Clouds Against the Eclipse

I have something kind of big to tell you, Dad

Mature content warning including but not limited to graphic sexual content! Thank you so so much for reading! :)

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Bella's POV:

Standing over the sink in my kitchen, I lean forward and use my hands for support in case I accidentally pass out or throw up.

Jacob will be here in ten minutes and I still have yet to talk to Charlie, my procrastination skills suddenly reaching an all-time high. I have no idea what I expect him to say, although this isn't the first time I've introduced someone as my boyfriend...

The pain that blooms in my chest is swift and sharp, temporarily robbing me of both my breath and my vision. I grip the sink and attempt to take a deep breath, shaking away the tears that threaten to spill and instead focusing on Jake's face in my mind.

Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. Jacob is on his way. Get it together and go talk to Charlie. Stop thinking about-

"Bella? You still in the kitchen?" Charlie's voice from the living room speeds up my recovery process, forcing me to remember what I need to do. Reaching out, I turn on the sink and splash some cold water on my face, dabbing off the droplets with a paper towel and taking one final moment to gather myself.

"Yes, coming, Dad!" My feet move slowly as if trapped in quick sand, my palms becoming sweaty in an instant.

Here goes nothing.

Charlie is sitting in his favorite lounge chair, a can of Rainier beer in one hand and the remote in his other. He sees me enter the living room and looks up, smiling at me and taking a sip of his drink. "Hey, Bells. What's up?"

I should just come out and say it. "Well, actually, um..." My voice trails off and I begin fiddling with my hair, looking away from his face and instead down at my hands.

Come on, Bella, spit it out.

"Um, well, I did want to talk to you. I actually...I have something kind of big to tell you, Dad." The serious tone change causes Charlie's eyebrow to raise, setting his beer can down on the coffee table (three inches to the left of the coaster I set out, might I add) and sitting up a little straighter as if to prepare himself for some life-altering crisis.

"Well okay then, Bells. Lay it on me." I definitely have his full attention now which only causes my anxiety to worsen, the sound of my own heartbeat echoing in my eardrums.

Just say it. Just say it. Just say it-

"Jacob asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes. He's going to be here to talk to you properly, like...now." The words come out in a quick jumble, sounding rushed and mushed together. Charlie looks merely perplexed at first, scratching his mustache and raising his eyebrows even higher.

"Jacob Black?"

"Yes, of course Jacob Black. What other Jacob is there?" This news seems to really surprise him, his eyebrows basically at his hairline at this point.

"When did you talk to Jacob? You're supposed to be grounded."

Oops. Good point.

"Um, well, don't be mad but he did actually come by..." I can't say last night or he'll flip out and assume that we did the worst.

Even though we did technically do the worst...

"...very early this morning. Before you were even awake, actually. He knocked on the front door and I just happened to hear him while I was getting a glass of water from the kitchen. It was like 5:30 in the morning maybe? Lucky timing, I guess." I am aware that I am babbling and that I definitely need to stop babbling right now.