A/N – Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all its characters.
Thanks as always for the reviews, I will get round to answering all your questions eventually, might have some time this weekend. I appreciate all of you that are reading this. Thank you so much.
Here is the next chapter, I'm pretty nervous about it, but I'm just gonna go for it, so you'll either like it or you won't. I hope you like it of course.
There are parts in this that my boyfriend says are unrealistic because you know, he's in the mob and all. Not really, he's watched the Soprano's and now he thinks he's an expert. He keeps trying to get me to watch it, but I'm far too busy looking at pics of Robert Pattinson on the internet. Anyone see the new one with the gun? Oh my, I want that for my story.
Want to say hi to my friend Wendy, who just loves my characters as much as I do, it means a lot to me. x
Anyway, hope you enjoy. x
Chapter 15
There was a few seconds of silence around the table, my heart rate was going through the roof and my body seemed to have malfunctioned, so I was still stood crouched over in the same position I'd been in since Leah had pretty much ordered me to sit down and now I wasn't sure whether to fully get up and run or sit back down.
"Is that true Bells?" Jake asked looking ashen as he tried to get his head around this new information. If I hadn't been so panicked I would have felt sorry for him.
"Holy shit, you didn't know!" Leah looked at him incredulous. "Yes it's true, I just sat here and watched him drop her off, I didn't realise it was your precious Bella he was dropping off until she got to the table." She turned to me and scowled.
Well, Leah seems just lovely. I sat back in my seat and sighed.
"I asked you about the Cullen's." Leah said angrily to Jake. "How could you not know she was dating one?"
"You asked about Marcus, Alec, and Carlisle Cullen, then you mentioned an Edward. How was I supposed to know it was the same Edward. I've never met the others."
"What about Alice, Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie?"
"They're Cullen's too! I've met them all." Jake said stunned.
"What!" Leah shouted loudly.
"Why the hell didn't you ask me about them, I would have put it together if you'd given me all their names. Jesus Leah I've had dinner with them!"
"They aren't as interested in them, and I figured if you didn't know the big guns you wouldn't know the rest of them. Shit what a massive fuck up." Leah shook her head. "We need to take her down to the station Jake. Detective Richards will want to talk to her, she might have information that will break his case, you know what's been happening these last few weeks."
"I'm not sure about that." Jake said looking indecisive.
"Are you serious." She glared at him. "There's dead bodies turning up left, right and centre, clubs being shut down, the docks are a fucking war zone, and I'd bet my last dollar it's the Cullens doing and she's had direct access to that family."
"I'll take her home and you can speak to Richard's, if he wants to talk to her then he can arrange that with Charlie."
"Uh, hello, I'm not going anywhere with either of you." I decided to make my presence known because frankly I was fed up of the pair of them.
"Bells, I'm taking you home. How does Charlie not know about this? Christ, I need to call him."
"No! I'll tell him. Please let me tell him."
Leah laughed. "Yeah right, like you told Jake? Your supposed best friend. Jake, phone her dad and get his permission for us to take her to the station. Seattle PD have been after the Cullens for years and she's been hanging out with them, this might be their opportunity to finally get some solid evidence and we need to do that before the Cullens can coach her on what to say."
Finally my fight or flight instinct kicked in, I needed Edward to come and get me as soon as possible because Leah was right, I would no doubt say something incriminating by accident if they took me to the station now. I don't know when or how it had happened, but my loyalty was to Edward and the Cullens. I would do anything to protect them, even if that meant lying to my best friend and the police.
"I need to use the restroom." I stood and bolted from the table. Jake was hot on my heels and he grabbed my arm just before I got to the bathrooms.
"Bella!" He pulled at me and I tripped but managed to right myself. "I can't believe this, what are you playing at? What do you think Charlie's going to say when he finds out, he has no idea who they really are. How could you lie to us like that?"
"Jake I really need to pee." I said and tried to pull my arm away.
"No you don't, stop lying to me Bella!" Jakes nostrils flared and he looked really mad.
