Everything Will Be Just Fine (Completed)

44. I Love You

"Too hot, way too hot !" I mutter, pushing Paul and rolling out of the sleeping bag. "Too hot !" I continue before stopping when I hear Edward chuckling.

He sitting in a corner all by himself and his eyes look pretty amused. I glare at him, thinking that I'm doing it way too much these past days.

"I'm just going to go outside." I tell him as I step out of the tent, stretching a bit.

It snowed last night, so I'm staring at a beautiful view : snow covered the trees, birds are singing and the wind makes the snow fly.

I walk for one minute until I reach a little lake. I sit on a rock near it and look at my reflection in it. My eyes are red and puffy from all the crying, I have bags under them, my eyes looks gigantic and my hair really need to be washed and brushed. I look miserable.

I sigh deeply and lay in the snow, staring at the fluffy clouds. I loved making angels in the snow and snowmen, but in New York, Mom never let us do so because the snow was dirty and didn't last long.

Soon, a shadow covers my eyes and I sit up, looking at Paul expectantly. He sits in the snow next to me and looks at the lake for a moment. He wearing a T-shirt, a pair of shorts and sport shoes : does he not know we're in the snow ?

"What do you want to say ?" I ask him, making the first move.

He waits, facing me and glancing at me which makes me look away and blush.

"I'm sorry for what happened two days ago."

"It's fine, you know. I mean, you can be with whomever you want, Paul. It's no big deal." I say with no conviction.

"It was a mistake. It was a big, big, big mistake, Lexie. The biggest one I have ever done. After your revelations, I should've stayed with you and not run away like I did. I was angry, not at you, but at what you had been through. It wasn't fair that my imprint had to suffer like that, I was mad against the whole world.

"Then, I made the biggest and worst mistake of my life. I chose to avoid you at all cost and try to forget you for a few days. I was at the mall to buy clothes, that day. I met that girl and she started flirting with me. I wanted to forget about you, so I spent the day with her.

"I couldn't get you off my mind, even though I was with another girl. Your smile, your laugh, your lips : everything about you was on my mind and everything I tried was useless. That's when I knew I had made a mistake. I said bye to the girl and left, but she kissed me by surprise. You have to know that I immediately stopped it and left.

"That's when you fell and that I saw you. When you looked at me, with those beautiful blue eyes, I knew you had seen everything and that you were hurt. I was coward after, because I didn't want to face you and see your betrayed face.

"Black mind-linked me last night, saying he needed me to keep you warm. I didn't answer, I ran here for you." he admits and I don't say a word.

"I'm not finished. I'll always remember the day when I met a girl who didn't back away. She stayed right where she was and fought for her brother. I got to say, when she disappeared and I learned that she had changed school, I was surprised. I strangely felt sad.

"Suddenly, I discovered I was a werewolf. Meaning that I got more powerful, bigger and stronger. Girls who feared me where all over my feet and I still missed that one girl. I admit I changed : I became hot-headed and slept around." he sighs, looking at me.

"And one day, I found out who was my imprint : the one girl that was on my mind. I soon realized you didn't deserve me as your imprint, you deserved someone like Embry who would treat you like you deserved.

"Alexandra Cooper." he says, turning me around so that I face him. "You are the most fantastic girl I've ever met. Even if I don't know you since a long time, I think I've guessed pretty much everything about you." he raises one finger. "One, you're selfless. You jumped off a cliff to save the vampire lover even if you were sick and didn't like her. Am I right ?" He lifts a second finger. "Two, you're loving. You love your brother and want to protect him from this mad world. You protected your friend by lying to her even if it killed you." He raises a third and last finger. "Three, you miss your old family. You miss your mom, dad and brother. All of those point make you who you are, Lexie. And you are wonderful, Alexandra, I hope you know that." he finally tells me.

"I love you."

I feel tears streaming down my face as I look in his truthful eyes. I lean in and kiss him.

I don't know what I was expecting : it's my first kiss. But, when I kiss Paul, all my doubts of how he will react and what I will feel disappear. Even though he is at first surprised, he kisses me back. He grabs my neck and brings me closer, he deepens the kiss and I can feel his smile beneath my lips. I put both of my hands on his chest and close my eyes.

We break it and I blush madly.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know why I did this, I..." I rant until he stops me with his lips.

I put my arms behind his neck as he puts his hands in my hair. Our lips mold into one, we are one. I've missed him so much, he makes me happy, whole, complete. In his arms, I feel safer, safer than I have ever been.

"Never be sorry for kissing me." he jokes and I giggle.

I look at him from under my eyelashes and he looks back, his eyes a darker shade of brown.

"I meant every word. You know that, right ?" he says and I nod.

"I do, now." I tell him.

I take the hem of his shirt and pull him close so that our lips meet once again.

*****

When we get back to the tent, Jacob isn't here anymore. Bella is shaking in Edward's arms, which makes me wonder what happened.

"Jacob kind of forced Bella to kiss him, in exchange for the certainty that he will not fight. She kissed him, but he left nonetheless. The leech heard Black's thoughts, guess what's going on in his mind." Paul whispers in my ear and my eyes widen.

Jake is really an idiot. He purposely wanted to hurt Edward.

"I have to go." Paul continues and I look at him, worry flashing in my eyes.

"Yeah, I know that." I mumble childishly. "Promise that you won't die ?" I hold out my pinky finger and wait for his answer.

"Of course, princess." he chuckles, making the promise with his own pinky.

I put my arms around his torso and hug him with all my might, wanting him safe. He embraces my body and kisses the top of my head.

"Be careful." I tell him as he walks away.

"Baby, I'm always careful." he smirks and I laugh at his words.

He transforms into a wolf and runs away, from me.

"I love you, too." I say to the wind, hoping the words might fly to him.