Moonlight in Forks
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Renee Talks to Bella
They went for a slow walk along the beach. Renee wanted to show off all the beauties of her new home, secretly hoping that the sun and the laid-back lifestyle would entice her tense daughter to come and live with her in Florida. She also wanted to talk with Bella alone. It had been difficult for her to lure Bella away from her boyfriend-she had been attached firmly to his side ever since they had arrived.
Renee didn't know what to make of Edward Cullen. He was handsome certainly, and always unfailingly polite. And rich, of course. He wasn't showy with it. The clothes he wore were expensive but understated. He wore no flashy jewellery or watch. In fact, he seemed to want to disguise he came from a moneyed background.
He was very pale. His eyes at the beginning were a pale amber, but that had faded as the days went by. They were now ringed with black. He seemed to have an aversion to the sun. He never went out during the day, preferring to wait until evening set in, when the sun was just about to set, bleeding red below the horizon.
Renee wondered if he was ill. Bella seemed to treat him with kid gloves, constantly on edge and worrying about him. She may not express it verbally, but there was always an undercurrent of tension and concern for his welfare printed right across her face. She probably thought she was hiding it. But Renee knew. She could see. She was intuitive that way.
They ambled along the sidewalk in silence for a while, as Renee plucked up the courage to bring up the subject with her insecure daughter-Bella was so reticent and reclusive, and her relationship with Edward was a topic not to be undertaken lightly, (something her own father, Charlie, had learned to his detriment).
Mother and daughter stayed in the range of the infrequent palm trees shadows, though it was early, the heat was smothering. The air was so heavy with moisture that just breathing in and out was giving their lungs a workout.
"Bella?" Renee asked, looking out past the sand to the lightly crashing waves as she spoke.
A resigned look crossed Bella's face at her mother's tone. She already seemed to have guessed where this conversation was going. "Please, no lectures. I've been through this with dad already. Edward and I have worked through our issues. We are in a good place. Can't you just put your reservations aside and be happy that I've found someone who cares about me."
Renee frowned, still looking toward the water, not meeting Bella's gaze. "That is part of the problem, Bella. You see it as caring, but I see it as something else entirely."
"What do you mean?" Bella said dubiously.
"There's something strange about the way you two are together." Renee continued, her forehead creasing further. Her eyes were troubled as she finally met Bella's pensive gaze. "The way he watches you constantly, it's so…." She fumbled for the right word. "Possessive."
Bella laughed nervously, trying to make light of it. "I think you're overthinking things, Mom. Edward is not the possessive type. Overprotective sometimes, sure, but in no way possessive."
Renee remained unconvinced by her daughter's rebuttal. "I'm sorry, baby girl. I know you don't want to hear this-but there's something about him that makes me uneasy."
Bella's heart started to flutter with panic.
"He's way too intense about you…and its odd the way he never wants to mix with other people…"
"That's not true!" Bella denied defensively.
"Why didn't he want to come to the barbecue that I set up so that I could introduce you to some of Phil and my friends? He came up with that lame excuse about having to study…"
"He is studying!"
"Oh rubbish! You are on vacation. He won't mix. So that means you don't, either." Renee gave Bella a stern look. "And the way he stays indoors practically until nightfall…"
"He burns in the sun. And he wants to give us space to spend time together." Bella interrupted again.
"They are just more excuses, Bella. And none of them make sense."
"You've been talking to Dad!"
"Of course. We're concerned about you."
"You don't need to be." Bella was getting obstinate now. Her brows were drawn down, her arms crossed over her chest in a defensive posture. The flutter in her stomach turned to dread. She had forgotten how much her mother saw. Something about her simple view of the world cut through all the distractions and pierced right through to the truth of things. This had never been a problem before, until now there had never been a secret she couldn't tell her.
Renee's lips thinned, she gazed at her daughter with scrutinising eyes, as if she suddenly had the same power as Edward to read people's minds. Or her daughter's at least. Even Edward didn't have that power.
"It's not just him. Its you as well. I wish you could see how you are around him."
"What do you mean?"
"The way you move-you orient yourself around him, putting his needs and wants at the forefront of everything that you do. It's like you're obsessed with trying to make sure that you don't make a mistake, like there is always the worry at the back of your mind that he is going to up and leave again if you say or do something he doesn't agree with."
Renee pursed her lips and stared down as Bella glared at her.
"You're reading too much into it." Bella argued. "I am not worried or anxious at all. I already told you-Edward and I have worked through our issues. We are in a good place. He's happy. I'm happy. The only thing spoiling it is everyone questioning how we feel about each other. Please be happy for me, Mom. That's all I want."
Renee regarded her daughter carefully. Just as she anticipated, the topic was descending into an argument-an argument that was surely going to get them both nowhere.
"Come on, Mom." Bella tried to make light of it, hoping to put off her mother's concerns with gentle teasing. "I'm perfectly fine. Have you been reading one of your self-help books again?"
Renee flushed a delicate pink. "That's beside the point."
"Aha." Bella openly laughed, her whole-body relaxing. "You can't believe everything you read in those books, Mom. Remember when you were into mysteries? You thought you were a sleuth. And then when you got into sci-fi, it was aliens everywhere – "
"Bella, this is serious!" Renee cut in swiftly, upset by Bella's dismissal of her concerns.
"No more, Mom!" Bella still refused to listen, as she resumed walking. "You should stick to romance novels. All you're doing with this self-help stuff is freaking yourself out."
