Chapter Ten

Hey guys! It's been a while...please don't murder me, this is a real update! I'm back on track with this story and updates should be more frequent. Thank you all for your support. I hope you're all still with me ;)

As always, thank you to bexie25 for her awesome beta'ing skills. She's the best, seriously.

On with the chapter :)

The car trip to Forks would've been quite pleasant, had it not been for the anxiety in the pit of my stomach that refused to abate. Edward held my hand lightly in his as he drove and I alternated between watching the city of Seattle disappear behind us and staring at his perfection. He seemed to be aware of my reluctance to talk and didn't force conversation, opting to watch the road and sneak glances at me when he thought I wasn't looking. I knew that he was worried about me—hell, I was worried about me—and I wouldn't be surprised if he suspected I was bipolar. My emotions had been all over the place lately and I doubted that they would calm down any time soon. He truly was the perfect man to be able to deal with it all; I would've wanted out by now if I was him.

I tried to push those thoughts out of my head, knowing that it wasn't in my best interest to focus on things I couldn't change. Right now I needed to think of a way to carry out the plan I'd created. Despite the number of lies I'd already forced upon Edward, this one was the most complex and I couldn't bring myself to act on it. I knew I needed to in order for this to work but it just seemed so wrong.

It's to protect him, I reminded myself. I'll lose him if I don't.

The more I thought of what I needed to say, the firmer they stuck inside my throat. I was sick of lying; it was slowly killing me from the inside.

This will be the last one.

Just say it already.

Say it!

"Edward?"

The sound was strangely high pitched.

"Yes?" he answered immediately as if he'd been anticipating my words.

"I have something I need to tell you."

He smiled. "I had a feeling you did."

I bit my lip, unsure if the lie I was about to produce was even believable enough for me to use. "It's about Charlie."

He frowned deeply and worry touched his forehead. "Is he… sick?"

"Sort of."

He squeezed my hand tightly and his words were strained.

"What do you mean? This explains why you haven't been yourself lately."

"You know the accident he was in a few months ago?" I asked nervously.

This part wasn't a lie.

Charlie was the local police officer of Forks, and on duty he was knocked unconscious by a struggling criminal he'd apprehended. He'd remained in a coma for about a month and he suffered memory loss. It was the extent of this memory loss that I planned to exaggerate.

"Yes…" he said slowly, eyebrows puckered, his expression both wary and worried at the same time. He seemed to be dreading what I was going to say.

"He doesn't remember you," I blurted out.

It was lucky that we were at a red light because Edward stomped on the brake and inclined his head fully in my direction.

"What? Please tell me you're joking."

"When I called him last he seemed to have no idea of who you are." I bit my lip as guilt flared within me.

"That's impossible." He sounded panicked and disbelieving, and I wondered why, but chose not to comment on that.

I looked down, trying my hardest not to let the lies be apparent in my face.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He didn't sound angry, which surprised me. He simply sounded… shocked. I waited until he'd pulled over onto the side of the road before I answered him.

"I…I knew it would upset you and I couldn't think of a good way to tell you."

His jaw hardened and his voice was tinged with irritation as he spoke but I knew it wasn't directed towards me. Again, I wondered what that was about. "This means that I have to get his approval all over again."

"I'm sure he'll love you as much as he did the first time," I said meekly.

He laughed without humor. Apparently, my comment had struck a chord. "He interrogated me for the whole first month after we told him we were together."

"Oh, yeah," I pretended to remember pathetically. "But you never know, he might remember you when he sees you."

"I really doubt that." He grimaced. "We didn't visit him that often before the accident."

"Even if he doesn't, I know you'll win him over again. He's got nothing to put against you."

"I know, I just feel pretty fucking nervous now, almost as much as I was the first time we went to meet him."

I patted his shoulder guiltily. "Trust me, you'll do fine."

"Am I the only thing he forgot? At least he didn't forget you," he said, a lot calmer now.

I sighed, hating myself when I replied with: "Only you."

"This sucks, but I'll deal with it. Should I act like I've never met him before, or should we tell him the truth?" he asked me.

Hmmm, that was a tricky one.

I didn't want to stress my Dad out and make him think he had amnesia, but it'd be a lot simpler if I told him what Edward believed had happened.

"Just pretend like you've never met him before," I decided. "It'll be easier that way."

"Okay." He nodded, and then leaned over to give me a hug. "I can't imagine how hard it would've been on you, keeping that from me."

I looked away, swallowing.

"Yeah, it was pretty difficult," I muttered.

I couldn't keep up this lying shit for too much longer; I was going to crack soon enough.

Sensing my need for silence, he turned the ignition back on and drove back onto the road.

I'm sorry for being a lying bitch.

I wished I could say it out loud.

…

Charlie lived in a little two-story house, buried right at the edge of the woods. Seeing his house again made a torrent full of memories flash through my mind. Sitting on the porch steps and reading a book, playing catch outside with Charlie, being berated for trying to sneak into the forest, watching him rake the leaves off the driveway…

It made me feel even worse that I was going to deceive him, and the man that I loved.

People like me didn't deserve to associate with such good people.

I couldn't ask for a better Dad than Charlie.

He'd always been there when I'd needed something, and always provided for me the best he could. If I needed something, no matter the time, he'd get it for me and when I let out all of my problems to him, even if he didn't understand them, he'd try and fix them. Suddenly I felt guilty for not visiting him sooner.

Our hands linked, Edward and I walked up the pathway to his house and I knocked on the door with my free hand.

