Rain On Me
Chapter 9
I was in and out throughout the day, and I brought my own lunch with Edward's so that we could eat together. Mid-afternoon, he sent me away.
"Bella, I love spending time with you. And in any other situation, I'd love to spend a day having you rub my head, but I'm fine, and you have business to take care of. Go!"
"I don't want to leave you! You're still weak!"
"Bella… I'm a big boy…"
I grinned. I was more than aware that he was fully grown, and capable of taking care of himself, and others. I couldn't help it if I wanted to be the one taking care of him. "I know you're all grown up," I teased, ruffling his hair. "Thank you for reminding me that I've still got work to do. I'll be back. Rest!"
After running the rounds to check in with everyone, I finally sat down to figure out the procedures involved with an accident. An injured camper was an owner's worst nightmare. I didn't want to see any of them hurt in any way, and I was super relieved that Bree had no ill-effects from her accident, aside from being worn out, and embarrassed. I promised I would drop in at home to see her before I went back to school when camp ended. Now I had a shitload of paperwork to do, to record it all. I was completely absorbed in it when my favourite guy poked his head in my office.
"Have dinner with me? Charlotte says it's ready. The kids say, 'chow down'! What do you say?"
"I say, what are you doing upright?"
"I'm fine, Bella. I feel much better after you spoon-fed me half of the day. Now I'm ready to sit at the big kids' table. Will you join me?"
Tossing my pen aside, I joined him. I brushed my fingertips against his when I passed him in the doorway. The evening passed by too quickly, and he was looking very tired when he went off to our cabin. It would have been too conspicuous for me to go with him, so I stayed behind to finish up on my paperwork. I was packing up for the night when Dad called.
"Hey Bells, just giving you a heads up that you're going to be having some company tomorrow."
I sat back down. "You're coming to visit?" I asked with a grin. The time spent at the hospital with him wasn't exactly quality time.
"I was thinking of it… Bella, your camp is being investigated. They'll be paying you a visit in regards to the accident."
I cringed. Of course there would be an investigation. "All right. I've got all my records here. Thanks for giving me some warning, Dad."
"I'm going to come out there—"
"You don't have to—"
"Bells, I want to. They need to know you're not the only Swan who can kick some ass when needed."
I chuckled at his attempt to humour me. "Thanks, Daddy."
"You're very welcome, baby girl. No one is going to push around a Swan. I'll see you first thing in the morning."
Edward was sound asleep by the time I got in. I kissed his forehead, and went to attempt some sleep myself for the day ahead. As I waited for sleep to come, I thought of how Edward had teased me affectionately when I fussed over him earlier in the day. He pointed out that nothing bad would have come from the accident. It was pouring rain after all. I fell for him just a little more knowing that he had remembered, and made the connection.
x – x – x
The inspectors arrived just after my father. I took them down to the lake while the kids were having breakfast. Emmett gave me a second look when we passed by him as he set up the soccer nets. I hadn't mentioned the investigation to anyone. It was my problem, no one else's. I excused myself briefly while they examined the campers' cabins so that I could make sure everyone was organized for the morning. It didn't look like this was going to be a short visit.
Edward met me by the main hall. "Hey! You missed breakfast!" He was all smiles, and looked completely recovered. His day of rest had done wonders for him.
"Yeah… getting caught up…"
"Can I help with anything?"
So sweet… "Nope! I've got it, thanks."
"Well, if you need me—" He did our finger thing. "I'm off to find Peter. I've got my phone on!"
I spent the next ninety minutes in my office as they went through all my files, and took a recorded, detailed account of the 'Bree Tanner Incident'.
"Christ, could they make it sound any worse?" Dad muttered to me when we went out to the kitchen to get some coffee. "The 'Bree Tanner Incident'? It was an accident! Shit happens. You almost drowned once."
"I did?"
He nodded, sucking on one corner of his moustache. "Yep. It obviously didn't scar you for life. And there was no big bloody investigation over it. Like I said, shit happens."
