Animal Attraction

If anyone would’ve told me that this summer I was going to fall in love with my worst enemy… I probably would’ve laughed and kicked their ass for suggesting such a horrid thing. I was nervous when Paul and I walked into school.

I was nervous because of what people would think. The entire summer he and I weren’t parading our relationship in town, so when he and I arrived hand in hand, they whispered and pointed at us. I heard some of them saying they thought it was all a prank or something.

When it came time to leave Paul and go to my first class, I was bombarded with questions by girls. I told them all to fuck off, that it wasn’t their fucking business.

The teacher walked into class before they could harass me some more.

When lunch came, I was so damn happy.

Paul told me that guys were asking him too if we were truly together.

“Why is it so hard to believe?” I thought out loud.

“Maybe because you guys always bit each other’s head off,” Jared muttered as he bit his apple. “I, for one, could not believe Paul had imprinted until he phased and I saw it all in his head.”

Paul glared at him.

“It’s weird how you two imprinted,” Quil pointed between Paul and I.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked.

“Well, Paul saw you a bunch of times even after he first phased, and a kiss sealed the deal?” Quil scoffed.

“I think it was because they’re both so stubborn, they needed an extra push,” Embry chimed in.

“We are not stubborn, we just have strong opinions, okay?” I snapped.

“And touchy, don’t forget touchy,” Jared added. “Can’t say shit without being it the wrong thing.”

“Not true!” I yelled at Jared. “You’re a bunch of morons.”

“Stop making my girl mad,” Paul glared at his friends.

“Hey guys,” Kim joined us, and Jared had that stupid goofy look that Paul always had when he saw me. “Whatcha doing?” she sat on Jared’s lap.

“Making fun of Paul and Erin,” Quil smirked.

“I’m going to kick your ass, Quil, I don’t care if you’ll heal. After I’m through with you, you won’t remember your fucking name,” I threatened him with a serious look.

He actually looked scared.

Paul’s lips on my neck distracted me. “Baby, calm down.”

He was the last person I expected to tell me to calm down, but I did do it.

At the end of the day, I was happy to be out of prison. Paul and I went to my house because I didn’t want to be alone. My mom was at Port Angeles handling the store, the grand re-opening was going to be in three weeks, and she was making adjustments to the place, so the house was alone.

I actually missed Angie’s nagging.

I missed talking to Sean about just normal stuff.

I missed Maggie, and my dad.

Paul and I stayed in the living room for a while.

It’s funny how things turned out in the end. I was so convinced Paul and I would hate each other until our deaths, and that I was never going to meet my father.

I was in love with Paul.

And I can call my father ‘dad’ now.

[Weeks Later]

Today was the grand re-opening of the bookstore. It was on a Saturday, and I was already ready inside of my room. I was waiting for Paul to text me that he was going to pick me up.

I was dressed in something nice. I was able to get the newspaper of Port Angeles to come to the ceremony, and the whole town of La Push was coming too.

They had accepted my mother and I. I don’t know why or how, but one day instead of getting looks, they just didn’t look! Which is saying something, considering they used to glare at me and my mom like we were some kind of… disease.

But that was the past now.

I heard the door bell ring.

I rushed downstairs expecting Paul, but when I opened the door, I was face to face with my dad.

He smiled at me.

“Dad? What are you doing here?” I asked and looked around for the others.

“I know it’s the grand re-opening of Mr. Markey’s Bookstore,” he smiled.

I had changed the name of the story in the honor of Mr. Markey.

“You came all the way from England for a re-opening? What about your mom?” I asked.

He sighed and shook his head. “She… faked the heart attack just to get us to come home.”

I felt a bit weird in my stomach. Did that woman hate my mom and I that much? She freaking faked a heart attack.

“Oh, well… I’m glad she’s not dead.”

My dad laughed and hugged me. I hugged him back.

“Are you here alone?” I asked.

“Yes, Sean and Angie have school.”

“You’re here, that’s all that matters.”

And it did. It mattered to me that he was here out of his own free will. Maggie didn’t have to make him come, he was here because he wanted to be here.

I called Paul and told him I’d meet him at Port Angeles, that I was going to be with my dad.

“How are things here?” my dad asked as he drove.

“Great, actually, people have stopped glaring at my mom and I, so everything’s cool.”

“I actually miss it here,” he said as he lowered his head a bit to look out the window. “I could think with all the noise in London. Here, there is so much tranquility.”

I chuckled. “It is a nice place,” I agreed.

“How is your mother?”

“She is well,” I answered and then paused.

“What?” he asked.

“She’s dating someone, and I think he’s pretty cool,” I said.

“It’s all right for your mother to date, Erin,” he chuckled.

“He’s a cop, and since there isn’t that much crime around here, I think it’s great. He could totally bail me out if I get in trouble,” I joked.

My dad and I laughed together for a second.

“His name is David, and he’s a Forks’ cop.”

“At least it’s someone respectable,” My dad said. “Is she happy?”

“Well, she didn’t come home one time, she did tell me she wasn’t, but I guess they’re in ‘that’ stage of the relationship,” I said.

“Your mother is a wonderful woman, she deserves the best.”

“I know,” I agreed with both of his statements.

We reached Port Angeles and the bookstore.

My mom was able to expand the place because the candle shop next to the bookstore had gone out of business and my mom bought the space.

The wall between the stores was taken down, I was actually able to use a slash hammer to help take it down. It does wonders for you inner anger. When I was done, I was exhausted physically, but my brain was relaxed and at peace.

So now, the place was able to get a space where they can read for a while.

The store was like a miniature Borders or Barnes and Nobles.

I was able to enter Mr. Markey’s office now. It took me a couple of tries and several breakdowns, but I was able to conquer my fear. Paul was with me the entire time.

He was incredibly patient with me, something I found fascinating.

We got out of the car, and we went inside of the store. My mom was telling the new workers, which happened to be Quil and Embry because they needed jobs, the best part was that I was going to be their boss.

“Mom!” I called her.

She turned around and she saw my dad and smiled.

“Hey, you made it,” she said.

“Wait--you knew he was coming?” I asked her.

“Yes, it was a surprise for you,” my mom smiled at me and winked.

I glared playfully at her.

“You and your surprises,” I muttered.

It was time to do the whole grand re-opening. Paul was now here. He was in an actual shirt. I told him he looked handsome and he stopped complaining.

There was a small crowd to see the whole re-opening.

It was more than I expected. Pictures were taken, and interviews done.

A lot of them asked if it was true the place was haunted, and I told them no.

I was more than happy when the whole ordeal was over. It was exciting, but it was also exhausting. Paul and my dad stayed and helped clean the place up.

After that, we went to dinner. It was really amazing how my life had become so wonderful.

I was so thankful that I had my dad, my mom, and my lover.

I didn’t know if Paul and I were ever going to get married.

Hell, we still fought like we did before, but I was glad to know that he would always come back to me, and if he didn’t, then I would because it was really hard to be away from him.

He and I had an attraction, at time it felt like an animal attraction neither one of us could deny.