Chapter Nine
"How do you know that? I know you heard what Charlie was asking me on the way back home. Things are getting obvious." He face became puzzled. Did he hear what Charlie asked me?
"Bella what did he ask you? 'Cause I don't know."
"He asked about what happened in Phoenix. Charlie thinks something else happened, something we didn't tell him. He thinks there's something missing that's he's missing in our relationship, something that makes us different from a normal couple. I'm worried of what Charlie's thinking." I said quietly. My room was very quiet. I glanced over to the clock; it was almost four in the morning.
"Bella don't worry its just you getting married. It worries the hell out of Charlie. He doesn't want to see you hurt. Just go to sleep, you need It." Edward pleaded.
All of a sudden, a sound broke through the silence of the bedroom. It sounded a lot like the doorknob turning.
Oh, Crap! Charlie was checking on me, making sure Edward wasn't in my room, which, he was. In a few seconds, he was going to open the door and find me in a somewhat compromising position with Edward.
Half of his body was laying over me. His lips were poised above mine. What father wouldn't think the wrong thing? Charlie finding me with Edward, especially since what happened hours ago would create some little problems. Wait, scratch that, it would be more like very considerable problems.
Charlie would be pissed to find me with Edward, in my bed I might add, just hours after we were caught sneaking out. In addition, he was about to find me in that same situation.
Edward froze on my bed. He straightened himself so we didn't look so compromising. He stopped breathing for a moment. I think my heart had actually stopped or skipped several beats in the few seconds in the time of the doorknob turning.
"Act like your sleeping. Now. He's going to be pissed if he finds us like this." Edward said his voice hurried and hushed. He jumped lithely from my bed and went to a dark corner in my bedroom. I hoped Charlie couldn't see Edward in the dark corner.
I quickly got under the covers. I faked sleeping as best as I could. This was the second time he had checked on me with Edward there. However, tonight was one night we couldn't afford to be caught. I let my breathing fall into a relaxed state, as if I was sleeping. Hopefully he would catch on.
I heard the door screech open. Some of the light coming from the hallway filtered into my room. Charlie peered in looking for a sign that Edward was there. He wanted Edward to be there, so he could accuse him of trying to seduce his daughter. However, I think he should get on to me about that, I thought, considering the night Edward officially proposed. (Get it? For those who don't know it refers back to Chapter 20 Compromise in Eclipse)
Once he found that Edward wasn't there or at least he hadn't seen him, he quietly closed the door. I took a very deep breath to make up for all the ones I missed in the one minute it took Charlie to open the door.
I could hear his footsteps fade away. It sounded more as if he was making them fade away so he could catch me with Edward in my room. Edward could tell that he was still at my bedroom door waiting for the sound of Edward coming back into my room. Unfortunately, Edward could read his mind and tell if he was going back to his room or not, which was a good thing.
Once Charlie realized that Edward wasn't in my room, he went back to his room, closing the door quietly. Edward made a cautious approach to my bed, making sure he didn't step on any squeaks on my floor. If Charlie heard a squeak, we were being caught. He sat on my bed gently, next to me, putting his arm across my shoulder.
"Exciting night, right? Charlie really wants to catch me in your room." he chuckled. His voice was controlled and hushed. It was also somewhat distracted because he was listening to Charlie making sure he wouldn't make another surprise visit to my room.
"I guess you could say that" I answered breathless. I was exhausted. To much stuff had happened in the last few days for me to deal with.
My eyelids were falling every couple of minutes. Edward noticed on a dime.
"You really need to get some sleep." He whispered and started to my hum lullaby. When it usually took minutes for me to succumb, this time it took seconds.
I had a dreamless night of sleep unlike the other night when Jane threatened me and Edward wasn't there. Charlie came to check two more times that night. His checks sent Edward running for the closet. He didn't trust me now. When I got up Edward was waiting in the rocking chair in my room.
"Hello beautiful." He said when I awoke. I went to sit in his lap; he gently rocked the chair until he heard Charlie's footsteps on the stairs.
"Goodbye my love. I'll be back in an hour or so." He vanished out the window and into the woods. I leaped silently to my bed, so I would look like I was just sitting there on my bed when Charlie came in to check. The door opened silently and Charlie's head appeared around it, seeing me awake.
"Good morning Bella. How was your night?" he asked, embarrassed that he had been caught checking on me.
"Good. Yours?" I answered getting to go to my closet to get clothes for today. I noticed there were some new shirts and jeans, which were the work of Alice and the shopping trip she took a couple days ago. I grabbed a blue sweater and a pair of the new jeans that Alice bought me. I also took my bag of toiletries because I needed a bath after spending a good part of last night in the woods with Edward and the Volturi.
"Fine. I took today off. The reason I came up here, is to remind you that you need to call your mother about last night and the…." He paused trying to find the right words. "Engagement." He spluttered. He hated the word now. Renée was going to be angry about the engagement and even angrier about last night.
"Do I have to tell her about last night, its not like we were doing anything?" I asked, even thought I knew the answer was going to be no.
"Yes Bella. Just tell her." He paused "When is Edward coming over?" he asked. His face was serious. He didn't want Edward over today at all.
"Yes dad. I think he's going to take me over to his house so Alice can talk wedding plans." I said irritated, he was pulling the concerned parent crap now.
"Are Carlisle or Esme going to be there?" He questioned, now he was pulling the 'I don't want you sleeping with your fiancé' move.
"Yeah, they always are." I answered "I have to shower dad, I'll see you downstairs in a little bit."
