Chapter 24 – Heart to Heart
EPOV
When Emmett said Charlie was leaving, I was like what the fuck. Was he not going to try and speak with Bella? Snatching up a box, I rushed out the room.
Charlie and the mystery get-away-driver were still in front of the house. I had every intention of putting the box in the truck and returning to the house, but Charlie turned his head and stared at me. The look of hurt mirrored the one Bella gave me the day we met. He was just as lost and helpless as she was that day. He needed to get away from the situation. With a slight hand motion, I told him to go.
Bracing myself against the truck, I prayed the fallout of Charlie leaving wasn't bad. Sure, Bella had told me she was afraid to talk to him. My shoulders shook as I held my tears at bay. It would hurt me if Carlisle treated me with the same disregard as Charlie was with Bella. Letting the tears fall, I lifted my hand and brought it down against the side rail. A thought had accorded to me. Was there more to the story than Charlie kicking Bella out? Or, had he been abusing her?
With a slight turn of my head, I glanced up at Bella's bedroom window. The angel of my heart was staring down at me. It was her that kept me chasing Charlie down and demanding more answers. Calming myself with a couple of deep breathes I made my way back to the house.
Emmett was mid-tape and staring at Bella. What had they been discussing? My gaze drifted between them and neither said a word.
I wanted to laugh when Bella left to pack her things from the bathroom. I had bought her all new toiletries. It was a stall tactic.
~~ Reaching For Love ~~
The moment we were away from Bella's childhood home, my eyes moved from road to Bella's profile. She was quiet, fidgeting with her rings.
Esme's words were ringing in my ears. She and I had long discussion at the beginning of the week. What she said then was comforting.
'Edward, you have to be patient. Let Bella share with you when she is ready. I know you have question. Don't, and I repeat, don't expect her to answer them all at once. All you can do until she is ready to talk is be there for her.'
I saw a long night ahead for me with the questions demanding to be asked. Turning back to the road, I saw the stoplight change and started slowing the car.
"Edward, why would Emmett think you believe Charlie hit me?"
I stiffened and glance back at her. She was staring at me. "Why do you ask?"
Her chest rose with the breath she took. "Emmett and I were talking. He asked. Wanted to know if I told you Charlie never laid a hand on me."
I swiped my hand over my lips as I depressed the gas pedal, propelling the car forward. I was going to hurt Emmett for asking, but Bella needed to know what Emmett knew. "I was fresh out of law school and was second chair for a wonderful lawyer, Caius Volturi. He and I were representing a sixteen-year old actress who wanted to be emancipated from her father." I paused a moment to change lanes.
"Her mother was deceased and her father was cruel, abusive, and had a temper. The actress had been to the ER several times for sprained wrists and ankles. The hospital didn't report the injuries at first but made note of multiple contusions in her chart. She sought Caius out for assistance. She was well off and had acting jobs galore lined up." I paused a moment to gather my thoughts.
"The courts despite all the evidence assigned her a Guardian Ad Litem, a special advocate to listen to both sides, talk to witnesses, and then make recommendations. The advocate took three days and, at the end, recommended counseling for the pair and anger management classes for her father." I shifted lanes again, getting off the freeway. The hard part was coming up.
"The young actress was willing to give it a shot. Forty-eight hours later, a breaking news story interrupted a television show I was watching. The actress was found dead in her father's house."
"Oh, no!" Bella exclaimed, touching my arm.
"After a thorough investigation, it was found the advocate was paid off for their recommendation." I took a shuttering breath. "The cruel bastard is serving life for beating his daughter to death."
Bella was silent a long moment after I finished. "Do you blame yourself?" she asked as we pulled through the gates of the housing addition.
"No. Caius and I advised her to petition the judge to throw out the recommendation. She didn't want to go that route since her dad was willing to get help. It was her decision and we had to respect it," I answered, turning the engine off. "That's not to say, her death didn't affect me. After I found out, I promised myself I wouldn't let another die who was trying to get away from an abuser. Thank goodness, I haven't had another case like it."
"But, I thought you were only an entertainment lawyer."
"I am. I was asked to sit second chair by the stage company. She was being paid a lot of money to perform for them. Like Caius and I, they wanted what was best for her."
Taking my hands in hers, she said, "Charlie might not have been the best dad but he didn't raise one finger in anger at me. He sought out other ways to cool his temper." She gave a little laugh. "If he abused anyone, it was himself with physical labor."
Another twinkling laugh left her. "Once he left me with Grandma Swan for a week and went fishing. When he got back home, he sat me down and explained why he needed time away. It wasn't that he was upset about something I did, but more the stresses of his job."
She sighed and her gaze moved to the side window towards our home.
I gave her hands a squeeze and she turned back to face me. "I wish we could go back in time so I could have been there for you, to protect you, but we can't. You dad has a tough job. I'm glad he never physically hurt you."
Emotional abuse, I wasn't sure about.
A honk sounded behind us. "Let's get your belongings inside. For a late night snack."
