Breathe In Union
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 04
~ Jambi ~
Dim my eyes
If they should compromise
Our fulcrum
Wants and needs divide me
then I might as well be
gone.
~o0o~
Bella sat and watched with amusement as kids ran in and out of the house, hopped up on birthday cake as they were.
After meeting at the mall, she and Paul had driven back to his Aunt's house where they'd had lunch and a small, family party for him and now here she was, tucked into Paul's side as they tried to watch a movie; 'tried' being the operative word.
She looked at Paul as a kid ran screaming in front of the TV and smiled when he didn't even flinch. "Are you even getting any of this?" she asked and he slowly turned his head to look at her.
"Yeah, aren't you?" He looked puzzled and her brows rose.
"With all this noise? No way. Can't hear half of it and I'm too distracted for the other half."
"Huh," he picked up his soda and took a drink. "Well, you wanna do something else?"
"Sure," she said. "But what?"
Two more kids ran by, laughing and squealing with Rudy hot on their heels. "Stay outta my stuff you little shits!" he yelled as he skidded to a stop just in front of Paul and Bella. He glanced over at them looking very indignant and Bella pressed her lips together to keep from grinning.
Paul however, didn't have a problem with showing his amusement as he grinned at his pissed off cousin. "You know, there's a solution to this problem, right?"
Rudy glared. "Yeah, kill them with fire."
Bella dropped her head when she lost the battle and grinned and Paul shook his head. "Although effective, that's not what I had in mind. I was thinking more along the lines of your grown ass getting your own place. Shit, you're like pushing thirty, right?"
Rudy rolled his eyes and flipped him off. "Yeah, in about eight years; you know I'm only twenty-two you ass."
Bella laughed as, in the next room, they heard a kid yell "Mom! Paul said shit and Rudy said ass!"
Adding to the audible chaos, Paul's Aunt yelled from the kitchen, "Caden, that doesn't mean you should repeat it! Paul! Rudy! Come on you two! Gimme a break here."
"Sorry!" they yelled in unison and Bella stared around at all the noise and chaos with wide eyes. "How do you guys stand it?" she asked incredulously.
Rudy flopped onto the love-seat. "Pfft. This is nothing. You should see this place when we have a big family get-together." He looked at Bella. "I take it you're not used to this sort of thing."
"Nope," she said with a shake of her head. "I'm an only child of parents who were both only children."
Rudy smirked. "Well, just know that you were blessed by the gods Bella, truly. A lifetime of peace and solitude any time you wanted it. God," he sighed as he propped his feet on the arm of the love-seat. "What utter bliss that would be."
"Don't kid yourself Rudy. My life hasn't been all roses. My parents divorced when I was a baby and I've been raising my mother ever since."
Bella glanced at Paul as he took his arm from around her and sat forward with his elbows on his knees. He looked… troubled and she was just about to ask what was wrong when Rudy broke in. "Damn Cuz! Is that rock you're wearin' real?"
A small smile curved his lips and he nodded. "Yeah, Bella gave it to me for my birthday."
"Damn, you hit the jackpot with her as a girlfriend bro; beautiful, classy and generous."
Paul stood and held out a hand to Bella. "Come on, let's get outta here." He looked at Rudy who was now busy surfing the channels for something to watch. "Later Cuz."
Rudy waved a hand. "Later bro. See ya Bella!"
Paul laced their fingers together and tugged her gently toward the door and she waved. "Bye Rudy!"
Once they were in the car, Bella glanced over at him as she started the engine. "So, where to? It's still your birthday, so it's your choice."
He smirked. "How about I meet your mom for real?"
She sent him a flat look. "You want to go to my house and meet Renee on your birthday?
"Sure," he said as he reclined the seat back a bit. "It's quiet there, right?"
She pulled onto the main road and nodded. "Most days, yeah, except when Renee has friends over." She stopped at a red light and looked at him. "Renee, her friends and tequila?" She shook her head and accelerated when the light turned. "I'd have to get you outta there in a hurry. But Phil's home now, so I think we're safe."
"That bad?" he laughed and Bella shot him a serious look.
"Yes."
He reached forward and turned on the stereo. "Thank god for Phil then."
She pulled into the driveway a few minutes later and cut the engine. "You sure you wanna do this?"
His brows rose. "Bella, you just spent a good part of the day around my crazy cousins. I got this."
She nodded and they got out. As they walked toward the front door, it opened and Renee and Phil stepped out, Phil with his gear bag over his shoulder.
"Hey Renee," Bella said as Paul took her hand. "We were just coming to hang out and watch a movie or something, plus Paul wanted to meet you formally, so Paul, meet Renee and Phil Dwyer."
He reached forward and shook their hands but glanced at Bella when he noticed Phil staring up at him with something like disbelief on his face. "Nice to meet you."
