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Song Suggestion: Fight Song, Rachel Platten.
Chapter Twenty Four: Pleading Normalcy.
The next morning I woke up in Jacob's bed, several blankets thrown over me, but I was still shivering with the knowledge Sam was gone. Shoving the covers away, I pushed myself into a sitting position and stared blankly at the door, recalling the bleak memories of last night into the dull morning light.
Last night, Jacob had brought me inside and forced me to take a hot shower, stating I looked frostbitten. While I showered, tears mingled in the water and my sobs were lost in the sound of the pounding water. Afterwards, Jacob had handed me a long sleeve t-shirt and sweatpants through the door and tucked me into his bed, before waiting until he thought I'd gone to sleep and went to stay in his sisters' old room.
Rebecca had moved to Hawaii last summer, having married a professional surfer. After a small wedding, for the benefit of her La Push family who couldn't make it to Hawaii, was held at a hotel in Port Angeles, close to the coast. Then she flew to her new home and family to have a beach large wedding for his side of the family. Rachel had left home soon after, going to Washington State University to study computer engineering. Rarely would either girl return home due to the painful memories of losing their mother. Their room was untouched, though Billy kept musing about converting it into a study or making it a large bathroom and creating more bedroom space for Jacob out of the old small bathroom, so Jacob slept there.
Out in the kitchen, I could hear Billy and Jacob were quietly conversing and clattering around making breakfast. It sounded so normal, too normal, and I felt a tear escape my eye in anguish. Sam and I usually prepared breakfast together. Cups of coffee and bowls of cereal, Poptarts on the weekend. We'd discuss our plans for the day, make a list of errands between us, and tease each other. Leah occasionally joined us on a weekend; she'd be huddled in one of Sam's sweaters over her pyjamas, fitting easily into our routine. That would never be again. I tried to swallow a sob as Jake poked his head around the door.
"Bells." He smiled and came to put an arm around my shoulder, "How are you honey?"
"As well as to be expected." Billy answered for me through the open door, "Do you want breakfast?"
I nodded gratefully, both for the offer of food and distraction from my emotional state. Jacob squeezed my shoulders before running to pour steaming cups of coffee. Taking a deep breath, I joined them in the kitchen, pushing the long sleeves of Jake's large t-shirt up to my elbows and trying not to trip on my borrowed sweatpants.
"Can I do anything to help?" Watching Jake and Billy finish making breakfast was like watching a well-oiled machine. Jacob would do the tasks involving darting around the kitchen for sugar and milk, while Billy poured the cereal and made the coffee.
"Nothing to help with, we're done." Handing me two bowls of milky cereal, Billy smiled, "You can stick these on the table for me though, thanks."
"You're welcome." I carted the cereal and cups of coffee to the table. Billy's mobility was slowly declining, affecting his walking, due to complications with his diabetes. It was sad to watch, but he despised pity and gave as good as he got.
Once we were all seated around the Black dinner table, Jacob proceeded to talk my ear off with news of school and his friends and a movie they'd gone to see in Port Angeles last weekend, and I was thankful. I didn't want to start the conversation of what had happened to Sam's body yet; I knew if I did, I'd never finish my breakfast or any meal for the day. And Billy seemed as content to listen to Jacob too as he chuckled and light heartedly teased his son.
But even Jacob's sunshine personality couldn't stave off the clouds today, even the weather threatened as rain hammered the windows and wind whistled through miniscule gaps. We washed up breakfast, before Billy sat me down in the living room, Jacob not leaving my side as I fidgeted uncomfortably.
"Bella." Billy drew my attention from picking at my nails and biting my lip nervously, "Last night, we didn't find Sam." A gasp dragged through my teeth. It was worse than I thought. Sam had been eaten, "But we also didn't see any signs of him being attacked."
"What does that mean?" My brows furrowed. Did that mean Sam could be still alive? Lost in the forest? Was there the faintest possibility of us finding Sam alive and unharmed? Relief choked my heart and I felt like cry of a whole new reason now, "We have to find him!"
"I'm sure he'll be home soon, but we can't go traipsing into the forest, Bella, it would be too dangerous." I frowned at Billy's words. Surely, he would want to find Sam and desperately as me? How could he say to leave him to find his own way home?
"But-" Billy barely let me protest before interrupting me.
"Bella, it's not safe for us to go looking-"
"If it's so dangerous for us, what about Sam? He's defenceless!" I cried outraged, "We need to find him!"
"Bella-" He sighed heavily, rubbing a hand down his face.
"We have to find him! Have you even told the police he's missing?" The idea dawned on me that Billy hadn't even called the police, expecting Sam to be like the mythical 'Spirit Warriors' of the Tribe's legends and for him to find his way home on instinct. He was mad to think Magic would help Sam now; he truly was delusional if he believed that rubbish he spewed for bonfire entertainment, "Billy!"
Sending a look of shocked anger at him, I ran out. Snatching Sam's keys and my shoes, I left the man madly mixed in mystical magic and his disbelieving son arguing behind, as I hurried away to save Sam.