Sunset Chapter 14: Confessions
"Dad, can we talk?" I asked, carefully sitting myself on the couch. Dad had spent the last half-hour watching some basketball game while I had been psyching myself up in my bedroom. Bella was in her room right now, probably reading one of her classic novels.
Something must have shown on my face because Dad immediately moved the TV volume down to nearly nothing. I took a deep breath and tried to fix my features to something more neutral. It was a few days after the Saturday date I had with my partners and they had confirmed that I could tell my family at any time I wanted about us. The problem was, I didn't want to. I didn't want to hide us but… I was scared. I loved my dad and as much as I had faith in him, it was still scary to have to explain my relationship. Mom was more open about non-heteronormative relationships so I didn't think I would be as bad with her. I didn't even want to think right now about Bella.
"Em? You okay?" Dad asked gently. I realized I had been staring at my knees for a while. "You know you can tell me anything right?"
"I know, it's just –" I started getting choked up. Oh no. No, stop, you can do this. "I don't know how to go about it? I just want you to understand and I'm not going to explain it right?"
I want you to love me still, I didn't say.
Dad nodded and gave me a side-hug, having moved to the couch from his chair. God, I must have really looked like a mess.
"Take your time, I'm not going anywhere, promise." He tried to sooth me. Instead, I burst into tears.
"So-orry," I cried in his arms, "I-I'm try-ying to stop but –" but I just can't, why can't I stop, I haven't even started saying anything yet.
Dad rocked me softly and I felt like I was a child again, having skinned my knee and being taken care of. It was nice and I didn't know I needed it until this moment. It took me a while, but I managed to get myself back together.
"Thanks," I muttered, wiping my face with a hand. Dad just hummed, his awkwardness coming back a little. It was that detail that managed to get me ready to speak.
"Remember how I said that there was someone I was interested in?" I prompted him.
"Yes. He didn't break your heart, did he?" Dad's face became more Sherriff Swan than Dad. "Because I know the best lakes to hide bodies in."
I laughed and ignored how wet it sounded.
"No, everything is great so far. We actually had a date last Saturday, watching movies." I left out that we were alone in my house. That wouldn't leave a good first impression. "I actually want you to meet them sometime this week, maybe on Friday? We planned on going to their house for lunch Sunday."
"That seems like it's a little fast." Dad said, "Don't kids normally wait to meet the parents?"
"Normally, but since its such a small town you've probably already met them anyway and I've technically met their dad before. Also…" I hesitated. Here we go.
"Dad, what would you say if I wasn't dating a boy?" His eyebrows creased in confusion. "If I had a girlfriend." I elaborated, holding my breath.
"Oh." Surprise, but no anger. We were on the right track. "Oh, kiddo, is that what got you so upset? You thought I wouldn't approve of a girl?"
"Mostly." My eyes were back to my knees. I couldn't bring myself to look at him. "I'm actually dating two people, a boy and a girl? And they're dating each other too? And it's all okay, I mean we're all okay with this and I just want you to know that because I don't want to hide either of them from you, but I don't know if you –"
Dad pulled me back into the hug I had moved away from earlier. I immediately felt better, deflating in relief. A wave of happiness overcame me and all I could do is melt into his hold.
"Emmaline Pearl Swan, no matter who you love and who else loves you, know that I will always love you. Girl, boy, both, whatever else there is out there that I don't really understand." That got a giggle out of me. "You will always be my daughter okay? I mean unless that changes too?" He pulled back and I laughed.
"Yeah, Dad, one hundred percent girl, not plans on ever changing that."
"Oh, good then. So, who am I meeting for dinner?"
"Alice Cullen and Jasper Hale."
Dad nodded, a smile on his face. I mirrored it, glad we had gotten past the tears.
"Of course you're going to pick the good ones, you're my daughter. You know I've always liked the family, right?"
"I know, I remember that passionate speech you made when we first moved in." Dad turned a little pink and coughed.
"Their good ones alright but your better, remember that." Now it was my turn to blush.
"Dad, please don't embarrass me too much."
"No promises. Just let those kids know they are welcome here – after I get a chance to put a little fear in them, of course. Speaking of, can you explain it all to me a little better? I support you, of course, but I don't know if I get it fully?"
"Of course. So, I think of it like a triangle…" I start, glad to finally be able to relax.
/-/
"Bella, can we talk?" I asked, coming into her room. I was riding off the high of how good telling Dad had gone and wanted to tell Bella before I worked myself back up again. It was late, so I would have to call Mom later in the week.
"I guess. About what?" She asked, setting down her book.
"So, last week when you went on your date with Edward –"
"Not a date –"
"Totally a date. During that time, I had my own date."
"Oh, with who? Do I know him?"
"I think so. I'm dating Alice Cullen, Edward's sister."
Bella was silent and my grin disappeared the longer it went on.
"I didn't know you liked girls?" Bella finally said.
"Well, Alice is the only girl I've ever liked? So, I don't really know either?"
"Thought she was dating Jasper? Did they break up?"
"No, they're together. And I'm with Alice. And Jasper. We're all dating each other. It's called polyamory… I could tell you more about it if you like?" I offered timidly.
