𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 ☾ 𝒑𝒂𝒖𝒍 𝒍𝒂𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒆

[12]

It was impossible for Lizzie to wake up without a smile on her face the next morning. All she had dreamt about was Paul, and how badly she wished they could have continued in that moment, in that forest, for the rest of eternity. Simply being with him made her feel happy, complete. She rode the high all the way through the first few hours of the day, until it crashed to a crippling confusion at the sight of Jacob at the front of their school. 

He was standing across from Bella, the bike Lizzie had built sitting neatly behind him, and looking to have a furious argument with Edward. Lizzie knew the face he made when he was mad. She walked up slowly, trying to inconspicuously eavesdrop on their conversation as she made her way to the front doors.

"-if your kind ever come on our land again..." Jacob warned, snarling in Edward's face.

"Wait, what?" Bella asked, stepping forward. Edward turned around at the new thoughts entering his mind, and nodded courteously to Lizzie as she approached. Jacob stared blankly at her for a moment before turning back to the conversation.

"You didn't tell her?" Jacob asked, pushing needles into every one of Edward's buttons. He glanced to Lizzie. "I know Paul didn't tell you." He said his name with such disgust, Lizzie almost lunged at him.

"Just leave it alone, Jacob." Edward said, shaking his head.

"Tell us what?" Bella said, taking a place beside her former best friend as she folded her arms. Edward sighed deeply, glancing to Lizzie with what seemed like nerves.

"Emmet and Paul had a misunderstanding." He said, being careful with his choice of words. "It's nothing to worry about." Bella made a face, not noticing Lizzie's eyes widening. She spun on her heel, making for her truck. She needed to see if he was- "He's fine, Lizzie." Edward stated, catching her wrist between his fingers. Lizzie wrenched herself from his icy grip, seething.

"Do. Not." She hissed at him, before turning and storming to her truck. Lizzie thought she might have felt that something was wrong if he was hurt, but without knowing so much to do with the wolf pack, she had no way to tell for sure. Except to go see him.

Lizzie got in her truck and immediately headed for the reservation. To Emily's cabin, to be specific. She knew that Emily always cooked for the boys, who's hopeless lack of skills nearly starved themselves, and decided that Paul would be there. He had to be.

☾

Her tires screeched as the truck pulled up to the cabin, and Lizzie parked carefully, despite her chaotic mood. She burst through the door, sending a split-second apologetic glance to Emily before turning to the group of boys sitting at the table. All of their mouths hung open with half-chewed food, all staring at her like they all had something to be guilty about.

"Uh-oh." Embry remarked, as he, Sam, Jared, Quil, and another young boy, whom Lizzie recognized as Seth Clearwater, stood from the table, backing away from the line of fire. Paul nervously met Lizzie's gaze as she strode toward him with purpose. Without saying anything, she took a moment to look him over before deducing he was fine. 

"Why didn't you tell me? You could have gotten hurt." She stated, folding her arms in front of her. Paul stood, towering over her, but somehow still feeling small, guilty under her paralyzing stare. 

"He did. Two broken ribs, and-" Jared said with a grin, before receiving an elbow in the gut from Sam. Lizzie's eyes went wide and she turned back to scowl at Paul, waiting for an explanation. Well, she was really waiting for whatever pathetic excuse he was going to come up with.