Innocent

NIKKI:

I let my eyes scan the smallish bedroom, unkept but not ridiculously messy.

"Sorry." Paul apologized, snatching a plate with pizza crust off of the corner of the bed. "It isn't much." 

"No, it's great." I literally couldn't wait to jump into the blankets and pass out.

"I'll be on the couch if you need me." He said, stepping backwards towards the doorway.

"Um," I turned to face him, fidgeting with the sweatshirt in my hands. "Thank you for letting me stay here. And for everything else that happened today..."

He half smiled. "No big deal."

I placed my sweatshirt on the bed and took a seat, testing the springs in the mattress.

Paul kind of laughed at me and continued out to the hallway. "Goodnight."

"Night." I yawned, ready to fall back on the bed.

No one really wanted me to stay by myself at home, so instead of living in a house with billion year old vampires, Paul kindly offered me to stay with him. He even gave up his bed for me. Apparently that's a big deal, according to Valerie's reaction after I told her.

I turned out the light and collapsed on the bed. My body was physically exhausted, but my brain was bouncing around to the point where I couldn't sleep if my life depended on it.

They say Beth will be fine, but I am not falling for it that easy. There is no humanly way that she will be fine because she won't be human. She'll be one of those sickening creatures like that random guy that tried to eat me when I scraped my hands. And Tyler.

I swear, the next time that creep gets caught in my path...

I'll end up doing nothing.

I rolled around in Paul's blankets, sighing heavily to myself. They smelled like pine trees and fresh air. It was an interesting smell. I guess that's what they all smell like.

After more tossing and turning, I found myself poking Paul's shoulder.

He grunted, turning his head towards me.

"Sorry." I whispered.

He dug his knuckles into his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I uh...I can't sleep." I felt stupid for waking him up now.

He sighed sleepily. "Why?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because my sister was slurped up by a psychotic vampire and is currently in the excruciating process of becoming one herself?"

He opened one eye. "Are you sure that's why?"

I huffed. "Forget it."

"Wait," He lazily grabbed my fingers before I could leave. "I'm sorry."

"Mhm. Sure."

"Are you scared or something?" Paul sat himself upright, still holding onto my hand tightly.

"No." I said. "I'm just a little shaken up. My eyes aren't really tired."

He nodded like he understood. "So you are scared?"

I stared at him, waiting for laughter to bust through his smirk.

"Okay, fine! I'm scared. Thanks for your help. Goodnight." I started storming away.

Paul groaned loudly and suddenly, my feet were thrown out from under me.

"What?" I asked, finding his face close to mine now. He picked me up.

We returned to his room. "You need sleep. You obviously haven't slept in a while." He plopped me on his bed like a pillow.

I caught my balance before I bounced right off again. "I can't sleep, I just told you that."

"Ouch." Paul winced. "You just slapped me with that attitude."

"Well open your ears."

Paul stared at me for a long time.

"What?" I snapped.

"Do you want me to sleep here?"

I hesitated. "You mean in the bed?"

He rolled his eyes. "No, I was going to sleep under it."

I didn't say anything, because I didn't know what to say.

Paul lifted me again and plopped me on the other side of the bed.

"Stop doing that!" I yelled at him.

"Go to sleep!" He yelled back.

I huffed out a frustrated breath of air. I felt the bed shift as Paul crawled into it beside me, outside of the covers. He wriggled around until he was comfortable.

"Goodnight." He said softly.

Mine was delayed. "Goodnight."

. . . . . . . . 

VALERIE:

The crickets and lightning bugs still showed up at night, just like they did the night before. Nothing had changed, yet everything had changed.

I sat on my porch, listening to all the late summer night sounds. I didn't expect to sleep at all. I wasn't afraid, I knew half of the wolves were protecting my house. I just had a difficult time resting my mind, because in the end, it didn't matter if the pack was here or not.

I'd learned to accept my fate. If Seth meant what he said, I'll always have him at my side.

Seth popped out of the trees in a pair of shorts. He made his way to my porch. I was kind of grateful he noticed me here, to share a last moment togeter as I'm human.

We made eye contact, but didn't say anything. He took a seat next to me silently.

"Aren't you cold?" He asked after a few minutes.

I shrugged. The temperature was in the mid fifties. "Not really."

I realized after I rejected him that he was looking for an excuse to hold me. It was a tense day between us, and I didn't want it to end tense.

"On second thought...I am a little chilly."

He didn't smile like I wanted him to, but his arm created an opening for me to slip into. I propped my head on his shoulder, snuggling closely to him.

The silence thickened, but I don't think either of us knew what to say.

"You don't have to sit with me." I told him.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No."

Silence.

"You know, it's still your birthday." Seth pointed out.

I shook my head against his chest. "It's two in the morning." 

"Already?" He asked. "I thought it was only eleven."

More silence.

"I never got a chance to give you your present."

"You didn't have to get me anything." I insisted. "Just having you is enough."

"You have to say that." He poked my side.

I curled inward with a gasp, protecting my ribs. "Don't do that."

"Oh, I forgot. You're ticklish there, aren't you?" He smirked at me.

"No I'm not."

He sneakily scooted closer. I backed myself up until my shoulders hit the post on the railing. 

I braced myself for a tickle attack, shielding my stomach from his poking fingers with one arm and holding back his chest with the other. He leaned close, and seemed to abruptly change his mind about tickling me.

I stared into his eyes, wondering what kind of expression I should have on my face. His smirk faded slightly, before it disappeared. I was confused.

"Do you remember when I took you cliff diving for the first time?"

I nodded cautiously.

"You knew me for three days and you trusted me with your life."

I shifted my hand from his chest to his neck, brushing my thumb along his warm skin. I waited for him to continue.

His smile broke his lips. "You're crazy."

I laughed at him. I was expecting some sort of comparison between then and now that would make me feel better, but instead he just made me laugh.

My eyes dipped down to his lips, and it must have been enough of an invitation. He kissed me, softly and precisely. 

There was a strange cackling coming from the forest. Seth ignored it, so I ignored it too. It started to get louder.

"Is that what I think it is?" I whispered.

"Yup." Seth pressed his lips to mine again, as if to rub it in his pack brothers' faces.

I pushed him gently away, indicating my embarassment. As if my red cheeks weren't enough. But I really wanted him as far away as possible, so he wouldn't feel guilty when it happened.

Seth sighed, jumping to his feet. "Be right back."

I watched him jog into the trees and heard the disturbance as he phased.

I stopped breathing and held my knees straight when I stood up.

I heard my front door open behind me, but I didn't turn around. There was no reason to.

"Are you ready, then?" Tyler asked me.

I didn't respond at all.

"I think I deserve a thank you. Not anyone would just let you have one last goodbye."

I bit my tongue. "He'll be back any second."

Tyler offered his arm out to me. "Let's go, then."

I walked forward without taking it.