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Chapter 53

Parent Talks

Bella

Alice and Esmé were beside themselves with excitement, had handed out wedding booklets and were constantly on the phone. Jasper and Carlisle congratulated us both and then went hunting. Jasper said he couldn't stand all this excitement from Esmé and Alice.

Emmett looked over at me as we sat on the sofa.

"You know we have to tell him," he said.

I sighed and sank deeper into the pillows.

Charlie would freak out.

I nodded surrendered and let him pull me up.

"He's going to kill me," I said, hanging my head as we walked to Emmett's Jeep.

He laughed out.

"I'd love to see Charlie's face if he really tried to kill two vampires," he said, opening the passenger door for me.

I was glad I didn't have a heartbeat anymore, because if I were still human, my heart probably would have jumped out of my chest when we rang Charlie's doorbell.

He opened and invited us in.

I definitely smelled pizza in the kitchen.

"Hi ... I didn't expect you guys to come visit me the very next day," Charlie said, taking the pizza out of the oven. "If you want one too, I'll put a second one in the oven," he said, pointing to his dinner.

I grinned and shook my head.

"We've both eaten already," I said.

Emmett nudged me to keep talking. I took a deep breath, which wasn't such a great idea because Charlie's blood could be smelled all over the house. My stomach felt like it was curling up and I didn't know if it was due to the smell of blood or my nervousness.

"Dad ... um ... I need to ... Well, I need to tell you something."

Charlie looked up from his plate in amazement. He nodded slowly to get me to continue talking.

"So ... Emmett and I ..."

I unconsciously looked down at my engagement ring.

Charlie followed my gaze and reached for my hand, wincing slightly as he felt the cold skin.

He choked on a dry piece of the pizza and started coughing. Emmett was already behind him and applied the Heimlich grip.

I hoped he wouldn't break any ribs on him.

After Charlie recovered from his choking attack, he looked back at the two of us. His gaze wandered nervously from me to Emmett to the ring.

"You ... are ... engaged?", he said slowly.

His face looked too shocked to comprehend it all.

We both nodded.

"NO! Bella, you're only eighteen! You have your whole life ahead of you. Don't make the same mistake your mother and I did!", he said angrily.

I knew he was going to bring that up with Mom and him.

"Dad, we ...," I began.

"NO, Bella, I will not allow this! And don't say now you love each other. You are so young. You don't know what love is."

Emmett suddenly stood up from his chair.

"Sir," he said in all seriousness. "With all due respect ... but you have no idea how much I love Bella! I would do anything for her to be happy. I will love her forever and ever," he said.

His voice was full of fervor and his eyes shone with love. I took Emmett's hand and stood up too.

"It's the same for me. It's not the same as with you and Mom. I will love him forever," I said.

Through our words, Charlie was speechless.

After an eternal minute of staring, he found his voice again.

This time he tried to sound less angry, but it was difficult for him.

"Bella, every teenager says that. Everyone thinks their love is special. Just wait a few more years. You're too young!", he said in a tone where further discussion was pointless.

But that only made me angrier.

"You can't forbid me. I'm old enough to make decisions."

I turned around and wanted to walk away.

"Bella," he said in a hurt voice.

I stopped, but didn't want to turn around and look into his hurt eyes.

"I'm just trying to protect you ..." he began.

Emmett laughed so softly that only I could hear it.

As if a vampire needed to be protected.

I turned around.

"Please, Belly, don't be mad at me. I don't want to lose my little girl. First you suddenly don't live with me and the next day you tell me you want to get married. What's the hurry?", he asked, now already calmer than before.

I went to him and hugged him.

Luckily I had a long-sleeved sweater on.

"Dad, I will always be your little girl and I will always love you. But you have to let go. I'm an adult," I said, and tried hard not to touch his face with my own.

I felt him exhale in surrender and let go of him to go back to Emmett.

"He's what I want," I said, taking Emmett's hand.

He smiled down at me.

Charlie rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair.

"Oh, do whatever you want," he said devotedly, continuing to eat his pizza.

I smiled at him.

"Alice will send you an invitation. I hope I don't have to walk down the aisle without my father," I said.

I saw a little glint in his eye, but he still feigned offense.

"Yeah yeah ... Whatever you say."

We said our goodbyes and headed back home.

Emmett patted my head with one hand.

"See, it went great," he said with a grin on his face.

"Great," I repeated sarcastically.

