Chapter Text
Early April 2006
It was the middle of the night, around two o'clock to be more specific. She took a couple of deep breaths as she stared at her eyes in the reflection of the rear-view mirror. The time had come to leave everything behind. Her house, her job, her relationship. Actually, former relationship. She didn't want to leave, this place had made her happy for a while. But basically everything she had tried to build up over the last couple of years was now all gone within the span of a few hours.
Her hands were still shaking, her breathing still irregular and her body tingled all over. With one last glance she looked at her home. A small house, a rental, but it had been a home nonetheless. She'd have to take care of it later, call the landlord to put up a new 'for rent' sign. But now it was time to leave. She had to, she saw no other way. There was nothing and no one here that she could trust or believe anymore. She'd had her share of misfortune and difficulties, yet with what she'd seen tonight made all of that pale in comparison.
The choice to get out of town came to mind as the safest option. Go somewhere where no one would come to search for her. There was one place she could go, a place where she felt safe, a place surrounded by people she knew. People she in fact did trust. The back of her neck tingled, an eerie feeling of somebody still watching her ever present. With only a few bags lying in the trunk and a handbag beside her, she turned the key and hit the gas. She could only hope her uncle would be happy to see her.
Forks
Relief washed over her the minute she passed the 'Welcome to Forks' sign. It seemed like forever since she'd been there, but everything was exactly as she remembered it. She didn't even need to check the map in order to find the house she was looking for. But when she finally did arrive at her destination, that sense of relief she'd felt earlier, slowly started to fade away and was replaced with anxiety.
For a good half an hour she stayed in her car, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, all the while gazing at the house across the street. A white house with wooden sidings. Nothing seemed different, just like the town, except for the truck parked next to the police vehicle in front of the residence. This place belonged to her uncle. Charlie Swan.
Charlie was the younger brother of her mother, Vivian, and the last time she had physically seen her uncle had been a few years ago during her graduation. But the last time she'd actually been in Forks and at his house was back in 1998, when she was fourteen years old. And now after eight years, she'd come back.
The journey to get there from Seattle had taken her much longer than it normally would. She'd left her own home in the middle of the night, but that hadn't stopped her from taking a couple of detours to make sure that no one had followed her from the city. The woman raised her arm and checked the watch on her wrist. It was still early in the morning and some time had already passed since she parked her car in front of the house. The digits read eight a.m. Uncle Charlie was a cop, he most certainly would be awake at this particular hour?
'Relax, Evelyn. Nothing bad will happen. It's your uncle for goodness sake!'
Multiple scenarios of what she was going to say to him had gone through her mind during the ride over. The stress had definitely managed to keep her awake during all of it, along with a few cups of coffee. She was tired and if her uncle would deny her to stay, she could always leave and go to a hotel. Perhaps that was an even better plan to begin with. A hotel instead of bothering him. After all, they hadn't talked since graduation. Sure, she'd sent him Christmas and birthday cards, though that was hardly a form of genuine communication. But he did always reply by sending her a text back every year.
"Excuse me, ma'am?" A muffled voice suddenly sounded, followed closely by a tapping noise right next to her.
The woman let out a short scream and raised her hand to her chest. With wide eyes she turned her head to look at what had scared the living daylights out of her. The disturbance turned out to be a young man with pale skin and sharp features. Where on Earth had he come from?
Catching her breath, she reached for a handle and rolled down the car window. "Can I help you?"
The guy retracted his hand and threw her a smile. Goodness, he was a handsome one. No doubt one of the most beautiful men she had ever encountered in her life.
"Morning, miss. I did not mean to startle you. I was wondering if you are alright?" He said apologetically.
Even if that hadn't been his intention, he had indeed very much startled her. She found his question a little out of the blue. Was this how people in Forks behaved? She couldn't really properly remember. She cleared her throat. "Everything is alright. Thanks for your concern."
The man cocked his head. "I couldn't help but notice you've been parked out here for quite some time now. May I inquire what it is that you're doing here?"
