A/N
Sorry I've been MIA. Writing isn't easy and RL will always take the front seat. I know I said a bit of a time jump and I e also said the characters seem to write themselves and they have!
Hope it was worth the wait!
I see more followers, that is awesome! Keep 'em coming. The only request I have is, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
*I don't have a beta, so all mistakes are mine.
— TVIMH —
The Voice Inside My Head
By Morgan Jenson
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Bella POV
Rolling over in bed I notice Angela is not in the room. I guess she must have already left, going home to visit her family for the 4th of July. Looking at the clock I see it's later than I thought, 11:30am. I sigh and rub my face with my hands to try and wake myself up a bit more. I must have been more tired than I thought. The internship, although rewarding, has been keeping me very busy. I'm so thankful they gave me the past couple of days off, I have definitely needed the time to recoup.
It's now Saturday, the 4th, and the campus is most likely empty. The majority of the students left when summer began and the few that were here haven't had class this week due the holiday. I would have gone home as well, but I was obligated to stay due to the internship. Tanya, at the last minute, told me on Wednesday afternoon not to come back in until Monday, but with the short notice I couldn't get a flight home.
Deciding to take advantage of the unexpected days off, I did my laundry, shopped for a few dorm and school items, and straightened our room. Once all of that was completed, I slept. Considering the time I woke up, I definitely needed it. At least now I can watch the Braves game and not feel like I should be doing something productive.
Thinking about the Braves game makes me think of Edward Cullen. The last game I watched was the day of the shoot, the game he personally invited me to. I was so disappointed but there wasn't anything I could do. Deciding not to read too much into his game play and the look of disappointment on his face that day, I tried to put it behind me. Granted, that was this past Tuesday, so it's only been a few days, but, I still find myself thinking about him.
I get out of bed and begin to gather what I'll need so I can shower. Grabbing my most comfortable clothes, it's not like I need to impress anyone, I leave my room and go to the bathroom.
Once I'm showered and dressed I blow dry my hair. I decide to leave my hair down without any product, as again, not trying to impress anyone. Leaving the bathroom I turn the corner and bump into someone which causes me to drop my toiletry bag. Bending down to pick it up, we then bump our heads.
"Ow"
"Still clumsy as ever, huh Bella?"
I know that voice!
"Oh my God, Dad! What are you doing here?" I can't believe he's here!
I immediately go to hug him, unable to keep my excitement at bay. My dad, Charlie, he and I are as close as can be. To say I'm a daddy's girl is an understatement.
"Well, your mom and I missed you kiddo. When you called to let us know about having time off, but not being able to get a ticket, I decided a visit was in order."
"Where's mom?" Looking around I notice my mom isn't here.
"She's stuck at home. She wasn't able to get the time off work on such short notice, but she said she's sorry and misses you."
"That sucks, but I understand."
He bends down to pick up my forgotten toiletry bag and hands it to me. He looks around and starts to walk the way I was going.
"So, show me this room if yours and will I get to meet Angela?"
"Angela left this morning," I respond while showing dad to my room.
I let him enter my room first, thankful for the time I had to straighten everything and get my laundry done. Angela and I aren't slobs, but no one needs to see our unmentionables out and about. I put my stuff away and take a seat at my bed while my dad looks around.
"Looks like you've settled in and made this place your home away from home." He says while pointing out my photos on the wall by my desk and the lights.
"Yeah, Angela and tried to make it homey. We're very lucky we get to stay in the same room for Sophomore year as well. Figured we'd brighten it up with the twinkle lights."
I chuckle a bit. Both Angela and I aren't very tall and trying to hang the twinkle lights around the room close to the ceiling was definitely difficult to say the least.
"I hope you weren't the one on the ladder, Bella. That has disaster written all over it" He finishes with a laugh and a wink at me.
"Of course not!" I laugh out.
My dad pulls out my desk chair and takes a seat. He's looking at the photos I've got on the wall. There are several of me and my family as well as my friends from home. He looks deep in thought and pulls a thumbtack out to remove one of the photos. I can't see the one he's looking at as I'm sitting with my legs crossed, my back up against the wall.
"Everything okay dad?"
He clears his throat. "Yes." He responds. "Do you remember this?" He asks, getting up to take a seat next to me on my bed, showing me the photo.
"Of course, I do! How could I forget?"