He took his cell phone and tossed it over to me.

I caught it without any problems.

"What am I supposed to do with this?", I said and held it up.

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Of course, you can wait until Charlie calls your mother and tells her. And then she yells at you angrily because you didn't tell her in person," he said, holding out his hand again so I could give him the phone.

I dialed Renée's number.

"Hello?" she answered after the second ring.

"Hi, Mom, it's me."

"Oh Bella, I haven't heard from you in so long. Hold on a second ... I have Charlie on the other line. He just called me too," she said.

"Mom, wait!", I yelled when I heard she was about to change the line. "Tell him to hang up and call you back later. There's something I want to tell you. Dad can wait."

She changed the line briefly and I heard the busy tone. After a minute, she was back on the line.

At least she didn't yell at me. Not yet. That meant Charlie hadn't told yet.

"Before you say anything, dear. Where did you get the idea to ride a motorcycle? Your father told me everything last night! I don't even know what my girl looks like now! I could walk by my own daughter and not recognize her. Do you know how awful that feels! How could you do something like this to us? Motorcycles?", she lectured me.

Emmett next to me chuckled softly.

"Mom, please. Also ... what about that motorcycle gang phase you had three years ago? So don't lecture me about riding a motorcycle," I said, not wanting to get into the subject any further.

We had arrived in front of the Cullens' house by now, but we both still stayed in the car.

Apparently my argument about the motorcycle gang seemed to have worked, because she remained silent.

"So, what I wanted to tell you ...", I began. I looked to Emmett for help. He gave me an encouraging nod. "Please don't be mad, Mom. Dad already freaked out and lectured me ..."

"Bella, what is it about when Charlie flips out?", she asked.

I took a deep breath in and out.

"I ... am ..."

"Pregnant? You're pregnant, Bella? We talked about this, didn't we? How could this happen?", she asked me in a hysterical voice.

"NO, MOM!", I yelled over her hysterical chatter. "I'm engaged," I said in one breath.

Their chatter stopped and it was quiet again.

I heard that she had held her breath.

"Engaged?"

"Yes."

"But you are still so young! Wait. With whom?", she said.

She knew I was with Emmett. Did she think I would change men as often as she did before she met Phil.

"Mom, I'm not as jumpy as you are. Of course with Emmett."

"Ah ... with Mr. 'God gave him a rich gift,'" she said.

Emmett next to me laughed out loud and banged his head on the wheel. His whole body shook with laughter. I punched him hard in the arm, but he didn't stop.

"Moohom ...!", I said reproachfully.

"So, I hope you don't marry him just for that."

God! Why was Renée so embarrassingly!

Emmett opened the door and lay on the floor outside. He couldn't stop laughing.

"How can you think such a thing of me? Is that your only concern?", I said annoyed.

"Honey, I was just kidding. I know you're much more responsible and sensible than I am. And no, it's not my only concern. But like you said, Charlie seems to have already read you the riot act and ... well ... I think you should make your own mistakes," she said.

"Then you think it's a mistake?"

"You won't know until you try it. But it would definitely be a mistake if I'm not invited to the wedding," she warned me.

If that was her only problem, I could live with that. I thought she would freak out just like Dad did, or worse.

"Of course, Mom. We'll send you and Phil an invitation," I said.

I was about to say goodbye when Alice appeared. She looked at Emmett with a disapproving look and reached out for the phone.

"Um ... Mom. Alice, Emmett's sister, wants to talk to you for a minute?"

My astonishment made the sentence sound more like a question.

I said goodbye and handed the phone to Alice with a questioning look on my face.

"Heelloo ... Renée. I can call you Renée, can't I? So about the wedding, Esmé - that is, our mother - and I are already organizing everything ...", Alice babbled enthusiastically and stormed back into the house with the cell phone.

I got out and stood in front of Emmett, who was still on the ground, grinning stupidly at me.

I tried to ignore the reason for his laughing attack.

"Are you going to lie around there for a long time?", I asked annoyed.

"'God gave him a rich gift'?", he quoted me and started laughing again.

I turned around and ran into the house. But he was already behind me and ran along beside me.

"Do you really think so?", he asked like an insecure little boy.

Idiot!

"Don't pretend you don't know!" I said and quickened my steps.

Emmett chuckled.

"Your mom is really the bomb!" he said as we walked back into the house. "Motorcycle gang!", and he laughed again.