Aaron nodded silently while Tama's headache was back as she struggled to understand their behavior and the words that left their lips. Why were pictures of her up on their wall, why was Paul sulking over a breakup he initiated, and why the fuck was Aaron engaged to a girl only a few years their senior? She cleared her throat to try and gain her composure and said, "speaking of. . .Paul, where is he?" she refrained from letting them know he wasn't at practice or any of his classes, as his father had quite the temper when it came to him getting off track with lacrosse. Why was she helping him?
The two shared a look before shrugging, commenting that he hadn't came home. This was common, as Aaron rarely saw his son after practice since he was usually working and Paul usually went out with his friends late into the night. Quinn smiled as she made her way towards the kitchen, Tama noticing that it had received upgrades as well. "Well, hopefully he'll be home soon, dinner will be ready any minute. Will you be staying?"
Tama quickly shook her head, knowing she wouldn't be able to handle having dinner with the two and she was almost itching to find Paul now that she knew all of this information. "No, I've got to get going actually, I have somewhere to be, thank you though."
Aaron studied her for a moment before he hurled questions at her, "why are you looking for Paul, is he hurt? Are you two getting back together?" The last part made her gawk at him, unable to hide her confusion and shock. Before she could spit out some sarcastic remark, he continued, "Quinn's right, he was pretty broken up about the breakup all summer. Poor kid was heartbroken, almost swore off lacrosse for good, wouldn't leave his room for weeks. I'm glad he's got his head on right again."
Tama looked away from his gaze, obviously uncomfortable as she took in this new information. She knew Aaron wasn't the biggest fan of hers and his opinion of her was rather odd. He loved her brains, how smart she was and her witty remarks to his own sarcastic quips. He loved how she was the only kid on the Rez to ever be friends with Paul up until he started to gain popularity from his lacrosse skills. He loved how annoyingly happy she made his son and how she seemed to ignite a passion in him he hadn't even known existed before, and he loved how much she pushed him to be better and more out of his shell he found himself in upon his arrival up north. However, he didn't love how much their relationship caused him to slowly become disinterested in the sport that gained him so much recognition in the small town. He didn't love when his son would sneak off from practice to go galavanting at the museum or whale watching instead of a game just to be with her. She had too much power, too much influence over him, much more than he did as his own father, and that scared him to death.
It was silent for a beat before Tama excused herself politely, not even bothering to give Quinn a goodbye before she was out of the house and inhaling deeply once she was off the front porch and away from his prying eyes. Her confusion turned to anger as she drove, not understanding why Paul was supposedly so heartbroken over the ending of their relationship when he took it upon himself to cause it. He didn't deserve sympathy for what he brought on himself; she gripped the steering wheel tighter as she tried to calm herself, seeing storm clouds rolling in at her behest. She continued on, pressing the gas pedal harder on her way towards the only other spot she knew he ran to whenever he was upset, where they would both run to, to get away from the world; their spot. It was hidden from the small towns and right by a creek that resembled a river in the spring. It was a place they had deemed their own and spent most of their time there whenever they wanted an escape from their respective responsibilities and their overbearing parents. Despite her whirlwind of emotions, she found herself hoping that he was there, as it would've ignited a spark, a flame of hope that he still held some tether to their bond that they shared โthe one that he broke.
But, her face fell as she came upon the familiar sight, with trees and flowers slowly dying due to the fall weather, and the creek that barely produced any water as it slowly increased in temperature before it would soon freeze over until spring. God, it was a sullen sight. One that had her on her knees in the wet grass amongst the nearly deceased flora with her hands pressed to her face to stop the tears from falling. She brought her face down to her knees as she cradled her shins, sobbing almost childishly. Why the fuck was everything so hard, and so confusing? She screamed internally at herself. This was supposed to be her year, where nothing bad happened and she would have everything. Where she could move on and finally be happy again. But now, she was the exact opposite; filled with dread and punished with the ability to control the weather just because a group of men decided she was there for their taking to do whatever they pleased with.
Now, here she was, in the middle of the forest, looking for her ex who she could only assume was now a wolf. The thought made her want to punch the nearest thing next to her; and she did, as hard as she possibly could. The excruciatingly loud crunch resonated throughout the forest as the large fir tree came tumbling down from the sky, landing down and over across the creek where she and Paul frequently waded in when the weather permitted. She threw her head back at the sight, letting out an annoyed, guttural scream that was sitting at the back of her throat, animals scurrying at the awful sound. It was raining now, so hard she couldn't have been able to see if she hadn't had advanced sight beyond that of a normal human. She wished so desperately to be a normal human.
