Bella
Six hours feels like six days when faced with making endless small talk with customers and dodging each passive aggressive comment Jessica shoots my way. I'm mentally drained by the time I hang up my apron and head out the door. Jacob's truck isn't parked out front or across the street. That's when I realize that I never confirmed he was picking me up from work, I only assumed. Anxiety wracks through me and my heartbeat doubles. A feeling of unease works its way up my spine making every hair on my arms stand at attention. I'm being watched.
Quickly and without any sense of direction, I begin walking down the street. I'm not even sure if I'm heading the right way or where I'm even trying to go. Right now that doesn't matter. All that matters is getting away from this feeling and whatever is watching me. From the corner of my eye, I see a blur of movement and I freeze. I don't have to turn my head to know it's him because I can feel his gaze burn into me. I can't help but turn and face him anyways. Like I'm compelled by an unseen force to attract all of my attention to only him, a magnet. Time slows and the only thing I can hear is my heartbeat roaring with each pulse in my ears. As if he can hear it too, his eyes lock with mine and his mouth turns up one corner in a smirk. His molten, golden orbs hold me in place until the spell is broken by Jacob's truck pulling up between us.
"Bella, you're going to wrong way if you're heading home," Jacob laughs. He reaches across the bench seat and opens the door for me. I try to gain a glimpse of my shadow out the driver's side window as I slide in the truck, but he's already gone.
"You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost?" He doesn't wait for an answer and turns the truck around on the strangely deserted downtown street. "Sorry I'm late. I was on a run and lost track of time."
"A run?" I ask, a twinge of disbelief in my tone. "In this weather." It's not rainy today, but it is freezing and the wind is teasing hints of a storm on its way.
"No excuses for not taking care of my responsibilities." He laughs awkwardly and I feel like I'm missing an inside joke hidden in his response.
"Ah yes, maintaining that body is definitely an important responsibility." I roll my eyes and stare back out the window for the rest of the drive.
"Just promise me you'll stay out of the woods, Bella." Jacob says suddenly as we turn down the long driveway to my temporary residence. The length of the driveway emphasizes just how far away from civilization I am out here.
"Ok," I say drawing out the 'o' in concern. "That seems a little out of nowhere, Jacob. Did my face look like I was going to jump out of the truck and run straight to the woods?" I laugh to try and ease the sudden tension.
"I never know with you, Bella. You did go through that suddenly reckless stage in high school." He shrugs. "I'm just saying, you're alone out here and there's a lot of things in these woods that would love a little snack like you."
He wiggles his eyebrows at me and I lose all sense of the seriousness of the conversation. Jacob pulls up in front of the porch and I give him a half hug before I exit and head up the steps that are in need of some new boards. Squeaking with each step and giving me away to anyone within hearing distance. All the creatures in the woods know their snack is back home. I laugh to myself and unlock the door, but when as I step inside the air shifts and an unsettling feeling washes over me.
Nothing seems out of place. It's just a feeling that someone is here with me or maybe they've just been here. I still and slow my breathing, straining to hear any noise that might be out of place. I need to get further into the house to be sure I'm alone, but my feet feel like stones beneath me.
I take a deep breath and take one step. Then two. Three. Until I'm finally in the living room. That's when I scream.
The room is dark and I can barely make out the individual shapes of the furniture that have been covered with sheets to protect them from dust and time. What I can make out though is a set of piercing golden eyes. The same ones from the street. The same ones from the woods.
"Hello, little mouse," my stalker purrs from his seat on the couch.
I move to run from the room, but he's moves at an impossible speed and steps in front of me. His strong, cold hands clench around both of my arms. The temperature difference shocks me, bringing my attention away from where it should be, which is getting the hell away from this stranger in my home.
"You're so cold," I whisper. My whole body trembling from adrenaline, fear, and his icy cold grip on me. I try to wiggle and get enough of a give to slip away, but his strength over me is inhuman.
The part of my brain determined to survive tells me I need to get away, but a more primal and needy part of me heats with intensity from the struggle. This stalker, this shadow, smells like pine and the pavement after a hard rain. A different feeling blossoms in my belly along with the fear. I still, but not in defeat. I'm curious to see what comes next.
"That's a good girl," he whispers in my ear. But his breath is not hot and goosebumps trail down my neck at the unexpected temperature. His breath is as cool as his hands. Maybe this house is haunted and it's a ghost I've been seeing this whole time. Maybe my mind has just finally snapped under the trauma of the accident and the stress of coming back to Forks.
The man in front of me is beautiful and terrifying with his golden eyes and perfectly tousled blonde hair that sits just above his eyebrows, that I can finally get a full view of with his hood down. But he's still a stranger in my home. I raise my knee up to his groin and I'm met with a stone wall.
"What the hell," I groan and make an attempt to crumple and grab my knee. He still holds me securely by the arms and lets out a roaring laugh. I peer up at him through eyes squinted in rage and pain. He looks so amused that it just dumps gasoline on my fury that's ready to burn us both.
"Starting to get brave I see. Better calm down, little mouse, before you hurt yourself." I feel his hands release me from his grip, but as quickly as I'm free, he's gone. The front door to the manor swinging open in the breeze and I can see snowflakes swirling down across the front lawn.