Chapter 18

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I bit my lip a bit nervous to ask him, "What would you have done..." he stopped tying his shoes and looked up at me, "If Carlie wasn't yours?" I asked.

He finished tying his shoe slowly and sat up against the tub to look at me, "She is mine right?" he asked.

"Yes but I was speaking hypothetically," I told him as I took a step closer to him.

"It wouldn't change anything," he told me seriously.

"Why?" I asked a bit confused and curious.

"Because she's still your daughter. I would have loved her like she was my own. Nothing would have changed," he said as he stood up.

"So then you still would have come back?" I asked.

He looked into my eyes intently before he walked up to me and gently placed a hand on my cheek, "You know I didn't leave because of Carlie."

"I know," I told him as I placed my hand over his.

"Then why wouldn't I have come back?" he asked me kindly.

"I don't know…I just…you never even asked about her when you had a chance to call," I told him with a slight shake to my head.

"I hate to tell you this because it tells you exactly what kind of a father I am but…I forgot you were pregnant. With so much on my mind all I could think about was you and nothing else. That's why I was so surprised to see her sleeping next to you when I came back," he told me honestly.

"That doesn't make you a bad father Edward. If it was the other way around I probably would have forgotten about that too," I told him seriously.

He sighed and pulled away from me, "We better go pick her up."

I nodded and we walked out of the room together. We walked down the stairs slowly in silence. I was looking down at my feet when something in the living room caught my attention. I looked over surprised and during that split second I tripped. Edward quickly wrapped his arms around my waist and caught me before I could fall down the stairs.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he helped me straighten out.

I ran my fingers through my hair and looked over at the living room to find nothing there. I looked back at him, "Yeah thanks."

He smiled at me before he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him, "And I thought you had gotten over your klutziness stage."

I smiled at him warily, "It's not a stage. It's a trait."

"From whom?" he asked a bit amused as he continued descending down the stairs.

I bit my lip and looked down at my feet again, "My dad."

He stayed quiet and soon we were out the door. I got into the drivers seat and turned the car on when he spoke again, "I'm confused," he said.

I glanced at him before looking back at the road, "About what?"

"How did your father become a cop if he was a klutz?" he asked.

I smiled lightly, "He's not as bad as I am," my smile faltered a bit when I realized that I spoke about him as if he was still alive. "He had some balance issues and was terrible at dancing," I told him.

"Were you closer to him than your mom?" he asked.

I pursed my lips and glanced over at him again, "I don't know. It always felt like I was taking care of my mother instead of her taking care of me. So I suppose I was closer to him. Although I took care of my mom willingly it could be a pain in the ass. Which with her it was. So my dad was less of a pain."

"Why would you take care of your mother?" he asked.

"She may not be a klutz but she was mindless. She would forget stuff or freak out for something small."

"She's not mindless anymore?" he asked curiously.

"Well…she's not as mindless as she used to be. When Phil left her she kind of opened her eyes to reality," I looked over at him. "Why the 20 questions?" I asked him curiously.

"Just wanted to know more about your parents. I get it now," he said thoughtfully.

"Get what?" I asked.

"I get why you're such a great mother. You've been doing it since you were little," he said with a smile in his voice.

I looked over at him and smiled, "Have you always been this sweet?" I asked.

He chuckled lightly, "Only when I'm with you."

I looked back to the road and panic shot through me faster than a speeding bullet. There was a man in the middle of the road and I was about to hit him with the car. I quickly slammed down on the brake making the car skid to a sudden stop causing the car to throw us forward then back real fast in our seats.

I looked at the road a bit breathless from the fear. The fear thickened when I recognized the man who was standing in front of my car. My eyes widened in surprise when I realized it was my father.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked me but I ignored him. I slowly reached for my seat belt. My heart quickened when his image started to flicker. I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the car.

"Bella!" Edward called after me. I ran to the front of the car but he wasn't there anymore. Was I seeing things? I looked around for him hoping he'd show up. "What are you doing?" Edward asked as he lightly grabbed my shoulders.

Am I going crazy? Maybe I finally lost my marbles. My eyes teared up at the thought. I looked up at Edward, "I…I thought," I looked back at the road but there was nothing, "I'm sorry," I looked back at him as a tear brimmed over.

He looked at me sympathetically before he pulled me into his arms and hugged me to his chest, "Shh its okay."

I wrapped my arms around him and clung onto his back, "Did you get hurt?" I asked against his chest.

"No I'm fine," he said without pulling me away from him. He kissed the top of my head and lightly rocked us side to side.

"Bella," I stiffened in Edward's arms.

He pulled away and looked at me confused, "What's wrong?" he asked.

My breathing came a little faster as I waited for it, "Bells."

My lip trembled as I slowly turned around toward the car. There he was. Standing by the car hood with a plaid shirt on and a pair of jeans. I took a couple steps towards him and looked into his eyes confused. Was this really my father?

"D-dad?" I asked with a quiver in my throat.

He smiled and nodded, "Come here Bells," he said as he opened his arms.

I took the last couple of steps and wrapped my arms around him. He was solid just like Melissa used to be. He tightened his arms around me, "I missed you," I whispered to him.

"I would say the same but I've been here all along," he said as he pulled away and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"What?" I asked confused.

"I've been trying to get your attention for two years Bella. You never could see me," he told me with a sad smile.

"Why?" I asked confused.

"I figured out why although it took me two years," he told me.

"So you barely figured out why?" I asked.

"Yes…you couldn't see me because you were depressed," he told me.

My brows furrowed in confusion, "Why would that make me not see you?" I asked.

"You were in such a deep depression and all you saw was the bad stuff in your life so you blocked us out. You were trying to deny that you were in a depression, trying to deny that you had a bad life that somehow blocked us out because you considered us part of your bad life," he explained.

I looked away feeling a bit uncomfortable, "I didn't know I was doing that. If I would have known I would have stopped," I told him truthfully.

"We know that. We don't blame you," he told me.

I was confused once I realized something, "Wait…if I can see you…doesn't that mean you're here for some kind of unfinished business?" I asked.

He nodded solemnly, "I need help Bells. I need you to find my murderer and let me rest in peace."

I blinked in surprise. I forgot he had gotten murdered, "Do you know who did it?" I asked.

"No," he replied back in a sigh.

"Well than how am I supposed to be able to help? Your bodies buried six feet under," I replied back.

"I was hoping we could put bits and pieces together and you can help me remember who it was," he said in suggestion.

I bit my lip as I thought about it, "Okay…but there's one condition," I told him.

"What?" he asked.

"You can't just come popping into my life like nothing. I could have gotten myself or Edward killed because of you," I told him.

"I promise I will only show up when I figure something out or when you need help," he said with a small nod.

I nodded and he disappeared. This is going to be weird. I have to figure out who killed my father. Hopefully I can find out whom soon. Who knows why they killed my father…they could be after someone I know next. They have to be stopped.

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