Breathe In Union
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 14
Paul and Bella were walking to the front porch steps when Charlie pulled up in his cruiser, scowling through the windshield at the sight of his daughter and a boxer-clad Paul standing there. They both looked like deer caught in headlights and he rubbed his forehead as he prayed for patience. 'Talk about jumping right into the deep end of the damn parenting pool,' he thought to himself.
To him, with the memories of his sweet, shy little girl still vivid in his mind, this felt a bit like going from zero to one hundred in two seconds flat. Add to that all the…other stuff and to say he was still reeling was a gross understatement. "Just stay cool Swan," he muttered as he popped the door open and slowly stood. "She's pretty much an adult. Just stay cool."
"You say something Chief Swan?" Sam asked with a smirk as he and Jared observed from beside the front door.
"What?" Charlie asked absently as he turned his attention away from his daughter and over to Sam. "Oh uh, no, it was nothing," he muttered with his brows drawn as he closed the door of the cruiser. Jared snickered and Paul shot him a sneer while discreetly flipping him off.
Charlie trudged up to the steps and stopped in front of the guilty looking pair. "Paul," he sighed out tiredly. "As much as I love ya kid, maybe you should, ya know, take yourself inside and get some clothes on, 'cause I'm tryin' here kid, I really am, and I gotta say," he hung his head and gestured at Paul with a hand, "…this ain't helpin'."
Bella discreetly handed off her bundled clothes to her mate and he disappeared inside without a word.
"Hey Ch—uh, Dad, what are you doing here?" she asked and watched with interest as his cheeks tinged pink.
He cleared his throat. "Lisa invited me for dinner, then we're supposed to go meet with the elders and Sue Clearwater. She asked me along and I'm glad she did. She's still pretty upset with Sue." He glanced over at Sam. "Can't say she's too thrilled with you either Sam. Not sure why you're here, but maybe you should take off and we'll see you at the meeting tonight."
Sam nodded. "We were just coming by to make sure Bella was okay, but I agree with you Chief, so we'll see you later tonight." They stepped off the porch and Jared waved. "See ya Bella."
"Bye Jared, Sam," she mumbled before meeting her dad's gaze.
Charlie eyed his daughter for a beat. "Let's head inside," he said with a nod toward the door.
Giving him a quick nod, Bella turned and went into the house where she paused and waited for Charlie to close the door and hang his web-belt on the rack. "So, what's this meeting about? Any idea?"
He watched a fully dressed Paul come down the stairs and wrap Bella in his arms before answering. "I really think it's about Lisa getting her chance to chew some ass to tell you the truth. She thinks the way they handled things was horse-shit and I can't say I disagree."
They walked into the living room where Paul and Bella took the loveseat while Charlie slumped into an overstuffed chair.
"What's wrong Dad?" she questioned. "You look tired. No sleep?"
He scoffed while arching a dark brow. "You're kidding, right? All the crap I found out yesterday, not the least of which's my daughter being in the thick of it all… Sleep? Not likely, kiddo," he groused while rubbing at his eyes.
She had the good sense to look sheepish when he pinned her with fatigued eyes. "Okay," she conceded with a nod. "Had that coming I guess. Sorry."
He waved off the apology with a sigh. "No, I'm sorry for being short."
She smiled wanly. "I understand Charlie."
The sound of the front door opening and closing caught their attention and a moment later Lisa walked in. She walked over and gave Paul a kiss on his cheek before sitting on the arm of Charlie's chair where she ran her fingers through his wavy hair as she spoke. "God, what a day this has been. Clients were hellish today." She leaned down and kissed Charlie's cheek. "You look like I feel. Sure you're up for this meeting? You don't have to go you know? Don't worry, I won't kill anyone," she finished with a smirk and a wink sent toward Paul and Bella.
"I'll be fine," Charlie assured her as his brows drew together and he looked back at Bella. "By the way, what did Sam mean when he mentioned coming by to see if you were okay? Why would they need to do that?"
Bella and Paul glanced at each other and laced their fingers together as she took a deep breath and explained her morning to Charlie. "So, yeah, Sam and Jared got me out of there and brought me back here so Paul could see that I was okay." She glanced at Lisa. "He loaned me some of your clothes to change into since mine smelled like vampire. I'll wash them and get them back to you tomorrow."
Lisa waved a hand. "The clothes are the least of my concern! You look okay, but are you? I can only imagine how scary that must have been for you."
Bella leaned into a slightly shaking Paul. "I'm fine. Yeah, I was scared, but they didn't do anything but talk."
Charlie and Lisa both were startled by the low growl now coming from Paul but Bella lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it while whispering to him and he calmed before their eyes as he took a couple of deep breaths.
Charlie eyed him for a moment. "You okay kid?" he asked and Paul nodded.
"Yeah, it's just the thought of her being so close to them…"
Lisa yelped in surprise as Charlie pulled her into his lap as he nodded. "I can imagine, kid. The thought doesn't make me happy either. Glad Sam and Jared showed up when they did." He met Bella's gaze as he ran his fingers through Lisa's hair. "What about your friend Bells? Angela Weber you said? Does she know about all this?"
Bella shook her head. "No, she thinks they're human, but how she hasn't noticed is a mystery to me. I mean, their skin is like ice."
Lisa smiled sadly. "Sometimes love makes us blind to all we don't wish to see Bella. She probably has noticed strange things but has been too scared to face the obvious."
Bella met Paul's eyes for a moment before nodding and looking back at Lisa and Charlie. "I can agree with that. Nothing you could tell me about Paul would change my mind at this point. I love him, no matter what."
Paul leaned down and gave her a slow, sweet kiss and she almost lost herself in the bliss of it until the sound of Charlie clearing his throat brought their attention back and they broke apart to see Lisa giving them a watery smile while Charlie rolled his eyes. "You two are so precious together, aren't they Charlie?" she asked with a grin while Charlie narrowed his eyes at Paul. "Yeah," he muttered. "Just precious…"
Paul fidgeted under Charlie's scrutiny until he couldn't stand it any longer. "What's for dinner?" he rushed out, trying to change the subject and Bella chuckled.
Lisa glanced at her watch. "Shit…uh, shoot…it's later than I thought…pizza okay with everybody?" She hopped up and Charlie nodded as he stood from the chair.
"Sure Lis, that's fine," he said as Paul and Bella nodded.
"Great," she said, sounding relieved. "I'll just go call it in and then change out of these work clothes. God knows I wanna be comfortable for this meeting," she muttered as she went for the phone. "Can't exactly kick ass in a pencil skirt and heels."
"Lisa…" Charlie said with a sigh and she chuckled.
