Disclaimer: I do not own twilight
Chapter 6
BellaPOV
When I woke, everything was red from where the sun was hitting my closed eyelids. Prying them open, I swallowed the dry feeling in my mouth, wincing as I did so where my throat was all scratchy and raw. I stretched to help wake myself up before getting out of bed, turning the alarm off before it could blare its annoying noise that was unnecessary this morning. I wrapped my robe around me and trudged into the ensuite. I hadn't seen Charlie since I was here last. I had made sure to keep in touch with phone calls, but I decided to surprise him and go visit. As far as I was aware, Alice had invited him to the wedding too. Sighing, I smacked myself for not thinking about visiting my own father first!
After my usual morning routine, get washed, brush teeth, brush hair, get dressed etc. I made my way downstairs where the morning news was playing on the TV while Emmett was half asleep with a wide awake Sammy sucking her fist in his lap. Everyone else appeared to be in the kitchen using coffee as their method of waking up. Esme looked the more energetic one out of the lot of them.
"Morning all" I smiled, and poured myself a mug of caffeine and adding my usual extras.
"Morning Bella. What has you so perky this morning?" Esme asked, after I receive a groan and wave off the other people sat around the island.
"I'm going to see Charlie today. I haven't seen him since I moved and I feel bad that I haven't gone to see him yet" I explained, sipping on the steaming hot liquid.
"That sounds like a great idea. Oh that reminds me! Could you drop off the steak pie I made for him? You know what he's like in the kitchen" she smiled, laughing to herself. I didn't know what to make of her kindness. I was glad that someone was taking care of him, even if his own daughter was too busy thinking about herself and her own problems to consider her fathers welfare. It made me feel rotten. What kind of daughter does that make me?
"Sure" I smiled back, I glanced back to the island.
Alice was half asleep, hunched over with her head resting on her arms. Edward was sitting with his own coffee permanently position at his lips, while Rosalie was snoozing lightly on Jaspers shoulder while he copied Alice. I laughed at how pathetic they looked.
"Didn't Esme tell you guys not to drink so much yesterday?"
"Yes I believe I did" She chuckled, grinning when Carlisle walked in.
"Ah, Bella. How are you this morning?" He asked, after pecking Esme good morning and lifting his glasses to the top of his head.
"Fine. My throat was burning when I woke up, and my limbs hurt a bit. But nothing I haven't felt before" I admitted, finishing off my mug but holding the still warm cup in my hands.
"I do wish you would be more careful. One of these days your really going to hurt yourself and I wont be able to just patch you up like normal" He scolded, giving my a pointed look. I gave an awkward shrug and shot a glance over to Edward, who had shifted and was watching me carefully. What, did I have something on my face? I suddenly felt very self conscious, and took that as my cue to go see my dad.
"I'll try. I'm going now, I'll be extra careful Carlisle" I smiled and rinsed out my mug, leaving it in the sink and going through to grab my jacket. I just remembered about the dinner Esme made, and after saying a quick goodbye, left to head to the middle of Forks. Alice had been gracious enough to lend me her very obvious yellow car, and I felt like I was going too fast even when it indicated I was only going about 30mph. I swear the car was super sensitive.
When I arrived at the familiar house, I first noticed how nothing had changed. The white paint was peeling, the green door and windows looking dull and boring, and the netting in the windows mismatching. But it was typical Charlie, and I smiled as how my childhood home was the exact same. The cruiser was still in the drive, so I knew he was in. I pulled up behind it, and shut the engine off quickly. I was out the car with the cargo in a matter of minutes and raced up to the door, knocking with enthusiasm while trying not to drop the glass dish in my other hand. I heard his footsteps as he trudged out of what sounded like the living room, and then the sound as he turned the dead bolt and opened the door.
"Bella?"
"Daddy!" I grinned and threw my arm around him, the pie stuck between us. When he gave me a sloppy one-armed hug back I smiled. He was never good at showing emotion, so it was the same kind of embrace I would have received when I was younger.
"Look at you. Your hairs longer and your definitely taller"
"It has been a year dad" I walked past and straight into the kitchen, sliding the dish into one of the many empty spaces in his fridge.
"Yes it has" He agreed, waiting in the doorway. My face dropped at thinking about how hard it must have been for him to suddenly never see his only daughter, only receiving phone calls every now and again.
"I'm sorry dad. I made a mistake, and I don't expect you to forget about it, but I'm changing it from now on. I will be here for every holiday, and even when I just want to spend time with my dad" I went over and hugged him again, realising how much I actually missed him.
"It's okay kiddo. No worries, just don't do it again" He mock scolded, but laughed and hugged me back.
"Uh, Esme sent over a steak pie" I watched as his eyes lit up.
"Tell her thank you very much"
"Does she do this often?"
"She usually make a dish every week, gives me instructions on how to heat it up. Says I cant live off the food the Lodge serves" He shrugged, like he didn't know what she was talking about.
"Well she's right. Its not good for you" I nodded, while we moved into the living room where the TV was on mute.
"So, how's the big city?"
"It's great! You'd love it dad. Maybe not to live, but I can see you visiting all the sight seeing places and enjoying yourself"
"Yeah… you imagine me, Charlie the tourist? I don't think so" I laughed, noticing how, like Carlisle, his eyes scrunched up at the edges. I walked over to the few pictures he had lined up on the mantel. One was a wedding photo of him and my mom. I'm pretty sure Renee had no pictures from when they were together. Not even one with myself in it. It appeared, unlike Charlie, she had gotten over him. Moving on, there was a picture of me as a kid. I was sat in the middle of the yard, with a pink t-shirt and green floral shorts, looking like a dress up doll. Finally, the end photo looked more recent.
"Who's that?" I asked, picking up the frame and pointing to the two guys standing next to him.