A small grin appeared on her face. "Pizza sounds good for a snack, and we can have it delivered."
She was a girl after my own heart. I opened my door, getting out before walking around to help Bella.
"The gang is on their way over," Emmett said, slipping his phone into his pocket.
"Good," I replied as Bella took hold on my hand. The sizzling warmth coursed up my arm as it always did whenever we touched.
BELLA
Unpacking took less time than it did to pack, even with not folding anything but the bedspread. It wouldn't fit the bed I shared with Edward, but it didn't matter. It was more of the memories of Grandmother Swan it invoked.
The guys were unloading the truck. Alice, Rosalie, and I were sitting in the living room sorting through my clothes. We had emptied three boxes on the floor and were using them for keep, donate, and trash.
I happened to look up to see Edward carrying in a large frame I didn't recall packing.
"What's that?" I asked.
He quirked up an eyebrow. "I didn't put in the truck nor did Emmett. And it sounds like you didn't either."
"Uh?" I said intelligently.
He turned the frame around. It was a black and white picture of me and Charlie. He had a smile planted on his face as he gazed down at me. I was on his lap, my face turned up to look at him. I could almost hear the laughter that was evident on my young face.
"I've never seen the picture before," I admitted. It was the truth. Charlie's love for the young me was clearly written on his face. What had happened to negate his love for me?
Edward leaned the framed image against the couch before drawing me up from the floor and into his arms. It was then I realized I was crying.
"Damn hormones," I muttered, stepping out of his embrace five minutes later.
Edward leaned toward me, whispering in my ear. His breath moved the tendrils of my hair that had escaped my ponytail. "The truck is unloaded. There's no need to unbox everything tonight. Let's eat and enjoy time with our friends."
Our friends? When had his friends become mine? Some they had and it had slipped my notice. It shouldn't have but it had. They weren't your run-of-the-mill friends either, the ones you went out to drinks with or saw at the occasional party. No, that wasn't them. They were friend you could count on to be there for you at a moment's notice. That you want on vacation with or shopping trips with.
"I like the sound of that," I responded, happiness coloring my voice.
EDWARD
The moment I saw the framed photo of Bella and Charlie, I was touched. It was sweet and loving. Bella was beautiful as a child and more so as an adult. It was easy to tell she was laughing in the photo, her eyes twinkled as I've witnessed a few times. It was secretive and pealed like bells. It was contagious.
As I continued to study the photo, a thought struck me. Where did it come from?
"Emmett," I yelled. "Do you remember this?" I turned the frame around.
"I don't," he responded, giving it little more than a passing glance. "Maybe Bella will."
~~ Reaching for Love ~~
When I went into my home office to order pizza, Emmett and Jasper followed me in. Emmett had a file folder in his hand. I raised an eyebrow as I logged into my laptop.
"After you order," Emmett answered.
"I'm placing the standard order, so start talking." I pulled up A Pizza Mart's website, logging in before navigating to my order history. I clicked the box next to three large pizzas – pepperoni and sausage, supreme, and Hawaiian. I changed the number of salads from five to six. And added two orders of breadsticks. I glanced at the total and added a tip. My credit card was on file and submitted the order.
Sitting back, I waited for Emmett to explain.
Emmett tossed the folder on the desk. I picked on up. The tab read "Renee Swan."
"Charlie gave me the folder to give to Bella. She pulled some things out of it before asking me to take the pictures I showed you," Emmett said, sitting on the leather couch.
"Did he say why?" Jasper asked.
That was a damn good question.
Emmett took a deep breath and exhaled. "I asked that and Charlie said it was time for Bella to know the truth about her mother. Whatever the truth is, he was sure Bella get hurt."
Lifting my left hand up, I ran it through my hair. "I sure as hell don't like it. He should be the one telling Bella."
I stood, grabbing the folder as I did.
Jasper held out a hand stopping me. "Am I missing something?" he asked.
Emmett gave a rundown of what he observed, and of his conversation he had with Charlie. "I feel something is off. The way Charlie acted after I told him Bella felt he didn't care–" he shook his head. "It doesn't add up."
"Hmm." Jasper responded. "It seems that way, but I've dealt with Chief Swan in court. He's always detached from the case, showing no emotion."
That got me thinking about what Bella told me in Vegas. "My dad is difficult, hardly showing what he's feeling or thinking."
"Shit!" I exclaimed.
Both Emmett and Jasper gaped at me, their mouths hanging open.
"Whatever this folder contains, Bella needs to know," I said.
"Huh?" Emmett said. "Why?"
I rubbed my eyes with one hand. "Because Charlie does care. He wants Bella to know what happened to make him the way he is. Whatever he went through must have happened after the photo of the two of them." I paused, my gaze moving to the folder. "And I wager it has something to do with Renee."
"Maybe you should prepare yourself and read the contents first," Jasper suggested.
"And find the other folder. Bella took out some letters out of that folder," Emmett added.
With a glance my watch, I nodded.
