Chapter 6

Bella

There was rain tapping quietly on the roof of the motel and the sound was soothing. The cloudy skies and ever present rain was just another thing the told me I was finally home. When I had fully woken up, I looked around and noticed that Rosalie was no longer in the room. I did however, notice a tray with breakfast and orange juice on the bedside table and a not propped up against the glass.

Bella,

Good morning! I thought I would go out and run some errands while I am here. Have fun with your friends tonight and I will see you later. You've got my number if you need me.

-Rose

I smiled, knowing she had my back had made this whole process just a little bit easier. I went to the suitcase that I had packed and feeling good, and a little brave I got together my outfit for the day. It was the beginning of May, which meant that in Forks it would likely get to the sixties and I might be lucky enough to see a little bit of sunshine. I kept that in mind as I got ready.

I picked through my options, and for the first time I realized how little of my clothes were actually mine and that being said, I had only brought what was truly mine when I left the apartment, so my options were slim. I eventually settled on a pair of black denim capris, a plain white slim fit t-shirt, and a mustard colored, oversized cardigan sweater. I quickly put on some dark brown eyeliner and black mascara. I topped my look off with a pink-nude liquid lipstick. I looked in the mirror thinking that I didn't look half bad. My style may still not be what Alice wanted for me, but I had picked up on her love of makeup, even if I still preferred to keep it more simple than she would have it.

I threw on my sneakers, grabbed my umbrella, and immediately realized that I had no mode of transportation. Edward had not let me take my truck with me to school, deeming it as unsafe. It wasn't but a year after that when I got the call from Charlie letting me know that my rusty, trusty, old baby had finally died. I'm definitely going to need a new car. I didn't want anything flashy, but I do need something more reliable than Ole Bess had been. Plus, it's not like I had a mechanic friend around to fix it anymore.

My mood soured for a moment, once again thinking of my lost friend. I wonder how he was doing… I hope that he had found some peace and was happy, even if it meant I wasn't in his life. That didn't mean I wasn't bitter about it though. Sure, I wished him the best and wanted to pretend that I was the all forgiving, and all understanding type, but no one really was, not one hundred percent. I could still hear his words sometimes telling me that I don't belong and that I didn't mean anything to him. It still hurt, that was for sure.

The sun poked out of the clouds, and I shook myself out of my damp mood. I was finally home, I was finally going to see Charlie and my human friends, and I was finally liberated from the steel cage filled with Cullens I felt like I had been trapped in for years.

I called an Uber and waited outside, enjoying the warmth of the sun that was still peaking out from thick cloud cover. Today may not end up sunny all the way after all, but I related to the sky, as silly as that sounded. Everything was not okay, my future was cloudy and unsure and my mood certainly had its down pours, but that sun just shining slivers of light down to the Earth was like my hope for a brighter future. It's true that from the moment I left Edward my future had become uncertain, but for the first time in a long time, I was glad. I was glad because every moment of my existence with Edward I could see ahead of me… there were no surprises and there was no joy. Financially I would never want for anything. Emotionally, mentally, physically though I had been dying. Physically dying wasn't about food and water or a safe place to live though, I knew that I had been blessed in that way, but physically as in sexually. I needed to feel wanted by a man. I couldn't handle being pushed to the wayside by the one that supposedly loved me anymore.

I had been so lost in thought that the time had flown by. I told the driver my address and I was climbing into the uber and on my way to see my dad before I knew it. The car ride went by quickly as well. Forks was a small town in population and the "downtown" area was pretty small, but the homes, schools, and parks were pretty far spread out. Charlie lived in one of the farther outlying neighborhoods, so I was surprised that we had made it in such good time.

After paying the driver I looked at the house that I had come to call home. Its true that I had lived in Arizona with Renee for much longer than I had ever lived in Forks, but the land, the forests, and oceans in La Push, and some of the people here called to me, and after having been gone for four years, I knew that I was never going to find a place on Earth that could feel more like home. I belonged here, even if some people didn't agree with me.

I was disappointed when there were no cars in the driveway, but I was luck I had kept my house key, and had it tucked away in my back pocket. After entering the threshold I took a look around as I put the key back where I'd had it so that I wouldn't lose it. Nothing had changed in the old white house. The hardwood floors creaked in the same places it had when I'd lived here before, the same pictures sat on the fireplace mantle. There was a clock on the wall ticking as the time went by. Charlie's home had never felt particularly small to be before, but now, after I'd lived in the Cullen's accustomed luxury, the home felt like a tiny cottage. I didn't mind it though, in fact, I preferred it. It felt like a real home, compared to the corporate white penthouse apartment I'd lived in with no emotional connection to.

I went to the fridge to see if Charlie had anything to drink, and was immediately thankful that I was home and able to start taking care of him again. There was very little in his fridge. There was some lunch meat, some eggs, a jug of Kool-aid, and a six pack of beer. I opened the Kool-aid and took a whiff. It was black cherry flavored, my favorite. Charlie and I had a lot of little things in common, so I wasn't surprised that this was the flavor he had chosen. I grabbed a glass and filled it to the brim with the sweet liquid. I put the jug back in the fridge then sat at the table, happily sipping away at my unexpected treat.