Renee hurried after her daughter, unable to think of a suitable rejoinder. She was already caving into Bella's trivialising of her worries, thinking herself not up to the task of being the parent that Bella so badly needed-Charlie was always the one who found it easier to voice his views, however brusquely.
Renee decided a different approach. She gestured grandly toward the white sands stretching to the blue water. "Come on, baby girl. Let's not fall out. Look around you. This place is beautiful. Are you sure I can't tempt you to move here with me and Phil? I mean at some point you and Edward will be going to different colleges anyway."
Bella frowned again, wiping her hand across her forehead, and then pretending to ring her hair out. "My tresses won't stand the humidity." She said sarcastically.
"You get used to it." Renee continued desperately.
"I've got used to the rain." Bella answered drily. "And anyway, Edward and I will be going to the same college."
Renee felt a cold shiver run down her back despite the heat. "I see." She said faintly. "He really has got it all worked out, hasn't he?"
"Mom!" Bella protested again. She elbowed Renee playfully, and took her hand as she pulled her back toward her car. "I told you, everything's fine." She said one final time, effectively putting an end to the conversation.
They were back home now. Bella felt Edward's icy fingers brush her cheek reassuringly. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Don't concern yourself, my love. Renee will come around. You'll see."
They were parked in front of the house. The porch light was on and the cruiser was in the driveway-which meant that Charlie was home and probably waiting to pounce. Bella examined the house agitatedly, she saw the curtain twitch in the living room window, flashing a yellow light across the dark lawn.
Edward looked toward the house too. His expression closed down and his eyes became distant as he climbed gracefully out of the car and went to open Bella's door for her.
"Is it bad?" Bella asked when she saw Edward stiffen as he glanced toward the house again. He was clearly reading Charlie's mind.
"It is no more than expected. Your father is just concerned for you. As am I." Edward forced a smile.
"I doubt that." Bella was disbelieving. She fully expected as soon as her mother saw her onto the plane that she had rung Charlie with the results of their conversation.
The front door opened as they reached the porch. Charlie took Bella's small bag from Edward and stepped aside to let them enter, his eyes narrowing in annoyance as Edward accompanied Bella inside. It was clear he had been hoping that Edward would have left straight away after dropping his daughter off. But he refrained from commenting.
"Welcome home, kid. How was Jacksonville?"
"Moist. And buggy."
"So, Renee didn't sell you on the University of Florida?"
Bella eyed him pensively. "I expect you already know the answer to that." She guessed.
Charlie grimaced, knowing he had been caught out. His eyes flashed unwillingly to Edward. "Did you have a nice time?" He asked grudgingly.
"Yes." Edward flashed him his most serene smile "Renee and Phil were most welcoming."
"I bet." Charlie muttered. He turned away from Edward and suddenly pulled Bella into an unexpected hug.
"Wow, Dad." Bella laughed nervously as she returned the hug. She wasn't used to such emotional displays from her taciturn parent. Charlie must have really missed her.
"I'm glad you're home, Bells. The food around here sucks when you're gone." Charlie joked.
"Oh, so it's only my cooking you missed?" Bella said archly.
Charlie grinned at her and Bella grinned right back,
"I'd better get right on it. What can I make you?"
"I'm good for now." Charlie gave a sly glance in Edward's direction. "There is something I need you to do for me first."
"What?" Bella's suspicions were aroused at once. One look at Edward's face told her that it wasn't going to be good. He was clearly annoyed at whatever her father was thinking.
"Would you call Jacob? He's been bugging me every five minutes since six o'clock this morning. He's clearly upset about something. I promised I'd get you to call as soon as you got back.
Bella felt the ice coming from Edward. His expression was severe, he wasn't bothering to hide his displeasure. Bella wavered. "I'll call him tomorrow." She hedged.
"No, now, Bella." Charlie insisted.
The phone ran then right on cue.
"That's him again, I'd bet my next pay check." Charlie pointed toward the phone. "Answer it, Bella."
With Edward staring at her, Bella reluctantly grabbed the phone mid-ring. She twisted around so she wouldn't have to see the livid light in her boyfriend's eyes. It was a difficult enough situation as it was, with Charlie listening in as well.
"Hello?"
"You're back." Jacob's familiar husky voice sent waves of wistfulness through Bella. A thousand memories resurfaced in her head, tangling together, making a lump lodge in her throat-a rocky beach strewn with driftwood trees, a garage made of plastic sheds, warm sodas in a paper bag, a tiny room with one too small shabby loveseat. The laughter in his deep-set black eyes, the feverish heat of his hand around hers, his face stretching into the wide smile that had always been like a key to the secret door lodged deep in the recesses of her heart, where only those she loved resided.
It was like homesickness, this strange longing for a place and a person who had become such a big part of her.
Then one glance over her shoulder at Edward's angry stare shattered the warm memories like the Titanic hitting the iceberg.
"Yes, I'm back." Bella finally said.
"Why didn't you call me?" Jacob demanded, there was an air of desperation in his voice.
"Because I've only been back in the house for two seconds." Bella retorted.
"Oh, sorry." Jacob was quick to apologise.
"Sure. Now, tell me why you are harassing Charlie?"
"Are you alone?" Jacob dropped his voice to a whisper.
"Um…Edward and Charlie are right here." Bella admitted. "Why?"
"Right." Jacob paused for a few seconds. "Okay, so you can't talk. You going to school tomorrow."
"Yes. Why?"
"No reason." Jacob said quickly. "I have to go. Talk soon. Bye."
"Jake? Jake?" Bella pleaded.
But he was already gone.
A/N-thanks for reading!