I loved that he had my back, but I was terrified he would go off on them and make it worse. "Dad, this is a business—"
"Ms Swan?" I was being summoned. "We'd like to speak to the other staff members involved in the incident. Could you bring them in, please?"
I could see Emmett from my window. I went for him first. Then I went in search of Edward. I found him hard at work, as he put it, 'cleaning the crappers'. He was scrubbing out the shower stalls when I shouted in to him.
"Oh god…" He scowled when I gave him a rushed run-down of my morning, and how they wanted to speak with him. "I smell like shit, too. Okay… you head back, I'm gonna hose myself down, and I'll be right there. Bella… it'll be all right. I'd like to hug you, but I really smell like shit." His glorious smile held me over, and kept the tears at bay.
They were just finishing with Emmett when Edward ran in. He stopped short when he saw all the people—myself and Em, two investigators, and of course, Charlie.
"Chief Swan?"
"Edward!" Dad was the first on his feet, shaking his hand. "How are you, son? Great job with Bree. I'm real proud of you. You were quick on your feet, and you did a bang-up job!"
"Thank you, sir."
"Relax, son. They're just going to get your side to the story, and then we'll be done," Charlie said to him quietly.
Emmett stood to let Edward take his seat, patting him on the back as they switched places. Edward gave his account of the events with more clarity than I had managed. Amazing, considering how shaken he looked.
"Okay, everyone has the same account. Your files are in order, and the grounds meet or exceed standards… we'll just need copies of your staff's first aid certificates to go with our records, and we'll be off."
That's when it hit me—I had Emmett's on file, as I did for the others. But Edward… One look at him told me that we were in trouble. Dammit!
"You have a counsellor on staff who is not certified in first aid and CPR?"
"Edward works in the kitchen," I said quickly, hoping that would help. "He's not officially a counsellor. He does maintenance and kitchen work. He accompanies us to the lake to have an extra set of eyes—"
"Which was damned lucky, on that day, I'd say," Charlie piped up.
"You performed CPR without being certified, Mr Cullen? How is it that you felt qualified to perform such an undertaking?"
"My father's a doctor. He taught me CPR," he replied quietly.
"Your father taught you. But you're not certified."
"No, sir. I know what I'm doing though—"
"You could have caused more damage to the girl—"
"What was I supposed to do? Let her drown?" His voice was higher in pitch as he became agitated. "I saw her in the water… I pulled her out. She wasn't breathing! I didn't stop to think, 'gee, should I have some paperwork for this?' I just did what I had to do to get her breathing again!"
"No one is saying you did the wrong thing, Mr Cullen," one of the investigators replied calmly. "Unless the Tanner family decides to sue, this is not your issue. It was the owner of the camp who was responsible for ensuring all staff members were fully qualified—"
"That was my fault."
I clenched my eyes shut as my father stood up. Here we go…
"Isabella hired him based on my recommendation. I've known his family for years. His father, as he said, is a respected doctor. And Edward's a good kid. Also very respected in town. He's a perfect fit for what my daughter needed around here, and it was goddamned lucky that he was here to pull Bree out of the water."
I loved my dad just a little bit more than ever for omitting the community service bit.
"No question, Chief Swan. There is absolutely no question that it was very fortunate that Mr Cullen pulled the girl from the lake. However, at that point there were two qualified people on hand who could have, and should have performed CPR until the paramedics arrived on site. Why didn't that happen?"
"I had it," Edward hissed. "It wasn't their fault. I just did it. They asked if—"
"You were asked to stop?"
"No—" I blurted, seeing where Edward was going with this.
"Yes!" he said overtop of me. I shot him a glare, but he avoided eye contact altogether. "Like I said, I am qualified—just not certified."
Charlie rose from his seat, reaching for his phone. "I can contact Dr Cullen and have him verify all of this. Get a certificate made out. It's not a problem."
Edward closed his eyes, sighing as my father spoke. "Actually, my parents are not in the country at this time. I'd rather not involve them if it's at all possible—"
Charlie began to protest, but Edward shot him a look.
