I shouldn't have been particularly surprised to see Edward there. After all, Bella couldn't handle Charlie all by herself, and the memory of her depression and his presence further proved they were inseparable. Damn. This would be awkward.
I had a feeling that the Leech wouldn't want to let me in, so I did it myself. Sam sent me to take care of Charlie because he was my dad's best friend and it's what Billy would have wanted and it's what I wanted deep down as a way to reconnect with my former best friend. Sure, sure. I sympathized for Charlie. Really I did. But I'm not gonna deny that I wanted to go simply to check on Bella. I know, I know…. It's kinda corny. But I wanna make sure she's not… dead. Not... a foreign Bella, but my Bella. The funeral had me thinking; I'm allowed to be a little paranoid!. I took a look at Charlie when I went to say hello. He had a Coke in his hand with a bendy straw, and was wrapped up like a mummy in gauze, his eyes, mouth, and nostrils peeking out from behind a mass of bandages. There was a wheelchair propped up in the corner, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs were on TV. Bella was in the kitchen; I could hear the melody of her voice on the phone.
"Yes, mom… Yes, mom…I'll tell him…Uh-huh…I will… love you too, Bye."
She walked into the room looking like she'd just endured a lecture on the Civil War from a mosquito. She came into the room shaking her head. "Mom's worried you're half dead and wanted to know everything. Additionally, she wants me to go with her and Phil to an ad-" I must have scared the crap out of her or something, she was wide-eyed and startled.
She said my name both surprised and stuttering. I thought I heard Cullen growl in his throat. Hah. That's one way to make an impression. Charlie invited me to have a seat on the couch and told Bella to grab another Coke or something from the fridge. He placed his gingerly on the table next to him.
I followed her to the kitchen, Edward at my heels. She spun to face me.
"What are you—"she began, until a quiet snore cut her short. Charlie had dozed off.
"I'm here because Sam said it was part of dad's will to take care of him. Charlie and I have been on good terms, and I honestly had no problem helping out. I had to do enough with dad's wheelchair; I kinda got used to it."
I could hear the TV in the background; a horn blared and Charlie suddenly growled at what I could only assume was a botched play. Bella just looked to the side, brows knitted and deep in thought. She gnawed slightly on her lip. Edward must haves sensed her discontent with whatever was bothering her, and asked how her mother was doing. Ugh- I hate his stupid formality.
"She's fine. Says 'hi'. She wants me to go to an adoption agency. She and Phil want to be parents, and they can't make it work naturally. My job is support and helping with the whole process. But as it stands now, a trip to Florida is probably not a good idea."
I thought I saw her incline an eyebrow, as if sending some unspoken message to Cullen.
"Hey, no problem with that Bella- I mean, I'm sure Edward and I could take care of Charlie by ourselves for a couple days… am I right Edward?" I put particular effort into pronouncing every syllable of his stupid name. It was like a false treaty just to give Bella some peace of mind that we wouldn't try to rip out each other's throats while we were under the same roof. It doesn't mean we won't try outside of Charlie's home though. HA.
"Bells?" called Charlie from the living room. She trotted out of the kitchen and sat on the arm of his chair. "What's for dinner?"
"Uh… What do you want?"
"Anything really… fish would be great. I caught a beautiful trout last week—should still be in the freezer."
"In the oven with potatoes good enough?"
"Sounds great. Thanks, Bell. Jake, you wanna stay for dinner?"
