dusk

chapter 8

The drive home in the cruiser was silent and uneventful. Charlie kept shooting glances at me to see if I was okay, which I found highly annoying. I couldn't wait to get home, where I could be free to cry, think, or just scream in my pillow, all in the safety of my bedroom. Then I remember my closet. I let out an involuntary shudder.

"Cold?" Charlie asked; his voice was filled with concern. He turned up the heater.

"Thanks dad, I'm just a little chilly." I said feebly.

When we got home I took a quick shower. Charlie had made us both soup. We ate while watching baseball. He seemed very happy that we were spending quality time together. A wave of guilt hit me as I remembered how eager I had been to leave Charlie and my life behind to turn into a vampire. Now I wasn't so sure, but I still had that part of me that wanted it. When I realized how big that part was, another wave of guilt hit me.

When it was time for bed I slowly made my way up to my room. I perched myself on my bed and stared at my closet. I wanted to check to see if Edward had moved the body, but I wasn't sure if I was better not knowing. Another part of me was scared that something worse was hiding there. I had just about made up my mind to check it out when a knock at my door sent my heart flying.

I went to it and opened it. Charlie was standing outside my door with a bundled up sleeping bag, some blankets, and a pillow. I looked at him with my eyebrows raised.

"I want to make sure that nothing happens tonight, and if it does, I want to make sure I'm awake." He explained sheepishly.

His concern for me was overwhelming. He was such a good, regular, lovable dad, which was exactly what I needed in my life right now, something lovable, good and especially regular. I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him as tight as I could. Tears started forming in my eyes. He tried to hug me back as best he could with his arms full.

"Um, Bells, I'm losing my grip on this stuff and this sleeping bag weighs a ton. I'm just warning you now, watch your feet." He said, struggling to maintain a tight grasp.

I laughed, gesturing him in as I wiped my tears away. He put his sleeping bag to the left of my bed, towards the door.

"Goodnight, Bells," he said, preparing to lie down.

"Um, dad," I began sheepishly.

"Yeah, Bells?"

"Could check to see if there's anything hiding in my closet?"

I woke up considerably late. I looked around at my room. It seemed so normal now. Charlie had checked my closet for me last night and it was completely devoid of any bodies or vampires. I had, for the first time in a long time, a dreamless and more importantly, nightmare-less, sleep. I was feeling completely rejuvenated.

The phone rang and I got out of bed. I picked up a note from Charlie's sleeping bag. I read it as I went downstairs to get the phone. It just said that Charlie had left to go to work and that Dr. Monroe said she would call today to talk with me. I groaned.

"Hello?" I said, answering the phone.

"Hi, good afternoon. This is Miss Isabella Swan, I presume?" asked the pleasant voiced man on the other end of the line. He had an attractive French accent.