"This is my doing. I'll take responsibility." He stood, keeping his head down, avoiding me and my father. "I'll resign. Problem solved. If it becomes a legal issue, Ms Swan has my contact information. I'm sorry for my involvement in the bullshit, but not the CPR. I'm glad I was able to help Bree. She's a sweet kid. And Bella is a great camp owner. She had the situation covered… I'm the one who broke the rules. Do you need me to sign a statement or something?"
"We'll be in touch, if that becomes necessary."
He nodded tersely. "Fine." His eyes finally flashed over to me. Tears pooled in my own, and he gave me a subtle head shake. "I'll go pack my things, and come back when you're ready to sign me off."
Emmett stood in a rush to get to Edward's side. "He saved a kid! At the end of the day, that's all that should matter!"
"Damn right, that's all that should matter!" Charlie's cop voice was in use, and I turned to stare out the window, drowning him out. The only thing in my head was Edward's voice saying, 'I'll resign.' He was leaving. I could lose my license for running Eclipse, and Edward was leaving. My personal worst nightmare that I hadn't even had time to dream up was coming true.
Charlie became Dad again, as soon as the investigators left. He pulled me into his arms as the floodgates opened. I fell against him, sobbing.
"It's okay, baby girl. We'll get it sorted out. You won't lose your license. The Tanners won't file a case against you—I've already spoken with them. And there's no other reason for them to shut you down. I'm sorry for causing this whole mess in the first place."
"You didn't," I protested. "If you hadn't sent Edward to me—" A new round of sobs broke out. "Dad… he did the right thing! You should have seen him! He did everything right, and he was calm. I was freaking out! I couldn't have done it without him. He shouldn't be punished for saving a little girl's life!"
"Well, sometimes that's how it goes, I'm afraid. At least he got most of the summer in. He'll only be missing the last few weeks."
"It's not about that, Dad," I said quietly as I flopped down into an empty chair. "He belongs here. He's one of us. He's—"
"Ah! So I wasn't entirely wrong sending him out your way."
I scowled at his eyebrow/moustache waggle. "Not the time for this, Dad. He needs this place, just as much as I do. I can't send him off like this."
"He lied back there," Dad informed me. "His parents aren't out of the country. They came home last week. I saw Esme down at the grocery store. He won't be on his own, Bella. He'll be going home—to his parents. And despite the fact that they play tough ball with him lately, they'll take care of him."
"Dad!" I heaved out a sigh. "I know you're friends with them, but I think you're not seeing the whole picture here. Edward is… he's unhappy there. Just because they have money, doesn't mean they're providing a good environment for him. I care about him more than they do—"
I was examined with one eyebrow raised, and a protruding moustache over pursed lips. This was new to me. "You care about him."
I felt the blood rush into my cheeks, willed it to stop, but just like everything else it was out of my control.
"Bells…" he said softly as he tilted his head towards two chairs. Our knees were touching as we sat, and he reached out to take my hands. "I'm right, aren't I?"
I nodded as sobs took over yet again. He exhaled sharply, and I struggled to control my emotions.
"Well. That was unexpected. Puts a new spin on everything. What's going on, Bella?"
"Dad… it's not what you think. We're not… we haven't… I just—" I couldn't even get the right words in my head, let alone the ability to verbalize it.
"You like him," he stated for me. Bluntly.
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, Dad. I like him."
"Okay…"
"And now I've gone and messed it all up! On one hand, I'm worried about Edward—because, yes, I like him. But then I have this other hand, the one that holds the key to Mom, and it's all falling apart! God! I can't believe I missed that! I know my staff needs to be certified! I let it slide that first week, because he wasn't working with the kids, and I never thought he'd be back. Then he was here… and I was so wrapped up in him… I let it interfere with my business. I have to put Eclipse first. For Mom."
"Your business will survive. What about Edward?"
