Chapter 21: Disastrous

I pulled in a shaky breath as my fingers dialed the one number I had been dreading. It rang a few times before a gruff voice answered, cracking over the line.

"Swan residence."

"Dad," I sighed and plopped down onto the sofa with Leah at my feet. I ran my fingers through her scruff, holding on for dear life. I didn't know why I felt so bad. I mean, I knew why. I hadn't called them right away as I should have. But I felt like a teenager again, about to get scolded for withholding info.

"Bella," his voice raised an octave and I knew he was happy to hear from me. It made me feel worse that I hadn't called even before the mess to talk to him more. "How are ya, kid?"

"I'm... not so great," I admitted.

"What happened?" His gravelly voice sounded serious now. That old cop mentality never did leave him.

I took a deep breath in my through my nose and let it out in garbled words of apology.

"I'm sorry? Come again?"

I groaned and tightened my fists in Leah's scruff. "Riley's back. He's back and he wants me and Mickey to be a family with him again."

"I swear to all that is holy," he growled, "don't you let that piece of shit back into your life. After everything, Bella? Really? You're going to let that garbage human piece of filth –,"

"Dad!" I was quick to remedy the situation. No more goose chasing. "I am not getting back together with Riley. I have no want or need for him anymore. Trust me, it is a closed case, okay? I said he wanted to get back together, not that I was on board."

I heard him take in a long breath and let it out gruffly. "When did he show his face?"

I was dreading that question. I slapped my hand over my face and groaned into the phone. "About two weeks ago."

Silence. I couldn't even hear him breathing anymore.

"Dad?"

Finally, he took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. "Tell me everything?" he said in a calculating tone.

So I did. Right down to fracturing my wrist, and the unwanted kiss at my place of business. By the end, I could hear my dad breathing raggedly. "You can use my lawyer."

I sighed and shook my head. "I'd rather he just sign the papers."

Dad laughed humorlessly. "He isn't going to, Bella. From what you told me, this is going to get ugly whether you want it to or not. You need a divorce and you need to make sure your ass is covered."

I knew I did. I really did know. But all of this was just too much. "He's with Mickey right now," I admitted.

"He's what? Bella!"

"I didn't have a choice! He's her father and she wanted to go to dinner with him. What was I supposed to say? I don't have any legal right to keep him from her."

"That's why you need a lawyer, kid." His voice was tired and I could imagine him running a hand down his worn face.

"I can't make that choice for her, Dad. If she wants to see him and have him in her life, then who the hell am I to say no?"

"Her mother," he said matter-of-factually.

I rolled my eyes and stood up from the sofa just as the front door slammed open and Mickey ran passed the living room like a bat out of hell and up the stairs, slamming her door.

"Dad, I have to go," I said hurriedly. "Mickey is home and she doesn't seem too happy."

"Okay, call me back later and we'll get things set up. You need a lawyer, Bella," he said with conviction and finality.

I ended the call and took the stairs one step at a time. When I was outside Mickey's door, I knocked an uneven pattern, my head laying against the door frame. I could hear her moving about and soon she opened the door, her face pale and her eyes red-rimmed and sad.

"Baby," I sighed, taking her into my arms. Her arms laid limply at her sides, not making a move to wrap around me. "What happened?"

She hiccuped into my neck and shook her head. "He's a piece of shit," she mumbled and I had to strain to hear her.

She pulled away from me and sniffled, running her arm under eyes and nose. "He actually said that h-he w-was...," her face scrunched up and her eyes shed tears, "bored," she whispered the word like it was a swear on her breath.

I couldn't believe he said that to her. I didn't want him to lie to her, but I didn't want him to break her heart with the truth either. Silly me for thinking he would spare her that pain. I tried to bring her into my arms again but she jerked away from me, a pained look on her face.

"He said that he n-needed some time a-away but he's tired of l-living without his f-family. I don't want to be his family," she cried, her shoulders shaking violently. "I want him to stay away. He should have just stayed away!"

I nodded and locked my arms in front of me. She obviously didn't want to be touched and I would respect that. But her sobs broke my heart little by little. I never wanted to see her in pain and Riley just seemed to keep doling it out like firecrackers.

"He doesn't love me," she said, her voice somber and sobbing turning into broken hiccups.

I wanted to tell her that of course he loved her but then I would have had to tell her that he loved himself more and I couldn't do that. So I kept my mouth shut and let her get all her sadness and frustrations out.

She looked into my eyes then and squared her shoulders. "I hope he dies," she spat venomously and then closed the door in my face.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and tears found their way down my cheeks. I walked downstairs and grabbed my phone from the sofa dialing the only person I wanted to talk to.

He picked up after the second ring. "Hey, gorgeous," his smooth voice seeped into my veins and I felt myself relax at the sounds of it.

"Hey," I breathed and sat on the sofa. "How's your day?"

"It's better now that I'm hearing from you. How did the call to your folks go?"

"My dad wants me to use his lawyer," I said begrudgingly.

Edward sighed. "That's good. You need one. Riley is trying to make this as difficult as he can."

"Yes, I know," I agreed. I knew I needed a lawyer, I couldn't put it off anymore. It sucked but it's what I had to do.

"It will all work out. He doesn't have a leg to stand on.," he said confidently.

"I hope you're right."

"I am. And you'll see. It will all be okay."

I hesitated, my eyes going to the stairs as I heard music blaring from Mickey's room. Still, I whispered. "Mickey had a disastrous time with Riley tonight."

"What happened?" he sounded pissed already.

I took in a deep breath and told him exactly what Mickey told me. Right down to her wanting her father to die.

"That's cold," he seethed. "Are you fucking kidding me? The guy sure doesn't sugar coat shit, does he?" He was getting more amped up as he went on. "What kind of father – no! But kind of person tells a teenage girl that she was too boring for them to stick around. Are you fucking serious? Who the hell is this guy? What is his problem?"

I dropped my head into my hand as I felt he tears start to form in my eyes again. "He's a real piece of work," I mumbled.

"A real piece of shit, you mean?" Oh, he was mad. Very mad. It made me feel... better. Like I had someone on my side. On Mickey's side. Someone who cared about both of us.

I couldn't help the smile tugging at my lips. "Wanna beat him up?" I offered jokingly and laughed when Edward gave a grunt of approval.

"More than that," he ground out.

"I have to call my dad back and figure out this lawyer thing," I finally said after Edward's tirade of profanities and oaths to kill Riley died down.

"Okay, okay," he said quickly. "Call me and let me know how things go, please?"

"Will do."

I hung up with Edward and set my phone down. I needed a minute to gather myself before calling my dad and getting into the legalese of it all.

I didn't know what was going to happen, but I knew one thing. Edward was by my side and that made me feel so much better than if I was doing this alone.

Just a short chapter. Next one will be up soon, hopefully. Hectic life is hectic.