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Chapter Forty-Nine

The drive to Port Angeles took forty-five minutes flat.

I sat in my car outside the run-down house for close to an hour, growing more impatient by the second.

Maybe I'm insane; this really is shady, I thought to myself.

Yeah. I sometimes think with semicolons when I'm nervous. And holy shit was I nervous.

I thought seriously about driving back to Forks, but that would be a complete waste of time. And energy. No use in turning back now.

I thought about what I would say to her father. How does one start a conversation about the mother of the girl you're in love with who may or may not be ill? If Bella wasn't completely aware that her mother was seriously ill, was it possible her father was just as blind?

God, I hoped not.

My forehead made contact with the steering wheel a few times.

When I lifted my head, I noticed a truck pull into the driveway and I realized my time was up. I had wasted my time organizing the CD's in my console instead of coming up with something articulate to say.

This wasn't going to be good.

I exited the car and hastily walked forward before the man who may have been her father entered the house.

"Mr. Swan?" I called out and he turned to face me.

"Who wants to know?" he asked and I stared at his mustache.

"I'm Edward Cullen," I replied and politely held out my hand. "I called you two weeks ago." I dropped my hand when he refused to shake it.

"Cullen. Cullen," he repeated in what seemed was his way of trying to trigger some sort of recollection. "You're the nosy son of a bitch."

I had to laugh. "Yeah. I guess that'd be me."

"You were wanting to know about Bells and Renee?"

"Well," I swallowed. "I already know them. I was just-"

"You a stalker? How did you get my number? My address? Who the hell are you?" Mr. Swan stepped forward and I stayed in my place.

He wasn't going to scare me off.

Not being with Bella scared me more than he did.

"Look." I held up my hands in front of my chest. "It's nothing like that," I said furiously. "I'm trying to help Bella. That's all I'm here for."

"Bells?" His face fell and he eyed me for a moment. "What happened?"

"Renee," was all I said.

"We better talk inside."

A/N: Well, at least Charlie invited him in. Since Edward's a vampire and he can't enter unless he's invited inside. Oh, you didn't know this was a vamp fic? Now you do.

You also didn't know I had lame jokes? Sure you did. Thanks for reading.