( when the stars forget us! )
↳ chapter six ↲

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❝ THIS ISN'T 'A LOT', BELLA. THIS IS

     TALIA PULLED UP INTO the driveway, her heart still racing from the encounter at the bookstore. It made her anxious as she turned the engine off and looked around her surroundings. Maybe she was exaggerating the encounter. Maybe it was all in her head. Maybe she didn't hear Laurent correctly. Maybe he had said something different.

     The girl grabbed her stuff and in a swift motion opened the car door rushing to get inside the house. She didn't look around. She kept walking up the steps opening the door and walking inside the warm house.

     Inside, Bella was curled up on the couch flipping through a novel before looking up to see who had entered. "Hey! Where you been? I've been waiting for you. Jacob called to ask if we wanted to go see a movie tonight. I told him I didn't want to watch anything romantic so we're watching this action movie that just came out last week. Do you want to go?" Bella asked.

     Talia blinked a little uneasy nodding, "yeah, uh, yeah I—sure."

     Bella's smile began to falter as she raised her eyebrow at her friend. "You okay? You look a little spooked." Bella questioned her.

      "I'm fine." Talia placed her backpack on the side of the hall before walking over to sit next to Bella. "Actually no. I just had a creepy encounter with a man at the bookstore."

     Bella shifted in her seat worried, "do you need me to tell Charlie about it?"

     Talia tucked her hair behind her ears as she shook her head. "Not yet. I wanted to tell you first about it and then we can go and tell your dad about it."

     "Okay," Bella replied looking up at the time. "We have about an hour before Jacob comes to pick us up so I think that's enough time to talk."

     Talia ignored the last bit of what Bella said taking a shaky breath and crossing her arms to steady herself. "I was at the bookstore near the cafe, you know? And I ran into this guy—well no. I was minding my business looking at a book and he approached me." Talia began the story and described his appearance. "He looked kind for a split second but there was something off about him. He was black but had some sort of paleness to him like if he hadn't seen the sun in years. He had red eyes which I'm assuming are contacts but those are really creepy, you should have seen them Bella. I should've asked him where he bought those because they looked so real."

     There was a shift in Bella's demeanor. She became uneasy at what Talia was saying. "And the way he was dressed—it was strange. It was as if he was from another time. We talked about the book Withering Heights and the stuff he was saying was just creepy. He was like," Talia tried to sound like the man, "There's something so timeless about the idea of an eye for an eye, don't you think? Some shit about betrayal and revenge. That's not even the worst part about it."

Bella had an idea of who it was but didn't say anything yet. "What's the worst?"

"He told me to tell you he says hi." Talia responded not giving Bella a chance to speak as she continued. "Bella, I never once said your name! He said he was passing by and didn't know anyone yet how did he know your name? How does he know I know you? That's the creepy part of it all!"

"Did he tell you his name? Maybe it's just a friend from the school." Bella responded trying to calm Talia down.

"Girl, I doubt he's from your school. He looks like he's in his 30's." Talia stated before saying his name. "He said his name was Laurent."

"Laurent?" Bella whispered the name.

Talia shook her head worried, "do you know the guy because he said he was just passing by but it doesn't sound like he's just passing by." Bella stayed silent staring at the ground as if her brain was processing. Talia gripped Bella's hands, trying to get her to speak. Bella's face had gone pale, her expression a mix of terror and something else—recognition. "Bella? Do... do you know him?" Talia asked, her voice barely a whisper.

     Bella hesitated, her eyes darting to the floor as if searching for an explanation. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Instead, she just gave a shaky nod.

      Talia felt her stomach twist. "Bella, this guy... he knew you. He knew your name, and he looked at me like he knew who I was, too. This isn't normal." She glanced toward the door, feeling the urge to double-check the locks. "We need to go tell Charlie. Is he here?"

     Bella shook her head, "no."

     "No?" Talia asked. "Okay where is he? At the station? We can wait until he comes home."