"Fine, I'll behave," she agreed with a smirk as she waited for the call to connect.
Charlie walked into the kitchen and Bella snuggled into Paul's arms. "I love your mother," she said as she kissed his neck.
"Yeah, she's pretty great," he agreed as he leaned over and nipped at her lip before kissing her deeply.
"Hmm," she moaned into it as his hands began to roam down her back to her ass. She pulled away. "Paul, not now," she protested while moving his hands back up to her waist. He groaned and rested his forehead against hers.
"Damn, I just can't get enough of you… and don't think I forgot about that stinging red mark you left on my ass…"
She laughed lightly as she nuzzled against his smooth cheek. "Don't worry baby, I'll kiss it and make it better later."
"Stop talking like that B," he whispered into her ear as he sucked at the tender lobe. "I'm gettin' a raging hard-on and that's not a good thing with Charlie around."
She froze, instantly mortified. "Never—ever—mention my dad and the word hard-on in the same sentence again Paul Lahote."
He laughed and pulled her into his lap. "Instant turn off isn't it?"
She drew away to scowl at his grinning face. "Yes," she stated. "So much yes…you just don't even know…"
He arched a brow and looked pointedly down at his lap then back at her. "Oh, I think I do…"
She chuckled and snuggled back against him. "Well, at least it solved your little problem…"
"Little?" he hissed indignantly. "I can see I need to refresh your memory Miss Swan, but I gotta say, it cuts deep that you've forgotten so easily."
"Okay," she soothed with a sweet kiss and a smile at his scowl. "It was a poor choice of words and wasn't at all meant to slight your manly bits…" He cocked an inky brow and she continued, "…which are more than a girl could ever dream of… I mean, they should be bronzed and displayed…"
He choked at the thought and she grinned as Charlie walked back in with a beer.
"We'll finish this later," he muttered as Charlie eyed them curiously as he turned on the TV.
He pulled out his wallet and set it on the side table. "Pay for the pizza out of that when it gets here Bells. I'm gonna watch the game."
Paul perked up. "The Mariners?" he asked and Charlie nodded. "Yeah, hoping they still have a chance, but if they lose this one, they're out of the running."
Bella sighed and slid off Paul's lap to sit beside him as he focused on the game.
As soon as the doorbell rang she hopped up and grabbed Charlie's wallet, thankful for a distraction. She just didn't get the allure of watching baseball on TV. She found it boring, but she also knew if it was Paul pitching, she'd be riveted, and just the thought of that made her heart ache all over again for him. 'Damn vampires anyway,' she thought as she opened the door and paid for the pizza.
As she walked through to the dining room, she called out, "Pizza's here!" while setting the boxes on the table. Lisa walked in and smiled at her as she took out plates.
"I think they're stuck to the game for now sweetie," she said with a chuckle as she loaded two plates. "Why don't you grab a drink for Paul and we'll take it to them."
"Sounds good," Bella said with a nod just as Paul walked in.
"Shit, I'm starving," he said as he flipped the boxes open.
Bella nodded toward the plate Lisa'd made for him. "That's yours. I was gonna bring it out to you with a drink."
He sat at the breakfast bar and pulled the plate over with a shake of his head. "Nah, it's just a game. Not like it interests me anymore. I'll just eat here."
She felt another pang in her heart and sat next to him to eat. "Baby, don't give up your dreams so easily. You're still so young and you'll still be young when all this shit's over with…you can still—"
He held up a hand. "Don't go there B. Don't feed me false hope. Hurts too damn much."
He continued eating and Bella nodded sadly. She'd let it go…for now, but she'd be damned if she was gonna let him just quit on his dreams. He was just too talented and had worked too hard…
When dinner was over, she helped Lisa clean up and they all met in the entry way where Charlie was helping Lisa into a jacket. Paul handed Bella a hoodie and she smiled in thanks as she slipped into it. The thing was massive on her but it smelled like him and made her feel safe for some reason. "We'll take my truck and meet ya there," Paul said as he grabbed his keys from the hook.
"All right baby," Lisa said as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Just try to stay calm for this, okay?" she asked while staring into his eyes.
He smirked. "Something tells me it's you we need to worry about Mom."
"Me?" she asked with a scoff. "I'm the picture of calm baby. Don't you worry about me." She patted his cheek and marched out to the cruiser.
Paul met Charlie's eyes and Charlie nodded discreetly as they walked out the door and locked up. "I'll take care of her kid," he muttered before getting in and starting the cruiser.
Bella watched her dad drive off and yelped as Paul lifted her into the passenger seat of his massive Dodge diesel truck. She smirked at him as he slid in behind the wheel. "You know, I would make a comment about men and the size of their trucks making up for certain inadequacies…"
He growled and she grinned into his heated amber gaze. "You keep that up and we'll be late to this meeting just so I can remind you how beyond adequate I am."
She shivered and stared at him from under lowered lashes. "Mmm, I look forward to it," she breathed.
He tipped his head back and breathed deeply for a few beats. "Damn it B…keep that up and I'm gonna sustain permanent damage."
She eyed the bulge in his jeans with a coy grin. "I could help you out with that," she whispered as she unlatched her seatbelt and slid toward him.
"Oh god B, don't tease…" he groaned.
She worked the button and zipper on his jeans as she glanced up at him. "Who's teasing?"
He hissed as she reached in and freed him from his boxers. She took a few seconds to look at his perfect cock as she stroked him. He really was beyond perfect and although she didn't have any practical experience with any other men, she knew from other sources that he was way better endowed than most men. She had grown up with Renee as a mother after all.
"Fuck," he hissed as her hot, wet mouth engulfed as much of him as she could while she worked the rest with her talented hands.
He buried a hand into her silky hair as his other clutched the steering wheel. "Bella, Bella…fuck, your hot little mouth feels like heaven baby…jesus, don't stop…"
She hummed around him as she pulled back and circled the silky head with her tongue while stroking and tugging his balls. She felt pretty proud of herself as he was now panting while his fingers stroked her scalp.
Slowly, she sank back down on him while hollowing her cheeks. She peeked up as she hummed this time to see him watching her with those beautiful hazel/amber eyes. "God," he whispered. "I wanna be inside you so bad right now."
Smiling inside, she quickened her pace and gently rolled his tightening sack as he gasped and groaned. "Fuck…oh fuck, yes B, just like that baby, don't stop…" he babbled as she sucked and bobbed relentlessly.
"Bella," he rushed out after a couple of minutes, "baby, I'm close…" and she could tell it too from how he swelled and throbbed against her ever working tongue. "Baby, you might wanna move…." he breathed as his hips jerked involuntarily but instead of moving off him, she took him in as far as she could and swallowed. The feel of it was his undoing and he came with a quiet shout and panted breaths as she continued to stroke and swallow.
