A/N:
Just to clear up a few things, I'm not blaming some of you for forgetting, but it has been brought up in the story that there will be no children between Bella and Edward. She can't have them, biologically, and he feels too old to start over again.
Another thing, I have never stated in this story that they live in Forks. Maybe it happens automatically for some that they obviously have to live there, but I kept that matter very open on purpose. Nowhere have I written where they live, so it could be anywhere, but most likely not Forks. I see them living in a city somewhat bigger than that. Probably closer to the east coast than the west xD
Title: Forbidden Attraction
Author: MarieCarro
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: NC-17
Summary: To Edward Masen, Bella Swan was nothing more than his daughter's best friend, but that all changed when they both applied for the same weekly writing course. Suddenly, she didn't appear to be the young girl that had played with his daughter since her family moved in next door. What will Edward do when he realizes that he's developing a very forbidden attraction for a woman twenty-five years his junior? AH
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter Word Count: 2, 005
CHAPTER 15
Ashley had nothing against an impromptu visit from Bella at all, and she even suggested Bella coming to her place on a Thursday and then stay the entire weekend. Although still rather reluctant to the idea of leaving, Bella agreed and the week after, she took the train that would take her to Detroit, where Ashley lived.
It was difficult to see her leave, even if only for a few days since we'd been apart for so long while she was in college. I'd only had her back with me for three weeks, but I reminded myself that it was for her sake.
What I had not expected to happen in her absence was the surprise visit I got from Charlie at my apartment around lunch on Saturday.
"Charlie?" I'd asked, unable to hide my shock at seeing him outside my door. "What are you doing here?"
"Bella's not here, is she?" he asked harshly and leaned forward slightly to look inside as if I was hiding her.
"No, Bella's in Detroit, visiting her roommate, Ashley. Didn't she tell you?"
He huffed. "She did. Through a note." He waved said note in the air to show me. "Didn't know whether to believe it, but I haven't seen her for a couple of days, so I thought I'd check here first."
I shrugged, not so apologetically, and then crossed my arms defensively. I couldn't say I was particularly happy to see Charlie Swan on my threshold. "Well, as I said, she's not here."
He nodded but made no move to leave.
"Is there anything else I can help you with?" I asked him with a hint of annoyance. My former dislike of the man was surfacing, and I couldn't care less that he was my girlfriend's father. He still crawled under my skin.
"Yes," he said and locked his eyes with mine. "I want to talk to you man to man. As you know, I'm not pleased with what you're doing with my daughter."
"Yes, I do know that," I acknowledged. "And I'd be more than happy to talk to you about it all. However, I can't say I appreciate you coming here and cornering me in my own home like this."
"You mean like you and Bella cornered me and my wife in our home?" he retorted with clear fire in his dark eyes, so similar to Bella's.
"Would you have preferred us telling you in a public place?" I challenged him, and I knew I had him there. "Our intention wasn't to corner you, and you know it. But this, coming to my apartment, unannounced, at a time when you knew I'd be alone, that's low, Charlie, even for you."
His eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
I couldn't hold in my amused smile. "Don't even try to pretend our neighborliness was anything but fake. You've been trying to outdo me for years."
"I have not," he protested loudly. "I don't need to outdo you in anything. I've provided for my family and, compared to your own, we're still intact."
There were so many things I could have told him about his intact family at that moment, but I refrained from most of it. "For now, it is, but you are also pushing your daughter away from you with your actions," I simply told him. "If you continue like this, you will soon lose her."
"Is that a threat?" he exclaimed, and his face was turning red.
"Are you going to continue yelling at me? If you are, this conversation is over," I said and prepared to close the door when I saw Charlie transform in front of me into a man I had never seen before.
He appeared haggard and years older than his age.
A deep sigh left him and his shoulders slumped. "I promised Renée I'd control my temper," he mumbled, obviously embarrassed. "Bella refuses to talk to us, and we know it's our fault. She tried on so many occasions, but we didn't listen." He looked back into my eyes, and his were exhausted. "She's my baby girl, Edward. How was I supposed to react? I know you can understand that."
For the first time, I think ever, I got a glimpse of the real Charlie underneath all the dramatics, and I sympathized with him. I had always believed there must have been a more genuine man in there somewhere, and seeing it now made me feel relieved. It gave me hope that maybe Bella could salvage her relationship with her parents.
"I do understand that," I told him with more empathy than before. "Had I been in your shoes and it was Alice we were talking about, I would have been equally as angry as you. And that is exactly why you have to believe me when I say that I am not playing around with Bella."
Since Charlie displayed a much calmer front, I decided to step aside in the door and just invite him inside. The conversation we were having wasn't particularly suited for the hall outside my apartment anyway, and I showed him into my living room.
I almost offered him a glass of whiskey since he looked like he needed something strong take the edge off, but I didn't want him in my home longer than necessary, and I suspected he drove here, so I steered clear of all alcoholic beverages.