"You too Paul," Phil said and then shook his head with a smile. "You don't happen to play baseball do you Paul?"
Paul grinned. "Yeah, I pitch. Got a full ride this fall to Udub."
Phil looked gleeful. "Baseball scholarship?"
Paul nodded. "Yeah. Got one for academics too though. My Mom and Charlie stayed on my ass all the way through school to make sure I got it."
Bella was taking all this in with wide eyes. Finally, she found her voice. "Washington? Baseball?" she muttered as he met her eyes.
"Yeah, I was gonna tell you all that later."
She nodded and Phil spoke up. "Well, hey, if you're not busy, why don't you join us? We were just on the way to the ballpark so I could get in some batting practice. Maybe you could throw some. I'd love to see what ya got."
Paul looked at Bella and once she saw the excited sparkle in his eyes, there was no way she could protest so she smiled. "It's your birthday, remember?"
He squeezed her hand and turned back to Phil. "That'd be great."
They walked back to the cars and Phil threw his bag in the back of his SUV. "You guys wanna ride with us?" he asked as he opened the passenger door for Renee.
Bella shook her head. "No, we'll follow just in case we wanna leave before you're through or something."
"Okay, no problem. See you there."
Once they were on their way, Bella glanced at Paul who looked back at her expectantly. "Go ahead and ask Shorty."
"Why Washington?"
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Because it's where I'm from. I'm only here visiting as I do just about every summer since my mom thinks it's important for me to have strong family ties." He looked away and Bella couldn't help but think there must be more to that, but she wouldn't pry.
The really important information she was processing at the moment was that his home is in Washington. "What part of Washington?" she asked, as hope and excitement sparked within her.
She saw him look at her from the corner of her eye as he answered. "Uh, it's a really small place. You probably wouldn't know it, but I live on the reservation in La Push, just outside a town called Forks."
Bella gasped and pulled off on the shoulder and Paul turned toward her. "Bella, what's wrong?"
She put the car in park and turned to face him. "Forks? Seriously?" she asked as a smile slowly bloomed on her face. "Holy shit! This is too good to be true!" She laughed and Paul's brows rose as he watched her.
"All right Shorty, what's going on? Why's that too good to be true?"
She undid her seat belt and launched herself at him and he caught and held her. "Whoa! Start talking Shorty, because you're freaking me out a little."
She laughed as she kissed his neck and started to explain. "My dad lives there! And, before meeting you, I had planned to go live with him for my last year of high school, so Renee and Phil could do their thing. When I met you though, and I thought you were from here, I scrapped the plan because I didn't want to lose you."
He drew back. "Who's your dad Shorty? Maybe I know of him."
She sat back in her seat, still facing him. "Well, you probably do know him. Most everyone does since he's the Chief of Forks P.D."
Her brow pinched as she watched some of the color drain from Paul's face. "Charlie Swan is your dad? You're Charlie's Bella?" He looked away and ran a hand through his hair. "Shit… oh… shit," he muttered as his hands clenched into fists.
"What?" she asked, fear and confusion plain on her face. "Paul, why does that seem to be a bad thing to you?"
He finally looked back at her and he still looked a bit green. "Because I do know him. Pretty fucking well in fact. He's... dating my mom and has been for a couple of years now."
Bella's eyes went wide. "Charlie's dating?" She looked down at her hands. "He never said anything…" She glanced back up. "Of course, it's not like I've really tried to know him over the last few years… I even refused to go there for visits… We'd usually spend a week or so in California and then go our separate ways but I haven't even done that in the last three years…"
Paul nodded. "That explains why he doesn't have any recent pictures of you." He met her eyes. "You've changed a lot over the years, by the way. At least from the pictures I saw. He always talked about you and showed me pictures of you, but… god! I just never put it together, ya know?"
Bella stared down at her lap as her heart sank. "Does this change things? You don't want to be friends or anything else with me now?"
He held a hand out to her. "Come 'ere Shorty."
He helped her over into his lap and held her head against his chest as he spoke. "No Bella, this isn't gonna change things for us. I was just a bit shocked… and to be honest, I'm trying to figure out how to break all this to Charlie in a way that won't end with me losing my balls, ya know?"
She laughed lightly and he chuckled. "I'm serious though. Let's just say he knows my less than sterling reputation with the local female population."
She leaned back to see his face. "So he knows you're a Casanova, eh?"
Bella watched in surprise as Paul actually blushed a little. "Well, yeah, but I never hurt any of them, ya know? They all knew what they were getting into… that I didn't date and that nothing was serious…" He looked down at her. "You understand Shorty? I was never less than honest with any of them."