When he'd finally slumped in the seat, she sat up and grabbed a bottle of water, rinsing and quickly spitting out the opened passenger door before sitting up and smiling at him as he pulled her close and kissed her.
"Thanks B…that was fuckin' amazing," he murmured against the dampened skin of her neck where he placed light kisses.
She giggled as his breath tickled just under her ear. "Well, I couldn't have my man suffering during the meeting, now could I?"
He sat up and smirked as he tucked back in and zipped up. "Well, thanks for takin' one for the team." He nodded at the glove box. "There's gum in there if ya want it."
She took a drink of water as she closed the door. "Yeah, that might be good. Not that I mind the taste of you, but the after-taste…"
He pulled out onto the road and grinned over at her as she popped a piece of gum in and chewed. "It'll help a little with the scent, though it won't mask it completely."
"The scent?" she questioned with wide eyes as she stared at him.
"Yeah," he said with a proud grin. "You smell strongly of me, which is great in my opinion."
He laughed as she popped in two more pieces of gum. "Damn it Paul! It's not funny!" She scowled as she chewed frantically and tested her breath into her cupped hand every few seconds as he kept laughing. "That's not gonna get rid of it baby, at least not for a while. Now you just smell like minty fresh me."
She punched him in the arm and drank more water as they pulled up and parked outside the meeting hall. "Never again," she groused as she hopped out of the massive truck. "Damn wolfy senses…"
"Bella!" She turned toward the voice to see a stocky teen with long black hair walk up to her with a smile. "Hey, remember me? I'm Jake, Billy's son. We used to play together when we were little?" he questioned hopefully.
When the memories finally surfaced, she grinned. "Little Jakey? Wow, yeah, I remember! You were a scrawny little thing last time I saw you, all twiggy arms and legs and now look at you! I never would have recognized you!" And it was true. Being a year younger than her combined with the fact she hadn't seen him since he was about eleven, the changes in him were shocking. He wasn't as big and tall as Paul, but at what she guessed to be six feet tall, he was definitely getting there.
Jake blushed and grinned. "Yeah well, time will do that I guess," he said bashfully as Paul circled his arms around her and pulled her back against his chest.
"Jake," she said as she rubbed Paul's arms. "This is my boyfriend Paul Lahote." She watched as the color drained from Jake's face as he stared over her shoulder. "Paul, this is Jacob Black, Billy's son." She glanced between them as they stared at each other. "You guys already know each other?"
Paul stretched his hand forward and Jake shook it quickly before taking a step back. "We know of each other, but never got to know each other," Paul answered as Jake stared into the gravel of the parking lot.
Bella eyed the younger teen curiously as he seemed nervous and ready to bolt at any second. Then he glanced up at her. "Yeah, we had different friends since he's older than me," he finished with a shrug.
She now felt an uncomfortable tension in Paul as he broke the awkward silence. "We better get in there B. We're already late."
Jake met her eyes and smiled thinly. "I guess I'll see ya later," he mumbled as he turned and jogged toward two other boys that looked to be his age.
She laced her fingers with Paul's and glanced up at him as they walked toward the doors. "What was all that about?"
A muscle twitched in his jaw. "Later B…we'll talk about it later." He glanced down and she nearly gasped at the sadness in his eyes. "There's not enough time to go into it now."
They walked in silence through the main doors and into the entryway where they both froze and looked at each other at the sounds of raised voices. "Shit," Paul said as he opened the door to the meeting room and gently tugged Bella to follow into the chaos.
"You had no right to do what you did to my son Sue!" Lisa screamed as Charlie held her back from getting right in the other woman's face.
"You gave me permission Lisa…"
"I did no such thing! You told me you were going to be in that area and I asked you to check on him to make sure he was really well! At no time did you tell me what your plans were!"
Billy banged a gavel on the elder's table. "Ladies! Ladies, please, can we sit and discuss this like adults?"
Lisa turned on him. "I suppose it was the adult thing to do when they drugged and abducted my son Billy?"
He sighed. "Lisa…please?" he asked once again while motioning toward her seat.
"This isn't over," she fairly growled at Sue before allowing Charlie to lead her back to her seat. When everyone was seated, Billy offered her the floor once again.
"Please step forward and address the council Lisa. All I ask is that you refrain from approaching anyone personally."
"Fine," she huffed as she stood and went to the podium they had set up. "You've all heard my grievance concerning the treatment of my son in the name of tribal secrecy and while I've heard your apology, I don't consider it to be sufficient.
"It's my understanding that Sam, Jared and Paul are just the first of many expected to phase, as you term it." At the many nods of the council members, she continued. "Then we need to address your shoddy handling of this situation as it's also my understanding from what you've said today that you have no intention of warning these kids and their families. In fact, you have no intention, even after they phase, of letting them tell their parents or guardians what's going on with them! How the hell is that going to work?! Some of these kids are still in school and from what you've said, they won't be able to attend for quite a while until they get themselves under control! What the hell are they gonna tell their parents? Are you planning to just let them flounder and have their parents think their kids are cutting and flunking out of the blue because they feel like it?! Do you see the unnecessary stress you're putting these kids under?! Do you even care?! Isn't this giant mind fuck enough of an upset to their lives without making them go it alone without the support of their families?! Isn't it enough for you that they'll have to drop their friends that won't be going through this, without an explanation?"
Her shoulders slumped and she hung her head for a moment before speaking again, quietly. "These kids deserve so much more from their tribe and elders. Just think about that and ask yourselves if you can live with what you're planning to demand of them."
Her voice trembled with emotion as she delivered her final salvo. "I know my son has had to give up all that he'd worked for, hoped for and dreamed of and I'm sure the rest of them will face the same fate. Don't try to make them do it alone. I won't stand for it." With that, she turned and sat down.
Bella was speechless as she watched Paul's mom take comfort in Charlie's arms as he quietly spoke to her for a moment. It seemed she wasn't the only one either as the entire hall was silent until Billy finally cleared his throat and spoke. "I agree with Lisa Lahote. I believe the kids we know carry the gene should be forewarned along with their parents or guardians. I also believe we should arrange tutoring for them to get them through any schooling they miss due to this."
He locked gazes with Lisa. "Again, I extend my apologies for what happened to Paul. In hindsight, we should have spoken with him before he ever left for Arizona as he'd already shown the very beginning signs of the change. We spoke of this at length and it was Sam's opinion as the Alpha, that he wouldn't be at risk while away because of the small amount of time he'd been exposed to the local vampires. For whatever reason, that thinking was erroneous."