     "No." Bella repeats but doesn't say anything else.

     Talia shakes her head not understanding. "No? No what? No he's not here or no don't tell Charlie?"

     "Latter."

      "Why?!" Talia spoke in surprise as she didn't understand why Bella didn't want to tell her dad. "He's your dad and might I add the chief of police! If there's someone dangerous don't you think your father would want to know? He's the damn police, Bella! He can help—"

     "No!" Bella interrupted her voice sharp and urgent. Talia was taken aback before Bella softened her tone but kept her grip on Talia's hands. "No, we can't tell Charlie, okay? He—he can't know."

      Talia's eyes widen in fear as she couldn't comprehend where Bella was coming from. "Why not?"

     "He just can't, Talia." Bella responded shaking her head. "This is something I have to handle myself, okay?"

     The Latina leaned towards her friend, determination written on her expression. "Bella, I'm serious. He gave me the creeps. I was scared. I still am. I'm scared he somehow followed me home! He knew your name, Bella! Why wouldn't we tell Charlie?" Talia expressed her worries.

     "You have to just trust me on this okay?"

      "No!" Talia raised her voice before lowering it back down. "No, I do not trust you on this. Why can't we go to your dad? What aren't you telling me? I'm fucking scared, Bella and you're acting like this is normal." 

     Bella's hands trembled in her lap, and she bit her lip as if trying to hold back what she wanted to say. "I can't explain everything, Talia. I wish I could, but it's... it's safer for you not to know. Trust me on this. Telling Charlie would only put him in more danger."

      Talia frowned, her frustration growing. "How could knowing what's going on put him in danger? Bella, he's your dad—our best chance to stop this guy from hurting someone—when I say someone I'm talking about you and me. You're keeping something from me, and it's putting both of us in danger. How can you expect me to just sit here in the dark when you know something about this creep?."

Bella suddenly snapped, her voice louder than Talia had ever heard it. "Talia, enough! I told you, it's complicated. You wouldn't understand even if I tried to explain!"

     The outburst caught Talia off guard, but she didn't back down. "Then make me understand, Bella! I can't believe you're just brushing this off and asking me to act like everything's okay when I'm clearly being dragged into whatever mess this is!"

Bella's eyes flickered with something that looked like pain, and her voice was barely above a whisper. "Talia, please. Just trust me. I don't want you to get hurt."

Talia's fists clenched, and she let out a shaky breath. "Get hurt? Bella, I'm already in this! This isn't some mysterious problem that will just go away if I ignore it. That man—whoever he is—knows me now. And he looked dangerous. So if you don't want me to go to Charlie, you owe me the truth. Why won't you let him help?"

Bella's eyes flashed with frustration, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "Because he's a vampire, Talia!"

Talia froze, blinking in disbelief before letting out a disbelieving laugh. "A vampire? Bella, come on. That's not funny."

Bella's expression didn't change. If anything, her face grew paler, her eyes pleading. "I'm serious. Laurent is a vampire, Talia. And he's dangerous. You have to believe me."

Talia shook her head, rolling her eyes. "This is ridiculous. Vampires don't exist, Bella. You can't actually believe that."

Bella's voice hardened, the weight of her secret finally pushing through. "They do exist. And I know that because I've met them. You saw him, Talia. The red eyes, the way he knew me—didn't any of that feel off to you?"

The memory of Laurent's piercing red gaze sent a chill down Talia's spine, and her skepticism faltered. "But... vampires? That's... that's impossible."

Bella took a shaky breath, stepping closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know how it sounds, but it's the truth. There's a whole world you don't know about—things that are dangerous, things that are beyond what we were taught to believe. And Laurent? He's one of them."

     "And why the fuck would a vampire come after you?" Talia responded trying to give Bella the benefit of the doubt as she stayed silent. "Come on, Bella, you have to give me more than just that."