Instead, she pulled her phone out to dial a number she hated that she memorized. When they answered, she sighed, slicking her raven black hair out of her face as water drenched her entire being. "I think I know who's next but, I need your help finding him."
ฯ
Finally out of the rain and thunder, Tama walked the halls of the Port Angeles Art Gallery. Her arrival was two hours late but Mason and his father, Mark, assured her she had nothing to worry about as they spent most of their time there anyways. She had lied to her mother - something she was getting better at everyday - and told her she was merely helping Seth with his homework, bribing the boy with the promise of freshly baked brownies the next day for his compliance. Her and Mitena seemed to be in an odd, liminal state. Neither of them were snappy or made any unnecessary, rude comments but, they were quick to be out of each others presence and only talked when it was necessary during their hours at the cafe, where Tama's hours were steadily decreasing.
She didn't mind the change, instead choosing to spend more time with herself, painting and experimenting with her new oils - curtesy of Mark, something she had gotten quite good at as of recently. In an attempt to escape from reality, she found alternate universes on the canvas when she was alone in her room with her speaker blasting, creating worlds away from her own where there were no wolves, or vampires, or thunderbirds. . .or heartbreak. There was no confusion, no path to choose besides what shade of blue or red should go here or there, the ultimate escape; the hoards of new canvases piled haphazardly around their small apartment.
Her eyes slowly raked over similar paintings as she took her time reaching Mark's office, taking in every minute detail in order to put off whatever he wanted to tell her. She felt guilty, wanting to end her romance with Mason for both their sakes while 'enjoying' the spoils his father could offer her with his position in the art gallery. She didn't know what 'good news' awaited her once she reached the other side of the door, haunting her at the end of the hall but, she knew she didn't deserve it.
Quick footsteps caused her to look away from the painting she was inspecting, a landscape of Neah Bay, a place she visited with the Clearwaters to see their extended family. Arms snaked around her waist before they turned her around, Mason so close their noses almost touching. His head was bent to accommodate for their size difference, peering down at her quizzically as he took in her still-wet figure. He quickly removed his overcoat to drape it over here, frowning when it seemed to damper her mood even more so. "Everything okay?"
He glanced down further to see Tama anxiously tugging at his fraying sweater, unable to meet his eyes. He brought two fingers carefully under her chin, gently pushing until she was forced to look him in the eyes. She squeezed them shut for a few beats, trying to find her composure and sense, something that was hard to do when he was staring at her. "You're soaking wet and you, you're late. . .we thought something happened to you. What's going on?"
"Mase. . ." She trailed off, feeling her erratic heartbeat in her ears, wondering if he could hear it was as well. He waited patiently for her to continue, genuinely concerned for her and it made her heart break. "I can't do this," she finally admitted, tearing herself away from the boy who was holding onto her so tightly she thought she'd suffocate.
He tilted his head to the side in confusion, casting a quick glance in the direction of his father's office before taking in her figure again. "What? Why? Tama, I told you, it's good news and-"
She shook her head, clutching her arms around herself in an attempt to calm herself, as her breathing was growing unsteady. "No, Mase, I mean. . .I can't-I can't do this, us," she emphasized the space between them, unable to meet his gaze as the words finally slipped from her mouth. It took a while for him to respond, Tama sure he hadn't heard her or he was merely preparing to throw a fit of insults her way but, instead, all he uttered was a small, "oh".
Her heart sunk at the dejection in his voice, her eyes squeezing shut to block out the tears that threatened to spill. Why was she crying? She wasn't the one getting dumped. "I'm, I'm so sorry, Mason. I really am I-I thought I was ready for this, for you but-"
"You're not over him," he attempted to finish for her, the girl looking up to see he was staring down at her with a solemn smile, his eyes not as bright as before. Tama inhaled deeply before she shook her head, brushing a loose strand of wet hair behind her ear and over her shoulder. "It's not just that its...this year was supposed to be it. I was supposed to be happy, able to move on from everything that happened last year but, ever since that night it, it just seems like the world is out to make this year a living nightmare and, as much as you make it better โbecause you do, you really really make my life so much better and when I'm with you, it's like nothing's wrong but, life is wrong and I can't give you what you want, what you deserve."