Charlie stood and Billy cocked a brow at him. "Not sure if this is relevant, but I used to see one of the Cullen boys at the batting cages all the time when Paul and I would go there."
Billy smirked. "Vampires and baseball?" he questioned and Charlie smirked back. "Well if it helps, he was always there with Angela Weber. She was the one batting."
Bella's eyes widened. Angela? Batting? She could hardly believe it, but then they'd both changed over the years it seemed, so she shrugged it off to think about later. It was a small surprise when compared to all the others she been dealt in the past couple of days. What's a little baseball in the light of vampires and wolf shifters after all? She just barely stifled an inappropriate, slightly hysterical giggle at the thought.
Sam nodded and spoke up. "That would explain it then. Being away from it was enough to delay the changes but not stop them altogether. Still," he sighed and looked at Paul and Bella. "We should have been more careful and handled it better. You both have my sincere apologies."
Paul stood. "That's great Sam, and someday I'm sure I'll forgive you…maybe. Until then though, you have others to worry about. Show us your sincerity by not fucking up where they're concerned." He sat back down as Sue gasped and Harry glared. He smirked at both and kept his silence while staring them down.
Billy cleared his throat. "Okay…I think it's time to put Lisa's proposals to a vote…"
Thirty minutes and some raised voices later, all of her proposals passed and she breathed a sigh of relief as Charlie squeezed her hand in support.
Billy tapped the gavel to gain everyone's attention. "From here, I'll be contacting all of the affected families. Once I've done that, we'll reconvene with them in attendance to brief them on what they may be facing and how we as a tribe will support them. Our secretary will let you all know the time and date of that meeting once it's scheduled. Until then, this meeting is officially adjourned. Thank you all for attending."
They all stood and Paul hugged his mother tightly. "You kicked ass Mom. I'm proud of you."
She backed up a step and cupped his cheek. "Not that it was in time to help you really, but I hope what I said will make things easier on the rest that have to go through this."
"Nothing will make any of this okay, but I'm sure having their families with them will help. I can't imagine being ordered to keep this secret from you and having no choice but to follow that order. Bella was right, it would have torn us apart."
A feminine throat clearing interrupted them and Lisa dropped her hand from her son's cheek and turned to see a teary eyed Sue Clearwater standing there. "Can we talk Lisa?"
Lisa stared at her cooly for a moment before nodding. "Sure Sue, go ahead."
"I'm really sorry for doing what we did to Paul. While we thought it was the right thing to do at the time, I can see now how wrong it was. I just keep thinking about Seth…" she trailed off and her face crumpled as tears fell from her eyes. "He has the gene too. Harry just told me earlier today. I'd had no idea…" She broke down into sobs and Lisa sighed and pulled her into a hug.
"I accept your apology Sue and I'll forgive you eventually, when I cool off. As far as Seth goes, you need to be strong for him. This isn't a death sentence so you need to stop acting as though it is. From what Charlie told me of the first meeting and this prophecy business, we're going to have to stand strong with our sons while they get through some of the toughest shit they'll ever face." She held Sue at arms length and met her eyes with determination. "See them through it we will though because the alternative is completely unacceptable. Now, pony up and get ready to help them through this shitstorm, yeah?"
Sue dried her tears and straightened her spine. "You're right. Thanks for saying exactly what I needed to hear."
Lisa nodded sharply and grabbed Charlie's hand. "My pleasure," she said and strode out of the hall with a smirking Charlie at her side.
Sue made her way back to her husband who was speaking with Billy and Paul drew Bella in for a kiss just as Jared rushed into the hall and called for Sam.
They turned to watch them talk quietly until Sam frowned and walked over. "We have a new one about to phase; Embry Call. Will you come and help with him Paul? He may be a handful since we haven't had time to speak with him."
Paul glanced down at Bella and she nodded. "Go ahead. I'll catch a ride home with Charlie. Come and see me when you can."
He leaned down and kissed her. "I'll call you later to see if you're still awake. Love you B."
"She smiled and gave him a quick kiss. "Love you too."
When she walked outside, she sighed in relief to see Charlie and Lisa still there talking to some people. She'd have been screwed if they'd left already since Paul had taken his truck to wherever he'd needed to go.
"Hey Dad," she said as she joined them. "Can I catch a ride home with you? Paul had to leave with Sam and Jared."
"Sure kid."
Lisa cupped his cheek and traced a dark circle under his eye. "Go on Charlie. Go home and get some sleep. I'll hitch a ride home with my new bestie, Sue," she told him with a smirk and he chuckled.
"Just remember what I told ya about hiding the body."
She rolled her eyes. "I accepted her apology and I would never leave her kids without a mother, so there…no worries."
"If you're sure…" he hesitated and she rolled her eyes.
"Of course I'm sure! Go, I'll be fine." She leaned up to kiss him and Bella walked toward the cruiser, giving Lisa a wave as Charlie joined her.
They got in and didn't speak until they were well underway. "So," Bella said, "Lisa is really something! I'm in awe of her."
Charlie smiled warmly as he drove. "She's pretty amazing Bells. Her strength never fails and she loves fiercely." He glanced over and then back at the road as he continued. "I'm a lucky man."
Bella got a bit teary eyed at the love she could hear in her dad's voice. She was happy for him. He'd been alone for so long after Renee'd left him that she'd wondered if he'd ever let anyone in again. "I'm so happy for you Dad. You guys are perfect together. You're equally matched in strength, but you're the calm to her storm."
His cheeks pinked up and he gave a short nod in agreement and that was it for conversation for the rest of the ride home.
When he parked and cut the engine she could see him relax and was glad of it. He needed to unwind and get rest and as she stood from the car and closed the door, she rolled her shoulders thinking she could use the same. It had been a chaotic two days and she looked forward to shutting down after a quick shower.
After wishing her father a good night, she made short work of grabbing some old sweats and a T to sleep in before hopping into a quick shower. As she stepped under the relaxing spray, her mind went back to the shower she'd had earlier in the day, and she barely held back a moan, especially when she thought of Paul's hands on her body. God how she loved him…
Giving herself a mental shake, she turned off the water, stepped out, dried and dressed. After brushing her teeth and running a brush through her damp hair, she was more than ready to go to sleep, so with that in mind, she left the bathroom and entered her room where she stowed her shower stuff in the bottom drawer of her nightstand.
Just as she shut her door for the night, a low voice coming from the darkest corner of her room had her heart lurching as she spun toward it.
"Hello Bella," the unnaturally beautiful voice said. "I hope you don't mind the intrusion, but I believe we need to talk."
