Road Running ➙ Twilight

Chapter Six

Serena had been back and forth between Forks and Seattle more frequently now that she knew the Cullens and was on good terms with them. She was starting to become friends with Bella, and through lengthy conversations in the woods and sitting outside together on the balcony of her house, even Rosalie was warming up to the vampire.

Night had fallen by the time Serena had reached Forks. The army in Seattle was quiet tonight for the first time since it was formed and Serena saw her chance to slip away for a few hours without her absence being noticed by Riley or Victoria. However, when the woman left, they had both been missing.

Serena emerged from the forest behind Bella's white and black house that stood peacefully on a slight hill. The damp grass squished under Serena's combat boots as she treaded across the backyard and towards the front of the house. Bella's truck was missing from the driveway with her father's police cruiser taking it's spot. Serena figured the girl wasn't home but still walked up the front steps to knock on the door. The woman's hand was in a loose fist and seconds away from tapping on the brown door when a familiar and unexpected face appeared in the window.

Riley pulled the front door open with a soft creak before stepping out onto the front porch, moving as if he was in slow motion. His eyebrows were furrowed and his lips were pursed together while glaring at Serena, his blood coloured eyes squinting in an analytical way.

"Quite a surprise seeing you here. Did you follow me, like you followed Victoria?" Riley asked as his head tilted back and forth like a confused puppy. A menacing brainwashed puppy.

"I'm probably here for the same reason you are. Keeping tabs on the Cullens." Serena snapped with a slight curl forming in her upper lip.

"Well the Cullens don't live here." Riley pointed out just as a rusted orange pickup truck pulled into the driveway. Serena watched her friend get out of the vehicle while the other vampire had disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Hey." Bella greeted as she walked across the driveway and up the wooden steps of her front porch.

"Hey. I, uh, came to visit. But you obviously weren't here." Serena chuckled nervously and only hoped that the brunette didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

"Yeah, sorry. I was out with Jake." Bella replied as she opened the front door and went inside the house, holding the door open for Serena to follow her.

"Jake? Who's that?" Serena asked with a confused tone. She hadn't heard of a Jake yet from Bella.

"Oh right, you haven't met him yet. He's just a good buddy." Bella shut the front door just as her father walked into the main entrance. A weight was lifted off Serena's chest as she sighed in relief that Riley had left the man untouched.

"Have you two been out this entire time?" Charlie asked as he slumped against the door frame. Serena had only talked to the man once when she first met him. She had no problem being around him as she had spent so many years being around her father and got used to the smell of human blood. Serena only kept her distance to avoid any questions Charlie might have about her gleaming red eyes. The first time the pair met it was dark outside and Serena's eyes were a deep black from a lack of feeding, so she had nothing to worry about. Now though. Serena felt quite uncomfortable standing so close to the human with her eyes exposed in the light.

"No, I was actually out with Jacob." Bella replied. The stench of wet dog wafted into Serena's nose with every inhale she took but couldn't figure out where the smell was coming from. She subtly sniffed at Bella with a visible cringe as Charlie looked away.

"Wolf?" Serena hissed out with a shocked expression written on her face. A harsh knock on the front door startled both of the girls and Bella went to answer it.