Heavens, his voice sounded absolutely mesmerizing. But there was a clear caution as well as suspicion detectable underneath it. It would seem that he'd been watching her, but for how long she didn't know. Now she was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable.
"I have business at the house across the street." She told him.
"I see." The handsome man replied. "That would make two of us."
His comment caused her to frown. How peculiar. Perhaps this person was an acquaintance of her uncle? A colleague maybe? If the latter was the case, she was certainly making a fool of herself by sitting out here for the time that she had. No doubt he thought her to be some sort of creep for observing her uncle Charlie's house. She wondered how long he might have been watching her. The road had appeared empty the entire time she'd been parked there.
"You know Charlie Swan?" She asked, and thankfully he immediately nodded.
"Yes. Though it is actually his daughter I am more,- acquainted with." He explained.
"Isabella?"
"You know her?"
"She's my cousin."
He stared at her for a couple of seconds, slightly narrowing his eyes. Then his expression changed and he stuck his hand towards the open window. "My apologies. My name is Edward Cullen. Bella is my girlfriend."
"Evelyn Swan." Evelyn extended her arm and shook his hand. A unexpected coldness spread through her palm across the back of her wrist. She quickly retracted her hand. "My word, your hands are freezing cold."
"My apologies, it is rather chilly out here."
Evelyn managed to conjure up a smile as her discomfort slowly faded away. Though she was now beginning to feel rather embarrassed about her current situation. She couldn't stay here any longer, not with Isabella's apparent boyfriend standing next to her car. Without warning Evelyn rolled the window back up and opened the door to step out.
She still couldn't believe that Isabella was also here. Last she heard, her cousin lived with her mother. Evelyn bit her bottom lip. This did sort of complicated things. Evelyn didn't want to show up and disrupt their lives in any sort of way. She should have thought this through, heading to a hotel was a better idea, but due to circumstances, she was forced to at least go and say hello to her uncle. Let him know she was planning on staying around Forks for the time being. She couldn't very well let Bella's boyfriend do this.
"Shall we head to the house together?" Edward suddenly asked and Evelyn turned to look at him. "I'm sure they'll be happy to see you." He added.
Eventually the young woman nodded. "Sure. I'd like that. Thank you."
As she thanked him, she noticed something peculiar about the handsome fellow. His eyes were a weird shade of colour. A colour she hadn't seen on a person before. They looked like two topazes, amber or golden almost.
"I'm sorry, but your eyes, Edward. They're a highly unusual colour."
Edward seemed a bit taken back by her bluntness. He quickly regained himself and grinned with confidence. "Contacts." He explained and Evelyn nodded.
Changing the subject, Edward peeked into Evelyn's car and nodded at a pile of empty coffee cups. "Looks like you had a long trip?"
Evelyn pressed her lips in a tight line. This Edward was turning into a rather nosey fellow. "Quite long. Had to stay awake." She explained.
Edward nodded and decided not to interrogate her any further. But it was obvious she was being private for a reason. He'd probably pick up on it sooner or later, as he'd already learned that he was capable of reading her mind. Thankfully.
Even before he'd come into close proximity of the car he had sensed her scent. Pleasant. Soft but with a kick. The closer he got, the better he was able to hear her thoughts. Very jumbled thoughts, he might add. Clearly she was tired and on edge, making it a little difficult for him to figure out her reason for being there. But at least this was one Swan family member he did not have to worry about, unlike Bella whose mind he could not read and it still frustrated him greatly.
They made their way across the road towards Charlie's house. Evelyn's heart pounding in her throat accompanied by a feeling of nausea.
"How long has it been since you've seen them? Seeing as you seemed surprised to hear that Bella lives in Forks?"
A blush crept up on Evelyn's cheeks. Oh, he was nosey indeed. "I last saw Charlie a couple of years ago. But Isabella,- that has been about eight years? I used to come here a lot when I was little."
"That's quite some time." Edward stated. It explained why Bella probably never mentioned her cousin before or that she was coming to visit. But then again, her earlier thoughts pretty much explained that already. "So,-"
"It has been a while,-" Evelyn quickly said before Edward could ask her another question. "I'm not sure what to say. Charlie doesn't know I'm here."