Bella took a deep breath, glancing around as if making sure no one was listening before finally meeting Talia's gaze. "If I'm going to tell you everything, you have to promise not to freak out," she whispered.

Talia's expression softened, though the tension in her face was obvious. She nodded. "Okay, I promise. But you better start talking, Bella."

      Talia sat across from Bella in her living room, still reeling from her earlier encounter with Laurent. Now, Bella had just dropped the truth—Edward Cullen and his family were vampires. Vampires. Laurent, the man who'd confronted Talia, was one too. And apparently he was the friend of a girl named Victoria who probably is seeking revenge on Edward and that's why Laurent is here.

     Talia stared at Bella, wide-eyed, her mouth slightly open. "What... the actual fuck are you talking about?"

     Bella shifted uncomfortably, guilt heavy in her expression. "I know it sounds crazy, Talia. But I swear, it's the truth. Edward... his family... they're vampires. And James—the guy I told you about—he tried to kill me last year. Edward stopped him. James bit me and I was going to turn into a vampire but Edward sucked the venom out before I could turn. Look!" Bella lifted her sleeve up showing the bite mark.

      Talia blinked in disbelief, her brain struggling to piece it all together. "Wait, so... you were out here dating a whole-ass vampire?" She stared at Bella like she'd just confessed to petting a shark or playing fetch with a grizzly bear. "Who seems like he's put you through hell and back and yet you still wanted to be with him?"

      Bella sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I know it sounds insane, but it's true. And now I'm pretty sure Victoria wants to kill me because Edward killed James to protect me."

      Talia shot up from her spot on the sofa, pacing the room with her hands on her head. "Nah, nah, nah, hold on—let me get this straight." She spun around, pointing at Bella. "You... dated a vampire. His family are all vampires. And now there's another vampire dude—who I just ran into, by the way—sent out here by the girl who is trying to kill you for revenge?"

      Bella gave her a nervous, apologetic nod.

      Talia let out a breathy, disbelieving laugh. "Okay. Um. Let me take my ass back to Arizona, 'cause what the hell do you mean you were dating a vampire?"

      Bella tried to suppress a smile, but the absurdity of it all wasn't lost on her either. "It's... a lot, I know."

      "A lot?!" Talia echoed, throwing her hands up. "This isn't 'a lot,' Bella. This is Twilight Zone bullshit!" She stared at Bella again, processing it all. "I thought I was signing up for a chill visit—some small-town vibes, a little hiking, help you up, maybe meet a cute boy. But no, I get vampires, revenge plots, and life-or-death drama."

      Bella couldn't help but chuckle a little at Talia's reaction, even though it wasn't exactly funny. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to drag you into this. But you ran into Laurent, so... I had to tell you the truth."

      Talia sat back down, still flabbergasted. "I—girl, what? How are you so calm right now?"

      Bella shrugged, her tone light but tinged with genuine exhaustion. "I think I ran out of 'freak-out energy' months ago."

      Talia shook her head, muttering under her breath, "This town is insane." After a moment of silence, she added with a groan, "I don't know how y'all deal with this. I'm built for heat and cacti, not... vampires."

      Bella placed a hand on Talia's arm. "I get it. If you want to leave, I won't blame you."

      Talia exhaled, sitting back on the bed, her mind racing. Part of her wanted to book the next flight back to Arizona and forget this ever happened. But another part of her knew she couldn't just leave Bella to deal with all of this alone.

      With a heavy sigh, she glanced at Bella, who was waiting for her answer. "I can't even if I wanted to! I've still got a few days before my flight. So I guess I'm stuck in this vampire soap opera for now."

      Bella cracked a small, apologetic smile. "You have no idea how much I appreciate you for not running the second I told you."

      "Oh, I'm running," Talia shot back playfully. "Just... not today." She shook her head in disbelief. "I mean, seriously, Bella. I knew Forks was weird, but this?" She looked out the window like she was checking to make sure there weren't any other supernatural creatures lurking nearby. "This is some straight-up 'Dracula meets Lifetime original movie' shit."

