Chapter 22 – Confronting Charlie
BPOV
My childhood home loomed in front of me. It was a simple, two-story house with faded canary yellow paint. The roof had cracking, crumbling, and missing shingles causing leaks in several rooms whenever it rained. I couldn't remember when it was last replaced, maybe when Dad and I moved in after Mom died. It was time for it to be replaced.
The room to the left of the front door was turned into a den after Grandmother Swan passed away. It was her house but she had left it to her only son, my father. The light in the room was on and my father's police cruiser was in the driveway. I swallowed hard and took a step back right into Edward. He wrapped an arm around my waist. He and I talked on the drive about my fear of facing my dad.
"Take your time. Emmett and I are right here," Edward whispered in my ear. His breath moved the tendrils of my hair. It was a little comforting but did not completely erase my fear.
When Dad kicked me out over a month ago, I'd never imagined I would step foot in the house again. Closing my eyes, I remembered running out of the house with tears in my eyes. I had turned back and Dad had been standing in the window of his bedroom. A stern expression had been planted on his face. The curtain had fallen back into place a moment before I moved toward my truck.
My beloved truck was sitting in front of the house, so Dad must have taken care of any towing fees. He bought it for me when I turned seventeen. The day he handed me the keys, he told me he wanted me to be safe and the older model Chevy would keep me that way. It was sturdy. The all-metal frame had only one ding and it was a minor, barely noticeable. The ding caused by an accident.
I had been standing next to my truck in the school parking lot. My keys were nowhere to be found and I was digging through my backpack looking for them. There was a screech. I glanced up and over my shoulder. Tyler and his van was heading straight toward me. My friends and classmates were screaming and shouting for me to move. I stood there like a deer caught in headlights. I don't know who pulled me out of the way and we both fell to the pavement. I hit my head, but I looked up to see Tyler's van make contact with the bed of my truck, right where I had been standing.
Jessica and Angela insisted on me going to the hospital, even though I hadn't lost consciousness.
The moment Dad had stepped through the curtains of the ER, relief washed over his face. Drawing me into his arms, he whispered, "Thank heavens you're okay, Bells. I don't know what I would do without you."
It was the only time I could recall him being openly affectionate toward me. I mentally shook myself.
I shifted, expecting everything to be outside near the garage. Nothing was sitting in front of it other than the two trash cans and a recycling bin.
I shifted from one foot to the other as I moved my gaze back to the house. There were things I wanted from my room. I only thought Dad wouldn't keep his word and not be here. Shifting again, my gaze moved to his cruiser. He was home, and I was afraid, no… terrified. I didn't know how Dad was going to react when he saw me.
Edward released me before moving so he was standing in front of me, taking hold of my hands. Again, his touch didn't ease my mind.
"Bella, look at me. We do not have to go inside, stay. If you're not ready to face your father, I will talk to your dad again and hire someone to pack up your room and bring everything home."
"No. I need to do this myself."
"Okay. At any point you want to leave, tell me and we'll go, even if there are things still to box up. I can and will send a company to do it for you."
He dropped my hands and stepped to the side.
Taking a deep breath, I started moving toward the front porch with Edward and Emmett behind me. With a shaky hand, I raised it but couldn't bring myself to knock on the door. Sighing, I dropped it back to my side and peered at Edward with pleading eyes.
Without a word, Edward reached around me and rapped on the door.
Through the door, I heard the hard click as the footrest on Dad's recliner hit home. His heavy footfalls drew closer and soon the front door opened.
Dad was still in his uniform though he had lost his utility belt and shoes. The top button of his shirt was undone. I've never seen him in his uniform after work, besides the night he kicked me out. He should have had plenty of time to change unless his plan was to scare and intimidate me. I gulped. It was working, but I held my ground. Had Edward and Emmett not been with me, I would have turned tail and hightailed it out of there.
"I didn't have time to change," Dad said, moving aside and motioning for us to enter. "A last minute collar had me at the station until half past six." Turning to me, he continued. "I was able to find some empty boxes and put them upstairs, Bells."
I furrowed my brow, confused. Dad was being… nice. It felt like he regretted how he handled the news. I said nothing for a moment. Edward had bought more than enough packing supplies for my meager belongings. Emmett was even carrying a few and had a gray plastic bag from Lowe's with packing tape and other things Edward swore were necessary for moving.
"Thanks," I whispered.
Dad blew out a breath. "If you'll give me a few minutes, I get changed." Dad started up the stairs after picking up his gun from the entry table.
Again, I was confused. He always locked his gun up as soon as he got home.
Once I heard the click of his bedroom door, I turned. "He's being too nice," I said in a low voice. "Something's up."