Paul and Bella were walking to the front porch steps when Charlie pulled up in his cruiser, scowling through the windshield at the sight of his daughter and a boxer-clad Paul standing there. They both looked like deer caught in headlights and he rubbed his forehead as he prayed for patience. 'Talk about jumping right into the deep end of the damn parenting pool,' he thought to himself.
To him, with the memories of his sweet, shy little girl still vivid in his mind, this felt a bit like going from zero to one hundred in two seconds flat. Add to that all the…other stuff and to say he was still reeling was a gross understatement. "Just stay cool Swan," he muttered as he popped the door open and slowly stood. "She's pretty much an adult. Just stay cool."
"You say something Chief Swan?" Sam asked with a smirk as he and Jared observed from beside the front door.
"What?" Charlie asked absently as he turned his attention away from his daughter and over to Sam. "Oh uh, no, it was nothing," he muttered with his brows drawn as he closed the door of the cruiser. Jared snickered and Paul shot him a sneer while discreetly flipping him off.
Charlie trudged up to the steps and stopped in front of the guilty looking pair. "Paul," he sighed out tiredly. "As much as I love ya kid, maybe you should, ya know, take yourself inside and get some clothes on, 'cause I'm tryin' here kid, I really am, and I gotta say," he hung his head and gestured at Paul with a hand, "…this ain't helpin'."
Bella discreetly handed off her bundled clothes to her mate and he disappeared inside without a word.
"Hey Ch—uh, Dad, what are you doing here?" she asked and watched with interest as his cheeks tinged pink.
He cleared his throat. "Lisa invited me for dinner, then we're supposed to go meet with the elders and Sue Clearwater. She asked me along and I'm glad she did. She's still pretty upset with Sue." He glanced over at Sam. "Can't say she's too thrilled with you either Sam. Not sure why you're here, but maybe you should take off and we'll see you at the meeting tonight."
Sam nodded. "We were just coming by to make sure Bella was okay, but I agree with you Chief, so we'll see you later tonight." They stepped off the porch and Jared waved. "See ya Bella."
"Bye Jared, Sam," she mumbled before meeting her dad's gaze.
Charlie eyed his daughter for a beat. "Let's head inside," he said with a nod toward the door.
Giving him a quick nod, Bella turned and went into the house where she paused and waited for Charlie to close the door and hang his web-belt on the rack. "So, what's this meeting about? Any idea?"
He watched a fully dressed Paul come down the stairs and wrap Bella in his arms before answering. "I really think it's about Lisa getting her chance to chew some ass to tell you the truth. She thinks the way they handled things was horse-shit and I can't say I disagree."
They walked into the living room where Paul and Bella took the loveseat while Charlie slumped into an overstuffed chair.
"What's wrong Dad?" she questioned. "You look tired. No sleep?"
He scoffed while arching a dark brow. "You're kidding, right? All the crap I found out yesterday, not the least of which's my daughter being in the thick of it all… Sleep? Not likely, kiddo," he groused while rubbing at his eyes.
She had the good sense to look sheepish when he pinned her with fatigued eyes. "Okay," she conceded with a nod. "Had that coming I guess. Sorry."
He waved off the apology with a sigh. "No, I'm sorry for being short."
She smiled wanly. "I understand Charlie."
The sound of the front door opening and closing caught their attention and a moment later Lisa walked in. She walked over and gave Paul a kiss on his cheek before sitting on the arm of Charlie's chair where she ran her fingers through his wavy hair as she spoke. "God, what a day this has been. Clients were hellish today." She leaned down and kissed Charlie's cheek. "You look like I feel. Sure you're up for this meeting? You don't have to go you know? Don't worry, I won't kill anyone," she finished with a smirk and a wink sent toward Paul and Bella.
"I'll be fine," Charlie assured her as his brows drew together and he looked back at Bella. "By the way, what did Sam mean when he mentioned coming by to see if you were okay? Why would they need to do that?"
Bella and Paul glanced at each other and laced their fingers together as she took a deep breath and explained her morning to Charlie. "So, yeah, Sam and Jared got me out of there and brought me back here so Paul could see that I was okay." She glanced at Lisa. "He loaned me some of your clothes to change into since mine smelled like vampire. I'll wash them and get them back to you tomorrow."
Lisa waved a hand. "The clothes are the least of my concern! You look okay, but are you? I can only imagine how scary that must have been for you."
Bella leaned into a slightly shaking Paul. "I'm fine. Yeah, I was scared, but they didn't do anything but talk."
Charlie and Lisa both were startled by the low growl now coming from Paul but Bella lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it while whispering to him and he calmed before their eyes as he took a couple of deep breaths.
Charlie eyed him for a moment. "You okay kid?" he asked and Paul nodded.
"Yeah, it's just the thought of her being so close to them…"
Lisa yelped in surprise as Charlie pulled her into his lap as he nodded. "I can imagine, kid. The thought doesn't make me happy either. Glad Sam and Jared showed up when they did." He met Bella's gaze as he ran his fingers through Lisa's hair. "What about your friend Bells? Angela Weber you said? Does she know about all this?"
Bella shook her head. "No, she thinks they're human, but how she hasn't noticed is a mystery to me. I mean, their skin is like ice."
Lisa smiled sadly. "Sometimes love makes us blind to all we don't wish to see Bella. She probably has noticed strange things but has been too scared to face the obvious."
Bella met Paul's eyes for a moment before nodding and looking back at Lisa and Charlie. "I can agree with that. Nothing you could tell me about Paul would change my mind at this point. I love him, no matter what."
Paul leaned down and gave her a slow, sweet kiss and she almost lost herself in the bliss of it until the sound of Charlie clearing his throat brought their attention back and they broke apart to see Lisa giving them a watery smile while Charlie rolled his eyes. "You two are so precious together, aren't they Charlie?" she asked with a grin while Charlie narrowed his eyes at Paul. "Yeah," he muttered. "Just precious…"
Paul fidgeted under Charlie's scrutiny until he couldn't stand it any longer. "What's for dinner?" he rushed out, trying to change the subject and Bella chuckled.
Lisa glanced at her watch. "Shit…uh, shoot…it's later than I thought…pizza okay with everybody?" She hopped up and Charlie nodded as he stood from the chair.
"Sure Lis, that's fine," he said as Paul and Bella nodded.
"Great," she said, sounding relieved. "I'll just go call it in and then change out of these work clothes. God knows I wanna be comfortable for this meeting," she muttered as she went for the phone. "Can't exactly kick ass in a pencil skirt and heels."
"Lisa…" Charlie said with a sigh and she chuckled.