"Sorry, can I just get passed." Embry shrugged apologetically at Jake who had no choice but to let me go so that Embry could get through to the men's room.
As soon as Jake released me, I ran into the bathroom and pulled out my phone, pressing two and dancing around whispering 'pick up, pick up, pick up' until he did.
"Princess, you either ate really quickly or something's wrong." He answered and I heard the blare of several car horns in the background before he yelled "Yeah, fuck you too, you motherfucker!" at someone, I assumed he wasn't talking to me.
"What's going on?" I frowned momentarily distracted from the situation at hand.
"I might have just executed a hugely spectacular but never-the-less highly illegal U-turn at a busy intersection and it may have upset one or two other motorists." He laughed. "I'm on my way, what happened?"
"Jake bought Leah, you know that girl he's been seeing from his course with him to lunch and she saw you drop me off and she knew who you were and she just told Jake that you're all Cullens and now I'm hiding in the bathroom calling you." I rushed out without taking a breath.
"Shit…, ok, she's probably already done her placement in the Organised Crime Division."
"Huh!" That made sense. I'd been so shocked by her telling Jake the truth I hadn't really stopped to consider how she knew Edward and the Cullens.
"What are we going to do?" I asked urgently.
"Well I can kill them." He offered glibly, like it was an acceptable solution.
"Seriously!"
"I was serious, but I was fairly confident you wouldn't go for it."
"Oh my God!" I whisper yelled at him down the phone. "Could you be even the tiniest bit helpful right now?"
"Alright, relax."
"Relax! Edward, Jake's about to blow a gasket and is probably on the phone to my dad right this second and Leah wants to take me to the station so I can tell them all about you and your family."
"Did you get her surname?"
"Uh no."
"I should imagine there's only one Leah on the course, I'll get Jazz to look into her. You know the story Princess, just stick to it, we don't see Marcus and Alec, you've never met them and as far as you know we all live good, law-abiding, boring as fuck lives in Forks, if you don't know what to say, just say nothing."
"Ok." I nodded furiously even though he couldn't see me.
"Bells!" Jake shouted through the door. "You have to come out eventually."
"Is that Jake?" Edward asked.
"Yeah." I sighed. "He wants to talk to me."
"So he followed you to the bathroom?"
"Uh, yeah."
"What aren't you telling me?"
"Nothing."
"Try again Princess."
"Fine, he tried to stop me coming in here, so he could talk to me, but Embry was there and everything was fine."
"He put his hands on you!"
"What. No!"
"If Embry intervened it means he put his hands on you."
"No, it wasn't like that, he was just shocked and he reached out to grab my arm that was all."
Edward growled out a long stream of profanities.
"Edward, focus, we've got bigger problems right now!"
"Sorry. Did Jake realise that you knew Embry?"
"No I don't think so."
"Good, it will only raise more questions if Jake knows you're being watched, but they're there if you need them. I'm sorry Princess, but I've got to go, I need to make some calls before I get to you. Stay where you are if you can. I'll be there in a few minutes." He hung up and I stared at the phone for a few seconds before tucking it back into my pocket.
I took a few deep breaths which did nothing to help me calm down and then I stood against the wall and waited.
"Bells, if you don't come out I'll send Leah in." Jake called through the door.
I groaned, talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place, I really didn't want to go out there before Edward arrived, but I really, really, didn't want Leah coming in here. I banged my head against the wall a few times, just on the off chance it might help, but it didn't.
"Bells please, I just want to talk to you."
I reluctantly pulled the door to the bathroom open and stepped out, Jake instantly put his arm around my shoulder in what looked like a friendly gesture but his grip was just a little too tight and I knew he was really stopping me from running off again. As we passed their table, Sam raised an eyebrow at me discreetly and I smiled to let him know I was alright. Embry was on his phone, and I just knew he was talking to Edward.
I thought Jake was taking me back to the table but he led me outside where Leah was already waiting by a squad car.
"What…., I'm not going with you Jake, Edward's coming to get me and I'm leaving with him."
