A F T E R D A R K | PAUL LAHOTE - 1

21

It didn't sit well with me, knowing that Paul was lying to me. I had tired to get him to tell me what was going on but he denied there being a problem every single time I brought it up. I gave in after a while knowing if he didn't tell me the truth the first couple of times he never would. I just had to hope what he was keeping from me wasn't important.

All I could do now was put my time and energy into studying, something Emily had started helping me with.

It was hard watching my sister call Jacob everyday, asking him to hang out or what had happened to him. It was hard watching her defeated face every time she was met with his answer phone. It was hard lying to her, feigning innocence and pretending I didn't know what was going on when I did.

It felt as if we were treading slowly back to square one. Bella was losing her main support beam that had taken her so long to finally find again. My already overflowing plate of stress was building up again. It wouldn't be long before I'd start to lose my mind again, especially with Paul and the pack lying to me about something.

"You're sure?" Alice's questioning voice floated into my ear through the speaker of my phone. She pulled me back into reality as I gazed out of my window at the trees outside.

I looked down to my phone and remembered what we were talking about, "I'm positive Alice, five hikers have been killed."

"By what? Does you dad know?"

"They're putting it down to a bear attack but that's what Waylons death was ruled as too." I told her through a sigh, "What's worse is that they can't find the bear."

"That's all it could be Sophia, a bear attack."

I shook my head although I knew Alice couldn't see me, "No, it's not. Paul's acting shifty Alice, he's keeping something from me."

"So what do you think it is?"

"I don't want to think about what it is." I whined although I knew exactly what I thought was running round.

"But you think you know?" Alice asked me, trailing off.

I pursed my lips, spinning in my desk chair as I stared up at my ceiling, "You said there was three vampires, James and two others?"

"No." Alice shot my idea down immediately, "Sophia there's no way—"

"—What if it was though? They know Bella's here for sure. You said there was a girl, what if she was James' mate?"

Alice sighed and I heard the stress she was carrying, "What, Victoria?" She asked me, "I can talk to Carlisle Sophia but there's not much I can do except ask you and Bella to stay safe."

"Yeah." I said, sighing myself, "I will."

"Call me if you find anything else out, alright?"

I walked over to my window, watching my dad and Harry Clearwater as they packed the truck up for their fishing trip, "Of course. I'll speak to you soon."

"Bye Sophia."

"Bye Alice." She hung up as my dad and Harry pulled out of the driveway and I held my phone close, resting it on my shoulder. In the distance I heard thunder rumbling, thick grey clouds hanging above the house and I pressed my lips together before closing my window and flipping the lock.

* * *

"So, what's Mitosis?" Emily asked from opposite me, holding the flash card to her chest.