"I sensed that too, and I don't even know him," Emmett remarked, moving further into the house and glancing into the den.
Edward was quiet. His eyes were hard as he stared up the stairs, as if he was contemplating going upstairs after Dad. After a moment, he asked, "Where does he keep legal documents?"
"In the den," I remarked, motioning to the room. Not sure why I need my passport and birth certificate, but I shrugged the thought off. I might as well get it in case I ever need them.
Emmett followed me into the den. I turned and glared at him.
"Recon," he said with a smile.
The TV was off. Another oddity for Dad. The lamp next to his chair was on and there was a book was on the end table. I didn't pay it much attention. Turning, I found the small fire and waterproof safe was out and opened.
"Strange," I remarked, moving to the desk where it sat and rifled through the folders. The safe was usually hidden in the room's cabinetry. Glancing around, I saw cabinet door open, a silver key in the lock. Dad must have known I needed the documents. It didn't take long for me to find the folder I needed. Inside were my shot records, expired passport, my birth certificate, report cards, and a copy of my high school transcript. Huh? My transcript. Why did he have a copy of that? I wasn't brave enough to ask him.
As I went to close the lid, another folder tab caught my eyes. "Renee Swan," it read. Curiosity got the better of me, and I pulled it out. I found several envelopes with my name on them. There was also a bill of divorcement and other official-looking documents. I didn't take the time to examine everything. Although one envelope postmarked two days ago drew my attention. I took it and the other letters and put them into my folder. I thrust the second folder at Emmett.
"Would you please take pictures of the top page of each document?" I asked.
The documents should be public record, and I should be able to get copies. I wanted to know what they said. If I couldn't, Edward might be able to get a hold of them.
Emmett threw me a salute and started snapping pictures. He handed me the folder back two minutes later.
I had just slipped the folder back in and was closing the lid when Dad and Edward entered the den.
"Find what you need?" Dad asked.
'And then some,' I thought, nodding.
"The upstairs is yours then. I'll stay out of your way." Dad stood back. His hands were stuffed into his jeans' pockets. He had donned a red flannel shirt, his typical attire when he was off of work.
My eyes fell to the floor as I lead the way out. I couldn't bring myself to look at my dad for long. Every time I did, tears threatened.
Once I was in my childhood room, I released the breath I was sort of holding before turning to face Edward and Emmett. They were both looking at me waiting for instructions.
"Emmett, desk and bookshelf. Edward, closet. I'll take the dresser and pictures."
Tape ripped as Emmett assembled the boxes he carried in. We worked methodically. I wrapped the framed pictures in T-shirts, even though there was bubble wrap, which I still thought was pointless. There weren't many pictures, but the ones I did have were precious to me. They were mostly of me with classmates from high school graduation.
Emmett had finished with the armful of folded boxes and had five boxes at his feet. I was confused. With the items on and in my desk, one box should have been enough. The dozen or so paperback books would have barely filled another. I wasn't going to question him.
With a shake of my head, I turned to check on Edward's progress. He was meticulously folding a shirt, placing it in the box at his feet. I was shocked. He and I had talked about my not wanting to be in this house long.
"Just throw the clothes in the boxes," I snapped.
I instantly regretted it when her turned and glared at me wide-eyed.
"You have some silk pieces and they'll wrinkle," he said in what I hoped was mocked outrage.
I knew what he was trying to do. But relaxing wasn't something I could do while my dad was downstairs.
I stepped around him and started pulling tops off of hangers and dumped them in the box, filling it. I kicked it out of the way and grabbed another box. "They can be steamed. If Grandmother Swan taught me anything, it was how to do laundry and to cook and bake."
Edward shared a look with Emmett. I spared a brief glance and saw Emmett shrug his shoulders before I turned back to the closet. When I made to drop another armful of tops into the box, I saw Edward hand his phone to Emmett, no the cover was green. Edward's had a blue cover. It was Emmett's phone.
"Send me those. I will have Jasper petition the courts for those records."
Edward turned his attention to me. He said nothing.
'I should have said something about the documents, when we got up here,' I thought, knowing what Emmett showed Edward.
"There were letters with my name on them, too. One was unopened."
"If you ask me, and I know nobody did, with the safe already open, it was like Charlie wanted Bella to find the other stuff," Emmett remarked. Leaning back against the desk, he continued, "He could have had the documents ready to give us." He scratched his head. "His behavior started out threatening, what with him still being in uniform and all. I thought I was going to have to reveal Betsy to protect us." He patted his side. "I'm glad it did not come to that."
"Your gun's name is Betsy!" I said in a hushed voice. Sure, Dad named his guns, but Betsy was a little ridiculous.
"Nah, my gun's name is Kate. Betsy is the name of my can of mace," Emmett replied with a humorous laugh.