Cullen stiffened next to me. "Well, I kinda had to help Sam with-" there was a sudden knock at the door. Within the next few minutes, I was calming down a four-foot-tall-80-something-year-old man who had accidentally hit my Volkswagen. The one that had cost me blood, sweat and tears to whip into decent shape. He had taken out my front end to avoid hitting a cat, and was freaking out since his insurance is unreliable. I checked the damage myself. The car refused to start; he must have messed up a cable or the engine or something. Plus body work… Craaaaap. I told the little old man not to worry about it; no-one was hurt and I could fix it myself. I wouldn't tell anyone and he wouldn't get in trouble. His SUV was absolutely fine, just for the record. He thanked me and checked his heart-rate monitor. He must have been really worried. Anyways, it's a long walk to La Push from there, but I could make it easy enough. Then it started to rain. Like, thunder, lightning, and a bit of hail; not just a little sprinkle. I had enough pride not to ask for a ride, but Charlie insisted I stayed overnight. Bella set out an extra place setting and reached for a bowl to serve the salad in. It initiated an avalanche of Tupperware, and Bella was on the floor in no time. Things haven't really changed at all. Edward was quiet for most of the meal. Once we had all eaten, Bella kicked us out so she could do the dishes in peace, and told Charlie she'd make up the spare bed after. She turned on the radio very low, to amuse herself. I could hear a clatter and a curse from Bella, until Charlie began conversation.
"So Jake, where have you been hiding all this time?"
Time to think quickly. "Uh… travelling. I never really stayed in one place."
"How come ya left?"
"… Needed a change of scenery, I guess."
"I see… Edward, aren't you on the move too? Carlisle said you were house shopping."
"Yes. Carlisle has been offered a job in another location. He's still deliberating as to whether or not he will actually take the job, but if he decides to, we don't want any last minute arrangements."
"Mm…"
I could tell he didn't like the idea of the Cullens moving away. Mainly because that would mean Bella going with them. I didn't like the idea either.
And so the night wore on, and Charlie retired to bed, supported by both Cullen and myself, though it wasn't necessary. When we came back, we found Bella fighting with the couch to make it open into the bed. She got knocked on her ass again when it suddenly sprung free. Cullen and I both chuckled at the sight of her glaring at the piece of furniture.
"Hahaha…hilarious." She said, her words thick with sarcasm, "Now will one of you help me up or are you leaving me to fend for myself against this brute?" She indicated towards the Couch of Doom. Edward grabbed her hand and hauled her off the floor, still smirking. The sheets were folded on the table next to me, and I handed them to her. I stood back, assuming Edward would take over, but he seemed hesitant to do so.
"Jacob, you wanna grab on end?" she asked from her position on the other side. I glanced at Edward before extending a hand to grab the corners.
"Oh, he has…issues with arranging bed sheets. Not enough practice." She smiled and fluffed the sheet. Teamwork… it was a start. From motorcycles to making a bed. I'd take it over hostility any day, but she still seemed a little resigned.
"You know where everything is; if you're hungry, by all means help yourself. I don't care if you empty the fridge- he needs groceries desperately. See you in the morning."
She waved with a small smile and went towards her own room. Edward nodded in response and followed.
It wasn't easy to get to sleep. I was thinking about Bella, wondering if she was still human or if she was…well, the alternative. After about an hour of constant thought, the uncontrollable urge to pee had me looking for the bathroom. On my way back, I could see the light still on in Bella's room. I stood at the base of the stairs, not knowing if I should go up and investigate, if I should ignore it, or if I was overreacting again. I decided to lie down and try to sleep. No sooner do I close my eyes do I hear something. Edward came down the stairs and was in the kitchen before I could blink.
"Everything okay, Cullen?" I asked from my comfortable position on the stiff mattress.
"Charlie's thirsty again, no emergency."
"Is Bella asleep?"
"She's too absorbed in her book to sleep at the moment. As usual."
"Ah."
After he left, I eventually ended up unwillingly falling asleep. I hadn't really had a good night's sleep for a long while. It was a combination of stress from my dad and from coming back, not to mention whether or not the pack would accept me, if Bella was okay... and it was then that I realized I was warm, comfy even though I was curled up in a ball to fit onto the bed properly, and tired. I didn't even realize I'd nodded off until someone was shaking my shoulder some time later.
"Jake—you snore like an animal. Wake up and come get your breakfast. It's 9 o'clock."
And the angle hovering over me said, "Uh… you might wanna wipe off the drool."