Chapter 28: Papa Swan

EPOV

My mouth fell open as I watched the old rerun of 'Twilight Talks with Garrett' and saw Bella, my Bella handing him his ass in front of a live audience and later seen by more than a 100 million people on tv.

Bella was currently showering all the stress away in her tiny bathroom as we decided to stay at her place tonight.

I can't believe I didn't believe in her to stand her ground against him. I'm such a stupid jerk! Of course, Bella would be able to handle him, just because you weren't able to the first time you met him, doesn't mean she wouldn't. God, I'm such a horrible boyfriend..

We will be right back after the break," Garrett had said as the camera was zoomed in his stupid face. I turned the volume down as some kind of car commercial came on and I was not interested at all.

I laughed, It made me think of all my stupid commercials I have ever done in my life. What someone wouldn't do for fame and recognition.

Bella's phone rang and completely automatic, I picked it up and answered it: "Hello?"

Hello?" A gruff man voice answered me.

"Who is this?" I asked; sitting up.

"Charles Swan, do I have the right number? Isabella Swan?"

Suddenly the name clicked. Swan. It must be a family member of Bella's. An uncle or a cousin or something. "Yes, this is Bella's phone. Edward speaking."

"May I speak with Bella for a minute? I need to talk to her."

I strained my neck out to the hallway but could still hear the water of the shower running so I put the phone back on my ear. "I'm sorry, Bella is unavailable right now, could I leave a message?"

What are you? Her assistant?" The man said, clearly making fun of me. Who does this guy think he is? And does he know who he's talking to?

"No, I'm not Bella's assistant. I'm her boyfriend."

A slightly awkward pause followed my quick answer and I would have thought the line had been cut off if it wasn't for the deep breathing on the other end. "The hell you are. Who are you and what are you doing in my daughter's house!" The man roared.

Daughter? Oh.. oh! OH SHIT! This was Charlie? Bella's father? Great first impression there, Edward, I mentally facepalmed myself and cleared my throat.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Swan, I didn't realize It was you. Well, it's um.. nice to meet you?" I tried, but I knew I had blown my chances with the guy. If I was him I would have come over here all ready to shoot me in the name of my daughter.

"So you're the Edward.." He started. I didn't say anything as I wasn't entirely sure if he meant that in a friendly or hostile manner. "I was wondering when I would hear from you. My wife has been telling me stories which I'm not happy with, Edwin."

Great, the names have started already. "What stories, sir?"

"That you're the reason my girl isn't celebrating Christmas at our house," I wanted to interrupt him and defend myself, but he wasn't finished yet. "But I've known my Renee for quite a while now and I know that she can overreact with.. anything, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, Edmund."

Okay! Okay, this was good. A deep grumble on the other side of the phone snapped me out of my head and made me think of an answer. "Oh, yes, thank you, sir! Could we maybe.. I would like to.."

But apparently, Charles Swan had his own plans set already. "I'll meet you tomorrow in the back of my café at 7 'o clock in the morning, boy, don't be late. And do not tell Bella we'll be meeting. I will tell her myself."

The line beeped as an indication that he hang up on me. I let a deep breath escape my tight lunges and put Bella's phone back down.

"Who was that?" I turned around and saw Bella wrapped in a white towel, drying her hair with another.

I smiled at her -remembering Mr. Swan's request, or was it more like a threat- not to tell her "No one, Beautiful.. wrong number."

My alarm clock went off at around 6 a.m. so I had plenty of time to get ready for my meet up with the father of the most important person in my life. I had never felt this nervous.

Slowly untangling myself from my girl who had a death grip on me, I took a quick shower and left her note that I was going for a jog and would bring coffee back for us.

I got there 10 minutes early and ordered a normal coffee for once. I hadn't had breakfast yet as I was way too nervous to keep anything down right now. I sat down at one of the tables and waited. I didn't really know how Mr. Swan looked, so I had to just look around for anyone who looked like they were in charge here, but no one caught my eye or matched my own made-up description.

7 'o clock turned into half past 7 and half past into 8 and last but not least, 9 'o clock. This guy made me wait here for over 2 hours! I'm sorry, but I was done. Bella was waiting for me at home and I had already texted her that the coffee place I was at was busy and that's why I was gone for so long. I couldn't lie anymore to her.