When I was done with my glass, Charlie had still not made it home. I wondered where he was. It was early Saturday afternoon, and I thought he would be home. I decided to prepare some dinner for later while I waited. I looked around the rest of the kitchen and found some frozen fish in the freezer, some frozen peas, some rice in the cupboard, and all of the herbs and spices that had been left untouched since I'd moved out. I set the fish out to thaw and got to work preparing a casserole that the fish would top off when it was ready. All I needed was some shredded cheese, I just ran next door to Mrs. Zahn's house and asked if she had any I could use. We had often gone to each other for cooking odds and ins when I had lived here, and she was excited to see me.

I was glad that I had put the casserole in the fridge because Mrs. Andrea Zahn could really talk a girl's ear off. She was a kind, quirky woman, and even though we certainly weren't close, and you could often hear her yelling for her husband and kids next door, I could add her to the list of people I was happy to have back in my life.

I made the short walk back to Charlie's house and stumbled more than once on the way there. I finished making the dinner and decided to rest on the couch until Charlie got home.

I was awakened by the sound of the front door opening and the hall light turned on, illuminating the hall as well as the living room where I was waiting. I sat up and that must have been when he first caught sight of me. I heard him gasp and jump then muttered something that sounded like "Jesus Bells."

"You scared me." He told me. There was a bit of a distance between us as he looked around for Edward. Puzzled, he asked, "Where is that boyfriend of yours?"

"Edward and I broke up." I told him. His face held a deep frown for a moment as he took in the sigh of me before his face lit up in a broad smile. "You left him." He concluded.

I nodded but didn't say anything, I just stood and leaned in for a hug. "I'm sorry it has been so long since I visited Dad." I apologized. It had been way too long since I had been here to see my father, it had been way too long since Edward had allowed for me to see my father.

"Oh that's alright Bells." He said as he bit his cheek seeming to decide if he should say something else. "I'm glad you aren't marrying that guy Bella. I don't like him, I've never trusted him." His cheeks turned a light shade of red, unused to talking about how he felt.

"Me too Dad." I replied honestly. There was a moment of awkward silence with us both not sure what to say to say to one another. There was a lot said in our short conversation, and even though there was definitely more that the two of us needed to discuss, it was enough for now. Neither of us had ever been good communicators. Eventually Charlie just cleared his throat, turned on the television, and sat down on the old brown recliner. There was some type of game on, but it was clear that Charlie wasn't paying any attention to the players on the screen.

"I started preparing dinner early. I've just got to back it for about forty minutes or so." I told him. He looked at me, patted his stomach and said, "Mmm, what have you made? It's going to be nice having you around again kiddo."

I laughed and pulled myself off the couch to go finish what I'd started. It was only early evening now, so I had plenty of time before I would be meeting my friends at a bar in Port Angeles. I would have to leave about an hour earlier than I had to be there, but there really wasn't any bars in town, and Jessica and Tyler both lived there anyways.

I sat with Charlie in amiable quiet while he flipped through channels. When the timer on the oven went off I pulled out the food and the smell of the casserole filled the small living space.

"Smells good Bells!" Charlie called out from where he was still sat on the recliner. We decided to keep things relaxed tonight so I just took a plate of food to him and sat back on the couch with my own. By the time we had finished eating, the dishes had been done, and leftovers put away, it was time for me to make my way to Port Angeles.

The weather was great, the rain had stopped a while ago and the clouds now gently passed over the dark sky. There was a chill in the air as I walked from the community parking lot to the bar I was meeting everyone at. I stopped in front of The Gateway Bar and took a deep breath. I was going to see my friends, most of which I hadn't even had any contact with in four years. I was curious as to where they had ended up, what their careers were going to be, if they had brought dates, what they looked like now. Do I look different to them? I wondered. I was nervous, but filled with excited energy as well.

I walked through the doors to find myself in a dive bar. There was thick smoke hanging in the air and loud rock music blasting from a jukebox. Scandalous looking men and women were playing pool in one corner, and others were sat chatting amongst themselves while some sat alone. I felt like I had walked into the eighties. I chuckled as a thought as to what Edward would think of this place crossed my mind.

"Bella!" I heard a woman yell from a table right next to the bar. I looked to see that it had been Jess who had called me. She had definitely grown up. Gone was the signature headband in her hair and fitted pink tops. In their place was a woman wearing a black dress with a criss-cross v neckline. She was wearing black pumps and her hair was straightened and pulled to the side. She looked amazing and definitely overdressed for the setting.

Tyler, Mike, Angela, and a woman and man I didn't recognize were all sitting at the table, each one of the familiar faces smiled and waved me over as the other two took me in. I was giddy as I hung my bag on the back of the stool and had to climb up the seat due to being vertically challenged.

"So good to see you girl!" Jess told me and the others nodded. I told her it was good to see her too as I took a moment to take everyone in. Tyler looked mostly the same as he had years ago in high school dark skin, kind brown eyes, tall and thin. Looking at mike was like night and day. His hair had become a bit darker, he had some light stubble on his chin, and he had filled out from the gangly teen he had once been. Angela was beautiful. She had her long hair done in loose curls that hung to her mid back. She looked more tan than I remembered her, and she was wearing more stylish glasses than the ones she had before.