"Oh, that's Billy and Jacob. You remember them right?" I racked my brain, but nothing was ringing a bell.
"Should I?"
"Jacob was like your best friend until you started school!" Still nothing. The man in the picture was tall, tan skin, and short, glossy black hair. He had his shirt off and tucked into the waistband of his jeans, which were slung dangerously low on his hips. To any other normal girl, the picture would already be covered in drool.
"Still nothing… though I do vaguely remember Billy" I remembered an older man in a wheelchair, always visiting Charlie and going fishing with him at weekends. I guess that's where Jacob came from.
"Yeah. He's getting around. It's his birthday next week. You should come with me! I'm sure he would love it" I nodded, placing the frame back and sitting in the second hand armchair.
"While I remember, Alice says you still have to pick your suit up. She chose one for you when we were back in New York"
"Ah Alice, I should of known she would have it all ready. Good thing too, I completely forgot about it" He laughed and sat back on the sofa, crossing his arms over his chest. After sitting in silence for a few moments he turned the volume up on the TV, where what looked like baseball was being played.
We just sat, talking about different things, catching up on what time we had missed. He spoke about his fishing trips he took on the weekends with Billy. I could tell he was trying to play matchmaker when he kept bringing up Jacob, telling me how great he was and how we would probably still get along now like a house on fire, even after all these years. Yeah, so not caring dad…
"Why don't I make dinner? I'm sure I can heat up that pie Esme made?"
"Sounds good" He didn't remove his eyes from the TV, which was typical Charlie. He could hold a conversation while paying attention to whatever game was on at the time.
I walked through to the kitchen, the cabinets still painted that horrible yellow colour that my mom painted them when I was born. I guess Charlie had better things to do. I lifted and unwrapped the dish Esme had prepared, scooping two servings onto a plate for myself and dad, and shoved them into the microwave one at a time. Tapping my foot, my mind drifted to a few miles down the road, where a certain someone was currently sat.
I wonder if he was getting over the fact I was here, and so was he. I knew I was, and sometimes I swear I could see the old Edward in his eyes. That all too familiar twinkle and ghost of a smirk. If only that Edward would come back.
When the beep of the microwave told me dinner was ready, I grabbed a beer for Charlie and a glass of milk for myself, and shouted him in. Stomping up, he sat in one of the mismatching chairs and without speaking, began shovelling food down his throat, humming with satisfaction every now and again.
"Make sure to come over before the wedding"
"I will dad, I'll probably be over with Alice to try your tux on" He grumbled a response, before giving another of his awkward hugs and letting me go. I waved as I walked back to the yellow car in the drive. I didn't fail to notice how Charlie looked at it cautiously. If my daughter was driving something like this, I would be concerned too. I tapped the pedal on my way home, feeling that if I used the amount of pressure I would normally use for my old beat up truck, then I would go flying into the woods surrounding forks, and end up in Canada before I knew what had happened.
When I parked up outside the white mansion, I was eager to throw the keys right at Alice's face, tell her thanks for letting me borrow it, but to never let me near it again. I was sure next time I wouldn't be so lucky as to make it there and back unharmed (that goes for the car as well ).
Inside, I could hear the TV, but instead of the usual sports channel or gunfire of an Xbox game, it sounded like a toddlers programme was on. It could only mean Sammy was awake. Great…
I was right, when I seen Emmetts feet sticking up from the back of the sofa, as if he was sitting on his stomach, then I heard Sammy's giggle. Edward was crawling towards her with a goofy expression, before diving towards her and tickling her stomach, making her let out a loud screeching sound before laughing her head off. It was heart warming. I always knew he would be an awesome dad. As if I needed more proof.
Emmett was busy waving a clown doll towards her, pretending it was going to get her, before Edward repeated his dive and tickle routine. Not being able to help myself, I pushed Emmetts legs forward suddenly, sending him off balance, and in his panic to not hit the baby, made a dramatic dive for the armchair, only resulting in doing a front roll and crashing into the end table. Edward and I looked at him in shock. I wasn't expecting such a reaction. It was quiet until Sammy burst into a fit of giggles again and clapped her hands at his performance.
"God dammit Bella!" He yelled, rubbing his shin where it had hit the edge of the table. Following Sammy's example, I ended up doubled over for laughing so hard, and soon Edward was the exact same.
"Watch… your… language" I managed to choke out, before another fit of giggles hit.
"Screw you. A 'hey im back' would of sufficed" He grumbled, standing up and sitting back on the sofa, cuddling the teddy he had before with a pout on his face.
"Aw Emmett. I'm sorry. Sometimes you just make it too easy" I said, hugging him from behind and kissed his cheek. I could feel him weakening, before he sighed and ruffled my hair.
"Your lucky I love you"
"Love you too!" I danced off, having thoroughly cheered up, and heading to the kitchen. I was expecting to see Alice and Esme sitting there with a dozen magazines, with Rosalie throwing her two pence in when needed. Instead, the kitchen was spotless, just how I left it, except the plates were cleaned and put away, and the counter top washed down.
"Where is everyone?" I called into the guys.
"Carlisle drove them to go see a venue for the wedding. It was a last minute thing. Alice was going to come and get you, but Rosie convinced her to let you spend the day with your dad" Emmett yelled back. Thank god Rosalie was on my side. Deciding that there was nothing I could do, I went up to my room and started the shower, thinking I could use some TLC.
A/N Oh… My…. God….
I'm so sorry! I thought I had updated this chapter! It wasn't until I got a review a few hours ago that I realised. It took me ages to write this as well, I had major writers block, but I think I'm over it now.
On another note, I cant promise that I will update very often for the next week. I have a college interview xD YAY! Fingers crossed guys ;D
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