Rose's Swan

Chapter 18

"Bells. Did he hurt you?" Charlie asked in concern.

"No, Dad." Bella said.

"Then what? Did he break up with you?" Charlie is now very confused at why his daughter is acting this way.

"I broke up with him." Bella admits.

"I thought you liked him?" Charlie said. Why couldn't he just get a straight forward answer from his eldest child like he could his youngest.

Why was being a father to his eldest teenage daughter harder than being a father to his youngest teenage daughter? What was the difference?

"That's why I have to leave. I don't want this. I want to go home." Bella said.

Charlie was confused. She was leaving because she liked the Cullen boy too much?

What did that even mean?

"I'll be in the truck." Edward whispered to Bella.

And he disappears out the window. Bella gathers strength to continue her performance. She opens the door to reveal Charlie.

He follows as she carries her duffle and truck keys.

Bella charges down the stairs -- Charlie follows.

"Your mother's not even in Phoenix." Charlie tries to remind his daughter.

"She'll come home. I'll call her from the road." Bella said, having no intention of getting her involved besides maybe a phone call telling her that she was traveling.

"You can't drive home now. I'll take you to the airport in the morning." Charlie said hoping that by having her stay the night he could get her to eventually change her mind about leaving and decide to stay. Or maybe Josie could get her to stay.

"I want to drive. I need time to think. I'll pull into a motel in a few hours. I promise." Bella said.

She heads down the stairs. Charlie follows..

Bella reaches the ground floor with Charlie on her heels.

She's almost to the door but Charlie blocks her.

"Bells, I know I'm not around much, but I can change that. We can do more things together." Charlie pleads with his daughter. He had just got her back, he didn't want her to leave so soon.

She takes a breath, hating herself for what she's about to say...

"Like watch more baseball on the flat screen? Or go to the Coffee Shop? Same people, same steak, same berry cobbler every night? That's you, Dad, Not me." Bella said.

This hits Charlie hard. She can barely stand it, heading down the stairs, as he takes a second to recover...

"Bella... I just got you girls back." Charlie said. The pain in his voice stops her.

Which breaks Bella's heart... and forces her to deliver the final blow.

"And if I don't get out now, I'm going to get stuck here like mom did."

"What about your sister? Josie." Charlie said, delivering his last and final plea. Bella pauses, which gives Charlie a bit of hope.

"Josie seems to like Forks, she's happier than I've ever seen her, she's fallen in love and I think it'll last. She'd never want to leave. She's a lot like you in that regard." Bella said.

Charlie is stunned, wounded. She takes advantage of his shock, pushing past him out the door.

Bella exits, heads to her truck. Fresh tears spring to her eyes.