Bella had some look I couldn't make out, but it was making me a little uncomfortable.
"Isn't Jasper dangerous though?" Bella asked, throwing me for a loop. Where had that come from? "I mean, he is the newest, he could kill you by accident at any point."
"Bella, I appreciate the concern, but you don't have to worry about that." I explained about how my scent was pretty much able to be ignored by vampires and they felt fine around me.
"Still. He's a vampire, we don't know how his brain works when it comes to this stuff, Emma."
"What about Alice then, if you're so worried for me?" I had no clue where any of this was going. On the plus side, she didn't seem to care about how many people I dated or if one was a girl. On the other hand, she seemed to care way too much about Jasper specifically.
"That's different. She's going to be my best friend so of course she would be fine around you!"
"What?" Okay, now I was really lost. "I don't see why whose friend she is matters. Alice and Jasper are both vampires, same as the rest of their family. Their reaction to me should be the same all around."
"But you know he's the newest one to their lifestyle, right? And he's had… slip ups before. I don't want you to be one of them."
"Edward and Emmett have had slip ups too? Its not like I'm going to hold that over their heads." Not like Edward had held this over Jasper apparently since I don't know how else she would know all this.
"But if you die, they they'll have to leave!"
"Edward will have to leave, you mean. You know, besides the whole, 'Emma will be dead' thing, what if it was you? You are Edward's singer, Bella! That means he is more likely to kill you than anyone else, including Jasper! And you don't help things by letting him stay with you, in your room, alone, at night!"
I was pissed at this point. I mean, none of this was supposed to be about the Cullens or vampires. It was supposed to be about my relationship with my partners.
"That different!" She said again.
"How Bella? Tell me."
"Because we love each other."
What. The. Hell.
"Ignoring the fact that you implied that Jasper and Alice don't love me – which I will be coming back to, don't you think for a moment I won't – How does love have anything to do with literal vampire instincts! If you bleed, he will attack you, love be damned." I hissed out.
Bella huffed angerly, her face turning red. Oh, goodness, here comes the angry tears. I was almost in tears myself from how stupid this all was. God, all I wanted was for her to be happy for me.
I don't even remember how the rest of the conversation went, I was so angry at her. Somehow, we had reached a point where she was comparing my relationship with hers, despite the fact we had both been dating our respective partners officially for less than a week.
"I know I'm special because I have a vampire boyfriend who loves me, so you don't need to be jealous. So jealous in fact that you had to get two vampires to date you who don't even love you. I know Edward loves me because he puts both of our lives in danger every night and could ruin both of our families' lives in one swoop by killing me," Bella said.
Well, she didn't actually say that but that's what I heard. Everything that came out of her mouth sounded like a romance novel gone wrong which, given my knowledge of the future "plot," was too on point to be funny. I was afraid that if I looked at her back a dozen of cupid's arrows would be sticking out. All I could do is stand there with my mouth open in disbelief as she kept going, sickened by her blindness.
I eventually had to cut her off for her own good or I would have been the one to kill her. And then Edward would have to kill me. And Jasper would have killed Edward. Emmett would have laughed his ass off probably. Esme would have been sad and disappointed. Despite never meeting the woman, I didn't want to disappoint her. Because of Esme, there would be no murdered sisters tonight.
"Alice and Jasper are coming for the game Friday night." I cut her off. "If I hear anything that I heard tonight said then I will punch you in the face. Good night."
With that I ignored her calls for me to come back and walked into my room. I faceplanted onto the bed, took the closest pillow, and screamed into it.
"Edward," I muttered, hoping he was around to hear me, "You better fix her ideas of romance before I do because It won't be pretty."
I just finished writing this and proof read it once so sorry about any errors. I just wanted to get it out before I forgot. I know the day after the meadow is when they go to the Cullen's house but I didn't want it to be as sudden as in the book. So I cut out all of the stuff I didn't want to write and instead pushed the lunch date out a week to have a confession chapter with a little breathing room.
As a straight person who has never had to come out to anyone, I hope I did an okay job at it. I took inspiration from all of the stories I've read and videos I've seen about the subject. I didn't use any terms for Emma since I think of Emma as "Straight except for Alice." I also don't think Emma would care about a label and if she had to pick would probably call herself straight despite having a girlfriend just so she wouldn't have to bother.
I always wanted Charlie to be the "extremely supportive but a little confused" dad and I hope I did good on that. There was a lot more tears than I expected. Let it all out Emma, its okay.
Renee won't be shown on screen but I imagine she would just easily go with whatever and be like "Okay two people. Twice as much to tease my daughter about!"
I didn't know what I wanted to do with Bella. I was either going to make her not care or cause drama. You see which one I chose. But as you see, she doesn't care about Emma dating a girl or dating two people. No, she's worried that if her sister is dating two vampires, her "better than you love" wont be as special. So that's the tea we're dealing with today. I keep switching between having her be a nice sister and a self-absorbed person. I think that makes her a little more 3-dimensional since she isn't just one or the other. Yay for indecisiveness?
