I Don't Drink
Since Bella had opted to walk to the school, Angela offered to drive them to the one and only cafe in town. Though the drive was quick, Bella struggled with whether or not to ask Angela about Rosalie. Would she even know her? Would it be weird, asking about a student she must be at least a few years older than? Was she becoming a creeper thinking about Rosalie all the time?
Luckily the car pulled to a stop and pulled Bella out of her spiraling thoughts. The last thing she needed was some sort of gay panic on top of everything else.
They made their way inside to place their orders, and Bella grinned as she slid into a chair across from Angela. “Thanks for coming out with me. It’s nice to get out of the house.”
“Of course,” Angela said, her tone gentle. “How’s Charlie doing?”
Bella sighed, rubbing her hands together for warmth. “He’s... Charlie. Stubborn as ever, trying to act like he’s fine when he’s clearly not. The broken leg is one thing, but those ribs? They’re really slowing him down. He hates it.”
Angela chuckled softly. “I can imagine. He’s always been so independent.”
“Exactly,” Bella said, nodding. “It’s hard for him to let me help, but I think he’s starting to accept it, grudgingly, of course.”
Angela smiled, sipping her coffee. “Well, it’s good that you’re here for him. I’m sure it means a lot, even if he doesn’t say it.”
Bella leaned back in her chair, glancing out the window at the cloudy sky. “Yeah, it does feel good to be here, to help. But honestly, I’ve been feeling a little restless. Forks is... exactly how I left it. Not much going on.”
Angela laughed. “That’s Forks for you. But hey, at least you’re reconnecting with old friends, right?”
“True,” Bella said with a smirk. “You’re my first stop, though, so don’t let it go to your head.”
Angela shook her head, grinning. “No promises. So, what about you? What have you been up to since high school?”
Bella shrugged. “Not much, really. Spent some time in Phoenix, worked a few part-time jobs between classes, tried to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Still working on that last part, to be honest. I'm a bit reluctant to admit it but I think this break before my last few semesters will be good for me. Give me time to make sure I'm choosing the right path.”
“Same here,” Angela admitted. “I’m still working at the library while I save up for grad school. It’s not glamorous, but it’s steady.”
“I think that’s the most stable thing I’ve heard about since I got back,” Bella joked, lifting her mug in a mock toast.
Angela laughed, and the two settled into an easy rhythm, catching up on old memories and sharing updates on mutual acquaintances. For the first time since returning to Forks, Bella felt genuinely at ease.
---
The next day Bella once again found herself feeling restless while Charlie napped in his recliner. In desperate need of something, anything at all, to do she decided to watch some videos online to see if she could learn how to fix the leaky faucet in Charlie's bathroom.
After deciding she felt confident(ish) she hastily scribbled a note for Charlie in case he woke up, grabbed her keys and made her way to the hardware store
The drizzle of the past few days had lightened to a fine mist, and the streets were quiet. As she wandered around the store trying to locate the parts she needed she turned a corner and nearly collided with someone coming the other way.
“Sorry—” Bella began, then froze.
Rosalie.
The blonde was standing in front of her, looking just as striking as she had the previous two times Bella had seen her. She wore a fitted leather jacket and dark jeans, her hair pulled into a sleek ponytail. Her expression was cool, unreadable, and as flawless as ever.
“It’s you,” Bella said before she could stop herself.
Rosalie raised an eyebrow, her expression betraying only mild curiosity. “Me?”
“From the trail,” Bella clarified quickly, feeling her cheeks heat up. “We, uh, bumped into each other the other day.”
Recognition flickered in Rosalie’s eyes, though her demeanor remained reserved. “Bella, right? You do seem to have a thing for walking into people.”
Bella felt a small thrill at hearing her name on Rosalie’s lips. “Yeah. I tend to space out a lot when I'm lost in thought. Though it seems to keep leading me to you, so I don't mind it so much.”
Rosalie smiled slightly but didn’t say anything further.
Bella cleared her throat, trying to fill the silence. “I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you said you didn’t spend much time in town.”
“I don’t,” Rosalie replied, her tone polite but distant. “But I had... something to take care of.” She held up a small bag of bolts to show Bella.
