Charlie's POV

Maybe drinking two fancy coffees with a double shot of caffeine, well after twilight, wasn't the best thing to do. Because now I feel very energetic. In fact, I feel like I can run a cross country marathon without taking a break.

I'm not going to do that though. I know my limits.

However, after my second cup of coffee I decided to take a power walk. Which is what I'm currently doing. I was really hoping it would calm my anxiety, but it hasn't.

I'm a mass of nerves.

My anxiety has tripled since I drove to the coffee shop. Especially since there was talk among the baristas about a group of suspicious homeless people. Whom of which have been said to be lurking around the park, about a mile from here. Coming out at night, looking sinister, and scaring people.

The stories of the hobos were very unsettling.

In small towns the mention of homeless people suddenly appearing where they never were, is quite nerving and quickly becomes the talk of the town. Rumors always tend to spread rapidly like wildfire in small towns.

Some stories are true, while others aren't. Of course, after a while they all blurred together. Which was why some of those stories sounded like they belonged in a horror movie.

But nevertheless, a few of the stories I heard tonight added to my fears.

Where my panic had once been caused by my baby girl being on her own with a boy. Not to mention the trouble they could get into. Everything shifted, making me realize there are more frightening things to worry about. Worse things than him touching her above the knee. Things that might go along with that odd feeling I had earlier, of Bella disappearing.

Marching down the street, I take a deep breath. Just trying to calm my nerves. But that's no use. My body has all these strange responses which are triggered by fear. It's hard to breathe and I feel sick.

Taking a step forward, I clutch the caller of my shirt. There's no way to ignore the tightness in my chest caused by anxiety. I've tried and can't. Same with the knot in my stomach that's threatening to explode.

Bella and the boy are innocent and seem to know little about the dangers of the world. Which is why I decided to take my walk, going back to the very building where they are.

It's not time to pick her up yet and she didn't call me. No. In fact, she has no idea I'm planning to observe them, and I intend to keep it that way. She doesn't need to know I'm checking up on her. Hell, she'd have a fit if she saw me.

Swiftly strolling through the putt putt parking lot, I feel my heartbeat radiating through my toes. Some might call this mission crazy or say I'm spying on my daughter. But that's not my intention. I'm just going to make sure the kids are safe and… make sure the boy is keeping his hands to himself.

Yeah, that's it. Seems like a reasonable cause for a check-up.

I stomp up the steps and in the door I go. Right pass the security guard and the line of people waiting to play the game.

Not knowing where to go as I wander farther in, I look around. Down on the lower floor, which is separated by a rail and a mess net, I spot them.

Staying by the rail I walk farther down to see them better. Not wanting to be seen by my daughter or the boy, I hide behind a fake berry bush. I'm not alone, a four-foot orange spiky stuffed dinosaur is next to me. It has a smile on its face, yet it's judging me with its blue eyes.

"I'm not spying on them," I mumble to myself, staying in denial. "I'm a cop… and a concerned dad…it's fine to just look in and see that she's fine…it's not spying… just because I'm hiding in a bush doesn't make me James Bond… I'm just a worried father…. looking in on his daughter. Yes."

At this point I have no idea who I'm talking to. Myself or my dinosaur companion.

I look below at Edward and Bella who are playing putt putt with their backs in my direction. They are far away from me, and I wish I brought my binoculars to see them better.

Both of them look rather awkward with her standing in front of the tee and him beside her. Both of them seem clueless in what to do.

It's a bit painful to watch.

They stand a foot and a half away from one another, putters in hand, and their faces are aligned to each other. She stands in front of the tee with her putter inches from the ball while the boy stands beside her, closer to her now. He seems to be telling her something – it's too low for me to hear – as she nods her head.

She swings but struggles to hit the ball. She takes another big swing and hits nothing but air while he stands there, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

Again and again, Bella swings the putter still getting the same outcome. The boy stands there, talking to her. He seems to be instructing her, but the result doesn't change.

I keep watching.

Her golfing skills are not great. But at least there seems to be no intense romance on their date.

The tightness in my chest from earlier is back. It becomes unbearable as the boy puts down his putter and slowly walks around her. I stop breathing as I have an idea of what he's going to do, stand behind her and hold her close. I'm sure of it.

A part of me is not ready to see this, I'm still processing that Bella isn't my little girl anymore. She's really growing up. I just pray nothing happens with the boy that she's not ready for.

Simultaneously a few things happen. I shut my eyes, take a deep breath, while a loud whack, the sound of metal hitting metal is heard. Followed by a painful high pitched groan and Bella screaming the boy's name.