"Fine, I'll behave," she agreed with a smirk as she waited for the call to connect.
Charlie walked into the kitchen and Bella snuggled into Paul's arms. "I love your mother," she said as she kissed his neck.
"Yeah, she's pretty great," he agreed as he leaned over and nipped at her lip before kissing her deeply.
"Hmm," she moaned into it as his hands began to roam down her back to her ass. She pulled away. "Paul, not now," she protested while moving his hands back up to her waist. He groaned and rested his forehead against hers.
"Damn, I just can't get enough of you… and don't think I forgot about that stinging red mark you left on my ass…"
She laughed lightly as she nuzzled against his smooth cheek. "Don't worry baby, I'll kiss it and make it better later."
"Stop talking like that B," he whispered into her ear as he sucked at the tender lobe. "I'm gettin' a raging hard-on and that's not a good thing with Charlie around."
She froze, instantly mortified. "Never—ever—mention my dad and the word hard-on in the same sentence again Paul Lahote."
He laughed and pulled her into his lap. "Instant turn off isn't it?"
She drew away to scowl at his grinning face. "Yes," she stated. "So much yes…you just don't even know…"
He arched a brow and looked pointedly down at his lap then back at her. "Oh, I think I do…"
She chuckled and snuggled back against him. "Well, at least it solved your little problem…"
"Little?" he hissed indignantly. "I can see I need to refresh your memory Miss Swan, but I gotta say, it cuts deep that you've forgotten so easily."
"Okay," she soothed with a sweet kiss and a smile at his scowl. "It was a poor choice of words and wasn't at all meant to slight your manly bits…" He cocked an inky brow and she continued, "…which are more than a girl could ever dream of… I mean, they should be bronzed and displayed…"
He choked at the thought and she grinned as Charlie walked back in with a beer.
"We'll finish this later," he muttered as Charlie eyed them curiously as he turned on the TV.
He pulled out his wallet and set it on the side table. "Pay for the pizza out of that when it gets here Bells. I'm gonna watch the game."
Paul perked up. "The Mariners?" he asked and Charlie nodded. "Yeah, hoping they still have a chance, but if they lose this one, they're out of the running."
Bella sighed and slid off Paul's lap to sit beside him as he focused on the game.
As soon as the doorbell rang she hopped up and grabbed Charlie's wallet, thankful for a distraction. She just didn't get the allure of watching baseball on TV. She found it boring, but she also knew if it was Paul pitching, she'd be riveted, and just the thought of that made her heart ache all over again for him. 'Damn vampires anyway,' she thought as she opened the door and paid for the pizza.
As she walked through to the dining room, she called out, "Pizza's here!" while setting the boxes on the table. Lisa walked in and smiled at her as she took out plates.
"I think they're stuck to the game for now sweetie," she said with a chuckle as she loaded two plates. "Why don't you grab a drink for Paul and we'll take it to them."
"Sounds good," Bella said with a nod just as Paul walked in.
"Shit, I'm starving," he said as he flipped the boxes open.
Bella nodded toward the plate Lisa'd made for him. "That's yours. I was gonna bring it out to you with a drink."
He sat at the breakfast bar and pulled the plate over with a shake of his head. "Nah, it's just a game. Not like it interests me anymore. I'll just eat here."
She felt another pang in her heart and sat next to him to eat. "Baby, don't give up your dreams so easily. You're still so young and you'll still be young when all this shit's over with…you can still—"
He held up a hand. "Don't go there B. Don't feed me false hope. Hurts too damn much."
He continued eating and Bella nodded sadly. She'd let it go…for now, but she'd be damned if she was gonna let him just quit on his dreams. He was just too talented and had worked too hard…
When dinner was over, she helped Lisa clean up and they all met in the entry way where Charlie was helping Lisa into a jacket. Paul handed Bella a hoodie and she smiled in thanks as she slipped into it. The thing was massive on her but it smelled like him and made her feel safe for some reason. "We'll take my truck and meet ya there," Paul said as he grabbed his keys from the hook.
"All right baby," Lisa said as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Just try to stay calm for this, okay?" she asked while staring into his eyes.
He smirked. "Something tells me it's you we need to worry about Mom."
"Me?" she asked with a scoff. "I'm the picture of calm baby. Don't you worry about me." She patted his cheek and marched out to the cruiser.
Paul met Charlie's eyes and Charlie nodded discreetly as they walked out the door and locked up. "I'll take care of her kid," he muttered before getting in and starting the cruiser.
Bella watched her dad drive off and yelped as Paul lifted her into the passenger seat of his massive Dodge diesel truck. She smirked at him as he slid in behind the wheel. "You know, I would make a comment about men and the size of their trucks making up for certain inadequacies…"
He growled and she grinned into his heated amber gaze. "You keep that up and we'll be late to this meeting just so I can remind you how beyond adequate I am."
She shivered and stared at him from under lowered lashes. "Mmm, I look forward to it," she breathed.
He tipped his head back and breathed deeply for a few beats. "Damn it B…keep that up and I'm gonna sustain permanent damage."
She eyed the bulge in his jeans with a coy grin. "I could help you out with that," she whispered as she unlatched her seatbelt and slid toward him.
"Oh god B, don't tease…" he groaned.
She worked the button and zipper on his jeans as she glanced up at him. "Who's teasing?"
He hissed as she reached in and freed him from his boxers. She took a few seconds to look at his perfect cock as she stroked him. He really was beyond perfect and although she didn't have any practical experience with any other men, she knew from other sources that he was way better endowed than most men. She had grown up with Renee as a mother after all.
"Fuck," he hissed as her hot, wet mouth engulfed as much of him as she could while she worked the rest with her talented hands.
He buried a hand into her silky hair as his other clutched the steering wheel. "Bella, Bella…fuck, your hot little mouth feels like heaven baby…jesus, don't stop…"
She hummed around him as she pulled back and circled the silky head with her tongue while stroking and tugging his balls. She felt pretty proud of herself as he was now panting while his fingers stroked her scalp.
Slowly, she sank back down on him while hollowing her cheeks. She peeked up as she hummed this time to see him watching her with those beautiful hazel/amber eyes. "God," he whispered. "I wanna be inside you so bad right now."
Smiling inside, she quickened her pace and gently rolled his tightening sack as he gasped and groaned. "Fuck…oh fuck, yes B, just like that baby, don't stop…" he babbled as she sucked and bobbed relentlessly.
"Bella," he rushed out after a couple of minutes, "baby, I'm close…" and she could tell it too from how he swelled and throbbed against her ever working tongue. "Baby, you might wanna move…." he breathed as his hips jerked involuntarily but instead of moving off him, she took him in as far as she could and swallowed. The feel of it was his undoing and he came with a quiet shout and panted breaths as she continued to stroke and swallow.