She exhaled deeply, feeling as though she was pushing a mountain off of her chest as she released those words, holding them in for so long it was beginning to restrict her breathing. Her guilt lessened as she stood a bit straighter, finally able to meet Mason's gaze. He nodded understandingly, surprising her by pulling her into a hug despite her protests of being awfully wet from the rain she herself had caused. "I'm sorry these past few months haven't been so great to you but, I'm glad I could offer a little bit of help."
"A lot," Tama corrected with a small smile, it widening when his signature grin found its way onto his face. "I wish life wasn't so hectic, and I wish I could be with you and not be burdened or feel like a burden."
Mason still held her in his arms, staring down at her intently as he reassured her, "you're the opposite of a burden, Tama; you're a blessing. Don't ever feel like you can't talk to me, I know I couldn't possibly understand what you went through that night, or really anything that you're going through right now but, I can lend an ear. . .or two." Tama groaned as she leaned into his chest, letting out an audible laugh that he returned. "What did I ever do to deserve a Mason?" she wrapped her arms around his waist, gently squeezing him so as not to hurt the fragile boy who would've been crushed under her newfound strength.
The boy hugging her laughed again, brushing her wet hair gingerly as he held her tighter to his chest. "Well for starters, you make a killer cafe mocha," he joked, smiling triumphantly when he heard her laugh rumble against his stomach. "Can you do me one favor though, before you officially dump me?"
Tama winced at his wording but nodded nonetheless. "Anything," she promised him, her words slightly muffled as she made no moves to leave the comfort of his arms. His hold weakened a bit as he stumbled out, "kiss me, one last time. . .and mean it."
It took her a minute to respond, her body stiffening at his words. She felt her lower stomach stir and she suddenly become aware of how close they were, feeling his hands stop suddenly, pausing at the nape of her neck. She felt Mason's other hand come up from her waist to gently cusp her cheek, slowly guiding her face up to meet his as his fingers caressed the area that was now tinged red. "Kiss me," he repeated softly, though he knew for sure she had heard him the first time since her heart was beating so wildly in her chest he could feel it against his own.
She didn't wait this time before complying, pulling him down closer to her until his lips were on hers and she finally allowed herself to enjoy the way they moved in sync without guilt eating away at her insides. The raven haired girl sighed softy against his lips as he tightened his grip on her, running her hands through his hair as she once again, found herself slipping away from reality. Before she could slip too far though, forgetting everything and everyone around them, Mason pulled back, breathing heavily as he said, "come on, my dad's waiting."
His smile never wavered as he grabbed ahold of her hand, pulling her along with him down the hall at a quick pace, excitement evident in his face as he entered his father's office with a flush faced Tama in tow. She adjusted her hair and clothes as Mason closed the door behind them, offering Mark a quick and anxious wave as he sent over a welcoming smile. "Tama, I was wondering when you'd show up. You aren't running from good news, are 'ya?"
Tama shook her head robotically, nervously pushing her hair back behind her ears. Mason took notice of her nerves, reaching down and intertwining their hands once more. She sent him a gracious smile that he returned with a nod before Mark got her attention again. "Now that I've finally got you here. . .we're clearing out some old artwork and we wanted to bring in some new pieces and I thought who better to have their paintings hanging in here than Tama Hawk? No cost to you and you get to price your pieces however you want and we only take 5% rather than the usual 15%. How's that sound?"
"I've shown your work to a few art collectors I know and a few of them have already started to put in bids. Give us ten pieces and you could be looking at three to four grand," he added It took a second for his words to process in Tama's mind. She was still reeling from the news of new vampires crossing into town with possible ill intentions, the high likelyhood of Paul shifting next and being lost somewhere she couldn't find, punching a tree that was well over 100 feet, breaking up with Mason and then kissing him in the same breath. Now, this. Life really was a fucking roller coaster, she thought to herself. A smile spread across her face, slowly and then all at once as she nodded.
"Abso-fucking-lutely."
ฯ
new update! finally! i had such terrible writer's block and my stepmom passed away a few weeks ago so I've been a bit depressed, unable to bring myself to write but, it's been a big stress reliever as of late.
comment your thoughts and theories for the next chapter!
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