AN: Thank you to write more soon, wolf born woman, guest, and teamjacob0729 for reviewing, you're all amazing readers! Teamjacob0729, I'm really sorry for being predictable but for this story I needed this to happen to develop the characters in a certain way, I hope it hasn't spoiled the story for you and you continue reading.
Read and review please!
Song suggestion: Airplanes, B.O.B. ft. Hayley Williams.
Chapter Eight: Bump in the Night.
Mrs Uley didn't return until the early hours of the morning. She was stumbling loudly through the door, giggling, jarring me from my fitful sleep, dried tears on my cheeks. Wondering if Mrs Uley was alright, not being used to a guardian returning so late, I tiptoed to the door and cracked it open, letting in a thin bar of yellow light.
"Ssshhh…" Allison sniggered and I heard something topple on to the floor with a clumsy crash, "Oops."
"Easy babe." A deep voice chuckled and I frowned. Who was here? Never had a guardian of mine gone out late and brought someone back.
"It's just the lamp." Deeply worried, I ran across the landing to Sam's room and knocked on, panicked.
Mrs Uley sounded in trouble and a strange man was with her, nervousness gnawed at my stomach as I glanced at the stairs. Their shadows marred the floor below and I noticed they stood abnormally close to be talking. Unease filled my gut.
It took three tries for Sam to finally answer. He yanked open his door irritably, looking rumpled and slightly dazed. His mouth was open, reminding me of a growling dog. But when he sighted me, stood anxiously in his doorway, his face dropped. Wiping sleep from his eyes, he looked at me in concern, sympathy briefly flickering in his eyes.
"Sam, I think your mom-" My hands twisted nervously in my pyjamas, unsure of his reaction. When he had answered, he appeared ready to yell at someone. I wondered if he had to deal with this on a regular basis, and shuddered at the uncomforting thought. His lifestyle would be mine too from now on.
"She's fine." He interrupted me with a glare directed downstairs, "Go back to sleep, it's alright."
"But-"
"Just to go to sleep, mom gets like this sometimes, nothing to worry about." When I didn't move he sighed, "Goodnight Bella."
Taking his pointedly look seriously, I hurried back to my room, unease making me queasy. It didn't sit right with me to leave Mrs Uley alone with the man, especially when she sounded strange. I recognised the signs of being drunk, dad had often ranted about drunken hooligans terrorising the streets, but I had never seen a drunken person before and it was frightening.
Diving under my quilt, I huddled into a ball and squeezed my eyes shut. Trying to block out the noises downstairs. Laughter and slurred voices drifted up the stairs, along with faltering stomps accompanied by curses. I covered my head with my pillow and bit my lip hard.
"Ssshhh…" Allison hissed before breaking out in raucous laughter, "The kids are asleep; we've got to be good." But her tone sounded like a naughty school girl, unconcerned about the trouble she was causing.
"Kids?" A deep voice hummed and Mrs Uley gasped, murmuring quietly. It made no sense that his voice sounded smothered, "We wouldn't want to set a bad example now, would we? We must be good…or be punished." His words sent a chill into my bones. Sickness churned my stomach and I sniffled to myself.
Squeals from Allison in response were high pitched and pierced my quiet room. Her bedroom door was slammed shut too, muffling the two adults slightly but not enough to block it all out. Tears burned my eyes as I pressed my face into the mattress. I couldn't understand what was going on, scaring me as much as the bogeyman in my closet would as a child, an unknown, confusing situation that tormented me.
Loud moans seeped through the walls and crude curse words penetrate my covered ears, as sobs choked my chest. I couldn't comprehend what was happening in the adjoining room and I tried to scrub my eyes dry. Tears did not solve anything, something I had learned the very hard way in this past week.
My door was pushed open slowly and I shot up in bed, curious to see my visitor. I worried it was Mrs Uley, but her boisterous ramblings were still filtering in through the thin walls, along with her companion's. But Sam stood there, his black hair pointing in all directions and wincing at the mattress springs twanging next door. He looked at me sympathetically and motioned his head backwards.
"Come on." Was all he said, holding the door for me with a sigh. Sliding out of my bed, I quickly tiptoed to him and he smiled sadly, before leading me, quietly, into his room across the landing. His room was remarkably clean, nothing like I expected. I had pictured a room similar to Jacob's; an organised mess. But everything was at right angles and placed precisely. And luckily the bathroom between his room and the master bedroom shut off most of the confusing noise, to which I was grateful.
"Thank you." Sam closed the bedroom door behind us and the noise across the hall was barely noticeable. Only when a particularly loud shriek keened across the house, disturbing the relative silence of the night.
Ushering me into the bed, Sam climbed in after me and we curled up together. As my eyes watered, Sam hugged me to him, his broad build lending a consoling feel, like I was cuddled up to an adult. Like my dad, however impossible it would ever be. I had always longed for an older brother and Sam fit perfectly into his new role, as if he was made for it. His longer arms and warm body comforted me pleasantly.
But I couldn't help but think of a short frame and a more vocal voice. I missed Jake. He'd shared a bed with me for the past week and I missed him terribly. When I cried, he would murmur to me and stroke my hair, acting way too old for his years. Selflessly pushing his own needs, his own grief, aside to comfort me. It was wrong of me to accept his sacrifice but I couldn't help but be taken in by his sunny safe haven.