Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or New Moon or any characters of Stephenie Meyer.
Chapter 6 (Bella's POV)
"He was mad at me because the last time I rode a horse, was before my mother died. In fact, it was the day my mother died. Have you heard what happened?" I asked him, hoping he had so I wouldn't have to tell him.
"Yeah, I asked my parents about it the other night, but they didn't know really anything else." He replied.
"Well, I've been wanting to ride for awhile now, but hadn't had the time or energy to do it. So when you helped me all week, I finally thought it was my chance. I didn't even think about Charlie really. I just wanted to feel the speed and motion. I tried riding after my mom died, but I couldn't. Jake tried to help me, but I just pushed him away. Charlie retreated within himself, only going out of his room to spend time with Billy and go fishing. Jake and I took care of ourselves, helping each other. But I still couldn't get back on the horse. I was twelve and Jake was eleven. Anyways, after a year or two, Charlie started paying more attention to me, going back to his old self, but, he wasn't the same. He loved my mom more than anything else."
"So what did you do, in your spare time?" He asked when I didn't go on.
"I was with Jake. And Quil and Embry. We spent our time at the malls, just messin' around." I decided to go back to the point of the question. "Let me back up to tell you how much he hates horses. After my mom's death, Charlie went outside, had a rifle in his hands. I ran after him, not knowing what he was going to do. He yelled at me to get back in the house. We were heading to the stables, and it hit me. He was going to kill the horse that bucked my mom off. I grabbed the rifle, and he already had it ready to shot. In the struggle, the gun went off. It was so close to me that I fainted."
I took a deep breath and went on, "Charlie thought he had killed me. He thought he shot me and I was dead, just like my mother. Billy and Jake had pulled up then, wanting to see if they could do anything for us. But when they saw Charlie with a gun in his hands and me on the ground. It didn't look good. Especially when Charlie was crying and going crazy. Jake ran to me, and checked for wounds, but didn't see any. Billy took Charlie in the house and Jake took me to the stables. We stayed there all night."
"That's when Charlie started ignoring me, thinking he might actually hurt me. He blamed himself for mom's death, and has never gotten over it. We became closer though, this last month. After the two workers' we had, quit, Charlie and I had to do even more work. We had Jake and the gang, helping, but-" I took another deep breath, keeping my eyes dry and my anger in control. "They decided they didn't want to work. They wanted their free time for their friends and girlfriends. They could only work after school, so that's when we did the hard work. I can't lift much, but they could."
Edward cut in. "Why aren't you in school? I just realized that you're only seventeen and yet, you don't go to school."
"Every once in awhile I do. To get my homework in and turn in some. Also to do the tests and everything. Usually every two weeks, I spend a day at school. The school made a deal with me, as long as I come once every two weeks, and keep my grades up to A's and B's, I can work. They call it family leave for students. But, I haven't been able to go in to test. Guess I'll have to do that in the next week or two."
"Bella," Edward said disapproving. "You need to go to school. You can't just keep working your butt off and still not graduate."
"I know. But I just don't have time for it. Today's Saturday, so I couldn't go in. But I'm happy just to be here with you." I gave him a squeeze.
"Me too." He chuckled and hugged me back. I heard him sigh, so I went on with the story.
"Anyways, the guys quit and Charlie, working too much for his own good, had a stroke while at Billy's house. I worked for the first week by myself, but I couldn't lift much, like I said-the guys did most of the lifting. So I told Charlie I needed a worker to do that. I guessed he told a few people, your father, and that's where you come in."
"Wow." He said. I closed my eyes, and listened to his breathing. "Do you mind? If I ask you another?" I shook my head, "Well…what exactly happened with you mom?"
I inhaled sharply. For a few minutes, I didn't say anything. "She was riding her favorite horse. Admiral. Dad had taken me to my riding show, Mom didn't come, she was sick that day." I inhaled again, remembering why she was sick. "She decided to go for a ride and help the farmhands move cattle. The horse was spooked and bucked her off. Into the moving cattle. The worker's didn't notice for a few more minutes, until the cattle were gone. By that time, it was too late. She was already dead. It was a closed casket. Charlie fired the worker's. But still he put the blame on himself. He sold all the horses, but five. I wouldn't let him sell them since they were mine."
"Thank you." Edward said after a few moments. "For telling me."
"Thank you for being with me. And helping me. And Charlie." I added the last two sentences, thinking of him working on the farm.
"So…are you going to the bonfire?" He asked. I was confused for a second, then remembered what he was talking about.
"I don't know. I shouldn't be mad at them, but I am. It just makes me so angry." I got up, realizing we should head back to the house. It wouldn't be as long as this morning, when we just rode anywhere and everywhere. The horses would be well rested. We had taken the saddles off, to let them breath better, and cool down, while we were.
I put on the stuff, Edward being the gentlemen and helping me, of course. As I was tightening the under belt, I asked, "Edward, do you know how to dance?"
He was having trouble with his, so I went over and helped him. "Umm, yeah. Esme taught all of us how to dance."
"Line dance? Square dance? Country dancing?" I asked.
"Uh, nope. Waltz and the tango and—"
"The tango!" I laughed. Wow! were they old fashioned or what!?! "So, not line or anything like that."
"Nope." Then he smiled and said, "But you can teach me."
"Yeah, like all the other things. Alrighty then. Your coming with me tonight." I said as I walked away from him and towards my horse, mounting her. Edward quickly got on too, and we set off.
"So, I, like, have no choice?" He said, with a teasing tone.
"Well, I guess I could go with Jake or—"
"I was just kiddin' Bella." He rode up close to me. "Of course, I'll go with you."
I smiled at him and we rode off into the sunset. Not really, since it was just four or five in the afternoon. But it was fun none the less, especially when we got back to the stables and Edward dismounted, landing in horse manure. I laughed my butt off and quickly took off, not wanting him to get mad.
As I brushed Abigail, I thought of Edward. Surely he had a girlfriend! He was too perfect not too.
"I don't know what to do." His voice broke my concentration. I looked up, and there he was, with the sun shining behind him, he looked like a god.
"Umm." I could feel my face go red. "Umm. I'll be there in a minute."
He looked at me strangely, then left, walking slowly. I laughed at my silliness. It was just a crush, I told myself. But in the back of my mind, it was saying something else.