Mimic | Jacob Black

32. Visitor

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River parked the truck in the driveway before Alice drove up behind him, letting Bella out. Alice was still keeping the slumber party charade, and River assumed that since Charlie and Julie didn't call him about the suddenly missing truck the day before, they must have called Bella first. She would have told them both she and River got it for whatever fake reasons she came up with.

River still hadn't talked to Bella since the previous morning, but he felt a lot more passive today. That talk would need to happen soon. Charlie was at the table when they went inside.

"Did you guys have fun?" he asked.

"Yeah," Bella said, but her voice was devoid of any enjoyment. River just moved towards the stairs.

"Your mum's at work," Charlie added. River gave a hum of acknowledgement before continuing up. He emptied out the clothes from his bag that Alice had brought over and put them in the hamper. Right afterwards he heard Bella doing the same. Once he put his things away and scanned his room, he paused. Where was his jacket? He knew for sure he had left it at the edge of his bed.

"Dad, did you or Julie start the wash?" Bella shouted from her room.

"No, did you want me to?" Charlie shouted back.

"No, I'll do it. Were you looking for something in my room?"

"No. Why?"

"Just... I can't find a shirt."

"I haven't been in there."

That was strange. River went to investigate. He found Bella rummaging through her closet, obviously looking for the missing item.

"What shirt?"

"My red blouse," she answered, then seemed to realise River was the one talking to her. She stopped and looked at him. "What's wrong?"

He gestured vaguely back to his room. "I can't find my jacket, and I know for sure I left it on my bed. If you're missing clothes too, then maybe Alice took more and forgot to give us the rest?"

"That sounds about right. I wouldn't be surprised if she overpacked. She's always over the top." Bella stood up, putting her hands in her back jean pockets. "Hey um... about that night..."

River quietly closed the door behind him. "What about it?"

"I know it was a lot for you... and some of the things I said..." Bella sighed. "What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry."

"Do you still want to go about your future the same?" River asked.

Bella shrugged defeatedly. "Short term? I don't know what to do anymore. But my long term goal hasn't changed. I have my own–"

"Life to live. Yes Bella, I know," River said. "But what am I supposed to do then? I literally haven't the faintest idea of how I'm supposed to move forward now."

"What if I held off for a while?" Bella offered. "Until we figure this situation out, maybe make new plans."

"There's no way to know how long that will take, if we even find answers at all," River said. "You could be waiting a long time."

"Yes, I know," Bella said.

"I thought you despised 'growing old.'"

"If there's anyone I'll deal with that for, it's you. I realise I haven't really put you first much at all since Edward, and it might be a little too late to say this, but I do still care about you," Bella said. "And who knows? Maybe a few semesters of human college could be fun."