"Well, obviously you know Tyler, Mike, and Angela." Jess said. "But this is my girlfriend Marissa." Mike finished, introducing the woman I didn't already know. She looked a little younger than us, but she was cute. She had shoulder length, wavy, red hair and had pretty but simple makeup on that complemented her green eyes. They looked really sweet together, Mike had obviously gotten over the crush he'd had on me.

"And this is my boyfriend, Gavin." Tyler said, motioning to his left where the man I hadn't recognized sat. He had coffee skin with piercing blue eyes and short black hair. I could have guessed in high school that Tyler was gay, but he had to have come out in the time we'd been apart, and I was really excited for him, they made a cute couple.

"It's nice to meet you both." I smiled and excused myself to get a drink from the bar. I asked the bartender for a vodka cranberry, extra cranberry, I wasn't much of a drinker.

"What have you been up to these days?" Mike asked me, and I told them all about how I had gotten an education degree, I planned on teaching English. Marissa's eyes lit up as she excitedly told me that she was in school for art education. Mike squeezed her around the shoulder and kissed her on top of her hair and proudly said, "Marissa is an amazing artist. She has an art show in Seattle coming up in a few months, you guys should come."

Everyone settled in talking about their majors and career options. Tyler had one more year left to get his degree in nursing, Angela had left the engineering school in Missouri when her and Ben broke up, she hadn't gone back to school yet and wasn't sure if she wanted to go back anyways. Mike and Marissa had met each other at school in California where he had studied business. Jess had gone to Seattle and was getting her gossip out as a journalist, she had had an interview for a freelance job not long before meeting up here, which explained why she was so overdressed.

"When will I meet your boyfriend Ange?" Jess asked, making Angela blush and look at me nervously.

"What? You have a boyfriend?" I asked, excited by the news that my dear friend may have found some happiness while also shocked that she hadn't told me about it via our monthly email conversations.

"Yes, I do, he will be here tonight, should be any minute actually." She told us, checking her cell phone. "Anyways, Bella, I'm glad you're here." She said with a double meaning in her words. She knew that me being here meant that I had finally gotten away from Edward. She had been another blessing in my life aside from Rose. She had helped me decide that Edward was toxic and that I deserved better.

"We are gonna go dance." Tyler said, grabbing Gavin's hand and leading him away from us. "It was nice to meet you all!" Gavin said with a bit of an accent that I couldn't quite place. I realized that this was the first time he had actually spoken up since I'd gotten here.

"Us too." Mike announced as he helped Marissa up and spun her around.

There was a moment of quiet that settled over us as Angela fidgeted nervously beside me. I was going to have to ask her about it later when it was just the two of us.

"Ok, I know that this is tactless, but I gotta know… What happened with you and Edward?" Jess asked. I just laughed and shook my head, I knew someone was going to say something to night, and I was not surprised that it was Jess.

"Edward and I broke up." I told her. "I'm just happy to be back." I added so that the conversation wouldn't continue in this direction, but she would know that I am happy with my recent breakup.

"Hey babe." I heard a gruff voice that I recognized but couldn't quite place say from behind me as a man with russet skin passed by me and leaned down to kiss Angela. The breath I was taking got caught in my throat though as soon as the man looked up and met my eyes.

He looked shocked for a moment then sat beside Ange and across from me. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to think. Angela's new boyfriend was Jacob? There's no way. She had never met Jacob before he had so abruptly ended our friendship, so maybe she simply didn't know that this was the same Jacob. I tried to convince myself that this was true, but it wasn't very likely, and I knew in my gut, that she knew exactly who he was.

I felt betrayed. I looked at Angela and I could tell that she was anticipating my reaction. So she had definitely known. She looked guilty and apologetic, but it didn't matter much. We had kept in contact and she had been a shoulder to cry on that first summer after high school, many of those cry sessions were over the man sitting before me. We had talked about him over the years, about how I had realized that I hadn't done anything wrong and she's told me he was an ass. I just couldn't understand how she could date him at all, much less do so without telling me about it. I was really hurt.

"It's so nice to finally meet you! I'm Jess, and this is Bella." Jess gushed, unnecessarily introducing us to each other.

I swallowed the lump in my throat then grumbled, "yeah, I know Jacob Black." I could hear the disdain in my own voice. Instead of dealing with it though I got up and walked to the bar. I ordered another vodka cranberry, hold the cranberry. I had gotten Jessica's phone number earlier, so after downing my shot I sent her a quick text telling her that I was heading home and that I would explain later. I also told her that we should grab lunch together soon.

I felt eyes on me the entire time I made my exit, I didn't feel alone until I was back on the streets of the city. I thought about going back to the motel in Forks, but something told me that the motel isn't where I wanted to be right now, so I ambled further down the street and came to another bar, this one looked equally as shady and as I walked in my assumptions were confirmed as thick smoke immediately surrounded me.

Author's note: Alright, so I wanted to add some pictures with this chapter so that you can get an idea for what all the characters look like and also some little snippets.