When he'd finally slumped in the seat, she sat up and grabbed a bottle of water, rinsing and quickly spitting out the opened passenger door before sitting up and smiling at him as he pulled her close and kissed her.
"Thanks B…that was fuckin' amazing," he murmured against the dampened skin of her neck where he placed light kisses.
She giggled as his breath tickled just under her ear. "Well, I couldn't have my man suffering during the meeting, now could I?"
He sat up and smirked as he tucked back in and zipped up. "Well, thanks for takin' one for the team." He nodded at the glove box. "There's gum in there if ya want it."
She took a drink of water as she closed the door. "Yeah, that might be good. Not that I mind the taste of you, but the after-taste…"
He pulled out onto the road and grinned over at her as she popped a piece of gum in and chewed. "It'll help a little with the scent, though it won't mask it completely."
"The scent?" she questioned with wide eyes as she stared at him.
"Yeah," he said with a proud grin. "You smell strongly of me, which is great in my opinion."
He laughed as she popped in two more pieces of gum. "Damn it Paul! It's not funny!" She scowled as she chewed frantically and tested her breath into her cupped hand every few seconds as he kept laughing. "That's not gonna get rid of it baby, at least not for a while. Now you just smell like minty fresh me."
She punched him in the arm and drank more water as they pulled up and parked outside the meeting hall. "Never again," she groused as she hopped out of the massive truck. "Damn wolfy senses…"
"Bella!" She turned toward the voice to see a stocky teen with long black hair walk up to her with a smile. "Hey, remember me? I'm Jake, Billy's son. We used to play together when we were little?" he questioned hopefully.
When the memories finally surfaced, she grinned. "Little Jakey? Wow, yeah, I remember! You were a scrawny little thing last time I saw you, all twiggy arms and legs and now look at you! I never would have recognized you!" And it was true. Being a year younger than her combined with the fact she hadn't seen him since he was about eleven, the changes in him were shocking. He wasn't as big and tall as Paul, but at what she guessed to be six feet tall, he was definitely getting there.
Jake blushed and grinned. "Yeah well, time will do that I guess," he said bashfully as Paul circled his arms around her and pulled her back against his chest.
"Jake," she said as she rubbed Paul's arms. "This is my boyfriend Paul Lahote." She watched as the color drained from Jake's face as he stared over her shoulder. "Paul, this is Jacob Black, Billy's son." She glanced between them as they stared at each other. "You guys already know each other?"
Paul stretched his hand forward and Jake shook it quickly before taking a step back. "We know of each other, but never got to know each other," Paul answered as Jake stared into the gravel of the parking lot.
Bella eyed the younger teen curiously as he seemed nervous and ready to bolt at any second. Then he glanced up at her. "Yeah, we had different friends since he's older than me," he finished with a shrug.
She now felt an uncomfortable tension in Paul as he broke the awkward silence. "We better get in there B. We're already late."
Jake met her eyes and smiled thinly. "I guess I'll see ya later," he mumbled as he turned and jogged toward two other boys that looked to be his age.
She laced her fingers with Paul's and glanced up at him as they walked toward the doors. "What was all that about?"
A muscle twitched in his jaw. "Later B…we'll talk about it later." He glanced down and she nearly gasped at the sadness in his eyes. "There's not enough time to go into it now."
They walked in silence through the main doors and into the entryway where they both froze and looked at each other at the sounds of raised voices. "Shit," Paul said as he opened the door to the meeting room and gently tugged Bella to follow into the chaos.
"You had no right to do what you did to my son Sue!" Lisa screamed as Charlie held her back from getting right in the other woman's face.
"You gave me permission Lisa…"
"I did no such thing! You told me you were going to be in that area and I asked you to check on him to make sure he was really well! At no time did you tell me what your plans were!"
Billy banged a gavel on the elder's table. "Ladies! Ladies, please, can we sit and discuss this like adults?"
Lisa turned on him. "I suppose it was the adult thing to do when they drugged and abducted my son Billy?"
He sighed. "Lisa…please?" he asked once again while motioning toward her seat.
"This isn't over," she fairly growled at Sue before allowing Charlie to lead her back to her seat. When everyone was seated, Billy offered her the floor once again.
"Please step forward and address the council Lisa. All I ask is that you refrain from approaching anyone personally."
"Fine," she huffed as she stood and went to the podium they had set up. "You've all heard my grievance concerning the treatment of my son in the name of tribal secrecy and while I've heard your apology, I don't consider it to be sufficient.
"It's my understanding that Sam, Jared and Paul are just the first of many expected to phase, as you term it." At the many nods of the council members, she continued. "Then we need to address your shoddy handling of this situation as it's also my understanding from what you've said today that you have no intention of warning these kids and their families. In fact, you have no intention, even after they phase, of letting them tell their parents or guardians what's going on with them! How the hell is that going to work?! Some of these kids are still in school and from what you've said, they won't be able to attend for quite a while until they get themselves under control! What the hell are they gonna tell their parents? Are you planning to just let them flounder and have their parents think their kids are cutting and flunking out of the blue because they feel like it?! Do you see the unnecessary stress you're putting these kids under?! Do you even care?! Isn't this giant mind fuck enough of an upset to their lives without making them go it alone without the support of their families?! Isn't it enough for you that they'll have to drop their friends that won't be going through this, without an explanation?"
Her shoulders slumped and she hung her head for a moment before speaking again, quietly. "These kids deserve so much more from their tribe and elders. Just think about that and ask yourselves if you can live with what you're planning to demand of them."
Her voice trembled with emotion as she delivered her final salvo. "I know my son has had to give up all that he'd worked for, hoped for and dreamed of and I'm sure the rest of them will face the same fate. Don't try to make them do it alone. I won't stand for it." With that, she turned and sat down.
Bella was speechless as she watched Paul's mom take comfort in Charlie's arms as he quietly spoke to her for a moment. It seemed she wasn't the only one either as the entire hall was silent until Billy finally cleared his throat and spoke. "I agree with Lisa Lahote. I believe the kids we know carry the gene should be forewarned along with their parents or guardians. I also believe we should arrange tutoring for them to get them through any schooling they miss due to this."
He locked gazes with Lisa. "Again, I extend my apologies for what happened to Paul. In hindsight, we should have spoken with him before he ever left for Arizona as he'd already shown the very beginning signs of the change. We spoke of this at length and it was Sam's opinion as the Alpha, that he wouldn't be at risk while away because of the small amount of time he'd been exposed to the local vampires. For whatever reason, that thinking was erroneous."
