Chapter 11: Discussions
Bella bit her lower lip as she was standing in front of Emmett at the airport. "Call me when you get home?" she asked.
"You know it babe," he answered.
Emmett kissed her tenderly, his hands resting on the sides of her neck. Bella kissed him back, her hands resting over his. "Flight 587 to Juneau, Alaska is now boarding," a flight attendant announced.
"Have a safe flight," she said quietly.
"I will," he answered.
He kissed her once more before he grabbed his carry-on. Bella bit her lower lip, wrapping her arms around herself as she watched Emmett disappear through the gate. Charlie rested his hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" he asked.
"No…not until he's back," she replied quietly.
Charlie smiled sadly, as he led his daughter out of the airport.
On the drive home, Bella had her arms crossed over her chest. "Bella, just remember what Leah said isn't true," he told her.
"I know dad," she answered.
"Except, let me tell you my side anyways," Charlie told her chuckling.
"Okay," she answered.
Charlie kept his eyes on the road. "When Leah's father passed away, it was hard on the whole family. Being a friend of the family, I was doing what I could to help. I helped Sue with funeral arrangements and everything, just being a friend and helping her," he explained. Bella bit her lower lip, playing with the leaf charm on her necklace. "Except, despite what Leah said, Sue and I didn't start dating until two years later. Even then it was hard," he added.
"Except?" she asked.
Sighing a little, he turned a corner. "Except, I cared for Sue. We dated for a year before I finally got the courage to propose. Seth was ecstatic when we told him. It was Leah who took it hard," he replied. She nodded her head slowly.
"Dad, I do know how Leah feels…when it comes to losing a parent," she commented.
Nodding his head slowly, Charlie reached over, resting his hand over his daughter's arm. "I know," he answered.
"I don't know what I did," Bella murmured.
"She's just angry Bells; it has nothing to do with you. She's just angry in general," he replied.
Biting her lower lip, her eyes glanced back out the window. "By the way, Bells…" Charlie murmured.
"Yeah?" she asked slowly.
"Sue's pregnant," he replied.
Bella sat there stunned. "Wow…um…congratulations," she commented, hugging her dad's free arm.
"Thanks, we haven't told Leah yet, but Seth is excited," Charlie told her chuckling.
"Well yeah he might be getting a brother," she replied, pushing her hair from her eyes.
Chuckling softly, Bella saw her father's eyes light up knowing that she was actually happy for him and Sue. "Have you guys figured out how you're going to tell Leah?" she asked.
"Kind of, but not really. Sue wants to go to Port Angeles, have the whole family go to dinner. Hopefully she can be a little supportive for her mother even if she's not happy," Charlie replied with a sigh.
Patting his arm gently, she sat back in her seat while looking back out the window.
That night, the whole family was sitting at one of the family restaurants, eating the order of breadsticks they had ordered. "What's going on?" Leah asked slowly.
"What do you mean?" Sue answered innocently.
"Well…everyone has been acting really weird all day," Leah replied before taking a bite of her breadstick.
Charlie sighed, wrapping his arm around Sue's waist. "Leah…we have something to tell you," Sue informed.
"What?" Leah asked sitting back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Leah please sit up," Sue told her with a sigh.
Leah rolled her eyes as she sat up. "Leah…we're pretty unsure of how you'll take this but…well here we go. I'm pregnant," Sue, informed. There was complete silence at the table. Bella watched as Leah's face started growing from pale red, deep red, and then dark red.
"ARE YOU INSANE!" Leah shouted.
"Leah are you in a restaurant!" Sue snapped.
"I don't care! You already ruined everything!" Leah exclaimed.
"Shut up Leah it's cool!" Seth snapped.
"Yeah well whoopdy doo, he's already replacing dad now. How about they replace us too?" Leah snapped before she got up and stormed out of the restaurant.
Bella stared at them, getting up. "I'm going to go get her," she told them, keeping Sue from getting up to chase her.
