Being There
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.
A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews on this story. I really appreciate it. Nikki
Part Forty Six
Bella winced when Brandon suddenly woke up and began to cry. She saw her parents turn to look her way. Charlie got back onto his feet and headed over to her. Bella sighed and went to meet him.
"I didn't know you were coming over, kiddo." Charlie's face was red as he spoke and Bella guessed he knew she had seen him propose.
"It was a last minute decision, dad. I had some good news I wanted to share. I am so sorry if I interrupted you." Bella apologised.
Charlie gave her a wry smile. "I take it you saw your old dad down on one knee."
Bella nodded, a smile playing about her lips. "Did mom say yes?"
Charlie grinned and Bella whooped for joy sending Brandon off into another crying fit. She quickly gave her dad a one armed hug before bending down to soothe her son. She picked him up out of the baby seat and followed Charlie into the back garden. Renee smiled when she saw her daughter and grandson. "I take it you know." She said in greeting.
Bella nodded. She handed Brandon to her dad while she knelt down in front of Renee and gave her a hug. "I'm so happy for you."
"Well it was certainly a surprise." Renee looked fondly up at Charlie, who was jiggling Brandon up and down, making him laugh.
Bella gave her mom another hug before sitting down on the bench seat beside her. "This is so amazing. I can't believe you are getting married again. Does this mean I get to be a bridesmaid?" She joked.
Renee laughed. "If you like."
Charlie passed Brandon to Renee while he sat down next to Bella. "What news did you have to share, kiddo?" He asked her curiously.
Bella beamed at him as she excitedly pulled out the letter she had received from the publishers. Charlie took it from her and scanned the contents. His face lit up as he passed the letter to Renee. "So my little girl is gong to be a famous author." He said proudly.
Renee squealed happily. "Oh baby girl I'm so happy for you. This really is a day to put down in our family history." Her eyes were bright as she spoke.
Bella felt tears come to her eyes as she reached over and hugged Renee again. Brandon clapped his hands together in delight as he saw all the happy faces surrounding him.
XXXXXX
Jacob arrived home to find Bella missing from the house. He sighed in irritation, he had been looking forward to spending some quality time with her and Brandon. He wondered where she had gone, she hadn't left a note or anything. While he waited for her to return he decided to have a quick shower and clean up. Jared had gone for a run, trying to burn off his excess anger at the situation with Kim.
He felt better when he had cleaned up, he put a fresh t-shirt on and a clean pair of jeans. Going into the kitchen he made himself up a quick sandwich and sat down at the kitchen table to eat it. He had just finished eating when there was a knock on the door. He grimaced, hoping it wasn't anything to do with Kim or her parents again. He had enough of imprint drama for one day. Jacob reluctantly got up and opened the door. He frowned when he saw Embry standing there.
"What do you want?" Jacob folded his arms and leaned against the door frame.
Embry ran a hand through his hair making it stand up in spikes. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked like he hadn't been sleeping much. "I just want to talk that's all."
"I don't think there's much to say at this point." Jacob stated bluntly. "You need to get over your obsession with Bells."
"I'm not obsessed. Why the fuck are you coming out with this shit?" Embry retorted. "I came here to try and sort it out. It's not fair that you're making Bella feel bad for being friends with me."
Jacob's anger flared up, he'd had a long day and he didn't want to deal with any more drama. "You're talking rubbish, Embry. Just go, I'm not in the mood. Until you sort your crap out, stay away." He warned him.
Embry shook his head in disgust. "We've been friends all our lives and this is how you treat me."
Jacob's hands curled into fists. "Friends? True friends do not hit on the girl that their friend is in love with."
"I did not hit on Bella." Embry said in frustration. "I told you how it was."
"Actually no you haven't." Jacob glared at Embry.
"What more do you want me to say?" Embry said in disbelief. "I can't help how I feel. Bella is an amazing, beautiful girl, you know that. You can't blame another guy for developing feelings for her. The main fact is I never acted on my feelings."
"Never acted on them, that's bullshit. You have done nothing recently but get between me and Bells. She told me about the other day. I warned you to back off and I find you going straight to her with some sob story. I mean it Em, get your shit together otherwise you can stay away for good." Jacob slammed the door in his friend's face, anger making his arms shake. He hadn't felt so out of control for ages. Normally he had a tight hold over his emotions but now he was having trouble fighting the urge to phase. Jacob hit the wall with his fist, leaving a dent in the plaster.
XXXXXX
Bella drove the car back home, a huge smile plastered on her face. She was still buzzing from the good news about her parents and the letter from the publishers. She glanced to the side at her son. He was fast asleep in his baby seat, Charlie had played with him and worn him out while she chatted to Renee.
Her mother had described Charlie's first proposal, it had been a hasty one after she found out that she was carrying Bella. Both of them had been unprepared for the sudden responsibilities being thrust upon them and Renee admitted she had struggled. "I never appreciated Charlie for the man he was and is now." She had told Bella. "I always loved him you know, I never stopped. I had a lot of growing up to do."
