Chapter 5: A Good Kid
Emmett walked down the stairs to find Don sitting in the living room. "Morning Emmett," he greeted.
"Morning," he answered.
"I see Bella was asleep in your bed again," Don commented.
"She feels more comfortable in my room than sleeping alone," he replied sitting down.
Don sat back in his seat. "Emmett, Anita and I were talking. We don't think it's a smart idea that you and Bella share the same bed," he informed.
"What exactly do you think we're going to do? She just needs comfort," Emmett answered.
There was silence in the living room. "You know, I really don't think Anita said anything. If anything, I think this was your decision," he told his foster father standing up.
"The last thing we need is a baby being brought into this house," Don told him.
"Why is it that when a guy and a girl just sleep in the same bed they're automatically having sex?" Emmett demanded.
Don furrowed a brow, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, nice to know you trust your foster kids," he commented.
"This has nothing to do about that," Don answered.
"Really? You don't trust Bella and me to not have sex. Which is kind of wrong speaking the girl is already going through Hell!" Emmett exclaimed.
"Watch your mouth in this house," Don snapped.
"You're not my dad!" Emmett exclaimed.
Before Emmett could react, he was pinned up against the wall. "DON!" Tara shouted grabbing a hold of her foster father's arm to keep him from punching Emmett. Emmett had a hold of Don's other wrist, closing his eyes tight.
"DON! LET HIM GO!" Anita shouted while Shawn started yanking him back.
Emmett held his throat as he dropped to the floor. "Emmett? Sweetheart you okay?" Anita asked worriedly.
"Get away!" Emmett exclaimed getting up, running out of the house.
Anita glared at Don, smacking him across the face. "We NEVER lay a hand on those kids!" she snapped.
"That is the one kid who never showed respect," Don answered.
"Oh my God do you get why? The boy's father beat the hell out of him Don! You don't go after a boy who was already abused to start with!" Anita exclaimed.
She grabbed a hold of his jacket. "You will never lay another hand on my children!" she snapped.
"Your children? You have no kids Anita. That's why you talked me into this stuff to start with," he answered.
Bella was at the top of the stairs, standing there in disbelief to see such a huge argument. "Get out Don. Get out before I call the police and have you arrested for attacking a fourteen-year-old," Anita told him.
"You won't get a dime out of me," Don told her as he grabbed his jacket from her.
"Good, because it's not your money to start with. I was the one with the money when we met," Anita answered.
Don glared before storming out of the house. Bella bit her lower lip. "Where's Emmett?" she asked. Tara looked at her.
"Knowing Emmett, he probably ran off into the forest like he usually does when he's upset," Tara replied.
Bella ran down the stairs and outside to find Emmett.
Emmett was sitting in a tree, rubbing his throbbing throat when he heard a twig crack. "Who's there?" he called.
"It's me," Bella replied.
Sighing, he jumped down from the tree. "You okay?" Bella asked, looking at the red marks on his throat.
"Yeah, this is nothing compared to what my dad used to do," he replied.
Bella reached out, hugging him tight. Emmett closed his eyes, hugging her back. "Anita kicked Don out," she told him.
"Wow, she really did it huh?" he asked, pulling back.
"Oh yeah," Bella replied.
Emmett smiled, resting his forehead against the top of her head. "Don's the worse. He acts like he's the greatest foster dad out there, but Anita's been the better foster mom," he told her.
"I can tell," she answered.
She rested her head on his chest with a sigh. "Ready to go back?" she asked.
"Sure," he replied.
Holding his hand, Bella led him back to the house.
Once inside, Anita hurried over to her foster son, hugging him tight. "You okay baby?" she asked.
"My neck," he answered.
Pulling away, Anita saw the forming bruises on his neck. "Come here, sit down," she told him having him sit down on the couch. She looked at the bruises on his neck. "Bella, could you do me a favor and go into the freezer and get the ice pack, put a towel around it?" Anita asked.
"Sure," Bella replied.
Anita sighed. "Anita, do you have a problem with Bella staying in my room?" he asked.
"You're not doing anything more than just sleeping. I know you're not like that sweetie," Anita replied.
Letting out a sigh, Emmett lowered his eyes a little. "Emmett, you are a good kid. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise," she told him.
"I'll keep that in mind," he answered.
She kissed his forehead with a smile. Bella came back with the icepack. "Here, put this on your neck, keep it there for twenty minutes," Anita instructed. He nodded, doing what she had instructed. Bella sat next to him with a smile. She reached over, holding his hand. Smiling back, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
Two days later, Bella and Emmett were sitting in the living room working on homework when there was a knock on the door. "You two stay there," Anita instructed. She walked over to the door and opened it. "May I help you?" she asked.
"I'm Charlie Swan," the person informed.
"And what can I do for you?" she asked.
"I would like to see my daughter, Bella," Charlie replied.