(Mike)
After the chaos with Seth and the salmon, we ended up building a small fire near the riverbank to dry our clothes. It was nothing fancy, just some gathered branches and a stubborn flame Harry insisted on tending like it was a newborn. The smell of smoke mixed with wet fabric and river water, sharp but oddly comforting. My jeans were still damp around the cuffs, but at least they were no longer so uncomfortable.
Once we were reasonably dry, I went back to fishing. Seth, energized like nothing had happened, wandered off to bother his dad and Billy, loudly recounting his heroic battle with the fish. I could hear him exaggerating from where I stood, adding at least another meter to the salmon's length.
I focused on the river, letting the steady rush of water calm my thoughts. The line dipped and swayed, sunlight glinting off the surface. For a few peaceful minutes, it was just me and the river.
Then someone cleared their throat beside me.
I glanced over to see Jacob standing there, hands shoved awkwardly into his pockets, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He stared at the water like it had personally offended him.
"Hey, Mike," he said after a second. "That fish was enormous, wasn't it?"
I nodded, keeping my eyes on the line. "Yeah, it really was. Did you see how it had Seth flailing in the water?"
Jacob snorted, the tension breaking just a little. "Yeah. His panicked face was priceless. I thought he was going to scream like a girl."
"He did scream," I said. "Just underwater."
Jacob laughed quietly, then fell silent again. The kind of silence that felt loaded. I could practically hear the gears grinding in his head.
After a few seconds, he lowered his voice. "Hey, uh… about Bella."
I stiffened without meaning to and looked at him. "What about her?"
He hesitated, rubbing the back of his head. "Do you… have something going on with her?"
I blinked. Once. Then twice. "What? No. There's nothing going on with Bella. What gave you that idea?"
Jacob avoided my eyes. "It's just… whenever I ask Charlie about her, he always tells me she's with you. So I thought maybe…"
I sighed, the tension leaving my shoulders. "Don't worry. There's really nothing going on. We're just friends. And I have Leah."
That part felt important to say, even if everyone already knew it.
I adjusted my grip on the rod, then added, "Bella hasn't been doing well since the breakup with her boyfriend. She's needed company, that's all."
Jacob nodded slowly, still not looking convinced.
I turned to face him fully. "You like her, right?"
He froze like I had caught him doing something illegal. His mouth opened, ready to deny it, but after a moment he just sighed.
"Yeah," he admitted quietly. "I do. I've liked her since forever."
I studied him for a second. The way his ears turned red, the way he stared at the ground like it might swallow him whole. Poor kid. He was completely smitten.
I softened my tone. "Maybe you should try spending time with her."
His head snapped up, hope flashing in his eyes, only for it to dim when I continued.
"Nothing romantic, mind you," I said quickly. "I don't think she has the headspace for that right now. But just hanging out would do her good. Another friend, someone else to talk to. I can't be with her all the time, you know?"
Jacob's shoulders slumped at the words no romance, but then he seemed to think about it. His expression shifted, the disappointment slowly replaced by something brighter.
"Just… spending time?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yeah. Take it slow. Let her set the pace."
A small smile crept onto his face. "I can do that."
We stood there in silence for a moment, the river filling the space between us. Jacob looked calmer now, like he had been holding his breath and finally let it out.
"Thanks, Mike," he said.
I shrugged. "Just don't mess it up."
He chuckled softly. "I'll try."
As he walked back toward the others, I turned my attention back to the water. The line bobbed gently, the current steady and patient.
Some things, I thought, were worth waiting for.
…
The rest of the day passed in that rare, comfortable way that made you forget time was moving at all. We ate the food Sue had packed for us, thick sandwiches and snacks that somehow tasted better outdoors, and kept fishing while the river caught the last of the sunlight. The air cooled as the afternoon slipped into evening, the sky turning orange and pink above the trees. Even Charlie looked more relaxed than he had in weeks, laughing quietly at something Billy said while Seth tried, and failed, to fish without splashing. His newly gained confidence after catching such a big fish had ended up playing against him.
Eventually the sun dipped low enough that the water turned dark and reflective, and Harry finally declared it was time to head back. No one argued. We packed up the gear, stamped out the remains of the fire, and loaded everything into my car. The ride back to Forks was calm, the kind of quiet filled with tired contentment instead of awkwardness. Seth nodded off almost immediately, his head knocking lightly against the window every time the road curved.
When we pulled up in front of Charlie's house, something felt wrong before I could even place it. As soon as I rolled down the window, the scent hit me. Sickeningly sweet. Wrong. It drifted from Bella's open window, faint but unmistakable once you knew what you were smelling.
My stomach tightened.
I kept my face neutral and turned my head back before anyone else noticed anything. Charlie was still in the backseat, gathering his things.
"Hey, Charlie," I said casually. "Why don't you come with us and have dinner all together?"
Harry's head snapped up immediately. "Yeah," he said, suddenly energized. "I'm gonna make my famous fish fry. Come on, Charlie, it'll be fun."
Charlie hesitated, his hand resting on the door. He glanced toward the house, worry flickering across his face. For a second I thought he might refuse.
Then he sighed and gave a small, tired smile. "Alright. You convinced me. Bella should still be there anyway."
At that, Jacob straightened in his seat, his eyes lighting up just a bit. He tried to hide it, but I saw it. Of course I did.
I turned the car back on and started toward La Push. As the trees blurred past, my thoughts kept circling back to that scent. Someone had been in Bella's room. Someone who absolutely should not have been there.
This made me think of Victoria.
My grip tightened on the steering wheel. In the original story, it had been Riley. He had snuck into Bella's room to steal something with her scent so he could share it with the newborn army. The memory made my skin crawl. If that was happening again, then things were already moving faster than they should have.
I glanced at the rearview mirror. Charlie was talking quietly with Billy, unaware of any danger. Seth had woken up and was animatedly describing the fish again, using his hands like he was reenacting a battle. Jacob listened with half his attention, the other half clearly somewhere else.
Bella.
By the time we reached La Push, I had made up my mind. I needed answers. I should give Alice a call to ask if she could see anything; even fragments would help. I didn't like being in the dark when Bella's safety was involved.
As I parked the car, I promised myself one thing.
Whoever that was, I was going to catch them.
…
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