddling him. Shuffling down his body, I kiss my way down his chest as my fingers start to make work of his pants. He stops me.
"Hey, are you sure about this?" He asks, pulling my chin to make me look him in the eye.
"More than sure." I reply. And we spend the rest of the night getting completely lost in each other, forgetting the events of this exhausting day.
When I awake the next morning, I'm tangled in Paul's arms. It's the most comforting feeling in the world. Despite the events of the previous day, I have never felt more safe than I do in this moment. This is where I belong, with Paul. We are two halves to one whole. I am everything to him, and he is everything to me. Forever.