I open my eyes to see the boy laying on the Astro turf in a fetal position with his hands covering his groin. Obviously, he's in pain.

Poor kid.

Bella is leaning next to him with onlookers coming to see what happened. She goes to place her right hand on the boy's shoulder, only to be stopped by a man with a baby in his arms, telling her something. Probably to not touch him, give the injured kid some space. At least, that's what I would tell her.

It doesn't take a genius to piece together what I missed. Bella didn't hit the golf ball with her putter, she hit her boyfriend's balls instead. With that acknowledgement, I begin to have sympathy pains for the poor boy. That's a very sensitive spot and it looks like she hit him good. He's still down.

"She hit him right in the penis with the golf club!" A loud redheaded girl exclaims.

"Ouch." A little blonde boy who's next to her half yells.

Their parents begin hushing them as Edward begins to move. While he gets up, I decide I have seen enough. It's my cue to leave. The hormonal boy is no danger to my baby girl. She can obviously take care of herself.

"Yeah, nothing to worry about. That klutziness of hers is really handy." I mumble under my breath.

Knowing that everything is fine and no need to worry about the kids. I walk backwards, without making a sound, emerging from my hideout in the berry bush. I plan to get out of here the same way I came in, unnoticed.

"Excuse me, what are you doing?" Someone taps me on the shoulder.

I turn around to see a security guard with a skeptical look on his face. He wastes no time in asking me my intentions of coming in here and hanging out in a bush to watch people.

"I'm a cop," I say with confidence, pulling out my badge and showing it to him.

"And?" He asks.

"And…um…. Well…" I put my badge back in my pocket. "It's my little girl's first date –"

"Let me guess," He cuts me off. His tone is hard and so is the look on his face. "You were creeping around to watch a couple of kids."

His uncomfortable words aren't in the form of a question. But more of a hard accusation and a far cry from the truth.

I shake my head, giving him a silent no. He raises an eyebrow, looking at me unconvinced. I'm sure he thinks I'm lying and if I were in his shoes, I'd probably think the same. After all, he saw me hiding in a fake bush. He has no idea what I was doing. He doesn't know if my actions were innocent or perverted or if I'm casing the place to rob it later.

He doesn't know me from Adam. Therefore, he doesn't know what I'm saying is the absolute truth. I really meant no harm in hiding in the fake berry bush to look after Bella and the boy.

"Then what were you doing?" He asks again. His tone is very unfriendly.

"I was only checking on my daughter and her date. Just trying to make sure they are okay," I point in their direction so he can see I'm talking about two teenage children.

"Sir, I can assure you this is a safe mini golf course." He says, never taking his eyes off me. "There's no need to go to extremes and snoop around."

He seems offended by what I said. His demeanor makes me nervous, and I'm not used to this. Usually I'm the one giving people the third degree, never the other way around.

"I… I… wasn't implying you don't do a fine job here." I stutter.

"Then why did you feel the need to do your own surveillance?" He questions with a hard edge. "I'd love to hear your story."

"I was at a coffee shop," I nervously begin as my heart pounds in my chest. "And there was talk about a group of skeptical looking homeless people, who were out tonight. So, I believed it was best to check on my daughter and her boyfriend."

"Yeah, yeah I heard that too." His tone lacks all inflection. "Still no reason for you to be lurking the shadows."

"I'm a concerned father." I point out.

"Maybe so." He shakes his head. He doesn't seem to believe anything I'm saying. "But I received numerous complaints about a man in a bush." He points a finger at me. "Who was said to be displaying very odd behavior."

"Not odd," I defend myself. "I was only hiding so my daughter and her date wouldn't see me."

"And you don't see why that's concerning, to myself and to management?" He asks, narrowing his eyes at me.

"I was trying to be discreet." I quickly explain as beads of sweat run down my face.

"Anyway," His eyes bore into mine. "I have to ask you to leave."

"I understand. I'm going."

I walk to the exit with my escort right behind me. I can't deny this is a bit humiliating. Never did I think that I'd be removed from a mini golf course like some kind of criminal.

People stare as I step out the door. Some looked curious, where others looked fearful of me. I ignore them as I move down the steps and proceed to make my way back to the coffee shop.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen to me. Where I would spy on my kid and be asked to leave by a security guard. Definitely not one of my finer moments in life.

But at least Bella and Edward didn't catch me spying on them.

Both of them never knew I was there.

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Thanks for reading. :))

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