For weeks after I told Paul I wouldn't be able to come home for Thanksgiving, Paul avoided talking to me. He never answered my calls on Sunday. He never tried to contact me either. In the back of my mind, I knew this was what I had asked for but, it didn't mean I liked it.

Finally I resorted to bugging Jacob for details on Paul. I knew they had been hanging out a lot lately. Paul had bought himself an old Ford Bronco and he had needed Jacob's help to get it running. It made me happy to know he was spending time with my brother, even if he hated me.

"He doesn't hate you, Rachel."

"He told me to fuck off, Jake."

Jacob sighs. "You pushed him too far. He asks about you all the time. And considering that's what you're doing to me right now, then maybe you two should talk and just leave me out of it."

"If he would ever answer his phone then I would," I stated, a little louder than I meant to.

"Me and dad wanna know if you're coming home for Christmas."

"I can come home for a few days after Christmas, if I can get a ride."

This seemed to smooth things over with Jacob for a while and that alone made me feel better, until he said, "Rachel...I think Paul has been seeing somebody."

My stomach dropped. "Good for him. I want him to be happy."

"Whatever, Rachel," my little brother sighed. "I'll talk to next week then."

When he ended the call, I'm consumed with thoughts of Paul, who he's seeing, and what kind of person she might be. How can you hate someone you don't even know??

~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

Christmas day came and went and I spent the day alone. It sucked...bad. My dad called me and when I talked to Jake, of course I asked where Paul was. He informed me that Paul had left town for the holiday, but he wasn't sure where he went.

I never asked Dad about coming to get me because I would only have a few days to spend in La Push before I need to get back for my shift at the book store. Today is my last shift at the pizza parlor for the year. Then I'll have a few days to myself before my roommates get back from break.

When I walked into work, I could already tell that this would be a shit show. Instead of my regular frat boy customers, the place was filled with high school boys instead. Great. I was about halfway through my shift when I get a table of six teenagers that are making me seriously consider quitting. "Can we split an order of mozzarella cheese sticks, onion rings, and garlic breadsticks with cheese?"

I nodded absently and copied their order down in my notepad. "Anything else?"

"Pitcher of beer?"

"You're hilarious," I smirked. "How about root beer instead?"

"Oh, be nice to us, Rachel." Oh how I love when they read my name tag and called me by name. I collected their menus and scowled when I hear the front door. More customers. Yippee! We're already packed. I don't see the hostess so I began to make my way to the front of the restaurant. One of the teens grabbed me by the wrist and asked for my phone number. Dream on, junior.

"Miss?"

"Be right there," I called, trying to extract myself from junior's grasp.

"Let her go," I heard a deep, gravelly voice that sounds like...

"Butt out, asshole," junior sneered.

I looked up to see Paul in front of me. Is this a dream? He was focused on junior as he pulled his hand from my wrist and bent his fingers back painfully. Junior yelped in pain as Paul clenched his jaw and the whole table stood, ready to fight.

"Let him go, Paul," I insisted, taking his face into my hands and forcing him to focus on my face. "Don't do this," I urged quietly, finally getting his attention.

Paul sucked his lower lip into his mouth and released the little punk. I returned my attention to the table, offering them a comp on their appetizer before shoving Paul to the other end of the restaurant, his gaze never leaving theirs.

"This is a great place you're working at, Rachel," he snarled, finally looking at me.

"What are you even doing here?"

Paul gave me one of his million dollar smiles, but his eyes conveyed a bitterness I've never seen before. Did I cause that? "I was in the mood for pizza," his voice was low and sexy, instantly causing my mind to delve right into the gutter.

I smiled back and took in a deep breath before skeptically replying, "You drove four hours for a pizza?"

He laughed. Damn him. That warm, sexy laugh of his washed over me and I couldn't think straight. "No. I drove thirty-five minutes for a pizza."

"Huh?"

He sighed. "I came from Tacoma, not La Push."

"What's in Tacoma?"

"I'm visiting my mom for the holiday," he explained.

"Rachel!"

I growled, hearing the teen table and then I remembered that I never put in that app order for them. "Be right back, Paul." I turned back briefly and said, "Don't leave, okay? Promise?"

He nodded and laughed as I scurried off to the place the order.

"Are you okay?" Amanda asked as I tried to ring in the app order, all while keeping an eagle eye on Paul. Other than my roommate, Kira, Amanda was my best friend at work.

"Oh yeah, I'm just peachy. I got the 'high school brats from hell' table and Paul just showed up."

"Paul?" she echoed. "As in the Paul you talk about obsessively?"

"Not helping, Amanda," I scolded as she took over punching in the order while I started filling drinks for the teen table. "I can't believe he's really here."

"Tall, dark, and really handsome, huh? You poor thing," she scoffed as she helped me load the drinks onto a tray.

"Ha, ha. Seriously. I'm freaking out, Amanda."

"Let me deal with the brats and you go flirt with that man of yours," she urged, giving me an encouraging smile.