Bella looked down and nodded. "I understand. I mean, you told me that too, right from the start…" She felt his fingers gently grasp her chin as he urged her to look at him. When she did, the look in his eyes caused her breath to hitch.
"It's different with you Shorty. I've—shit, here goes my man card—but Bella, I've never felt this way before. You make me feel different, and I wanna try with you, if you're willing to take a chance on me… So I guess what I'm asking is if you'll be my girlfriend… ya know? Like a serious thing?"
She studied his eyes for a moment before leaning forward to kiss him softly. "Yeah Paul, I'll be your girlfriend." She smiled. "I guess I better call Charlie and make the arrangements," she murmured and he groaned as he rested his head against hers.
"Fuck… Charlie's gonna kill me."
She laughed and moved back to her seat. "No he won't," she said as she pulled back onto the road. "I won't let him." She smirked and Paul rolled his eyes.
"Trust me Bella, there will be hell to pay on my part. I'm sure he'll make sure of it, but at least he likes me… or he did. Not sure about that when he hears I'm dating his baby girl." He looked a little panicked now. "It's not like I'll be around all that much anyway. We'll be lucky if we see each other on weekends since I'll be in Seattle."
Bella nodded as she pulled into the parking lot at the ballpark. "Yeah, but it's better than nothing, which is what I was worried about."
She cut the engine, grabbed her bag and they both got out of the car.
"Have you decided on a college Shorty?" he asked as they linked hands and made their way into the stadium.
"Hmm," she said thoughtfully. "Udub is looking pretty good right about now." She glanced at him with a smirk and he grinned.
"I was hoping you'd say that."
They made their way over to where Renee was sitting and Phil walked up a minute later. "There you guys are. Was beginning to wonder if ya got lost!"
"No," Bella said as she sat by Renee. "We just stopped to talk for a bit, that's all."
"Cool." Phil looked at Paul. "You want a practice outfit? I think I got it covered if you do."
Paul nodded. "Yeah, it's more comfortable to pitch that way."
"That's what I figured. Come with me. I'll show you to the locker room."
They left and Renee studied Bella for a moment before speaking. "You like him," she said out of nowhere. "A lot. I can also tell you have something you want to talk about, so spill."
Bella's brows rose as she looked at her mother. "Wow, when did you become insightful?" she asked with a smile and Renee almost looked regretful as she answered.
"I know I haven't been the most responsible parent over the years and I know that I come off as a ditz most of the time, but I do pay attention. I also know you Bella; very well, and I see the way you look at him. I see the way he looks at you too. There's something special between you two."
Bella nodded as she realized, for the first time, that she didn't give Renee enough credit.
"You're right Renee, I do need to talk to you." She fidgeted for a moment and took a deep breath, which she exhaled slowly as she began. "I've been thinking a lot about our situation and I think it would be best for all if I go live with Charlie for my last year of school." She held up a hand to stop any comments. "Before you say anything, this isn't just because Paul is from Washington. I was thinking of doing this before I ever met him." She paused to let that sink in, glanced at Renee and continued. "I really want you and Phil to have your freedom and it would also be nice to get to know Charlie."
Renee stared at her for a bit and finally nodded. "Well, you're pretty much an adult Bella so it's time for you to make decisions about your life… time for me to let go… And Charlie… well he deserves to know you too and I never really gave him that chance."
She watched as Renee's eyes teared up. "I'll really miss you though." She leaned over and hugged her.
Bella smiled when her mother sat back. "At least now you'll be able to go on those road trips."
Smiling a watery smile, Renee wiped her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, Phil will be thrilled. He keeps trying to talk me into it."
Bella nodded as she leaned back to watch Paul warm up. "I know. You guys aren't all that quiet…" she smirked at a blushing Renee. "…ever."
"God Bella! Why didn't you say something?!"
She laughed with raised brows as she stared at her mother. "It's awkward mentioning it now Renee! I can't imagine bringing it up at the breakfast table over toast."
Renee nodded. "Point taken."
They stared out at the field where Paul was now pitching and Renee bumped her shoulder. "He's gorgeous baby."
Bella nodded. "I know."
"No, I mean, jesus… it should be a sin for a man to have such a body… I mean, don't get me wrong—Phil is built and handsome, but Paul… just look at that ass in those practice pants…" she murmured as she stared and Bella gasped and smacked her arm.
"Renee!" She laughed in disbelief and shook her head.
She turned to look at her outraged daughter. "What? Not like I'm gonna hit on him or anything, but I'm not blind! I can't comment on what I see?"
"No, you can't," Bella grumbled with a scowl. "You're my mother and he's… No—just—no."
"Fine," Renee said with a sigh. "I'll keep my thoughts to myself."
