The Runaway Bride

Well I could see,
you home with me,
but you were with another man, yea!
I know we, ain't got much to say,
before I let you get away, yea!
I said, are you gonna be my girl?

-Jet “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”

It had been a week since Paul and Violet had agreed to be friends and everything was going well. They had not argued or brought up anything from the past, which to Violet’s concern, she couldn’t be anymore pleased. Sure, being friends wasn’t exactly what she wanted them to be, but it was a start. Currently they were all gathered at Emily’s house for a nice pancake breakfast she had prepared for everyone.

“Would you two quit with the googly eyes!” Jared complained addressing Paul and Violet. Kim slapped Jared’s arm for his bluntness and gave him a stern look.

“What!” he complained to Kim lifting his hands up “It’s annoying!”

Violet blushed madly “I was not making googly eyes!” she defended herself embarrassed because she knew damn well she probably was.

“I was” Paul shrugged unfazed.

It was comments like that that confused Violet to no end. Paul had been giving her these mix signals. One minute he was hot, the next he was cold. She tried not to be fazed with his attitude, but a girl could only take so much before she launched herself in his arms and kissed him like no tomorrow.

“Hey nobody can give Violet googly eyes except me!” Seth who was sitting next to Violet put his arm around her shoulders.

Paul rolled his eyes. Everyone else thought it was cute how Seth had a crush on Violet, but to Paul it was annoying as fuck. At the moment all he wanted to do was rip Seth’s arm away from Violet. Instead he grabbed another pancake and shoved it in his mouth.

Violet chuckled at Seth’s little attempt.

“You can give Violet googly eyes when puberty hits” Embry joked making everyone laugh except for Violet, Emily, Kim, and Leah.

“Seth is more of a man than any of you guys will ever be” Emily announced standing behind Seth eyeing the guys disapprovingly. The girls all nodded backing Emily up.

“I agree” Violet gave Seth a peck on the cheek followed by Emily and Kim. Seth gave the guys a triumphant smile.

“And that’s how you do it” Seth said giving the guys a wink who were all rolling their eyes.

Violet chuckled and ruffled his hair.

“Ok that’s enough!” Paul finally blurted. Everyone turned to look at Paul with their brows up. Paul’s angry scowl quickly faltered when everyone’s attention was directed towards him. Paul’s gaze fell on Violet’s who was looking at him curiously. “Em--bry” he lamely recovered “You’re eating all the pancakes”

Embry turned to look at him confused “There’s more right there” he pointed to the stack of pancakes in the middle of the table.

“Uh—yeah” Paul cleared his throat “and there won’t be anymore if you keep eating them”

Emily gave Paul a weird look “OK” she said “How’s everyone’s morning so far?” she said trying to shift the awkward mood Paul had set for himself.

Everyone quickly changed their attention to something Quil was saying. Paul exhaled passing a hand through his hair. What the hell had gotten into him? Had he seriously gotten jealous of Seth? He was a kid for crying out loud! Paul looked over at Violet who was observing him with a peculiar look. He stood up from his seat and left the kitchen. Violet quickly got up following behind him. Paul stepped outside. He shoved his hands inside his pockets and looked out at the trees. He could sense Violet’s presence even though she had not made a single sound. He felt utterly stupid for the way he had acted. Even if he had gotten jealous he had no reason for doing so.

Violet stood beside him looking out at the trees as well. It was raining lightly and the sound of the rain drizzling was soothing. Violet inhaled taking in the fresh smell of rain.

“When I was in Arizona I missed the rain” she said lightly, “Over there, it was very hot and dry. I missed watching the rain pour lightly.” She paused for a bit her eyebrows knitting together in thought, “It’s funny how that saying is true.” She finally spoke again, ”You don’t know what you have until it’s gone”

Paul thought about what she said as he watched the rain hit the ground lightly. Did she mean that because she had missed the rain that much? He turned his face to look at her. He thought she looked cute the way her eyebrows were knitted together as she was in deep thought.

“I know exactly what you mean” Paul answered not moving his gaze from her. Violet snapped out of her thoughts and turned her face to him when she felt his eyes on her.

Paul looked down at the brown-eyed girl to the side of him. Violet stared back at his light brown eyes. The one she had gotten lost in so many times before and now was not an exception.

“Do you want to hang out today?” Paul asked suddenly. “Just me and you” he added catching Violet by surprise. “We don’t have to do anything fancy, we could just go to my place and I don’t know, watch a movie or something….” He asked a bit hopeful. For some reason, to Violet he looked quite nervous but then again she wasn’t sure anymore with Paul.