I nodded quickly and headed in his direction, remembering to grab some silverware and menus. I avoided the teen table as I approached Paul and noticed the way he watched me. Good. I have your attention.

He eyed me up and down before announcing, "This uniform is a little different than the one you wear at the diner, huh?"

I smoothed the front of my jeans down and nodded. We have screen-printed tees with the restaurant logo on them and small aprons for our notepads and pens. Most of us girls have altered our shirts by cutting off the neckline and allowing our shoulders to show. When you paired that with some body hugging ripped jeans, the tips were better. Sad but true. Suddenly I wondered if Paul thought junior's advances were my own fault.

He made a motion for me to spin around in front of him and of course, I complied. I felt the heat of his gaze as I spun slowly for him. "You like?" I asked boldly as I turned and faced him.

He stepped closer, standing over me. Shit. He must've gotten taller in the last four months. I had to look up at him now. It was nothing crazy, maybe a few inches, but still. "What's not to like?" he replied, his eyes dark and his expression darker. I gasped as he swept my ponytail over my shoulder and his fingers dragged along my collarbone. He still had the same affect on me. I wanted him.

I eyed him appreciatively and he noticed. "What are you staring at?" he mused playfully.

I motioned for him to spin for me and he rolled his eyes. "Do it," I ordered and he laughed. I believed in equal opportunity ogling.

He was wearing a beautiful blue v-neck tee-shirt and he carried his coat in his hands. His shirt fit him perfectly, showing off the sculpted lines of his no longer scrawny biceps. All traces of the lanky boy I met last summer were nearly gone. And damn, did his ass fill out nicely. I gave him a discreet squeeze with both hands and he jumped a little. "Damn, Rachel," he muttered as he swung around to face me.

I appreciated the changes in his face as well. His round boyish softness was gone now, replaced the hard angles of his masculine jaw and more squared off chin. His eyes seemed darker too.

I'm about to say something I'll regret when I noticed a girl sidle up to Paul. He smiled warmly as he wrapped a loose grip around her shoulders. "Sorry I took so long," she beamed. "They have the best book store across the street."

"No problem, Sel. Rachel and I were just getting reacquainted."

I watched the exchange between them and noticed the awkward familiarity. She looked young, but obviously trying to look older. She reached for my hand and smiled warmly. "You must be the famous Rachel I've heard so much about."

I narrowed my gaze at Paul in confusion. What the hell? Why has he been talking about me...to her? I absently shook her hand as Paul added, "This is Selena."

"Order up, Rachel!"

I backed away from them, robotically offering for them to sit where they pleased with a promise to return. When I turned away from them, I blew out the breath I was holding. The feeling that I've been punched in the gut was overwhelming.

This whole situation was insane. Jacob warned me that Paul was seeing someone, but looking at it with my own eyes was more than I could take.

I waited on my tables and drifted back and forth to Paul's table and back to my other customers. I bolted every time he reached for me or if the conversation turned personal. Finally while I cleared the teen table, I felt him approach me. "Can I get my check?" he huffed, sounding mildly irritated.

"I got it," I replied, barely acknowledging him as I scrubbed furiously at a spot on the table that I knew wouldn't come clean.

"Just tell me what I owe you, dammit!" he shouted in a hushed whisper.

"Nothing!" I replied angrily, finally facing him.

"What the fuck is your problem?" he growled.

I laughed sarcastically. I planted a hand on my hip and sneered at him. "I can't believe you came all this way to flaunt your new girlfriend in front of me, Paul. Are you serious with this shit?"

"That's why you're pissed?" he asked incredulously.

"I know...I have no right to be, but I am...so sue me," I snarked.

Selena approached us cautiously, looking as though she just came from the restroom. Paul pulled some twenties from his wallet and shoved them into my apron roughly. "I don't wanna owe you anything," he explained when I gave him a strange look.

"Paul..." I began as he started to leave.

I saw the muscles in his back tighten and I heard him sigh. He whirled around quickly and added, "She's my sister, Rachel. Not my date."

My face crinkled in confusion. "You don't have a sister."

"My mom remarried. This is her step-daughter. Bam! I gotta sister now." He grabbed Selena's hand and tried to pull her toward the front door. She told him to go get the car and she would be out soon. Paul looked nervous as if he was considering whether it was safe to leave us alone together. Finally he left and she turned to face me.

"I'm so sorry I was rude to you earlier. I just got the wrong idea about you two," I blurted quickly.

"Don't worry about me," she replied softly. "There's still time to fix things with Paul."

"How?"

"What do you have planned for tomorrow?" she asked with devilish gleam in her eye.

"Nothing. What's going on?"

"Paul's leaving tomorrow."

.......

A/N: just a note about Paul's physical changes. He's less than a year away from phasing. For my fic, he phases at 17 during the first months of his senior year. Jacob will phase halfway through his sophomore year at 16. Paul is just growing normally and Rachel notices it more because it's been so long since she's seen him. There's also a reason for his new muscles but I haven't revealed that yet.

Thanks For the comments and votes so far. It means a lot!