Chapter Three

I felt my face turn a slight shade of red when Charlie threw the door open, gun drawn. I don't think I've ever been so surprise in my life, not once—not even with all the supernatural things that went on here in Forks. I'd never been this overpowered with disbelief—not even when Jacob turned into a werewolf, or when a vampire bit me in Arizona.

I'm not even sure Charlie knew what was going on. The gun was steady in his hands, though the rest of him shook slightly. The gun was pointed to the dot where Edward had been only thirty second before. I almost screamed in terror.

"Dad!" I yelled. I didn't know what else to do. Charlie quickly put the safety on his weapon before sticking it in his waistband. "Was that really necessary?"

Charlie coughed nervously. "I'm really sorry, Bells. I thought I heard voices." I felt my eyebrow hit my hairline. Charlie turned a dark red, "Not those kind of voices! I thought-"

"What did you think?" I was kind of irritated now. I knew what Charlie thought he heard. He thought he heard Edward, and he was right. Did not account for the gun though...

Charlie should have to explain that part to me, if not now—later.

"Never mind," Charlie replied slowly, now realizing he overreacted. "I probably should take a vacation from work."

I nodded tightly, feeling my heart trying to catch up with the fact that my dad may very well have shot Edward had he been human and unable to hear Charlie's brain. Two key things that would have let him survive if Charlie would have caught him unawares, but would have left us with a lot more questions to answer.

Like, for instance, why bullets bounce off my boyfriend.

If Edward and I were together...

I blinked at this thought. No where in the two weeks since I saved him did he ask if we were together. He just assumed. I felt my temper flare, which may be why Charlie was planning on shooting Edward subconsciously.

Which kind of made sense to me since he did hurt his one and only little girl.

"What's up, dad?" I tried to ask casually. There had been like a three to four minute delay between Charlie's last comment and my thought process. The air was still with awkwardness.

Charlie rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe I should leave and start all over." He sounded genuinely embarrassed.

I tried not to laugh, "You're already here, though."

Charlie shook his head. "I was coming to tell you the good news. Billy invited us over."

I wasn't surprised, I'd known this for almost five minutes now. I smiled, or what I hope came out as a smile. "Jacob going to be there?"

Charlie smiled proudly. "Yes, he is. Billy also said he's got food covered tonight. Which is good, you know I like that blackening seasoning he has." Charlie glanced outside the window for half a second, I wondered if he saw it was slightly cracked open. "We're going to leave in about a half hour. Billy said he was ready anytime we were."

I knew in an instant of intuition that Charlie was worried I would change my mind, which was most likely why he was standing in my room still. He had this thoughtful look on his face as he looked around the room, as though trying to keep an eye on me as well as try not to look to damning in the process. I could help but wince as he walked past me to close and lock the window.

"You really should keep that closed. I know you think you're safe on the second story, but I'd prefer if you kept it locked. Never know, someone might be able to climb that tree out there," then he laughed, as though it were a joke. I fake laughed with him. I imaged the neighbors now watched our front yard with a soap opera like passion. Between the shirtless hottie who only comes around every once in a while and the physical form of a Greek god who climbs it nearly everyday. I'm sure the old lady across the street was always handy with binoculars.

Then again, Edward would notice for sure if she were watching him.

"Dad, I don't mean to be rude, but I really need to take a shower and get dressed."

Charlie's face pinked. "Oh."

"I'll be down in fifteen minutes flat," I watched Charlie leave before grabbing my favorite jeans, a tee that read 'peace' spelled with items of nature and a matching pair of underwear.

I jogged across the hall to the bathroom. I turned the water on as hot as it would go before closing the door behind me. I felt like I needed to scrub myself senseless. I didn't want to go into werewolf territory reeking of vampire.

When the bathroom began to fill with steam I stepped into the hot water cascade. I began to thoroughly scrub my skin, twice over to be sure before tackling my hair. I washed it three times before I was satisfied that if it didn't smell like shampoo it at least didn't smell like vampire.

I was trying desperately hard not to think about what I was about to do.

I needed Jacob Black in my life, I just had to find a way to get him back in my life.

I had a brief debate in my head about telling him about the dreams I was having. The romantic dreams, the life fulfilling dreams about kids and old age, and most especially the seriously explicit sex dreams that hit me like a category five hurricane-leaving me shaking hours later. I shivered thinking about the one I had last night. Jacob's hot flesh melting against mine, his lips fierce and all consuming as they embraced mine fully.

Unlike Edward. Even dreams about Edward were censored.

I brushed my teeth thinking about how Edward was probably lying about wanting me to talk to Jacob. He was a very good liar-I winced at the memory of Edward proving that point about thirty five yards into the woods behind my house. Jacob hadn't ever lied to me, I'm sure if he did he would be horrible at it just like me.

I stood in front of the door, studying the full length mirror. I was trying to decide whether I looked excited or anxious when a knock sounded from the door.

"Bella, are you ready?"

I opened the door, seeing Charlie already at the edge of the stairs. "Yeah, let's go."

AN: So I'm really pissed. I just typed another 1500 words on fanfiction and tried to save it and it said I wasn't logged in. Just lost it ALL!

Posting here, because I'm too impatient to start over.

So upset, I remember the major points-but the finer ones are gone. I'm currently writing the next chapter on word. I need reviews please, it motivates me. My car just died, everyone. lol, and to make matters way worse, my home phone just got turned off. So this is my main form of entertainment-and I refuse to post here if no one [but a few! :D thank you guys!] reviews. Well, maybe I still would but it wouldn't be as good. lol

Cookies for reviewers.