"I don't see why that is funny," I said, my hands finding my hips.
Emmett rubbed his chin and didn't say anything for a moment. "Betsy is one bet I can't lose. You see once she comes out I intend to use her. It's usually warning enough and the aggressor backs off unless they are really stupid."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward flinch. I didn't have to wait long to find out why.
"I can attest only an idiot would want to be sprayed with the stuff. I volunteered for a demonstration once and that shit burns worse than Merthiolate."
A giggle erupted out of me, the first in a long time in my childhood room. "Sorry, I don't mean to laugh. I can only imagine what being sprayed with it would feel like."
A wicked gleam lit Edward's eyes as he stepped around a box and moved closer to me. "I can arrange for you to experience it for yourself."
Turning back to the closet, to bide me a little time to think, I pulled more clothes out. I deposited the pile into a box before I looked over my shoulder at Edward. Try as I might, I couldn't tell if he was serious or joking. With a vehement shake of my head, I said, "I don't think so."
I groaned when I returned to the closet. I had so many clothes and some that probably should find a new home with someone else or in the trash. There was no time to go through everything properly. I pulled the rest of the tops off the hangers as someone's arms came around me.
"I was kidding," Edward whispered. His breath was once again warm on my cheek and ear. "I wouldn't wish the experience even on my worst enemy."
I shivered, and I wasn't sure if it was from the way Edward made me feel or the temperature of the room. It was growing cold outside and my childhood room had shoddy windows that let the air in. Dad would need to seal the windows throughout the house. "Should I be the dutiful daughter and remind my father to seal the windows?"
Edward hummed and the vibration tickled my ear. "You have two choices. You can be the bigger person and remind him. Or, be as uncaring as your father appears to be."
I chewed on my bottom lip as I thought about that. Was Dad acting as Edward was implying? Me hitting my head in high school sprang to mind again.
"If it were me, I would let him get sick," Emmett remarked, ripping a piece of tape as he sealed more of the filled boxes.
"I can't in good conscious let that happen," I said.
I stepped out of Edward's embrace and turned. A smile graced his face and his eyes seemed to be saying, 'Good choice.' With the last of the tops still in my arms, I stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick peck on the lips. It was the first time, in our brief marriage I chose to kiss him on the lips. Yes, we have shared kisses a time or two, but I had never initiated one.
As if the kiss was some prearranged signal, Emmett picked up a couple of sealed boxes and headed out of the room.
Edward glanced at the opened boxes of clothes and frowned. "Are you sure you don't want to take the time to fold your clothes?" he asked.
"Positive. There are tops I don't wear anymore and probably some pants that no longer fit or have holes in them. They need to be tossed. To take the time to go through and purge is not something I want to do now." I paused a moment and the frown from Edward's face didn't vanish. "I plan on asking Alice and Rosalie for help. Plus, it will give me something to do between looking for a job." I hadn't broached the subject of working before, so I didn't know how he felt about it. I didn't have to wait long for an answer.
"Do you know how to file?" Edward asked without missing a beat. I turned to find him emptying my dresser drawers into boxes. Not that I wanted him in my underwear drawer or anything. I was sweet of him.
'What kind of statement was that?' I thought. Grandma Swan volunteered at several charities and took me with me. One of the things I helped her with was organizing files and I had organized his office. "I do."
"Then there is no need for you to pound the pavement looking for a job."
Huh?
"I need of a file clerk a few days a week. The pay is good. No benefits since it's part time. Best part is you will have an understanding boss if you need to miss a day for doctor appointments."
My jaw dropped. He wanted me to work for him, with him. It was a huge step up from waitressing. My dad hadn't wanted me taking the job at Palisade for the petty fact that I was not a knockout, a ten. I took the job out of spite.
"Do I have a choice?"
Edward stared at me with his brow furrowed. "Do you feel like you don't?" His voice was filled with confusion that matched the look on his face.
Emmett had returned and was picking up another box. I waited to answer until he disappeared out the door again.
"I can't explain while we are here, but it has to do with 'Felix' downstairs." I made air quotes when I said Felix. My father reminded me of Felix Ungar from The Odd Couple. He was fastidious and bad-tempered, like the character. He constantly told me everything had a place and would get on me when I put dishes away in the wrong cabinet. It didn't happen often, but when it did he would call me into the kitchen and tell me where whatever belonged. He never yelled at me, never once raised a hand to me. I attributed his temperament to being a single parent and a cop.
Edward rubbed his chin. "Bella, you have to give me a little more than a reference to a character in a book."
A book? The Odd Couple was a book. I was referring to the TV movie.