"You are not."
"I am."
"Bella, get in the car."
"No!"
"I can't get hold of Charlie, and until I do, I'm keeping you with me, you are not going anywhere with that boy. He is seriously bad news."
"No Jake. Edward doesn't have anything to do with any of this."
"Really, because I've got a whole file from organised crime that would suggest otherwise." Leah said nastily. "You, little girl, can't imagine what he might be capable of." She sneered.
I'm pretty sure I could, Edward had killed at least ten people in the time I'd known him and they were only the ones I knew about, but I didn't think I ought to tell her that.
"Now get in the damn car." She said as I saw Edward pull up and park haphazardly by the restaurant. He jumped out of his car and ran over.
"Princess, you ok?" He asked scanning me from head to toe and scowling when he caught Jake's grip on my shoulder.
"Princess, how cute." Leah said in a tone that suggested she didn't find it all that cute.
Edward looked at her for a moment before he smiled. "You ready to go?" He asked me.
"Yeah." I tried to move towards him.
"You are not going with him." Jake said firmly and tightened his hold on me.
"You can't stop me." I fought to get out of his grip and eventually managed, rushing to Edward's side. He threw his arm around my shoulders and I sunk into him.
"Bella!" Jake shouted coming towards us and making a grab for me. Edward twisted so that I was out of reach and put his other arm in front of me to stop Jake, who walked straight into it before stumbling backwards.
Leah pulled out her handcuffs and Edward sighed. "So fucking predictable." He muttered quietly, rolling his eyes and I looked at him confused. I saw him give Sam, who was now standing outside the restaurant smoking, a subtle nod.
Edward let go of me and I stared in shock as Leah pushed him up against her car and pulled his arms behind his back and put the cuffs on him. "Edward Cullen, you are under arrest for assaulting a police officer." She frisked him, and I was shocked when she found nothing, I had never known Edward not to have at least one gun about his person.
I think I had been expecting E to turn up and get me out of this situation so I was surprised he was being so passive.
"Jake, stop her."
"I can't Bells."
"Why?"
"He assaulted me."
"No he didn't! You're just making that up so I can't go with him."
"Bella, he pushed me, you saw it."
"Why are you doing this?" I gaped at him.
"Oh, is Jake not doing what Bella wants now he's found out she's a little mob princess." Leah sneered and Edward growled. Christ, she was a real gem of a girl.
She pushed Edward into the back of her car and I went to get in beside him but Jake stopped me, getting in first and sitting between us.
"You're awfully calm Cullen." Leah said as she drove. "I heard you're usually rather hot-headed."
"It's not the first time I've been arrested on some bullshit charge because my surnames Cullen." He shrugged.
"There's no record of any previous arrests in your file." She frowned.
"Oh, in that case, I'm shitting myself, this is all really new and scary." He said. "Kudos to you Officer Clearwater for being the first person to ever arrest me. Maybe you'll get that promotion you're after."
"How do you…." Leah said wide-eyed.
"Although discussing what is and isn't in my file with me probably won't help your cause, but I won't tell if you don't." He smirked.
Leah narrowed her eyes at him and the remainder of the journey was spent in silence.
We arrived at a big building in the heart of town and Jake jostled Edward out of the car and led him towards the station. I got out of the car slowly, I didn't know what was going to happen and I was in no rush to find out.
Leah grabbed the top of my arm and started pulling me quickly towards the station. "Get a move on Princess." She spat.
"Get your fucking hands off me." I shook her off and both Jake and Edward swung around to stare at me. Jake looked thoroughly shocked, Edward looked thoroughly impressed and he smiled and winked at me. I don't know why he was so blasé about this whole thing, but he looked incredibly unconcerned for someone who had been arrested.
Leah took Edward off to 'book him' as she put it, and Jake took me up in the lift to the office of a Detective Richards.
He asked a lot of questions about Marcus and I repeated again and again that I hadn't ever met him and I knew nothing about him. He had just started asking about the Cullens in Forks when a man poked his head through the door. "Uh, Detective Richards, I have a rather irate Esme Cullen in reception, should I let her thorough?" He asked.