Edward Cullen shrugged his shoulders but then smiled. "Perhaps it's best to just ring the doorbell." He said.
Evelyn averted her eyes and stared at the doorbell. She exhaled deeply and with a heavy feeling, she quickly touched the little golden button next to the door. Immediately her mind went blank when she heard the distinctive sound of footsteps coming from behind the door. What was she going to say? She could only hope Charlie would be pleasantly surprised to see her after all these years.
The door opened revealing a young woman, around eighteen years old, her eyes focused on Edward first. She smiled brightly, then her brown eyes shifted to the woman next to him and for a second she observed her quietly.
"I'm sorry, I,- Have we met? You look familiar." Bella asked.
Before Evelyn could answer her, someone appeared behind Bella. A man with dark brown hair, dark eyes, a very distinctive moustache and wearing his signature uniform. It was without a doubt Charlie Swan. Evelyn gave him a short smile.
"Evelyn?" Charlie asked rather surprised and his brow furrowed.
"Hello, Charlie." She replied quietly.
He moved from behind Bella and enveloped his niece within a tight hug, followed by two kisses on her cheeks. He still looked baffled.
"This is,- quite the surprise. What are you doing here?" Charlie let out a nervous chuckle. "The house isn't prepared for a visit. I wish you'd have called first." told her firmly but with kindness.
"I'm sorry, uncle Charlie. Normally I would have called, but I had to leave rather unexpectedly,- It was the middle of the night, I didn't want to wake you." From the corner of her eye she caught Edward watching her with a strange look on his face. A look which could only be described as suspicious looking.
"Edward?" Bella nudged him with her elbow.
"Sorry." He smiled at her.
"Bells, you remember your cousin Evelyn?" Charlie gently motioned his daughter to greet his niece. It was obvious from the look in her eyes that Bella was searching her memory for a sign of recognition, apart from the fact that this was indeed her cousin.
"It's alright, Isabella. I can't blame you if you don't remember me. It's been almost a decade since we last saw each other." Evelyn said to her.
As soon as she said that, Bella's expression changed. "No, no,- I do." She said as she stepped closer. "It's just, it's been a while." She smiled and wrapped her arms around Evelyn for a quick hug. "I guess time can has such an effect."
"Come on, get inside. I'm sure you had a long drive. Seattle, right?" Charlie replied.
Bella stepped aside to let her cousin in. But before they stepped through the door she turned to her father. "Dad!" She said motioning her head in Edward's direction.
Charlie cleared his throat before he spoke. "Oh. Of course. Edward, would you like to come in too?"
Edward smiled and nodded politely. "Thank you very much, Charlie. "
"It's awfully early by the way. You didn't drive all through the night did you?" Her uncle asked her as he guided her to the living room.
"Are you asking me as a cop or concerned uncle?" Evelyn asked as she took a seat on the couch.
"That will depend, of course. But I guess that already answers my question. You shouldn't drive during the night, weird folk out there. What if you'd fallen asleep? How long did you drive for?"
As Charlie and Evelyn were engaged in a short, yes but no, conversation. Edward could not help but keep his focus on this Evelyn Swan. From the moment he'd caught the unfamiliar scent coming from the area, he'd increased his speed to get to Bella. Ever since the whole James and Victoria ordeal and Laurent trying to kill Bella a few months ago, he was always on full alert.
Once he discovered the source of the scent came from a young woman sitting in her car across the street of Bella's house, he felt slightly relieved. However, when she hadn't moved after twenty minutes, he got a little bit worried and thus he went in for a closer look. What had surprised him was the slight sense of familiarity which had come of her scent. He didn't see her as a danger, but he had found her thoughts incredibly concerning. Everything she was currently telling Charlie did not coincide with what she'd been thinking.
Don't look for me, don't look for me.
The phrase kept repeating itself over and over in her mind. No doubt it was linked to her being here, but she wasn't planning to explain any of this to them and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't see anything in her head except for a shadow and the colour red. Whatever reason she was here for, she was keeping it a secret for now.
