Page 24 of Protecting Paul

13

Sam

“Paul,”Isaysoftly,nudging the sleeping body beside me. He mumbles something in his sleep, and I can’t help but smile. “Hey, sleeping beauty, wake up.”

“Mm?” He grumbles and opens his eyes. He gives me a lazy grin and rubs his eyes. “What time is it?”

“Time for me to go to work.” I yawn and stretch. “And time for you to come with me. Officer Sanchez texted me that they pulled the footage from the cameras we set out. I thought you’d want to review it with us.”

“I do, but….” He nuzzles into my chest, closing his eyes again. “I don’t want to get up. You’re warm.”

“Well, I have to get up anyway, so you won’t have my warmth much longer.” I run a hand through his hair gently. I’m sure that’s not helping his desire to stay in bed, but I can’t help it. I love running my fingers through his bright blue hair. “Can I entice you by offering to get donuts and coffee on the way over?”

“Are you trying to be a stereotype?” Paul looks up at me with a smirk. “Cops and donuts?”

“Oh, hush.” I kiss him to shut him up before slowly pushing him off me. “Everyone loves donuts.”

I get out of bed and get ready for work. By the time I’m putting my uniform on, Paul is finally out of bed. His hair is a mess, and he looks exhausted. He looks so disheveled and cute that it makes my heart ache.

I watch as he pulls on some clothes. As usual, he wears form-fitting clothes that accentuate his body. His jeans hug his ass in just the right way. He wears a tight short-sleeved shirt that shows off his tattoos. He looks so sexy I can’t help but stare.

“I can feel you staring at me,” he looks up at me with a cheeky grin. I blush and look away. “Don’t get all shy on me. I’m supposed to be the shy one, remember? You’re Mr. Extrovert.”

“I was just thinking your messy hair is cute,” I say, trying to cover for the fact that I was actually staring at his body. “You usually have it styled, but I think I prefer your bedhead. It’s something only I get to see, so it’s nice.”

I watch him roll his eyes and style his hair in the mirror. I notice that he styles it a little less today, keeping it on the messier side. I could tease him about it, but I stay quiet.

We get to the precinct later than I usually would. No one seems to care since I’m carrying boxes of donuts when we walk in. After I introduce Paul to everyone, we begin to review the footage.

“Yep, that’s him,” I comment when we spot Jerry’s figure on the screen. He’s spray-painting more insults and smashing more stuff. As we review the last few days, he goes every single day. “God, he’s pathetic.”

“Tell me about it,” Paul mumbles next to me. He’s been pretty quiet this whole time, and I can tell he’s uncomfortable. I know holding his hand or setting a comforting hand on his back would only make things worse. I do the best I can and stay by his side. “Is this enough to arrest him again? I mean, he’s breaking multiple laws in this footage.”

“Don’t worry, buddy, it is,” Sanchez says. “We’ll probably have to do a stakeout to catch him, we went by where he was supposed to be staying and they say they haven’t seen him. I’d advise staying away from the house until we catch up with him.”

Paul looks at me, the unspoken question hanging in the air. I give him a tiny nod, indicating he’s welcome to stay with me as long as he needs. I don’t know when we got to the point where we could have a whole conversation with just our eyes, but it gives me a funny feeling in my stomach.

Things between us have grown more heated by the day, but there’s something else. My feelings for him are stronger than any feelings I’ve felt for someone before. I want to do whatever I can to make him smile. I don’t know if I can admit what that means yet. I don’t think I could let him go if I give it a name.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be helping plan everything out for the stakeout and arrest,” I tell Paul as I walk him out of the station. “We have the footage as evidence, and with the video of him committing the vandalism and breaking the restraining order, we’ll be able to put him away for a good long time.”

“I can’t wait for this nightmare to be over. Thank you, Sammy.” Paul heaves a sigh of relief once we’re outside. He hugs me, squeezing me tight. I wrap my arms around him and squeeze him even tighter. I wish I could kiss him, but that would make him feel more awkward.

“We can finally get back to fixing up the house,” I add as we break apart. We stare at each for a moment. “Then I guess… you’ll be able to leave Shafter Falls and head back to Colorado.”

I hate saying it out loud. I don’t even know why I say it. Maybe it’s for Paul’s sake. I thought it would make him happy to hear, but he gives me an odd look and says nothing. Am I crazy, or is he upset about leaving? I shake the thought away. It’s wishful thinking.

“Uh, here,” I dig around in my pocket and hand him the key to my apartment. “I may be late tonight. We have a ton to do regarding your case, but I can pick up dinner on the way back.”

“Okay, sounds good,” he says, but the joy in his voice is gone. “See you later.”

As he walks away, I’m stuck standing there confused. I guess I said something wrong, but it makes no sense. He was so excited to leave Shafter Falls. Once again, I try not to get too hopeful. There’s just no way he’s considering staying for me. I’m not worth giving up the life he loved in Denver.

I sigh and walk back inside. I’ll focus on my work for the day and hopefully have good news when I get home. If I come home with food and good news, that will surely cheer him up.

As expected, I leave work late. I keep my promise and pick up a pizza on the way back. I knock on the door since Paul has my key and wait. He doesn’t greet me with a smile when he opens the door. He looks… neutral. It hits me harder than it should.

“I have pizza and news,” I say, keeping my voice cheery even if my heart hurts. “Good news.”

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