"Yeah." Detective sighed and less than ten seconds later Esme flew through the door looking furious.
Jake and Detective Richards stared at her stunned.
"Bella sweetheart come on, let's go." She beckoned to me and I got up.
"Wait, you can't just take her." Jake said.
"Watch me, Chief Swan placed her in my care while we were in Seattle, and as I understand it you have been unable to contact him, so I am responsible for her and unless you are arresting her for something, you have no right to keep her here." She pulled me into her arms. "Now, where is my son?"
"He is under arrest, he assaulted one of my officers and he is not a minor so you cannot just take him." Detective Richards smirked at Esme.
"Please, that is a jumped up, nonsense charge if ever I heard one. I have already spoken to the commissioner about getting this arrest expunged from his record. I have also spoken to him about having your officer's reprimanded for their indefensible actions today."
"You called Commissioner Phillips?" Detective Richards choked out as his and Jake's eye's widened.
Esme smirked. "I am not a criminal, but I am a Cullen and we all have friends in high places. Did you know I was at school with him?" She asked conversationally.
Detective Richards scowled and picked up his phone. "Officer Clearwater, can you bring Mr Cullen to my office please…., yes now." He hung up and we waited for a couple of minutes until Leah led Edward back into the room.
"You called your mom!" Leah asked Edward incredulously. "How? You haven't made a phone call."
"I might have called her on my way to the restaurant, I had a funny feeling that we would end up here." He shrugged.
Leah narrowed her eyes at him. "Well played Cullen."
"Do you think this is a game young lady?" Esme asked her haughtily. "It's officers like you that give the police force a bad name. My son has done nothing wrong and yet you arrest him simply because he's a Cullen!"
"He assaulted a police officer." Leah argued.
"Of course he did dear, tell me, did you take an eye exam when you joined the force, because I think you may need to schedule another."
Leah had just opened her mouth to respond when the door opened and a smart looking man came into the room.
"Commissioner Phillips." Detective Richards stuttered.
"Detective." He nodded sternly before turning to Esme. "Esme." He smiled, kissing her cheek. "I'm so sorry I couldn't make the wedding yesterday."
"Garrett." Esme smiled. "Me too, you missed a wonderful day, but Rose did change the date rather last minute."
"Gotta love Rose." He chuckled. "I'll be at the next one, with all those children of yours there's bound to be another wedding soon."
"I hope so." Esme said looking at me and Edward.
"Edward, how are you?"
"I'm good." Edward smiled and I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling at the priceless look of shock on Leah's face.
"Don't worry, I'll sort this mess out, I'm sure it was all just a misunderstanding." Garrett patted Edward's shoulder.
"What are you…." Leah was cut off by a sharp look from Detective Richards and Edward coughed to hide the fact he was laughing at her.
"Can we go? We've had a busy week and I think we all need some down time now Rose has left the country." Esme chuckled.
"Of course, I apologise for the inconvenience Esme, enjoy the time off." He winked at her. "Next time you're in town you must come to dinner."
"I'd love to, I'll let you know when. Come on kids." Esme herded us out of the room.
"Bells." Jake called after me. "I'm telling Charlie, just as soon as I can get hold of him."
I nodded and turned away from him. There was no point trying to reason with him, I knew he'd do what he thought was best.
"What the hell do you three think you were playing at?" I heard Commissioner Phillips yell, as I walked down the corridor with Edward and Esme.
"You ok Princess?" Edward asked wrapping his arms around me once we were in the elevator.
"Yeah." I sighed.
"Jasper checked the surveillance from your house, it looks like your dad left to go fishing early this morning, I think it would be beneficial for you to head back to Forks immediately and speak with him, before Jacob manages to get hold of him. I'd come with you but Carlisle and I have to be in the city tonight." Esme told us both.