The Paul she had gotten to know now didn’t seem like the apprehensive fellow she ha met long ago. The Paul she had gotten to know was a confident guy, he was always sure of himself. He never once doubted a decision he made and he never back downed. He was a different guy, but she didn’t mind it because there were times when he was with her and he would be the same guy she had met years ago. The one she had fallen in love with. He didn’t hide that side from her.

Violet bit her lip nodding “I’d like that”

Paul nodded turning back to the scene before him.

“Ah, I’m so full!” Seth rubbed his stomach with both hands. Embry followed behind him with a hunger, satisfied smile on his face. Violet and Paul turned to the guys coming out from inside the house.

“Maybe if you didn’t eat like a pig you wouldn’t be so full” Violet chided with a small smirk crossing her arms. She felt so short being with them. Her head barely reached their shoulders. Their height was amazingly impressive. She was sure no one would ever pick a fight with them. Who would want to fight with huge guys with massive pounds of muscle on them? Needless to say she felt more than safe being around them.

“I’m a full grown man. I need my protein” Seth wiggled his eyebrows at her. Violet chuckled.

“Pancakes aren’t a liable source of protein, idiot” Paul rolled his eyes.

“Ooh smarty pants” Seth waved his hands up in mockery.

“Alright, alright” Violet said standing between the guy “enough with the bickering. You’re both wonderful people”

“Some more than others” Paul crossed his arms. Seth rolled his eyes not fazed with Paul’s attitude towards him. He was confident he could take Paul. He didn’t care if Paul was older, if he needed to he could put up a good fight as well.

Violet looked up at Paul with a questioning look. What was the matter with him? He kept picking on Seth all morning. It was starting to rub a bad nerve in her. She loved Seth and she had always defended him from all the guys. He was Leah’s little brother and she had grown very fond of him.

Paul sighed a bit irritated but defeated at the same time. He knew exactly what that look meant. He knew she had a soft spot for Seth, but come on! The little booger flirted with her ‘til no end. Somebody had to put a stop to it.

“Hey Paul can you help me look at Sam’s truck? He said there was something weird with the engine,” Embry asked looking at the awkward confrontation in front of him.

“Jacob’s the mechanic, not me,” Paul said not moving from his stance.

“Will you just come?” Embry rolled his eyes pushing Paul a bit so he could move.

Paul gritted his teeth bitterly but nonetheless walked towards Sam’s truck. When they stopped at Sam’s truck Paul was about to lift the hood up but Embry stopped him by putting his hand on top of the hood.

“Seriously dude? You’re jealous of Seth?” Embry asked incredulous.

Paul scoffed “I am not Jealous of Seth!”

“Are you kidding? Everyone can see the jealousy dripping out of you! He’s just a kid!”

“He’s not a fucking kid Embry! He’s 20 already! It’s not cute anymore!” Paul growled.

Embry smirked “So you are jealous” he crossed his arms.

Paul leaned his elbows against the hood of the truck “I can’t fucking help it!” Paul finally confessed. “I know it’s Seth, but t still irks me. ‘Oh Violet look at me I’m a man’. ‘Oh Seth you’re so silly!’ Paul imitated Seth and Violet’s voice.

Embry stared at him with an amuse expression. He’d never seen Paul this worked up for a girl, but then again this wasn’t just any other girl. It was Violet, but for some damn reason Paul couldn’t see that.

“You’re honestly an idiot” Embry passed a hand over his disbelief yet entertained face.

“Well what the hell do you suppose I do? I can’t beat the crap out of him. That will only upset Violet.” He stood up from the car and walked at bit forward observing Violet and Seth talking animatedly.

“Why would anyone ever want to beat up Seth?” Embry shook his head “He’s the little sunshine of the pack”

Paul turned to look at Embry bewildered.

“What?” Embry shrugged “it’s the truth”

Paul rolled his eyes “I know” he sighed frustrated “But why the fuck is he testing my patience? He knows an ex is off limits. It’s bro code,” he said bitterly.

“Well if you aren’t going to step up to the plate, quit getting in his way” Embry patted Paul’s shoulder before walking back to Seth and Violet. Paul looked at them with a grimace on his face. But it was bro code! He thought shaking his head. It just wasn’t fair. And that was that.

“Paul!” Violet called waving at him “Come over here” she smiled brightly at him diminishing his bitter mood. He walked over to where she was and put an arm over her shoulder in a ‘friendly’ gesture.

“You guys want to go down to Port Angeles with us?” Embry asked “I think it’s time to buy some clothes with them always getting ripped when—“ Seth shut him up by smacking the back of his head. Embry was about to bark at him but then realized why he was smacked.

“Ripped when what?” Violet questioned. Embry turned to the guys for support but both were glaring at him.

“With—“ he scratched his head “with these babies” he said lifting his arms up and kissing his biceps.

Violet chuckled at his response forgetting any possible suspicion. These boys were so arrogant.

