Status: Finished!
What If You Stay?
Seven
After the movie was over, Paul and I decided to stop to get some ice cream and go to the park for a while before he was to drop me off back home. I was a little shock that Paul like the same ice cream flavor, chocolate – common I know – when he ordered. We had walked around the park just talking about whatever was brought up.
I currently was listening to Paul talk about his and Jared’s childhood growing up as best friends. I was laughing at how much of a goofball they were together with everything they had done, most of them to get girls attention.
“So Jared and I climbed up in the tree, about halfway up with our towels tied around our necks.” Paul continued smiling.
“Oh my God. Let me guess, you jumped out of the tree to impress them.”
Paul laughed and said, “You are a quick learner.”
I shook my head taking another lick from my chocolate ice cream. Paul continued to laugh beside me finishing off his ice cream making me wonder how he could eat so fast.
“No offence, but if I was one of those girls I would have thought that you and Jared was an idiot.” I admitted.
“What?”
“I’m serious. I would have just rolled my eyes and walk away.”
“You couldn’t come over to see if we were okay?”
“No. Ya’ll were the idiots that thought it would be cool to jump for a tree.”
Paul huffed beside me and crossed his arms over his chest in a childish manner but I didn’t pay attention to that. I was taken away his muscles that was flexing through the sleeves of his shirt that looked like it was seconds from ripping. Looking over at him from the corner of my eyes, I couldn’t help but laugh at how cute he looked when he acted childish because it softened his features.
Then out of nowhere Paul reached over grabbing my hand that I was holding my ice cream in and took a bite through the waffle cone for some ice cream. I stopped where I was causing him to do the same and just stared down at my ice cream before looking up at him with a death glare. Paul just smiled at me swallowing the bite he had taken from my ice cream.
“I was going to eat that.” I said. “Now it has your germs on it. Here.” I said giving it to him.
Paul just laughed taking the ice cream cone from me and quickly finishing it off like he did with his. I just shook my head not believe that he ate my ice cream and how fast he was eating them. Sighing heavily, I cross my arms over my chest feeling a breeze blow making me regret not wearing an actual jacket instead of just a cardigan. Paul and I continued to walk for a while, just in silence until he tried to start up another conversation.
“So tell me about yourself.” Paul said taking my attention.
“What do you want to know?” I asked looking over at him.
“Why did you move to La Push?”
I looked away from Paul not expecting to ever hear that question. All of the emotions that I had managed to fight off since my mom’s funeral came rushing back and I had to force my tears back because I didn’t want Paul to feel guilty. I mean he didn’t know the reason I was forced to move here was because of a death in the family; a family that meant the world to not only my dad, but me also.
“I’m sorry if it’s a complicated subject for you to talk about. I was just being curious.” Paul said placing a hand on my lower back stopping the both of us.
I quickly wiped under my eyes incase a few tears had managed to escape, but thankfully I was able to hold all of them back. I looked over at Paul and I could clearly see the guilt look all over his face as he carefully watched me taking deep breaths to calm my nerves. Paul wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into him for a hug that I gratefully accepted and wrapped my arms around him resting my head against his shoulder.
Somehow, I felt relaxed and comfortable around Paul with this odd pull toward him that was nagging me to be with him. Paul started to rub small circles on my back and butterflies started to explode in my stomach. Paul was slowly giving me a reason to stay here, but I don’t want to be here in Washington. I wanted to be home . . . in Tennessee.
I currently was listening to Paul talk about his and Jared’s childhood growing up as best friends. I was laughing at how much of a goofball they were together with everything they had done, most of them to get girls attention.
“So Jared and I climbed up in the tree, about halfway up with our towels tied around our necks.” Paul continued smiling.
“Oh my God. Let me guess, you jumped out of the tree to impress them.”
Paul laughed and said, “You are a quick learner.”
I shook my head taking another lick from my chocolate ice cream. Paul continued to laugh beside me finishing off his ice cream making me wonder how he could eat so fast.
“No offence, but if I was one of those girls I would have thought that you and Jared was an idiot.” I admitted.
“What?”
“I’m serious. I would have just rolled my eyes and walk away.”
“You couldn’t come over to see if we were okay?”
“No. Ya’ll were the idiots that thought it would be cool to jump for a tree.”
Paul huffed beside me and crossed his arms over his chest in a childish manner but I didn’t pay attention to that. I was taken away his muscles that was flexing through the sleeves of his shirt that looked like it was seconds from ripping. Looking over at him from the corner of my eyes, I couldn’t help but laugh at how cute he looked when he acted childish because it softened his features.
Then out of nowhere Paul reached over grabbing my hand that I was holding my ice cream in and took a bite through the waffle cone for some ice cream. I stopped where I was causing him to do the same and just stared down at my ice cream before looking up at him with a death glare. Paul just smiled at me swallowing the bite he had taken from my ice cream.
“I was going to eat that.” I said. “Now it has your germs on it. Here.” I said giving it to him.
Paul just laughed taking the ice cream cone from me and quickly finishing it off like he did with his. I just shook my head not believe that he ate my ice cream and how fast he was eating them. Sighing heavily, I cross my arms over my chest feeling a breeze blow making me regret not wearing an actual jacket instead of just a cardigan. Paul and I continued to walk for a while, just in silence until he tried to start up another conversation.
“So tell me about yourself.” Paul said taking my attention.
“What do you want to know?” I asked looking over at him.
“Why did you move to La Push?”
I looked away from Paul not expecting to ever hear that question. All of the emotions that I had managed to fight off since my mom’s funeral came rushing back and I had to force my tears back because I didn’t want Paul to feel guilty. I mean he didn’t know the reason I was forced to move here was because of a death in the family; a family that meant the world to not only my dad, but me also.
“I’m sorry if it’s a complicated subject for you to talk about. I was just being curious.” Paul said placing a hand on my lower back stopping the both of us.
I quickly wiped under my eyes incase a few tears had managed to escape, but thankfully I was able to hold all of them back. I looked over at Paul and I could clearly see the guilt look all over his face as he carefully watched me taking deep breaths to calm my nerves. Paul wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into him for a hug that I gratefully accepted and wrapped my arms around him resting my head against his shoulder.
Somehow, I felt relaxed and comfortable around Paul with this odd pull toward him that was nagging me to be with him. Paul started to rub small circles on my back and butterflies started to explode in my stomach. Paul was slowly giving me a reason to stay here, but I don’t want to be here in Washington. I wanted to be home . . . in Tennessee.