Charlie appeared a couple of minutes later, decked in fishing gear.

I felt a little guilty for giving him no notice of our arrival. What if he was about to head out?

"Hey, dad," I said awkwardly.

"Bella!" he exclaimed, stepping forward to pull me in for a tight hug, grinning. "I was wondering when you'd visit your old man again."

"Sorry it's been so long," I murmured.

His eyes narrowed as he took in Edward, who was standing there, hands in his pockets, smiling nervously at him.

"And who's this?"

Edward stepped forward, and extended a hand for him to shake. "Edward Cullen, sir. Bella's boyfriend."

Charlie shook his hand cautiously and gave me a black look. "Bella never told me about you."

"Our relationship is pretty recent," I interjected.

"How recent?" Charlie raised an eyebrow.

Oh shit.

Why didn't I think of this?

"Around six months," Edward said smoothly.

I didn't remember making him a good liar when I wrote the document. Who would think to add that? It was probably just a trait he'd developed. I needed to figure out how all that shit worked.

Charlie glared at me again. "Bella…"

"I didn't want to stress you out, okay."

He pursed his lips disapprovingly.

"I think I have a right to know who you're dating, if you've been going out for that long. You only went out with Jacob for two months before you introduced me to him, and that was only last year. What's happening to you, Bella?"

"Jacob?" Edward whispered, looking crestfallen. "Who's Jacob?"

Oh motherfucking shit.

"He's nobody," I muttered, for once telling the truth. "Edward, can I talk to you for a second? Dad, we'll be in, in a second if that's all right."

"Take as long as you need," Charlie said meaningfully before walking back into his house.

I turned back towards Edward, cringing when I read the hurt look in his eyes.

"Who's Jacob?" he repeated, his forehead creased.

"Charlie's memory isn't the best, you know that. I dated Jacob a few years ago, he was just an asshole who left me for another girl and I haven't thought of him since. The only reason why Charlie remembers him is because he's best friends with Jacob's Dad, that's all."

He pursed his lips but some relief crept into his expression. Then his eyes narrowed slightly as a thought seemed to suddenly occur to him. "We've already discussed exes. How come you never mentioned him?"

"He wasn't worth mentioning."

"Your dad seemed to think he was," he pressed.

I tried to dismiss it again. Jacob really was nothing for anyone to be concerned about—especially Edward. "Like I told you, Jacob is his best friend's son."

Suddenly all suspicion faded from his face and regret painted his perfect features.

He sighed. "I'm sorry; everything's just been so weird the last couple of days. I don't even know why I'm acting this way."

Tell me about it.

I smiled ruefully. "It's okay."

"Oh shit," he groaned. "Your dad is going to think I'm such a jealous dickhead."

I tried to make a joke to cover up my guilt. "You may be jealous, but you're not a dickhead and he'll see that."

He kissed my forehead. "I hope so. I'm not planning on going anywhere and it'll be pretty difficult for you if we don't get on. I wonder if it'll take as long as last time."

"Who knows? Well we won't ever find out if we don't go back in."

"True." He took my hand and squeezed it. "Let's go."

When we walked back inside, Charlie was sitting on his checkered couch, watching the NFL. He looked up as he we approached him.

"Is everything alright? This visit is just random, isn't it? Nothing bad has happened, has it?" he asked with concern.

"Just random," I told him as I sunk into the seat next to him. Edward took the one beside me, but he was ramrod straight as he sat.

"Good to know." He nodded. "Now, got any news for me? You don't get much of it in this tiny town."

Although the tone of his voice suggested distaste for Forks, I knew he loved living here. It was obvious in the way he spoke about it whenever we talked on the phone. This place always had been, and always would be his home.

I knew mine would always be in Seattle.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Nothing really."

"So how did you meet Bella, Edward?" he asked him gruffly.

He proceeded to replay the story he'd told me yesterday.

Once again, I wished more than anything that it wasn't a story.

Edward looked so exultant when he retold it; his smiles were almost blinding that it made me the guilt that churned in the pit of my stomach so much more intense.

By the time Edward had finished, Charlie looked pretty won over and his expression was a lot friendlier.

I let out a sigh of relief.

There's one complication gone.

I had too many to deal with.

I'd have to process all of these new developments and lies I'd told, otherwise I was going to go insane. At this rate I was going to have to write all my lies down.

I cringed at how immoral I sounded and tried to direct my focus elsewhere.

When I returned my attention back to their conversation, they were talking about sport. I could tell it didn't interest Edward that much but he was trying very hard to act like it did.

"Do your parents like sport?" Charlie asked.

Edward hesitated and a look of utter perplexity crossed his face.

Panic seized me.

Shit.

What the hell was I going to do now?

He didn't have parents because I didn't create any for him.

Double shit!

"I don't… know…"

"Dad," I hissed, giving him a look.

Let him interpret that as he will.

"Oh," he muttered, getting a message I didn't even know I was trying to convey. "Do you want a drink, Edward?"

"No thanks." Edward frowned, obviously deep in thought.

"Okay. You, Bells?" Charlie said, getting to his feet.

"I'm good."

"I'll be back," he said before disappearing into the kitchen.

I turned around to face Edward again and was bewildered by his facial expression. It was one I'd never seen him wear before.

His green eyes were wide with horror and his mouth was parted in shock. He swallowed and looked at me.

He was absolutely freaked out.

"Bella," he whispered, grasping my arm desperately. "Why don't I remember my parents?"

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