Chapter Ten

Bella

He went out then shutting the door firmly behind him. I looked at the present, tempted to throw it straight in the garbage but as he said it had cost me a lot so I picked it up and sat on my bed holding it. The label caught my eye, it had a strange symbol on it, could it mean something or was I just clutching at straws? Maybe it was just a design like thousands of others. I had homework but I couldn't be bothered to do it. My arm was sore and I had a headache, tension and anger I thought. Well as far as I was concerned to hell with the Cullens. I was better off without them, vampires? Yeah well, they were liars too. So even vampires weren't to be trusted. That thought made me laugh but it soon dissolved into bitter tears again and I threw the present unopened with the others in my closet and went to bed.

Thankfully the next day was Saturday so I could wallow in my self pity. Charlie hardly spoke except to tell me that he'd contacted Renee who would be ringing me later.

"I'm going fishing, if I hadn't arranged it weeks ago I would have cancelled but as it is I can't. You stay in the house young lady and make yourself useful, no one visits and no calls except your mother do you understand? I'm really angry with you Bella and disappointed. I thought you were different but I was wrong. I thought I could be proud of you but again it seems I was wrong."

He left soon after with a last pained look which made me feel heaps better! I cleared up and put the washing on then sorted out the kitchen cupboards, something I'd been meaning to do since I moved in. The time passed slowly then about noon the phone rang. I hesitated then took a deep breath to steel myself for my mother and answered,

"Swan residence."

"Bella do you want me to pick you up later?"

It was Angie, I'd forgotten about the barbecue.

"Oh sorry Angie, I can't come, Charlie is putting his foot down again."

"Are you sure? I was hoping you'd be company, Mike and Jessica got back together."

"Sorry Angie."

I put the phone down feeling even more miserable. Dad had agreed to the barbecue only because Edward wasn't going and I had been looking forward to it, still the Cullens had put paid to that hadn't they? When the phone rang again I answered absently, this time it was Charlie checking up on me. I told him about Angie's call but he wasn't interested.

"If you think I'm changing my mind forget it. I wouldn't trust you around your friends or their boyfriends. Has your mother rung yet?"

"No."

"What are you doing?"

"Cleaning out the kitchen cupboards".

"Good, while you're doing that you can think about what you did to Edward."

He put the phone down on that final dig and I had finished the kitchen when it rang again, this time it had to be Renee and sure enough it was.

"Isabella Swan, what have you been up to? Charlie was going crazy on the phone last night. He was shouting about you having the morals of an alley cat just like me. Lovely man your father! Did he find you in bed with Edward?"

"No."

I was slightly shocked she could think such a thing,

"So it was someone else? Did you take precautions?"

"No it wasn't anyone. I wasn't in bed or anywhere else mum."

"You weren't? Then what got him so hot under the collar?"

"Dr Cullen came to the house."

"Did he? Oh Bella, you aren't pregnant are you? Remember we spoke about birth control before and I was sure you understood all..."

I interrupted her quickly,

"No I'm not pregnant mum,"

"Good, well that's a relief. You haven't got a crush on him have you? Not that I blame you, he is rather handsome, in fact I was rather attracted myself..."

"No I haven't. Please stop trying to outguess me and I'll tell you what happened."

"OK, I'm all ears."

"He told dad that I was outside with Edwards brother at my birthday party."

"Well were you? Is he as good looking as Edward? I don't suppose so but still... you're young, you need to try out a few before you buy. Sow your wild oats now while you can. But even so...with Edwards own brother? That's playing it very dangerously. Would you like me to talk to Edward for you? I can explain the situation I'm sure but really Bella you should have been more circumspect."

Even my own mother thought I was up to something!

"No. I didn't do anything, besides the Cullens have left Forks."

"Gone? Because you had a quickie with Edwards brother? That's a little drastic isn't it?"

"I didn't have a quickie or anything else with anyone. It was a lie."

"Now Bella, I understand that maybe you are a little embarrassed being found out but calling the Doctor a liar is going way too far."

"Even if he was lying?"

"Was he?"

"Yes."

"You have to be careful bandying about words like that Bella when you are talking about a doctor, its a very serious accusation you know."

"I know, but that doesn't stop it being the truth."

"Bella I've been where you are now and I know the temptation is to lie to cover for something you did that's embarrassing or wrong but its not the right thing to do. You have to face up to what you did and be big enough to admit you were wrong. Why don't you try ringing and talking to Edward? Apologise and explain it was temptation and you should have resisted. Maybe you two can get over this. I know how much you mean to each other."

"I'm not apologising for something I didn't do."

"Well its your funeral Bella but I think you're being stubborn and stupid. When Charlie spoke to me, well yelled at me, last night I thought it was just a silly drunken fling at a party but it sounds like it was more serious."

"I wasn't drunk, there was no alcohol there, and I didn't make out with his brother in the garden."

"Well if you are going to stick to that story I guess you'll have to face the music. Your father is so disappointed in you and I have to say your attitude is upsetting me too. I thought I could help you out of your predicament but it seems I was wrong. What about this present they found in your truck? You forgot about that little detail didn't you?"

"Jasper never gave me that present."

"Oh, then who did? Not another boy surely!"

"No, I've never seen it before. I don't know how it got in my truck but its never locked so it wouldn't be difficult for someone to put it there."

"Bella you just have to accept you were caught out and apologise to Edward, and his sister apparently. Why you were looking elsewhere when you had Edward eating out of your hand I don't know. Let this be a lesson to you and for heaven's sake apologise to your father before he has a heart attack from the stress."

I was depressed and hurt by her words,

"So you believe Carlisle too?"

"Well let me get this straight, what you are saying is that Edward or his father or both made up these lies? Not to mention his sister Alice and I must say I thought she was a friend and you do not jump into bed with your best friends boyfriend. Even I never stooped that low despite what your father might say to the contrary."

"Yes."

"OK. Why?"

"I've no idea and I really don't care. I'm better off without them."

"That's no answer and I'll tell you why. You can't come up with a good excuse to bolster your story. Isabella Swan, you'll regret your actions one day and the faith and trust you lost as a result."

I thought she'd finished but she threw me with her next question,

"What was it by the way?"

"What?"

"The present Bella, the one that got you into this mess with your father."

"I never opened it."

"Why on earth not? I despair of you I really do Bella. At the very least it will be some recompense for losing Edward."

Yeah, and may be it will say "Got you" I thought and I'm not sure I could stomach that at the moment.

When Charlie got home I told him about my conversation with Rene, leaving out her more crazy ideas but he wasn't happy with the outcome. She didn't want me publicly flogged or run out of town which he would have preferred but I didn't tell him about her tone of voice which showed she didn't believe me and hurt even more than his distrust.