The picture he handed me is of the two of us. I was eight and sitting on his shoulders. I have the biggest smile on my face with a gap between my teeth as I had just lost my second tooth. Both my top two front teeth were gone, my cheeks red from the heat, freckles prominent as I had gotten some sun, my hair a complete mess, but covered by my Atlanta Braves hat. My dad looked just as happy, no grays in his hair yet, but just a few wrinkles around his eyes and mouth.
It was just him and I at my very first Braves game. He told me what to expect beforehand as I'd only ever seen them play on TV, but nothing could have prepared me for the real thing. The feelings I got being surrounded by thousands of fans, all screaming and cheering for the same team, and the disappointment when they lost.
"I remember, dad. I look at this picture and wonder how we could both have such big smiles after the loss, but the energy of being in the stadium just makes me happy."
He smiles at my response, the same smile as the picture, but now he's got a bit of gray in his hair.
"Bella, you smiled the whole time we were there. I'm still trying to figure out how you booed and smiled at the same time!"
I bust out laughing as he tries to emulate what I did that day and he fails miserably. Once we stop laughing, he looks deep in thought again, and then continues.
"We had just walked down to the lower level and as we were about to leave the field area you pulled on my hand to stop me. You grabbed onto the camera, tugged on the neck strap, and demanded a picture."
"Right," I interrupt, "and you asked me who would take the picture since it was just the two of us at the game."
"I'll never forget, Bella. When you let go of my hand and ran. I know nothing happened to you, but…"
He clears his throat and I lean my head on his shoulder. It's obviously been many years since that happened but I'll always feel bad that I scared him so much.
"You were gone so quickly, disappearing into the crowd. You came back less than a minute later, though it felt much longer to me, holding a stranger's hand. Then with the biggest smile, unaware of my inner turmoil, you said."
I can't help but interrupt him again.
"This thing will take our picture." I make sure to say it like I did that day, lisp and all, due to my then missing teeth, that we both bust out laughing again.
"Dad, it's not my fault I didn't know what to call him. I saw him during the game, but you never told me what his name was."
"I swear it was like riding a rollercoaster that day. We were both so happy, when you ran away, I was scared to death. Then back to smiling and laughing when you brought the Braves mascot back with you. You looked so proud having found someone to take our picture, I didn't have the heart to yell at you right then for letting go of my hand."
We again break down laughing. The Braves mascot at that time was Rally. He was bear-like, shaggy, all red, but with a blue mohawk.
"You're right, I was oblivious to how scared you were. Your mood changed so quickly that I only saw you smiling. You handed your camera to the mascot, lifted me up onto your shoulders, and he took the picture. I still don't know how he was able to do that with those big red fuzzy hands of his."
"I thought he was going to drop the camera too!" He agrees with a laugh.
I smile at the picture and then at my dad. I get up from the bed to re-hang the picture and turn back to him, leaning on my desk.
"So dad, how long are you here for?"
"Actually, I have to leave first thing in the morning." He pauses, looking at his watch. "Oh, I didn't realize it was this late already"
He gets up from the bed and starts walking toward the door. I'm confused as to why he's leaving so quickly, especially since he doesn't go home until tomorrow morning. I'm about to ask him when he turns back to me with his hand on the door knob.
"You better get some shoes on kiddo or we'll be late to the 4th of July Braves game against the Mets."
He throws me a wink and smile but has taken me by surprise that I'm slow on the uptake, and don't move right away.
"Bella, you coming or what?"
"Hell yeah!"
Miss my chance to see Edward again, Hell no!
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— TVIMH —
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Morgan POV
I feel like so much time has passed. I've been so busy with Ethan that I haven't been writing. I haven't known what to write, but I'm staying true to myself and only writing when I feel it.
Ethan and I have been on several dates, but I haven't let him read any of the story. I'm just not there yet. Parts of me are in there and I'm not sure if I can share it all. He wouldn't know what is true or not and I don't think I'm ready to answer all of the questions he's sure to have.
I get up from my desk and grab my discarded tissues. Writing the last chapter with Bella and her dad makes me miss my own. It will be 22 years next March since my dad passed away. Like Bella, I was a daddy's girl and I still miss him. A couple of years after he passed I called my mom crying, saying I missed my dad. She said, " you'll always miss him, but it will get easier", I guess she was right after all. It still didn't keep me from shedding a few tears though.
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— TVIMH —
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A/N
I already know what the next chapter will bring and you WON'T want to miss it!
Please review, if you want it faster! :)