"Are you glad you came back here, mom?" Bella had asked.
"Oh yes, a lot has happened baby girl but I would not have it any other way." Both women had looked over at Charlie and Brandon.
Bella had taken her mother's hand in her own and squeezed it. "We've had some hard times but we've come out the other side."
"We sure have baby girl, we sure have." Renee had replied.
As Bella neared La Push she saw Embry walking on the side of the road, he had his head down and a bottle in his hand. As she drove closer to him she realised he looked dishevelled, he hadn't shaved and his hair was messy. She debated whether to stop and give him a lift, after all she had told him to stay away until he had got himself together. But he looked so forlorn and she was worried that he might do something he might regret. With a sigh she pulled over and hailed him.
"Embry," she called out.
He raised his head and looked at her. "Bella?"
"Where are you going?" She asked him.
Embry shrugged, he raised the bottle to his lips and drunk what was left. "I have no idea."
Bella studied him carefully, he seemed a bit drunk. The pack had a high tolerance for normal alcohol which meant he must be drinking some of the notorious res moonshine. What was he thinking? She glanced down at her sleeping son then back to Embry, who was swaying slightly on his feet as he looked back at her.
"Get in, Embry." Bella watched as he opened the back door of the car and got in. "I'll drive you home."
Embry wiped a hand across his face as he nodded. "I'm sorry, Bella." He whispered brokenly.
"Just rest, Embry." Bella replied. She glanced in the wing mirror and saw that he had closed his eyes. She gave a resigned sigh as she drove to the house he shared with his mother.
XXXXXX
Bella parked outside Embry's house and got out of the car. She unstrapped Brandon from his car seat and held him tight to her chest. "Embry we're here, you need to wake up." She called out to him.
He opened his eyes and flinched when the light hit them. Bella opened the passenger door with her free hand as she held Brandon on her hip. "Come on Embry," she urged him again. "You need to get inside and sleep this off."
Embry scrambled out of the back of the car and staggered to his feet. He took slow steps toward the house, his head was beginning to pound, he couldn't remember how much he had to drink. After his confrontation with Jacob he had gone straight home and raided his mother's stash of drink. Bella watched him walk up the steps to his house, he stumbled and only managed to save himself from the fall by holding onto the wall.
"Oh Em, why have you done this?" Bella murmured. She couldn't leave him like this. Reluctantly she followed him up into the house.
XXXXXX
Bella sat opposite Embry and passed him a mug of black coffee. "Drink this."
Embry took it from her and sipped it, wincing as the hot liquid burned his throat. The pounding in his head lessened and he leaned back on the sofa, breathing deeply. "I'm sorry." He apologised again.
Bella took one of his hands in her own and squeezed it. "I don't like seeing you like this, Em. This isn't you. Normally you are so strong." She said sadly.
"I don't want to be like this." Embry confessed. "But my life is just so empty Bella. I look around and everyone is settling down and moving on with their lives. Me, I'm just stuck here in this damn house, with a mother who prefers spending time with a bottle then her son."
"And you thought drinking would make it all better?" Bella replied exasperatedly.
"No...I don't know. I was just trying to numb the pain I guess." He admitted.
"Oh Em, I wish I could take all your pain away but I can't. I just want you to be happy." Bella said in despair.
Embry gazed at her with his dark eyes, so much like Jacob's. "I love you so much, Bella. I wish I didn't but I do and I don't know how to stop."
Bella didn't know what to say, she gazed back at him guiltily. Even though none of this was her fault she felt responsible. She wondered what she had done unknowingly to encourage his feelings. They had always got on well, but he had never shown any signs in the past of feeling anything for her other then friendship. "What changed Embry?" She asked him.
"What do you mean?" He asked her in confusion.
"You managed to hide your feelings so well in the past. I had no idea. So why is it so much harder now?"
Embry dropped his eyes to his hands. "It was when you were in the hospital. The thought of losing you from my life was unbearable. Since then I've not been able to assert the control I once had. I know it's wrong, but I can't help it."
"I wish I could give you the magic answer, Embry, but I can't." Bella glanced at her sleeping son. She really needed to get him home.
Embry noticed her biting her lip, a sure sign that she was fretting about something. "What is it?"
"I need to get Brandon home, he is due his dinner." Bella told him. "But I don't want to leave you alone like this either."
Embry sat forward in his chair and caught her hand in his own again. "You go. I'll be fine."
"Really?" Bella checked.
"Yeah." Embry gave her a sad smile.
Bella stood and picked Brandon up in her arms. "I'll call you." She said to Embry as she prepared to leave.
"Thanks, Bella." Embry said softly.
Bella gave him a small smile before leaving the house. She carefully placed her son back in his car seat and then got in the driver's side. As she switched on the engine Bella glanced back at Embry's house; guilt was weighing heavy on her heart. As soon as she got home she needed to speak to Jacob, this situation with Embry couldn't be allowed to go on, they had to come up with a plan to resolve the situation before Embry fell apart completely.
A/N-thanks for reading! I'm not too happy with this chapter but I couldn't re-write it anymore! Nikki