"So, how is your mother?" Charlie asked as he offered Evelyn a cup of coffee, which she happily accepted. The amount of caffeine her system would probably keep her awake for another couple of hours.
Evelyn blinked at the question. "Uhm,- fine. I suppose. Haven't talked to her in a while."
Charlie nodded understandingly. "Another tour?"
His niece shrugged. "I honestly do not know. We aren't exactly on speaking terms at the moment. But I didn't come here to talk about my mother, uncle Charlie."
"No. No, of course not." Charlie replied. In truth, he had only asked the question out of politeness than out of genuine interest. He probably disliked his older sister as much as her own daughter did.
Evelyn took a deep breath, gathering her courage before opening her mouth again. "As you can probably guess, I'm not here for a family visit. I,-" She paused. Charlie eyes shifted to Bella, who in her turn looked at Edward. But Edward was focused on Evelyn, listening to her mind rambling.
Finally she began again after the long pregnant pause.
"I left home for,- personal reasons and I have no intentions of ever going back." Evelyn looked at her uncle Charlie. "So, I guess what I came here to tell you, is that I plan on staying in Forks for a while. I don't want to alarm you or anything, Charlie. There is nothing wrong, I simply don't want to live in Seattle anymore and Forks, as odd as it may sound, is like a second home."
Charlie blinked, rather confused and surprised at his niece's sudden appearance as well as news that she was planning on staying in Forks. He didn't mind of course. But her story did worry him.
"Alright. It is rather sudden. But if that's what you want, I can't argue with you. I wish the house was big enough, we don't really have a guest room, but I'm sure the couch could suffice for the time being?"
Immediately Evelyn shook her head. "Oh no, that won't be necessary. I'm not here to impose. I'll go downtown and find a hotel,-"
"No, no. No hotel. Out of the question. Such places are a waste of money. If you really plan on staying in Forks, finding a more suitable home is a better plan. Until then, you're more than welcome to stay here."
Relief was visible on Evelyn's face. "That's more than I could hope for. I'll try to find my own place as soon as possible. I'll find a job and make sure to pay for any expenses while staying here."
Charlie's mouth twitched, feeling a little uncomfortable with her offering him money in return. "How about you cover that with cleaning and cooking? We're both rather lousy at,-"
"Dad!" Bella exclaimed loudly, causing Edward to stifle an upcoming chuckle.
"She'll learn about it eventually, Bells." Charlie commented. "In the meantime, I'll ask around for you, Evelyn. A job that is. But, I'd also like to know a bit more on the, I have no intention of ever going back to Seattle, comment." Charlie continued. "You didn't kill anybody did you? Or any other criminal activity?"
His niece widened her eyes. "Uncle Charlie!"
"Now, I don't mean to be judgemental, just that,- considering your mother,-"
Charlie's older and only sibling, had a reputation which preceded herself. Born and raised in a small town, with big dreams and willing to do anything in order to make them come true. No matter the consequences. She couldn't really blame her uncle for his caution or questions. Her mother's behaviour and lifestyle was something else entirely, but in Evelyn's case that apple fell very, very far from the tree.
"I'm not Vivian." Evelyn pressed her lips in a tight line, not averting her gaze.
Charlie's expression changed and he calmly leaned back in his seat. Apparently that statement was enough to satisfy him. Evelyn turned her head to Bella. "Would you mind if I stayed here for a while? Just until I find a place of my own?"
Bella looked at Edward for a quick second, as if she was asking for his opinion on the matter. Evelyn found it rather strange, despite noticing Edward giving his girlfriend a short nod. She reckoned of them must be really close, that or were in a very weird relationship.
"I don't mind." Bella answered. "But I do have finals this year and I'll have a lot of studying to do in order to graduate,-"
"And then you also have Edward." Evelyn added, causing Bella to slightly blush. "It's okay, Isabella, I understand. I'm glad I can stay, I'll make the couch my temporary new home."
"Just one thing,- don't call me Isabella, Bella will do." She smiled.