Phil joined them a short time later and he was shaking his head in disbelief as he did. "This kid… damn, he's good!" He met their eyes as he continued. "I'm talkin' major leagues good. I don't know how the scouts missed him, but he could'a got into any school he wanted to."
"Really?" Bella murmured and Phil nodded.
"The thing is, there are lots of kids his age that have one hell of an arm—meaning they throw hard—but he's got kick-ass control and that's rare for such a young pitcher. He puts the ball anywhere he needs it and is consistent about it."
Bella looked out on the field again and there was some older guy handing Paul a card and shaking his hand. Paul looked up and met Bella's gaze with a smile as he walked toward her.
When he reached them, he handed the glove he'd borrowed back to Phil. "Thanks man. That was fun."
"It was my pleasure kid. Not often I get to see pitching like that." He nodded toward the field. "I see our manager gave you his card."
Paul held it up. "Yeah, said to call him if I change my mind about college. Said he'd see me in a couple years in any case because he wants the first crack at recruiting me."
Phil nodded. "I'm not surprised. You've got the talent. I'm just shocked that you weren't offered a better school than Udub."
Paul looked down. "I was, but I need to be close to home for my mom." He shrugged and didn't say any more.
Renee broke the awkward silence by slapping her hands on her thighs. "Well, I think it's great of you to think of your mom." She looked at Phil. "You done for the day baby?"
"Yep," he nodded. I just need to change and we can get outta here." Paul followed him and Bella stood.
"I guess we'll see you guys later. I don't know where we're gonna go from here. We might just go back to the house and watch a movie or something."
"Phil and I will probably go grab dinner somewhere before we head home, so I'll see you later," she said as Paul joined Bella.
Bella nodded and turned to leave, but Renee stopped her. "Bella? You might want to call Charlie sooner rather than later, you know, just to give him time to make arrangements and get used to the idea."
"Yeah, that'd probably be best. I'll call him tonight."
She and Paul walked out to the car, both lost in thought as they got in and Bella started the car. "So," she said finally as she pulled out of the lot. "How did Charlie wind up dating your mom?"
She looked at him once she'd stopped at a red light and for once, his eyes were hard and blank; completely unreadable, and that shocked her. It was a look she'd never seen in his eyes before.
He finally spoke. "They met a few years back and became friends. They started dating about two years ago because Charlie was always coming around to drag me out fishing and shit." He looked away and fell silent for the rest of the drive to Bella's house. When she finally cut the engine, she touched his arm, taking note of how he tensed at the contact. "Hey, you okay? If it's a sore subject, I'm sorry I brought it up."
He took a deep breath and relaxed. "No, it's okay. I just don't like thinking about my past that's all." He looked at her with a sad smile. "It's not your fault."
She nodded. "All right. Well, you want to come inside for a while? Watch a movie or something?"
"Sure Shorty."
When they got inside, she tossed her bag on the table by the door and hung the keys as he looked around the entryway. "It's nice."
"Thanks," she said as she took his hand and led him to the kitchen. She let go when they got there. "Have a seat."
He sat at the table and she opened the fridge. "Drink?" she asked with a glance back.
"Sure, just a water."
She tossed him the bottle and kept rummaging in the fridge.
"What are you doing Shorty?"
She answered as she grabbed stuff from the fridge. "Making you dinner. We haven't eaten since lunch at your Aunt's house." She stood and faced him. "You must be hungry by now."
He smirked. "Yeah, I could eat. You need any help?"
She finished washing her hands and dried them on a towel. "Nope, just keep me company and I'll be good."
So he sat back and watched her as she moved from one task to another. It was as she was chopping greens for salad that he couldn't take it any more and he got up.
Bella jumped when she felt his arms circle her waist. "You scared me!" she said with a breathy laugh as she looked over her shoulder.
He moved her hair off her shoulder, exposing her neck and leaned down to place light kisses. Her eyes slowly closed as she tilted her head. "God, that feels amazing," she breathed as she stopped chopping. He pulled her closer against his body and she moaned. "Oh god…You do want to eat sometime tonight, right?"
"Umm hmm," he mumbled just under her ear where he sucked lightly.
"You're so dangerous," she whispered as she slowly turned in his arms to look at his now smirking face. She pointed at the chair he'd been in. "In the chair Lofty, and stay there or I'll throw you down and ravage you and never get dinner done."
He grinned. "Food's overrated. Man cannot live by bread alone and all that."
She pointed at the chair again. "Chair, then food, then a movie."
He sat and took a drink of his water. "Fine, but there's a couch involved with the movie portion of the night, right?" He grinned wolfishly and Bella rolled her eyes.
"Down boy. I'm a virgin," she said deadpan but couldn't help but smirk as he choked on his water.
"Fuck," he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he looked at her with dread. "Charlie is going to kill me. I may never get laid again."