“That makes two of us,” Bella said. “I'm trying to fix a leaky faucet for my dad but I'm not exactly sure where to find the parts in here. I probably should have made a list of what I needed before coming so now I'm kind of winging it.”
Rosalie’s lips twitched into another smile, it seemed to be something Bella was able to pull out of her easily despite her trying to keep her reserved manner up. "Somehow that sounds exactly like something you'd do," she replied.
Bella nodded sheepishly then decided to take a chance. “If you’re not busy, maybe we could grab a coffee together?"
Rosalie tilted her head slightly, studying Bella as if trying to gauge her intentions. For a moment, Bella thought she might actually agree, but then Rosalie shook her head. “I don’t drink coffee.”
“Oh.” Bella blinked. “Tea, then? Or whatever you drink?”
This time, Rosalie’s smile was more noticeable, though fleeting. “I’m not much for drinks in general. But... thank you.”
Bella couldn't help but laugh at the odd statement. "Uh okay then, no drinks. No problem." Though the rejection was gentle, Bella couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment.
Rosalie didn’t reply immediately. Her gaze lingered on Bella for a moment, her expression softening slightly before she spoke again. "Maybe I can help you find the parts you need?" she offered, not wanting Bella to think she was being completely rejected. Despite all the obvious reasons why this was a bad idea, she couldn't help but feel like there was a reason the universe kept pulling Bella into her orbit.
"That would be amazing actually. I honestly have no idea what I'm doing but I'm just so bored watching my dad sleep all day while he's recovering from his injuries," Bella replied as the blonde began leading her to the plumbing department.
"Well, I'm no plumber, but I am a bit mechanically inclined. Typically with cars but I've picked up on how to do basic DIY projects over the years. My brothers tend to be rough on the house, and lazy to boot." Rosalie couldn't say why she was being so open with Bella, but perhaps it was because Bella was probably the only person in the town with no preconceived notions about Fork's resident ice queen. It was refreshing to talk to someone new in a town where nothing ever changed, and Bella had such an earnest look in her eyes when she was trying to ask her out to coffee.
As Rosalie helped her gather the parts, and tools needed to exchange the parts, Bella filled her in on how she had just returned to Forks after being in Phoenix for the last few years. Rosalie envied her freedom to live as a normal human, but felt safer getting to know the brunette since it seemed her stay in Forks was temporary at best. Maybe they could be friends without her vampiric life getting in the way.
With that thought in mind, Rosalie stayed with Bella as they went though the check out process. Afterwards, she offered Bella her phone number in case she got stuck with her repair. The smile that lit up Bella's face was worth it, causing Rosalie to feel the phantom beating of her undead heart.
---
The rest of Bella’s day passed uneventfully. She spent the afternoon fixing the faucet in Charlie’s bathroom and helping him maneuver around the house. But no matter how much she tried to focus on her tasks, her thoughts kept drifting back to Rosalie.
Who was she, really? Bella couldn’t shake the feeling that Rosalie wasn’t just another resident of Forks. There was something about her—something magnetic and mysterious—that Bella couldn’t ignore.
Later that evening, as she sat on the couch reading while Charlie watched TV, she found herself replaying their interactions. She’d never been one to obsess over someone she barely knew, but Rosalie was different. She wasn’t just beautiful—she was captivating in a way that Bella couldn’t put into words.
“You’re smiling,” Charlie said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.
Bella blinked, startled. “What?”
“You’re smiling,” he repeated, smirking. “Thinking about something good?”
Bella hesitated, then shrugged. “Just... old memories.”
Charlie gave her a knowing look but didn’t press further.
As the night wore on, Bella realized something: Rosalie wasn’t just a passing thought. She was someone Bella wanted to know more about, someone who seemed to defy the quiet simplicity of Forks.
Bella caught her bottom lip between her teeth and pulled out her phone. She took a deep breath and gathered her courage once more before typing out a text to Rosalie. I managed to fix the leak without flooding the house thanks to you. Thanks again for the tips and helping me get all the right stuff. Then as an afterthought, This is Bella by the way. She hit send before she could second guess herself before turning back to her book for the night.