"Charlie," Bella was too flustered to remember that he preferred to be called Dad. "It's okay- don't worry about it." He largely ignored her despite her protests and continued wrapping her feet in the throw that had been on the back of the couch. "You don't have to-"
"Your feet will get cold." When he finished wrapping her feet he spent a moment frowning down at the dial. Bella couldn't help but watch his mustache-less face frown. "We can't have you getting sick. Okay, you've got the remote on your left, a stack of books on the coffee table, and- here let me."
He reached over to the pile of pre-packaged snack foods he'd amassed on the other side of the big recliner and plucked a juice box from the pile. He plucked off the straw, ripped off the plastic, stabbed it into the hole, and then handed it to her. Bella took it automatically and stared at the thing.
She'd never had a juice box in her life.
She'd never been so fussed over in her life.
"Thanks," Bella took a sip and glanced sideways at Jasper who was grinning back at her.
"I'll be gone for a couple of hours so don't be afraid to boss him around. You shouldn't be walking on your feet." Charlie directed his gaze at Jasper and motioned back towards her with a hand motion. "Carry her where she wants to go- I don't want her ripping her stitches."
"Yes sir." Jasper nodded solemnly before he turned his attention back to her and was grinning again.
Bella tried not to look at the blond cowboy for too long as it would interfere with her thinking abilities. Her brain was stalled out enough as it was. She already didn't know what the hell to do or what to say in response to this ridiculous coddling. What did Charlie expect of her? She'd never in her life been coddled.
As ridiculous as she felt… it felt good to be cared for. What a fucking concept. Bella almost couldn't believe it.
"Bells," Charlie turned his attention back to her and smiled all softly and mustachlessly. "I'll be back in a couple of hours, okay? Be sure to call me if you need anything."
"Okay." Bella nodded and the straw poking out of the juice box poked her in the chin at the movement.
"Again, don't be afraid to boss him around, we don't want you ripping your stitches." Charlie glanced back at her from the doorway.
"Okay," Bella nodded and took a long drag off the juice box. It was surprisingly sugary and good.
"Jasper," He directed his stare at the pale and mysteriously scarred cowboy seated on the couch. "You've got my number now, right?"
"Yes, I do." Jasper nodded and waved as her father closed the door behind him.
Bella's brain was stalled out once again as she stared at the juice box in her hand.
What was the angle Charlie was trying to get on her? What was the ulterior motive here? Was all this coddling going to come back and bite her in the ass? Was he buying preemptive forgiveness from her so he could point at it later after he beat her black and blue and try to convince her that his loss of control wasn't his fault but hers? Because how could someone who would do all that just for her not be provoked into losing his shit?
But she'd trashed his house. She'd flooded the kitchen. Broke his dishes. Cracked his TV. She'd screamed in his face and insulted him and he still hadn't hit her. They'd been alone with no witnesses. If he was going to hit her- he would have then, right?
Charlie wasn't Renee.
Maybe she could give him the benefit of the doubt?
Charlie had patiently waited for her to use the restroom and then carried her down the stairs to plop her in his recliner. The blanket he'd wrapped her in was cozy and soft. Her bandaged feet were propped up on the ottoman with their very own heated blanket swaddling them.
He'd given her a juice box and a whole truck too.
Which the gifts themselves weren't cause for alarm. It was the care with which he took to do things for her with those gifts that was setting off alarms in her head.
The snow chains he'd put on her tires.
The hand warmers he'd stuffed in her new gloves.
The straw into her juice box.
Which was… flabbergasting? Embarrassing? Terrifying? Coddling? Endearing? None of those words could put a name to the soft burning feeling in her chest.
He'd shaved his mustache because she'd called it was stupid. It had only been a throwaway insult. Something she'd only said to get him to hit her- she had wanted to hurt him. To fan the flames of his temper and make him snap. He'd heard her, remembered, and then shaved it off.
It made her feel warm and scared.
Scared because- what the fuck did she do with that kind of person? She didn't know the first thing about safely navigating that kind of parent. What were his expectations? How did she gauge anything without fear of punishment?
He was caring for her. He was definitely overdoing it and she felt ridiculous and too- too… god she didn't know. Too paid attention to? Too seen? She'd always been pretty low on Renee's list of priorities but Charlie's list of priorities seemed to start with her.
Well, then cared for.
That was the soft burning in her chest and the unnamed things rolling around in her head.
Jasper shifted on the couch and drew her attention. He was rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and awkwardly holding the juice box Charlie had handed him with his other. The sight of the juice box in his big hands was so strange and out of place that it put a smile on her face.
"What?" A slow smile spread across his face when he noticed her looking and Bella was once again struck by his beauty.
"The juice box," Bella couldn't help but keep grinning. "It's just so at odds with your image."
"My image?" He cocked an eyebrow at her.
"The whole- how did Emmett put it?" Bella kept on grinning thinking of his giant adopted brother. "The brooding cowboy thing."
"Brooding cowboy?" He clutched his chest as if she'd just given him the worst of insults and then pointed an accusatory finger at her. "You've officially spent too much time with Emmett."
"It was like five minutes- tops," Bella laughed and shook her head at him.
"Yeah, four minutes and forty-five seconds too long."
"Want this one?" He smiled back and motioned to the juice box. "I'm not particularly fond of fruit punch."
"Sure." It took her a moment to realize that she was still holding the remote and then another to find a spot for it on the mountain of stuff Charlie had laid out for her.