~ Jambi ~
Dim my eyes
If they should compromise
Our fulcrum
Wants and needs divide me
then I might as well be
gone.
~o0o~
Bella sat and watched with amusement as kids ran in and out of the house, hopped up on birthday cake as they were.
After meeting at the mall, she and Paul had driven back to his Aunt's house where they'd had lunch and a small, family party for him and now here she was, tucked into Paul's side as they tried to watch a movie; 'tried' being the operative word.
She looked at Paul as a kid ran screaming in front of the TV and smiled when he didn't even flinch. "Are you even getting any of this?" she asked and he slowly turned his head to look at her.
"Yeah, aren't you?" He looked puzzled and her brows rose.
"With all this noise? No way. Can't hear half of it and I'm too distracted for the other half."
"Huh," he picked up his soda and took a drink. "Well, you wanna do something else?"
"Sure," she said. "But what?"
Two more kids ran by, laughing and squealing with Rudy hot on their heels. "Stay outta my stuff you little shits!" he yelled as he skidded to a stop just in front of Paul and Bella. He glanced over at them looking very indignant and Bella pressed her lips together to keep from grinning.
Paul however, didn't have a problem with showing his amusement as he grinned at his pissed off cousin. "You know, there's a solution to this problem, right?"
Rudy glared. "Yeah, kill them with fire."
Bella dropped her head when she lost the battle and grinned and Paul shook his head. "Although effective, that's not what I had in mind. I was thinking more along the lines of your grown ass getting your own place. Shit, you're like pushing thirty, right?"
Rudy rolled his eyes and flipped him off. "Yeah, in about eight years; you know I'm only twenty-two you ass."
Bella laughed as, in the next room, they heard a kid yell "Mom! Paul said shit and Rudy said ass!"
Adding to the audible chaos, Paul's Aunt yelled from the kitchen, "Caden, that doesn't mean you should repeat it! Paul! Rudy! Come on you two! Gimme a break here."
"Sorry!" they yelled in unison and Bella stared around at all the noise and chaos with wide eyes. "How do you guys stand it?" she asked incredulously.
Rudy flopped onto the love-seat. "Pfft. This is nothing. You should see this place when we have a big family get-together." He looked at Bella. "I take it you're not used to this sort of thing."
"Nope," she said with a shake of her head. "I'm an only child of parents who were both only children."
Rudy smirked. "Well, just know that you were blessed by the gods Bella, truly. A lifetime of peace and solitude any time you wanted it. God," he sighed as he propped his feet on the arm of the love-seat. "What utter bliss that would be."
"Don't kid yourself Rudy. My life hasn't been all roses. My parents divorced when I was a baby and I've been raising my mother ever since."
Bella glanced at Paul as he took his arm from around her and sat forward with his elbows on his knees. He looked… troubled and she was just about to ask what was wrong when Rudy broke in. "Damn Cuz! Is that rock you're wearin' real?"
A small smile curved his lips and he nodded. "Yeah, Bella gave it to me for my birthday."
"Damn, you hit the jackpot with her as a girlfriend bro; beautiful, classy and generous."
Paul stood and held out a hand to Bella. "Come on, let's get outta here." He looked at Rudy who was now busy surfing the channels for something to watch. "Later Cuz."
Rudy waved a hand. "Later bro. See ya Bella!"
Paul laced their fingers together and tugged her gently toward the door and she waved. "Bye Rudy!"
Once they were in the car, Bella glanced over at him as she started the engine. "So, where to? It's still your birthday, so it's your choice."
He smirked. "How about I meet your mom for real?"
She sent him a flat look. "You want to go to my house and meet Renee on your birthday?
"Sure," he said as he reclined the seat back a bit. "It's quiet there, right?"
She pulled onto the main road and nodded. "Most days, yeah, except when Renee has friends over." She stopped at a red light and looked at him. "Renee, her friends and tequila?" She shook her head and accelerated when the light turned. "I'd have to get you outta there in a hurry. But Phil's home now, so I think we're safe."
"That bad?" he laughed and Bella shot him a serious look.
"Yes."
He reached forward and turned on the stereo. "Thank god for Phil then."
She pulled into the driveway a few minutes later and cut the engine. "You sure you wanna do this?"
His brows rose. "Bella, you just spent a good part of the day around my crazy cousins. I got this."
She nodded and they got out. As they walked toward the front door, it opened and Renee and Phil stepped out, Phil with his gear bag over his shoulder.
"Hey Renee," Bella said as Paul took her hand. "We were just coming to hang out and watch a movie or something, plus Paul wanted to meet you formally, so Paul, meet Renee and Phil Dwyer."
He reached forward and shook their hands but glanced at Bella when he noticed Phil staring up at him with something like disbelief on his face. "Nice to meet you."
