All Characters and stories are property of Stephenie Meyers

Charlie's POV

Chapter 10

Renee stayed for a couple more days, and she continued to help me get Bella back on her feet. We were successful in getting Bella out of her bed and eating. We even got Bells to make some small talk with us. Still, she wasn't herself, and I knew that it was going to take some time before she was completely back. Edward still hadn't called her or written, and I could see she was still hoping he would make some contact with her. When Renee finally decided to go back to Jacksonville, she asked Bella one last time if she would go with her, and like all of the other times before, Bella refused. I packed Renee's bags in the trunk of the cruiser and she said her goodbyes to Bella.

"Honey, I really wish you would reconsider, Jacksonville is great and it would be a good change for you."

"Mom…I love you but I can't leave. When Edward comes back he will be looking for me." Bella was so sure he was coming back; she just couldn't let him go. This infuriated Renee.

"Now you listen to me, Bella, I raised you better than to sit around and wait for some boy to come and save you. I raised you to be an independent woman." Renee's voice started to shake and tears started to weld up in both her and Bella's eyes.

"He's not coming back Bella. Do you understand me?" Bella bit down on her bottom lip and turned her face away from Renee. Renee grabbed Bella's face and made her look at her. "He's gone baby, and the sooner you accept that, the sooner you can let him go."

"Mom…I can't," Bella took in a deep breath of air and let it out with a sob. "I love you Mom, but you don't understand. Just go, you're going to miss your flight." Bella quickly hugged her mother and ran back into the house slamming the door behind her. Renee turned to look at me with a sign of defeat on her face, and she opened the cruiser door and got in. It was a long ride to the airport. Renee was pretty quiet as she stared out of the window.

"Charlie, I'm sorry for leaving this the way it is. I know I tried to help Bella, but there's nothing I can do." Renee let her head bobble down between her shoulder blades and she began to cry. I reached over and once again held her hand. When I pulled into the airport, she didn't say much, just that she would call when she got back to Jacksonville. As I unloaded her bags I told her I would take care of Bella, and everything was going to be fine. She hugged me, gave me a forced smile and left to catch her flight.

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The days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months. It had been 4 months since he left, and things were still not back to normal. Yes, Bella was back to school and she was working a part time job down at Newton's Sporting Goods. Bella had started her job just before her birthday, but took a leave of absence when he left. She was still alive…I guess, but she wasn't my Bella. Unless she was at work or school, she stayed home. I couldn't take it anymore. It was like she was in a catatonic state or something. My patience was running thin with the whole situation, and I finally snapped.

It was early one morning while Bella and I were eating breakfast. Well, I was eating and she was swirling her spoon in a bowl of cereal. I don't know what set me off. Maybe it was the fact that I had been trying to have a conversation with the girl and she didn't even notice. Or maybe it was the fact that she was starting to drive me crazy. Before I knew it, my fist came down on the hard, wooden table.

SMACK! "DAMN IT BELLA, THAT'S IT! YOU'RE GOING HOME!" My glass of orange juice shook and it almost tipped over from the force of my outburst. Bella just looked up at me with this sad look on her face.

"I am home."

"No. You're going to Jacksonville. I can't stand this anymore Bells; the silence, the depression." She still looked at me confused.

"What did I do? I haven't missed a day of school or work, and I never miss curfew!"

"That's the problem, Bella. You never do anything. All you do is sit around the house and stare off into space. You're eighteen years old, you have friends, you need to go out and have fun. Life is too short Bella." By now her face was crumpled up and angry.

"So you want me to go out and get into trouble?"

"It would be better than you moping around all of the time." I felt bad for this but she needed to hear it. And what I was going to say next was not going to make this any easier.

"Bells…I think…," I took a deep breath and told her how I felt. "I think you need to see someone Bells. Someone who can really help you." She looked at me with pure hate in her eyes.

"You want me to see a shrink? Wow, Dad I can't believe I'm hearing this."

"Bella, I love you, and I don't want to see you waste away. It has been 4 months since…" She cut me off before I could get it out.

"DON'T say it… please don't say his name."

"Bells, he's gone and you have been…lifeless, like a zombie." Her head shot up and she was now looking me dead in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, Dad." The last thing I wanted her to do was apologize.

"Bells, it's okay, just…let him go and stop waiting for him." Bella's eyes were huge now and she jumped up from the table.

"I'm leaving dad, I have to go to school…"

"Bella, wait. Don't leave like this."

"I have to go. I'll make plans with Jessica today. It will be fine. Just…I have to go."

Bella shut the door behind her and I heard her truck roar to life. Great Charlie, now what? All I knew was that Bella wasn't okay. I knew this talk…well…fight wasn't going to change much. All it was going to do was make Bella pretend to be a "normal" teenage girl. I just hoped that in her efforts to please and fool me, she would see what she had been missing. That was my explanation, because that was all I had left to hold on to.

Much more to come… and I want to say thank you to everyone who is reading my story and leaving me reviews. I really enjoy writing this Fic and I am happy you all like it!!! J