So perceptive of you all wondering who Victoria is missing!

Thank you all!

Isabella waits until Victoria has disappeared back to where she came from before she begins to panic.

The rain had brought the crowd into the pub later than expected, and when she finally made it home, she found herself ravenous. She had gone straight through to the kitchen, passing closed doors on her way. She was so focused on getting something into her stomach that she had forgotten that closed doors around here don't necessarily mean the occupants behind those doors are actually sleeping.

She remembers when she heard Victoria greet someone at the door, their conversation, and the hushed tones in which they spoke to one another, reminding her of her brother before he left for the city. After church on Sundays, James would spend the day with Bree Tanner, one of the more respectable girls in town, walking around the park or through town. Sometimes he would bring her back to the house for dinner, and at night, before she went home, Isabella would listen to her giggles and his deep chuckles as they shared laughs and moments only they would understand.

Isabella may not be as experienced as her brother or the ladies at Rose's place, but she isn't stupid. She knows what takes place behind closed doors. She's not judging anyone other than her brother's killer, but times like this remind her just how different life is in Port Angeles than back home in Forks.

Victoria hadn't been sitting with her in the kitchen for long, so Isabella didn't have a clear picture of her in her head like she did of Rosalie, but the look on Victoria's face as she heard the distant knock on the door was evident.

She may entertain the gentlemen who visit the building, but she sure as heck doesn't enjoy it.

Grabbing the rest of her middle-of-the-night snack, Isabella takes it to finish up in her room. She hesitates by the door, making sure Victoria and her guest are out of her path before exiting the kitchen and disappearing upstairs. She feels better once she can lock the door behind her, closing her eyes as she leans against the heavy wood. Her stomach is more empty than she'd like, and her feet ache, but her pocket is full. She has made enough today to secure her lodgings for another week, and she plans on giving her payment to Rosalie first thing in the morning.

But first, she sleeps.

-TLK-

Isabella wakes sometime before noon, stretching in her bed after one of the best nights of sleep she had gotten since arriving in the city. Perhaps her mind was finally at ease, knowing she had a place to stay for a while longer, but she had closed her eyes and was asleep moments after placing her head on the pillow.

Ignoring the world outside of her bedroom, she slept long and well.

With nowhere to rush off to, as she doesn't have a shift at The Lost Key for another two days, she takes her time getting ready for the day. The sun is hidden beneath soft clouds, but the rain has finally stopped. She decides to venture out into the city and explore her surroundings to see if she can get a feel for her brother and how he lived his life here in Port Angeles.

But first, she needs to see Rosalie, and it doesn't take her long to find her outside on the steps to the building. She has a loose robe wrapped over her bedclothes; a cigarette pressed between her lips, and a scowl as she overlooks the street from her perch.

"Morning," Isabella says in greeting. Rosalie doesn't look at her but moves to the side, so Isabella has room to join her outside.

"Almost afternoon," Rosalie corrects her, inhaling another long drag into her lungs. "Long night?"

"Interesting night," Isabella offers instead. "Successful night."

With that, she reaches into her pocket and hands Rosalie her payment. She nods in acceptance, quickly and discreetly making sure it's the amount they agreed on. "I'd say so," Rosalie says, stuffing the money into the pocket of her robe. "Same amount next week."

"Of course." Isabella nods, looking out into the street the same way Rosalie is. Silence fills the air between them and gives Isabella time to feel awkward. "You don't mind if I stay?"

Rosalie finishes her cigarette and tosses it into a puddle on the cobblestone street. "As long as you pay on time, I don't give a fuck who stays here." She turns to look at Isabella for the first time. "Why do you ask?"

Isabella hesitates for a moment. "I'm…not like some of the other girls here."

Rosalie nods but doesn't offer any other words; what Isabella has said is painfully obvious. "Rent is due at the beginning of the week." She moves to head inside, tightening her robe on her way in. "See you around, Isabella."

She watches the door shut behind her, noting that Rosalie didn't seem like her usual self but shakes it off, reminding herself of their differences. She's learned that any distance today may not be there tomorrow.

With that in mind, she pulls her sweater around her and heads into town. She needs to stop at the grocer's for some items for her room, and she has all afternoon to do it. Now that she knows her way from The Lost Key to her room back at Rosalie's, she remembers seeing various little shops along the way. A part of her lets her guard down for a few hours, exploring the city and the people with a new set of eyes.

They're all here to do the same thing. Work. Provide a life for themselves and their families. Port Angeles is a lot busier than Forks but not as busy as she had thought it would be. Most of the bustle occurs near the docks, spilling out onto the streets like a vortex. She makes her way to Front Street, a bag full of apples and hard cheese to keep in her room and eggs and milk to share with the girls in the kitchen. Not wanting anything to spoil, she turns to head back to Rosalie's when she sees him.

Edward Cullen is not hard to miss.

Neither is the tall man he speaks to in the shadows of the dock.

Who is Edward meeting with?

See you soon!