      Bella bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "I know how crazy it sounds."

      "Crazy is an understatement." Talia ran a hand down her face. "I swear, if I see one more vampire or someone mentions the word werewolf I'm done. First flight out—no goodbyes."

      Bella grinned. "Don't worry, there's nothing like that here."

     Talia gave her a mock glare. "And if I do somehow survive these next few days without losing my mind, you owe me. Big time."

     Bella nodded solemnly. "Deal."

      Talia slumped back into the couch, her heart still racing but a reluctant smile creeping onto her face. "Damn, I really thought my biggest problem this trip was gonna be Quil tripping me into the sand again. Not . . . vampire revenge plots."

      Bella laughed, and Talia shook her head, her smile widening despite the chaos swirling in her mind. "I must be out of my damn mind for staying," she said, more to herself than to Bella.

      Bella placed a hand on her shoulder, grateful. "But I'm glad you're here."

      Talia sighed dramatically, tossing a pillow over her head. "I swear, if some other supernatural bullshit happens, I'm charging you for therapy."

      Bella chuckled. "Fair."

     The room went quiet for a few minutes before Talia spoke up, "does Jake know? About everything?"

     Bella shook her head, "no. No one knows except you and you better not tell anyone. It's dangerous for humans to know."

     "You do know that I am still a little skeptical, right?" Talia tells the girl on the couch. "I don't think I'll fully actually believe until I actually see something else than red eyes."

     "I know." Bella replied, "hopefully you won't need to see anything."

     The sound of a knock startled both girls. Talia glanced at Bella, who looked just as on edge as she was, as the knock echoed through the house. They shared a look, both hesitating, before Talia took a deep breath and slowly made her way to the door. She peered through the small window, her tense shoulders relaxing as she recognized Jacob and Quil waiting on the porch.

      "It's just Jake and Quill!" Talia exclaimed.

      "Oh thank god!" Bella muttered standing up to get her stuff.

     Talia swung the door open, seeing Jacob and Quil standing on the porch, she let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. "You guys almost gave us a heart attack."

      Jacob grinned. "Guess we'll knock quieter next time?"

      Quil chuckled, crossing his arms. "Yeah, I'll bring a bell or something."

      Talia smiled. "Funny!"

      "You guys ready?" Jacob asked.

     Quil, who was standing next to him, gave Talia a big, goofy smile. The smile faltering for a bit as he noticed she was wearing Embry's hoodie. "Yeah, hope you're ready for some B-grade horror flicks and even worse popcorn." He replied trying to ignore the feeling of jealousy.

Talia chuckled, grateful for the lightheartedness. "Finally, something normal." Then she paused, glancing over their shoulders as she asked hoping to not sound too nervous, "Hey, is Embry coming with us?"

At this, Quil's grin wavered just a bit more, and he looked at Jacob, who raised an eyebrow. "Nah, he can't. He's working," Jacob answered before teasing the girl not knowing about Quil's feelings for Talia. "Why? You want him to be here? Cause I can give him a call if you really want him here—"

Talia raised her middle finger up at him, "you're so funny."

Quil shot a quick glance at Jacob before looking back at Talia, his face softening a bit. "Hey, you don't need him around to have a good time, right? I mean, you got us."

Jacob nudged Quil, smirking as he was also teasing Quil. "Yeah, Quil here's all about making sure you have a good time." Jacob didn't understand the severity of Quil's growing feelings, he just assumed it was a harmless crush.

Quil's cheeks turned slightly pink, and he laughed, looking away. "Just saying, I'd make sure you had fun, that's all."

Talia smiled at the boy. "Aw, you're so sweet Quil." She gave him a friendly nudge before turning back to Bella. "Come on, B. Let's get out of here and pretend everything is fine."