I got up and pulled out a 5 dollar note for the coffee I had had during my wait. "Hang on," Someone put a hand on my shoulder and made me sit back down. A man, probably in his mid-forties, sporting a serious mustache and with an angry frown on his face sat down across from me. "You're Edmund?"

I kept myself from scoffing but wasn't planning on being very polite to him right now. "Yes, You're Bella's father, I presume?"

He nodded and traced the outline of his mustache with his pointer-finger and thumb. "You waited," I nodded, surprised that he mentioned his late arrival. "Why?"

A bit taken aback by his question I sat up straighter and leaned on my elbows to look at him. "You asked to meet me here. So I came. I stayed because I know you are a very important person in Bella's life, even if I don't like you right now, but that doesn't mean you are not important in general."

His eyebrows rose, in surprise or challenge, I couldn't tell, but he stayed anyway.

"So you're the movie star boyfriend," He mumbled, checking me over. "You don't seem like an asshole. Are you an asshole?"

I held my snicker back, but couldn't stop a small grin from showing. "No sir, I don't think I'm an asshole. Who said I was?"

"Renee," He grumbled. "But she's not into folk like you. Famous and rich and stuff like that. I don't really care about all that. I just want to know if you'll be good for my Isabella."

My lips formed a small smile as her lovely name passed his lips. "I'll be the best I can be with her, sir. Bella is my entire life. I love her."

His face showed a bit of surprise, but if I wasn't looking at him directly, I would've missed it. "You do, do you?" I nodded, I was more serious about that statement than anything in my whole life. "Let me tell you something, Edward," My eyes widened for a split second as he called me by my name correctly. "Do you have sisters? Or close female friends?"

I nodded. "Yes, I have a younger sister, Alice."

Now he nodded. "What would you do, or your father do if anything happened to her? Say a guy she trusts and maybe even loves, breaks that trust and abuses it."

My jaw clenched and my eyes narrowed at the thought alone. Something happening to Ally? On the hands of some guy? On the hands of Jasper? Me, Emmett and dad would kill him. For sure. Best friend or not.

"Now multiply that by ten and that's what you'll get if I see my girl mistreated," He snapped me out of my head and I got serious again. "Because if this goes wrong, you'll move on to the next girl, but I only have one baby girl, you got me? And she was mine, before anyone else."

I kept my gaze on the man before me. He was a police officer back in the day, Bella had told me, so I didn't even want to know what he has seen what has to do with the scenario: boy-girl gone wrong. "I would never do anything to hurt, disrespect or even upset Isabella, sir. She is an angel who should be worshipped by anyone who walks past her and I was lucky enough that she chose me to stick by her. I'm not going to fuck it up by doing something stupid."

Mr. Swans' mustache lifted as he smiled at my choice of words. "Okay, son. I trust you to keep Bella safe and support her in everything she does, as long as it's safe. Who knows what that girl get's into sometimes."

My nerves were gone and I could finally relax a bit as Charlie, as he wanted me to call him after a few more minutes of talking, switched over to another topic. "So, now I want to know, why you two aren't celebrating Christmas at my house and also missed Thanksgiving."

I sighed. "I don't know how to tell you, sir," He gave me the stink-eye and I cleared my throat. "Charlie, but Bella and your wife had a bit of a fight and that resulted in Bella not being invited to her family home for the holidays as long as she was with.. me."

Charlies' frown deepened. "What did Renee tell you?" He sighed.

I rubbed my stubble on my chin with the palm of my hand and sighed myself. "Well, I wasn't there for the whole argument, but Bella was pretty upset when Mrs. Swan. The only thing that I know is what Bella told me afterward."

He sighed and it his lip in concentration. I could see where Bella got it from now. She looks so much like her mother that you forget how much alike she is with her dad in personality. "I – I'm presuming you have plans already.." I nodded; we were planning on going to my parents and after that to the Kids Charity. Bella had -after a lot of promises that I wouldn't let her fall and a lot of persuasion sex- decided that she would dance with me. For charity of course.

"..but you are welcome at our home, anytime you want, Edward. Whatever Renee says. I'm not missing out on my baby girls life because she can't learn to keep her resentment elsewhere."