Charlie had made a concerted effort to be more in
Bella’s life. However, I could tell that he was very upset at not being able to
walk Bella down the aisle. While I was out drinking with Emmett and Carlisle, I
overheard him talking to Eleazar about my fiancée and her decision to have Aro
walk her down the aisle.
“How are you
enjoying Palm Springs, Charlie?” Eleazar asked, sipping his scotch.
“It’s beautiful.
And so relaxing,” Charlie replied.
“It is. Me and my
wife come here every couple of months just to unwind,” Eleazar chuckled. “Perhaps
you can join us one time?”
“Perhaps,” Charlie
said, taking a swig of his beer. “Have you heard anything about Bella’s case?
About those guys?”
“Nope. My daughter
works for the LAPD and they’ve been on the lookout of them, but it’s like the
disappeared. The only connection we have to them is Rosalie Hale. She was
arrested for violating her restraining order against your nephew, Emmett. She’s
in custody and she’s insisting that Jacob, James, Royce and Victoria are closer
than we think. Security is tight for the wedding and will be even tighter for
all of the premiers for Midnight Dawn. Even Edward and some
of the guys are going to be carrying.”
“Edward has a
license to carry?” Charlie asked, clearly shocked.
“He started out as
her bodyguard. He protected her from some sticky situations with Michael Newton
while she was on the road for Metropolis. Aro was so ashamed at
Mike’s behavior. He had the kid blacklisted. He can’t even get a job as busboy
in this town,” Eleazar snorted.
“Aro, what a
douche,” Charlie muttered.
“Why do you say
that?” Eleazar asked, his anger barely contained.
“He’s walking my daughter down the aisle. It should be my job,” Charlie spat bitterly.
“If I recall
correctly, you and Bella were estranged, right?” Eleazar asked. I didn’t hear a
response, but I assumed that Charlie nodded. “She felt abandoned by you,
Charlie. She needed a parent and you weren’t there. Aro, along with Carlisle,
Esme and Edward, were with her every step of the way as she recovered from her
attack. I don’t think you know how bad it was. The girl wouldn’t eat, she was
afraid to leave the house, she washed her skin to the point where she was
covered head-to-toe in a rash and the nightmares were awful. The fact that she
has come so far that is having this wedding, walking down the aisle to Edward
is a miracle. Now, your behavior in ignoring her when she needed you the most
is abhorrent and the fact that she invited you to the wedding shows what a good
heart your daughter has. You should be grateful for being here. I know that
there are some folks who aren’t happy with your presence, but are willing to accept
it because Bella wanted it. Don’t ruin it for your daughter. She’s been through
enough anguish in her short life. Get over yourself, enjoy your free vacation
and be happy for your daughter.”
Eleazar shot up and stormed out of the bar. Carlisle and I shared a look, equal parts shocked and proud. Charlie followed him shortly after, hanging his head shamefully. I was afraid that he was going to book a flight back to Seattle after Eleazar’s tirade. The next morning, when all of them were going golfing, I was surprised to see Charlie show up. He steered clear of Eleazar and kept to himself, but the angry glares at Aro didn’t go unnoticed.
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