Drawing in a deep breath, I let it out. Telling Edward anything more might not end well. "He's authoritative but not dominating. He strongly suggests over telling," I hinted in a low voice.
A muscle in Edward's jaw twitched. He understood maybe a little of what I was saying. He dumped the drawer into a box and stuffed it back into the dresser.
I went on when he remained silent. "There weren't many discussions about what I wanted."
Edward's jaw tightened as he ran his hand through his hair. He hadn't heard the worst of it. He held up a hand, turning to the door as Emmett appeared.
"Charlie had to leave," Emmett announced.
My eyes didn't miss the way Edward hackles rose. He reminded me of a dog getting ready to attack. Only there was no growling. Emmett didn't seem to notice, and I wasn't sure if I should say something.
Emmett continued, "Asked me to lock up when we're done." He held up a familiar key ring.
Edward took two steps and grabbed a box. He was out the door before I could blink.
"Stay up here," he said over his shoulder.
His voice was rough. I'd seen Dad this way before he fled the house to chop wood or some other menial task in the yard. Only Dad never said anything, so I didn't know what it meant.
I rushed over to the window. I saw Sue Clearwater's car out front and wondered why Dad was leaving with her. A moment later Edward emerged, taking huge steps toward Emmett's truck despite the large box he was carrying. He stood there a long time, long after Sue drove away.
"Bella, did your dad ever hit you?" Emmett asked.
I took the bedspread off the twin bed I had slept in the bed since I was five. The bedding had changed over the years, but not much else in the room had. I folded it with care and then rolled it. Grandmother Swan got it for me when I turned sixteen. It was one of the last gifts from her.
"Bella, I need an answer."
With my lip between her teeth, I looked over at him. "He never raised a hand to me Whenever he was upset, angry, or whatever, he would leave the house. He did yardwork most of the time. Chopping firewood was a favorite stress reliever for him."
"You didn't happen to tell Edward, did you?"
Uh?
"I think Edward believes your father physically hurt you," he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall next to the window.
"But he didn't."
Sound coming from in the hall caused me to spin. Momentary fear coursed through me, I didn't know why. Dad had never hurt me, and he was gone. But there was Jacob. He could have arrived and got past Edward. I didn't want to see him ever again and the thought surprised me. He was the father of the baby I carried, and he had rights. That didn't mean I had to see him during my pregnancy. I was relieved when Edward came into view.
He eyed the blanket I still held. I smiled at him before lovingly slipping it into a box. "I need to pack a few things from the bathroom and then we can go."
Twenty minutes later, Edward and I were driving away from my former home. I had penned Dad a brief note about the windows and left it on the refrigerator.
"Was it hard for you to move out?" I asked.
"Yes," Edward answered. "It was my choice though." He fell silent a long moment. "Bella, you will always have a say in our marriage. I won't take away your voice, your freedom, your independence. The job is yours if you want it."
My future and that of my baby were at stake. Without a job, there was no future. Sure, Edward had money and I was married to him, but that didn't mean I wanted to be a leach.
"There's not a catch, is there?"
He glanced over at me, opened his mouth to possibly say something but closed it. His eyes moved back to the road. "No catch," he remarked after a few minutes. "Although I would like you to consider signing up for a few college courses."
'College?' That was the last thing on my mind. Before I could form a response, he continued.
"I know you're going to be a mom but that shouldn't stop you from getting an education. You said you wanted to help people, maybe become a public defender like Jasper."
My jaw dropped. He had remembered our brief conversation about what I possibly saw myself doing in the future. "Edward," I said when I had recovered. He glanced over at me again. "I do want to go to college and think it would be best to wait until next fall to start. I know I can take classes online." I paused, considering what I wanted. "I wish to wait a little longer. Do you understand?"
I hadn't been in a classroom in four years, and he knew that since we had a long talk in Vegas one night. Law intrigued me when I studied it in high school government class, but so did a lot of topics from literature to business to history.
"I do. I'm not going to push you. It needs to be your decision, and I'll respect whatever you decide."
We had reached a stoplight and were idling. An ambulance passed in front of us and a thought hit me. "Would you consider taking a CPR class with me?"
His rich laughter filled the car. "Are you reading my mind?"
"Why would I be reading your… oh!" Edward and I had the same thought. "I take it your answer is yes."
Since we were still at the light, Edward rubbed his chin. "Only if you will let me be your birthing coach." Humor lit his voice and eyes.
Edward's request was simple. It brought tears to my eyes. He wanted to be in the delivery room. It was still hard to believe he had found me and was my husband, even though we married forty-eight hours after we met. If he wanted to witness the birth, then how could I refuse. A smile lit my face as I said, "If you think you can handle me cussing out every male in existence, then sure." I paused when he laughed. "Will you help me chose names?"