"You too Paul," Phil said and then shook his head with a smile. "You don't happen to play baseball do you Paul?"
Paul grinned. "Yeah, I pitch. Got a full ride this fall to Udub."
Phil looked gleeful. "Baseball scholarship?"
Paul nodded. "Yeah. Got one for academics too though. My Mom and Charlie stayed on my ass all the way through school to make sure I got it."
Bella was taking all this in with wide eyes. Finally, she found her voice. "Washington? Baseball?" she muttered as he met her eyes.
"Yeah, I was gonna tell you all that later."
She nodded and Phil spoke up. "Well, hey, if you're not busy, why don't you join us? We were just on the way to the ballpark so I could get in some batting practice. Maybe you could throw some. I'd love to see what ya got."
Paul looked at Bella and once she saw the excited sparkle in his eyes, there was no way she could protest so she smiled. "It's your birthday, remember?"
He squeezed her hand and turned back to Phil. "That'd be great."
They walked back to the cars and Phil threw his bag in the back of his SUV. "You guys wanna ride with us?" he asked as he opened the passenger door for Renee.
Bella shook her head. "No, we'll follow just in case we wanna leave before you're through or something."
"Okay, no problem. See you there."
Once they were on their way, Bella glanced at Paul who looked back at her expectantly. "Go ahead and ask Shorty."
"Why Washington?"
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Because it's where I'm from. I'm only here visiting as I do just about every summer since my mom thinks it's important for me to have strong family ties." He looked away and Bella couldn't help but think there must be more to that, but she wouldn't pry.
The really important information she was processing at the moment was that his home is in Washington. "What part of Washington?" she asked, as hope and excitement sparked within her.
She saw him look at her from the corner of her eye as he answered. "Uh, it's a really small place. You probably wouldn't know it, but I live on the reservation in La Push, just outside a town called Forks."
Bella gasped and pulled off on the shoulder and Paul turned toward her. "Bella, what's wrong?"
She put the car in park and turned to face him. "Forks? Seriously?" she asked as a smile slowly bloomed on her face. "Holy shit! This is too good to be true!" She laughed and Paul's brows rose as he watched her.
"All right Shorty, what's going on? Why's that too good to be true?"
She undid her seat belt and launched herself at him and he caught and held her. "Whoa! Start talking Shorty, because you're freaking me out a little."
She laughed as she kissed his neck and started to explain. "My dad lives there! And, before meeting you, I had planned to go live with him for my last year of high school, so Renee and Phil could do their thing. When I met you though, and I thought you were from here, I scrapped the plan because I didn't want to lose you."
He drew back. "Who's your dad Shorty? Maybe I know of him."
She sat back in her seat, still facing him. "Well, you probably do know him. Most everyone does since he's the Chief of Forks P.D."
Her brow pinched as she watched some of the color drain from Paul's face. "Charlie Swan is your dad? You're Charlie's Bella?" He looked away and ran a hand through his hair. "Shit… oh… shit," he muttered as his hands clenched into fists.
"What?" she asked, fear and confusion plain on her face. "Paul, why does that seem to be a bad thing to you?"
He finally looked back at her and he still looked a bit green. "Because I do know him. Pretty fucking well in fact. He's... dating my mom and has been for a couple of years now."
Bella's eyes went wide. "Charlie's dating?" She looked down at her hands. "He never said anything…" She glanced back up. "Of course, it's not like I've really tried to know him over the last few years… I even refused to go there for visits… We'd usually spend a week or so in California and then go our separate ways but I haven't even done that in the last three years…"
Paul nodded. "That explains why he doesn't have any recent pictures of you." He met her eyes. "You've changed a lot over the years, by the way. At least from the pictures I saw. He always talked about you and showed me pictures of you, but… god! I just never put it together, ya know?"
Bella stared down at her lap as her heart sank. "Does this change things? You don't want to be friends or anything else with me now?"
He held a hand out to her. "Come 'ere Shorty."
He helped her over into his lap and held her head against his chest as he spoke. "No Bella, this isn't gonna change things for us. I was just a bit shocked… and to be honest, I'm trying to figure out how to break all this to Charlie in a way that won't end with me losing my balls, ya know?"
She laughed lightly and he chuckled. "I'm serious though. Let's just say he knows my less than sterling reputation with the local female population."
She leaned back to see his face. "So he knows you're a Casanova, eh?"
Bella watched in surprise as Paul actually blushed a little. "Well, yeah, but I never hurt any of them, ya know? They all knew what they were getting into… that I didn't date and that nothing was serious…" He looked down at her. "You understand Shorty? I was never less than honest with any of them."
