Chapter Sixteen
Bella
Edward walked with me to Calculus.
Like, beside me and talking to me and not asking questions about my past. He asked other questions, though—like how my classes compared to my old ones, if my arm was all right, and if Charlie and I were getting along. He even sat beside me once we got to class, though the talking had stopped.
It was strange and I was nervous, but I liked talking to him. He seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say, not the gossip he'd heard. But for all I knew, he could have only been doing this for his dad—a thought which made me sad.
Carlisle and Charlie were friends, after all. It made sense that he was asked to be nice to me, but he just seemed so . . . genuine that I had a hard time believing he was just being polite. I mean, he even walked with me to English too, and then outside once the day had ended.
As I waited for Charlie, I watched him walk across the parking lot to a shiny silver Volvo, tossing his backpack in as if it weighed nothing. He glanced back toward me—or maybe the school, I guess—with a smile before getting in.
"So, I take it I was right about him?" Angela asked, standing next to me with a smile.
I shrugged. "He's certainly not rude. Why don't people like him?"
"I don't know," she sighed. "He's been nothing but kind to me too. Not as kind as he was to you, but still. No one really gave him a chance, so he didn't try either. I can't blame him, but I'm glad you two get along. He needs a friend."
"Yeah, and the smart thing doesn't exactly hurt, either."
She laughed. "Told you that you were lucky. Anyway, I'm gonna head home. Let me know if you can go this weekend?"
I nodded. "Yeah, I'll text you. Bye."
"See yeah," she said, waving as she walked away and toward her car.
Charlie pulled up moments later, apologizing for being late as I got into his cruiser.
"It's fine," I said. "I know you won't always be able to pick me up. I can start taking the bus."
"Actually, I thought we could start working on a license," he said, pulling away from the school. "I grabbed a driver's ed book for you today and you have to have your permit for six months before you get your license, but you should be able to get it this summer if things go well."
I nodded with a smile as he handed me the booklet. "You'll teach me to drive?"
"Yeah, we can go get your permit whenever you feel ready."
Tears burned my eyes as I looked at the booklet. He made the offer seem so simple, but it wasn't to me. It was freedom—something I'd been denied for so long. Phil never let me even think about driving, probably knowing it'd be harder to control me if I had such a sliver of freedom.
"Thank you," I said softly, looking up at him. "This means . . . more than I can say."
He smiled as he glanced at me for a moment. "You don't need to thank me for giving you every opportunity you deserve, but you're welcome. Just don't wreck the cruiser. Actually, on second thought, maybe I should get the old truck running again. You know, just in case."
"I'm sure the city wouldn't be too happy if I wrecked a cop car," I giggled.
"Nah, it'd come out of my pay, and I like my pay." He smirked.
. . . . .
Once we got home and I finished my homework, I spent the evening downstairs with Charlie, reading the driver's ed book and asking him questions. He answered happily, giving me more guidance than the book ever could.
As a thank you, I made him his favorite for dinner—lasagna. It wasn't much, but since it was all I could do, I made sure it was the best lasagna I'd ever made. I even sprinkled a little extra cheese on the garlic bread for him.
"I met Edward Cullen today," I said as we ate.
In between his bites, Charlie stopped moaning long enough to say, "Yeah, I heard he was out sick. God, Bells, this is amazing."
I laughed softly. "I added bacon."
His eyes widened as he grinned. "Good idea. So, did you two get along?"
"Yeah, he's my partner in biology. He's nice, but I guess most people wouldn't agree."
"Small-minded town." He shook his head. "You know, he's never given me a lick of trouble? He volunteers at the hospital with his dad too. He's a good kid—unlike some of the others at that school. I busted the Newton kid for underage drinking over the summer and probably pulled over half of 'em for speeding. Just because he didn't grow up here . . ." He sighed. "We're lucky they moved here, and I'm glad you're getting along with him."
"Yeah, me too," I said, taking a bite of dinner as I remembered Angela's offer. "Oh, um . . . can I go somewhere this weekend?"
He cocked his brow. "I said Edward was a good kid, but . . . a date?"
"No!" My cheeks flushed as he chuckled.
"Kidding," he said. "Well, kind of. I just got you, so let's not go that fast."
"It's Angela, actually."
"The Weber's girl?"
I nodded. "Yeah, she asked me if I wanted to go to Port Angeles with her this weekend—to the bookstore."
He smiled before dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "Sure, Bells. How much do you think you'll need?"
"Of what?"
"Money," he said. "You can't just go look around. I'm sure there's a book you'll want."
"You don't have to give me money," I said, shaking my head.
It still amazed me how simple he made things. I couldn't put into words how it made me feel. Was this what fathers were supposed to be like? If so, I liked it—not for the material things, but for the fact that he knew a book would make me happy. And his offers weren't always things. They were sitting up with me late at night when I couldn't sleep, taking me and picking me up from school, asking how my day was, and making sure I was comfortable.
Those things were so foreign to me, and I'd wanted them for so long. I never thought it could happen, but it was. Charlie Swan was my father—someone deserving of the title.
"Twenty okay?" he asked, completely ignoring what I'd said. "You'll probably get lunch too, so how about I give you forty and you just bring any change home if you have any?"
Knowing it was futile to argue, I just nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Charlie."
He smiled, putting another bite into his mouth. "Bacon, huh? Damn good idea."
I don't known Twilight.