Charlie stood and Billy cocked a brow at him. "Not sure if this is relevant, but I used to see one of the Cullen boys at the batting cages all the time when Paul and I would go there."
Billy smirked. "Vampires and baseball?" he questioned and Charlie smirked back. "Well if it helps, he was always there with Angela Weber. She was the one batting."
Bella's eyes widened. Angela? Batting? She could hardly believe it, but then they'd both changed over the years it seemed, so she shrugged it off to think about later. It was a small surprise when compared to all the others she been dealt in the past couple of days. What's a little baseball in the light of vampires and wolf shifters after all? She just barely stifled an inappropriate, slightly hysterical giggle at the thought.
Sam nodded and spoke up. "That would explain it then. Being away from it was enough to delay the changes but not stop them altogether. Still," he sighed and looked at Paul and Bella. "We should have been more careful and handled it better. You both have my sincere apologies."
Paul stood. "That's great Sam, and someday I'm sure I'll forgive you…maybe. Until then though, you have others to worry about. Show us your sincerity by not fucking up where they're concerned." He sat back down as Sue gasped and Harry glared. He smirked at both and kept his silence while staring them down.
Billy cleared his throat. "Okay…I think it's time to put Lisa's proposals to a vote…"
Thirty minutes and some raised voices later, all of her proposals passed and she breathed a sigh of relief as Charlie squeezed her hand in support.
Billy tapped the gavel to gain everyone's attention. "From here, I'll be contacting all of the affected families. Once I've done that, we'll reconvene with them in attendance to brief them on what they may be facing and how we as a tribe will support them. Our secretary will let you all know the time and date of that meeting once it's scheduled. Until then, this meeting is officially adjourned. Thank you all for attending."
They all stood and Paul hugged his mother tightly. "You kicked ass Mom. I'm proud of you."
She backed up a step and cupped his cheek. "Not that it was in time to help you really, but I hope what I said will make things easier on the rest that have to go through this."
"Nothing will make any of this okay, but I'm sure having their families with them will help. I can't imagine being ordered to keep this secret from you and having no choice but to follow that order. Bella was right, it would have torn us apart."
A feminine throat clearing interrupted them and Lisa dropped her hand from her son's cheek and turned to see a teary eyed Sue Clearwater standing there. "Can we talk Lisa?"
Lisa stared at her cooly for a moment before nodding. "Sure Sue, go ahead."
"I'm really sorry for doing what we did to Paul. While we thought it was the right thing to do at the time, I can see now how wrong it was. I just keep thinking about Seth…" she trailed off and her face crumpled as tears fell from her eyes. "He has the gene too. Harry just told me earlier today. I'd had no idea…" She broke down into sobs and Lisa sighed and pulled her into a hug.
"I accept your apology Sue and I'll forgive you eventually, when I cool off. As far as Seth goes, you need to be strong for him. This isn't a death sentence so you need to stop acting as though it is. From what Charlie told me of the first meeting and this prophecy business, we're going to have to stand strong with our sons while they get through some of the toughest shit they'll ever face." She held Sue at arms length and met her eyes with determination. "See them through it we will though because the alternative is completely unacceptable. Now, pony up and get ready to help them through this shitstorm, yeah?"
Sue dried her tears and straightened her spine. "You're right. Thanks for saying exactly what I needed to hear."
Lisa nodded sharply and grabbed Charlie's hand. "My pleasure," she said and strode out of the hall with a smirking Charlie at her side.
Sue made her way back to her husband who was speaking with Billy and Paul drew Bella in for a kiss just as Jared rushed into the hall and called for Sam.
They turned to watch them talk quietly until Sam frowned and walked over. "We have a new one about to phase; Embry Call. Will you come and help with him Paul? He may be a handful since we haven't had time to speak with him."
Paul glanced down at Bella and she nodded. "Go ahead. I'll catch a ride home with Charlie. Come and see me when you can."
He leaned down and kissed her. "I'll call you later to see if you're still awake. Love you B."
"She smiled and gave him a quick kiss. "Love you too."
When she walked outside, she sighed in relief to see Charlie and Lisa still there talking to some people. She'd have been screwed if they'd left already since Paul had taken his truck to wherever he'd needed to go.
"Hey Dad," she said as she joined them. "Can I catch a ride home with you? Paul had to leave with Sam and Jared."
"Sure kid."
Lisa cupped his cheek and traced a dark circle under his eye. "Go on Charlie. Go home and get some sleep. I'll hitch a ride home with my new bestie, Sue," she told him with a smirk and he chuckled.
"Just remember what I told ya about hiding the body."
She rolled her eyes. "I accepted her apology and I would never leave her kids without a mother, so there…no worries."
"If you're sure…" he hesitated and she rolled her eyes.
"Of course I'm sure! Go, I'll be fine." She leaned up to kiss him and Bella walked toward the cruiser, giving Lisa a wave as Charlie joined her.
They got in and didn't speak until they were well underway. "So," Bella said, "Lisa is really something! I'm in awe of her."
Charlie smiled warmly as he drove. "She's pretty amazing Bells. Her strength never fails and she loves fiercely." He glanced over and then back at the road as he continued. "I'm a lucky man."
Bella got a bit teary eyed at the love she could hear in her dad's voice. She was happy for him. He'd been alone for so long after Renee'd left him that she'd wondered if he'd ever let anyone in again. "I'm so happy for you Dad. You guys are perfect together. You're equally matched in strength, but you're the calm to her storm."
His cheeks pinked up and he gave a short nod in agreement and that was it for conversation for the rest of the ride home.
When he parked and cut the engine she could see him relax and was glad of it. He needed to unwind and get rest and as she stood from the car and closed the door, she rolled her shoulders thinking she could use the same. It had been a chaotic two days and she looked forward to shutting down after a quick shower.
After wishing her father a good night, she made short work of grabbing some old sweats and a T to sleep in before hopping into a quick shower. As she stepped under the relaxing spray, her mind went back to the shower she'd had earlier in the day, and she barely held back a moan, especially when she thought of Paul's hands on her body. God how she loved him…
Giving herself a mental shake, she turned off the water, stepped out, dried and dressed. After brushing her teeth and running a brush through her damp hair, she was more than ready to go to sleep, so with that in mind, she left the bathroom and entered her room where she stowed her shower stuff in the bottom drawer of her nightstand.
Just as she shut her door for the night, a low voice coming from the darkest corner of her room had her heart lurching as she spun toward it.
"Hello Bella," the unnaturally beautiful voice said. "I hope you don't mind the intrusion, but I believe we need to talk."
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.