9

Edward reached over and grabbed my hands to stop them from their constant fidgeting. We had been sitting here in my kitchen for a little less the half an hour Charlie would be home any minute and I was extremely nervous.

"Bella, love just relax everything is going to be fine." Edwards words did little to relieve the tension that ran through my body.

Charlie was very protective of the women in his life (basically just me and Rose) I remembered when he accidentally overhead a conversation I was having with Rose in my room when she had told me that the reason they moved from California was because she had been sexually assaulted by an older classmate. Charlie demanded to know who it was and so he could make sure that he never set foot in the state of Washington.

Admittedly this was nothing like that but still I knew he would overreact and I was anticipating the worst. So when I heard the door open and then close with a load bang I jumped and almost fell out of my seat. I waited until I heard him hang up his gun belt before I said anything.

"Hey dad can you come into the kitchen, I need to talk to you about something." I called out

"Sure Bells on my way."

I listened as he made his way through the living room and in less than a minute he was standing in the doorway. He looked confused as to why Edward was here but other than that he seemed to be in a generally good mood. He sat down across from me and Edward and nodded for me to go ahead.

"Um, dad there's something I have to tell you and I don't really know how."

He seemed to hear and see something in my voice and facial expression to think that something happened.

"Did something happen? Are the kids alright? Is that why Edward is here?" He asked with a semi panicked tone

I seemed to have lost all capability of speech and Edward sensed this so he answered Charlie, "No nothing happened the kids are fin, although thank you for your concern. " Charlie nodded and Edward continued, "What we want to tell you is that Bella and I have been seeing each other for the past month and a half."

The moment I was waiting for happened in a split second before I could register it.

Charlie had Edward up against the fridge his fist holding him there by his shirt while he began to yell at him, my brain didn't seem to register what Charlie was yelling until I heard him say, "Who do you think you are to go after my daughter! You are a perverted man and I want you out of my house and away from my daughter! And she is never to come over and babysit those children of yours!"

I tried pulling Charlie away from Edward who wasn't fighting back he knew it would just make him more angry. Charlie didn't seem to hear or even feel my attempts to get him off of Edward. Then without warning he swung Edward around roughly knocking me on the floor and pushed him through the living room and out the door.

I stayed on the floor mostly out of shock, I knew Charlie would be angry but not this bad. I heard the door slam just as I realized I was crying I was wiping the tears away when Charlie came stomping into the room clearly still very angry.

I stood up and before he could say anything I walked up to him my fists balled at my sides, "Edward has done nothing wrong I am 18 Charlie I may be in high school still but I am an adult and can date who I want you cant tell me who I can and cannot be with."

"Bella," he started still angry but not as much my anger seemed to have woken him up some and he seemed to be a bit more rational, "that man is your employer he should not be in a relationship with you no matter how old you are! I don't want you seeing him or even babysitting for him anymore. The law would see what he is doing as wrong he is using his position over you to make you think that this is okay and its not!"

"No, Charlie the law will see it as two people both adults who love each other and since I get paid under the table per say there is not even any real proof that he does pay me. He isn't paying me more since this started, in fact I told him that don't want his money anymore because this isn't a job for me anymore. I love him and I love those kids and if you cant see that then you are just stupid. Not everything is black and white a man Edwards age can fall in love with a girl my age. It doesn't have to be wrong I think it's beautiful."

"Well as long as you live under my roof and under my care you are not to see him or even talk to him in fact your grounded!"

"You seem to be forgetting that I'm 18 I legally don't have to live with you I could have moved out months ago I have more than enough money to pay for a small apartment. I stayed because I'm not Renee and I love you, but if that is how you feel then I'm moving out now!" I stepped around him and made my way upstairs I could hear him following me but I ignored him.

I made it to the landing outside our rooms before he said anything, "Bells where are you going to go? Apartments take time to get into and you cant live with that man!"

I rounded on him and looked him right in his face, "I will stay with Rose for your information and I can live with Edward if I damn well please, and honestly living in my truck would be better than living here!" With that I turned and strode into my room shutting and locking the door behind me.

I pulled out the biggest suitcase I had from my closet and started emptying my drawers and closet into it. As soon as all my clothes were packed I placed my laptop and the cord in its case and put it in the suitcase as well. Wanting to get out as soon as possible I didn't go into the bathroom to grab any of my toiletries I would get new ones later. After throwing my school books and folders back into my backpack and throwing a few more non essential items into my suitcase and zipped it up. Taking one last look at my room I grabbed my suitcase and backpack and left my room and ignoring Charlie who was still outside my room I went downstairs and out to my truck.

I had no intention of going to Rose's but Charlie didn't need to know that, I pulled up to Edward's house turned off my truck and ran into the house where I found him pacing the living room. As soon as he saw me he opened his arms for me to run into.

He held me tight and stroked my hair and whispered into my ear, "Bella, love I am so sorry. I didn't know he would react the way he did."

He pulled me to the couch and sat down pulling me into his lap. We sat there for hours my tears soaking his shirt. It was dark by the time we pulled apart as we did he wiped the tears from my cheeks and gently kissed my lips.

"Edward I moved out I hated using the move out card on him but there just wasn't any other way!"

He shushed me as my voice hitched and I started to cry again, "Bella I love you we will get through this and Charlie will come around. He just needs time and we need to give it to him, and as for you moving out you can stay here you did what you felt you had to. Don't second guess yourself." I nodded and he kissed my forehead he knew just what to say to calm me down.

He left me alone for a few minutes while he went out to get my bags and take them to his room. While he was gone Charlie texted.

Bella come home now

I wont permit this

I shook my head I almost didn't reply but realized that if I didn't he would just keep at it.

No, I will be by sometime this week

to get the rest of my things.

in the meantime just leave

me alone

After sending the message I shut of my phone no need for me to read anything else he might send me. If I needed to talk to Rose I would go through Facebook or use Edwards phone.

Since the kids were gone until Saturday and I was off school till Monday and Edward working I decided to clean Edwards house. It hadn't had a deep clean in awhile and after the events of the night before it was the perfect thing to keep my mind off of things. He had wanted to call in to stay home with me but I told him no that he needed to go to work and that I would be fine.

I was elbow deep in tile cleaner and halfway through cleaning the bathroom when the doorbell rang. There was not allot of people I would expect to show up so I guessed it was Rose but I could be wrong. So I rinsed off and went to answer the door, I was right it was Rose as soon as the door was opened she rushed in and pulled me into a bone crushing hug.

"Bella I am so sorry about what happened with your dad, he called me last night and I instinctively covered for you."

"I'm okay Rose I promise was he angry when he called?"

"No he actually seemed distraught like he couldn't believe how he reacted, he regrets it B, he wishes he could take it back."

That does sound like Charlie although he had a temper and tended to overreact he was always one to see reason quickly and realize when he was in the wrong.

"Bella he said he was wrong for how he reacted he wants you to come home." She gave me that look that said she was just passing the message but that she wanted me to do what I thought was right.

"I'm not going back but when I've cooled off I'll talk to him. I am not Renee I won't leave him like that. I have always been more independent then most people my age and Charlie has always known this the only reason I didn't move out sooner was because I love him and I didn't want to be like Renee and just leave. I know it's kind of what I did last night but once I talk to him, he will see that it's not like that."

She nodded in agreement and decided to help me clean. Most people would laugh if I told them she was helping me clean but anyone who knew Rose knew that through the pretty exterior was someone who would do anything to help cheer up a friend, including scrubbing toilets and mopping floors.