Envy and Evelyn || The Twilight Saga

Chapter Six: Photograph

    Bella frowned. "You know them?"

    "The Cullens don't come here," Sam said sharply.

    I raised a brow at Jacob, then threw a look at Bella. Jacob looked mildly embarrassed, and Bella was just as confused as me.

    "Let's go look at the tide pools," I said to them.

    Once we got down by the water, Bella asked the question before I could.

    "So, what did your friend mean by 'the Cullens don't come here'?" she asked, a teasing smile on her face.

    He laughed, embarrassed. "You caught that, huh?"

    "Don't avoid the question, Jake," I chuckled.

    "I'm not supposed to say anything," he said.

    I hummed. "Well, we can keep a secret."

    Jacob thought a minute before sighing. "Alright. It's just an old scary story. Did you know the Quileutes are supposedly descended from wolves?"

    "Like, real wolves?" Bella asked, raising an eyebrow.

    "Well, the Cullens supposedly descended from this, like... 'enemy clan.' ... But they claimed to be different, so we made a treaty with them," Jacob said with a shrug.

    "Didn't they just move here?" I asked.

    Jacob grinned. "Or just moved back."

    Bella chuckled. "Right. So what was the treaty?"

    "If they promised to stay off Quileute lands, we wouldn't expose what they really were to the pale-faces," Jacob whispered.

    Bella shivered.

    I smiled. "Nice."

    "Wait," she said, "what were they really?"

    Jacob smiled. "It's just a scary story, Bella."

    She seemed to consider that.

    I grabbed Jacob's arm. "And with that, I say we visit Harry and Sue. Haven't seen them in a while." I waved bye to Bella. "See you later!"

    I dragged Jacob off toward Harry and Sue Clearwater's house.

    He raised an eyebrow once we were out of earshot. "And why are we really paying a visit to Harry and Sue?"

    "Mom and Sue used to hang out," I replied. "She could know about my father."

    "Ah," Jacob said. "Off we go, then."

    When we got to Sue's house, she offered us some of Harry's fish fry, and then some cookies, and then some muffins that her niece, Emily, had made.

    "We're really okay, Mrs. Clearwater," I told her. "Just came to see if you needed anything! I heard that Leah's planning a wedding."

    Sue smiled. She was especially pretty when she smiled, her dark eyes lighting up. "Yes, well, Leah's got it covered. She's such a particular bride." She chuckled. "The wedding won't be for a while, though. Harry wants her to wait until... Well, he just wants her to wait."

    "Sam's a good guy," Jacob remarked. "They'll be happy together."

    "I think so, too," Sue said. "Anything else you kids need?"

    I took a breath before telling her why we were really here. "Well, you and my mom were friends, right?"

    Sue stiffened. "Yes, your mother and I were good friends... until she left."

    "I've been trying to track down another old friend of hers," I told her. "A guy by the name of A."

    Sue's facade split for a fraction of a second before she smiled again. "Ah, no. Don't know anyone like that."

    "Mrs. Clearwater–"

    She stood up. "Evelyn... Evie. Sometimes the answers we want aren't ones that we're ready for." Her dark eyes were intense. "Now, you kids better be getting home. It's getting late."

    She walked to the kitchen, leaving us alone in the living room.

    Jacob frowned, standing up. "Sorry, Evie. Looks like Sue was a bust."

    I sighed, standing as well. "I guess."

    Then, fatefully, I caught sight of a picture on the side table– one of Leah as a young girl, sitting with a young Rebecca Black and my sister, who was only a baby, barely sitting up on the ground. In the background of the picture was my mother and a young, blonde man.

    I frowned. I didn't recognize the man. He certainly wasn't from Forks, I could tell by his designer sweater and expensive jeans. His face was slightly blurry, but he was handsome.

    Something in me snapped. I took the picture out of its frame, stuffing it into my pocket.

    "Eve," Jacob hissed. "What are you doing?"

    "I don't know," I hissed back. "Let's go."