Still In Bloom ↠ Twilight ✓

18 ; how it begins

[sorry for the late update. your girl started college this week. regardless, enjoy the new chapter. i planned the outline of this chapter during one of my breaks in-between classes]

Here's the thing: Wallace expected to wake up in the Cullen guest bedroom surrounded by Bella's arms and underneath Edward's enraged stare. However, what he wakes up to is the exact opposite.

In fact, as Wallace flutters his eyes open, he's greeted by Bella lounging in the bed beside him. Her dark eyes are scanning the book she's reading, something old by the yellowing on the pages, and her bottom lip is caught in between her teeth. She hasn't noticed that he's awake, and this is shown with how the collar of her oversized shirt is slightly slipping down her exposed shoulder.

Wallace's eyes flick towards the corner where he remembers Edward being. Only to see that it's empty of any immortal creatures and tries to push away the faint emotion of disappointment from his chest. No doubt some part of him had wanted another reason to stand up against Edward in some way. However, the male is gone. Not even an ass-print on the seat he had been sitting in to give evidence to Wallace's memories.

"Edward went with Emmett to hunt," Bella's voice rings out and Wallace's eyes snap away from the seat in the corner to meet hers. She's watching him with a faintly raised eyebrow and a quirk to her mouth that Wallace adores.

Wallace clears his throat, then perks himself upwards on his elbow. "Oh?"

Bella snorts, then she's closing the book perched in between her pale fingers and placing it on the nearby side table. Once she turns back around to face Wallace, Bella pushes strands of her dark hair away from her face. "How are you feeling?"

The question is loaded. Wallace takes a moment to acknowledge his senses for a moment, instead of going with the automatic "I'm fine" response he always gives to that question. Even if he had gone with that excuse, something in Bella's dark eyes, makes Wallace believe she wouldn't have believed him anyways.

"I'm terrified for Daniel," Wallace states and it's the truth. Though despite the terror Wallace feels for his brother, he hadn't dreamt once of the older male. In fact, Wallace doesn't think he dreamt at all. "But I know that what's been done can't be undone. Whether that's vampirism or may-maybe it's death-"

"Don't think like that," Bella insists, and she grabs Wallace's exposed wrist with her hand. She gives it a strong squeeze, like she's trying to ground him. "Daniel is going to be alright."

Wallace, not for the first time, wonders how someone like Bella ended up with someone like him. Bella is the definition of optimism while Wallace is the antonym. They shouldn't fit together. For a moment, in a trailing thought, Wallace wonders what Edward would be in their fucked up trio if Wallace and Bella are so starkly different.

"I'm a realist," Wallace states, then he's shaking himself away from those thoughts. "Have you eaten breakfast?"

"Eaten? In a house of vampires?" Bella questions, a laugh arising with her question.

Wallace laughs faintly to himself, then runs a hand through the disarrayed curls on his forehead. He'll have to cut them soon since they're getting out of hand. With everything going on, Wallace's personal hygiene seems to have taken a hit. The shower from last night not withstanding.

"Dumb question," Wallace speaks, but then there's a rapid knock on the door.

Both of them turn towards one another, frowns working onto their faces, before Alice Cullen is throwing open the bedroom door. Her chirpy exterior making itself known with the bright greeting she expands in Bella's direction while Wallace hugs the comforter sheets close to his chest; as if he isn't wearing a shirt that covers everything from view.