copy cat || paul lahote

the faint hum of tires on the driveway stirred nora from the pages of her battered novel. she sat cross-legged on her bed, the late evening light spilling through the blinds in warm, golden slivers. the distinct creak of the front door and murmured voices reached her ears, and she immediately tensed.

bella was home, and judging by the male voice accompanying her, so was edward.

with a sigh, nora marked her place in the book and swung her legs over the side of the bed. she wasn't in the mood for small talk, especially not with him. though bella swore up and down that edward was the love of her life, something about him put nora on edge. he was too controlled, too cold, like a porcelain doll pretending to be human. and his family? they were the same.

the voices grew louder as footsteps climbed the stairs. moments later, bella's door clicked shut with a muffled finality. still, edward's deep tone filtered through the walls, too low for her to make out the words. nora scrunched her nose.

"can't she leave him at the door like a normal person?" she muttered under her breath.

an hour later, bella's door opened again, and this time, she caught edward's unmistakable steps descending the stairs. nora slipped out of her room just as bella's bedroom door creaked open behind her.

"still here?" nora asked, leaning on the banister, one brow raised in mock surprise.

edward froze at the bottom of the stairs, his golden eyes flicking to nora's with practiced calm. "just leaving," he said smoothly, his voice polite but clipped.

"don't let me keep you," she shot back, turning on her heel and heading into the kitchen without waiting for a response.

a few moments later, bella appeared, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "could you be any ruder?" she asked, her tone a mix of annoyance and weariness.

nora shrugged, pouring herself a glass of water. "he's always here, bella. it's like he doesn't have his own house."

bella bristled but didn't respond immediately, the faintest hint of frustration flickering in her eyes. instead, she dropped into a chair at the kitchen table, looking smaller than usual.

nora tilted her head, watching her sister carefully. "what's going on?"

bella sighed, her gaze dropping to the table. "edward's been... off. he barely talked to me tonight. i don't know what's wrong."

nora frowned. as much as she disliked edward, seeing bella upset made her heart twist. "did you ask him what's bothering him?"

"i tried," bella replied, her voice trembling slightly. "but he just said everything's fine, which clearly isn't true."

nora leaned back against the counter, arms crossed. relationships weren't her strong suit—she'd avoided them entirely in high school, too preoccupied with basketball, and running. but bella's discomfort tugged at her in a way she couldn't ignore.

"maybe give him space?" nora offered hesitantly. "if something's bugging him, he might need time to figure it out."

bella looked up, her brows furrowing. "but what if he's pulling away because of me?"

nora sighed, walking over to sit beside her. "you're overthinking it. if edward's got an issue, it's probably something he needs to sort out on his own. pushing him for answers might make him clam up more."

bella nodded slowly, though her expression remained troubled. "you're probably right," she admitted, though her tone suggested she wasn't entirely convinced. "i just... i don't want to lose him."

nora hesitated, unsure how to respond. she wasn't equipped to navigate the labyrinth of bella's relationship drama, especially when it revolved around someone she fundamentally didn't trust. but the vulnerability in bella's voice was enough to soften her sharp edges.

"you won't lose him," nora said quietly. "if he cares about you as much as you think, he'll come around."

she studied bella's face, noting the way her fingers trembled slightly in her lap, the crease in her brow. she wasn't just being dramatic—she was genuinely distressed.

"okay, okay," nora said, shifting to face her fully. "let's think this through. did anything happen last night? like, anything weird before he started acting like this?"

bella flinched, her gaze darting away.

that was enough of an answer.

nora exhaled sharply. "bells."

bella bit her lip, hesitating, before whispering, "i... i cut my arm at the party. it was stupid—just a small thing—but... jasper lost control. and edward—he looked so—" she shook her head, pressing her fingers against her temples. "he looked like he was in pain. like being around me hurt him."

"lost control?" nora frowned. "it's just a cut. he's not, like... scared of blood, is he?"

bella let out a short, humorless laugh. "not exactly."

"the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

there was something she wasn't saying. but nora knew bella well enough to know that pushing too hard would make her shut down.

instead, she sighed. "alright. so, worst-case scenario, he's rethinking things. you... might want to prepare yourself, just in case."

bella stiffened. "no. he wouldn't—"

"bella," nora interrupted gently, "just hear me out. i'm not saying he's going to break up with you. but maybe he's got something on his mind that's making him act different. and if that's the case, all you can do is talk to him. if he's really worth all this stress, he'll be honest with you."

bella looked away, chewing on her bottom lip. "and if he's not?"

the blonde hesitated, then sighed. "then he's not who you think he is. and you deserve better."

bella didn't say anything for a long time. finally, she nodded, though her expression was still tense. "thanks, nora."

"hey, i didn't do much, but you're welcome."

bella offered a small smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. as she stood and left, nora flopped back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

something about this whole situation didn't sit right. the cullens were always strange, but this? this felt like something bigger.

and for once, she wasn't sure she wanted to find out what it was.

nora nodded, standing and stretching her arms above her head. "anytime. now, if you'll excuse me, i'm calling it a night."

"night," bella murmured, watching as nora retreated up the stairs.

the following days, bella was quieter than usual, her usual chatter replaced by pensive silence. nora tried not to pry, though she couldn't help but notice the tension in her sister's shoulders. the two passed the day in relative calm, bella flipping through a scrapbook project while nora caught up on homework and stretched out sore muscles from her long run.

by the time the sun began to set, bella still seemed lost in thought. nora resisted the urge to press further. she'd said her piece; the rest was up to bella and edward.

as the stars began to dot the night sky, bella wandered into the living room, clutching her scrapbook like a lifeline. charlie was stationed in his usual spot on the couch, absorbed in the game on tv. nora glanced up from her spot by the window, catching bella's hesitant gaze.

"need a hand with that?" she asked, nodding toward the scrapbook.

bella hesitated, then shook her head. "no, i'm good. just... needed a break."

nora watched her for a moment longer before returning to her book, though her mind lingered on her sister's troubled expression. something was brewing, and it was only a matter of time before the storm broke.