Esme drove us back to Edward's car and we got out at the restaurant. "I'll see you soon Bella." She hugged me and I nodded. "You're going to have to give your dad a bit of time to get his head around all this sweetheart, especially once he speaks to Jake, so it might be a while before he's comfortable with you being around us, I'll try to talk to him when I get back if I need to. Remember, it's not only Edward that loves you." She kissed my cheek and released me.
"Edward." She rubbed his arm. "You did good son, things will work out." She smiled sadly at him and got back in her car, driving away and leaving us on the sidewalk.
"You hungry Princess? You wanna eat before we head back?"
"I don't think I could stomach anything right now." I told him, I felt sick at the thought of finally telling my dad everything. Especially now it was a race against time to get to him before Jake managed to speak with him.
We went back to the hotel, packing up our stuff as quickly as possible before getting on the road back to Forks.
"We don't have much luck in Seattle." Edward said ruefully as we drove out of the city.
I snorted. "That bodes well for next year."
"So we'll go to Florida or Alaska or any of those other faraway places you applied to." He shrugged.
"You'd still come with me?"
"Of course, if you wanted me to."
I rolled my eyes at him and he smiled.
"I don't care where you go Princess, as long as I get to go with you."
I smiled and he took my hand. The journey home was sombre, both of us thinking about the reaction we could expect from my dad.
The house was dark when we arrived and I let out a relieved breath that we had beaten my dad home. I didn't know how he'd react to the news but I wanted to be the one to tell him, not Jake. The phone was ringing as we went inside and Edward raised his eyebrows in question and I shook my head, I knew it would be Jake.
I put the T.V on and Edward sat on the sofa and watched me pace.
"Princess calm down, what's the worst that can happen?"
"Er, he can ban me seeing you and ship me back to Phoenix to live with my mom."
"Oh, shit that would be bad." He agreed which didn't help my nerves.
When the phone rang again we both turned to stare at it but I had no intention of answering it. Edward eventually got fed up with my pacing and pulled me down next to him on the sofa.
"Princess, whatever happens we'll be ok. If he sends you to Phoenix, I'll come get you and bring you right back." He leaned over and kissed me and I let myself get caught up in kissing him.
We jumped apart when we heard my dad pull up on the drive and waited for him to get inside.
"Hey kids." He said surprised when he caught sight of us. "I didn't think you were back until tomorrow."
"Oh yeah we decided to head home early." I told him.
"How was the wedding?"
"It was amazing, Rose looked lovely and the whole day was just perfect."
"Good, I'm glad you had a nice time. Let me just wash up and I'll catch up with you properly." He headed off for the kitchen to drop his fish off and just as he was on his way upstairs the phone started ringing again and he headed back towards the kitchen.
"Don't answer that!" I yelled at him, jumping up and he looked at me strangely.
"Why not?"
"Because it's Jake." I said as Edward got up and stood beside me.
"Ok Bells." He laughed and picked up the phone. "Hello…, Jake! Bella said it would be you. How are you?….uh huh, sure, she's right here with Edward, they came back early…..,no…, of course I did, they've lived here for years, but we've never had any trouble with them…., yeah, but they're all at school in Seattle…."
In a moment of panic, I grabbed the phone from my dad and hung up on Jake. My dad stared at me in shock.
"What are you doing Bella?" He asked as the phone started to ring again.
"Dad, Jakes about to tell you something he found out today and I think it's better if it comes from me." I blurted quickly before he could answer the phone again.
"Ok, go on." He nodded and thankfully left the phone ringing. I took a few steps back so I was next to Edward again and he immediately took my hand.
"Well, um, I'm pretty sure that Jake just asked you about the Cullens in Forks right?"
"Yeah, how do you about them." He frowned and then his eyes widened and he gaped at Edward. His jaw seemed to tighten and his cheeks pinked up and he got redder and redder and his eyes got wider and wider and I think he stopped breathing.
"Dad, are you ok?" I asked after what seemed like ages, but I got no response from him.
"Fuck! Is he going to have a heart attack or something Princess?" Edward asked quietly. "Should I call my dad?"
