Midday Clouds - The Charlie Swan Story

Chapter 59 (Eclipse 18)

I heard the telltale sound of a sedan pull onto the gravel in the driveway. I may or may not have been watching some hockey highlights with the volume down low for the past hour, keeping an ear perked for that very noise. I hustled to the kitchen window and, sure enough, there was Edward's car parked right behind my cruiser. He'd turned off the headlights and the engine; I guess he planned on coming in as well, rather than just dropping her off. I sighed. This would make the news of Jake's phone call all the more dramatic.

I thought about waiting until Edward left before telling Bella to call Jake, but I'd also told Jake I'd tell Bells right when she got home. There was no knowing when Edward would leave, now that her curfew had been abolished, and the odds were high that Jake would call any minute – he'd already wrung me twice in the past hour.

I went to the front door, pulling it open as Bella and a luggage-clad Edward walked up the steps.

"Welcome home, kid!" I shouted, putting on a cheery face. "How was Jacksonville?"

"Moist. And buggy," Bella answered. I could tell that she was exhausted, either from the flight, or the trip, or both.

"So Renée didn't sell you on the University of Florida?"

"She tried. But I'd rather drink water than inhale it," she said with a smile. It was nice to see. I returned one in kind.

I glanced over at Edward, hoping to keep things light. "Did you have a nice time?"

"Yes," Edward answered in a serene voice. "Renée was very hospitable."

"That's... um, good. Glad you had fun." I pulled Bells in for a hug.

"Impressive," she whispered in my ear.

"I really missed you, Bells. The food around here sucks when you're gone," I joked. In reality, it was the same fare that I'd had for the vast majority of my adult life here in Forks; the local pizza place, some potluck meals, a trip to the diner.

"I'll get on it," she said, taking my comment differently from how I meant it. She'd just gotten home, I didn't need her cooking for me.

"Would you call Jacob first?" I brought up to stop her from heading into the kitchen. "He's been bugging me every five minutes since six o'clock this morning. I promised I'd have you call him before you even unpacked."

"Jacob wants to talk to me?" she asked, incredulous.

"Pretty bad, I'd say. He wouldn't tell me what it was about — just said it was important."

I glanced over at Edward, who looked like he'd just sat on a wooden spike. Yeah, there was definitely some tension going on between the three.

The phone rang then, shrill and demanding.

"That's him again, I'd bet my next paycheck," I muttered.

"I got it." Bella went to grab the phone in the kitchen, rather than the one beside Edward and I in the hall. I couldn't tell which of us she meant to get some privacy from, but Edward drifted after her like a ghoul, and I had enough decorum to eavesdrop from the living room.

"Hello?" I heard Bella say shortly after the phone stopped ringing. I could only hear her side of the conversation. I wondered if Edward was lurking close enough to catch Jake's end.

"Yes... Because I've been in the house for exactly four seconds and your call interrupted Charlie telling me that you'd called," Bella said, her hackles raised. It reminded me of how quickly Ren and I's convo had devolved just that morning.

"Sure. Now, why are you harassing Charlie?... Yeah, I figured out that part all by myself. Go ahead... Of course I am. Why wouldn't I?"

I hated that she twisted things to make it seem like I'd said I was being harassed by Jake. I mean, he'd called about half a dozen times, but I wasn't being harassed.

"So what did you want to talk about, Jake? ... Yeah, I know. I'm so glad you called me, Jake. I... What? But Jake —"

I heard the sound of the phone click onto its wall holder.

"Is everything all right?" Edward asked. His low, grave voice was harder to make out through the wall. I pressed my ear against it to better listen.

"I don't know. I wonder what that was about," Bells said, clearly confused.

"Your guess is probably better than mine," Edward said.

The kids were quiet for a while after that. I heard Bella rummage around the kitchen, grab some pots and pans, open the fridge. I wanted to tell her I could just order takeout or something, but I didn't want to disturb the two if they were going to say anything more about the phone call with Jake.

Then I heard the sound of something thud onto the ground.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked. More silence. "Bella?"

I pressed my ear back against the living room wall, deciding whether or not to rush in there.

"I think . . . I think he was checking," she mumbled, her voice a whisper I could hardly hear. "Checking to make sure. That... I mean..." I missed part of what she'd said. Check to make sure of what?

"We'll have to leave," she whispered. "Before. So that it doesn't break the t-"

I'd heard enough. She was planning on leaving, again? I launched myself off the couch and stepped into the kitchen. Edward was hunched over Bella, mouth to her ear, eyes like Saturn devouring his son.

"Ahem," I said. They both startled, looking over at me. "If you don't want to make dinner, I can call for a pizza."

"No, that's okay, I'm already started," Bells said, gesturing to the various burger ingredients she had arranged on the counter.

"Okay," I said. I propped myself against the doorframe, folding my arms. I didn't want to give the two another chance to whisper plans about "leaving," but I also couldn't bring myself to ask her point blank. Bells got to work on dinner, and we ate (well, Bells and I ate, with Edward sitting awkwardly at the table twiddling his thumbs) in silence.

Edward went home shortly after, and though I'd meant to bring up what Bella had said in the kitchen once he'd left, I decided against it. I knew she wouldn't take too kindly to my eavesdropping, and I doubted I'd get any more usable information out of her, anyway. She rushed off to bed the moment that Edward was out of sight, and I was left to stew on the possibility of her leaving, once again, without a trace.

But for now, it was good to have her back home.