Still In Bloom ↠ Twilight ✓

20 ; three tangled strings

[eek!]

Here's the thing: There was only so long that Wallace could hide from Shelby. His sister, having raised him from ten, had garnered many years under her belt where she had been prone to sniffing out whenever Wallace was being dishonest.

This was one of those times. Even if Wallace truly wasn't lying whenever he said that he was with the Cullen's and Bella. However, Wallace understood his sister's hesitance which is why he was currently harboring inside of Bella's truck.

"I shouldn't be doing this," Bella says for the fourth time, hands settled on the steering wheel of her truck as she drives Wallace towards his house. "It's unsafe and there's a reason you're supposed to stay with Jake and me."

Wallace glanced away from the passing trees and turned towards Bella. "I need to see Shelby. At least to just show her that I'm still alive. She's been annoyed at my absence, especially since she thinks that I know where Daniel is. Though that doesn't stop her from ranting to me about how she knew Daniel wasn't worth trusting."

Bella pursed her lips, but her expression softened. "Have you mentioned anything about Daniel to her?"

Wallace swallows the lump in his throat, stating flatly, "It's not like I have any new information myself. All Shelby knows is that he hasn't been home in a week and thinks it's because he gave up on the sober life."

"Wall..." Bella begins and Wallace knows she's going to apologize.

"It is what it is," Wallace interrupts, because if he thinks about it too much then he'll talk himself into doing something stupid. "For all, we know Shelby could be right."

Wallace doesn't need to look at Bella's face to sense her dubiousness so he keeps his eyes set on the road before them. All the way until his house is appearing in the distance and while there's a lack of Shelby's car in the driveway, Wallace knew this was possible. Shelby wouldn't return home for another hour, which would give Wallace enough time to clean the house and surprise her whenever she got home.

As he closes Bella's truck door behind himself, he circles around the front of the truck and knocks on Bella's window. The female frowns in confusion before rolling it down and Wallace smiles softly at her. "Thanks for this,"

Bella looks at him in that special way of hers that makes Wallace feel as though she staring into his soul before she nods faintly. Brown bangs swishing endearingly so on her forehead as she then shrugs. "Us humans have to stick together,"

Wallace can't help the smile that laces onto his face and before he can really stop himself he's leaning forwards and pressing his mouth to Bella's. The brunette female makes a brief surprised sound before she's leaning into the kiss. It's a chaste one, nothing but closed lips but as Wallace pulls away from Bella he can see the brunette's eyelids fluttering as she recollects herself.

"Be safe, Swan," Wallace calls, stepping away from the truck and slapping his palm faintly on the hood. He watches as Bella rolls up her window and pulls from the driveway before reaching into his back pocket to jingle his house keys.

Whistling underneath his breath, Wallace climbs up the front steps of his porch and unlocks the front door. Closing it behind himself and turning the lock as he kicks off his Vans and breathes in the familiar scent of his childhood home. There's something settling about being in a house where Wallace knows where everything is that he can't describe.

As he makes his way towards the kitchen, Wallace pauses as he rounds around a corner. Eyebrows furrowing as he can hear the sound of running water. Turning to the left where he knows the guest bathroom is, Wallace pushes open the ajar door and turns the faucet completely off from where it had been running in a slow trickle.