"No, he's just shocked. We have to give him a moment."
"I hope you're right, because you're on your own if he keels over."
"What?"
"I'm just saying, he doesn't look well at all, and keeping people alive is like, right at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to my area of expertise." He whispered in my ear.
"Edward!"
"Sorry." He mumbled. "I'm just a little freaked out by the fact your dad just turned fucking purple all by himself. I mean, I've choked a few fuckers in my time, but I've never seen anyone go that colour without…."
"Shut up!" I laughed incredulously at his nervous rambling.
"Dad!" I shouted, because it had been a really long time since he took a breath and he was looking an odd shade of purple.
My dad seemed to snap out of it and his eyes darted between me and Edward for a few seconds as he regained his senses and returned to his normal colour.
"You're a Cullen?" My dad asked eventually.
"Yes."
"Why the hell wasn't I informed that you lived in town?"
"Uh, I wasn't aware that I had to do that." Edward said confused.
"I don't mean by you!" My dad scowled at him. "Seattle PD are meant to keep me up to date. Why wouldn't they tell me this?"
"Oh, ok, um, I can't really answer that." Edward looked at me for help.
"Dad…" I started but he held up a hand to stop me, I could almost see him working things out in his head.
"The Cullens, they have five kids. Your friends, they're all Cullens, the whole damn lot of them. Mrs Platt is really Mrs Cullen. You've spent all summer over at their house with Rose." My dad shook his head, thinking out loud until he turned slowly to look at me. "It's not Rose you've been going to see, it's him!" My dad said angrily.
"I'm sorry, I…"
"Out!" My dad barked storming over to the front door and throwing it open. "Get out of my house."
"You're throwing me out?" I gaped at him.
"Not you!" My dad said like I was an idiot. "Him. Get out. Now!"
"I appreciate that it's a bit of a shock Chief Swan, but….."
"Get out! And stay the hell away from my daughter." My dad bellowed.
"I can't do that I fucking love her." Edward stated, looking at my father like he was crazy.
My dad's eyebrows nearly shot off the top of his head they raised so quickly and he spluttered something indecipherable as his eyes literally bugged out of his head, the word apoplectic came to mind.
"Uh Edward, I think maybe you should go, I'll talk to him once he's calmed down." I don't think my dad was ready for Edward's matter of fact bluntness. Add in the cursing and I was fairly certain that I needed to get Edward out of the house and away from my dad as quickly as I could. Diplomacy and tact were not Edward's finest attributes and I'm not sure he realised that saying exactly what you thought at any given time was pretty unique to the Cullen family.
"Really Princess? You want me to leave you here with him, because he looks about ten seconds away from having some kind of fucking breakdown and I don't…"
"Edward please." I looked him in the eye. "Let me talk to him." He let me pull him out of the door and towards his car.
"Get back in here Bella!" My dad shouted.
"Are you sure you want to do this on your own?" Edward still looked a bit concerned.
"I'll be fine." I reassured him. "I'll call you later ok. Now go, before my dad shoots you!" I said smiling.
"I love you Princess." He leant down to kiss me.
"Isabella Marie Swan, get back in the house this instant!"
"Shit, he just middle-named you, he's proper mad!" Edward snickered.
"Go!" I laughed and he winked at me and got in his car. I watched him pull away and turned to face my father who was glaring at me.
I had always known that the time would come when I'd have to tell him the truth, so I squared my shoulders and walked back into the house.
"What the hell are you playing at young lady?" He yelled as soon as I was through the door. "The Cullens are the most notorious family on the West Coast, they're criminals, dangerous people and you've been hanging out with them all summer!"
"Dad it's not like that, Edward and the others aren't involved with that stuff."
"They all live in the same house Bella. You've been practically living there all summer and you never told me that it was Edward's house. You never told me they were Cullen's, you let them come over here and lie to me. How am I supposed to believe a word you say?"
