Parallax

Chapter 17

A few minutes after her discussion with Caleb, Helena woke up and joined Bella for breakfast in the kitchen.

Caleb stayed on the sidelines, observing Helena and Bella couldn't help but notice the way he stared at her like she was the only thing that mattered in the world. She couldn't wait to go back home and look at her Jasper that way as well.

The couple interrogated her, purposely avoiding any discussion related to Helena and Caleb's counterparts. Caleb was more curious about the Cullen family and their lifestyle not just in her world but in this world as well.

She was happy to share with them a much shorter version of how the family came to be following the present Bella's timeline based on how she remembered it with the present Bella's memories.

She told them about their diet, why they chose it, what animals would be much tastier than others and Bella could see that it didn't make a difference to Caleb. He still finds it unconventional and unappealing, and Bella could understand knowing that Caleb had only ever known human blood as his only sustenance.

It wasn't about the taste as well as much as the reason behind it. Especially for most of them like Jasper and Edward who found relief with the diet because of their gifts.

That was also a topic that she finally shared with the two and although it irked them that Edward's been hearing their thoughts and Jasper affecting their moods, they took it rather well considering the circumstances. When Bella told them about her gift as a vampire and Alice's foresight, Caleb couldn't help but be amazed that how after all this time that he never came across a gifted vampire, the moment that he did, it was several at the same time.

By the time that they finally ended their conversation and the two women volunteering to clean up the dishes, the Cullen's came back from their hunt.

"Is it time?" Edward was the one who asked, and Caleb looked at Bella.

"Bella?"

She turned to all of them and exhaled.

"Yeah, but before I go... Alice? Can I borrow your phone? I just need to call someone."

Alice smiled sadly, knowing what Bella was going to do and handed her the phone.

"I'll be right back." She excused herself and went outside the house to where she sat at the garden the night before, leaving the rest inside.

Now that going home wasn't just a hopeful mission that she was trying to achieve, that she was going to finally go back to her own world and future, she realized that she had so little time spent with Charlie.

She felt guilty that with the little time that she had with him when she arrived, she was only able to speak with him for a few minutes before she had run off with the Cullen's.

Yes, she knew that there were a lot of things going on at that time what with Harry's death, Edward and Bella's situation and her worry that she might be stuck in this world, but she had thought that maybe she could hold off with a proper reunion with her father.

Even when she badly wanted to go home, she had prepared herself with the idea that she might fail and she'd go back to Forks, spend some time with Charlie while finding another way to get back to her own world.

Somewhere inside of her, she had thought that it wasn't going to be that easy, that it would take some time before it happened, but it did and now, Bella was torn.

The only thing that she could do now was say goodbye... on the phone.

She took a deep breath before dialing their home number. Charlie would still be getting ready for work at this hour.