Bella looked down and nodded. "I understand. I mean, you told me that too, right from the start…" She felt his fingers gently grasp her chin as he urged her to look at him. When she did, the look in his eyes caused her breath to hitch.
"It's different with you Shorty. I've—shit, here goes my man card—but Bella, I've never felt this way before. You make me feel different, and I wanna try with you, if you're willing to take a chance on me… So I guess what I'm asking is if you'll be my girlfriend… ya know? Like a serious thing?"
She studied his eyes for a moment before leaning forward to kiss him softly. "Yeah Paul, I'll be your girlfriend." She smiled. "I guess I better call Charlie and make the arrangements," she murmured and he groaned as he rested his head against hers.
"Fuck… Charlie's gonna kill me."
She laughed and moved back to her seat. "No he won't," she said as she pulled back onto the road. "I won't let him." She smirked and Paul rolled his eyes.
"Trust me Bella, there will be hell to pay on my part. I'm sure he'll make sure of it, but at least he likes me… or he did. Not sure about that when he hears I'm dating his baby girl." He looked a little panicked now. "It's not like I'll be around all that much anyway. We'll be lucky if we see each other on weekends since I'll be in Seattle."
Bella nodded as she pulled into the parking lot at the ballpark. "Yeah, but it's better than nothing, which is what I was worried about."
She cut the engine, grabbed her bag and they both got out of the car.
"Have you decided on a college Shorty?" he asked as they linked hands and made their way into the stadium.
"Hmm," she said thoughtfully. "Udub is looking pretty good right about now." She glanced at him with a smirk and he grinned.
"I was hoping you'd say that."
They made their way over to where Renee was sitting and Phil walked up a minute later. "There you guys are. Was beginning to wonder if ya got lost!"
"No," Bella said as she sat by Renee. "We just stopped to talk for a bit, that's all."
"Cool." Phil looked at Paul. "You want a practice outfit? I think I got it covered if you do."
Paul nodded. "Yeah, it's more comfortable to pitch that way."
"That's what I figured. Come with me. I'll show you to the locker room."
They left and Renee studied Bella for a moment before speaking. "You like him," she said out of nowhere. "A lot. I can also tell you have something you want to talk about, so spill."
Bella's brows rose as she looked at her mother. "Wow, when did you become insightful?" she asked with a smile and Renee almost looked regretful as she answered.
"I know I haven't been the most responsible parent over the years and I know that I come off as a ditz most of the time, but I do pay attention. I also know you Bella; very well, and I see the way you look at him. I see the way he looks at you too. There's something special between you two."
Bella nodded as she realized, for the first time, that she didn't give Renee enough credit.
"You're right Renee, I do need to talk to you." She fidgeted for a moment and took a deep breath, which she exhaled slowly as she began. "I've been thinking a lot about our situation and I think it would be best for all if I go live with Charlie for my last year of school." She held up a hand to stop any comments. "Before you say anything, this isn't just because Paul is from Washington. I was thinking of doing this before I ever met him." She paused to let that sink in, glanced at Renee and continued. "I really want you and Phil to have your freedom and it would also be nice to get to know Charlie."
Renee stared at her for a bit and finally nodded. "Well, you're pretty much an adult Bella so it's time for you to make decisions about your life… time for me to let go… And Charlie… well he deserves to know you too and I never really gave him that chance."
She watched as Renee's eyes teared up. "I'll really miss you though." She leaned over and hugged her.
Bella smiled when her mother sat back. "At least now you'll be able to go on those road trips."
Smiling a watery smile, Renee wiped her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, Phil will be thrilled. He keeps trying to talk me into it."
Bella nodded as she leaned back to watch Paul warm up. "I know. You guys aren't all that quiet…" she smirked at a blushing Renee. "…ever."
"God Bella! Why didn't you say something?!"
She laughed with raised brows as she stared at her mother. "It's awkward mentioning it now Renee! I can't imagine bringing it up at the breakfast table over toast."
Renee nodded. "Point taken."
They stared out at the field where Paul was now pitching and Renee bumped her shoulder. "He's gorgeous baby."
Bella nodded. "I know."
"No, I mean, jesus… it should be a sin for a man to have such a body… I mean, don't get me wrong—Phil is built and handsome, but Paul… just look at that ass in those practice pants…" she murmured as she stared and Bella gasped and smacked her arm.
"Renee!" She laughed in disbelief and shook her head.
She turned to look at her outraged daughter. "What? Not like I'm gonna hit on him or anything, but I'm not blind! I can't comment on what I see?"
"No, you can't," Bella grumbled with a scowl. "You're my mother and he's… No—just—no."
"Fine," Renee said with a sigh. "I'll keep my thoughts to myself."