"Bella," His brow furrowed and he sat forward. "I told them not to do this."
"Who do what?" Bella took another long drag off the new juice box and glanced towards the front windows, trying to see what he was seeing.
"My soon-to-be unadopted siblings think it's a good time to ambush you." He put his hands up and put on his serious face once again. "But if you are not up to it I'll send them off."
"Oh." Siblings? The glowy doctor was his adopted father. Maybe it was because she'd just awoken from a three-day drug-induced slumber but it took her too long to remember that he did in fact have siblings.
Emmett was a part of that family. That day in the cafeteria when Jessica had introduced the family played through her mind. She couldn't remember their names or faces but knew somehow that they were all almost as pretty as Jasper.
"Say the word and I'll send 'em packing." He was up and at the door, hand hovering over the deadbolt.
Bella laughed and shook her head.
A rapid-fire knock sounded on the door and Bella jumped at the sudden noise.
"Bella- let me in at least. You like me, remember? You said you didn't think I was a jackass!" The booming voice was Emmetts and Bella couldn't help but laugh out loud again.
"It would be so much quieter without him." Jasper's eyebrows shot up as he locked the deadbolt. "We could eat all this junk food and practice your southern accent."
"Are you implying my southern accent is bad?" Bella tried to look offended but he grinned and she was nothing but flutters and smiles.
"I mean- if 80-year-old coal miner is what you are going for then no- your accent is excellent."
"Stop flirting and let me in." Emmett's tone was exasperated. "I brought a cucumber."
"He brought a whole cucumber." Bella didn't know why he thought that would gain him access. "We have to let him in."
"Fine," Jasper grumbled and made a show of looking like the most disgruntled man this side of the Rockies.
Bella watched as he flipped the lock and the door jerked open. Emmett filled the doorway completely. He was scowling at Jasper and made an effort to shove around Jasper to catch sight of her. He grinned, white teeth flashing in the light.
"Bella!" Emmett's voice was a rumble of thunder as he stepped into the room and barreled right past Jasper.
"Emmett!" Bella tried to match his enthusiasm but it was difficult to work up to.
Bella's attention was drawn back to the entryway as the rest of Jasper's family filed into the room. Markedly more calm than their brother. Just like Jasper, they were all beautiful.
Which was just ridiculous and unfair. How had the genetic lottery been so unkind to her but each one of them had scored the jackpot?
"Bella," Emmett plopped the bag he was carrying on the ground and took the seat beside her. "We brought Dokapon Kingdom- it's an old one but it's fun and no one can cheat- well, no one can cheat more than is already allowed in the game."
"Oh?" Bella had never played a videogame in her life.
"Everyone this is Bella," He was up again and made a ridiculous grand gesture towards her. Bella tried not to feel self-conscious when all the eyes turned on her. "Our future sister-in-law."
They laughed and Bella couldn't help but laugh too when Jasper smacked the giant. He'd already used that one on her- she wouldn't be blushing today.
"Okay." Emmett pointed towards the dark-haired girl who was smiling and waving at Bella. "She's Alice. Don't play Mario Kart with her. She cheats."
"You can't cheat at Mario Kart, Emmett." Alice rolled her eyes and waved at Bella.
"You've figured out how to push the buttons harder than me- that's cheating." Emmett waved her off and pointed towards the stunning blond who still stood in the doorway. "That's Rosalie. She thinks she can braid better than I can but it's so not true."
The blond in question only smirked and rolled her eyes as she stepped further into the house and shut the door behind her. The braids in her hair were beautiful and perfect.
"Hi," Bella found her voice and motioned towards the braids. "Those look great."
"Thank you," Emmett stated with a tone in his voice that implied it was just one more affirmation of his superior braiding. "And this is Edward. The sexiest man on the face of the planet."
Bella glanced at the auburn haired boy's face, he was ruefully grinning, and then at Jasper's face.
There was no contest.
Emmett was obviously blind.
"That's my spot." Jasper ousted Emmett from the seat beside her and Bella was grinning again.
"Hi Bella," Rosalie smiled and Bella's mind blanked of all thought. Jesus Christ, was this family a pack of mutants? Why were they all so gorgeous? It wasn't fair- it shouldn't have been legal. "Nice to meet you. Sorry about Emmett, he gets over-excited."
"I do not." Emmett was at the TV plugging in a gaming console. "I'm sorry if the rest of you like to play the brooding va- vaudeville characters but I'm…" He paused to stand tall and put a dramatic hand to his heart. "I'm standing in my truth and no one is going to change that."
Bella laughed at his antics. Jasper was rolling his eyes and looking exasperated.
Alice stepped over Emmett's legs as he kneeled to get a better angle on the cords and waved enthusiastically.
"Hi Bella!" She grinned broadly and on the edge of the fireplace. "It's so nice to finally meet you. Jasper hasn't shut up about you since you guys bumped into each other."
"Alice," Jasper was gripping his face, in what she assumed was embarrassment. "Stop."
"I will not." Alice shook her head and leaned forward. "I wish I could have been there when you made him get in the wrong side of the car." Her giggle was soft and feminine and almost distracted her from the memory of that awkward encounter.
"I didn't make him." Bella really tried not to grin like an idiot but the mental image of a flustered Jasper getting out of the vehicle was lodged in her brain and she couldn't shake it. It had been so very awkward.
"What?" Emmett pulled his whole body out from behind the tv in one smooth motion, plugs in hand, and glared hard at Alice. "He did what? Why did no one tell me?"