“You’re impossible” she shook her head.

“Impossibly good looking” Seth countered putting his arm around Embry’s neck and ruffling his hair with his other hand.

Violet and Paul laughed.

“He’s got a point there,” Embry said once Seth let him go.

“He forgot to mention impossibly stupid “ Paul retorted with a smirk.

Embry rolled his eyes and ignored the laughs from the other people. “So what do you guys say?”

“Actually” Paul spoke “We have plans” he informed referring to him and Violet.

“Oh?” Embry raised an eyebrow “Do you now?”

“Yeah” Paul said with a look that told him not to push it. But this was Embry so he did.

“What are your plans?” he prodded.

“We’re just going to watch some movies.” Violet answered simply trying to keep her cool but inside she was elated.

“That’s cool” Seth said giving Embry a knowing look.

“What was that?” Paul asked pointing back and forth between Embry and Seth.

“What was what?” Seth asked quickly.

“That look you guys gave each other?” Paul raised an eyebrow. Violet looked at Embry and Seth. She had seen the look they had exchange as well, but she didn’t really think anything of it, but for some reason it had Paul worked up.

“You’re just tripping” Embry waved him off “Come on Seth, we gotta get going before everyone takes all the specials”

“You mean the stuff on clearance” Seth joked following behind Embry waving at the couple they left behind.

“They’re so--- weird” Violet finished.

“You don’t know half of it” Paul muttered pulling Violet along with him towards his truck.

*****

“No, no action movies!” Violet whined when she saw Paul pulling one out of his collection.

“Oh come on, this ones good!”

“You always say that and it’s always the same lame movie with the same plot and the same disgusting blood and guts spilling out” Violet crossed her arms while sitting on the couch.

Paul huffed “You keep vetoing all my movie ideas. You come here and choose one”

“I would be delighted,” Violet said jokingly in a British accent, which to be honest was kind of a turn on for Paul. Violet got off from her spot on the couch and joined Paul on the floor. She crossed her legs and grabbed the case of movies Paul had in his hands.

She skimmed through them all. She turned to look at Paul and rolled her eyes when she noticed most of them were all action. Paul gave her a small smirk and shrugged his shoulders. She went back to her task and on the one of the pages behind another movie she noticed another disc. She curiously took it out and couldn’t help but let out a girly squeal when she saw the title of the disc.

“This one!” she urged.

Paul examined the movie and once he saw which one it was he groaned “I thought I had thrown that one away”

Violet gasped in horror “Why would you ever want to throw it away!”

“Simple” he said taking the disc away from her and standing up “It’s a bad movie”

“It’s not even close to being a bad movie!” Violet defended getting up aw well. “Ps I Love You, has got to be the best movie ever!”

“Pick another one”

“No, I want that one” she said trying to take the movie away from him.

“I don’t think so” Paul lifted his arm up so she couldn’t reach it.

“Paul!” she complained for once annoyed that he was so darn tall. “You said I could choose the movie and I pick this one” she tried jumping.

Paul scooted his face a couple inches from hers “No”

She scrunched her nose, but decided to use charm instead of feeding him off with her anger.

“Please?” she batted her eyelashes lightly.

Paul chuckled “That doesn’t work with me”

“What ever are you talking about?” she continued to bat her eyelashes, but added a southern accent to spice things up.

“Still not working” he tapped her nose with his finger.

“Well then” she said her voice thick with lust “What would work?”

Paul suddenly felt his breath hitch in his throat. For once he felt loss of words. He looked at her and gulped. He hadn’t gotten laid in a while and she wasn’t helping the situation. He wondered if she even noticed what she was doing to him.

“Are you going to answer?” she asked softly and somehow their faces moved slowly together. Paul’s eyes darted from her eyes to her lips. Their faces moved closer and closer. They were finally going to give in. They were only centimeters apart when an obnoxious voice and knock was heard from the front door.

“Pauly!” the voice called out “Pauly, honey, answer the door!” the knocking continued “You haven’t answered any of my phone calls in days!”

Paul and Violet quickly separated from one another. Paul’s face was sketched with fear.

“Fuck” he muttered under his breath.

“What’s wrong?” Violet asked confused.

“Just go to my room please” Paul urged dragging her into his room

“Why?” Violet still didn’t understand.

“Trust me” Paul said quickly “it’s for the best”

“What’s going on? Why don’t you want her to see me?”

“For once Violet, just listen to me!”

Violet scoffed but nonetheless she sat on the bed. Paul left to go answer the door for the girl who had interrupted what could have been a perfect moment. What could be so important that he didn’t let her see the woman that was knocking on the other side? Fear reached her core when something popped in her mind. Could it be his girlfriend? She groaned and threw herself on his bed.

Talk about boner kill.