I smirked at him. He had a way of making me prioritize. "He's still a kid, Dad. I like him… a lot. But, he's a kid. I'm just so worried that he'll be facing trouble showing up at home right now. What if he doesn't know they're home already? What if they blame him for all of this? He's a good guy. He doesn't deserve any of this."
"He's a big boy. I'm sure he can handle it. And school starts back in a month or so. He's at U-Dub, too, you know. Convenient…"
Someday, I would shave those eyebrows. Not the moustache—he'd kill me if I touched the moustache. "You're not freaking about that. I thought you'd freak."
He snorted, shaking his head. "Does he treat you right, Bells? Is he good to you?"
"He's awesome," I whispered with the first sincere smile all day. "He's so good. Sweet. Respectful… "
"There you have it. I think you're making more out of this than need be. He's got to be a better choice than that last guy… what a dou—"
"Dad!" I giggle-snorted. "Language!"
He smirked at my playful warning. "And by the way? You're still a kid, too, baby girl."
I spent the next several minutes listening to my dad offer words of consolation, guidance, and advice—none of which I was truly hearing. My thoughts were on Edward. He was leaving. He was gone to pack. I had to see him, talk to him… I had to be with Edward.
x – x – x
"Edward!" I screamed when I spotted him at his car. I ran for him. He stood idle. "Were you just going to leave without saying anything? Really?"
"What's left to say, Bella? I screwed up. Again. Only this time, I dragged you into it and that's something I never intended to do. I'm very sorry."
"You don't have to go. You can work with Peter. We'll get you certified, and then you can go back to your usual—"
He was shaking his head as I spoke, staring at the ground. "No, Bella. It's not worth it. Honestly. For what it's worth, my only regret is the grief I've caused you. I actually liked camp a lot more than I thought I would." He finally looked at me. His lips curled into a wry smile, but his eyes were shifty. They wouldn't hold my gaze.
"What will you do?" I whispered, feeling breathless.
He shrugged. "Go home. Maybe I'll head to Seattle early. Who knows?"
"Your pay—"
"I'm only missing two days. Don't worry—"
"You're missing the last three weeks of the season! I'm paying you for the whole summer, Edward."
"No. You're not." His voice was finally firm. I didn't realize until then that there was something off with his speech, but that was it. He'd sounded wishy-washy—not like the usual confident, or smart-assed, or sweet Edward. "Bella, I've got enough to cover the car. That's what I set out to do, so I'll be fine." He gripped my shoulders, and lowered his forehead to mine. "I'll. Be. Fine."
"Edward!" I collapsed against him, not giving a damn who saw us. He wrapped me in his strong, loving arms, and shushed me. He swayed us gently, pressing his lips to the top of my head. I gripped the back of his shirt, willing him to stay with me. "You can just stay, and not work," I suggested. "Just stay."
"I can't, Bella," he whispered in a hoarse voice. "You've got work to do. And I've got a home to get to. With as much hot water as I'd like, and a comfortable bed. When I'm falling asleep, looking out at the trees… I'll think of Eclipse." He pressed his lips to my forehead, and released me. "Good luck with the mess I've left you. I am truly sorry."
I didn't breathe again until his car was heading down the hill. The sun was gleaming off the stupid shiny Volvo. 'I'll think of Eclipse…'
Whether that happened or not, I wouldn't know. That was the last I saw, or heard of Edward. His father, on the other hand, sent me a very charming note, along with a sizable check to cover any costs his son had incurred for me. That was essentially what the note contained. Oh, and that I shouldn't expect to see Edward involved with my business in future.
I called Edward to see what had gone down at home. He never answered his calls. I got no replies to my text messages. It was like he had disappeared. I'd believed him when he said he'd liked my little camp—maybe he did think about Eclipse from time to time. By the time I closed up for the season, I was resolved to the fact that he didn't ever think about me. Somehow, I would have to learn how to live again, without Edward to make me smile.
A/N ~ We'll hear from Edward next. He's got some explaining to do as we jump ahead. ;) Thanks everyone! ~ SR
