Fathers

Charlie

Part Seven

By Simon

All right, I’ve just about had it up to my eyebrows with being jerked around by the Cullens and my daughter—and damn if it isn’t Bella who’s busting my hump the most. She runs away, ends up in a damn hospital in Arizona for two weeks, comes back in a cast and then decides to stay with her damn boyfriend’s family instead of in her own home. F’the love of God; will someone please explain this one to me so I can understand it?

Am I imagining that scene where she dumped the Cullen kid because of some—God only knows what that was about but she dumps him and runs away to Phoenix.

You want to know what she told me over the phone as an excuse to stay with her supposed ex-boyfriend? Over the damn phone?? It’s me. I’m too busy with my job and catching whatever animal killed two people to ‘nursemaid’ her and wait on her. But at the Cullens Edward’s mother was home and happy to look after her and her doctor would be right there in case anything happened, not that it would, of course.

Then, just when I was about to tell her to pack her bags and I’d be over there in about ten minutes to load her into the patrol car and bring her home she hands the phone to Mrs. Cullen. Esme, as she insisted I call her—blathers on about how it’s no trouble and they feel responsible for what happened. In fact, I’d be doing them the favor by letting them make some small amends.

Then Esme goes on about how they have plenty of room, they’re just so fond of Bella and she’d make sure that nothing happens between ‘the kids’ that I’d disapprove of. Edward can get whatever schoolwork she needs and bring it home ever day and it will be no trouble at all. In fact, she’s thrilled for the chance to get to know Bella since Edward is so fixed on her. That’s what she said—he’s ‘fixed’ on her.

I’ll just bet that he is.

So I’m going over there this afternoon after my shift to—finally—see my injured daughter.

I’ve decided to just drop in, unannounced, just see for myself what’s going on over there.

Sure, I’ve talked with Dr. Cullen, Carlisle as he insists I call him and he says that Bella’s healing just fine. He went on, sitting in his office there at the hospital, that they were happy to have her there. She was a pleasure to have around and that he was happy to see that ‘the kids’ (Christ, if I hear that term one more time I’m going to lose it) were behaving themselves.

Okay, four o’clock I’m over there to see for myself.

So I pull up to the front door after almost getting lost finding their damn three mile long driveway. ‘Quite a place, all right—all windows and reeking of money. Christ, I wish I were a high priced doctor, too. So I pull up, like I said and the door opens before I can even get out of the car and there’s a woman, a very pretty woman, standing there with a great big smile.

“Chief Swan, please come in, I’m Esme—it’s such a pleasure to finally meet you!” She goes on and on and I go inside. “You must think I’m terrible, neglecting to invite you over when you must be beside yourself worrying about poor Bella. Well, she’s right here, waiting for you.”

Damn, talk about a house. I had no idea that a place like that existed in Forks, or in the Pacific Northwest, for that matter. It wasn’t just the building itself; every room was furnished with stuff even I could tell was antique, old, expensive and probably one of a kind. It was a showplace and, if I didn’t know that no one from town had ever set eyes on the place, I’d have thought that it was designed to impress. As it was, and the longer I was there, I started to believe that this is just the way the Cullen’s live.

Must be nice.

So there’s Bella sitting there on this white couch, a throw covering her lower half, though I could see the bulge and lump made by the cast on her leg. She looked okay, aside from that, even though Cullen—Edward—was sitting beside her, holding her hand. He got up to approach me as soon as he saw me and I thought I caught a look pass between him and his ‘mother’ but my attention was mostly on Bella so maybe not. I also got the impression that my visit wasn’t the surprise I was hoping for. I’d purposely just shown up so they wouldn’t have time to make ‘nice’, if you know what I mean.

“Chief Swan, I can’t tell you how sorry I am that any of this happened, that you were upset and worried. I’ll never forgive myself for what you’ve been through.” He looked appropriately contrite, but I wasn’t buying and, frankly, I didn’t give a rat’s behind about him, I was there to see my daughter and sat beside her, taking the spot Cullen just vacated.

“Honey, you okay?”

Bella tried to give me a smile and I noticed that we were alone in the fancy room, the others somehow slipping away without my noticing. “Tell me the truth, Bella. This is me. If anything’s wrong, if they’re doing anything—you tell me and you’ll be out of here before they know what hit them.”

“Honest, dad—they’ve been incredible to me; I’ve never met people this nice. I’m fine here, so don’t worry about me, okay?”

Fat chance. “Where are you staying, they have a guest room in this place?”

She hesitated a few seconds too long and shook her head. “Um, Edward moved out of his room and I’m staying up there.” She must have seen the look on my face. “He’s sleeping down here on the couch in the study. I swear.”

In a pig’s eye, he was. He’s a teenaged boy, she’s his girlfriend and I knew damn well that he was sneaking up there every chance he got. “You’re coming home with me.”

“No, I’m not. Dad, c’mon, will you? Nothing’s going on and you know you’re too busy to fetch and carry for me. I get the big cast off sometime next week and then Carlisle said I could probably just use a walking cast. I’ll go back then and it won’t be a problem; I’ll even be able to drive to school and stuff.”

Just then, before I could answer, Esme came back in with Carlisle and Edward. I didn’t know the good doctor was even in the house till that moment. Esme was carrying a tray with a pot and teacups and a plate of some fancy kind of cookies, the kind that no one ever really buys because they’re so expensive and taste weird. Edward made a point of sitting on a chair across from Bella, feet away, not even close to touching.

“Dr. Cullen…”

“Carlisle, please, and this is Esme.” He was just so damn charming and his wife was pouring me a cup of probably imported tea and handing it over.

“Carlisle, fine, look I appreciate everything you’ve done for Bella here, but it’s time she got back to her own house.”

“I understand your feelings, Chief Swan, but, honestly, she’s no trouble at all and we enjoy having her here. Besides, medically, it’s better for her healing if she isn’t moved right now. I assure you, she’s being well looked after.”

“Yeah, well, I want her to get better, I’d just rather she did it in her own house.”

There was a brief and awkward silence. “Dad, I’m staying here for now.” I looked at her and I know my daughter. Her mind was made up and she wasn’t going to be moved. Sure, I could force her but what would I have gained by that? She’d resent me, the Cullen’s would think I was a redneck, tight-assed jerk and before I could spit Renee would be on the phone telling me what a idiot I am.

I looked at the three Cullen’s sitting there, surrounding me. Their faces were pleasant, bland, controlled and set. They weren’t going to budge no matter what I did or said; that was plain and Bella had obviously thrown in with them. I felt like I’d just been outmaneuvered, flanked and end run. It was like I was losing my daughter and, aside from her wanting to shack up with her boyfriend with his parent’s approval, I couldn’t figure out why.

But I will.
 

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