Chapter 66 - In a Rush
Charlie doesn't know much these days, but what he does know is life hasn't been this good since he last looked out this window with Renee still in the room. He can't complain. He's found a woman who deals with his shit, a good woman who he probably doesn't deserve. It snuck up on him, and he's not sure how it all transpired.
Love.
All he knows is Sue's long dark hair, and olive skin came into view more times than he was ready for. Her kindness, her gorgeous smile, and eyes, her damn good looks that would drop any man to his knees. But mostly her tenacity, her intellect.
Oh, who is he kidding? He's the fool who fell for her, one knee at a time. And Sam's daughter to boot. He'll never live that down.
He definitely doesn't deserve her.
Charlie would say that Sam would definitely say that, but Sue would say it was lucky for him she turned an eye at all. She gave up a promise to herself. She gave up on the notion of love. People, her drive, her passion, her career, and the abundance she has is more than enough than turning an eye toward … anyone. She had what she needed.
She said, "You're welcome," the day they married, in a simple ceremony on her land on the reservation. Charlie rolled his eyes but pulled her close in his tux.
He's found love again, and he's happy.
Bella and Elliot were there at the wedding. Even Jameson, as he gained an unexpected bond with Charlie. Seeing as Bella is a single mother and both Charlie and James stuck together to help her, and each other.
Charlie learned to extinguish his anger. He laughed one day about it. "You two are the dumbest kids on earth for lying about that." James shrugged. Bella rolled her eyes as she burped Elliot. But for a while, it was just the three of them when James wasn't too busy. Even if it was just sending group texts with updates or sharing Elliot's daily pictures. Sam was always the fourth member. Then it was five as Sue lingered. If anything, Sam and Sue helped extinguish the flames still kindling between the three.
They became a small family of sorts.
Charlie's life has changed, but for the better. He sold the house in the city and moved to the campsite permanently. He moved for Sue, who, by far, had the most demanding career.
They traverse from her house to his cabin to care for Elliot. They end up having dinner, and sometimes sleeping over the small cabin instead of driving to her bigger house during the week.
Really, the true intent was always to keep the cabin occupied. Bella wanted someone there, someone familiar in case Edward would stumble back into these woods. She didn't want to ever again miss him.
This small family understood that. It was an unspoken rule, and everyone was in on it. Even Sam. He helped as much as he could.
Bella gratefully accepted the help from everyone, but her heart sank as the years passed. Over time, not one of them ever brought up the subject of the underlying dread of a missing person.
This life in North Pond became their normal.
And a great life it was. They were close.
Maybe too close. So close, that secrets are nearly impossible to keep. Especially not about something so monumental.
Edward is back.
Charlie sips his coffee after sending Jameson a text hours ago, and he watches the view of the camp from his cabin window. It always was the best view a cabin could have in this place.
He remembers the day he saw James and Sue run into the woods together when Bella was in labor. He remembers following them. That overwhelming day he'll never fully understand. It still makes him roll his eyes to the back of his head. Still makes his ears go red with rage—senseless, stupid things to him.
Now, he catches movement with his eyes. It's nothing alarming at first. Just a car moving down the road. A road that sweeps the camp and rounds the house coming in toward the front by his yard. Trees cover the path up ahead a bit, but in some bends of branches, he can see the cars from far away.
Well, this one driving up looks familiar. Charlie squints a little.
"Is that … isn't that Jameson?" Sue asks when she stops by Charlie to look out.
"Nah, can't be," he says, a bit nervous. "Could be anyone."
Shit.
Sue narrows her eyes as Jameson's car takes the last bend into their campsite.
"Charlie," she calls loudly.
"Hm?"
"That's Jameson." She points.
He shuffles his feet and lets out a laugh through his nose. "Don't be silly. He has a gray car, that's clearly a black one."
Just then, Sam parks in their driveway on his weekly visit on Sunday. He juggles a pot of his famous seafood soup they'll feast on this afternoon.
Then, he waves at the speeding car passing by. "Morning, Jameson!" He shouts from where he stands. It's far away, but Sue and Charlie can hear him.
Jameson is going so fast it's clear he's not stopping. He passes by Charlie's cabin and the lake, not even catching Sam's greeting in the process. The engine revs and the gray car picks up the debris off the road in its wake.
He's on a mission.
"Charlie, what did you do?"
Charlie says, "Fuck," and runs out without answering Sue. He yells for Sam to hop back into the car.
He's fucked up. He's fucked up big time.
Sue runs to the porch. "Dad! How could you?!" She slams her fist on the railing. "I told you not to tell him!"
A rattled, pale Sam sheepishly places the pot of soup in the yard, shrugs, and runs as fast as his old legs let him. He, too, has fucked up.
He's fucked up big time.
"Follow him!" Charlie shouts, pointing out the windshield. Sam does just that. Because he lives for the action, and this family never has a dull moment.
Sue stands there, left behind, as she lets out a grunt and a curse at the sky. These canaries are worse than middle-aged housewives living in this camp. They tell each other everything. She should've known. She should've kept her mouth shut about Edward's return. For over a week, Bella has kept it quiet. Sue has, too, for her sake.
… Until now.
The dam has broken.
Sue runs, phone in hand, calling Bella's time and again, but failing. All she's got is her years of working in trauma and her lithe limbs and strong lungs. She runs to Bella's cabin—taking the shortcut through the woods she takes every morning—where a huge bomb will ascend in the next two minutes.
What she also doesn't know is how far the news has spread. Because Jen is at her heels as she, too, chases after a red-faced James in his gray car all the way from the city. She was with him when he got the text … she saw Jameson's face. She followed when he stormed out of the cafe. It was all so coincidental.
They're all coming in a rush.
….