CHAPTER ONE
ᴀᴅʀᴇɴᴀʟɪɴᴇ

Behind the wheel of a sportscar, Forks looked different. The tyres spun easily amongst the remnants of recent rains, drifting as if tied to rails. Cool, dry air whipped in through the open windows, scrubbing against soft skin howling through the tunnelled pathway that slid through to the back. The metallic green of the bonnet glinted naturally under the leafy glow of the trees, the hint of sunlight warm and refreshing behind it- the type of sun that reminded of winter mornings, though it was still late summer. Above, the spindly branches were reduced to blurs of willowy brown, warped by the insane speed of the car.

Air flooded harshly through my nose, brushing through empty lungs. It was this smell, so earthy and fresh, that I'd once believed had drawn me to the small town. It felt homely, familiar in a way that felt distant, like a point on a map, of which the mission was to reach. To each angle, the trees broke out for miles of unending forest, thickened by the trails of moss and dirt, sliced through by one single, desolate road, wide enough for a car and a few passing spaces. Years on from that initial moment, I still felt as if I was designed to blend in with the surroundings of the town, drifting amongst the woods like an element of it myself. Though perhaps now it came with a sense of tranquillity, of a natural desire to be present, rather than a strong disdain for the animal I'd once thought of myself.

I still don't know what took me to Forks, but for once in my life, I thanked the idea of destiny for bringing me here.

The dull, grey weather, much akin to that of my childhood, brought a sense of security, and the distinct lack of people for miles on end left days without worry. But it was the Cullens that left my wants complete. The car, some new brand of which I didn't know the name, with shiny paintwork and clean windows, was the first, obvious example. Alice bought me it as she promised herself she would. Yet in a way, through Alice, they'd become my own family, something I'd been missing for a hundred years.

The music crackled a bit as I turned a corner- the CD was far older than I'd like to admit. Fleetwood Mac soon played loudly from the speakers. A grin spread on my face. The 70s were good to me, thanks to the distinct lack of William for eleven years, and the fashion didn't hurt. I still had one of my jackets, the same one Alice had once mentioned in my first few weeks in Forks.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror as I sang along quietly. Perhaps one thing that hadn't changed was my discontent when it came to the topic of vanity. Even now it seemed like a very human quality, but unlike then, the realisation came not from my own deservedness but of a reflection of what surrounded me.

The Cullens' house stood proudly among the trees, a clean, glassy design that now seemed fitting for the family. The driveway was left empty despite it being early morning, the solar lights still twinkling along the side of the dirt path that ran alongside it, surrounded by bushy shrubs and perfumed flowers, planted by Esme. The garage was void of Jasper and Emmett's matching Jeeps, leaving no doubt that they'd used the dark night as an excuse to try out the heavy-duty tyres. But even still, that empty space was easily filled by Rosalie's slim body.

As the garage doors closed automatically behind me, Rosalie pulled herself from inside of her own car that she was working on, and moved to open the door. She smiled, her eyebrows raising and arms folding as she leaned against the framework.

"I fix your car and you don't even use it," she tutted.

"You try saying no to Alice. Not all of us have a partner as laid back as Emmett," I said, climbing out, following her to the side door. "Besides, I've grown to like the speed."

"Looks like we've rubbed off on you," Rosalie said. "It only took two years."

Inside, the light seemed to be centred around one spot, streamlining through the open window that stood proudly at the very top of the long stairs. Alice walked through it, excitedly, her hair glittering as brightly as her skin as the sunrays bounced from it. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders, squeezed, then held me at arms length, her expression expectant.

"How was it?" Alice said quickly. "Oh, don't look at me like that, you loved it, didn't you?"

"I did, it was very calming," I told her, referencing the long drive I'd returned from. "It reminded me of my first days in Forks."

"Oh, and she's a speed maniac, now," Rosalie added from where she lay against the settee.

Alice grinned. "It only took three weeks, a good thing I'm patient."

"No need to lie, Alice, you're the least patient of us all."

All it took was a roll of her eyes and Alice was smiling again, moving on from the conversation by looking her arm around my elbow, pulling us both to the living room. She laughed to herself as she placed herself neatly on the window seat that wrapped around most of the room, making it obvious that a vision had come to her.

"Bella's on her way. I don't think she's happy."

"Is she in her bullet car?" Rosalie asked, acting unbothered as she opened the next page of an old magazine.

"The Mercedes Guardian?" Alice tilted her head as she asked. "Yes, she is."

"That's why."

For the second time, Alice rolled her eyes. "There's nothing wrong with that car, she's just being dramatic."

"It's the least Bella car he possibly could have bought," I said.

With a bulky, black exterior contrasting with the streamlined roof and sleek interior, the car resembled something that could've been in a bond film- not on Charlie's drive. There would never be a vehicle more Bella, than her bright, orange truck. But then again, even before Edward bought her the car, she seemed to avoid driving it as much as possible. It was clear that it reminded her too much of the boy who'd fixed it up and partly gifted it to her- Jacob Black had been missing for weeks.

Rosalie seemed to sense Bella a few moments before we did. "I'm going to hunt."

Arguing with Rosalie was always going to be useless. With the wedding nearer, she seemed to be balancing on a rope, one moment trying her hand at civility, while the next she was as hostile as a territorial animal.

It was a few minutes before the front door opened, welcoming Bella into the house.

"Bella! I'm so glad you could come. It's going to be so fun having a girls night before your big day," Alice shouted, running to pull her to the seats. Bella seemed to cringe at the reminder of her wedding.

"There's nowhere I'd rather be. What have you got planned?"

"Elide tried her hand at baking this morning with Esme. There's cake for you and we've got some films. Oh, and I found this book of horror stories in Carlisle's library- people do that at sleepovers, right?" Alice said quickly, already making her way toward the door. "But really, we can do anything you want, this is all for you."

Half a cake and half a film later, the topic of Bella's wedding was brought up again. This time, enlightened by the high spirits and persuasive encouragement, Bella joined in without so much as a grimace.

"I think your design work counts as genius, Alice," I said, thinking of the lace decorations and vintage table cloths she'd shown me only that morning. "Honestly, Bella, I think you might love it."

"Just don't expect the speeches to be flattering," Alice added, a devilish smile sliding onto her face.

Bella laughed softly. "I've met Emmett and Jasper- I know they won't."

"Are we scared about the whole vampire wolf mix or is that not something to be concerned about?" I asked.

"Don't remind me."

"How is Jacob, by the way? Have they found him?"

Bella frowned. "It's Jacob- he won't be found until he wants to be. I haven't heard from him in weeks," she said, letting out a sigh as her head fell to rest against a pillow. "He's not talking to me."

Alice lept forward, batting me away with urgency. "Stop stressing the bride!"

"Alice, my wedding isn't for three days," Bella complained.

"Yes. That's plenty of time to develop stress wrinkles!"

The combined laughter of Bella and I soon faded away as the loud crashing of the film caught our attention again. Rain splattered lightly on the windows, the clouds emptying their hoards before the big day, which Alice predicted would be captured in a delicate mist, enshrouding the sun in the calm sort of way. And, just as the last few weeks had, everything felt perfectly and happily fine.

❦

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