"It's not that I have anything against you, personally," Charlie began once he'd sat down on the couch. "But why Bella?" The expression on his face told me it was a genuine question. "You've watched her grow up from afar since she was five years old. How can you justify romantic feelings for someone who was a toddler when you first met?"
I took a deep breath as I tried to organize my thoughts and vocalize them in a way that wouldn't offend Charlie while also explaining it clearly. "I don't see her as that toddler anymore, Charlie. Bella is a beautiful, grown-up woman now, and it's the woman I am in love with, not the child."
Charlie frowned. "You say you're in love with her, but how can you be? How can you love someone who is so much younger? You can't possibly have anything in common."
"But we do," I countered. "We both have a love for the written word and our political interests align with each other. We enjoy similar music and like a lot of the same movies."
"How do you know all of this? How do you know her so well?"
"Last spring, when she and I attended the same writing course, we got to know each other quite well."
"Right." He trailed off and sat quietly for a moment. It looked as if he was trying to sort out his thoughts. I could only fathom all the questions he had at the same time as he probably wanted nothing more than to punch me. "Look, I know my daughter isn't like the average twenty-year-old. She's always been mature for her age, but I can't help thinking she's in way over her head with this; with you. I'm scared she will end up hurt because I honestly can't see how a relationship between you two can work in the long run."
I nodded even though I disagreed with him. "You can't, or you won't?"
He frowned in confusion.
"I'm not going to share any details with you, but believe me when I tell you that Bella and I have talked at length about everything that could possibly separate us from each other. So far, we haven't found anything that could turn out to be a real problem. Not between the two of us anyway. The only thing that could threaten our relationship is you and Renée."
He shook his head. "No. When Bella has set her mind to something, she doesn't allow anyone to change her mind."
I chuckled as I knew that all too well. "I know, but that wasn't what I meant. You say Bella doesn't talk to you."
He sighed in confirmation.
"Well, she hasn't been talking to me either," I continued. "She's bottled up all of her feelings concerning your fights. She thinks she has to remain strong around me; that she needs to prove herself as an adult which I think is strange because she knows I encourage her to be herself. I suspect you and Renée might have pushed the age issue quite a lot, though, am I right?"
"Of course we have," he replied exasperatedly. "That is our biggest concern."
"I know the age difference between Bella and me isn't ideal, but I told you this before, and I will tell you again: we're consenting adults and we love each other. I have no wish to take her from you. I want her to have her parents in her life, and I wish you could accept us because it will be her choice whether our relationship is for life or not. As long as she wants me, I'm not going anywhere."
Charlie remained with narrowed, suspicious eyes directed at me. "Is it your intention to marry her eventually? You don't seem to have much respect for the concept of marriage," he pointed out.
"I have great respect for marriage," I immediately told him. "I just don't think it's for everyone, or that it's the answer to everything. My own marriage proved that to me. Mary and I married almost straight out of high school, which was way too young, and we ended up growing apart."
"Precisely!" Charlie exclaimed. "What's to say that it won't happen between you and Bella?"
I shrugged. "Nothing can be guaranteed, and you know that. I don't want to rush things with Bella. I don't want her to feel as if I'm locking her down with our relationship, which is why I encouraged her to visit her roommate. I knew she needed someone she could talk to and feel on the same level with."
"You told her to go to Michigan?"
"I don't order her around," I clarified. "I suggested it, and she agreed when she realized it would be a good thing for her."
"Alright," he accepted. "But what about her future? She's attending college right now, and she has at least three more years of that, but then what? Does she have to move back here or will you close your business and follow her where she wants to go? I don't want her to get stuck. I want her to have the world."
"I want that, too, Charlie," I said passionately. "I want her to have everything she wants; every experience there is to have. I wouldn't dream of caging her, but the things you are asking now are impossible for me to answer because those are things Bella and I have to work through, just the two of us."
Charlie ended up staying another hour, asking me endless amounts of questions, but eventually, I felt that we were going around in circles, and I understood there was no way he and I could reach common ground that day. He needed time to process everything I'd said; to go back home and tell Renée everything, and then they needed to sit down and discuss.
"Bella will be home late tomorrow," I told him. "We have already agreed that she will stay here for the night, but I will tell her what you and I have said here and that she should try talking to you and Renée again. I suggest you seize that opportunity and listen to what she has to say."
He grimaced at my comment about her spending the night here, but he could no longer pretend that the relationship I had with Bella wasn't real, and that was the first step toward acceptance.
A/N:
Yeah I know, this was a short one, but hey, I am at least updating much more quickly now, so that's a good thing, right? ;-)
What did you think of Edward and Charlie's heart to heart? Would he have been able to convince you if Bella had been your daughter?
Hopefully, I'll see you soon :-D