Chapter Seven
Bella
By the end of the holiday Cade and I were firm friends but I still got the strange feeling that there was more to him than met the eye. Once back at work I decided to find out more about him from Lisa but she seemed reluctant to talk which made me even more suspicious. I left it a few days, each one closer to the dreaded wedding, I was still thinking about going just to please Charlie but the thought of Forks made my blood run cold. One evening Lisa and I had been drinking and wandered back to her place to finish off the wine we'd opened a few days before and I thought I'd try my luck again.
"Lisa, how old is Cade?"
She shrugged,
"A few years older than me, why?"
"I just wondered. I don't remember him coming home for a birthday party and the family are big on birthdays."
She went very quiet for a few minutes and I could see a struggle behind her eyes, finally she sighed draining her glass and filling it again,
"If I tell you a secret you have to swear you wont tell a soul. Especially not anyone in the family, its a big secret"
"OK I swear."
"Cade is adopted. My father found him."
"Found him? Where?"
"Well that's just it, I don't know. My dad used to travel a lot, like Cade does. I think Cade chose his career to please dad. He came home with Cade from South America, I don't remember where and he and mum took him in. I think he belonged to some woman who couldn't look after him, somewhere in the Amazon basin I think."
"But he doesn't look like a native Amazonian."
"I don't think I've ever met one but I guess you're right. Anyway we are all sworn to secrecy when we find out and Cade is one of the family."
"Does he know?"
"I guess so, he never discusses it. None of us do. Mum thought she couldn't have children, she and dad had been married about five years when Cade arrived then she fell pregnant with Andy, I came along a year later and then she went some time before the twins came along. I think they were a bit of a shock to the system."
"So you don't know anything about Cade's family, his real family I mean?"
"No, and no one mentions it, its taboo in the family. Anyway he's a real brother as far as I'm concerned."
"Is there a lot of rivalry between him and Andy?"
"No, I don't think Andy cares much, he's too wrapped up in his monster crap, that's all that matters to him, finding a real monster. He'd be over the moon if he found a live Big Foot or even one of those what do they call them? Chupie things"
Once she'd staggered off to bed still laughing about the Chupie thing I lay down on the couch, pulling the blanket over me and wondered where Cade had really come from. It sounded odd to me that Lisa's dad should just turn up with a boy, I had forgotten to ask her how old he was when he joined the family. What had happened to his real family? What had made his mother give him up to an American? Had money changed hands? Maybe she was too poor to cope with another mouth to feed or maybe...I wondered if perhaps Lisa's dad was really his father by a native woman. I still felt there was more to Cade than met the eye but I would have to tread carefully, I didn't want to upset the family. When I got home the next day I found a post card from Cade in my post box. It was from Chile and the picture on the front was a selection of sea monsters,
"I thought of you when I saw these. Hope Andy is behaving. See you at the house sometime. Cade."
I smiled, so I made him think of sea monsters did I? I stuck it on the refrigerator and grabbed a soda and a yoghurt for lunch, along with an apple. I wondered what he was doing in Chile and closed my eyes bringing up a picture of him. I wondered when he would visit next, sometimes it was months between his visits and I was looking forward to seeing him again then I opened my eyes in shock, I didn't want to feel like this about anyone, especially another man. Edward had been enough for me and I certainly didn't want to get involved with a guy who had a mysterious past. I was through with all that, I wanted to know that any guy I fell for was, a) human and b) telling the truth. A difficult set of guide lines for romance it seemed!
I was slowly relaxing again as Andy kept his distance and Lisa avoided the subject of Forks too but the wedding was dangerously close now and I had finally decided that I had to go so Lisa came with me to buy a dress, the first torture, then to buy a gift, I hadn't the faintest idea what to get but she vetoed a gift token so we agreed eventually on a set of crystal glasses although I couldn't see Charlie drinking his beer from one of those! She offered to go with me but I didn't want her anywhere near Jake or any of my old school friends, I liked Forks to be separate from my new life and that would be too difficult if she came. She did drive me to the airport though and would be there waiting when I flew back in three days time. By the time my flight was called I was already a nervous wreck. I closed my eyes as the plane took off and kept them closed trying desperately to calm myself and stop my heart beating its way out of my chest. The flight itself was too short for my liking and as I grabbed my case and walked out hoping the glasses had survived the trip I groaned because waiting for me, a smile on his face, was Jacob Black. I would kill Charlie for this! He came over and tried to take my case but I wouldn't let go,
"I've got it Jake. Lets go"
"Pleased to see me Bella. I missed you too. Hows the job going?"
"Fine thanks. Is everything ready for the wedding?"
"Sure, everyone on the Res has helped out, its going to be fantastic. Charlie is over the moon, he and Sue are very happy but she's worried about your attitude."
"My attitude? I'm here aren't I?"
"Yeah under protest. What's the matter Bella? You don't think Sue is good enough for your dad?"
"Grow up Jake. You know very well I'm happy if Charlie is. That's not the problem."
"No, the problem is that you haven't stopped running yet have you? Still trying to get away from us? From me? Your past? Or are you still hoping to find him again?"
I turned and started walking towards the cab rank and he grabbed my arm,
"OK Bella, I'll keep quiet, I've said my bit. Don't be stupid, a cab will cost you a fortune. Anyway Charlie's expecting you to come back with me."
I shook free of his grip,
"One more word Jake and I'm turning round and you can tell Charlie and Sue why."
I was fuming as I climbed into his car for the long drive to Forks, a drive that was conducted in silence.