Chapter Ten

Bella

Dad seemed to want to put things right between us but I found it hard to believe he was really interested in my feelings and my life. It had been so long since anyone had been really interested in my welfare, the last person had been Megan and that was one reason I missed her so much. I knew everyone else had decided she was dead but I didn't, I could still feel her deep inside my gut, the way I had ever since she had left on that awful Christmas Eve. My life seemed so bleak, I had nothing to look forward to except the hunt for Megan, and thinking of her I almost missed my dad's suggestion.

I looked up at him startled,

"What did you say?"

His face was downcast as if he were hiding his expression from me and he repeated the words.

"I wondered if you would like to come and live with me in Forks. I appreciate it will probably come as a shock and I know you're settled here in Phoenix, at school, and at home, but I get the feeling you aren't happy here."

"And you think I'll be any happier in Forks? Do you think my mom would agree to it?"

"As to the first question I don't know but I don't think you can be any more unhappy than you are at present and a change of environment might be good for you. As to the second, I have no idea but you are old enough to speak for yourself so I guess it's down to you to decide."

"Mom would never agree, she did everything she could to keep us apart. Anyway, your work means you are never home so why would you want me?"

"Because you are my daughter and I want to try again before it's too late, if it isn't already. My friends have offered to help out so you aren't alone overnight and I guess you spend a lot of time hiding in your room from everyone at the bar. With me you'd have a room of your own, there would be no babysitting duties and in return, I might even get a home cooked meal occasionally if you can cook that is."

"I do a lot of cooking at home. Mom isn't much good and Forrest's sister is even worse."

He smiled at me,

"Then I guess we would both get something from a move. You don't have to answer me right now. Take your time and think about it. I'll only raise the subject with your mom if it's what you decide you want. That way you won't get a lot of grief if you don't want to go live in Forks and I promise it won't change the way I feel about you. You'll always be my little girl."

Dad would pick me up every morning and we would go somewhere different. I had been worried that I might find myself dragged to a water park or theme park but my dad and I had similar tastes. One day we visited the Phoenix Police Museum, somewhere I knew he would enjoy and I learned that the Miranda warning that was cited on every cop show originated here in Phoenix itself. I think my dad thought I might be bored because the next day he asked me to choose an outing and we ended up touring the Mystery Castle built by Boyce Gulley in secret for his daughter. It was built from such a collection of scrap, even car parts and inside had been hidden treasures for his daughter to find. Coins, gold nuggets, even jewelry and when the mysterious trap door was opened as per his request two years after she moved in she found cash, letters from her dad, and a photograph of him. He had even kept a Valentine card she had made for her father when she was little.

I thought about the girl who had grown up without her father, a father who never stopped loving her despite not seeing her for years. Was my own dad like that? Despite not seeing me for so long he still appeared to love me and want me but did I trust that love enough to take the chance of accepting his invitation? I wanted to, I really did, but could I take the chance? If it all went horribly wrong where would that leave me? Would my mom take me back? Or would I be forced to stay in Forks until I could leave school and get a job? Anyway, would that be so much worse than staying here with mom and Crystal, above the bar? I decided not to make any decision until the end of the week although I thought my mom suspected dad of plotting something. She quizzed me every night about where we had gone, what we had said and done and tried to pick fault with it all.

The next day, his choice again, we went to the desert botanical gardens, an outdoor living museum which showcased desert plants from around the world. It was somewhere I hadn't heard of and wasn't sure I would enjoy but I found to my surprise that I did. I think it was probably more my dad's company than the plants, I was enjoying being on my own with him, talking to him properly for the first time, as a person rather than a small child. So the next day I chose to walk around the city, call into a museum and an art gallery so we could talk some more and found we still didn't run out of topics. I was liking my dad more and more and I regretted all the years we had lost. We were similar in lots of ways, we didn't like crowds or a lot of noise, we both loved reading and dad promised to teach me to play chess buying a travel set so we could sit in the park in the afternoon and make a start.

We only had two more full days together so tried to make the most of it choosing the Verde Canyon Railroad which took us on a long and breathtakingly beautiful ride to the ghost ranch at Perkinsville. I had packed the travel chess set in my bag and on the journey back we played our first real game. I knew how the pieces moved and I know dad let me win because I had no idea of tactics or special moves but I promised myself I would get a book on it and learn so we could play more often. Thinking this pulled me up short, soon the only way we could play would be by post or phone unless I decided to move to Forks with him.

On our last day, we decided to be really brave and booked ourselves in for the Phoenix Escape joining a party of four others who had also chosen The Apartment Escape Room. Having a cop on the team was a distinct advantage and we solved the puzzles with five minutes to spare! After this dad and I went for a walk then dinner in a small Italian restaurant and as he ordered pudding I knew it was time to make a decision. He hadn't pushed me, in fact, he hadn't mentioned the offer again, he was leaving the choice to me. I toyed with my Pavlova and he smiled,

"Still undecided? There's no rush you know. I'll send you the flight money if you decide after I go back. I wish I could stay longer Bella but I want to save some leave, just in case you decide you want to move up to Forks. I am truly sorry for neglecting you, for neglecting you and your sister, but I would like to make it up to you if I can if you'll let me that is."

I bit my lip, I always did that when I was nervous, a habit I picked up from my mom. Then I took a deep breath,

"I'm scared."

He nodded putting down his spoon, his pie untasted,

"I understand that it would be a huge step into the unknown. I promise you that if you aren't happy in Forks I will pay for a ticket back to Phoenix although I understand your mom wouldn't exactly welcome you back with open arms. Or maybe she would just so she could say "I told you so."

"It's not that, it's just, well, we hardly know each other and what if you decide you don't want me living with you? I'm not the easiest person to get along with. I'm antisocial according to my mom, I hate surprises, I loathe crowds, and I can't stand Christmas."

I waited, had I said too much? Had I just talked myself out of a new beginning?