Phil joined them a short time later and he was shaking his head in disbelief as he did. "This kid… damn, he's good!" He met their eyes as he continued. "I'm talkin' major leagues good. I don't know how the scouts missed him, but he could'a got into any school he wanted to."
"Really?" Bella murmured and Phil nodded.
"The thing is, there are lots of kids his age that have one hell of an arm—meaning they throw hard—but he's got kick-ass control and that's rare for such a young pitcher. He puts the ball anywhere he needs it and is consistent about it."
Bella looked out on the field again and there was some older guy handing Paul a card and shaking his hand. Paul looked up and met Bella's gaze with a smile as he walked toward her.
When he reached them, he handed the glove he'd borrowed back to Phil. "Thanks man. That was fun."
"It was my pleasure kid. Not often I get to see pitching like that." He nodded toward the field. "I see our manager gave you his card."
Paul held it up. "Yeah, said to call him if I change my mind about college. Said he'd see me in a couple years in any case because he wants the first crack at recruiting me."
Phil nodded. "I'm not surprised. You've got the talent. I'm just shocked that you weren't offered a better school than Udub."
Paul looked down. "I was, but I need to be close to home for my mom." He shrugged and didn't say any more.
Renee broke the awkward silence by slapping her hands on her thighs. "Well, I think it's great of you to think of your mom." She looked at Phil. "You done for the day baby?"
"Yep," he nodded. I just need to change and we can get outta here." Paul followed him and Bella stood.
"I guess we'll see you guys later. I don't know where we're gonna go from here. We might just go back to the house and watch a movie or something."
"Phil and I will probably go grab dinner somewhere before we head home, so I'll see you later," she said as Paul joined Bella.
Bella nodded and turned to leave, but Renee stopped her. "Bella? You might want to call Charlie sooner rather than later, you know, just to give him time to make arrangements and get used to the idea."
"Yeah, that'd probably be best. I'll call him tonight."
She and Paul walked out to the car, both lost in thought as they got in and Bella started the car. "So," she said finally as she pulled out of the lot. "How did Charlie wind up dating your mom?"
She looked at him once she'd stopped at a red light and for once, his eyes were hard and blank; completely unreadable, and that shocked her. It was a look she'd never seen in his eyes before.
He finally spoke. "They met a few years back and became friends. They started dating about two years ago because Charlie was always coming around to drag me out fishing and shit." He looked away and fell silent for the rest of the drive to Bella's house. When she finally cut the engine, she touched his arm, taking note of how he tensed at the contact. "Hey, you okay? If it's a sore subject, I'm sorry I brought it up."
He took a deep breath and relaxed. "No, it's okay. I just don't like thinking about my past that's all." He looked at her with a sad smile. "It's not your fault."
She nodded. "All right. Well, you want to come inside for a while? Watch a movie or something?"
"Sure Shorty."
When they got inside, she tossed her bag on the table by the door and hung the keys as he looked around the entryway. "It's nice."
"Thanks," she said as she took his hand and led him to the kitchen. She let go when they got there. "Have a seat."
He sat at the table and she opened the fridge. "Drink?" she asked with a glance back.
"Sure, just a water."
She tossed him the bottle and kept rummaging in the fridge.
"What are you doing Shorty?"
She answered as she grabbed stuff from the fridge. "Making you dinner. We haven't eaten since lunch at your Aunt's house." She stood and faced him. "You must be hungry by now."
He smirked. "Yeah, I could eat. You need any help?"
She finished washing her hands and dried them on a towel. "Nope, just keep me company and I'll be good."
So he sat back and watched her as she moved from one task to another. It was as she was chopping greens for salad that he couldn't take it any more and he got up.
Bella jumped when she felt his arms circle her waist. "You scared me!" she said with a breathy laugh as she looked over her shoulder.
He moved her hair off her shoulder, exposing her neck and leaned down to place light kisses. Her eyes slowly closed as she tilted her head. "God, that feels amazing," she breathed as she stopped chopping. He pulled her closer against his body and she moaned. "Oh god…You do want to eat sometime tonight, right?"
"Umm hmm," he mumbled just under her ear where he sucked lightly.
"You're so dangerous," she whispered as she slowly turned in his arms to look at his now smirking face. She pointed at the chair he'd been in. "In the chair Lofty, and stay there or I'll throw you down and ravage you and never get dinner done."
He grinned. "Food's overrated. Man cannot live by bread alone and all that."
She pointed at the chair again. "Chair, then food, then a movie."
He sat and took a drink of his water. "Fine, but there's a couch involved with the movie portion of the night, right?" He grinned wolfishly and Bella rolled her eyes.
"Down boy. I'm a virgin," she said deadpan but couldn't help but smirk as he choked on his water.
"Fuck," he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he looked at her with dread. "Charlie is going to kill me. I may never get laid again."
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.