20. COLD ONES.

                                    

                                          
As if sensing he had been on her thoughts, Jacob Black arrives at Karlie's house early the next morning, sitting behind the wheel of her truck.
The tall girl wakes up earlier than usual, her stomach buzzing with anxiety. She spends twenty minutes agonizing over an outfit, only to end up in her usual jeans and a plain white sweater. She puts on red lipstick, then wipes it off in frustration, hating how flushed and vulnerable she looks. Pouring milk over her cereal, she watches as her truck pulls into the driveway, its once-shattered window now fixed and gleaming in the soft morning light.
It's done. She won't need rides from Taylor anymore. She won't get to talk to her today, won't get to be with her. The thought sinks in, hollow and sharp, stealing her breath. She pushes her cereal away; the sweet smell feels like too much, cloying and unbearable.
Charlie is upstairs, so she goes to meet Jacob alone. Her face must be betraying her, because he notices her sour mood immediately, his brows furrowing in concern.
"Hey, kid," she says, trying to sound better than she feels. "Do you have a license to drive that?"
"'Thank you, Jacob, for fixing my truck free of charge and bringing it back to me,'" he mimics her voice playfully, and she chuckles despite herself. "Why, you're welcome, Karlie."
She rolls her eyes as he gets out of the driver's seat to give her a friendly hug. He's tall and warm, and somehow looks even more like an adult than the last time Karlie saw him.
"Yeah, thanks, big guy," she says, pushing his shoulder. "Do you want to come in and have some cereal? I wish I had something more interesting to offer but I'm too lazy to make anything else."
"Cereal sounds nice," he replies with a smile.
They both step inside, and Jacob quickly fills the kitchen with his warmth and humor. He starts making jokes about how his father and Charlie are always bickering like two old ladies, his laughter echoing off the walls and easing the tension in Karlie's chest.
Jacob devours two full bowls of cereal just as Karlie is finishing hers. Charlie greets them with a wave before hurrying out the door for work. He has been quite busy the last few days, and Karlie tries not to be too worried. Her dad's job isn't usually the source of her anxieties; this is a small town, and there typically isn't much action. But if he was gone for so long last night and is rushing in today, that animal attack thing is probably a big deal.
"Jake, how are you going to get to class? Do you need me to drop you off?" she asks as she quickly washes the dishes they used.
If he needs her to drop him off, they have to leave right away, and Karlie won't have a chance to wait for Taylor—no chance to talk, explain, or even meet her eyes for just a moment. I don't have her phone number, Karlie realizes. Their relationship feels so distant, so unreal, she can't even picture what her voice would sound like over the phone.
"If you can," he says with a shrug, a hint of apology in his voice. "But I can skip first period; it's not a big deal."
"Of course it is," Karlie shakes her head. "C'mon, or else I'll be late, too."
As Karlie grabs her bag from the couch, she remembers the coat draped over her studying chair upstairs and decides to get it. She can't leave that thing in her room; it's still filled with Taylor's scent—lavender and all-consuming, so clear and vivid. She needs to get rid of it, give it back to her. 
Just as the thought crosses her mind, Karlie hears the soft hush of a car nearby. She moves towards her bedroom window and catches a glimpse of the black Volvo as it disappears down the street. Taylor must have seen her truck in the driveway and simply left. Karlie sighs and shakes her head. It's typical of her. Did she even consider coming inside to greet me? The one thing Karlie has learned over this past week is that Taylor only shows up when she wants to and that only heightens her anxiety—the idea that the blonde might vanish at any moment, that none of this is real, and that she could leave just as she did after Karlie's first day in Forks.