"Why do you think that was?" I shouted. "Maybe because as soon as people find out who they really are, they react exactly like this! I just heard you tell Jake you've never had any trouble with them and you still acting like they've done something wrong!"
"We might not have any trouble with them here in Forks, and there might never be any evidence of wrongdoing, but it's common knowledge who they are and what they do. You are not to see them anymore, none of them."
"You can't do that."
"Yes I can."
"No! I won't let you."
"I am your father and while you live under my roof you will abide by my rules."
"Then I won't live here anymore." I screamed at him, in a moment of total teenage brattishness.
"What?"
"If that's how you're going to be, then I'll pack my stuff and be gone by tomorrow."
"Don't be ridiculous, where are you going to go Bells?"
"Uh…" He had me there.
"Give me your phone."
"What!" I gaped at him.
"You heard me Bella. Give me your phone, you are not to contact that family again." He held out his hand expectantly.
"No, you can't…., No! I need it." I knew Edward and Jasper would go mad if I gave up my phone.
"Not anymore you don't, you're grounded until school starts, you can use the house phone in an emergency."
"It's my phone."
"I pay the bill!"
"Actually dad you don't."
"What."
"I've got a new phone, I cancelled my old plan, you haven't paid the bill for two months."
"So who pays the bill?"
I hesitated because I knew he wasn't going to like the answer.
His eyes widened. "He pays your phone bill! Just exactly how involved are the two of you?"
"I love him." I said simply and my dad groaned.
"Give me your phone."
"I…., can't."
"If you don't give me that phone right now, I'm calling your mother and putting you on the first plane back to Phoenix." He yelled.
"Fine!" I took my phone out and handed it to him. "Happy now?"
"No! What's gotten in to you Bells, you were always such a sweet girl, and now look at you, keeping bad company, fraternising with known criminals, sleeping over at your boyfriends house, lying to me, arguing and yelling at me. I thought they were good for you those kids, I can see now what a terrible mistake I made trusting your judgement. What were you thinking getting involved with that family."
"That family, are the kindest, most welcoming, loving people I've ever met." I told him and that was the truth. "Before I met them I was bored and lifeless and miserable, meeting them was the best thing that ever happened to me and I know finding out they're Cullens is a shock, but sharing a surname doesn't automatically make them bad people."
He sighed and not taking his eyes off me, answered the still ringing phone. "Jake, I need to know everything they have on Edward Cullen and his family."
I stormed up to my room, and stomped around a bit. Partly because I was angry but mainly because I was hoping it would annoy my dad. When I got bored of that I got out my computer and booted it up, I looked up the admissions department for Seattle University and requested an application form. It was a rather pathetic act of rebellion on my part, but there was no way my dad could keep me away from Edward forever and I wasn't going to stop planning the future I wanted with him.
My dad spoke to Jake for a good long time and eventually he knocked on my door and said that Jake wanted to talk to me.
"Tell him he can go to hell." I shouted. I was too annoyed with Jake right now to have a civil conversation with him.
"Bells!" My dad said shocked. "Is this the influence the Cullens have had on you?"
"If I was influenced by the Cullens I would have said something far worse than 'go to hell'." I muttered under my breath.
"Jake told me you swore at Officer Clearwater earlier."
"Did he also tell you she's a hateful cow who deserved it?"
"Are you going to talk to him?"
"No, go away." I told him and I heard him retreat back downstairs.
I got into bed and spent a long time trying to sleep, I didn't know how I was going to change my dad's mind about Edward, especially now he had spoken to Jake. I eventually slept fitfully and dreamt of a different, far more comfortable bed that I felt I belonged in far more than my own.
When I got up in the morning, I showered, dressed and almost skipped down the stairs, my dad was on a long shift and I was planning to phone Edward and get him to come and pick me up.
"Morning Bells." My dad said as I skidded to a halt in the kitchen.
"What are you doing here?" I frowned.
"I know you clearly think I was born yesterday Bella, but I'm not an idiot and I knew the first thing you'd do if I went to work today was call that boy, so I took the day off. I meant what I said, you are to stay away from him."
