Monster

“Concert tickets. Dex…you shouldn’t have.” She glanced at the pair of tickets her boyfriend bought for them that coming weekend. His reasons being that they rarely saw each other despite her telling him that she needed her distance at the moment. Now he stood in front of her with hopeful eyes since he bought something that she truly loved.

Shiori never wanted to force someone to join her in something they disliked. Dex hated classic music and to have him sit through hours of it would be beyond painful. The memory of him drooling is still lodged in when she played her favorite piece.

“I wanted to.” He pressed, a sense of urgency set in his tone, dark green eyes that leaked desperation something she isn’t familiar with.

“I know and I appreciate it, but” watching his smile transform into a frown made her gut twist. “I’ll feel awful for you being there when I know you don’t like that stuff. Besides, my mother’s due date is soon and we can’t afford for me to be gone any day for too long.”

Dex pursed his lips, clearly not enjoying the conversation that made a turn for the worst. Out of all the possibilities that he conjured in his mind; he never settled this one. Uneasy that she would not change her mind, he urged, “Isn’t that what your dad is for? He’ll be there, won’t he?”

Shiori gave him a sympathetic look, “Highly doubt it. He’s so busy, they are depending on me to be there in case anything happens. I could never forgive myself if I wasn’t there and something happened.”

“How about friends? Can’t any of her friends watch over her?”

“She doesn’t have any, not close ones that she will voluntarily get in the car with.” Shiori shared her empathy as she squeezed his hand. “I’m so sorry those tickets have to go to waste.” Her eyes tried to connect with his is proving to be difficult.

He never made eye contact after her third time shooting him down, angry that he felt her slipping away he created distance between them. “It’s fine. Doesn’t matter.” Before she could come up with a solution of where the tickets should go, she gasped watching him rip the tickets. “I guess I don’t matter to you. All you have time for is that fucking jerk.”

“Paul isn’t as bad as he seems.”

Dex narrowed his eyes, fuming through his teeth, “He poured soda all over you on our first date, threw gum and paper during class and let’s not forget that he has been a dick to you for years. This wasn’t a first time thing and now you are fawning all over him because he decided to give you some attention. What are you going to do next?” Standing within kissing distance, he murmured darkly, “He if asked you to spread your legs for him, would you do it? Of course you would because that’s what girls like you do.”

“HEY!”

Shiori didn’t comprehend what happened next as Dex is dangling in front of her, Paul stood tall, and his hands curled the front of Dex’s shirt bringing him up to eye level. “The fuck did you say to her? Think your cool for making a girl cry? If she won’t break up with you then I’ll say this, you come within a hundred feet of her, I will beat the shit out of you and you know I will.”

If his dark brown eyes could get any darker, they did. Dex noticed the change in him, his large frame trembling when he saw the sight of his imprint crying over what Dex has said to her. Hearing every single word left him furious, the wolf inside of him wanting to rip his throat out.

The teenage girl noticed the tremors coursing through Paul’s body’ this hasn’t been the first time she has seen it, but still concerned her. His temper is never to be missed with and seeing Dex trying to pry his hands away from him only had her grip his side with her hands. Pressing her forehead to his bulging arm, she quietly whispered, “S-stop. Please…stop.”

As if she said the magic words, a loud thump is heard before a painful groan followed. Shiori ignored the fleeing boy as Paul softened at the sobbing girl. Scooping her up in his arms, he comforted her in the best way possible. His warmth engulfed her as guilt ate away at her.

Running his hand through her silky hair, he patiently waited until she calmed down. It isn’t just his heart that burst into agony, but his whole body when he felt the small tremors coming from her. The sniffles and whimpers slowly subsiding that came from one person that he will gladly rip into two if Shiori permitted him to.

He couldn’t linger on the fact on what Dex has said to her, his main concern is the girl he is holding and nothing more. A small smile crept on his face when she snuggled closer to him, squeezing him tighter only to loosen when she saw what she is doing.

“I’m s-sorry.” Shiori popped up from his arms, nose red as a cherry and cheeks flushed from the tears. “I don’t mean-” she swallowed a good amount of air to stifle her sniffling only for her body to inhale even more. Wiping tears, she mumbled, “I shouldn’t have hugged you like that. How inappropriate of me.”

“It’s—not a problem. Honest.” He soothed gently, when she looked up into his eyes to see the sincerity behind it, he noted the shock radiating off her eyes. Questioning, weary and other things that rather made him feel uncomfortable and saddened by.

Wrapping arms around herself, she stood a few steps away from him. All that Dex said is true, Paul has been cruel to her for so many years of her life and then suddenly out of the blue, he became frustrated and instantly showed his softer side to her. So many odd quirks that she has never seen him exhibit when he was around other girls, a certain shyness surfaced whenever he is around her.

Licking her dry lips, she rocked on her heels. “You didn’t have to defend me like that. What Dex said is right. I mean…you were mean to me and now you suddenly aren’t and I accept you like it’s nothing. A little hesitant, but I still did. There are things I can’t explain when I’m around you, strange things. I don’t know what I’m talking about.”

Paul scratched the back of his neck, pulling at the tiny hairs to hide his frustration from her. “I know we were never friends, I tormented you since we were kids and I…I’m sorry about everything I have done to you. I’ll apologize as long as you need me to in order for you to trust me.”

As if she could sense his frustration, she took another tiny step back. “And your anger? You tremble like—you snap at anything and I don’t know if I can be around that.” Twisting her hands tightly, she professed her insecurity and doubt, “What if you hurt me when your angry?”

Just like that Paul stood those steps that kept them distant, cupping her face with such tenderness it still left her baffled. “I will never hurt you. Ever.” Such conviction and sadness in his voice for the past few minutes let her muddle through what he said. He could feel her pulse quicken when his finger slightly stroked her cheek, her words might be lies, but her heart doesn’t.

She needed some space, he could see that. Shiori is way too sweet for her to accept any of his advances fully without feeling guilty about it. Having just broken up with her boyfriend, one that he did, but she didn’t refute, she would want to support her very pregnant mother who is just about ready to give birth.

There is a lingering feeling as she stepped back from him, giving him a small smile before stepped back into her house where her mother is. Paul will give her some time and he highly doubt it if he could stay away for too long. He’ll watch over her.