Aria's Twilight

First day at Forks

Aria's pov

"Are you sure you want to go, Aria?"

My mother stood in the doorway of my bedroom, arms folded tightly as if she could physically hold me in place. She had asked the same question so many times over the last two days that I'd lost count.

She and Bella shared the same pale features, the same delicate bone structure, but where my sister looked almost translucent, my mother carried the warmth of a natural tan—evidence of years spent under the Arizona sun.

I forced a smile. "Of course, Momma. Daddy's ready for me to stay this time. Not just visit."

It was true. My father had grown accustomed to seeing Bella and me for only a few months each year, brief fragments of a life split neatly in two. The thought of living in Forks for the next two years unsettled me more than I cared to admit, but I loved both of my parents. And even though my father rarely showed his emotions, I knew he would feel the absence sharply if I chose to stay behind.

My mother's brown eyes shimmered. She pressed my carry-on into my hands before wrapping her arms around me in a fierce embrace, as though memorizing the shape of me. We stayed that way until the crackling announcement of my flight echoed through the terminal.

"I love you, Aria," she whispered. "Call me every other day. And tell your sister I expect a phone call the moment you land."

I laughed softly, blinking back my own tears. "You might have to call us, remember? Technology doesn't exactly love you back. And I love you. And Phil too."

She chuckled, kissed my cheek, and just like that, I was walking away.

The flight to Forks passed in a blur of music and half-dreams. When we landed, the sky was already dimming into evening, heavy clouds hanging low over the runway. A flight attendant helped me retrieve my luggage and escorted me to the waiting area.

Her name was Jenna—strawberry-blonde hair, sun-kissed skin, and hazel eyes bright with kindness. Towering over me in four-inch heels, she chatted easily about Harry Potter while we waited.

Then I heard my name.

"Aria Swan!"

A boy stood near the exit, holding a white poster board with my name scrawled across it in thick black marker. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his skin warmly toned, his brown eyes soft and familiar. Long black hair spilled down his back, tied loosely in a low ponytail.

Jacob.

Jenna hesitated, glancing between us, but I nodded, already moving.

I barely managed to control my suitcases before colliding with him.

"Jacob!" I squealed.

He laughed, the sound deep and genuine, lifting me slightly off the floor as he hugged me. "It's good to see you, Aria. And wow—you really didn't grow."

He rested his elbow on my head like it belonged there.

I shoved him away. "Rude."

He grinned. "Missed you too."

"How's Uncle Billy? And where's my dad?"

"Dad's good. And Charlie got called into work, so I'm your chauffeur today."

He loaded my bags into his truck, and we drove through the misty streets of Forks, trees crowding the roads like silent sentinels. The town felt unchanged—quiet, still, frozen in time.

My house appeared through the drizzle, and my gaze locked onto the rusted orange truck parked in the driveway.

"That's Bella's," Jacob said when I pointed. "Charlie gave it to her."