I walked past Charlie to the bathroom. The shower took at least forty minutes. It relaxed my muscles and wiped away all the dirt that collected on me when we met with the Volturi. When I got out, I blow-dried my hair until it was impeccably strait. I put the new clothes that Alice gave me on and went downstairs to get breakfast, which would be cereal.
Sitting in one of the chairs at the dining table was Edward. Charlie was making breakfast for himself with an aggravated look on his face. He would glance that were like daggers at Edward every couple seconds. God knows what Charlie was thinking. I knew Edward was being pounded with evil thoughts.
"Hello Bella. How was your night? Did you sleep alright?" Edward was about to say something more but Charlie cut him off.
"Why do you care? If she'd slept all right, she wouldn't have been with you at the early hours of the morning. You may be marrying my daughter boy but you're on thin ice considering last night. You too Bella. By the way the phone is over there, you need to call your mother now." Charlie told me pointing to the phone on the wall. Why now? Couldn't we wait an hour or so?
I went over to the phone taking it off the hook and dialing mom's number quickly. The sooner the better I thought. Three rings later Phil picked up.
"Phil, this is Bella" a sour look came into Charlie's face; he didn't like Phil as much as he should. "Can you put my mom on the phone?"
"Sure, she not standing more than four feet from me. How has your summer been so far? How about graduation?" He asked, I could hear my mom in the background waiting impatiently. I could hear hers sighs and groans as Phil tried to make conversation.
"All good. Can you put my mom on the phone I have something really important to tell her." I asked, I just want to get this over with.
"Bella, Its mom. How are you doing? May I ask why you're calling me, not that I enjoy your calls?" She asked. Edward who was standing next to me took my left hand is his.
"Mom, Edward sorta…" I paused looking at Edward. He gave me a reassuring smile. Then I looked at Charlie who gave me a 'just tell her and get it over with' look. "Edward sorta…" I lost all of my courage again. It was hard to tell her that I was getting married this summer. Either she was going to freak or completely accept it, It either extreme.
"Bella, what is it? Did he leave again because if he did…." She trailed off leaving her threat open ended. I looked over to Edward who cringed at my mother's words.
"No" I said firmly to mom. I tried to assure her that he was going to never do that again. "He will never do that again mom." I emphasized the never part.
"Tell me Bella. I promise to reasonable with my reaction." She pleaded. Her voice was getting a little worried. She promised not to be angry right.
"Mom… Edward asked me—," I was interrupted by Renée's sigh.
"To marry him rights. I knew this was coming." She said quietly. Edward's smiled widened on his face. Charlie's face was puzzled, wondering why Renée cut me off.
"Yeah mom. How did you know that?" I asked puzzled.
"I'm not that clueless Bella, the two of you are in love. I saw that it when you came to Jacksonville. That boy has been in love with you since the day I met him in Phoenix. I'm surprised it took this long. I could also tell that you were in love with too, a lot. You never gave up on him, when he left. You seem happiest with Edward, so I approve. When have you set a date? How is Charlie taking it, I not surprised if he's mad?" She finished. I was surprised that she took it so well. Then there was what happened last night… she might not be happy too—about me sneaking out with Edward.
"Charlie's okay with it for the moment. Alice, Edward's sister set august 13th as the date, this year actually."
"This year?" she questioned. I was about to hear the your to young to marry speech. "That's early Bella. Are you sure? I mean you have college and all…" she questioned again. Her early marriage to Charlie brought up some fears of marrying young; she didn't want me to go through the same. I was sure this was true love.
"Yeah mom. I'm completely sure. Don't worry we can make it through college fine, We both love each other and we want to be together forever…." I assured.
"Forever is a long time Bella." She added, her voice going flat. She had no idea how long forever could be for me. "So… when do you want me to come for the wedding?"
"How about as soon as possible, Alice is itching for someone to talk wedding plans to."
"I'll get the tickets tonight. Expect me in by Saturday." She told me. Saturday was suppose to be the day Edward came back. "Will it be raining?" she added for humor.
"What do you think? We'll see you Saturday in Port Angeles." I laughed. The worst was coming.
"It stops raining does It."? She laughed into the receiver. "Is there anything else you want to me?" she said right on cue with Charlie.
"Bella" Charlie said quietly "give me the phone, I need to talk to your mother. I know you don't want to tell her but I will."
"Mom, dad wants to talk to you, so here is he." I told her, she started to protest but I handed the phone to Charlie.
I could barley hear their conversation, but I heard the greetings then the worst.
"Renée, I caught Bella sneaking out last night." Charlie started. He looked at me, his face grim. Edward took my left hand again; smoothing circles into my palm relieve my stress. "It was two in the morning. I called the Cullens but they never answered. Bella snuck out with Edward last night. I went to their house and found them there. I talked with Edward's parents. They said they didn't do anything. This is the first time she's snuck out. I just wanted you to know." Charlie ratted on me.
I could faintly hear Renée yelling through the receiver. Crap, she was mad. Charlie held the phone out again.
"Mom" I said into the receiver, waiting for the angry rush of words from Renée. "It's Bella." I squeaked. Hopefully, she would hear the apathetic voice.
"Bella Swan!" her calling me by my full name wasn't good. You weren't thinking, were you? Sneaking out! You better not have…. Did Edward make you come with him or did you go willing. I understand you're engaged but sneaking out. Have you done this before? I was so pleased when you told me you're engaged but sneaking out. Bella we're going to have a serious talk when I get to Forks. With both of you!"
"Mom, I'm sorry. I've never snuck out before, I promise." It surprised how easily that lie came. Maybe it was because I had been lying about the same stuff for so long, the lies just came easily.
"Bella…" she let out an exasperated sigh "I've heard enough…" she said irritated, and then she hung up the phone.