"Dad please, he's not part of all that. Just because his grandfather is a criminal doesn't mean he is."
"I know it doesn't Bells, but I've spoken to Jake, I can't really divulge anything he told me because it's confidential information, but Edward Cullen is not the boy I want my daughter dating." He said firmly. "I won't be changing my mind." He added.
"You can't do this."
"It's for you own good Bella." He said and I snorted at him. "If I even get an inkling that you've been going behind my back and contacting him, I will not hesitate to put you on a plane back to your mother. I don't want to, but I will if it means it'll keep you away from Edward."
I growled at him and stomped back up the stairs, throwing open my bedroom door and shrieking with shock when I came face to face with Alice.
"Bells, you ok?" My dad called up.
"Just freaking peachy." I yelled at him, slamming my door shut as hard as I could, just in case he hadn't picked up on the fact I was still really, really, cross with him. "Alice? How did you get in here?" I whispered at her.
She smiled and shrugged, holding out a box for me.
I opened it up and found a brand new phone. It was turned on and the message light was blinking.
*I love you Princess.* was all the message said, and I felt tears wet my eyes.
"What are we going to do?" I asked Alice in a crushed whisper, this was my worst nightmare come true.
Alice put her hands on my cheeks and looked me in the eye for a couple of seconds before she smiled.
Of all the Cullen's, I felt like I knew Alice the least, but I understood perfectly that this was her way of telling me things would be fine, I'm not sure how she did it but she managed to communicate loud and clear without using words and she seemed to know I got it, because she nodded once, then walked over to my window, threw it open, waved at me and disappeared through it.
Once I was over the shock at her climbing through a window on the second floor I ran over to the ledge, but she was nowhere to be seen.
I waited impatiently until I heard my dad put the T.V. on before I called Edward.
"Princess." He answered on the first ring.
"Edward." I sighed.
"You ok?"
"Yeah, how did you know he'd take my phone?"
"When you didn't call I figured that must have been what happened, plus it's fairly standard angry dad behaviour. I take it things didn't go well last night?"
"Understatement, he grounded me until school starts and actually took the day off today to stop me calling you. He said I couldn't see you anymore, talk to you, have anything to do with you." I felt myself getting upset. "I don't know what to do Edward."
"Do you think once he's calmed down and is over the shock he'll change his mind?"
"I don't know. He spoke to Jake for ages and he seems pretty set on his decision. I can't …, I don't …" My breath hitched as I tried to fight off tears, when the reality of what it meant if my dad stuck to his decision hit me.
"Fuck Princess, don't cry, please."
"I'm not." I said and then pretty much sobbed incoherently down the phone at him for a full five minutes while he tried to console me. "I'm sorry." I said as I eventually pulled myself together.
"Don't apologise, what can I do?" He asked.
"Nothing, we're just gonna have to wait for him to calm down."
"How long do you think that will that take?"
"I don't know, he's never really been mad with me before." I took a shuddering breath and fought off more tears.
"You gonna be ok Princess?"
"I'm going to be fine." I sniffed, wiping my eyes and feeling bunged up.
"You sure?"
"Uh huh."
"You know what might cheer you up?"
"What?"
"Phone sex!" He laughed.
I giggled and snot bubbled out of my nose.
"Trust me, sex would be the last thing on your mind if you could see me now, I'm a right state." I reached for the tissues and wiped my nose.
"Princess, you're beautiful, always."
I snorted.
"It's true."
"Yeah, yeah, you just want phone sex." I laughed.
"That is also true, but I was right, it's cheered you up already and we haven't even done it yet."
"I love you Edward." I smiled.
"I love you too Princess. We'll get through this. I promise."
"I know." And I did, we had survived everything that had been thrown at us so far, and while I knew it was going to be hard, I had no doubt that we could survive this as well.
A/N – So there you have it, next chapter is actually pretty much written because I wrote one really long chapter and decided to split it here, so it shouldn't take too long to get finished.
I would love it if you let me know what you thought. x