Walking down the street, Bella found Leah leaning against the van. "You know, if you're going to storm out of a restaurant, you should at least remember your jacket," Bella told her, tossing the girl her jacket.
"What's it to you?" Leah muttered.
"How about you stop being such a bitch and be happy for dad and Sue? If anything supportive?" Bella snapped.
"Your dad's already replacing my dad! He marched right on in like it was no big deal!" Leah snapped.
Bella glared at her. "You think your dad's death didn't almost kill my dad and your mom? Are you really that blind?" she snapped.
"Shut up, you have no idea what you're talking about," Leah answered.
"HELLO! My mother died right in front of me!" Bella snapped.
Grabbing a hold of Leah's jacket, Bella yanked her closer. "If there's anyone in this town who could remotely feel what you are feeling it's ME! But you don't see me throwing my mother's death into my dad's face every second of everyday!" she hissed.
"I don't do that!" Leah snapped.
"Really? You just did in there Leah! You think you make your mother feel great every single time you do that to her?" Bella answered.
Leah shoved Bella off her. "Just back off Bella!" she snapped.
"No way! You're not walking away!" Bella snapped grabbing Leah's arm before she could walk away.
Spinning around, Leah went to hit Bella across the face when the girl ducked and knocked Leah onto the ground. "You listen here Leah, if anything. I'm sure your dad would've wanted your mom to be happy! Not alone and depressed for the rest of her days just like I know if my mom remembered my father she would've wanted him to be happy! At least your dad knew your mother before he died! My mother had no memory of my father! You have a mother who loves you to no end! She raised you guys in a warm, loving home! Guess where I lived…guess Leah!" Bella snapped.
Leah was silent, glaring at her. "You think your life sucks! DO YOU! You don't know what that means until you get the crap kicked out of you just for breathing the same air as someone! You don't know what that means until you're too damn afraid to go home! You really understand those words until you're beaten so bad and cut up to the point you're left for dead! If anyone deserves to be bitching about their life, it's ME! However, you don't see me bitching about my life do you? DO YOU?" Bella shouted. Leah just continued to glare at her stepsister.
Bella let her go with a glare. "You're not even worth it Leah. You should be happy to have a mother who loves you more than anything in this world and all she asks is to be happy. If that makes her a bad mother, then that makes my father a bad father, which is bullshit. After all he has done to try to at least be your friend you just spit in his face. Grow up Leah Clearwater and open your damn eyes. They're not replacing anyone! They're just trying to be like any other person on this planet, trying to be happy!" Bella snapped. Pulling her jacket around herself, the young woman got off her stepsister. "Think about your actions Leah," she hissed before going back inside.
Once Bella was back inside, she sat down across from her dad and stepmother. "Everything okay?" Sue asked.
"I don't know," Bella replied.
Charlie sighed, holding Sue's hand. "Congratulations Sue, you and dad deserve this," she told her stepmother.
"Thank you Bella," Sue answered.
Just as their main course was being serves, they looked up when Leah started walking back. "Um…I wanted to say…I'm sorry," Leah said slowly. She walked over to Sue, surprising the woman by hugging her. "I'm sorry mom," she told her quietly. Sue hugged her daughter back with a sigh. Charlie smiled a little at Bella. Bella smiled back, seeing what she had said to Leah must've hit something.
"I know you miss him sweetheart," Sue whispered.
Leah held onto her mother with tears in her eyes. "I miss him so much," she answered. Leah looked over at Charlie. "Charlie…I'm sorry about how I've acted," she told him.
"That's alright Leah," he told her.
"No it's not," Leah answered.
She looked over at Bella. "I'm sorry to you too Bella, for everything," she added.
"Leah, why don't you sit down? Your spaghetti's still there," Bella answered.
"Sure…thanks," Leah murmured.
Leah sat down and for the first time, they were able to enjoy a meal together as a family.